If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
José,
I'm glad you found the book interesting. Nevertheless, I notice some scepticism regarding the "claims" we've published in it, so let me just add here, that we have very carefully researched them. In fact, 95% of the claims you can find in the list on pages 85 thru 88 were cross-examined with what can be found in different USAF and USN documents, during interviews with Iraqi pilots and officers. Given some quite useful reactions on that book from Iraq we're currently getting, I can say that the actual number of confirmed kills could eventually easily go over 200. Of course, there is a legitime question of how is one getting a confirmation for a kill scored over a range of between 70 and 150km. But, we all should actually know that such kills can be confirmed as well - especially when one finally establishes good contacts to both involved sides and gets confirmation even from the opposition. So, for example, when an Iranian pilot claims he fired two AIM-54s and two AIM-7s from BV-ranges to engage a group of eight Iraqi fighters and shot down two, but surviving Iraqi pilots from that formation say they've seen with their own eyes as three of their pals went down in flames, and an USAF document confirms this, then I'd say we've been cautios enough for that case, and do not see a particular reason to question that statement from the Iranian pilot. Regarding why was the F-14 always getting tumbs down when it came to political decisions in the USA: well, that remains unclear to anybody Farzad and me were able to ask. It was certainly not the performance of the aircraft - neither that in the USA nor combat performance in Iran, then especially the later was actually well-known to relevant circles in Pentagon. Certain is that if Iran remained a US ally through the 1980s they would re-engine and futher upgrade their whole fleet (which by 1985 would consist of some 150 Tomcats), and this process would very likely cause the USN to do something similar as well. After all, it was Iran who saved the whole project already in 1974.... -- ************************************************** *********************** Tom Cooper Freelance aviation journalist Author: - Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S7875 - Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S6550 - Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S6585 - African MiGs http://www.acig.org/afmig/ - Iran-Iraq War in the Air, 1980-1988 http://www.acig.org/pg1/content.php ************************************************** *********************** |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|