The MiG-23UB crew were shocked to sense a detonation on the underside or below their aircraft. A fire broke out. A…
MiG-23 Flogger
-
Cold War EraLosses and Aviation SafetyMilitary Aviation
-
Cold War EraMilitary Aviation
Of Floggers and Foxbats: the story of Syrian MiG-23s and MiG-25s, the fighter jets that were never able to match Israeli F-15s
by Dario LeoneThe Soviet agreement to export MiG-23MFs and MiG-25PDs to Syria was a major break-through: it was the time ever that the…
-
Cold War EraMilitary Aviation
Hot Skies Over Afghanistan: That Time a Pakistani F-16 damaged a Soviet MiG-23 Attacking Targets over the Border between Afghanistan and Pakistan
by Tom CooperThe Pakistani F-16 pilot released two AIM-9L, rolled 135 degrees and left the fight ‘head over heels’ from within 1500 m…
-
Cold War EraF-14 TomcatMilitary Aviation
Engaging MiG-23 Fighters and Buzzing Helicopters: Unknown Tomcat Stories Told by a Retired Vice Admiral who flew the Mighty F-14 Over the Gulf of Sidra
“I am pretty sure that was a frightful sight for those in the Mi-2 helicopter to see two Tomcats with wings…
-
Military Aviation
The Myth of Soviet Arms and Tactics in the Middle East, Part Five: why Soviet arms perform so poorly in Arab service
by Tom CooperThe available technology and know-how just couldn’t keep up: by the time the MiG-23 ‘had to enter series production’, it was…
-
Cold War EraMilitary Aviation
That Time Gaddafi Scrambled 70 Fighters to Intercept US Navy Aircraft that Crossed the Line of Death
by Dario LeoneNo less than 35 pairs of Libyan interceptors, including a total of 70 MiG-23MS’s, MiG-25Ps, Mirage F.1s, and even Su-22s, Su-22Ms…
-
Cold War EraF-14 TomcatMilitary Aviation
That time an IrAF MiG-23ML mistakenly shot down an IRIAF F-14A that was defecting to Iraq
by Dario LeoneShortly after taking a smooth right turn, the two MiG-23MLs from No. 63 Squadron rolled out barely 8nm behind the F-14A,…
-
Cold War EraLosses and Aviation SafetyMilitary Aviation
Here’s why the Libyan MiG-23 that crashed on Mount Sila was not involved in the Ustica Massacre
by Dario Leone“Captain Koal MiG-23 was unarmed and carried no extra fuel tanks. He has got a new breathing mask that day. Our…
-
Cold War EraMilitary Aviation
Libyan MiG-23 pilot remembers a memorable dogfight with U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats
by Dario Leone“I pushed my throttle to full dry power while my aircraft went through the vertical and pointed at the Tomcats while…
-
Cold War EraF-14 TomcatMiG KillersMilitary Aviation
Tomcat 4-Qaddafi 0: how two U.S. Navy F-14s shot down two Libyan MiG-23s over the Gulf of Sidra on Jan. 4, 1989
by Dario LeoneAfter returning to the carrier, both the F-14s received single FLOGGER ‘kill’ markings above the nose MODEX, although these were removed…