Posted on 05/03/2002 2:22:07 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
May 3, 2002
Iraqi Air Force Takes to the Air, and Pentagon Wonders Where Iraqis Are Getting Spare Parts By John J. Lumpkin Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Iraq's air force is sending fighters aloft more often for training, suggesting that Iraq is avoiding sanctions and importing spare parts for its dilapidated MiGs, the Pentagon says.
U.S. airborne radar aircraft that guide American and British fighters patrolling "no-fly zones" over Iraq have picked up a surge in flights by Iraqi fighters in recent weeks, a U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The increase indicates that someone is violating sanctions against Iraq by sending spare parts for its planes, the official said.
The supplier is not known. The parts could come from any number of sources, as Russian-designed MiGs are plentiful in Iraq's part of the world as well as in eastern Europe.
Iraq has about 300 combat aircraft, mostly older Russian-designed MiG and Sukhoi fighters from the Soviet era and French Mirage jets.
During the Gulf War, Iraq's ability to put up an air force died quickly against superior U.S. and coalition fighters in air-to-air combat. U.S. smart bombs destroyed other Iraqi planes in their fortified hangers. More than 100 Iraqi combat aircraft were flown to neutral Iran, where they were impounded.
Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein, long has sought their return, but Iran says it is holding the planes in place of billions of dollars in reparations it claims Baghdad owes for damage Iraq caused during their eight-year war in the 1980s.
Since the Persian Gulf War, years of restrictions on the importation of military equipment to Iraq have taken its toll on its air force, with many planes cannibalized for spare parts to keep others flying. The latest increase in training flights suggests an outside source, the U.S. defense official said.
The flights usually stay outside the separate flight-interdiction zones over northern and southern Iraq, in airspace over central Iraq where Iraqi air power is not restricted. The "no-fly zones" were set up by the United States and its allies after the Gulf War to prevent the use of Iraqi air power against insurgent Shiites in the south and Kurds in the north. Many of the Shiites were wiped out by Saddam's ground forces.
Iraqi aircraft occasionally cross into the forbidden zones, which usually prompts U.S. and British fighters to give chase. Such episodes normally seem aimed at baiting the allied jets, trying to lure them close to Iraqi surface-to-air missile batteries, the defense official said.
Still, Iraqi's air force would be expected to pose little threat to U.S. planes in an offensive against Iraq. Officials suspect, however, that Iraq could mount an airstrike on Israel. The Israeli air force also is vastly superior to Iraq's, but such an attack could prove a major irritant to a region already in turmoil.
Last week, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iraq has moved more anti-aircraft missile batteries into the southern and northern flight-interdiction zones.
The additions are the largest in the past couple of years, Myers said, although he also noted that Iraq has a history of frequently moving such forces in and out of the zones since they were set up a decade ago.
Our Navy, Marine and AF fighter jocks must be having Mig Wet dreams when they hear about these 300 opportunities to become an ace. Maybe the last Aces ever unless the ChiComs get really stupid later on.
Bingo! Worth saying again. The Iraqis would be sending aloft piloted target drones if/when it comes down to that.
There was a thread a few weeks ago that the ChiComs were training these one way Mig drivers to be suicide bombers against our Fleet.
However there are probably Russian Mafia members and ChiCom both on the ground there, repair these planes and try to get them into flying condition.
MiGs in general have always been second to American fighter aircraft. The Russians made a boatload of $$ selling these hucks of junk to third world countries largely because we wouldn't sell the same maniacs any of our F series fighter aircraft.
With what the Iraqis have in MiGs we could pound them with an old F-4 and a good old American pilot, and that's the truth! But then there's this: Saddamn's planes will never get off the ground.......Hey, Saddamn.....it's called STELTH!!! Can't hear us, can't see us.......poof, you're a pile of s#%t!
Most of Saddam's air force will be taken out like the talked about Talibaniers on the ground by stealth planes as you mentioned and cruise missiles (when we rebuild our CM inventory, we probably had about a half dozen after the Afghan exercise thanks to the Clintoon firing them off to hit a camel's butt in a $5 used REI tent.)
I couldn't be our protection for our Carriers in the late 1960's early 70's. Now it is a mean shredder and trasher of any enemy plane driver daring to get with 300 to 500 miles of them.
Each top gunner is trained to battle 2 or 3 enemy planes of the same performance level, splash them and then look for more. Our guys may have to put their landing gear down on their Tomcats and Hornets to keep from over running these old relics.
China is also in bed with Iran, and has sold them a huge arsenal which includes the controversial (and nuclear capable) SS-N-22 "Sunburn" supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. The controversy is based on the fact that the only foreseeable use for those missiles is against the U.S. fleet, against which it poses a very real threat.
So China has already decided which side it's on in the Middle East, and it clearly isn't the same side the U.S. is on. Thus, it's not a stretch of the imagination to suspect China is not only providing spare Mig parts to Iraq, but complete weapons as well. We can be assured that U.S. intelligence agencies know a lot more about this than is publicly being discussed.
As for what Iraq plans to do with them, I seriously doubt they intend to challenge U.S. airpower. They may be crazy, but they're not that stupid. It is possible that Iraq wants them in a defensive role should a neighbor try to move in on their turf (a more likely scenario than it appears at first glance), but they know they can never effectively defend themselves against a U.S. assault.
I think the most likely reason for Iraq revitalizing its air force is to use it for strike missions, both preemptive and retaliatory, and most likely against potential U.S.-backed forces in a takeover bid. In these cases, the Migs would provide close air support for ground units, and would likely sneak into the "no-fly zones" as needed for quick strikes. It is possible that Iraq would attempt an attack on Israel with these planes, but with heavy AWACS coverage in the area providing early warning (although admittedly short notice), Israel would probably slice and dice them before they could do much damage. And the Iraqis know that, too.
Regardless, increased Iraqi military activity should not be overlooked. They are good at feints and bluffs, but it is exceedingly wise not to turn your back on them.
Imal
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