Posted on 02/01/2008 8:17:20 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Plotting to steal Russion plane an experience
By Hollice Smith
The Daily Sentinel
Published February 1, 2008
Question: How do you steal a Russian MIG29?
Answer: Ask Col. Kenny Cobb of Boaz, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot, who told Scottsboro Rotary Club members Wednesday at the Western Sizzlin’ about his activities as a civilian on the cutting edge of espionage.
Cobb grew up in Pea Ridge in DeKalb County. He described himself as a dumb ‘ole country boy who graduated from Geraldine High School, then college, before beginning a military career that took him into many foreign countries and duty in Vietnam.
He was shot down as a fighter pilot in 1967. Cobb received a Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and other medals mainly centered around his service as a pilot.
Cobb became known in the military for his flying abilities and heroic, adventuresome spirit. So, out of the blue one day, he received a telephone call from an acquaintance who wanted him “for a flying job.” Cobb was doing some “free lance flying” for corporations and others in civilian life at that time.
His friend wouldn’t divulge anything over the phone and wanted to talk in private because of fear the secret might be learned from someone else over the telephone.
Cobb talked with the man in a car that had been debugged. The man told him of their plans and how he could earn a million dollars. In simple terms, his task would be to fly an advanced Russian MIG 29 in the late 1980s out of Damascus, Syria, where he would be accompanied by Israeli fighters to an air base in Israel. The plan included Cobb, his friend and three others who were to have roles in the theft.
Cobb said it is fairly common knowledge that the United States will steal such planes from foreign countries that might have technological advancements beyond their country and vice versa.
It was arranged for Cobb to begin learning changes and differences from Stealth fighter jets he had flown as compared to the MIG29. This went on for about four months and suddenly the information stopped.
It turned out, Cobb said, the Russians had learned of a Western espionage plot to steal a MIG29, so locks were placed on throttles and other parts of Russian MIGs that might be targets for theft including the one in Syria. The fighter jets were also placed under guarded security.
However, about five months later, a pilot from Russia, who was also a wrestler named Alexander Zuyev, an ace pilot, was doing his own plotting. His mother fixed a cake and gave it to three MIG pilots and security guards at the airfield in Damascus. Whatever she laced the cake with knocked all of them out except one guard, whom Cobb said Zuyev had to “put away” after the guard had already shot him in an arm. He said the man’s flight was dramatic in making the escape partly because of the bleeding arm with a flesh wound. Cobb said it apparently was a hectic battle because the guard was also a wrestler.Approximately five years later, in 1991, Cobb met Zuyev, who had written a book about the MIG29 theft and espionage at a meeting of the Classic Jet Aircraft Association. Cobb said many of those there, except him, were wealthy people who could afford millions of dollars for their own classic jets.
Cobb and Zuyev became good friends and kept in contact with each other occasionally -- and even flew together once -- until Zuyev died in a YAK plane crash in 2002 in Seattle, Wash.
Cobb said Zuyev had been provided U.S. escort protection since he stole the plane, but had begun to relax safety precautions after that much time elapsed because he felt he was safe. However, Cobb still maintains someone had sabotaged the plane because it got up in the air and suddenly spiraled straight down, crashing and taking Zuyev’s life.
Cobb has a hangar at Guntersville and still flies various airplanes, but does not participate in air shows anymore. He commented that he never got to steal a Russian MIG29 or get a million dollars, but it was an interesting and intriguing experience.
The speaker was introduced by Bill Parsons who arranged the program.
ping
Didn’t that happen in ‘Firefox’?
“However, Cobb still maintains someone had sabotaged the plane because it got up in the air and suddenly spiraled straight down, crashing and taking Zuyev’s life.”
In retrospect, given the number of fairly blatant hits by the Russian Government on reporters and critics, could high-profile defectors have been earlier on the list?
Think in Russian...
bump
LOL...as if this is anything new...I think thievery in this case is completly justified. If we sold some of our technology indiscriminately to a third world country like Syria, we could hardly be upset if someone tries to buy a pilot and plane.
Not as if anyone is respecting any patent rights or anything.
Wasn’t the USSR shipping 6 of those to Nicaragua, when Reagan stepped in?
Also Soldier of Fortune Magazine offered a $1,000,000.00 reward for a hind 24 during that period.
Ahh, the good old days.
I remember one time when I was on the USS Kennedy in the Mediterranian, we had our planes tied down on the fantail...when we looked at the Soviet ELINT trawlers that followed us around everywhere, and the upper bridge was encrusted with binoculars, all looking at us.
Me and two other guys pulled our pants down and mooned them...
I bet they thought that was pretty funny...:)
cool story BTTT
until Zuyev died in a YAK plane crash in 2002 in Seattle
Most (read all) Yaks in the US are aerobatic planes, not front line fighters. I find it somewhat odd that the Russians would sabotage a single engine high performance aircraft to kill someone. Sounds lke coincidence to me, but then again the next time I'm in a Pitts S1S, if it crashes, look to Moskow...
Big deal. Clint Eastwood did it. I saw it on TV.
“Sounds lke coincidence to me, but then again the next time I’m in a Pitts S1S, if it crashes, look to Moskow...”
It probably is, statistically.
That said, imagine if we lived in the age when radiation effects were known/used but not diagnosable on corpses. What would have been said of the Polonium assassination in London?
There are creative assassins working for Moscow - the question is, how long have they been at it this time around?
Ever seen one up close, especially compared to say, an F-16? The Mig is pale in comparison. The fit and finish on the Mig is terrible....
Not really,the Mig-29 is considerably lighter & shorter in range than the F-15.The F-15’s Russian counterpart is the SU-27.
A bit of everything actually.The initial Mig-29s had good agility,but poor avionics & unreliable engines,in addition to weak infrastructure support after the USSR went down.
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