An Iraqi MIG jet fighter is seen through coils of barbed wire
Posted on 08/29/2009 10:39:34 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Iraq to fetch MiG fighter planes from Serbia
(AFP) – 11 hours ago
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi military delegation has gone to Serbia to bring back 19 MiG fighter planes that Saddam Hussein's regime sent for servicing 20 years ago, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
"General Othman al-Fredji, a defence ministry adviser, and Anwar Mohammed Amin, head of the air force, are in Serbia negotiating the return (of the planes) at the earliest possible date," spokesman General Mohammed al-Askari said.
The Soviet-built MiG-21 and 23 aircraft, whose existence has just been discovered, "were sent by Saddam's government in 1989 for maintenance and everything was paid for with Iraqi money," he said.
Askari said the planes are important for Iraq as "our air force only possesses helicopters."
The former Yugoslavia was a major exporter of arms to Saddam's dictatorship before breaking up in the 1990s.
Askari said the ministry "is searching in the United States, France, Italy, Russia and some Arab countries to locate funds or military equipment that the former government bought for its army."
Iraq has found two navy vessels belonging to it in Egypt and two others moored in Italy as well as "aircraft and equipment in Russia and France,"
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An Iraqi MIG jet fighter is seen through coils of barbed wire
They belong in a museum.Its amazing the Serbs have kept them flying this long.
The 21 is still a major fighter with several big airforces-including China,India,Pakistan and North Korea. I’m not even sure if the PRC has stopped building them.
The MiG 21 cannot compete with any other the Western Air Forces. Its 1960s technology versus the latest 21st century Western technology.Its like a Model T versus a Maserati MC12. The MiG 21 cannot compete with us and the entire Western world.
Well, they make good target practice.
Exactly.The MiG 21 deserves to be scrap metal. I am amazed that there are still parts out there for this plane.
The DPRK (North Koreans) are still flying Korean war vintage MiG-15s and just post WWII era AN-2 Colt single engine biplane transports.
Didn’t Saddam bury a number of fighter jets before the war to keep them from being taken out by US? I seem to remember seeing pics of them digging out a Foxbat.
What about all those jets that flew to Iran? can they get them back>? Maybe they should buy some more planes.
They won’t be used against modern western fighters. They’re good enough to put rockets and 500 pounders used on the crazies.
The Iranians can scap them. They are no match against a F-16 Falcon or for that matter the F-117 Nighthawk.
One MANPAD and they are finished
Yes. That is why in a war we and the South Koreans will kick the crap out of them.
We have the technological edge.
True, but they will make a good manned nuclear cruise missile. Launched all at once, one may get through.
Well, they may not be first-rate birds, but the IAF ought to be able to get some use out of them.
The 21 is a nimble little cuss, and if nothing else, I’d think it would give the Iraqi pilots a good opportunity to get cockpit time on the finer points of dogfighting.
The Mig-23 isn’t a favorite of mine, but it *is* fast and can carry a fair amount of armament. Even an old fighter can be deadly in the hands of a skilled pilot. Good enough for delivering bombs and rockets on insurgent hideouts and keeping an eye on Syrian MiG-23’s, at least (IMHO).
They don’t have to compete with the West. They have to compete with Iran. Given that level of competition I would say recovering the planes might be beneficial. Especially since they have no Air Force now.
I don’t think Iraq is concerned with defending itself from the West. Iran is the major threat and has an air force consisting of about 300 aircraft - mostly very old and obsolete American planes (F-14, F-4 and F-5) and a couple dozen Mig-29s and Su-24s.
Hell, at least they could be used as trainers.
They still fly AN-2 here in Alaska, along with DC3 and DC6.
Not old, just right for the job.
From what I understand, they have been parked in outside storage for 19 years. No maintenance, no flying. And this is Serbian climate, not dry like Davis-Moffat. If any are flyable after that, I would be very surprised...
Also, the GoI gave up the rights to the vessels mentioned in the article three years ago. Part of the deal that cleared their debt with Italy and allowed the purchase of four Patrol Ships.
I do not think that they could get through any Westernized air defense network or fighter defense screen
The Serbs didn’t keep them flying. They operated a couple of the MiG-21 during the Civil War in the 1990s and test flew at least on of the MiG-23. From the early 1990s they have remained in open storage. One of the MiG-23s ended up in the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum.
I can’t see the Iraqi’s using them, but as they legally belong to them they want them back. The Iraqi’s will probably sell them off to another nation for use or spares.
The Iraqis will end up buying helicopters instead. I agree with you.
The Iraqi Air Force doesn’t have to beat us—they have to fight with the Iranians and Syrians -—Thats why they cam use those Migs.
You guys are missing the point. The Mig-21 and 23 might not be a match for an F-16, but they are still capable of intercepting and shooting down an airliner hijacked by a terrorist. A capability Iraq currently lacks since they currently have no jets with air-to-air missiles.
I wonder if the US will return any of the Mig-25s we took?
I guess that is one way to see it.
If you are lucky, you get to see them streaking along Highway 375
Umm, I believe those Mig-25s are in some USAF museum-no point using something as archaic as that to train pilots. The USAF learnt all that it needed to about the Foxbat in 1979.
The 21 is still an effective adversary if modernised with 4th generation systems like helmet mounted sights and BVR-AAMs. The Indian Mig-21 93 and Romanian Lancer upgrades come to mind.
I believe the the 64th Aggressor Squadron (64 AGRS) at Nellis AFB still use them.
But the Air Force still uses them at Nellis.
Yea, they have one there too.
Any links about that???
German MiG-29 aircraft were regular visitors to the United States before being sold to Poland and participated in valuable DACT training at Nellis AFB as well as NAS Key West in addition to providing dets to overseas locations or hosting US squadrons in Germany. One MiG-29 was loaned to the US for evaluation providing insight in the threat technology.
You can find this paragraph here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggressor_squadron
Point to note-we are talking about Mig-25s, not 29s. If I remember correctly, the US brought a clutch of Mig-29s from Moldova.
Its still made by same manufacturer.
umm-yeah whatever.
MiG 29 is a bit more advanced than the 25 but we still have that edge.
But if Iraq were to ask for the Mig-25s back, could the US really refuse? I mean they do belong to Iraq do they not? Or was there some kind of agreement reached where they became property of the US?
That would have to fall under what agreement we made with the Iraqis regarding their armed forces. Its their air force and they can do whatever they want.
I know it full well - that’s why I used the term “very old and obsolete”.
Yep, it’s hard to keep that old stuff up and running without good logistical support - and Iran doesn’t have it.
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