Comments on: Israel, Iran & the F-14

By: Jay Perry

Jay Perry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:54:44 +0000

The EW types also got a report from naval intelligence sources (likely some friends in Israel)that the Iranians had mounted an AWG-9 on one of their transport aircraft (for what reason was never determined). This was NOT true, it was determined to be a sidelobe of the normal navigational array and when U.S.S. Vincennes was busy fighting off gun-boats they got a warning of this, this resulted in the shoot down of the Iranian-Air aircraft.

By: Jay Perry

Jay Perry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:50:58 +0000

In the mid 80′s, while Iran and Iraq were busy shooting at each other. My ship had to take two of the trips into the gulf (no carriers in there then!) to ‘escort’ (read be a target) the reflagged tankers through there. We got half a dozen EW warnings that the Iranians had lit off AWG-9 fire control radars (F-14 fire control radars)but except for one taxiing, never got more than that. Even back then they were cannibalizing parts to parts for them. Unless they have the airframe equivalent to the mechanics that keep the American built cars running in Cuba 45 years later, they are done flying turkeys. It would be interesting to see them try and fire a phoenix though, to my knowledge the aim-54′s were never shipped (live war loads).

By: Brian Black

Brian Black — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:51:17 +0000

Iran’s boasts of having scores of operational Tomcats should be taken with a pinch of salt. And if 1970s built Iraqi Mirage fighters could shoot them down thirty years ago, then who cares anyway?

I’d be surprised if Iran managed any effective defensive response before Israel’s raiders make it back into Saudi air space.

I doubt their dangerous looking F-14 squadrons amount to anything more than a paper-tiger museum flight.