Mig-23 Flogger in the Middle East by Tom Cooper

Mig-23 Flogger in the Middle East by Tom Cooper

Following a protracted research and development phase, Mikoyan Gurevich's MiG-23 finally entered service with the former Soviet Air Force in the early 1970s. Almost immediately, a number of foreign customers pressed Moscow for deliveries of this long-overdue type, expected to succeed the popular MiG-21 as a standard interceptor. Correspondingly, large numbers of MiG-23 interceptors and fighter-bombers were exported to five major Arab air forces in the mid-1970s. This is a detailed history of the operational service of this Soviet-manufactured interceptor and its fighter-bomber variants in service with Algerian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Libyan, and Syrian air forces, since 1974. While Egypt purchased only a handful before its final break with Moscow, and Algeria limited related acquisitions, Iraq, Libya and Syria continued purchasing advanced variants in significant numbers through the 1980s. The units operating MiG-23s were soon transformed into the backbone of the military services in question, and they saw combat service in a number of intensive military conflicts. In the 1980s, they fought against Israeli jets over Lebanon, against the Iranians in the Iran-Iraq War, and confronted US Navy's F-14s on numerous occasions off Libya. In 1991 Iraqi MiG-23s were deployed in combat against the US-led coalition's F-15s. Indeed, in Syria, different versions of MiG-23 continue flying combat operations today. Illustrated with over 110 photographs - many of these never published before -color profiles and a dozen maps, this volume provides a unique point of reference, revealing much detail about camouflage patterns, unit insignia and aircraft markings.

Tom Cooper was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1970. His travels in Europe and the Middle East have allowed him to create outstanding relationships with a number of knowledgeable sources in Iran, whose stories may be found in his books and articles. During World War II, his interest in military aviation shifted to smaller air forces and battles, particularly the Arab and Iranian air forces, as well as the Iraq-Iran war, which he researched in the late 1980s.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781912390328
ISBN 10	1912390329
Title	Mig-23 Flogger in the Middle East
Author	Tom Cooper
Series	Middle East@War
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Helion & Company
Year published	2018-05-15
Number of pages	88
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.