depends how you view it! and I dont mind to look back and see how people see the history! It is okay though. I am not sentimental or too emotional regarding these things

But I'd like to know why you think like that!

Iranian troops had occupied Al-Faw peninsula and cut the Basra-Faw highway for 2 years and were forced to fall back only due to the vast Chemical weapons used by the Iraqis. It is not a victory or bravery when one side uses extensive Chemicals to reach the objective. It is cowardice in my book no matter where I am from.

Right after the UN resolution 697 which resulted in the peace treaty between the 2 countries , not even a Sq inch of the Iranian soil/territory was occupied by the Iraqis.

The Iraqi Navy was wiped out a few weeks after the start of the war in Sep 1980 and they had to export Oil through Turkey or Saudi Arabia

They had been getting new and modern military stuff from Europeans and Russians while we were completely left alone and fighting to survive on our own! (actually being fair, Israelis helped us too) but Saudis giving the Iraqis info and intel through their AWACS, US turning a blind eye on the Iraqis violating the Persian Gulf international air space (they used it to reach Iran), French gave them super etendard jets and Mirages, ..... etc

But like I said, I really don't mind about this thing any more. There is a new government in place in Iraq which has no ill intentions against my country any more and the rest is history for now!

But as a person who spent his childhood in many Iranian air bases and under Iraqi air and missile raids, I can tell you that I have experienced the things I am talking about and other than that there is nothing else I'd want to brag about.

Originally Posted by phoenix80

LoL

You, bulldog, are so obsessed with the propaganda that your media have fed you with, huh? any way, good to let you know that 140 aircrafts flew at once to bomb Iraq in the early years of war for many many times.

You got to accept that there can be 3rd world countries doing things beyond your imagination and doing it better than likes of you do!

Any proof to back up your statements?

Here's mine.

Imposition of a strict arms embargo against Iran by the West caused a severe spare parts and maintenance problem, with many pilots and maintenance personnel following the Shah into exile. As a result, by 1980 the Iranian Air Force was only a shadow of its former self. This embargo was to have an especially severe long-term effect on the Tomcat fleet, since the embargo prevented the delivery of any spares.

The Iran-Iraq war began on September 22, 1980 with an Iraqi air attack on six Iranian air bases and four Iranian army bases. It was followed by an Iraqi land attack at four points along a 700-kilometer front. Air power did not play a dominant role in the Iran-Iraq war. During the first phase of the war, Iranian aircraft had the fuel and the endurance to win most of these aerial encounters, either by killing Iraqi aircraft with their first shot of an AIM-9 sidewinder or else by forcing Iraqi fighters to withdraw. Iranian pilots had the edge in training and experience, but as the war dragged on, this edge was gradually lost because of the repeated purges within the ranks of the Iranian officers which removed experienced officers and pilots who were suspected of disloyalty to the Islamic regime. The Iranians could not generate more than 30-60 sorties per day, whereas the number of sorties that Iraq could mount steadily increased year after year, reaching a peak as high as 600 in 1986-88.

It is extremely difficult to get any reliable estimates of just how many Iranian F-14As were in service at any one time during the war, with planes having been deliberately cannibalized to keep some flying. In the summer of 1984, it is estimated that Iran could fly only 15-20 Tomcats, maintaining them largely by cannibalization. Very often, Tomcat served in a mini-AWACS role by virtue of their powerful radars and was deliberately not risked in combat.

http://www.iiaf.net/aircraft/jetfighters/F14/f14.html

By 1987, however, the air force faced an acute shortage of spare parts and replacement equipment. Perhaps 35 of the 190 Phantoms were serviceable in 1986. One F-4 had been shot down by Saudi F-15s, and two pilots had defected to Iraq with their F-4s in 1984. The number of F-5s dwindled from 166 to perhaps 45, and the F-14 Tomcats from 77 to perhaps 10. The latter were hardest hit because maintenance posed special difficulties after the United States embargo on military sales.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...n/airforce.htm

As for the F-14s, only a small number were ever airworthy at any given time (generally 10 to 20) and these were typically kept out of combat. They were most often used as airborne early warning platforms owing to the design's powerful radar, and were therefore deemed too valuable to risk in air-to-air combat. In this role, the planes were sometimes defended by F-4E and F-5E fighters. At least some F-14s were lost in action, but the claims of the two sides are in poor agreement, as is always the case in warfare. Iraq claims some 11 kills:

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/planes/q0077.shtml

you can believe in whatever you wish! The fact is not gonna change if you are fed with the biased stories

btw, although iiaf.net is good in pictures and history, it is poor and out dated in terms of analysis and the guy (Maj. Nasirkhani whom I know personally) who wrote (read CUT AND PASTED) the stories on F-14A/F-4/F-5 has not lived in Iran since 1978 so the info he is providing can not be accurate.

He copied and pasted those articles from another biased source. I do not know why and many many have written him to update and correct the info on their web site!

www.acig.org is the only credible source on Iranian AF readiness for now.

And I have provided xilion of links to back up my arguement and recommended 3 books to read, but seems they fell on deaf ears!

BTW, I wonder why you insist on saying that our F-14As are not functioning well?

Funny you claim my stories are biased when it is NOT my words. You made specific claims and I countered them. You called me arrogant and misinformed yet you have no sources to back up your specific claims. The first source on here is an Iranian Major, bonafide honest to God Iranian Air Force officer. Do tell how am I being misinformed? He is in fact an Iranian Air Force pilot. I have sent him an invite to join our forum via his email. I hope he accepts and I look forward to your interactions with the honourable Major.

lol

ok!

dream on! if he had time, he could edit those stupid pages! He has a business to run in Mission Viejo, California now rather than coming here and start debating you! LMAO

www.acig.org is the only credible source on Iranian AF readiness for now.

And I have provided xilion of links to back up my arguement and recommended 3 books to read, but seems you'd rather stay ill-informed or may be you are too arrogant to accept the truth!?

why don't you join www.acig.org/forum to read a bitand learn more?

that so-called major copied info from this page and pasted into his web page

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f14_6.html

wordings, sentences... etc are all the same thing. He didnt write those stuff since he hasnt lived in IRAN since 1978. He has no credible info and insight into the readiness of the Iranian AF.

I served in that god damn AF. My father is a retired Colonel of the same force and I know it very well.

It is like that I keep telling you about the life in China! Hell you know more than I do about that! How can you back your argument up with bunch of biased links and sources? Those sites have no intentions in accepting the truth.

You wanna know more, then read acig.org

Now you can stay misinformed or uninformed while the reality is something else!

Originally Posted by phoenix80

lol

ok!

dream on! if he had time, he could edit those stupid pages!

btw, i simply dont care what an ill informed may think about the reality!

www.acig.org is the only credible source on Iranian AF readiness for now.

And I have provided xilion of links to back up my arguement and recommended 3 books to read, but seems you'd rather stay ill-informed or may be you are too arrogant to accept the truth!?

why don't you join www.acig.org/forum to read a bitand learn more?

that so-called major copied info from this page and pasted into his web page

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f14_6.html

wordings, sentences... etc are all the same thing. He didnt write those stuff since he hasnt lived in IRAN since 1978. He has no credible info and insight into the readiness of the Iranian AF.

I served in that god damn AF. My father is a retired Colonel of the same force and I know it better than any one else do!

Now you can stay misinformed or uninformed while the reality is something else!

From the Major's guestbook...

I had been to most of those airbases... your web site is by far the most comprehensive site.

Comments:
In the solemn memory of every Iranian pilot that never came home. Let us children of Iran never forget them or their sacrifice. A great big "khasteh nabashid" indeed to you for such a lovely site. I trembel with emotion as I go through this site over and over again. As a son of Iran, I thank you for telling the yet untold and amazing epic of the IIAF, and keeping the memory of our country's heroes alive forever. The heroism was not limited to during the war, but also included the decades of tireless training and hard work to build such a world class effective force in the first place. One guest felt that the heroes of the IRIAF were not mentioned enough. Well, for your information, those heroes were from none other than the IIAF, because this "government" we have today contributed nothing to the air force but executions and misery. Remember, these dedicated men fought bravely for our homeland, not an acronym. Every Iranian should be proud that our brave warriors in the air and on the ground and at sea had such an outstanding performance in the face of impossible circumstances imposed by our own government as well as our foreign enemies. In the hope that all our fallen heroes rest in peace, and that the phoenix of the IIAF will rise again and rule our country's beautiful skies again soon.

Comments:
I love your website with all the rare pictures of Iran's Proud Pilots and Airmen of the IIAF. I get goose bumps everytime I visit your site and relive the glorious past of our country. Thank-you for updating and maintaining a website that gives me Persian Pride for The Land of The Sun, The Lion and The Sword, our Motherland IRAN. Thanks!!

The question before the Iranians in general and the younger generation in particular should be which of the following do you want to guide your destiny- Iran or Islam? Again, I would like to thank the organizers of this web site for providing factual and informative data about IIAF and its history.

Enjoyed the photos. Thank you for the great site. You've helped us celebrate being a IRANIAN.

Comments:
To All IIAF Pilots and Personnel: On this website I am pleased to see the brave IIAF pilots and personnel from around the world that still stand tall and proud. I remember in 1323(1944) when I joined the Air Force we had little flight instruction except for how to use the rudder and the ailerons, as well as other basic parts of the aircraft. In my training I first flew with the Tiger Moth, then subsequently the Odax, Hornet, and a so called fighter aircraft called the Fury. I remember at my graduation, after receiving an award from His Majesty The Shah, my instructor (First Lieutenant Toufanian) told me to remember that "the best pilots are those who live long with no accident". Immediately after graduation, I was transferred to a fighter squadron in Ghalaa Morghi and started flying with the wonderful Hurricane, and then with the so called "Flying Coffin", also known as the P-47 Thunderbolt, which killed so many of our good pilots. Fortunately His Majesty The Shah also became a pilot, and gave us the chance to make the IIAF the number one Air Force in the Middle East and the fifth most powerful Air Force in the world. I was proud to have been connected with the IIAF and the Iranian Civil Aviation Authority for over 36 years. Unfortunately, as often happens, politics reared its ugly head, with the result that our country has been torn apart several times in the past thirty years, first with the Revolution, the subsequently during the war with Iraq. All those connected with the IIAF should be proud of the parts they played during this time of upheaval. From this corner I salute all of the brave pilots and personnel, and I am sure that history will remember the parts we have played during both the good and bad times, and that together, the IIAF became one of the most powerful air forces in the world.

I am proud to be an IRANIAN AIR FORCE PILOT(1975-1995) and now i am just living with my dreams.............. LONG LIVE IRAN

Dear Amir, Major Nassirkhani, and the honorable members of the IIAF pilots association, Although General Manuchehr Khosrodad was a helicopter pilot of the Imperial Iranian Army Aviation (Hava Nirooz) - originally an IIAF officer - nonetheless, he broke 4 world records in 1975 that have not yet been broken. I was wondering if you may want to consider listing him as an ace Iranian pilot on your magnificent website. After all, Boland Aseman Jaygaheh man ast does apply to this man. 20 years after his unjustifiable execution, Manuchehr Khosrowdad continues to maintain the world altitute record and ascend rate records atained by a helicopter weighing less than 4500 Kg. On April 29, 1975 Khosrowdad broke 4 records in Ahwaz in his Bell 214A. 1) He attained the highest helicopter ceiling ever attained - 9,071 meters (approx 27,300 ft)! 2) While attaining his record altitude, he broke three ascent rate records. He was the quickest pilot to attain 3000, 6000, and 9000 meter altitudes. Khosrowdad attained the altitude of 3000m in 1 minute and 5 seconds, 6000m in 5 minutes and 14 seconds, 9000 m in 15 minutes and 5 seconds. These are all recorded as world records that have not yet been broken. His record is still posted in the world records website at http://www.fai.org/rotorcraft/record...s_general.html. May God bless the soul of this Imperial Iranian Officer and all other officers who were executed for absolutely no reason what-so-ever. By the way, Khosrodad was my father's commanding officer in Hava Nirooz of Isfahan. Thank you for your wonderful website. It brought lots of joy and great memories. Keep it up. Sassan Cyrus Parandeh

I have to say I put far more credence in this site given the vast number of honest to God Iranian veterans who sing its praises publicly signing their names to it.

so whats your point?!

most of those people praise the pics! LoL.. Didn't you find my signature among them cuz I thanked them as well?

that web site was last updated a year ago.

I am again providing the very same links.......

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/cat_index_15.shtml

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_214.shtml

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_206.shtml

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_205.shtml

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_219.shtml



http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_452.shtml

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_445.shtml



Review by Peter B. Mersky, USNR (Ret.), in US Combat Naval Aviation News:

PROFESSIONAL READING: Review of Iranian F-14 Tomcats in Combat
Naval Aviation News (Washington) Sep/Oct 2005.Vol.87, Iss. 6; pg. 24

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units In Combat (Osprey Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
by Tom Cooper, Farzad Bishop
PROFESSIONAL READING: Review of Iranian F-14 Tomcats in Combat
Naval Aviation News (Washington) Sep/Oct 2005.Vol.87, Iss. 6; pg. 24

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units In Combat (Osprey Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)
by Tom Cooper, Farzad Bishop
Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK) (October 15, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 1841767875

Undoubtedly one of the more unusual titles in Osprey's highly successful Combat Aircraft series, No. 49 presents a familiar U.S. Navy fighter in an unexpected venue, flying with the green-white-red roundels of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) and desert camouflage.

Before he was overthrown in 1979, the Shah of Iran bought 80 F-14A Tomcats, 79 of which were delivered, together with their AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. The bloody revolution saw many of the "Shah's pilots" thrown into prison. When the long and equally bloody conflict with Iraq began in September 1980, the religious leaders of Iran saw the merit of restoring these highly skilled aviators to the cockpits of these expensive planes. Despite long months of incarceration, most of the returning Tomcat crews of the newly formed IRIAF quickly demonstrated their collective skill and patriotism, eventually taking their F-14s through eight years of intense aerial combat.

Although hard-pressed to maintain their fleet of American-built fighters, Iranian ground crews kept as many as 60 Tomcats mission capable throughout much of the war, despite a lack of parts, normal attrition, and dwindling
supplies of material and munitions. Iranian F-14 crews clashed repeatedly with Iraqi MiGs and French Mirage F-Is as the Iraqis attacked Iranian oil platforms and storage facilities. The fact that many of these highly skilled, aggressive Iranian crews had been in prison after the revolution makes their story all the more remarkable. These crews are responsible for the only kills scored by the highly touted Phoenix missile, which, along with the AWG-9 nose-mounted radar, was at the heart of the F14's weapons system. Throughout the book, the Tomcat's capabilities are highlighted in a way not seen in accounts of U.S. Navy operations and are nearly too much to be believed. Iraqi MiG-21 and MiG-23 pilots didn't stand a chance against the big American swing-wing fighter. The equally large and powerful MiG-25-some flown by Soviet instructor pilots-had to rely on its eye-watering speed to disengage from a flight of IRIAF Tomcats.

IRIAF Tomcats scored the F-14's first kills a full year before the U.S. Navy's Fighter Squadron 41 Libyan MiG killers, and if the book is to be believed, went on to gain more than 150 victories against the Iraqis. According to the list of individual kills in the book's appendices, there appear to be two or three IRIAF F-14 aces, one of whom scored at least nine confirmed kills.

This book's photos and text abound with surprising details and accounts little known in the Western press, which the authors say was sadly misinformed as to the status and operational readiness of the IRIAF's Tomcat fleet. One unfortunately confusing aspect of the text is the authors' assertion that the names of the pilots whose experiences are featured in the text are not their true identities. Thus, as we read about a particular pilot's success or consult the appendices for details on Tomcat kills, we wonder who the Iranian aviator really was. However, I have since learned that the names given in the list of kills are the actual names. A little confusing, but at least we have some idea of these successful crews' identities.

This work is an entertaining look at an air force and arena that have seldom seen any in-depth exposure.

[Author Affiliation]
By Cdr. Peter B. Mersky, USNR (Ret.)

The points are as follows.

1. You have no source to back up claims made here that counter the numbers of planes that were operational during the 1980's post revolution embargo.

2. You claim a site is bogus and not accurate while numerous bonafide Iranian veterans publicly sign their name and comment to the contrary.

As for the rest I will wait for the Major to comment on your stories and claims. I am not an expert on Iran, never did claim this. I do however claim a very good working knowledge of english and a couple other languages and the ability to read and reason. I look forward to reading the words of a real Iranian veteran on this forum soon.

Till then I will let this ride.



From your own sources:

This enabled the IRIAF to keep upwards of 30 aircraft operational during the war although at times this dropped to as low as 10.

http://misc.kitreview.com/bookreview...reviewkb_1.htm

Edited for the reading impaired.

Originally Posted by Damien435

I don't really know how to break this to you softly, so I won't bother, but the Iran-Iraq war is viewed more as an Iraqi victory than an Iranian Victory, so to say that any fair viewwer can admit that this was an Iranian victory is asking and expecting too much.

Man! Iran partially won that war because of two reasons:

1- Iraq was driven back to its border after 2 years of fighting in Iranian territory.
2- Iraq was forced to defend its borders for 6 years. And even used Chemical Weapons against invading Iranian Troops / Militants.

But it is true that Iraq emerged stronger then before after this war in terms of military power (becoming the 4th largest Military power in the world).

So you can say that this war failed to put a dent on Saddam's ambitions.

1. You have no source to back up claims made here that counter the numbers of planes that were operational during the 1980's post revolution embargo

I hope you are not wearing thick lens glasses!

I m unsure if you can see tons of links I have given you so far! I am really amazed

Btw, did you serve in our Air Force?

I have served in a unit which was responsible to count the combat ready aircrafts of the Iranian AF every single morning and report it to the HQ. Sorry can't tell you more than this!

Want to know more, go read the links I provided or read the books.

I find your comments not worthy of responses any more! Sorry but this discussion is over!

http://misc.kitreview.com/bookreviews/iranianf14bookreviewkb_1.htm

http://www.internetmodeler.com/2004/november/new-releases/book_osprey-f14.php

The history of Iranian F-14s was long thought to have been a short one, with the United States officially stating that lack of spares and training effectively grounded the fleet. This book proves otherwise, and in fact shows that not only was the F-14 not grounded, but it actually performed as advertised, racking up an impressive tally of 159 kills during the Iran-Iraq war.