I am trying to compile information on air to air kills scored against US planes since after the Vietnam War. why? Becasue on the face of it, the number are very low- so is:
a) is the US invincible
2) does it just pick on second rate powers
3) does it just lie
Here is some information I have from reliable sources:
1983: Attack on Beirut- 2 A-6 shot down by Pakistani trained Syrian Mig-21 pilots
1983: Attack on Libya- one F-111 shot down- supposedly by SAMs, but reality is mercenary flown mirage F.1
1991: Gulf War. Takes US 10 years to admit that `one’ F-18 `may have been shot’ by MiG-25. Reality is that at least 6/7 other planes classified as `operational/accidental’ losses were to air combat.
1999: Yugoslavia. One F-117 shot down by MiG-29. One F-16 possibly to SAM. But 3 Apaches `mysteriously’ crash- I suspect these were shot down by fighters as well, adn one AV-8 crashes on landing- after suffering air to air battle damage.
Net, I conclude, not only does teh US pick on weak nations- i also plays down its losses. Today everything has become a publicity game- and of course the victors hold press conferences in 5 star hotels with fancy charts.
In the Indian subcontinent too, this cruel game was played on during Kargil, when Indians showed fancy LGB camera shots, like the US during the Gulf War, and played down its embarassing losses.
On a braoder scale, how does one ever verify true losses in the air- as teh vioctor will always lie.
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June 17, 2001 at 4:56 pm