MiG-23 Flogger – Action in Afghanistan

MiG-23 Flogger – Action in Afghanistan:

Has anyone read or have a copy of book – “Mikoyan MiG-23 Fighter in Soviet-Afghan War” (see image below)? If so, does it contain information on any Flogger versus helicopter action? Especially information on these two events!

USSR – IRAN, 1978
21 June 1978, four Iranian Imperial Air Force (IIAF) CH-47 Chinook helicopters crossed the Soviet border in Dushak (Turkmenija) area. They flew more than 100 km inside the Soviet Union, almost to Ashabad city, but were intercepted by MiG-23’s fighter planes from 152 IAP (Fighter Regiment) 17 IAD (fighters division) PVO (air defence troops) from Ak-Tepe airbase. The pilot Valerii I. Shkinder, shot down one helo and damaged another (Bo #5-4092). The damaged helicopter made a forced landing not far away from Ashabad. The crew of first helo was killed and second crew was arrested, but was soon returned to Iranian authorities. The other two Iranian Chinook helicopters left Soviet air space due to the closeness of the Iranian border. The Iranian government announced that loss of orientation by the crews as reason for the intrusion (Kotlobovski, Aleksandr, and Kiew & Igor Seidov, “The hot sky of the Cold War,” Aviation World (Mir Aviatsii), No. 3 / 1997, p. 45; “Soviets Down Army Copter,” Iran, Facts On File, July 28, 1978, p. 573; “Two Iranian helicopters shot down by Russian air defence personnel,” The Times (London), July 18, 1978, p. 5h; “Russia claims Iranian army helicopter shot down last month ignored warning to land,” The Times (London), July 19, 1978, p. 9e; “Na yuzhnykh rubezhakh ‘Kholodnoy voyny’, Igor A. Seidov, Aviatsia i Vremya No.4 / 2000, pp. ??)

21 July 1978 Four Iranian CH-47C Chinooks penetrated 15-20 km into Soviet airspace in the Turkimenistan Military District. They were first intercepted by Soviet MiG-23M pilot A.V. Dem’janov, who mistakenly identified them as Soviet helicopters. The helicopters were intercepted a little later by MiG-23M pilot V.I. Shkinder. He fired two R-60 (AA-8 Aphid) missiles, shooting down one Chinook, killing eight crewmembers. He then fired his GSh-23L 23mm cannon at another Chinook, forcing it to land near Gjaurs. The four crewmembers of this helicopter survived, but were captured by Soviet border guards. The remaining two Chinooks escaped back into Iranian airspace. Shortly thereafter, the Soviets allowed the damaged Chinook (S-4092) to be repaired by Iranians. This helicopter and its four crewmembers were then allowed to return home.

U.S.S.R. – IRAN (AFGHANISTAN CIVIL WAR), 1988
26 September 1988 experienced combat pilots Major Vladimir Astahov and Captain Boris Gavrilov after being alerted by an alarm signal took off from Shindand AFB and intercepted two Iranian AH-1Js while flying Mig-23MLD, some 75 kilometres south-east of Shindand. They waited till the intruders flew inside the border, Then they completed the round-about maneuver and attacked the targets from the western side by each launching one AA-7 Apex (R-24R radar guided missile) from a distance of 7-8 km. Missiles were launched inside Afghanistan territory as it was ordered [by commanders]. The attack was done by using radar sight above the mountain plateau, 75 km northwest from Shindad at a height of 7,000 m. They didn’t see the missiles hit the targets because enemy was flying at very low level in a dusty mist. But the photo cameras shots showed how the targets indication disappeared from radar sightscreens. Two weeks later ground troops confirmed the victories. They found two UH-1 Huey choppers’ remains during a raid to that area (Polak, Tomas & Christopher Shores, Stalin’s Falcons: The Aces of the Red Star, Grub Street, London 1998, p. 12; Markovsky, Victor, The Hot Sky of Afghanistan, Technica-Molodyozhi, Moscow, p. 63).
The book, The Aces of the Red Star , doesn’t mention what types of helicopters were shot down, but in 1997, an article was published in an Ukrainian aviation magazine (“Aviatsija I Vremja” – ‘Aviation and Time’ magazine). There was a picture of Major Astakhov’s MiG-23MLD, bort no. 57. At the side of this plane was some predatory bird (like eagle) was drawn. The bird was belted by machinegun cartridge belt and in its talons was an ‘Iroquois’ UH-1 helicopter.