I show you facts, you show me speculation, even if it was made by Aviation week.
The attack didn’t come in one day. You make it look so simple, “the americans helped you” and all the other “secret stuff”, “Zeev missiles”, that we used, but it was a long process of developing new tactics and a difficult operation. Things aren’t that easy. The Israeli F-4 squadrons, and not some kind of “secret” missile, were the ones that eliminated 19 Syrian SAM sites. They did in smartly, they did it right, they lost no airplane and achieved their goal.

The Americans helped us in 1973 by airlifts, that’s correct. But it’s a long road from that to cooperation in intelligence and attacks. They gave us weapons, including A-4s and F-4s, but never participated in the war by themself. I would suggest you to read some realistic history books about the Yom Kippur war, and even better, read some stuff in the internet.

I don’t know what do you think about the 82:0 kill ratio, and you are entitled to your opinion. What I did before and will do now is show the list of all Israeli F-16A/Bs ever operated by Israel. Go through each page of the list. You’ll see a very small numbers of write offs, and they were all during accidents.
http://www.f-16.net/f-16_serials_airforce-IDFAF.html

GBU-15 and Zeev missiles were newly introduced high tech weapons in 1982 war and they were indeed secret ones. You can’t deny their value. Nobody have had defence against them in that time.
It is true that F-4 pilots have attacked SAM batteries, but they were shooting from stand-off distances, about 30 km. They have learned lessons from Yom Kippur war, that Arab SAM batteries were to dangerous to be attacked from close range with iron bombs. Radar jammers were of no help against them.

What I am saying is far from speculation. My sources are western most respected and creditable magazines, AIAA papers etc.

Look at this:

-“In 1973 war, about 20 Israeli aircraft were shot down in air combat.” AIR INTERNATIONAL Sept 1985, page 133.

-“Commander of Mig-21 fighter regiment, now based in Inchas, noted that his three squadrons had accounted for 22 gun camera confirmed air to air kills during the 1973 war”. AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY, 30.06.1975″

About your list, can you confirm that F-16 were lost in accidents and not in air combat ?

As you know, F-16 had been armed only with close range missiles, and both Mig-23 and Mig-21 had radar guided ones as well. Also, Mig-23 was better performer at high altitudes because of engine design.

Erez

Americans were always present in any war in Middle East.

Did you forget that in 1973 war you have been beaten by Arabs. Americans saved you by airlifts. You surrely know that too well.

Only after Americans entered the war with their pilots and Phantoms armed with Mavericks TV guided missiles, which have cut the pass in Arab SAM umbrella, did you succed to go on.

Do not tell me that you don’t know this.

Regarding ECM jamming aircraft, it is without any question that IAF operate speciallised a/c for jamming. It is version of USAF EC-135.
(Modified B-707). Every major Air Force operate spec jamming aircraft.
IAF had blocked Syrian communications by that way.

F-15 and F-16 are surrely better fighters than Mig-21 and 23 but both these Migs are better than F-4’s and Dagger’s.

As in WW2, Me-262 was better than Mustang, but nobody can claim that because of that fact, no Me-262 were downed by Mustangs. That would be ridiculous. The same logic can be applied to 1982 war.

F-16 did not have radar guideded missiles, only IC. That was serious flaw.
So, compared to it, Mig-23 had great advantage regarding to armaments. Not to mention R-60 (AA-8 ) missiles specially designed for dogfights, with 9 g target capability.
Mig-21MF also had R-60 and radar guided R-3R.

Let me remind you that, in Vietnam war, Phantoms were downed by outdated Migs-17. And difference between these two a/c was much greater than between F-15/16 and Mig-23/21.

Also, you have to know that exchange ratio of 80:0 is statisticaly impossible and it only leads to such situation that nobody believes you any more.

Israelis also used EC-135 jamming a/c to advantage.

Mig-21 MF did have R-3R, radar semi active homing missiles and R-60 dogfight missiles and that was a big advantage related to F-16 which had only AIM-9L and Pythons.

R-60 dogfight missiles were far better for close combat than Aim-9.

So, Syrians also did have some aces in their hands.

HAWKER HUNTER

Did you know that YF-12 had several hours alert time and that it rendered it totaly unsuitable as fighter. Because of that, SR-71 can not be used as tactical reccon either, only as strategic reccon. plane.

Mig-25 vs SR-71

SR-71 never fly over Soviet Union. Do not anybody fool yourself.
USA would never risk again another Garry Powers.

Regarding Mig-25, that interceptor was specially designed for that types of targets. It would never have entered service had it not been effective.
Its performance, fire control system and missiles are designed for SR-71 type targets.

That is reason it never entered Russian airspace.

SR-71 was retired because it has been uneccessary. U-2 can do everything as good.

Mig-23 kills in 1982

Several F-16 and F-15 are surrely downed by Mig-23 in 1982 war.
F-15 was definitely better as a fighter but it had Sparrow missiles for long range shooting, which was no better than AA-7.
F-16 had only close range AIM-9L.

Israelis had enormous advantage because of AWACS, B-707 ECM, U-2 etc.
Also, Syrians did not have all aspect IC missiles, and had export versions of Mig-23, but F-15 and F-16 are not very good at higher altitudes because of engine design.

So, it is unfair to compare kill ratio in that war.
But,anyway, 80:0 kill ratio claimed by Israelis are wide off mark.

Bill Gunston, british author, says that their claims can not be confirmed.
And that is true. Israelis forbid any investigation of that matter, because of safety reasons. So, we have to believe their claims.

British magazine, Air International, wrote that probably about 10 Israeli fighters had been downed in that war.

F-100 vs MIG-19

These two airplanes are from about the same time but are very different.
In fact, they had nothing in common.

As a fighter, Mig -19 is enormously better. Thrust/weight, wing loading and handling caracteristics put Mig-19 in modern dogfighter class. In its times it was outstanding.

F-100, on the other hand, was bad dogfighter even when it appeared.
In Vietnam, it was soon pulled out of MIGCAP missions and was used as a bomber.

Mig-17 is far better as a dogfighter than F-100. Read what about them from american F-100 pilot who now has own Mig-17, Bill Reesman.

Comparing MIg-19 with F-100 as a fighters makes no sense.