F-15C Eagle vs MiG-23/25: Iraq 1991

(Paperback)

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Designed following the relatively poor performance of America's multi-role fighters during the Vietnam War, the F-15 Eagle was conceived as a dedicated air superiority fighter. But, having trained for 15 years in the Eagle it wasn't Eastern Bloc operated MiGs that the F-15 eventually came up against, but pilots of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi airforce. This book analyses the combat between the American and Soviet 'Cold War fighters' in a balanced manner, examining how the technical abilities of the aircraft combined with the different levels of training available to opposing pilots and groundcrews allowed the F-15s to destroy the Iraqi offensive abilities within weeks of the First Gulf War starting. Packed with artwork, illustrations and photographs, this book places the reader in the cockpit during one of the last major dogfighting air wars in modern history.

Author Bio

Douglas C Dildy retired from the USAF after 26 years of service during which he commanded the 32nd Fighter Squadron and was vice commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing. A graduate of the USAF Academy as a history major and having a masters degree in Political Science, Dildy has authored five books for Osprey. Tom Cooper is the recognised expert on Arab MiG operators in general and, specifically, on Iraqi Air Force (IrAF) operations in combat against Iran and against the US-led coalition in the 1990s. He has co-authored two Osprey books on Iranian F-4 and F-14 units as well as an Combat Aircraft on Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat. Born in 1970, Tom Cooper is a native of Vienna, Austria. His travels in Europe and the Middle East have enabled him to establish excellent contacts with many informed sources in Iran, whose experiences can be found in his books and articles. An early fascination with military aviation post-World War 2 has narrowed down to an interest in smaller air forces and conflicts, particularly the Arab and the Iranian air force and the Iraq-Iran war, about which his researches date from the late 1980s. Jim Laurier attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974-78, and since graduating with Honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. Gareth Hector is a digital artist of international standing and an aviation history enthusiast. He completed the battlescene and cover artwork.