[🇵🇰-Airforce] How A Pakistani Pilot “Shot Down” An Israeli Fighter Jet With Russian MiG-21 in 1974

[Bilal9]

A feature about Air Commodore MM Alam (The "Little Dragon") by CEO of PIA Arshad Malik Sb.

 

[Lulldapull]

Asking for confirmation of air-war casualties from Israel is like asking for confirmation of war crimes from them. We all know what the answer will be, foregone conclusion.

Eastern theater was undefended and destroyed by Indian AF quickly because the air-war assets were few and mostly outdated (a few Canadair Sabre fighters, and a sprinkling of doddering old Otters, helis and transports at the most) attacked by Indian modern SU-17s, Hunters and MiG-21s (probably MFs) most of which were a generation newer.

This was a sacrificial philosophy, as espoused and decided on by Yahya Khan et al. No valuable air-assets (certainly not contemporary modern ones) were posted in Dhaka (Dacca) airbase at the time (November/December 1971). Pakistani high command had decided to let Dhaka fall on the air-superiority side and not 'waste' valuable air assets in defending East Pakistan.

Still - Airforce people I talked to who watched the dogfights from the Dhaka rooftops confirmed that the Sabres fought well and defended the airport well, despite obvious shortcomings.

We had a total of 14 F-86E sabres at Tezgaon when the war started on Dec 3rd.

When the war ended and Tezgaon got overrun, we still had 11 sabres.

Our pilots claimed 13 IAF planes shot down in air combat (9 admitted by the IAF) and another 12 claimed by airfield AAA.

The small force put up a valiant fight but the IAF was determined and pressed home its attacks and destroyed the runways at Tezgaon, followed by the taxiways.

 

[Bilal9]

We had a total of 14 F-86E sabres at Tezgaon when the war started on Dec 3rd.

When the war ended and Tezgaon got overrun, we still had 11 sabres.

Our pilots claimed 13 IAF planes shot down in air combat (9 admitted by the IAF) and another 12 claimed by airfield AAA.

The small force put up a valiant fight but the IAF was determined and pressed home its attacks and destroyed the runways at Tezgaon, followed by the taxiways.

Well done for the info Bhai.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your source? Official PAF records?

Some of the Canadair CF-86 Sabres are still preserved, some as gate guardians and the better ones in the very well appointed new Military Museum in Dhaka at the end of the Runway at Tejgaon.

@Saif bhai I'm sure you have seen one of these there - correct? If you've visited, that is.

 

[Lulldapull]

Well done for the info Bhai.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your source? Official PAF records?

Some of the Canadair CF-86 Sabres are still preserved, some as gate guardians and the better ones in the very well appointed new Military Museum in Dhaka at the end of the Runway at Tejgaon.

View attachment 14325

View attachment 14326

View attachment 14327

@Saif bhai I'm sure you have seen one of these there - correct? If you've visited, that is.

PAF history by Air Cdr. Hussaini......

We machine gunned both the intakes and exhausts of our remaining sabres before we surrendered! including the cockpits, cut all the wiring and cabling so they couldn't be flown away to India.

Two sabres were shot down by Gnats around Boyra a month or so before the 71 war. PAF claiming a Gnat kill in the surprise attack.

Anyway, our AF held its head high and they performed a great job in 65 war too by attacking the IAF complex at Kalaikunda twice! destroying dozens of aircraft on the ground.

 

[Lulldapull]

Here is Grp. Cpt. Saiful Azam with his Pakistani and US colleagues. Third from left.
View attachment 14324

Saif ul Azam was in fact the greatest fighter pilot of the PAF.

He shot down an IAF Gnat in 65, then he shot down an IDF Mirage IIICJ, a Vatour IIN and a Mystere IVA flying RJAF and Iraqi AF Hawker Hunters in 1967.

Probably the greatest PAF fighter pilot, before we let him go to Bangladesh to lead his new country as their ACM......

 

[Sharma Ji]

Francis Gary Powers - a CIA pilot who flew a U2 spy-plane from an airbase (PAF Camp Badaber) in Northern Pakistan to overfly recon flights in the old Soviet Union. Shot down over Chelyabinsk in Central Russia using SA-2 missiles (then brand new).

Gary Powers: The U-2 spy pilot the US did not love

Gary Powers, the US pilot in the Cold War prisoner exchange depicted in Bridge of Spies, returned home to a chorus of criticism - but was this fair?

www.bbc.com

Francis Gary Powers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Powers wrote a memoir on the incident, that arguably - started the cold war (the Berlin wall was constructed the following year).

View attachment 14314

Spielberg directed this movie on Powers below. Should be available on Netflix.

View attachment 14312 View attachment 14313

1960 U-2 incident - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Fascinating, will look it up, thanks.

But I was talking about mercenary pilots flying for another country than their own. PAF guys flew Egyptian planes vs the Israelis ? .. Americans and Chinese (iinw) have also flown their allies' planes in combat, Russians/Soviets too, but I can't recall where exactly.

 

[Bilal9]