Operation Kaman 99
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| Operation Kaman 99 | |||||||
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| Part of Iran-Iraq War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Iran IRIAF |
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Iraq_(1963-1991).svg.png){kind=small} Iraq IrAF |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 58 F-4 Phantom IIs 88 F-5E Tiger IIs 60 F-14 Tomcats |
Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4 F-5E[1] | 2 MiG-21 3 MiG-23 1 Su-20[2] 1 Il-76 (fratricide) [1] |
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Operation Kaman 99 (Operation Bow 99) was an operation launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force in retaliation to Iraqi surprise aerial attacks on Iran the day before which marked the beginning of the 8 year long Iran-Iraq War. This was Iran's largest Air Force retaliation during the entire war.
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[edit] Prelude
22 September 1980, Iraq launched massive air strikes on strategic locations in Iran.
At 1:45 pm local time, 6 Iraqi MiG-23 Floggers bombed an Iranian airbase near Ahvaz.
Half an hour later, Iraqi MiG-23s attacked Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. At the same time the Iraqis also bombed 8 other major airbases in Iran.
However, having learned from the Six Day War, Iran had built concrete bunkers where most of its combat aircraft were stored, thus the Iraqis succeed mainly in cratering a few Iranian runways, without causing any significant damage to Iran’s Air Force. Now the Iranian Air Force started preparing for a counter attack which was to be launched the next day.
[edit] The Battle
23 September 1980, Iran launched Operation Kaman 99 as 40 F-4 Phantoms, armed with Mark 82, Mark 83 and Mark 84 clusterbombs and AGM-65 Maverick missiles, took off from Hamadan. After refueling in mid-air the Phantoms reached the Iraqi capital Baghdad, where they attacked: al-Rashid, al-Habbaniyah and al-Kut airbases.
Meanwhile, 8 More F-4s took off from Tehran and launched a second attack on the al-Rashid airbase.
Iran launched 58 F-5E Tiger IIs from Tabriz, which where sent to attack Mosul Airbase.
After the attack on Mosul Airbae, 50 F-5Es attacked Nasiriyah Airbase, which was heavily damaged.
As at 146 Iranian F-4s and F-5s had been sent for a bombing raid on Iraq, 60 F-14 Tomcats where scrambled to defend Iranian airstpace against a possible Iraqi retaliation. Iranian F-14s managed to down 2 Iraqi MiG-21s (1 MiG-21RF and 1 MiG-21MF) and 3 Iraqi MiG-23s (MiG-23MS), an Iranian F-5E also shot down an Iraqi Su-20 during the operation. Iraqi MiG-23s managed to down 2 F-5Es, while Iraqi MiG-21s also downed 2 F-5Es. Iraqis also by mistake shot down one of their own Il-76MD strategic airlifters with a SA-3 SAM.
The Iraqis however were well prepared for the attack and had flown over most of their air force to other Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, this made sure that most of the Iraqi Air Force survived the operation.[citation needed]
[edit] Aftermath
In a sudden turn of events, Saddam Hussein who attacked Iran believing that he could secure a comfortable victory against the country because of its assumed Air Force vulnerabilities was dealt a heavy blow. All Iraqi airbases near Iran were out of order for weeks and according to Iran, Iraq's aerial efficacy was reduced by 55%, allowing Iranians to regroup and prepare for the upcoming Iraqi invasion. However Iraqis would advance deep into Khuzestan and it would take the Iranians another 2 years before they finally expel the Iraqis from their territory and they enter Iraq.
The War itself takes another 8 years, becoming the longest conventional war of the 20th century, in which more than a million people would die.
[edit] Arash Kamangir
The word 'Kaman' means bow as in a bow and arrow but was inspired by Persian mythology. It was named after Iranian mythological hero Arash Kamangir, an archer.
The basic story of Arash runs as follows: In a war between the Iranians and the Un-Iranians (in post-Sassanid tradition frequently identified with the Turanians) over the "royal glory" khwarrah, the General Afrasiab has surrounded the forces of the righteous Manuchehr, and the two sides agree to make peace. Both reach an agreement that whatever land falls within the range of a bow-shot shall be returned to the Manuchehr and the Iranians, and the rest should then fall to Afraisab and the Aniranians. An angel (in al-Biruni it is 'Esfandaramad', i.e. the Amesha Spenta Ameretat, MP Spendarmad) instructs Manuchehr to construct a special bow and arrow, and Arash is asked to be the archer. Arash then fires the specially-prepared arrow at dawn, which then traveled a great distance before finally landing on the eastern bank of the Oxus River and so marking the border between the Iranians and the Aniranians.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Tafażżolī, Ahmed, “Āraš i”, Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 2, New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, pp. 266-267.
