115-580: Shaibah Air Base (formerly Wahda Air Base before 2003) is an Iraqi Air Force airfield in the Basrah Governorate of Iraq . It was established by the Royal Air Force in 1920 as RAF Station Shaibah , a small and primitive airfield in the desert with a harsh hot and humid climate. A 1930 treaty guaranteed British use till the mid-50s. The resident squadron was No. 84 Squadron RAF until 1940 when No. 244 Squadron RAF took over. It expanded during
230-605: A USAF EF-111 electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission. In yet another incident, two MiG-25's approached a pair of F-15 Eagles, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then out-ran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the Foxbats ; none of which could reach them. In an effort to demonstrate their own air offensive capability, on 24 January
345-597: A USAF F-15C with an R-40 missile in the Samurra Air Battle. Iraq claims it was shot down (pilot ejected) and subsequently the aircraft crashed in Saudi Arabia. An Iraqi Mirage F-1 piloted by Capt. Nafie Al-Jubouri successfully downed an American EF-111 Raven through aerial maneuvering as it crashed while attempting to avoid a missile fired by Al-Jubouri. In another incident, an Iraqi Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 eluded eight USAF F-15C Eagles , firing three missiles at
460-500: A continental war, leaving sufficient surviving aircraft to deliver the full stockpile of nuclear weapons, it is a reasonable conclusion that the Vulcan force was held in reserve for nuclear strike duties only. The squadron's Vulcan B2s served mainly in that low-level penetration role until disbandment on 31 December 1981. The squadron reformed on 1 January 1983 at RAF Marham , re-equipped with twelve Panavia Tornado GR1 . No. 617 Squadron
575-482: A hospital ward. Major Mark Vertue TD, 2IC ER (34 Field Hospital). In effect, the hospital was based on the front line of the British area of responsibility and was the furthest forward medical unit in recent history. Casualties would often miss out the regimental aid posts and dressing stations and go straight to the hospital. Staff at the hospital worked 12-hour shifts without days off until more staff began to arrive around
690-637: A major role in the war against Iran by striking airbases, military infrastructure, industrial infrastructure such as factories, powerplants and oil facilities, as well as systematically bombing urban areas in Tehran and other major Iranian cities (later came to be known as the War of the Cities ). At the end of the war, in conjunction with the Army and special operations forces, the IQAF played
805-513: A month later. The 25-bed unit kept working despite some nearby mortar fire, while elements of a bigger hospital were bought in and a 200-bed hospital was eventually built and staff moved over and supplemented.Major Mark Vertue TD, 2IC ER (34 Field Hospital). The hospital took over 3500 casualties through the front door of which more than 350 were major trauma cases and the hospital took around 70 paediatric trauma cases. Injuries included blunt trauma, gunshot wounds, shrapnel injuries and severe burns.It
920-620: A mountain near Barzan in April 1932, killing both crew members. That year, the Gipsy Moths were reinforced by three more DH.60Ts and three de Havilland Puss Moths . The next year, eight de Havilland Dragons were delivered, and in 1934, the first out of a total of 34 Hawker Audaxes (named Nisr in Iraqi service) were acquired. In the years following Iraqi independence, the Air Force was still dependent on
1035-659: A result of the AAA at Wahda, the Midway pilots decided not to attack from low level in the future. On the evening of 17 January, four RAF Tornados attacked Wahda with JP233 anti-runway dispensers . Just after the attack, ZA392, a GR.1 Tornado from No. 617 Sq , crewed by Commander Nigel Eldson and Flight Lieutenant Max Collier, impacted the ground with no survivors. On 23 January at 10:00AM, Midway launched aircraft again to attack Wahda. This strike however included both Intruders and F/A-18A Hornets . The strike force encountered light AAA with
1150-633: A second loss, but a further two Iraqi claims and one probable are still listed by the Allies as lost to "ground fire" rather than an Iraqi fighter. Generally at least three Iraqi pilots are relatively agreed upon to have scored victories against coalition aircraft in aerial combat. As well as the Persian Gulf war, the IQAF was also involved in the 1991 uprisings in Iraq . Alongside Army aviation, Mi-8 , Mi-24 , Gazelle, Alouette and Puma helicopters were used to counter
1265-550: A series of attacks from carrier-borne aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm , but both attacks had failed to sink her. The task was given to No. IX and No. 617 Squadrons; they were deployed to Yagodnik , near Archangel a staging base in Russia to attack Tirpitz with Tallboy bombs. On 15 September 1944, the RAF bombers struck the battleship in the forecastle, which rendered her unseaworthy, so she
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#17328455612381380-517: A series of attacks on Arab capitals, flown by three Boeing B-17s that had been pressed into service by the Israeli Air Force , the governments of Transjordan and Syria demanded that the Iraqis replace their Ansons with Hawker Furies. However, only six Furies were sent to Damascus , and they never encountered any Israeli aircraft. Moreover, due to the limited amount of cannon ammunition supplied by
1495-490: A significant role in routing Iran's last military offensive. (by that time, the role of the once superior Iranian Air Force had been reduced to missions in desperate situations only, performing critical tasks such as defending Iran's vital oil terminals). The air force also had a successful role attacking tankers and other vessels going to and from Iran, by using Exocet missiles on their Mirage F1s. On May 17, 1987, an Iraqi F1 mistakenly launched two Exocet anti-ship missiles into
1610-517: A solid basis for the RIrAF's long-term growth. Also in 1951, the RIrAF bought its first helicopters: three Westland Dragonflies . The RIrAF's first jet fighter was the de Havilland Vampire : 12 FB.Mk.52 fighters and 10 T.Mk.55 trainers were delivered from 1953 to 1955. These were quickly supplemented by 20 de Havilland Venoms , delivered between 1954 and 1956. Following the formation of the Baghdad Pact ,
1725-530: A state that they could only be used as sources of spare parts. From 1944 to 1947, 33 Avro Ansons were acquired. Despite these hurdles, the RIrAF helped put down the 1943 Barzani revolt . In late 1946, the Iraqis reached an agreement with the British, under which they would return their surviving Avro Ansons, in exchange for the authorisation to order 30 Hawker Fury F.Mk.1 fighters and two Fury T.Mk.52 two-seat trainers. The next year, three de Havilland Doves and three Bristol Freighters were ordered. The RIrAF
1840-527: A total of 166–192 aircraft, performed surprise airstrikes on 10 airbases of the Iranian Air Force , succeeding in destroying a large of number of fighter-bomber aircraft on the ground, but not enough to knock the Iranian Air Force out. In retaliation for these aerial strikes, the Iranian Air Force launched Operation Kaman 99 a day after the war was launched. During late 1981, it was soon clear that
1955-705: Is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, originally based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and currently based at RAF Marham in Norfolk . It is commonly known as " The Dambusters ", for its actions during Operation Chastise against German dams during the Second World War . In the early 21st century it operated the Panavia Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role until being disbanded on 28 March 2014. The Dambusters reformed on 18 April 2018, and
2070-532: Is reported to have commented: "The Iranians are even stronger than before, they now have our Air Force." These included: Mirage F1s EQ1/2/4/5/6, Su-20 and Su-22M2/3/4 Fitters, Su-24MK Fencer-Ds, Su-25K/UBK Frogfoots, MiG-23ML Floggers, MiG-29A/UB (product 9.12B) Fulcrums and a number of Il-76s, including the one-off AEW-AWACS prototype Il-76 "ADNAN 1". Also, prior to Operation Desert Storm, 19 Iraqi Mig-21s and MiG-23s were sent to Yugoslavia for servicing, but were never returned due to international sanctions. In 2009,
2185-599: The 2003 U.S.-led invasion . After the invasion, the IQAF was rebuilt, receiving most of its training and aircraft from the United States . In 2007, Iraq asked Iran to return some of the scores of Iraqi fighter planes that flew there to escape destruction during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. As of 2014, Iran was receptive to the demands and was working on refurbishing an unspecified number of jets. The Iraqi Air Force considers its founding day as 22 April 1931. This day,
2300-471: The Algiers Treaty . Between the autumn of 1980 and the summer of 1990, the number of aircraft in the IQAF went from 332 to over 1000. Before the Iraqi invasion of Iran , the IQAF had expected 16 modern Dassault Mirage F.1 EQs from France and were also in the middle of receiving a total of 240 new aircraft and helicopters from their Eastern European allies. When Iraq invaded Iran in late September 1980,
2415-620: The Iraqi Armed Forces . It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well as the policing of its international borders. The IQAF also acts as a support force for the Iraqi Navy and the Iraqi Army , which allows Iraq to rapidly deploy its military. It is headquartered in Baghdad ; the current commander is Lieutenant Gen. Shihab Jahid Ali. The Iraqi Air Force was founded in 1931, during
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#17328455612382530-555: The Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980. According to Iranian sources, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25s and some Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 were stationed in this airbase. The airbase was again bombed in the large-scale Operation Kaman 99 on the second day of the war. Early on May 17, 1987, a modified Iraqi Air Force Dassault Falcon 50 of No. 81 Squadron was redeployed from Saddam Air Base to Wahda. This aircraft, nicknamed "Susanna" by
2645-841: The MiG-21 and the Sukhoi Su-20 , they began persuading the French to sell Mirage F1s fighters (which were bought) and later Jaguars (which were however never ordered). Before the Yom Kippur War , the IQAF sent 12 Hawker Hunters to Egypt where they stayed to fight; only 1 survived the war. The IQAF first received their Sukhoi Su-7s in 1968; they were originally stationed in Syria . Aircraft deployed to Syria suffered heavy losses due to Israeli aircraft and SAMs. In addition, they were hit with friendly fire from Syrian SAMs. A planned attack on 8 October
2760-572: The MiG-21s withdrawn due to obsolescence. During the period of sanctions that followed, the Air Force was severely restricted by no-fly zones established by the coalition and by restricted access to spare parts due to United Nations sanctions. Many aircraft were unserviceable and a few were hidden from American reconnaissance to escape potential destruction. In patrols of the no-fly zones, three Iraqi MiGs were lost. Despite several attacks from U.S. F-15s and F-14s firing AIM-54 and AIM-120 missiles at
2875-678: The Möhne , Eder , and Sorpe . The plan was given the codename Operation Chastise and carried out on 17 May 1943. The squadron had to develop the tactics to deploy Barnes Wallis 's " Bouncing bomb ", and undertook some of its training over the dams of the Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire, as the towers on the dam walls were similar to those to be found on some of the target dams in Germany. The squadron's badge, approved by King George VI , depicts
2990-526: The RAF College Cranwell , and 32 aircraft mechanics. The original five pilots were Natiq Mohammed Khalil al-Tay, Mohammed Ali Jawad, Hafdhi Aziz, Akrem Mushtaq, and Musa Ali. The RIrAF saw its first combats as early as October 1931, against Kurdish insurgents in the north of the country. It was during operations against the Kurds that the air force suffered its first combat loss, when a DH.60 collided with
3105-824: The Royal Air Force . The Iraqi government allocated the majority of its military expenditure to the Iraqi Army and by 1936 the Royal Iraqi Air Force had only 37 pilots and 55 aircraft. The following year, the Air Force showed some growth, increasing its number of pilots to 127. This enabled it to purchase additional aircraft. In 1937, following high-level visits in Italy and Great Britain, Iraq placed orders for 4 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s , 25 Breda Ba.65s , and 15 Gloster Gladiators . In 1939, 15 Northrop 8As were bought. The RIrAF's first combat against another conventional military
3220-683: The Sea Eagle missile. In December 1994, Flight Lieutenant Jo Salter became the first female combat ready fast jet pilot. In 1995, crews from No. 617 Squadron deployed in support of Operation Warden. In 2003, the Squadron sent several airframes to the Ali Al Salem Air Base , Kuwait and Al Udeid Air Base , Qatar , as part of Operation Telic joining airframes from II Squadron, IX Squadron, XIII Squadron, 31 Squadron and 12 Squadron (a total of 30 Tornado GR4/GR4A's were deployed) where they were
3335-497: The Second World War . No 244 Sqn was involved in the Rashid Ali rebellion in 1941. Nos 37 and 70 Squadrons (Wellingtons) operated from Shaibah in support of RAF Habbaniya . On 24 April that year, 400 men of the King's Own Royal Regiment were "flown by No.31 Squadron [from India via] Shaibah to RAF Habbaniya to reinforce the armoured cars of No.1 RAF Armoured Car Company ." RAF Shaibah
3450-648: The Soviet Union . In 1966, Iraqi Captain Munir Redfa defected with his MiG-21F-13 to Israel which in turn gave it to the United States for evaluation under the code-name "Have Donut". During the Six-Day War , the IrAF bombed several air bases and land targets. On 6 June 1967, a group of four Tupolev Tu-16 bombers was sent to attack Ramat David Airbase . Two of them had to abort due to technical difficulties, and another
3565-516: The USS Stark Incident . At 4:05AM on 17 January 1991, a mixed formation of four A-6E TRAM Intruders from VA-115 Eagles and VA-185 Nighthawks from the USS ; Midway attacked the airfield at 350 feet (110 m) above the ground. The aircraft encountered heavier anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) defences than the other Intruder formation from Midway attacking Ahmad al-Jaber Airfield . As
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3680-600: The 31 Lancasters. Leavitt's aircraft dropped one of the bombs that hit Tirpitz dead centre. Despite both squadrons claiming that it was their bombs that actually sank the Tirpitz, it was the Tallboy bomb , dropped from a No. IX Squadron Lancaster WS-Y ( LM220 ) piloted by Flying Officer Dougie Tweddle that is attributed to the sinking of the warship. F/O Tweddle was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in
3795-508: The Air Force during 1991. By early 2003, Iraq's air power numbered an estimated 180 combat aircraft, of which only about half were flyable. In late 2002, a Yugoslav weapons company provided servicing for the MiG-21s and MiG-23s, violating UN sanctions. An aviation institute in Bijeljina , Bosnia and Herzegovina , supplied the engines and spare parts. These however, were too late to improve
3910-504: The Allies in September. Throughout the rest of the war, the squadron continued in a specialist and precision-bombing role, including the use of the enormous "Tallboy" and "Grand Slam" ground-penetrating earthquake bombs , on targets such as concrete U-boat shelters and bridges. Several failed attempts were made on The Dortmund-Ems Canal in 1943 ( Operation Garlic ); it was finally breached with Tallboys in September 1944. In March 1945
4025-1076: The American frigate USS Stark , crippling the vessel and killing 37 sailors. By 1987 the Iraqi Air Force had a large modern military infrastructure, with modern air logistics centers, air depots, maintenance and repair facilities, and some production capabilities. By that time the air force consisted of 40,000 men, of whom about 10,000 were a part of the Air Defense Command. Its main bases were in Tammuz ( Al Taqqadum ), Al Bakr ( Balad ), Al Qadisiya ( Al Asad ), Ali Air Base , Saddam Airbase ( Qayarrah West Air Base ) and other major bases including Basra . The IQAF operated from 24 main operating bases and 30 dispersal bases, with 600 aircraft shelters including nuclear-hardened shelters, with multiple taxiways to multiple runways. Iraq also had 123 smaller airfields of various kinds (reserve fields and helicopter fields). Unlike many other nations with modern air forces, Iraq
4140-749: The Atlantic to become the first of the UK's aircraft to be based permanently at RAF Marham. On 10 July, the squadron participated in the RAF100 flypast over London with three F-35Bs. On 3 August, five more F-35Bs arrived at RAF Marham for the Dambusters . No. 617 Squadron was declared 'combat ready' on 10 January 2019. The Dambusters underwent their first F-35 deployment on 22 May 2019 when six Lightnings deployed to RAF Akrotiri , Cyprus , for six weeks as part of 'Exercise Lightning Dawn'. On 16 June, No. 617 Squadron carried out
4255-734: The British personnel from Abadan in Persia / Iran . He received the Order of the British Empire in 1953. On 1 March 1956 it was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force , and it then became an Iraqi Air Force airfield. After that it was renamed to 'Al-Wahda' or Wahda Air Base . The airfield was bombed by a flight of four Mk.82 -equipped McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs as part of the Operation Revenge launched by Iranian Air Force two hours after
4370-492: The British, and the absence of bombs, they were only used for armed reconnaissance. In the end, the four surviving aircraft were handed over to Egypt in October 1948. Despite these early problems, in 1951 the RIrAF purchased 20 more Fury F.Mk.1s, for a total of 50 F.Mk.1s single-seaters and 2 two-seaters, which equipped No. 1, No. 4 and No. 7 Squadrons. In the early 1950s, thanks to increased income from oil and agricultural exports,
4485-624: The British. However, the latter were meanwhile sending ever more reinforcements to Iraq, and support from the Axis powers could not change the course of the war. Losses and a lack of spares and replacement aircraft resulted in the Germans' departure at the end of May. On 31 May, a ceasefire was signed, thus ending the war. The Anglo-Iraqi War left the RIrAF shattered. Several squadrons had all of their aircraft destroyed, while lots of officers and pilots had been killed or had fled to neighbouring countries. Due to
4600-466: The D-day landings, the Squadron dropped thin strips of aluminum foil (called Window) over the waters off Cap d'Antifer , about 80 km (50 mi) from the actual D-Day landings. The strips were dropped in vast numbers, in carefully choreographed patterns, over many hours, to create on German radar an illusion of a huge approaching naval fleet, even though the ships were non-existent. The Squadron practiced
4715-576: The Dambusters departed Marham for Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada , their first with the Lightning. Between September and November 2020, the Dambusters hosted United States Marine Corps F-35Bs from VMFA-211 who deployed to RAF Marham to work up on HMS Queen Elizabeth ahead of the carrier's deployment in 2021. In May 2021, No. 617 Squadron embarked eight F-35B Lightnings on board HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of Carrier Strike Group 2021 (CSG21), operating alongside VMFA-211 as
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4830-639: The Dambusters were the RAF squadron who helped the Tornado GR fleet surpass 1,000,000 flying hours in June 2011. In July 2011, the squadron took part in Operation Ellamy In July 2013, it was announced that No. 617 Squadron would become the first operational RAF unit to receive the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning . No. 617 Squadron disbanded on 28 March 2014 as part of the draw-down of
4945-434: The IQAF should have been 'hardened' by the conflict with Iran , but post-war purges of the IQAF leadership and other personnel decimated the air force, as the Iraqi regime struggled to bring it back under total control. Training was brought to a minimum during the whole of 1990. The table below shows the Iraqi Air Force at the start of the Persian Gulf War, its losses, damaged aircraft, flights to Iran and remaining assets at
5060-846: The Interim Megaton Weapon, Yellow Sun Mk.1 and certainly Yellow Sun Mk2 . American bombs were also supplied to the RAF V-bombers for a short period under the Project E arrangements. The squadron began almost immediately to upgrade yet again to the Vulcan B2, taking delivery of the first on 1 September 1961, although its high-level strategic bombing role remained unchanged until the advent of effective Soviet Surface-to-Air Missiles forced Bomber Command to reassign V-bombers from high-altitude operations to low-level penetration operations in March 1963, when
5175-445: The IrAF was successfully able to defend its bases in western Iraq from additional Israeli attacks. Throughout this decade, the IQAF grew in size and capability, as the 20 year Treaty of friendship with the USSR signed in 1971 brought large numbers of relatively modern fighter aircraft to the air force. The Iraqi government was never satisfied with the Soviets alone supplying them, and while they were purchasing modern fighters like
5290-426: The Iraqi Air Force was devastated by coalition airpower, notably the aerial forces of the United States , the United Kingdom and their allies. Most airfields were heavily struck, and in air combat Iraq was only able to obtain four confirmed kills (and four damaged along with one probable kill), while sustaining 23 losses. All of the out of service (six) Tupolev Tu-22s that Iraq possessed were destroyed by bombing at
5405-444: The Iraqi Ministry of Defense signed two contracts with the Polish defence consortium BUMAR. The first contract, worth US$ 132 million, was for the delivery of 20 PZL W-3 Sokół helicopters and the training of 10 Iraqi pilots and 25 maintenance personnel. They were intended to be delivered by November 2005, but in April 2005 the company charged with fulfilling the contract announced the delivery would not go ahead as planned, because
5520-424: The Iraqi fighters, the Iraqi maneuvers ensured they were able to avoid any casualties in their dispute over Iraqi airspace. The last recorded air-to-air kill was on 23 December 2002, when a MiG-25 Foxbat shot down an armed American RQ-1 Predator . In 2008, the Defense Technical Information Center released the top-secret archives of the Saddam-era Iraqi Air Force, shedding light on the true losses and operations of
5635-416: The Iraqi government briefly sought the return of the fighters, but they were disassembled and would have been costly to repair and return. The Iraqi air force itself lists its air-to-air losses at 23 airframes compared to the US claims of 44. Similarly, the Allies initially acknowledged no losses in air combat to the Iraqi air force, and only in 1995 acknowledged one loss. After 2003 the Allies acknowledged
5750-430: The Iraqis attempted to mount a strike against the major Saudi oil refinery in Abqaiq . Two Mirage F-1 fighters laden with incendiary bombs and two MiG-23s (along as fighter cover) took off. They were spotted by USAF Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, and two Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s were sent to intercept. When the Saudis appeared the Iraqi MiGs turned tail, but the Mirages pressed on. Captain Ayedh Al-Shamrani, one of
5865-404: The Iraqis waiting for their upgraded Exocet -capable Mirage F1EQ-5s , Super Etendards were leased to Iraq. The Iranian oil tanker fleet (see Tanker War ) and gunboats suffered severe damage at the hands of the 5 Super Etendards equipped with Exocet anti-ship missiles. One of these was lost during their 20-month combat use and 4 returned to the Aeronavale in 1985. The IQAF generally played
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#17328455612385980-481: The Iraqis was then loaded with two AM.39 Exocet cruise missiles for its first test/combat flight. Just after dark, the order "Let the bird fly" was given, signalling Susanna to take off and conduct a sortie over the Persian Gulf as part of the Tanker War . The Falcon 50 fired both of its missiles at unknown ship that it detected on radar and returned to Wahda. This ship turned out to be the Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigate USS Stark (FFG-31) leading to
6095-449: The Kurds, so they began using their new Tu-22s in combat against them (using 3 tonne bombs from high altitude to avoid the Iranian HAWK SAM batteries that the Shah had set up near the Iraqi border to cover the Kurdish insurgents) as they were able to avoid a greater percentage of SAMs due to their higher bombing altitude and improved electronic countermeasures. During the mid-1970s, tensions with Iran were high but were later resolved with
6210-422: The RIrAF was thoroughly re-equipped. In 1951, 15 each of de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks , Percival Provosts and North American T-6s were bought to replace obsolete de Havilland Tiger Moth trainers. With these new aircraft, the RIrAF Flying School was expanded into the Air Force College. The training curriculum was improved, and the number of students graduating each year was increased. This allowed to form
6325-402: The Saudi pilots, maneuvered his jet behind the Mirages and shot down both aircraft. After this episode, the Iraqis made no more air efforts of their own, sending most of their jets to Iran in hopes that they might someday get their Air Force back. (Iran returned seven Su-25s in 2014.) During the Persian Gulf War, most Iraqi pilots and aircraft (of French and Soviet origin) fled to Iran to escape
6440-465: The Soviets and the French stopped delivering additional aircraft to Iraq but resumed deliveries a few months later. The IQAF had to instead fight with obsolete Su-20 , MiG-21 Fishbeds and MiG-23 Floggers . The MiG-21 was the main interceptor of the force while their MiG-23s were used for ground attack and interception. The Su-20 were pure ground attack aircraft. On the first day of the war, formations of Tu-16/22s, Su-20s, MiG-23s and MiG-21s, for
6555-539: The Tornado force. Beginning in 2016, the Dambusters started their training for conversion to the F-35B ahead of reforming as the first British front line squadron with the Lightning. The squadron worked up at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort , South Carolina , throughout late 2017 and early 2018 before reforming on 18 April 2018. On 6 June 2018, a quartet of No. 617 Squadron Lightnings ( ZM145 , ZM146 , ZM147 and ZM148 ), supported by three Airbus Voyagers and an Airbus Atlas C1 , made an eight-hour flight across
6670-469: The UK's strategic nuclear deterrent, the squadron was equipped with the Avro Vulcan B1 from Aug 1960. By 23 May 1961, its aircraft were the upgraded Vulcan B1A fitted with the electronic countermeasures tail pod. The squadron's assigned role was high-level strategic bombing with a variety of free fall nuclear bombs. Both the B1 and B1A types were equipped with various free-fall nuclear weapons. These may have included Blue Danube , Red Beard , Violet Club
6785-405: The United States donated at least six Cessna O-1 Bird Dogs to the RIrAF. The RAF also vacated Shaibah Air Base , and the RIrAF took over it as Wahda Air Base. In 1957, six Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6s were delivered. The next year, the United States agreed to provide 36 F-86F Sabres free of charge. However, this plan was never realised. Following the 14 July Revolution of 1958, which resulted in
6900-458: The air force grew quickly when Iraq ordered more Soviet and French aircraft. The air force's peak came after the long Iran–Iraq War , which ended in 1988, when it consisted of 1029 aircraft of all types, including 550 combat aircraft, becoming the largest air force in the region. Its downfall came during the Persian Gulf War (1990–91) and continued while coalition forces enforced no-fly zones. The remnants of Iraq's air force were destroyed during
7015-416: The air force's squadrons in 1961 as: The IrAF received approximately 30 MiG-19S', 10 MiG-19Ps, and 10 MiG-19PMs in 1959 and 1960. However, only 16 MiG-19S' were ever taken up; the other aircraft were not accepted due to their poor technical condition, and remained stored in Basra . The accepted MiG-19S' were operated from Rasheed Air Base by the 9th Squadron. Their service in Iraq didn't last long however:
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#17328455612387130-470: The aircraft bombing the hangars and ammunition storage facilities on the base. On 31 January, another RAF attack took place, this time with the US Navy. Between 08:35 and 08:40M local time (17:35Z–17:40Z), RAF Tornados attacked the hangars, despite the bombs on the lead aircraft failing to be dropped. The USN strike package included six A-6E Intruders, an EA-6B Prowler , an A-6E SWIP Intruder from VA-145 equipped with AGM-88 HARMs and four F-14 Tomcats. It
7245-439: The attempted Shi'ite and Kurdish revolts between 1991 and 1993. After the Persian Gulf War, the air force consisted only of a sole Su-24 (nicknamed "waheeda" in the Iraqi airforce which translates to roughly "the lonely") and a single squadron of MiG-25s purchased from the Soviet Union in 1979. Some Mirages, MiG-23MLs and SU-22s also remained in use, with the MiG-29s being withdrawn from use by 1995 due to engine TBO limits, and
7360-536: The bombing campaign because no other country would allow them sanctuary. The Iranians impounded these aircraft after the war and returned seven Su-25s in 2014, while putting the rest in the service of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force – claiming them as reparations for the Iran–Iraq War . Because of this Saddam Hussein did not send the rest of his Air Force to Iran just prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, instead opting to bury them in sand. Saddam Hussein, preoccupied with Iran and regional power balance,
7475-432: The bursting of a dam in commemoration of Chastise . The squadron's chosen motto was Après moi le déluge ( French for 'After me, the flood'), a humorous double entendre on a famous saying of Madame de Pompadour to King Louis XV, made on the loss at the Battle of Rossbach by the French. The original commander of No. 617 Squadron, Wing Commander Guy Gibson , was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in
7590-430: The condition of Iraq's air force. On the brink of the US-led invasion , Saddam Hussein disregarded his air force's wishes to defend the country's airspace against coalition aircraft and ordered the bulk of his fighters to be disassembled and buried. Some were later found by US excavation forces around the Al Taqqadum and Al Asad air bases, including MiG-25s and Su-25s. The IQAF proved to be totally non-existent during
7705-444: The delivery schedule proposed by PZL Swidnik was not good enough. As a result, only 2 were delivered in 2005 for testing. The second contract, worth US$ 105 million, was to supply the Iraqi air force with 24 second-hand Russian-made, re-worked Mi-17 (Hips). As of 2008, 8 had been delivered and 2 more were on their way. The Mi-17s were reported to have some attack capability. No. 617 Squadron RAF Number 617 Squadron
7820-480: The destruction of the Flying School's entire aircraft inventory, training of new pilots only restarted six years after the war. Flying hours were also limited by the British authorities, which confiscated three of the remaining Gloster Gladiators in March 1942. Despite Iraqi attempts to buy some new aircraft, the only ones the British were ready to provide were some worn-out Gladiators: although 30 were delivered between September 1942 and May 1944, most of them were in such
7935-424: The end of monarchy in Iraq, the influence of the Iraqi Communist Party grew significantly. The first commander of the Iraqi Air Force (the "Royal" prefix was dropped after the revolution), Jalal Jaffar al-Awqati, was an outspoken communist, and encouraged prime minister Abd al-Karim Qasim to improve relations between Iraq and the USSR. The Soviets reacted quickly, and in the autumn of 1958 a series of arms contracts
8050-418: The end of the Persian Gulf War. A portion of the aircraft damaged may have been repairable or else used for spare parts. This is a combination of losses both in the air (23–36 aircraft) and on the ground (227 aircraft) and exclude the helicopters and aircraft that belonged to Iraqi Army Aviation, Iraqi Navy and the Aviation wing of the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War ,
8165-470: The first Royal Iraqi Air Force ( RIrAF ) pilots returned to the country from training in the United Kingdom together with the air force's first aircraft: five de Havilland Gipsy Moths . These formed No. 1 Squadron, based at RAF Hinaidi . Before the creation of the new air force, the RAF Iraq Command was in charge of all British Armed Forces elements in Iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s. The RIrAF consisted of five pilots, aeronautics students trained at
8280-427: The first RAF F-35 operational mission when two Lightnings conducted a patrol over Syria as part of Operation Shader . On 25 June, No. 617 Squadron's F-35Bs participated in 'Exercise Tri Lightning' alongside United States Air Force F-35As of the 4th Fighter Squadron and Israeli Air Force F-35Is of 140 Squadron over the eastern Mediterranean Sea . Four F-35B Lightnings returned home to RAF Marham on 2 July, while
8395-403: The first aerial victory for the RIrAF. However, on the same day an SM.79 was shot down by Iraqi ground fire over the airfield at Al Diwaniyah . The RAF kept attacking Iraqi airfields; on 8 May, it claimed to have destroyed six aircraft on the ground at Baqubah, and shot down one Gladiator. Around 15 May, Luftwaffe aircraft painted in Iraqi markings arrived in Iraq to help in the fight against
8510-495: The first bomb hitting the Tirpitz , she suffered a magazine explosion at her "C" turret and capsized killing 1,000 of her 1,700 crew. All three RAF attacks on Tirpitz were led by Wing Commander J. B. "Willy" Tait , who had succeeded Cheshire as CO of No. 617 Squadron in July 1944. Among pilots participating in the raids was Flight Lieutenant John Leavitt, an American who piloted one of
8625-400: The first squadron to use the new MBDA Storm Shadow. In July 2009, the Dambusters deployed to Kandahar Airfield , Afghanistan , as part of Operation Herrick in order to provide support for No. 12 (Bomber) Squadron . No. 617 Squadron underwent their first full Op HERRICK deployment between April and July 2011, handing over responsibility to No. 31 Squadron on 15 July. While deployed,
8740-525: The fixed wing component. On 16 November 2021, one of the squadron's F-35B fighters crashed during operations in the Mediterranean . The pilot was able to eject safely. List of aircraft operated by No. 617 Squadron: No. 617 Squadron has received the following battle honours . Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on the squadron standard . The following men have commanded No. 617 Squadron: The Second World War exploits of
8855-425: The forward edge of the battlefield, striking at enemy concentrations and infrastructure, with WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons, should a conflict escalate to that stage. The squadron's eight aircraft were allocated eight WE.177 nuclear bombs. As the Vulcan's bomb bay was configured to carry only one, and assuming that RAF staff planners had factored in their usual allowance for attrition in the early conventional phase of
8970-453: The ground that day. On 4 May, eight Vickers Wellington and two Bristol Blenheim bombers of the RAF attacked Rasheed Air Base , the RIrAF's main airfield. However, most Iraqi aircraft had been redeployed to Al-Washash and Baqubah . During the raid, a Wellington that had been hit by anti-aircraft fire was attacked by an Iraqi Gloster Gladiator , and was damaged to the point where it had to land in emergency outside Baghdad. This represented
9085-447: The invasion, and all remaining equipment was junked or scrapped in the immediate aftermath of the war. None of the aircraft acquired during Saddam's time remained in service. The Iraqi Air Force, like all Iraqi forces after the 2003 Invasion of Iraq , was rebuilt as part of the overall program to build a new Iraqi defense force. The newly created air force consisted only of 35 people in 2004 when it began operations. In December 2004,
9200-422: The invasion; a few helicopters were seen but no fighters flew to combat coalition aircraft. During the occupation phase, most of Iraq's combat aircraft (J-7, MiG-23s, MiG-25s, SU-20/22, Su-25 and some MiG-29s) were found by American and Australian forces in poor condition at several air bases throughout the country while others were discovered buried. Most of the IQAF's aircraft were destroyed during and after
9315-516: The modern Mirage F1s and the Soviet MiG-25s were effective against the Iranians. The IQAF began to use their new Eastern weaponry which included Tu-22KD/KDP bombers, equipped with Kh-22M/MP air-to-ground missiles, MiG-25s equipped with Kh-23 air-to-ground missiles as well as Kh-25 and Kh-58 anti-radar missiles and also MiG-23BNs , equipped with Kh-29L/T missiles. In 1983, to satisfy
9430-554: The new strategic laydown bomb, WE.177 B which improved aircraft survivability by enabling aircraft to remain at low-level during weapon release. Following the transfer of responsibility for the nuclear deterrent to the Royal Navy, the squadron was reassigned to SACEUR for tactical strike missions. In a high-intensity European war the squadron's role was to support land forces on the Continent by striking deep into enemy-held areas beyond
9545-679: The operations against Tirpitz . During the Second World War the Squadron carried out 1,599 operational sorties with the loss of 32 aircraft. After the end of the Second World War, the squadron replaced its Lancasters with Avro Lincolns , following those in 1952 with the English Electric Canberra jet bomber. The squadron was deployed to Malaya for four months in 1955, returning to RAF Binbrook to be disbanded on 15 December 1955. Reformed at RAF Scampton on 1 May 1958 as part of RAF Bomber Command 's V-bomber force maintaining
9660-465: The other two arrived at Amendola Air Base to carry out bilateral training with the Italian Air Force , including the local F-35As of 32º Stormo . Three Lightnings departed RAF Marham on 9 October to MCAS Beaufort in preparation for Westlant 19, with them embarking upon HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time alongside No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron on 13 October. On 22 January 2020,
9775-549: The period of British control in Iraq after their defeat of the Ottomans in the First World War, with only a few pilots. The Iraqi Air Force operated mostly British aircraft until the 14 July Revolution in 1958, when the new Iraqi government began increased diplomatic relationships with the Soviet Union . The air force used both Soviet and British aircraft throughout the 1950s and 1960s. When Saddam Hussein came to power in 1979,
9890-583: The raid. After the raid, Gibson was withdrawn from flying (due to the high number of raids he had been on) and went on a publicity tour. Wing Commander George Holden became commanding officer (CO) in July, but he was shot down and killed on his fourth mission, Operation Garlic in September 1943, in an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal ; he had four of Gibson's crew with him. H. B. "Mick" Martin took command temporarily, before Leonard Cheshire took over as CO. Cheshire developed and personally took part in
10005-509: The rank of Captain , Rayyan qualified on MiG-25 P in late 1981 and went on to claim another eight kills, two of which are confirmed, before being shot down and killed by IRIAF F-14s in 1986. Captain Omar Goben was another successful pilot. While flying a MiG-21 he scored air kills against two F-5E Tiger IIs and one F-4E Phantom II in 1980. He later transferred to the MiG-23 and survived
10120-574: The special target marking techniques required, which went far beyond the precision delivered by the standard Pathfinder units – by the end he was marking the targets from a Mustang fighter . He was also awarded the VC. On 15 July 1943, 12 aircraft of the squadron took off from Scampton to attack targets in Northern Italy. All aircraft attacked and proceeded to North Africa without loss. The targets were San Polo d'Enza and Arquata Scrivia power stations; it
10235-577: The squadron and Chastise in particular, were described in Guy Gibson 's own 1944 account Enemy Coast Ahead , as well as Paul Brickhill 's 1951 book The Dam Busters and a 1955 film , though the accuracy and completeness of these accounts were compromised by many of the documents relating to the war years still being secured by the Official Secrets Act . The definitive work however is considered The Dambusters Raid by John Sweetman. In 2006, it
10350-616: The squadron used the Grand Slam bomb for the first time, against the Bielefeld viaduct , wrecking it. The viaduct had withstood 54 previous attacks without being permanently neutralized. The Squadron's skills in precision flying were also utilized in the Normandy invasion, as part of a massive effort to deceive the Germans as to the actual location of the Allied invasion. Beginning on the night before
10465-575: The squadron's Vulcans adopted a mission profile that included a 'pop-up' manoeuvre from 500–1,000 ft (150–300 m) to above 12,000 ft (3,700 m) for safe release of Blue Steel. Vulcans were configured for the Blue Steel stand-off bomb and 617 Squadron was the first to be declared operational with it in August 1962, until in January 1970 the squadron's eight Vulcan B2 aircraft were re-equipped with
10580-425: The start of Operation Desert Storm . However, they had already been withdrawn from the inventory of the Iraqi Air Force and were simply used as decoys and do not appear on the operational list of lost aircraft from the Iraqi Air Force (like all other old aircraft which were used solely to deflect raids from operational assets). The MiG-25 force ( NATO reporting name 'Foxbat') recorded the first air-to-air kill during
10695-491: The survivors were donated to Egypt around 1964. Iraq also received MiG-21F-13 and Tupolev Tu-16 bombers starting in 1962. The November 1963 Iraqi coup d'état realigned Iraq with NATO powers, and as a result, more second-hand Hawker Hunters were delivered to the IQAF. Aircraft imports from the Communist Eastern European nations had been suspended until 1966, when MiG-21 PF interceptors were purchased from
10810-564: The technique at Tantallon Castle in Scotland, using captured German Würzburg , Freya , and Seetakt radars. A particularly notable series of attacks caused the disabling and sinking of Tirpitz , a major German battleship that had been moved into a fjord in northern Norway where she threatened the Arctic convoys and was too far north to be attacked by air from the UK. She had already been damaged by an attack by Royal Navy midget submarines and
10925-541: The war, but was killed in January 1991 flying a MiG-29 versus an American F-15C . Captain Salah I. was also a distinguished pilot during this period flying a Mirage F1, achieving a double kill against two F-4Es on 2 December 1981 while he was part of the 79th Squadron. In August 1990, Iraq had the largest air force in the region even after the long Iran–Iraq War . The air force at that time had 934 combat-capable aircraft (including trainers) in its inventory. Theoretically,
11040-541: The war, the IQAF ordered 14 Tupolev Tu-22 Bs and two Tu-22 Us from the USSR as well as Raduga Kh-22 missiles and by 1975, 10 Tu-22Bs and 2 Tu-22Us were delivered. The 1970s also saw a series of fierce Kurdish uprisings in the north of the country against Iraq. With the help of the Shah of Iran, the Kurds received arms and supplies including modern SAMs as well as some Iranian soldiers. The IQAF suffered heavy casualties fighting
11155-604: The war. A MIG-25 PDS, piloted by Lt. Zuhair Dawood of the 84th Fighter Squadron, shot down a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet from VFA-81 on the first night of the war. In 2009 the Pentagon announced they had identified the remains of the pilot, U.S. Navy Captain Michael "Scott" Speicher , solving an 18-year mystery. Captain Speicher, who was a Lieutenant Commander at the time, was apparently buried by nomadic Bedouin tribesmen close to where his jet
11270-654: Was abandoned after Operation Desert Storm . It was captured by Coalition forces during the Iraq War of 2003 and it became the site of a British Military Hospital and the Shaibah Logistics Base (SLB), but the original RAF buildings remain. While the SLB was in operation it was home to British, Dutch, Czech, Danish and Norwegian forces. The following British units were posted here at some point under Operation Telic : 34 field hospital, op telic 1 - 34 Field Hospital
11385-515: Was allocated the unit identification code MZ for the period April to September 1939, even though the unit did not actually exist at the time. The squadron was formed on 21 March 1943 at RAF Scampton on Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. It was formed under great secrecy for the specific task of attacking three major dams that contributed water and power to the Ruhr industrial region in Nazi Germany :
11500-465: Was also the location of the BFBS Radio studios for the duration of the operation. Major Mark Vertue TD, 2IC ER (34 Field Hospital). The base is currently used by the Iraqi military as a small base. Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force ( IQAF or IrAF ) ( Arabic : القوات الجوية العراقية , romanized : Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah ) is the aerial warfare service branch of
11615-578: Was canceled due to these heavy losses as well as disagreements with the Syrian government. Eventually, all aircraft besides several Sukhoi Su-7s were withdrawn from bases in Syria. During the war in October 1973, the first air strike against Israeli bases in Sinai was composed of Iraqi planes; they hit artillery sites and Israeli tanks, and they also claimed to have destroyed 21 Israeli fighters in air combat. Shortly after
11730-515: Was deployed to King Faisal Air Base, Saudi Arabia following the 1990 Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, it returned to the UK in Nov 90' replaced by 16/20 Sqn, some of its aircrews did return, operating with various other squadrons throughout KSA. In 1993, No. 617 Squadron began the changeover to anti-shipping and by May 1994 was operating from RAF Lossiemouth assigned to SACLANT , flying the Tornado GR1B with
11845-440: Was engaged in an intense and protracted war. The 8 year long conflict with Iran gave the Air Force the opportunity to develop some battle-tested and hardened fighter pilots. Though information about the IQAF is, at best, hard to access, two men stand out as the best Iraqi fighter aces . Mohammed Rayyan , nicknamed "Sky Falcon," who flew MiG-21 MF in 1980–81, and claimed two confirmed kills against Iranian F-5 Es in 1980. With
11960-511: Was equipped at RAF Marham in June 2018 with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning , becoming the first squadron to be based in the UK with this advanced STOVL type. The unit is composed of both RAF and Royal Navy personnel, and operates from the Royal Navy 's Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers. According to the squadron's entry in Flying Units of the RAF by Alan Lake, No. 617 Squadron
12075-449: Was hoped that the attacks would delay German troops who were travelling down into Italy on the electrified railway system to support the Italian front. The operation met little opposition but the targets were obscured by valley haze and were not destroyed. The 12 crews returned to Scampton on 25 July from North Africa after bombing Leghorn docks on the return journey. The raid on Leghorn Docks
12190-408: Was in the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War , when the Iraqi government made a bid for full independence following a coup by Rashid Ali against pro-British Iraqi leaders. The war began in earnest on 2 May, when British aircraft started attacking the Iraqi troops that were encircling RAF Habbaniya . In response, the RIrAF started attacking the airfield, destroying two Hawker Audaxes and one Airspeed Oxford on
12305-542: Was killed it might take Italy out of the war. It would have been a flight carried out at extremely low level with the targets of Mussolini's headquarters and residence in Rome. Neither of these targets were within 1,500 yards of the Vatican, which the Allies had promised not to damage. However within two weeks of the plan being suggested, Mussolini was ousted by his opponents and replaced by Pietro Badoglio , leading to an armistice with
12420-587: Was made up of regular troops from their base in Strensall just outside York and members for volunteer reserve units from all over the country. A small 25-bed hospital was sent across the Kuwait-Iraq border in the early days of the war. On arrival at Shaibah, the hospital was set up and ready to take casualties within six and a half hours. Everything that you would expect in a modern hospital was present with an Emergency Department, X-ray, Labs, Surgical Theatres x 2, ITU and
12535-452: Was not a great success, due to mist shrouding the target. On 29 July 1943 nine aircraft took off from Scampton to drop leaflets on Milan, Bologna, Genoa and Turin in Italy. All aircraft completed the mission and landed safely in Blida, North Africa. The UK Government considered using No. 617 Squadron to target the Italian leader Mussolini in July or August 1943. The British believed if Mussolini
12650-532: Was passed between Iraq and the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. These stipulated the delivery of MiG-15 UTI trainers, MiG-17 F fighters, Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, and Antonov An-2 and An-12 transports. The first aircraft arrived in Iraq in January 1959. During the late 1960s and or early 1970s additional MiG-17s may have been purchased and then forwarded to either Syria or Egypt . Tom Cooper and Stefan Kuhn list
12765-496: Was sent to the Tromsø fjord where temporary repairs were made so she was anchored as a floating battery. This fjord was in range of bombers operating from Scotland and from there, in October, she was attacked again, but cloud cover thwarted the attack. Finally on 12 November 1944, the two squadrons attacked Tirpitz . The first bombs missed their target, but following aircraft scored two direct hits in quick succession. Within ten minutes of
12880-509: Was shot down by Israelis, killing the crew of five. The IrAF also played a significant role in supporting Jordanian troops. The Iraqi Air Force had one Pakistani pilot, Saiful Azam , who claimed two kills against Israeli aircraft over the H-3 air base in a Hawker Hunter . Iraqi Hunter pilots were officially credited for shooting down a further four Israeli aircraft, and another one was credited to anti-aircraft guns. Thanks to its Hunters and MiG-21s,
12995-455: Was shot down in a remote area of Anbar province. The second air-air kill was recorded by a pilot named Jameel Sayhood on January nineteenth. Flying a MIG-29 , he shot down a Royal Air Force Tornado GR.1A with R-60 missiles. Flight Lieutenant D J Waddington piloted the RAF aircraft serial ZA396/GE, and Flight Lieutenant R J Stewart, and crashed 51 nautical miles southeast of Tallil air base. On 30 January 1991, an IQAF MiG-25 hit and damaged
13110-512: Was still recovering from its destruction during the Anglo-Iraqi War when it joined in the war against the newly created state of Israel in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . The air force only played a small role in the first war against Israel . From 1948 to 1949 No. 7 Squadron operated Avro Anson training bombers from Transjordan from where they flew several attacks against the Israelis. After
13225-480: Was under the control of the RAF's Air Headquarters Iraq (see AHQ Iraq and Persia ). At this time several units were located at Shaibah. They included: No. 5153 Squadron of the Airfield Construction Branch RAF was engaged in building works at Shaibah during the war. Squadron Leader Kenneth Hubbard was Station Commander of RAF Shaibah in 1951-53 when the station was involved in the evacuation of
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