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From: jln@leland.stanford.edu (Jared Nedzel)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Air to Air F-16 vs. F-18
Summary: Iraqi F-14s with Exocets? I doubt it
Message-ID: <1991May23.063125.17917@amd.com>
Date: 21 May 91 04:47:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: amd.1991May23.063125.17917
References: <1991May18.051031.11041@amd.com> <1991May20.052329.21908@amd.com> <1991May21.024219.13155@amd.com>
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From: jln@leland.stanford.edu (Jared Nedzel)


amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:
>This brings to mind a minor (near) historical event.  Iran & Iraq both
>had F-14's, 

Wrong. Iran has F-14s (sold to them during the Shah's days).  It's 
questionable whether any of them are still flyable, due to lack of spare
parts and technicians.

	[LOTS of people pointed out Iraq has never had F-14s.  --CDR]

>They both also had Anti-Ship missles from various sources.

Iran and Iraq both have ground-launched Chinese Silkworm missiles.
Iraq has French Exocet missiles which they launched from Mirage F.1
Fighters against tankers during the Iran-Iraq war.

>I clearly recall expert after expert swearing up and down that the F-14
>COULD NOT be used to (attempt) deliver these weapons against either the
>U.S. Fleet or friendly tankers in the Gulf.  The basis of this was that
>the U.S. Navy hasn't done it, there isn't a 'module' in production that
>plugs in that does it, and a complete module ......

[deleted]

>A little later the 'real' truth did finally get published, that they
>DID have a delivery system for EVERYONE of these classes.  

I'd certainly like to see just what was "published" where.  It was
never in doubt that Iraq had Exocets or that Iraq could launch them
from its Mirage F.1s.  (It had been in doubt that Iraq's Mirages could
carry two Exocets per plane, as opposed to one, but the Stark incident
proved that long before the Gulf War.)  It's also never been in doubt
that Iraq has never had any F-14s.  To my knowledge, US F-14s haven't
carried or fired an Exocet missile.  I don't believe Iran has ever
acquired any Exocet missiles, and if they had, I question whether they
have the capability to modify the F-14 to carry them.  If you have
any "published" information to the contrary, I think that we'd all
like to see your references.  But I believe that your posting is very
much in error.

-- 
Jared L. Nedzel  nedzel@cive.stanford.edu   jln@portia.stanford.edu