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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 1495.PDF
T KFlRS" Kfir is far better than other aircraft that are performing similar missions, like the F-5 or MiG-21," says Lt Col S, adding that the close- coupled canard allows the C-7 to fly as slow as lOOkt (185km/h) at a 30° angle of attack. "When loss of control occurs in such condi tions, releasing the controls brings the air craft back to normal without any particular problem. This aircraft very rarely stalls," says Lt Col S. To avoid even this rare danger the Kfir is equipped with an Astronautics angle- of-attack warning system with gives audio warning on an impending stall. In the lo-lo-lo mission profile normally used in Middle East conditions the Kfir C-7 has a combat radius of 460km (250nm), with a 2min final dash speed of 600kt (1,100km/ h). In this the Kfir is comparable with the F-4 and F-16, says the squadron commander, basing his comparison on numerous combat missions performed by the latest version of the Israeli fighter. Operational missions over Lebanon, mostly against what Israel defines as "terrorist bases" involved the danger of confronting Syarian Air Force fighters. "This aircraft has no problem in an air-to-air situta- tion against Russian-made fighters like the MiG-21 and MiG-23. Obviously the danger is more imminent with advanced aircraft like the MiG-29 and Mirage 2000 already flying or about to fly in the adjoining airspaces," emphasises Lt Col S. The Syrian Air Force is already operating MiG-29s and Jordan is to receive Mirage 2000s. ISRAELS COBRAS The threat of Syria's Soviet-supplied tanks is still very real to Israel although 17 years have passed since the pitched battles between Arab and Israeli tanks on the Golan Heights. With Syria expected to use its 3,000 tanks in the opening stages of another military confrontation, Israeli Air Force attack heli copters will play a vital role in blunting a massed attack. "We have to be ready to stop the tanks [from crossing the border] until the reserve units are mobilised and ready to join the effort," says Lt Col N, commander of an IAF Bell AH-1 Cobra squadron. According to the IAF the main mission of the Cobras is still to stop masses of enemy BRAS The Kfir is old but still popular with its pilots tanks but the helicopters have been adapted to perform other missions. Cobras have par ticipated in all major Israeli Defence Force (IDF) operations in Lebanon since the 1982 war, giving infantry units very close support. Fourteen years after joining the IAF inven tory the Cobra is a mature fighting system. The cumulative experience of numerous op erations has resulted in constant upgrading of its systems. Delivery of the AH-ISs operated by Lt Col N's squadron began in the early 1980s, the last arriving only a year ago. "We are trained Crewman demonstrates the rescue safety belt and armed to perform our main task, which is to kill as many tanks as possible in the shortest possible time. The other tasks we perform are secondary tasks that in some ways help us to get more experience for the real thing," says Lt Col N. IAF attack helicopters destroyed 40 Syrian tanks in the 1982 Lebanon war. The Cobras and Hughes- MD500 Defenders proved their capability to react immediateley to the chang ing situation created by moving tanks. "The TOW missile we use for anti-tank missions is very accurate and effective. The 3,750m range of the missile is a limiting factor but we still can operate effectively," says Lt Col N, who would have liked to launch missiles to the maximum 6km range of the Cobra's M65 telescopic sight. This sight will be replaced by the Cobra laser night attack systems being developed by Israel Aircraft Industries for US Marine Corps AH-lWs and AH-ISs. Fighting in the Lebanon war, first against scattered tanks operated by the different Palestinian militias and later against Syrian tanks, was not typical. Tanks did not try to cross the border but instead tried to stop Israeli Defence Force units moving in the area. The Cobras were operated from front line bases in close co-operation with the other fighting units. Pilots felt, however, that they were given only selected missions and that the IAF command still was not sure of the attack helicopter's survivability. The IAF lost two Cobras during the Leba non war, one in the first day of fighting. In the first incident the two pilots were killed, while the pilots of the second Cobra were flown to safety seated on the open doors of another AH-l's ammunition bay. "Since this FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 23-29 May 1990 53
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