The Role of Airpower in the Iran-Iraq War

By Berfquist, Ronald E.

Book Id: WPLBN0000698516
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 5.36 MB.
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	The Role of Airpower in the Iran-Iraq War
Author:	Berfquist, Ronald E.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Instructional materials, Armed Forces, Air University (U.S.)
Collections:	AU Press Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Air University Press


Citation APA MLA Chicago E. Berfquis, M. R. (n.d.). The Role of Airpower in the Iran-Iraq War. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
Educational Reference Publication

Excerpt
Introduction: The war, they believe, will be won in the air. This statement was the opinion of military analysts in Washington and Western Europe as reported by Drew Middleton in the 5 October 1980 issue of the New York Times. The Iran-Iraq war had begun almost two weeks prior when the Iraqi Air Force launched airstrikes on 10 Iranian airfields. Since that time, pictures of smoke billowing from bombed oil facilities in both countries had become a staple on television news programs. Yet, the air war did not seem to be progressing in a rational manner. The failure of both sides to use their air forces in support of ground advances [was] inexplicable to western military sources. I By the end of the year, the Iraqi-Iranian war began to resemble a grappling match between the slow and the disorganized ... military observers were entertained by the ineptitude of the combatants .2 And now, two years later, the Iraqis have been forced to withdraw from virtually all occupied territory by a combination of Iranian infantry and artillery attacks. As it turned out, Iranian airpower was not the impetus behind Iranian advances nor was Iraqi airpower any barrier to them.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents: About the Author, V - Preface, Vii - Introduction, Ix - Notes, X - 1 the Arab Air Warfare Experience, 1 - The First Arab-Israeli War-1947-49, 2 - Lessons-1948, 3 - The Suez War-29 October-7 November 1956, 3 - Lessons-1956, 6 - The Six-Day War-1967, 7 - Lessons-1967, 9 - The October War-1973, 12 - Lessons-1973, 14 - Wrap-Up the Arab Wars, 15 - Notes, 16 - 2 Backgrounds of the Iqaf And Iiaf, 19 - The Iraqi Air Force, 19 - Wartime Combat Experience, 20 - Political Influences, 21 - Organization And Mission, 23 - The Iranian Air Force, 23 - Notes, 26 - 3 Reasons for the War, 29 - The Reasons, 31 - Notes, 34