Iraqi Weapons under the sands and ground

ACIG ^ | ACIG

[F14 Pilot]

A U.S. military search team studies a Cold War-era MiG-25R Foxbat B, the fastest combat aircraft today, that was buried beneath the sands in Iraq. Several MiG-25s and Su-25 ground attack jets have been found buried at al-Taqqadum air field west of Baghdad.

[F14 Pilot]

Pilots' Ping!

[Pro-Bush]

Excellent news! I am sure there are more where that came from. Any word on WMD?

[Consort]

more

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

But... but... but this simply isn't possible for pity's sake! After all, such leading geo-political intellects as Janeane Garofalo, Al "Bucktooth" Franken and this one really fat, patchouli-stinking chick who posts regularly on the DU boards all regularly assured us mere yokels, over and over and over again: "BUSH LIED, THEY DIED!"

Maybe we ought to change that lame, tired 'Rat chant/meme into something a bit more accurate and intellectually honest, in light of these latest revelations...?

I'm thinking maybe something along the lines of: SADDAM LIED... LEFTISTS CRIED." :)

[ex-Texan]

Good Photos!

[CyberCowboy777]

wow

How usable is a jet after burial?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

How usable is a jet after burial?

Without plenty of spare parts ( plus a source for new ones ) and major maintenance facilities, not very.

[risk]

There's NO WAY any WMDs are in Iraq, since we haven't found significant quantities of them above ground yet [/sarcasm]

[F14 Pilot]

Not very usable, but after a complete overhaul it can be fliable, for sure.
This mig was the fastes one among the Iraqi Migs.
Iranian Air Force fighters shot many of them down during the first Persian Gulf conflict started in 1980.
Look at http://www.iiaf.net

[blanknoone]

But somehow, anti-American forces always seem to somehow have access to Russian and french spare parts...and current rockets.

[jimtorr]

MIG-25's were never really that useful even when new.

They were designed and built to counter the American B-70 bomber, which was a very large, very long range mach 3 nuclear bomber. It had a take-off weight of around 900,000 lbs., I think. Only two were ever built, and were only used as research aircraft. The SR-71 was originally conceived as its escort fighter.

The Mig-25s success even against a very large bomber such as the B-70, would have been limited. The Soviets tried to intercept an SR-71 with a Mig-25 on a number of occaisons, but always failed. The Mig-25 could acheive only a ballistic trajectory at the normal operating altitude of the SR-71 and the B-70.

It was usefull as a reconaisance aircraft, though. It could fly at a speed above mach 3 at an altitude over 60,000 feet. Of course, the Israelis shot down one flown by Egypt. They made the mistake of over-flying Israel at the same time and the same track every day. Knowing when and where the Mig was coming, Israel used an F-15 at maximum speed and sent it into a zoom climb under the Mig, and got it with a modified Israeli Sparrow missile, which was nearly at the end of its range and controlleable altitude.

[F14 Pilot]

You forgot F14... LOL!
Tomcat has been the most serious killer of Mig-25. The first Mig 25 shot down by F14 was one flying over Iran in 1977.

[chainsaw]

At the time I think I remember them saying they found 12 MIGs buried in the sand.

[jimtorr]

Right. Also, in the Iran-Iraq war Iraq tried to use the Mig-25 as a normal air superiority fighter, with diastrous results.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

It really makes you wonder what else is buried out there.

[smiley]

OMG.....great pictures.....but....wait until they find the rest of the WMDs!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Liberal answer: "Well I'm sure it was a dust storm that covered those jets - Sadamn had nothing to hide"

Great pics -

[EQAndyBuzz]

I remember this. I think Hannity mentioned this on the 7th of July. Nothing was in the newspapers.

There is no media bias.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I admit, I never heard about it either before today...... glad to know it wasn't just me......;^)