Israeli F-15's conducted air combat training with MIG-29'S

[lazboy 1]

Hi recently whilst researching German Mig-29's I came across the fact that in 2003 Israeli F-15's conducted air combat trainIing against German Mig-29's in Sardinia of all places!

 

http://www.fabulousfulcrums.de/index_e.html

[censored 0]

This is not, of course, the first time that the Israeli Air Force has trained with MiG-29s.

 

According to published reports, the Israelis obtained their first close look at MiG-29 hardware back in 1985, in a covert deal that involved the shipment of a nearly complete MiG-29 from Poland. They also obtained access to the a copy of the MiG's radar, on loan from the former East German Luftwaffe, in 1991.

 

The Israelis did not obtain access to a flying example of the MiG-29 until April 1997, however, when arrangements were made to lease three examples from an undisclosed East European air force (most likely Poland or Germany). The aircraft were flown out of several Negev air bases, and were painted with the distinctive red-X tail markings from Israel's 253 Flight Test Squadron. After a series of evaluation flights - including mock dogfights - they were returned to their East European owner.

[+Gocad 26]

Hi recently whilst researching German Mig-29's I came across the fact that in 2003 Israeli F-15's conducted air combat trainIing against German Mig-29's in Sardinia of all places!

 

IIRC the Luftwaffe has a training area in Sardinia, so it's actually not much of a surprise that it took place there.

[Nesher 628]

not new for me... but censored opened my eyes a bit :)

[Silverbolt 104]

oh, and they Busted some MiG-29s in RL

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=24862

hehe

[thewizardofaz 1]

There is a good chance that the "eastern European" MiG-29s were Czech.  They have a long history for cooperation with Israel.  I was a member of the USAF Air Attache/MLM team in the second half of 1994.  We visited a very large hangar at Česke Budějovice in which all of the Czech MiG-29s were parked.  They later traded them to Poland for helicopters.  When Czechoslovakia split into two separate countries, the Slovaks got the only MiG-29 UB and all the spare part kits.  The Czechs didn't have any money left (so they said) to buy new parts kits, so they hangared the MiGs there at Česke Budějovice until some deal with someone could be made. Thats where my money would be as to that training and possibly even their final receipt of the 29.