SOMALIA
Ogaden War (Ethiopian-Somalia Conflict) 1977-1978
Air-to-Air Victories
| Date | Aircraft | Pilot | Weapon | Victim | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.07.1977 + | MiG-21MF | unknown | 23mm | DC-3 | Ethiopia |
| 24.07.1977 + | MiG-21MF | unknown | 23mm | DC-3 / C-47 | Ethiopia |
| 08.01.1978 | MiG-21MF | unknown | K-13 | MiG-21PFM (unconfirmed) | Ethiopia |
| 15.01.1978 | MiG-21MF | unknown | K-13/23mm | Canberra | Ethiopia |
| 01.03.1978 | MiG-21MF | unknown | MiG-21PFM | Eth/Cuban | |
| 04.03.1978 | MiG-21MF | unknown | MiG-21PFM | Eth/Cuban | |
| 04.03.1978 | MiG-21MF | unknown | MiG-21PFM | Eth/Cuban |
+ ... 20. 7. 1977?
Comments:
- Official Ethiopian Losses:
* F-5E : Afework K. brought down near Hargeisa. Died in captivity.
* F-5E : Batcha H. rescued by Helicopter.
* F-5E : Legesse T. released in prisoner exchange in 1986 or 1987.
* C-47 : Crash landed after being hit from the ground. All survived and were released through prisoner exchange in 1986 or 1987.
* Canberra : Hit and was able to limb back but another mechanical trouble brought it down deep inside Ethiopian territory.
In the hands of Somali pilots the MiG-21MF proved no match for far better
trained and more experienced Ethiopian and Israeli pilots. In fact, very early
after the initial Somali attacks and invasion of Ogaden the EtAF F-5s were
operating offensivelly into the Somali airspace, flying "training sorties"
even over the Hargheisa AB. It was during these "training sorties" that the
Israeli pilots scored five confirmed kills against SAC MiG-21s, thus winning
the air superiority battle of this war.
© Cooper, Tom: Ogaden War, 1977-1978 [*]
[*] There were no Israeli's on Ethiopia's side and no Pakistani's on Somali side. Israel never operated the F-5 and Pakistani's were never involved within Somali Air Force during the war, prior or after.
Sources & Literature
- Researcher Neil A.
- Researcher Tomáš Polák.
- Бабич, Владимир - Морозов, Владислав: С «чужими» против «своих», История Авиации, № 25.
- Бабич, Владимир - Морозов, Владислав: С «чужими» против «своих», История Авиации, № 28.
- Котлобовский, Александр В.: МиГ-21 в локальных конфликтах, Серия: Архив 500+, АрхивПрессm 1997.
- Котлобовский, Александр В.: Оправдавший предназначение, Авиация и Время, № 6, 2007.
- Máče, Jan: Válka o Ogaden, 1. část, in Modelář, No. 5, 2018.
- Máče, Jan: Válka o Ogaden, 2. část, in Modelář, No. 6, 2018.
- Michl, Jan: Ogadenská válka, in Military revue, No. 10, 2023.
- Морозов, Владислав: Над песками Огадена, Эпизоды эфиопско-сомалийской войны на Африканском Роге 1977–1978 гг., in Авиация и Космонавтика, No. 3, 2015.
- ACIG Team: Different African Air-to-Air Victories, A list of confirmed, claimed, and probable air-to-air victories scored by various African pilots and air forces since 1945 , http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_192.shtml, http://s188567700.online.de/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=47.
- Cooper, Tom: Ogaden War, 1977-1978, http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/printer_188.shtml, http://s188567700.online.de/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140&Itemid=47.
- Cooper, Tom: African MiGs - Part 2, http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/printer_197.shtml, http://s188567700.online.de/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=47.
