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    Air Superiority Battle In The Middle East, 1967-1973
    Air Superiority Battle In The Middle East, 1967-1973
    Air Superiority Battle In The Middle East, 1967-1973
    Ebook124 pages1 hour

    Air Superiority Battle In The Middle East, 1967-1973

    By Major Clarence E. Olschner III

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    This paper is an historical study of the strategy, tactics, and weapons employed by Israel, Egypt, and Syria in the battle for air superiority from 1967 through 1973. The study is developed chronologically beginning with the 1967 War, through the War of Attrition, and ending with the cease-fire in the 1973 War. It has been compiled from an extensive review of unclassified, primarily secondary, unofficial sources. The paper concludes that, in a mid-intensity war with modern air forces and air defense forces: 1) The achievement of strategic, tactical, and/or technological surprise can significantly influence the battle for air superiority, 2) Missiles have demonstrated the capability to significantly influence the air superiority battle in surface-to-air, air-to-air, and air-to-ground operations, 3) Air superiority can be achieved over the modern battlefield only by defeating both surface-to-air and air-to-air capabilities of the enemy, 4) The achievement of air superiority over the battle area requires the combined efforts of air and land forces of which long range artillery may be the most effective weapon for the suppression of surface-based air defenses.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTannenberg Publishing
    Release dateAug 15, 2014
    ISBN9781782894223
    Air Superiority Battle In The Middle East, 1967-1973

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      Book preview

      Air Superiority Battle In The Middle East, 1967-1973 - Major Clarence E. Olschner III

       This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com

      To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books – picklepublishing@gmail.com

      Or on Facebook

      Text originally published in 1978 under the same title.

      © Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

      Publisher’s Note

      Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

      We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

      The Air Superiority Battle in the Middle East, 1967-1973

      Clarence E. Olschner, III, MAJ, USAF

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Contents

      TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

      ABSTRACT 7

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8

      LIST OF TABLES 9

      INTRODUCTION 10

      CHAPTER I — THE 1967 WAR 11

      THE ISRAELI WAR PLAN 11

      SURPRISE ACHIEVED 13

      THE IAF ATTACK ON EGYPT 13

      THE IAF VERSUS JORDAN AND SYRIA 16

      TOTAL LOSSES ON 5 JUNE 1967 16

      AIR ACTIVITY ON 6 JUNE 1967 16

      TOTAL LOSSES, 5-6 JUNE 1967 17

      AIR ACTIVITY 7-10 JUNE 1967 17

      OBSERVATIONS ON THE 1967 WAR 18

      CHAPTER II — BETWEEN TWO WARS 20

      THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR OF ATTRITION 20

      AIR POWER IN THE WAR OF ATTRITION 21

      THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAM UMBRELLA 22

      ISRAELI VIEW OF THE UMBRELLA 23

      DEVELOPMENT OF THE EGYPTIAN AIR DEFENSE FORCE 24

      PREPARATION OF THE EGYPTIAN AIR FORCE 26

      REBUILDING THE SYRIAN AIR FORCE 27

      SUMMARY OF THE INTER-WAR PERIOD 28

      CHAPTER III — THE 1973 BATTLE FOR AIR SUPERIORITY 29

      OVERVIEW 29

      THE ISRAELI CONCEPT 29

      THE ISRAELI DECISION TO NOT PRE-EMPT 30

      THE ARAB STRATEGY 31

      THE COORDINATED ATTACK 32

      OVER THE GOLAN HEIGHTS, 6 OCTOBER 1973 32

      TECHNOLOGICAL SURPRISE 34

      IAF TACTICS AND LOSSES, 6 OCTOBER 1973 34

      MOUNT HERMON—ANOTHER SURPRISE 35

      GOLAN SUMMARY, 6 OCTOBER 1973 35

      OVER THE SINAI, 6 OCTOBER 1973 35

      SUMMARY OF THE AIR BATTLE, 6 OCTOBER 1973 37

      IAF PRIORITIES ON 7 OCTOBER 1973 37

      COUNTERAIR STRIKES AGAINST AIRFIELDS BEGINNING 7 OCTOBER 38

      IAF ATTACKS ON EGYPTIAN BRIDGES 39

      IAF DIRECTLY CONFRONTED SAMS, BEGINNING 8 OCTOBER 40

      WEAPONS AND TACTICS USED AGAINST SAM SITES 40

      COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST SAMS 41

      STRATEGIC BOMBING IN SYRIA BEGINNING 9 OCTOBER 1973 42

      THE EGYPTIAN OFFENSIVE, 14 OCTOBER 42

      COUNTERING EGYPT’S SAM UMBRELLA, 16-24 OCTOBER 1973 43

      EAF RESPONSE TO THE ISRAELI CROSSING 43

      SUMMARY OF THE 1973 AIR SUPERIORITY BATTLE 44

      CHAPTER IV — OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 47

      SURPRISE 47

      CONCLUSION 47

      MISSILES 47

      CONCLUSION 48

      SURFACE-BASED AIR DEFENSES 48

      CONCLUSION 48

      COMBINED ARMS FOR AIR SUPERIORITY 48

      CONCLUSION 48

      REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 49

      BIBLIOGRAPHY 50

      BOOKS 50

      PERIODICALS 52

      UNPUBLISHED WORKS 55

      ABSTRACT

      THE AIR SUPERIORITY BATTLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1967-1973

      by Major Clarence E. Olschner, III, USAF.

      This paper is an historical study of the strategy, tactics, and weapons employed by Israel, Egypt, and Syria in the battle for air superiority from 1967 through 1973. The study is developed chronologically beginning with the 1967 War, through the War of Attrition, and ending with the cease-fire in the 1973 War. It has been compiled from an extensive review of unclassified, primarily secondary, unofficial sources.

      The paper concludes that, in a mid-intensity war with modern air forces and air defense forces:

      1. The achievement of strategic, tactical, and/or technological surprise can significantly influence the battle for air superiority.

      2. Missiles have demonstrated the capability to significantly influence the air superiority battle in surface-to-air, air-to-air, and air-to-ground operations.

      3. Air superiority can be achieved over the modern battlefield only by defeating both surface-to-air and air-to-air capabilities of the enemy.

      4. The achievement of air superiority over the battle area requires the combined efforts of air and land forces of which long range artillery may be the most effective weapon for the suppression of surface-based air defenses.

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      I would like to say thank you to those who gave generously of their time and talent to make this thesis possible. Dr. Kenneth Werrell provided excellent guidance and assistance throughout the year. COL T. N. Dupuy (USA, Ret.) kindly answered numerous questions and made available several unpublished resources. LTC Roger K. Taylor (USAF) offered insight on the employment of airpower which was most helpful. Mrs. Marilyn Slack has provided expert typing assistance. Finally, I thank my loving wife, Donna, without whose prayers and support this paper could not have been written.

      LIST OF TABLES

      1. Air Order of Battle, 5 June 1967

      2. IAF Losses Against Egypt on 5 June 1967

      3. Aircraft Lost 5-6 June 1967

      4. Air Order of Battle, 6 October 1973

      5. 1973 Aircraft Losses by Type

      6. 1973 Aircraft Losses by Cause

      7. 1973 Aircraft Losses by Time Period

      8. 1973 Combat Sorties and Loss Rates

      9. 1973 IAF Air-to-Air Kills by Weapon

      INTRODUCTION

      Air superiority in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War is of particular interest to the military tactician today because this battle for the air was intensely fought with some of the most modern weapons and tactics in the world. The intensity, complexity and duration of this battle contrasted sharply with the relatively simple and quick manner in which the Israeli Air Force (IAF) gained air superiority in the 1967 War. To understand the conduct of the 1973 War it is essential to examine the development of the air battle in the 1967 War and the War of Attrition.

      This paper is an historical study of the strategy, tactics, and weapons employed by Israel, Egypt, and Syria in the battle for air superiority from 1967 through 1973. The study is developed chronologically beginning with the 1967 War, through the War of Attrition, and ending with the cease-fire in the 1973 War. It is appropriate here to

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