Aerial Combat Revived: NATO Pilots Shoot Down 5 MiG-29s in Balkan Skirmish

In the midst of modern warfare, where precision-guided missiles and smart bombs dominate the battlefield, a vintage form of combat has made a surprise comeback: dogfighting. Over the past four nights, NATO pilots have engaged in intense aerial battles, shooting down five MiG-29s, the most since the 1991 Gulf War. The revived air-to-air combat has brought back memories of the Vietnam War, where American fighter pilots were initially caught off guard by Soviet-designed MiGs.

Key Takeaways:

• NATO pilots have shot down five MiG-29s in the past four nights, with four of them brought down by U.S. Air Force pilots from the 493rd fighter squadron flying F-15Cs.
• The Dutch F-16 pilot shot down the fifth MiG-29.
• The air war over the Balkans has revived the art of dogfighting, a form of combat thought to be a relic of the past.
• Pilots of the 493rd fighter squadron, based in England, have shot down two MiG-29s each on two separate nights.
• Lt. Col. Craig Hughes, another F-15C pilot, expressed relief and pride in participating in the NATO effort.
• Training for fighter pilots to engage in dogfighting with Soviet-designed MiGs costs $2.5 million and requires experience in an environment with up to 80 planes.
• The "opposition force" F-16s at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada are painted to resemble those of air forces that fly the MiG and are used to train pilots in a simulated combat environment.

Statistics:

• 5 MiG-29s have been shot down in the past four nights of aerial combat.
• 4 MiG-29s were destroyed by U.S. Air Force pilots from the 493rd fighter squadron.
• 2 MiG-29s were shot down by each U.S. pilot from the 493rd fighter squadron.
• $2.5 million is the cost of training a fighter pilot for dogfighting with Soviet-designed MiGs.

Sources:

• Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services, March 31, 1999.