Mirage F1 vs MIG-21 - South African Border War, Angola 1981

Рет қаралды 189,527

2 жыл бұрын

In 1981, South African armed forces launched several offensive operations into Angola. Their objective was to push SWAPO units away from the border with South-West Africa (now Namibia), then under South African administration. Initially, Angolan Air Force flown mostly by Cuban pilots chose not to confront South African Air Force and their Mirage F1s. But during Operation Daisy in November 1981, two MiG-21s flown by two inexperienced Cuban lieutenants clashed with two South African pilots. Check out how it ended in this DCS World reenactment using the newest jet fighter module, Mirage F1.
Sources:
- Brigadier General Dick Lord - From Fledgling to Eagle: The South African Air Force during the Border War
amzn.to/3AjoQC7
- Peter Baxter - SAAF's BorderWar - The South African Air Force In Combat 1966-89
amzn.to/3KeO6OC
- Tom Cooper, Adrien Fontanellaz, José Augusto Matos - War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 3
amzn.to/3ApZQJI
Donate via Paypal:
www.paypal.com/paypalme/showt...
Join our Discord server:
/ discord
Support the channel on Patreon:
/ showtime112
Music:_ SOFRA - African Percussion
pixabay.com/music/world-afric...
#militaryaviationhistory #borderwars #dcsworldhistoricalreenactment

Пікірлер: 361

@stephenhazeldene7719 Жыл бұрын

At the time of this conflict the South African Defense Force were to be respected. Unfortunately not so today

@hugolorenzo1646 Жыл бұрын

I know the story, my father was a pilot in the FAR, he fought in Angola. He was the CO of the Lubango AFB in 85 to 86. Thanks for showing it. Cuba never showed much about it.

@tinkertailor7385 Жыл бұрын

The South African artillery brigades combat during the Border War is a fascinating story to read too. They were often firing at the very extremity of their artillery range, but were very good at it.

@janibeg3247 Жыл бұрын

the Cubans sent 50,000 soldiers to Angola

@stephenmunckton5766 2 жыл бұрын

great to see the South African F1 even if they did get the skin wrong.

@madaxe606 2 жыл бұрын

Love these little glimpses into the oft-neglected corners of military aviation History. Very much appreciate the straightforward presentation, and especially the acknowledgement that variables like pilot experience, mission planning and equipment failures can have an immense impact on the outcome of air combat. Too many 'analysts' would simply chalk this up as 'Mirage's 1, MiG's 0' without any attempt to consider the context. :)

@joaosabino2909 Жыл бұрын

South Africa supported Unita, an Angolan Independence movement based on the southern tribe with about 40% of Angolan territory and population.

@davidfortezadelrey3181 2 жыл бұрын

And that’s 10 min of air war history right there :-D. Wonderful to get a glimpse of these lesser know conflicts. Thank you

@bennybenitez2461 2 жыл бұрын

Major Johan V callsign “Scorpio” was a friend from many years back. In 1995 “Scorpio” was with Eight-Five Squadron the Silver Falcons out of Hoedspuirt A.F.B close to the Kruger National Park. Part of my honeymoon whilst visiting S.A. back then was spending time with Eight Five Squadron. Think I was the only US Navy P-3C Orion flyer to have visited Hoefspruit and ride the Impala

@venomsnakeYGBSM 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome stuff brother this is a masterpiece of military aviation history 🔥🔥🔥 what an Air Force the South Afrikans had glory days of SADF 🔥🔥🔥

@andrewmorke 2 жыл бұрын

Good video. On the one hand, South Africa was hamstrung by UN sanctions and was unable to import air-to-air missiles after 1978. The SAAF was stuck with crude, early-generation Matra Magic SRAAMs and the locally developed Kukri SRAAM, which performed poorly (despite its revolutionary helmet-mounted sight). This situation improved somewhat by the late 1980s when the SAAF was able to finagle a purchase of Python III missiles, which it coyly dubbed the "V3S Snake". The highly promising A-Darter and R-Darter missiles and the Atlas Cheetah fighter (essentially a project to convert Mirage IIIs into Kfir C7s with refined/uprated Atar 9K-50 engines instead of GE J79s) came too late to see service in the Angolan war.

@Rodz88 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you covered this conflict as soon the mirage F1 is out! It's an interesting conflict that overlooked by many

@marcjohnson4884 2 жыл бұрын

I know some sources cite the Angolan Mig-21 pilots as inferior to the Cuban Mig-23 pilots, but if you could fly a Mig-21, you are a heck of a pilot! Mad respect for all the pilots of all sides in this conflict. Have you done a Mig-23 vs. Mirage F1 vid yet?

@javiermarrero3525 2 жыл бұрын

Showtime112, nice video. Loved it :D

@woff1959 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video. Some corrections: At

@zanderlabuschagne2368 2 жыл бұрын

Very well done!

@flymachine Жыл бұрын

The heat haze is odd, I kew one of the F1 pilots who engaged a Mig and escorted a defecting Mig, I have his log book, flight suit and gear and the Mig pilot's helmet and mask still. He died recently from an illness RIP

@jeannezehner9450 2 жыл бұрын

Thnak you very much for this african adventure about this part of South African border war. The South African pilots of the MIRAGE F1 CZ suffer of the embargo about the missiles during a large part of this war and these missiles are poor in efficiency. They didn't have the R 530 EM, they have only sidewinders or Magic II which equiped the MIRAGE F1 AZ too for their defense. Congratulations for this story, and we are waiting more about this particular war. It was a pleasure, keep going, it was great.

@CHRIS_S54 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video! Would love for you to do a video of the battle of Cassinga. It was the largest airborne Assualt since market garden in World War 2, performed by the South African Defence Force in Angola in 1978.