Fereidoun Ali-Mazandarani (Persian: فریدون علیمازندرانی) is an Iranian retired fighter pilot and a Grumman F-14 Tomcat flying ace during the Iran–Iraq War.
Fereidoun Ali-Mazandarani | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Ferry |
Allegiance | Iran |
Service | |
Years of service | 1971–1999 |
Rank | Colonel |
Battles / wars | Iran–Iraq War |
Career
editMazandarani claims 16 aerial victories against Iraqi aircraft during the 1980s, including eight using AIM-54 missiles, one using a MIM-23 missile, two with the Vulcan M61A gun, as well as five manoeuvre kills.[1] French military historian Pierre Razoux has credited him with 9[2] or 11[3] confirmed kills.
According to Austrian aviation historian Tom Cooper, Mazandarani and his co-pilot Qassem Soltani may be the first pilots to have ever shot an aircraft down using AIM-54 Phoenix missile, with a claimed victory against a MiG-23 on 17 September 1980 despite the fact the Iranian air force does not officially acknowledge this victory.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Interview with the greatest living fighter ace: F-14 Tomcat pilot Col. Fereydoun A. Mazandarani (rtd)" (Interview). Interviewed by Kash Ryan. Hush-Kit. 7 April 2020.
- ^ Razoux, Pierre (2015), The Iran-Iraq War, translated by Nicholas Elliott, Harvard University Press, Table 1.3: Victories by Iranian pilots (3 or more victories), p. 571, ISBN 978-0-674-91571-8
- ^ Razoux, Pierre (2019), Le siècle des As (1915-1988): Une autre histoire de l'aviation (in French), Place des éditeurs, Les as de la guerre Iran-Irak (1980-1988), section 31, p. 15, ISBN 978-2-262-04827-3
- ^ Axe, David (27 August 2019), "How Iran's F-14 Tomcats Used a Deadly Missile To Kill Their Enemies", The National Interest