VICTORIES GROUND NAME CONFIRMED UNCONFIRMED DAMAGED DESTROYED DAMAGED AIRFORCE COMMENTS Teferra, Lagesse 7 [4+3] – – – – 9 FIS Hunde, Bacha 4 [1+3] – – 1 [0+1] – 9 FIS Kidanu, Afework 4 [1+3] – – – – 9 FIS Petros, Bezabih 3 [2+1] – – – – 9 FIS Tsadik, Ashenafi Gebre 2 – – – – 9 FIS Mengistu Kassaye 1 – – – – 9 FIS wingman of Bacha Hunde – – – 1 [0+1] 1 9 FIS unknowns (4x) – – – 3+ – 9 FIS 1 An-26, 1+ Il-28, 1+ MiG-21
F-5A, Ethiopian Air Force.
F-5E, Ethiopian Air Force.
Hargheisa, Somalia, 1977: Somalia acquired a total of 54 MiG-17s and MiG-17Fs in 1967 directly from the USSR. At least a squadron of SAC MiG-17s was based at Hargheisa, from where they also participated in the Ogaden War, against Ethiopia, in 1977 and 1978, when most were flown by Pakistani mercenaries, and at least one known to have been shot down by Israeli mercenaries flying F-5As for Ethiopian air force. This example, CC-129, survived the Ogaden War and later fighting against different oppositional groups inside Somalia, but was then disassembled at Mogadishu, and used as spares source. [*]
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. [*]
A wreck of one of Somali MiG-21MFs shot down during the fighting in July 1977.
[*] 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.
Victories of the Fighter Pilots – Ogaden War (Ethiopian-Somalia Conflict) 1977-1978
Much information kindly provided by Neil A. and Marek Broma