Modern UK Air to Air Kills ?

[ColintheCaterpillar]

No.

The last time a HM Forces aircraft shot down a hostile aircraft would have been in the South Atlantic in 1982; Sea Harriers shot down 21 Argentine aircraft, although some of the SHAR pilots were RAF.

The last time an RAF aircraft shot anything down was the unfortunate downing of XX963, a 14 Sqn Jaguar, by a 92 Sqn Phantom. That was also in 1982. The pilot survived, fortunately.

[Thunder]

Hello All

Can someone tell me if there has been any air to air kills by Typhoons or Harriers using meteor missiles whether in combat or enforcing no fly zones.

Regards
Challenger

Would be extremely hard, in fact impossible as Meteor isn't even in service yet.

[Arthur Tee]

No.

The last time a HM Forces aircraft shot down a hostile aircraft would have been in the South Atlantic in 1982; Sea Harriers shot down 21 Argentine aircraft, although some of the SHAR pilots were RAF.

The last time an RAF aircraft shot anything down was the unfortunate downing of XX963, a 14 Sqn Jaguar, by a 92 Sqn Phantom. That was also in 1982. The pilot survived, fortunately.

I thought the Tornado GR1 that shot down the MiG-29 in Iraq was technically the last air to air kill?

[iainpeden]

A Phantom manged to down a Jaguar a good few years ago!

[Ravendriver2008]

No.

The last time a HM Forces aircraft shot down a hostile aircraft would have been in the South Atlantic in 1982; Sea Harriers shot down 21 Argentine aircraft, although some of the SHAR pilots were RAF.

The last time an RAF aircraft shot anything down was the unfortunate downing of XX963, a 14 Sqn Jaguar, by a 92 Sqn Phantom. That was also in 1982. The pilot survived, fortunately.

I heard this story from a couple of lab techs at my uni assigned to our aerospace mech and electrical dept to help us undergrads in the lab. The senior lab tech had an apprentice straight out of school in the late 60s, did his time then joined the RAF (cant remember if went in as SAC then decided to get commissioned before commencing flying training). Said apprentice was the then Flt Lt Steve Griggs, weapons officer for the squadron and found himself at the wrong end of 92's mount,

cheers

[Thunder]

I thought the Tornado GR1 that shot down the MiG-29 in Iraq was technically the last air to air kill?

Wasn't it the other way round, supposedly

"RAF Tornado GR.1 vs. IRAF MiG-29
It has been claimed by some sources that an RAF Tornado (ZA467) crewed by Squadron Leader Gary Lennox and Squadron Leader Adrian Weeks was shot down on 19 January by an R-60MK (NATO reporting name: AA-8 Aphid) missile fired from an Iraqi MiG-29 piloted by Jameel Sayhood, however this aircraft is officially recorded as having crashed on 22 January on a mission to Ar Rutbah."

[beefsteak]

A Phantom manged to down a Jaguar a good few years ago!

look 4 posts up from yours!!

[T_J]

An RAF Tornado F3 with Skyflash came close during late 1999 over Iraq against a MiG. This was during Operation Southern Watch

Back in Oct/Nov 99 I locked up an Iraqi MiG declared 'hostile' on JTIDS just inside the no-fly zone about 5 miles from the SkyFlash Launch Success Zone (LSZ). Late Arm was made live and next action was to ditch the tanks when the MiG turned around and went back over the line - my LSZ and excitement shrinking with it! Did the F3 do it's job that day? You bet, sweetlips...and the RIVET JOINT and E3 High Value Assets (HVAs) they were were trying so very hard to shoot down were never threatened. Saddam even rewarded one of his MiG drivers a pair of Silver Pistols for getting close to some HVAs on a previous sortie - so the stakes were high during Op Southern Watch right up to Op Telic in 2003.

This sortie was not unusual and you be wise to remember that not 1 friendly aircraft has been lost whilst F3 has been conducting Offensive Counter Air (sweep or escort) during it's Service; just because it never brought down an enemy aircraft is not a measure of failure in Air Defence (the clue is in the 2nd word!).

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation ... ost6306583

[willow70]

I think I rolled this grenade of a question a couple of times on a couple of forums and one RAF mess. "When did an RAF pilot in a RAF aircraft last shoot down an enemy aircraft"
The standard Jag answer was trotted out but the most likely answer is 1946 an Israeli Spitfire.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

I think I rolled this grenade of a question a couple of times on a couple of forums and one RAF mess. "When did an RAF pilot in a RAF aircraft last shoot down an enemy aircraft"
The standard Jag answer was trotted out but the most likely answer is 1946 an Israeli Spitfire.

It's not a grenade, but just rather irrelevant.

[22A]

I thought the Tornado GR1 that shot down the MiG-29 in Iraq was technically the last air to air kill?

That's what I heard and the emphasis is on "technically".
The Tornado was on an attack run, dropped munitions to take out the runway just as the Mig29 was getting airborne. That's why the crew claimed an air to air kill. On the other hand, they didn't actually shoot it down

[ColintheCaterpillar]

RAF pilots had 6 kills flying Sea Harriers in the Falklands war, which I think was more than the navy kills. Flying RAF Aircraft, no idea.

6 out of 21. 5 of those were Flt Lt David Morgan IIRC, who is credited as the last RAF pilot to have gained an air to air "kill". That said, he was originally in the RN, transferred to the RAF at some point, then retired as an RN Lt Cdr having gone back to the dark side again post Falklands War.

I thought the Tornado GR1 that shot down the MiG-29 in Iraq was technically the last air to air kill?

That's what I heard and the emphasis is on "technically".
The Tornado was on an attack run, dropped munitions to take out the runway just as the Mig29 was getting airborne. That's why the crew claimed an air to air kill. On the other hand, they didn't actually shoot it down

Careful with the quotes 22A, as you've attributed words to me that aren't mine.

[KevinR]

Holy thread resurrection, the RAF got an air to air kill on the 14th December 2021.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59615769
RAF Typhoon shoots down "small hostile drone" in Syria. (using an ASRAAM)

[Mike]

As reported here by Gary :- viewtopic.php?f=287&t=213822