Operation Kaman 99

Operation Kaman 99
Part of the Iran–Iraq War
Kirkuk Nasiriyah Shaiba Umm Qasr Baghdad Airport Locations hit in Iraq
Date 23–26 September 1980 (4 days)[1] Location Iraq Result Iranian victory
Belligerents
Iran	Iraq
Units involved
Iranian Air Force	Iraqi Air Force
Strength
200 aircraft, of which 140 attacked Iraq:[2] 58 F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers 88 F-5E Tiger II fighters 60 F-14 Tomcat interceptors Boeing 707 and Boeing 747 tankers C-130 Hercules transport aircraft 380+ air force personnel[2]	166-192 aircraft
Casualties and losses
24 aircraft lost[1]	40 aircraft lost[1] 11 airbases and other infrastructures bombed

Operation Alborz (Persian: عملیات البرز),^[3] more commonly known by the code-name Operation Kaman 99 (عملیات کمان 99),^[4] was an operation launched by the Iranian Air Force in retaliation to Iraqi surprise aerial attacks on Iran the day before which marked the beginning of the 8-year-long Iran–Iraq War. Involving nearly 200 aircraft (of which more than 140 crossed into Iraq), it is considered the largest operation carried out by the IRIAF. The outcome was clearly successful, as the Iranians achieved air superiority for the first years of the conflict.^[4]

Launched only 3 hours after the formal beginning of the war,^[5] the main attack was formed by 140 to 148 Iranian fighter-bombers, plus 60 interceptors and tankers were involved in this operation, and at least 380 air force personnel were also involved, making this the most large-scale operation conducted by the Iranian Air Force.^[2]

Kirkuk, Al-Rasheed, Nasiriya, Habbaniyah (including Tammuz), Shaiba, Kut, and Umm Qasr airbases, as well as Baghdad International Airport and Al-Muthanna Airport were bombed during the operation.^[3][2]