Operation Kaman 99

Operation Kaman 99
Part of the Iran–Iraq War
Operation Kaman 99 is located in Iraq
Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Operation Kaman 99
Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah
Operation Kaman 99
Operation Kaman 99
Shaiba
Shaiba
Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr
Baghdad Airport
Baghdad Airport
Operation Kaman 99
Locations hit in Iraq
Date23–26 September 1980
(4 days)[1]
Location
Result Iranian victory
Belligerents
 Iran Iraq Iraq
Units involved
Iranian Air Force Iraqi Air Force
Strength

200 aircraft, of which 140 attacked Iraq:[2]

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]

  1. ^ a b c Razoux, Pierre (2015). The Iran-Iraq War. Harvard University Press, 2015. p. 31. ISBN 978-0674915718.
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference aja was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "آشنایی با عملیات البرز (کمان ۹۹)". 6 February 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Kaman" (کمان, meaning "bow"), is a reference to the legendary figure Arash the Archer, and 99 is a reference to the 99 pages of the plan of the operation. See [1][permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "عملیات کمان ۹۹ضربه‌ای کاری بر پیکره نیروی هوایی ارتش بعثی/ حمله ۱۴۰ فروند جنگنده‌ ایرانی به خاک عراق نسخه چاپی -".