Mohommed Rayyan
| Mohammed Rayyan | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Sky Falcon |
| Born |
1955 Baiji, Iraq |
| Died | 1986 |
| Allegiance |
%3B_Flag_of_Syria_(1963-1972).svg.png){kind=small} Iraq |
| Service/branch | Iraqi Air Force |
| Years of service | 1977–1986 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Iran–Iraq War † |
Colonel Mohommed Rayyan (died 1986), nicknamed "Sky Falcon," was a fighter pilot with the Iraqi Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War. He scored 5 air combat kills, making him an ace and the most successful Iraqi fighter pilot of that war.[1]
Rayyan, while only a Flight Lieutenant and flying a MiG-21MF, claimed two (later confirmed) kills against Iranian F-5 Freedom Fighters in 1980.[1] Later a Captain, he qualified on the MiG-25P in 1981 and claimed 5 more victories (3 verified by western sources.) Most of his victories were F-4 Phantoms.[1] Having flown the MiG-25 was evidence of his considerable skill, as Soviet "advisers" were stationed in Iraq specifically to limit access to this advanced jet, and only the best pilots flew them.[2][3]
In 1986, having attained the rank of Colonel, Rayyan was shot down and killed by IRIAF Grumman F-14 Tomcats.[1]
His 5 air combat victories make Rayyan the most successful MiG-25 fighter pilot ever.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat, by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, (2004) Osprey Publishing, p.82
- ↑ Exhumating the Dead Iraqi Air Force: Short History of MiG-25 in service with the Iraqi Air Force, since 1980, by Tom Cooper, Air Combat Information Group, Sept. 25, 2003
- ↑ Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967