Western Aircraft in USSR
During the Cold War, studying enemy technology was mutual. Many know about American efforts like Have Doughnut, Have Drill, and Constant Peg, where they tested captured Soviet planes. The Soviet Union also looked at Western aircraft, often assembling them from wrecks or getting them via intermediaries. This article explores the intriguing role of Western aircraft in the USSR and their potential applications.
Strange Aircraft at Zhukovskiy Airfield
A photo in the Winter 2002 edition of International Air Power Review shows Western aircraft at Zhukovskiy airfield near Moscow. Taken on 11 August 1971, it depicts what looks like an F-4 Phantom and a Mirage III, with a Soviet 3M bomber up front. These planes were probably not flyable but rather mockups made from real wreckage parts.
The Phantom and Mirage
The F-4 Phantom in the picture is under a protective cover, with a nose similar to the YF4H-1 prototypes. Experts think it may be a mix of crashed Phantoms from the Vietnam War or Middle Eastern conflicts. Likewise, the Mirage III might have parts from Israeli planes lost during the Arab-Israeli wars. Both likely served to study Western design, not for flight tests.
Western Aircraft at the Moscow Aviation Institute
The Moscow Aviation Institute possessed numerous key components of Western aircraft, which demonstrated the USSR’s desire to acquire knowledge about NATO technology. Among the key items are
- Northrop F-5 Fuselage: Likely from one of two Skoshi Tigers used by South Vietnam and given to the Soviets after the 1973 North Vietnamese invasion.
- F-111 Escape Capsule: Taken from one of six F-111s lost by the USAF in the Vietnam War.
- A-7A Corsair II Part: A piece from a VA-82 Marauders aircraft, though its exact source is unclear.
- F-16C Vertical Stabiliser: From Scott O’Grady’s aircraft downed over Bosnia in 1995.
These parts were crucial for studying Western manufacturing and advancing Soviet aerospace capabilities.
Iran’s Role: F-14s and More?
There are ongoing speculations that Iranian F-14 Tomcats and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles ended up in the USSR. During the Islamic Revolution, Iran had advanced American aircraft, including F-4s and F-5s. There are suggestions that the Soviet Union received some of these aircraft for study, but finding solid proof is challenging. If these transfers were genuine, they would have provided the USSR with rare access to advanced American technology, particularly the F-14’s sophisticated radar and missile systems.
Reverse Engineering vs Evaluation
Unlike the U.S., which methodically tested MiGs under the Constant Peg Program, the Soviet Union seems to have concentrated more on breaking down and analysing Western aircraft. Evidence that the USSR carried out flight tests of intact Western planes is scarce, likely because they lacked fully operational models.
Nonetheless, the knowledge gained from these studies certainly influenced Soviet military aviation tactics and designs. For example, the MiG-23 and Su-27 fighters integrated features to counter Western aircraft like the F-4 and F-5.
Conclusion: An Exchange of Secrets
The Cold War period involved a fierce technological rivalry, with both sides keen to gain advantages over their opponents. While the U.S. testing of MiGs is well-known, the Soviet Union’s exploration of Western aircraft remains largely unknown.
The USSR took advantage of every opportunity to scrutinise its adversaries, from wreckage pieces to potential imports from the allied nations’ rivals. Now, these artefacts from Cold War espionage remind us of the lengths to which countries will go to understand and combat their adversaries. We may learn more about this fascinating aspect of flight history as more documents become available.
References
- International Air Power Review, Winter 2002 Issue
- Moscow Aviation Institute Archives
- Historical records from the Vietnam War and Arab-Israeli conflicts
- Declassified Cold War documents
About the Author
