DACT in the Romanian AF, before 1989

I was wondering if the Romanian AF practiced any DACT exercises during the cold war. Like MiG-15 vs. MiG-21, MiG-21 vs. MiG-23, etc. Western AFs started this kind of practice after the Vietnam war, by mid-70's it was standard in the US and Western Europe.

So did our pilots do that too, or they just sticked to the early Soviet doctrine (scramble, get as fast as possible to the altitude of the target, perform a high speed attack and return to base)?

I think that most air combat training was performed between aircrafts from the same air base, because of small flight hours that the pilots received.

I believe that the Romanian Air Force must have had some of DACT training in the 80's. I know that the Soviets, did for example Mig-23's vs Mig-29's or Mig-21's vs ex-South Vietnamese F-5's. So if the Soviets did then the Warsaw Pact AF's most likey did so aswell!

Thank You

I read in the "V from victory" book of Doru Davidovici about intercept training Mig-21 against russian Su-22 in Dobrudja.

Was it a Romanian Mig-21 against a Russian Su-22? if so did we win?

After a long turning contest at low speed, low altitude, the Su-22 had to head for home (no more fuel). Then it was "photogunned" by the autor and than by his wingman.

This post has been edited by Hadrian on September 12, 2009 07:06 am

So the Mig-21 won, was the Su-22 Soviet AF or anothers nations AF?

Not described in the book, but it happened in Dobrudja, and the Su-22 left home direction north, from what I recall. So...

So maybe it was a Bulgarian AF Su-22?

Options are soviet, bulgarian, hungarian, the only ones with Su-22. Hungarian, very unlikely, because of location by the Black Sea of the action and from political reasons. Bulgaria, maybe... Su-22 left north, probably soviet. maybe took off from Bulgaria, incercept training in Romania, evening vodka in Ukraina. Not even the type of the aircraft was given, but it was single-seat bomber, it had "variable geometry from the middle of the wing and frontal intake" (Mig-21 style). White helmet for the pilot.

This post has been edited by Hadrian on September 22, 2009 06:26 pm

It was a Soviet Su-17, the episode is described here in detail:
http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=4421

Poland, GDR and Czechoslovakia also had Su-22

This post has been edited by Vici on September 23, 2009 09:30 am

Indeed, but I meant the neighbours.

Its a good thing the Russians didn't attack us over this incident!

They didn`t atacked us not even in `68, when we criticized them over the invasion of Cehoslovakia... or when we were starting to be friends with the chinese while they were in war with them.

The soviets didn`t prized so much the life of a single man...

True and didn't one of Romania's Bf-109G's shot a Russian Yak-9 after WW2, and they did nothing

This post has been edited by Stephen Dabapuscu on September 24, 2009 10:41 pm