Navy pilot Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher

[Sikboy]

In January of 1991 my friend Levi had a bracelet with Mike Spiker's name on it. As the first KIA of the Gulf War, he represented the sacrifice that our service members are ready to make. I gave him my Salute then, and never stopped caring about this one sailor. When the rumors came out that he was still alive, I was very very hopeful. It is very sad to find out that all those hopes were for not, however I hope that his family is able to get closure after all of these years.

-Sik

[kilo2]

<S>



Im spectacle that a mig shot him down though. 

Please dont use that comment as a troll 

Not a Troll

I did a little read up on it. CPT Speicers squad came across a MiG 25 but where unable to identify it due to darkness. So they didn't fire and they passed each other at a combined speed of 2000 mph. The squad figured the MiG 25 bugged out as it was no longer on radar. A couple of minutes later there was a large explosion off the right wing(later discovered to be CPT Speichers plane).

What nailed the coffin in the SAM theory was the planes fuselage was extremely damaged from this they knew it could not be a normal SAM missile but something larger they determined it was a Bisnovat R-40(ment to take down full sized bombers) missile carried by MiG 25s.
Also on that same night a Lt. Zuhair Dawood, 84th squadron of the IQAF reported a victory in the same area he was flying a MiG 25.

I think it was a MiG 25. The foxbat is more than a worthy adversary add that little bit of luck for the Iraqi pilot and it seems to make sense.

The Iraqis only air to air victory in the war.

  Capt. Speicher

[Die Hard]

Must have been a R-40T (IR) since they didn't Get a radar warning. Those Russian missiles can be sneaky.

[Die Hard]

The Iraqis only air to air victory in the war.

Interestingly it seems like there were more.

http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/victories-iraq-gulf.war.pdf

I've been trying to dig up more info on Lt. Zuhair Dawood to see if he survived the war or was later killed in combat. No luck so far.

[kilo2]

Interestingly it seems like there were more.

http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/victories-iraq-gulf.war.pdf

I've been trying to dig up more info on Lt. Zuhair Dawood to see if he survived the war or was later killed in combat. No luck so far.

I tried to look him up as well and didn't find anything. I have heard of the lenox/weeks incident. And have read some of the other incidents. Some of the f-111 they were taking credit for SAM damage or so the U.S. stated.

[Die Hard]

Well, officially U.S. authorities claimed a SAM got Speicher too, so I don't know what to think. How do you identify missile damage anyway? Can't be easy.

[kilo2]

The u.s. claimed originally a SAM but the CIA released a recently declassified report written after the wreckage was discovered. I am not sure exactly how. But a r-40 missile has something like a 154 lbs explosive warhead while a SAM has like a 20 lbs explosive warhead. .

[kilo2]

I really don't know how they could tell a SAM damaged those planes either. I think maybe they just didn't want to give the Iraqis propaganda fodder.

[Die Hard]

Strange. I don't see the difference in propaganda value whether the F-18 was downed by a man in a bunker pushing a button, or a man in a plane pushing a button?

Yeah, that R-40 is a big-ass 1,000 pound missile!

[CraneMan]

<SALUTE> Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher

 

We thank you for your service to our beloved Country. Rest in Peace..

 
 

[Reaper90]