US troops dug the Iraqi Air Force’s hidden MiG-25s out of the desert

Photo Credit: Master Sgt. T. Collins / U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Uncovering a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, famously referred to as the Foxbat by NATO during the Cold War, hidden in the depths of the desert would certainly be a surprising find. This Soviet-era interceptor, renowned for its extraordinary speed and high-altitude capabilities, was used by numerous countries globally, such as Syria, India, Algeria, and Iraq.

Among its various models, the MiG-25RB, or Foxbat-B, distinguished itself as a single-seat aircraft equipped with advanced reconnaissance technology and able to carry as many as eight 500-kg bombs.

The aircraft were discovered in 2003

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RB operated by the Russian Air Force. (Photo Credits: Alex Beltyukov – RuSpotters Team / airliners.net / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / GNU FDL 1.2).

In the first image above, American soldiers are depicted recovering the interceptor from the sand. This discovery occurred during the initial days of the Iraq War. In April 2003, troops uncovered the aircraft, which had been largely buried at Al Taqaddum Air Base in Iraq’s western desert.

American troops were operating in the area for weeks before discovering them

U.S. Army 3rd Division 3-7 Bradley fighting vehicles take up a position along a road March 19, 2003 inside the demilitarized zone between Kuwait and Iraq. (Photo Credits: Scott Nelson / Stringer / Getty Images).

The unexpected presence of the aircraft at the base caught many off guard, even though there had been intelligence suggesting that specific items were buried in the area. As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put it, “We’d heard a great many things had been buried, but we had not known where they were, and we’d been operating in that immediate vicinity for weeks and weeks and weeks…12, 13 weeks, and didn’t know they were [there].”

The wings weren’t found

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PU. (Photo Credit: Leonid Faerberg / transport-photo / Airliners / Wikimedia Commons / GFDL 1.2)

Though the aircraft’s body remained in surprisingly good condition, its wings had been removed before it was buried under sand, and they were not found nearby. It is believed that the MiG-25RB was hidden in the desert to prevent its destruction by coalition forces during the invasion. As of 2006, this aircraft is now located at the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

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Several other aircraft of the same model were also found. In 2003, dozens were uncovered, including more MiGs and Sukhoi Su-25s.

Why were they buried?

MiG-25RB Foxbat, no longer in operational service, 2009. (Photo Credits: Rob Schleiffert / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic).

Why were these aircraft buried underground rather than put to use? It’s intriguing to know that, prior to the American invasion, Iraq had one of the largest Air Forces in the region. The nation had heavily invested in enhancing its aerial abilities, which included acquiring advanced jets, improving airbases and runways, and constructing new hangars.

They wouldn’t do much against the American invasion 

USAF aircraft of the 4th Fighter Wing (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) fly over Kuwaiti oil fires, set by the retreating Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. (Photo Credits: Pictures From History / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)

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However, when the US invaded and marched on Baghdad in 2003, they encountered no aerial resistance, as the Iraqi forces had decided this would do nothing to stop the much superior Americans. Instead, it was ordered that the fleet be buried in the desert, which is why the US military found so many aircraft under the sand.

Rosemary Giles: Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book.
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