{"id":25911145,"date":"2026-10-01T11:31:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/air-battle-of-mansoura-1973-egypt-mig-21-phantoms\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T22:21:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T20:21:32","slug":"air-battle-of-mansoura-1973-egypt-mig-21-phantoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/air-battle-of-mansoura-1973-egypt-mig-21-phantoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Battle of Mansoura 1973: Egypt&#8217;s 53-Minute MiG-21 Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background 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Over the next 53 minutes, the sky above the Delta filled with more fighters than most of the pilots involved had ever seen in one place.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Egypt remembers what followed as the Air Battle of Mansoura, its greatest air victory. The date is now <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/egyptian-air-force\/\">Egyptian Air Force<\/a> Day. Israel and most Western historians tell a very different story. Few air battles of the jet age are as large, or as fiercely disputed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:20px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Date:<\/strong> 14 October 1973, Yom Kippur War (October War)<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> Nile Delta, around Mansoura, Tanta and Salihiya air bases<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Duration:<\/strong> 53 minutes (about 15:15 to 16:08)<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Egypt:<\/strong> 62 MiG-21s (per Egyptian accounts)<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Israel:<\/strong> More than 100 F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawks in several waves (per Egyptian accounts)<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Egyptian claim:<\/strong> 17 Israeli aircraft downed for 6 MiG-21s lost<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Israeli and Western view:<\/strong> IAF losses far lower; historian Lon Nordeen counts 2 for the day<\/li><li style=\"margin:3px 0\"><strong>Legacy:<\/strong> Egypt moved its Air Force Day to 14 October<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Israel Went for the Delta<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>By mid-October 1973, Egypt had crossed the Suez Canal and the war had turned into a grinding struggle. After losing much of its air force on the ground in 1967, Egypt had built around 500 hardened aircraft shelters across some 20 air bases. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/israeli-air-force\/\">Israeli Air Force<\/a> wanted to neutralise the Egyptian 104th Air Wing, and launched strikes against the bases at Salihiya, Mansoura and Tanta.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Commanding the Egyptian Air Force was Air Marshal Hosni Mubarak, the future president. According to Egyptian accounts, he first ordered 16 <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-21-fishbed\/\">MiG-21s<\/a> to orbit over the base as a protective umbrella rather than chase the first Israeli wave of around 20 Phantoms. When a much larger second wave arrived from three directions, he committed more fighters from Mansoura and Tanta.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1AOAhH0xuo8\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>The Operations Room reconstructs the battle and explains why its outcome is still disputed.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">53 Minutes Over the Delta<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>At the height of the fight, Egyptian sources count 62 MiG-21s engaged against well over a hundred Israeli <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-4-phantom-ii\/\">F-4 Phantoms<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/a-4-skyhawk\/\">A-4 Skyhawks<\/a>. A third wave arrived just before four o'clock, met by MiG-21s from Inshas near Cairo and by Mansoura jets that had landed, refuelled and taken off again. The Israeli formations withdrew east at 16:08.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The battle was a frightening sight because I had never seen so many aeroplanes in one area. We were not only dogfighting, but also warning other pilots that they had an enemy on their tail.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Medhat Arafa<\/strong> &mdash; Egyptian MiG-21 pilot, recalling the battle (as quoted in the Wikipedia account of the battle)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For the MiG-21 pilots, this was close-in, turning combat, short on fuel and long on chaos. One Egyptian pilot, Lieutenant Mohamed Adoub, claimed a Phantom with cannon fire, but his own MiG was fatally damaged by debris from the explosion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/israeli-air-force-gun-camera-yom-kippur-war-1973.jpg\" alt=\"Gun-camera frames from an Israeli fighter during the Yom Kippur War\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Gun-camera frames from an Israeli fighter during the Yom Kippur War, October 1973. Air combat over Egypt that month was close-in and fast. Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Two Scoreboards<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>This is where the stories split. Cairo Radio's communiqu\u00e9 that evening claimed 15 Israeli aircraft for three Egyptian losses. After the war, the Egyptian Air Force settled on 17 Israeli aircraft shot down for six MiG-21s lost: three in combat, two that ran out of fuel and one destroyed by debris. Some Egyptian accounts give even higher figures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Israel's version is very different. Israel Radio first claimed 15 Egyptian aircraft, later revised to seven. Historian Lon Nordeen puts Israeli losses that day at just two aircraft, and the official list of fallen IAF aircrew records no deaths on 14 October. Across the whole war, Western historians credit Israeli fighters with an overwhelming kill ratio over Egypt.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;The Egyptians succeeded in shooting down 5&ndash;8 Israeli aircraft while losing 172 of their own to Israeli fighters.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Kenneth M. Pollack<\/strong> &mdash; Historian, on Egyptian air-to-air results across the whole 1973 war, in Arabs at War (2002)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The truth probably sits somewhere neither side likes. The Israeli strike packages were mainly attack missions against well-defended bases, and Egypt's MiG-21s did not let them through untouched. Equally, the Egyptian claims have never been matched by Israeli loss records.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/israeli-air-force-f-4-phantoms-yom-kippur-war-1973.jpg\" alt=\"Israeli Air Force F-4 Phantoms during the Yom Kippur War\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Israeli Air Force F-4 Phantoms during the Yom Kippur War, October 1973. Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Egypt Celebrates 14 October<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Whatever the numbers, Mansoura mattered to Egypt. Six years after the humiliation of 1967, when much of its air force was destroyed on the ground in a few hours, Egyptian pilots had met the Israeli Air Force head-on in a large air battle and returned to their bases claiming victory. Egypt moved its Air Force Day from 2 November to 14 October in the battle's honour, and the anniversary is marked every year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=1316208297964380160&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:400px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Fifty-three years on, Mansoura is a reminder that air wars are fought twice: once in the sky, and again in the record books.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zcO6lTPn5-k\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>An Arabic-language documentary on the battle from Egyptian channel Elplatform, telling the story as Egypt remembers it.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Air battle of Mansoura), Egypt Today, Kenneth M. Pollack, Arabs at War (2002), Lon Nordeen, The Operations Room<\/em><\/p>\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the Air Battle of Mansoura?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Air Battle of Mansoura was a large air battle over Egypt's Nile Delta on 14 October 1973, during the Yom Kippur War. Egyptian MiG-21s fought Israeli F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawks attacking the air bases at Mansoura, Tanta and Salihiya for about 53 minutes.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many aircraft fought in the Battle of Mansoura?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">According to Egyptian accounts, 62 Egyptian MiG-21s engaged more than 100 Israeli F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawks arriving in several waves. Israeli sources dispute many details, and exact numbers vary between accounts.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who won the Air Battle of Mansoura?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Both sides claimed success. Egypt says it shot down 17 Israeli aircraft for six MiG-21s lost. Israeli records and historians such as Lon Nordeen put Israeli losses that day at two or fewer, so the result remains disputed.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is Egyptian Air Force Day on 14 October?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Egypt moved its Air Force Day from 2 November to 14 October to commemorate the Air Battle of Mansoura, which it regards as the Egyptian Air Force's greatest victory of the 1973 war.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who commanded the Egyptian Air Force at Mansoura?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Egyptian Air Force was commanded in 1973 by Air Marshal Hosni Mubarak, who later became President of Egypt. According to Egyptian accounts, he directed the MiG-21 interceptions during the battle.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can I fly in a MiG-21 today?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. MiGFlug offers <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/mig-21-launch\/\">supersonic MiG-21 flights<\/a> from Florida, over the Gulf of Mexico. The 40-minute flight breaks the sound barrier and includes aerobatic manoeuvres and a chance to take the controls yourself, after ground school and training.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Air Battle of Mansoura?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Air Battle of Mansoura was a large air battle over Egypt's Nile Delta on 14 October 1973, during the Yom Kippur War. Egyptian MiG-21s fought Israeli F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawks attacking the air bases at Mansoura, Tanta and Salihiya for about 53 minutes.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many aircraft fought in the Battle of Mansoura?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"According to Egyptian accounts, 62 Egyptian MiG-21s engaged more than 100 Israeli F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawks arriving in several waves. 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The 40-minute flight breaks the sound barrier and includes aerobatic manoeuvres and a chance to take the controls yourself, after ground school and training.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/ofira-air-battle-1973-two-f-4e-phantoms-28-migs-sharm-el-sheikh\/\">Ofira Air Battle 1973: Two Israeli Phantoms Against 28 MiGs<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/giora-epstein-the-wests-greatest-jet-ace-and-the-phantom-master-of-the-yom-kippur-war\/\">Giora Epstein: The West's Greatest Jet Ace<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/operation-focus-israel-six-day-war-1967\/\">Three Hours That Won a War: Operation Focus, 1967<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story At a quarter past three on the afternoon of 14 October 1973, Egyptian radar operators in the Nile Delta watched a formation of Israeli jets sweep in from the Mediterranean near Port Said. Over the next 53 minutes, the sky above the Delta filled with more fighters than most of the pilots [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":25910812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25911145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Air Battle of Mansoura 1973: MiG-21s vs Phantoms | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Air Battle of Mansoura, 14 October 1973: 62 Egyptian MiG-21s against Israeli Phantoms and Skyhawks for 53 minutes. 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