[Mode]

The fall of Saddam changed that, and there is a new book about the Iraqi air force out now, written by Cooper and a co-autour. I haven't read it myself, so I can't really say anything about it.

http://www.harpia-publishing.com/pdf/Ir ... ers_ad.pdf
Well, "new", it is from 2008....

I have that one too on my shelf but it´s focus is on how Iraqi fighters were painted and what insignia they carried. It is an excellent source for anyone interesting in building models of Iraqi fighters, especially if combined with the decal sheets available fron Linden Hill, but as for information about the wars involving said aircraft you are best adviced to look elsewhere.

As an example, there is an interesting drawing of an Iraqi Mirage F1 with 14 Iranian kills displayed below the cockpit. I suspect that this is because the highest number of kills displayed on an Israeli Mirage III C is 13!

[Tryggve]

I have a rather good paper by Maj. Ronald Bergquist, published by Air University Press, that lays out why this might be a poor subject for a game. Essentially, the air forces, thanks to PGM, were so effective in strikes on oil production and refining, that both sides mutually eased off their attacks, realising that they could not afford to lose their primary sources of foreign revenue. An unspoken policy of deterrence was established, in which the primary goal of Iran and Iraq was to maintain a force-in-being in case the ground war suffered a major reverse for them. As a result the air war de-escalated and was confined to skirmishes after the early months; it being more important to preserve the air forces than employ them.

But this varied quite a lot during the course of the war, didn't it? The Iraqis made extensive attempts to close down the Iranian oil export during the "tanker war" in the later part of the war. This also included quite extensive attacks against the infrastructure oil terminals, for example. This included attacks with Exocet missiles on ships and on oil cisterns (Iraq launched hundreds of these missiles during the war) and attacks with AS 30L missiles.

[Mode]

I have a rather good paper by Maj. Ronald Bergquist, published by Air University Press, that lays out why this might be a poor subject for a game. Essentially, the air forces, thanks to PGM, were so effective in strikes on oil production and refining, that both sides mutually eased off their attacks, realising that they could not afford to lose their primary sources of foreign revenue. An unspoken policy of deterrence was established, in which the primary goal of Iran and Iraq was to maintain a force-in-being in case the ground war suffered a major reverse for them. As a result the air war de-escalated and was confined to skirmishes after the early months; it being more important to preserve the air forces than employ them.

On the other hand, it might be a novel approach with a game where the players should try to win a war while doing as little as possible to win it!    

It certainly would be weird - all out infantry attacks á la WW 1, complete with mustard and nerve gas, while not risking the air force by subjecting it to CAS. But I still think it could work - an example is how nuclear war is handled in GDW´s TWW series.
I am particularly fond of the air rules in those games since the air war is almost a game within the game. I have played them as multiplayer, with separate ground and air commanders and it is quite interesting to see how different views the commanders take, even though they are on the same side!
Reversing that concept, resulting in detailed air rules and abstracted ground warfare, could be quite interesting. AH tried something similar with Tac Air but failed (in my opinion) because they didn´t take the concept far enough - it was still a ground warfare game.

Anyway, regardless of what game it will be I will probably buy it. Air warfare is still my main gaming interest.    

[Tryggve]

I have that one too on my shelf but it´s focus is on how Iraqi fighters were painted and what insignia they carried. It is an excellent source for anyone interesting in building models of Iraqi fighters, especially if combined with the decal sheets available fron Linden Hill, but as for information about the wars involving said aircraft you are best adviced to look elsewhere.

As an example, there is an interesting drawing of an Iraqi Mirage F1 with 14 Iranian kills displayed below the cockpit. I suspect that this is because the highest number of kills displayed on an Israeli Mirage III C is 13!

Thanks for the info on the book. I must say I'm a little disappointed then, because I definitively got the impression that the authors claim that they give at least some information about the war experiences of different Iraqi air force units. At least I got that impression from the page from ACIG. I haven't read the corresponding thread about the book on the ACIG forum in quite some time though, so I might have read about it and then forgotten it.

[Mode]

It´s not completely void on information, it has good coverage on units and bases and has some interesting photos in it, but the main focus is colours and markings, as the title implies. This book is definitely aimed more towards modellers than towards wargamers. As such, it is excellent and if you´re interested in modelling Iraqi aircraft I can wholeheartedly recommend it. If you´re interested in the course of the Iran - Iraq air war you are much better off with the Cooper/Bishop book:
http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764316699

[Tryggve]

It´s not completely void on information, it has good coverage on units and bases and has some interesting photos in it, but the main focus is colours and markings, as the title implies. This book is definitely aimed more towards modellers than towards wargamers. As such, it is excellent and if you´re interested in modelling Iraqi aircraft I can wholeheartedly recommend it. If you´re interested in the course of the Iran - Iraq air war you are much better off with the Cooper/Bishop book:
http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0764316699

Thanks, appreciate the information!  
And that book has been in my bookshelf for years, together with these.

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/I ... 1841767871
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/b ... code=s6585

[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]

But this varied quite a lot during the course of the war, didn't it? The Iraqis made extensive attempts to close down the Iranian oil export during the "tanker war" in the later part of the war. This also included quite extensive attacks against the infrastructure oil terminals, for example. This included attacks with Exocet missiles on ships and on oil cisterns (Iraq launched hundreds of these missiles during the war) and attacks with AS 30L missiles.

Yes, the deterrence broke down in 1984 following the attack on the Kharg Island terminal and tankers. Though even here it's interesting that the retaliation did not strike at the refineries or other infrastructure, which would have exposed strikes to the enemy IADS, but tankers at sea, which were unprotected. This was not the sort of intense war that suits itself to a raid-scale game.

[Detox]

What about the air war during the Korea war?

[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]

I've never found enough game in that. It would be a rather ragged, bitty and unsatisfying campaign to model.

[sfclinken]

What about the airwar over Europe in a "what if" conflict between NATO and the WP. We could call it Zulu Alert....

Now THAT would be a great gamesubject.... How come no one ever thought of that???

[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]

What about the airwar over Europe in a "what if" conflict between NATO and the WP. We could call it Zulu Alert....

Dammit, why didn't *I* think of that?

[Detox]

I have bought all your war games that is released on GMT. But I must say that Indo-pakistani war is a turn off, and I would probably not buy it even if it got outstanding reviews. "Sorry"

What about WWII Convoys against wolf pack Arctic convoys or Malta convoys? Or anything WWIII

Also the Air war of the Tactical air command wwii with typhoons etc could be a great game.

[Lee Brimmicombe-Wood]

I have bought all your war games that is released on GMT. But I must say that Indo-pakistani war is a turn off, and I would probably not buy it even if it got outstanding reviews. "Sorry"

Buh-buh-but... Gnats! Sabres! Mysteres! Canberras! C-130 bombers! F-104s! Men with moustaches!

In other words: COOL SHIT!

Also the Air war of the Tactical air command wwii with typhoons etc could be a great game.

Actually I'm not sure it would. It would be even more an exercise in resource allocation.

[sfclinken]

I am still stuck on the "what if" part as with Zulu Alert. Why not make a game of it on a smaller scale?

Maybe "what if" games narrows down the amount of possible buyers?

Soviet attacks on NATO CAG:s or northern british airbases. Or would that be to much Harpoon style?

[Nisse]

What is it that you want to achieve in the game? Does it have to based on a historical war?

What is it that you want the players to do, allocate resources? Plan and execute attacks? What scale, single strikes against one target a la Hornet Leader or larger strikes against entire fronts?