How did the MiG-21 stack up against the Mirage and F-4?
Spector: The MiG-21 was a good match for both the Mirage and F-4 in air-to-air combat. Our high rate of success came from our appropriate tactics and training at that time, and from the good weapons that the MiGs didn’t have, namely the Mirage’s two 30mm cannons that ensured destruction if they hit, and the Israeli Shafrir and American Sidewinder IR-seeking missiles. A & S: You also flew the F-16 in the attack in 1981 on the Iraqi Osiris nuclear reactor at Tuwaitha. Although you did not fly the F-16 that much, compared to the Mirage and Phantom, this was still another major combat type for your logbook. One of your compatriots, Yoram Agmon—also an ace with six kills—said when he first saw the F-16, “Here comes the Mirage for the ‘90s.” Did you agree? Spector: Absolutely. The F-16 and the F-15, brought the IAF into a next generation with superior performance and weapon systems. But in comparison, again, between those two, the F-16 was like the Mirage: small, agile and fun to fly. Of cou
