Written by Pilot Ahmad Merniya, the book entitled “Al Waredo of Al Waredo” tells the story of the Air Force’s operations against Al Weredo (H3) Air Force Base in Iraq.
Mehrniya called the book the first artwork to create about an Air Force operation, adding, “While some stories and even films were made based on this operation, it doesn’t convey details of the facts of the incident, most of which are fictional stories of the operation.”
The book includes interviews with 80 Air Force pilots who participated in the project and conversations with other personnel who played an effective role in the surgery.
“Air Strike at Al-Waleed” features several reports on the critical moments of this glorious operation.
The H-3 airstrike is considered one of the most successful airstrikes in the history of air combat.
It demonstrated the capabilities of the Iranian Air Force and took a major blow to the Iraqi Air Force.
The H-3 Air Force Base was a strategically important Iraqi Air Force Base far from the Iran-Iraqi border near the Jordanian border. The H-3 Air Force Base is located deep in Iraq’s territory and has requested Iranian pilots to fly through Syrian airspace to reach their targets.
To reach the target, the Iranian F-4 Phantom flew over long distances and took advantage of aerial refueling in Syria’s friendly airspace to reach the target.
Iranian aircraft successfully bombed the H-3 base, causing major damage to Iraqi aircraft and infrastructure. The operation resulted in no losses on the Iranian side and at least 48 Iraqi aircraft were destroyed on the ground.
The H-3 airstrike pilot met with Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic during his sacred defense
On April 6, 1981, a group of Islamic Republics of the Iranian Air Force gathered to meet with Imam Khomeini (RA), the founder of the Islamic Republic.
This conference was a recognition of courage to complete one of the boldest assaults in the history of modern Air Force warfare.
The H-3 Airstrike was a sophisticated maneuver and was considered one of the boldest and most successful aerial attacks in history.
The operations included accurate planning, bold execution, and refueling in foreign airspace.
The attack targeted not only aircraft but hangars, radar and concrete shelters, which had a major impact on the Iraqi Air Force, boosting Iran’s morale during its sacred defense, and Iraq imposed war on the Islamic Republic.
It was the highest honor anyone could have sought at the time.
Reported by Tohid Mahmoudpour