Two Soviet MIG-23s, presumably piloted by Russians, overflew the Sinai peninsula Friday on a photo reconnaissance mission, it was disclosed today. The overflight was the third violation of Israeli air space by Soviet MIGs since last Oct. The US has been given full details of the overflight nine miles inside Sinai. As on the previous occasions, Israeli interceptors were unable to make contact with the Russian Jets which are the fastest, highest flying combat aircraft in the world. The overflight occurred at noon.
The MIGs crossed the Sinai peninsula on a diagonal course from north to southeast which took them from Ismailia in the central section of the Suez Canal zone to Sharm-el-Sheikh on the southeastern extremity of the peninsula. They then changed course and flew westward across the Red Sea to Egypt, Israeli military sources said.
The MIG-23s were over the Sinai peninsula for several minutes, the longest overflight so far of Israel-held territory. They are believed to have made a sequence of photographs of roads and other strategic Israeli emplacements in what is probably the most heavily defended area in the Middle East. It is almost certain that the film will be turned over to Egyptian intelligence, Israeli sources said. The MIG-23, which NATO knows as the “Foxbat” has a ceiling of 80,000 feet, about 10,000 feet higher than that of the American F-4 Phantom jet and a supersonic speed in excess of the Phantom’s
Egypt is believed to be the only country outside the borders of the USSR where the MIG-23s are deployed. They are piloted exclusively by Russians and are part of Egypt’s air defense system which has been under Russian control since the Six-Day War. Israelis believe that the presence of the MIG-23s is evidence that Soviets are using the Suez Canal area to test their most sophisticated military hardware under conditions approximating combat.
Last Oct. 10 two MIG-23s flew for several minutes parallel to the Israeli coastline and while they did not enter Israeli air space, did enter the area controlled by the Lydda Airport control tower. Last Nov. 6, another pair of Foxbats overflew northwest Sinai.
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