Naval Aviation Museum
NAS Pensacola, Florida

 Click on Photo for enlargement.

Photo on the left is a SH-60 at Naval Aviation Museum, the correct b/n is 162137.

The two MiG-killer Hornets arrived at Pensacola during June. On the historic day they engaged the Iraqi MiG-21s, Lt Mongillo was flying F/A-18C ‘502 (then coded AA 410), while Cdr Fox was in ‘508 (then coded AA 401). The two men were in a flight of four Hornets, each loaded with four 2,000lb Mk.84 bombs. As they approached Al Walid Air Base H-3, their target in western Iraq, the flight received the urgent alert, "400 Bandits on your Nose at 15," from E-2C Hawkeye #600 (from Saratoga’s VAW-125). A brace of MiG-21s were vectoring towards the bomb-laden Hornets for a head-on attack just fifteen miles away!

The squadron began retiring their MiG-21s in 2001, reforming with former East German MiG-29 ‘Fulcrums’ as 41.ELT (Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego/Tactical Squadron). The Fishbed made her last flight on December 19th, 2003, going into storage at Krosno. She was part of a batch of 25 former Polish Air Force MiG-21s that the air defense contractor Draken International of Lakeland, Florida acquired in July, 2012

I would like to Thank Eric Renth for the use of his great photos and sending me these leads.

Update to Naval Aviation Museum

I would like to Thank Gordon Comstock, USAF retired E9for the use of his great photos.