AH Challenge; EE Lighting/Red Top successful in combat.

As the title says, can anyone come up with a realistic scenario where the English Electric Lightning uses the Red Top missile to get at least one air to air victory. OTL conflicts can be altered, or other conflicts can be invented, but I'd rather not see something too far fetched in the way of new operators or invented wars please.
 
UK raids Libya post-Lockerbie.

Lightnings fly top-cover and are challenged by Libyan Migs.

Job done, next challenge.
Are you serious? Flying from the UK to Libya? In a short-range interceptor? The Lightning would have trouble with the distance even operating out of Cyprus.
At the time, there are Tornados and Phantoms available, and far more suited to the mission than the aging and very short-ranged Lightning.

Possibly an exported Lightning- the Saudi Air Force used their for ground attack over South Yemen, perhaps they might end up using them in combat somewhere. An earlier Gulf War?
 
As the title says, can anyone come up with a realistic scenario where the English Electric Lightning uses the Red Top missile to get at least one air to air victory. OTL conflicts can be altered, or other conflicts can be invented, but I'd rather not see something too far fetched in the way of new operators or invented wars please.

The Lightning was operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force from 1967 to 1986. So, it's more than possible that Lightnings could have been sent as the Saudi contribution to the October War. It's just marginally possible they might have shot down an Israeli aircraft or, more likely, run out of fuel and fallen on one that happened to be flying below.

Saudi Lightnings were also used in the air-to-ground role during a border dispute South Yemen in 1969. At that time IIRC South Yemen was supported by the Egyptians so Lighnings may well have scored a kill there. In fact, its not beyond the bounds of possibility that they really did do so, a lot of the details of the fighting back then have never been made public.

In OTL, the Lightning did score a single kill. A British Harrier pilot ejected, but the pilotless aircraft continued to fly. The order was given to shoot down the aircraft and a Lightning did so. I think it used its guns to do so.
 
Alexius,

Why would you base them all the way over in Cyprus when Malta is much closer?

The Americans were offered the use of Luqa in 1981 for raids on Libya from the Maltese government however, Reagan declined for various reasons.

It is approx 200 or so miles from Malta to Tripoli so for an F.6 with an internal fuel range of 800 miles that is a doddle.

As for preferring to use Tornadoes or Phantoms, I personally would prefer Lightning top cover.
 
Because the Cyprus bases are sovereign British territory?
I wasn't aware that Malta would agree to be used as a staging post- in that case, maybe Lightnings could be used. I take it you'd have Buccaneers as the strike planes, though.
 
I think the Libya suggestion is virtually impossible, by the late 70s the RAF was using their Phantoms for air to air missions, and I doubt the RAF would choose a Lightning over a Phantom for a longer range escort mission. That range of 800 miles converts to a raduis of about 200 miles, which leaves no time for loiter or afterburner combat.

The Saudi lightnings seeing some action in 1973 is a good one, it's not too bizzare for them to send a sqn to Syria or Egypt, or to intercept Israeli aircraft penetrating Saudi airspace. Were there any conflicts between Kuwait's neighbours in the 60s and 70s which would force Kuwait to get their Lightnings flying and shooting at stuff? Another possibility is during the Konfrontasi, perhaps a last spasm of Indo air activity in 1965 or 66 before the Russian planes died a maintenence death.

What about the Red Top itself? It seems to be a better weapon than its late 60s competitiors; 7E Sparrow, 9D/E Sidewinder and Matra R530. WI it was exported to Israel and equipped their Mirage IIICs in 1967 and 1973?
 
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