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It's a little known fact (that I like to trumpet) that the American and French governments both planned counterattacks in the aftermath of the Beirut Barracks bombings that killed members of both their militaries. (yes...there were French there too.)

What is even less well known is that even though the Reagan Administration backed out for fear of "alienating the populace," the French launched a carrier-based air strike into the Bekaa Valley against Iranian Pasdaran and Hezbollah positions.

It was thought by the French at the time that the Syrian Air Force could very well attempt an interception, though the chances were considered much less than the possibility of being downed by AAA over the Valley.

So...let's suppose that a Super Etendard, on it's strike run, is hit and downed. It'd take a lot to down a big bird like that, but we're doing this for the sake of the POD. Crusaders were assigned for the French CAP, and the main air superiority fighter in the Syrian arsenal in 1983 was still the MiG-21, because the MiG-23 hadn't been brought fully into the arsenal yet and the numbers in the SyAAF had been damaged due to the air war with Israel in 1982.

So, for a brief (say...12 hours or so) period until the French CSAR helos can get the pilot out, we've got Crusaders vs. Fishbeds over the Bekaa Valley. The Aeronavale is going to go toe to toe with the SyAAF. What's the possible outcome?


Also: Who the fuck came up with "Fishbed"? Really!? NATO really dropped the ball from the 50s to the early 60s. We had "Fagot" and "Fishbed" within a decade. Sure, Fagot didn't mean what it means now, but these were the same people who brought you "Fishbed," so I'm still going to blame them.
All the other names are pretty cool, actually: Flogger, Flanker, Foxbat, Foxhound, and my personal favourite...Fulcrum. But Fishbed? Fucking really?
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