164: Chapter 161 Heavenly Net

March 1, 1982, 2:00 AM, Western Iran.

Fatima was at the Iranian Air Defense Command Center.

In front of her was a huge radar screen. On the screen were fifty small green dots—those were Iran's Persian-4 Missile defense positions.

Every position was ready.

Every operator was waiting for orders.

Fatima picked up the radio.

"All positions," she said, "report your status."

One by one, the positions reported back:

"Position One, ready."

"Position Two, ready."

"Position Three, ready."

...

Fifty positions, all ready.

Fatima checked the time.

2:15 AM.

Iraqi bombers were expected to enter Iranian airspace at 2:30 AM.

She picked up another phone and called Reza.

"Everything is ready," she said.

"Very good," Reza said. "Remember, wait until they have all entered effective range before firing. I don't want a single Iraqi bomber to make it back."

"Understood."

The phone call ended.

Fatima took a deep breath.

This was the biggest operation of her life.

If successful, Iran would gain air superiority.

If it failed, Iran's air defense system would be destroyed.

She could not fail.

Iraqi Air Force base.

One hundred Iraqi bombers were taking off.

Every bomber was loaded with heavy bombs.

Every pilot had received orders—destroy the Scud missile bases in western Iran.

The air force commander watched the bombers take off from the control tower.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

This was the biggest operation in the history of the Iraqi Air Force.

If successful, Iran would lose its missile power.

Iraq would win this war.

Western Iran, a fake Scud missile base.

This "base" had been built by Iranian engineers over the past week.

Inside the base were several "launch vehicles"—actually fake vehicles made of wood and canvas.

Inside the base were several "missiles"—actually fake missiles made of concrete.

From the air, the base looked like a real Scud missile base.

But it was a trap.

2:28 AM.

The radar in western Iran began to pick up targets.

Fatima watched the screen.

One hundred small red dots—those were the Iraqi bombers.

They were flying toward western Iran.

"All positions," Fatima said over the radio, "targets have entered Iranian airspace. Prepare to fire."

All positions reported simultaneously: "Ready."

Fatima watched the screen.

The Iraqi bombers continued to fly forward.

They were getting closer.

And closer.

They entered the effective range of the Persian-4 Missile.

But Fatima had not yet ordered them to fire.

She was waiting.

She was waiting for all the bombers to enter the heartland of Iran.

She wanted to ensure that none of the bombers had a chance to escape.

Iraqi bomber formation.

The formation commander was talking to the base.

"We have entered Iranian airspace," he said. "We are fifteen minutes away from the target."

"Very good," the base replied. "Continue forward."

The formation commander looked out the window.

Below was the land of Iran.

It was very quiet.

Too quiet.

Logically, Iran's air defense system should have already discovered them. Logically, Iran's air defense missiles should have already been fired.

But nothing had happened.

The formation commander had a bad feeling.

But he had no time to think about that.

Their target was right in front of them.

They had to complete the mission.

Iranian Air Defense Command Center.

Fatima watched the screen.

All the Iraqi bombers had entered Iranian airspace.

One hundred bombers, divided into three formations.

Each formation was flying at a different altitude.

Fatima picked up the radio.

"All positions," she said, "fire!"

Fifty Persian-4 Missiles launched simultaneously.

Iraqi bomber formation.

The formation commander suddenly saw dozens of bright spots rising from below.

"Missiles!" he shouted. "Air defense missiles!"

But it was too late.

The first missile hit a bomber.

Explosion.

Flames.

Debris.

The second missile hit another bomber.

The third.

The fourth.

The fifth.

The entire formation fell into chaos.

The formation commander tried to make his plane take evasive action.

But the speed of the Persian-4 Missile was too fast.

His plane was hit.

The last thing he saw was flames.

Then, darkness.

Iranian Air Defense Command Center.

Fatima watched the screen.

The small red dots disappeared one by one.

Every disappearing dot meant an Iraqi bomber had been shot down.

The first wave of missiles—forty Iraqi bombers were shot down.

But sixty were still flying.

"Second wave, fire!" Fatima said.

The remaining missiles launched.

More explosions.

More flames.

More red dots disappeared.

Iraqi Air Force base.

The air force commander was in the control tower.

His face was pale.

He was listening to the formation's reports.

But the reports were becoming fewer and fewer.

Fewer and fewer.

Finally, no one responded.

"What happened?" the commander shouted. "Why is no one responding?"

A communications soldier walked in.

"Commander," he said, "we have lost all the bombers."

"What?"

"One hundred bombers," the communications soldier said, "all gone."

The commander was stunned.

One hundred bombers, all gone.

What did this mean?

It meant all one hundred bombers had been shot down.

It meant the Iraqi Air Force had lost half of its strength.

It meant Iraq had lost air superiority.

The commander slumped into his chair.

He couldn't believe his ears.

Baghdad, Saddam Hussein's office.

At 4:00 AM, Saddam Hussein was woken up by a phone call.

He listened to the report.

One hundred bombers, all gone.

The Iraqi Air Force had lost half of its strength.

Saddam Hussein's expression changed.

"How could this happen?" he asked. "Our intelligence said Iran only had a dozen or so air defense missiles. How could there be so many?"

"I don't know," the Chief of Staff said. "Perhaps the intelligence was wrong."

Saddam Hussein suddenly thought of something.

"The Eagle," he said, "the Eagle is a liar. The Eagle gave us false intelligence."

"The Eagle?"

"Yes," Saddam Hussein said. "The Eagle told us that Iran's Scud missile bases were all in the west. The Eagle told us that Iran's air defense system was weak. All of these were lies."

The Chief of Staff was silent.

If the "Eagle" was a liar, then Iraq had been set up in a big trap by Iran.

Iraq had lost one hundred bombers.

Iraq had lost half of its air force strength.

Iraq had lost air superiority.

"What should we do?" the Chief of Staff asked.

"We must find the Eagle," Saddam Hussein said. "We must know who he is and who he is working for."

"Yes."

The Chief of Staff left.

Saddam Hussein sat in his chair, looking at the map on the table.

He knew that this war had taken a major turn.

Iran had gained air superiority.

The Iraqi Air Force had been severely weakened.

Iraq needed to rethink its strategy.

Ahvaz, Reza's office.

Fatima reported over the phone.

"All shot down," she said. "One hundred Iraqi bombers, all shot down. We didn't lose a single position."

"Very good," Reza said. "You have won a decisive victory."

"This is everyone's credit," Fatima said.

"No," Reza said. "This is your credit. It was you who built the Persian-4 Missile air defense system. It was you who deployed these missiles. It was you who commanded this operation."

Fatima was silent for a moment.

"Thank you," she said.

The phone call ended.

Reza sat in his office, looking out the window.

It was already dawn.

A new day had begun.

But today's Iran was no longer yesterday's Iran.

Today's Iran had already gained air superiority.

Today's Iran had become a true military power.

Reza wrote a line in his notebook:

"Today, we have won a decisive victory. But the war is not over yet. We have more enemies to deal with. We have more victories to win."

He closed the notebook.

The phone rang again.

It was Karimi.

"Beheshti has started talking," Karimi said.