Different versions of the jet have provided the backbone of the frontline strength of the Iranian air force since the 1970s, and whole generations of Iranian pilots and ground personnel have been trained to fly and maintain them. Indeed, the type bore the brunt of active combat operations during the long war with Iraq. Iranian F-4 Phantom IIs were also some of best equipped examples ever exported by the USA. Some Iranian Phantom II pilots gathered immense experience on the type, flying it in combat for more than ten years. This book removes the veil of secrecy surrounding Iranian Phantom II operations since the war with Iraq.

Tom Cooper is a native of Vienna, Austria. He has been researching the Arab and Iranian air forces and the Iran-Iraq war since the late 1980s, and has written several articles on the subject. This is his first book for Osprey. Farzad Bishop is a well-known Iranian-born aviation analyst and writer. He has spent many years researching the airpower used in recent Middle Eastern conflicts, concentrating on the Iran-Iraq war in particular.
Jim Laurier attended Paier School of Art in Hamden and has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration ever since. As a pilot he combines his love of history with his flying experiences to create some of the most realistic and historically accurate aviation paintings seen today. Jim has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon and has been published in many books, magazines, and calendars.