The Mig 23s operated minutes from their base while the radar horizon for the South Africans was 20 000 feet over the battle area. The most challenging disparity was that the Mig 23s had all sector missiles against the Mirage F1 with only rear sector. The Mirage F1s intercepted the Migs by ingressing at a low level, communicating to the radar operators through an airborne pilot relaying the messages to increase the surprise factor.
The Mig 23s were operating close to their base, while the South African radar had a 20,000-foot range over the battle area. The biggest challenge was that the Mig 23s had missiles covering all sectors except for rear, while the Mirage F1s had only rear sector coverage. To counter this, the Mirage F1s flew low and used an airborne pilot to relay messages to increase surprise.