Soviet Tactical Aviation

At its height during the Cold War, Soviet tactical aviation was a large force of fighter, bomber, and attack air regiments with a high degree of readiness - many units stationed outside the Soviet Union saw actual combat. But, even as progressively more refined jet aircraft came into service - Yak-23, MiG-17 fighters and IL-28 tactical bombers, the attack aviation units still flew outdated IL-10 piston-engined aircraft well into the 1950s. Soviet pilots in combat over the People's Republic of China, North Korea, and Cuba, and their role in Eastern Europe combine with more than 500 color photographs, 50 color profiles, details of units, and insignia to give an in-depth look at this important era.

Beautifully illustrated with many rare and unpublished photographs, Soviet Cold War Fighters looks at the main development periods of Soviet fighter designs and covers all the important features and developments for each - a total of four generations of fighter were developed from the late 1940s to the early 1980s - that witnessed the most iconic and powerful fighters such as the legendary MiG-15, MiG-21, Tu-128, Su-9, MiG-23, MiG-25 reach for the skies, followed by the modern day MiG-29, MiG-31 and Su-27, which strike fear in the West for their phenomenal weaponry and blistering performance. All aircraft are described in detail with facts and figures, including their weapons and instances of combat employment, as well as explaining how the Cold War drastically changed Soviet fighter design to counter the West. Researched and written by Alexander Mladenov, a leading aviation journalist, this is a highly detailed testament to leading Soviet fighter design and development.

The Tactical Aviation branch (FA-Frontovaya aviatsiya) has always occupied an important place in the structure of the Soviet, and subsequently Russian, Air Force. In the 20-odd post-Soviet years the Russian Air Force has been repeatedly reformed and in the course of the reforms the importance of Tactical Aviation has risen. The brief military conflict with Georgia in August 2008 highlighted poor organization of operations and in 2009 the customary air armies, air divisions and air regiments were replaced by aviation bases. Much importance has attached to fleet renewal and upgrading of the Russian Tactical Aviation capability. The Su-35S 'Generation 4++' single-seat fighter is entering full-scale production and service. Deliveries of single-seat Su-27SM3 (a mid-life update) and two-seat Su-30SM and Su-30M2 multi-role fighters are also underway. The Beriyev A-50 AWACS aircraft, which supports the Tactical Aviation's air defense role, are also being updated. Production and deliveries of the Su-34 tactical bomber are continuing and for want of a next-generation attack aircraft, the Russian Air Force is continuing to upgrade its Su-25 fleet--the latest Su-25SM3 is now in service. Much attention has been paid to combat training. Exercises are being held more frequently than in the 1990s and in-flight refuelling of various aircraft, including tactical bombers, is practiced on a much wider scale than before, as are long-range flights by groups of fighters. The book, companion to the highly successful Soviet Tactical Aviation, illustrates the current state of the Russian Air Force's tactical aviation as well as its recent history in various overseas conflicts. Details are given of the aviation bases (units), their locations and the principal types currently in service. Russian Tactical Aviationis illustrated throughout with many previously unpublished photos, including air-to-air shots during recent Russian Force exercises, as well as color profiles of Russian tactical aircraft and helicopters operated by various aviation bases.

This report is an assessment of trends and prospects in Russian military aviation. It is based in large measure on the extensive reportage on air power and other military matters that has pervaded the Russian defense literature since the onset of glasnost in 1986. It also benefits from limited first-hand contacts between the author and senior Russian Air Force and aviation industry leaders. The roots of this undertaking go back to a Project AIR FORCE study initiated at RAND in 1987 for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters United States Air Force, aimed at providing a comprehensive look at how tactical aviation fitted into broader Soviet concepts for theater warfare in Europe. That project, entitled "Soviet Tactical Air Power in Strategic Perspective," sought to examine the USSR's fighter force in terms of its historical origins, organizational development, training and tactics, operational style, mission tasking, and role in overall theater campaign strategy. Soon after work began, most of the original questions posed, along with the geostrategic setting of Soviet force planning, underwent a fundamental change as a result of then-President Mikhail Gorbachev's doctrinal innovations and the ensuing end of the cold war. At the same time, Gorbachev's domestic reforms created new issues of interest with regard to Soviet military aviation. They also opened up some unprecedented sources of insight into the inner workings of the Soviet defense establishment. As a result, the sponsoring office, Project CHECKMATE, agreed to Put the study on hold so that these developments might be taken into proper account.

In the light of new archival material the editors take a fresh look at Russian aviation in the twentieth century. Presenting a comprehensive view of Russian aviation, from its genesis in the late czarist period to the present era, the approach is essentially chronological with a major emphasis on the evolution of military aviation. The contributions are diverse, with appropriate attention to civilian and institutional themes.

En gennemgang og en analyse af Sovjets flyvevåben, som opererer flere fly end noget andet land. Kan de i en krigssituation også i tilstrækkeligt omfang holdes i luften, og kan chefer og piloter finde den rette balance mellem den tilsvarende stramme styring og et nødvendigt friere initiativ?

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, international relations across the globe were dominated by the Cold War. From 1949 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, US and Soviet strategic forces were deployed across the Arctic Ocean in North America and Northern Russia, while the best-equipped armed forces that the world had ever seen faced each other directly across the 'Iron Curtain' in Europe. In Cold War Skies examines the air power of the major powers both at a strategic and at a tactical level throughout the 40 years of the Cold War. In this fascinating book, acclaimed historian Michael Napier looks at each decade of the war in turn, examining the deployment of strategic offensive and defensive forces in North America and Northern Russia as well as the situation in Europe. He details the strategic forces and land-based tactical aircraft used by the air forces of the USA, USSR, NATO, Warsaw Pact countries and the European non-aligned nations. He also describes the aircraft types in the context of the units that operated them and the roles in which they were used. The text is supported by a wide range of first-hand accounts of operational flying during the Cold War, as well as numerous high-quality images.