With Ethiopia in disarray following a period of severe internal unrest and the spread of insurgencies in Eritrea and Tigray, Ethiopia and its armed forces should have offered little opposition to well-equipped Somali armed forces which were unleashed to capture Ogaden, in July 1977. However, excellently trained pilots of the Ethiopian Air Force took full advantage of their US-made equipment, primarily their few brand-new Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter-bombers, to take the fight to their opponents, win air superiority over the battlefield, and thus have their hands free to interdict the Somali supply links to stop the invasion cold. This air victory practically sealed the fate of the Somali juggernaut in Ogaden, especially so once Ethiopia convinced Cuba and the Soviet Bloc to support her instead of Somalia. In a fit of pique, Somalia forced all Soviet advisers to leave the country. Already bitter over similar experiences in Egypt in 1972, Moscow’s revenge was designed as a clear message: nobody was to treat her in such fashion again. The USSR subsequently launched an air bridge to Ethiopia, unique and unprecedented in its extension and importance, delivering huge quantities of armament and equipment necessary for the Ethiopians to reconquer Ogaden, and beyond. In turn Somalia asked the USA for help and thus occurred an unprecedented switch of Cold War alliances. This volume details the history and training of both Ethiopian and Somali air forces, their equipment and training, tactics used and kills claimed, against the backdrop of the flow of the Ogaden war. It explains in detail, supported by over 100 contemporary and exclusive photographs, maps and colour profiles, how the Ethiopian Air Force won the decisive victory in the air by expertly deploying the F-5Es – unequalled in manoeuvrability, small size and powerful armament – to practically destroy the Somali Air Force and its MiG-17s and MiG-21s.

The world's first jet engines were already available shortly before the end of the Second World War, but they had not been developed to a high enough standard to take part. This changed after 1945 when, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, one technological development surpassed the others and records tumbled almost every week. The era of the piston engine was finally over and jet fighters now dominated the skies. By the mid-1950s their speed had already reached double that of the speed of sound; an achievement which a few years earlier, would have sounded to many like science fiction.

The Dassault Super tendard, which became the Super tendard Modernis in due course, had a remarkable career. It was a humble aircraft that was often faced with thankless and difficult tasks. There was no excessive power in this aircraft, but simply a remarkable versatility that made it the backbone of French carrier aviation for 40 years. Solid, reliable, well-designed, and adaptable, the Super tendard was an aircraft that France regularly upgraded, enabling it to maintain its rank with increasingly sophisticated equipment and armaments. It gained notoriety for its role in anti-ship missions flown by Argentinian pilots, but paradoxically, France never used it in combat in this role. On the other hand, the aircraft was extensively used as a bomber in numerous wars, in a variety of places, including Lebanon, Syria, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan. With over 160 images, this book looks at the history of the Super tendard and the impact it had on aviation.

At its dawn in the early twentieth century, the new technology of aviation posed a crucial question to American and British cavalry: what do we do with the airplane? Lacking the hindsight of historical perspective, cavalry planners based their decisions on incomplete information. Harnessing the Airplane compares how the American and British armies dealt with this unique challenge. A multilayered look at a critical aspect of modern industrial warfare, this book examines the ramifications of technological innovation and its role in the fraught relationship that developed between traditional ground units and emerging air forces. Cavalry officers pondered the potential military uses of airplanes and other new technologies early on, but preferred to test them before embracing and incorporating them in their operations. Cavalrymen cautiously examined airplane capabilities, developed applications and doctrine for joint operations, and in the United States, even tried to develop their own, specially designed craft. Throughout the interwar period, instead of replacing the cavalry, airplanes were used cooperatively with cavalry forces in reconnaissance, security, communication, protection, and pursuit-a collaboration tested in maneuvers and officially blessed in both British and American doctrine. This interdependent relationship changed drastically, however, during the 1930s as aviation priorities and doctrine shifted from tactical support of ground troops toward independent strategic bombardment. Henning shows that the American and British experiences with military aviation differed. The nascent British aviation service made quicker inroads into reconnaissance and scouting, even though the British cavalry was the older institution with more-established traditions. The American cavalry, despite its youth, contested the control of reconnaissance as late as the 1930s, years after similar arguments ended in Britain. Drawing on contemporary government reports, memoirs and journals of service personnel, books, and professional and trade journals and magazines, Harnessing the Airplane is a nuanced account of the cavalry's response to aviation over time and presents a new perspective on a significant chapter of twentieth-century military history.

While volumes have been devoted to the legendary "Flying Tigers," the ultimate American Volunteer Group, another virtually unknown band of flyers preceded them in 1932. When Colombia and Peru became embroiled in what is known as the "Leticia Affair," a little-heralded arms race ensued. The Curtiss-Wright Export Corporation saw an opening and soon had not only sold the Colombians on an impressive assortment of aircraft types but also an American cadre to bridge the gap until their own crews were ready. Illustrated with rare contemporary illustrations, this books tells the fascinating story of these oft-forgotten men and the aircraft they flew.

The F-105 Thunderchief was primarily designed for tactical nuclear operations. For this reason, it was on nuclear Victor alert in Europe (Bitburg and Spangdahlem Air Bases in Germany) and the Far East (Kadena on Okinawa and Osan in the Republic of Korea). After President John F. Kennedy took office in January 1961, his Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, shifted the USAF's focus more and more to conventional warfare including, through modifications, the mission of the F-105. When the air war against North Vietnam was initiated in earnest on March 2, 1965, the USAF needed an aircraft with a load-carrying ability, and the only aircraft that could do that job was the Thunderchief. This book not only gives in-depth accounts of various historical F-105 events, with inputs from the pilots involved, but is also lavishly illustrated with over 150 images, many of which have never been published before.

Wayne K. Blickenstaff, known as 'Blick', was a stalwart of the 350th Fighter Squadron of the 353rd Fighter Group based at Goxhill, Metfield and Raydon, England as part of the Eighth Air Force prosecuting the strategic air campaign against Germany. As an original cadre member, he rose steadily through the ranks from a Second Lieutenant Element Leader to Flight Leader, Squadron Operations Officer, Squadron Leader and finally to a Lieutenant Colonel and Group Operations Officer. Flying the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang, he completed two tours of operations between 1943 and 1945 encompassing 133 missions and claims of 10 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air. His double 'ace' status included a Me262 jet fighter and the destruction of five aircraft in one mission face=Calibri>- giving him rare 'ace in a day' status. Ace in a Day is Blick's honest and gritty personal memoir of his air war in Europe. His vivid writing places you in the cockpit as he and his comrades battle the enemy in the skies or attack ground targets across Europe. His account conveys a true sense of just how dangerous flying World War II fighters, in all weather conditions, really was. It was not just the enemy that could kill you. A moment's inattention, overconfidence or simple mistake could be deadly. As a keen observer of character, Blick's pen portraits of those around him, including many of those who sadly did not survive the war, offer a poignant and deeply moving tribute to those with whom he served. Anyone wanting an understanding of the dynamics of a working fighter squadron at war and the dilemmas faced by those in command should read this book. Supported by an impressive array of original documentation, photographs, and detailed appendices, including Blick's never-before published wartime journal, Ace in a Day provides a unique and valuable insight into the harsh realities of the air war in Europe from one of the 'Mighty Eighth's' top fighter pilots.

Military aviation in Argentina has a long history and for many years it was the most powerful in Latin America, achieving worldwide fame in 1982 when it confronted British forces over the South Atlantic. Sadly, as a result of Argentina's more recent economic woes and a lack of political commitment over more three decades, it is now struggling to maintain its capabilities and replace old aircraft. Ironically, this situation makes for a varied and interesting aviation scene, with Argentine military aviation flying many classic types that are not easy to see in operation today with a military force, as well as some less-common indigenous aircraft. Illustrated with more than 140 photographs, this book shines a spotlight on the Argentine Air Force, Naval Aviation and Army Aviation, as well as the paramilitary forces of the Coast Guard, Gendarmerie and Presidential Flight. Author Santiago Rivas gives a fascinating insight into their histories, comprehensive details of their current organisation, their missions and the aircraft they operate, and full 'orders of battle' for each air arm. AUTHOR: Santiago Rivas was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1977 and graduated in journalism. Since 1997 he has worked in aviation and defence journalism, travelling all across Latin America to research for articles and books. In 2007 he published his first book, about the Malvinas/Falklands War for a Brazilian publisher and since then, another eighteen titles have published in Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom, with others still to be released. He has also published articles in more than fifty magazines in twenty countries and currently works for more than twenty of them. He has three children and lives in Buenos Aires, travelling extensively within Latin America to fulfil his research work. 160 illustrations

This latest two-part work provides a study of another significant arm of the Luftwaffe, the Aufklarungsflieger or reconnaissance units. Although such operations are sometimes erroneously perceived as being of secondary importance due to their lack of offensive function, the Luftwaffe was very advanced in understanding the benefits of reconnaissance. In fact no single arm of the Luftwaffe operated at such a wide number of aircraft types and many of the operations conducted by the Aufklarungsflieger units were of vital importance.
This first volume will cover the aircraft and operations of the reconnaissance units from their origins in clandestine survey and photographic work over Poland and the United Kingdom in the late 1930s through to their first operational use during the Spanish Civil War. They were active in the skies across Europe, from Poland in the east to Britain in the west. They also played their part in the invasions of the Balkans and Russia.
On the Russian and Mediterranean fronts, short-range reconnaissance usually involved low-level missions over enemy territory using the Fieseler Fi156 Storch and Hs126 biplanes, though Bf109s and Fw190s were also employed on such activities. Also included in this book will be an overview of the related "Wekusta" or weather reconnaissance units, responsible for the collection of meteorological data where, because of the proximity of the enemy, normal land-based observation was not available. These units were assigned directly to the Meteorological Service of the Luftwaffe High Command and were considered very valuable assets.