Su-34The Sukhoi Su-34 'Fullback' strike fighter was developed from the Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' air superiority fighter as a 4th+ generation stike aircraft for service with the VKS - Russian Federation Air Force - from the second decade of the twenty first century. The Su-34 was designed to replace the Russian Federations aging fleet of Sukhoi Su-24M/2 variable-geometry strike aircraft and possibly the Su-24MR in the tactical reconnaissance role. Conceived under the T-10V program in the twilight years of the Soviet Union - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - the design weathered the financial crisis that gripped Russia following the break-up of that union on 25 December 1991. The T-10V matured into an advanced strike aircraft, deliveries to the Russian Federation Air Force commencing in second half of the first decade of the twenty first century.This volume covers the program from conception to operational service with chapters describing the aircraft design, development, production, systems, weapons complexes and strike operations flown by the Russian Aerospace Group supporting the Syrian Arab Republic in the civil war that gripped that nation in the 2010's.
Sukhoi Su-27SM(3)/SKM - The purpose of this volume is to detail the Sukhoi Su-27SM(3)/SKM family of 4th+ generation multirole combat aircraft which emanated from an upgrade program for serial production Su-27S 4th generation air superiority fighter aircraft and a new build program for Su-27SKM and Su-27SM3 aircraft for the export and domestic markets respectively. The volume covers the evolution of the first generation Su-27 air superiority fighter, which was born out of the T-10 development program of the 1970's, leading to the 21st century Su-27SM(3)/SKM multirole combat aircraft through the anomaly that was the Su-30KI development of the late 1990's. No attempt is made to detail the plethora of developments that evolved from the Su-27 such as the two-seat Su-30 families, attention being fixed on the further development of the single-seat Su-27S into the Su-27SM(3)/SKM variants. All technical information regarding the aircraft, systems and weapons have been provided by the respective developers/manufacturers, as have many of the photographs and graphics. Certain elements of text, when pertinent, are taken from the volumes 'Sukhoi Su-35S 'Flanker' E, Russia's 4++ Generation Super-Manoeuvrability Fighter' and 'Sukhoi Su-30MKK/MK2/M2 - Russo Kitashiy Striker from Amur'.
Exploring themes critical to understanding the current world order, this book lays bare the reality of the new Russia that emerged under Vladimir Putin. Russia holds the world's largest natural gas reserves, the second largest coal and uranium reserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves. Europe is dependent on Russia for 25 percent of its oil and gas. Russia is also positioning itself to play a similar role with respect to China. The key to this strategy is a network of new oil and natural gas pipelines that Russia is in the process of constructing, which will by-pass the problematic Ukraine, Georgia, Poland and the Baltic States in the West, and lock-in the enormous potential of China in the East. Further, as the Western economies including the USA begin themselves to recover, their growing energy dependence will come back into the forefront, and therefore the need to ensure that Russia does not fail in its opening up of new energy resources in the Arctic and Eastern Siberia. Russia is no longer a superpower, in the Cold War sense of the word, because its military is significantly weaker, and as such is incapable of conducting a regional let alone global war against either the United States or NATO. It is precisely because of its military weakness that Putin has been forced to adopt an asymmetric approach. Thus, the pipeline spigot and the proliferation of missiles and aircraft have become Russia's weapons of choice, along with an ever growing reliance on its strategic nuclear forces to provide it with the necessary deterrent to foreign aggression. In addition, Putin and Medvedev have no interest in an arms race with the United States, it is too costly and detracts from their priority, which is economic reform. From Putin's perspective, America is in the process of imposing "absolute security" or as Joint Vision 2020 put it: "full spectrum dominance" over the world. As the sole remaining superpower, the United States enjoys a massive strategic imbalance in its favor, which it has used first to contain, but now with the intent to control the world. How? NATO expansion lays the groundwork for a U.S. global missile defense system to contain perceived adversaries, such as Russia, which in turn secures the dominance of America through its Prompt Global Strike (PGS) capability – the ability to strike anywhere on the planet with impunity within 90 minutes of the order being given by The President. Thus, PGS will be to the 21st Century, what British Gun Boat Diplomacy was to the 19th Century. In such a context, Russia is forced to respond asymmetrically.
This new IISS Strategic Dossier examines the recent development of Moscow’s armed forces and military capabilities. It analyses the aspirations underpinning Russia’s military reform programme and its successes as well as its failures. The book also provides insights into Russia’s operational use of its armed forces, including in the intervention in Syria, the goals and results of recent state armament programmes, and the trajectory of future developments. This full-colour volume includes more than 50 graphics, maps and charts and over 70 images, and contains chapters on: Russia's armed forces since the end of the Cold War Strategic forces Ground forces Naval forces Aerospace forces Russia’s approach to military decision-making and joint operations Economics and industry At a time when Russia’s relations with many of its neighbours are increasingly strained, and amid renewed concern about the risk of an armed clash, this dossier is essential reading for understanding the state,capabilities and future of Russia’s armed forces.
In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.
Presents revised and edited papers from a October 2010 conference held in Taipei on the Chinese Air Force. The conference was jointly organized by Taiwan?s Council for Advanced Policy Studies, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the U.S. National Defense University, and the RAND Corporation. This books offers a complete picture of where the Chinese air force is today, where it has come from, and most importantly, where it is headed.
The Su-30MKI family of super-manoeuvrable multi-role combat aircraft share the same numerical designation as the Su-30MKK/MK2 family of combat aircraft although both design groups, despite being directly descendant from the first generation Su-27, took different evolutionary paths. Numerical designation and some first glance looks aside, the Su-30MKI family are fundamentally different designs from the Su-30MKK/MK2 family in terms of primary design role, internal systems and structure; certainly in regards to the latter the Su-30MKK/MK2 having more in common with the Su-27M (first generation Su-35) than the Su-30M from which the Su-30MKI is clearly derived; this design clearly having evolved from the Su-30M which was developed from the Su-27UB two-seat operational conversion trainer variant of the Su-27S single-seat air superiority fighter. This volume covers the evolution of the Su-30 design from the Su-27, which was born out of the T-10 development program of the 1970's. The evolution of the Su-30M interceptor into the multi-role Su-30MK and ergo the Su-30MKI 'super-manoeuvrable' series is detailed. The various design models, the Su-30MKI for India, Su-30MKM for Malaysia, Su-30MKI(A) for Algeria and the domesticated Su-30SM (Russian CM) for Russia and Kazakhstan are described in detail, as are the weapons that can be employed by the respective variants. All technical information regarding the aircraft, systems and weapons have been provided by the respective manufacturers, as have many of the photographs and graphics. Certain elements of text, when pertinent, are taken from the volumes 'Sukhoi Su-35S 'Flanker' E, Russia's 4++ Generation Super-Manoeuvrability Fighter' and 'Sukhoi T-50/PAK FA, Russia's 5th Generation 'Stealth' Fighter'.
As early as 1979, Soviet aircraft designers started work on a program called I-90, a fighter for the 1990s. Two Soviet aircraft design bureaus took on the task, Mikoyan and Sukhoi. Work began in 1983 but with the dissolution of the Soviet Union the project stalled. In 2002 the Russian government kicked off a new program under which Sukhoi began development of what was then known as PAK FA (Future Tactical Aviation Aircraft System). Known in house as the T-50, this aircraft strongly resembled the American F-22 Raptor in overall appearance. The first prototype took to the air on January 29, 2010 and in 2017 the fighter was allocated the service designation Su-57. In 2018 the aircraft had its combat debut when four of the prototypes were briefly deployed to Syria during the Russian campaign against the IS terror network in that country. Production was officially launched in May 2019, with the Russian Air Force having 70-plus on order. This work charts the development and trials history of the 1.44, Su-47 and Su-57, as well as other project versions that did not make it to the hardware stage. It is illustrated with numerous previously unpublished photos and drawings.
His in-depth look at new-generation fighter programs under development around the world profiles Lockheed Martin's F-22A Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale and Sukhoi family of Su-27 derivatives, commonly referred to as the Super Flankers. The Gripen, Rafale and some Su-27 subtypes have already entered service. The Eurofighter will be next and the two American fighters are scheduled to join the inventory over the next decade. In full color throughout, this unique new book is the first to cover all of the emerging fighter platforms, and is packed with superb air-to-air photos, specifications and tables, 3-views, technical drawings and magnificent artwork.
