The 1974 Carnation Revolution came as a blessing for independence movements in Portugal's African colonies: Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea. As had been the case in a number of sub-Saharan countries suddenly finding themselves free of the colonial yoke, the political vacuum left behind by a previously omnipresent power gave different factions the opportunity to impose their own form of rule. Angola was no different: civil war broke out in 1975 and was to last until 2002. In some ways the Angolan civil war bore similarities to the one which had taken place in neighboring DRC. Too much was at stake for the West not to intervene in some shape or form and in July 1975 President Ford authorized the CIA to provide covert assistance to the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). With South Africa providing military support against a Cuban-backed Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), another southwestern African nation became the battleground for a war of ideologies. In 1975-1976, no fewer than nine different armed forces were involved in the fighting. In addition, a large group of British mercenaries were recruited to train FNLA soldiers. The role of these soldiers of fortune would end in ignominy, death and legislative changes intended to rid mercenaries from conflict forever. From Operation IA/FEATURE to Massacre at Maquela examines the dynamics of the Angolan civil war and takes the reader into the inner workings of geopolitical interests, of CIA covert operations and mercenary recruitment. It examines clandestine arms and money laundering networks; takes us from the heart of the Vietnam War to Australian banks, and takes us into dealings between the US and British governments in operations far removed from, but connected to, the Angolan Civil War.

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Pages: 80

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 23-06-2021

The series of sharp clashes between Ecuador and Peru of 1981 left the dispute between the two countries unresolved as there was still no definitive delimitation of the border. During the following years, both parties had to deal with a series of internal and external issues and, ultimately, these affected the planning and operational capabilities of their respective armed forces. While Peru underwent a severe economic crisis including hyperinflation caused by poor management of its economy, and a leftist insurgency, Ecuador underwent a transition from a centrally-controlled economy to a free market: in turn, it was one of countries in Latin America least affected by the precipitous fall in regional economic indices of the 1990s. These factors had an immediate impact upon the armed forces of both countries: they proved decisive for the development of their defensive and offensive planning, and would exercise direct influence upon the decisions taken by field commanders of both countries during the final, third war between Ecuador and Peru in 1995. Drawing upon extensive research in the official archives from both the Fuerza Aérea del Ecuador and Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP), with documentation from multiple private sources in both countries, Air Wars Between Ecuador and Peru, Volume 3 completes the history of the aerial operations launched by the forces of both nations in the brief - but also the most violent - engagement between these two countries. By accessing details from both parties to the conflict, this volume avoids biased and one-sided coverage of the conflict, while providing detail of the military build-up, capabilities and intentions of both of the air forces involved, their training, planning, and the conduct of combat operations. Illustrated by more than 100 exclusive photographs, half a dozen maps and 15 authentic color profiles, Air Wars Between Ecuador and Peru, Volume 3 provides the first authoritative account of the air warfare between Ecuador and Peru in early 1995.

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Pages: 96

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 28-04-2021

On 24 March 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched Operation Allied Force against Serbia. Lasting 78 days, this was an unusual conflict fought at several levels. The campaign was fought at the negotiation tables, in the media, and via cyber warfare. In the air, NATO sought to destroy or at least minimize the capability of the Serbian forces, while on the ground the Serbian forces fought the Kosovo-Albanian insurgency. It had an unusual outcome, too: without NATO losing a single soldier in direct action, they still forced the Serbian authorities and armed forces to withdraw from Kosovo, which in 2008 then proclaimed its independence. In turn, the war inflicted serious human and material losses upon the Serbians and the air force was particularly devastated by air strikes on its facilities. Nevertheless, many within NATO subsequently concluded that the skies over Serbia were as dangerous on the last night of this conflict as they were on its first. Largely based on cooperation with the joint commission of the Serbian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force in Europe (USAFE), Operation Allied Force provides a detailed account of NATO's aerial campaign, including reconstructions of operations by 'stealth' aircraft such as the F-117A and B-2A. This book also offers a detailed reconstruction of the planning and conduct of combat operations by the Serbian Air Force, with special emphasis on the attempts of its sole MiG-29 squadron to challenge enemy strike packages. This volume is illustrated by a rich collection of exclusive photography collected from both sides, and along with custom-drawn artworks provides a set of entirely new and unique insights into what was the last war fought in Europe during the 20th century.

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Pages: 96

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 31-08-2021

All for One, One for All provides a contemporary perspective of the baptism of fire of one of the oldest, most resourceful and well-trained war fighting institutions in Latin America: the Argentine Navy. It offers a rare insight into the relationship between institutional culture and modern warfare, with specific reference to the Falklands/Malvinas War of 1982, and is a case study of how a very modest navy with very few naval platforms engaged in a limited war against a major naval power and nevertheless was able to make its mark. This book examines the institutional culture that accounts for a great deal of the activities and rationale of the Argentine Navy as an instrument of state policy and includes a detailed reconstruction of all operations by the Argentine Navy during the Falklands/Malvinas War. The Falklands/Malvinas campaign was a major naval landmark for the Argentine Navy, but the influence of institutional culture was clearly identifiable in the actions of the service as a whole. All for One, One for All provides a much needed cultural interpretation of the Argentine Navy, and is essential reading for anyone interested in modern Argentine naval history and strategy. It includes over 100 photographs, specially commissioned maps and unique color profiles.

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Pages: 88

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 20-05-2021

The victory of the communists in the Chinese civil war resulted in the formation of a new socialist state in Asia - the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Soviet leadership was the first to recognize the PRC, and subsequently provided China with considerable economic, scientific, and military assistance. After Stalin's death, however, relations between Moscow and Peking began to rapidly deteriorate, the main reasons being the disagreements regarding Stalin's legacy and the principles of co-existence with capitalist states. With the beginning of the so-called 'cultural revolution' in the PRC, these disagreements intensified: the two sides in the ideological conflict accused each other of revisionism, dogmatism and nationalism. Economic failures and social chaos forced the PRC leadership (first and foremost, Mao Zedong personally) to seek a method for divesting itself of the responsibility for what had taken place. As a solution, they organized a military conflict on the border with the Soviet Union - one that was adequate enough to mobilize and rally the people around the PRC leadership, while at the same time insignificant enough in scale to prevent it from escalating into a full-fledged war.

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Pages: 76

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 19-05-2021

War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 4 continues the coverage of the operational history of the Angolan Air Force and Air Defence Force (FAPA/DAA) as told by Angolan and Cuban sources, in the period 1985-1988. Many accounts of this conflict - better known in the West as the 'Border War' or the 'Bush War', as named by its South African participants - consider the operations of the FAPA/DAA barely worth commentary. At most, they mention a few air combats involving Mirage F.1 interceptors of the South African Air Force (SAAF) in 1987 and 1988, and perhaps a little about the activity of the FAPA/DAA's MiG-23s. However, a closer study of Angolan and Cuban sources reveals an entirely different image of the air war over Angola in the 1980s: indeed, it reveals the extent to which the flow of the entire war was dictated by the availability - or the lack - of air power. These issues strongly influenced the planning and conduct of operations by the commanders of the Angolan and Cuban forces. Based on extensive research with the help of Angolan and Cuban sources, War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 4, traces the Angolan and Cuban application of air power between 1985-1988 - during which it came of age - and the capabilities, intentions, and the combat operations of the air forces. The volume is illustrated with 100 rarely seen photographs, half a dozen maps and 15 color profiles, and provides a unique source of reference on this subject.

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Pages: 80

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 15-07-2021

Volume 4 of Air Power and the Arab World continues the story of the men and machines of the first half century of military aviation in the Arab world. The earliest of the Arab air forces to be established trace their histories back to the 1920s and 1930s when the overwhelming majority of Arab countries, and an even larger majority of the Arabic-speaking people, were ruled or dominated by four European powers. This volume continues with the story of the period from 1936-1941. The role, organizational structure and activities of the first Arab air forces are described based on decades of consistent research, newly available sources in Arabic and various European languages, and is richly illustrated with a wide range of authentic photography. These air forces ranged from dreams which never got off the ground, to small forces which existed for a limited time then virtually disappeared, to forces which started very small then grew into something more significant. Even so, the successful air forces of Iraq and Egypt would only have a localized impact within the frontiers of their own states. It was not until the next stage of the story of Air Power and the Arab World that Arab warplanes and Arab airmen would attempt to play a role on the world stage. This fourth volume includes over 100 photos, 5 maps, and 12 color profiles.

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Pages: 88

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 22-06-2021

In 1984, the Indian Army carried out a stunning operation that captured the Siachen Glacier in the northernmost regions of what is now the Union Territory of Ladakh. Since that time, a full brigade of Indian troops has faced off against a similar number of Pakistani soldiers in the highest battlefield on earth. Sustained by a combination of tenuous road supply lines and air support, where helicopter manuals have had to be rewritten, the two countries have had numerous skirmishes that have escalated into the use of artillery fire. Operation Meghdoot tells the story of this conflict. Beginning with the trauma of partition and the first Kashmir war that saw the region divided between India and Pakistan, it progresses to the 1962 Sino-Indian war which saw the Aksai Chin region lost to China and the Shaksgam Valley unilaterally ceded by Pakistan to China. The consequence of this was to allow the development of the Karakoram Pass and highway to link China to Pakistan.

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Pages: 68

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 22-04-2021

Hundreds of fighter-bombers of Soviet design and manufacture served in the air forces of multiple frontline Arab states during the first half of the 1960s. Not only older Mikoyan i Gurevich MiG-15s and MiG-17s, but also newer types such as the MiG-19 and MiG-21 were acquired in continuously increasing numbers, concurrently with Ilyushin Il-28- and Tupolev Tu-16 bombers, transport types such as the Antonov An-12 and Ilyushin Il-14, and trainers designed by Yakovlev. Nowhere else did they - and their pilots - play as important a role for the future of the local air forces - or entire nations - as in Egypt and Syria from 1963 until 1967. Whilst the period in question is still frequently described as a 'peaceful decade' in Israel and the West, they saw almost uninterrupted action: in Egypt, in Syria, as well as in Yemen, and especially in continuous incidents with Israel. Based on official documentation and extensive interviews with dozens of veterans, and richly illustrated with exclusive photography and color profiles, MiGs in the Middle East Volume 2 is a uniquely compact yet comprehensive guide to the build-up and operational history of Soviet-made aircraft in Egypt and Syria during this period. Prepared by authors that have established themselves as top authorities on the Arab air forces, and supported by custom-drawn color profiles and detailed maps, it provides an exclusive, in-depth study and a single point of reference for the operational history of the Egyptian and Syrian air forces, their organization and markings of the mid-1960s.

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Pages: 80

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 01-09-2021

During the first half of the 20th century, the Empire of Japan fought a series of undeclared wars in the Far East against Tsarist Russia and the successor Soviet Union. The first of these, fought in 1904-1905 over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea, ended in a clear-cut Japanese victory. Following the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, in 1931, Japan turned its interest to nearby Soviet territories. The result was a series of border incidents, starting with the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938, as described in the first volume of Red Star versus the Rising Sun. Maintaining that the border between the Japanese proxy state of Manchukuo and the Soviet-dominated Mongolian People’s Republic was the Khalkhyn Gol (or Khalkha River), the Japanese deployed some of the best units of their army to occupy and secure this area. Following a military build-up, a series of bitter clashes took place in mid-May and June 1939, after which the Japanese launched an all-out assault in July. Due to heavy casualties, the battle resulted in a stalemate. With tension also rising in Europe and concerned about the possibility of facing a two-front war, the Soviets reacted with a major counter-offensive in August 1939, and defeated the Japanese. While relatively little-known in the West, this short but bitter war – known as the Nomonhan Incident in Japan, or the Battle of Khalkhyn Gol in the Soviet Union – was a crucial overture to the subsequent Second World War. Having secured its border in the Far East, the Soviet Union was free to concentrate on war in Europe, whilst the Japanese turned their attention to South-East Asia and the Pacific. Although continuing to underestimate their opponents, the Japanese introduced a major reform of their army and after realising the massive material disparity vis-à-vis the USSR, Tokyo and joined the Axis with Nazi Germany and Italy. The second volume of Red Star versus the Rising Sun examines the land and air forces of the opposing forces in the Far East as they stood in 1939 and offers a detailed description of the conflict on and above the battlefields of Nomonhan. This volume is richly illustrated with period photographs, maps and original colour artworks of the soldiers, aircraft and armoured vehicles deployed in this conflict.

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Pages: 80

Dimensions: 210 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 15-01-2022