In both Soviet and modern Russia a multitude of aircraft have been used for test and research purposes. Primarily this was done for verifying new avionics, aircraft systems and weaponry but testbed a

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 th

A greatly expanded edition, with over 60 pages of new material, of the definitive book on these unusual and exciting aircraft. Brings the Ekranoplan story up to date whilst considering how the

In the years after WWII, aircraft used for special missions appeared in the world’s leading air forces, including the Soviet Union. The first airborne early warning and control aircraft was the early

After the end of the Second World War, the Soviet Union tried to exert its political influence on the Asian continent. A major pillar of this cold‐war policy was the widespread supply of arms to the

By the end of the Second World War the USA and Great Britain had developed viable jet fighters, even if these aircraft came a bit too late to have a significant impact on the course of the conflict.

The MiG-31 started life as an advanced derivative of the famous MiG-25P interceptor, becoming the first Soviet fourth-generation combat aircraft. First flown in 1975, it differed from its progenitor