Russian Strategic Aviation Today includes a development and design history of the Blackjack, Bear and Backfire, their armament, unit badges and insignia of the Russian units operating them. Backed up by around 600 photographs, many previously unreleased, detailed line drawings and colour profiles including individual names and nose art, this book provides a wealth of information for the historian and modeler alike.

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.

"The Russian Air Force carries the mantle of the erstwhile 'Red Air Force' of the Soviet Union and has a long and illustrious history backed by grand traditions and customs. The Russian Air Force is still coming to grips with its changed circumstances after the collapse of the Soviet Union and is perhaps in the best shape of the three armed forces to be able to lend credence to the Russian Federation's claim to international influence and power projection capabilities. Doctrine is the reflection of a nation's character, and air power doctrine is influenced by the strategic culture of a nation. Nowhere else is this more apparent than in the case of the Russian Air Force. The Red Air Force has been directly influenced by the political upheavals in the Soviet Union and now Russia, but has displayed exemplary resilience in continuing to provide adequate support for government policies. The impact of political ideology on the development of doctine and air power has not been greater in any other air force around the world. This book is an extension of a doctoral thesis produced in 2005 and is essential reading for anyone trying to come to grips with the intricate relationship that exists between national security imperatives, political ideology and the development of military doctrine."--Back cover

Russia Air Force Handbook

This volume deals with the current state of the Russian Air Arm, explaining its structure and order of battle in the light of recent reorganizations. Also included are accounts of the first and second Chechen Wars, and brief descriptions of all aircraft types currently in use.

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.

This book is the story of Russian aviation and Soviet Russia's progress in preparing its strength as an air power. It discusses the Russia-Germany connect post 1919, how Russians gained expertise from German know-how, and post World War II progress from Stalin to Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.