Peter Mersky – författare

At the A-7 Corsair II’s peak in the mid-1980s, some 30 US Navy squadrons flew various versions of the aircraft, including six Naval Air Reserve units, and these many of these units saw action across the Middle East.By the time the jet saw combat in Operation Desert Storm (1991), there remained only two fleet squadrons – many fleet squadrons having either disestablished or transitioned to the F/A­18 Hornet – but both of these units (VA-46 and VA-72) played a major role in the campaign to free Kuwait.The book details the technological development and improvements that were introduced to the airframe post-Vietnam (the FLIR targeting pod from 1979 and AGM-88 HARM missile from 1983 being the most important), and how they shaped operational employment of the aircraft. The jet’s combat experiences in conflicts during the 1970s (Cambodia), 1980s (Lebanon, Grenada, Libya and Iran), and 1990s (Iraq) are explained in detail, and Peter Mersky’s expert analysis is supported by numerous first-hand accounts from naval aviators that saw action with the A-7 during these campaigns.

A detailed examination of the F-8 Crusader, the primary naval fighter when the conflict in Vietnam escalated in 1964, versus its opposite number in the Vietnamese Peoples’ Air Force (VPAF), the MiG-17.Revered by Naval Aviators as the ‘last of the gunfighters’ due to its quartet of Colt-Browning Mk 12 20 mm cannon, the F-8 Crusader enjoyed great success against VPAF MiG-17s during the Rolling Thunder campaign of 1966–68. Close to 500 examples served with no fewer than 17 frontline units. But, the MiG-17’s unequalled low-speed manoeuvrability, small size and powerful cannon armament meant that the American forces didn’t have it all their own way.This fully illustrated book, featuring photographs, maps and battlescene artwork, reveals the tactics that were developed by pilots on both sides to give themselves the edge in air-to-air dogfights, allowing the reader to understand how the differing design and development doctrines played a part in combat.

Arriving on station with the USS Ranger (CVA-61) in early December 1967, the first Corsair II squadron became operational immediately and sustained its first combat loss three weeks later.This book tells how the A-7 soon proved its worth supporting ground operations in South Vietnam. As it continued to serve in the ground support role, the navy swiftly introduced the A-7E which soon ran into difficulties with supply lines - perhaps on account of what many perceived to have been a rushed introduction to service. Once these teething problems were resolved, the A-7E became the primary air-to-ground aircraft of the fleet.

Featuring many first-hand accounts from the pilots who flew one of the greatest attack aircraft ever built, an insightful account of some of the most thrilling aerial combats that took place during Vietnam.The Skyhawk was involved in Vietnam from the very beginning, including the first offensive operations in 1963 into Laos, and the Pierce Arrow operations immediately following the Tonkin Gulf Incident of August 1964. Navy and Marine Corps A-4s quickly established a presence in south-east Asia participating in thousands of sorties against the entrenched communist forces in the South and the heavily defended targets in North Vietnam. A-4 pilots also struck targets along the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, working with ground-based and airborne forward air controllers to interdict the flood of supplies to communist forces in the south.Alongside stunning illustrations, the author traces the history of this plane and its exploits.

An illustrated combat history of the 'last of the gunfighters', due to its quartet of Colt-Browning Mk 12 20 mm cannons.The F-8 Crusader was numerically the most populous fighter in the US Navy at the start of America's involvement in the Vietnam conflict in 1964 – some 482 F-8C/D/Es equipped 17 frontline units. It enjoyed great success against North Vietnamese Mig-17s and Mig-21s during the Rolling Thunder campaign of 1965-68, officially downing 18 jets, which represented 53 per cent of all Mig claims lodged by Navy squadrons during this period.This book explores the history of this fighter and its pilots during the Vietnam War, alongside an array of contemporary photographs.