Middle East@War – serie

In June 1967 Israel, which seemed on the verge of being annihilated by its Arab neighbors, took six days to redraw the Middle Eastern strategic map in one of the most dramatic reversals of fortune in modern times.The success was almost a decade in the making following the Suez Crisis of 1956 with the Israeli forces being radically changed under the direction of the Magi. These changes created an army and air force upon which the country would rely when it became obvious the international community would take no action to implement guarantees made after the Suez Crisis.The Israeli forces were honed in low-level clashes during the 1960s, notably the Water Wars which the Israelis did so much to provoke. By contrast the Arab forces became complacent, usually due to supplies of arms from the Warsaw Pact, but – with proper training – this complacency could have been turned into military effectiveness. The Arab forces were, however, plagued by the fact that command too often depended upon political reliability rather than military effectiveness.In the case of the Egyptian forces their effectiveness was further undermined by their commitment to the debilitating Yemen Civil War which meant they were in no condition to confront Israel. Syria and Jordan, whose forces alone could not fight the Israelis, complained loudly about President Nasser’s lack of action against Israel. In the spring of 1967 Nasser decided to regain the prestige he had lost since the heady days of the Suez Crisis with a demonstration in the Sinai Peninsula. This was interpreted by the Israelis as preparations for an invasion and Nasser did nothing to persuade them otherwise. When it was clear the international community would do nothing, the Israelis decided to strike.Initially Israel aimed to attack only Egypt, but Syria and Jordan then provoked attacks upon their territory. The Israeli campaign was heralded by a massive surprise air attack first on the Egyptians and then on the other neighboring states. Ground offensives then followed in succession as the war, like Topsy in Uncle Tom’s Cabin ‘just growed.’ These campaigns were not always examples of military perfection, as will be scene, and the general post-war back-slapping drowned out serious questions about the future of Israel’s army.

Tracing its origins back to June 1911, and officially established as a separate branch of the Turkish Armed Forces, the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri, THK) is the air warfare branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. After operating four generations of fighter aircraft imported from abroad, and building up one of most powerful air forces in Europe: over the last 30 years, it became one of most combat-experienced in the NATO, too, having participated in numerous counter-terrorism operations, flown close air support (CAS), precision strikes, intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance operations in multiple conflicts.Currently, Turkey is working on the design and development of an idingeous combat aircraft under a project called Milli Muharip Ucak (National Combat Aircraft, MMU) – a fifth generation fighter bomber with features and characteristics incorporated in only a handful of current or upcoming aircraft.Lavishly illustrated, Modern Turkish Airpower is a comprehensive, single-source point of reference to the modern-day Turkish Air Force.

Frequently overshadowed by rival designs of the Mikoyan i Gurevich Design Bureau, the family of fighter-bombers of the aircraft design bureau headed by Pavel O. Sukhoi and developed in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s are far less-well-known in the West. Reestablished in the early 1950s, the Sukhoi Design Bureau initially followed the same path as its primary competitor and designed two fighters, one equipped with swept wing, and the other with delta-wing. In the West, they became known under the ASCC/NATO-codename ‘Fitter’.Through the 1960s, and unlike MiG, Sukhoi continued developing its ‘Fitters’, resulting in an entire family of airframes, equipped with ever better avionics and more powerful engines. Its Su-7BMKs (ASCC/NATO-codename ‘Fitter-A’) entered service with Egypt in 1966, Syria and Iraq in 1967, followed by Algeria a year later. In 1972–1973, Su-17, and then Su-20 – the second generation of this design, and the first equipped with variable-sweep wing – entered service in Egypt, followed by Iraq and Syria. Finally, in 1978–1979, the third and final generation – including variants such as the Su-22, Su-22M, Su-22M-3, and Su-22M-4 (ASCC/NATO-codenames ‘Fitter F/G/J/K’, respectively) – entered service in Iraq, followed by Libya, Syria, and Yemen. Highly appreciated – and often outright beloved – by their pilots and ground crews alike, they formed the backbone of the fighter-bomber fleets of these six air forces, and saw action in about a dozen different wars.Richly illustrated with a host of exclusive photographs and custom-drawn color profiles, Fitters of the Middle East is the first title ever offering a comprehensive and inclusive operational history of ‘Fitters’ with six major air forces. As such it is an indispensable single-point source of reference.

The days of 11-13 June, 1982, proved that Arik Sharon’s plan was over-ambitious and adventuristic. Dragging the IDF into the fight with Syrians appeared to be more complicated despite IDF superiority in technology and training. The armored units were moving too slowly and were stuck in numerous engagements all over the place.In the Western zone, after several failed attempts to take higher ground and open the road to Beirut, IDF finally made its gain and secured Kfar Sil after a very tough fight that lasted not less than 18 hours.In the Central zone, after getting the upper hand over the Syrian forces in Ein Zhalta and Jezzine, Israelis continued to crawl towards Beirut-Damascus Highway but the tempo had been lost and it was obvious that the Sharon expectation could not be matched.In Bekaa Valley, Eastern zone, IDF moved 399 Brigade to the north in order to reach Beirut Damascus Highway in the quickest possible way. That move turned out to be a disaster and one of the worst fights in IDF history. It took tremendous effort of two Israeli divisions to recover the troubled Brigade while suffering losses in men and machines.Besides the major battles, Israeli forces continued to clear the area while having tough opposition hotspots like Ein-Hilweh and finally, the controversial engagement between IDF anti-tank units and Syrian T-72s.

This entry in the MiddleEast@War series is illustrated with abundant photographs from previously unused, or very rarely used, private and official sources.Air Power and the Arab World, 1909–1955 Volume 10 continues the story of the men and machines of the first half-century of military aviation in the Arab world. It tells the story of the first two weeks of the first of the Arab-Israeli Wars – also known as the Palestine War – in May 1948. Whilst part of an ongoing series, this volume stands alone as a history of the period covered.By that time, in Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, newly-independent Syria, Lebanon, and, to a lesser extent, Saudi Arabia, significant efforts had already been made to strengthen these countries’ armed forces. Where Egypt, Iraq and Syria were concerned, these efforts included a determination to improve or, in the case of Syria, to establish their air forces. All three air forces were thrown into the First Phase of the Palestine War and, in the view of most subsequent commentators or historians, they had failed to perform as well as their government and populations had expected. However, closer investigation and the removal of layers of propaganda which have obscured the realities of this first Arab-Israeli War show that the Arab air forces performed better than is generally realized. Arguably, they had their limitations and weaknesses, and these had also become apparent as the fighting intensified and losses began to mount. All this was always clearly pointed out in Arabic sources, both official and unofficial, unpublished, or published only with limited circulation.Volume 10 of Air Power and the Arab World focuses on day-to-day events on the ground, in the air and at sea during this hard-fought phase. It does so in remarkable detail because the authors have accessed previously unpublished Arab official military documents supplemented by translations from Arabic books and articles containing official and personal accounts by those involved. Perhaps the most remarkable such source is the Operational Diary of the Royal Egyptian Air Force’s Tactical Air Force based at al-Arish in north-eastern Sinai.Air Power and the Arab World, 1909–1955 Volume 10 is illustrated by abundant photographs from previously unused, or very rarely used, private and official sources, and includes specially commissioned color artworks.

Volume 12 of the Air Power and the Arab World, 1909-1955 mini-series continues the story of the men and machines of the first half century of military aviation in the Arab world. It focuses upon combat operations during the period of the Palestine War from 1 September to 10 March 1949.By that time, in Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan and newly-independent Syria and Lebanon, major efforts had already been made to strengthen these countries’ armed forces. Egypt, Iraq, and Syria launched all-out efforts to bolster their air forces, and threw these into combat. While most subsequent commentators and historians stress they had failed to perform, if appearing at all, closer investigation and the removal many of layers of propaganda that have obscured the realities of this first Arab-Israeli War, show that the Arab air forces performed much better than previously thought.Arguably, available aircraft, armament, spares, and personnel had their limitations and weaknesses, and these had also become apparent as the fighting intensified and losses began to mouth. However, information from both official and unofficial Arab sources - published and unpublished - leaves no doubt about the commitment and courageous efforts of almost everybody involved.Volume 12 of Air Power and the Arab World focusses on day-to-day events in the First Arab-Israeli War, in the air, at sea, and on the ground. It does so in remarkable detail thanks to access to previously unpublished official military documentation, supplemented by translations from publications in Arabic, containing both official and personal accounts by those involved. The most remarkable of these is the Operational Diary of the REAF’s Tactical Air Force based at el-Arish, in north-eastern Sinai.Air Power and the Arab World Volume 12 is illustrated by a rich collection of original period photographs - many of these never published before - and specially commissioned color illustrations.

Focusses on day-to-day events in the First Arab-Israeli War, in the air, at sea, and on the ground.Volume 11 of the Air Power and the Arab World, 1909-1955 mini-series continues the story of the men and machines of the first half century of military aviation in the Arab world. It focuses upon combat operations during the period of the Palestine War from 1 June to 31 August 1948.By that time, in Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan and newly-independent Syria and Lebanon, major efforts had already been made to strengthen these countries’ armed forces. Egypt, Iraq, and Syria launched all-out efforts to bolster their air forces, and threw these into combat. While most subsequent commentators and historians stress they had failed to perform, if appearing at all, closer investigation and the removal many of layers of propaganda that have obscured the realities of this first Arab-Israeli War, show that the Arab air forces performed much better than previously thought.Arguably, available aircraft, armament, spares, and personnel had their limitations and weaknesses, and these had also become apparent as the fighting intensified and losses began to mouth. However, information from both official and unofficial Arab sources - published and unpublished - leaves no doubt about the commitment and courageous efforts of almost everybody involved.Volume 11 of Air Power and the Arab World focusses on day-to-day events in the First Arab-Israeli War, in the air, at sea, and on the ground. It does so in remarkable detail thanks to access to previously unpublished official military documentation, supplemented by translations from publications in Arabic, containing both official and personal accounts by those involved. The most remarkable of these is the Operational Diary of the REAF’s Tactical Air Force based at el-Arish, in north-eastern Sinai.Air Power and the Arab World Volume 11 is illustrated by a rich collection of original period photographs - many of these never published before - and specially commissioned color illustrations.

For four days in early 1991, Royal Navy Lynx helicopters buzzed low around the Shatt-al-Arab marshlands of southern Iraq. They were searching for the Iraqi fleet, and whenever discovered their hulls became targets for cutting edge smart munitions. This British-led operation, termed the Battle of Bubiyan, sank the majority of the Iraqi fleet.When Commodore Paul Haddacks led his task force into the Persian Gulf, such successes were far from certain. The sailors of the Royal Navy had been made by the Falklands Conflict and unique among the coalition fleet, they alone had experienced large scale modern naval warfare. The narrow stretch of water the Pentagon tasked Commodore Haddacks with securing bristled with coastal anti-ship batteries, labyrinthine floating minefields and Iraqi fast attack craft, evoked harsh memories of San Carlos Bay. Whilst other fleet commanders were confident, those of the British fleet were concerned. Volume 1 of Between Sand and Sea: Royal Navy Operations from the Gulf War to Qaddafi 1990 – 2011 examines how the Royal Navy exceeded these challenges and came out of them with a new confidence in a remade world.The First Gulf War is the first of three conflicts that will be covered by this series that will also examine 2003’s Second Gulf War and 2011’s Libyan War. Across three volumes the story of a navy in transition is told. A fleet that in 1991 was neglected, repeatedly downsized and filled with mid-century vessels, became a modern and dynamic force by 2011: a reborn Royal Navy redesigned for expeditionary warfare in the American Age. Each volume is extensively illustrated with contemporary photographs, and specially commissioned maps and colour artworks.