Air Warfare
F-4E “Kurnass” (Sledgehammer) II
On July 18th 1970 the IAF resumed its missile suppression strikes, this time with new ECM pods supplied by the USA. American experts had suggested a new method of countering the SAMs, high altitude tight formations that would form an electronic barrier against the missiles. This tactic however, was completely wrong and coupled with the ECM pods’ inefficiency proved disastrous…
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Russia Buks
Buk-M1-2 air defence system in 2010. Command post 9C470M1-2, TELAR 9A310M1-2 and a TEL 9A39M1-2 from the backside. The Buk-M1 (SA-11 Gadfly to NATO) can be used by minimally trained operators to deliver a lethal attack, without the safeguards built into other comparable GBADS, an Aviation Week analysis shows. It…
SEND IN THEÂ DRONES
The Lockheed Martin P-175 Polecat was a worthy successor to the reconnaissance aircraft projects that had come to Groom Lake from the Skunk Works through the decades. The first X-45A, with its weapons bay door open, dropped its first bomb in March 2004. Â The Phantom Ray, the successor to…
X Flight
Six X Flight members stand by the wreck of the downed Rumpler.  X Flight’s camp at Akaba. Much has been written by and about Lawrence of Arabia but little has ever been written about the handful of aircraft and personnel of X Flight, which was set up to give…
TACTICAL AIR POWERÂ I
The term tactical air power is one that brings certain images into the minds of those who either use the term or hear others speak of its role. It does, however, suggest that the effect that air power has in this context is purely at a local level. In fact…
TACTICAL AIR POWERÂ II
For the Israelis the War of Attrition was now becoming serious. It was becoming clear the Egyptians had embarked upon a strategy to gradually erode the Israelis’ military capability. Where that would lead was anyone’s guess. This was not the short game of a swift military campaign. This was the…
Flight Lt. Nicholas Cooke, Cpl. Albert Lippett
“Lanky” Cooke (2nd from left), Phil Hunter DSO (3rd left) standing, with No. 264 Squadron At 14.45hr on 29 May 1940 Sqn Ldr Hunter took off with eleven other Defiants and headed for the Dunkirk pocket. They were flying at about 6,000ft (1 ,800m) with three Hurricane squadrons- 56, 151…