Cold War Era (1945-1989)

... or the StB chief investigator who spoke.

If the key to the survival of the U-2 was access, which was beyond the capabilities of its generation fighters, another aircraft from "Skunk Works" was to have, in addition to fantastic access, a speed that designers had never dreamed of until then. In addition to increasing speed, the designers in the construction of the new aircraft for the first time ever purposefully focused on reducing the effective RCS. This miracle technique was called the A-12 Blackbird.

There are only a few states in the world that have been able to develop their own flying Airborne Early Warning (AEW) system. And even fewer are those who have successfully sold it to foreign users. Sweden has succeeded. Although the Erieye system was developed for a different world than it is today, it eventually became a successful export item.

We abandoned the development of the Swedish early warning system at the time of the collapse of the communist bloc, a number of weapons systems were abolished, and surplus weapons were sold " for a buck ." Let's see how Erieye withstood the new conditions.

As is well known, the best argument in the sale of weapon systems is the experience of their practical use, preferably in a region where there is " hot soil ". illegal flights in 2006 needs no further comment.

“Fly like a bird! Hover to the clouds and meet the sun! Enter Svazarm! ”
Well, they didn't take me to Svazarm, because, as I learned a lot later, the pilot school of gliding was intended mainly for future proven defenders of the homeland, which today some former Vassarmos in the biographies somewhat deny. For me, comrades decided that even if I had learned to fly by chance, which according to the results at primary school was not so certain, I would probably, in their opinion, flee to capitalist abroad with the entrusted socialist property - that is, by plane. This had to be prevented in advance. So I don't sail the plane.

It is not so long ago that the term combat helicopter was associated with the name Cobra. Since then, combat helicopters of various designs have entered the arsenal of many states, for which the Cobras were a standard of quality. Since then, they have undergone a long evolution and the number of their variants has exhausted the alphabet.

The AH-64A embodied the knowledge bought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars by the blood of the pilots of the first armed and combat helicopters. For a long time, he became the standard of a combat helicopter, which was able to decimate the enemy's tank columns. But technology from the early 70's has some limitations. Therefore, it was necessary to develop the AH-64D Longbow Apache, which significantly expanded the capabilities of the original helicopter.

The main trial of a group of "treacherous" pilots from the West took place at the infamous State Court in Prague from the morning of February 9, 1949. It was nothing more than a constructed process with a group of div. gene. Karel Janoušek, in which, coincidentally, he found himself Capt. Otakar Černý, who, like the others, heard a harsh verdict that afternoon. He sentenced him to three years in a heavy prison, sharpened by a hard bed. Furthermore, the loss of honorary badges, decorations and the loss of honorary civil rights for three years.

Early warning aircraft provide air force commanders with a constant overview of the air situation, far beyond the radar horizon. They are one of the key elements for winning information superiority on the battlefield and enable the effective deployment of their own forces. Their construction has undergone a long development and today they are an indispensable part of the modern air force. The number of air forces that operate early warning aircraft is constantly growing.

In the Soviet Union, they began to address the issue of anti-missile defense (AMD) after the war. In the years 1948-1951, groups were formed in the scientific research institutes of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR No. 4 and 885, which dealt with the development and use of ballistic missiles. The first, especially theoretical, work connected with the development of AMD resources was performed here.

Ufologists have come up with another rumor to draw the public's attention

When American and Soviet experts began preparing the first satellites in the second half of the 1950s, they had no idea what it could bring to humanity. They only tried to find out what the space around the Earth looked like, but at the same time they had to bring relief to the generals who gave them the missiles in the form of spy satellites. No one really saw anymore.

Honors recent history that is falling into oblivion

When you visit the VVS museum in Monino, you will definitely not miss the wreck of the machine, which does not resemble any known aircraft or even approximately. It stands on a tandem chassis, while it has massive floats and an incredibly thick centerplane. In the grass are wings with such a small depth of profile that they look as if they did not even belong to the aircraft, and a short sideways of an empty engine nacelle. The civil matriculation CCCP-10687 is also interesting. It is a seaplane wreck with a vertical takeoff and landing Bartini VVA-14

The Balliol entered service with the RAF during 1950 and proved to be a relatively trouble-free trainer. However, a shift in attitudes towards turbojet-powered trainer aircraft would see orders being curtailed for the type by 1952. Despite this, a navalised version of the aircraft, the Sea Balliol, was also introduced for deck landing training. The type also saw some use in other capacities, such as for experimental flights. Only a single export customer, the Royal Ceylon Air Force, would procure the type.

A brief biography of one of the few supporters of the liberalization of the Chinese political scene.

The problem of Chechnya is not as new as it might seem. Conflicts between Russia and the Chechen ethnic group date back to the 18th century, when Tsar Peter I sought to gain access to the Black Sea. The obstacle was the North Caucasus.