Persian Gulf war [1991]

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.

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 conclusion of a five-part series of articles on the combat deployment of anti-aircraft missile system S-75. This time we will focus on the conflicts of the end of the 20th century. Although this system was already obsolete at that time, in many countries it still had to be at the forefront ...

It might seem that bombs with a final guidance and a weight of over 1000 kg are a sufficiently effective means for all targets. Therefore, even military planners did not push manufacturers into the development of larger-caliber air bombs. When it turned out to be not entirely true, very little time remained for development. In the end, the GBU-28 weighing over two tons was made in an incredibly short time.

The U-2 has been flying since the mid-1950s. Although it will celebrate half a century since its first take-off next year, it is not yet going to "retire". The reason is simple. Although obsolete in the age of satellites, the construction from the last century may seem obsolete, the truth remains that the aircraft is a reliable platform for many reconnaissance systems. It is much more operative and cheaper against satellites.

Abrams. A tank that became famous during the first and second wars in the Persian Gulf. But its birth was not easy at all, and a long time passed before the armor received new armaments.

The introduction of a new tank did not just mean a new vehicle. The experience from the operation caused a practically complete reconstruction of the armored divisions, because the old organizational structure was unsatisfactory. Only then was the potential of the new tanks properly used.

Light tanks have been developed alongside their heavier counterparts for years, and their journey through history is varied and pretty winding. The last American light tank included in the service was the M551 Sheridan. It was a rather contradictory vehicle with exotic weapons.

The M551 did not gain a very good reputation at the beginning of its deployment, mainly due to its relatively complicated design and hasty deployment in combat. In addition, he found himself on a battlefield for which he was not designed and performed tasks that belonged to the MBT. During the later deployment, he improved his bad reputation and eventually lasted longer than the biggest optimists would expect.

During the 1960s, the West increasingly focused on tactical attack tactics, which posed a great threat to the Soviet Union. This was the main reason for the development of the new aircraft. In 1968, the Soviet Union decided to continue developing the MiG-25. The new aircraft was to be much more efficient than the Foxbat. Mikoyan's design office first wanted to build a brand new aircraft with a delta wing or a wing with variable geometry ...

In one of my older articles on Saddam Hussein, I touched on the issue of Iraqi missile attacks. At that time, I promised to return to the topic with at least a short article, and today I am fulfilling my promise.

The famous performance of the A-12 aircraft led USAF representatives to order the most famous variant from the Blackbird family, the strategic reconnaissance aircraft SR-71. These aircraft then provided good services to the USAF for three decades and brought a lot of valuable intelligence to the commanders of air and ground units.

SR-71 aircraft were the pinnacle of technological possibilities of their time. This corresponded to the demands on flying and ground personnel and the overall security of air traffic. There was nothing that could be compared to the aircraft of previous generations.

If someone says they are not afraid to fight under fire, I do not trust them. I've always been scared - like anyone else. True, SAS have an excellent reputation, but they do not have superhumans; their members may be extraordinarily courageous, but like everyone else, they are not immune to fear. The strength of our regiment is that it has people with a cultivated ability to control fear and actively respond to every danger they face.
Corporal Chris Ryan, MM *, a member of the Bravo Two Zero patrol of the 22nd SAS Regiment in Iraq, January 1991.

A new member of the SAS is assigned to one " Saber Squadron ", part of the regiment comparable to the company. Each of them has, in addition to the staff, four " Troops " operational units consisting of 15 men and a commanding officer. The tactical subunit of each " Troop " is a four-member " Patrol ", the cornerstone with which SAS performs all its tasks.

SAS's activities in Northern Ireland are a deadly game of cat and mouse with perfectly trained, well-equipped and capable terrorists. This work is charm and dangerous, but extremely important, and is carried out at the highest level of professionalism.

SAS troops control a large number of weapons. Field cannons, mortars, machine guns, guided missiles, mines and other traps, etc. Of course, we will be interested only in small arms, because we could theoretically fire from them. The following description is not a common characteristic of weapons with tactical and technical data, but a subjective view of SAS members on their combat characteristics.

Combat operations of British Panavia Tornado aircraft during the Gulf War (1991).