Dassault Rafale: The Gallic Squall
- 200pages
- 7 heures de lecture






The RAC MiG-35/D multirole combat aircraft emerged in 2007 as a land based variant of the Unified Fighter Family based on the MiG-29K/KUB naval optimised multirole combat aircraft contracted by the Indian Navy. The MiG-35/D builds on the capabilities of the MiG-29K/KUB and its land based analogue, the MiG-29M/M2, by introducing a number of fifth generation targeting and navigation systems. The introduction of Omni-directional nozzles for the engines will allow the aircraft, like its rivals from Sukhoi, the Su-30MKI series and the Su-35S, to truly enter the realm of 'super-manoeuvrable' flight. This volume briefly outlines the aircraft design lineage - the first generation MiG-29, and briefly covers the evolution of the Unified Fighter Family of MiG-29K/KUB/MiG-29M2 before moving over to the MiG-35/D which is described in detail. The weapons cleared for the MiG-35/D are described while appendices include specifications on the MiG-35/D and its forebears. All technical information used in this volume regarding the aircraft, systems and weapons has been furnished by the respective design houses, as has the majority of the photographs and diagrams supporting the text.
The intent of this volume is to detail the Sukhoi Su-33 (Su-27K) fourth generation naval strike fighter aircraft design procured for service aboard the Soviet Union (later Russian Federation) Project 1143.5 Aircraft Carrying Heavy Cruiser, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, Kuznetsov. The volume covers the evolution of the T-10K, which was developed for service as the Su-33, and the limited updates introduced. All technical information regarding the aircraft, systems and weapons have been provided by the respective designers/developers, as has most of the graphic material, with technical and graphic input from other entities such as the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Certain elements of text, where pertinent, are taken from the volume 'Sukhoi Su-27SM(3)/SKM' (Harkins, 2016) and 'Russian/Soviet Aircraft Carrier & Carrier Aviation Design & Evolution Volume 2' (Harkins, 2017). No attempt is made to detail the Su-27KUB experimental design or the Chinese Su-33 copy, the Shenyang J-15, which are outside the scope of the volume, although both are referred to in the addendum.
The Nimrod MRA4 was an ambitious program intended to provide the British Royal Air Force with a high capability multi-mission aircraft with an emphasis on anti-submarine warfare/anti-surface strike/maritime patrol missions. As the focus of the volume is the Nimrod MRA4 program, only a brief resume of the design heritage going back to the first and second generation Nimrod, themselves derived from the de Havilland DH106 Comet 4, is provided.The volume draws on textual and graphic material from the respective design house/test team and governmental papers in an attempt to arrive at an objective account of the program from inception, development/testing, to cancellation, almost on the eve of service entry.
Russian Littoral Submarines & Submersibles - The purpose of this volume is to detail the current stable of Russian designed littoral attack submarines, midget submarines and submersibles. The evolution of small displacement Russian/Soviet submarine building is detailed, leading to the first generation Special Project 865 Piranha, Project 09070 Triton I and Project 09080 Triton II coastal and midget submarines that served the Soviet and later Russian Federation navies. The family of modern littoral submarine designs, typified by the Piranha/Piranha-T/P-550/P-650E, are detailed, as are the major submersible programs, typified by the Project 16810/16811 Rus & Project 18270 Bester deep sea rescue vehicle. The volume also covers the generation of tourist submarines designed and developed in the Soviet Union, and later the Russia Federation, from the late 1980's. The various control, sensor, communications, navigation and weapons systems that can be employed by the various submarine designs are detailed.All technical information regarding the submarines, systems and weapons have been provided by the respective design houses, developers and builders, as has the majority of the photographic and graphic material used throughout the volume.
Su-34The Sukhoi Su-34 'Fullback' strike fighter was developed from the Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' air superiority fighter as a 4th+ generation stike aircraft for service with the VKS - Russian Federation Air Force - from the second decade of the twenty first century. The Su-34 was designed to replace the Russian Federations aging fleet of Sukhoi Su-24M/2 variable-geometry strike aircraft and possibly the Su-24MR in the tactical reconnaissance role. Conceived under the T-10V program in the twilight years of the Soviet Union - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - the design weathered the financial crisis that gripped Russia following the break-up of that union on 25 December 1991. The T-10V matured into an advanced strike aircraft, deliveries to the Russian Federation Air Force commencing in second half of the first decade of the twenty first century.This volume covers the program from conception to operational service with chapters describing the aircraft design, development, production, systems, weapons complexes and strike operations flown by the Russian Aerospace Group supporting the Syrian Arab Republic in the civil war that gripped that nation in the 2010's.
The intent of this volume is to detail the world’s premier large-size multi-engine heavier than air craft, the Grand Baltic/Russian Knight and the Ilya Muromets, the world’s premier four engine heavy bomber/reconnaissance aircraft. The latter entered operations with the air service of the Imperial Russian Army in 1915 and served through the years of World War 1 – 1914 to 1918 – and the Russian Civil War that followed, from which the Soviet Union was born.Drawing upon historical data from a number of sources, including the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the Russian Air Force (Aerospace Forces) historical records, the volume covers the genesis, design and development of the Grand Baltic, it’s evolution into the Russian Knight and the subsequent development and deployment of the Ilya Muromets as a heavy bomber/reconnaissance aircraft operating against the Central Powers from 1915. It further covers the Ilya Muromets fleet organisation in the Russian Civil War and the establishment of air transport links in the early Soviet period, 1921-1922.