Russian military aviation has undergone several upheavals in the post-Soviet era. There have been two driving forces behind these changes. First, the Russian experience of air power in conflicts has led to an increasing integration of the various branches of the armed forces. Today’s VKS was created as a result of the absorption of the Air Defence Troops (VPVO) by the Air Force (VVS) in 1998, and then a merger of the Air Force with the Aerospace Defence Troops (VVKO) in 2015.

Meanwhile, Russia has adapted to financial realities, with insignificant defence spending throughout the 1990s followed by rapid expansion as the global price of oil increased since the beginning of the 21st century. Mass purchases of aircraft and helicopters began in 2009, and the proportion of modern equipment in Russia’s Aerospace Forces now exceeds 75%. The fourth title in Harpia Publishing’s series on Russian military aviation details all fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and other aerial vehicles operated by Russia’s military air arms.

Like the previous volumes, Flashpoint Russia is a comprehensive reference work, presenting organisational structure and the quantitative potential of Russian military aviation. The centrepiece of the book describes the current order of battle of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) and other operators of military aircraft in Russia and includes all the country’s aviation units. Other chapters cover Russia’s approach to purchases of arms and military equipment, and priority air programmes for the next decade.

Following the success of the first offering in the series, Harpia Publishing presents the second volume of Russia’s Warplanes, completing what has become a standard reference work on the subject. Once again researched and written by the acknowledged expert in the field, the book draws upon the author’s unrivalled connections within the Russian aerospace industry to conclude this comprehensive directory of the country’s latest military aviation hardware.

The result forms an essential companion to Volume 1, which detailed tactical combat aircraft, attack and transport helicopters, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, and special mission aircraft including airborne command posts and relay aircraft. Between them, the two works present in full detail the fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters that equip the various Russian air arms, as well as those developed for and operated by foreign states in the post-Soviet era. Alongside technical descriptions for each military aircraft – and every significant sub-variant – currently available from Russia’s aerospace industry, or otherwise in large-scale service, Piotr Butowski provides historical background and accurate data relating to production and operators around the world. Full coverage is extended to upgrades, as well as the new avionics and advanced weapons that these introduce.

The second volume in the series is dedicated to long-range bombers – including the Tu-95MS and Tu-160 that recently made their combat debuts over Syria – maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, strategic transport and tanker aircraft, theatre transports, and trainers. The work provides authoritative accounts of Russia’s current and future strategic bomber programmes, as well as other fascinating types including the world’s largest military transport, the An-124, and the new-generation Yak-130 advanced trainer and light attack aircraft.

Following the success of the first offering in the series, Harpia Publishing presents the second volume of Russia’s Warplanes, completing what has become a standard reference work on the subject. Once again researched and written by the acknowledged expert in the field, the book draws upon the author’s unrivalled connections within the Russian aerospace industry to conclude this comprehensive directory of the country’s latest military aviation hardware. The result forms an essential companion to Volume 1, which detailed tactical combat aircraft, attack and transport helicopters, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, and special mission aircraft including airborne command posts and relay aircraft.

Between them, the two works present in full detail the fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters that equip the various Russian air arms, as well as those developed for and operated by foreign states in the post-Soviet era. Alongside technical descriptions for each military aircraft – and every significant sub-variant – currently available from Russia’s aerospace industry, or otherwise in large-scale service, Piotr Butowski provides historical background and accurate data relating to production and operators around the world. Full coverage is extended to upgrades, as well as the new avionics and advanced weapons that these introduce. The second volume in the series is dedicated to long-range bombers – including the Tu-95MS and Tu-160 that recently made their combat debuts over Syria – maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, strategic transport and tanker aircraft, theatre transports, and trainers.

The work provides authoritative accounts of Russia’s current and future strategic bomber programmes, as well as other fascinating types including the world’s largest military transport, the An-124, and the new-generation Yak-130 advanced trainer and light attack aircraft.

Harpia Publishing is proud to announce the launch of a new series, Russia’s Warplanes, set to become the standard reference work on the subject. Written by an acknowledged expert in the field, this will serve as an exhaustive directory of the latest products of Russia’s military aviation industry. As well as outlining aircraft that currently equip the various Russian air arms, the first of two volumes also takes into account aircraft developed for and fielded by foreign states in the post-Soviet era. Piotr Butowski provides authoritative technical descriptions for each military aircraft – and every significant sub-variant – currently available from Russia’s aerospace industry, or otherwise in large-scale service.

With the level of accuracy and insight familiar to Harpia’s regular readers, each aircraft profile also includes specifications, and details of operators, upgrades, avionics and weapons. The first of two volumes on the subject presents in-depth coverage of tactical combat aircraft, trainers, Army Aviation helicopters, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, airborne command posts and relay aircraft. As such, the breadth of this work extends from the latest multi-role fighters developed by Mikoyan and Sukhoi, via successive generations of combat rotorcraft, to airborne early warning and electronic intelligence-gatherers. As well as familiar types such as the Su-30MK family of fighters and Mi-24/35 assault helicopters that have proven so successful on the export market, Russia’s Warplanes extends its reach to the various new and upgraded types that are beginning to populate Russia’s rejuvenated air arms, including those still under development, including the enigmatic ‘fifth-generation’ Sukhoi T-50 fighter.

Additional assets, including long-range bombers, maritime aircraft, strategic transport and tanker aircraft, theatre and special purpose transports, and air-launched weapons will be dealt with in Volume 2. Supplemented by 200 photographs, some of which from exclusive sources, as well as specially created maps and diagrams, Volume 1 of Russia’s Warplanes launches the most comprehensive study of the fixed- and rotary wing aircraft types – manned and unmanned – that can currently be found in Russian service or which are being built or offered for export.