Air-to-Air Missiles Volumes 4

Air-To-Air Missiles. Development and Combat Across 80 Years Volume 4 – Third Generation and Widening Acceptance , 1961–1972 is the fourth of six volumes detailing the 80-year history of air-to-air missiles (AAM) as combat aircraft weapons and is the only comprehensive book on this subject.

The first volume laid down the technical understanding for subsequent volumes. It describes how AAM are developed and fielded, the tactics for employing them, and an appreciation for why so many AAM shots miss their target. Volume 4 describes the development and fielding of AAM during the middle Cold War period by all countries participating.

Each new missile type and model of the period are described with the motivation to undertake the program, details of development including flight testing, a general description, advantages and disadvantages, production and fielding where applicable, and service experience. A table of characteristics, technical diagrams, and photographs of the weapons and installation on fighter aircraft are provided. Each missile is also illustrated with a profile line drawing with scale.

The combat record with these earliest missiles is reviewed with background on the conflict, the aircraft in combat with the AAM, and tables of ‘kills.’

Period photographs of the combat aircraft with AAM are included, along with the @War series signature colour profiles. All this lends an appreciation of the evolution of AAM, technologically and via combat experience, as supported by this first generation of missiles.