Defending Rodinu Volumes 1-2 (PDF EDITION)

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At the end of the Second World War the Soviet Union fielded large numbers of conventional anti-aircraft guns and piston-engined fighters – yet these were rapidly rendered obsolete by dramatic advances in aviation. Worse still, the uneasy peace quickly gave way to the Cold War, where the United States and its allies possessed fleets of nuclear-capable bombers ready to strike at any time. For the Soviets, the development of new jet-powered interceptors, surface-to-air missiles, radar networks, and air-to-air weaponry became an urgent national priority.

Volume 1 examines the origins and early development of the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) from 1945 to 1960. It covers the creation of dedicated interceptor aircraft and missile systems, and recounts the tense confrontations with Western reconnaissance aircraft that tested Soviet capabilities in real combat situations.
Volume 2 charts the PVO’s operational history from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. By this time, advanced interceptors and missile defences theoretically sealed Soviet airspace – yet foreign intelligence services and air forces continued to challenge it, sometimes provoking incidents that reverberated around the world.
Drawing on documentation and sources never before published in English, and illustrated throughout, Defending Rodinu provides the most comprehensive account yet of Soviet air defence during the Cold War – from humiliating failures to resounding victories.