From the publisher's blurb;
" The first Soviet aircraft with variable geometry wing, a fighter-bomber that remained in the ranks for a quarter century. As a result of deep modernization of the legendary Su-7B (in addition to improving take-off and landing characteristics, the new third-generation strike aircraft received airborne computer, laser target illumination system, teleindikator for guided weapons, etc.), the Su-17 received its baptism of fire during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973 and then fought all over the world - from Lebanon, Angola and Peru to Iraq, Yemen, Chad, and the last of its combat use cases recorded last year in Libya and Syria. But the type's "finest hour" was the Afghan war - joining the battle after the Soviet invasion, "Seventeen" fulfilled the full gamut of fighter-bomber sorties, whether direct fire support, the destruction of pre-identified targets, "free hunt" or mined from the air and its intelligence modifications were the "eyes" of the 40th Army. Despite significant losses (in the midst of war - for 20-30 aircraft per year, mostly not from MANPADS, whose effectiveness is greatly exaggerated, and from the hand of small arms fire, the ANC and anti-aircraft installations in the mountains), the Su-17 proved itself in Afghanistan as an extremely reliable machine - its engines functioned without interruption on the poorest quality fuel even during dust storms, and lined and emergency aircraft could return to action after heavy damage ...
This new book compiled by leading Soviet aviation historians pays tribute to this distinguished veteran that is less known to the general public than the more "representative" MiG-29 and Su-27, but its formidable silhouette was the last many thousands of "spirits" saw in the bloody dust thrown up from its bombing assault strikes.."
Eksmo | 2013 | ISBN: 5699625321 | Russian language | 178 Pages but no colour
