Over the last century of military aviation, several fighters have earned the nickname “flying coffin.” Military aviation inherently pushes up against the limits of technology and human endurance, particularly where fighter and pursuit aviation is concerned. Flying a fighter is remarkably dangerous, even when no one is trying to shoot you down.
Engineering a capable fighter plane is also a struggle. Relatively small changes in engine, armament, and airframe design can transform a clunker into an elite fighting machine; many of the best fighters in history were initially viewed askance by their pilots. But elite status rarely lasts for long, especially in World War I and World War II. Fighters that dominated the sky in one year become “flying coffins” as technology and tactics move forward.
Conceived in the late 1960s as the Soviet answer to the likes of the legendary F-4 Phantom II jet fighter, the MiG-23 fighter jet (NATO reporting name Flogger) seemed poised for battlefield success.
Newly released documents shed light on 1983 nuclear war scare with Soviets
Nate Jones and David E. Hoffman, The Washington Post
Feb. 17, 2021
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WASHINGTON - The Soviet Union put fighter-bombers loaded with nuclear bombs on 24-hour alert in East Germany during a NATO nuclear weapons command exercise in November 1983, and the alert included preparations for the immediate use of nuclear weapons, according to newly released U.S. intelligence records that confirm a war scare during some of the most tense months of the Cold War.
It was disclosed previously that the NATO exercise, named Able Archer 83, triggered worries in the Kremlin. But the new documents provide precise details for the first time of the Soviet military response to the NATO exercise, an annual event that practiced a simulated nuclear attack on the forces of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact.
These planes contributed the bulk of strike and CAS airpower for the Soviets during the Cold War.
For many military watchers, the Sukhoi name is synonymous with the clean flowing lines of the Su-27, Su-30, and Su-35 series of Flanker aircraft or the squat and stubby Su-25 ground attack aircraft. However, during the majority of the Cold War, the swing-wing Su-17 (known as the Su-22 for export) formed the bulk of strike and CAS aircraft for Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces.
Some of these aircraft still fly today in the service of former Soviet allies. The aircraft has seen extensive service in the Syrian Civil War. But how does it stack up to North Atlantic Treaty Organization fighter-bombers of the same era?
cairo. president mohamed morsi is shaking it up and the country s strong leadership by replacing two key generals including field marshall mohammed hussein pentawi who is the most powerful man in egypt. he is the defense minister in power after the removal of former leader hosni mew bark and he was given a top medal and sent into retirement. that is right. for more, we are joined by ian lees in cairo. and ian, a lot of people look at this and say, political tsunami and game-changer in egypt. how does morsi and this guy survive? is there going to be any backlash when he has the top military general s out and his own people in? well, suzanne, he is definitely now the most powerful man in egypt and not only presidential power, but legislative power and enormous sway over the writing of the constitution. and people are wondering what will the military s response be? the military has been tight lipped so far, and in the past, we usually don t hear what the military is going to d