From the outset, the export of revolution and Communist ideology had
been one of the cornerstones of Soviet Russia's (and later the Soviet
Union's) foreign policy and by the mid-1950s the export of Soviet arms
expanded into Africa with Algeria being amongst the first African
countries to receive Soviet combat aircraft.
By the 1960s and 1970s, a large number of African states had gained
independence and the Soviet Union increased supply. This situation
persisted until the early 1990s when most of the former Soviet allies
shed socialism and switched allegiance to the West. Having often been
flown by foreign volunteer or mercenary pilots such as the Cubans in
Angola and South Africans in Sierra Leone, Soviet/Russian military
aircraft can now be seen in countries as varied as Algeria, Libya, the
Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, and Sudan.
Combat types from the MiG-15 to the latest Su-30MK fighters, Su-24MK
tactical bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft, Mi-24/25/35 helicopters and
transports from the Antonov An-12 to the Il'yushin Il-76 can all be seen
across Africa.
Arranged by country and using previously classified sources, Soviet and
Russian Military Aircraft in Africa includes comprehensive fleet lists
of all known Soviet/Russian military aircraft together with their
Chinese derivatives. Highly illustrated with contemporary photographs,
air force insignia and color profiles this book forms an invaluable
reference for modellers, enthusiasts and aviation historians alike.
As every conflict involving Egyptian aircraft has been fought in the
Middle East, full details of those aircraft will feature in the
forthcoming companion volume Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft in
the Middle East.
