Hawker Hunters at War: Iraq and Jordan, 1958-1967

Description

Designed by Sydney Camm as a swept wing, daytime interceptor with excellent manoeuvrability, the Hunter became the first jet aircraft manufactured by Hawker for the Royal Air Force. It set numerous aviation records and saw widespread service with a large number of RAF units in Europe and abroad. When the Royal Air Force received newer aircraft capable of supersonic speeds to perform the interceptor duties, many Hunters were modified and re-equipped for ground-attack and reconnaissance missions instead. Because they were deemed surplus to British requirements, most of these were subsequently refurbished and exported to foreign customers - so also to Iraq and Jordan. Hawker Hunters at War covers every aspect of Hunter's service in the two countries, from in-depth coverage of negotiations related to their export to Iraq and Jordan, to all-important details of their operational service during 1958-67. It culminates in detailed examination of their role in the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War (also known as the `Six Days War') and extensive tables listing all aircraft delivered and their fates. Almost entirely based on interviews with retired commanding officers and pilots of the former Royal Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Force and Royal Jordanian Air Force - as well as plenty of unpublished official documents from British, Iraqi and Jordanian archives - the narrative is providing an unprecedented insight into a number of contemporary affairs. Profusely illustrated with well over 100 photographs and 15 colour profiles showing all aspects of camouflage, markings and various equipment, Hawker Hunters at War is the ultimate profile of Hunter's colourful and action-packed service in Iraq and Jordan during a period when this legendary type formed the backbone of local air forces.

Tom Cooper is an Austrian aerial warfare analyst and historian. Following a career in worldwide transportation business - during which he established a network of contacts in the Middle East and Africa - he moved into narrow-focus analysis and writing on small, little-known air forces and conflicts, about which he has collected extensive archives. That resulted in specialisation in such Middle Eastern air forces as of those of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, plus various African and Asian air forces. Except for authoring and co-authoring more than 30 books - including an in-depth analysis of major Arab air forces at wars with Israel in period 1955-1973 - and over 1000 articles, Cooper is a regular correspondent for multiple defence-related publications. Patricia Salti - from Great Britain - is a widow of Jordanian national hero and Hawker Hunter pilot 1st Lt Muwaffaq Salti, who was killed in an air combat with Israeli interceptors in November 1966. Over the last 40 years, she has developed into a leading historian of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. Her exclusive contacts and insights enabled her to write a number of official publications and also to cooperate in the project that resulted in the Arab MiGs book series.

Whether you are a Hunter fan or have an interest in Middle Eastern aviation history, then this book is one that you must include in your book collection. * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club * A great book for all Hunter fans, those interested in Middle Eastern affairs and general historians alike will enjoy every page of this book. * Military Modelling Magazine * The book comes up beautifully in its accounts of the battles waged and the first combat for this classic British fighter. * Flightpath Magazine * A very detailed history of the Hunter's service after it left the RAF as a fighter that will be of interest to many, although perhaps not quite mainstream due to the subject matter. The wealth of information, data and of course the significant quantity of pictorial information held within the book will doubtless be enticing for any modellers or aviation enthusiasts that are curious as to the fate of those airframes. Highly recommended. * Britmodeller.com *