Israeli Mirage III and Nesher Aces

Description

Israeli delta fighters pilots have been credited with almost 300 kills between 1966 and 1974, and dozens of them became aces. The Israeli aerial kill exchange rate and overall air-to-air performance was phenomenal. Although the Israeli pilots were flying Mach 2 fighters, they lacked any modern radar equipment and their MiG-21 flying opponents should have had a performance edge over them. This book details their most signifcant engagements, many of which were essentially World War 2 style dogfights fought with jet aircraft. Because neither side had the combat edge to disengage at will most engagements were a life and death struggle and the introduction of air-to-air missiles and the Israeli Nesher was to prove decisive in this theatre.

Israeli author Shlomo Aloni is a life-long student of Middle East air warfare in general and of the Israeli Air Force in particular. He is the Israeli correspondent for the magazines 'Air Forces Monthly' (UK) and 'Fuerza Aerea' (Spain). He is also a regular contributor to the a number of journals including: 'Le Fana de l'Aviation' (France), 'BIAF', 'Kne-Mida' (Israel), 'Avion Revue' (Spain), 'Air International', 'Fly Past' and 'Scale Aviation Modelling' (UK). Mark Styling has illustrated several books in both the Aircraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft series. He has recently switched mediums from airbrush to Mac art, and has produced some of the best profiles Osprey has used to date.