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Riccio, Ralph/Pieri, Mario/Guglielmi, Daniele: Italian Soft-Skinned Vehicles of the Second World War. Volume 1: Motocycles, Cars, Trucks, Artillery Tractors 1935-1945 31,95 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:00:14 +0200

In this book the authors focus on the means of transport in force in the Italian Royal Army from the 1930s to the end of the Second World War. Little has been said about them in recent years, even in Italy, with some exceptions.
It is common opinion that the Italian Army was beaten above all because of the poor quality of its combat vehicles. Actually, impartial and in-depth studies made since shortly after the end of the war, have revealed that the main problem was the shortage of vehicles, as well as an entirely insufficient logistics chain. The tank crews were able to compensate with bravery and experience for the fact that their tanks were, from a certain point on, inferior to those of their enemies, but the inadequate number of AFVs and other material was impossible to remedy. The same problem plagued the entire sector of military soft-skinned vehicles, a sign of Italys limited industrial capacity (and rather of procurement of raw materials and components) compared, for example, to its ally Germany. There were too few factories, too few skilled workers and poor management skills within the armed forces.
However, if quantity was lacking, the same cannot be said for quality. Many models of efficient, robust and resistant vehicles were produced, especially in the sector of the so-called "standardized" motor vehicles, such as those mentioned at the beginning and others that we will see. These vehicles allowed the Italian troops to move and fight in the large and difficult territories of North Africa, the Balkans and the Soviet Union and which brought home what was left of the defeated soldiers.

This is the first English-language study describing the soft-skinned vehicles of the Italian Armed Forces, starting from the 1930s, in which Mussolinis Italy faced some colonial conflicts and participated - albeit unofficially - in the Spanish Civil War, until throughout the Second World War. For each vehicle there is a file describing its evolution and the main technical aspects, accompanied by one or more photographs and, for the most significant examples, line drawings. The work is enriched by a historical introduction, various appendices and color profiles.

Higuchi , Hélio/Bastos Jr., Paulo Roberto: Cuban MiGs 19,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0200

The Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria (FAR), one of the most powerful and little-publicised air forces in the Americas, had MiG fighters as its main fighter aircraft, both in the defence of Cuban territory against the threat of US invasion and in support of Cuban leaders efforts to export their revolutionary ideals.
The book casts an unprecedented look at the introduction and utilisation of all MiG models in Cuban service, since their arrival before the Cuban Missile Crisis, to current times, going through all of the conflicts in which Cuba was involved, from incidents with the Dominican Republic (Operación Pico) and the Bahamas, to its entanglements in wars in Vietnam, Syria, Guinea, Southern Yemen, Angola, Ethiopia and Nicaragua, and the recent apprehension of "export goods" to North Korea in the Panama Canal.
The story of military aviation in Cuba before the arrival of the MiGs is also briefly presented, from the beginning of their air corps and its role in the political crises that affected the country, in Castro's Revolution and the ill-fated attempted invasion at the Bay of Pigs, contextualising the times when they happened.
This is the result of extensive research using Cuban publications, documents, interviews with former pilots, historians and contributions by veteran Cuban airmen both in exile and residing in their homeland. The book is richly illustrated with over 170 photographs and colour profiles detailing the history of all twenty models of MiG fighters operated by Cuba from 1962 to the present.

The history of military aviation in Cuba prior to the arrival of the first MiGs is also briefly covered, from the beginnings of the Cuban Air Force and its role in the political crises that affected the country, through to Castro's revolution and the ill-fated US invasion attempt at the Bay of Pigs, placing the times at which they took place in context.
The work is the result of extensive research using Cuban publications, documents, interviews with former pilots, historians and contributions from former Cuban aviators living both in exile and in their homeland. The book is richly illustrated with over 170 photographs and colour profiles describing the history of all 20 MiG fighter aircraft operated by Cuba from 1962 to the present day.

Rivas, Santiago: Skyhawks over the South Atlantic. The Argentine Skyhawks in the Malvinas/Falklands War 1982 25,95 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:35:13 +0200

By 1982, the backbone of the Argentine combat aviation, both on the Air Force and the Navy, was formed by three batches of Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, with the A-4B and C of the Air Force and the A-4Qs of the Navy. Despite their age, being a model almost 30 years old at the time of the war, and lacking protection, they took on the overwhelming struggle to fight the British Task Force that opposed the Argentine forces on the Malvinas/Falkland Islands.The Skyhawks were responsible for inflicting the greatest damage upon the Royal Navy, sinking HMS Coventry, Ardent, Antelope, the RFA Sir Gallahad, and LCU F-4, while damaging many other ships and striking ground targets. They also suffered heavy losses, with 10 A-4Bs, 9 A-4Cs and three A-4Qs lost in combat, with eighteen pilots being killed.The experience of the Skyhawk during the war was another addition to the legend the model had become over the skies of Vietnam and Israel. Despite many reports to the contrary, at the time of writing the Argentine Air Force still operates modernised A-4ARs and OA-4Ars, and is one of the last two military operators of the Skyhawk in the world.

The Argentinian "Skyhawks" succeeded in sinking the British ships H.M.S. "Coventry", "Ardent", RFA "Sir Gallahad" and LCU F-4 and damaging numerous other ships. They suffered heavy losses. A total of 22 A-4s were lost in the fighting, with 18 pilots losing their lives. Despite many reports to the contrary, the Argentine Air Force still uses modernised A-4ARs and OA-4ARs, making it one of only two countries that still have the "Skyhawk" in their flying arsenal.

Moralez, João Paulo Zeitoun: AMX. Brazilian-Italian Fighter-Bomber 19,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0200

Italy began work on a new fighter-bomber in the late 1970s, aiming to field an aircraft capable of surviving in heavily defended Cold War airspace, flying at very low level, and releasing its weapons deep in enemy territory with a high degree of accuracy. In the early 1980s, Brazil joined the programme, resulting in the AMX.
Subsonic, the new fighter-bomber has also proven well suited to the types of conflicts that have proliferated in the last 25 years and has served the Italian Air Force well during close air support, interdiction and reconnaissance missions.
For Brazil, the AMX brought 21st-century capabilities to its air force, introducing advanced avionics and systems including a head-up display, radar warning receiver, chaff and flare countermeasures, identification friend or foe, and other new concepts. In this way, the AMX provided the Brazilian Air Force with a useful stepping-stone to the Super Tucano and the modernised F-5 Tiger II.
Most importantly, the AMX had a huge impact on the Brazilian defence industry, which developed new technologies and infrastructures that helped drive both military and civilian programmes developed by Embraer from the 1990s onwards, including the E-Jet family and the KC-390 transport.
This book is a must-have for specialists and enthusiasts alike, containing exclusive material, including photos and interviews that have never previously been published, and first-hand accounts of tactics and operations.

For Brazil, the AMX brought 21st century capabilities to the air force by introducing advanced avionics and systems, including a head-up display, radar warning receiver, chaff and flare countermeasures, friend or foe identification and other new concepts. In this way, the AMX was a useful stepping stone for the Brazilian Air Force for the "Super Tucano" and the modernised F-5 "Tiger II".
Most importantly, the AMX had an enormous impact on the Brazilian defence industry, developing new technologies and infrastructure that drove both military and civilian programmes that Embraer developed from the 1990s onwards, including the E-Jet family and the KC-390 transport aircraft.
This book is a useful source of information for professionals and enthusiasts alike. It contains exclusive material, including photos and interviews that have never been published before, as well as first-hand accounts of tactics and operations.

Tincopa, Amaru: Air Wars Between Ecuador and Peru. Band 3: Aerial Operations over the Condor Mountain Range, 1995 25,95 €

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:50:15 +0200

The series of sharp clashes between Ecuador and Peru of 1981 left the dispute between the two countries unresolved as there was still no definitive delimitation of the border. During the following years, both parties had to deal with a series of internal and external issues and, ultimately, these affected the planning and operational capabilities of their respective armed forces. While Peru underwent a severe economic crisis including hyperinflation caused by poor management of its economy, and a leftist insurgency, Ecuador underwent a transition from a centrally-controlled economy to a free market: in turn, it was one of countries in Latin America least affected by the precipitous fall in regional economic indices of the 1990s. These factors had an immediate impact upon the armed forces of both countries: they proved decisive for the development of their defensive and offensive planning, and would exercise direct influence upon the decisions taken by field commanders of both countries during the final, third war between Ecuador and Peru in 1995. Drawing upon extensive research in the official archives from both the Fuerza Aérea del Ecuador and Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP), with documentation from multiple private sources in both countries, "Air Wars Between Ecuador and Peru", Volume 3 completes the history of the aerial operations launched by the forces of both nations in the brief - but also the most violent - engagement between these two countries. By accessing details from both parties to the conflict, this volume avoids biased and one-sided coverage of the conflict, while providing detail of the military build-up, capabilities and intentions of both of the air forces involved, their training, planning, and the conduct of combat operations. Illustrated by more than 100 exclusive photographs, half a dozen maps and 15 authentic color profiles, "Air Wars Between Ecuador and Peru", Volume 3 provides the first authoritative account of the air warfare between Ecuador and Peru in early 1995.

Fracchia, Antonio Luis Sapienza: Araguaia War. Counterinsurgency against the Communist Guerrillas of Brazil, 1964-1985 26,95 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:25:08 +0200

In 1964 a right-wing military coup seized power in Brazil. The Araguaia Guerrilla movement, formed by the Communist Party of Brazil in the late 1960s, launched an armed opposition to the US-backed military government with the intention of waging a Maoist-style peoples war from its base area along the banks of the Araguaia river. Between 1972 and 1974 the Brazilian military launched a brutal campaign to destroy the Araguaia Guerrilla in its jungle stronghold.
While the idea of armed opposition to the military government of Brazil was popular amongst the Brazilian left-wing, it was the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) that actually formed such a movement. They selected as their base area the towns along the banks of the Araguaia River where tensions between locals and the government-backed mining operations already existed. The concept was that a rural peoples war would be waged from this base area, inspired by Maos campaign in the Chinese Civil War and the successful Cuban Revolution. Never a large organization, the Araguaia Guerrilla movement avoided much attention of the government until 1972 when the military launched a campaign that by 1974 would leave few survivors.
"Araguaia War" examines the military regime in Brazil between 1964 and 1985, and the subversive groups, both urban and rural that appeared in that country in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Brazilian military and police forces in the 1960s and 70s are described in detail, along with their campaign against the armed opposition in Araguaia, in the states of Maranhao, Pará and Goiás, and the actions of the guerilla movement.

Rivas, Santiago: Wings of Argentina. Argentina's Aircraft Industry since 1927 46,95 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:55:10 +0200

The Argentinian Aircraft Factory, Fábrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA), is Argentina's main aircraft manufacturer. Founded in 1927 and located in Córdoba for most of its existence it was known as "Fábrica Militar de Aviones" (FMA) until its privatisation in the 1990s when it became part of Lockheed-Martin. In 2009, it was renationalised and the company is now once again wholly owned by the Argentine government.
Initially, the factory produced aircraft built under licence from companies such as Avro but it is best known for making the first jet fighter aircraft in Latin America: the Pulqui I (1947) and the Pulqui II (1950) under the director of engineers Emile Dewoitine and Kurt Tank respectively. The post World War Two era was a particularly interesting one at the FAdeA with creative and innovative designers such as Reimar Horten being involved with the business.

This book is a history of the company and the aircraft it produced from the 1920s to the present day. It covers all the aircraft that were produced by the company, both those built under licence and original designs. It also examines the many projects and prototypes which were developed over the years. For all those with an interest in some of the less well-known aspects of aviation history, this book will be a revelation.

Marón, Gustavo: Juliet, Tango, November. A Cold War Crime. The Shoot-Down of an Argentine CL-44 over Soviet Armenia, July 1981 26,95 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:20:28 +0200

On July 18, 1981, a Canadair CL-44D Swingtail cargo plane from the Argentine company Transporte Aéreo Rioplatense, mysteriously disappeared over the Soviet Republic of Armenia while on a flight between Tehran (Iran) and Larnaca (Cyprus).
Four days later, on July 22, 1981, the Vremya television news broadcast in Moscow, the information provided by the TASS news agency, according to which, a plane of unidentified origin had entered Soviet territory in the vicinity of the Armenian city of Yerevan. According to the official TASS agency, the plane had ignored calls from air traffic control services, while carrying out dangerous manoeuvres, by virtue of which, it had ended up colliding with another Soviet aircraft, crashed and burned.
With this cryptic information began one of the most impressive and least known stories of Argentine civil aviation: the shooting down of the freighter registered LV-JTN by the Soviet Air Defence. The episode, severely covered up by Moscow, was part of a much larger geopolitical scenario: the clandestine transport of American weapons that was taking place between Tel Aviv and Tehran by virtue of a secret agreement between the Iranian and Israeli governments, at a time when it weighed heavily on Iran, a total embargo on arms sales ordered by the United States after the hostage-taking that occurred in 1979 at the US Embassy in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, formed as a result of the Islamic Revolution that had broken out that same year, was an avowed enemy of Israel, whom it considered a mere Zionist regime to be eliminated. The Iranian religious leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, did not recognise the State of Israel, which he referred to simply as "little Satan". However, the Iranians desperately needed supplies of US weapons because a few months earlier, on 22 September 1980, they had been invaded from Iraq by Saddam Husseins forces, starting the Persian Gulf War. The Israelis saw the possibility of carrying out a sideline business and thus, embarked on a supply operation that was as secret as it was clandestine.
The intelligence services of the Soviet Union soon became aware of the secret arms trafficking and decided to divert one of the compromised planes to force it to land in their territory with the aim of exposing the operation and all the protagonists involved. By interfering with radio communications and manipulating aids to navigation, the KGB managed to divert the plane from its route, making it fly within the Soviet Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia. But the Sukhoi Su-15TM fighters dispatched to intercept it, failed in their mission so the control centre ordered the downing of the Argentine plane before it left Armenian airspace.

The Soviet conspiracy of silence began after discovering that its Air Defence had destroyed an Argentine-flagged civil plane, with an Argentine crew, which was flying empty. The Moscow governments cover-up was soon joined by that of Israel, Iran, the United States and Argentina, whose governments sought to keep the issue of arms trafficking the closest of secrets.

Dildy, D./Calcaterra, P./Laurier, J. (Illustr.)/Hector, G. (Illustr.): Sea Harrier FSR 1 vs Mirage III/Dagger. Falklands/Malvinas 1982 16,95 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:35:13 +0200

Following Argentina's military operation to take possession of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government launched a major naval operation to return them to British rule. Defending the Royal Navy task force were two small squadrons totalling 22 Sea Harriers (SHAR), who won the initial battle for air superiority against the Dassault Mirage interceptors and Dassault/IAI Dagger fighter-bombers of the Argentine Air Force (FAA). This forced the FAA to switch tactics, launching daring and courageous ultra-low level attacks against Royal Navy warships and auxiliaries, causing considerable damage during Operation Corporate, the large-scale amphibious operation to repossess the islands. Publishing 35 years after the end of the conflict, this fully illustrated volume offers a balanced and objective examination of the SHAR and the Argentine Mirage and Dagger aircraft, highlighting the attributes of both and the skills and courage of the pilots flying them.

Moralez, Joao Paulo Zeitoun: EMB-314 Super Tucano 14,95 €

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:30:11 +0200

The Embraer Super Tucano is tough enough to support operations from unprepared runways and in temperatures of 36°C and 100% humidity. Flying independently of ground support, it can take off from short and narrow runways to provide support to ground forces. The aircraft integrates a fourth-generation cockpit with some of the most modern technology including datalink, ?hands on throttle and stick? (HOTAS) controls, a head-up display, and night and thermal vision sensors. The crew can deliver up to 1,500kg of conventional and guided weaponry and are provided with ballistic protection.Most other aircraft in its class were developed as advanced trainers before being converted for combat missions. The origins of the single-turboprop EMB-314 Super Tucano are as a robust attack aircraft capable of performing highly varied types of missions, sustaining weeks of continuous operation with high availability. It is almost completely redesigned compared to its predecessor, the EMB-312 Tucano.The two 0.5-in (12.7-mm) machine guns installed in the wings are complemented by a variety of 130 types of armament carried on five external points under the wings and fuselage.With more than 250 examples produced, the Super Tucano performs missions including armed reconnaissance, escort, counterinsurgency and even air defense. It is used by Brazil and 11 other countries and is manufactured under licence in the United States. Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Mauritania have all made operational use of the Super Tucano. The US may become the next operator of the turboprop, with a requirement for as many as 300 new light close air support aircraft.

Higuchi, Hélio/ Fracchia, Antonio Luis Sapienza: Cuban Military Aviation. Volume 2: The Cuban Army Air Force, the fight against Castro's Guerrillas, and the Bay of Pigs, 1952-1961 24,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:56:54 +0200

Volume 52 of the Latin America @ War series continues the two-part study of Cuba's air force, examining the turbulent decade in which the island's military aviation was embroiled in ongoing fighting, political collapse and Cold War confrontations. Following the restructuring of the Cuerpo de Aviación del Ejército de Cuba into the Fuerza Aérea del Ejército de Cuba (FAEC) in 1952, the Cuban Air Force expanded rapidly in response to the growing rebellion led by Fidel Castro's Movimiento 26 de Julio. Based on extensive archival research, rare photographs, and eyewitness accounts, this book traces how the FAEC evolved from a conventional air force into a force heavily involved in counterinsurgency operations, flying thousands of combat missions against guerrilla forces in the Sierra Maestra and across the island. The book contains a detailed operational analysis of the air strikes carried out with aircraft such as the P-47 Thunderbolt, the B-26 Invader, the T-33 Shooting Star and a variety of light liaison and attack aircraft. It examines the introduction of helicopters, close air support techniques, night operations, and the increasing strain on personnel and equipment caused by an intensifying civil war, exacerbated by political interference, corruption, and the imposition of a US arms embargo. With the collapse of the Batista regime in January 1959, Cuban military aviation underwent a dramatic transformation. The FAEC was disbanded and replaced by the Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria (FAR), which took over much of its predecessor's equipment but was deprived of its experienced flight crews through purges, trials, imprisonments and exile. This volume describes the chaotic reorganisation of the air force under revolutionary rule, its dependence on civilian pilots and foreign volunteers, and the difficult transition to rapprochement with the Soviet Union. The final chapters provide a comprehensive overview of the air war during the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 and analyse the decisive air battles between the FAR and the exiled Fuerza Aérea de Liberación, which were largely flown with aircraft from the pre-revolutionary era. These operations marked the last combat deployment of many Second World War-era aircraft in Cuban service and directly shaped Havana's rapid turn to Soviet air power. With numerous historical photos, colour profiles, maps and detailed aircraft tables, Cuban Military Aviation Volume 2 is the most comprehensive English-language study to date of Cuban air operations during the revolution and regime change. Together with Volume 1, it serves as a reference for aviation historians, military scholars and readers interested in Latin American conflicts and air warfare at the beginning of the Cold War.

Lezon, Ricardo Martin: Eyes of the Fleet. Sea Planes in Argentine Navy Service 25,87 €

Sat, 16 May 2026 07:25:05 +0200

Illustrated with 170 contemporary photographs, the book describes the use of the various flying boats, seaplanes and other propeller-driven aircraft that have been in service with the Argentine Navy for reconnaissance purposes.

Flores, Santiago/Garza, M. Reyna: Decades of Rebellion. Volume 1: Mexican Military Aviation in the Rebellions of the 1920s 26,95 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:55:10 +0200

In the decades before Mexico joined the allies during the Second World War, Mexican military aviation saw a rapid growth and intense involvement in multiple rebellions, internal strife, and in operations against armed banditry.
Aviation was introduced to military service in Mexico during the Revolutionary Period of 1910-1920, culminating in the bloody showdown between the subsequent president Don Venustiano Carranza and General Victoriano Huerta in 1913. Based on this experience, a strong military service was understood to be an important element for maintaining internal security, and was therefore deployed at almost every opportunity. Mexican military aviation helped defeat several armed uprisings - often by little more than the strong psychological impact upon the insurgents and the civilian population. Rather unsurprisingly, in at least one instance, an armed rebellion sought to obtain aircraft and recruit mercenary pilots to counter the federal air service.
Three decades of small yet intensive combat operations not only proved to be a baptism of fire for many early Mexican aviators, but also played a crucial role in forming nearly all of the commanders that went on to lead the Mexican Air Force during the Second World War.
Richly illustrated with more than 150 exclusive photographs and colour profiles, "Decades of Rebellion" is the first authoritative account of air operations over Mexico in the period 1910-1939, and as such is an indispensable source of reference for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Sapienza, Antonio: The Chaco Air War 1932-35. The First Modern Air War in Latin America 25,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:10:15 +0200

The Chaco War was probably the first "modern" conflict in Latin America where military aviation was widely used in all roles. Bolivia, as the reader will find out, had a very powerful military air force, but unfortunately for them and luckily for Paraguay, its high army command did not take advantage of it. On the other hand, the Paraguayan Commander-in-Chief, General Jose Felix Estigarribia used military aviation to help him defeat the enemy on the ground, and the result was clear: the Bolivians were expelled from the Chaco after three years of war. Previous publications have focused on the Chaco Air War with the aircraft technical details and almost no information on aerial operations, which is this book's centerpiece. All dogfights and bombing missions mentioned are detailed including crews, aircraft, serials, places and outcomes. The book also describes how both military air forces were organized, how pilots and aviation mechanics were trained, how and where aircraft were purchased and many other unpublished before details. The maps included in the book will help the reader have an idea of where aerial operations took place, both combatants air bases, Bolivia's plan to conquer the whole region and how the Paraguayan Army finally expelled the enemy out of the Chaco. The text is supported by a large number of photographs, and specially commissioned color profile artworks from modelers.

Rivas, Santiago: Air Forces of Latin America. Colombia 18,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:50:10 +0200

Colombian military aviation is one of the most powerful in Latin America and comprises aviation divisions from four branches: the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force), Armada Nacional de la República de Colombia (ARC, Colombian National Navy), Ejército Nacional de Colombia (EJC, Colombian National Army) and Policía Nacional de Colombia (PNC, National Police of Colombia).

While the FAC has been operating for more than a century, and remains the main aviation force, the other three have become very powerful and efficient forces over the past 40 years. The PNC is the biggest force of its type in the world. Colombia has struggled for decades with internal conflicts involving guerrilla groups and drug traffickers. In recent years, the threat posed by Venezuela has forced its aviation units to develop fighting capabilities from largely asymmetric warfare to facing a more conventional enemy. With over 180 images, this book provides a look at the history, organization, deployment, missions and aircraft of all four of Colombias aviation forces.

Rivas, Santiago: Air Forces of Latin America 21,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0200

Illustrated with more than 140 photographs, this book shines a spotlight on the Argentine Air Force, Naval Aviation and Army Aviation, as well as the paramilitary forces of the Coast Guard, Gendarmerie and Presidential Flight.

Marón, Gustavo: Flashes in the Dark. Band 1: Nuclear espionage in Argentina, 1946-1957 26,95 €

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:00:10 +0200

A volume from the series Latin America @ War. Flashes in the Dark focuses on one of the most unknown and interesting aspects of contemporary military history: the air activities of the US Air Force in Argentina in the context of the Cold War the period of bipolar tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union that began in 1945 and ended in 1989-1991 when one of the two rival giants collapsed for social, political and economic reasons. The title of the book is due to the fact that its original foundations were merely flashes: small sparks of information that came to light during more than 20 years of research in huge documents, photographs and witness statements that the author had collected about the North American air operations and space activities under the strictest conditions of secrecy from Argentine territory or in Argentine airspace. The book describes both these missions and the context and circumstances that led to them being kept secret even from the Argentine political and military authorities. The aim of the book is to lift the veil of silence and obfuscation that has surrounded US military activities in Latin America in general and in Argentina in particular for decades, and to reveal aspects that were previously unknown to the public. The facts and circumstances described in the book are virtually contemporaneous with the establishment of the USAF as an independent defence institution in 1947. A few months later, in August 1948, the Air Force Office of Atomic Energy (AFOAT-1) was established and tasked with administering the so-called Atomic Energy Detection System (AEDS). The top-secret purpose of AFOAT-1 was to detect foreign nuclear tests and other activities related to nuclear weapons, such as the collection of gases and radioactive microparticles that would make it possible to reverse engineer the industrial capabilities, technological status and size of the nuclear weapons arsenal of the countries being spied on, initially the Soviet Union and later France and China. AFOAT-1, later renamed the Air Force Technical Applications Centre (AFTAC), had early success with the discovery of the first Soviet nuclear test, which was secretly conducted on 29 August 1949 in the Semipalatinsk steppe in the Kazakh SSR. The radioactive residues released into the atmosphere were detected by a specially modified Boeing WB-29 Superfortress flying between the US Air Force bases at Misawa in Japan and Eielson in Alaska under the guise of a weather survey. This enabled the Tracerlab Incorporated laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to quickly confirm that the Soviet Union had achieved nuclear weapons capability. Armed with this information, US President Harry S. Truman made the discovery public on 23 September 1949, suddenly lifting the veil of Soviet secrecy and forcing his rival, Prime Minister Joseph Stalin, to admit that his country had indeed conducted its first successful nuclear test. This intelligence game was repeated countless times, providing the highest levels of the US government with accurate information another reason to keep secret the operations of the supposedly meteorological aircraft, which, as was publicly stated, were only conducting atmospheric research. The intelligence potential of AFOAT-1/AFTAC and its importance to the national security of the United States were so great that both agencies always operated in absolute secrecy, so that their existence was not acknowledged until 1975, a year after the USAF gave up its permanent base on Argentine territory. Nuclear espionage in Argentina began in 1946 with the secret deployment of Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-54 Skymaster aircraft to detect uranium deposits, the raw material for the construction of atomic and thermonuclear weapons. The flights were then continued with a Boeing WB-29 Superfortress to spy on the nuclear project that Argentina was secretly carrying out on Huemul Island in Lake Nahuel Huapi. The air operations carried out from Argentina were classified as top secret (Top Secret and Top Secret Umbra), so the officers were careful not to leave any traces, clues or records behind. The secrecy was so strict that not even the Argentine Air Force knew exactly what was going on in Ezeiza and Mendoza, the two airports from which the secret air operations were permanently carried out and which were both under its jurisdiction. Given the unprecedented and sensitive nature of the topics covered in this book, the author provides numerous bibliographical and documentary references so that other researchers can use them in their future work.

Sapienza, Antonia Luis: Aerial Operations in the Revolutions of 1922 and 1947 in Paraguay. The first dogfights in South America 25,95 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:32 +0200

In the first half of the XX Century, there were several revolutions in Paraguay, starting in 1904, then 1908, 1911-12, 1922-23, 1936 and finally 1947. In 1922, a huge internal crisis in the Liberal Party led to a bloody revolution and for the first time in the history of the country, both sides decided to use aerial power against the enemy. There were not any airplanes available in Paraguay at that time, and very few pilots, just three, so both, the government led by President Eusebio Ayala, and the revolutionaries led by a couple of Army Colonels, Chirife and Mendoza, searched for foreign pilots and planes in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many WWI veterans immigrated to Latin America in search of a better life, either opening flight schools or offering their services in local conflicts. And that is how some of them came to Paraguay with their own aircraft, which were bought by either the government or the revolutionaries. The three Paraguayan pilots offered their services to the government which soon established the first Air Base near the capital, in a wide open field called "Ñu-Guazú" (a Guaraní name meaning "Big Field"). Meanwhile, the rebels organized their own air base, first near the city of Villarrica, and later in Cangó. The main types used by both sides were the Ansaldo SVA5 and SVA10, but the government could also purchase a Breguet XIV, an Armstrong Whitworth FK.8, a SPAD S.20 and a couple of SAML A.3. Inevitably soon the first dogfights took place, and also bombing raids, strafing enemy troops, and recce missions on both sides. Finally, in mid-1923, the revolutionaries were defeated and one of the consequences was the foundation of the Military Aviation School. On the other hand, the Revolution of 1947 lasted just a few months but it was as bloody as the previous one, if not more so. The government, supported by the Colorado Party, fought against the revolutionaries composed by almost 70% of the Army, Navy and Air Arm, supported by the Liberal, Febrerista and Communist parties. Regarding the Air Arm, it split in two, but at the beginning, most of the aircraft in flying conditions were used by the revolutionaries, whose main base was the city of Concepción, in the north of the country. Soon, the government air arm had some aircraft in flying conditions although most of the Italian types purchased in 1939 were out of service. Only Lend-Lease trainers such as PT-19, BT-13, AT-6 were used for recce and light bombing raids, using mortar ammunition. Some weeks later, the loyalists could repair some Caproni AP-1s to be flown against the rebels. There were a few dogfights but no aircraft were shot down in them, although some were due to AA fire. In the end, the government could defeat the revolutionaries, mainly because the lack of tactical organization in the rebel forces. This is the first in-depth account of them with data, pictures, maps and profiles, some of them never published before.

Flores, Santiago A.: Mexicans at War. Mexican Military Aviation in the Second World War 1941 -1945 39,95 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:32 +0200

This book introduces the reader to an unknown ally of the Second World War. Few people remember that Mexico, like Brazil, took an active part in that conflict. This volume covers Mexican participation in the Second World War for the first time using photos, documents and testimony from official and personal archives. Mexican nationals or those of Mexican descent were already volunteering for the Allied air forces of the British Commonwealth and the Free French naval and air forces While the Mexican republic first had to defend both its coasts and its shipping from enemy submarines, using its obsolete general purpose biplanes, following the sinking of Mexican ships by German U-boats the first North American Texan armed trainers entered service in the Gulf of Mexico, earning the title of the ?Mexican Dive Bomber?. Due to the necessities of the war, the service had to reorganize its aviation assets to be able to receive a larger number of American-built lease aircraft, which started the modernization and reorganization process that is felt even today. The war affected all aspect of Mexican military aviation from tactical units, to training, to logistics and military doctrine. This also led to the establishment of Mexican Naval Aviation which also ledt o the creation of its first naval squadron to patrol the Gulf of Mexico. One aspect that the war affected was the training of the new generation of military personnel, some of whom would later see action before the end of the war. As Mexico was securing its coasts and sending aviation personnel to train in the USA, it would later field its fighter squadron to participate in the liberation of the Philippine islands. By the end of the war the Mexican air force had experienced its most rapid growth since it was officially established back in February 1915. The text is fully supported by numerous previously unpublished photographs and color profiles showing camouflage and markings.

Marón, Gustavo: Flashes in the Dark. Band 2: Nuclear espionage in Argentina, Nuclear espionage in Argentina, 1957-1989 26,95 €

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:05:14 +0200

A volume from the series Latin America @ War. Flashes in the Dark Volume 2 continues the story of US nuclear espionage carried out from Argentine territory or Argentine airspace. Following the secret deployment of older, modified aircraft that had previously been used to detect uranium deposits, the US Air Force began stationing types such as the Lockheed WU-2A and Martin NB-57B at Ezeiza Airport outside Buenos Aires between 1958 and 1960. These were tasked with detecting radioactive particles from nuclear and thermonuclear explosions in the Soviet Union and France. Later, in 1966, a permanent unit was established in the IV Air Brigade in Mendoza to spy on French explosions in the Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls using Lockheed WU-2C, Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F and various variants of the Boeing C-135 investigation and weather aircraft, as well as electronic reconnaissance. Despite the official recognition of AFOAT-1/AFTAC in 1975, much remains secret about these two units, a protective shield to which the USAF's lawyers have contributed very efficiently by refusing to release their documents and even to draw up an official history focusing on the first years of the unit's existence, when the first North American spy planes were deployed in Argentina. However, the door that the USAF had locked with ten padlocks stood next to windows that other US federal agencies opened over time. In fact, over the years, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has obtained and made available to the public documents that were originally classified as secret and originated from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC), the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Environmental Measurement Laboratory (EML). A number of these documents referred to or were related to the AFOAT-1/AFTAC units, enabling the author to reconstruct the nuclear weapons remote sensing activities carried out in Argentina and confirm isolated notes of a symphony that was performed so masterfully in our country for fifteen years without anyone being able to hear it. The air operations carried out from Argentina were classified as top secret (Top Secret and Top Secret Umbra), so the officers were careful not to leave any traces, clues or records behind. The secrecy was so strict that not even the Argentine Air Force knew exactly what was going on in Ezeiza and Mendoza, the two airports from which the secret air operations were permanently carried out and which were both under its jurisdiction. Given the unprecedented and sensitive nature of the topics covered in this book, the author provides numerous bibliographical and documentary references so that other researchers can use them in future work.