Search results for ""Author Santiago Rivas""

In the 1960's guerrillas were operating in almost all Latin American countries, as well as in Africa and Asia, and the need of specialized weapons to fight them arose. The Argentine Air Force, seeing this threat grow, asked the FMA factory to produce a counterinsurgency airplane to equip the force, but also to offer on the international market. After several proposals were analysed, a final product emerged, called the IA-58 Pucar , a robust twin turboprop aircraft with heavy internal weapons, planned to operate from unprepared airstrips on very hard conditions. The plane entered service with the Argentine Air Force in 1975 and more than 100 were produced over the years, with several versions being developed or proposed. It was purchased by Uruguay, Colombia and Sri Lanka, the type gained world notoriety when they took part on the 1982 South Atlantic war, but also had combat experience in Colombia and Sri Lanka, and was tested by the Royal Air Force. Now, with the original version already retired, the Argentine Air Force plans to convert them into the Pucar F nix version, with new engines and avionics, with new missions too, like intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. While some aspects of its story were described in many publications, most of it has never been told until now, including many unknown proposed versions and details of its operational record, both in Argentina and in the other countries that operated the plane.

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Colombian military aviation is one of the most powerful in Latin America and comprises aviation divisions from four branches: the Fuerza A rea Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force), Armada Nacional de la Rep blica de Colombia (ARC, Colombian National Navy), Ej rcito Nacional de Colombia (EJC, Colombian National Army) and Polic a 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, organisation, deployment, missions and aircraft of all four of Colombia's aviation forces.

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The Northrop Corporation offered the single engined Gamma 2F attack plane to the US Army Air Corps in October 1934. After modification work this type evolved into the highly innovative A-17 attack aircraft of which 110 aircraft were ordered. Northrop integrated all modern aircraft technologies of the day, such as all metal monocoque construction, two pitch propeller, flaps and dive brakes into the design, combined with forward firing machine guns fitted in the wings, a respectable bomb load, high speeds and admirable flying range. It eclipsed all other attack types then in service. This book offers an overview of an iconic aeroplane. The authors, all specialists in their field, have compiled a comprehensive story and gathered more than 350 photographs, colour profiles and maps, thus offering a fascinating view at an aircraft type linking the ‘Golden Age of aviation’ days with the dark years of World War Two.

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