Conflict in the Balkans 1991-2000 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 24) [Paperback]

Tim Ripley (Author), Mark Rolfe (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Combat Aircraft | Publication Date: August 3, 2010

Osprey's examination of aircraft action in the Balkan region during the Yugoslav Wars (1991-2001) as well as during the conflicts that followed up until 2001. Exposing the true scale and significance of the deployment of air power in the Balkans, this book details the activities of NATO and UN aircraft as well as local pilots in the former Yugoslavia. From bombing by B-2 stealth bombers to air-to-air combat; from moving ground troops by helicopter to 'food-bombing' for refugees, air power has played a vital role in 'Europe's Vietnam', and there is little sign that the fires of conflict are being extinguished. Debate amongst air power practitioners has yielded little agreement as to the degree of damage inflicted on the Yugoslav 3rd Army in Kosovo, the Balkans continue to be a region of conflict and ethnic hatred.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Osprey's Combat series combines the best archival photography available with specially commissioned artworks and first hand accounts, making these books favourites amongst historians, modellers and aviation enthusiasts everywhere.

About the Author

Balkan expert Tim Ripley has been fascinated by the conflicts of the former Yugoslavia since 1992, when he submitted his first report on the airlift to the besieged city of Sarajevo. He has since reported extensively on the activities of UN and NATO peacekeeping troops in Bosnia, Croatia, and more recently in Macedonia and Kosovo. His work has appeared in many well respected defence journals, including ‘Jane’s Defence Weekly’, ‘Jane’s Intelligence Review’ and ‘Flight International’. He is the author of ‘Air War Bosnia’ and ‘Operation Deliberate Force’, published by Lancaster University’s Centre for Defence and International Security Studies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (August 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841762903
• ISBN-13: 978-1841762906
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,163,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good but lacking, September 21, 2011

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An W. (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Conflict in the Balkans 1991-2000 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 24) (Paperback)

The book gives a good, general overview of how air power was utilized over the Balkans. However, there are bits of information that are incorrect. Also, this book does not recognize a few units/aicraft types that provided significant contributions to the air campaign.

One of the MiG-29 kills is accredited to the wrong callsign. Capt (now LtCol) Jeffery "Claw" Hwang is responsible for downing this particular aircraft. His wingman's callsign is labelled next to this kill. "Claw" is accredited with two kills; the other one is labelled correctly.

Also, not sure why, but there is no mention of US Navy F-14 contributions to the Balkan conflict (except one sentence on its use for reconnaissance). F-14s led the first strikes by the US Navy for Allied Force (successfuly destroying targets in Pristina) and identified SAM and AAA sites during these initial strikes for follow on missions. F-14s were also the first aircraft to utilize several new capabilities operationally, like Fleet Tactical Imagery which allowed them to transmit Battle Hit Assessment imagery to determine target destruction and threat assessment while they were still in the air. F-14s became the premier FAC(A) platforms as well, and were the heart of US Navy mixed section employment (F-14, F/A-18 sections). In particular, Fighter Squadron 14, with its eleven F-14s, led the highest number of strike missions in its carrier airwing and, even though it made up only 2.4% of all strike assets in theater, was responsible for the assessed destruction of 12% of all targets hit in Serbia. But there isn't a mention of any of this in this book.

Overall, this book is a very broad brush, status quo look at the Balkans Air Campaign. Recommended only to get a general overview.

Capt Hwang's 2 x kills have been verified by USAF sources that you can find on the web and the Allied Force F-14 stats and info can be found on US Navy sources on the web(all the USN F-14 info used above is from the Naval History and Heritage Command page for VF/VFA squadron command chronologies).