It isn't very often that one finds a book on Latin American aviation. Though this one is from 2009, much of what is in there is still quite valid. The author covers each nation's air arm, concentrating on jet powered fighters. While some countries were flying jets almost immediately after WWII, others took considerably longer to finally join the jet age.

Many of these nations were recipients of the Military Assistance Program (MAP) that was developed after WWII to help those nations acquire the military equipment that they needed. The down side of this sort of thing is that it is dependent on the whims of the US government so if someone comes into power in a nation that the US does not like, then support is withdrawn, basically turning the nation's equipment into static display. This program also resulted in a nation not getting quite what it wanted, but what US politicians thought it should have. All of this was to keep one nation from getting more powerful than another and maintaining the balance.

A lot of Latin American nations had to go along with this as they did not have the money required for state of the art military equipment. Those that did, went elsewhere to procure equipment and so we see a rather large influx of French aircraft as well as planes and parts and service being provided by Israel. Some nations even went to the Soviets or Russians for their equipment after being turned down by the US for more modern aircraft.

In the beginning, some nations relied on the UK for planes while the majority started off their jet experience with T-33s and F-80s to replace their WWII era piston powered fighters. The T-33s are now gone, though many served for up to 45 years, to be replaced in many cases by A/OA-37 Dragonfly aircraft, planes that perform well in the COIN and light attack role.

The book is layed out by nation, starting with Argentina and ending with Venezuela. Their jet procurement history is provided in the order the planes entered service. In most cases, there are full color photos of these planes and while some are museum examples, we are still provided a nice look at their equipment. The time the planes were in service up to 2009 is provided as well as the serials purchased and the codes provided to the planes by the various nations. We are also provided with a look at any conflicts these planes were involved in as well as a look at losses.

I have to say that I thought I knew a lot about the subject, but was constantly surprised by information provided by the author. It is pretty obvious that a lot of thought and research has gone into this one. A nice surprise for me is that there is a list of kits and decals that have been done up until the print time of the book.

Overall, it is an excellent read and a most welcome addition to any enthusiasts book shelves.  

April 2015

Review book courtesy of  Casemate Publishing, where you can order your copy at this link.

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