44th Squadron: The Untold Story of Ethiopia's Canberra Bombers
44th Squadron: The Untold Story of Ethiopia's Canberra Bombers by Steven Beeny
English | December 17, 2024 | ISBN: N/A | ASIN: B0DQQYGSL5 | 100 pages | PDF | 48 Mb
English | December 17, 2024 | ISBN: N/A | ASIN: B0DQQYGSL5 | 100 pages | PDF | 48 Mb
The story of Ethiopia’s Canberra bombers remains practically unknown within the annals of military aviation history, or a curious side note at best when covered at all in the histories of this long-serving aircraft. The Imperial Ethiopian Air Force itself is a little-discussed topic, but what is known of it is dominated by the memory of the aerial combat flown by F-5 pilots against Somali MiGs during the Ogaden War of 1977-78. What is far less known however, is the role played by the four English Electric Canberras of the 44th Squadron, Ethiopia’s first jet bomber unit.
This is the untold story of how one of Africa's most powerful air forces at the time operated one of Britain's most successful export aircraft. From the highly-contested purchase, to the training and equipping of a small squadron and the financial challenges that almost destroyed it. Discover how the Canberra was put to use against Eritrean separatists, and the controversial nature of these aerial policing missions. And crippled by turmoil and division, learn how the remnants of the squadron rose from the ashes to defend Ethiopia during one of its darkest times.