Book Review of
Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East
Vol. 3: Egypt 1948-1989
Author: Martin Smisek
Middle East@War Series No. 46
Helion & Co. Ltd.
Helion & Co. Ltd.
ISBN: 978-1-915070-79-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $29.95
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $29.95
HISTORY:
During the Cold War , Communist Czechoslovakia was one of the largest arms exporters to the Middle East among the Soviet Bloc countries. This third volume of this mini-series describes the history of arms exports from Czechoslovakia to Egypt including related military assistance.
Although Egypt had expressed interest in buying Czechoslovak arms and before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, no deliveries were made as Prague fully supported the nascent Jewish state. The situation began to change from July 1950 when Czechoslovakia banned exports of its weapons to Israel.
These developments culminated in September 1955, when the first huge Czechoslovak-Egyptian arms deal was concluded. As a proxy of Moscow, Prague delivered impressive quantities of armaments and ammunition together with spare parts, logistics and support equipment.
At the same time, Czechoslovak military instructors and advisors were also sent to Egypt. A crucial role was played by a group of Czechoslovak Air Force personnel, whose task was to provide the tactical and combat training for two Egyptian fighter squadrons equipped with Mig-15Bis jets prior to the Suez Crisis in 1956. At the same time, Egyptian military specialists were trained at the facilities of the Czechoslovak People’s Army.
However, form the end of the 1950’s, there was a significant reduction in the supply of military hardware from Czechoslovakia, because Prague was unwilling or unable to supply the state-of-the-art weapons required by the Egyptians. The focus of Czechoslovak-Egyptian military cooperation in the following years was therefore limited in the establishment of the Military Technical College in Cairo and various military repair facilities around Egypt.
The situation in the supply of Czechoslovak armament in Egypt began to change gradually again in the mid 1960’s, as the Czechoslovak arms industry commenced the production of a new generation of weapons developed by domestic industry or provided under Soviet license. A huge boom in arms deals occurred after the Egyptian defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
During the following years, Czechoslovakia supplied Egypt with DT-62 armoured personnel carrier, T-55 tanks, Mig-21F-13 fighters and L-29 Delfin jet trainers, which subsequently took part in the fighting of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. A further major turning point came in the mid-1970’s, with the deterioration of Soviet-Egyptian relations and following instructions from Moscow, Prague was forced to abruptly stop supplying arms to Egypt in 1976.
Using declassified original documentation, this is the most comprehensive and meticulous account of the Czechoslovak military involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War that has ever been published and is extensively illustrated with photographs and original color artworks.
THE BOOK:
Helion & Co. Ltd. is based in the UK.
This book is of soft-cover of 96 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of an OT-64 tank coming down the ramp on the front of an LST.
Below it is a color side-view illustration of a Egyptian Mig-31F-13 fighter.
The back cover shows a color side-view illustration of a Soviet T-55 medium tank.
CONTENTS of the book are: ABBREVIATIONS, INTRODUCTION, 9 chapters, a BIBLIOGRAPHY, NOTES and ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
There are 7 maps. Twenty data lists. Seven color photos and 62 black and white photos.
The black and white photos show:
A 57mm vz. 43 gun of Czechoslovak origin, captured by the Israelis at the end of the Suez War in 1956, a column of Egyptian SD-100’s seen during a parade in Cairo in 1957, Praga V35 & Tatra 805 & Skoda 706 trucks in Egypt, a Mig-15bis, officers, IL-28’S, members of the Czech Advisory Group, Mig-17 F’s, 2 photos of a crashed IL-28 and the post-accident report about it, a Czech Yak-11, an Egyptian UV-51 multiple rocket launcher, a Czech professor, teachers, an assistance request, manual covers, military students, an Egyptian Klokan 152 mm grenade launcher, numerous pictures of Czech officials, Mig-21F, L-29 fighter, T-55 tank and an Egyptian L-39ZO.
Color photos include;
The crest of the MTC in Cairo, 2 photos of the L-29, 3 photos of Aero L-50E’s.
The 21 color side-view illustrations include:
An Egyptian BO vz 38 howitzer, a Czech vz 31/37 howitzer, Soviet BTR-152 armored personnel carrier, RK-2 rocket launcher, 2 illustrations of the SU-100, 2 illustrations of the T-34/85 tank, 2 illustrations of an OT-62 Topas amphibious tank, 2 illustrations of the T-55 tank, a Mig-15bis, a Mig-15UTI trainer, a Yak-11, 3 illustrations of the L-60 Brigadier, 2 illustrations of an L-29, a Mig-21F-13, and an L-37 Albatros trainer.
This book will be of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike. I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Helion & Co. Ltd. Books and all Helion titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
During the Cold War , Communist Czechoslovakia was one of the largest arms exporters to the Middle East among the Soviet Bloc countries. This third volume of this mini-series describes the history of arms exports from Czechoslovakia to Egypt including related military assistance.
Although Egypt had expressed interest in buying Czechoslovak arms and before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, no deliveries were made as Prague fully supported the nascent Jewish state. The situation began to change from July 1950 when Czechoslovakia banned exports of its weapons to Israel.
These developments culminated in September 1955, when the first huge Czechoslovak-Egyptian arms deal was concluded. As a proxy of Moscow, Prague delivered impressive quantities of armaments and ammunition together with spare parts, logistics and support equipment.
At the same time, Czechoslovak military instructors and advisors were also sent to Egypt. A crucial role was played by a group of Czechoslovak Air Force personnel, whose task was to provide the tactical and combat training for two Egyptian fighter squadrons equipped with Mig-15Bis jets prior to the Suez Crisis in 1956. At the same time, Egyptian military specialists were trained at the facilities of the Czechoslovak People’s Army.
However, form the end of the 1950’s, there was a significant reduction in the supply of military hardware from Czechoslovakia, because Prague was unwilling or unable to supply the state-of-the-art weapons required by the Egyptians. The focus of Czechoslovak-Egyptian military cooperation in the following years was therefore limited in the establishment of the Military Technical College in Cairo and various military repair facilities around Egypt.
The situation in the supply of Czechoslovak armament in Egypt began to change gradually again in the mid 1960’s, as the Czechoslovak arms industry commenced the production of a new generation of weapons developed by domestic industry or provided under Soviet license. A huge boom in arms deals occurred after the Egyptian defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
During the following years, Czechoslovakia supplied Egypt with DT-62 armoured personnel carrier, T-55 tanks, Mig-21F-13 fighters and L-29 Delfin jet trainers, which subsequently took part in the fighting of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. A further major turning point came in the mid-1970’s, with the deterioration of Soviet-Egyptian relations and following instructions from Moscow, Prague was forced to abruptly stop supplying arms to Egypt in 1976.
Using declassified original documentation, this is the most comprehensive and meticulous account of the Czechoslovak military involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War that has ever been published and is extensively illustrated with photographs and original color artworks.
THE BOOK:
Helion & Co. Ltd. is based in the UK.
This book is of soft-cover of 96 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of an OT-64 tank coming down the ramp on the front of an LST.
Below it is a color side-view illustration of a Egyptian Mig-31F-13 fighter.
The back cover shows a color side-view illustration of a Soviet T-55 medium tank.
CONTENTS of the book are: ABBREVIATIONS, INTRODUCTION, 9 chapters, a BIBLIOGRAPHY, NOTES and ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
There are 7 maps. Twenty data lists. Seven color photos and 62 black and white photos.
The black and white photos show:
A 57mm vz. 43 gun of Czechoslovak origin, captured by the Israelis at the end of the Suez War in 1956, a column of Egyptian SD-100’s seen during a parade in Cairo in 1957, Praga V35 & Tatra 805 & Skoda 706 trucks in Egypt, a Mig-15bis, officers, IL-28’S, members of the Czech Advisory Group, Mig-17 F’s, 2 photos of a crashed IL-28 and the post-accident report about it, a Czech Yak-11, an Egyptian UV-51 multiple rocket launcher, a Czech professor, teachers, an assistance request, manual covers, military students, an Egyptian Klokan 152 mm grenade launcher, numerous pictures of Czech officials, Mig-21F, L-29 fighter, T-55 tank and an Egyptian L-39ZO.
Color photos include;
The crest of the MTC in Cairo, 2 photos of the L-29, 3 photos of Aero L-50E’s.
The 21 color side-view illustrations include:
An Egyptian BO vz 38 howitzer, a Czech vz 31/37 howitzer, Soviet BTR-152 armored personnel carrier, RK-2 rocket launcher, 2 illustrations of the SU-100, 2 illustrations of the T-34/85 tank, 2 illustrations of an OT-62 Topas amphibious tank, 2 illustrations of the T-55 tank, a Mig-15bis, a Mig-15UTI trainer, a Yak-11, 3 illustrations of the L-60 Brigadier, 2 illustrations of an L-29, a Mig-21F-13, and an L-37 Albatros trainer.
This book will be of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike. I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Helion & Co. Ltd. Books and all Helion titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.