來自地球母親的重要訊息—哥倫比亞科吉族傳訊
When founded in 1949, the People's Republic of China was a backward
agricultural state with no industrial base to speak of and no armaments
industry of its own. From the very beginning, Mao Zedong, the founder of
the state, endeavoured to develop his own modern defence industry. One
of the most successful export products of this modernisation was the
F-7, a Chinese derivative of the Soviet MiG-21.
Initially working from component knock-down kits supplied by the
USSR, the Chinese aircraft industry progressed from simple assembly, to
copies of the MiG-21, through to domestic versions (the J-7) and export
versions (the F-7 and two-seater FT-7). Constantly striving to introduce
improvements and refinements, the F-7 would become a great export
success for the People’s Republic, with modernised and upgraded variants
still in service across the world to this day.
Volume 2 of China’s Fighter for the World tells the story of
F-7's commercial success over the decades. It covers the service of the
F/FT-7 aircraft family with air forces on four continents. Each
chapter, by user country, presents the available information, consisting
of a brief history, the process and scope of procurement, deployment
history, a list of losses and an outlook. Appendices provide an overview
of the history of the aircraft factories involved in the production of
the F/FT-7 and list known construction numbers and the underlying
allocation scheme. This volume includes over 120 full-colour photographs
and 21 specially commissioned full colour profile artworks.
When founded in 1949, the People's Republic of China was a backward
agricultural state with no industrial base to speak of and no armaments
industry of its own. From the very beginning, Mao Zedong, the founder of
the state, endeavoured to develop his own modern defence industry. One
of the most successful export products of this modernisation was the
F-7; a Chinese derivative of the Soviet MiG-21.
Initially working from component knock-down kits supplied by the
USSR, the Chinese aircraft industry progressed from simple assembly, to
copies of the MiG-21, through to domestic versions (the J-7) and export
versions (the F-7 and two-seater FT-7). Constantly striving to introduce
improvements and refinements, the F-7 would become a great export
success for the People’s Republic, with modernised and upgraded variants
still in service across the world to this day.
Volume 1 of China’s Fighter for the World examines the
origins of this aircraft through the fluctuating relationship between
the People’s Republic of China and the USSR, and details the often
difficult development as new technologies were incorporated into the F-7
and FT-7 to produce improved variants in a bid to keep the aircraft up
to date and relevant for export customers.
This volume includes over 120 full-colour photographs, including
close-ups and detailed cockpit interiors, and 21 specially commissioned
full colour profile artworks.
“This book is a huge asset to any aircraft modelers interested in the
J-7 in its many guises, in many liveries, and flying under many
nation’s flags. The table of contents is detailed, and the chapters do
not disappoint with their numerous detailed photographs and diagrams.
Evey aspect of the J-7 modelers will want to reference are included,
from airframes, to engines, to ejection seats to armament.” IPMS/USA
Often downplayed or misrepresented, the short but intense military
confrontation between India and Pakistan in early May 2025 was one of
the sharpest clashes the two nuclear-armed rivals have fought in
decades. Lasting less than four days, the conflict saw the combat debut
of several of the most advanced weapon systems currently in service.
Widely dismissed in much of the international media as a mere extension
of the Kashmir dispute, a “large-scale cross-border skirmish,” or simply
a “drone battle,” it culminated in both sides claiming victory—before
being shepherded into a ceasefire through hurried diplomatic pressure
from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Yet behind these
narratives lies a confrontation that will shape Indo-Pakistani
relations for decades to come.
The crisis began on 22 April 2025, when a terrorist attack outside
Pahalgam in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir killed 26 civilians,
mostly Hindu tourists. A Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist
organisation first claimed responsibility, then denied involvement,
while Islamabad—having engineered the attack to draw global attention to
Kashmir—dismissed the massacre as an Indian “false flag operation.” New
Delhi responded with a series of calibrated countermeasures and, armed
with irrefutable evidence of Pakistani complicity, launched precision
strikes on multiple terrorist camps in the early hours of 7 May.
Determined to dictate India’s responses through nuclear threats and
long-standing myths of military invulnerability, Pakistan escalated.
Mortars, artillery rockets and armed unmanned aerial vehicles were fired
at civilian, military and religious targets inside Indian territory.
India, however, reacted with a tightly planned and proportionate
operation that systematically dismantled Pakistani air defences. Over
the next 48 hours, Pakistan intensified its “drone war,” only to see the
majority of its systems destroyed mid-flight.
In desperation, Islamabad ordered ballistic missile strikes on 26
targets across India. New Delhi’s retaliation was swift and
overwhelming. In just 90 minutes, Indian missiles crippled key Pakistani
command centres, closed runways at several major PAF bases, destroyed
critical aircraft hangars, and—most significantly—struck at least one,
possibly two underground nuclear weapons storage sites. The message was
unmistakable: India now held the upper hand.
Though rooted in the long-standing Kashmir dispute, the
India–Pakistan War of May 2025 represented something far more
consequential. For the first time in 80 years of hostility, India not
only responded directly to a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack, but
openly called Islamabad’s nuclear bluff, neutralised its ability to
retaliate and forced Pakistani aircraft away from the international
border—placing the IAF in a decisive offensive posture. Despite
Islamabad’s subsequent efforts, aided by Chinese disinformation and
familiar Western misconceptions, to mask the scale of its defeat and
even claim victory, the strategic balance between the two nations has
been irrevocably altered.
Richly illustrated with custom-drawn diagrams, detailed colour profiles and in-depth technical analysis, 88-Hours War
provides the first full account of this fast-moving but poorly
understood conflict. Combining background, context and a blow-by-blow
narrative of the fighting from 7 to 10 May 2025, it is an indispensable
reference for defence professionals, analysts and military history
enthusiasts alike.
