Rooks in Afghanistan Volume 2: Sukhoi Su-25s in the Afghanistan War 1985-1989

Rooks in Afghanistan Volume 2 picks up the story of the Su-25 'Rook' in the Soviet-Afghan War, covering the period from 1985 to the final withdrawal in 1989. Whereas Volume 1 explored the aircraft's introduction and early combat experience, this companion volume focuses on the operations of frontline assault regiments as they bore the brunt of an increasingly bitter and costly conflict.

By the mid-1980s the Su-25 had become the backbone of Soviet close air support in Afghanistan. Its pilots and ground crews faced not only the relentless challenges of mountain flying, extremes of heat and cold, and an elusive, resourceful enemy, but also the growing threat of advanced Western-supplied weapons such as the Stinger missile. Units such as the 378th Independent Attack Aviation Regiment flew thousands of sorties in support of Soviet and Afghan forces, striking strongholds, interdicting supply caravans, and providing vital support to special forces operations. The cost was high: aircraft were lost, lives cut short, and every mission tested the skill and courage of young pilots thrown into one of the most demanding air wars of the late twentieth century.

Based on detailed regimental records, personal testimonies, and the recollections of veterans, this volume paints a vivid picture of the day-to-day reality of flying the Su-25 in combat. It explores tactical innovation, the introduction of precision-guided weapons, the evolution of enemy air defences, and the human dimension of war - the fatigue, fear, and comradeship that bound men together in extraordinary circumstances.

Lavishly illustrated with rare and previously unseen photographs and specially commissioned colour artworks, Rooks in Afghanistan Volume 2 offers the definitive account of the Su-25's role in the last, most intense years of the Soviet Union's long war in Afghanistan.