The Icarus illusion: technology, doctrine and the Soviet Air Force

Abstract

This thesis describes and analyzes the relationship between post-World War II Soviet fighter aircraft design and Soviet air employment doctrine. It tests the proposition that Soviet fighter aircraft are developed in response to design criteria established solely on the basis of military requirements. The results show that Soviet fighter design has not only progressed largely independently of prevailing doctrinal requirements, but appears to have driven the development of tactical air employment doctrine over the past forty years.