The Air Force of the USSR had no equal in the number of combat aircraft, because the “air shield” had to reliably cover the “tank sword” and the “large fleet” of the Land of the Soviets. Over the 46 post-war years, Soviet aviation went from wartime plywood piston aircraft to fourth-generation supersonic aircraft, and fought in the skies of Korea, Egypt and Afghanistan. During this period, the history of the Soviet Air Force became overgrown with numerous myths and legends that have little in common with real events. This book is a logical continuation of the work “Tank Sword of the Land of the Soviets.” It represents the true, and not the ceremonial, version of the history of the evolution of the most numerous military aircraft in the world, which disappeared along with the country that created it. It is based on a large amount of factual material that was previously classified as “top secret”, as well as on eyewitness accounts of the events described. The book is intended for a wide range of readers.