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" Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 =
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
, commander1_label = Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Defence Forces , commander2 =
Army General Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.  In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...
Sergei Surovikin Sergey Vladimirovich Surovikin (Russian: Серге́й Влади́мирович Сурови́кин; born 11 October 1966) is a Russian Armed Forces army general and Commander of the Aerospace Forces. A veteran of the Soviet–Afghan War, ...
, commander2_label = Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces , commander3 =
Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
, commander3_label =
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force (russian: Главнокомандующий ВВС, Glavnokomanduyushchiy VVS) is the chief commanding authority of the Russian Air Force. He is appointed by the President of Russia. The position d ...
, notable_commanders = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = Flag , identification_symbol_2 = , identification_symbol_4 = , identification_symbol_2_label =
Roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of diff ...
, identification_symbol_3 = , identification_symbol_3_label = Roundel (1992–2010) , identification_symbol_4_label = Patch , identification_symbol_5 = , identification_symbol_5_label = Middle emblem , identification_symbol_6 = , identification_symbol_6_label = Insignia , aircraft_attack = Su-25SM, Su-24M,
Su-34 The Sukhoi Su-34 (russian: Сухой Су-34; NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Soviet-origin Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/ strike aircraft. It first flew in 1990, intended for the Sovi ...
, aircraft_bomber = MiG-31K,
Tu-22M3 The Tupolev Tu-22M (russian: Туполев Ту-22М; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. According to some s ...
,
Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of t ...
,
Tu-160 The Tupolev Tu-160 (russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, translit=Belyj Lebeď, translation=White Swan; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Desi ...
, aircraft_electronic = A-50/A-50U, Il-22PP, Il-80 , aircraft_fighter =
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
, MiG-35, Su-27,
Su-30 The Sukhoi Su-30 (russian: Сухой Су-30; NATO reporting name: Flanker-C/G/H) is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter ...
, Su-35, Su-57 , aircraft_helicopter =
Ka-60 The Kamov Ka-60 ''Kasatka'' (russian: " Касатка", ("Killer Whale") is a Russian medium twin-turbine military transport helicopter under development by Kamov. It performed its first flight on 24 December 1998. The civil version is known ...
,
Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia. In addition t ...
, Mi-17,
Mi-26 The Mil Mi-26 (russian: link=no, Миль Ми-26, NATO reporting name: Halo) is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter. Its product code is ''Izdeliye 90''. Operated by both military and civilian operators, it is the largest and most po ...
, aircraft_helicopter_attack = Mi-24/Mi-35M, Mi-28N,
Ka-50 The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" (russian: Чёрная акула, translit=Chyornaya akula, English: kitefin shark, NATO reporting name: Hokum A) is a Soviet/Russian single-seat attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of th ...
,
Ka-52 The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" (russian: Чёрная акула, translit=Chyornaya akula, English: kitefin shark, NATO reporting name: Hokum A) is a Soviet/Russian single-seat attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of th ...
, aircraft_helicopter_cargo = , aircraft_helicopter_multirole = , aircraft_helicopter_observation = , aircraft_helicopter_trainer = , aircraft_helicopter_utility = , aircraft_interceptor =
MiG-31 The Mikoyan MiG-31 (russian: link=no, Микоян МиГ-31; NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft that was developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces. The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a ...
, aircraft_patrol = , aircraft_recon = , aircraft_trainer =
Aero L-39 Albatros The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer designed and produced in Czechoslovakia by Aero Vodochody. It is the most widely used jet trainer in the world; in addition to performing basic and advanced pilot training, it has also flo ...
,
Yak-130 The Yakovlev Yak-130 (NATO reporting name: Mitten) is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft originally developed by Yakovlev and Aermacchi as the "Yak/AEM-130". It has also been marketed as a potential light attack ...
, aircraft_transport =
Il-62 The Ilyushin Il-62 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-62; NATO reporting name: Classic) is a Soviet long-range narrow-body jetliner conceived in 1960 by Ilyushin. As successor to the popular turboprop Il-18 and with capacity for almost 200 pas ...
,
Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comme ...
,
Il-86 The Ilyushin Il-86 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-86; NATO reporting name: Camber) is a short- to medium- range wide-body jet airliner that served as the USSR's first wide-bodied aircraft. Designed and tested by the Ilyushin design bureau in ...
, Il-112,
An-26 The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twin ...
,
An-124 The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (; russian: Антонов Ан-124 Руслан, , Ruslan; NATO reporting name: Condor) is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukrain ...
,
An-140 The Antonov An-140 is a turboprop regional airliner, designed by the Ukrainian Antonov ASTC bureau as a successor to the Antonov An-24, with extended cargo capacity and the ability to use unprepared airstrips. Design and development First flo ...
,
An-148 The Antonov An-148 ( ua, Антонов Ан-148) is a regional jet designed and built by Antonov of Ukraine. Development of the aircraft was started in the 1990s, and its maiden flight took place on 17 December 2004. The aircraft completed its ...
,
An-22 The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (, ''An-22 Antej''; English ''Antaeus'') (NATO reporting name "Cock") is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines each driving a pa ...
, aircraft_tanker =
Il-78 The Ilyushin Il-78 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-78; NATO reporting name Midas) is a Soviet/Russian four-engined aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76 strategic airlifter. Design and development The Soviet Union's first dedicated tan ...
, aircraft_general = The Russian Air Force ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы России, Voenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii, VVS) is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the
Russian Aerospace Defence Forces The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) ( rus, Войска воздушно-космической обороны (ВВКО), Voyska vozdushno-kosmicheskoy oborony (VVKO)) was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation respons ...
. The modern VVS was originally established on 7 May 1992 following
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
's creation of the Ministry of Defence. However, the Russian Federation's air force can trace its lineage and traditions back to the
Imperial Russian Air Service The Imperial Russian Air Service (russian: Императорскій военно-воздушный флотъ, , Emperor's Military Air Fleet) was an air force founded in 1912 for Imperial Russia."''12 августа 1912 года прика ...
(1912–1917) and the
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
(1918–1991). The Russian Navy has its own independent air arm, the
Russian Naval Aviation The Russian Naval Aviation ( rus, Авиация Военно-морского флота России, r=Aviatsiya Voenno-morskovo Flota Rossii) is the air arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divid ...
, which is the former Soviet ''Aviatsiya Voenno-morskogo Flota'' (lit. "Aviation of the military-sea fleet"), or AVMF.


History


1991–2000

Following the dissolution of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
into its fifteen constituent republics in December 1991, the aircraft and personnel of the
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
—the ''VVS'' were divided among the newly independent states. General Pyotr Deynekin, the former deputy commander-in-chief of the Soviet Air Forces, became the first commander of the new organisation on 24 August 1991.
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
received the majority of the most modern fighters and 65% of the manpower. The major commands of the former Soviet VVS—the
Long-Range Aviation Long-Range Aviation ( rus, Авиация Дальнего Действия, r=Aviatsiya dal'nego deystviya, abbr. to AДД, or ADD, and literally ''Aviation of Distant Action'') is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces responsible for deliv ...
,
Military Transport Aviation Military Transport Aviation Command is part of the Russian Air Force. Military Transport Aviation Command (russian: Кома́ндование вое́нно-тра́нспортной авиа́ции (ВТА) — '' Komandovaniye voyenno-trans ...
and Frontal Aviation were renamed, with few changes, Russian VVS commands. However, many regiments, aircraft, and personnel were claimed by the republics they were based in, forming the core of the new republics' air forces. Some aircraft in
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
and
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
(such as Tupolev Tu-160s) were returned to Russia, sometimes in return for debt reductions, as well as a long-range aviation division based at Dolon in
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. During the 1990s, the financial stringency was felt throughout the armed forces made its mark on the VVS as well. Pilots and other personnel could sometimes not get their wages for months, and on occasion resorted to desperate measures: four
MiG-31 The Mikoyan MiG-31 (russian: link=no, Микоян МиГ-31; NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft that was developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces. The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a ...
pilots at
Yelizovo Yelizovo (russian: Е́лизово) is a town in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, located on the Avacha River northwest of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Population: History Founded in 1848 as the '' selo'' of Stary Ostrog (), it was renamed Zavoyko () i ...
in the Far East went on hunger strike in 1996 to demand back pay which was several months overdue, and the problem was only resolved by diverting unit money intended for other tasks. As a result of the cutbacks, infrastructure became degraded as well, and in 1998, 40% of military airfields needed repair. The VVS participated in the
First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also known as the First Chechen Campaign,, rmed conflict in the Chechen Republic and on bordering territories of the Russian FederationФедеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 1995 (в реда ...
(1994–1996) and the
Second Chechen War The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russia, Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from Augus ...
(1999–2002). These campaigns also presented significant difficulties for the ''VVS'' including the terrain, lack of significant fixed targets and insurgents armed with
Stinger A stinger (or sting) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods) capable of injecting venom, usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal. An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of ve ...
and Strela-2M
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
s. The former
Soviet Air Defence Forces The Soviet Air Defence Forces (russian: войска ПВО, ''voyska protivovozdushnoy oborony'', ''voyska PVO'', ''V-PVO'', lit. ''Anti-Air Defence Troops''; and formerly ''protivovozdushnaya oborona strany'', ''PVO strany'', lit. ''Anti-Air De ...
remained independent for several years under Russian control, only merging with the Air Forces in 1998. The decree merging the two forces was issued by President
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
on 16 July 1997. During 1998 altogether 580 units and formations were disbanded, 134 reorganised, and over 600 given a new jurisdiction. The redistribution of forces affected 95% of aircraft, 98% of helicopters, 93% of anti-aircraft missile complexes, 95% of the equipment of radiotechnical troops, 100% of anti-aircraft missiles and over 60% of aviation armament. More than 600,000 tons of material changed location and 3,500 aircraft changed airfields. Military Transport Aviation planes took more than 40,000 families to new residence areas. The short-lived operational commands were abolished. Two air armies, the 37th Air Army (long-range aviation) and the 61st Air Army (former
Military Transport Aviation Military Transport Aviation Command is part of the Russian Air Force. Military Transport Aviation Command (russian: Кома́ндование вое́нно-тра́нспортной авиа́ции (ВТА) — '' Komandovaniye voyenno-trans ...
), were established directly under the Supreme Command. The former frontal aviation and anti-aircraft forces were organised as Air Force Armies and Anti-Aircraft Defense Armies under the military district commanders. There were initially four such armies with headquarters in St.Petersburg (
Leningrad Military District The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District. Hi ...
),
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
(
North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla. It comprised the Republic of Adygeya, ...
), Khabarovsk (
Far East Military District The Far Eastern Military District (russian: Дальневосточный военный округ; Dalʹnevostochnyĭ voennyĭ okrug) was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific ...
), and Chita ( Siberian Military District). Two military districts had separate Air and Air Defence Corps. When the
Transbaikal Military District The Transbaikal Military District (russian: Забайкальский военный округ) was a military district of first the Soviet Armed Forces and then the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on May 17, 1935 and included the ...
and Siberian Military District were merged, the 14th Air and Air Defence Forces Army was formed to serve as the air force formation in the area. The number of servicemen in the air force was reduced to about 185,000 from the former combined number of 318,000. 123,500 positions were abolished, including almost 1,000 colonel positions. The resignation of 3000 other servicemen included 46 generals of which 15 were colonel generals. On 29 December 1998 Colonel General
Anatoly Kornukov General Anatoly Mikhailovich Kornukov (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Корнуков; 10 January 1942 – 1 July 2014) was a general in the Russian Air Force and the former fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Defence Forces. From ...
, a former Air Defence Forces officer and new commander-in-chief of the merged force, succeeding Deynekin, reported to the Russian defence minister that the task had 'in principle been achieved'. General Kornukov established the new headquarters of the force in Zarya, near Balashikha, 20 km east of the centre of Moscow, in the former PVO central command post, where the CIS common air defence system is directed from.


2001–2010

In 1999
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
became
Prime Minister of Russia The chairman of the government of the Russian Federation, also informally known as the prime minister, is the nominal head of government of Russia. Although the post dates back to 1905, its current form was established on 12 December 1993 fo ...
and then
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
in 2000; he continued to hold one or the other of these offices through every year since. In December 2003 the aviation assets of the
Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...
—mostly helicopters—were transferred to the VVS, following the shooting down of a
Mi-26 The Mil Mi-26 (russian: link=no, Миль Ми-26, NATO reporting name: Halo) is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter. Its product code is ''Izdeliye 90''. Operated by both military and civilian operators, it is the largest and most po ...
helicopter in
Chechnya Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
on 19 August 2002 that claimed 19 lives. The former Army Aviation was in its previous form intended for the direct support of the Ground Forces, by providing their tactical air support, conducting tactical aerial reconnaissance, transporting airborne troops, providing fire support of their actions,
electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
, setting of minefield barriers and other tasks. The former Army Aviation was subsequently managed by the Chief of the Department of Army Aviation. In 2010, it was announced that the 2003 decision to transfer Ground Force Aviation to the Air Force was reversed, with the transfer back to the Ground Forces to occur sometime in 2015 or 2016.Moscow Defense Brief #2, 2010 page 23 During the 2000s, the Air Forces continued to suffer from a lack of resources for pilot training. In the 1990s Russian pilots achieved approximately 10% of the flight hours of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. The 2007 edition of the
International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think ...
(IISS) Military Balance listed pilots of tactical aviation flying 20–25 hours a year, 61st Air Army pilots (former Military Transport Aviation), 60 hours a year, and Army Aviation under VVS control 55 hours a year. In 2007 the VVS resumed the Soviet-era practice of deploying its strategic bomber aircraft on long-range patrols. This ended a 15-year unilateral suspension due to fuel costs and other economic difficulties after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Patrols towards the
North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...
, the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
and the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
were reinstated, bringing the planes often close to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
territory, including in one instance flying over the
Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
between the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. During the 2008 South Ossetian War, the VVS suffered losses of between four and seven aircraft due to
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
n anti-aircraft fire. The
2008 Russian military reform The Serdyukov reform (), named after its originator, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, was a major structural reorganisation of the Russian Armed Forces that began in 2009. Significant reforms of the Russian Armed Forces were announced in Oc ...
s were promptly announced following the war, which according to Western experts were intended to address many inadequacies discovered as a result. The reforms commenced during early 2009, in which air armies were succeeded by commands, and most air regiments becoming air bases.
Aviation Week & Space Technology ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', often abbreviated ''Aviation Week'' or ''AW&ST'', is the flagship magazine of the Aviation Week Network. The weekly magazine is available in print and online, reporting on the aerospace, defense and aviati ...
confirmed that the reorganisation would be completed by December 2009 and would see a 40 percent reduction in aircrew numbers. In February 2009, the Russian newspaper
Kommersant ''Kommersant'' (russian: Коммерсантъ, , ''The Businessman'' or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. The TNS Media and NRS Russia ...
reported that 200 of the 291 MiG-29s currently in service across all Russian air arms were unsafe and would have to be permanently grounded. This action would remove from service about a third of Russia's total fighter force, some 650 aircraft. On 5 June 2009, the Chief of the General Staff, Nikolai Makarov said of the VVS that "They can run bombing missions only in daytime with the sun shining, but they miss their targets anyway". Maj. Gen. Pavel Androsov said that Russia's long-range bombers would be upgraded in 2009 with the aim of being able to hit within 20 meters of their targets. Also in September 2009 it was reported that an East European network of the
Joint CIS Air Defense System Joint CIS Air Defense System (russian: Объединённая система ПВО СНГ) is a unified system that comprises air defense units and elements of the former Soviet republics under control of the Coordination Committee on Air Defens ...
was to be set up by Russia and
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
. This network was intended to protect the airspace of the two countries as defined in the supranational 1999
Union State The Union State,; be, Саю́зная дзяржа́ва Расі́і і Белару́сі, Sajuznaja dziaržava Rasii i Bielarusi, links=no. or Union State of Russia and Belarus,; be, Саю́зная дзяржа́ва, Sajuznaja dziar ...
treaty. Its planned composition was to include five Air Force units, 10 anti-aircraft units, five technical service and support units and one electronic warfare unit. It was to be placed under the command of a Russian or Belarusian Air Force or Air Defence Force senior commander. In July 2010, Russian jet fighters made the first nonstop flights from European Russia to the Russian Far East. By August 2010, according to the Commander-in-Chief of the VVS
Alexander Zelin Alexander Nikolayevich Zelin (russian: Александр Николаевич Зелин; born 6 May 1953) served as Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force from 9 May 2007 until 27 April 2012. Zelin holds the Air Force rank of colonel-ge ...
, the average flight hours of a pilot in Russian tactical aviation had reached 80 hours a year, while in army aviation and military transport aviation it exceeded 100 hours a year. On 15 August 2010, the Russian Air Force temporarily grounded its fleet of Su-25 ground attack aircraft to conduct an investigation into a crash that happened during a training mission. The Russian Defence Ministry said that the plane crashed on 6 August 2010, 60 km to the north-west of
Step Step(s) or STEP may refer to: Common meanings * Stairs#Step, Steps, making a staircase * Walking * Dance move * Military step, or march ** Marching Arts Films and television * Steps (TV series), ''Steps'' (TV series), Hong Kong * Step (film), ' ...
air base in
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
, according to '' RIA Novosti''.


2011–2020

According to the instructions of the General Staff of the Armed Forces on 1 September 2011, the unmanned aircraft of the VVS and the personnel operating them moved under the command structure of the
Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...
. As of 2012, the VVS operated a total of 61 air bases, including 26 air bases with tactical aircraft, of which 14 are equipped with fighter aircraft. In terms of flight hours, pilots in the
Western Military District The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primari ...
averaged 125 hours over the 2012 training year. Pilots from the Kursk air base achieved an average of 150 hours, with transport aviation averaging 170 hours. In February 2014, during the early periods of Russia's annexation of Crimea, the assets of the VVS in the Southern Military District were activated and flown to the peninsula for supporting the rest of the operations. On 1 August 2015, the Russian Air Force, along with the
Russian Aerospace Defence Forces The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) ( rus, Войска воздушно-космической обороны (ВВКО), Voyska vozdushno-kosmicheskoy oborony (VVKO)) was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation respons ...
and the Air Defense Troops, were merged into a new branch of the armed forces, now officially called the Russian Aerospace Forces. On 30 September 2015, the VVS launched a military intervention in Syria, in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
's
Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
region. On 24 November 2015, during a bombing mission, a
Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known to ...
F-16 shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 that
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
claimed had violated its airspace. In March 2020, the indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets by the VVS in Syria has been described as "amounting to war crime" by a
United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
report. On 9 November 2020, a Russian
Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been ...
attack helicopter was shot down mistakenly by the
Azerbaijani Armed Forces The Azerbaijani Armed Forces ( az, Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri) were re-established according to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Armed Forces from 9 October 1991. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) had originally formed ...
during the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of ...
killing 2 crew members and injuring 1 more. Days later, after the signing of the
ceasefire agreement A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to
Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked country, landlocked region in the Transcaucasia, South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik, and covering the southeastern range o ...
with aviation for patrolling its borders.


2021–present

Modernization plans and programs carried out since the 2010s are being continued into 2021 as a part of Russia's State Armament Program for 2018–2027.


VVS role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 24 February 2022, the VVS was deployed in support of the
invasion of Ukraine The territory of present-day Ukraine has been Invasion, invaded or Military occupation, occupied a number of times throughout History of Ukraine, its history. List See also *List of invasions *List of wars involving Ukraine References

...
. The VVS had reportedly deployed about 300 combat aircraft within range of Ukraine. Aircraft have also been deployed in
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
for
sorties A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare. ...
over
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. On 25 February 2022, Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed several aircraft and set a Russian airbase on fire in the Millerovo air base attack. On 13 March 2022, Russian forces launched
cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...
attacks on
Yavoriv military base The Yavoriv military base is a military training facility of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the city of Yavoriv in western Ukraine, some 10 km from the border with Poland and 30 kilometers northwest of Lviv in Yavoriv district. The facility house ...
near the Polish border. The VVS has generally been noted by its relative absence from the invasion and has as of 25 March 2022 failed to subdue Ukrainian air defenses or the
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
. It has, as of April 1, 2022, also failed to achieve
air supremacy Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of comm ...
. Failure to achieve this has been attributed to the lack of SEAD operations on the part of the VVS likely due to the lack of flying hours for Russian pilots as well as the lack of dedicated SEAD units and precision-guided munitions within the VVS. These weaknesses have been compounded by the mobility of Ukrainian air defenses with the extensive use of MANPADS as well as
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
reportedly sharing
early warning An early warning system is a warning system that can be implemented as a chain of information communication systems and comprises sensors, event detection and decision subsystems for early identification of hazards. They work together to for ...
information with Ukrainian forces. The VVS has also suffered at least 67 aircraft losses. In the first six months of the campaign, Russia's air war was largely a failure. An
American intelligence American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
analyst said that less than 40% of the 2,154 missiles fired by Russia hit their targets, such as the
Zatoka bridge Zatoka Bridge ( uk, Підйомний міст у Затоці) is a vertical lift road and rail bridge in Ukraine, crossing the Dniester Estuary in Zatoka, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion, Odesa Oblast. The bridge opened in 1955 and carries Hig ...
which sustained over eight air attacks before being disabled. The VVS reportedly flew over 20,000 sorties in the war, fewer than 3,000 of which entered Ukrainian airspace, possibly due to fear of Ukraine's sustained air defense. The VVS has struck civilian targets during the invasion prompting an
International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine The International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine or the ''Situation in Ukraine'' is an ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into war crimes and crimes against humanity that may have occurred since 21 November ...
. Notably, during the battle of Mariupol it struck a hospital as well as a theatre. Russian pilots in Ukraine are having to use civilian GPS units “taped to the dashboards”. On 19 September US Air Force General
James B. Hecker James B. Hecker is a United States Air Force general who serves as the commander of United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command since June 27, 2022. Before that, he served as the commander and president of the ...
said that Russia has lost 55 military aircraft due to being shot down by Ukrainian air defences since the start of the invasion. He credits this success to the Ukrainian use of
SA-11 The Buk (russian: link=no, "Бук"; "beech" (tree), ) is a family of self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the Soviet Union and its successor state, the Russian Federation ...
and SA-10 air defence systems. As the US doesn't have these systems getting new missiles from European allies is a "big ask" from Kyiv. Russian airplanes increased their operations due to the September 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv Oblast counteroffensive. This was due to a number of factors including changing front lines, former safe territory is now held by the enemy. Or due to the fact that they were under pressure to provide closer ground support. On 8 October 2022 the chief of the VVS Sergey Surovikin became the commander of all Russian forces invading Ukraine. On 10 October 2022 the VVS re-commenced the bombardment of cities like
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
and especially
energy infrastructure Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, and for the recovery and reuse ...
like electricity grid facilities. The large-scale coordinated attacks also hit
Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Kryvyi Rih Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. K ...
,
Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
, Dnipro,
Ternopil Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Ternopi ...
,
Kremenchuk Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro River. The city serves as the administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (district) in Poltava Oblast (pr ...
,
Khmelnytskyi Khmelnytskyi ( uk, Хмельни́цький, Khmelnytskyi, ), until 1954 Proskuriv ( uk, Проску́рів, links=no ), is a city in western Ukraine, the administrative center for Khmelnytskyi Oblast (region) and Khmelnytskyi Raion (dist ...
, and
Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, a ...
. The
oblasts An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom o ...
of Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zhytormyr, Kirovohrad were attacked on this day. When, by 17 October, these energy infrastructure attacks continued unabated the western media labelled the delivery system "kamikaze drones", and Ukrainian president Zelensky called this "terrorising the civilian population". By 23 October (not yet two weeks) 40% of Ukrainians were without electricity and/or water.


Leadership

Previously the highest military office until 1 August 2015. Since the merger between the VVS and the
Russian Aerospace Defence Forces The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) ( rus, Войска воздушно-космической обороны (ВВКО), Voyska vozdushno-kosmicheskoy oborony (VVKO)) was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation respons ...
on 1 August 2015, the commander of the VVS as part of the new Russian Aerospace Forces is titled Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Commander of the VVS.Russia creates new Aerospace Force service branch
, janes.com, 4 August 2015
Lieutenant General Andrey Yudin became the first holder of the position until he was succeeded by Lieutenant General Sergey Dronov in August 2019.


Structure

In 2009 the structure of the VVS was completely changed to a command-air base structure from the previous structure of air army-air division or corps- air regiment. The VVS is now divided to four operational commands, the Aerospace Defense Operational Strategic Command (seemingly primarily made up of the former Special Purpose Command), the
Military Transport Aviation Military Transport Aviation Command is part of the Russian Air Force. Military Transport Aviation Command (russian: Кома́ндование вое́нно-тра́нспортной авиа́ции (ВТА) — '' Komandovaniye voyenno-trans ...
Command, and the
Long-Range Aviation Long-Range Aviation ( rus, Авиация Дальнего Действия, r=Aviatsiya dal'nego deystviya, abbr. to AДД, or ADD, and literally ''Aviation of Distant Action'') is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces responsible for deliv ...
Command. This listing is a composite; the available new information covers frontline forces, and the forces of central subordination are as of approximately August 2008. Warfare.ru maintains what appears to be a reasonably up to date listing, and ''Combat Aircraft'' magazine in June 2010 listed their organisation's estimate of the new order of battle. ''This listing appears to be as of June 2009'':


Regional air armies

* 1st Aerospace Defence Forces Army (Moscow) **4th Aerospace Defense brigade (Dolgoprudnyi,
Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
) **5th Aerospace Defense brigade (Petrovskoe, Moscow Oblast) **6th Aerospace Defense brigade ( Rzhev,
Tver Oblast Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. It was named after Mikhai ...
) (former 32nd Corps of PVO?) **6963rd aviation base (
Kursk Vostochny Airport Kursk Vostochny Airport (russian: Аэропорт Курск-Восточный) , also known as Khalino, Kursk-Khalino, is an interceptor aircraft base in Kursk Oblast, Russia, located 7 km east of Kursk. It is a medium-sized base 4 miles n ...
) (Su-30, MiG-29SMT/UBT) **6968th fighter aviation base ( Borisovsky Khotilovo,
Tver Oblast Tver Oblast (russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, ''Tverskaya oblast'', ), from 1935 to 1990 known as Kalinin Oblast (), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. It was named after Mikhai ...
) (Su-27, MiG-31B, MiG-31BM, Su-24) * 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army (
Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...
) (
Western Military District The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primari ...
) **1st Aerospace Defense brigade (
Severomorsk Severomorsk (russian: Северомо́рск), known as Vayenga () until April 18, 1951, is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Severomorsk is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. The town is located on the coast ...
) **2nd Aerospace Defense brigade (
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
) **6961st aviation base (
Petrozavodsk Airport Petrozavodsk Airport (russian: Аэропорт Петрозаводск, krl, Petroskoin lendoazema, fi, Petroskoin lentoasema; ; ex: Besovets, Petrozavodsk-2) is a joint civil-military airport in Russia located northwest of Petrozavodsk in ...
) (Su-27) **6964th aviation base ( Monchegorsk Air Base, Murmansk Oblast) (Su-24M, Su-24MR) **6965th aviation base ( Vyazma Airport,
Smolensk Oblast Smolensk Oblast (russian: Смоле́нская о́бласть, ''Smolenskaya oblast''; informal name — ''Smolenschina'' (russian: Смоле́нщина)) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative centre is the city o ...
) (Mi-8TM, Mi-24V, Mi-28N) **7000th aviation base ( Voronezh Malshevo Air Base) (Su-24M, Su-24MR, Su-34) * 14th Air and Air Defence Forces Army (
Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...
) (
Central Military District The Central Military District (Russian: Центральный военный округ) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the ...
) **8th Aerospace Defense brigade (Yekaterinburg) **9th Aerospace Defense brigade (
Novosibirsk Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...
) **10th Aerospace Defense brigade ( Chita) ** 6977th Aviation Base (
Bolshoye Savino Airport Perm International Airport (russian: Международный аэропорт Пермь) is an international airport located at Bolshoye Savino, southwest of the city of Perm, Russia. It is the only airport in Perm Krai with scheduled com ...
,
Perm Krai Perm Krai (russian: Пе́рмский край, r=Permsky kray, p=ˈpʲɛrmskʲɪj ˈkraj, ''Permsky krai'', , ''Perem lador'') is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 refe ...
) (MiG-31BM) **6979th aviation base ( Kansk Air Base,
Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai ( rus, Красноя́рский край, r=Krasnoyarskiy kray, p=krəsnɐˈjarskʲɪj ˈkraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), with its administrative center in the city of Krasnoyarsk, the third-largest city in Siber ...
) (MiG-31BM) **6980th aviation base (
Chelyabinsk Shagol Airport Chelyabinsk Shagol (russian: Челябинск Шагол) is a military airfield of the Russian Air Force in Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. The base is home to the 108th Training Aviation Regiment which flies the Antonov An-26, Anton ...
) (Su-24M) **6982nd aviation base ( Domna Air Base,
Zabaykalsky Krai Zabaykalsky Krai ( rus, Забайкальский край, r=Zabaikal'skii krai, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲskʲɪj kraj, lit. " Transbaikal krai"; bua, Yбэр Байгалай хизаар, Uber Baigalai Xizaar) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai ...
) (MiG-29, Su-30SM) * 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army ( Khabarovsk) ( Eastern Military District) ** 11th Aerospace Defense brigade (Komsomolsk-na-Amur) **12th Aerospace Defense brigade (
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...
) ** 6983rd aviation base (
Komsomolsk-on-Amur Airport Khurba Airport (also given as Komsomolsk South, Khurba, Uchastok, and Kalinovka) is an air base (also used as an airport (russian: Аэропорт Хурба)) in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia south of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This medium-sized base has ...
, Khabarovsk Krai) (Su-27SM, Su-30M2, Su-35S, Su-34) ** 6988th aviation base (
Khurba Khurba Airport (also given as Komsomolsk South, Khurba, Uchastok, and Kalinovka) is an air base (also used as an airport (russian: Аэропорт Хурба)) in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia south of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This medium-sized base ha ...
, Khabarovsk Krai) (Su-24M, Su-24M2, Su-24MR) ** 6989th aviation base (
Vladivostok International Airport Vladivostok International Airport (russian: Международный аэропорт "Владивосток" ''Mezhdunarodnyi aeroport Vladivostok'') is an international airport located near Artyom, Primorsky Krai, Russia, roughly an hour's d ...
) (Su-27SM) ** 265th transport aviation base (Khabarovsk) * 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army – (former 4th and 5th Armies of VVS and PVO) (
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
) ( Southern Military District) ** 7th Aerospace Defense brigade (
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
) ** 8th Aerospace Defense brigade (Yekaterinburg) ** 6970th aviation base (
Morozovsk Morozovsk (russian: Моро́зовск) is a town and the administrative center of Morozovsky District in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the Bystraya River (left tributary of the Seversky Donets), northeast of Rostov-on-Don, the administra ...
, Rostov Oblast) (Su-24M, Su-34) ** 6971st aviation base (
Budyonnovsk Budyonnovsk (russian: Будённовск) is a town in Stavropol Krai, Russia. Population: History The town was founded in 1799 by Armenian settlers from Derbent. During World War II, Budyonnovsk was occupied by German troops from August  ...
,
Stavropol Krai Stavropol Krai (russian: Ставропо́льский край, r=Stavropolsky kray, p=stəvrɐˈpolʲskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a Krais of Russia, krai) of Russia. It is geographically located in the North ...
) (Su-25SM, Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-24V, Mi-28N) ** 6972nd aviation base (
Krymsk Krymsk (russian: Крымск) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Population: 57,927 (2020), History It was founded in 1858 as the fortress and ''stanitsa'' of Krymskaya (), named after the Crimean Cossack Regiment. It was the capital of the ...
,
Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...
) (Su-27, Mi-8, Mi-24P, Mi-28N, Ka-27) ** 6974th aviation base (
Korenovsk Korenovsk (russian: Корено́вск) is a town and the administrative center of Korenovsky District of Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Beysuzhyok Levy River (a tributary of the Beysug) northeast of Krasnodar. Population: 42,418 (202 ...
, Krasnodar Krai) (Mi-8MTV-5, Mi-24V, Mi-35M, Mi-28N) ** 999th aviation base ( Kant Air Base,
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...
) (Su-25, Su-27, Mi-8T) **229th transport aviation base (
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
) (Mi-26(T), Mi-8AMTSh(TM))


Military Transport Aviation Military Transport Aviation Command is part of the Russian Air Force. Military Transport Aviation Command (russian: Кома́ндование вое́нно-тра́нспортной авиа́ции (ВТА) — '' Komandovaniye voyenno-trans ...
Command

Headquarters: Moscow **6955th Aviation Base (
Migalovo Migalovo (also given as Tver Migalovo, Kalinin) is an air base in Tver Oblast, Russia located 10 km west of Tver. It is a large military airlift base. It currently houses all of Russia's remaining Antonov An-22 fleet. It is an Ilyushin Il-7 ...
(Tver)) (Il-76MD) **6956th Aviation Base ( Orenburg) (Il-76MD) **6958th Aviation Base (
Taganrog Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: History of Taganrog Th ...
, Rostov Oblast) (Il-76MD) **6985th Aviation Base (
Pskov Airport Princess Olga Pskov International Airport (russian: Международный аэропорт Псков имени княгини Ольги ) is an airfield in Pskov Oblast, Russia located southeast of Pskov. It is a medium air base wi ...
) (Il-76MF)


Long-Range Aviation Long-Range Aviation ( rus, Авиация Дальнего Действия, r=Aviatsiya dal'nego deystviya, abbr. to AДД, or ADD, and literally ''Aviation of Distant Action'') is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces responsible for deliv ...
Command

Headquarters Moscow ** 6950th Aviation Base (
Engels-2 Engels Air Force Base (russian: Энгельс, formally Engels-2) is a strategic bomber military airbase in Russia located east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tupolev Tu- ...
,
Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast (russian: Сара́товская о́бласть, ''Saratovskaya oblast'') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the types of ...
) (Tu-22 M3, Tu-95 MS6, Tu-160) former 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division ** 6952nd Aviation Base ( Ukrainka Air Base,
Amur Oblast Amur Oblast ( rus, Аму́рская о́бласть, r=Amurskaya oblast, p=ɐˈmurskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the Russian Far East. The administrative ...
) (Tu-95 MS16) ** 6953rd Aviation Base ( Belaya Air Base, located at Sredni,
Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast (russian: Ирку́тская о́бласть, Irkutskaya oblast; bua, Эрхүү можо, Erkhüü mojo) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of the Angara, Lena, and Nizh ...
) (Tu-22 M3)


Forces of Central Subordination

*132nd Central Communications Center, Balashikha, Zarya airport,
Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
*1st Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment – Su-24 – Lebyazhye – absorbed by 6970th Aviation Base, 1 September 2009 * 764th Fighter Aviation Regiment – MiG-31, MiG-25PU –
Bolshoye Savino Airport Perm International Airport (russian: Международный аэропорт Пермь) is an international airport located at Bolshoye Savino, southwest of the city of Perm, Russia. It is the only airport in Perm Krai with scheduled com ...
(Sokol) *
8th Special Purpose Aviation Division 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
(
Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...
) **353rd Special Purpose Aviation Regiment—
Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...
— Il-18, Il-76, Аn-12, Аn-72, Тu-134, Тu-154. **354th Special Purpose Aviation Regiment—
Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...
— Il-18, Il-76, Аn-12, Аn-72, Тu-134, Тu-154. **206th Special Purpose Aviation Base —
Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...
— Mi-8 helicopters. ** 223rd Flight Unit – commercial transport –
Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...
Il-62M, Il-76MD, Tu-134A-3,
Tupolev Tu-154B-2 The Tupolev Tu-154 (russian: Tyполев Ту-154; NATO reporting name: "Careless") is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and (subsequently) Russian ...
*2457th Air Base of Long Range Radiolocation Detection Aircraft – A-50, A-50М –
Ivanovo Severny Ivanovo Severny (also Ivanovo North or Zhukovka) is an air base in Russia located 6 km north of Ivanovo. It is a large transport operation airfield with hangars and significant tarmac space. The runway was built in 1935 and upgraded in 196 ...
* 929th State Flight Test Centre named for V. P. Chkalov (
Akhtubinsk Akhtubinsk (russian: Ахту́бинск; kk, Ақтөбе, ''Aqtóbe'') is a town and the administrative center of Akhtubinsky District in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Akhtuba River (a tributary of the Volga), north ...
) **1338th Test Centre –
Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...
Ilyushin Il-22 The Ilyushin Il-22, USAF/ DOD designation Type 10,Parsch, Andreas and Aleksey V. Martynov"Designations of Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft and Missiles."''designation-systems.net,'' 2008. Retrieved: 21 August 2011. was the first Soviet jet- ...
,
Ilyushin Il-80 The Ilyushin Il-80 (NATO reporting name: Maxdome) is a Russian airborne command and control aircraft modified from the Ilyushin Il-86 airliner. Development The Ilyushin Il-80 has the NATO reporting name Maxdome (though some sources claim it u ...
, and Il-82 **High-altitude mountain Center for Air Materiel and Weapons Research – Nalchik **368th Detached Composite Aviation Squadron (An-12) **13th Aeronautic Test Facility –
Volsk Volsk (russian: Вольск) is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volga River, opposite the mouth of the Bolshoy Irgiz (a tributary of the Volga), northeast from Saratov, the administrative center of the oblas ...
– air balloons **267th Center of Test Pilots Training –
Akhtubinsk Akhtubinsk (russian: Ахту́бинск; kk, Ақтөбе, ''Aqtóbe'') is a town and the administrative center of Akhtubinsky District in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Akhtuba River (a tributary of the Volga), north ...
* 4th Centre for Combat Training and Flight Personnel Training
Lipetsk Air Base Lipetsk Air Base (also given as Lipetskiy, Lipetsky, Lipetsk-2, Shakhm 10, and Lipetsk West) is an air base in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia located 12 km northwest of Lipetsk. It is the combat training center of Russian Air Force, analogous to the ...
*968th Sevastopol Composite Training and Research Aviation Regiment,
Lipetsk Air Base Lipetsk Air Base (also given as Lipetskiy, Lipetsky, Lipetsk-2, Shakhm 10, and Lipetsk West) is an air base in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia located 12 km northwest of Lipetsk. It is the combat training center of Russian Air Force, analogous to the ...
, fighter jets
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
, Su-27, Su-27M,
Su-30 The Sukhoi Su-30 (russian: Сухой Су-30; NATO reporting name: Flanker-C/G/H) is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter ...
, bombers Su-24M, Su-24M2,
Su-34 The Sukhoi Su-34 (russian: Сухой Су-34; NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Soviet-origin Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/ strike aircraft. It first flew in 1990, intended for the Sovi ...
, reconnaissance plane Su-24MP, jammer Su-24MP, strike-fighter Su-25, Su-25T, Su-25SM * 3958th Guards Kerch Aviation Base, Savasleyka, Nizhegorod Oblast, MiG-31. *185th Centre for Combat Training and Flight Personnel Training –
Astrakhan Astrakhan ( rus, Астрахань, p=ˈastrəxənʲ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in Southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the ...
** 116th Training center operational use — Аstrakhan — MiG-23,
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
** 42nd Training center operational use — Ashuluk — Surface-to-air missile, SAM and targets. *344th Centre for Combat Training and Flight Personnel Training – Torzhok (ground forces helicopters) (:ru:344 Центр боевой подготовки и переучивания лётного состава армейской авиации) **696th Research and Instruction Helicopter Regiment (Torzhok)(
Ka-50 The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" (russian: Чёрная акула, translit=Chyornaya akula, English: kitefin shark, NATO reporting name: Hokum A) is a Soviet/Russian single-seat attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of th ...
, Mil Mi-8, Mi-8, Mi-24,
Mi-26 The Mil Mi-26 (russian: link=no, Миль Ми-26, NATO reporting name: Halo) is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter. Its product code is ''Izdeliye 90''. Operated by both military and civilian operators, it is the largest and most po ...
, has used Mi-28) **92nd Research and Instruction Helicopter Squadron (Sokol-Vladimir (Ruwiki says Klin)) (Mi-8, Mi-24) *924th Centre for Combat Training and Flight Personnel Training – Yegoryevsk Base UAV. ** 275th Separate research and UAV squadron instructors(Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), Yegoryevsk, Moscow Oblast. UAV Tu-143, Yak PCHELA-1T, IAI Searcher 2 . *Russian State Scientific-Research Institute Centre for Cosmonaut Training – Zvezdnyi Goronok * 70th Separate test and training Aviation Regiment Special Purpose — Chkalovski —
Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comme ...
and other. *2881st Reserve Helicopter Base – Totskoye (air base), Totskoye – Mil Mi-24, Mi-24P *5th Independent Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Detachment – Voronezh (Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, CFE and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, INF verification) *185th Centre for Combat Training and Flight Personnel Training –
Astrakhan Astrakhan ( rus, Астрахань, p=ˈastrəxənʲ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in Southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the ...
*118th Independent Helicopter Squadron – Chebenki (air base), Chebenki (Dmitriyevka), Orenburg Oblast *4020th Base for Reserve Aircraft – Lipetsk *4215th Base for Reserve Aircraft – Chebenki (air base), Chebenki *15th Army Aviation Brigade of the
Western Military District The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primari ...
at the airport Ostrov, Ostrovsky District, Pskov Oblast, Ostrov, Pskov Oblast


Warehouses, Storage and Maintenance Depots, Aircraft Repair Plants

(Russian: List of Aircraft Factories in Russia) *Central Aviation Base of Rocket Armament and Ammunition, Sergiyev Posad,
Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
*Aviation Warehouse of Rocket Armament and Ammunition, Yoshkar-Ola *Supply and Storage Depot of Air Defense Rocket Armament, Serpukhov, Moscow Oblast *Storage and Maintenance Depot of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Yaroslavl (Tunoshna Airport, Tunoshna) *502nd Military Equipment Maintenance Plant, Fryazevo (Noginsk-5) *1015th Military Equipment Maintenance Plant, Nizhniye Sergi-3, Sverdlovsk Oblast *1019th Military Equipment Maintenance Plant, Onokhoy-2, Republic of Buryatia, Buryat Republic *1253rd Central Radar Armament Maintenance Base, Samara, Russia, Samara-28 *2227th Armament Maintenance and Storage Base, Trudovaya, Moscow Oblast *2503rd Central Base of Automated Control Systems Maintenance, Yanino-1, Leningrad Oblast *2529th Central Base of Armament Maintenance, Khabarovsk *2633rd Base of Armament Maintenance and Storage, Lyubertsy, Moscow Oblast *3821st Base of Armament Maintenance and Storage, Tosno, Leningrad Oblast *20th Aircraft Overhaul Plant, Pushkin-3 (not an inhabited locality, or name is misspelled), Leningrad Oblast *150th Aircraft Overhaul Plant, Lyublino, Kaliningrad Oblast, Lyublino-Novoye, Kaliningrad Oblast *419th Aircraft Overhaul Plant, Gorelovo (air base), Gorelovo, Leningrad Oblast *695th Aircraft Overhaul Plant (Factory), Aramil, Sverdlovsk Oblast *99th Air-Technical Equipment Plant, Ostafyevo (Shcherbinka), Moscow Oblast *5212nd Testing and Control (Docking?) Station, Znamensk, Astrakhan Oblast, Znamensk, Astrakhan Oblast


Training and Research Organisations

* 2nd Central Scientific-Research Institute — Tver * 13th State Scientific Research Institute "ERAT" Luberchi, Moscow Oblast * 30th Central Scientific-Research Institute (ЦНИИ АКТ) — Shelkovo, also includes research institutes in Noginsk. * Gagarin Air Force Academy, Gagarin Military Air Academy (VVA) — Monino * Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy — Moscow * Zhukov Command Academy of Air Defense — Tver ( branch in the St. Petersburg ) * Yaroslavl Higher Military School of Anti-Aircraft Warfare, Yaroslavl Anti-aircraft Missile Defence Institute * Chelyabinsk Red Banner Military Aviation Institute of Navigators ** 604th Training Aviation Regiment —
Chelyabinsk Shagol Airport Chelyabinsk Shagol (russian: Челябинск Шагол) is a military airfield of the Russian Air Force in Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. The base is home to the 108th Training Aviation Regiment which flies the Antonov An-26, Anton ...
* Voronezh Central Military Aviation Engineering University (VCMAEU) **Both the Irkutsk Military Aviation Engineering Institute and the Tambov Military Aviation Engineering Institute were disbanded in 2009 and transferred to VCMAEU. * Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute (L-39Cs); by 2016, the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation Pilots College Named for Hero of the Soviet Union A.K. Serov ** 704th Training Aviation Regiment — Котельниково (аэродром), Котельниково — Aero L-39 Albatros, L-39 ** 627th Training Aviation Regiment — Тихорецк (аэродром), Тихорецк — Л-39 ** 797th Training Aviation Regiment — Кущевская (аэродром), Кущевская — Aero L-39 Albatros, L-39, Su-25, Su-27,
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
*Syzran Higher Military Aviation School, Syzran Military Aviation Institute (Mi-2, Mi-8T and Mi-24V, Kazan Ansat, Ansat, Kamov Ka-226, Ka-226T ** 131st Training Aviation Regiment — Saratov-Sokol — Mil Mi-2, Mi-2, Mil Mi-8, Mi-8 ** 484th Training Helicopter Regiment — Syzran airfield — Mil Mi-24, Mi-24 ** 626th Training Helicopter Regiment — Пугачев (аэродром), Pugachev — Mil Mi-2, Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-24 ** Branch in Kirov, Kirov Oblast * 783rd Training Centre (Armavir, Russia, Armavir) (MiG-29, L-39C) ** 713th Training Aviation Regiment — Armavir (air base), Armavir — Aero L-39 Albatros, L-39,
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
**761st Training Aviation Regiment — Khanskaya (air base), Khanskaya — Aero L-39 Albatros, L-39 * 786th Training Centre (Borisoglebsk (air base), Borisoglebsk): ** 160th Training Aviation Regiment — Borisoglebsk (air base), Borisoglebsk — Su-27 ** 644th Training Aviation Regiment — Michurinsk (air base), Michurinsk — Aero L-39 Albatros, L-39, Su-24, Su-25,
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
* 705th Training Aviation Center for Training Flight Crews and Long-Range military transport aircraft – Balashov (air base), Balashov: **606th Training Aviation Regiment – Balashov **666th Training Aviation Regiment – Rtishchevo (air base), Rtishchevo * Center for anti-aircraft missile troops, Uchhoz (Gatchina-3), the Leningrad Region. Chief – Colonel Alexander Dobrovolsky. * 357th Training Center, Belgorod. Chief – Colonel Viktor Baranov. * 834th Centre for Signal Corps Radio and ensure, Novgorod. Chief – Colonel Vasily Fedosov. * 874th training center (settlement) of radio engineering troops, Vladimir. Chief – Colonel Yuri Balaban. * 902nd Training Center (settlement) of anti-aircraft missile troops Kosterevo-1, Vladimir Oblast.


Medical and athletic facilities

* State Research Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine, Moscow. Chief – Major-General Igor Ushakov. * 5th Central Military Research Aviation Hospital, Krasnogorsk-3, Moscow Region. * 7th Central Military Research Aviation Hospital, Moscow. * Spa Air Force, Chemitokvadzhe, Krasnodar Krai. Chief – Colonel Theodore Barantsev. * Central Sports Club VVS Samara. Chief – Colonel Dmitry Shlyahtin. * 361st Center of psychophysiological training of personnel, Agha, Krasnodar region. * 709th Center of psychophysiological training of personnel, Anapa (now Dzhubga), Krasnodar region. * 464th Training Center for Physical Culture and Sports, Ufa, Bashkortostan. The list of Soviet Air Force bases shows a number which are still active with the Russian Air Force. With the Air Force now fusing into one joint service branch the personnel from the
Russian Aerospace Defence Forces The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) ( rus, Войска воздушно-космической обороны (ВВКО), Voyska vozdushno-kosmicheskoy oborony (VVKO)) was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation respons ...
and their respective facilities, the following now report to the Aerospace Forces HQ: *Russian Space Command, Space Command ( rus, Космическое командование (KK)): **153rd Titov Main Test and Space Systems Control Centre, Main Trial Centre for Testing and Control of Space Means named after G.S. Titov at Krasnoznamensk, Moscow Oblast, Krasnoznamensk ( rus, Главный испытательный центр испытаний и управления космическими средствами имени Германа Титова) **820th Main Centre for Missile Attack Warning (SPRN) ( rus, центр предупреждения о ракетном нападении (цпрн)) in Solnechnogorsk **821st Main Space Intelligence Centre, Main Space Surveillance Centre (SKKP) ( rus, центр контроля космического пространства (цккп)) in Noginsk-9, Moscow Oblast Early warning of missile attack: :Voronezh radar at Lekhtusi Radar Station, Lekhtusi, Armavir Radar Station, Armavir, Pionersky Radar Station, Kaliningrad, Mishelevka Radar Station, Mileshevka, Ust-Kem Radar Station, Yeniseysk, Barnaul Radar Station, Barnaul :Daryal radar at Pechora Radar Station, Pechora :Hantsavichy Radar Station, Volga radar at Hantsavichy Radar Station, Hantsavichy :Dnestr radar, Dnepr radar at Balkhash Radar Station, Balkhash, Mishelevka Radar Station, Irkutsk and Olenegorsk Radar Station, Olenegorsk :Oko early warning satellites Space surveillance: :Okno in Tajikistan :Krona space object recognition station, Krona in Zelenchukskaya and Nakhodka :RT-70 in Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope, Yevpatoria (since the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 2014 Crimean crisis, the status of Crimea, and thus of the city of Yevpatoria which is located on Crimea, is Political status of Crimea, under dispute between Russia and Ukraine; Ukraine and the majority of the international community considers Crimea and Yevpatoria an integral part of Ukraine, while Russia, on the other hand, considers Crimea and Yevpatoria an integral part of Russia) and Galenki RT-70 radio telescope, Galenki (together with Roscosmos) Missile defence: :A-135 anti-ballistic missile system :Don-2N radar :A-235 anti-ballistic missile system (future; after 2020) Satellite systems: :Spaceprogramm Liana, Liana space reconnaissance and target designation system (3 electronic reconnaissance satellites 14F145 "Lotus-C1") *Air and Space Defence Command ( rus, Командование противовоздушной и противоракетной обороны (К ПВО И ПРО)): **9th Missile Defence Division (A-135 anti-ballistic missile system) in Pushkino, Moscow Oblast, Pushkino **4th Missile Defence Brigade in Dolgoprudny **5th Missile Defence Brigade in Vidny, Vidnoye **6th Missile Defence Brigade in Rzhev *Plesetsk Cosmodrome, State Testing Plesetsk Cosmodrome ( rus, Государственный испытательный космодром «Плесецк» (ГИК «Плесецк»)) **Kura Missile Test Range, Kura Test Range


Equipment

The precise quantitative and qualitative composition of the VVS is unknown and figures include both serviceable and unserviceable aircraft as well as those placed into storage or sitting in reserve. ''FlightGlobal'' estimated that there were about 3,947 aircraft in inventory in 2015. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the share of modern armament in the VVS had reached about 35% during 2014. The figure was raised to 66% by late 2016 and to 72% by late 2017. Estimates provided by the IISS show that VVS combat pilots average 60 to 100 flight hours per year and pilots flying transport aircraft average 120 flight hours per year.
International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think ...
: The Military Balance 2014, p.186


Squadrons

As of 2014: *8 × Bomber squadrons (4 operating Tu-22M3/MR; 3 operating Tu-95MS; 1 operating
Tu-160 The Tupolev Tu-160 (russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, translit=Belyj Lebeď, translation=White Swan; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Desi ...
) *37 × Fighter squadrons (8 operating MiG-29; 3 operating MiG-29SMT; 11 operating MiG-31/MiG-31BM; 10 operating Su-27; 4 operating Su-27SM1/Su-30M2; 1 operating Su-27SM3/Su-30M2) *27 × Attack squadrons (11 operating the Su-24M/Su-24M2; 13 operating Su-25/Su-25SM; 3 operating Su-34) *10 × Attack & Reconnaissance squadrons (1 operating Su-24M/MR; 8 operating Su-24MR; 1 operating Mig-25RB) *1 × AEW&C squadron (1 operating A-50/A50-U) *1 × Tanker squadron (1 operating Il-78/Il-78M)


Radars

The VVS operates several Nebo-M radars, that combine meter, decimeter and centimeter range. First two Nebo-M regiments were deployed in 2017 to Saint Petersburg and Kareliya. In 2018, further two regiments were deployed to Crimea and Penza. In 2019, a regiment was delivered to Volga region. In 2020, two regiments were deployed to the Far East and Naryan Mar, while another one was announced to be planned to be delivered to Volga region. Additionally, the VVS operates radars that work in meter range only. Such systems are Nebo-UM (first units were delivered in 2018 to Voronezh and Novosibirsk, and in 2020 to Rostov-on-Don) as well as Rezonans-NE radars that have been constructed in the Arctic in Zapolyarniy, Indiga, Shoyna and Nova Zemlya, with another in Gremikha under construction. The air force also uses centimeter-range radar Podlet that was first delivered in 2020 to the Far East.


Ranks and insignia

The VVS inherited the ranks of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, although the insignia and uniform were slightly altered and the old Tsarist autocracy, Tsarist crown and double-headed eagle were re-introduced. The VVS uses the same rank structure as the
Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...
.


Aircraft procurement

Production of the Aircraft industry of Russia, Russian aerospace industry for the Russian Armed Forces, by year of manufacture (first flight):


Future of the Russian Air Force

File:Sukhoi T-50 Maksimov.jpg, Sukhoi Su-57 File:Tupolev Tu-22M3 at Ryazan Dyagilevo.jpg, Tupolev Tu-22M File:MTS Il214 maks2009.jpg, Ilyushin Il-276 File:Ilyushin Il-112.png, Ilyushin Il-112 File:Russian Air Force Ka-60.jpg, Kamov Ka-60 File:38013 MI38 Mil Design Bureau ZIA UUBW (33470419182).jpg, Mi-38 File:Yakovlev Yak-130 2.jpg, Yakovlev Yak-130 File:Яковлев Як-152.jpg, Yak-152


See also

*Awards and emblems of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation *Orders, decorations, and medals of Russia *Honorary titles of Russia *List of Russian aviators *Air Intelligence of Russia


Notes


References

*Higham, Robin (editor). ''Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century''. Routledge, 1998. *Palmer, Scott W. ''Dictatorship of the Air: Aviation Culture and the Fate of Modern Russia''. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.


Further reading

Further sources include: * *Piotr Butowsky. Force Report:Russian Air Force, Air Forces Monthly, August 2007 issue *Pyotr Butowski, Air Power Analysis: Russian Federation, Part 2, International Air Power Review, AIRTime Publishing, No.13, Summer 2004 (also Part 1 in a previous issue) *the extensive list of sources a

*Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov, Russian Air Power, 2009 and 2011 *
Kommersant ''Kommersant'' (russian: Коммерсантъ, , ''The Businessman'' or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. The TNS Media and NRS Russia ...
-Vlast
State of Russia's Air Forces 2008
No.33 (786) 25 August 2008 * *Aleksandr Stukalin, Mikail Lukin, ‘Vys Rossiyskaya Armiya’, Kommersant-Vlast, Moscow, Russia, (14 May 2002)


External links



(English) *
Kommersant ''Kommersant'' (russian: Коммерсантъ, , ''The Businessman'' or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. The TNS Media and NRS Russia ...
-Vlast
State of Russia's Air Forces 2008
No.33 (786) 25 August 2008

(scramble.nl)
Russian Military Aviation"Russian Revival" – Russia's technological strategy for post-2010 airpower
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