The 4th Guards Air and Air Defence Forces Army () is an

air army Air army is a term used in several countries, notably French Air and Space Force, France, as the equivalent term to air force. In Russia, an air army is a major command within the Russian Air Force. Historically, a Imperial Japanese Army Air Serv ...

of the

Russian Aerospace Forces The Russian Aerospace Forces or Russian Air and Space Forces (VKS) comprise the air force, aerial, space force, space warfare, and Missile defense, missile defence Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was ...

, part of the

Southern Military District The Order of the Red Banner Southern Military District () 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 North Caucasus region of the country ...

and headquartered in

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don 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 European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

. The 4th Air Army (''4 Vozdushnaya Armiya'') was a

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

formation and from 1992 to 2009 was part of the

Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force () 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. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...

. From 1998 the army was designated the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army. It was first established on 22 May 1942 from the Air Forces of the Soviet Southern Front, and fought on the Eastern Front until 1945. In 1949 it was redesignated the

37th Air Army The 37th Air Army () of the High Supreme Command (Strategic Purpose) was the strategic bomber force of the Russian Air Force from 1998 to 2009. It was equipped with Tupolev Tu-95MS and Tu-160 armed with nuclear cruise missiles, and the intermediat ...

. It was reformed on 4 April 1968 in Poland, and was active there with the

Northern Group of Forces The Northern Group of Armed Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army (Russian Ground Forces starting 1992) stationed in Poland from the end of Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fa ...

for over twenty years, shifting to the

North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces from 1992-2010. Before 1992 it had been part of the Soviet Armed Forces since 1918. In 2010 it became the Southern Military District and lately also included t ...

in August 1992. The arrival of the

Sukhoi Su-24 The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, night fighter, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, Twinjet, twin engines and a side-by-side seating arrangement for it ...

drastically changed its tasking in the 1980s. It became the

4th Air and Air Defence Forces Command The 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Command was a formation of the Russian Air Force. It was formed on 1 December 2009 from the amalgamation of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army and 5th Air and Air Defence Forces Army. The command's headqua ...

in 2009 but was reestablished from the command in 2015.

Second World War

Upon its establishment in May 1942 it had 208 aircraft and 437 crews and consisted of: * 216th Fighter Division or 216th Mixed Aviation Division (commander V. I. Shevchenko) ** 88th Fighter Aviation Regiment *

217th Fighter Aviation Division 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. 17 was described at MIT as "the least random number", according to the Jargon File. This is supposedly because, in a study where respondents were asked to ...

(commander D.P. Galunov) * 229th Fighter Aviation Division (commander P.G. Stepanovich) * 230th Assault Aviation Division (commander S.G. Get'man) *

219th Bomber Aviation Division 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics Nineteen is the eighth prime number. Number theory 19 forms a twin prime with 17, a cousin prime with 23, and a sexy prime with 13. ...

(commander I.T. Batygin) * 218th Night Bomber Aviation Division (commander D.D. Popov) * one training regiment, seven separate mixed aviation regiments, one communication squadron, one long range reconnaissance squadron In June 1942 one more regiment was added, the 588th Light Night Bomber Regiment (commander Ye.D. Bershanskaya), that became the first women's unit in the Soviet Air Force. In February 1943 it was reorganized into 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment and in October 1943 it became the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. In 1943, the Army supported the Kerch-Eltigen Operation and assisted in the battle for air superiority over the

Kuban Kuban ( Russian and Ukrainian: Кубань; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated fr ...

.Keith E Bonn, (ed.), Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, 2005, p.336 Two regiments that formed part of the Army, the 57th GIAP and 821st IAP, flew

lend-lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),3,000 Hurricanes and >4,000 other aircraft) * 28 naval vessels: ** 1 Battleship. (HMS Royal Sovereign (05), HMS Royal Sovereign) * ...

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...

s in 1943 for a period.Igor Zlobin ©, Translation by James F. Gebhardt ©
Spitfires over the Kuban
, accessed September 2011

Alexander Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin (; – 13 November 1985) was a Soviet fighter pilot in World War II, and later a marshal of aviation. He was one of the highest-scoring Soviet aces, and the highest-scoring pilot ever to fly an American aircraft, ...

was one of its members, and one of the most successful aces of WW2, as well as having the distinction of being awarded the

Hero of Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both t ...

three times. On 17 July 1943 the 216 SAD/IAD was redesignated the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Division. It was commanded by Colonel

from April 1944 to May 1945. In summer 1944 the Army covered the

Separate Coastal Army The Separate Coastal Army (), also translated to English as Independent Coastal Army, was an army-level unit in the Red Army that fought in World War II. It was established on July 18, 1941, by the order of the Southern Front from the forces of ...

during the Battle of the Crimea (1944). It was then reassigned to the

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (, ''Vtoroi Belorusskiy front'', also romanized "Byelorussian SSR, Byelorussian"), was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. I ...

and participated in

Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...

, the East Prussian Offensive, the East Pomeranian Offensive, and the

Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...

. Overall during the war it flew about 300,000 sorties. In July 1945 the army included the 8th Fighter Aviation Corps (

Legnica Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...

, Poland), the 4th Assault Aviation Corps the 5th Bomber Aviation Corps, the 164th independent Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (

Brzeg Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on t ...

, Poland) with Pe-2R, and the 844th Transport Aviation Regiment (Swidnica, Poland) equipped with the

Li-2 The Lisunov Li-2 (NATO reporting name: Cab), originally designated PS-84, was a license-built Soviet-version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by Factory #84 in Khimki, Moscow-Khimki and, after the factory's evacuation in 1941, at the Tash ...

Commanders

* 05/07/1942 – Major General of Aviation Konstantin Vershinin * 09/08/1942 – Major General of Aviation Nikolai Naumenko * 05/01/1943 – Lieutenant General, Colonel General of Aviation Konstantin Vershinin (until the end of the war) * 05.1946 – 09.1948 – Lieutenant General of Aviation Vasily Vasilyevich Stepichev

Postwar Soviet service

After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the 4th Air Army remained in Poland, and was renumbered as the 37th Air Army in 1949. The 37th Air Army was reorganized as the Air Forces of the

(VVS SGF) in 1964. On 22 February 1968, in accordance with a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR the unit was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

. On 4 April 1968 the VVS SGF was redesignated again into the 4th Air Army which had been the army's designation during the Second World War. The 4th Air Army was redesignated as the 4th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (VGK) in 1980 and became part of

Long-Range Aviation Long Range Aviation may refer to the following: * Soviet Long Range Aviation, the branch of the Soviet Air Force responsible for long-range nuclear or conventional strikes by aircraft, until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 * Ukrainian L ...

. This reorganization was part of General

Nikolai Ogarkov Nikolai Vasilyevich Ogarkov (; 30 October 1917 – 23 January 1994) was a prominent Soviet military personality. He was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1977. Between 1977 and 1984, he was Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Union, ...

's reforms after the

s started arriving in the army, and as a result it became an independent army with operative designation, subordinate to the HQ of Western Direction. The 24th Air Army of the South-Western Direction shared that status. Those were the only air force armies with Su-27 fighters, tasked with escorting the Su-24s. From 1989 until the withdrawal from Poland the Army included the 164th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, 245th Mixed Aviation Squadron, 151 EW Regiment (

Yak-28 The Yakovlev Yak-28 () is a swept wing, turbojet-powered combat aircraft used by the Soviet Union. Produced initially as a tactical medium bomber, it was also manufactured in reconnaissance aircraft, reconnaissance, electronic warfare aircraft, ...

), 55th separate Sevastopol helicopter regiment (Mi-24, Mi-8), 19th Separate Signals and Automated Command and Control Systems Regiment (Legitza) and other smaller units of direct Army HQ subordination, and the 239th Fighter Baranovichskaya Red Banner Air Division, headquartered at Kluczewo and consisting of the 159th, 582nd, and 871st Fighter Regiments ( Kołobrzeg-Bagicz Airfield)) and the 149th Bomber Aviation Division (HQ

Szprotawa Szprotawa is a town in western Poland, in Żagań County, Lubusz Voivodeship. It has 11,820 inhabitants (2019). History The region was part of Poland after the emergence of the Piast monarchy in the 10th century. The first mention of today's Sz ...

) with the 3rd, 42nd Guards, and 89th Bomber Aviation Regiments (

Su-24 The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, night fighter, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, Twinjet, twin engines and a side-by-side seating arrangement for it ...

s) as its primary combat formations. Over the border in the

Kaliningrad Oblast Kaliningrad Oblast () is the westernmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of the Russian Federation. It is a Enclave and exclave, semi-exclave on the Baltic Sea within the Baltic region of Prussia (region), Prussia, surrounded by Pola ...

, but still part of the Army, was the 132nd Bomber Sevastopol Red Banner Aviation Division at

Chernyakhovsk Chernyakhovsk (; German: Insterburg) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, and the administrative center of Chernyakhovsky District. Located at the confluence of the Instruch and Angrapa rivers, which unite to become the Pregolya river bel ...

. On the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Poland, the 159th Fighter Regiment moved to Besovets air base and joined the

6th Air Army The 6th Air Army was an air army of the Soviet Air Forces, Red Army's Air Force during the Second World War and from 1946-1949. It was formed twice : in 1942 as part of the Red Army's Air Forces, and redesignated in 1944, and in 1946 and redesignate ...

, and the 871st Fighter Regiment moved to

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

and eventually disbanded. The 151st EW Regiment moved back to Shchuchyn in the Belorussian SSR in August 1989 and definitely disbanded in 1992, with its aircraft being broken up at the 558th Aircraft Repair Facility at

Baranovichi Baranavichy or Baranovichi is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Baranavichy District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has a population of 170,817. ...

. Following withdrawal from Poland from 1992 it became the aviation component of the

. On 22 August 1992, the headquarters of the 4th Red Banner Air Army (VGK) was relocated to the city of Rostov-on-Don and relieved from assignment from the VGK. Headquarters 1st Guards Bomber Aviation Division arrived from

Lida Lida is a city in Grodno Region, western Belarus, located west of Minsk. It serves as the administrative center of Lida District. As of 2025, it has a population of 103,262. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuanian name ''Ly ...

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

in 1993 and headquarters

16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division The 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division was an Aviation Division of the Soviet Air Forces, active from 1942 to 1998. Originally activated in 1942 as the 258th Fighter Aviation Division from the Air Forces of the 14th Army (Soviet Union), 14th Ar ...

was moved to Millerovo from Damgarten, DDR, on 30 October 1993, and became part of 4th Air Army that day.

4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army

On 16 June 1997 the President of the Russian Federation signed the decree "About prime measures on reforming Armed forces of the Russian Federation and perfection of their structure". According to that decree, on the basis of the 4th Air Army and the 12th Independent Air Defence Corps of the Russian Air Defence Forces the 4th Army of the Air Forces and Air Defence was formed on 1 June 1998. The 10th Bombardment Aviation Division, headquartered at

Yeysk Yeysk () is a port and a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the shore of the Taganrog Gulf of the Sea of Azov. The town is built primarily on the Yeysk Spit, which separates the Yeya River from the Sea of Azov. Population: ...

with up to 90 Su-24s in three regiments (296th BAP at Marinovka, 559th BAP and 959th BAP) was part of the army during the 1990s. At some point between January 2001 and September 2005 the division headquarters disbanded. Yeysk airfield, the previous home of a training aviation institute directing around three regiments of L-39s, was turned over to

Russian Naval Aviation The Russian Naval Aviation () is the air arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet (Russia), Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea ...

in September 2009. In February 2004 regional command staff trainings took place in Kabardino-Balkaria. 02.2006 comd staff exercises jointly with the 58th Army of the

. Eight Su-25 took part in Peace Mission 2007 joint Russia-Sino exercises. The commanding officer of the 4th Air Army from February 2007 was

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

Igor Miroshnichenko. In August 2007 command and staff exercises were held. 11.2007 Caucasus-Rubezh −2007 command staff exercises. In March 2008 flight tactical training took place. In 2009 the Army was disestablished and Russian Air Forces units in the Caucasus grouped under the

. The Army was reformed on 1 August 2015. In January 2016, Lieutenant General Viktor Sevastyanov became its commander.

Structure 2007

* Headquarters 4th Army of Air Forces and Air Defence –

Rostov on Don Rostov-on-Don 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 European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of th ...

** 1st Guards Composite Aviation Division –

Krasnodar Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...

*** 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment – Morozovsk –

in service. Previously based at

Finsterwalde Finsterwalde (, , ) is a town in the Elbe-Elster district (German: Landkreis), in Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg, Germany. Overview It is situated on the Schackebach, a tributary of the Kleine Elster, 28 m. W.S.W of Cottbus by rail. Pop. (2005) 18,8 ...

in East Germany with the

16th Air Army The 16th Red Banner Air Army () was the most important formation of the Special Purpose Command. Initially formed during the Second World War as a part of the Soviet Air Force, it was from its 2002 reformation to its 2009 disbandment the tactical ...

; *** 959th Bomber Aviation Regiment – Eisk Airport – operates the Su-24 and L-39C; *** 368th Assault Aviation Regiment – Budyonnovsk –

Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' ( ('' rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Ground Forces. The ...

; *** 461st Assault Aviation Regiment –

– Su-25; *** 960th Assault Aviation Regiment – Primorsko-Akhtarsk –

; ** 51st Air Defence Corps –

(disbanded and reorganised in 2009 as 7th Brigade of Missile-Space Defence) ***

3rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment The 3rd Guards Baranovichi Red Banner Fighter Aviation Regiment is a fighter regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The regiment was formed on 21 October 1941 from personnel of the Chelyabinsk School of Gunners and Bombardiers as the 688th Ni ...

–

Krymsk Krymsk (; Adyghe: Хьэтуехьэблэ, Ḥătueḥăblă; ) 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 R ...

aya (ex 562nd) –

Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supersonic supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet fighters suc ...

; (1.12.09 renamed 6972nd Guards Aviation Base) *** 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Millerovo –

MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...

; (disbanded 2009 and reorganised as 6969th Aviation Base) *** – Zernograd – MiG-29. Previously based at Falkenberg/Elster in East Germany with the

. Disbanded 2009. *** SAM Regiments ** 11th Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment – Marinovka – operates the Su-24MR. Formerly based with

, Welzow,

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

; ** 535th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment – Rostov on Don –

Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. Russian production of t ...

An-12 The Antonov An-12 (Russian language, Russian: Антонов Ан-12; NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop Cargo aircraft, transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10 and has ...

and

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 Twins ...

in service; ** ex Army Aviation component *** 55th Independent Helicopter Regiment – Korenovsk – Mi-24, Mi-8; *** 325th Independent Transport-Combat Helicopter Regiment – Yegorlyskaya –

Mi-26 The Mil Mi-26 (, NATO reporting name: Halo) is a Soviet Union, Soviet/Russian heavy Military transport helicopter, transport helicopter. Its product code is ''Izdeliye 90''. Operated by both military and civilian operators, it is the largest ...

; *** 487th Independent Helicopter Regiment for battle control- Budyonnovsk – Mi-8,

Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity transport helicopter, troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced ...

; In addition to the above forces, Russian aviation forces in Armenia, probably within the ambit of 4th Air Army, comprise 18 MiG-29 fighters of the 426th Fighter Squadron '426 Istrebitel’naya Aviatsionnaya Eskadril’ya (426 IAE)''and the 700th Air Traffic Control Center, both at the 3624th Air Base '3624 Aviatsionnaya Baza (3624 AB)''at Erebuni Airport outside Yerevan.

Structure 2020s

4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army (Rostov-on-Don) (Information updated to 2019/20 unless otherwise indicated) * 1st Guards Composite Aviation Division (

) ** 3rd Guards Composite Aviation Regiment (

) Two Squadrons:

SM3 Flanker (as of 2019) (may have started re-equipping with

Su-57 The Sukhoi Su-57 (; NATO reporting name: Felon) is a Twinjet, twin-engine stealth aircraft, stealth Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It is the product of the PAK FA (, prospective aeronautical comp ...

as of December 2020) ** 31st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( Millerovo) Two Squadrons:

Su-30 The Sukhoi Su-30 (; NATO reporting name: Flanker-C/G/H) is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union in the 1980s by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weath ...

SM (as of 2019) ** 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment ( Morozovsk) Three Squadrons:

Su-34 The Sukhoi Su-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 Soviet Air Forces, and it entere ...

(as of 2019) ** 368th Assault Aviation Regiment (

Budennovsk Budyonnovsk () is a town in Stavropol Krai, Russia. In 2010 the population of Budyonnovsk was 64,624. History The town was founded in 1799 by Armenian settlers from Derbent. During World War II, Budyonnovsk was occupied by German troops from Au ...

) Two Squadrons:

SM/SM3 (as of 2019; reported upgrading to SM3 variant as of 2021) * 4th Composite Aviation Division ( Marinovka) ** 11th Composite Aviation Regiment ( Marinovka) Two Squadrons:

M/M2/MR (as of 2019) ** 960th Assault Aviation Regiment ( Primorsko-Akhtarsk) Two Squadrons:

SM/SM3 (as of 2019) * 27th Composite Aviation Division ( Sevastopol-Belbek) ** 37th Composite Aviation Regiment ( Gvardeyskoye) One Squadron:

M/SVP-24/MR; One Squadron:

SM (as of 2019) ** 38th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( Sevastopol-Belbek) Two Squadrons:

P/SM (as of 2019; may re-equip with Su-57 in due course) ** 39th Helicopter Aviation Regiment (

Dzhankoi Dzhankoi or Jankoy is a city of regional significance in the northern part of Crimea, internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, but since 2014 occupied by Russia. It also serves as administrative centre of Dzhankoi Raion although it is not a ...

) * Directly subordinated to 4th army headquarters ** 535th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment ( Rostov-on-Don North with two mixed transport squadrons with An-26RT, An-12BK, Tu-134, L-410UVP-E20) ** 3624th Air Base ( Erebuni,

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

) with one fighter and one mixed helicopter squadron with

, MiG-29UB, Mi-24P, Mi-8MTV, Mi-8SMV-2; MiG-29 reported to be replaced by

in 2020/21) * Army Aviation component ** 16th Army Aviation Brigade (Zernograd) ** 55th Independent Helicopter Regiment (Korenovsk) ** 487th Independent Helicopter Regiment (Budennovsk) Air defense and support units of the 4th Air and Air Defence Army: * 51st Air Defence Division (Rostov-on-Don) ** 1536th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (Rostov-on-Don) ** 1537th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was History In antiquity, the shores of the ...

) *** Two battalions: 8

S-400 The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...

/8 S-300PM launchers; second battalion with 6 launchers 96K6 Pantsir-S1 SAM. ** 1721st Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

): 12 S-350 launchers ** 339th Radio-Technical Regiment ( Tinaki,

Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) 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 Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...

) ** 338th Radio-Technical Regiment (Rostov-on-Don) * 31st Air Defence Division (Sevastopol) - traces its history to the Sevastopol Brigade of the PVO being upgraded on 25 January 1957 into the 1st Air Defence Division. (Russian article at :ru:31-я дивизия ПВО) ** 12th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (Sevastopol) ** 18th Guards Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (

Feodosia Feodosia (, ''Feodosiia, Teodosiia''; , ''Feodosiya''), also called in English Theodosia (from ), is a city on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea. Feodosia serves as the administrative center of Feodosia Municipality, one of the regions into ...

) ** 3rd Radio-Technical Regiment (Lyubimovka, Sevastopol) * 7th Military Base (Primorskoe,

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

- S-400 and S-300 SAMs) * 988th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Gyumri,

- S-300V4/ Buk-M1-2 SAMs) * Support Center (Rostov-on-Don) ** 1017th Air Defense Command Post (Rostov-on-Don) ** 214th Headquarters Communications Center (

Novocherkassk Novocherkassk () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don (river), Don River. Novocherkassk is best known as the ...

) Additional fighter, helicopter and other fixed-wing aviation elements are deployed as part of the 2nd Guards Naval Aviation Division (2-я гвардейская морская Севастопольская авиационная дивизия имени Н.А. Токарева) of

of the

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

– HQ Sevastopol. The division was seemingly reestablished in 2019-2020. Previously it had been disbanded in 1994.

Notes

* * Kommersant-Vlast, 2005

External links

* http://www.rg.ru/2007/03/13/reg-jugrossii/miroshnichenko.html (Ru) – Interview with Miroshnichenko * http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/regiment/bap/3bap.htm – 3rd Bomber Aviation Regiment {{Armies of the Russian Armed Forces Air armies of the Russian Air Forces Military units and formations established in 1998