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Военно-воздушные cилы России Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii Russian Air Force
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Active	August 12, 1912 - present
Country	Russian Federation (earlier - Soviet Union and Imperial Russian Air Force)
Role	Defeating Enemy units , Reconnaissance, Defence of Major Military Facilities and units, Ground Forces and Navy support, transportation
Anniversaries	August 12
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin
Insignia
Roundel

The Russian Air Force (Russian: Военно-воздушные cилы России, transliteration: Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii) is the air force of Russia. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota ("Naval Aviation"), or AV-MF.) It is claimed to be the greatest air force in the world in terms of military power, close to the U.S. Air Force.^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Current state 3 Structure 3.1 Air Armies of the Supreme High Command 4 Aircraft inventory 5 Gallery of images 6 Ranks and insignia 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union into its fifteen constituent republics in December of 1991, the aircraft and personnel of the Soviet Air Force - the VVS were divided among the newly independent states. Russia received the majority of these forces—approximately 40% of the aircraft, including the big majority of the ultimate fighters, and 65% of the manpower, and the major commands of the former Soviet VVS - the Long Range Aviation, Military Transport Aviation 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 republic's air forces. Some aircraft in Belarus and Ukraine returned to Russia, as well as a long range aviation division based at Dolon in Kazakhstan. The former Soviet Air Defence Force remained independent for several years under Russian control, only merging with the Air Forces in 1998.

The VVS participated in the First Chechen War (1994–1996) and the Second Chechen War (1999–2002). These campaigns also presented significant difficulties for the VVS including the terrain, lack of significant fixed targets and insurgents armed with Stinger and Strela-2M surface-to-air missiles.

In 1998 the VVS was merged with the Voyska PVO (Air Defence Force). In 2003 the aviation assets of the Army—mostly helicopters—were transferred to the VVS. 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, setting of minefield barriers and other tasks.

The Russian Air Force has a strength of over 1700 combat aircraft and a total of 3365 aircraft.^{[citation needed]} In October 2004 the disbandment of the 200th and 444th Bomber Aviation Regiments with Tupolev Tu-22M3, the disbandment of the 28th, 159th, 790th, and 941st Fighter Aviation Regiments, the 302nd and 959th Regiments equipped with Sukhoi Su-24, and the 187th and 461st Assault Aviation Regiments with the Sukhoi Su-25 was announced.^[2]

The VVS continues to suffer from a lack of resources for pilot training. In the 1990s Russian pilots achieved approximately 10% of the flight hours of US Air Force. Currently the 2007 edition of the IISS Military Balance lists 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.^[3]

Currently, a fifth-generation fighter jet is being developed by a consortium of companies, including Mikoyan, Yakovlev and spearheaded by Sukhoi. The program has been named Perspektivnyy Aviatsionnyy Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii (Перспективный авиационный комплекс фронтовой авиации in Russian) - PAK FA, which means Future Air Complex for Tactical Air Forces. It is intended to replace the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian Air Force. Russia will soon start construction of a prototype fifth-generation fighter plane, Air Force Commander Alexander Zelin said August 8, 2007.^[4] "At present, we have completed the development of technical documentation for the fifth-generation fighter and passed it to the production plant, which will start construction in the near future," Colonel General Zelin said.^[4] Sergei Ivanov, a first deputy prime minister supervising the defense industry, said in May that Russia's fifth generation fighter will take to the skies by the end of 2008.^[4]

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Services (Vid) Russian Air Force Russian Ground Forces Russian Navy Independent troops Strategic Rocket Forces Russian Space Forces Russian Airborne Troops Other troops Naval Infantry Naval Aviation Missiles and Artillery Command Anti-Air Defense Ranks of the Russian Military Air Force ranks and insignia Army ranks and insignia Navy ranks and insignia History of the Russian Military Military History of Russia History of Russian military ranks Military ranks of the Soviet Union

The Air Force commander also said Wednesday that Russia would deploy advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with flight range of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) and flight duration of up to 12 hours by 2011.^[4] The UAVs of both fixed- and rotary-wing types will perform a variety of tasks, including reconnaissance, attack, retransmission of radio signals and target designation, the general said.^[4]

The 16th Air Army will soon receive two regiments of the advanced Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers in the near future.^[5] General Belevitch said the 16th Air Army would also receive MiG-29SM Fulcrum fighters to replace outdated MiG-29s and modernized Su-25 Frogfoot close support aircraft, which showed outstanding performance during operations in Afghanistan, Chechnya and other "hot spots."^[5]

Russia resumed the Soviet-era practice of sending its bomber aircraft on long-range flights at a permanent basis in July and August 2007, after a 15-year unilateral suspension due to fuel costs and other economic difficulties after the collapse of the Soviet Union.^[6][7] Patrols towards the North Pole, the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean were reinstated, bringing the planes often close to NATO territory, most recently flying over the Irish Sea, between the UK and Ireland

This order of battle is reproduced from Air Forces Monthly's July & August 2007 editions.

• 4th Aircrew Combat Training Centre - Lipetsk Air Base
• 2881st Reserve Helicopter Base - Mi-24 - Totskoye (air base)

Special Purpose Command, HQ Moscow, Moscow Military District

• 16th Air Army - Kubinka
  • 105th Composite Aviation Division, Voronezh
    • 455th Bomber Aviation Regiment - operating Sukhoi Su-24, based at Chertovitskoye Airport, Voronezh
    • 899th Shturmovik (Assault) Aviation Regiment Su-25, based at Buturlinovka.
  • 14th Fighter Aviation Regiment - MiG-29 - Kursk
  • 28th Fighter Aviation Regiment - MiG-29 - Andreapol (air base)
  • 47th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment - MiG-25 and Su-24 in service - HQs at Shatalovo
  • 237th Air Technology Demonstration Centre of Guards - Kubinka - MiG-29, Su-27, Su-27M, L-39C;
• 226th Independent Composite Air Regiment (Mi-8, Mi-9, An-12, An-24, An-26, An-30) (Kubinka (air base));
• 1st Corps of PVO (surface to air missiles only);
• 32nd Corps of PVO (Rzhev)
  • 611th Fighter Aviation Regiment Su-27 Dorokhovo
  • 790th Interceptor Aviation Regiment - MiG-31, MiG-25U - Khotilovo
• Army Aviation components
  • 45th Independent Helicopter Regiment (Oreshkovo (Vorotinsk) near Kaluga) Mi-24
  • 440th Independent Helicopter Regiment for battle control- Vyazma - Mi-24, Mi-8
  • 490th Independent Helicopter Regiment for battle control - Klokovo (4 km north of Tula) - Mi-24, Mi-8;
  • 865th Reserve Helicopter Base (Protasovo/Aleksandrovo (air base), near Ryazan);

6th Army of VVS and PVO, Leningrad Military District

• 21st Air Defence Corps - Severomorsk
  • 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ atKilp-Yavr (Poliarnyi) - Su-27;
  • 458th Interceptor Aviation Regiment - HQ at Savatiya (Kotlas) - MiG-25U, MiG-31;
• 54th Air Defence Corps - HQ at Taytsy
  • 177th Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at Lodeynoye Pole (air base) - Su-27;
  • 159th Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at Besovets Airport - Su-27;
• 149th Composite Aviation Division
• 67th Bomber Aviation Regiment - HQ at Siverskiy-2 - Su-24;
• 722nd Bomber Aviation Regiment - HQ at Smuravyevo (Gdov) - Su-24;
• 98th Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment - HQ at Monchegorsk (air base) - MiG-25RB/U, Su-24MR;
• 138th Independent Composite Air Regiment - HQ at Levashevo - An-12, An-26, Mi-8, Tu-134;
• 147th Independent Helicopter Squadron of Electronic Warfare - HQ at Pushkin - Mi-8PPA;
• 332nd Independent Helicopter Regiment for Battle Control - HQ at Pribylovo - Mi-8, Mi-24;
• 85th Independent Helicopter Squadron - HQ at Alakurtti - Mi-8, Mi-24.

4th Army of VVS and PVO, North Caucasus Military District

• 1st Composite Air Division - Krasnodar
  • 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment - Morozovsk - Su-24 in service;
  • 959th Bomber Aviation Regiment - Yeysk - operates the Su-24 and L-39C;
  • 368th Assault Aviation Regiment - Budyonnovsk - Su-25;
  • 461st Assault Aviation Regiment - Krasnodar - Su-25;
  • 960th Assault Aviation Regiment - Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Su-25;

• 51st Air Defence Corps - Rostov on Don
  • 3rd Fighter Aviation Regiment - Krymskaya, (ex 562nd) - Su-27;
  • 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment - Millerovo - MiG-29;
  • 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment - Zernograd - MiG-29;
  • SAM Regiments

• 11th Independent Reconnaissance Air Regiment - Marinovka - operates the Su-24MR;

• 535th Independent Composite Air Regiment - Rostov on Don - Mi-8, An-12 and An-26 in service;

• ex Army Aviation component
  • 55th Independent Helicopter Regiment - Korenovsk - Mi-24, Mi-8;
  • 325th Independent Transport-Combat Helicopter Regiment - Yegorlyskaya - Mi-26, Mi-8;
  • 487th Independent Helicopter Regiment for battle control- Budyonnovsk - Mi-8, Mi-24;

5th Army of VVS and PVO, HQ Yekaterinburg, Volga-Ural Military District General Lieutenant Mikhail Kucheryavy^[8]

• 128th Independent Composite Air Squadron - HQ at Koltsovo near Yekaterinburg - An-26;
• 320th Independent Transport Squadron of Search & Rescue Service - HQ at Uprun (Troitsk), near Chelyabinsk - Mi-8;
• Unknown Air Base - HQ at Kant, Kyrgyzstan - L-39, Mi-8, Su-25;
• Army Aviation component;
  • 793rd Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Kinel'-Cherkasy - Mi-8, Mi-26;
  • 237th Independent Helicopter Squadron - HQ at Bobrovka - Mi-8, Mi-24;

14th Army of VVS and PVO, HQ Novosibirsk, Siberian Military District

• 21st Composite Air Division - HQ at Dzhida;
  • 2nd Bomber Aviation Regiment - HQ at Dzhida - Su-24M;
  • 266th Shturmovik Air Regiment - HQ at Step',Oloviannaya - Su-25;
  • 313th Reconnaissance Air Regiment - HQ at Bada - Su-24MR;
• 120th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ atDomna, 27 km southwest of Chita - MiG-29;
• 712th Interceptor Aviation Regiment - HQ at Kansk (air base) - MiG-25PU, MiG-31;
• 137th Independent Composite Aviation Squadron - HQ at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport - An-26;
• Army Aviation component
  • 337th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Berdsk - Mi-8, Mi-24;
  • 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Chita - Mi-8, Mi-24;
• Two SAM regiments and four radar units

11th Army of VVS and PVO, Far East Military District - HQ at Khabarovsk

• 23rd PVO Corps - HQ at Vladivostok;
  • 22nd Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at Centralnaya Uglovaya (Artem) - Su-27;
  • 530th Intercepto Aviation Regiment - HQ at Sokolovka - MiG-25PU, MiG-31;
• 25th PVO Division - HQ at Komsomolsk na Amure
  • 23rd Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at Dzemgi - Su-27;
• 303rd Composite Aviation Division - HQ at Ussuriysk
  • 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment - HQ at Khurba - Su-24;
  • 302nd Bomber Aviation Regiment - HQ at Verino - Su-24;
  • 18th Shturmovik (Assault) Air Regiment - HQ at Galenki - Su-25;
  • 187th Shturmovik Air Regiment - HQ at Chernigovka - Su-25;
  • 799th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment - HQ at Varfolomeyevka - Su-24MR, MiG-25RB(?);
• 257th Independent Composite Air Regiment - HQ at Khabarovsk-Bolshoy - An-12, An-26, Mi-8;
• Army Aviation component;
  • Unknown Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Sokol (Dolinsk) - Mi-8;
  • 319th Independent Helicopter Regiment for Battle Control - HQ at Chernigovka - Mi-24;
  • 364th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Srednebelaya - Mi-8, Mi-24, Mi-26;
  • 825th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Garovka-2 - Mi-6, Mi-8, Mi-26;

Air Forces of Russia
Russian Empire Air Force (1909–1917) Soviet Union Red Air Force (1918–1991) Naval Aviation (1918–1991) Air Defense (1948–1991) Strategic Rocket Forces (1959–1991) Russian Federation Air Force (1991–present) Naval Aviation (1991–present) Strategic Rocket Forces (1991–present)

• 37th Air Army (strategic bombers) - HQs at Moscow
  • 43rd Centre for Combat and Flight Personnel Training - Ryazan - operates the Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS, Tu-134UBL and An-26;
  • 22nd Heavy Bomber Air Division "Donbass" - HQs at Engels-2;
    • 121st Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Engels - Tu-160 in service;
    • 184th Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Engels - Tu-95MS;
    • 52nd Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Shaykovka - Tu-22M3;
    • 840th Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Soltsy - Tu-22M3;
  • 326th Heavy Bomber Air Division - HQs at Ukrainka;
    • 182nd Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Ukrainka - Tu-95MS;
    • 79th Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Ukrainka - Tu-95MS;
    • 200th Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Belaya (air base) (near Irkutsk) - Tu-22M3, Tu-22MR;
    • 444th Heavy Bomber Air Regiment - Vozdvizshenka (Ussuriysk) - Tu-22M3;
  • 203rd Independent Air Regiment of Tanker Aircraft - HQs at Ryazan - Il-78 and Il-78M in service;
  • 181st Independent Air Squadron - Irkutsk - An-12 and An-30;
  • 199th Air Base - Ulan-Ude;
  • 3119th Air Base - Tambov;
  • Unknown Air Base - Tiksi;

• 61st Air Army (former Military Transport Aviation) - Moscow
  • 610th Centre for Combat and Flight Personnel Training - HQs at Ivanovo - Severnyi;
    • Unknown Instructor Military Transport Air Squadron - Ivanovo - operates the Il-76;
  • 12th Military Transport Air Division - Tver (Migalovo);
    • 196th Military Transport Air Regiment - Tver - Il-76 in service;
    • 566th Military Transport Air Regiment - Seshcha - Il-76, An-124;
    • 76th Independent Military Transport Air Squadron - Tver - An-22;
  • 103rd Military Transport Air Regiment - Smolensk - Il-76;
  • 110th Military Transport Air Regiment - Krechevitsy - Il-76;
  • 117th Military Transport Air Regiment - Orenburg - Il-76, An-12;
  • 334th Military Transport Air Regiment - Pskov - Il-76;
  • 708th Military Transport Air Regiment - Taganrog - Il-76;
  • 78th Independent Military Transport Air Squadron - Klin-5 - operates An-26, An-12 and Tu-134;
  • 224th Air Detachment of Military Transport Aviation - Tver - An-124, Il-76MD;
  • one communications centre

The List of Soviet Air Force bases shows a number which are still active with the Russian Air Force.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[9]	Notes
Su-27	Soviet Union	Fighter	Su-27	320	20 Frontal Air Force, 300 Air Defence ; are being modernized to reach Su-27SM level
Su-30	Soviet Union	Fighter	Su-30	10	Frontal Air Force
Su-33	Soviet Union	Fighter	Su-33	23	Designed for service on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov
Su-35	Russia	Fighter	Su-35	12	Frontal Air Force
MiG-29	Soviet Union	Fighter	MiG-29	260	260 Frontal Air Force, planned modernization to reach the MiG-29SMT level.
Sukhoi T-50[10][11]	Russia	Fighter	2 (Testbeds)	To be mass produced by 2012	To be mass produced by 2012
MiG-31	Soviet Union	Interceptor	MiG-31	188	30 Frontal Air Force, 158 Air Defense
Su-24	Soviet Union	Tactical Bomber	Su-24M	458	400 Frontal Air Force; 58 Navy, planned modernization to reach Su-24M2 level
Su-25	Soviet Union	Attacker	Su-25	225	215 Frontal Air Force; 10 Navy, planned modernization to reach Su-25SM level.
Su-34	Russia	Fighter-bomber	Su-34	8	Frontal Air Force, (200 ordered to year 2020)[12]
Tu-22M	Soviet Union	Strategic bomber	Tu-22M3	158	158 (37th Air Army), planned modernization to reach Tu-22M5
Tu-95	Soviet Union	Strategic bomber	Tu-95MS	64	64 (37th Air Army), planned modernization of 35 to reach Tu-95MSM
Tu-160	Russia	Strategic bomber	Tu-160	16 (30 by 2012)	16 (37th Air Army), planned modernization to reach Tu-160M
Il-76MD	Soviet Union	Transport	IL-76	220	Planned modernization to reach Il-76MD-90
Il-112V	Russia	Light Transport	Il-112V	0	18 to be delivered until 2015
An-22 Antey	Soviet Union	Transport	An-22	3 flying + several stored
An-72	Soviet Union	Transport	An-72	20	IISS does not list any in service
An-124 Ruslan	Soviet Union	Transport	An-124	25	14 says IISS
Il-80	Russia	Command Post	Il-80	4
Il-82	Russia	Retransmition Post	Il-82	3
Il-22	Soviet Union	Command Post	Il-22	20
Tu-214	Russia	Command Post / VIP	Tu-214-100	4(ordered)	1 in final stages and 3 in construction
IL-78	Soviet Union	Refueling Tanker	IL-78	20
Su-24MR	Soviet Union	Reconnaissance	Su-24	79	79 Frontal Air Force
MiG-25RB	Soviet Union	Reconnaissance	MiG-25	70	30 Mig-25 fighter versions and 40 Mig-25RB Reccon. aircraft.
A-50 Shmel	Soviet Union	AWACS-Reconnaissance	Beriev A-50	16	Planned modernization to reach A50M
Yak-130	Russia	Training	Yak-130	0	60 ordered, to be commissioned until 2015
Ka-50 Black Shark	Soviet Union	Attack Helicopter	Kamov Ka-50	16	3 more to be commissioned this year [13]
Ka-52 Alligator	Russia	Attack Helicopter	Kamov Ka-52	9	Special Forces - 12 more to be commissioned until 2015 [14]
Mi-24	Soviet Union	Attack helicopter	Mil Mi-24	260	240 Air Force, 20 Navy - All to be replaced within 2015 by Mi-28s[15]
Mi-28	Russia	Attack Helicopter	Mil Mi-28	10	300 to be delivered until 2015 [16]
Mi-6	Soviet Union	Transport Helicopter	Mil Mi-6	5
Mi-8	Soviet Union	Transport Helicopter	Mil Mi-8	195	160 Air Force, 35 Navy
Mi-14	Soviet Union	ASW Helicopter	Mil Mi-14	9
Mi-26	Soviet Union	Transport Helicopter	Mil Mi-26	45
Ka-27	Soviet Union	ASW Helicopter	Kamov Ka-27	88	Navy
Ka-60	Russia	Transport Helicopter	Kamov Ka-60	-	200 ordered

Mikoyan MiG-29	Sukhoi Su-27	Mikoyan MiG-31	Sukhoi Su-24
Tupolev Tu-95	Tupolev Tu-160	Ilyushin Il-76	Antonov An-124 Ruslan
Mil Mi-28	Mil Mi-24	Ka-50	Mi-26
T50 fighter.jpg PAK-FA/Sukhoi Su-50	Yakovlev Yak-130	Sukhoi Su-25

Main article: Air Force ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

• Morskaya Aviatsiya -WWII Soviet Naval Air Service
• Voenno-vozdushniye Sily - Soviet Air Force
• List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS

1. ^ The previous note on 'number' has been removed because the IISS Military Balance notes the Chinese PLAAF with 2,643 combat capable aircraft, as opposed to the VVS's 1,650 combat capable aircraft. IISS Military Balance 2007, p.200, 350.
2. ^ Valeriy Kolosov, Military Reform: Minus One Hundred Thousand, Kommersant, 11 October 2004, cited in Scott & Scott, Russian Military Directory 2004
3. ^ Routledge/IISS, IISS Military Balance 2007, p.200
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Russia to build fifth-generation fighter prototype soon
5. ^ ^{a b} Russia to equip two air regiments with Su-34 strike planes soon
6. ^ BBC NEWS, Russia restarts Cold War, 17 August 2007, patrols, [1]
7. ^ Russia restores Soviet-era strategic bomber patrols - Putin -2 Russian News & Information Agency
8. ^ 'Kucheryavy takes up post as Urals Air Force, Air Defense Army commander', AVN Military News Agency, MOSCOW. July 10, 2007 (Interfax-AVN)
9. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
10. ^ Russia's fifth generation combat aircraft to fly by late 2008-Ivanov
11. ^ Russia to build fifth-generation fighter prototype soon
12. ^ RIAN news article on Su-34
13. ^ Air Forces Monthly, July 2007 edition.
14. ^ Air Forces Monthly, July 2007 edition.
15. ^ Mi-28 Replacing Mi-24
16. ^ [http://www.kommersant.com/p-11581/Combat_helicopter/ Russia’s Air Force to Replace Combat Helicopters by 2015

• Russian Air Force Unofficial (Russian)
• REDSTARS News, analyses and reports about the Russian Defense and the Russian Air Force (French)
• VVS Order of Battle courtesy of Scramble.nl
• Russian-language VVS site
• Photos Russian Air Force
• Listing of Soviet Air Bases

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