Russian Naval Aviation

Авиация Военно-морского флота Aviatsiya Voenno-morskogo Flota Russian Naval Aviation
Active	since 1912
Country	Russian Federation (previously the Soviet Union and Russian Empire)
Branch	Russian Navy
Type	Naval aviation
Commanders
Current commander	Major-General Viktor Viktorovich Popov
Insignia
Roundel

A Sukhoi Su-33 from the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, on Admiral Kuznetsov's flight deck.

The Russian Naval Aviation (Russian: Авиация Военно-морского флота России - Aviatsiya Voenno-morskogo Flota Rossii) (formerly the Soviet Aviatsiya Voenno Morskogo Flota), is the air arm of the Russian Navy. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Ocean Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and Caspian Flotilla.

The air forces of the most important fleets, the Northern and Pacific fleets, operate Tu-22M3 Backfire-C supersonic missile carriers, long range Tu-142 Bear-F anti-submarine warfare aircraft and Il-38 May medium range ASW aircraft. The relatively small fleets, the Baltic and Black Sea, currently have only tactical Su-24 Fencer C/D bombers and ASW helicopters in service. The small Caspian Flotilla operates An-26 and Mi-8 transports, Ka-27PS rescue helicopters, as well as some Ka-29 and Mi-24 armed helicopters. In 2008, the Russian Navy Deputy Commander for Aviation and Air Defense/Chief of Naval Aviation and Air Defense is Major-General Viktor Viktorovich Popov.

Components

The Russian Naval Aviation consists of the following components:^[1]

• Naval missile-carrying aviation;
• Shore-based ASW aviation;
• Attack (Shturmovik) Aviation;
• Shore-based fighter aviation;
• Reconnaissance aviation;
• Shipborne aviation (fighters and ASW aircraft);
• Auxiliary air units.

Structure

This is the structure of the Russian Naval Aviation, as reproduced from the August 2007 issue of the Air Forces Monthly.^[2]

Northern Fleet - HQ Severomorsk

• 924th Separate Maritime Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment - HQ at Olenegorsk/Olenya - Tu-22M3;
• 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at Severomorsk-3 - Su-25UTG, Su-33;
• 73rd Independent Air Squadron - HQ at Kipelovo (Fedotovo) - Tu-142MK, Tu-142MR;
• 403rd Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment - HQ at Severomorsk-1 - An-12, An-26, Il-38, Tu-134;
• 830th Separate Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Severomorsk-1 - Ka-27;

Pacific Ocean Fleet - HQ Vladivostok

• 568th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment - HQ at Mongokhto - operating Tu-22M3, Tu-142MR/MZ;
• 865th Interceptor Aviation Regiment - HQ at Yelizovo-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport) - MiG-31;
• 317th Composite Air Regiment - HQ at Yelizovo - Tu-142;
• 71st Independent MIlitary Transport Air Squadron - HQ at Nikolayevka, Primorskaya - An-12, An-24, An-26;
• 175th Independent Shipborne Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron - HQ at Yelizovo - Ka-27;
• 289th Independent Anti-submarine Air Regiment - HQ at Nikolayevka - Il-38, Ka-27, Ka-29;

Baltic Fleet - HQ Kaliningrad

• 689th Independent Fighter Aviation Regiment - Kaliningrad Chkalovsk - operating Su-27;
• 4th Independent Naval Assault Aviation Regiment - Chernyakhovsk Air Base - operating Su-24M/MR;
• 125th Independent Helicopter Squadron - HQ at Chkalovsk - operating Mi-8, Mi-24;
• 396th Independent Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron - Donskoye Air Base - Ka-27/PS, Ka-29;
• 398th Independent Air Transport Squadron - HQ at Khrabrovo - An-2, An-12, An-24, An-26, Be-12, Mi-8.

Black Sea Fleet - HQ Sevastopol (Ukraine)

• 872nd Independent Anti-submarine Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Kacha, Crimea - Ka-27;
• 917th Independent Composite Air Regiment - HQ at Kacha, Crimea - An-2, An-12, An-26, Be-12, Mi-8;
• 43rd Independent Naval Shturmovik (Assault) Air Squadron - HQ at Gvardeyskoye, Crimea - Su-25;

Aircraft inventory

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[3]	Notes
Fighter Aircraft
Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker	Soviet Union	fighter	Su-27	88
Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker-D	Soviet Union	fighter	Su-33	23	designed for service on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov[2]
Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound	Soviet Union	interceptor	MiG-31	30
Bomber Aircraft
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer	Soviet Union	attack	Su-24M	58	planned modernization to reach M2 level.
Su-25 Frogfoot	Soviet Union	attack	Su-25UBP/UTG	14	8 UBPs and 6 UTGs - used for training pilots to fly the Su-33 fighter.[4]
Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire	Soviet Union	strategic bomber	Tu-22M3	50	35 operational with the Northern Fleet and 15 operational with the Pacific Fleet.[1]
ASW Aircraft
Tupolev Tu-142 Bear-F	Soviet Union	long range ASW	Tu-142MK/MZ	16	8 MKs in the Northern Fleet and 8 MZs in the Pacific Fleet.[4]
Il-38 May	Soviet Union	medium range ASW	Il-38	26	11 in service with the Northern Fleet, 15 with the Pacific Fleet.[5]
Reconnaissance
Sukhoi Su-24MR Fencer	Soviet Union	reconnaissance	Su-24MR	20
Attack Helicopter
Mil Mi-24 Hind	Soviet Union	attack helicopter	Mi-24	20
Transport Helicopter
Mil Mi-8 Hip	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	Mi-8	35
ASW Helicopter
Kamov Ka-27 Helix	Soviet Union	ASW helicopter	Ka-27/29/32	88	72 used for ASW, while the rest of 16 used for transport.[6]
Mil Mi-14 Haze	Soviet Union	ASW Helicopter	Mi-14	9	5 used for search-and-rescue, while the other 4 are used for ASW.[7]

Naval Air Arm

• Fleet Air Arm Of U.K.
• United States Naval Aviator Of USA
• Aviation navale Of France
• Indian Naval Air Arm

Notes

References

• Butowski, Piotr. Force Report:Russian Air Force, Air Forces Monthly, August 2007 issue.
• State of the Russian Air Force warfare.ru, Russian Military Analisis.

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