Naval aviation of the Russian Navy. Russian Navy Aviation Day USSR Naval Aviation
By analogy with the ground forces of the Russian Federation, naval aviation dramatically increases the capabilities of the fleet. A Navy MA unit was created to solve several problems:
- search for and destruction of sea, air and ground targets;
- aerial reconnaissance and ship guidance;
- production/destruction of minefields;
- electronic warfare;
- search/rescue of victims;
- transportation and landing of special forces.
The main part of aviation is based on the shore, a smaller part of it - naval aviation - is located on the only aircraft-carrying cruiser in the Russian Federation, Admiral Kuznetsov. The composition includes only helicopters and airplanes; previously used seaplanes are now used by the Ministry of Emergency Situations for transportation and firefighting.
Formation of naval aviation
The Russian Air Force, part of the Aerospace Forces, celebrates Aviation Day on August 12. Naval aviation units of the Russian Navy celebrate their “Birthday” almost a month earlier - on July 17. This branch of the military is very specific, protecting the boundaries of two elements at once - water and sky. The history of the development of naval aviation can be represented by the following dates:
- 1910 - in the summer the Antoinette-4 aircraft was purchased for the Naval Department, the first flight on it was made by Lieutenant Dorozhinsky from the Kulikovo airfield in Sevastopol;
- 1912 - Vice Admiral Grigorovich signed an order in May to create air detachments in the fleet, in August the first seaplane was launched on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg;
- 1914 - The First World War prevented the deployment of air detachments in the Pacific Fleet, and the existing units were ordered transferred to the signal service;
- 1916 - On July 17, four Russian aircraft repelled an attack by the same number of German aircraft in the Baltic, which is considered to be the Day of the Russian Navy;
- 1916 - the structure of units was formed - a detachment of 4 - 8 aircraft, a division of 2 - 4 detachments, a brigade of 2 - 4 divisions, a division of at least 2 brigades, the relationship between the chiefs/commanders of aviation and naval aircraft is regulated by the Regulations on the spacecraft division (ship aviation);
- 1916 - creation of the Van flotilla (Lake Van, Turkey) of two M-5 seaplanes under the command of midshipman Ivanov to support the Baku detachment, Peipus seaplane detachment (Lake Peipus);
- 1917 - formation of a special-purpose brigade with the powers of a division to support the Arctic Ocean flotilla;
- 1917 - to manage fleet aviation, the UMAiV department was created, headed by A. A. Tuchkov;
- 1917 - V.I. Lenin appoints A.P. Onufriev as commissar of the MA, then aviation joins the UVOFLOT air force and leaves subordination;
- 1918 - The Baltic division is evacuated to the Volga, the command changes its status to a special purpose brigade (three divisions of eight detachments);
- 1918 The Black Sea Division ceases to exist after the loss of personnel and equipment;
- 1920 - naval aviation was subordinated to the Red Army Air Fleet, M.F. Pogodin became assistant for hydroaviation, then A.P. Onufriev.
Subsequently, from 1920, for 18 years, the Russian Naval Aviation Fleet was subordinate to the Red Army Air Force. In the 30s, Polar Aviation was formed from MA pilots. Then the People's Commissariat of the Navy again allocated Naval Aviation in December 1937, the further development of this type of troops continues:
- 1937 - S. F. Zhavoronkov becomes chief of naval aviation (Marshal of the USSR Aviation since 1944);
- 1941 - the formation of three detachments from civil aviation at the end of June for transport within fleets, assigning attack aircraft and combat aircraft units to the Border Guard Troops belonging to the NKVD;
- 1941 - creation of a special strike group of 15 DB-3T aircraft by decree of the People's Commissar of the USSR Navy N. G. Kuznetsov;
- 1941 - in the fall, units and formations that had lost their military equipment were disbanded, the crews were sent to the rear.
In 1942, the 1st, 5th and 13th Baltic Regiment, 72nd Regiment of the Northern Fleet were awarded the title of Guards. A little later, 2.5, 6 and 8 regiments of the Black Sea Fleet were added to them. After the addition of Pe-2 and Il-2 bombers and attack aircraft to naval aviation in the next two years, the corresponding naval aviation units were added.
In 1943, instead of amphibious boats, reconnaissance units began to use foreign bombers and fighters Boston, Airacobra P-39, Kittyhawk, Tomahawk and P-40.
In the last years of the war, the Northern Fleet added the 14th SAD division, the Pacific 15th and 15th SAD, and the Black Sea 13th PAD. After the Victory, the assault units of the Navy aviation were liquidated, but three divisions were created: 17, 18 SAD in the Pacific Fleet, 19 MTAD of the Navy Civil Code. Taking into account the effectiveness of combat operations during the Second World War, the further development of naval aviation occurred as follows:
- 1946 - abolition of the Civil Code of the Navy, subordination to the Minister of the Armed Forces, renaming the Navy Air Force to Naval Aviation, transition to a peacetime staff;
- 1946 - disbandment of all flying units due to the decommissioning of MBR-2 flying boats;
- 1947 - division of the TF into the 5th and 7th Pacific Fleets, the Baltic Fleet into the 4th and 8th Baltic Fleets.
Until 1950, 3 divisions were reduced, the flotillas lost bases, defensive areas and aviation itself. Starting next year, fighter pilots began retraining on MiG-15 and MiG-17 jet aircraft. The 1951 reform re-equipped units with torpedo bombers instead of mine-torpedo aircraft. In 1953, the Pacific Fleet became united again, and in 1956 the Baltic Fleet did the same.
In 1953, the Fleet Aviation was again renamed the Pacific Fleet Air Force, Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet and Black Sea Fleet, respectively. At the same time, helicopters entered service:
- The Ka-15s were based on ships;
- Mi-4s were formed into separate squadrons on land.
Later in 1958 they were reorganized into OAPV regiments. Part of the fighter aviation was reassigned to the air defense forces, for whose commanders pilots in vests became a headache. A completely new unit - Naval Missile-Carrying Aviation MPA - arose in 1961. As new combat vehicles emerged, they were equipped with naval aviation units of the fleets:
- 1962 – supersonic reconnaissance aircraft Tu-22R;
- 1963 – modification of the Tu-95RTs reconnaissance aircraft;
- 1965 – amphibious aircraft Be-12;
- 1967 – anti-submarine aircraft Il-38;
- 1969 – Tu-142 (long-range complex);
- 1972 – Ka-27 helicopter for long-range patrol from the shore and on board a ship.
In the 70s, naval aviation began to develop long-distance airfields outside the USSR:
- Pacific Ocean - Vietnam;
- Atlantic Ocean - Angola, Guinea and Cuba;
- Indian Ocean - Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia;
- Mediterranean Sea - Syria and Egypt.
Since 1974, the missile carrier with variable wing geometry Tu-22M2 entered the MRA of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleet.
Six years later it became a standard part of the Pacific Fleet's weapons. Aircraft-carrying cruisers TAVKR, suitable for vertical take-off aircraft Yak-38, were launched in the mid-70s. The cruiser TAVKR Kyiv was built for the Northern Fleet, and Novorossiysk and Minsk for the Pacific Fleet.
In 1975, coastal assault units with Su-17M aircraft were created. In 1979, the 11th Navy Air Group, reporting directly to Moscow, was created to meet the needs of ekranoplanes of the Orlyonok MDE type.
In 1980, the AVMF was once again renamed the Navy Air Force. Today's only aircraft-carrying heavy cruiser, Admiral Kuznetsov, was commissioned in 1991.
Changing the structure of the Navy MA
At the beginning of the year following the creation of air squads in the fleets of the Russian Empire, that is, January 1913, the Black Sea Fleet was armed with 5 seaplanes, and the Baltic Fleet was armed with 2 wheeled airplanes and one seaplane. A unit of 3 officers was introduced into the General Staff of the Navy - the aviation department.
At the beginning of World War I, 10 pilot officers were being trained in the navies, and 20 already had diplomas; there were 10 and 8 seaplanes in the Baltic and Black Sea, respectively. By 1915, the Black Sea and Baltic fleets had 30 and 47 seaplanes, respectively, and employed 859 lower ranks and 78 officers.
By 1917, the number of airplanes reached 264 units:
- 29 aircraft – Baku and Petrograd aviation schools;
- 88 aircraft and 20 seaplanes Grigorovich M-11, M-12 – Baltic;
- 152 aircraft, 4 controlled small balloons, 61 seaplanes M-11 and M-12 - Black Sea Fleet.
There were 1,339 privates, non-commissioned officers and conductors, and 96 officers in the Baltic Fleet. At Chernomorskoe – 1039 and 115 people, respectively. M.I. Fedorovich, with the rank of captain 1st rank, became the head of the Black Sea division, and B.P. Dudorov in the same rank of the Baltic Sea. Before the October Revolution, the Russian MA included a division and 2 brigades of the Black Sea Fleet, a detachment and 2 brigades of the Baltic, with a total of 169 aircraft.
After the revolution, on the Black Sea there were 9 Nieuport-17 fighters and 104 seaplanes M-5, M-9, M-11 and M-15 for 74 pilots, on the Baltic Sea there were 24 Nieuport-21 fighters, 74 flying boats M-15, M -16 and M-95 for 87 pilots. Aerobatics and air combat schools operated in Krasnoselsk (25 pilots), Oranienbaum (50 pilots), Baku (180 cadets) with 75 training aircraft.
In the fall of 1918, the USSR Naval Aviation consisted of air detachments from Onega, Caspian, Volzhsky and Belomorsky. There are 9 fighters left (Lebed and Nieuport), only 18 M-9 seaplanes, 14 aircraft remain in the Baltic.
Then, in two years, this branch of the military developed; in 1920 it had 4 fighter and 10 seaplane squadrons with a fleet of 75 aircraft.
Since 1921, naval aviation subordinate to the Red Army Air Force of the USSR existed in the form of units:
- Baltic Fleet - separate fighter squad, 2 reconnaissance squads, equipment division;
- Air Force of the Azov and Black Seas - fighter detachment, 2 reconnaissance detachments, hydroaviation division.
In the summer of 1937, aviation schools were opened in Nikolaev and Yeisk, and an aviation technical school in Perm. MA bombers appear, using torpedoes and mines. By 1940, the Navy's aviation consisted of 38 reconnaissance aircraft and bombers (Pe-2 and Che-2, respectively), 51 fighters (Yak-1 and MiG-3), and 2,824 combat aircraft.
During the Finnish War, naval aviation operated exclusively over land, disrupting road and railway transportation. Due to the significant distance of the deployment points from the borders with Germany, in the first days of the war this branch of the military, unlike the USSR Air Force, suffered no losses either in equipment or in manpower. But later, naval aviation was brought in to cover the ground forces, but the crews were not ready for such tasks, the losses were very significant.
Immediately after the formation of a special strike group, DB-3T aircraft dropped bombs on Berlin and returned to base without losses. The special operation was commanded by Colonel E. N. Preobrazhensky. Over the next 7 sorties of torpedo bombers converted into bombers, the unit lost 7 crews and 18 aircraft. After which, such sabotage was no longer undertaken behind enemy lines.
At the end of 1943, the Navy MA had 12 formations:
- Pacific Fleet – 12 ShAD, 10 BAD, 7 IAD, 2 MTAD;
- BF – 9 ShAD, 8 MTAD, 3 IAD;
- Black Sea Fleet - 11 ShAD, 4 IAD, 1 MTAD.
Thus, at the beginning of the Second World War (1941 - 1942), the structure of the USSR naval aviation looked like this:
- aviation flotillas - Pinsk, Onega, Ladoga, Caucasus, Volga, Azov and Amur;
- Fleet Air Force - Pacific, Northern, Black Sea, Baltic;
- Air Force Flotilla STO;
- 2 AGGUSMP;
- 3 AGVMF;
- parts of subordination to the central administration - Astrakhan LIS, 64 OAP, 13 AP, 3 ZAP, 2 ZAP, 1 ZAP, AB schools, VMAU Levanevsky and Stalin, KUNS.
The management of these units was located in the capital of the USSR. Aviation units of the Amur Flotilla, STOF and Pacific Fleet carried out combat missions to Japan. In 1946, the Navy Air Force consisted of 145 aircraft in schools, 330 seaplanes, 482 attack aircraft, 727 torpedo bombers and bombers, 1,159 fighters and 1,059 imported aircraft.
From 1961 to 1985, the structure of MA looked like this:
- missile-carrying division - in each fleet, in the TFO there are two at once;
- reconnaissance regiment - one in each fleet;
- squadron or regiment of helicopters - 1 - 2 for each USSR fleet;
- transport regiment - one for each fleet;
- anti-submarine regiment - one in each fleet.
Special forces squadrons were created in the fleet to solve various tasks in the required quantity
During Soviet times, naval aviation included units:
- special - ambulance, towing, spotting, communications aircraft, minesweepers, aerial tankers;
- transport – transportation of ground transport and manpower;
- search and rescue – Ka-27 helicopters;
- anti-submarine - designed to combat submarines;
- fighter - escorting bombers, destroying enemy air targets;
- assault - targeted destruction of land and sea targets;
- missile-carrying - armed with air/surface projectiles.
From 1950 to 1954, it also included aviation training squadrons in each division of mine-torpedo and fighter units. For example, there were 10 training squadrons in the Pacific Fleet. They were disbanded after the flight personnel were retrained for the Il-28 and MiG-15.
Weapons and equipment
For aviation, the Russian Navy uses the purchase of aircraft equipment abroad, which did not exist in principle during the Soviet era. These are mainly Czech L-39 combat training aircraft. The units include combat aircraft:
- Electronic intelligence:
- Anti-submarine aircraft:
- Transport and long-range aviation:
- Fighter aircraft:
- Helicopters:
Land-based and ship-based naval aviation was involved in military operations in Syria in the period 2016–2017. At the same time, TAVKR Admiral Kuznetsov lost two aircraft, the crews remained alive.
Combat composition
Before 2008, the structure of naval aviation looked like this:
- Pacific Fleet - transport squadron No. 71, Knevichi base, composition of Tu-134, An-26, An-24 and An-12; fighter regiment No. 865, Elizovo base, MiG-31 squadron; mixed regiment No. 568, Kamenny Brook base, composed of Tu-142M3, Tu-142MR and Tu-22M3; mixed regiment No. 317, Elizovo base, consisting of An-26, Mi-8 and -38; anti-submarine regiment No. 289, Nikolaevka base, composition of Ka-29, Ka-27, Il-18 and Il-38;
- Black Sea Fleet - assault regiment No. 43, Gvardeyskoye base, composition of Su-24MR and Su-24; mixed regiment No. 917, Kacha base, composed of Be-12, An-26 and An-2; anti-submarine helicopter regiment No. 25, Kacha base, composition of Mi-8, Mi-14 and Ka-27;
- SF – anti-submarine squadron No. 73, Kipelovo base, Tu-142; missile-carrying guards regiment No. 924, Olenegorsk base, Tu-22M3 train; anti-submarine helicopter Red Banner Regiment No. 830, Severomorsk-1 base, composition of Ka-29 and Ka-27; mixed regiment No. 403, Severomorsk-1 base, composed of Tu-134, Il-38, An-26 and An-12; fighter regiment No. 279, Severomorsk-3 base, composition of MiG-29KUB, MiG-29K, Su-25UTG and Su-33;
- BF – transport squadron No. 398, Khrabrovo base, consisting of An-26 and An-24; anti-submarine helicopter squadron No. 396, Donskoye base, composition of Ka-29 and Ka-27; helicopter squadron No. 125, Chkalovsk base, composition of Mi-24 and Mi-8; fighter regiment No. 689, Chkalovsk base, Su-27 squadron; assault guards regiment No. 4, Chernyakhovsk base, Su-24 train.
Since the only TAVKR in Russia is assigned to the Northern Fleet, carrier-based aviation of the Russian Navy is available only in the Northern Fleet. This ship does not fall under the category of aircraft carrier; in comparison with US strike groups, the following situation has developed:
- one Russian carrier cruiser against 10 full-fledged American aircraft carriers;
- of the projected 50 combat units on board Admiral Kuznetsov there are 4 MiG-29KUB, 10 MiG-29K, 2 Su-25UTG and 14 Su-33, that is, 30 units;
- due to the lack of encirclement ships, the TAVKR will not be able to use its main advantage - the P-700 Granit and P-1000 Vulcan.
However, from 2017 to 2020 it is planned to equip naval aviation units with 100 units of new aircraft.
Naval aviation of the Russian Navy
After numerous transformations, changes in names and changes in the tasks performed, the naval combat aviation of the Russian Navy has restored its combat capability and has been developed. Currently, the commander of naval aviation of the Russian Navy is I.S. Kozhin, who assumed that position in 2010, in August. Combat vehicles have their own identification marks, and the personnel have standard uniforms for the RF Armed Forces and mixed ranks.
Dress
Since the aviation of the Russian Navy does not belong to special units, several types of uniforms are adopted for personnel:
- casual - camouflage of the latest reform (jacket and trousers);
- flight technical - tropical or blue, overalls, suit, jacket;
- front door - black shoulder straps with blue edging and a gap of the same color.
Navy cockades with anchors are used on headdresses, and for caps there is an additional emblem attached to the left.
Identification marks
Currently, the aviation of the Russian Navy wears three-color stars - the red one is surrounded by a thick blue and a thin red line - and a license plate of the type FR-00000. The inscription may look like MA Russian Navy" or "Russian Navy". The command plans to restore USSR-style stars without blue edging.
Military ranks
Since the aviation of the Russian Navy simultaneously belongs to two branches of the military, military personnel have the ranks:
- Colonel General, Lieutenant General and Major General;
- colonel and lieutenant colonel;
- major;
- captain, first lieutenant and lieutenant;
- senior warrant officer and warrant officer;
- foreman;
- senior sergeant, sergeant and junior sergeant;
- senior sailor and sailor.
Thus, at present, naval aviation is a branch of the Russian Navy, understaffed with equipment and personnel, and therefore solves a limited range of tasks and is inferior to similar units of a potential enemy.
It is 100 years since the first victory of Russian naval pilots during the First World War. On July 17 (July 4, old style), 1916, four M-9 seaplanes from the aircraft carrier Orlitsa of the Baltic Fleet protected the Russian naval base on the island of Saaremaa (now the territory of Estonia) from a German air raid. Two Kaiser planes were shot down, the Russian seaplanes returned without losses.
Naval aviation- a branch of the Russian Navy forces designed to search and destroy the enemy, cover groups of ships and objects from air strikes, as well as conduct aerial reconnaissance.
Naval aviation is functionally divided into several types: naval missile-carrying, anti-submarine, fighter, reconnaissance and auxiliary purposes. Depending on the location, it is conventionally divided into deck-based and coastal-based aircraft.
The Russian Navy currently has one aircraft carrier - the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. It is based on:
carrier-based fighters Su-33, MiG-29K/KUB;
Su-25UTG training aircraft;
multi-purpose shipborne helicopters Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-31.
It is expected that Ka-52K Katran attack helicopters will be based on the cruiser in the near future. Projects for a promising aircraft carrier and universal landing ships-helicopter carriers are in development.
In service with coastal aviation of the Russian Navy:
long-range anti-submarine aircraft Tu-142 (modification of the Tu-95 strategic bomber);
anti-submarine aircraft Il-20 and Il-38;
MiG-31 interceptor fighters;
transport aircraft An-12, An-24, An-26;
helicopters Ka-52K, Mi-8, Mi-24, Ka-31 and others.
Fighter aircraft
Su-33
A fourth-generation Russian carrier-based fighter aircraft developed for the Russian Navy by the Sukhoi Design Bureau under the leadership of Mikhail Petrovich Simonov, formerly known as the Su-27K (NATO codification: Flanker-D).
The first flight of the Su-27K took place on August 17, 1987, and on November 1, 1989, the Su-27K for the first time in the USSR took off and landed on the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov.
It was put into service on August 31, 1998 and since then has been the main carrier-based aircraft of the Russian Navy.
The aircraft is controlled by one pilot and is armed with a built-in 30-mm GSh-30-1 cannon, air-to-air guided missiles, unguided missiles, and aerial bombs.
The fighter's maximum speed is 2,300 km/h, its service ceiling is 17,000 meters, and its flight range is 3,000 km.
Of the 26 production aircraft, 4 aircraft were lost in accidents.
The Su-33 is part of the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov.
MiG-29K
MiG-29K/KUB
Russian carrier-based multi-role fighter of the fourth generation, which is a further development of the MiG-29 (according to NATO codification: Fulcrum-D).
Deck-based fighters are multifunctional all-weather machines of the 4++ generation. Their task includes anti-aircraft and anti-ship defense of a formation of ships, striking enemy ground targets.
The MiG-29K can be based on aircraft-carrying ships capable of receiving aircraft weighing over 20 tons, equipped with a take-off ramp and a landing arresting device, as well as on ground airfields.
The aircraft are armed with RVV-AE and R-73E guided missiles for air combat, Kh-31A and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, Kh-31P anti-radar missiles and KAB-500Kr adjustable bombs for hitting ground and surface targets.
The maximum flight speed is 2300 km/h, service ceiling is 17500 m, flight range is 2000 km.
It is planned that in the future the basis of Russian carrier-based fighter aviation will be the MiG-29K/KUB aircraft.
The MiG-29K/KUB fighters have been introduced into the ship's deck aviation regiment serving on the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, not instead of the Su-33 and Su-25UTG it already has, but in addition to them and will be used in conjunction with them.
Attack and combat training aircraft
All-weather front-line bomber. Designed to launch missile and bomb strikes against ground and surface targets, including at low altitudes.
The prototype (T-6) made its first flight on July 2, 1967. Adopted by the USSR Air Force on February 4, 1975.
It was serially built in 1971-1993 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Novosibirsk. In total, about 1,400 aircraft were produced.
Maximum speed - 1400 km/h, practical range - 2850 km, service ceiling - 11 thousand meters. Crew - 2 people.
Armament is a 23 mm cannon; on 8 hardpoints, the aircraft can carry air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles, unguided and adjustable bombs and shells, and removable cannon installations. Can carry tactical nuclear bombs on board.
About 120 modified units are planned to be replaced by the Su-34 by 2020.
Su-25UTG fighter
Su-25UTG
A training aircraft based on the Su-25UB combat training attack aircraft. It differs from it in the absence of sighting equipment, control system blocks, a cannon installation with a cannon, beam holders and pylons, armored engine screens, a radio communication station with ground forces, blocks and elements of the defense system.
The first flying model was created on the basis of the Su-25UB (T8-UTG1) at the beginning of 1988.
In 1989-1990, the first batch of 10 aircraft was produced.
In 1991-1995, the second and last batch of five Su-25UTG was built.
Maximum speed - 1000 km/h, practical range - 1850 km, service ceiling - 7000 meters. Crew - 2 people.
It is in service with the 279th naval fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet, as well as the mixed air wing of the 859th center for combat use and retraining of flight personnel in Yeisk.
Anti-submarine aircraft
Be-12
Anti-submarine amphibious aircraft (according to NATO codification: Mail).
In October 1960, the aircraft made its first flight, and in 1963 it began to enter service with the Navy. Created at the OKB named after G. M. Beriev.
The amphibious aircraft is equipped with a set of target equipment that allows it to search for and combat enemy submarines.
Maximum speed - 550 km/h, service ceiling - 12100 meters, maximum flight range - 4000 km.
As of 2015, the naval aviation of the Russian Navy consists of 7 Be-12 aircraft.
Il-38N
Anti-submarine aircraft developed at the S.V. Ilyushin Design Bureau based on the passenger Il-18V (NATO codification: May).
The aircraft is designed to independently or jointly with anti-submarine ships search and destroy submarines, maritime reconnaissance, search and rescue operations and laying minefields.
Crew - 7 people. Maximum speed - 650 km/h, maximum flight range - 9500 km, service ceiling - 8000 meters.
Armed with anti-submarine torpedoes, anti-submarine bombs and sea mines.
In 2015, the Ilyushin Aviation Complex completed a contract for the repair and modernization of five Il-38 aircraft to the Il-38N level.
Tu-142M
Tu-142
Russian long-range anti-submarine aircraft (according to NATO codification: Bear-F).
It is used for long-range ocean reconnaissance, visual or radio engineering, for duty in the search and rescue service system, and only then, for searching and tracking nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles.
The first Tu-142 was produced by plant No. 86 in Taganrog in 1975. The last Tu-142M3 aircraft left the assembly shop in 1994.
In total, about 100 Tu-142 units of various modifications were manufactured between 1968 and 1994.
Crew - 9 people. Maximum speed - 855 km/h, practical ceiling - 13,500 meters.
Armed with explosive sound sources, torpedoes, anti-submarine missiles, anti-submarine and practical bombs, and sea mines.
For defense, a rifle-cannon stern installation with two AM-23 or GSh-23L cannons is used, as well as a set of radio countermeasures.
The Russian Navy is armed with one squadron each in the Northern and Pacific fleets.
In 2013, it became known that Russia was developing a new anti-submarine aircraft to replace the Tu-142M3.
Transport aviation
Military transport aircraft developed at the Design Bureau named after. O. K. Antonova (according to NATO codification: Cub - “Young Man”).
The first An-12 took off in Irkutsk on December 16, 1957. The aircraft has established itself as a very reliable aircraft, capable of operating in difficult climatic conditions and unpretentious in maintenance.
The aircraft was actively used for military purposes, in emergency situations, for the transfer of military equipment and personnel, also for passenger and cargo transportation, search and rescue of space objects, crews of manned spacecraft and aircraft in distress.
The aircraft's artillery armament consists of a PV-23U cannon armament, which includes a DB-65U aft turret with two 23-mm AM-23 cannons, an electrical system for remote control of the turret and a sighting and computing unit.
In addition, it can carry on board up to 70 high-explosive fragmentation or incendiary bombs of 100 kg caliber.
Maximum flight speed is 660 km/h, service ceiling is up to 10,000 m, flight range is up to 5530 km.
An-26
Military transport aircraft developed at the Design Bureau named after. O. K. Antonov (according to NATO codification: Curl - “Whirlwind”, popularly - Humpbacked, Fantomas, Nastya, Nastenka).
It is a modification of the original An-24 model.
The aircraft crew is 6 people. It can carry 38 personnel or up to 30 paratroopers.
Maximum speed - 540 km/h, flight range - up to 2660 km, service ceiling - 7300 m.
It can also be equipped with aerial bombs with a caliber of up to 500 kg.
Helicopters
Ka-27
Shipborne anti-submarine helicopter (according to NATO codification: Helix - “Spiral”).
Designed to solve naval anti-submarine defense tasks based on ships of various classes, including aircraft-carrying ships.
The helicopter is capable of detecting modern underwater and surface targets, transmitting data about them to ship and coastal tracking posts, and attacking them using on-board weapons.
To destroy submarines, AT-1MV anti-submarine torpedoes, APR-23 missiles and PLAB free-fall anti-submarine bombs of 50 and 250 kg caliber can be suspended from the helicopter.
Crew - 3 people, maximum speed - 270 km/h, practical flight range - up to 900 km, service ceiling - 5000 m.
The promising naval aviation helicopter, which is being developed to replace the multi-purpose Ka-27, has received the code "Lamprey".
Ka-52K helicopter (ship-based)
Ka-52K
The Ka-52 is a multi-role attack helicopter, a modernization of the Black Shark. Developed in Moscow by the design bureau of JSC Kamov.
Designed to destroy enemy tanks, armored and unarmored military equipment, manpower and helicopters in any weather conditions and at any time of the day.
Can provide fire support for landing forces, conduct patrols and escort military convoys.
The first flight took place on June 25, 1997. Serially produced since 2008.
The Ka-52 is a helicopter with a coaxial three-bladed rotors, two gas turbine engines, a straight wing, developed vertical and horizontal tails and a tricycle landing gear retractable in flight.
Ka-52K is a ship-based helicopter.
The crew consists of two people. Maximum speed - 300 km/h, practical range - 1 thousand 160 km, practical ceiling - 5.5 thousand meters.
Equipped with a 30 mm caliber cannon, guided and unguided missiles up to 2 thousand kg on 4 hardpoints.
According to Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov, the Ka-52, which demonstrated its high combat qualities during the Syrian campaign, has serious modernization potential.
In 2015, Russia entered into a contract with Egypt for the supply of 46 Ka-52 Alligator helicopters. They can also supply ship-borne Ka-52K Katrans, designed for Mistral-class helicopter carriers.
In the article we bring to your attention, we will try to understand the current state and prospects of naval aviation of the Russian Navy. Well, first, let's remember what domestic naval aviation was like during the Soviet era.
As is known, for a number of different reasons, the USSR did not rely on aircraft carriers or carrier-based aircraft in the construction of its navy. However, this does not mean that our country did not understand the importance of naval aviation in general - on the contrary! In the 80s of the last century, it was believed that this type of force was one of the most important components of the navy. Naval aviation (more precisely, the Air Force of the USSR Navy, but for the sake of brevity, we will use the term “naval aviation” regardless of how it was specifically called in a particular historical period) was assigned many important tasks, including including:
1. Search and destroy:
— enemy missile and multi-purpose submarines;
— enemy surface formations, including aircraft carrier strike groups, amphibious assault forces, convoys, naval strike and anti-submarine groups, as well as single warships;
— enemy transports, aircraft and cruise missiles;
2. Ensuring the deployment and operations of the forces of its fleet, including in the form of air defense of ships and naval facilities;
3. Conducting aerial reconnaissance, guidance and issuing target designations to other branches of the Navy;
4. Destruction and suppression of air defense system objects in the flight paths of our aircraft, in areas where missions are solved;
5. Destruction of naval bases, ports and destruction of ships and transports located in them;
6. Ensuring the landing of amphibious assault forces, reconnaissance and sabotage groups and other assistance to ground forces in coastal areas;
7. Laying minefields, as well as mine warfare;
8. Conducting radiation and chemical reconnaissance;
9. Rescue of crews in distress;
10. Air transportation.
For this purpose, the naval aviation of the USSR included the following types of aviation:
1. Naval missile-carrying aviation (MPA);
2. Anti-submarine aircraft (ASA);
3. Attack aviation (AS);
4. Fighter aviation (IA);
5. Reconnaissance aircraft (RA).
And in addition, there are also special-purpose aircraft, including transport, electronic warfare, mine action, search and rescue, communications, etc.
The size of the USSR naval aviation was impressive in the best sense of the word: in total, by the beginning of the 90s of the twentieth century, it included 52 air regiments and 10 separate squadrons and groups. In 1991, they included 1,702 aircraft, including 372 bombers equipped with cruise anti-ship missiles (Tu-16, Tu-22M2 and Tu-22M3), 966 tactical aircraft (Su-24, Yak-38, Su-17 , MiG-27, MiG-23 and other types of fighters), as well as 364 aircraft of other classes and 455 helicopters, for a total of 2,157 aircraft and helicopters. At the same time, the basis of the striking power of naval aviation was made up of naval missile-carrying divisions: their number as of 1991 is unknown to the author, but in 1980 there were five such divisions, which included 13 air regiments.
Well, then the Soviet Union was destroyed and its armed forces were divided between numerous “independent” republics, which immediately received state status. It must be said that naval aviation withdrew to the Russian Federation almost in its entirety, but the Russian Federation could not maintain such numerous forces. And so, by mid-1996, its composition was reduced more than threefold - to 695 aircraft, including 66 missile carriers, 116 anti-submarine aircraft, 118 fighters and attack aircraft and 365 helicopters and special aircraft. And that was just the beginning. By 2008, naval aviation continued to decline: unfortunately, we do not have exact data on its composition, but there were:
1. Naval missile-carrying aircraft- one regiment, equipped (as part of the Northern Fleet). In addition, there was another mixed air regiment (568th, at the Pacific Fleet), in which, along with two Tu-22M3 squadrons, there were also Tu-142MR and Tu-142M3;
2. Fighter aircraft— three air regiments, including 279 airborne fighters, designed to operate from the deck of the only domestic TAVKR “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov”. Naturally, the 279th Army was based in the Northern Fleet, and the other two regiments belonged to the Baltic Fleet and Pacific Fleet, armed with fighters and, accordingly;
3. Attack aircraft- two regiments stationed in the Black Sea Fleet and Baltic Fleet, respectively, and armed with aircraft and Su-24R;
4. Anti-submarine aircraft– here everything is somewhat more complicated. Let's divide it into land-based and ship-based aviation:
— the main land anti-submarine aviation is the 289th separate mixed anti-submarine aviation regiment (IL-38, Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-8 helicopters) and the 73rd separate anti-submarine aviation squadron (Tu-142). But besides them, Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft are in service (along with other aircraft) of three more mixed air regiments, and one of them (917th, Black Sea Fleet) also has Be-12 amphibious aircraft;
— ship-based anti-submarine aviation includes two ship-based anti-submarine regiments, and one separate squadron equipped with Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters;
5. Three mixed air regiments, in which, along with the previously mentioned Il-38 and Be-12, there are also a large number of transport and other non-combat aircraft and helicopters (An-12, An-24, An-26, Tu-134, helicopters). Apparently, the only tactical justification for their existence was to bring the aviation that survived after the next round of “reforms” into a single organizational structure;
6. Transport aviation– two separate transport aviation squadrons (An-2, An-12, An-24, An-26, An-140-100, Tu-134, Il-18, Il18D-36, etc.)
7. Separate helicopter squadron– Mi-8 and .
In total there are 13 air regiments and 5 separate air squadrons. Unfortunately, there is no exact data on the number of aircraft as of 2008, and it is difficult to derive them “empirically”. The fact is that the numerical composition of naval aviation formations “floats” to a certain extent: in 2008, naval aviation no longer had air divisions, but in Soviet times an air division could consist of two or three regiments. In turn, an air regiment usually consists of 3 squadrons, but exceptions are possible here. In turn, an air squadron consists of several air links, and an air link can include 3 or 4 airplanes or helicopters. On average, an air squadron can consist of 9-12 aircraft, an air regiment - 28-32 aircraft, an air division - 70-110 aircraft.
Taking the strength of an air regiment as 30 aircraft (helicopters), and an air squadron as 12, we obtain the strength of the naval aviation of the Russian Navy at 450 aircraft and helicopters as of 2008. There is a feeling that this figure is overestimated, but even if it is correct, then In this case, it can be stated that the number of naval aviation has decreased in comparison with 1996 by more than one and a half times.
Someone might decide that this is the very bottom, from where there is only one way - up. Alas, this turned out not to be the case: as part of the reform of the armed forces, it was decided to transfer aircraft of naval missile-carrying, attack and fighter aircraft (except for carrier-based ones) to the jurisdiction of the air force, and later - the military space forces.
Thus, the fleet lost almost all of its missile carriers, fighters and attack aircraft, with the exception of the carrier-based air regiment, which then flew the Su-33, and the Black Sea attack air regiment, armed with the Su-24. As a matter of fact, the latter could also have been transferred to the Air Force, if not for a legal nuance - the air regiment was stationed in Crimea, where, according to an agreement with Ukraine, only the Navy could station its combat units, but this was prohibited for the Air Force. Thus, having transferred the air regiment to the Aerospace Forces, it would have to be relocated from Crimea to somewhere else.
Su-24 flying next to the US destroyer Porter
How justified was this decision?
The absolutely disastrous situation in which domestic naval aviation found itself in the first decade of the 21st century spoke in favor of the withdrawal of missile-carrying and tactical aviation into the Air Force (VKS was created in 2015). The funds allocated for the maintenance of the fleet were absolutely meager and did not in any way meet the needs of the sailors.
In essence, it was not about saving, but about the survival of a certain number of forces out of their total number, and it is very likely that the Navy chose to direct funds to preserve the holy of holies - strategic missile submarine forces, and in addition - to preserve in combat-ready condition a certain number of surface and submarine ships. And it seems very likely that naval aviation simply did not fit into the meager budget that the navy had to make do with - judging by some evidence, the situation there was even worse than in the domestic air force (although, it would seem, much worse) . In this case, the transfer of part of the naval aviation to the Air Force seemed to make sense, because there it was possible to support the completely bloodless air forces of the fleet, and as part of the fleet nothing awaited them except quiet death.
We previously said that in 2008 naval aviation probably consisted of 450 aircraft and helicopters, and this seems to be an impressive force. But, apparently, for the most part it existed only on paper: for example, the 689th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, previously part of the Baltic Fleet, quickly “shrivelled” to the size of a squadron (the regiment itself ceased to exist, now they are thinking of reviving it , well, God forbid, in good time...). According to some reports, from the material part of the regiment and two squadrons of naval missile-carrying aviation, the Air Force managed to assemble only two combat-ready Tu-22M3 squadrons. Thus, the number of naval aviation formally remained significant, but, apparently, no more than 25-40% of the aircraft retained combat capability, and maybe less. Thus, as we said earlier, the transfer of missile carriers and tactical aircraft from the fleet to the Air Force seemed to make sense.
However, the key word here is “as if.” The fact is that such a decision could be justified only in the context of a continued budget deficit, but the last days were approaching for it. Just during these years, a new era was dawning for the domestic armed forces - the country finally found funds for more or less decent maintenance, and at the same time they began to implement the ambitious state armament program for 2011-2020. Thus, the country’s armed forces had to revive, and along with them, naval aviation, and there was simply no need to remove it from the fleet.
On the other hand, as we remember, it was a time of many changes, including organizational ones: thus, four military districts were formed, under the command of which all the ground forces, air force and navy forces located in the district were subordinate. In theory, this is an excellent solution, as it greatly simplifies leadership and increases the coherence of the various branches of the armed forces. But what will it turn out to be in practice, since in the USSR and the Russian Federation the training of officers was quite specialized and narrowly focused? After all, in theory, such a unified command will work well only if it is headed by people who perfectly understand the peculiarities and nuances of the service of military pilots, sailors, and ground forces, and where can we get such people, even if we have the Navy? was there a division between “surface” and “underwater” admirals, that is, the officers spent their entire service on submarines or surface ships, but not on both in turn? How well will the district commander, who was, say, a combined arms officer in the past, be able to assign tasks to the same fleet? Provide him with combat training?
But let's return to the unified commands. Theoretically, with such an organization, it makes absolutely no difference where specific aircraft and pilots are located - in the Air Force or the Navy, because any combat missions, including naval ones, will be solved by all the forces available to the district. Well, practically... As we said above, it is difficult to say how effective such command will be in our realities, but one thing is certain. History irrefutably shows that whenever the navy was deprived of naval aviation, and its tasks were assigned to the air force, the latter failed miserably in combat operations, demonstrating a complete inability to fight at all effectively over the sea.
The reason is that combat operations at sea and ocean are extremely specific and require special combat training: at the same time, the air force has its own tasks, and will always consider naval warfare as something perhaps important, but still secondary, not related to the core functionality of the air force and will prepare for such a war accordingly. I would like to believe, of course, that this will not be the case in our case, but... perhaps the only lesson of history is that people do not remember its lessons.
Therefore, we can say that the naval aviation of the domestic fleet in 2011-2012. was, if not destroyed, then reduced to a nominal value. What has changed today? There is no information about the number of naval aviation in the open press, but using various sources, you can try to determine it “by eye.”
As is known, naval missile-carrying aircraft ceased to exist. However, according to existing plans, 30 Tu-22M3 missile carriers should be upgraded to Tu-22M3 and be able to use the Kh-32 anti-ship missile, which is a deep modernization of the Kh-22.
Tu-22M3M
The new missile received an updated seeker, capable of operating in conditions of strong enemy electronic countermeasures. How effective the new seeker will be, and how effectively aircraft that are not part of the fleet will be able to use it is a big question, but still, upon completion of this program, we will receive a full-fledged missile-carrying air regiment (at least in terms of numbers). True, today, in addition to the “pre-production” aircraft on which the modernization was “tested”, there is only one aircraft of this type, the rollout of which took place on August 16, 2018, and although it is said that all 30 aircraft must undergo modernization to 2020, such timing is highly doubtful.
In addition to the two Tu-22M3Ms, we have another 10 MiG-31Ks converted to carry Kinzhal missiles, but there are too many questions regarding this weapon system that do not allow us to clearly consider this missile an anti-ship weapon.
Attack aircraft. As we said earlier, the 43rd Separate Marine Assault Aviation Regiment, based in Crimea, remains in the Russian Navy. There is no exact number of Su-24Ms in service, but taking into account the fact that the first squadron formed in Crimea was included in its composition, and regiments usually consist of 3 squadrons, it can be assumed that the number of Su-24M and Su-24MR in its composition naval aviation does not exceed 24 units. – that is, the maximum number of two squadrons.
Fighter aircraft(multi-role fighters). Here everything is more or less simple - after the last reform, only the 279th Army Regiment remained in the Navy, which currently has 17 Su-33s (approximate figure), in addition, another air regiment has been formed under the 100th Army Regiment. Today it consists of 22 aircraft - 19 MiG-29KR and 3 MiG-29KUBR. As is known, there are no plans for further delivery of these types of aircraft to the fleet.
However, the Su-30SM is currently being supplied to naval aviation - the author finds it difficult to name the exact number of aircraft in service (probably within 20 aircraft), but in total, under current contracts, the delivery of 28 aircraft of this type to the fleet is expected.
That's basically all.
Reconnaissance aircraft– everything is simple here. There is none, with the possible exception of a few Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft in the Black Sea 43rd Marine Corps.
Anti-submarine aircraft– its basis today is made up of IL-38s in, alas, unknown quantities. Military Balance claims that as of 2016 there were 54 of them, which more or less coincides with the 2014-2015 estimates known to the author. (about 50 cars). The only thing that can be said more or less accurately is that the current program provides for the modernization of 28 aircraft to the state (with the installation of the Novella complex).
It must be said that the Il-38 is already a fairly old aircraft (production was completed in 1972), and, probably, the remaining aircraft will be withdrawn from naval aviation for disposal. It is 28 Il-38Ns that will in the near future form the basis of domestic anti-submarine aviation.
In addition to the Il-38, naval aviation also has two squadrons of Tu-142, which are usually also included in anti-submarine aviation. At the same time, the total number of Tu-142s is estimated as “more than 20” by domestic sources and 27 vehicles according to Military Balance. However, according to the latter, out of this total number, 10 aircraft are Tu-142MR, which is an aircraft for the relay complex of the reserve control system for naval nuclear forces. In order to accommodate the necessary communications equipment, the search and sighting system was removed from the aircraft, and the first cargo compartment is occupied by communications equipment and a special towed antenna 8600 m long. Obviously, the Tu-142MR cannot perform anti-submarine functions.
Accordingly, apparently, naval aviation includes no more than 17 anti-submarine Tu-142. Taking into account the fact that the regular strength of an air squadron is 8 aircraft, and we have 2 of these squadrons, there is almost complete compliance of the number we have determined with the regular organizational structure.
In addition, the anti-submarine aviation includes a number of Be-12 amphibious aircraft - most likely there are 9 aircraft left, of which 4 are search and rescue (Be-12PS)
Special aircraft. In addition to the already mentioned ten Tu-142MR, naval aviation also has two Il-20RT and Il-22M. They are often recorded on electronic reconnaissance aircraft, but this is apparently erroneous. Yes, the Il-20 is indeed such an aircraft, but the Il-20RT is, in fact, a telemetric flying laboratory for testing missile technology, and the Il-22M is a “doomsday” command post, that is, a control aircraft in the event of a nuclear war.
Quantity transport and passenger aircraft It is not possible to accurately count, but probably their total number is approximately 50 vehicles.
Helicopters
Radar patrol helicopters – 2 Ka-31;
Anti-submarine helicopters - 20 Mi-14, 43 Ka-27 and 20 Ka-27M, 83 vehicles in total;
Attack and transport-combat helicopters - 8 Mi-24P and 27 Ka-29, 35 vehicles in total;
Search and rescue helicopters - 40 Mi-14PS and 16 Ka-27PS, a total of 56 vehicles.
In addition, there are probably about 17 Mi-8s in the transport helicopter version (according to other sources, they were transferred to other security forces).
In total, today, domestic naval aviation has 221 aircraft (of which 68 are special and non-combat) and 193 helicopters (of which 73 are non-combat). What tasks will these forces be able to solve?
Air defense. The Northern Fleet is doing more or less well here - all our 39 Su-33 and MiG-29KR/KUBR are deployed there. In addition, this fleet probably received several Su-30SM.
However, it is noteworthy that a typical “budget” air wing of one American aircraft carrier has 48 F/A-18E/F “Super Hornets” and the possibility of strengthening it with another squadron is provided. Thus, the naval tactical aviation of the entire Northern Fleet, at best, corresponds to one US aircraft carrier, but taking into account the presence of AWACS and electronic warfare aircraft in the American air wing, which provide significantly better situational awareness than our aircraft can provide, one should rather talk about American superiority. One aircraft carrier. Out of ten.
As for other fleets, the Pacific and Baltic fleets today do not have their own fighter aircraft at all, so their air defense is completely dependent on the Aerospace Forces (as we said earlier, historical experience shows that the fleet’s hope in the Air Force has never justified itself ). Things are a little better for the Black Sea Fleet, which received a squadron of Su-30SM. But here the big question arises: how are they going to use it? Of course, the Su-30SM today is not only an attack aircraft, but also a fighter capable of “counting the spars” of almost any 4th generation fighter - numerous Indian exercises, during which aircraft of this type collided with various foreign “classmates”, led to quite optimistic results for us.
However, to paraphrase Henry Ford: “ The designers, nice guys, created multi-role fighters, but the geneticists, those loose-headed smart guys, couldn’t cope with the selection of multi-role pilots" The point is that even if it is possible to create a multi-role fighter that can fight equally well against air, surface and ground targets, then it is probably necessary to train people who are equally capable of fighting enemy fighters and performing strike functions. , still not possible.
The specifics of the work of a long-range, fighter or attack aircraft pilot vary greatly. At the same time, the process of training pilots itself is very lengthy: in no case should one think that military educational institutions produce pilots prepared for modern combat operations. We can say that flight school is the first stage of training, but then, in order to become a professional, a young warrior has to go through a long and difficult path. As the commander of naval aviation of the Navy, Hero of Russia, Major General Igor Sergeevich Kozhin said:
« Pilot training is a complex and lengthy process that takes about eight years. This, so to speak, is the path from a flight school cadet to a 1st class pilot. Provided that he goes to study at a flight school for four years, and over the next four years the pilot reaches 1st class. But only the most talented are capable of such rapid growth.».
But “Pilot 1st class” is a high, but not the highest level in training, there is also “pilot ace” and “pilot sniper”... Thus, becoming a real professional in your chosen branch of aviation is not easy, this path will require a long years of hard work. And yes, no one argues that, having achieved high professionalism, say, on the MiG-31, the pilot is subsequently able to retrain on the Su-24, that is, change his “occupation.” But this, again, will require a lot of effort and time, during which the fighter pilot’s skills will gradually be lost.
And yes, there is absolutely no need to blame educational institutions for this - alas, in almost no matter is a university graduate a professional with a capital P. Doctors, despite a 6-year training period, do not begin independent practice, but are sent to an internship, where they work for another year under the supervision of experienced doctors, while they are prohibited from making independent decisions. And if a young doctor wants an in-depth study of any area, a residency awaits him... Well, the author of this article, being in the distant past a graduate of an economics university, soon after starting work heard an absolutely wonderful phrase addressed to him: “When a big part of the theory will fly out of your head, and practical knowledge will take its place, perhaps you will justify half your salary” - and this was the absolute truth.
Why are we saying all this? Moreover, the Black Sea Su-30SM were included in the attack air regiment and, apparently, the fleet is going to use them specifically as attack aircraft. This is confirmed by the words of the representative of the Black Sea Fleet, Vyacheslav Trukhachev: “The Su-30SM aircraft have proven themselves well and today are the main striking force of the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet.”
Interestingly, the same can be seen in aviation in other countries. Thus, the US Air Force has the F-15C air superiority aircraft and its two-seat strike “version” F-15E. At the same time, the latter is not at all devoid of fighter qualities; it remains a formidable air fighter, and it can perhaps be considered the closest American analogue of our Su-30SM. However, in modern conflicts the F-15E has almost never been tasked with gaining/maintaining air superiority - the F-15Cs do this, while the F-15Es are focused on the strike function.
Thus, we can assume that in the Black Sea Fleet, despite the presence of a Su-30SM squadron (which in any case would be hopelessly small), naval aviation is unable to solve air defense tasks for ships and fleet facilities.
Impact functions. The only fleet that can boast of the ability to somehow solve them is the Black Sea, due to the presence of an attack air regiment in Crimea. This connection is a serious deterrent and practically excludes “visits” of Turkish surface forces or small detachments of NATO surface ships to our shores in wartime. However, as far as the author knows, such visits were never planned, and the US Navy intended to operate its aircraft and cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea, where they are absolutely inaccessible to the Su-30SM and Su-24 of the domestic Black Sea Fleet.
Other fleets do not have tactical strike aircraft (except perhaps a few Su-30SM). As for our long-range aviation, the Aerospace Forces, in the future it will be able to form one regiment (30 aircraft) of modernized Tu-22M3M with Kh-32 missiles, which can act as a means of strengthening any of our four fleets (the Caspian flotilla clearly does not need this). But... what is one missile regiment? During the Cold War, the US Navy had 15 aircraft carriers, and the Soviet MRA had 13 missile-carrying aviation regiments with 372 aircraft, or almost 25 aircraft per aircraft carrier (this does not include a separate instructor and research missile-carrying regiment).
Today the Americans have only 10 aircraft carriers, and we will (will there be?) 30 modernized Tu-22M3M - three aircraft per enemy ship. Of course, the Tu-22M3M with the X-32 has significantly greater capabilities than the Tu-22M3 with the X-22, but the quality of American air groups does not stand still - their composition has been supplemented by “Super Hornets” with AFAR and improved avionics, on the way F-35C... The USSR never considered the Tu-22M3 a wunderwaffe capable of destroying all enemy aircraft carriers, and today our capabilities have been reduced not even significantly, but by an order of magnitude.
True, there are ten more MiG-31Ks with the Dagger.
But the problem is that it is completely unclear whether this missile can even hit moving ships. There is a lot of talk about the fact that the Kinzhal is a modernized missile of the Iskander complex, but the aeroballistic missile of this complex is not able to hit moving targets. Apparently, the R-500 cruise missile is capable of this (essentially, this is a land-based “Caliber”, or, if you prefer, “Caliber” is a dumbed-down R-500), and it is quite possible that the “Dagger” complex is also , like the Iskander, is a “two-missile” and that hitting sea targets is only possible when using a cruise missile, but not an aeroballistic missile.
This is also hinted at by the exercises that took place, in which the Tu-22M3 with the Kh-32 and the MiG-31K with the aeroballistic “Dagger” took part - at the same time, the defeat of sea and ground targets was announced, and it is obvious that the Kh-32, being an anti-ship missile, used on the target ship. Accordingly, the Kinzhal was fired at a ground target, but who would do this with an expensive anti-ship missile? If all this is true, then the capabilities of a dozen MiG-31Ks are reduced from “an invincible hypersonic wunderwaffe that can easily destroy US aircraft carriers” to a rather weak ten-missile salvo with conventional anti-ship missiles, which are unlikely to be able to overcome the air defense of a modern AUG.
Reconnaissance and target designation. Here, the capabilities of naval aviation are minimal, since for everything we have only two specialized Ka-31 helicopters, which in their capabilities are many times inferior to any AWACS aircraft. In addition, we have at our disposal a number of Il-38 and Tu-142, which theoretically can perform reconnaissance functions (for example, the modernized avionics of the Il-38N aircraft is capable, according to some sources, of detecting enemy surface ships at a distance of 320 km).
However, the capabilities of the Il-38N are still very limited in comparison with specialized aircraft (Il-20, A-50U, etc.), and most importantly, the use of these aircraft for reconnaissance missions reduces the already unimaginative strength of anti-submarine aircraft.
Anti-submarine aircraft. Against the backdrop of the frankly disastrous situation of other naval aviation, the state of the anti-submarine component looks relatively good - up to 50 Il-38 and 17 Tu-142 with a certain number of Be-12s (possibly 5). However, it should be understood that this aircraft has largely lost its combat significance due to the obsolescence of search and targeting equipment, caused, among other things, by the replenishment of the US Navy with 4th generation nuclear submarines. All this is no secret to the leadership of the Russian Navy, which is why 28 Il-38s and all 17 Tu-142s are currently being modernized.
The updated Il-38N and Tu-142MZM, apparently, will fully meet the tasks of modern warfare, but... This means that all anti-submarine aviation is reduced to one and a half regiments. Is it a lot or a little? In the USSR, the number of anti-submarine aircraft Tu-142, Il-38 and Be-12 was 8 regiments: thus, we can say that our future one and a half regiments, taking into account the growth in aircraft capabilities, are quite sufficient for one fleet. The problem is that we have not one, but four fleets. Perhaps the same can be said about our anti-submarine helicopters. Generally speaking, 83 rotorcraft represent a significant force, but we must not forget that ship-based helicopters are also included here.
Perhaps the only types of naval aviation that have more or less sufficient numbers to solve the tasks facing them are transport and search and rescue aviation.
What are the prospects for domestic naval aviation? We will talk about this in the next article, but for now, summarizing its current state, Let's note 2 points:
- Positive aspect The point is that the worst times for Russian naval aviation are over, and it survived, despite all the troubles of the 90s and the first decade of the 2000s. The core of carrier-based and base aviation pilots has been preserved, thus, today there are all the necessary prerequisites for the revival of this type of troops;
- Negative aspect is that, given the existing numbers, our naval aviation has actually lost the ability to perform its inherent tasks, and in the event of any large-scale conflict, “it is unlikely to be able to do more than show that it knows how to die bravely” (phrase from the memorandum Grand Admiral Raeder dated September 3, 1939, dedicated to the German surface fleet).
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The men's overalls are intended for pilots and technicians of civil and small aviation. The jumpsuit fits the figure well. The wear life of the product is increased thanks to high-quality domestic materials, design solutions and many years of experience of specialists. The product is developed in accordance with GOST 12.4.100-80. Overalls with a central fastener with a two-way zipper; internal wind flap; shoulder pads; Ventilation holes are located in the armpit area; inside the ventilation holes are closed with a mesh in the color of the fabric. The width of the overalls along the waist line is adjusted using an elastic band (elastic band) on a contact tape (Velcro). There are zipper slits in the side seams; The bottom of the overalls has zippers for wearing over shoes. Pockets for various purposes: patch pockets with an inclined entrance with a zipper on the shelves, on the left sleeve - a patch pocket with a zipper with a flap fastened with contact tape (Velcro); it has a pocket for pens with three compartments, lower patch pockets with a zipper, and on the right rear half of the overalls there is a pocket for tools, fastened with a button; which is adjusted to the reinforcement part. To secure the tools, a cord is provided, which is attached to the pocket through a grommet and a holder with a half ring. On the right shelf there is a mating part of the contact tape (soft) for placing a flight chevron, on the left shelf there is a mating part of the contact tape (soft) for placing a standard name chevron, a belt loop for a badge. Back with vertical folds for freedom of movement. The sleeves are set-in, single-seam, the bottom is adjusted using a tab on a contact tape (Velcro). Above the pocket on the left sleeve, a counter part of the contact tape (soft) is adjusted to accommodate the chevron.
MPA-78 Light jacket provides excellent protection from wind, thanks to the stitched lining, removable hood and windproof strip. On the right and left shelves there are patch pockets fastened with textile fasteners. There are also front side welt pockets with a zipper. The sleeves are adjustable in width using tape and plastic patches (Velcro). Along the shoulder line there are false shoulder straps fastened with buttons. On the left side of the jacket lining there is a horizontal zippered pocket. The demi-season jacket of the Ministry of Defense provides excellent protection from wind thanks to the stitched lining, removable hood and windproof flap. On the right and left shelves there are patch pockets fastened with textile fasteners. Appearance. Jacket of a straight silhouette with an insulated stitched lining, with a central side zipper, with an external wind flap, and a drawstring at the waist. The front has a stitched yoke extending to the back, with upper welt pockets with flaps fastened with textile fasteners, side welt pockets fastened with a zipper. Set-in two-seam sleeves with stitched cuffs on an elastic band and plastic patches (Velcro) at the bottom to adjust the width. Along the shoulder line there are shoulder straps with false shoulder straps, fastened with buttons. Stand collar. The hood is fastened with a zipper, consisting of three parts. The hood along the front neckline is adjustable with an elastic cord and clamps. On the left side of the jacket lining there is a horizontal zippered pocket. Characteristics protection from cold protection from rain and wind regular cut Materials rip-stop membrane
Winter jacket for the ground forces, navy and air force reliably protects against wind and snow. The insulation retains heat well, weighs little, does not deform, and does not absorb moisture. The combination of membrane fabric and insulation provides protection from severe frosts. CHARACTERISTICS Cold protection Regular cut For military operations Hand wash only MATERIALS Rip-stop Membrane Fibersoft insulation
Officer's cap of the Military Space Forces of the Russian Federation with a blue top, blue band and blue piping. The cap is equipped with a cockade, an emblem on the crown and a metallized filigree cord. The height of the crown is 7 cm. The cap is produced within 3-5 working days.
The suit is intended for pilots and technicians of civil and small aviation; it is not protective uniform for the Air Force. The suit is completed with a jacket mod. 1162 and trousers mod. 1163. Costumes on sale without chevrons. Color: blue. Material: twill.
Casual suit for military personnel of the Russian Defense Ministry. Men's jacket: fastened at the waist with a zipper, with long sleeves, without lining. Turn-down collar with a stand-up collar and fastening of the corners with buttons. The pockets are fastened with contact tape. Below there are welt pockets “frame”, fastened with a zipper. The internal pocket for documents is fastened with a button. Trousers with a stitched belt fastened with a button. Color: Blue, green, black. Size: 88-132 Size: 84-100 Height: 158-200 Fabric: Rip-stop Fittings: Reinforced Color: blue, green, black. Material: rip-stop.
The MPA-35 suit is designed for comfortable work of Ministry of Defense employees in hot weather. Consists of trousers and a jacket with long sleeves. The sleeves have reinforced pads in the elbow area. The bottom of the jacket is adjustable in volume. CHARACTERISTICS For hot weather Regular cut For work in the headquarters MATERIALS Gabardine (100% polye)
The staff suit consists of trousers and a shirt with short sleeves, made of lightweight fabric that does not wrinkle, does not fade or lose its shape even after numerous washes.
The jacket is intended as a winter casual uniform, equipped with seven pockets for various purposes and a wide fur collar to protect the face from the wind. The jacket is not Air Force protective equipment. Weight -1900g. The jacket is sold without chevrons and without Velcro (contact tape). Color: blue. Material: mixed fabric.
Previously produced only in the USSR Double knitting ensures the thickness of the product Material: 100% Cotton
Officer's dress cap of the Russian Navy with a white top, black band and white piping. The cap is equipped with a cockade and a metallized filigree cord. The height of the crown is from 8 to 10 cm. The cap is produced within 3-5 working days.
July 17, 2016 Naval aviation of the Russian Navy turns 100 years old. Celebrations take place in the Northern, Pacific, Black Sea, Baltic Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla, as well as in Naval Aviation training centers.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, congratulated the naval pilots performing missions on combat ships far from their home bases, as well as the military personnel of the naval aviation units and formations located at permanent deployment points and veterans.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy said in his congratulations: " On behalf of all the personnel of the Navy, I congratulate you on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy.
Marine helicopter "Katran" >>
At the beginning of the last century, seaplanes from the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Orlitsa" achieved Russia's first combat victory over the sea - they shot down 2 enemy airplanes, which was the starting point in the glorious 100-year history of naval aviation. During the Great Patriotic War, naval aviation pilots were distinguished by fearlessness, heroism and high flying skill. It was naval aviation that already in August 1941 dealt the first blow to the fascist invaders and, thus, was the first to pave the way to the Great Victory. The sailors are especially proud of the North Sea pilot Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, who was the first to pave the way for humanity to the stars.", - said in the congratulations of Admiral Vladimir Korolev, which will be conveyed to the naval pilots at the ceremonial formations.
Today, the combat strength and capabilities of naval aviation are expanding, new aviation means of destroying submarines are being developed, work is being done to create a new generation amphibious aircraft, the operation of the Ka-31 ship-based helicopter has begun, and the training of naval pilots has been fully resumed at the training ground in Crimea.
Modernization of the Orlan project cruiser >>
The development of new equipment entering service and the training of naval aviation crews is underway at the Yeisk Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Flight Personnel,new MiG-29K aircraft are being mastered, intensive training of crews for these machines is underway. Naval pilots are actively practicing combat training activities in the sky - from southern to arctic latitudes. Flights of shipborne helicopters from the deck of Project 1135.6 frigates have been successfully mastered (note 24RosInfo: Admiral Grigorovich, Essen, Makarov, Butakov, Istomin and Kornilov ) and new generation corvettes (: Steregushchiy, Soobrazitelny, Boikiy and Stoiky). The attack aircraft fleet is being replaced."
"I congratulate all the personnel and veterans of the Naval Aviation of the Navy on their professional holiday. I wish you good naval health and prosperity, warmth and love in your families, further success in military work for the benefit of the Fatherland!" - says the congratulation from the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.
Celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of naval aviation and the 35th anniversary of the Center were held at the 859th Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Naval Aviation Flight Personnel of the Russian Navy, located in Yeysk.
TANTK them. G.M. Beriev released the first production amphibious aircraft Be-200ChS >>
The first serial modernized aircraft from the Aviation Complex took part in the air parade held as part of the holiday. S.V. Ilyushin anti-submarine aircraft Il-38N "Radiy Papkovsky".
The head of naval aviation of the Russian Navy, Hero of the Russian Federation, Major General Igor Kozhin, who was present at the celebration, noted that “ Naval aviators successfully mastered and began operating the modernized Il-38N aircraft with the Novella complex».
Our information:
Northern Fleet
279th separate naval fighter aviation regiment named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Safonov
403rd separate mixed aviation regiment
830th separate shipborne anti-submarine helicopter Kirkenessy Red Banner Regiment
1st naval helicopter squadron
2nd naval helicopter squadron
3rd transport and combat helicopter squadron
924th Guards Separate Marine Missile-Carrying Aviation Regiment
73rd separate long-range anti-submarine aviation squadron
Black Sea Fleet
25th separate naval anti-submarine helicopter regiment
43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment
917th separate mixed aviation regiment
Pacific Fleet
289th separate mixed anti-submarine aviation regiment
317th separate mixed aviation regiment
568th separate mixed aviation regiment
865th Separate Fighter Aviation Regiment
71st Separate Transport Aviation Squadron
Baltic Fleet
4th Guards Separate Marine Assault Aviation Regiment
689th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
125th separate helicopter squadron
396th separate naval anti-submarine helicopter squadron
398th Separate Transport Aviation Squadron
Base points:
Baltic Fleet
Donskoye airfield - an urban-type settlement in the Svetlogorsk district of the Kaliningrad region. The 396th separate shipborne anti-submarine helicopter squadron of the Russian Navy is based.
Chernyakhovsk airfield - no data.
Chkalovsk airfield – more details:
Khrabrovo airfield - is a jointly based airfield - in addition to civil aviation, it is used by aviation of the FSB of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, and the Russian Ministry of Defense. In particular, the 398th separate transport squadron of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy is based here (An-24, An-26 aircraft).
In the future, it is planned to create a hub on the basis of the airport for transporting passengers from Russia to foreign European countries. For the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the Kaliningrad region and the rest of Russia, the airport will increase its passenger traffic to five million people a year.
Northern Fleet
Kipelovo Air Base - located south of the Kipelovo railway station in the Vologda region, 50 km from Vologda. Founded in 1963 as “AS Kipelovo”, the nearby Fedotovo garrison in 1966 (later the village of Fedotovo), named after the death of the first commander of the 392nd squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Sergeevich Fedotov, in a plane crash. Currently, an anti-submarine squadron from military unit 06797 is based at the air base using Tu-142MK and Tu-142MR repeater aircraft. The call sign of the airfield is "Dremuchiy".
Olenegorsk Air Base - a naval aviation airfield on the Kola Peninsula, 92 km south of Murmansk, near the city of Olenegorsk. Tu-22M3 long-range bombers are stationed at the Olenya airbase.
Airfield Severomorsk-1 - a military airfield in the Murmansk region, located 4 km south of the closed city of Severomorsk. Until 1951 it was named Vaenga-1. Since May 1, 1998, the following have been stationed at the airfield:
830th OKPVP(a separate shipborne anti-submarine helicopter regiment), which is armed with Ka-27 helicopters.
403rd OSAP(a separate mixed aviation regiment), which is armed with An-12, An-26, Il-38, Tu-134 aircraft.
Airfield Severomorsk-3 - a military airfield in the Murmansk region, located 28 km east of Murmansk in an urban village of the same name.
Reconstruction of the Severomorsk-1 airfield continues >>
The 279th OKIAP (separate naval fighter aviation regiment), which is armed with Su-25UTG, Su-27UB and Su-33 aircraft, is stationed at the airfield. Aircraft of both types take part in long-distance cruises of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser (TAVKR) Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. Previous names of the regiment - 279th OKSHAP (separate naval assault air regiment) (from 1973 to 1990; served the TAKR Kiev aviation), 279th OMSHAP (separate naval assault air regiment) (from 1990 to 1993), 279th OKIAP (separate naval fighter aviation regiment) (from 1998 to the present, after the disbandment of the 57th SCAD).
In 1992, the 279th OMSHAP (separate naval attack aviation regiment) was armed with: 41 Su-25, including 4 Su-25UB and 5 Su-25UTG, as well as 27 Yak-38 and 1 Yak-38U. During the Cold War, the 987th MRAP (marine missile-carrying aviation regiment), which was armed with Tu-16 aircraft, was also based at the airfield.
Black Sea Fleet
Kacha airfield(Gvardeyskoye airbase) is a military airfield in Crimea, 13 km north of Simferopol. Su-24, Su-24MR, Tu-134 A-4 aircraft are based at the airfield. Until August 1, 2009, the air unit based at the airfield was called the “43rd Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov separate naval assault aviation regiment” subordinate to the Russian Black Sea Fleet Air Force. In December 2011, the Gvardeyskoye airbase and the airbase located in Kutch were transformed into a single naval aviation base No. 7057.
Pacific Fleet
Yelizovo Air Base - an airfield for the joint deployment of civil ships and military aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
International airport of federal significance in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Located 29 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in the city of Elizovo.
Provides regular air service between the Kamchatka Territory and Russian cities. The airport also operates local flights to settlements in Kamchatka, international charter flights to Bangkok and Phuket (Thailand), Nha Trang (Vietnam), Osaka and Tokyo (Japan), and seasonal regular flights to Anchorage (USA).
A new runway was inaugurated at Yelizovo Airport >>
Kamenny Ruchey Air Base - the largest military airfield in the Russian Far East. Until 2009, the 568th OGSAP (separate Guards mixed air regiment) of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy was based at the airfield, armed with Tu-142MZ long-range anti-submarine defense aircraft and Tu142MR radio repeater aircraft, Tu-22M3 long-range missile carriers, a search and rescue squad of Ka-27PS helicopters, Mi-8 and An-26 military transport aircraft. In 2010, parts of the garrison were reorganized into the 7061st Guards Air Base of the Pacific Fleet. Currently, a reduced anti-submarine squadron with a Tu-142MZ/MR (7 aircraft) and one An-26 transport aircraft are stationed at the airfield.
Knevichi airfield - located 4.5 km from the city of Artyom and 38 km northeast of the city of Vladivostok. Until 1993, it was also the base airfield of the 25th twice-red-banner naval missile-carrying aviation division of the Pacific Fleet Air Force, with the permanent deployment of the 183rd naval missile-carrying regiment and division control, as well as the 593rd transport air regiment (in the post-Soviet years, reduced to a separate squadron - 71 OTAE) and aircraft repair plant of the Pacific Fleet Air Force (153rd ARZ). It has the status of an airport of federal significance.
Allowed to receive all types of aircraft without restrictions. The airport has two passenger terminals and one cargo terminal.
Has two airfields:
Western Knevichi- for aircraft of local and long-distance airlines. There are two runways with artificial turf: one 3500 m long and 60 m wide, pavement strength PCN 52/R/B/X/T (mixed), the second 3500 m long and 60 m wide, pavement strength PCN 54/R /B/X/T.
Accepted aircraft: all types.
Lake Keys - for planes and helicopters of local airlines. It has two runways with artificial turf, each 21 m wide and 1000 m and 600 m long. Currently, regular flights are not operated; the airfield is used by the military.
Nikolaevka Aerodrome - a military airfield in the Primorsky Territory, located 37 km northeast of the city of Nakhodka, garrison (rural settlement) Nikolaevka.
The aviation of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy is based at the airfield - Il-18, Il-38, Il-22 aircraft, Ka-27, Mi-8 helicopters. It was planned to deploy Ka-52K helicopters for Russian Mistral-class ships. The airfield and garrison are the center of the 7062nd air base of the Pacific Fleet.