Russian Air Force Analysis

Written by a Russian:

Ivan Konovalov

http://mdb.cast.ru/mdb/1-2008/item2/article3/

Towards the Restoration of Russian Air Power

Excerpts:

“Still just a shadow of its Soviet past, Russia’s Air Force has nonetheless preserved capabilities matched by no other power save the United States. “

“The regiment is the basic tactical unit of the Air Force. An air regiment now generally consists of a command and two air squadrons (normally with an assigned strength of 12 fixed or 24 rotary aircraft). An air defense regiment includes from two to four S-300P or S-400 SAMs (each division is made up of one SAM system). In addition, there are other aviation units, like air bases, aviation centers, separate aviation squadrons, and flying detachments. The Army’s SAM brigades of S-300B and Buk systems are now being transferred to the Air Forces.

“The Air Force has a total of 90 regiments, including four heavy bomber regiments (one Tu-160 and three Tu-95MS), four long-range bomber (Tu-22M3), 10 front-line bomber (Su-24M), seven assault (Su-25), seven fighter (five MiG-29, five MiG-31, seven Su-27), five reconnaissance (Su-24MP, MiG-25PB and MiG-31), one refueling (Il-78), eleven transport (eight Il-76 and three special forces), three mixed (transport airplanes and helicopters), 13 helicopter, and 15 trainer regiments. The Air Defense Force had 35 regiments before the Army began to transfer its air defense brigades in early 2007. The radar forces count 14 brigades and nine regiments.”

“Front-line Aviation

Front-line aviation in Russia is taken to include tactical fighting aircraft, frontline bombers, assault bombers, fighters and reconnaissance planes. Together with training, instruction and reconnaissance units, Russia’s frontline aviation includes about 1400 aircraft: up to 300 Su-24M, up to 100 Su-24MP, about 200 Su-25, up to 300 Su-27, about 30 MiG-25RB, up to 270 MiG-29, and about 200 MiG-31. Another 900 aircraft are in storage, not counting obsolete models.

Programs to modernize the majority of these aircraft have already gotten underway, though financing has to date been insufficient. The state armament program for 2007–2015 projects the modernization of 408 frontline aircraft. As of today the Air Force has received about 36 modernized Su-27SM fighters, 11 Su-24M2 frontline bombers, 10 Su-25SM assault bombers, and two MiG-31 interceptor-fighters. The majority of these modernizations are limited and relatively inexpensive.

The state armaments program to 2015 projects the delivery of 116 generation-four-plus fighting planes, including 56 Su-34 frontline bombers (not counting the two delivered in 2006), and 60 Su-35 (Su-27BM) fighters. However, production of the Su-34 is facing delays and a Su-35 prototype is expected to make its first flight only in 2008. In any case, it is clear that even if the state plan is fulfilled to the end, only four of the existing 39 frontline regiments will receive new aircraft, and a maximum of 18 will see some modernization of their planes. We may thus expect to see further quantitative reductions to the operational strength of the Air Force before 2015.

The most important Air Force program is still the creation of a fifth-generation fighter, led by Sukhoy with the T-50 (I-21) project. The first prototype with the Article-17 transitional engine is expected to take to the air in 2009, with the second stage of testing to begin in 2012. The launch of series production is optimistically scheduled for 2015, but is unlikely to begin before 2020. The production of the T-50, like the Su-35, will take place at Komsomolsk on the Amur.

Until then, it seems that production of Su-34 and Su-35 will continue. The Air Force is estimated to need between 200 and 300 Su-34, and it is possible that reconnaissance and electronic warfare versions will be developed.”