Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) bases (Locations, units & equipment)

The Yerevan Helicopter Squadron has been replaced by Ka-52 and Mi-8MTV-5.

In the last image of Google Maps you can see 4 Ka-52 and 10 new Mi-8. At least one of them is Mi-8MTRP-1, there are probably 2 and the other 8 would be standard helicopters.
All these helicopters come from the bases of the South Milotar District where the pilots have been training.

In addition, 4 Su-30SM have appeared in Yerevan, which are probably temporarily loaned from Kursk (the Armenian Su-30SM are in Gyumri)
It is quite likely that the MiG-29 will be replaced by 16 Su-30SM2 once the president of Armenia, lackey of Soros, seems to have come to his senses and has allowed the renewal of the Russian Air Group in Armania


https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B047'00.0%22N+43%C2%B050'00.0%22E/@40.1255019,44.472203,329m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x3ce852f1f311767b!8m2!3d40.7833333!4d43.8333333

Millerovo is switching to Su-35S from Su-30SM however looks presently like it may actually be a squadron of Mig-29SMT and Su-30SM. Have anything on that?

4 mig 29smt were sent in Syria.

franco wrote:Millerovo is switching to Su-35S from Su-30SM however looks presently like it may actually be a squadron of Mig-29SMT and Su-30SM. Have anything on that?

Millerovo currently uses only the Su-30SM, it received 20 as the other 4 were assigned to the GLITs.
It has not received any Su-35 yet, it will probably receive them in 2022.

Meanwhile the Kursk Su-30SMs have also been loaned as doubles to Khotilovo and Besovets awaiting new Su-30SM2s.
The 4 there are in Armenia must also be from Kursk judging by the number of Su-30SMs left in Kursk

The MiG-29SMTs that have passed through Syria were mainly from Astrakhan
those from Kursk ended service in 2017 when the Su-30SM arrived.
It is not clear whether the MiG-29SMT stored in Kursk will be sold to Syria or some other country, or will be left in reserve or also go to Asttakhan

Severomorsk-2 (Safonovo) airfield is reused for naval aviation
In addition to a squadron of UAVs, a squadron of Mi-8s from the 830th Mixed Helicopter Regiment of the Northern Fleet has been based.
This squadron has at least 8 or 9 Helicopters, including 6 Mi-8MTV-5, one Mi-8AMT-1 (VIP) and 1 and 2 Soviet Mi-8MT
In addition to the 7 helicopters in the image, there is one destined in Talagi airport and another one is usually in Monchegorsk

https://www.google.com/maps/place/69%C2%B004'00.0%22N+33%C2%B025'00.0%22E/@69.0251216,33.2926846,617m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d69.066667!4d33.416667?hl=en



Regarding the helicopter units of the Navy Air Force, the current deployment, prior to the Special Military Operation, was approximately

Northern Fleet:
830th Mixed Helicopter Regiment (it is forming)
-Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron: 12 Ka-27PL/M
-Shipborne Helicopter Squad: 6 Ka-27PS, 2 Ka-29
-Transport Helicopter Squadron: 6 Mi-8MTV-5, 2 Mi-8MT, 1 Mi-8AMT-1

Baltic Fleet:
396 Mixed Helicopter Regiment
-Shipborne Helicopter Squadron: 10 Ka-27PL/M, 4 Ka-27PS, 2 Ka-29, 1 Ka-27E
-Attack Helicopter Squadron: 16 Mi-24V/P
-Transport Helicopter Squadron 10 Mi-8

Black Sea Fleet:
One Helicopter Squadron in the 318th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment with:
8 Ka-27PL/M , 4 Ka-27PS, 2 Ka-29 . 2 Ka-31 , 5 Mi-8MT

Pacific Fleet:
289th Mixed Aviation Regiment (Nikolayevka) with: 10 Ka-27PL/M, 6 Ka-27PS, 6 Ka-29, 4 Mi-8MT
Ka-27PS and Mi-8MT of this regiment also go to Mongokhto

One Helicopter Squadron of 317º Mised Aviation Regiment (Yelizovo) with: 4 Ka-27PL/M, 4 Ka-27PS, 4 Ka-29, 2 Mi-8MT, 1 Mi-8AMTSh-VA

Ttaining
859 TsBPiPLS Yeisk: One Shipborne Helicopter Squadron: 2 Ka-27PL/M, 4 Ka-28, 2 Ka-27PS, 2 Ka-29


The total helicopters in Navy are:
50 antisubmarine: 46 Ka-27PL/M and 4 Ka-28
26 Ka-27PS
18 Ka-29
1 Ka-27E (NBQ)
2 Ka-31 EW
Total: 97 Kamov
31 Mi-8
16 Mi-24

two years ago was formed one mixed transport aviation squadron in Plestesk (Mirny), the same day of the 81º VTAP of Ivanovo
It was not clear to which regiment this squadron belonged, despite being created at the same time as the Ivanovo Regiment and that base is the closest to the Plesetsk cosmodrome

https://vk.com/wall-39149932_23113

Unofficial site of the city of Mirny
Dec 8, 2020
Military transport aviation has returned to the spaceport!

On December 1, on the basis of the aviation commandant's office of the Plesetsk airfield, a mixed aviation squadron of the 566th military transport aviation Solnechnogorsk Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment was formed

On the day of the beginning of the new academic year, the first solemn formation of the personnel of the formed squadron took place on the Mirny land. For more than 50 years, the aviation units that were part of the cosmodrome have successfully carried out the tasks of aviation support for spacecraft launches and testing of strategic missile systems.
Thanks to the active and direct participation of the cosmodrome command, military aviation returned to the Mirny garrison. Now aviation life begins again at the Plesetsk airfield. It will be carried out by the personnel of a young aviation unit - a mixed aviation squadron consisting of airplanes, helicopters and the first crew of unmanned aerial vehicles in the military transport aviation

The squadron belongs to Sescha's 566th VTAP regiment and is equipped with 6 Mi-8MTV--5 at least 2 An-26.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/62%C2%B042'32.0%22N+40%C2%B017'38.0%22E/@62.7220262,40.493391,395m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d62.708889!4d40.293889?hl=en

Another small unit that doesn't usually appear in ORBATs:

35th Separate Mixed Aviation Squadron, (35º OSAE) Kasputin Yar Aerodrome , Znamensk , Astrakhan Oblast (the aerodrome is in reality inside limits of Volgograd countryside)
Former 158th Separate Mixed Air Regiment (158º OSAP) of the Strategic Missile Forces reformated and transferred to the Russian Air Force in 2009

The squadron is probably subordinated to the GLITs from the nearby Akhtubinsk base, but I have not found absolute confirmation of this.
It could also be subordinated to the VTA to the Southern Military District

The squadron has 2 An-72, about 5 An-26 and about 6 Mi-8
(up to 8 An-26 can be seen in the image, but several must be from other bases, normally so many An-26 have never been seen here)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/48%C2%B035'00.0%22N+45%C2%B045'00.0%22E/@48.6655255,45.730377,569m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x5432f8ac13471d5c!8m2!3d48.583333!4d45.75


Planes and helicopters have tactical numbers in blue.


However, there is no An-72 with the blue tactical number, which at first seemed strange,
In the satellite it can be seen that the two An-72 have the upper part of the blue wings, which gives a definitive clue to identify the An-72 of that base.

 AMCXXL Today at 8:45 am

Another small unit that doesn't usually appear in ORBATs:

35th Separate Mixed air Squadron, (35º OSAE) Kasputin Yar Aerodrom , Znamensk , Astrakhan Oblast (the aerodrome is in reality inside limits of Volgograd countryside)
Former 158th Separate Mixed Air Regiment (158º OSAP) of the Strategic Missile Forces reformated and transferred to the Russian Air Force in 2009

The squadron is probably subordinated to the GLITs from the nearby Akhtubinsk base, but I have not found absolute confirmation of this.
It could also be subordinated to the VTA to the Southern Military District

The squadron has 2 An-72, about 5 An-26 and about 6 Mi-8
(up to 8 An-26 can be seen in the image, but several must be from other bases, normally so many An-26 have never been seen here)

I have wondered if the transport aircraft and helicopters at both Aktyubinsk and Astrakhan may be administratively subordinate to this unit.

@franco

I have wondered if the transport aircraft and helicopters at both Aktyubinsk and Astrakhan may be administratively subordinate to this unit

No, 35º OSAE is a separate/independent squadron. Is a military unit for itself (military unit 33782)
That means that it is not subordinated to another higher regiment or division but to a Army or similar size branch at least three ranks higher.
When a regiment has subordinate squadrons or detachments, their military unit number is the same: xxxxx-2, xxxxx-3 etc...

For example, each Air Army has an Independent Mixed Transport Regiment and each Navy Fleet has at least one independent transport squadron or an independent mixed regiment with one  transport squadron, which do not depend on any division.

Each division or unit of similar size may have a "control detachment" (otrod upravleniya) or a "zveno" ("link", company type) that is not subordinated to the regiments or squadrons of that division but directly to the command of the division size unit



In the case of Aktubisnk's planes, there are flight units that depend organically on the 929th GLITs (which is not part of the Air Force, but the Ministry of Defense, it has more than three dozen of branches) but the flight units of GLITs depend operationally of the Air Force.

In Akhtubinsk there was 267 ITs, which was the unit that operates the fighters, there was also the 75th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment with transport planes and helicopters, etc., but this unit was reduced to a squadron more than 20 years ago and then it was dissolved and unify with other units that I'm not sure how it was, in any case in Akhtubisnk there is a transport squadron with 8-9 An-72, some An-26, several own helicopters and a 3 Tu-134. The An-12s were decommissioned several years ago

An-72 of the separate mixed transport squadron of the Akhtubinsk branch of the GLITs. It has the GLITs symbol and the red tactical numbar


Tu-134 of the separate mixed transport squadron of the Akhtubinsk branch of the GLITs






In the case of Astrakhan, there is a "control detachment" of the 185th TsBP (Training Center)  with 2 An-26 and 4 Mi-8 that depends directly of the chief of the Training Center and no of the 116th Training Regiment with MiG-29 and Su-35

https://www.google.com/maps/place/46%C2%B020'00.0%22N+48%C2%B001'00.0%22E/@46.3916645,47.8834319,297m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xd785bb1f96feab8e!8m2!3d46.333333!4d48.016667



The aircraft of 185th TsBP "control detachment" have blue tactical numbers

On the military reform, the creation of two military districts, Moscow and Leningrad with the units of West Military District:


Leningrad Military District will receive from West MD the 6º Air Army command, and:

- 159 IAP Besovets
- 33 OTSAP Levashovo
- 332 OVP Pushkin to convert to Brigade
- 15 BrAA Ostrov

Taking into account that Leningrad MD has to face NATO in the Baltic and on the borders of the Baltic countries and predictably in Finland it should be a strong district like the South district
It will be necesary the creation of:

- Figrher Regiment for the new Su-57 (probably receive first Su-27SM or Su-27P) . Maybe based at Siversky or Gromovo
- One Bomber Regiment for the new Su-34 .  Could be based in Soltsy or Siversky

Also could receive regiments of Kaliningrad (689 IAP) and North Fleet (98 SAP Monchegorsk) becoming a powerful Air Army
I dont like Monchegorsk regiment in the North Fleet that only need rebuild its own Naval Aviation



About the New Moscow MD is necesary to create a new Air Army that will receive from West MD:

- 790 IAP Khotilovo
- 14 IAP Kursk
- 47 BAP Voronezh
- 4º Squadron Shatalovo, the base for a new bomber regiment) ?
- 440 OVP Vyazma
- Composite Squadron of 33 OTSAP (Vladimir)

Then, at least is necesary to create a new Independent Transport Mixed Regiment, probably based also in Voronezh
Probably is also necesary other helicopter Brigade in Belgorod area for the 20 Army

In the satellite is possible to see 12 spaces for transport airplanes (46 meters width) and 20 spaces for helicopters (22 meters width)
The joke is that there are no planes for that, if the ones from Levashovo that had 8 An-12 are distributed, they will get 4 or 5 and they could also get some 6-8 An-26
The image is at least of 2021 or before

With the forming of several ''new'' military districts there will be some changes in the ORBAT of the Russian Air Force, so I made it a separate topic.

I start with a question of several units which were formerly under command (some years ago) of the RVSN but later transferred to Air Force control.

Do these units still exists and what is the higher echelon were they are subordinated to.

10th OVE Tatischevo Mi-8

38th OVE Kozelsk

54th OVE Balkhash

60th OVE Teykovo

68th OVE Uzhur

84th OVE Dombarovskiy-Nasnaya

98th (O?)SAE Vladimir

108th OVE Yoshkar-Ola

207th OVE Pashino

224th OVE Yurya

225th OVE Nishniy Tagil

329th OSAP Klyuch (An-12BK, An-26 and Mi-

And last but not least
Not a former RVSN unit
42 TsBP ZRB Ashuluk (Surface-to-air missiles and areal targets) Does this still exists?

Sincerely
Lesley

Do the following units still exists or are they renumbered/relocated?

8th Special Air Division Tshaikovsky

206 Special Designation Aviation .... (1x Il-20, 1x Il-22M, 2x Il-22, 11x Mi-8MTV-5)

223 VTAP Tshaikovsky (Tu-134A3, Tu-154B2, Il-76)

353 VTAP Tshaikovsky (5x An-12, 5x An-26, 8x An-72, 1x Il-76)

354 VTAP Tshaikovsky (An-148, Il-18D, Il-62M, L-410, Tu-134)

216º UAV Regiment as part of the 45th Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Order of Ushakov of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The newly created connection is unique in its type
Based in Severomorsk-2

https://vk.com/rusflot?w=wall-72814627_165735

AMCXXL wrote:216º UAV Regiment as part of the 45th Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Order of Ushakov of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The newly created connection is unique in its type
Based in Severomorsk-2

https://vk.com/rusflot?w=wall-72814627_165735

It was reported last year of an UAV regiment or brigade was being formed for the SMO however have not seen a unit number yet.

In the latest images of 235º VTAP in Ulyanovsk, the construction of a new parking lot for 9 Il-76MD-90A can be seen, which indicates that the squadrons of the VTA regiments will be made up of 9 Il-476, given that on the other side of the base, on a large platform there were also 9 spots painted for the Il-476.

I think that this regiment will receive 18 IL-476 (at the moment there are 15 received) and the third squadron should be An-124 that there are also in large quantities in Ulyanovsk in the last image (about 16, many more than the 7 it currently has Volga-Dniepr within Russia), in addition to those inside the factory under maintenance.
The three remaining Il-476s to complete the second squadron will probably be received in September, October and November, with the next IL-476 assigned to another regiment, perhaps the new one in Tambov.

In addition, there is another squadron with a dozen An-2s and parking spaces have been made for a dozen Mi-8s, therefore there could be a 4th squadron elevating the unit to a Brigade, or it could be a separate OVTAE squadron for the VDV

PD: I really don't understand why the Russians put their planes so close together and don't distribute them in individual parking lots like in the Soviet airfields, this base is HUGE, the runway is more than 5 kilometers long, there is plenty of space

Such nets should hang on the small shelters like curtains. This would mean that every aircraft would be protected from drones on all four sides. The simple tin roof can always be reinforced with “tires” later.

https://topwar.ru/231381-v-sostave-vta-vks-vozrodili-600-j-polk-voenno-transportnoj-aviacii.html

The 600th Military Transport Aviation Regiment was revived as part of the Military Transport Aviation Corps

The 600th Military Transport Aviation Regiment was revived as part of the Military Transport Aviation; ceremonial events were held in Buryatia. The head of the republic, Alexey Tsydenov, announced this in his TG channel.


On December 1, 2023, in the capital of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, ceremonial events were held dedicated to the revival of the 600th transport aviation regiment, disbanded 25 years ago, in 1998, as part of the Military Air Forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The decision to revive the air regiment was made taking into account the military-political situation in the world, as well as the ongoing special operation in Ukraine.

The commander of the Russian Military Transport Aviation, Vladimir Benediktov, arrived at the event dedicated to the revival of the air regiment. While there are no details, we will wait for an official message from the Ministry of Defense, if it follows.

Our military wings of Russia cannot be overestimated. VTA is an instant reaction, lightning-fast response and presence anywhere in Russia and the world in a matter of hours. I congratulate all of us on this event, I am sincerely happy for the republic and our military- said the head of Buryatia.

The 600th military transport aviation regiment was formed in Shadrinsk (Kurgan oblast) in 1963 as a separate regiment flying An-12 aircraft, and in 1965 it was relocated to the city of Kėdainiai, Lithuanian SSR.
In 1981, the regiment retrained for Il-76 aircraft. The main tasks of the regiment were to support major exercises and maneuvers of the Soviet army, as well as support space launches.
Later he was involved in transporting troops and equipment to Afghanistan. After 1992, the regiment participated in the withdrawal of troops from the Baltic states, ensuring the removal of material assets and equipment.
Later he participated in the first Chechen war. Since 1992, it was based in again Shadrinsk, in 1998 it was disbanded by merging with the 8th Guards Regiment of the VTA.
He was part of the 18th Guards Military Transport Aviation Red Banner Taganrog Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Division of the VTA of the USSR Air Force.

For my part, I will add that it is a logical step to put a VTA regiment in the eastern part of Russia, but a VTA regiment had been announced in Tambov, which will surely be opened later.

In Soviet times there was a division with three VTA regiments in the eastern part of Russia: The 23rd VTA Division with the 153rd VTAP regiment in Ulan-Ade (Buryatia) with An-12, the 192nd VTA regiment in Ukkurey-Nikolayevskoye (Chita Oblast ) with Il-76, and the 930th Regiment VTA in Zavitinsk (Amur Oblast) with An-12


This regiment Nº600 will probably become part of the 18th Division
In the future another regiment should be opened (in Tambov ?) and the VTA divided into 3 divisions with 3 regiments each

I also think it is necesary a new VTA squadron for the new Vostochnyy Cosmodrome (Uglegorsk new airpoprt, Amur oblast), probably subordinated to this new 600th VTA regiment


https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12488956@egNews

Confirmed: Savasleyka regiment is the 44th OAPON (Отдельный Авиационный Полк Особого Назначения)

44th Separate Aviation Regiment of Special Purpose of the Long-Range Aviation Command, happy anniversary of its founding!
they turned 2 years old ( 1 december of 2021)

this regiment is armed with MiG-31I missile carriers, which in turn are armed with hypersonic Daggers.

https://t.me/fighter_bomber/14917


Also formed a TRaining Regiment in Pugachev
https://t.me/pugadm64/12302

On December 1, a meeting was held dedicated to the formation of a 2nd category aviation training base in Pugachev.
In 2023, based on the directive of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a training aviation base (2nd category, Pugachev, Saratov region) was formed with 3 training helicopter squadrons on the Mi-8.

The opening ceremony of the training aviation base was attended by: the head of the Branch of the Military Training and Scientific Center of the Air Force “Air Force Academy” named after Professor N.E. Zhukovsky and Yu.A. Gagarin, Honored Pilot of Russia, Major General Asanov A. A., Deputy Head of the Administration of the Pugachevsky Municipal District for Economic Development O. M. Putin, Commander of the 2nd category training aviation base in the city of Pugachev, Colonel Natyrtyshev A. V., Chairman of the Council of Veterans of the military unit 626th Helicopter Training Regiment, Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Kyatvirtis D.I., General Director of the Rubezh Agrofirm Artemov P.A., Chairman

Public Chamber of the Pugachevsky Municipal District Dragunov A.V., Head of the Department for Interaction with the Armed Forces, Law Enforcement Agencies and Cossacks of the Balakovo and Nikolaev Diocese Father Vladislav, Imam of the Pugachevsky Mosque Mustafin F.Kh.
On this solemn day, the “People's Collective”, the Russian song ensemble “Gornitsa” of the Cultural and Leisure Center, performed.

The 626th training helicopter regiment is the oldest of all aviation regiments of the Russian Army Aviation, where the use of helicopters for military purposes began. He is rightfully the object of pride and love of several generations of aviators. His story is one of creative, persistent and military work performed for the glory of the Fatherland.




About 600º VTA Regiment in Ulan Ude, in the last satellite can be found IL-76, a dozen of An-2 and also and a dozen newly built parking spaces for helicopters

certainly this base seems very small to house 3 squadrons of Il-76 and even less the An-124, so perhaps some squadron would be based in another place like Uglegorsk where it is in Vostochnyy Cosmodrome

AMCXXL, i have a question that perhaps you are the man to ask. Do you have access to recent sattelite images of KnAAPO/Dzemgi? The reason i am asking being that as you know the egyptian contract  25 or so Su-35s were stored there, but few days ago i saw a satellite image, allegedly recent, showing they are gone, but i can't confirm the image is indeed recent or maybe it's several years old. Certainly there is no snow in it, though the last VKS Su-35 delivery video shows clearly it snowed there.
Info is swirling again about Iran buying them, so if indeed can be confirmed that the Su-35s are not parked at KnAAPO anymore, then it might be an indirect confirmation, hence this question.
Many thanks.
PS: This is the alleged recent satellite image that seems to show the Su-35s are not there anymore.
https://viewer.terrascope.be/?language=en&bbox=137.08077039764643,50.592860927978734,137.0914195568612,50.59576591748677&overlay=true&bgLayer=MapBox_Satellite&date=2023-08-27&layer=CGS_S1_COHERENCE

I wouldn't bet on those images being recent. Looking at other parts of Russia I am seeing images that are like two years old. Yet the site claims it is using data from 2023.

If you want free satellite images that are recent this is a good site:
https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser

The images are low resolution but might be enough for what you want to do. Count aircraft.

11E wrote:Do the following units still exists or are they renumbered/relocated?

8th Special Air Division Tshaikovsky

206 Special Designation Aviation .... (1x Il-20, 1x Il-22M, 2x Il-22, 11x Mi-8MTV-5)

223 VTAP Tshaikovsky (Tu-134A3, Tu-154B2, Il-76)

353 VTAP Tshaikovsky (5x An-12, 5x An-26, 8x An-72, 1x Il-76)

354 VTAP Tshaikovsky (An-148, Il-18D, Il-62M, L-410, Tu-134)

Still the same units as per the last info that I have. Not sure of an updated aircraft list.

franco wrote:

11E wrote:Do the following units still exists or are they renumbered/relocated?

8th Special Air Division Tshaikovsky

206 Special Designation Aviation .... (1x Il-20, 1x Il-22M, 2x Il-22, 11x Mi-8MTV-5)

223 VTAP Tshaikovsky (Tu-134A3, Tu-154B2, Il-76)

353 VTAP Tshaikovsky (5x An-12, 5x An-26, 8x An-72, 1x Il-76)

354 VTAP Tshaikovsky (An-148, Il-18D, Il-62M, L-410, Tu-134)

Still the same units as per the last info that I have. Not sure of an updated aircraft list.

No , the 8 ADON (Air Division of Special Purpose) based in "Chkalovsky" (Shchelkovo airport) for the moment only have:

- 353º APON (Air Regiment of Special Purpose)
- 354º APON

223º LO (Flying Detachment) is a airline with civil license, It is a parallel structure that takes aircraft from the 353rd and 354th

About the 206º, it was a helicopter Regiment in Mulino, closed a lot of years ago


The distribution of aircraft between the 353rd and 354th is not clear

I only have confirmation that the 354th contains a squadron with all the An-148 and a squadron with about 20 Mi-8AMTSh-1 (VIP) and I think also the An-72
The most of rest should be in the other regiment

As for the Il-22M, IL-80, Il-82...., they are in the Chkalovsky Branch of the GLITs

The numbers of airplanes are not clear, becase there are many retired from service

There are about:
5 Il-76MD and other 2 in "reserve"
3 An-12
1 An-26
9 An-72
6 Il-62M (other two probably transferred to Navy)
6 Il-18
9 Tu-154
9 Tu-154
5 An-140
3 L-410
14 An-148
near about 16 to 20 Mi-8AMTSh-1

mack8 wrote:AMCXXL, i have a question that perhaps you are the man to ask. Do you have access to recent sattelite images of KnAAPO/Dzemgi? The reason i am asking being that as you know the egyptian contract  25 or so Su-35s were stored there, but few days ago i saw a satellite image, allegedly recent, showing they are gone, but i can't confirm the image is indeed recent or maybe it's several years old. Certainly there is no snow in it, though the last VKS Su-35 delivery video shows clearly it snowed there.
Info is swirling again about Iran buying them, so if indeed can be confirmed that the Su-35s are not parked at KnAAPO anymore, then it might be an indirect confirmation, hence this question.
Many thanks.
PS: This is the alleged recent satellite image that seems to show the Su-35s are not there anymore.
https://viewer.terrascope.be/?language=en&bbox=137.08077039764643,50.592860927978734,137.0914195568612,50.59576591748677&overlay=true&bgLayer=MapBox_Satellite&date=2023-08-27&layer=CGS_S1_COHERENCE

These satellite imeges are very old , you can see more than 30 flankers in the aerodrome, that inlcudes SU-27SM , this has several years

Currently there are a dozen of Su-35 and several MiG-31 deployed here, the rest included the Su-30SM have been sent to Special Military Operation
Also there are 27 Su-35 for export parked in the plant

All the "news" about the transfer of Su-35 to Iran or purchases to Algeria, Egypt etc... are pure garbage

Iran need to receive Yak-130 and it will take some time for training the pilots before transfer any Su-35

The Su-35 is a single seat aircraft but Iran has some very well trained pilots who fly quite sophisticated or should I say complex aircraft for their age.

The F-4 and F-14 are not like cessnas when it comes to piloting skills, so their pilots are not used to having things easy.

Practising in a Yak-130 simulating an Su-35 and then perhaps flying an Su-30 model they are upgrading with Su-35 radar and engines and systems would be rather good preparation.

This is not the sort of move they can afford to telegraph because the US and Israel in their current mental state would see the announced introduction in 6 months time of 36 Su-35s into Iranian Air Force Service as a red rag to attack before they arrive and make the job harder.

Of course neither Russia nor Iran are stupid and might do it the way the US has been announcing sending new weapons to Kiev so they can announce they have delivered the weapons just after they are used in combat if you see what I mean.

Obviously the Russians probably already know what has been delivered but it takes time to adapt to a new threat... I would say for Israel and the US that Su-35s used competently in Iranian airspace would double their losses and increase the number of weapons they will need to use in any attack by a factor of three or four, which means less damage and less chance of success.

AMCXXL wrote:

mack8 wrote:AMCXXL, i have a question that perhaps you are the man to ask. Do you have access to recent sattelite images of KnAAPO/Dzemgi? The reason i am asking being that as you know the egyptian contract  25 or so Su-35s were stored there, but few days ago i saw a satellite image, allegedly recent, showing they are gone, but i can't confirm the image is indeed recent or maybe it's several years old. Certainly there is no snow in it, though the last VKS Su-35 delivery video shows clearly it snowed there.
Info is swirling again about Iran buying them, so if indeed can be confirmed that the Su-35s are not parked at KnAAPO anymore, then it might be an indirect confirmation, hence this question.
Many thanks.
PS: This is the alleged recent satellite image that seems to show the Su-35s are not there anymore.
https://viewer.terrascope.be/?language=en&bbox=137.08077039764643,50.592860927978734,137.0914195568612,50.59576591748677&overlay=true&bgLayer=MapBox_Satellite&date=2023-08-27&layer=CGS_S1_COHERENCE

These satellite imeges are very old , you can see more than 30 flankers in the aerodrome, that inlcudes SU-27SM , this has several years

Currently there are a dozen of Su-35 and several MiG-31 deployed here, the rest included the Su-30SM have been sent to Special Military Operation
Also there are 27 Su-35 for export parked in the plant

All the "news" about the transfer of Su-35 to Iran or purchases to Algeria, Egypt etc... are pure garbage

Iran need to receive Yak-130 and it will take some time for training the pilots before transfer any Su-35

Thank you for your insight AMCXXL, and yeah dissapointing if those export Su-35s are still there, just sitting there in open air degrading. Hopefully someone would take them soon, either VKS or Iran or Egypt or whoever, as it's 2 billion plus worth of planes sitting on the tarmac for almost 2 years now. If nothing else, really VKS should have taken them by now just like they did with algerian MiG-29SMTs back in the day. There are still some basic Su-27s (nevermind SMs) flying in combat units if i'm not mistaken, those Su-35s would have been most welcome to replace them.

I daresay they belong to Egypt and will sit there for as long as needed...