Ukrainian Air Force

Bayraktar TB-2 in preparation for the Independence Day of Ukraine

The Ukrainian Air Force is armed with up to a hundred combat aircraft and almost the same number of combat helicopters. Such data are presented in the new World Air Forces 2022 guide, published by the information portal FlightGlobal.

The creators of the handbook have calculated the number of combat aircraft available in the presence of the Air Force of Ukraine. It is noted that trainer aircraft, as well as helicopters, were not taken into account. The only question that remains unclear is which aircraft were taken into account in the calculation - really capable of performing tasks or all included in the composition, regardless of their condition.

So, according to the new directory, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is armed with 98 combat aircraft. These include: 43 light MiG-29 fighters, 26 heavy Su-27 fighters, 12 front-line Su-24 bombers and 17 Su-25 attack aircraft. All aircraft are shown without modifications.

The number of helicopters, combat, of course, roughly corresponds to the number of aircraft and is 97 units. Here, all those in service are counted, both in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in service with the Naval Forces of Ukraine. The Armed Forces of Ukraine include 88 helicopters, of which 54 are military transport helicopters of the Mi-8 brand of all modifications and 34 are attack MI-24 helicopters. The Ukrainian Navy has 9 helicopters, including 4 Ka-27 helicopters, 1 Ka-226 helicopter and 4 Mi-14 helicopters. The state of the helicopters and how many of them are capable of performing combat missions is also not indicated.

As has been repeatedly reported, the Ukrainian Air Force is equipped with combat aircraft produced in the Soviet Union. Despite attempts at modernization carried out on their own, the fighters do not meet modern requirements and are considered outdated. It is emphasized that Kiev does not have funds for new aircraft; since the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine has not bought a single new combat aircraft. Currently, Kiev has adopted an ambitious program, under which it intends to replace the entire fleet of outdated aircraft with modern Western-style fighters. In this capacity, Ukraine would like to see American F-16s or Swedish JAS 39 Gripen.

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New but old blood?

Insignia on all three blotted out. Looks to be a big presentation going on.

CaucasusWarReport
@Caucasuswar
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Interesting picture showcasing 3 Azerbaijani MiG-29 multirole fighter jet inside the Lviv Aviation Repair Plant in Ukraine. Looks like the Azerbaijani flag logo has been removed from the vertical tail of the fighter jets.

R-77 will be battle tested. I wonder if they will test su-57 and r-77M against uktainian air force.

franco wrote:The Ukrainian Air Force is armed with up to a hundred combat aircraft and almost the same number of combat helicopters. Such data are presented in the new World Air Forces 2022 guide, published by the information portal FlightGlobal.

So how come they are not using them in the Donbass? This number is BS. They may have 100 frames but nowhere near 100% of them are
operational. And these clowns expect to take on the Russian army.

kvs wrote:

franco wrote:The Ukrainian Air Force is armed with up to a hundred combat aircraft and almost the same number of combat helicopters. Such data are presented in the new World Air Forces 2022 guide, published by the information portal FlightGlobal.

So how come they are not using them in the Donbass?   This number is BS.   They may have 100 frames but nowhere near 100% of them are
operational.   And these clowns expect to take on the Russian army.

E.g. only 25 active Su-27s. As with everything, take the figures with a pinch of salt.

Thirty years of degradation of the Ukrainian Air Force


From the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the USSR, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received gigantic air power: 4 air armies, 10 air divisions, 49 air regiments, 2.8 thousand aircraft and helicopters, 8 anti-aircraft missile brigades, 10 anti-aircraft missile regiments. Moreover, in these units, formations and associations, the share of the most modern aviation equipment at that time was very high.

In addition, Ukraine got about half of the aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, partly immediately after the collapse of the USSR, partly in 1997, after the final division of the Black Sea Fleet between Russia and Ukraine (“Steal, capture, decommission or sell. A short course in the history of the Ukrainian fleet” , “ NVO", 03.03.23).

IN THE TOP 5 OF THE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD

Even the main part of the strategic (long-range) aviation of the USSR Air Force ended up in Ukraine - 19 Tu-160 and 23 Tu-95MS strategic bombers (as well as six Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft created on the basis of the Tu-95), 56 Tu-22M3 medium-range bombers , 72 Tu-22s of early modifications, 67 Tu-16s, 21 Il-78 tankers. Moreover, the Tu-160 and Il-78 Ukraine received, in fact, all available in the Soviet Union.

Kyiv also received a very significant, and at the same time, the best part of other branches of the Air Force and Air Defense. Air defense aviation, however, was represented by already quite obsolete aircraft - 70 Su-15TM, ​​81 MiG-25P, 117 MiG-23MLD.

With front-line aviation it was much better. Thus, the number of Su-24 front-line bombers reached 209 units, there were also 35 Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft. They were supplemented by 84 very modern Su-25 attack aircraft at that time and at least 59 older Su-17s.

No less powerful was the potential of fighter aviation, which received more than 300 4th generation aircraft. The total number of Su-27s was 72 units (two more prototype carrier-based Su-27s were not put into service and later sold to China), the total number of MiG-29s was 247 units.

They were supplemented by older vehicles - at least 55 MiG-23MLD / UB, 16 MiG-25R (as reconnaissance aircraft), 30 Yak-28PP (as electronic warfare aircraft (EW)), 351 MiG-21 (as training aircraft) . In addition, 49 MiG-27 bombers were under repair and in storage.

Thus, the total number of combat aircraft exceeded 1.7 thousand units. What made the Ukrainian Air Force at least the fourth in the world in terms of its potential after the US Air Force, China and the Russian Federation. Moreover, the Russian Air Force at that moment was in a state of collapse, and the Chinese Air Force was equipped with extremely outdated vehicles that had extremely low performance characteristics. That is, in fact, Kyiv had reason to consider itself the owner of the second most powerful air force in the world after the American one.

Ukraine also inherited from the USSR a very significant number of special and auxiliary vehicles. In addition to the Il-78 tankers mentioned above, created on the basis of the Il-76 military transport aircraft, it received up to one and a half hundred Il-76s proper.

Also in the transport aviation there were at least a hundred different An aircraft. At the same time, it was Ukraine that got the Antonov Design Bureau, where these aircraft were created, and the aircraft factory in Kyiv, where they were produced. The number of training aircraft L-39 exceeded 500 units. From the naval aviation, Ukraine received up to 20 Be-12 anti-submarine amphibious aircraft.

Finally, Ukraine got a lot of army and naval aviation helicopters. First of all, we are talking about 274 Mi-24 combat helicopters (including a little more than 60 Mi-24RKhR/K special vehicles and obsolete Mi-24A/D) and 25 Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters. There were also up to 20 obsolete heavy Mi-6 helicopters, over 200 multi-purpose Mi-8s and at least 46 offshore helicopters (four Ka-29s, 16 Ka-27s, 26 Mi-14Ps), not counting three dozen extremely obsolete Ka-25s.

Ground-based air defense had exceptionally high potential. From the Air Defense Forces of the USSR and the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, Ukraine received 43 divisions of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-300PT / PS and 6 divisions of S-300V, 35 divisions of S-200 air defense systems, 23 divisions of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Buk", 29 divisions of the S-125 air defense system, 37 divisions of the S-75 air defense system, 27 divisions of the Krug air defense system, 4 divisions of the Kub air defense system, several thousand short-range air defense systems, portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), anti-aircraft missile and gun systems (ZRPK), self-propelled anti-aircraft installations (ZSU) and anti-aircraft guns.

Apparently, in terms of the power of ground-based air defense, Ukraine in the early 1990s was second only to Russia, and in terms of air defense density per unit of territory it confidently ranked first in the world (“ How terrible is Ukrainian air defense” , “HVO”, 11.02.22).

In addition to the aforementioned Antonov Design Bureau and the Kyiv Aviation Plant, there are still a number of military-industrial complex enterprises in Ukraine that produce aircraft missiles, engines and various equipment. However, there were no enterprises producing combat aircraft and helicopters.

USELESS POTENTIAL

Ukraine had neither money nor real opportunities to operate strategic aviation. In addition, Washington and Moscow simultaneously exerted the strongest pressure on Kyiv demanding that it be abandoned.

As a result, in 1996-2006, all strategic aviation in Ukraine was eliminated. Eight Tu-160s, three Tu-95MSs and 581 Kh-55 strategic air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) were handed over to Russia as payment for gas debts. The remaining 487 X-55s and all the remaining Tu-160/95MS/142/22/16 (all modifications) were disposed of - except for a few vehicles transferred to museums.

In connection with the liquidation of strategic aviation, Ukraine did not need tankers either. To date, she has only two or three Il-78s left in storage, the rest are sold out or lost.

No one demanded from Ukraine to liquidate front-line aviation, it took up this on its own initiative. However, getting rid of old-type aircraft (Su-15/17/22, MiG-23/25/27) was quite objective. Approximately 80 machines of these types were exported, almost all the rest have been disposed of at the moment.

"At the same time" a significant part of the Su-24 went for recycling (the exact number of scrapped machines of this type is still unknown), only one Su-24 was sold abroad (to Estonia as a museum exhibit).

In addition, Ukraine got rid of four Su-25UTG carrier-based combat training aircraft that it obviously did not need (two were sold to Russia, one each to the United States and China). Old air defense systems (S-75M, S-125M, Krug, Kub) were sent from the ground air defense for storage or disposal.

In the course of these processes, the Air Force and Air Defense of Ukraine experienced constant reorganization, expressed primarily in the reduction and merger of units and formations. The country did not have the funds to maintain a significant air force - and, most importantly, there was no understanding why it needed them at all. Planes and helicopters of new types were not disposed of, but in large quantities they were sent to storage (where they were practically not serviced) or sold abroad. The remaining combat-ready vehicles took to the air extremely rarely, the annual flight time in the 1990-2000s was only a few hours per pilot.

ALL FOR SALE

Ukrainian aviation equipment was exported to many countries, among which African prevailed. Su-25 attack aircraft from the presence of the Ukrainian Air Force (except for the aforementioned four Su-25UTGs) were sold 22. Su-27 fighters went abroad eight (including two Su-27UB were sold to the United States, and one was not returned from repairs in Belarus ), MiG-29 - 26 (including also three MiG-29UB in the USA). The scale of exports of Mi-24 helicopters turned out to be unprecedented - 138 units (half of those originally available). Over 200 L-39s were also sold. Transport aircraft were massively transferred to civilian ones - and then, as a rule, they were also sold abroad or disposed of. In particular, out of a hundred and fifty Il-76s in flight condition by 2022, no more than 14 remained (7–8 in the Air Force and 5–6 in civil airlines), and a little more than 50 are in storage.

Not only old-type air defense systems were withdrawn from ground air defense, but also part of the S-300PT and quite modern S-300V and Tor air defense systems, since it was not possible to service them.

The Antonov Design Bureau was engaged in the development of several types of transport and passenger aircraft, the most famous of which was the An-70 medium transport turboprop (created jointly with Russia). However, the first two copies of the An-70 crashed during test flights. The third copy was released after the break between Moscow and Kiev. This aircraft is still the only new aircraft received by the Ukrainian Air Force in all the years of the country's independence.

In addition, programs were developed for the modernization of the Su-25 according to the M1 variant and the MiG-29 according to the MU1 and MU2 variants, but a small number of vehicles passed it.

THE BEGINNING OF THE SHAKES

As a result, the Ukrainian Air Force approached the beginning of the civil war in a state of almost complete collapse. In less than a quarter of a century, they have lost most of their once huge potential.

Together with Crimea, in March 2014, 116 aircraft and helicopters were under the control of Russia (only 8 managed to fly to Ukraine), as well as 5 divisions of the S-300PS air defense system and 3 divisions of the Buk-M1 air defense system.

In April-May, Russia returned to Ukraine most of the aviation equipment, and, as a rule, by means of removal by ground transport (since the planes and helicopters were in a non-flying condition). These were 52 MiG-29s, 3 Su-25s, one L-39 and Be-12 each, 4 Ka-29s, 7 Ka-27s, 1 Mi-14, 11 Mi-8s of several modifications.

With the outbreak of the civil war in Ukraine, Russia stopped the transfer of equipment. Nine MiG-29s, three L-39s, one An-72, two Be-12s (and two more intended for disposal), as well as several Mi-8s remained in Crimea. Only five Mi-8s were confiscated and handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Crimea, the rest of the vehicles are still stored at the Belbek airfield, having no maintenance and becoming completely unusable. All Ukrainian air defense systems and air defense systems also remained in Crimea.

During the fighting in Donbass, six Su-25s (including five Su-25M1s), two MiG-29s, one Il-76, one An-26, one An-30, five Mi-24Ps were lost to ground air defense fire. /VP, five Mi-8s. Although these losses can hardly be called catastrophic, by the end of August 2014, flights of Ukrainian aviation for combat use had actually ceased, which greatly contributed to the defeat of the ground grouping.

During the battles for Debaltseve in January-February 2015, Ukrainian aviation was not used at all, which also contributed to the second defeat of the Ukrainian ground forces.

During the period after the start of the war in Ukraine, several dozen combat aircraft and helicopters that were in storage were “reanimated” (at the same time, part of the Su-25 and MiG-29 underwent modernization). One or two S-300V air defense divisions, all 24 Tor air defense systems, part of the S-125M air defense system were returned to service. Thanks to this, despite the losses, there are more planes and helicopters in the Air Force and Army Aviation of Ukraine than in March 2014. In total, approximately 350 combat aircraft remained in service and storage (that is, less than a quarter of the original number) and a little more than 100 helicopters, up to 40 divisions of air defense systems and air defense systems of long and medium range.

According to official Ukrainian data, at the beginning of 2022, there were 488 combat aircraft left. But, apparently, this number includes old-type machines that are in storage in a completely non-flying condition.

All this equipment, as mentioned above, is of Soviet production, no analogues of it are currently being produced in Ukraine. In 2014, Kyiv refused free F / A-18A / B fighter-bombers from the Canadian Air Force due to the impossibility of servicing them and the lack of trained pilots. In 2019, French multi-purpose helicopters H225 (AS332) began to enter the aviation of the National Guard, but they are neither new nor combat.

In this state, the Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defense approached the events of 2022.

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Russian produced aircraft. They couldn't maintain them alone anyway. And they would have had no domestic replacement. Their soviet inhereted air force was doomed to be a huge graveyard anyway.

Correction... doomed to be an aircraft graveyard if they pursued their hostile course against Russia... as a friend and trading partner the Ukraine might have flourished and grown and developed... we will never know.

Russias Antonov fleet seems to be largely OK, though now because of the situation is in the process of being completely replaced because of the actions of Kiev and the west.

Why do you assume Russia will be as undemocratic as the US?

Why shouldn't these Russians get a vote like they do in the Crimea?

Ukrainians in these regions being liberated now have had almost 10 years of western democracy and prosperity and they seem to want to join Russia.

As an example, Japan and Germany after WW2 had no choice on their future path.

To a large degree Germany and Japan both had populations that were trained to do as they were told by whomever was in power so nothing has really changed.

Because western Ukrainians (from Galicia) do not want to go with Russia.

That is OK... Russia probably does not want them either... they can be neutral or they can vote with their feet and go to America.

If after the military operation they are left with 100% freedom they will pursue an anti-russian policy and push again for NATO integration.

When this is over I am not sure what state HATO will be in but it wont be pretty.

And anyway (reformed banderans) Galicians will have voting right, but only for local decisions, and the government shall not be able to decide on military matters or foreign policy

Bandera will be banned and pro EU and pro HATO parties will not be allowed to run for election... just like pro Russian parties are not allowed now.