Russian Naval Aviation


The Russian Naval Aviation is the air arm of the Russian Navy, having superseded Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Ocean Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and Caspian Flotilla.
The air forces of the largest and most important fleets, the Northern and Pacific fleets, operate long range Tu-142 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, Il-38 medium-range ASW aircraft, and Ka-27 shipborne ASW and search-and-rescue helicopters. Formations operating supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers were transferred to the Russian Air Force's Long Range Aviation in 2011. The relatively small fleets, the Baltic and Black Sea, currently have only tactical Su-24 bombers and ASW helicopters in service. The small Caspian Flotilla operates An-26 and Mi-8 transports, Ka-27PS rescue helicopters, as well as some Ka-29 and Mi-24 armed helicopters. In 2011, the Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Naval Aviation and Air Defense/Commander, Naval Air and Air Defense Forces is Major General Igor Kozhin.
from the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, on Admiral Kuznetsov's flight deck

History

The Russian naval aviation participated in the Russian military intervention in the War in Syria for a few months from November 2016 to January 2017 with the deployment of Russian Admiral Kuznetsov carrier to the Mediterranean. This deployment to Syria also marked the naval aviation's combat debut.
On 15 November 2016, Admiral Kuznetsov, took part in "a large-scale operation against the positions of terrorist groups Islamic State and Al-Nusra, in the provinces of Idlib and Homs" in Syria by launching Su-33 fighter strikes. This was the first time a Russian aircraft carrier would take part in combat operations. Russian Defence Ministry later reported that at least 30 militants had been killed as a result of those strikes, including 3 field commanders, among them Abul Baha al-Asfari, leader of Al-Nusra reserves in the provinces of Homs and Aleppo. Al-Asfari had also planned and led several insurgent attacks on the city of Aleppo itself. The Su-33s reportedly used precision bombs. On 3 December 2016, an Su-33 crashed into the sea after attempting to land on the carrier. The plane crashed on its second attempt to land on the aircraft carrier in good weather conditions. The pilot was safely recovered by a search and rescue helicopter. Initially it was suspected that the plane missed the wires and failed to go around, falling short of the bow of the warship, but later it was revealed that the arresting cable failed to hold the aircraft, and was damaged in the attempt. Following the two incidents, the air wing was transferred to shore at Khmeimim Air Base near Latakia, Syria to continue military operations while the carrier's arresting gear issues were addressed.
In early January 2017, it was announced that Admiral Kuznetsov and her battlegroup would be ceasing operations in Syria and returning to Russia as part of a scaling back of Russian involvement in the conflict. During her deployment off Syria, aircraft from Admiral Kuznetsov carried out 420 combat missions, hitting 1,252 hostile targets. On 11 January 2017, Admiral Kuznetsov was conducting live-fire training exercises in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya. The Russian defence ministry announced that on 11 January, Admiral Kuznetsov was visited by Libya′s military leader Khalifa Haftar, who had a video conference with Russian defence minister Sergey Shoygu while on board.

Structure and Organisation

The 100th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment was formed at Saki in the Crimea on 10 March 1986. In January 1992 its personnel refused to take the oath of loyalty to Ukraine, which would have presumably made them part of the Ukrainian Navy or Ukrainian Air Force, and instead its personnel left for Russia, leaving their aircraft and equipment behind. The unit regrouped at Severomorsk-3 as part of the Northern Fleet. However, in February 1993 the regiment was disbanded and its personnel and equipment incorporated into the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment.
The 279th Independent Shipborne Assault Aviation Regiment was established in 1973. In 1990 it became a Maritime Assault Aviation Regiment. On 22 February 1993 it was renamed the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment as it absorbed the remaining elements of the 100th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment.

Structure in 2007

This is the structure of the Russian Naval Aviation, as reproduced from the August 2007 issue of the Air Forces Monthly. Given the new data from 2015-16 about the two shipborne fighter aviation regiments above, the 100th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, listed at Severomorsk-3 with the MiG-29K, has been removed from the Northern Fleet listing.
NAVAL HIGH COMMAND – Saint Petersburg
Northern Fleet Air Force – HQ Severomorsk
Pacific Fleet Air Force – HQ Vladivostok
Baltic Fleet Air Force – HQ Kaliningrad
Black Sea Fleet Air Arm – HQ Sevastopol
As a result of the 2008 Russian military reforms, the units of the Russian Naval Aviation were reorganized into 13 new Naval Air Bases. Each new naval air base consists of an HQ, support units and one or more aviation groups/wings. In a second stage, the air bases were merged into territorially integrated structures. Only the 279th Regiment retained its status. The planned transfer of Naval Aviation assets to the Air Force has been delayed due to their importance to the service, but was finally implemented by the end of 2011.
As of 2012, the only fixed wing strike and fighter aircraft of Russian Naval Aviation are the Su-33 fighters and Su-25UTG attack aircraft of the 279th Regiment, plus the Su-24 bombers based in the Crimea. This sole bomber unit remained part of Naval Aviation as an exception to satisfy treaty requirements governing Russian forces deployments on Ukrainian territory. Buying brand new multirole Sukhoi Su-30SM for the Black Sea Fleet to replace Su-24 was in the planning stages and it has been completed as of December 2016. Naval aviation also retains the anti-submarine aircraft of the forces and the helicopter arm.
Given the new data from 2015-16 from Russian sources regarding the 100th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment's disbandment in 1993, Air Force's Monthly's listing of both the 100th and 279th Regiments at the Severomorsk-3 NAB has been altered by removal of the 100 KIAP.
Naval air bases of the Russian Naval Aviation include:
Baltic Fleet air bases - HQ at Kaliningrad:
Black Sea Fleet air bases - HQ at Sevastopol:
Northern Fleet air bases - HQ at Severomorsk:
Pacific Fleet air bases - HQ at Vladivostok:
The Soviet and its successor the Russian Naval Aviation follow the TOE of the Soviet. This practice has been formally established with Order No. 0036 of the Navy Chief-of-Staff. Therefore, it followed air force unit convention and its personnel held air force type ranks. A major divergence from the practice in the NATO member states and the countries, which follow US air force traditions is that the Soviet Union, its Warsaw Pact and other Socialist allies kept flying units and the ground support units separate subordinated separately to higher command and control level. For example, an aviation regiment and the radar and signals battalion, the air field battalion and the other support units servicing the air field reported to their air division. Another difference is that Soviet military air arms did not bring aviation units of different branches together. The only exceptions were Mixed Aviation Regiments or rarely air regiments, which flew one single type in different variants and tasks.
The 2008 Russian military reform planned during the term of Anatoly Serdyukov changed that. The main organizational change in the Ground Forces was the transition from a 4-level operational chain of command to a 3-level one. The Air Force transitioned correspondingly to Military District — Operational Command — Air Base chain of command. The air bases combined geographically closely located flying units of various arms with ground support units. As the naval aviation followed the air force organizational practice it too adopted the air base organization. The separate air commands of the fleets were disbanded and naval aviation assets adopted a three level operational chain of command including Military District — Fleet — Air Base.
Concerning its inventory, it was decided that the naval aviation divest its heavy bombers and fighter aircraft, transferring them to the Air Force. The re-organization of the Air Force was later reverted on the grounds of being counter-productive. The four Air Forces and Air Defence Operational Commands were reverted to Air Forces and Air Defence Armies, one per military district each. With the establishment of the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command as a de facto fifth military district a new 45th Air Forces and Air Defence Army was formed under it. Its aviation units belong to the naval aviation unlike the other four air armies, which consist of air force units. The air force also started transforming its fighter aviation from air bases into fighter aviation regiments belonging to composite aviation divisions.
The naval aviation also reverted the decision to divest its fighter air arm. MiG-31 were transferred back to the Navy and new Su-30SM heavy multirole fighters were ordered. These aircraft were grouped into fighter aviation regiments independent from the air bases. As of 2019 the naval aviation air bases consist of maritime patrol and ASW aircraft, transport aircraft, ASW helicopters, combat and assault helicopters, transport helicopters and UAVs. Naval aviation is following the air force in the resurrection of the air divisions as an operational level of command and control. It is yet undecided whether the naval aviation air bases will become air divisions, reforming their fixed wing, helicopter and UAV assets in aviation regiments and squadrons or new composite naval aviation divisions will be formed and the NAABs will be subordinated to them next to the fighter aviation regiments.

Naval aviation in 2019

Naval High Command

Naval High Command — Saint Petersburg
The Northern Fleet was subordinated to the Western Military District, but with the re-vitalization of Russia's interests in the High Arctic it was decided to make it part of the core of a new, fifth, military district - the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command.
Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command — Severomorsk
Order of Lenin Western Military District — Saint Petersburg
Red Banner and Order of Suvorov Southern Military District – Rostov-on-Don
Red Banner and Order of Suvorov Southern Military District – Rostov-on-Don
Order of Lenin, Twice Red Banner and Order of Suvorov Eastern Military District – Khabarovsk
The Russian Naval Aviation maintains a large and varied fleet of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, the most numerous of which is the Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter that operates from various surface ships.