To write this article, I was largely prompted by the excessive jingoistic sentiments of a significant part of the visitors to the Voennoye Obozreniye website, which I respect, as well as the craftiness of the domestic media that regularly publish materials about the unprecedented increase in our military power since Soviet times, including the Air Force and Air Defense.
For example, in a number of media outlets, including on "VO", in the "News" section, a material was recently published under the title: "Two air defense divisions have begun to protect the airspace of Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region."
In which it is said: “The assistant to the commander of the troops of the Central Military District, Colonel Yaroslav Roshchupkin, said that two air defense divisions took up combat duty, starting to protect the airspace of Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region.
“The duty forces of the two air defense divisions took up combat duty to cover the administrative, industrial and military facilities of the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia. The new formations were formed on the basis of the Novosibirsk and Samara aerospace defense brigades, RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Combat crews equipped with S-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems will cover the airspace over the territory of 29 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which are part of the Central Military District's zone of responsibility.
An inexperienced reader, after such news, may get the impression that our anti-aircraft missile air defense units have received qualitative and quantitative reinforcement with new anti-aircraft systems.
In practice, in this case, no quantitative, let alone qualitative, strengthening of our air defense has happened. It all comes down to just a change in the staffing structure. The troops did not receive new equipment.
The anti-aircraft missile system of the S-300PS modification mentioned in the publication, with all its advantages, can in no way be considered new.
S-300PS
The S-300PS with 5V55R missiles was put into service back in 1983. That is, more than 30 years have passed since the adoption of this system. But at present, in the anti-aircraft missile units of the air defense, more than half of the long-range S-300P air defense systems belong to this modification.
In the near future (two to three years), most of the S-300PS will either have to be written off or overhauled. However, it is not known which option is economically preferable, the modernization of old or the construction of new anti-aircraft systems.
The earlier towed version of the S-300PT has already been either decommissioned or transferred "for storage" without any chance of returning to the troops.
The "freshest" complex from the "300th" S-300PM family was delivered to the Russian army in the mid-90s. Most of the anti-aircraft missiles currently in service were produced at the same time.
The new widely advertised S-400 anti-aircraft missile system has just begun to enter service. In total, as of 2014, 10 regimental kits were delivered to the troops. Taking into account the upcoming mass write-off of the military equipment that has exhausted its resource, this amount is absolutely insufficient.
S-400
Of course, experts, of whom there are many on the site, can reasonably argue that the S-400 is significantly superior in its capabilities to the system it is replacing. However, one should not forget that the air attack weapons of the main “potential partner” are constantly being qualitatively improved. In addition, as follows from "open sources", there is still no mass production of promising 9M96E and 9M96E2 missiles and 40N6E ultra-long-range missiles. Currently, the S-400 is used by the 48N6E, 48N6E2, 48N6E3 S-300PM air defense missile systems, as well as the 48N6DM missiles modified for the S-400.
In total, if you believe the "open sources", in our country there are about 1500 launchers of the S-300 family of air defense systems - this, most likely, taking into account the air defense units of the ground forces that are "in storage" and in service.
Today, the Russian air defense forces (those that are part of the Air Force and Air Defense) have 34 regiments with S-300PS, S-300PM and S-400 air defense systems. In addition, not so long ago, several anti-aircraft missile brigades, converted into regiments, were transferred to the Air Force and Air Defense from the Air Defense of the Ground Forces - two 2-divisional brigades S-300V and "Buk" and one mixed (two divisions S-300V, one Buk division). Thus, in the troops we have 38 regiments, including 105 divisions.
However, even these forces are extremely unevenly distributed throughout the country, Moscow is best defended, around which ten S-300P air defense systems are deployed (two of them have two S-400 divisions).
Satellite image of Google Earth. The layout of the positions of the air defense missile system around Moscow. Colored triangles and squares - positions and basing areas of operating air defense systems, blue diamonds and circles - surveillance radars, white - currently eliminated air defense systems and radars
The northern capital, St. Petersburg, is well covered. The sky above it is protected by two S-300PS regiments and two S-300PM regiments.
Satellite image of Google Earth. Layout of air defense missile systems around St. Petersburg
The bases of the Northern Fleet in Murmansk, Severomorsk and Polyarny are covered by three S-300PS and S-300PM regiments, at the Pacific Fleet in the Vladivostok and Nakhodka areas - two S-300PS regiments, and the Nakhodka regiment received two S-400 divisions. Avachinsky Bay in Kamchatka, where SSBNs are based, is covered by one S-300PS regiment.
Satellite image of Google Earth. SAM S-400 in the vicinity of Nakhodka
The Kaliningrad region and the BF base in Baltiysk are protected from air attack by the S-300PS / S-400 mixed regiment.
Satellite image of Google Earth. The S-400 air defense system in the Kaliningrad region on the former positions of the C-200 air defense system
Recently, there has been a strengthening of the anti-aircraft cover of the Black Sea Fleet. Prior to the well-known events related to Ukraine, a mixed-strength regiment with S-300PM and S-400 divisions was deployed in the Novorossiysk region.
Currently, there is a significant strengthening of the air defense of the main naval base of the Black Sea Fleet - Sevastopol. It is reported that in November the Peninsula's air defense grouping was replenished with S-300PM air defense systems. Taking into account the fact that complexes of this type are currently not produced by industry for their own needs, most likely, they were transferred from another region of the country.
The central region of our country in terms of anti-aircraft cover resembles a "patchwork quilt", in which there are more holes than patches. There is one S-300PS regiment each in the Novgorod region, near Voronezh, Samara and Saratov. The Rostov region is covered by one regiment of S-300PM and one Buk.
In the Urals, near Yekaterinburg, there are positions of an anti-aircraft missile regiment armed with S-300PS. Beyond the Urals, in Siberia, on a gigantic territory, there are only three regiments, one S-300PS regiment each - near Novosibirsk, in Irkutsk and Achinsk. In Buryatia, not far from the Dzhida station, one regiment of the Buk air defense missile system is deployed.
Satellite image of Google Earth. SAM S-300PS near Irkutsk
In addition to anti-aircraft complexes protecting the fleet bases in Primorye and Kamchatka, in the Far East there are two more S-300PS regiments covering Khabarovsk (Knyaze-Volkonskoe) and Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Lian), respectively, one regiment of S- 300V.
That is, the entire huge Far Eastern Federal District is protected: one regiment of mixed composition S-300PS / S-400, four regiments S-300PS, one regiment S-300V. This is all that remains of the once powerful 11th Air Defense Army.
"Holes" between air defense objects in the east of the country are several thousand kilometers each, anyone and anything can fly into them. However, not only in Siberia and the Far East, but throughout the country, a huge number of critical industrial and infrastructure facilities are not covered by any air defense means.
Nuclear and hydroelectric power plants remain unprotected in a significant part of the country's territory, air strikes on which can lead to catastrophic consequences. Vulnerability from air attack weapons at the Russian strategic nuclear forces' deployment points provokes "potential partners" to attempt a "disarming strike" with high-precision weapons to destroy non-nuclear weapons.
In addition, long-range anti-aircraft systems themselves need protection. They must be covered from the air with short-range air defense systems. Today, regiments with S-400s receive Pantsir-S air defense missile systems for this (2 per division), but S-300P and B are not covered by anything, except, of course, effective protection of anti-aircraft machine gun mounts of 12.7 mm caliber.
"Pantsir-S"
The situation with the lighting of the air situation is no better. This should be done by radio-technical troops, their functional responsibility is to provide information in advance about the beginning of an enemy air attack, provide target designation for anti-aircraft missile forces and air defense aviation, as well as information for controlling air defense formations, units and subunits.
Over the years of "reforms", the continuous radar field formed during the Soviet era was partially, and in some places completely lost.
At present, there is practically no possibility of monitoring the air situation over the polar latitudes.
Until recently, our political and former military leadership seems to have been preoccupied with other more pressing issues, such as the reduction of the armed forces and the sale of "surplus" military equipment and real estate.
Only recently, at the end of 2014, Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu announced measures that should help correct the existing situation in this area.
As part of expanding our military presence in the Arctic, it is planned to build and reconstruct existing facilities on the New Siberian Islands and Franz Josef Land, reconstruct airfields and deploy modern radars in Tiksi, Naryan-Mar, Alykel, Vorkuta, Anadyr and Rogachevo. The creation of a continuous radar field over the territory of Russia should be completed by 2018. At the same time, it is planned to upgrade radar stations and data processing and transmission facilities by 30%.
Fighter aircraft deserves special mention, designed to combat enemy air attack weapons and carry out air superiority missions. Currently, the RF Air Force formally includes (taking into account those in "storage") about 900 fighters, of which: Su-27 of all modifications - more than 300, Su-30 of all modifications - about 50, Su-35S - 34, MiG -29 of all modifications - about 250, MiG-31 of all modifications - about 250.
It should be borne in mind that a significant part of the fleet of Russian fighters is listed in the Air Force only nominally. Many aircraft produced in the late 80s - early 90s require overhaul and modernization. In addition, due to problems with the supply of spare parts and replacement of failed avionics units, some of the modernized fighters are in fact, as the aviators put it, "doves of peace." They can still rise into the air, but they can no longer fully complete the combat mission.
The past 2014 was remarkable for the unprecedented supply of aircraft to the Russian armed forces since the times of the USSR.
In 2014, our Air Force received 24 Su-35S multifunctional fighters manufactured by the Yu. A. Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (branch of OJSC "Company" Sukhoi "):
Su-35S at the Dzemgi airfield, photo by the author
Twenty of them became part of the reconstituted 23rd Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 303rd Guards Mixed Aviation Division of the 3rd Command of the Air Force and Air Defense of Russia at the Dzemgi airfield (Khabarovsk Territory) jointly with the plant.
All these fighters were built under the August 2009 contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for the construction of 48 Su-35S fighters. Thus, the total number of machines manufactured under this contract reached 34 by the beginning of 2015.
The production of Su-30SM fighters for the Russian Air Force is carried out by the Irkut corporation under two contracts for 30 aircraft each, concluded with the Russian Ministry of Defense in March and December 2012. After the delivery of 18 aircraft in 2014, the total number of Su-30SM delivered to the Russian Air Force reached 34 units.
Su-30M2 at the Dzemgi airfield, photo by the author
Eight more Su-30M2 fighters were produced by the Yu. A. Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
Three fighters of this type entered the newly formed 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 27th Mixed Aviation Division of the 4th Command of the Air Force and Air Defense of Russia at the Belbek airfield (Crimea).
The Su-30M2s were built under a contract dated December 2012 for the supply of 16 Su-30M2 fighters, bringing the total number of aircraft built under this contract to 12, and the total number of Su-30M2s in the Russian Air Force to 16.
However, this significant by today's standards, the number is absolutely insufficient to replace the decommissioned aircraft in the fighter regiments due to the complete physical deterioration of the aircraft.
Even if the current rate of deliveries of aircraft to the troops is maintained, according to forecasts, in five years, the fighter fleet of the Russian Air Force will be reduced to about 600 aircraft.
Over the next five years, about 400 Russian fighters will probably be decommissioned - up to 40% of the current payroll.
This is primarily with the upcoming decommissioning in the very near future of the old MiG-29 (about 200 pcs.). About 100 aircraft have already been rejected due to problems with the glider.
Su-27SM at the Dzemgi airfield, photo by the author
Also, the unmodernized Su-27 will be written off, the flight life of which is ending in the near future. The number of MiG-31 interceptors will be cut by more than half. It is planned to leave 30-40 MiG-31s in the DZ and BS modifications as part of the Air Force, another 60 MiG-31s will be upgraded to the BM version. The rest of the MiG-31s (about 150 units) are planned to be written off.
Partially, the shortage of long-range interceptors should be resolved after the start of mass deliveries of the PAK FA. It was announced that the PAK FA is planned to purchase up to 60 units by 2020, but so far these are only plans that are likely to undergo significant adjustments.
The Russian Air Force has 15 A-50 AWACS aircraft (another 4 are in storage), recently they were supplemented by 3 modernized A-50U aircraft.
The first A-50U was delivered to the Russian Air Force in 2011.
As a result of the work carried out within the framework of the modernization, the functionality of the aircraft complex for long-range radar detection and control has significantly increased. The number of simultaneously tracked targets and simultaneously guided fighters has been increased, the detection range of various aircraft has been increased.
The A-50 should be replaced by the A-100 AWACS aircraft based on the Il-76MD-90A with the PS-90A-76 engine. The antenna complex is based on an active phased array antenna.
At the end of November 2014, TANTK im. G. M. Berieva received the first Il-76MD-90A aircraft for conversion into the A-100 AWACS aircraft. Deliveries to the Russian Air Force are scheduled to begin in 2016.
All domestic AWACS aircraft are based on a permanent basis in the European part of the country. Beyond the Urals, they appear quite rarely, mostly during large-scale exercises.
Unfortunately, loud statements from high tribunes about the revival of our air force and air defense often have little to do with reality. In the "new" Russia, it has become an unpleasant tradition to be absolutely irresponsible for promises made by high-ranking civil and military officials.
As part of the state armaments program, it was supposed to have twenty-eight 2-divisional regiments of the S-400 and up to ten divisions of the newest S-500 air defense system (the latter should perform tasks not only for air defense and tactical missile defense, but also for strategic missile defense) by 2020. Now there is no longer any doubt that these plans will be thwarted. The same applies fully to the plans for the production of the PAK FA.
However, for the disruption of the state program, no one, as usual, will be seriously punished. After all, we “don't give up ours”, and “we are not in 37th year,” right?
P. S. All information given in the article concerning the Russian Air Force and Air Defense was taken from open public sources, the list of which is given. The same applies to possible inaccuracies and errors.
