June 1, 2019 marks 88 years since the creation of the military transport aviation (MTA) in our country. It is the first day of summer that is traditionally considered the date of birth of BTA. Today, military transport aviation is organizationally part of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia. For almost 90 years of its existence, the domestic air transport aviation has gone a long way of development, and the capabilities of transport aircraft have grown by an order of magnitude over the years. Today the Russian MTA is able to solve all types of operational-tactical, operational and strategic tasks set by the higher command.
In the realities of today, military transport aviation in Russia is developing in the following areas: conducting amphibious air operations, ensuring the deployment of units and subunits of the RF Armed Forces in different theaters of military operations, air transportation of troops, equipment and cargo. To accomplish these tasks, the Russian military transport aviation must be replenished with modern models of transport aircraft, which include the Il-76MD-90A, Il-112V and An-70. Also, the implementation of the goals facing the BTA is facilitated by the work on the modernization of the existing aircraft fleet, in particular, such machines as the Il-76MD and An-124 "Ruslan".
The emergence of domestic military transport aviation
By tradition, the date of the emergence of the Russian military transport aviation is called June 1, 1931. On this day, as part of the Leningrad Military District, the process of forming the first special military transport unit as part of the Air Force was completed. The new unit was named - Experienced Airborne Detachment. Initially, the squadron consisted of only two squadrons, which received very different aircraft both in size and in their capabilities. One squadron of the detachment was armed with one of the most massive biplanes in Soviet history, the P-5 reconnaissance aircraft. The multipurpose aircraft received a lot of military specialties, among which there were postal and cargo-passenger options. The second squadron was armed with heavy bombers TB-1, created by Tupolev. It is noteworthy that the Soviet TB-1 became the world's first all-metal twin-engine bomber. This slow-moving giant remained in service with the Red Army Air Force until 1936, after which the remaining vehicles were transferred to Aeroflot, where they were used at least until 1945 in the role of exclusively trucks.
Despite the fact that the date of formation of the air transport aviation is considered June 1, 1931, it really declared itself a little earlier. On August 2, 1930, a significant event for the history of the Russian armed forces took place. On this day, near Voronezh, for the first time in Russian history, a full-fledged airborne unit was parachuted from an aircraft. Today in the Russian Federation, August 2 is celebrated as the Day of the Airborne Forces, but it is simply impossible to imagine the Airborne Forces without transport aviation. For the first time, this symbiosis proved to the military its effectiveness and viability precisely at the exercises of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District.
Boarding the plane TB-3 of the Soviet airborne group, 1942
For a long period of time, the main task of the military transport aviation in the Soviet Union was to drop parachute assault forces behind enemy lines. The Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 can be called a full-fledged debut of the VTA, during which Soviet transport aircraft were actively used by the command to airlift troops, cargo and evacuate the wounded from the front. Actions in a real combat situation were very important both for young crews and for the Soviet command, they provided invaluable, incomparable practical experience in the use of military transport aviation.
A great success for the Soviet military transport aviation in the pre-war period was the appearance of the PS-84 aircraft, which in 1942 acquired a new name Li-2. It was a super-successful aircraft, which is a licensed copy of the American short-haul transport aircraft Douglas DC-3. Both in the USA and in the USSR, the car was produced in a huge series. The aircraft turned out to be so successful that it was actively operated for several decades after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Initially, the aircraft was purchased by the Soviet Union for civilian passenger transportation. But the war made its own adjustments, and the PS-84 turned into a military Li-2, which was very much loved by the troops. The vehicle was versatile and was used to transport people and cargo, carry out amphibious operations and deliver aid to a partisan detachment, and also as a night bomber. The Li-2, of which 1,214 were produced during the war, became the most massive domestic military transport aircraft of the 1940s.
Li-2
Today we can assess the contribution of the Soviet military transport aviation to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. It is known that during the four years of the conflict, Soviet aviation carried out approximately 1.7 million sorties, of which more than 31 percent relate to sorties aimed at solving transport and landing tasks. These sorties at different times involved both the formations of heavy bombers TB-3 and aircraft mobilized from passenger aviation - PS-40 and PS-41. Already during the war years, the Soviet Air Force was replenished with transport aircraft of its own production. The machines were designed and put into mass production at the most difficult time for the country. We are talking about specialized military transport aircraft Shche-2 and Yak-6, which were distinguished by their manufacturability and simplicity of design, which best suited the capabilities and conditions of production by wartime enterprises, whose machines often had women and children.
The actions of military transport aviation today
Today, not a single check of combat readiness, which is often carried out in the Russian Armed Forces, can be imagined without the involvement of military transport aircraft. This once again testifies to the fact that the VTA plays one of the leading roles in the Russian Aerospace Forces, representing an effective tool that allows you to quickly influence the military-political situation in the world. In any military conflict, especially at its initial stage, the main task of the military transport aviation is the transfer of units and subunits along with military equipment and materiel. The aircraft at the disposal of the Russian military transport aviation are able to fly up to 8,000 kilometers, said the commander of the Russian military transport aviation, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov. As an example of the effective use of military transport aviation, the general cited the Vostok-2018 exercise. During the exercise, military transport aircraft made more than 100 sorties, carrying by air about 150 units of various military equipment, more than 4 thousand soldiers and more than 1.3 thousand tons of various cargo.
The higher military educational institution located in Voronezh is responsible for training personnel for the domestic military transport aviation. The idea of a training and scientific center of the Air Force "Air Force Academy named after N. Ye. Zhukovsky and Yu. A. Gagarin." In addition, the Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Flight Personnel, located in the city of Ivanovo, is responsible for training and retraining pilots of military transport aviation, improving their qualifications. The center has a modern set of equipment and the necessary material base, as well as a strong teaching staff. In the courses in Ivanovo, not only people who sit at the wheels of multi-ton vehicles are trained, but also representatives of the engineering and technical staff. Preparation and retraining is also underway for the most modern domestic transport vehicles, including the Il-76MD-90A and the modernized Il-76MD-M aircraft.
IL-76MD-90A
The process of education and training of crews of military transport aviation is carried out taking into account the development of priority tasks, among which there are takeoffs and landings from unpaved runways, as well as snow and ice strips; flights with the maximum possible altitude difference (climb and descent); bombing practice. The main events, in which the planes and crews of the Russian military transport aviation will take part in 2019, will be the large-scale exercises "Center-2019", as well as the demonstrative regimental tactical exercise of the Airborne Forces. The BTA command plans to attract a significant number of aircraft and crews, including young ones, to conduct these two training events.
According to the assurances of Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, the Russian military transport aviation operates today 13 types of aircraft, which were designed by engineers from the Tupolev, Antonov, Ilyushin and Mila design bureaus. Today, the main part of the Russian military transport fleet is represented by Il-76MD, An-124-100 Ruslan and An-22A Antey transport aircraft. The An-22 Antey and An-124 Ruslan military transport aircraft can be classified as strategic (long-range heavy) aircraft, while the Il-76MD and its modifications are classified as operational-strategic (heavy) aircraft.
IL-112V
Military transport aviation is developing today according to a comprehensive program, which involves the supply of new aircraft and helicopter equipment to the troops and the renewal of the existing fleet. At present, Russia has already planned and is carrying out R&D work on the creation and modernization of the Il-76MD-90A and Il-76MD-M transport aircraft, the development of medium and light military transport aircraft. Il-112V, which made its maiden flight on March 30, 2019, is a promising domestic light-class military transport aircraft. According to the plans, the Il-112V is being created as a replacement for the An-24 and An-26 transport aircraft still of Soviet production.
