Army aviation is usually called helicopter units that operate in conjunction with the ground forces - they support them with fire from the air, supply their troops with various supplies, land troops and evacuate the wounded. The value of army aviation is that it is almost always close to the troops and has a very high combat potential. In recent years, Russian army aviation has been equipped with new military equipment produced by five helicopter plants located in Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Kumertau, Ulan-Ude and Arsenyev. According to the results of the 2014 production year, Russia came out on top in the world in the production of combat helicopters, surpassing even the United States and the European Union in terms of this indicator. In addition to our own armed forces, our combat helicopters enter service with the armies of Venezuela, Peru, Afghanistan, Iraq, Brazil, Azerbaijan, India and many other countries of the world.
In 2014, to the airbases of the Western (Ostrov, Levashovo and Vyazma), Southern (Rostov-on-Don, Budennovsk and Dzhankoy), Central (Kamensk-Uralsky and Tolmachevo) and Vostochny (Chernigovka, Khabarovsk, Chita and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) military districts, as well as a military school and a training and retraining center for flight personnel, received over 100 new combat, transport and training helicopters.
Today, the Russian Air Force receives transport helicopters Ka-226, Mi-8MTV-5 and Mi-26T, transport and combat helicopters Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-35M, combat helicopters Mi-28N and Ka-52, as well as training helicopters " Ansat ".
The main types of helicopters entering service with the Russian Air Force:
Ka-52 "Alligator" - combat reconnaissance and attack helicopter;
Mi-28N "Night Hunter" - combat attack helicopter;
Mi-35M - combat attack helicopter;
Mi-8AMTSh "Terminator" - transport and landing combat helicopter
Mi-8MTV-5 - transport and landing helicopter;
Mi-26 - heavy transport helicopter;
Ka-226 - light transport helicopter;
Ansat-U is a training helicopter.
In addition to the above, the industry also produces specialized helicopters, for example, relay helicopters, rescue helicopters, or luxury helicopters.
Air bases, regiment and brigade of army aviation of Russia
Russian army aviation is represented by air bases of the second category, the 39th helicopter regiment, formed this year as part of the aviation division in the Crimea, as well as the most powerful helicopter formation - the 15th aviation brigade, stationed in one of the most important directions - the northwest.
Typically, an air base includes 2-3 squadrons of transport and combat helicopters. As part of the brigade of 5 squadrons, the composition of the regiment in the open press has not yet been disclosed.
Western military district (1st Air Force and Air Defense Command, Voronezh)
378th AB AA, Vyazma (Mi-8, Mi-24, Mi-28N - 12 pcs.)
549th ab AA, Levashovo (Mi-8, Mi-24)
15th AA brigade, Ostrov (Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-8MTV-5, Ka-52 - 16 units, Mi-28N - 12 units, Mi-35M - 2 units, Mi-26)
Central Military District (2nd command of the Air Force and Air Defense, Yekaterinburg)
562th AB AA, Tolmachevo (Mi-8, Mi-24)
42nd AB AA, Kamensk-Uralsky (Mi-8, Mi-24)
Eastern Military District (3rd command of the Air Force and Air Defense, Khabarovsk)
575th AB AA, Chernigovka (Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-24, Ka-52 - 20 pcs., Mi-26T)
573 AB AA, Khabarovsk-Bolshoi (Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-24, Mi-26, Ka-52 - 12 pcs.)
412th ab AA, Chita (Mi-8, Mi-24).
Southern Military District (4th command of the Air Force and Air Defense, Rostov-on-Don)
39th vap 27th garden, Dzhankoy (Mi-8AMTSh, Ka-52 - 16 pcs., Mi-28N - 12 pcs., Mi-26, Mi-35M - 8 pcs.)
546th AB AA, Rostov, Egorlykskaya (Mi-28 - 12 pcs., Mi-24, Mi-35, Mi-8, Mi-26)
387th AB AA, Budennovsk (Mi-28N - 16 units, Mi-24, Mi-35 - 8 units, Mi-8)
It is not clear what happened to the 393rd ab AA in Korenovsk, after the transfer of equipment to the 39th wap.
Types and number of vehicles entered service with army aviation in 2014
In 2009, under the state defense order, the Ministry of Defense of Russia received 25 helicopters of various types, in 2010 - 59 helicopters, in 2011 - 90 helicopters, in 2012 - 127 helicopters, in 2013 - more than 100 helicopters. In 2014, information on the supply of new machines began to be semi-closed, but according to open media reports, it can be concluded that the Russian Air Force received no less helicopters than in the previous year.
According to information reflecting the implementation of the "State Arms Program - 2020", based on the results of 2014 (helicopters):
Ka-52 - 12 pcs.
Mi-28N - 8 pcs.
Mi-35M - 14 pcs.
Mi-8MTV-3 - 3 pcs.
Mi-8AMTSh - 25 pcs.
Mi-8AMTSh-V - 8 pcs.
Mi-8MTV-5 - 24 pcs.
Mi-26T - 4 pcs.
Ansat-U - 6 pcs.
Produced by the enterprises of the Russian Helicopters holding:
Kazan Helicopters:
In 2014, as part of a state defense order, the plant delivered 1 Mi-8MTV-2 helicopter, 20 Mi-8MTV-5-1 helicopters, as well as 6 Ansat-U helicopters to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Rostvertol:
In 2014, it hands over to a domestic customer 8 Mi-28N, 14 Mi-35M, 4 heavy Mi-26T.
U-UAZ:
As part of the state defense order, the Tolmachevo airbase of the Central Military District, stationed in the Novosibirsk region, received 14 Mi-8AMTSh Terminator transport and assault helicopters, the press service of the Central Military District reported. In total, in 2014, the plant handed over to the customer at least 33 Mi-8AMTSh / Mi-8AMTSh-V helicopters, however, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Bondarev spoke about the planned delivery of 40 helicopters of this type.
AAK "Progress":
In total, since 2008, the plant has built 79 Ka-52 helicopters.
Transferred to the troops:
According to media reports, 35 helicopters come to the ZVO in 2014, of which 14 are Mi-8MTV-5. The Central Military District received 14 Mi-8AMTSh. 10 Ka-52 helicopters entered service with the Air Defense Forces.
Over 50 helicopters will be delivered from the military aviation repair enterprises in the army aviation unit. These are not new machines, but modernized helicopters of the Mi-8, Mi-24 and Mi-26 types.
The most important events in the army aviation in 2014:
1. In February and March 2014, the helicopter units of the Southern Military District took part in ensuring calm and security during the people's referendum on the self-determination of Crimea: several airborne operations were carried out by the army aviation of the Southern Military District to deliver the "little green men" to the places where the assigned tasks were performed …
2. In 2014, a powerful aviation group was created in Crimea, the basis of which was the newly formed 27th mixed aviation division, which, in addition to two "aircraft" regiments, included the 39th helicopter regiment, based at the Dzhankoy airfield. The 393rd air base in Korenovsk took part in the formation of this regiment - it was from this base that the newest Ka-52, Mi-28N combat helicopters and various modifications of the Mi-8 transport and combat helicopters available at the Korenovsk air base were relocated to the Crimea. At the moment, this is the only helicopter regiment in the Russian armed forces.
3. At the plant in Ulan-Ude, the assembly of “Arctic” Mi-8AMTSh-V helicopters has begun, which are maximally adapted for use and combat use in the harsh climatic conditions of the Russian Arctic. The first eight vehicles entered service with two air bases in the Western and Central military districts.
4. In September, during the Vostok-2014 strategic exercises, sixteen Mi-8AMTSh helicopters of the Eastern Military District made a long-distance flight from Iturup Island (Kuriles) to the Yelizovo airfield in Kamchatka. The entire route of 1,300 kilometers passed over the sea and took more than six hours in time. Each helicopter was equipped with additional fuel tanks, which made it possible to make this record-breaking flight.
