Combat aviation on the verge of a massive update

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Combat aviation on the verge of a massive update
The Russian Air Force is preparing for a major modernization of the fleet. In the short term, combat units will actually receive a significant number of new aircraft and helicopters for the first time in 20 years. Battle Aviation directly affects the current stage of military reform.

Lieutenant-General Igor SADOFYEV, Chief of Aviation - Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force for Aviation, spoke about the results of the Air Force’s activities in 2010 and the prospects for their development.

- Igor Vasilyevich, what are the results of the work of the Air Force aviation in 2010? In which major combat training activities within the Armed Forces did the Air Force crews take part in?

- The work of the Air Force aviation in 2010 was aimed at improving the professional training of officers in general and, of course, the flight training of crews in particular, their readiness to conduct combat operations for their intended purpose. Particular attention was paid to the commissioning and training of young flying personnel, training for the qualification category. Tasks 2010, the aircraft completed. The average flight time per pilot meets the requirements of regulatory documents and increased by 9% compared to the previous year. The quality of flight tactical training has increased. Undoubtedly, the number of tactical flight exercises affected, which increased by 14%, including with combat shooting - by 18%. The training of flight personnel per class has increased by one and a half times. All this is the result of the hard work of the leadership and the entire staff of aviation associations, formations and units, universities and centers of combat use.

The result of this work was the successful participation of the Air Force flight crews in large-scale operational and strategic exercises of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, including in conjunction with the armed forces of other states. Thus, tasks of the Interaction-2010, Peace Mission-2010, Indra-2010 and Vostok-2010 exercises were performed with high quality.

Lieutenant-General Igor Vasilyevich SADOFYEV was born in 1956. In 1977, he graduated from the Kachin Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots, in 1987 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. Yu.A. Gagarin, in 2001 - Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.

He mastered about ten types of aviation technology, has a flight over 2,5 thousands of hours. He flew more 100 combat missions while serving in Afghanistan.

From 1987, senior regiment navigator, squadron commander of a fighter aviation regiment in Lithuania.

From 1990, he served in the Western Group of Forces, deputy regiment commander.

From 1993 - the commander of the air regiment in Transbaikalia, from 1996 - the chief of staff, then the commander of the formation in Buryatia.

From 1998, Deputy Commander of a separate Air Force and Air Defense Corps in Chita, in 1998-1999. - Commander of the air division of the Far Eastern association of the Air Force and Air Defense (Komsomolsk-on-Amur).

From 2001 - Deputy Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Association in Rostov-on-Don, from 21 January 2002 - Commander of the 11 Army Air Force and Air Defense (Khabarovsk) of the Far Eastern Air Force and Air Defense.

From 10 in May 2007 to the present - Head of Aviation - Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force for Aviation.

Sniper pilot, "Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation."


- How was the work of aviation organized in the interests of other types and types of troops of the Armed Forces of Russia during such exercises as, for example, “Interaction-2010”, “Peace Mission-2010”, “Indra-2010”?

- The work of aviation in the interests of other types and types of troops of the Armed Forces is organized in accordance with the plan on the basis of applications from the types and types of troops. In its daily activities, aviation performs the tasks of transporting personnel, military and special equipment, ensures the conduct of parachute training of personnel. In the course of the battalion and brigade exercises, aviation performs fire engagement tasks for a conventional enemy in accordance with the exercises' plans, dropping personnel, combat and special equipment with landing and parachute methods. In the course of large-scale exercises, such as Vostok-2010, Interaction-2010, Peace Mission-2010, aviation not only ensures their implementation, but also participates in the exercises as an independent view of the Armed Forces, fulfilling the tasks of creating aviation groups, organization and conduct of hostilities.

- Let's dwell on the participation of a large number of aircraft in the operational-strategic exercise "Vostok-2010". What tasks did the flight crews perform, which Air Force and Air Defense Command did they represent?

- Directly flight crews involved in the exercise "Vostok-2010", performed a number of important tasks. This is the creation of groups in the strategic direction - the crews made non-stop flights with air refueling, air reconnaissance, mining, jamming detection and guidance systems, patrolling and air combat to repel a massive rocket-air strike, escort and cover the landing on the route and in the landing area, air support for combat operations of the Ground Forces tactically and with the use of aviation weapons, search and reconnaissance provision of.

It cannot be said that for the first time the creation of an aviation group was carried out with the involvement of aviation of all Air Force associations, with the relocation of equipment from the European part of the country - from the Lipetsk, Rostov, Voronezh regions. A flight of two Su-24M units was completed with three refueling in the air. Of course, in the course of the exercise, issues of close interaction with the Ground Forces and the Navy were worked out. fleet.


Delivery of Su-34 fighter-bombers to the troops has already begun

- Two crews of Su-2010 fighter-bomber from Lipetsk pulp and paper station and FPS worked on the Vostok-34 OSU. Please evaluate the participation of Su-34 in large-scale exercises. Repeatedly, officials have said that the Air Force is in great need of these machines. So after all, when will these multifunctional complexes arrive in units and formations of the Air Force?

- During the creation of an aviation grouping according to the plan for OSU Vostok-2010, two full-time crews of Su-34 aircraft made non-stop, more than eight-hour flights with two refueling in the air from Lipetsk airfield to Dzemgi airfield (Komsomolsk-on-Amur) and back . Crews demonstrated high proficiency, and aviation technology - no less high reliability. Aircraft Su-34 considered the leadership of the Air Force and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as extremely promising modern machines. Attracting them to participate in such a large-scale exercise is primarily dictated by the need to check their real combat capabilities and assess the prospects for realizing the increased combat potential of front-line bomber aircraft in the face of changing strategic directions.

Once again I want to note that, along with the crews of Su-34 aircraft, a similar task of relocating to a new strategic direction was performed by more than 20 crews of Su-24М aircraft with three refueling in the air and a non-stop flight duration of about 8 hours. It is also a very important indicator of the skill of the flight personnel and the reliability of our aircraft.

Su-34 aircraft continue to participate in military trials, serious work is underway to increase their combat capabilities and improve technical characteristics. At the same time, their planned delivery to the troops and the development of flight crews in combat units had already begun.

- Will the approach to obtaining the required level of flight hours by air force flight personnel change due to the reassignment of aviation forces and assets at USC? How will events be organized to obtain classroom personnel?

- The minimum rates of flight personnel are determined by the relevant orders of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation.

When planning flight operations in unions, air units and units for the year, the achieved and planned level of training of each pilot (flight crew member), combat training activities (exercises, training camps) and tasks assigned specifically to each part are also taken into account.

The level of air force flight crews, as a rule, depends on the serviceability of aviation equipment and the limits of aviation fuel allocated for training, which is currently sufficient for carrying out planned flight work.

That is, the level of flying composition does not depend on the subordination of formations and units of the Air Force.

As for obtaining a class of personnel by the Air Force, then at every unification, formation and unit, qualification commissions are established and operate. In their work, they are guided by the requirements set forth in the relevant orders of the Minister of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. These documents set forth the procedure for determining the qualifications of personnel, assigning and confirming qualification categories. Training for qualification categories is carried out on the basis of approved plans, which are drawn up for a year on the basis of the achieved level of personnel training.

Qualification categories for pilots are assigned by the Central Qualification Commission of the flight personnel of state aviation under the Ministry of Defense after carrying out relevant tests of theoretical knowledge and level of flight training.

The re-subordination of aviation forces and equipment at USC will not affect the assignment of qualification categories to both the flight personnel and specialists of the ground services of the Air Force.


The priority for long-range aviation is the modernization of the aircraft system, including - Tu-95MS

- Tell us about the main directions of modernization of aviation technology by type. What components should be replaced first? Is the arrival of a new aviation technology in the air force units and connections expected? What time frame?

- Military-technical priorities of the development of the Air Force in accordance with the re-equipment program for the near future include several directions. These are the re-equipment of combat units of front-line and army aviation with modern equipment, the implementation of measures to maintain the serviceability of weapons and military equipment at a level that ensures the fulfillment of combat missions for the intended purpose, and also R & D to create promising means of warfare.

For Long-Range Aviation, the priority is to improve technical equipment mainly due to the modernization of the aircraft in order to build the Tu-160, Tu-95MS, Tu-22М3, and Il-78М. In the medium term, about 80% of these machines will be upgraded.

It also provides for the extension of the designated service life of the Tu-160, Tu-95MS, Tu-22М3, Il-78М aircraft, information support tools for the use of the Long-Range Aviation Complex. Undoubtedly, the Air Force will not abandon the purchase of new aircraft.

As for the military transport aviation fleet, it is envisaged to re-equip the equipment in two stages for the medium term, both by upgrading the aircraft and by purchasing new ones, the number of which will be over 50%.

Significant changes will occur in the equipment of the front and army aircraft.

Thus, part of the operating aircraft of the front-line aviation will be modernized, and the aircraft fleet will be replenished in the medium term by more than half with new and approximately 14% prospective aircraft.

In the army aviation, for the same period about 70% of new aviation equipment will be purchased, and further it is planned to bring its quantity to 100%.

Aviation actions will be built on the principle of integrating into a single system of all means of warfare in strategic areas, regardless of their species, with coverage of fire, information, electronic and special effects on enemy targets on land, at sea, in air and in space to the full depth their dislocations.

In total, up to 2020 of the year, it is planned to purchase and upgrade about two thousand airplanes and helicopters at a constantly increasing annual rate. At the same time, the number of new equipment will be more than one and a half thousand airplanes and helicopters, and the upgraded one will be about four hundred aviation complexes.

In addition to the cardinal renewal of aviation technology, the events planned before 2020, according to preliminary calculations, will allow an almost 18 increase in the share of modern high-precision weapons, bringing its number to 70%, almost in 4,5 times to increase the number of aircraft complexes capable of operating around the clock and in the weather, 10-12 times to reduce the levels of losses of aircraft and helicopters, to increase the proportion of unmanned vehicles to 6, bringing its composition to 30% from the composition of the entire aviation, to ensure one hundred percent ability of air bases to operate in a single reconnaissance and information control field.

In the near future, in accordance with the state defense order for the 2011 year, it is planned to purchase and deliver to the aircraft the Su-27CM, Su-30М2, Su-34, Su-35С, Yak-130 aircraft. For military aviation in 2011, the delivery of Ka-52, Mi-28H, Mi-8AMTSH (MTV-5-1), Ka-226 and Ansat-U helicopters is planned.


Technicians charge the gun GS-30-2 attack aircraft Su-25

- What are the prospects for the transfer of the Yak-130 combat training aircraft to the Krasnodar VVAUL?

- Currently aircraft

Yak-130 undergoes pilot operation at the Lipetsk flight training center. At the same time, the flight and engineering and technical staff of the Krasnodar branch of the Air Force Military Training Center is undergoing retraining in the same center.

At the beginning of 2011, the Yak-130 will go into service with the training units of the Krasnodar branch of the VUNC Air Force. After its full mastering by the instructors, the branch will begin to train students on this type of aircraft.

- How do you assess the level of professional training of young Air Force recruits? Has enrollment in universities decreased? What changes have occurred in the flight crew training system?

- Professional training of future officers is under the scrutiny of the command of the Air Force. Organizational, methodical and material-technical measures are aimed at raising it.

The measures taken in 2010 managed to achieve the highest stories modern Russia, the level of professional (flight) training of graduates of flight universities of the Air Force. The average flying time meets qualifying requirements and grew by 13% over the previous year. More than 30% graduates were awarded the qualification category “Pilot of the 3 class”.

- Has enrollment in universities decreased?

- During the last 2-3 years, there have been changes in the combat strength and organizational structure of the Air Force. In the course of structural transformations, there was a certain reduction in the number of flight personnel and, as a result, the need for graduates of universities to compensate for the natural loss decreased. In accordance with this, the number of students enrolled in flight institutions has decreased. Since in 2006-2008, the selection of candidates was made on the basis of the previous combat strength, over the course of 2011-2013, an excessive number of cadets will be suitable for graduation. To even out the situation, in 2009 and 2010, it was decided to restrict the set. Starting with the 2011 year, enrollment in universities will be made to compensate for the natural loss of combat strength at the end of the 2016 year.

- What changes have occurred in the training of flight personnel?

- The system of training flight personnel undergoes changes in accordance with the development of military science, the improvement of aviation technology, and changes in the system of higher professional education.

In the framework of the general trend of the integration of universities, officers in flight specialties are trained at the United Military Educational and Scientific Center of the Air Force “N.E. Zhukovsky and Yu.A. Gagarin "by two branches: on airplanes - in the city of Krasnodar, on helicopters - in the city of Syzran.

Pilot training takes place in three stages. The first is the basic training at the university, the second stage is the theoretical and practical retraining for the new aviation technology in the Lipetsk State Center for Aviation Personnel Training and Military Research and the third is the training of the combat-ready pilot in the aviation unit. As a result of studying under this scheme, the officer-pilot will be fully prepared for combat operations for the intended purpose of the aircraft.

- What kind of work is being done to retrain the flight and technical staff of the Air Force, dismissed from military service?

- Retraining of the flight and technical staff dismissed from military service is carried out in the general system of retraining of dismissed military personnel, established in accordance with orders of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Retraining is carried out in military schools with the involvement of highly professional teaching staff from both military and civilian educational institutions. Currently, on the basis of the VUNTs of the Air Force in Monino and in other cities there are a number of courses where the dismissed officers master professions related to personnel management, production, and teaching.


Mi-28H will be the main striking force of army aviation


- How will the use of combat aviation affect the new Federal rules for the use of airspace, which entered into force on 1 in November 2010, in which a notification procedure has been established for using certain sections of airspace?

- The government resolution “On approval of the federal regulations on the use of the airspace of the Russian Federation”, which came into force on November 1 of November 2010, really made a number of adjustments to the flight organization.

At the same time, it should be emphasized that, in accordance with the current Air Code of the Russian Federation (Article 13), state priorities in the use of airspace remain unshakable. This article provides for the primary provision of airspace to repel an air attack, prevent and stop violations of the State Border of the Russian Federation or an armed invasion of its territory, as well as to carry out flights of aircraft in the interests of the country's defense and security.

The introduction of the notification procedure for its use in some part of the airspace of Russia is dictated, first of all, by the capabilities of the air traffic control authorities to exercise full control over aircraft in this area. Since no dispatcher service is provided in the space used in the notification procedure, the uselessness of the dispatch permit itself seems logical.

In this case, the entire responsibility for preventing collisions with aircraft and other material objects in the air and collisions with obstacles rests with the commander of the aircraft. Only such trained and registered airspace users who are required to know the aeronautical and meteorological situation along the planned flight route will be admitted to such flights.

At the same time, there is a provision for tougher sanctions against users who disregard the norms of air legislation.

Flights of the Air Force aviation for combat training tasks both earlier and now are carried out according to advance plans, on the basis of which the bodies of the unified airspace organization impose certain restrictions on the use of airspace for other users in accordance with government priorities.

To date, there are no serious grounds for concern regarding the timely provision of airspace to military aircraft.

- Russia has begun withdrawing its helicopter group from the Republic of Chad. What are the activities of the Air Force in this process?

- After receiving the legislative base that provides the legal basis for the withdrawal of our troops from the UN Mission in the Republic of Chad, we started to directly fly the crews of the An-124 and Il-76 military transport aircraft to transport the personnel, weapons and equipment of the group to the territory of Russia in accordance with the approved schedule.

Of course, this is the hard work of many structures, and above all - the personnel of the aviation group. Far from the difficult physiographic conditions, in the absence of the possibility of providing any technical assistance, it is quite difficult to assemble and relocate 800 km from Abeche to the capital of Chad, Ndjamena, with all the property, ground and aviation equipment.

Our helicopter pilots fulfilled their tasks with honor and deserved the high appreciation of the UN Secretary General, who expressed gratitude in his message to the President of Russia.

- How do you assess the current state of the air force airfield network, what are the main directions of its development in the coming years? What will be the procedure for the use of military aircraft of Russia from joint-based airfields?

- The air force airfield network is currently in a satisfactory condition.

At the same time, maintaining its operational status requires substantial material and financial resources. I note that part of the airfields that make up the airfield's airfield network in peacetime is not used by military aircraft.

In the coming years, it is planned to carry out a reconstruction of the main airfields of the Air Force’s aviation, which will allow an increase in the number and types of aircraft based on them. In addition, at these aerodromes, reconstruction and construction of buildings and structures of office and residential areas will be carried out.

Airfields, the use of which in peacetime is not provided for, are planned to be mothballed or transferred for maintenance to third-party organizations.

Now with regard to the use of co-based aerodromes by military aviation. The list of such airfields is approved by the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation 2007 of the year №1034-p.

At the same time, the air force network of the Air Force includes a number of co-based airfields with aviation of other federal executive bodies and organizations. The procedure for the use of these aerodromes is defined by the relevant regulatory documents.

At present, the Ministry of Defense of Russia has developed and is in the process of negotiating with the interested federal executive bodies draft amendments and addenda to the Federal Law on Defense and the Air Code of the Russian Federation. They will allow military aviation to use the aerodromes of other ministries and departments that are not assigned to co-based and sharing aerodromes when performing the assigned tasks.

- What place is given in the new look of the Air Force of the Army Aviation?

- As before organizing events, army aviation will continue to fulfill assigned tasks as part of the Air Force. Army aviation will continue to solve a wide range of tasks, primarily in the interests of the Ground Forces.

In matters of further development of army aviation, the Air Force High Command prioritized the increase in the effectiveness of the use of the created group of army aviation in combination with equipping it with modern weapons and military equipment. In particular, army aviation already operates new combat helicopters Mi-28H "Night Hunter" and at the beginning of 2011, will start operation of the Ka-52 "Alligator" helicopter.
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  1. viktor_ui
    0
    25 January 2011 10: 07
    Yeah, straight-up peppy otchetik about how we have in the Air Force well, everything is straight beautiful and sales are great in places. Sniper pilot with 2400 flying hours ??? My mother is a former stewardess and she has more than 9000 hours of flight time on a flight book. The year 2020 is particularly annoying, not a single current reptile who is doing this reform will no longer remain in business. But these are all crisp, but how do you need to cut such a piip budget !!! We drove 2 prehistorically-newest bombers and here it is a great power. May we have enough piip !?

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