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<li id="toc-1927_structure" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#1927_structure"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>1927 structure</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-1927_structure-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Spanish_civil_war" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Spanish_civil_war"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Spanish civil war</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Spanish_civil_war-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-1930s_aviation_and_propaganda" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#1930s_aviation_and_propaganda"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>1930s aviation and propaganda</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-1930s_aviation_and_propaganda-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle 1930s aviation and propaganda subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-1930s_aviation_and_propaganda-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Positive_heroism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Positive_heroism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Positive heroism</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Positive_heroism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Transpolar_flights_of_1937" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Transpolar_flights_of_1937"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Transpolar flights of 1937</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Transpolar_flights_of_1937-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Folkloric_themes_in_aviation_propaganda" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Folkloric_themes_in_aviation_propaganda"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Folkloric themes in aviation propaganda</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Folkloric_themes_in_aviation_propaganda-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Aviation_and_the_purges" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Aviation_and_the_purges"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>Aviation and the purges</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Aviation_and_the_purges-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Early_combat" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Early_combat"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Early combat</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Early_combat-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Early combat subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Early_combat-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Early_World_War_II_aviation_failures" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Early_World_War_II_aviation_failures"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Early World War II aviation failures</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Early_World_War_II_aviation_failures-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-World_War_II" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#World_War_II"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>World War II</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-World_War_II-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle World War II subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-World_War_II-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Women" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Women"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Women</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Women-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Innovation_and_Lend-lease" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Innovation_and_Lend-lease"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>Innovation and Lend-lease</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Innovation_and_Lend-lease-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cold_War" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cold_War"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Cold War</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Cold_War-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Cold War subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Cold_War-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Breakup_of_the_Soviet_Union" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Breakup_of_the_Soviet_Union"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Breakup of the Soviet Union</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Breakup_of_the_Soviet_Union-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Forces_in_the_late_1980s" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Forces_in_the_late_1980s"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Forces in the late 1980s</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Forces_in_the_late_1980s-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Higher_command_echelons_of_the_Air_Forces" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Higher_command_echelons_of_the_Air_Forces"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2.1</span> <span>Higher command echelons of the Air Forces</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Higher_command_echelons_of_the_Air_Forces-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Directly_subordinated_to_the_AF_Main_Staff" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Directly_subordinated_to_the_AF_Main_Staff"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2.2</span> <span>Directly subordinated to the AF Main Staff</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Directly_subordinated_to_the_AF_Main_Staff-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Military_Transport_Aviation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Military_Transport_Aviation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2.3</span> <span>Military Transport Aviation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Military_Transport_Aviation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Training_schools_of_the_VVS_and_PVO" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Training_schools_of_the_VVS_and_PVO"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2.4</span> <span>Training schools of the VVS and PVO</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Training_schools_of_the_VVS_and_PVO-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Commanders-in-Chief" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Commanders-in-Chief"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Commanders-in-Chief</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Commanders-in-Chief-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Soviet_Air_Force_inventory_in_1990" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Soviet_Air_Force_inventory_in_1990"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Soviet Air Force inventory in 1990</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Soviet_Air_Force_inventory_in_1990-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Evolution_of_the_Roundel" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Evolution_of_the_Roundel"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Evolution of the Roundel</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Evolution_of_the_Roundel-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bibliography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bibliography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Bibliography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bibliography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Soviet Air Forces</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 39 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-39" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">39 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sowjetlugmag" title="Sowjetlugmag – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Sowjetlugmag" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A9" title="القوات الجوية السوفيتية – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="القوات الجوية السوفيتية" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%8F_%D1%81%D1%96%D0%BB%D1%8B_%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A0" title="Ваенна-паветраныя сілы СССР – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Ваенна-паветраныя сілы СССР" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/For%C3%A7a_A%C3%A8ria_Sovi%C3%A8tica" title="Força Aèria Soviètica – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Força Aèria Soviètica" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sov%C4%9Btsk%C3%A9_letectvo" title="Sovětské letectvo – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Sovětské letectvo" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovjetunionens_luftv%C3%A5ben" title="Sovjetunionens luftvåben – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Sovjetunionens luftvåben" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftstreitkr%C3%A4fte_der_Sowjetunion" title="Luftstreitkräfte der Sowjetunion – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Luftstreitkräfte der Sowjetunion" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A3%CE%BF%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE_%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE_%CE%91%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1" title="Σοβιετική Πολεμική Αεροπορία – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Σοβιετική Πολεμική Αεροπορία" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerza_A%C3%A9rea_Sovi%C3%A9tica" title="Fuerza Aérea Soviética – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Fuerza Aérea Soviética" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovetaj_Aerfortoj" title="Sovetaj Aerfortoj – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Sovetaj Aerfortoj" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobietar_Aireko_Armada" title="Sobietar Aireko Armada – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Sobietar Aireko Armada" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C_%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C_%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C" title="نیروی هوایی شوروی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="نیروی هوایی شوروی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forces_a%C3%A9riennes_sovi%C3%A9tiques" title="Forces aériennes soviétiques – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Forces aériennes soviétiques" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forza_A%C3%A9rea_Sovi%C3%A9tica" title="Forza Aérea Soviética – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Forza Aérea Soviética" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%86%8C%EB%A0%A8_%EA%B3%B5%EA%B5%B0" title="소련 공군 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="소련 공군" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkatan_Udara_Uni_Soviet" title="Angkatan Udara Uni Soviet – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Angkatan Udara Uni Soviet" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voenno-vozdu%C5%A1nye_sily_SSSR" title="Voenno-vozdušnye sily SSSR – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Voenno-vozdušnye sily SSSR" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%99%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%90%D7%95%D7%95%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%94%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99%D7%99%D7%98%D7%99" title="חיל האוויר הסובייטי – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="חיל האוויר הסובייטי" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSRS_Gaisa_sp%C4%93ki" title="PSRS Gaisa spēki – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="PSRS Gaisa spēki" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szovjet_L%C3%A9gier%C5%91" title="Szovjet Légierő – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Szovjet Légierő" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tentera_Udara_Soviet" title="Tentera Udara Soviet – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Tentera Udara Soviet" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luchtmacht_van_de_Sovjet-Unie" title="Luchtmacht van de Sovjet-Unie – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Luchtmacht van de Sovjet-Unie" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BD%E9%80%A3%E7%A9%BA%E8%BB%8D" title="ソ連空軍 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="ソ連空軍" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovjetunionens_flyv%C3%A5pen" title="Sovjetunionens flyvåpen – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Sovjetunionens flyvåpen" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a 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class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8B_%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A0" title="Военно-воздушные силы СССР – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Военно-воздушные силы СССР" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vzdu%C5%A1n%C3%A9_sily_ZSSR" title="Vzdušné sily ZSSR – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Vzdušné sily ZSSR" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a 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.infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox" style="width:25.5em;border-spacing:2px;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Soviet Air Forces</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"><span title="Russian-language text"><span lang="ru">Военно-Воздушные Силы СССР</span></span><br /><span title="Russian-language romanization"><i lang="ru-Latn">Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily SSSR</i></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image" style="text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;line-height:1.5em;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg/300px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg.png" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg/450px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg/600px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Air_Force.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Flag of the Soviet Air Forces</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Founded</th><td class="infobox-data">24 May 1918</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Disbanded</th><td class="infobox-data">14 February 1992<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Country</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_%281918%E2%80%931925%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_%281918%E2%80%931925%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_%281918%E2%80%931925%29.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_%281918%E2%80%931925%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_%281918%E2%80%931925%29.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_%281918%E2%80%931925%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="300" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic" title="Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic">Russian SFSR</a> <span class="nowrap">(1918–1922)</span><br /><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union">Soviet Union</a> (1922–1991)<br /><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Flag_of_the_CIS.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_CIS.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Flag_of_the_CIS.svg/35px-Flag_of_the_CIS.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Flag_of_the_CIS.svg/46px-Flag_of_the_CIS.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States" title="Commonwealth of Independent States">CIS</a> (1991–1992)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Size</th><td class="infobox-data">10,101 <a href="/wiki/Aircraft" title="Aircraft">aircraft</a> (1973)<br />7,859 aircraft (1990)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Part of</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Armed_Forces" title="Soviet Armed Forces">Soviet Armed Forces</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Main staff</th><td class="infobox-data">Moscow</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">March</th><td class="infobox-data">"<a href="/wiki/Air_March" title="Air March">March of the Pilots</a>"</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Commanders</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Commander-in-Chief_of_the_Russian_Air_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force">Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Air Forces</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><i>See list</i></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Insignia</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Roundel</th><td class="infobox-data"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_(1945%E2%80%931991).svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg/100px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg/150px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg/200px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="1175" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Aircraft flown</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Attack_aircraft" title="Attack aircraft">Attack</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Su-25" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-25">Su-25</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Bomber" title="Bomber">Bomber</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-28" title="Ilyushin Il-28">Il-28</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-24" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-24">Su-24</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-16" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-16">Tu-16</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-22" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-22">Tu-22</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-22M" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-22M">Tu-22M</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-95" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-95">Tu-95</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-160" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-160">Tu-160</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Electronic_warfare" title="Electronic warfare">Electronic<br />warfare</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Beriev_A-50" title="Beriev A-50">A-50</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-126" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-126">Tu-126</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Fighter_aircraft" title="Fighter aircraft">Fighter</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Lavochkin_La-15" title="Lavochkin La-15">La-15</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-9" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-9">MiG-9</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-15" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-15">MiG-15</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-17" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-17">MiG-17</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-19" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-19">MiG-19</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-21" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-21">MiG-21</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-23" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-23">MiG-23</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-27" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-27">MiG-27</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-29" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-29">MiG-29</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-7" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-7">Su-7</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-17" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-17">Su-17</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-27" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-27">Su-27</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yak-15" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-15">Yak-15</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yak-17" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-17">Yak-17</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Helicopter" title="Helicopter">Helicopter</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Mil_Mi-2" title="Mil Mi-2">Mi-2</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mil_Mi-8" title="Mil Mi-8">Mi-8</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mil_Mi-14" title="Mil Mi-14">Mi-14</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mil_Mi-17" title="Mil Mi-17">Mi-17</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Attack_helicopter" title="Attack helicopter">Attack helicopter</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Mi-24" class="mw-redirect" title="Mi-24">Mi-24</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Interceptor_aircraft" title="Interceptor aircraft">Interceptor</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/MiG-25" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-25">MiG-25</a>, <a href="/wiki/MiG-31" class="mw-redirect" title="MiG-31">MiG-31</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-9" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-9">Su-9</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-11" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-11">Su-11</a>, <a href="/wiki/Su-15" class="mw-redirect" title="Su-15">Su-15</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tu-128" class="mw-redirect" title="Tu-128">Tu-128</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yak-25" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-25">Yak-25</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yak-27" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-27">Yak-27</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yak-28P" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-28P">Yak-28P</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Cargo_aircraft" title="Cargo aircraft">Transport</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/An-12" class="mw-redirect" title="An-12">An-12</a>, <a href="/wiki/An-22" class="mw-redirect" title="An-22">An-22</a>, <a href="/wiki/An-124" class="mw-redirect" title="An-124">An-124</a>, <a href="/wiki/Il-76" class="mw-redirect" title="Il-76">Il-76</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;"><a href="/wiki/Aerial_refueling" title="Aerial refueling">Tanker</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Il-78" class="mw-redirect" title="Il-78">Il-78</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Military unit</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"ВВС" redirects here. Not to be confused with the <a href="/wiki/British_Broadcasting_Corporation" class="mw-redirect" title="British Broadcasting Corporation">British Broadcasting Corporation</a>, which has a similarly written abbreviation, but in Russian is deciphered as "Би-би-си".</div> <p>The <b>Soviet Air Forces</b> (Russian: <span title="Russian-language text"><span lang="ru">Военно-Воздушные Силы Союза Советских Социалистических Республик</span></span>, <small><a href="/wiki/Romanization_of_Russian" title="Romanization of Russian">romanized</a>:</small> <span title="Russian-language romanization"><i lang="ru-Latn">Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Soyuza Sovetskih Sotsialisticheskih Respublik</i></span>, <b>VVS SSSR</b>; literally "<b>Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics</b>"; initialism <b>VVS</b>, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union">Soviet Union</a>. The other was the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Forces" title="Soviet Air Defence Forces">Soviet Air Defence Forces</a>. The Air Forces were formed from components of the <a href="/wiki/Imperial_Russian_Air_Service" title="Imperial Russian Air Service">Imperial Russian Air Service</a> in 1917, and faced their greatest test during <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>. The groups were also involved in the <a href="/wiki/Korean_War" title="Korean War">Korean War</a>, and dissolved along with the Soviet Union itself in 1991–92. Former Soviet Air Forces' assets were subsequently divided into several air forces of former <a href="/wiki/Republics_of_the_Soviet_Union" class="mw-redirect" title="Republics of the Soviet Union">Soviet republics</a>, including the new <a href="/wiki/Russian_Air_Force" title="Russian Air Force">Russian Air Force</a>. The "<a href="/wiki/Air_March" title="Air March">March of the Pilots</a>" was its marching song. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Origins">Origins</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Origins"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <i>All-Russia Collegium for Direction of the Air Forces of the Old Army</i> (translation is uncertain) was formed on 20 December 1917. This was a <a href="/wiki/Bolshevik" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolshevik">Bolshevik</a> aerial headquarters initially led by <a href="/wiki/Konstantin_Akashev" title="Konstantin Akashev">Konstantin Akashev</a>. Along with a general postwar military reorganisation, the collegium was reconstituted as the "Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet" (<i>Glavvozduhflot</i>), established on 24 May 1918 and given the top-level departmental status of "Main Directorate".<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>It became the Directorate of the USSR Air Forces on 28 March 1924, and then the Directorate of the Workers-Peasants Red Army Air Forces on 1 January 1925. </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl 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.sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Armed_Forces" title="Soviet Armed Forces">Soviet Armed Forces</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Red_Army_Badge.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Red_Army_Badge.svg/170px-Red_Army_Badge.svg.png" decoding="async" width="170" height="162" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Red_Army_Badge.svg/255px-Red_Army_Badge.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Red_Army_Badge.svg/340px-Red_Army_Badge.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="257" data-file-height="245" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="background-color:#798050; color:white"> Components</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/General_Staff_of_the_Armed_Forces_of_the_Russian_Federation" title="General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation">General Staff</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Strategic_Rocket_Forces" title="Strategic Rocket Forces">Strategic Rocket Forces</a></li> <li><div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Red_Army" title="Red Army">Red Army</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Army" title="Soviet Army">Soviet Army</a></li></ul></div></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Forces" title="Soviet Air Defence Forces">Air Defence Forces</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Air Forces</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Navy" title="Soviet Navy">Navy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Airborne_Forces" title="Soviet Airborne Forces">Airborne Forces</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="background-color:#798050; color:white"> Ranks of the Soviet Military</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Military_ranks_of_the_Soviet_Union" title="Military ranks of the Soviet Union">Military ranks of the Soviet Union</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="background-color:#798050; color:white"> History of the Soviet Military</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Military_history_of_the_Soviet_Union" title="Military history of the Soviet Union">Military history of the Soviet Union</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Russian_military_ranks" title="History of Russian military ranks">History of Russian military ranks</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Soviet_military" title="Template:Soviet military"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Soviet_military" title="Template talk:Soviet military"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Soviet_military" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Soviet military"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>After the creation of the Soviet state many efforts were made in order to modernize and expand aircraft production, led by its charismatic and energetic commander, General <a href="/wiki/Yakov_Alksnis" title="Yakov Alksnis">Yakov Alksnis</a>, an eventual victim of <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Stalin" title="Joseph Stalin">Joseph Stalin</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Great_Purge" title="Great Purge">Great Purge</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHighamGreenwood199840–46_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHighamGreenwood199840–46-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Domestic aircraft production increased significantly in the early 1930s and towards the end of the decade, the Soviet Air Force introduced <a href="/wiki/Polikarpov_I-15" title="Polikarpov I-15">Polikarpov I-15</a> and <a href="/wiki/Polikarpov_I-16" title="Polikarpov I-16">I-16</a> fighters and <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_SB" title="Tupolev SB">Tupolev SB</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_DB-3" title="Ilyushin DB-3">Ilyushin DB-3</a> bombers.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks plainlist"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title">Historical Air Forces of Russia</th></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Russian Empire</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <a href="/wiki/Imperial_Russian_Air_Service" title="Imperial Russian Air Service">Emperor's Military Air Fleet</a> (1909–1917)</td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <a class="mw-selflink selflink">Workers and Peasants Red Air Fleet</a> (1918–1991)</td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> USSR, Commonwealth of Independent States</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Military Air Forces of the USSR</a> (1918–1992)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Naval_Aviation" title="Soviet Naval Aviation">Aviation of the Military Maritime Fleet</a> (1918–1992)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Forces" title="Soviet Air Defence Forces">Anti-Air Defence Troops</a> (1948–1992)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Strategic_Missile_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Strategic Missile Forces">Strategic Rocket Forces</a> (1959–1992)</li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Russian Federation</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Russian_Air_Force" title="Russian Air Force">Military Air Forces of the Russian Federation</a> (1991–present<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Russian_Naval_Aviation" title="Russian Naval Aviation">Aviation of the Military Maritime Fleet</a> (1991–present<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Strategic_Missile_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Strategic Missile Forces">Strategic Rocket Forces</a> (1991–present<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>)</li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="1927_structure">1927 structure</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: 1927 structure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In March 1927, the organizational structure of the Red Army Air Force was as follows:<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>Headquarters, VVS RKKA <ul><li>Headquarters <a href="/wiki/Air_Forces_of_the_Moscow_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Air Forces of the Moscow Military District">Air Forces of the Moscow Military District</a> <ul><li>Headquarters 10th Brigade <ul><li>25th Aviation Park 1st rank, 26th Aviation 2nd rank, 27th Aviation Park 3rd rank, 28th Aviation Park 3rd rank</li> <li>7th, 30th, and 40th Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>20th, 10th, 45th, and 3rd Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters <a href="/wiki/Air_Forces_of_the_Leningrad_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Air Forces of the Leningrad Military District">Air Forces of the Leningrad Military District</a> <ul><li>Headquarters 1st Brigade <ul><li>1st Aviation Park 1st rank</li> <li>1st, 28th, 55th, and 57th Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>1st, 41st, and 85th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters 3rd Brigade <ul><li>6th Aviation Park 1st rank</li> <li>11th, 33rd and 34th Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>21st Separate Aviation Detachment</li></ul></li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Belorussian Military District <ul><li>Headquarters 2nd Brigade <ul><li>11th Aviation Park 1st rank</li> <li>22nd and 43rd Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>4th and 43rd Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters 6th Brigade <ul><li>13th Aviation Park 1st rank</li> <li>5th, 9th and 18th Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>84th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters 8th Brigade <ul><li>15th and 17th Aviation Parks 1st rank</li> <li>16th and 52nd Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>5th, 11th, 23rd and 27th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Ukrainian Military District <ul><li>22nd Aviation Park 2nd rank</li> <li>24th Aviation Squadron</li> <li>30th Separate Aviation Detachment</li> <li>Headquarters 5th Brigade <ul><li>20th Aviation Park 1st rank</li> <li>3rd, 20th, and 50th Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>14th, 17th, 37th, and 83rd Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters 7th Brigade <ul><li>21st Aviation Park 1st rank, 23rd Aviation Park 2nd rank</li> <li>31st and 36th Aviation Squadrons</li> <li>32nd and 8th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters <a href="/wiki/Air_Forces_of_the_North_Caucasus_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Air Forces of the North Caucasus Military District">Air Forces of the North Caucasus Military District</a> <ul><li>31st and 32nd Aviation Parks 3rd rank</li> <li>26th and 9th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Central Asian Military District <ul><li>37th and 38th Aviation Parks 3rd rank</li> <li>35th and 40th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Siberian Military District <ul><li>41st, 42nd, and 43rd Aviation Parks 3rd rank</li> <li>25th, 19th, and 6th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Red Banner Caucasus Army <ul><li>34th and 35th Aviation Parks 3rd rank</li> <li>44th and 70th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Volga Military District <ul><li>39th Aviation Park 3rd rank</li> <li>42nd Separate Aviation Detachment</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Baltic Sea Fleet <ul><li>62nd and 66th Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li> <li>Headquarters VVS Black Sea Fleet <ul><li>60th Aviation Squadron</li> <li>64th, 55th, 48th, 50th, and 53rd Separate Aviation Detachments</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> <p>Units with honorifics were the 7th Dzerzhinsky, 9th Voroshilov, 16th Ultimatum, 20th Frunze, 24th Ilyich, 30th Red Moscow, and 40th Lenin Aviation Squadrons, and 6th Siberian Revolutionary Committee and 24th Far Eastern Ultimatum Separate Aviation Detachments.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Spanish_civil_war">Spanish civil war</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Spanish civil war"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Spanish_Republican_Air_Force" title="Spanish Republican Air Force">Spanish Republican Air Force</a> and <a href="/wiki/Condor_Legion" title="Condor Legion">Condor Legion</a></div> <p>One of the first major tests for the VVS came in 1936 with the <a href="/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War" title="Spanish Civil War">Spanish Civil War</a>, in which the latest Soviet and German aircraft designs were employed against each other in fierce air-to-air combat. At first, the I-16 proved superior to any <i><a href="/wiki/Luftwaffe" title="Luftwaffe">Luftwaffe</a></i> fighters, and managed to achieve local air superiority wherever they were employed. However, the Soviets refused to supply the plane in adequate numbers, and their aerial victories were soon squandered because of their limited use. Later, <a href="/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109" title="Messerschmitt Bf 109">Messerschmitt Bf 109s</a> delivered to Franco's <a href="/wiki/Aviaci%C3%B3n_Nacional" title="Aviación Nacional">Spanish Nationalist air forces</a> secured <a href="/wiki/Air_superiority" class="mw-redirect" title="Air superiority">air superiority</a> for the Nationalists, one they would never relinquish. </p><p>On 19 November 1939, VVS headquarters was again titled the Main Directorate of the Red Army Air Forces under the WPRA HQ. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="1930s_aviation_and_propaganda">1930s aviation and propaganda</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: 1930s aviation and propaganda"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Positive_heroism">Positive heroism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Positive heroism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The early 1930s saw a shift in ideological focus away from collectivist propaganda and towards "positive heroism."<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Instead of glorifying socialist collectivism as a means of societal advancement, the <a href="/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union" title="Communist Party of the Soviet Union">Soviet Communist Party</a> began uplifting individuals who committed heroic actions that advanced the cause of socialism.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the case of aviation, the government began glorifying people who utilized aviation technology as opposed to glorifying the technology itself. Pilots such as <a href="/wiki/Valery_Chkalov" title="Valery Chkalov">Valery Chkalov</a>, <a href="/wiki/Georgy_Baydukov" title="Georgy Baydukov">Georgy Baydukov</a>, <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Vasilyevich_Belyakov" class="mw-redirect" title="Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov">Alexander Belyakov</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Mikhail_Gromov_(aviator)" title="Mikhail Gromov (aviator)">Mikhail Gromov</a>—as well as many others—were raised to the status of heroes for their piloting skills and achievements. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Transpolar_flights_of_1937">Transpolar flights of 1937</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Transpolar flights of 1937"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In May 1937, Stalin charged pilots Chkalov, Baydukov, and Belyakov with the mission to navigate <a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%91%D1%82_%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0_%E2%80%94_%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8E%D1%81_%E2%80%94_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80" class="extiw" title="ru:Беспосадочный перелёт Москва — Северный полюс — Ванкувер">the first transpolar flight in history</a>. On 20 June 1937, the aviators landed their <a href="/wiki/ANT-25" class="mw-redirect" title="ANT-25">ANT-25</a> in <a href="/wiki/Vancouver,_Washington" title="Vancouver, Washington">Vancouver, Washington</a>. A month later, Stalin ordered the departure of a second crew to push the boundaries of modern aviation technology even further. In July 1937 <a href="/wiki/Mikhail_Gromov_(aviator)" title="Mikhail Gromov (aviator)">Mikhail Gromov</a>, along with his crew <a href="/wiki/Sergey_Danilin_(aviator)" title="Sergey Danilin (aviator)">Sergei Danilin</a> and <a href="/wiki/Andrey_Yumashev" title="Andrey Yumashev">Andrei Yumashev</a>, completed the same journey over the <a href="/wiki/North_Pole" title="North Pole">North Pole</a> and <a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%91%D1%82_%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0_%E2%80%94_%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8E%D1%81_%E2%80%94_%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%94%D0%B6%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BE" class="extiw" title="ru:Беспосадочный перелёт Москва — Северный полюс — Сан-Джасинто">continuing on to Southern California</a>, creating a new record for the longest nonstop flight.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The public reaction to the transpolar flights was euphoric. The media called the pilots "<a href="/wiki/Bolsheviks" title="Bolsheviks">Bolshevik</a> knights of culture and progress."<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197663_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197663-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Soviet citizens celebrated <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Fleet_Day" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet Air Fleet Day">Aviation Day</a> on 18 August with as much zeal as they celebrated the <a href="/wiki/October_Revolution" title="October Revolution">October Revolution</a> anniversary.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Literature including poems, short stories, and novels emerged celebrating the feats of the aviator-celebrities.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Feature films like <i>Victory</i>, <i>Tales of Heroic Aviators</i>, and <a href="/wiki/Valery_Chkalov_(film)" title="Valery Chkalov (film)"><i>Valery Chkalov</i></a> reinforced the "positive hero" imagery, celebrating the aviators' individuality within the context of a socialist government.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230_6-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Folkloric_themes_in_aviation_propaganda">Folkloric themes in aviation propaganda</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Folkloric themes in aviation propaganda"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Propaganda_in_the_Soviet_Union" title="Propaganda in the Soviet Union">Soviet propaganda</a>, newspaper articles, and other forms of media sought to connect Soviet citizens to relevant themes from daily life. For aviation, Stalin's propagandists drew on <a href="/wiki/Russian_folklore" title="Russian folklore">Russian folklore</a>. Following the successes of the transpolar flights by Chkalov and Gromov in 1937, examples increased dramatically. Aviators were referred to symbolically as <i>sokoly</i> (falcons), <i>orly</i> (eagles), or <i><a href="/wiki/Bogatyr" title="Bogatyr">bogatyr</a></i> (warriors).<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200538_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200538-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Newspapers told traditional Russian narratives (<i><a href="/wiki/Skazka" class="mw-redirect" title="Skazka">skazki</a></i>) of fliers conquering time and space (<i>prostranstvo</i>), overcoming barriers and completing their missions in triumph.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Even the story of each aviator suggests roots in old Russian storytelling and narratives—virtuous heroes striving to reach an end goal, encountering and conquering any obstacles in their path. By using folklore rhetoric, Stalin and Soviet propagandists connected aviation achievements to Russian heritage, making aviation seem more accessible to the Soviet population. Furthermore, the narratives emphasize the aviators' selflessness and devotion to a higher socialist ideal, pointing to Soviet <a href="/wiki/Leader" class="mw-redirect" title="Leader">leaders</a> as inspirers and role models.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Soviet propagandists also exploited paternalism in aviation culture. The media presented Stalin as an example and inspiration, a father figure and role model to the most prominent Soviet pilots of the period.<sup id="cite_ref-Bergman,_p.149_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bergman,_p.149-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> When recounting stories of meetings between Stalin and Chkalov, for example, Soviet newspapers spoke of Stalin's paternalism towards the young pilot. The paternal metaphor was completed with the addition of a maternal figure—Russia, the motherland, who had produced "father" Stalin's heroic sons such as Chkalov.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The use of familial metaphors not only evoked traditional hereditary pride and historic Russian patriotism, they boosted Stalin's image as a benevolent leader. Most importantly, paternalism served to promote the message of individual subordination to authority.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Through his paternal relationships with Soviet pilots, Stalin developed an "ethos of deference and obedience"<sup id="cite_ref-Bergman,_p.149_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bergman,_p.149-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> for Soviet society to emulate. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Aviation_and_the_purges">Aviation and the purges</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Aviation and the purges"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The successful achievements in Soviet aviation also came during the worst days of the Great Purge. The transpolar flights in summer 1937 occurred following the arrest and execution of a large body of the <a href="/wiki/Red_Army" title="Red Army">Red Army</a> officer corps.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197663–4_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197663–4-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Fifteen of sixteen total army commanders were executed; more than three-fourths of the VVS senior officers were arrested, executed, or relieved of duty.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006248_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006248-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> News coverage of the arrests was relatively little compared to treatment of aviation exploits, deflecting attention away from the arrests.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197664_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197664-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Early_combat">Early combat</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Early combat"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some practical combat experience had been gained in participating in the Spanish Civil War, and against Japan in the <a href="/wiki/Soviet%E2%80%93Japanese_border_conflicts" title="Soviet–Japanese border conflicts">Far Eastern border conflicts</a>. Shortly before the start of war with Germany a <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Volunteer_Group" title="Soviet Volunteer Group">Soviet Volunteer Group</a> was sent to <a href="/wiki/Republic_of_China_(1912%E2%80%931949)" title="Republic of China (1912–1949)">China</a> to train the pilots from the <a href="/wiki/Republic_of_China_Air_Force" title="Republic of China Air Force">Republic of China Air Force</a> for the <a href="/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War" title="Second Sino-Japanese War">continuing war</a> with the Japanese. However, these experiences proved of little use in the <a href="/wiki/Winter_War" title="Winter War">Winter War</a> against Finland in 1939, where scores of inexperienced Soviet bomber and fighter pilots were shot down by a relatively small number of <a href="/wiki/Finnish_Air_Force#Winter_War_(1939–1940)" title="Finnish Air Force">Finnish Air Force</a> pilots. The VVS soon learned established Soviet air defence procedures derived from the Spanish Civil War, such as forming defensive circles when attacked, did not work well against the Finns, who employed dive-and-zoom tactics to shoot down their Soviet opponents in great numbers. </p><p>On 1 January 1941, six months prior to <a href="/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa" title="Operation Barbarossa">Operation Barbarossa</a>, the Air Forces of the Soviet Red Army had 363,900 serving personnel, accounting for 8.65% of all military force personnel of the Soviet Union.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty199155_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty199155-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first three Air Armies, designated Air Armies of Special Purpose, were created between 1936 and 1938.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 5 November 1940 these were reformed as the <a href="/wiki/Long_Range_Aviation" class="mw-redirect" title="Long Range Aviation">Long Range Bombardment Aviation</a> of the High Command of the Red Army (until February 1942) due to lack of combat performance during the <a href="/wiki/Winter_War" title="Winter War">Winter War</a> with Finland.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Early_World_War_II_aviation_failures">Early World War II aviation failures</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Early World War II aviation failures"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>1930s Soviet aviation also had a particular impact on the USSR's military failures in the beginning of World War II. By 1938, the Soviet Union had the largest air force in the world, but Soviet aeronautical design distinctly lagged behind Western technological advances.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197673_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197673-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Instead of focusing on developing tactical aircraft, the Soviets engineers developed heavy bomber planes only good for long distance—in other words, planes that would be used for record-breaking flights like those of Chkalov's.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197669_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197669-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Soviet government's focus on showy stunts and phenomenal record-breaking missions drained resources needed for Soviet defense. When <a href="/wiki/Nazi_Germany" title="Nazi Germany">Nazi Germany</a> <a href="/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa" title="Operation Barbarossa">attacked the Soviet Union</a> in June 1941, it quickly became apparent that the Soviet Air Force was not prepared for war.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197655_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197655-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Poor planning and lack of organization left planes sitting at airbases, allowing the <i><a href="/wiki/Luftwaffe" title="Luftwaffe">Luftwaffe</a></i> to destroy 4,000 Soviet planes within the first week.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="World_War_II">World War II</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: World War II"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Air_warfare_of_World_War_II" title="Air warfare of World War II">Air warfare of World War II</a></div> <p>At the outbreak of <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Armed_Forces" title="Soviet Armed Forces">Soviet Armed Forces</a> was not yet ready or suitable for winning a war: <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Stalin" title="Joseph Stalin">Joseph Stalin</a> had said in 1931 Soviet industry was "50 to 100 years behind"<sup id="cite_ref-Socialist_Worker_Online_2007-03-29_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Socialist_Worker_Online_2007-03-29-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the Western powers. By the end of the war, <a href="/wiki/World_War_II_aircraft_production" title="World War II aircraft production">Soviet annual aircraft production</a> had risen sharply, reaching 40,241 in 1944. Some 157,261 machines were produced during the war, 125,655 being of combat types.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991225_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991225-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Red_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Red_star.svg/220px-Red_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="209" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Red_star.svg/330px-Red_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Red_star.svg/440px-Red_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="1175" /></a><figcaption>Original star roundel in World War II</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg/220px-Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="124" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg/330px-Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg/440px-Ivan_Kozhedub_1.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1920" data-file-height="1080" /></a><figcaption>Pilot <a href="/wiki/Ivan_Kozhedub" title="Ivan Kozhedub">Ivan Kozhedub</a> during the Second World War</figcaption></figure> <p>On the outbreak of war the Red Army Air Force consisted of the Long-Range Bomber Aviation (Дальнебомбардировочная авиация); <i>Frontal</i> Aviation, serving the various land forces fronts; Army Aviation; and Force Aviation, all subordinate to the <a href="/wiki/State_Defence_Committee" class="mw-redirect" title="State Defence Committee">State Defence Committee</a>'s Main Directorate of the Air Force of the Red Army.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By mid-1943 Frontal Aviation absorbed Army and Force Aviation. </p><p>One of the main reasons for the large aircraft losses in the initial period of war with Germany was not the lack of modern tactics, but the lack of experienced pilots and ground support crews, the destruction of many aircraft on the runways due to command failure to disperse them, and the rapid advance of <i><a href="/wiki/German_Army_(Wehrmacht)" class="mw-redirect" title="German Army (Wehrmacht)">Heer</a></i> troops, forcing the Soviet pilots on the defensive during Operation Barbarossa, while being confronted with more modern German designs.<sup id="cite_ref-buckley_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-buckley-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the first few days of the invasion of the Soviet Union, the <i>Luftwaffe</i> destroyed some 2,000 Soviet aircraft, most on the ground, at a loss of only 35 (of which 15 were non-combat-related).<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The principal <i>VVS</i> aircraft during World War II were the <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-2" title="Ilyushin Il-2">Ilyushin Il-2</a> <i>Shturmovik</i> armored ground attack monoplane and the series of <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Sergeyevich_Yakovlev" class="mw-redirect" title="Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev">AS Yakovlev</a> <a href="/wiki/OKB" title="OKB">OKB</a>-115 designed single-engined fighters, beginning with the <a href="/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-1" title="Yakovlev Yak-1">Yak-1</a> and its successors.<sup id="cite_ref-buckley_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-buckley-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Il-2 became (at 36,183 built) the most produced military aircraft of all time, with the four main versions of Yak fighters (the Yak-1, −3, −7 and −9) being slightly more numerous, at a total of 36,716 among them. These two main types together accounted for about half the strength of the VVS for most of the war. The Yak-1 was a modern 1940 design and had room for development, unlike the mature 1935-origin <a href="/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109" title="Messerschmitt Bf 109">Messerschmitt Bf 109</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Yak-9" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-9">Yak-9</a> brought the <i>VVS</i> to parity with the <i>Luftwaffe</i> and eventually allowed it to gain the upper hand, until in 1944, many <i>Luftwaffe</i> pilots deliberately avoided combat with the last and best variant, the out-of-sequence numbered <a href="/wiki/Yak-3" class="mw-redirect" title="Yak-3">Yak-3</a>. The other main <i>VVS</i> types were Lavochkin fighters (mainly the <a href="/wiki/Lavochkin_La-5" title="Lavochkin La-5">La-5</a>), the <a href="/wiki/Petlyakov_Pe-2" title="Petlyakov Pe-2">Petlyakov Pe-2</a> twin engined attack-bombers, and a basic but functional and versatile medium bomber, the <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-4" title="Ilyushin Il-4">Ilyushin Il-4</a>. </p><p>The 31st Bomber Aviation Regiment, equipped with Pe-2s, was one of the first <a href="/wiki/Guards_unit" class="mw-redirect" title="Guards unit">Guards</a> bomber units in the Air Forces – the <a href="/w/index.php?title=4th_Guards_Bomber_Aviation_Regiment&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="4th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment (page does not exist)">4th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The title was conferred on the regiment for its actions on the <a href="/wiki/Leningrad_Front" title="Leningrad Front">Leningrad Front</a> in November–December 1941 during defensive operations and the Soviet counterattack near Tikhvin. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Women">Women</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Women"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Alone among World War II combatants, the Soviet Air Force initiated a program to bring women with existing flying training into combat air groups. <a href="/wiki/Marina_Raskova" title="Marina Raskova">Marina Raskova</a>, one of very few women in the <i>VVS</i> prior to the war, used her influence with Stalin to form three all-female air regiments: the <a href="/wiki/586th_Fighter_Aviation_Regiment" title="586th Fighter Aviation Regiment">586th Fighter Aviation Regiment</a>, the <a href="/wiki/587th_Bomber_Aviation_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="587th Bomber Aviation Regiment">587th Bomber Aviation Regiment</a>, and the <a href="/wiki/588th_Night_Bomber_Aviation_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment">588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment</a> (a.k.a. the <i><a href="/wiki/Night_Witches" title="Night Witches">Night Witches</a></i>.) Women flew aircraft so heavy that sometimes two of them were required to haul back on the joystick on takeoff.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The latter two air force units were honored by being renamed Guards units. Beyond the three official regiments, individual Soviet women sometimes served alongside airmen in otherwise all-male groups.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991193_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991193-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Women pilots, navigators, gunners, mechanics, armament specialists and other female ground personnel made up more than 3,000 members of the <i>VVS</i>. Women pilots flew 24,000 sorties. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Innovation_and_Lend-lease">Innovation and Lend-lease</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Innovation and Lend-lease"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>While there were scores of Red Army divisions on the ground formed from specific Soviet republics, there appears to have been very few aviation regiments formed from nationalities, among them being the 1st Latvian Night Aviation Regiment.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:75Parad_03.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/75Parad_03.jpg/220px-75Parad_03.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/75Parad_03.jpg/330px-75Parad_03.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/75Parad_03.jpg/440px-75Parad_03.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="800" /></a><figcaption>Soviet WWII airmen reenactors on parade in 2020.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Chief_Marshal_of_Aviation" class="mw-redirect" title="Chief Marshal of Aviation">Chief Marshal of Aviation</a> <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Novikov" title="Alexander Novikov">Alexander Novikov</a> led the VVS from 1942 to the end of the war, and was credited with introducing several innovations and weapons systems. For the last year of the war German military and civilians retreating towards Berlin were hounded by the presence of "low flying aircraft" strafing and bombing them, an activity in which even the ancient <a href="/wiki/Polikarpov_Po-2" title="Polikarpov Po-2">Polikarpov Po-2</a>, a much produced flight training <i>(uchebnyy)</i> biplane of 1920s design, took part. However, this was but a small measure of the experience the <i>Wehrmacht</i> were receiving due to the sophistication and superiority of the Red Air Force. In one strategic operation alone, the <a href="/wiki/Jassy%E2%80%93Kishinev_Offensive_(August_1944)" class="mw-redirect" title="Jassy–Kishinev Offensive (August 1944)">Yassy-Kishinev Strategic Offensive</a>, the <a href="/wiki/5th_Air_Army" title="5th Air Army">5th</a> and <a href="/wiki/17th_Air_Army" title="17th Air Army">17th</a> Air Armys and the Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation aircraft achieved a 3.3 to 1 superiority in aircraft over <a href="/wiki/Luftflotte_4" title="Luftflotte 4">Luftflotte 4</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Romanian_Air_Force" title="Royal Romanian Air Force">Royal Romanian Air Force</a>, allowing almost complete freedom from air harassment for the ground troops of the <a href="/wiki/2nd_Ukrainian_Front" title="2nd Ukrainian Front">2nd</a> and <a href="/wiki/3rd_Ukrainian_Front" title="3rd Ukrainian Front">3rd Ukrainian Fronts</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>As with many Allied countries in World War II, the Soviet Union received Western aircraft through <a href="/wiki/Lend-Lease" title="Lend-Lease">Lend-Lease</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Anglo-Soviet_Agreement" title="Anglo-Soviet Agreement">Anglo-Soviet Agreement</a>, mostly <a href="/wiki/Bell_P-39_Airacobra" title="Bell P-39 Airacobra">Bell P-39 Airacobras</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bell_P-63_Kingcobra" title="Bell P-63 Kingcobra">Bell P-63 Kingcobras</a>, <a href="/wiki/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk" title="Curtiss P-40 Warhawk">Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks</a>, <a href="/wiki/Douglas_A-20_Havoc" title="Douglas A-20 Havoc">Douglas A-20 Havocs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hawker_Hurricane" title="Hawker Hurricane">Hawker Hurricanes</a>, and <a href="/wiki/North_American_B-25_Mitchell" title="North American B-25 Mitchell">North American B-25 Mitchells</a>. Some of these aircraft arrived in the Soviet Union in time to participate in the Battle of Moscow, and in particular with the PVO or Soviet Air Defence Forces.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Soviet fliers in P-39s scored the highest individual kill totals of any ever to fly a U.S. aircraft. Two air regiments were equipped with <a href="/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire" title="Supermarine Spitfire">Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vbs</a> in early 1943 but immediately experienced unrelenting losses due to <a href="/wiki/Friendly_fire" title="Friendly fire">friendly fire</a> as the British aircraft looked too much like the German Bf 109.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991135_35-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991135-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Soviet Union was then supplied with some 1,200 Spitfire Mk. IXs from 1943. Soviet pilots liked them but they did not suit Soviet combat tactics and the rough conditions at the forward airfields close to the front lines. Spitfires Mk. IXs were therefore assigned to air defense units, using the high altitude performance to intercept and pursue German bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. By 1944, the Spitfire IX was the main fighter used in this role and would remain so until 1947. Lend-Lease aircraft from the U.S. and UK accounted for nearly 12% of total Soviet air power.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The greatest Soviet fighter ace of World War II was <a href="/wiki/Ivan_Nikitovich_Kozhedub" class="mw-redirect" title="Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub">Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub</a>, who scored 62 victories from 6 July 1943 to 16 April 1945,<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the top score for any <a href="/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II" title="Allies of World War II">Allied</a> fighter pilot of World War II. </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Forces_Order_of_Battle_1_May_1945" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet Air Forces Order of Battle 1 May 1945">Soviet Air Forces Order of Battle 1 May 1945</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Cold_War">Cold War</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Cold War"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 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.ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_footnotes_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-style ambox-More_footnotes_needed" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg/40px-Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg/60px-Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg/80px-Text_document_with_red_question_mark.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="48" data-file-height="48" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section includes a list of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#General_references" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">general references</a>, but <b>it lacks sufficient corresponding <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#Inline_citations" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">inline citations</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Reliability" title="Wikipedia:WikiProject Reliability">improve</a> this section by <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:When_to_cite" title="Wikipedia:When to cite">introducing</a> more precise citations.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">July 2010</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg/220px-Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg/330px-Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg/440px-Air-to-air_right_underside_rear_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat_aircraft.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="2252" /></a><figcaption>An air-to-air right underside rear view of a Soviet <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25</a> aircraft carrying four AA-6 Acrid missiles</figcaption></figure> <p>In 1945–46, the WPKA Army Air Forces became the Soviet Air Forces once again. Its capabilities increased, helped by Western transfer of technology: the downed <a href="/wiki/Boeing_B-29_Superfortress" title="Boeing B-29 Superfortress">Boeing B-29 Superfortresses</a> in the Far East, and British transfer of <a href="/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Nene" title="Rolls-Royce Nene">Rolls-Royce Nene</a> jet engines. The force became one of the best services of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Armed_Forces" title="Soviet Armed Forces">Soviet Armed Forces</a> due to the various types of aircraft being flown and their capabilities and the strength and training of its pilots. Its air defence arm became an independent component of the armed forces in 1949, reaching full-fledged force status in 1954 as the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet Air Defence Force">Soviet Air Defence Force</a>. </p><p>During the <a href="/wiki/Cold_War" title="Cold War">Cold War</a>, the Soviet Air Force was rearmed, strengthened and modern air doctrines were introduced. At its peak in 1980, it could deploy approximately 10,000 aircraft, making it the world's largest air force of the time.<sup id="cite_ref-Avreg_38-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Avreg-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Soviet Air Force covertly participated in the <a href="/wiki/Korean_War" title="Korean War">Korean War</a>. Twelve fighter divisions of 26,000 pilots participated in <a href="/wiki/Air-to-air_combat_losses_between_the_Soviet_Union_and_the_United_States" title="Air-to-air combat losses between the Soviet Union and the United States">air-to-air combat</a> with the U.S. and other Allied air forces, inflicting significant casualties. The <a href="/wiki/64th_Fighter_Aviation_Corps" title="64th Fighter Aviation Corps">64th Fighter Aviation Corps</a> supervised the Soviet interceptor forces. In order to keep their involvement a secret, Joseph Stalin ordered the Soviet Air Force <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-15" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15">MiG-15s</a> participating in the conflict to fly with the <a href="/wiki/Korean_People%27s_Army_Air_and_Anti-Air_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force">Korean People's Air Force</a> and <a href="/wiki/People%27s_Liberation_Army_Air_Force" title="People's Liberation Army Air Force">PLA Air Force</a> markings, wear Chinese uniforms, and speak only <a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a> phrases over radio in the air.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTECarson2018157–163_39-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTECarson2018157–163-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1977 the VVS and the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Forces" title="Soviet Air Defence Forces">Soviet Air Defence Forces</a> were re-organised in the Baltic states and the <a href="/wiki/Leningrad_Oblast" title="Leningrad Oblast">Leningrad Oblast</a>, as a trial run for the larger re-organisation in 1980 covering the whole country.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHolm2011_40-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHolm2011-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> All fighter units in the PVO were transferred to the VVS, the Air Defence Forces only retaining the anti-aircraft missile units and radar units. The <a href="/wiki/6th_Independent_Air_Defence_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="6th Independent Air Defence Army">6th Independent Air Defence Army</a> was disbanded, and the 15th Air Army became the Air Forces of the <a href="/wiki/Baltic_Military_District" title="Baltic Military District">Baltic Military District</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHolm2011_40-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHolm2011-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The experiment was then applied countrywide in 1980.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHolm2011_40-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHolm2011-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Two of the three aviation schools in the Troops of National Air Defence were transferred to the Air Force.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Western analysts found that <a href="/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Soviet_Union" title="Demographics of the Soviet Union">Soviet non-Slavs</a>, including Jews, Armenians, and Asians were generally barred from senior ranks and from joining elite or strategic positions in the Air Force, <a href="/wiki/Strategic_Rocket_Forces" title="Strategic Rocket Forces">Strategic Rocket Forces</a>, and the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Navy" title="Soviet Navy">Soviet Navy</a> because of doubts regarding the loyalty of ethnic minorities. RAND analyst S. Enders Wimbush said, "Soldiers are clearly recruited in a way that reflects the worries of society. The average Russian citizen and Soviet decision maker have questions about the allegiance of the non-Slav, especially the Central Asian."<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Odom, writing eight years after the collapse of the USSR, noted that 97% of the officer corps was Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOdom199845–46_43-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEOdom199845–46-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the Cold War the VVS was divided into three main branches: <a href="/wiki/Long_Range_Aviation" class="mw-redirect" title="Long Range Aviation">Long Range Aviation</a> (DA), with long-range <a href="/wiki/Bomber" title="Bomber">bombers</a>; Frontal Aviation (<i>Frontovaya Aviatsiya</i> – FA), focused on battlefield air defence, <a href="/wiki/Close_air_support" title="Close air support">close air support</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Air_interdiction" title="Air interdiction">interdiction</a>; and <a href="/wiki/Military_Transport_Aviation" title="Military Transport Aviation">Military Transport Aviation</a> (<i>Voenno-Transportnaya Aviatsiya</i> – VTA), which controlled all transport aircraft. The <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet Air Defence Force">Soviet Air Defence Force</a>, which operated <a href="/wiki/Interceptor_aircraft" title="Interceptor aircraft">interceptor aircraft</a> and surface to air missiles, was then a separate and distinct service within the Soviet military organisation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEZickelKeefe1991_44-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEZickelKeefe1991-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Yet another independent service was the Soviet Navy's air arm, the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Naval_Aviation" title="Soviet Naval Aviation">Soviet Naval Aviation</a> under the Navy Headquarters. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:MiG-29_fuselage.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/MiG-29_fuselage.jpg/220px-MiG-29_fuselage.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="154" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/MiG-29_fuselage.jpg/330px-MiG-29_fuselage.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/MiG-29_fuselage.jpg/440px-MiG-29_fuselage.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2640" data-file-height="1850" /></a><figcaption>Soviet <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-29" class="mw-redirect" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29</a> fighter aircraft in 1989</figcaption></figure> <p>The official day of VVS was the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Fleet_Day" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet Air Fleet Day">Soviet Air Fleet Day</a>, that often featured notable <a href="/wiki/Soviet_air_shows" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet air shows">air shows</a> meant to display Soviet air power advancements through the years, held in Moscow's <a href="/wiki/Tushino_airfield" class="mw-redirect" title="Tushino airfield">Tushino airfield</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-m_45-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-m-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Breakup_of_the_Soviet_Union">Breakup of the Soviet Union</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Breakup of the Soviet Union"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Following the <a href="/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union" title="Dissolution of the Soviet Union">dissolution of the Soviet Union</a> in December 1991 the aircraft and personnel of the Soviet VVS were divided among the newly independent states. Russia received the plurality of these forces, approximately 40% of the aircraft and 65% of the manpower, with these forming the basis for the new <a href="/wiki/Russian_Air_Force" title="Russian Air Force">Russian Air Force</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Forces_in_the_late_1980s">Forces in the late 1980s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Forces in the late 1980s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Su-27_05.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Su-27_05.jpg/220px-Su-27_05.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="146" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Su-27_05.jpg/330px-Su-27_05.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Su-27_05.jpg/440px-Su-27_05.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2710" data-file-height="1800" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-27" title="Sukhoi Su-27">Sukhoi Su-27</a> Soviet fighter aircraft</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg/220px-Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg/330px-Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg/440px-Right_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-31_Foxhound.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2558" data-file-height="1713" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-31" class="mw-redirect" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31</a> fighter/interceptor aircraft</figcaption></figure><p>The Soviet Air Force's aviation assets were organised into four types of forces (sing. <i>вид авиации</i>) - Long Range Aviation, Frontal Aviation, Military Transport Aviation and Army Aviation (which would transfer to the Ground Forces in case of war). Pilot training establishments were integrated into the Air Armies of the Frontal Aviation. </p><table class="wikitable"> <caption>General structure of the Soviet Air Forces </caption> <tbody><tr> <th>Type of aviation </th> <th>Aviation arm </th> <th>Higher command echelons </th> <th>Notes </th></tr> <tr> <td>Long Range Aviation (<i>дальная авиация</i>) </td> <td>a single arm </td> <td>Air Armies of the Supreme Military Command Reserve (Strategic Purpose) (<i>ВА РГК</i> (<i>СН</i>)) under the Air Force Main Staff. </td> <td>Included: <ul><li>heavy bomber air regiments,</li> <li>heavy bomber reconnaissance air regiments and</li> <li>in-flight refueling air regiments.</li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="7">Frontal Aviation (<i>фронтовая авиация</i>) </td> <td>Fighter aviation (<i>истребительная авиация</i>) </td> <td rowspan="7"> <ul><li>Air Armies of the Supreme Military Command Reserve (Operational Purpose) (<i>ВА РГК</i> (<i>ОН</i>)) under the Air Force Main Staff, to transfer to the High Commands of the Strategic Directions in case of war.</li> <li>Air Armies (<i>ВА</i>) operationally subordinated to the Military Districts and Groups of Forces.</li></ul> </td> <td>Provided air cover of the ground forces and escort to own aviation assets. Secondary tasks included ground attack with unguided ordnance, air reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike. In the late 1980s its types of aircraft included the Su-27S, the MiG-29 and the MiG-23MLD. </td></tr> <tr> <td>Bomber aviation (<i>бомбардировочная авиация</i>) </td> <td>Main mission was penetration of enemy air defences and precision strikes against enemy targets in operational depth. Secondary tasks included close air support, aerial reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike. In the late 1980s its air regiments flew the Su-24 and the upgraded Su-24M with a handful (no more than 20) of the <a href="/wiki/Suppression_of_Enemy_Air_Defenses" title="Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses">Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses</a>-specialised Su-24MP variant. </td></tr> <tr> <td>Fighter-bomber aviation (<i>истребительно-бомбардировочная авиация</i>) </td> <td>Main mission was penetration of enemy air defences and precision strikes against enemy targets in tactical depth. Secondary tasks included close air support, aerial reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike. In the late 1980s its air regiments flew the MiG-27 and (in limited numbers) the Su-17M. </td></tr> <tr> <td>Ground attack aviation (<i>штурмовая авиация</i>) </td> <td>Main mission was battlefield close air support and destruction of armored targets from low and extra low altitude. Its air regiments flew the Su-25. </td></tr> <tr> <td>Reconnaissance aviation (<i>разведывательная авиация</i>) </td> <td>The reconnaissance aviation included two types of units: <ul><li>strategic and operational reconnaissance air regiments flew a squadron of MiG-25R aircraft and 1 or 2 squadrons of Su-24MR aircraft.</li> <li>tactical reconnaissance air regiments flew 3 squadrons of Su-17M aircraft.</li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Transport aviation (<i>транспортная авиация</i>) </td> <td>The Military Transport Aviation provided strategic airlift and airborne dropping capabilities to the Soviet military. The transport aviation provided tactical airlift capabilities, liaison and medevac assets. It included Composite Air Regiments and Composite air Squadrons flying mostly An-26 aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters. </td></tr> <tr> <td>Special Aviation (<i>специальная авиация</i>) </td> <td>Main units in this category included electronic warfare and intelligence aircraft, based on modified airliners, EW and ELINT helicopters and aerial command posts, based mostly on the Mi-8 and <a href="/wiki/UAV" class="mw-redirect" title="UAV">UAV</a> reconnaissance squadrons. </td></tr> <tr> <td>Military transport aviation (<i>Военно-транспортная авиация</i>) </td> <td>a single arm </td> <td>Military Transport Aviation HQ under the Air Force Main Staff. </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Army aviation (<i>армейская авиация</i>) </td> <td>a single arm </td> <td>Attached to the Air Armies in peace time. To transfer to the Ground Forces in case of war. At the end of 1990 right before the collapse of the USSR the Army Aviation was transferred to the Ground Forces and became one of their branches. </td> <td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Higher_command_echelons_of_the_Air_Forces">Higher command echelons of the Air Forces</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Higher command echelons of the Air Forces"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table class="wikitable"> <caption>Higher command echelons of the Air Forces </caption> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="4"><big>Operationally subordinated to the Main Staff of the Air Forces</big> </th></tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td>HQ </td> <td>Notes </td></tr> <tr> <td>Units directly subordinated to the Main Staff of the Air Forces (<i>Части центрального подчинения Главного штаба ВВС</i>) </td> <td><small>See Directly subordinated to the AF Main Staff section below.</small> </td> <td>Moscow, RSFSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td>Military Transport Aviation Command (<i>Командование военнотранспортной авиации</i>) </td> <td> </td> <td>Moscow, RSFSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Military Transport Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="5">Aviation of the Reserve of the Supreme Military Command (<i>Авиация Резерва Главного Командования</i>) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Smolensk" title="Smolensk">30th <i>Smolenskaya</i></a> <i><a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Red_Banner" title="Order of the Red Banner">Red Banner</a></i> <a href="/wiki/30th_Air_Army" title="30th Air Army">Air Army of Strategic Purpose</a> (<i>30-я Смоленская краснознаменная воздушная армия стратегического назначения</i>) </td> <td>Irkutsk, RSFSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Long Range Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/37th_Air_Army" title="37th Air Army">37th Air Army of Strategic Purpose</a> (<i>37-я воздушная армия стратегического назначения</i>) </td> <td>Moscow, RSFSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Long Range Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td>46th Air Army of Strategic Purpose (<i>46-я воздушная армия стратегического назначения</i>) </td> <td>Smolensk, RSFSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Long Range Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td>4th Air Army of Operational Purpose (<i>4-я воздушная армия оперативного назначения</i>) </td> <td>Legnica, Polish People's Republic </td> <td>Belonged to the Frontal Aviation. Under Air Forces HQ in peace time. To transfer to Supreme Command of the Western Strategic Direction control in wartime. </td></tr> <tr> <td>24th Air Army of Operational Purpose (<i>24-я воздушная армия оперативного назначения</i>)<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td> <td>Vinnitsa, Ukrainian SSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Frontal Aviation. Under Air Forces HQ in peace time. To transfer to Supreme Command of the South-Western Strategic Direction control in wartime. Based in the Kiev Military District in peace time, which lead to the KMD's own 17th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army (<i>17-я краснознаменная воздушная армия</i>) being made up of training units in peace time. </td></tr> <tr> <th colspan="4"><big>Operationally subordinated to the Military Districts and the Groups of Forces</big> </th></tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"><b>High Command of the Forces of the Western Strategic Direction</b> (<i>Главное командование войск Западного направления</i>) - HQ in Legnica, Polish People's Republic </td></tr> <tr> <td>directly subordinated </td> <td><small>(transferred from Air Force HQ in wartime):</small> <p>4th Air Army of Operational Purpose (<i>4-я воздушная армия оперативного назначения</i>) </p> </td> <td>Legnica, Polish People's Republic </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Western_Group_of_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Group of Forces">Western Group of Forces</a> (<i>Западная группа войск</i>) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/16th_Air_Army" title="16th Air Army">16th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> </td> <td>Wünsdorf (suburb of <a href="/wiki/Zossen" title="Zossen">Zossen</a>), German Democratic Republic </td> <td>The Western Group of Forces is the new designation of the recently renamed <a href="/wiki/Group_of_Soviet_Forces_in_Germany" title="Group of Soviet Forces in Germany">Group of Soviet Forces in Germany</a>, based in the <a href="/wiki/German_Democratic_Republic" class="mw-redirect" title="German Democratic Republic">German Democratic Republic</a>. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Central_Group_of_Forces" title="Central Group of Forces">Central Group of Forces</a> (<i>Центральная группа войск</i>) </td> <td><small>No Air Army.</small> <p><small>(131st Mixed Air Division)</small> </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Milovice" title="Milovice">Milovice</a>, <a href="/wiki/Czechoslovakia" title="Czechoslovakia">Czechoslovak People's Republic</a> </td> <td>Central Group of Forces were based in the <a href="/wiki/Czechoslovak_People%27s_Republic" class="mw-redirect" title="Czechoslovak People's Republic">Czechoslovak People's Republic</a>. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Northern_Group_of_Forces" title="Northern Group of Forces">Northern Group of Forces</a> (<i>Северная группа войск</i>) </td> <td><small>No Air Army.</small> <p><small>(4th AIr Army of Operational Purpose was based in the Northern Group of Forces's AOR.)</small> </p> </td> <td> </td> <td>Northern Group of Forces were based in the <a href="/wiki/Polish_People%27s_Republic" title="Polish People's Republic">Polish People's Republic</a>. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Belorussian_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Belorussian Military District">Belorussian Military District</a>(<i>Белорусский военный округ</i>) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/26th_Air_Army" title="26th Air Army">26th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> (<i>26-я краснознаменная воздушная армия</i>) </td> <td>Minsk, Belarus SSR </td> <td>On 15 June 1992, by decree No. 05 of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus, the 26th Air Army headquarters became the command of the <a href="/wiki/Belarusian_Air_Force" title="Belarusian Air Force">Air Forces of the Republic of Belarus</a>. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Carpathian_Military_District" title="Carpathian Military District">Carpathian Military District</a> (<i>Прикарпатский военный округ</i>) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/14th_Air_Army" title="14th Air Army">14th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> </td> <td>Lviv, Ukrainian SSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><small>(Naval forces operationally attached):</small> <p><a href="/wiki/Baltic_Fleet" title="Baltic Fleet"><i>Twice awarded the Red Banner</i> Baltic Fleet</a> (<i>Дважды Краснознамённый</i> <i>Балтийский флот</i>) </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the Baltic Fleet <p>(<i>ВВС Балтийского флота</i>) </p> </td> <td>Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad Oblast, RSFSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Naval Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td><small>(Air Defence forces operationally attached):</small> </td> <td>2nd Separate Air Defence Army (<i>2-я отдельная армия ПВО</i>) </td> <td>Minsk, Belarus SSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Air Defence Forces. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"><b>High Command of the Forces of the South-Western Strategic Direction</b> (<i>Главное командование войск Южно-Западного направления</i>) - HQ in <a href="/wiki/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u" title="Chișinău">Chișinău</a>, Moldavian SSR </td></tr> <tr> <td>directly subordinated </td> <td><small>(transferred from Air Force HQ in wartime):</small> <p>24th Air Army of Operational Purpose (<i>24-я воздушная армия оперативного назначения</i>) </p> </td> <td>Vinnitsa, Ukrainian SSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Southern_Group_of_Forces" title="Southern Group of Forces">Southern Group of Forces</a> <p>(<i>Южная группа войск</i>) </p> </td> <td>36th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army </td> <td>Debrecen, Hungarian People's Republic </td> <td>The Southern Group of Forces were based in the <a href="/wiki/Hungarian_People%27s_Republic" title="Hungarian People's Republic">Hungarian People's Republic</a>. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Kiev_Military_District" title="Kiev Military District">Kiev Military District</a> <p>(<i>Киевский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/17th_Air_Army" title="17th Air Army">17th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> </td> <td>Kiev, Ukrainian SSR </td> <td>Consisted of Air Force higher schools. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Odessa_Military_District" title="Odessa Military District">Odessa Military District</a> <p>(<i>Одесский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/5th_Air_Army" title="5th Air Army">5th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> </td> <td>Odessa, Ukrainian SSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><small>(Naval forces operationally attached):</small> <p><a href="/wiki/Black_Sea_Fleet" title="Black Sea Fleet"><i>Red Banner</i> Black Sea Fleet</a> </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the Black Sea Fleet <p>(<i>ВВС Черноморского флота</i>) </p> </td> <td>Sevastopol, Ukrainian SSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Naval Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"><b>High Command of the Forces of the Southern Strategic Direction</b> (<i>Главное командование войск Южного направления</i>) - HQ in <a href="/wiki/Baku" title="Baku">Baku</a>, Azerbaijan SSR </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/North_Caucasus_Military_District" title="North Caucasus Military District">North Caucasus Military District</a> <p>(<i>Северо-Кавказский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the North Caucasus Military District (<i>ВВС Северо-Кавказского военного округа</i>) </td> <td> </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Transcaucasian_Military_District" title="Transcaucasian Military District">Transcaucasus Military District</a> <p>(<i>Закавказский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/34th_Air_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="34th Air Army">34th Air Army</a> </td> <td>Tbilisi, Georgian SSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Turkestan_Military_District" title="Turkestan Military District">Turkestan Military District</a> <p>(<i>Туркестанский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/73rd_Air_Army" class="mw-redirect" title="73rd Air Army">73rd Air Army</a> </td> <td>Alma Ata, Kazakh SSR </td> <td>Until June 1, 1989, the TMD's air army was the 49th Air Army (HQ in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR). The 73rd Air Army controlled the Air Force assets of the <a href="/wiki/Central_Asian_Military_District" title="Central Asian Military District">Central Asian Military District</a>. On June 1, 1989, the CAMD was disbanded and integrated back into the TMD. The two air armies were therefore also integrated, with the new command retaining the designation of the 73rd. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"><b>High Command of the Forces of the Far East</b> (<i>Главное командование войск Дальнего Востока</i>) - HQ in <a href="/wiki/Ulan-Ude" title="Ulan-Ude">Ulan-Ude</a>, RSFSR </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Far_Eastern_Military_District" title="Far Eastern Military District">Far Eastern Military District</a> (<i>Дальневосточный военный округ</i>) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/1st_Air_Army" title="1st Air Army">1st <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> (<i>1-я краснознаменная воздушная армия</i>) </td> <td>Khabarovsk, RSFSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Transbaikal_Military_District" title="Transbaikal Military District">Transbaikal Military District</a> (<i>Забайкальский военный округ</i>) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/23rd_Air_Army" title="23rd Air Army">23rd <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> </td> <td>Chita, RSFSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><small>(Naval forces operationally attached):</small> <p><a href="/wiki/Pacific_Fleet_(Russia)" title="Pacific Fleet (Russia)"><i>Red Banner</i> Pacific Fleet</a> </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the Pacific Fleet <p>(<i>ВВС Тихоокеанского флота</i>) </p> </td> <td>Vladivostok, RSFSR </td> <td>Belonged to the Naval Aviation. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"><b>internal military districts</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Moscow_Military_District" title="Moscow Military District">Moscow Military District</a> <p>(<i>Московский</i> <i>военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the Moscow Military District (<i>ВВС Московского военного округа</i>) </td> <td> </td> <td>Formerly the 78th Air Army. </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Leningrad_Military_District" title="Leningrad Military District">Leningrad Military District</a> <p>(<i>Ленинградский</i> <i>военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/76th_Air_Army" title="76th Air Army">76th <i>Red Banner</i> Air Army</a> </td> <td>Leningrad, RSFSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Baltic_Military_District" title="Baltic Military District">Baltic Military District</a> <p>(<i>Прибалтийский</i> <i>военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/15th_Air_Army" title="15th Air Army">15th Air Army</a> </td> <td>Riga, Latvian SSR </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Volga-Urals_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Volga-Urals Military District">Volga-Ural Military District</a> <p>(<i>Приволжско-Уральский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the Volga-Ural Military District (<i>ВВС Приволжско-Уральского военного округа</i>) </td> <td>Sverdlovsk (present-day Yekaterinburg), RSFSR </td> <td>The Volga Military District and the Ural Military District were merged on September 1, 1989, into the Volga-Ural Military District. Due to their remoteness from the front lines in a possible armed conflict, the two military district were tasked with mainly with training (including pilot training for the Air Forces). For that reason the newly unified military district held 1st place by total aircraft quantity of all the military districts and groups of forces (1735 units), but this changed to 16th place if only combat aircraft were taken into consideration. <p><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016_47-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Siberian_Military_District" title="Siberian Military District">Siberian Military District</a> <p>(<i>Сибирский военный округ</i>) </p> </td> <td>Air Forces of the SIberian District (<i>ВВС Сибирского военного округа</i>) </td> <td> </td> <td>Due to its remoteness from the front lines in a possible armed conflict, the SMD were tasked with mainly with training (including pilot training for the Air Forces). For that reason the military district held the median 9th place by total aircraft quantity of all the military districts and groups of forces, but this changed to dead-last 19th place if only combat aircraft were taken into consideration.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016_47-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In addition, the <a href="/w/index.php?title=34th_Mixed_Aviation_Corps&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="34th Mixed Aviation Corps (page does not exist)">34th Mixed Aviation Corps</a> (<a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/34-%D0%B9_%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%81" class="extiw" title="ru:34-й смешанный авиационный корпус">ru:34-й смешанный авиационный корпус</a>), later re-designated to the Air Forces of the 40th Army, supported the <a href="/wiki/40th_Army_(Soviet_Union)" title="40th Army (Soviet Union)">40th Army</a> in Afghanistan during the <a href="/wiki/Soviet%E2%80%93Afghan_War" title="Soviet–Afghan War">Soviet–Afghan War</a>. Its HQ was in Kabul, <a href="/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_Afghanistan" title="Democratic Republic of Afghanistan">Democratic Republic of Afghanistan</a>, co-located with the HQ of the 40th Army itself. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Directly_subordinated_to_the_AF_Main_Staff">Directly subordinated to the AF Main Staff</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Directly subordinated to the AF Main Staff"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Several formations and flying units were directly subordinated to the Air Forces Main Staff (<i>Главный штаб ВВС</i>).<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDrozdov20169–10_48-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDrozdov20169–10-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They provided air transport for high-ranking government and military officials, flight testing or support to other research and development fields. </p><p><b>Units directly subordinated to the Main Staff</b>: </p> <ul><li>21st Aviation Squadron of Flying Laboratories - <a href="/wiki/Kubinka_(air_base)" title="Kubinka (air base)">Kubinka</a> - An-12, An-26, Mi-8</li> <li>27th Helicopter Squadron - <a href="/wiki/Semipalatinsk" class="mw-redirect" title="Semipalatinsk">Semipalatinsk</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kazakh_SSR" class="mw-redirect" title="Kazakh SSR">Kazakh SSR</a> - Mi-8 (provided liaison flight support to the <a href="/wiki/Semipalatinsk_Test_Site" title="Semipalatinsk Test Site">Semipalatinsk Test Site</a>, a nuclear test site)</li> <li>101st Test [Support] Aviation Squadron (287th according to some sources) - <a href="/wiki/Nukus_Airport" title="Nukus Airport">Nukus</a>, <a href="/wiki/Uzbek_SSR" class="mw-redirect" title="Uzbek SSR">Uzbek SSR</a> - An-26, Mi-8 (provided support to the 8th Chemical Defence Station test range on the <a href="/wiki/Ustyurt_Plateau" title="Ustyurt Plateau">Ustyurt Plateau</a>)</li> <li>220th Test [Support] Aviation Squadron of Specific Purpose - <a href="/wiki/Aral,_Kazakhstan" title="Aral, Kazakhstan">Aralsk, Kazakh SSR</a> - An-72, An-26, Mi-26, Mi-8, An-2 (provided airborne telemetric surveillance support to the <a href="/wiki/Kapustin_Yar" title="Kapustin Yar">Kapustin Yar missile test range</a>. The airfield also provided liaison flights to the top-secret "Barkhan" bacteriological warfare test range on <a href="/wiki/Vozrozhdeniya_Island" title="Vozrozhdeniya Island">Vozrozhdeniya Island</a>)</li> <li>unidentified Aviation Squadron - <a href="/wiki/Klin_(air_base)" title="Klin (air base)">Klin</a> - Tu-134, An-12, An-26, An-24, Mi-8 (Klin air base was also considered the 'household' airfield of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Air_Defence_Forces" title="Soviet Air Defence Forces">Air Defence Forces</a> aviation and a mixed air regiment was based there with the mission to provide liaison flights to the Air Defence Forces Main Staff and flight skills refreshment for the high ranking pilot officers)</li> <li>Transport Aviation Squadron - Privolzhskiy (near <a href="/wiki/Astrakhan" title="Astrakhan">Astrakhan</a>) - Il-18, An-26, Mi-8 (provided liaison flights to the 116th Combat Application Training Center of the Air Defence Aviation</li> <li><b>2nd State Central Test Range</b> (designation in some sources given as the) - <a href="/wiki/Semipalatinsk" class="mw-redirect" title="Semipalatinsk">Semipalatinsk</a> <ul><li>Transport Aviation Squadron - <a href="/wiki/ZATO" class="mw-redirect" title="ZATO">ZATO</a> <a href="/wiki/Kurchatov,_Kazakhstan" title="Kurchatov, Kazakhstan">Kurchatov-21</a> (also listed sometimes as the Semipalatinsk-21) - An-30RR, An-24RR, Mi-8/9 (RR - Radiation Reconnaissance)</li> <li>Transport Aviation Squadron - Semipalatinsk (Zhanasemei airfield) - An-30, An-24RR</li></ul></li> <li><b>5th Central Scientific Research Institute</b> (designation in some sources given as the - <a href="/wiki/Voronezh" title="Voronezh">Voronezh</a> <ul><li>Composite Aviation Squadron - Voronezh Airport - Il-20, Mi-8 (<a href="/wiki/Electronic_warfare" title="Electronic warfare">EW</a>)</li></ul></li> <li><b>8th Aviation Division of Specific Purpose</b> - <a href="/wiki/Chkalovsky_Air_Base" class="mw-redirect" title="Chkalovsky Air Base">Chkalovsky</a> <ul><li>353th Aviation Regiment of Specific Purpose - Chkalovsky - Il-62, Tu-154, Tu-134, Il-18, Il-76, An-72</li> <li>354th Aviation Regiment of Specific Purpose - Chkalovsky - Il-76, Il-22, An-12, An-26, An-24</li> <li>(355th Aviation Regiment of Specific Purpose - Chkalovsky - disbanded in 1989 and absorbed into the 353rd Aviation Regiment along with its Tu-134 and Tu- 154 aircraft)</li> <li>Composite Aviation Squadron - Chkalovsky - Il-80 (4 aircraft), Il-76RT (2 aircraft) (attached to the 8th ADSP for air traffic control, ground support and maintenance, but reporting directly to the Ministry of Defence. The Il-80 was the airborne command center variant of the <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-86" title="Ilyushin Il-86">Il-86</a> and the Soviet counterpart to the <a href="/wiki/Boeing_E-4" title="Boeing E-4">E-4</a>. The four Il-80 received command task force of officers detailed from the Ministry of Defence when on airborne duty. The two Il-76RT were relay aircraft (RT - 'retranslator') and had no command task force on board. They provided <a href="/wiki/Ultra_high_frequency" title="Ultra high frequency">Ultra high frequency</a> link between the Soviet nuclear triad and the command centers and were equipped with drag antennae array, which could extend to a total length of 6 kilometers. The Navy's SSBNs and the Air Force's Long Range Aviation normally used alternative communications channels, so the main task for the Il-76RTs remained to provide a link to the <a href="/wiki/Strategic_Rocket_Forces" title="Strategic Rocket Forces">Strategic Rocket Forces</a>. The command and control system was designated "Chain Link" (<i>"Звено"</i>) and included the Il-80s, the Il-76RTs, the underground silo-based <a href="/wiki/Dead_Hand" title="Dead Hand"><i>'Perimetr'</i></a> and the railway-based <i>'Gorn'</i> command alert missiles.)</li></ul></li> <li><b>High Command of the Forces of the Southern Strategic Direction</b> - <a href="/wiki/Baku" title="Baku">Baku</a>, Azerbaijan SSR <ul><li>300th Composite Aviation Squadron - Kala - Tu-154, Tu-134, Il-22, An-26, An-24, Mi-6, Mi-8/9, Ka-27PS, An-2, Mi-2</li></ul></li> <li><b>High Command of the Forces of the South-Western Strategic Direction</b> - <a href="/wiki/Chi%C8%99in%C4%83u" title="Chișinău">Kishinev</a>, Moldavian SSR <ul><li>153rd Composite Aviation Squadron - Kishinev - Tu-134, Il-22, An-72, An-26, An-24, Mi-8/9</li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Warsaw_Pact" title="Warsaw Pact"><b>Warsaw Pact Organisation</b></a> <ul><li>25th Composite Aviation Squadron - <a href="/wiki/Legnica" title="Legnica">Legnica</a> and Krzywa, Polish People's Republic - Tu-134, Il-22, An-12, An-72, An-26, Mi-8</li> <li>100th Helicopter Flight - <a href="/wiki/Damascus" title="Damascus">Damascus</a>, Syrian Arab Republic - Mi-8PPA/SMV/MTPI (supporting the Soviet military advisors embedded in the Syrian military)</li></ul></li> <li><b>929th State Flight Test Center <i>named after <a href="/wiki/Valery_Chkalov" title="Valery Chkalov">V. P. Chkalov</a></i> of the Ministry of Defence of the USSR</b> - <a href="/wiki/Akhtubinsk#Military" title="Akhtubinsk">Akhtubinsk</a> (testing of each type of military aircraft destined for the Air Force, Air Defence Forces, Naval Aviation and export) <ul><li>75th Composite Aviation Regiment - Akhtubinsk - Ан-12, Ан-26, Ан-24, Ан-72, Ту-154, Ми-8</li> <li>333rd Composite Aviation Regiment - Akhtubinsk - Tu-16, MiG-21</li> <li>Air Force Test Pilots Training Center - Akhtubinsk - MiG-21, L-39, Yak-40, An-26, Mi-8</li> <li>Composite Aviation Regiment of Specific Purpose - Су-27, МиГ-29, Ка-25, Ка-27, Ми-14, Ка-29, Ан-12, Ан-72, Ил-38, Ту-142, MI-6, Mi-8, Як-38 (flight testing of naval aviation)</li> <li>368th Composite Aviation Squadron - <a href="/wiki/Nalchik_Airport" title="Nalchik Airport">Nalchik Airport</a> - An-12, Mi-8 (mountain testing)</li> <li>47th Composite Aviation Squadron - An-26, Mi-8</li> <li>Composite Aviation Squadron - Il-76, An-12, An-72, An-26</li> <li>Helicopter Squadron - Mi-26, Mi-6, Mi-8</li> <li>Aviation Flight (possibly two separate air flights based at Chkalovsky, one flying Il-20 and another one flying Il-22)</li></ul></li> <li><b>Nizhny Tagil Metal Proving Institute</b> <ul><li>Flight Test Base - Salka airfield, <a href="/wiki/Nizhny_Tagil" title="Nizhny Tagil">Nizhny Tagil</a> - Tu-16, Su-24, Su-25, MiG-21, An-12, An-24 (testing of aviation armaments)</li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Military_Transport_Aviation">Military Transport Aviation</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Military Transport Aviation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Soviet <a href="/wiki/Military_Transport_Aviation" title="Military Transport Aviation">Military Transport Aviation</a> had the following structure in the end of the 1980s:<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><b>Military Transport Aviation Command</b>, Moscow, RSFSR </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/18th_Guards_Military_Transport_Aviation_Division" class="mw-redirect" title="18th Guards Military Transport Aviation Division">18th <i>Guards Taganrogskaya, awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov and the Order of Kutuzov</i> Military Transport Aviation Division</a>, <a href="/wiki/%C5%A0iauliai_International_Airport" class="mw-redirect" title="Šiauliai International Airport">Šiauliai</a>, Lithuanian SSR <ul><li>128th <i>Guards <a href="/wiki/Leningrad" class="mw-redirect" title="Leningrad">Leningradskiy</a>, awarded the Order of the Red Banner</i> Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Panev%C4%97%C5%BEys_Air_Base" title="Panevėžys Air Base">Panevėžys</a>, Lithuanian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76M</a></li> <li>196th Guards <a href="/wiki/Minsk" title="Minsk">Minskiy</a> Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Tartu" title="Tartu">Tartu</a>, Estonian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76M</a></li> <li>600th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/K%C4%97dainiai_Airport" title="Kėdainiai Airport">Kėdainiai</a>, Lithuanian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li> <li>117th <i><a href="/wiki/Berlin" title="Berlin">Berlinskiy</a>, awarded the Order of Kutuzov</i> Aviation Regiment for <a href="/wiki/Electronic_warfare" title="Electronic warfare">Radio-electronic warfare</a>, <a href="/wiki/%C5%A0iauliai_International_Airport" class="mw-redirect" title="Šiauliai International Airport">Šiauliai</a>, Lithuanian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-12" title="Antonov An-12">Antonov An-12PP/PPS</a></li></ul></li> <li>6th <i>Guards <a href="/wiki/Zaporizhzhia" title="Zaporizhzhia">Zaporozhskaya</a>, awarded the <a href="/wiki/Order_of_Bogdan_Khmelnitsky_(Soviet_Union)" title="Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union)">Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky</a></i> Military Transport Aviation Division, <a href="/wiki/Kryvyi_Rih" title="Kryvyi Rih">Kryvyi Rih</a>, Ukrainian SSR<sup id="cite_ref-50" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <ul><li>37th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Artsyz" title="Artsyz">Artsyz</a>, Ukrainian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li> <li>338th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Zaporizhzhia" title="Zaporizhzhia">Zaporizhzhia</a>, Ukrainian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li> <li>363rd <i><a href="/wiki/Cherkasy" title="Cherkasy">Cherkaskiy</a>, awarded the Order of Suvorov and the <a href="/wiki/Order_of_Bogdan_Khmelnitsky_(Soviet_Union)" title="Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union)">Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky</a></i> Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Kryvyi_Rih" title="Kryvyi Rih">Kryvyi Rih</a>, Ukrainian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li></ul></li> <li>7th Military Transport Aviation Division <a href="/wiki/Melitopol" title="Melitopol">Melitopol</a>, Ukrainian SSR <ul><li>25th <a href="/wiki/Moscow" title="Moscow"><i>Moskovskiy</i></a> Military Transport Aviation Regiment - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li> <li>175th Military Transport Aviation Regiment - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li> <li>369th Military Transport Aviation Regiment - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li></ul></li> <li>3rd <i>Guards <a href="/wiki/Smolensk" title="Smolensk">Smolenskaya</a>, awarded the Order of Suvorov and the Order of Kutuzov</i> Military Transport Aviation Division, <a href="/wiki/Vitebsk" title="Vitebsk">Vitebsk</a>, Byelorussian SSR <ul><li>110th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Krechevitsy_Airport" title="Krechevitsy Airport">Krechevitsy</a> (near <a href="/wiki/Veliky_Novgorod" title="Veliky Novgorod">Novgorod</a>), RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li> <li>334th <i><a href="/wiki/Berlin" title="Berlin">Berlin</a> <a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Red_Banner" title="Order of the Red Banner">Red Banner</a></i>, <a href="/wiki/Vitebsk" title="Vitebsk">Vitebsk</a>, Byelorussian SSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/12th_Military_Transport_Aviation_Division" title="12th Military Transport Aviation Division">12th <i>Mginskaya Red Banner</i> Military Transport Aviation Division</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tver" title="Tver">Tver</a>, RSFSR <ul><li>566th <i><a href="/wiki/Solnechnogorsk" title="Solnechnogorsk">Solnechnogorskiy</a>, awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Kutuzov</i> Military Transport Aviation Regiment, Seshta (near <a href="/wiki/Bryansk" title="Bryansk">Bryansk</a>), RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-124_Ruslan" title="Antonov An-124 Ruslan">Antonov An-124</a></li> <li>978th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, Seshta (near <a href="/wiki/Bryansk" title="Bryansk">Bryansk</a>), RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-124_Ruslan" title="Antonov An-124 Ruslan">Antonov An-124</a> (2 squadrons), <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a> (1 squadron)</li> <li>8th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, Tver, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-22" title="Antonov An-22">Antonov An-22</a></li> <li>81st Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Ivanovo_Severny_(air_base)" title="Ivanovo Severny (air base)">Ivanovo - Severny</a> - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-22" title="Antonov An-22">Antonov An-22</a></li></ul></li> <li>separate Military Transport Aviation regiments: <ul><li>192nd <i>Guards <a href="/wiki/Kerch" title="Kerch">Kerchenskiy</a> Red Banner</i> Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Ukkurey_(air_base)" title="Ukkurey (air base)">Ukkurey</a>, Chita Oblast, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76MD</a></li> <li>708th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Taganrog" title="Taganrog">Taganrog</a>, Rostov Oblast, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76MD</a></li> <li>930th <i><a href="/wiki/Komsomol" title="Komsomol">Komsomolskiy</a> <a href="/wiki/Transylvania" title="Transylvania">Transylvanskiy</a> Red Banner</i> Military Transport Aviation Regiment, <a href="/wiki/Zavitinsk_(air_base)" title="Zavitinsk (air base)">Zavitinsk</a>, Amur Oblast, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-12" title="Antonov An-12">Antonov An-12</a></li> <li>194th <i>Guards <a href="/wiki/Bryansk" title="Bryansk">Bryanskiy</a> Red Banner</i> Military Transport Aviation Regiment <i>named after <a href="/wiki/Nikolai_Gastello" title="Nikolai Gastello">N. F. Gastello</a></i>, <a href="/wiki/Fergana" title="Fergana">Fergana</a>, Uzbek SSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-12" title="Antonov An-12">Antonov An-12</a></li></ul></li> <li>training establishments <ul><li>610th Center for Combat Training and Conversion of Flight Personnel of the Military Transport Aviation, <a href="/wiki/Ivanovo_Severny_(air_base)" title="Ivanovo Severny (air base)">Ivanovo - Severny</a> - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a> (2 training and 1 test and evaluation squadrons)</li></ul></li> <li>wartime mobilization assets <ul><li>the State-owned flag carrier <i><a href="/wiki/Aeroflot" title="Aeroflot">Aeroflot</a></i> was wartime mobilization reserve to the Military Transport Aviation, with some Il-76 aircraft of the civilian air company as much as retaining the aft self-defence gun turrets (<a href="/wiki/File:IL-76MD_Grossenhain_(22513011691).jpg" title="File:IL-76MD Grossenhain (22513011691).jpg">Aeroflot Il-76MD</a>)</li></ul></li> <li>airlift assets outside the Military Transport Aviation <ul><li>8th Aviation Division of Special Purpose, <a href="/wiki/Chkalovsky_Air_Base" class="mw-redirect" title="Chkalovsky Air Base">Moscow - Chkalovskiy Air Base</a>, RSFSR - transport and command aviation unit for the USSR's high officials <ul><li>70th Transport Regiment of Special Purpose, <a href="/wiki/Chkalovsky_Air_Base" class="mw-redirect" title="Chkalovsky Air Base">Moscow - Chkalovskiy Air Base</a>, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-62" title="Ilyushin Il-62">Ilyushin Il-62</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-86" title="Ilyushin Il-86">Il-86</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Il-76</a></li> <li>353rd Transport Regiment of Special Purpose, <a href="/wiki/Chkalovsky_Air_Base" class="mw-redirect" title="Chkalovsky Air Base">Moscow - Chkalovskiy Air Base</a>, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-12" title="Antonov An-12">Antonov An-12</a>, <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-26" title="Antonov An-26">An-26</a>, <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-24" title="Antonov An-24">An-24</a></li> <li>354th Transport Regiment of Special Purpose, <a href="/wiki/Chkalovsky_Air_Base" class="mw-redirect" title="Chkalovsky Air Base">Moscow - Chkalovskiy Air Base</a>, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-134" title="Tupolev Tu-134">Tupolev Tu-134</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-154" title="Tupolev Tu-154">Tu-154</a></li> <li>Separate Aviation Squadron for Command and Retranslation, <a href="/wiki/Chkalovsky_Air_Base" class="mw-redirect" title="Chkalovsky Air Base">Moscow - Chkalovskiy Air Base</a>, RSFSR - <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-80" title="Ilyushin Il-80">Ilyushin Il-80</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-82" class="mw-redirect" title="Ilyushin Il-82">Il-82</a></li></ul></li> <li>Each Strategic Direction Command and each Military District also had a Composite Aviation Regiment, which included An-24, An-26 (possibly An-12) transport aircraft, Mi-8 (possibly) Mi-2 helicopters and a Tu-134 as the commander of the strategic direction or the military district's personal transport aircraft.</li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Training_schools_of_the_VVS_and_PVO">Training schools of the VVS and PVO</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: Training schools of the VVS and PVO"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A <a href="/wiki/Krasnaya_Zvezda" title="Krasnaya Zvezda">Krasnaya Zvezda</a> military schools list of 17 January 1980 included 24 Air Forces schools.<sup id="cite_ref-51" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-51"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>51<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Nine Higher Aviation Schools of Pilots were reported (including the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots at <a href="/wiki/Borisoglebsk_(air_base)" class="mw-redirect" title="Borisoglebsk (air base)">Borisoglebsk</a>), two navigator schools (including the <a href="/wiki/Chelyabinsk_Red_Banner_Military_Aviation_Institute_of_Navigators" title="Chelyabinsk Red Banner Military Aviation Institute of Navigators">Chelyabinsk Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators/50th Anniversary of the Komsomols</a>), the Khar'kov Higher Military Aviation Command School of Signals, five three-year technical secondary schools, six Air Force engineering schools (including the <a href="/wiki/Kiev_Military_Aviation_Engineering_Academy" class="mw-redirect" title="Kiev Military Aviation Engineering Academy">Kiev Higher Military Aviation Engineering School</a>), and the Kurgan Higher Military-Political Aviation School. </p><p>In 1988, schools included:<sup id="cite_ref-52" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-52"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>52<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>5th Central Course for Preparation and Improvement of Aviation Personnel, <a href="/wiki/Bishkek" title="Bishkek">Frunze</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ch%C3%BCy_Region" title="Chüy Region">Chui Oblast</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kyrgyz_SSR" class="mw-redirect" title="Kyrgyz SSR">Kyrgyz SSR</a> (HQ VVS)</li> <li>796th Red Banner Center for Preparation of Officers for Fighter and Fighter-Bomber Aviation, <a href="/wiki/Totskoye" title="Totskoye">Totskoye</a>, <a href="/wiki/Orenburg_Oblast" title="Orenburg Oblast">Orenburg Oblast</a> (HQ VVS)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Armavir_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Armavir Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Armavir Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> PVO (Air Forces of the <a href="/wiki/North_Caucasus_Military_District" title="North Caucasus Military District">North Caucasus Military District</a>)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Balashov_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Balashov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Balashov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (Air Forces of the <a href="/wiki/Volga-Ural_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Volga-Ural Military District">Volga-Ural Military District</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Barnaul_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_of_Pilots" title="Barnaul Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots">Barnaul Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots</a> (HQ <a href="/wiki/Barnaul" title="Barnaul">Barnaul</a>, <a href="/wiki/Altai_Krai" title="Altai Krai">Altai Krai</a>)(Air Forces of the Siberian Military District) - 44th <a href="/wiki/Panfilovo,_Altai_Krai" title="Panfilovo, Altai Krai">(Panfilovo)</a>, 54th, 99th, 662nd Training Aviation Regiments in 1990.<sup id="cite_ref-53" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-53"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>53<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Borisoglebsk_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_of_Pilots" class="mw-redirect" title="Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots">Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Borisoglebsk_(air_base)" class="mw-redirect" title="Borisoglebsk (air base)">Borisoglebsk</a>, VVS NCMD)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chelyabinsk_Red_Banner_Military_Aviation_Institute_of_Navigators" title="Chelyabinsk Red Banner Military Aviation Institute of Navigators">Chelyabinsk Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kacha_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_of_Pilots" class="mw-redirect" title="Kacha Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots">Kacha Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Volgograd" title="Volgograd">Volgograd</a>, HQ VVS)(<a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B5_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%89%D0%B5_%D0%BB%D1%91%D1%82%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2" class="extiw" title="ru:Качинское высшее военное авиационное училище лётчиков">ru:Качинское высшее военное авиационное училище лётчиков</a>)</li> <li>Kansk Military Aviation School of Air Rifle-Radio Operators VVS (<a href="/wiki/Kansk" title="Kansk">Kansk</a>, VVS Siberian Military District)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Krasnodar_Higher_United_Flight-Technical_School&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Krasnodar Higher United Flight-Technical School (page does not exist)">Krasnodar Higher United Flight-Technical School</a> (<a href="/wiki/Krasnodar" title="Krasnodar">Krasnodar</a>, VVS NCMD; <a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B5_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%89%D0%B5_%D0%BB%D1%91%D1%82%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2" class="extiw" title="ru:Краснодарское высшее военное авиационное училище лётчиков">ru:Краснодарское высшее военное авиационное училище лётчиков</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Orenburg_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots" title="Orenburg Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots">Orenburg Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Orenburg" title="Orenburg">Orenburg</a>, VVS Volga-Ural Military District)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Saratov_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Saratov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Saratov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (Saratov, VVS Volga-Urals Military District; helicopter training)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Stavropol_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots_and_Navigators_PVO&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Stavropol Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots and Navigators PVO (page does not exist)">Stavropol Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots and Navigators PVO</a> (<a href="/wiki/Stavropol" title="Stavropol">Stavropol</a>, VVS <a href="/wiki/North_Caucasus_Military_District" title="North Caucasus Military District">North Caucasus Military District</a>)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Syzran_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Syzran Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Syzran Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Tambov_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Tambov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Tambov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Tambov" title="Tambov">Tambov</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tambov_Oblast" title="Tambov Oblast">Tambov Oblast</a>, <a href="/wiki/Air_Forces_of_the_Moscow_Military_District" class="mw-redirect" title="Air Forces of the Moscow Military District">Air Forces of the Moscow Military District</a>)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ufa_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ufa Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Ufa Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Ufa" title="Ufa">Ufa</a>)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Yeysk_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Yeysk Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Yeysk Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Yeysk" title="Yeysk">Yeysk</a>, <a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%95%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83%D1%82" class="extiw" title="ru:Ейский высший военный авиационный институт">ru:Ейский высший военный авиационный институт</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/17th_Air_Army" title="17th Air Army">17th Air Army</a> (<a href="/wiki/Kiev_Military_District" title="Kiev Military District">Kiev Military District</a>, primarily a training force) <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Chernigov_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_for_Pilots&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (page does not exist)">Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots</a> (<a href="/wiki/Chernihiv_(air_base)" class="mw-redirect" title="Chernihiv (air base)">Chernigov</a>, VVS <a href="/wiki/Kiev_Military_District" title="Kiev Military District">Kiev Military District</a>)</li> <li>Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots (<a href="/wiki/Kharkiv" title="Kharkiv">Kharkiv</a>-<a href="/wiki/Chuguyev" class="mw-redirect" title="Chuguyev">Chuguyev</a>, VVS <a href="/wiki/Kiev_Military_District" title="Kiev Military District">Kiev Military District</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lugansk_Higher_Military_Aviation_School_of_Navigators" class="mw-redirect" title="Lugansk Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators">Voroshilovgrad Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators</a> (<a href="/wiki/Lugansk" class="mw-redirect" title="Lugansk">Lugansk</a>)</li></ul></li></ul> <p>There is also a <a href="/wiki/List_of_Soviet_Air_Force_bases" title="List of Soviet Air Force bases">list of Soviet Air Force bases</a> listing the various air bases of the force. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Commanders-in-Chief">Commanders-in-Chief</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Commanders-in-Chief"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Commander-in-Chief_of_the_Russian_Air_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force">Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Soviet_Air_Force_inventory_in_1990">Soviet Air Force inventory in 1990</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Soviet Air Force inventory in 1990"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg/220px-Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="156" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg/330px-Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg/440px-Tu-16_Badger_E.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2585" data-file-height="1832" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-16" title="Tupolev Tu-16">Tupolev Tu-16</a></figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:MiG-23MLD.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/MiG-23MLD.jpg/220px-MiG-23MLD.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="107" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/MiG-23MLD.jpg/330px-MiG-23MLD.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/MiG-23MLD.jpg/440px-MiG-23MLD.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="1465" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-23" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23</a></figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Su-15_Flagon.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Su-15_Flagon.jpg/220px-Su-15_Flagon.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="144" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Su-15_Flagon.jpg/330px-Su-15_Flagon.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Su-15_Flagon.jpg/440px-Su-15_Flagon.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3010" data-file-height="1970" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-15" title="Sukhoi Su-15">Sukhoi Su-15</a></figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg/220px-Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg/330px-Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg/440px-Su-24_Fencer_right_rear_view.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2818" data-file-height="1906" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-24" title="Sukhoi Su-24">Sukhoi Su-24</a></figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg/220px-Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg/330px-Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg/440px-Mi-8MT_NTW_1-93.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1500" data-file-height="1003" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Mil_Mi-8" title="Mil Mi-8">Mil Mi-8</a>T</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/List_of_military_aircraft_of_the_Soviet_Union_and_the_CIS" title="List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS">List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS</a></div> <dl><dt>175 strategic bombers<sup id="cite_ref-global-avstrat_54-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-global-avstrat-54"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>54<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></dt> <dd>160 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95" title="Tupolev Tu-95">Tupolev Tu-95</a></dd> <dd>15 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-160" title="Tupolev Tu-160">Tupolev Tu-160</a></dd></dl> <dl><dt>390 medium <a href="/wiki/Bomber" title="Bomber">bombers</a><sup id="cite_ref-global-avstrat_54-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-global-avstrat-54"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>54<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></dt> <dd>80 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-16" title="Tupolev Tu-16">Tupolev Tu-16</a></dd> <dd>120 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-22" title="Tupolev Tu-22">Tupolev Tu-22</a></dd> <dd>190 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-22M" title="Tupolev Tu-22M">Tupolev Tu-22M</a></dd></dl> <dl><dt>1,275 <a href="/wiki/Fighter_aircraft" title="Fighter aircraft">fighters</a></dt> <dd>50 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-21" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21</a></dd> <dd>595 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-23" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23</a></dd> <dd>90 <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-27" title="Sukhoi Su-27">Sukhoi Su-27</a></dd> <dd>540 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-29" title="Mikoyan MiG-29">Mikoyan MiG-29</a></dd></dl> <dl><dt>2,510 <a href="/wiki/Attack_aircraft" title="Attack aircraft">attack aircraft</a><sup id="cite_ref-global-avmain_55-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-global-avmain-55"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>55<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></dt> <dd>535 <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-17" title="Sukhoi Su-17">Sukhoi Su-17</a></dd> <dd>830 <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-24" title="Sukhoi Su-24">Sukhoi Su-24</a></dd> <dd>340 <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-25" title="Sukhoi Su-25">Sukhoi Su-25</a></dd> <dd>905 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-27" title="Mikoyan MiG-27">Mikoyan MiG-27</a></dd></dl> <dl><dt>74 tankers</dt> <dd>14 <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-78" title="Ilyushin Il-78">Ilyushin Il-78</a></dd> <dd>40 <a href="/wiki/Myasishchev_M-4" title="Myasishchev M-4">Myasishchev M-4 'Molot'</a></dd> <dd>20 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-16" title="Tupolev Tu-16">Tupolev Tu-16</a></dd></dl> <dl><dt>835 <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">Reconnaissance</a> and <a href="/wiki/Electronic_countermeasures" class="mw-redirect" title="Electronic countermeasures">Electronic countermeasures</a> (ECM) aircraft</dt> <dd>50 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-21" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21</a></dd> <dd>160 <a href="/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25" title="Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25</a></dd> <dd>135 <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-17" title="Sukhoi Su-17">Sukhoi Su-17</a></dd> <dd>150 <a href="/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-24" title="Sukhoi Su-24">Sukhoi Su-24</a></dd> <dd>170 <a href="/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-28" title="Yakovlev Yak-28">Yakovlev Yak-28</a></dd> <dd>120 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-16" title="Tupolev Tu-16">Tupolev Tu-16</a></dd> <dd>20 <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-22M" title="Tupolev Tu-22M">Tupolev Tu-22M</a></dd> <dd>30 <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-20" class="mw-redirect" title="Ilyushin Il-20">Ilyushin Il-22</a></dd></dl> <dl><dt>577 transport aircraft</dt> <dd>12 <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-124" class="mw-redirect" title="Antonov An-124">Antonov An-124</a></dd> <dd>55 <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-22" title="Antonov An-22">Antonov An-22</a></dd> <dd>125 <a href="/wiki/Antonov_An-12" title="Antonov An-12">Antonov An-12</a></dd> <dd>385 <a href="/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-76" title="Ilyushin Il-76">Ilyushin Il-76</a></dd> <dd>2,935 civilian and other transport aircraft, usually <a href="/wiki/Aeroflot" title="Aeroflot">Aeroflot</a> aircraft which were easily converted</dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Evolution_of_the_Roundel">Evolution of the Roundel</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: Evolution of the Roundel"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Red_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Red_star.svg/100px-Red_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Red_star.svg/150px-Red_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Red_star.svg/200px-Red_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="1175" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>The red five-pointed star without a border was used until 1943. </td></tr> <tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_(1918%E2%80%931921)_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281918%E2%80%931921%29_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg/100px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281918%E2%80%931921%29_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281918%E2%80%931921%29_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg/150px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281918%E2%80%931921%29_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281918%E2%80%931921%29_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg/200px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281918%E2%80%931921%29_%E2%80%93_Red_Army_%E2%80%93_Type_4_%E2%80%93_Variant_1.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="571" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>A red star with a black circular border inside the star was sometimes used in the 20s and 30s<sup id="cite_ref-Stars_56-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stars-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg/100px-URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg/150px-URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg/200px-URSS_aviation_black_bordered_red_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="571" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>The red star with black border was used between 1941 and 1943, but was gradually phased out.<sup id="cite_ref-Stars_56-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stars-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg/100px-URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg/150px-URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg/200px-URSS_aviation_white_bordered_red_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="571" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>In the early forties, many air forces around the world began to outline their roundels with a white border. The Soviet Union experimented with this as well.<sup id="cite_ref-Stars_56-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stars-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At the end of 1942, red stars began to be outlined almost everywhere with white paint; in 1943, a star with a white border became the standard identification mark of the Red Army Air Force.<sup id="cite_ref-Star1_57-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Star1-57"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>57<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg/100px-URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg/150px-URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg/200px-URSS_aviation_yellow_bordered_red_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="571" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>The red star with a yellow border was used extremely rarely during 1942-1945.<sup id="cite_ref-Stars_56-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stars-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg/100px-URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg/150px-URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg/200px-URSS_aviation_Kremlin_red_star.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="1175" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>A red star with convex shading and a white and red border is known as the "Kremlin Star." Used sparingly during 1940-1945.<sup id="cite_ref-Stars_56-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stars-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <th><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_(1945%E2%80%931991).svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg/100px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="95" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg/150px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg/200px-Roundel_of_the_Soviet_Union_%281945%E2%80%931991%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="1175" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> </th> <td>A red five-pointed star with a white and red border began to appear for the first time on Soviet aircraft in late 1943 and began to be widely used in subsequent years. Since 1945, such a star has been used almost everywhere. The identification mark was applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the wing, the vertical tail and the sides of the rear fuselage. In the fifties, this version of the identification mark was called the victory star. It was used by the USSR Air Force until its collapse, and by the <a href="/wiki/Russian_Air_Force" title="Russian Air Force">Russian Air Force</a> until 2010 and again since 2013. Currently, it is used by the <a href="/wiki/Belarusian_Air_Force" title="Belarusian Air Force"> Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus</a>. </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Russian_aviators" title="List of Russian aviators">List of Russian aviators</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Russian_aerospace_engineers" title="List of Russian aerospace engineers">List of Russian aerospace engineers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_air_shows" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet air shows">Soviet air shows</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rkka.ru/handbook/high/guvvs.htm">"Главное управление Военно-Воздушных сил Красной Армии"</a> [GUVVS] (in Russian). RKKA. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080529200249/http://www.rkka.ru/handbook/high/guvvs.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 29 May 2008<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">31 May</span> 2008</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=%D0%93%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5+%D1%83%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5+%D0%92%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D0%92%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85+%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB+%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9+%D0%90%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B8&rft.pub=RKKA&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rkka.ru%2Fhandbook%2Fhigh%2Fguvvs.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span>; <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110727144507/http://www.onairpower.org/docs/Command_Structure_of_the_Soviet_Air_Forces,_1918-1941">"The Command Structure of the Soviet Air Forces, 1918–1941"</a>. On Air power. 2008. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.onairpower.org/docs/Command_Structure_of_the_Soviet_Air_Forces%2C_1918-1941">the original</a> on 27 July 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 February</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Command+Structure+of+the+Soviet+Air+Forces%2C+1918%E2%80%931941&rft.pub=On+Air+power&rft.date=2008&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onairpower.org%2Fdocs%2FCommand_Structure_of_the_Soviet_Air_Forces%252C_1918-1941&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHighamGreenwood199840–46-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHighamGreenwood199840–46_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHighamGreenwood1998">Higham & Greenwood 1998</a>, pp. 40–46.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFwarintheskies.com" class="citation web cs1">warintheskies.com, Mike Colclough. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.warintheskies.com/aircraft/soviet.html">"Soviet Air Force (VVS)"</a>. <i>warintheskies.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170430224314/http://www.warintheskies.com/aircraft/soviet.html">Archived</a> from the original on 30 April 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">5 February</span> 2017</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=warintheskies.com&rft.atitle=Soviet+Air+Force+%28VVS%29&rft.aulast=warintheskies.com&rft.aufirst=Mike+Colclough&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.warintheskies.com%2Faircraft%2Fsoviet.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEYeliseyev2016472_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFYeliseyev2016">Yeliseyev 2016</a>, p. 472.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006220_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPalmer2006">Palmer 2006</a>, p. 220.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006230_6-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPalmer2006">Palmer 2006</a>, p. 230.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197663-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197663_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBailes1976">Bailes 1976</a>, p. 63.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBergman1998" class="citation journal cs1">Bergman, Jay (January 1998). "Valerii Chkalov: Soviet Pilot as New Soviet Man". <i>Journal of Contemporary History</i>. <b>33</b> (1): 136. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F003200949803300108">10.1177/003200949803300108</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:157937639">157937639</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Contemporary+History&rft.atitle=Valerii+Chkalov%3A+Soviet+Pilot+as+New+Soviet+Man&rft.volume=33&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=136&rft.date=1998-01&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1177%2F003200949803300108&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A157937639%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Bergman&rft.aufirst=Jay&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFFitzpatrick1999" class="citation book cs1">Fitzpatrick, Sheila (1999). <i>Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s</i>. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 73.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Everyday+Stalinism%3A+Ordinary+Life+in+Extraordinary+Times%3A+Soviet+Russia+in+the+1930s&rft.place=New+York&rft.pages=73&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=1999&rft.aulast=Fitzpatrick&rft.aufirst=Sheila&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200538-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200538_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPalmer2005">Palmer 2005</a>, p. 38.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer200539_11-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPalmer2005">Palmer 2005</a>, p. 39.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bergman,_p.149-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Bergman,_p.149_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Bergman,_p.149_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Bergman, p.149</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197663–4-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197663–4_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBailes1976">Bailes 1976</a>, pp. 63–4.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006248-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmer2006248_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPalmer2006">Palmer 2006</a>, p. 248.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197664-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197664_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBailes1976">Bailes 1976</a>, p. 64.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty199155-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty199155_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHardesty1991">Hardesty 1991</a>, p. 55.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/2nd_Air_Army" title="2nd Air Army">2nd Air Army</a> was created on 15 March 1937 in the Far East, and somewhat later <a href="/wiki/3rd_Air_Army" title="3rd Air Army">3rd Air Army</a> was created in the <a href="/wiki/North_Caucasus_Military_District" title="North Caucasus Military District">North Caucasus Military District</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/struct/main.dat">"Kharin"</a>. <i>All Aces</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=All+Aces&rft.atitle=Kharin&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allaces.ru%2Fcgi-bin%2Fs2.cgi%2Fsssr%2Fstruct%2Fmain.dat&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197673-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197673_19-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBailes1976">Bailes 1976</a>, p. 73.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197669-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197669_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBailes1976">Bailes 1976</a>, p. 69.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Bailes quotes an article from Red Air Force General Alksnis: "The constructor who creates and equips the plane must be oriented not toward phenomenally gifted flyers but towards rank-and-file pilots."</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBailes197655-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBailes197655_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBailes1976">Bailes 1976</a>, p. 55.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWhiting1986" class="citation book cs1">Whiting, Kenneth (1986). <i>Soviet Air Power</i> (revised ed.). 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Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.socialistworker.org/2003-2/462/462_08_Stalin.shtml">the original</a> on 10 January 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 February</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Socialist+Worker+Online&rft.atitle=Why+did+Stalin+rise+to+power%3F&rft.date=2003-08-01&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socialistworker.org%2F2003-2%2F462%2F462_08_Stalin.shtml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991225-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991225_25-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHardesty1991">Hardesty 1991</a>, p. 225.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Glantz, Colossus Reborn, 311.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-buckley-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-buckley_27-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-buckley_27-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBuckley1999" class="citation book cs1">Buckley, John (1999). <i>Air Power in the Age of Total War</i>. Indiana University Press. pp. 134, 143. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-253-33557-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-253-33557-4"><bdi>0-253-33557-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Air+Power+in+the+Age+of+Total+War&rft.pages=134%2C+143&rft.pub=Indiana+University+Press&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=0-253-33557-4&rft.aulast=Buckley&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRatley_III1983" class="citation journal cs1">Ratley III, Maj. Lonnie O (March–April 1983). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140925223808/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1983/mar-apr/ratley.htm">"A Lesson of History: The Luftwaffe and Barbarossa"</a>. <i>Air University Review</i>. Maxwell US Air Force Base: Air & Space Power. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1983/mar-apr/ratley.htm">the original</a> on 25 September 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 December</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Air+University+Review&rft.atitle=A+Lesson+of+History%3A+The+Luftwaffe+and+Barbarossa&rft.date=1983-03%2F1983-04&rft.aulast=Ratley+III&rft.aufirst=Maj.+Lonnie+O&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airpower.maxwell.af.mil%2Fairchronicles%2Faureview%2F1983%2Fmar-apr%2Fratley.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Michael Holm, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/regiment/bap/4gvbap.htm">4th Guards Novgorodskiy Bomber Aviation Regiment</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120318052620/http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/regiment/bap/4gvbap.htm">Archived</a> 18 March 2012 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Retrieved August 23, 2011</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Reagan, Geoffrey. <i>Military Anecdotes</i> (1992) p. 56, Guinness Publishing <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85112-519-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-85112-519-0">0-85112-519-0</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991193-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991193_31-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHardesty1991">Hardesty 1991</a>, p. 193.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/struct/p/bap1l.dat">"1st Latvian Night Aviation Regiment (<i>legkobombardirovochny rezhitsky</i>)"</a> (in Russian). AllAces.ru. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101219031223/http://www.allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/struct/p/bap1l.dat">Archived</a> from the original on 19 December 2010<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 February</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=1st+Latvian+Night+Aviation+Regiment+%28legkobombardirovochny+rezhitsky%29&rft.pub=AllAces.ru&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allaces.ru%2Fcgi-bin%2Fs2.cgi%2Fsssr%2Fstruct%2Fp%2Fbap1l.dat&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Wagner, Ray (ed.), and Leland Fetzer (trans.). <i>The Soviet Air Force in World War II: The Official History</i>. Melbourne: Wren Publishing, 1973, p.301. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85885-194-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-85885-194-6">0-85885-194-6</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHill2007" class="citation journal cs1">Hill, Alexander (2007). "British Lend Lease Aid and the Soviet War Effort, June 1941 – June 1942". <i>The Journal of Military History</i>. <b>71</b> (3): <span class="nowrap">773–</span>808. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fjmh.2007.0206">10.1353/jmh.2007.0206</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30052890">30052890</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:159715267">159715267</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Journal+of+Military+History&rft.atitle=British+Lend+Lease+Aid+and+the+Soviet+War+Effort%2C+June+1941+%E2%80%93+June+1942&rft.volume=71&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E773-%3C%2Fspan%3E808&rft.date=2007&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A159715267%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F30052890%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1353%2Fjmh.2007.0206&rft.aulast=Hill&rft.aufirst=Alexander&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991135-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHardesty1991135_35-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHardesty1991">Hardesty 1991</a>, p. 135.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Red Phoenix</i>, p. 253 (Appendixes)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.historynet.com/aviation-history-interview-with-world-war-ii-soviet-ace-ivan-kozhedub.htm">"Aviation History: Interview with World War II Soviet Ace Ivan Kozhedub"</a>. <i>HistoryNet</i>. 12 June 2006. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160901150722/http://www.historynet.com/aviation-history-interview-with-world-war-ii-soviet-ace-ivan-kozhedub.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 1 September 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">19 August</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=HistoryNet&rft.atitle=Aviation+History%3A+Interview+with+World+War+II+Soviet+Ace+Ivan+Kozhedub&rft.date=2006-06-12&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.historynet.com%2Faviation-history-interview-with-world-war-ii-soviet-ace-ivan-kozhedub.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Avreg-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Avreg_38-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHames" class="citation web cs1">Hames, David R. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080316024852/http://www.samolet.co.uk/rregs.html">"Russian Aviation Regiments 1941–"</a>. Samolet. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.samolet.co.uk/rregs.html">the original</a> on 16 March 2008.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Russian+Aviation+Regiments+1941%E2%80%93&rft.pub=Samolet&rft.aulast=Hames&rft.aufirst=David+R&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.samolet.co.uk%2Frregs.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTECarson2018157–163-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECarson2018157–163_39-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFCarson2018">Carson 2018</a>, pp. 157–163.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHolm2011-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHolm2011_40-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHolm2011_40-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHolm2011_40-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHolm2011">Holm 2011</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Scott and Scott, The Armed Forces of the USSR, Third Edition, 1984, 165.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation magazine cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121106200628/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922025-2,00.html#ixzz1Ci099B7P">"The U.S.S.R.: Moscow's Military Machine"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Time_(magazine)" title="Time (magazine)">Time</a></i>. 23 June 1980. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922025-2,00.html#ixzz1Ci099B7P">the original</a> on 6 November 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 February</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Time&rft.atitle=The+U.S.S.R.%3A+Moscow%27s+Military+Machine&rft.date=1980-06-23&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.time.com%2Ftime%2Fmagazine%2Farticle%2F0%2C9171%2C922025-2%2C00.html%23ixzz1Ci099B7P&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEOdom199845–46-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOdom199845–46_43-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFOdom1998">Odom 1998</a>, pp. 45–46.<span class="error harv-error" style="display: none; font-size:100%"> sfn error: no target: CITEREFOdom1998 (<a href="/wiki/Category:Harv_and_Sfn_template_errors" title="Category:Harv and Sfn template errors">help</a>)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEZickelKeefe1991-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEZickelKeefe1991_44-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFZickelKeefe1991">Zickel & Keefe 1991</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-m-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-m_45-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.avbuyer.com.cn/e/2007/14942.html">Pre-history of MAKS</a> – provides the complete information on Russian and Soviet air shows.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Steven J. Zaloga, "Armed Forces in Ukraine", <i><a href="/wiki/Jane%27s_Intelligence_Review" title="Jane's Intelligence Review">Jane's Intelligence Review</a></i>, March 1992, p.135.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016_47-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDrozdov2016_47-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFDrozdov2016">Drozdov 2016</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEDrozdov20169–10-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDrozdov20169–10_48-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFDrozdov2016">Drozdov 2016</a>, pp. 9–10.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-49">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101120034734/http://gora-777.narod.ru/vta_vvs_ussr.html">"vvs"</a>. 20 November 2010. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://gora-777.narod.ru/vta_vvs_ussr.html">the original</a> on 20 November 2010<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 April</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=vvs&rft.date=2010-11-20&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fgora-777.narod.ru%2Fvta_vvs_ussr.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Feskov <i>et al.</i> 2004, p. 146.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-51"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-51">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Christina F. Shelton, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA181964">"The Soviet Military Education System for Commissioning and Training Officers"</a><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged June 2022">dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup>, a bibliographical description and a <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110522022628/http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA181964">link to the document</a> in <a href="/wiki/PDF" title="PDF">PDF</a> format, Appendix.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-52"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-52">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHolm" class="citation web cs1">Holm, Michael. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/division/schools/schools.htm">"Flying Schools and Training Centres"</a>. WW2.DK. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120318052559/http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/division/schools/schools.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 18 March 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">23 August</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Flying+Schools+and+Training+Centres&rft.pub=WW2.DK&rft.aulast=Holm&rft.aufirst=Michael&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ww2.dk%2Fnew%2Fair%2520force%2Fdivision%2Fschools%2Fschools.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-53"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-53">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/division/schools/bvvaul.htm">"Barnaul Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots"</a>. <i>ww2.dk</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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GlobalSecurity.org. 2010. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120204122610/http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/av-strat.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 4 February 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 February</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Russia%3A+Long-range+aviation&rft.pub=GlobalSecurity.org&rft.date=2010&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalsecurity.org%2Fwmd%2Fworld%2Frussia%2Fav-strat.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-global-avmain-55"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-global-avmain_55-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/av-main.htm">"Russia: Air forces inventory"</a>. GlobalSecurity.org. 2010. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110525133026/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/av-main.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 25 May 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 February</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Russia%3A+Air+forces+inventory&rft.pub=GlobalSecurity.org&rft.date=2010&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalsecurity.org%2Fmilitary%2Fworld%2Frussia%2Fav-main.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Stars-56"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Stars_56-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Stars_56-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Stars_56-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Stars_56-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Stars_56-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Erik Pilawskii, Soviet Air Force fighter colors 1941-1945, Classic Publications.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Star1-57"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Star1_57-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/1/rata16.1/0_b1b_7dddd3fc_orig">Схема построения звезд</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/20130420183008/http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/1/rata16.1/0_b1b_7dddd3fc_orig">Archived</a> 2013-04-20 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>.// <a href="/w/index.php?title=Yandex.Photos&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Yandex.Photos (page does not exist)">Yandex.Photos</a></span> </li> </ol></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCarson2018" class="citation book cs1">Carson, Austin (31 December 2018). <i>Secret Wars: Covert Conflict in International Politics</i>. Princeton University Press. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1515%2F9780691184241-006">10.1515/9780691184241-006</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-691-18424-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-691-18424-1"><bdi>978-0-691-18424-1</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:239293400">239293400</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Secret+Wars%3A+Covert+Conflict+in+International+Politics&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=2018-12-31&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A239293400%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1515%2F9780691184241-006&rft.isbn=978-0-691-18424-1&rft.aulast=Carson&rft.aufirst=Austin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDrozdov2016" class="citation journal cs1">Drozdov, Sergey (March 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mir-knig.com/read_465568-3">"Была такая авиация... Эхо былой воздушной мощи"</a> [There Once Was Such Aviation... Echo of Air Power Past]. <i>Авиация и космонавтика [Aviation and Spaceflight]</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=%D0%90%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F+%D0%B8+%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0+%5BAviation+and+Spaceflight%5D&rft.atitle=%D0%91%D1%8B%D0%BB%D0%B0+%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F+%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F...+%D0%AD%D1%85%D0%BE+%D0%B1%D1%8B%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B9+%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9+%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%89%D0%B8&rft.date=2016-03&rft.aulast=Drozdov&rft.aufirst=Sergey&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fmir-knig.com%2Fread_465568-3&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHardesty1991" class="citation book cs1">Hardesty, Von (1991) [1982]. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/redphoenixriseof0000hard/page/55">"Where Was Our Air Force?"</a>. <i>Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power 1941–1945</i>. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/redphoenixriseof0000hard/page/55">55</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87474-510-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-87474-510-1"><bdi>0-87474-510-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Where+Was+Our+Air+Force%3F&rft.btitle=Red+Phoenix%3A+The+Rise+of+Soviet+Air+Power+1941%E2%80%931945&rft.place=Washington%2C+D.C.&rft.pages=55&rft.pub=Smithsonian+Institution&rft.date=1991&rft.isbn=0-87474-510-1&rft.aulast=Hardesty&rft.aufirst=Von&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fredphoenixriseof0000hard%2Fpage%2F55&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHighamGreenwood1998" class="citation book cs1">Higham, Robin; Greenwood, John T. (1998). <i>Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century</i>. Routledge Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7146-4784-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7146-4784-5"><bdi>978-0-7146-4784-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Russian+Aviation+and+Air+Power+in+the+Twentieth+Century&rft.pub=Routledge+Press&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=978-0-7146-4784-5&rft.aulast=Higham&rft.aufirst=Robin&rft.au=Greenwood%2C+John+T.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHolm2011" class="citation web cs1">Holm, Michael (23 August 2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/division/iad/1gviad.htm">"1st Guards Fighter Aviation Division"</a>. WW2.DK. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120318052230/http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/division/iad/1gviad.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 18 March 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=1st+Guards+Fighter+Aviation+Division&rft.pub=WW2.DK&rft.date=2011-08-23&rft.aulast=Holm&rft.aufirst=Michael&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ww2.dk%2Fnew%2Fair%2520force%2Fdivision%2Fiad%2F1gviad.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFOdom2000" class="citation book cs1">Odom, William E (2000). <i>The Collapse of the Soviet Military</i>. Yale University Press.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Collapse+of+the+Soviet+Military&rft.pub=Yale+University+Press&rft.date=2000&rft.aulast=Odom&rft.aufirst=William+E&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPalmer2006" class="citation book cs1">Palmer, Scott (2006). <i>Dictatorship of the Air: Aviation Culture and the Fate of Modern Russia</i>. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-85957-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-521-85957-3"><bdi>0-521-85957-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Dictatorship+of+the+Air%3A+Aviation+Culture+and+the+Fate+of+Modern+Russia&rft.place=Cambridge%2C+New+York&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=0-521-85957-3&rft.aulast=Palmer&rft.aufirst=Scott&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPalmer2005" class="citation journal cs1">Palmer, Scott (2005). "Icarus, East: The Symbolic Contexts of Russian Flight". <i>The Slavic and East European Journal</i>. <b>49</b> (1). <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F20058219">10.2307/20058219</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20058219">20058219</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Slavic+and+East+European+Journal&rft.atitle=Icarus%2C+East%3A+The+Symbolic+Contexts+of+Russian+Flight&rft.volume=49&rft.issue=1&rft.date=2005&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F20058219&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F20058219%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Palmer&rft.aufirst=Scott&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFScottScott1984" class="citation book cs1">Scott, Harriet Fast; Scott, William F. (1984). <i>The Armed Forces of the USSR</i> (3 ed.).</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Armed+Forces+of+the+USSR&rft.edition=3&rft.date=1984&rft.aulast=Scott&rft.aufirst=Harriet+Fast&rft.au=Scott%2C+William+F.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFZalogaVolstad1987" class="citation book cs1">Zaloga, Steve; Volstad, Ron (1987). <i>Inside the Soviet army today</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Inside+the+Soviet+army+today&rft.date=1987&rft.aulast=Zaloga&rft.aufirst=Steve&rft.au=Volstad%2C+Ron&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFZickelKeefe1991" class="citation book cs1">Zickel, Raymond E; Keefe, Eugene K (1991). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.loc.gov/item/90025756/"><i>Soviet Union: a country study</i></a>. Washington, D.C.: Library Of Congress. Federal Research Division.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Soviet+Union%3A+a+country+study&rft.place=Washington%2C+D.C.&rft.pub=Library+Of+Congress.+Federal+Research+Division&rft.date=1991&rft.aulast=Zickel&rft.aufirst=Raymond+E&rft.au=Keefe%2C+Eugene+K&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.loc.gov%2Fitem%2F90025756%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span> For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Andersson, Lennart. <i>Soviet Aircraft and Aviation, 1917–1941</i>. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1994. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55750-770-8" title="Special:BookSources/1-55750-770-8">1-55750-770-8</a>.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBailes1976" class="citation journal cs1">Bailes, Kendall (1976). "Technology and Legitimacy: Soviet Aviation and Stalinism in the 1930s". <i>Technology and Culture</i>. <b>17</b> (1): <span class="nowrap">55–</span>81. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F3103253">10.2307/3103253</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3103253">3103253</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Technology+and+Culture&rft.atitle=Technology+and+Legitimacy%3A+Soviet+Aviation+and+Stalinism+in+the+1930s&rft.volume=17&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E55-%3C%2Fspan%3E81&rft.date=1976&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F3103253&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F3103253%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Bailes&rft.aufirst=Kendall&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span> (January 1976)</li> <li>Bergman, Jay (January 1998). "Valerii Chkalov: Soviet Pilot as New Soviet Man". <i>Journal of Contemporary History</i> 33 (1): 136.</li> <li>Boyd, Alexander. <i>The Soviet Air Force Since 1918</i>. New York: Stein and Day, 1977. With section of black-and-white photographic plates, charts. maps and diagrams, together with index. First published in <i>The Soviet Air Force</i> by Macdonald and Janes (UK) in 1977.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCooper2002" class="citation magazine cs1">Cooper, Tom (July–August 2002). "<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'Floggers" in Action: Early MiG-23s in Operational Service". <i><a href="/wiki/Air_Enthusiast" title="Air Enthusiast">Air Enthusiast</a></i>. No. 100. pp. <span class="nowrap">56–</span>67. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450">0143-5450</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Air+Enthusiast&rft.atitle=%27Floggers%22+in+Action%3A+Early+MiG-23s+in+Operational+Service&rft.issue=100&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E56-%3C%2Fspan%3E67&rft.date=2002-07%2F2002-08&rft.issn=0143-5450&rft.aulast=Cooper&rft.aufirst=Tom&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWimbushAlexiev1982" class="citation book cs1">Wimbush, S. Enders; Alexiev, Alex (1982). <i>The ethnic factor in the Soviet Armed Forces</i>. RAND.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+ethnic+factor+in+the+Soviet+Armed+Forces&rft.pub=RAND&rft.date=1982&rft.aulast=Wimbush&rft.aufirst=S.+Enders&rft.au=Alexiev%2C+Alex&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Guest, Carl-Fredrick. "Talkback". <i><a href="/wiki/Air_Enthusiast" title="Air Enthusiast">Air Enthusiast</a></i>, No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 78–79. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/search?fq=x0:jrnl&q=n2:0143-5450">0143-5450</a>.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKotelnikovKulikovCony2001" class="citation journal cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Kotelnikov, V.; Kulikov, V. & Cony, C. (November 2001). "Les avions français en URSS, 1921–1941" [French Aircraft in the USSR, 1921–1941]. <i>Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire</i> (in French) (104): <span class="nowrap">37–</span>56. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1243-8650">1243-8650</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Avions%3A+Toute+l%27A%C3%A9ronautique+et+son+histoire&rft.atitle=Les+avions+fran%C3%A7ais+en+URSS%2C+1921%E2%80%931941&rft.issue=104&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E37-%3C%2Fspan%3E56&rft.date=2001-11&rft.issn=1243-8650&rft.aulast=Kotelnikov&rft.aufirst=V.&rft.au=Kulikov%2C+V.&rft.au=Cony%2C+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKotelnikovKulikovCony2001" class="citation journal cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Kotelnikov, V.; Kulikov, V. & Cony, C. (December 2001). "Les avions français en URSS, 1921–1941". <i>Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire</i> (in French) (105): <span class="nowrap">50–</span>56. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1243-8650">1243-8650</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Avions%3A+Toute+l%27A%C3%A9ronautique+et+son+histoire&rft.atitle=Les+avions+fran%C3%A7ais+en+URSS%2C+1921%E2%80%931941&rft.issue=105&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E50-%3C%2Fspan%3E56&rft.date=2001-12&rft.issn=1243-8650&rft.aulast=Kotelnikov&rft.aufirst=V.&rft.au=Kulikov%2C+V.&rft.au=Cony%2C+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Loza, D. F. <i>Attack of the Airacobras: Soviet Aces, American P-39s, and the Air War Against Germany</i>. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2001. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7006-1140-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-7006-1140-1">0-7006-1140-1</a>.</li> <li>Mason, Richard Anthony, and John William Ransom Taylor. Aircraft, strategy, and operations of the Soviet Air Force. London: Jane's, 1986.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMoynahan1989" class="citation book cs1">Moynahan, Brian (1989). <i>Claws of the Bear: The History of the Red Army from the Revolution to the Present</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Claws+of+the+Bear%3A+The+History+of+the+Red+Army+from+the+Revolution+to+the+Present&rft.date=1989&rft.aulast=Moynahan&rft.aufirst=Brian&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Palmer, Scott (2005). "Icarus, East: The Symbolic Contexts of Russian Flight". <i>The Slavic and East European Journal</i> 49 (1): 38.</li> <li>Pennington, Reina. (2002) <i>Wings, Women, and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat</i>. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2002. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7006-1145-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-7006-1145-2">0-7006-1145-2</a>.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFVon_HardestyIlya_Grinberg2012" class="citation book cs1">Von Hardesty; Ilya Grinberg (2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=dQHcygAACAAJ"><i>Red Phoenix Rising: The Soviet Air Force in World War II</i></a> (2nd ed.). University Press of Kansas. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7006-1828-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7006-1828-6"><bdi>978-0-7006-1828-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Red+Phoenix+Rising%3A+The+Soviet+Air+Force+in+World+War+II&rft.edition=2nd&rft.pub=University+Press+of+Kansas&rft.date=2012&rft.isbn=978-0-7006-1828-6&rft.au=Von+Hardesty&rft.au=Ilya+Grinberg&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DdQHcygAACAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Wagner, Ray (ed.), Fetzer, Leland, (trans.), <i>The Soviet Air Force in World War II: The Official History</i>, Wren Publishing, Melbourne, 1973 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85885-194-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-85885-194-6">0-85885-194-6</a></li> <li>Whiting, Kenneth (1986). <i>Soviet Air Power (Revised Ed).</i> Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYeliseyev2016" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Yeliseyev, Sergey (2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://iriran.ru/sites/default/files/eliseeva_2016.pdf"><i>Организационное строительство отечественных военно-воздушных сил (1930–1931 гг.)</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> (in Russian). Moscow: Center of Military Strategic Research, Military Academy of the General Staff.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=%D0%9E%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5+%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE+%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85+%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85+%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB+%281930%E2%80%931931+%D0%B3%D0%B3.%29&rft.place=Moscow&rft.pub=Center+of+Military+Strategic+Research%2C+Military+Academy+of+the+General+Staff&rft.date=2016&rft.aulast=Yeliseyev&rft.aufirst=Sergey&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Firiran.ru%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Feliseeva_2016.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASoviet+Air+Forces" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>"Советские Войска ПВО в последние годы Союза ССР. Часть 1" by A.G. Lenskiy and M.M. Tsybin, Saint Petersburg 2013, 164 pages</li> <li>"Все истребительные авиаполки Сталина" by V. Anokhin and M Bykhov, Moscow 2014, 944 pages</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Soviet_Air_Forces&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output 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aviation history</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/av.htm">Globalsecurity.org on Russian air arms, useful for structure of Soviet Air Force</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output 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style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/List_of_air_forces" title="List of air forces">Air Forces</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States" title="Commonwealth of Independent States">Commonwealth of Independent States</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Armenia.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Roundel_of_Armenia.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Armenia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Roundel_of_Armenia.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Armenia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Roundel_of_Armenia.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Armenia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="602" data-file-height="602" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Armenian_Air_Force" title="Armenian Air Force">Armenian Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Azerbaijan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="600" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Azerbaijani_Air_and_Air_Defence_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force">Azerbaijan Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Belarus.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Roundel_of_Belarus.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Belarus.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Roundel_of_Belarus.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Belarus.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Roundel_of_Belarus.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Belarus.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1236" data-file-height="1176" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Belarusian_Air_Force" title="Belarusian Air Force">Belarusian Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Kazakhstan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="980" data-file-height="932" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Kazakh_Air_Defense_Forces" title="Kazakh Air Defense Forces">Kazakhstan Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Kyrgyzstan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="601" data-file-height="601" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Kyrgyz_Air_Force" title="Kyrgyz Air Force">Kyrgyz Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Moldova.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Roundel_of_Moldova.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Moldova.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Roundel_of_Moldova.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Moldova.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Roundel_of_Moldova.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Moldova.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="609" data-file-height="609" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Moldovan_Air_Force" title="Moldovan Air Force">Moldovan Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Russia.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Roundel_of_Russia.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Russia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Roundel_of_Russia.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Russia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Roundel_of_Russia.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Russia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="629" data-file-height="598" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Russian_Air_Force" title="Russian Air Force">Russian Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Tajikistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1235" data-file-height="1175" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Tajik_Air_Force" title="Tajik Air Force">Tajik Air Force</a></li> <li><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="602" data-file-height="602" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Uzbekistan_Air_and_Air_Defence_Forces" title="Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces">Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <dl><dt>Associate</dt> <dd><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Turkmenistan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="601" data-file-height="601" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Turkmen_Air_Force" title="Turkmen Air Force">Turkmen Air Force</a></dd></dl> </div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <dl><dt>Former</dt> <dd><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Georgia.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Roundel_of_Georgia.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Georgia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Roundel_of_Georgia.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Georgia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Roundel_of_Georgia.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Georgia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="602" data-file-height="602" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Georgian_Air_Force" title="Georgian Air Force">Georgian Air Force</a></dd> <dd><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg/15px-Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg/23px-Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg/30px-Roundel_of_Ukraine.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="602" data-file-height="602" /></a></span> <a href="/wiki/Ukrainian_Air_Force" title="Ukrainian Air Force">Ukrainian Air Force</a></dd></dl> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;"><div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_military_aircraft_of_the_Soviet_Union_and_the_CIS" title="List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS">List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style></div><div role="navigation" 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