Ukrainian Air Force

The current state of the fleet of Mi-24 helicopters in Ukraine

Chicks in the fall believe, as the Russian proverb says. So it was in the previous two articles on the combat composition of the Mi-24 army aviation of the Kiev junta.

This time there is no sense in pulling the rubber, and the emphasis will be slightly changed. I will try to cover the whole available composition of "crocodiles". A recently released report on arms exports in 2016 showed the absence of shock helicopters in it. I do not think that the demand for second-hand at low prices dropped - just sellers somehow fell and crushed, nothing can not offer anything. No, there's a lot of trash, but a whole year has passed since the last transfer to UkrRichmaht of three "modernized" Mi-24PU1 and there has come a lull. True, there was another case, but about it a little later.

As always, I'll start with the history of the issue. Different sources report a different number of machines that were given to dill in 1992.

The most detailed combat composition is designated as:

318th separate helicopter squadron of fire support (White Church): 12 Mi-24 combat; 6 Mi-8 transport
217th Mixed Aviation Squadron (Odessa): 9 Mi-8, 1 Mi-6, 2 Mi-24K
111th mixed air squadron (Brody): 8 Mi-8, 2 Mi-24K, 1 Mi-24R, 2 Mi-9
441st separate helicopter regiment (Korosten): 35 Mi-24 combat; 23 Mi-8
513rd separate helicopter regiment (Berdichev): 43 Mi-24 combat; 21 Mi-8
The 18th separate helicopter squadron (Zhitomir): 7 Mi-8, 1 Mi-6, 3 Mi-24K, 3 Mi-24R
119th separate helicopter regiment (Brody): 42 Mi-24 combat; 15 Mi-8
442nd separate helicopter regiment (Zhovtnevoe): 30 Mi-24 combat; 20 Mi-8, 3 Mi-9
The 119th Separate Helicopter Squadron (Dubno): 6 Mi-8, 1 Mi-6, 5 Mi-24K
335th separate helicopter regiment (Kalinov): 40 Mi-24 combat; 24 Mi-8, 6 Mi-9
488th separate helicopter regiment (Vapnyarka): 40 Mi-24 combat; 25 Mi-8, 4 Mi-9
318th separate helicopter squadron of fire support (White Church): 12 Mi-24 combat; 6 Mi-8 transport

Total: 274 helicopters (12 Mi-24K, 4 Mi-24RHR and 258 "combat"). Most likely, the regiments had their own "RChR", and the number "K" was suspicious.

According to other data, there were 250 (obviously understated), 285 (closer to the body), and 290 (most likely) machines.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2785312.html

The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has announced a tender allowing to estimate the number of combat aircraft.

So only 13xSu-27s and 12xMiG-29s in combat status..

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2798146.html

Odessa Aviation Plant has developed options for upgrading the reconnaissance aircraft Su-24MR

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3223144.html

These helos (21 on order) may end up in Russia's hands eventually.

Hope not... because for them to fall into Russian hands means it is also in Russian hands to revive and resuscitate the Ukrainian economy... let America or the EU do that... they fucked it up in the first place...

What would they do with Super Pumas?

Target practise?

They'll give incentives to Russian & foreign businesses/investors, open special economic zones, etc. The RF economy can't be compared to the 1 in Ukraine.

For Russia to be involved, the west would have had to have left... and considering we are talking about real estate on Russias border we can assume rather than left it was forced out.

For this to happen that would mean even more sanctions on Russia and any foreign business or investor that tries to help the Ukraine.

Look to what is happening in Syria.... Russia is fighting terrorists that attacked the US and Europe and Russia, yet the US imposes sanctions on Russia for supplying oil for heating and cooking in Syria for people in areas held by the government forces.

Two countries voted against a bill in the UN that banned the glorification of nazism... the Ukraine and the US... a match made in heaven perhaps?

The Ukraine is a sinking ship and the US and EU is drilling holes in the ship below the waterline to let the water run out so it will float again...

Most of the Ukraines trade wealth came from Russia and they have pretty much cut that off... it was a suicide.

Their specs r similar to the Mi-38, so they could be used as utility/multi-role or sold/given to other operators:

For Russia they are very inferior to the Mi-38, they have non standard parts that are also not compatible with anything else they operate... to give them away would be to get another country to use a competitors hardware...

The best use for Russia would be target practise and selling spare parts to existing customers at a greatly reduced rate to undermine sales for the original maker.

They are in the same boat as Russia right now except they are not.

Russia is in the process of looking at all the aircraft they operate made in or whose design is owned by Ukraine and either replacing them directly with a Russian made equivalent or replacing its parts with Russian parts till a proper Russian replacement can be put in service.

The problem for Ukraine is that they don't have any money and by cutting themselves off from their main customer and sucking up to the west who is not interested in Ukrainian weapons at all, they are probably finding most of their weapons and systems are becoming difficult to keep running without even considering anything like replacements.

Because they are looking west everything they are even considering has to be western compatible, so Spitfires would be OK but Mustangs would be better because they probably get more money from the US.

Their situation with prop trainers is likely worse than Russia because they can't use Yak-152s like the Russians are, and even worse they probably can't afford L29 and L39 jet trainers so these Super Tucanos are likely going to do both jobs...

JohninMK wrote:Volkswagen Touran...

Looks like Luftwaffe finally scored a hit on a MiG...