Russian Air Force numbers and procurement plans

GarryB wrote:Why do you think I can answer that question?

AMCXXL wrote:

LMFS wrote:Good post, it is a bit surprising the amount of older planes still in service. Removing the 29K which are newer and the Su-25 with different role, we are talking about 350 strike planes and fighters that will need to be substituted relatively soon by a mix of multirole fighters and strike planes, that is a lot of Su-30/34/35 still to be ordered

Well, actually the large-scale rearmament began only in 2012, in 8 years until 2020 it is not possible to replenish all the inventory, and also if you did, within 30 years you would have the same problem of changing the entire fleet at once.
The normal thing is every decade to change 1/3 of the fleet, although almost half was changed since all were already old from the late 80s and early 90s.

Besides the problems with the Western "partners", the sanctions and import substitution only made things difficult.

Anyway, in about this last decade they received about 650 airplanes and 875 helicopters, more than 1500 new aircraft



Between now and 2028 the changeover of all these models should be completed, perhaps except for some two-seater MiG-29s from the teaching units and the navy Su-27 and Su-33

In the case of the Su-30SM2 it is known that about 60-65 will be bought, and the Su-35 a similar amount.
Receiving 8 a year on average from each would be enough
they also have to update the Su-30SM that are currently in inventory

About the Su-34 it is also known that another 100 will be purchased (24 already contracted plus 76 Su-34M that were announced)
Of course there are many still in use but the half is Su-24MR that will not be replaced 1:1 since the new updated Su-34 already has the recognition function

And the MiG-35 , 24 should be purchased for Kubinka and probably a squadron from Astrakhan. Su-30SM2 should arrive in Yerevan, so here there are no replacement with MiG

Therefore, by 2028 there should be only one Su-27 regiment in the Navy and some training MiG-29s, the Lipetsk and Kuschevskaya, which should also be replaced soon, perhaps in 2030.

AMCXXL wrote:

The number of these Soviet-made aircraft has hardly changed from two years ago as there have been few new aircraft delivered.
Probably in this same thread the numbers were already put some time ago, and they have barely changed

Let's quickly do a count

Su-27:
3º IAP Krymsk: 24 Su-27SM3
38º IAP Belbek: 12 Su-27SM, 12 Su-27P, 2 Su-27UB
689º IAP Kaliningrado: 24 Su-27P, 4 Su-27UB
790º IAP Khotilovo 3 Su-27 , 1 Su-27UB
159º IAP Besovets 2 Su-27UB ?
968 IISAP Lipetsk  4 Su-27 1 Su-27UB 1 Su-27PU (old Su-30)
797º UAP Kushchesvskaya: 8 Su-27UB
Akhtubinsk: 2 Su-27UB ??

total about 100 as much

Su-33
20 in the inventory, 16 as much really used



MiG-29:
Yerevan; 18
Astrakhan; 16 soviet MiG-29, half UB + 16 MiG-29SMT-UBT
Kushchevskaya: about 12-14 UB
Kubinka: 10 , half UB
Lipetsk: 12 , half UB
Severomorsk: 20 MiG-29K-KUB

Total: 104-106 (about 70 soviet made)
the 34 algerian SMT are "in reserve"



Su-24
There are Su-24 2-3 squadrons in Marinovka, Simferopol, Khurba ?? , and a few in Lipetsk, total 40 in VKS as much
navy Su-24 squadrons: Monchegorsk, Kaliningrad and half squadron in Saki , total 30
in total 70 as much



Su-24MR
(the squadrons of Su-24MR probably only use 8-10 airplanes instead 12 in some cases)
VKS, four squadrons (Shatalobo, Marinovka, Chelyabisnk and Varflomeyevka),and a couple in Lipetsk, total 50 as much
Navy: squadron in Monchegorsk and half squadron in Saki and 2 in Kaliningrad, total 18
Total 68 as much



Su-25
of course there are more Su-25 in reserve in some airbases, but the number taken is 24 + 6 UB each regiment
Primorsko-Akhtarsk 30
Budyonnovks: 30
Domna: 30
Chernigovka: 30
Simferopol: 15
Kant 14
Lipetsk: 18 (6 UB)
Kuschevskaya: 8 UB

total 175

AMCXXL wrote:

The number of these Soviet-made aircraft has hardly changed from two years ago as there have been few new aircraft delivered.
Probably in this same thread the numbers were already put some time ago, and they have barely changed

Let's quickly do a count

Su-27:
3º IAP Krymsk: 24 Su-27SM3
38º IAP Belbek: 12 Su-27SM, 12 Su-27P, 2 Su-27UB
689º IAP Kaliningrado: 24 Su-27P, 4 Su-27UB
790º IAP Khotilovo 3 Su-27 , 1 Su-27UB
159º IAP Besovets 2 Su-27UB ?
968 IISAP Lipetsk  4 Su-27 1 Su-27UB 1 Su-27PU (old Su-30)
797º UAP Kushchesvskaya: 8 Su-27UB
Akhtubinsk: 2 Su-27UB ??

total about 100 as much

Su-33
20 in the inventory, 16 as much really used



MiG-29:
Yerevan; 18
Astrakhan; 16 soviet MiG-29, half UB + 16 MiG-29SMT-UBT
Kushchevskaya: about 12-14 UB
Kubinka: 10 , half UB
Lipetsk: 12 , half UB
Severomorsk: 20 MiG-29K-KUB

Total: 104-106 (about 70 soviet made)
the 34 algerian SMT are "in reserve"



Su-24
There are Su-24 2-3 squadrons in Marinovka, Simferopol, Khurba ?? , and a few in Lipetsk, total 40 in VKS as much
navy Su-24 squadrons: Monchegorsk, Kaliningrad and half squadron in Saki , total 30
in total 70 as much



Su-24MR
(the squadrons of Su-24MR probably only use 8-10 airplanes instead 12 in some cases)
VKS, four squadrons (Shatalobo, Marinovka, Chelyabisnk and Varflomeyevka),and a couple in Lipetsk, total 50 as much
Navy: squadron in Monchegorsk and half squadron in Saki and 2 in Kaliningrad, total 18
Total 68 as much



Su-25
of course there are more Su-25 in reserve in some airbases, but the number taken is 24 + 6 UB each regiment
Primorsko-Akhtarsk 30
Budyonnovks: 30
Domna: 30
Chernigovka: 30
Simferopol: 15
Kant 14
Lipetsk: 18 (6 UB)
Kuschevskaya: 8 UB

total 175

George1 wrote:also, why the algerian SMTs are in reserve??

AMCXXL wrote:

George1 wrote:also, why the algerian SMTs are in reserve??

because was replaced with Su-30SM in Kursk. VKS does not need those airllanes,
They were put there by chance after the return by Algeria and because at that time there was no other type of new plane to receive

They could be sent to Astrakhan once the Soviet MiG-29s run out of service, but in reality it would be much better to buy some MiG-35s for Astrakhan and sell all 50 MiG-29SMTs to Syria, India or any other country.

Broski wrote:

George1 wrote:also, why the algerian SMTs are in reserve??

Probably for the same reason the other 200 MiG-29's got put in reserve, Russia doesn't need them but their poorer allies like Cuba, Syria, North Korea and Serbia could always do with spares and repairs, or even a few SMT's for "free".

This is not so, Russia does not have that many MiG-29s in reserve, and also has them for its own use.

4 or 5 years ago all MiG.29 aircraft were rotated.
Aircraft from Lipetsk and elsewhere were taken from the reserve, repaired and the entire fleet of MiG-29s  were replaced (Armenia, Lipetsk, Astrahan, Kuschevskaya and Kubinka)

The replaced aircraft had already exhausted their useful life and were scrapped or used as monuments in cities throughout Russia.
Now there are only 50 MiG-29s left in reserve in Lipetsk, some in Millerovo and at the training bases, in total just over 100 but most of them are MiG-29UBs for training, and most of the rest are old 9.12. Actually Russia did not have that many 9.13

In fact, the MiG-29s received by Serbia came from the Millerovo and Astrakhan regiments, they were planes taken from active units, not from reserve deposits.

Isos wrote:Mig-29SMT are good. They can sell them to Iran which already operates the mig-29 and is in desperate need for new fighters until it buy a large batch of new fighters.

Broski wrote:

Isos wrote:Mig-29SMT are good. They can sell them to Iran which already operates the mig-29 and is in desperate need for new fighters until it buy a large batch of new fighters.  

Iran will most likely choose the Su-30 since they have Saudi F-15's (piloted by U.S contractors) to face off against, and no way in hell would Russia sell any MiG-29's for $10M a piece.

Isos wrote:

Broski wrote:

Isos wrote:Mig-29SMT are good. They can sell them to Iran which already operates the mig-29 and is in desperate need for new fighters until it buy a large batch of new fighters.  

Iran will most likely choose the Su-30 since they have Saudi F-15's (piloted by U.S contractors) to face off against, and no way in hell would Russia sell any MiG-29's for $10M a piece.

Su-30 will need time to be bought and it's very likely that Iran asks for su-57 instead.

Mig-29SMT were used and not much left in them and are a quick solution.

10 million is possible since the other end for them is to let them rust in Siberia. Better take 10 million. No one will pay more for them, neither no one else than Iran or Syria need such aircraft.

Russian air force don't like that plane and won't keep it. The money will be given to them, not to Mig. So they can invest those 500 million in buying more su-57.

That will also flood the Iranian air force with more russian stuff thus giving them more chances for new contract since China is very interested in taking its part of the cake in Iran.

In fact, the Su-33 and the MiG-29K work together, as in Syria. Today, the Su-33 also has the role of a common flanker in the Northern District.
There are only 16 of each type in service apart from the "double seats", in fact they are only squadrons by size, not regiments, there should be only one regiment with both planes combined.
Regardless, both will be replaced by a new shipborne 5G aircraft, once new carriers arrive.

Mig-29SMT are good. They can sell them to Iran which already operates the mig-29 and is in desperate need for new fighters until it buy a large batch of new fighters.

They can sell them for 10 million each with 50 jets it is 500 million dollars. And that can be made with oil contracts or some other purchase like su-35 batch plus the SMT for advantageous price.

Syria doesn't have the money for them. India isn't interested, they already bought new airframes.

and no way in hell would Russia sell any MiG-29's for $10M a piece.

Su-33 is too large to operate comfortably in the Kuznestov, which is not well configured to carry such large fighters, it lacks width on the deck, it lacks space in the hangar, etc ... in practice the Kuznestov has only loaded 8 to 10 Su-33 like every time that have salied

and of course there will not be large CVN´s but more modest of the type of the British Queen Elizabeth, with only one type of aircraft, probably single engine 5ºG

In addition to the fact that Russia does not need aircraft carriers, and these have no strategic value for Russia, there is simply not enough personnel in the Navy, nor population in the Severomorsk area to put 5000 people on each ship (Murmansk has only 280 thousand inhabitants dedicated mostly to shipbuilding, Severomorsk 55 thousand, mostly sailors, the entire region 730 thousand, when in 1989 it had 1.2 million ...), It will not be so easy to find people willing to go to the North, before recruitment was mandatory, now it is by contract

Kuznetsov has almost 2500 crew, in the best case the Northern Fleet will have 2 aircraft carriers with 1200 sailors like the Queen Elizabeth. (even the US Navy is questioning its CVNs that cost $ 15 billion)

Even India could buy them, since it will need hundreds and hundreds of planes in the short term if it wants to maintain a total of 42 squadrons (it only has 33 or 34 and many of them are obsolete planes). In fact, India recently bought 21 MiG-29s from the stock of RSK MiG for the conversion to MiG-29UPG