14th Air Army
Encyclopedia
The 14th Air Army of the Russian Air Force
, was first formed in World War II as part of the Soviet Air Force
. It was disbanded in 2009.
The Army was first formed from the Air Forces of the Volkhov Front
in June 1942, and in 1943 participated in the Novgorod-Luga operation. In February 1944 it was dispersed, with the command staff assigned to the Stavka Reserve and its units to other air armies. Reformed in April 1944, when it served with the 3rd Baltic Front
, it was again dispersed in November 1944, with its staff again been allocated to the Stavka Reserve and its units to other formations. It was active on 1 May 1945 with the 107th Air Signals Regiment and the 30th Air Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet (Aeroflot
), as part of the Stavka
Reserve. However it became the 57th Air Army on 10 January 1949. Chief Marshal of Aviation Konstantin Vershinin
was 57th Air Army commander in 1951. Colonel General of Aviation Polynin was commander 57th Air Army 1956-60. 57th Air Army was included in 1964 Warsaw Pact
war planning, being planned to be moved forward from the Carpathian Military District
to become part of the Czechoslovak Front if war broke out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
Reformed from the 57th Air Army in April 1968, the 14th Air Army was serving in the Carpathian Military District
when the Soviet Union fell. In 1988-91 it consisted of the 4th Fighter Aviation Division (two MiG-29 regiments, 92nd and 145th IARs in 1990) (Ivano-Frankovsk), the 289th Bomber Aviation Division (two Su-24 regiments)(Lutsk
), a regiment of Su-25s (Chortkov), a reconnaissance regiment of MiG-25s (48 GvORAP at Kolomyia
, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
?), a mixed regiment of transport aircraft (Lvov), and a helicopter electronic squadron. Its units became part of the Ukrainian armed forces. The formation appears to have become the 14th Air Corps; in 2002, some years later, over 70 people were killed when a Su-27 crashed at an airshow at Sknyliv, held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 14th Air Army.
It was re-formed in the late 1990s, Air Forces Monthly
reported in its August 2007 issue, from the 14th Independent Army of the Air Defence Forces (the PVO
) at Novosibirsk, the 23rd Air Army of the Russian Air Force
s from Chita and the 50th Independent Corps of PVO also from Chita. Despite the service of the 14th Air Army in the Second World War, much of the background of the new formation rested with the 14th Army of the PVO.
The 14th Army of the PVO was formed from the 14th Corps of the PVO at Novosibirsk, and included the 38th (HQ Novosibirsk
), 39th (HQ Krasnoyarsk
, 50th Guards (HQ Chita
), and 56th Corps (HQ Semipalatinsk) of the PVO, as well as the 41st Division of the PVO, in 1988. In 1988 five fighter regiments were part of the army.
Fighter Regiments of the 14th Army PVO 1988 (Source Feskov et al)
The new army was given the title of 14th Army of the Air Force and Air Defence (14 A VVS i PVO). Its zone of responsibility covered the huge area of the Siberian Military District
, AFM said, and its headquarters are located in Novosibirsk
. AFM also said that the aircraft were concentrated in the southern part of the territory, along the border with Kazakhstan
and Mongolia
. In 2007 the commanding officer of the 14th Air Army, AFM also reported, was Lieutenant-General Nikolay Danilov.
The most important force, AFM noted, within the army was the 21st Composite Air Division, which operates a Sukhoi Su-24
M tactical bomber
regiment, a Su-24MR reconnaissance
regiment and a Su-25 attack aircraft regiment. The division was stationed in the eastern part of its responsibility zone, near the Chinese border.
The army was disbanded in 2009.
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
, was first formed in World War II as part of the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
. It was disbanded in 2009.
The Army was first formed from the Air Forces of the Volkhov Front
Volkhov Front
The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...
in June 1942, and in 1943 participated in the Novgorod-Luga operation. In February 1944 it was dispersed, with the command staff assigned to the Stavka Reserve and its units to other air armies. Reformed in April 1944, when it served with the 3rd Baltic Front
3rd Baltic Front
The 3rd Baltic Front was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was set up on 21 April 1944 and disbanded on 16 October that year after taking part in the occupation of the Baltic states by the USSR in summer and autumn 1944....
, it was again dispersed in November 1944, with its staff again been allocated to the Stavka Reserve and its units to other formations. It was active on 1 May 1945 with the 107th Air Signals Regiment and the 30th Air Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet (Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
), as part of the Stavka
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...
Reserve. However it became the 57th Air Army on 10 January 1949. Chief Marshal of Aviation Konstantin Vershinin
Konstantin Vershinin
Konstantin Andreevich Vershinin was the Soviet Chief Marshal of Aviation from 1959 to 1972. He was a commander in World War II, and for his actions, in 1944 he was awarded the distinction of Hero of the Soviet Union...
was 57th Air Army commander in 1951. Colonel General of Aviation Polynin was commander 57th Air Army 1956-60. 57th Air Army was included in 1964 Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
war planning, being planned to be moved forward from the Carpathian Military District
Carpathian Military District
The Carpathian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.Two...
to become part of the Czechoslovak Front if war broke out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
Reformed from the 57th Air Army in April 1968, the 14th Air Army was serving in the Carpathian Military District
Carpathian Military District
The Carpathian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.Two...
when the Soviet Union fell. In 1988-91 it consisted of the 4th Fighter Aviation Division (two MiG-29 regiments, 92nd and 145th IARs in 1990) (Ivano-Frankovsk), the 289th Bomber Aviation Division (two Su-24 regiments)(Lutsk
Lutsk (air base)
Lutsk Military is an air base in Ukraine located 4 km north of Lutsk. It is a small military base; long tarmac with several reveted areas. It was home to 806 APIB which flew Su-17 aircraft as recently as 1992. And now it's storege base to Su-24 bombers...
), a regiment of Su-25s (Chortkov), a reconnaissance regiment of MiG-25s (48 GvORAP at Kolomyia
Kolomyia
Kolomyia or Kolomyya, formerly known as Kolomea , is a city located on the Prut River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , in western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Kolomyia Raion , the city is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. As is the case with most other oblasts of Ukraine this region has the same name as its administrative center – which was renamed by the Soviets after the Ukrainian writer, nationalist...
?), a mixed regiment of transport aircraft (Lvov), and a helicopter electronic squadron. Its units became part of the Ukrainian armed forces. The formation appears to have become the 14th Air Corps; in 2002, some years later, over 70 people were killed when a Su-27 crashed at an airshow at Sknyliv, held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 14th Air Army.
It was re-formed in the late 1990s, Air Forces Monthly
Air Forces Monthly
Air Forces Monthly is a military aviation magazine published by Key Publishing, based in Stamford, United Kingdom.Sister publications include Air International, Air Enthusiast, Airliner World, Airports International, FlyPast and Today's Pilot.-External links:*http://www.airforcesmonthly.co.uk/* via...
reported in its August 2007 issue, from the 14th Independent Army of the Air Defence Forces (the PVO
PVO
PVO may refer to:* DaimlerChrysler's Performance Vehicle Operations, also known as Street and Racing Technology* Private voluntary organization...
) at Novosibirsk, the 23rd Air Army of the Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
s from Chita and the 50th Independent Corps of PVO also from Chita. Despite the service of the 14th Air Army in the Second World War, much of the background of the new formation rested with the 14th Army of the PVO.
The 14th Army of the PVO was formed from the 14th Corps of the PVO at Novosibirsk, and included the 38th (HQ Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
), 39th (HQ Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
, 50th Guards (HQ Chita
Chita
-Places:* Chita, Aichi, a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan* Chita District, Aichi, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan* Chita Peninsula, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan* Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, a city in Russia...
), and 56th Corps (HQ Semipalatinsk) of the PVO, as well as the 41st Division of the PVO, in 1988. In 1988 five fighter regiments were part of the army.
Fighter Regiments of the 14th Army PVO 1988 (Source Feskov et al)
| Regiment | Base | Equipment | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64th Fighter Aviation Regiment | Omsk-Chakalovsky | MiG-31 | |
| 350th Fighter Aviation Regiment | Bratsk Bratsk Bratsk is a city in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara River near the vast Bratsk Reservoir. Population: Although the name sounds like the Russian word for 'brother' , it actually comes from 'bratskiye lyudi', an old name for the Buryats.-History:The first Europeans in the area arrived... |
MiG-31 | 350 иап 1945 |
| 356th Fighter Aviation Regiment | Zhaneysmey (Semipalitinsk) | MiG-31 | 356 IAP 1945 |
| 712th Fighter Aviation Regiment | Kansk (air base) Kansk (air base) Kansk is an air base in Russia located 9 km south of Kansk. It is a fighter base with about 10 remote revetments.Up until 2009, Kansk was home to the 712 IAP flying MiG-17 aircraft during the 1970s, MiG-25, Su-15 aircraft during the 1980s and MiG-31 aircraft during the 1990s... (Achinsk) |
MiG-25 | |
| 849th Fighter Aviation Regiment | Kupino Kupino Kupino is a town and the administrative center of Kupinsky District of Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, located west of Novosibirsk. Population: It was founded in 1886 and was granted town status in 1944.... |
MiG-25P |
The new army was given the title of 14th Army of the Air Force and Air Defence (14 A VVS i PVO). Its zone of responsibility covered the huge area of the Siberian Military District
Siberian Military District
The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.- History :...
, AFM said, and its headquarters are located in Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
. AFM also said that the aircraft were concentrated in the southern part of the territory, along the border with Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. In 2007 the commanding officer of the 14th Air Army, AFM also reported, was Lieutenant-General Nikolay Danilov.
The most important force, AFM noted, within the army was the 21st Composite Air Division, which operates a Sukhoi Su-24
Sukhoi Su-24
The Sukhoi Su-24 is a supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. This variable-sweep wing, twin-engined two-seater carried the USSR's first integrated digital navigation/attack system...
M tactical bomber
Tactical bomber
A tactical bomber is a bomber aircraft with an intended primary role of tactical bombing—attacking tactical targets, such as enemy's troops and military equipment. This implies that either aircraft's range or ordnance is insufficient to use it effectively as a strategic bomber.All light bombers,...
regiment, a Su-24MR reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
regiment and a Su-25 attack aircraft regiment. The division was stationed in the eastern part of its responsibility zone, near the Chinese border.
The army was disbanded in 2009.
Structure 2007
- 14th Air Army - NovosibirskNovosibirskNovosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
- 21st Composite Air Division - HQ at DzhidaDzhidaDzhida is an air base in the Lake Baikal region of Russia. It is a large fighter base with small revetment groups scattered around the airfield.It has been home to:...
;- 2nd Bomber Aviation Regiment - HQ at Dzhida - Su-24M;
- 266th Shturmovik Air Regiment - HQ at Step', Oloviannaya - Su-25;
- 313th Reconnaissance Air Regiment - HQ at BadaBada (air base)Bada is an air base in Russia located 3 km north-east of Bada in Zabaykalsky Krai. There are several clusters of remote revetments for fighter aircraft, and large tarmac...
- Su-24MR;
- 120th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at DomnaDomnaDomna is a Russian Air Force base in Chita, Russia located 27 km southwest of Chita. It is a large, hardened facility with six areas of revetments probably holding 50 fighter aircraft...
, 27 km southwest of Chita - MiG-29; - 712th Interceptor Aviation Regiment - HQ at Kansk (air base)Kansk (air base)Kansk is an air base in Russia located 9 km south of Kansk. It is a fighter base with about 10 remote revetments.Up until 2009, Kansk was home to the 712 IAP flying MiG-17 aircraft during the 1970s, MiG-25, Su-15 aircraft during the 1980s and MiG-31 aircraft during the 1990s...
- MiG-25PU, MiG-31; - 137th Independent Composite Aviation Squadron - HQ at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo AirportNovosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport-Charter Service:-Cargo Airlines:-References:* -External links:* , official website*...
- An-26; - Army Aviation component
- 337th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at BerdskBerdskBerdsk is a town in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, a satellite of Novosibirsk, situated on a bank of the Berd River. Population: It was founded in 1716 as a fortress. Town status was granted to it in 1944...
- Mi-8, Mi-24; - 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Chita - Mi-8Mil Mi-8The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
, Mi-24;
- 337th Independent Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Berdsk
- Two SAM regiments and four radar units
- 21st Composite Air Division - HQ at Dzhida