Azerbaijani Air Force: history, description, interesting facts

Aviation is the pride of any state. Dominance in the air facilitates victory on earth. In the Transcaucasian republics, one has to observe a clear advantage of the Azerbaijani Air Force.

Country wings

The chronicle of this kind of troops of the Armed Forces of a sovereign state begins on April 8, 1992, when the pilot Vagif Kurbanov, who served in the air regiment of the Sital-Chai settlement, hijacked a Su-25 attack aircraft and landed safely in one of the regional centers. Over time, the number of military aircraft increased. The aircrew added, the level of combat training increased. In 1992, the Azerbaijani Air Force initially pilots on the fingers count. Nowadays, there are hundreds of professionally trained pilots. Military pilots trained and trained in other states. The quality of aircraft also improved - in place of models that are morally obsolete, purchased upgraded from Ukraine and from Russia. Close attention is paid to the social viability of aviation officers.

Structure

The Air Force of Azerbaijan includes:

1. Mixed regiment - in the capital of Baku, the flight town "Kala" and individual squadrons:

• fighter-bomber and training - n. Kurdamir settlement;
• fighter - Sumgayit, air base "Pumping";
• intelligence - the regional center Shamkhor.

Airfields were equipped with concrete runways with a length of 2.5 thousand to 3 thousand meters.

Number of aircraft:

2. Air defense units. With radar stations, they are able to quickly control the heavenly space and track the nearest neighbors in the border zone.

How it all began

In August of the 91st, the country collapsed, and in early September, Karabakh officially declared independence. Thanks to the collapse of the Union, the Transcaucasian republics replenished their own arsenals: they seized and stole the necessary weapons and equipment from the withdrawn parts of the Russian army.

Part of the weapons received as a gift. At the beginning of 1992, Azerbaijan got the 24th helicopters - 14 units and the eighths - 9 units, and Armenia - 13 units. 24th. The Air Force officially received 14 pcs. 24 and 9 units. The eighth. Another 3 “twenty-fourth” vehicles were hijacked in early February 1992. On May 8, systematic sorties began to bomb the Karabakh Su-25, accompanied by MI-24. This date is considered Republican Aviation Day. The attack aircraft flew until June, when the Air Force suffered a bitter loss - a plane was shot down, with which Vagif Kurbanov died.

Where did the aircraft come from?

At this time, the nascent air force of Azerbaijan steeply increased its combat potential. Before the collapse, four aviation regiments were located on the territory of the republic. The equipment was safely withdrawn, but something fell to the Azerbaijanis in a non-flying condition and as a result of sabotage of Russian senior traitor officers. At the Nasosnaya air defense airdrome, Azerbaijanis received 30 high-altitude interceptors MIG-25: the immoral work of the dirty hands of Colonel Vladimir Kravtsov, later the general and commander of the country's air force.

Colonel Alexander Plesh did the same in Dallar, later earning the position of squadron commander. Azerbaijanis easily took five MIG-25, reconnaissance bomber, eleven Su-24, monoplane reconnaissance and 4 Il-76. At the same time, faulty aircraft were repaired at the airfields, which were abandoned, partially new ones were purchased.

Aviation in war

The pilots of the former Soviet Air Force, not particularly burdened with conscience, who forgot about military honor and the oath of allegiance to the socialist Fatherland, gradually began to “catch up”. Defectors formed the basis of the Air Force of Azerbaijan and began to carry out combat sorties from the airfields of Dallar and Kurdamir. During the war, mercenaries were shot down and died, or captured.

Two crashed while performing combat training flights. The Su-24 MP, the reconnaissance monoplane and the 25th, the reconnaissance bomber, and the SU-25th — interceptors — went for the bombing — they acted for distraction. When they purchased the MIG-21 and Su-twenty-fifth, these aircraft began to go on the bombing. In the 93rd acquired "Sukhoi-17M3." Temporary restoration of equipment was performed at the aircraft repair plant in Pump. The Azerbaijani Air Force did not have enough necessary aerodrome material and technical equipment, navigation kits, sighting systems, ground equipment.

Combat losses

With the sharp increase in ground air defense in Karabakh, heavy damage to the Republican Air Force began to increase. The 1993 summer campaign can be called a disaster: seven districts were completely captured by the Armenians; killed only 11 thousand soldiers. The army was exhausted and demoralized. The losses of the Azerbaijani Air Force amounted to 10 aircraft and 10 rotorcraft: eight MI-24, two - MI-8. Colonel Kravtsov became commander of the republic’s aviation since July 92nd.

A year later, he was replaced by General Rail Rzayev - before the murder in early 2009. Co-workers of the general from Soviet times on work in air defense say that Rail Rzayev did not intervene in matters related to profit, a pure service man. As a leader, of course, he delved into business matters on duty, when necessary. The commander of one of the Air Force units was caught at the scene of a crime in the sale of fuels and lubricants, which caused unprecedented excitement.

Corruption

A scandal of universal proportions erupted in the republic on this occasion, the senior authorities were accused of troubles. Rzayev was temporarily suspended, even imitated the arrest of the Azerbaijani Air Force commander. The scam soon fell apart, this provocation ended. But they don’t kill for this. The thing is different. At the court session, the deceased's colleague suggested that the tragedy occurred due to a tender for fighters in 2007.

Before the murder, the general wrote to the Ministry of Defense in writing that he was being watched and asked for help. Rzayev warned: if they did not protect, he would publicize the circumstances of the bidding. The Ukrainian side won, and Azerbaijan acquired 12 MIG-29s worth $ 27 million. As it turned out later, at an inflated price. Rather, Rail Rzayev was the victim of a banal “kickback”.

Expected

What is the Azerbaijani Air Force today? The country's fighter aircraft does not meet modern requirements. MIG-29 models have been in need of updating for a long time; airplanes correspond to the “4” classification. States that can afford re-equipment acquire devices of the “4+” and “4 ++” level and only individual countries produce “5” products. A likely adversary, Armenia, has a solid air defense, therefore, Azerbaijan will reckon with this factor when purchasing new equipment. A serious circumstance is the fact that few people are ready to sell military aircraft to a state with a territorial military conflict. Azerbaijan has already been denied when it intended to acquire Swedish fighters.

Russia also did not begin to sell the MIG-35 "4 ++". The possible reason is that the Azerbaijani Air Force will dominate in Transcaucasia, as opposed to Russia with aviation at the Armenian airport. The Azerbaijani side does not stop the search. Option - fighter from the Middle Kingdom Chengdu J-10B, which analysts consider as "4 ++". Experts say that the device corresponds to foreign analogues of this class.

Combat aircraft is applicable only at training grounds for training flight personnel. To achieve a result, do not shed blood of civilians. There is no alternative to a round table for negotiations.