The formation and history of the Ukrainian Air Force is inextricably linked with the events of twenty years ago. In 1991, after the collapse of the USSR, in a hurry not to miss their own independence, each of the Soviet republics declared their own independence. The Ukrainian state was no exception.
The importance of the Air Force for Ukraine
The next year became extremely important for the formation of a young sovereign state. The country's leadership was entrusted with the organization of government bodies and defense structures. In addition, the republic, which had just gained independence, needed to establish its own defense capability in order to confirm its status.
The main step in this development process was the creation of the army. Moreover, the Air Force of Ukraine is one of the defining elements of the armed forces to this day.
Military Aviation Management in Ukraine
The newly made separate state inherited from the powerful Union of Soviets a sufficient basic foundation. Thus, the fundamental air armies that are part of the Ukrainian Air Force are the backbone of the entire military aviation complex of the modern country. These include:
- Vinnytsia Headquarters of the Army 24th Strategic Command;
- Kiev Army Headquarters 17th VA;
- Lviv Army Headquarters Army 14th VA;
- Odessa Army Headquarters 5th VA.
In addition, in Soviet times, Ukraine was the territory of the deployment of some bases, including the 8th separate air defense army in Kiev, and the 28th air defense corps in Lviv.
Educational military aviation institutions
Independent Ukraine became the owner of preparatory institutions specializing in the training and graduation of aviation specialists. To date, several aviation schools operate in the country, including navigational VVAUSH and 2 flight VVAUL.
By order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of March 17, 1992, the beginning of the operation of the apparatus of the Air Force of Ukraine was laid. The main headquarters is based on the site of the former deployment of the Vinnitsa Directorate of the 24th VA. On the basis of the remaining headquarters in Kiev, Lviv and Odessa, centralized departments, a reserve and personnel training institutions were formed.
The transition of aviation from the USSR to an independent state
The amount of hereditary aircraft received by the Ukrainian Air Force during the period of geopolitical changes was impressive. At that time, about 3, 000 aircraft were available, of which half were combat aircraft, more than 650 military units and a dozen air divisions. The number of Ukrainian Air Force can be compared with the number of inhabitants of a small town: 184 thousand military personnel and 22 thousand civilian subordinates.
Problems in this area
Unfortunately, at the moment the combat readiness of the Ukrainian Air Force is not up to standard. There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, the funds included in the annual budget of the state are not able to cover all the necessary waste of this industry. There is not enough money either for the purchase of aviation fuel, or for the modernization of equipment and machinery, or for repairs. The Ukrainian Air Force, despite this, is gradually emerging from a crisis situation. The situation is significantly improving, and this fact can be more clearly seen by drawing a parallel with the situation in the military aviation industry in the 90s of the last century.
At that time, Ukrainian Air Force pilots experienced a huge lack of flight time. Then, aviation industry specialists could sit at the helm of their military aircraft for no more than 5 hours in a whole year. In the mid-2000s, things began to improve: the average annual raid increased to 30 hours. Although to maintain a high practical level of pilots, this is far from the number that is required. 200 hours of annual flights - this is the very minimum that is necessary for Ukrainian Air Force pilots.
All of the above problems of state aviation were reflected in the period of the 2004 reforms.
Air defense and the air force were combined into a single sphere, as against the background of constant reductions, it became unprofitable for Ukraine to keep them separately. In addition, the MiG-23, Su-24 and Tu-22 combat aircraft were withdrawn from the military equipment, and many repairs were intended for overhaul. The Ukrainian Air Force has undergone significant changes, but in general, the optimization of the industry is moving forward with uncertain steps. The modernized equipment differs significantly from its counterparts in the Russian Federation and NATO countries.
Destination of the air forces in Ukraine
Management and coordination of the Air Force of Ukraine is carried out by the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Supreme Commander. Supervisory authorities are located in Kiev, and from there they request the necessary data on combat readiness, require urgent provision of intelligence reports that are useful for the armed ground forces. The military units of aviation are separated by geographically relevant commands, and must fulfill all assigned operational and tactical tasks.
Basically, the mission of the Air Force of Ukraine is the complete destruction of the enemy’s infrastructure, command headquarters and points. Without proper funding, the military aviation of the Ukrainian state was practically unable to achieve the desired result. The low level of pilot training, outdated weapons and combat aircraft, and the lack of modern operational programs affect the functioning of the air forces.
Organization, structure and weapons
The main unit of the Air Force is AB - an aviation brigade, which, in turn, is coordinated and subordinate to the aviation command or tactical group. In Ukraine, the following air commands are distinguished:
- “South”, in its structure the Assault and Fighter Aviation Brigades (Su-25 and Su-27);
- “Center”, to which the MiG-29 Fighter Aircraft Brigade is subordinate;
- “West” contains three air brigades, including two Fighter (MiG-29) and one Bombing (Su-24M);
- “Crimea” - a tactical group, which includes only one fighter aircraft brigade (MiG-29).
The government has repeatedly stated that in order to improve the material component of the development of the aviation industry, it is planned to reduce it to the number of six aircraft. The ideal number would be two fighter and transport air brigades, and one each - assault and bomber. Moreover, the latter should combine intelligence activities. The army’s leadership plans to leave about 120 combat aircraft and 60 units of training aircraft on constant maintenance. The number of military personnel is also significantly reduced to 20 thousand people.
