Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces
Uzbek Air Defence Forces and Air Force | |
---|---|
Havo hujumidan mudofaa qoʻshinlari va Harbiy havo kuchlari | |
Founded | 1992 |
Country | Uzbekistan |
Type | Air force |
Role | Aerial warfare Aerial defence |
Size | 15,000 personnel |
Part of | Uzbek Armed Forces |
Headquarters | Tashkent |
Anniversaries | Third Sunday of August (Air Force Day) |
Engagements |
|
Commanders | |
Deputy Minister of Defence and Commander of the Air Defence Forces | MiG-29
Su-27
An-26 |
The Air and Air Defence Forces (
History
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in accordance with a decree of the
Initially, personnel of Slavic nationalities were allowed to depart freely and not pressured into taking the oath of allegiance to Uzbekistan or signing service contracts with their armed forces, which allowed the fledgling air force to gain experience, but once they left, the Uzbek Air Forces experienced a sharp decline in experienced pilots and maintenance personnel and a reduction to minimum numbers of serviceable aircraft. Another problem was a lack of
During the
In March 1994, the
Beginning in the mid-1990s,
1994 brought the renumbering of the 396th Separate Guards Helicopter Regiment (Kogan) as the 65th (Mi-8 and Mi-6), the 399th Separate Helicopter Regiment (Chirchiq) as the 66th (Mi-8, Mi-24, and Mi-26), the 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Andizhan) as the 62nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (Su-27), and the 115th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Kakaydy) as the 61st (MiG-29). Meanwhile, the 287th Separate Test Aviation Squadron at Nukus was withdrawn to Russia in 1993.[3] Following the example of other post-Soviet countries, the merger of the Uzbek Air Force and the Uzbek Air Defence Forces to form the Air and Air Defence Forces of Uzbekistan was directed on 15 January 1999. The process was difficult and only from 2001 did the percentage of serviceable aircraft begin to rise and pilot flight hours increase. Due to the merger and the decreasing serviceability of Uzbek aircraft, the 60th Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 61st and 62nd Fighter Aviation Regiments were consolidated into the 60th Mixed Aviation Brigade at Karshi-Khanabad in 1999. However, this did not prevent more aircraft from becoming unflyable.[5]
The Uzbek Air Force saw further combat between July and September 1999 in the
Due to an agreement in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Russia helped maintain the aircraft of the Uzbek Air Force and sold them more aircraft at a cheaper price than to other interests, such as the United States. In Operation Enduring Freedom, the US government and NATO had an aviation company repair much of the Air Force's aircraft, as it was deemed inoperable by them. Russia tried to undermine US efforts to reach out to Uzbekistan, especially at a 2002 conference in Tashkent, where members of various aviation companies were present.
The talks failed, and the Uzbek government had cut off the US aid in the form of helicopter repairs.[2]
A 13 April 2011 decree transferred the helicopters of the Uzbek Air and Air Defence Forces to the Uzbek Ground Forces.[6]
After the 2016 death of longtime dictator
In August 2021, with the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, a number of former Afghan Air Force EMB 314 Super Tucano's and Cessna 208 aircraft have fled to Uzbekistan, and have now been seen on the runway at Termez Airport. Their current status and condition are unknown.[7]
Commanders
- Tahir Yusupov (1992)
- Abdulla Xolmuhamedov (2003-2008)
- Akhmad Burkhanov (since circa 2018)
The previous commander, Abdulla Maxsumovich Xolmuhamedov, served as the 5th Commander of the A&ADF from 2003 to 2008.
In 1975, he graduated from Syzran Higher Military Aviation School[8] and began serving in Transcaucasian Military District as a pilot. In the early 80s, he participated in hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He graduated from Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1987. That same year, he was deployed to the Mongolian People's Republic as part of a contingent from the Transbaikal Military District. In 1990, he became the Deputy Commander of a regiment of the Far Eastern Military District.
He became commander of the military transport aviation regiment (Tuzel) shortly after the
He is a recipient of the Shon-Sharaf Order.[10]
Organization
There are two remaining combat units, at
The 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade is the former 735th Bomber Aviation Regiment combined with the former 87th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment.[11] It has 31 Su-24s, 32 MiG-29s, and 6 Su-27s. Other recently disbanded units include the 61st Fighter Aviation Regiment at Kakaydy, which was itself a merger with the previous 115th Fighter Aviation Regiment, and the 62nd Fighter Aviation Regiment at Andijan. Regiments at both bases were disbanded in 1999. As many as 26 stored Su-17s, apparently in very bad condition, remain at Chirchiq (see Google Earth 41°30'05.69"N 69°33'44.90"E).
List of units
- 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade (Karshi-Khanabad)
- Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade (Dzhizak)
- Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment (Fergana)
- Separate Mixed Aviation Squadron (Tashkent)
- 65th Separate Helicopter Regiment (Kagan and Bukhara)
- 66th Separate Helicopter Regiment (Chirchiq)
- 12th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade
- Radio-Technical Brigade
Aircraft
Current inventory
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | ||||||
Mikoyan MiG-29 | Soviet Union | multirole | 38[12] | |||
Sukhoi Su-27 | Soviet Union | multirole | 25[13] | |||
Sukhoi Su-25 | Soviet Union | attack | 13[14] | |||
Transport | ||||||
Ilyushin Il-76 | Soviet Union | airlifter
|
3[12] | |||
EADS CASA C-295 | Spain | transport | 4[12] | |||
Antonov An-12 | Soviet Union | transport | 2[12] | |||
Antonov An-26 | Soviet Union | transport | 4[12] | |||
Helicopters
| ||||||
Mil Mi-8 | Soviet Union | utility | Mi-8/17 | 40[12] | ||
Mil Mi-24 | Soviet Union & Russia | attack | Mi-24/35
|
33 | 4 on order[12] | |
Eurocopter AS550 | France | light utility | 11[12] | |||
Eurocopter AS532 | France | utility / transport | 15 | 1 on order[12] | ||
Trainer Aircraft
| ||||||
Aero L-39 Albatros | Czechoslovakia | trainer | 2[12] |
Training
The main aviation training establishment is the Higher Military Aviation School of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The school was opened in 1994 as the Jizzakh Higher Military Aviation School at Jizzakh, but relocated to Karshi Khanabad in 2018, being accordingly renamed.[15] In September 2019, the Thales Group provided a flight simulator to the Uzbek Air Force, marking the introduction of first Air Force academy in the country. The academy provides training for Uzbek pilots and engineers, with a capacity of 300 students.[16][17]
Service-wide events
The official holiday of the Air Defence Forces is Air Force Day on the third Sunday of August.
On
Ranks
Commissioned officer ranks
The rank insignia of
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces[23] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General-polkovnik | General-leytenant | General-mayor | Polkovnik
|
Podpolkovnik
|
Mayor | Kapitan | Katta leytenant | Leytenant |
Other ranks
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Uzbek Air Defense Forces and Air Force[23] |
None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Katta serjant | I darajali serjant | II darajali serjant | III darajali serjant | Kichik serjant | Oddiy askar |
References
Citations
- ^ "Справочная (Узбекистан)". Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ^ a b Pike, John. "Uzbekistan- Air Force". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Drozdov 2021, pp. 24–26.
- ^ Drozdov 2021, p. 26.
- ^ a b Drozdov 2021, p. 27.
- ^ a b Drozdov 2021, pp. 28–29.
- ^ "Afghanistan: Black Hawks and Humvees - military kit now with the Taliban". BBC News. 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Выпускники - генералы". svvaylvi.narod.ru.
- ^ "Халмухамедов Абдулла Максумович | Центр военно-политических исследований". eurasian-defence.ru.
- ^ "znaki-uniforma.narod.ru". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
- ^ For 735th Bomber Aviation Regiment, see Michael Holm, [1], and for 87th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, see [2]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "World Air Forces 2023". Flightglobal Insight. 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2024". 20 December 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2024". 20 December 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "School history – The Higher Military Aviation School The Republic of Uzbekistan". Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ "Thales provides flight simulator to Uzbekistan, marks first Air Force academy in the country". 20 September 2019.
- ^ "Uzbekistan: Inauguration of the 1st air force academy". 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Третье воскресенье августа- День Воздушного флота Республики Узбекистан". www.uzairways.com.
- ^ "УП-1206-сон 21.07.1995. Об установлении дня воздушного флота Республики Узбекистан".
- ^ "В День воздушного флота в Чирчике организовали авиашоу".
- ^ "Небесный танец самолетов: в Ханабаде отметили 70-летний юбилей воинской части Военно-Воздушных Сил (Фото)".
- ^ "Генерал Ахмад Бурханов навестил и поздравил ветеранов Второй мировой войны".
- ^ a b "O'zbekiston Respublikasi fuqarolarining harbiy xizmatni o'tash tartibi to'g'risida". lex.uz (in Uzbek). Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
Bibliography
- Drozdov, Sergey (2021). "Авиация силовых ведомств Узбекистана" [Aviation of the security agencies of Uzbekistan]. Aviatsiya i kosmonavtika (in Russian). No. 2. pp. 20–31. ISSN 1682-7759.