Ukraine War Day #443: Russia To Create Elite Aviation Regiment

Dear Readers:

Today I have this piece by reporter Oleg Solovyov. I offer it, as it may partially answer the question which every pro-Russian blogger is asking on the internet: “Where the f*** is the Russian air force?”

The headline reads:

Russia Will Unleash on UAF A Heavenly Storm

The Russian government plans to soon create an elite Aviation Grouping called “Storm” (using the German word Shtorm) to carry out special functions during the Special Military Operation (SMO).

Russian military have seen the need to step up their game when it comes to the issue of bomber aviation. Therefore, a few things are going to change very shortly. The VZGLIAD reporter got a scoop from his contacts within veterans organizations, not to mention among air force pilots working the front lines. Many of these guys were reservists; but were enticed to return to active duty as volunteers, thanks to their special expertise. They will form the core of the new grouping which, in its size, will approximate to an aerial regiment.

A typical SU-34

“This will be a mixed regiment,” one of the sources dished to the reporter, on condition of anonymity. “Many variants are being discussed. One variant: There will be three squadrons. One squadron will consist of SU-34 destroyers; another of SU-24’s for bombing the front lines; and a third – strike helicopters. The name has already been picked out: Shtorm.”

A standard air squadron consists of 12-16 machines; 16 for helicopters. The Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters carry a crew of two men. As do the Sukhois. According to the standard formula, there should be one and half times as many trained crew, as there are machines. Technical specialists are also needed to service the crew.

The reporter’s source noted that only “the best of the best” are picked for these crews. The best volunteer pilots that can be found. Candidates include pilots from the reserve and also those who are currently serving in the SMO. The selection process started a month ago, in April.

Major-General Vladimir Popov

The reporter interviews a man named Vladimir Popov, a retired Major-General in the Russian air force: “The necessity of creating this kind of grouping is dictated by the fact that, in the SMO, the number of tasks ever keeps growing which require aviation bombers. The Russian Military-Industrial Complex, in turn, is actively stepping up its production of airplanes and military equipment. Nonetheless, it is not possible to prepare the necessary number of cadres in such a short amount of time. This lack of trained pilots is what led to the idea of attracting volunteers from the reserves. Some of whom left active duty as far back as the 1990’s. Nonetheless, these men possess a colossal amount of experience. It goes without saying that they will need to refresh their knowledge and undergo re-training. But it is easier to retrain a seasoned fighter, than it is a novice starting from zero. I believe that many pilots, heeding the call of the Defense Ministry, will agree to serve their country again in the current conditions.”

According to the Russian system of qualifications, the highest rank in the hierarchy of military pilots is the “pilot-sniper”. In order to attain this rank, the pilot must have logged a certain number of hours and achieved a very high mastery, not just of flying, but also in battle conditions; and also in difficult conditions, for example flying at night. These are the kind of people whom Shtorm wishes to recruit.

Again, the needs of the SMO have dictated this change. The Russian military finally figured out that bombing the enemy from the air was the most effective way to destroy him. Even better than rockets and artillery.

For example, a 152-mm shell only packs several kilograms of explosives; very expensive long-range missiles like the Kalibr several hundreds of kg. Whereas an aviation bomb like the UPAB-1500 (launched by the SU-34) packs several tons of explosives. It is capable of destroying the kinds of structures that are immune to shells and rockets. Fact is, the Russian Defense Ministry is fully stocked with tens of thousands of these bombs, just sitting there waiting and eager to be deployed. And these bombs are way cheaper than the most up-to-date high-precision rockets.

A typical UPAB-1500 gliding bomb

One innovation is the addition of the so-called УМПК system: Universal Modules Of Planning and Correction. With their assistance, even old Soviet bombs regenerate into modern precision weapons; and allow the pilot to do his work at some distance from the enemy’s air-defense umbrella zone.

It is thought that a squadron of SU-34’s launching these gliding bombs in unison, can really mess up the enemy. The only problem is that each one of these planes needs to be piloted by a highly-trained elite soldier, of only the highest qualifications. This has been the bottleneck so far, which the brass intends to fix with this new regiment.

Now the important issue: To whom will this elite regiment be subordinate? If you were about to say, the Russian Air Force commanders, then you would be wrong. Its tasks will be assigned directly by the highest officials of the General Staff and Ministry of Defense. And, in order to add agility and lean-ness to their operations, certain bureaucratic niceties might even be bypassed. The reporter’s confidential source told him that all of this may well be in place in about 3-4 months. The elite pilots will be expected to work on a narrow strip of the front; will be expected to fly several missions in the course of a single day. They would like to get to the point where two squadrons may appear in the sky at the same time, working over the enemy positions.

Popov again: “They will be assigned a broad spectre of tasks. The destruction of certain targets, enemy bases, places where live forces come together. We also need to hit the factories that the Ukrainians use to produce shells and other weapons. And we should not forget about broader logistical targets either, such as railroads and bridges.”

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