VVS

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VVS (Voenno-Vozdushnie Sili) formed the official designation of the airforce of the Soviet Union.

Table of contents

2 Inventory 1987

History

The VVS was founded as the "Workers' and Peasants' Air Fleet" in 1918. After being placed under control of the Red Army, with the official denomination VVS in 1930, its influence on aircraft design became greater.

One of first big tests of the VVS came in 1938 with the Spanish Civil War, where the latest aircraft designs were put to the test by up-to-date German aircraft.

In 1939, the VVS used its bombers to attack Finland, but the losses and the eventual defeat led to large-scale purges by Stalin.

The main reason of the great amount of aircraft lost was the lack of modern tactics, but time to improve them was short, because the German offensive of 1941 (Operation Barbarossa) pushed the airforce into a defensive position, while being confronted with more modern German aircraft.

As with many allied countries in the Second World War the Soviet Union received western aircraft by lend-lease.

In the early years of the Cold War the VVS focused on escort fighters, point-defense fighters and long-range bombers.

Inventory 1987

VVS

The VVS Aircraft inventory of 1987 comprised:

1210 interceptors: 420 MiG-23 Flogger; 305 MiG-25 Foxbat; 240 Su-15 Flagon; 5 Su-27 Flanker; 80 Tu-28/128 Fiddler; 65 Yak-28 Firebar; 95 MiG-31 Foxhound

AWACS aircraft: 7 Tu-126 Moss; 1 Il-76 Mainstay

Soviet Air Force

165 strategic bombers,: 150 Tu-95 Bear; 15 M-4 Bison

550 medium bombers: 155 Tu-22M Backfire; 260 Tupolev Tu-16 Badger; 135 Tu-22 Blinder

2780 fighters: 490 MiG-21 Fishbed; 1570 MiG-23 Flogger; 105 MiG-25 Foxbat; 260 Su-15 Flagon; 20 Tu-128 Fiddler; 20 Yak-28 (Yak-28)Firebar; 275 MiG-29 Fulcrum; 30 MiG-31 Foxhound; 10 Su-27 Flanker

2835 attack aircraft: 130 MiG-21 Fishbed; 830 MiG-27 Flogger; 895 Su-7/Su-17 Fitter; 770 Su-24 Fencer; 210 Su-25 Frogfoot

50 tankers: 30 M-4 Bison; 20 Tupolev Tu-16 Badger

658 tactical reconnaissance and ECM aircraft: 65 MiG-21 Fishbed; 195 MiG-25 Foxbat; 165 Su-17 Fitter; 65 Su-24 Fencer; 195 Yak-28 Brewer

260 strategic reconnaissance and ECM aircraft: 115 Tupolev Tu-16 Badger; 15 Tu-22 Blinder; 4 Tu-95 Bear; 102 Yak-28 Brewer; 24 MiG-25 Foxbat

3050 helicopters

1500 trainers and training helicopters

576 transport aircraft: 55 An-22 Cock; 210 An-12 Cup; 310 Il-76 Candid; 2935 civilian and other transport aircraft, usually Aeroflot aircraft which were easily converted

Navy

340 bombers: 120 Tu-22M Backfire; 190 Tupolev Tu-16 Badger; 30 Tu-22 Blinder

145 fighter and attack aircraft: 75 Su-17 Fitter; 70 Yak-38 Forger; 70 tankers; 70 Tu-16 Badger

200 reconnaissance and ECM aircraft (Tu-16, Tu-95, Tu-22, An-12)

480 anti-submarine aircraft: 60 Tu-142 Bear F; 100 Mi-14 Haxe A; 60 Ka-27 Helix; 115 Ka-25 Hormone A; 95 Be-12 Mail; 50 Il-38 May

465 transports and trainers

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Categories: Soviet Air Force

VVS