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Soviet Baltic Military District's
15th Tactical Air Army in 1988

In the second half of the 1980s, the Baltic Military District’s Air Force underwent another major organizational change. From 1986:

  • The 15th Tactical Air Army Command was reestablished.
  • The interceptor fighter regiments were transferred back from the tactical air force to the PVO organization.
  • And the 1st Fighter Air Division of the local tactical air force was disbanded.

The main purpose of the organizational changes was to reduce costs. According to the new concept, the 15th Tactical Air Army was no longer considered an offensive force, but a defensive one. Therefore, it would have had to fight on Soviet territory. Here, the Soviet air defense would have provided the fighter forces. Thus, the fighter forces of the 15th Tactical Air Army could be eliminated, saving costs.

Meanwhile, the 15th Tactical Air Army lost half of its offensive forces. In 1984, the 88th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR with MiG-27D/K ‘Flogger-J/J2’, while in 1987, the 321st Bomber Air Regiment was placed under the new command with Su-24 ‘Fencer-A/B’ type. Only the 899th and 372nd regiments remained in the 39th Fighter-Bomber Air Division.

The 899th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's MiG-21SMT ‘Fishbed-K’ bomber, with a BD3-66-21N pylon for a special "nuclear" bomb under its fuselage, an R-60 ‘AA-8 Aphid’ air-to-air missile under each wing, and an 490-liter fuel tank. Photo:Sandro Sandrov collection
The 372nd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's pilots and their MiG-27M 'Flogger-J' variable-sweep wing ground-attack aircrafts at Daugavpils airport in Latvian SSR. Photo: Sergey Skrynnikov

The 899th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's MiG-21SMT ‘Fishbed-K’ bomber, with a BD3-66-21N pylon for a special "nuclear" bomb under its fuselage, an R-60 ‘AA-8 Aphid’ air-to-air missile under each wing, and an 490-liter fuel tank. Photo:Sandro Sandrov collection

The 372nd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's pilots and their MiG-27M 'Flogger-J' variable-sweep wing ground-attack aircrafts at Daugavpils airport in Latvian SSR. Photo: Sergey Skrynnikov

 

Soviet 15th Tactical Air Army’s order of battle in January 1, 1988:

Soviet 15th Tactical Air Army Baltic Military District order of battle 1988

* In 1988, it was replaced by 12 modern Su-24MR ‘Fencer-E’ reconnaissance aircraft.
** The exact sub-variants used aren't known

Soviet 15th Tactical Air Army Baltic Military District map 1988

 

As the last reconnaissance unit, the personnel of the 886th Reconnaissance Air Regiment participated in the Afghan War with Su-17M4s between September 1988 and January 1989.
In 1988, the 886th Reconnaissance Air Regiment received 12 modern Su-24MR ‘Fencer-E’ reconnaissance aircraft, replacing the old Yak-28R ‘Brewer-D’ type. This photo was taken in 1900 at Riga airport.

As the last reconnaissance unit, the personnel of the 886th Reconnaissance Air Regiment participated in the Afghan War with Su-17M4s ‘Fitter-K’ between September 1988 and January 1989.

In 1988, the 886th Reconnaissance Air Regiment received 12 modern Su-24MR ‘Fencer-E’ reconnaissance aircraft, replacing the old Yak-28R ‘Brewer-D’ type. This photo was taken in 1990 at Riga airport.

The new concept tested by the 15th Tactical Air Army worked well in theory, so from 1988 onwards, all air armies of the Soviet Tactical Air Force introduced the new organization without fighter aircraft or with reduced fighter forces.

By the end of the 1980s, the fighter forces were disbanded in the Baltic, Kiev, and Moscow Military Districts. In the other Eastern European military districts, the strength of the fighter divisions was reduced to two fighter air regiments by the end of the 1980s.

Soviet 53rd gviap MiG-29 9.12 Fulcrum-A over Baltic Sea

The new tactical fighter unit-less concept is somewhat contradicted by the fact that the 15th Tactical Air Force was the second to receive the new MiG-29 9.12 ‘Fulcrum-A’ front fighter type in 1985. However, this was remedied in 1989 when the MiG-29s were replaced with MiG-27 attack aircraft.

The early MiG-29 9.12s ‘Fulcrum-A’ of the 53rd Regiment were transferred to the 404th Fighter Air Regiment in the Soviet Far East in 1989.

 

Left: Soviet MiG-29 9.12 ‘Fulcrum-A’ over the Baltic Sea

From 1989-90, the 39th Fighter Bomber Air Division had three regiments equipped with MiG-27s.  This force consisted of more than 130 MiG-27D/M/K ‘Flogger-J/J2’ bombers and 34 two-seater MiG-23UB ‘Flogger-C’ trainers. The 53rd Regiment used blue, the 372nd Regiment used red, and the 899th Regiment used yellow bort numbers.

  • After the 53rd Guards Regiment handed over its MiG-29 'Fulcrum' equipment and personals, new crew arrived. from Germany from the 35th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, who had previously flown MiG-23Ms 'Flogger-B' as bomber pilots. Meanwhile, MiG-27K 'Flogger-J2' bombers arrived from Czechoslovakia from the disbanded 236th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment in 1989. It was then placed under the command of the 39th Fighter Bomber Air Division.
     
  • The 372nd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment also received several precision strike MiG-27K ‘Flogger-K’ variants from 236th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, Czechoslovakia, which replaced the older MiG-27D 'Flogger-J' variants in 1989.
     
  • Meanwhile, the 899th Regiment took over tha basic MiG-27D 'Flogger-J' bombers from various units, replacing their old MiG-21SMT 'Fishbed-K' fighter-bombers between 1989 and 1990.

39th Fighter Bomber Air Division orbat between 1990 and 1993

Soviet 39th Fighter Bomber Air Division Baltic Military District order of battle 1988
Soviet 899th APIB MiG-27D Flogger-J at Lielvarde airport 10
Soviet 372nd APIB MiG-27M Flogger-J at Daugavpils airport

The 899th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's MiG-27D 'Flogger-J' over Baltic region. Photo: Sergey Skrynnikov

The 372nd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's pilots and their MiG-27M 'Flogger-J' bomber aircrafts at Daugavpils airport in Latvian SSR. Photo: Sergey Skrynnikov

 

Soviet 372th APIB MiG-27M at Daugavpils-Lociki
Soviet 372th APIB MiG-27M at Daugavpils-Lociki
Soviet 372th APIB MiG-27M at Daugavpils-Lociki
Soviet 372th APIB MiG-27M at Daugavpils-Lociki
Soviet 372th APIB MiG-27M at Daugavpils-Lociki

The grounf tecnical crew of 372nd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment with their MiG-27M 'Flogger-J' bomber aircrafts at Daugavpils airport in Latvian SSR. Photo: Oleg Gravhev collections

 

 

Video: The 372nd Fighter Bomber Air Regiment's MiG-27D ’Flogger-J’ practicing strike and RSBN navigation systems from the highway in the Baltic region in 1989.

Tags:
Soviet Union, USSR, Soviet Air Forces, VVS, Cold War, Warsaw Pact, Soviet Air Defence, Baltic Military District's Air Force, 15th Tactical Air Army, Soviet Tactical Air Force, 39th Fighter Bomber Aviation Division, Lielvarde, 29th Fighter Bomber Aviation Division, 899th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, 899th Fighter Bomber Aviation Regiment, MiG-21SMT Fishbed-K, MiG-27D Flogger-J, Lielvarde, 327th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, 327th Fighter Bomber Aviation Regiment, MiG-27D Flogger-J, MiG-27M Flogger-J, MiG-27K Flogger-J2, Daugavpils-Lociki, 53rd Guards Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, 899th Guards Fighter Bomber Aviation Regiment, MiG-27K Flogger-J2, MiG-27D Flogger-J, Zokniai, 53rd Guards Fighter Air Regiment, 899th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, MiG-29 9.12 Fulcrum-A, Zokniai, 886th independent Reconnaissance Air Regiment, 886th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, Yekabpils, Su-17M4 Fitter-K, Su-24MR Fencer-E, Yak-28R Brewer-D, 285th independent Helicopter Squadron for Electronic Warfare, Mi-8PP Hip, Yelgava, 249th independent Mixed Air Regiment, Riga-Skulte, Mikoyan and Gurevich, Sukhoi, Mil, Yakoljev

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Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, СССР, Холодная война, Военно-воздушные силы, ПрибВО, Прибалтийский ВО, 15-я воздушная армия, Рига, 15-я ВА, Прибалтийский военный округ, 249-я отдельная смешанная авиационная эскадрилья, Рига, 249-й осап, 285-я отдельная вертолетная эскадрилья РЭБ,  Елгава Ригой, Ми-8ПП, 285-й овэрб, 39-я авиационная дивизия истребителей-бомбардировщиков, Лиелвадце Ригой, 39-я адиб, 53-й гвардейский Сталинградский орденов Ленина и Александра Невского авиационный полк истребителей-бомбардировщиков, Шауляй Литовская ССР, 53-й гвардейский Сталинградский орденов Ленина и Александра Невского истребительный авиационный полк, МиГ-29 9.12, 92-й гиап, Шауляй Литовская ССР, 327-й авиационный полк истребителей-бомбардировщиков, Даугавпилс, Латвийская ССР, МиГ-27Д, МиГ-27М, МиГ-27К, 327-й Апиб, 899-й авиационный полк истребителей-бомбардировщиков, Лиелварде, Ригой, МиГ-27Д, 899-й Апиб, 886-й Сталинградский Краснознаменный отдельный разведывательный авиационный полк, Екабпилс, Латвийская ССР, Су-24, Су-17М4, Як-28Р,  886-й орап, Микоян и Гуревич, Сухой, Мил, Яковлев