New Aircraft in Service With Russia's Veteran Air Wing

The 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, one of the oldest and most honored domestic air units in Russia, gets familiar with its latest aircraft.

The 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, based at the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield in Primorsky Krai, is considered one of the oldest parts of the Russian Air Force. This regiment originates from three independent air units of the Soviet Air Forces, known as the 3rd, 5th and 17th squadrons of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Military Air Fleet, which were formed back in December 1918.

The regiment took part in the Russian Civil War; then, after it was officially established in March 1938, its forces were fighting in the WWII; since 2015, the 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment has participated in Russian military operations in Syria.

Traditionally, this regiment has been one of the first to get the latest airplanes. In the mid-1980s, it became one of the first Soviet air units, equipped with the then-novel Su-27 fighter jets. In 2007, the regiment was the second to receive the modernized Su-27SM.

Today, it is operating the latest Su-35S fighters, MiG-31BM interceptors and multipurpose Su-30M2 jets used as combat training aircraft. Their home base, the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield, regularly serves as the main base in various exercises.

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Su-35S fighters gradually became the main tactical aviation of the Russian Air Force along with Su-30SM jets, both developed on the basis of the Sukhoi Su-27 aircraft.
The Su-35S is a single-seat twin-engine multirole fighter. It is a so-called 4++ generation fighter that bridges the gap between legacy fighters and the upcoming fifth-generation Sukhoi PAK FA.
Photo: A Sukhoi Su-35S jet is about to fly at the second qualifying stage of the Aviadarts 2016 regional aviation competition at the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield outside Vladivostok.

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The Mikoyan MiG-31, one of the world's fastest fighter-interceptors in service, has been the subject of a comprehensive upgrade to the MiG-31BM standard. The MiG-31BM is a two-seater supersonic interceptor aircraft, designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at extremely low, medium and high altitudes.
The upgraded MiG-31BM features advanced electronics and is able to apply the newest R-37, a Russian long-range air-to-air missile. It is designed to combat stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and drones.
Photo: The Mikoyan MiG-31BM interceptor fighter at the air base in Kansk.

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Su-25s of the 18th Guards Vitebsk Normandie-Niemen Attack Air Regiment from the Chernigovka airfield in Primorsky Krai regularly visit the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield.
Photo: Russian Su-25 attack planes at the Hmeimim air base in Syria.

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Along with the newest aircraft, this An-12BK took part in drills held in June 2017 at the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield. This “veteran” military transport aircraft constructed in 1967 is a part of the 33rd Independent Composite Aviation Regiment, based on the Levashovo airfield in the Leningrad region.
Photo: An Antonov-12 aircraft is seen here at a celebration of the Russian Aviation Day at the military airport Levashovo.

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Another “guest” of the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield is a Su-30SM two-seater multipurpose fighter, constructed by the Irkutsk aircraft factory. This machine is part of the 120th Fighter Aviation Regiment, based at the Domna airfield.
Photo: A Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-C fighter in-flight in the Rostov Region.

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The strongest quality of the Su-35S is its exceptional maneuverability, provided by the high-powered engine with thrust vector control, an advanced digital-wire control system and improved mechanization. When the Su-35 demonstrated its flight capabilities at the Paris Air Show it was dubbed the “Russian UFO.”
Photo: An Su-35S fighter jet during a tactical flight training of the fighter regiment at the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya military airfield in Primorsky Krai.

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While omitting the canards and air brake, this derivative incorporates a reinforced airframe, improved avionics and radar, thrust-vectoring engines and a reduced frontal radar signature.
Photo: Military pilots are seen here against the background of a Sukhoi 35S fighter jet in the fighter aircraft regiment at the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield in Primorsky Krai.

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During the exercises, fighter jets interact with the aircraft of the Russian Naval Aviation. This modernized Il-38N anti-submarine airplane, seen on the photo, serves with the 317th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment of the Pacific Fleet, based at the Yelizovo Airport. Built in 1970, this jet was upgraded in the early 2010s by getting the latest sighting-navigation system and other equipment.

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The Tsentralnaya Uglovaya air base regularly hosts public exhibitions.
Photo: Visitors flock to the Russian Defense Industry Innovation Day 2015 international exhibition held at the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airfield in the Primorye Territory as part of the Russian Defense Industry Innovation Day.

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Four Su-30M2 jets currently serve with the 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. The Su-30M2 is a version manufactured in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. They are mostly used as combat training aircraft for upgraded Su-27SM fighters.
Photo: Russian pilots prepare to board the SU-30 attack plane to take off from the Hmeimim aerodrome in Syria.