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Il-76MD military transport aircraft that arrived in Ulyanovsk to equip the restored 235th military transport aviation regiment of the 18th military transport aviation division of the Military Transport Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Ulyanovsk-Vostochny, 12/01/2017 (c) Ivan Zubov / russianplanes.net

It is reported that on December 1, 2017, a ceremony was held in Ulyanovsk at the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield (factory airfield of Aviastar-SP JSC) to mark the completion of the formation of the 235th military transport aviation regiment of the Military Transport Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The regiment became part of the simultaneously formed 18th Military Transport Aviation Division with control in Orenburg.

The newly formed 235th military transport aviation regiment is planned to be equipped with new military transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A, the production of which is organized at Aviastar-SP JSC in Ulyanovsk. As the basis of the material part during the formation of the 235th regiment, it received ten Il-76MD aircraft from the 117th military transport aviation regiment from Orenburg, nine of these aircraft arrived in Ulyanovsk-Vostochny on December 1. Colonel Vadim Dyrdin was appointed commander of the 235th regiment.

2017-12-03

110th Komsomol Transylvanian Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Regiment

“Old dragoons! Do you remember Krechevitsy?..”

“Old dragoons! Do you remember Krechevitsy?” – a strange epigraph for an article dedicated to a military transport aviation regiment. In fact, everything is logical - the Krechevitsa garrison, where the 110th Komsomol Transylvanian Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Regiment is stationed, is one of the military settlements founded in the Novgorod region in the 19th century by Count Arakcheev.

DECREE

By the grace of God, We, Alexander the First, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia, and so on, and so on, and so on...

To our Grenadier His Majesty the Emperor of Austria regiment and the economic Pitebsk volost residents assigned to a military settlement in this district.

Wishing, on the one hand, to pay special attention to the merits of our victorious soldiers, on the other, to avert all the burden associated with the current conscription duty for our kindly faithful subjects, according to which those who entered the service must be away from their homeland, in separation with their families and relatives, which naturally frightens them when they enter the service, and longing for their homeland weakens their strength, and their new condition becomes unbearable for them, with paternal care, We are working on ways to make the transition of these people into a military state insensitive and service itself is less burdensome, we laid the basis for this rule, so that in times of peace a soldier, while serving the fatherland, would not be far from his homeland, and therefore We adopted the immutable intention to give each regiment its settlement in a certain district of the earth and assign the inhabitants themselves to staff it this district.

In accordance with this purpose, appointing for the settlement of the grenadier His Majesty the Emperor of the Austrian regiment of the Novgorod province and the district from the economic Pitebsk volost of the villages of Krechno and Podyelie, the villages: Nadozerye, Kotovitsy, Krechevitsy, Strelka, Neronov, Porozhek, Mostki, Kumostina, Fomina, Samukhina, Ilova , Vladychna, Biserova, Kipriyanovka, Selezneva, Malaya Shapkina, Navoloki, Yuryeva, Gorby, Klyukosheva, Chechuline, Vitka, Motarova, Trubichino, Stipenka, Kozhanova and Gnezdovka; settlements: Kolmovskaya, Nekokhova and Syrkovskaya, in which one thousand five souls are considered peasants, with all the lands and lands belonging to them, adding those state-owned lands and lands that are in this district, are in the possession of other villages, no matter what government department they are were, we command:

Brigadier General, Major General Knyazhnin with our Novgorod civil governor to go to the designated volost and, having traveled around all these settlements, read and show in each of them in the original our letter to each and every peasant and then announce that they are all appointed to the military villages, so that they can recruit His Majesty the Emperor of Austria’s Grenadier Regiment, on the following rules that are actually beneficial to them:

1. They are freed once and forever from all state taxes and from all zemstvo duties, no matter what their name;

2. They are exempt from the general recruitment, and instead recruit only His Majesty the Emperor of Austria’s Grenadier Regiment with all the people capable of serving;

4. The Grenadier Regiment of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria in peacetime will always be stationed in quarters in its district, and the battalion settled in this regiment is never obliged to set out on a campaign from it, therefore its inhabitants, entering the service of this regiment, will remain in their own at home, with their families and relatives, in all their domestic activities, without being subjected to those inconveniences of constant distance from their homeland, to which they were previously exposed when entering the service under general conscription;

5. Upon completion of legal years of service, each resident of the district of a military settlement is granted a quiet life in his own homeland;

6. In order to unite with their families those of them who were given to the service, who were previously recruited, they will all be transferred to the Grenadier Regiment of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria from the regiments in which they are now serving, and after that they will live in their own homes. ;

7. This document of ours should be kept in the regimental administration committee in the area of ​​the settlement of His Majesty the Emperor of the Austrian Grenadier Regiment, and printed copies of it should be distributed in each village for general information.

Given in Our capital city of Moscow on February 13 in the summer of Christ 1818, in the seventeenth year of Our reign.

The original is signed in His Imperial Majesty's own hand as follows:

ALEXANDER.

Gzneral from the Artillery, Count Arakcheev.

Since then, the troops have not left Krechevitsa for a day, they only exchanged regiments and units: the Grenadier Emperor of the Austrian Regiment, the Kexholm Life Guards of the Austrian Emperor Regiment, the Prussian Infantry Regiment, the Life Guards 3rd Artillery Brigade, the Life Guards Dragoon Regiment , Reserve Guards Cavalry Regiment, Reserve Cavalry Regiment of the Red Army (“horse reserve”).

Aviators came to Krechevitsy in 1926, when construction of an airfield began here. The first plane landed on November 4, 1927, opening a new aviation era in the history of the garrison. The aviation unit in Krechevitsy hosted military training in 1929 for world chess champion Mikhail Mikhailovich Botvinnik.

The world chess champion Krechevitsa did not forget: “...at night we were often driven to the airfield. Once I even got dressed in my sleep, hesitated, caught up with my squad and fully woke up only when approaching the airfield. The airfield was then surrounded by tall grass, dew, and we were soaked through. The planes are antediluvian: Junker YUG-3 made of corrugated metal, fabric I-2 and R-1. Of course, we didn’t fly them, we just washed and wiped them.”

Before the war, Long Range Aviation units were based in Krechevitsy. From here, several heavy bomber air regiments operated during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939 – 1940. During the occupation of the Novgorod region by the Germans, Luftwaffe units were based in Krechevitsy. After the war, first Long-Range Aviation, then military transport.

The 110th regiment is the youngest in the BTA: it was formed in pursuance of the Directive of the General Staff of April 21, 1966. The formation of the regiment was carried out in Krechevitsy and ended by November 1,966.

Soviet military doctrine of the mid-60s provided for the use of military power anywhere in the world. Only military transport aviation could ensure the transfer of significant forces in the shortest possible time and over vast distances. With the adoption of the An-12 aircraft into service in the early 60s, the BTA received a military transport aircraft adequate to the assigned tasks.

Following the re-equipment of the existing air regiments in the VTA with the An-12, the formation of new ones began, including the 110th VTAP. In order to speed up the formation of the regiment, as has happened more than once in the history of domestic transport aviation, personnel were “removed” from Long-Range Aviation - from the Tu-16 bomber regiment based in the Far East in Spassk-Dalniy.

A small digression:

Our magazine has been publishing materials on the history of the Russian Air Force aviation regiments for several years. All articles are written based on the Historical Forms of the regiments. The historical form is a rather dry document, and certain patterns can be traced in filling out the forms.

Stalin's times - everything is very detailed and very specific. The “Khrushchev Thaw” marks the appearance of “verbble” even in the combat training section, but the specifics remain, although not as detailed as during it. The era of Brezhnev... Dear comrade Leonid Ilyich, the decisions of the congresses, coupled with the abstract machinations of the imperialists and the readiness to give a decisive rebuff to any aggressor.

Presentation of the unit's banner to the regiment

An-12 of the 110th regiment

Captain Yu.A. Morkitanov

Krechevitsy

The historical record is a mirror of the era. It would be good if the form was filled out by people who are not indifferent to the history of their unit and who are skilled in writing, but this, alas, does not happen often. It’s good if the form is “supported” by letters and memories of veterans, and again, not every regiment has these.

The 110th Regiment was formed in 1966, that is, just at the beginning of the heyday of common phrases. The business trip to Krechevitsy promised to turn into an extremely dry article: they flew, carried, and landed. Unfortunately, the Historical Form of the regiment fully met expectations: “In conditions when the threat of war, the threat of aggression from imperialism have become the harsh reality of our days, the personnel of the regiment, deeply aware of their enormous responsibility for the reliable protection of the creative work of the Soviet people, state interests and the security of the Motherland, selflessly fulfills its patriotic and international duty, shows constant vigilance and maintains combat readiness at a level that guarantees an immediate and crushing rebuff to any aggressor.”

Strongly said! But the daily life of the personnel bore little resemblance to the “chants” of newspapers and documents of that time. Fortunately, a man served in the regiment who clearly made a mistake in his choice of profession - Captain Yuri Alekseevich Markitanov, a flight engineer by diploma and a historian by vocation. Yuri Alekseevich collected a rich archive on the history of the Krechivitsa garrison, memories of veterans of the 110th regiment, and an amazing photo archive.

It is worth recalling the most severe restrictions on photographing military equipment of the Soviet Army, but they took photographs! For myself, quietly.

A large number of such unique photographs were collected and scanned. Through the efforts of Yu.A. Markitan's dry history acquired living features. In general, Krechevitsy is a very interesting garrison. In the 90s, it became a fad in the army to look for the historical roots of units and formations, while building them up in every possible way. They say that a certain unit in the Strategic Missile Forces managed to bring its history to the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment. The 110th VTAP did not become the regiment of the “Emperor of Austria” or the “Life Guards Dragoon”, and this is correct, but... But the regiment’s personnel conduct drill training in the equestrian arena (however, the roof and walls of the arena have been lost over the years). In other VTA regiments, they have also heard a lot about the “equestrian” past of the 110th Regiment: “Yes, they have a headquarters, so they can ride horses through the corridors!”

Indeed, the military town as a whole has been preserved from the time of the “Emperor of the Austrian Regiment”. It’s hard not to resist quoting a newspaper article dated July 9, 1903.

The regiment commander, Colonel I.N. Novikov, sets a task for the crews

Preparations for landing Polish paratroopers in the An-12

Kochergins, father and son. On the left is Lieutenant Vadim Kochergin, on the right is Deputy. commander of the 110th brigade regiment, Colonel G.P. Kochergin. Currently, Kochergin Jr., already a colonel, commands the 708th Kerch Red Banner Brigade

First regiment commander V. T. Ivanov

“The barracks built by Count Arakcheev have long been called headquarters along the Volkhov River. The gaze of a person traveling along the Volkhov River involuntarily stops at them. And the barracks are so majestic, so unique, so prominent among the wastelands that it is difficult not to stop your gaze on them. Without exaggeration, they can be called a lasting monument, which was erected by the most characteristic powerful personality of Count Arakcheev among the outstanding Russian people of the past century.”

If you, reader, had the opportunity to travel on a steamboat along the Volkhov River and briefly take a look at these barracks from the ship, then I can, without sin, say that they seemed like some kind of, if not a peculiar town, then a fortress or, more accurately, a military monastery.

Nowadays, a “traveler” more often ends up in Krechevitsy not from the ancient Volkhov, but through a banal checkpoint, and the sensations are a little different:

“The Krechevitsy greeted us unfriendly. Autumn, light drizzle, low clouds, not cozy. The boss who met us said that the hotel was occupied and there was no comfortable accommodation.”

This is from the memoirs of flight engineer I.M. Soldatenko, written at the request of Captain Markitanov. Below the memories will be quoted abundantly and repeatedly.

The regiment was formed from the personnel of Long-Range Aviation and graduates of aviation schools. The regiment's IAS engineers were appointed from military aviation units that were armed with An-12B aircraft. Theoretical retraining on the An-1 2B was carried out with the personnel of one of the squadrons, which was formed from flight and engineering personnel who arrived from the disbanded Long-Range Aviation regiment. The rest of the personnel came from military aviation units. The training base for theoretical retraining, by order of the division commander, was provided by a neighboring regiment. The privates and sergeants were a composite of other military units sent according to orders, as a rule, the most undisciplined ones, including those who had passed through disciplinary battalions and colonies. Working with them took all the imaginable and inconceivable time.

By the time the 110th regiment was formed, the 224th military transport aviation regiment (on An-12 aircraft) was already stationed in the Krechevitsa garrison. In addition, there was a communications battalion and two separate aviation squadrons; Il-28 aircraft, which are part of the air army of the district subordination; a towing detachment of the same subordination (also having Il-28 aircraft).

Colonel Vladimir Tikhonovich Ivanov, one of the most respected regiment commanders in the VTA, was appointed the first commander of the 110th VTAP. Colonel Ivanov had a hard and, for the most part, thankless job - in addition to forming the regiment, he was responsible for accommodating the arriving personnel. They say that Russia's troubles are stupid and expensive. Maybe, but definitely also apartments! The history of any regiment begins with tents... A new regiment is being formed in one of the oldest military towns in Russia - tents, barracks, two or three families in an apartment. A regiment is being withdrawn from, for example, Germany - again dugouts, tents. The regiment arrives from Kirovabad at the powerful Taganrog air base - the personnel and their families live on the planes. It’s good that the planes were called Il-76, but what if MiG-23?

In the cockpit of the Il-76, the commander of the 110th brigade, Colonel I.N. Novikov

In addition to the construction of housing, the first commander of the regiment had to organize the construction of aircraft stands and fuel and power plants. “We did all this, as they said then, ‘haphazardly’.” Colonel Ivanov completed the task of forming the regiment by the end of 1967 and was soon demobilized.

In 1967, the regiment provided battalion, regimental and division exercises for the 76th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions with practical landings. The flights were carried out from the airfields of Krechevitsy, Vitebsk and Pskov (Kresty). The first exercises, in which 13 crews of the 1st 10th took part, VTAP took place in October 1967.

From June 8 to June 28, 1967, the regiment carried out the Government task of transporting aircraft to Algeria, Egypt, Syria and Iraq. The flights were carried out in conditions close to combat. The length of the route in one flight ranged from 9,000 to 11,000 km with a flight time of 19-22 hours.

In August 1967, the regiment took part in the Rodopi exercises of the armies of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact.

At the end of 1967, the regiment had 22 An-12B aircraft and 32 crews; in 1968, the regiment was staffed to a full-time strength of 38 crews. Replenishment was carried out by personnel called up from the reserve, who had undergone retraining on the An-12 in Seshche and Ivanovo. The crews took part in the flight commissioning program directly at the regiment.

The second commander of the regiment was Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) Ilya Nikolaevich Novikov (1927-1999). The honored military pilot of the USSR did not have an academic education, but, “frankly speaking, he did not need it.” It was Colonel Novikov who made the 1st 10th Regiment the best in the VTA; for two decades there was not a single flight accident in the regiment. Of course, trouble-free operation was ensured primarily by the engineering and technical staff,

but the navigator service in the regiment was also the best in the VTA!

In the development of the navigator service, the merits of the first senior navigator of the regiment, Mark Grigorievich Belikov, who served in the 110th VTAP from 1966 to 1975, are undeniable. Colonel Belikov’s total flight time is impressive - 22,000 hours!

In the 110th regiment, the only one in the military aviation aviation, a special “navigator” tradition was introduced - the presentation of special diplomas to navigators and pilots who crossed the equator and the Atlantic for the first time. Only sailors do this. Why are aviators worse?

From the memoirs of I.M. Soldatenko:

“At one time we heard about such airfields for military transport aviation as Dzhonkoy, Zaporozhye, Krivoy Rog, Pskov, but we had never heard of Krechevitsy. And somehow the name Krechevitsy itself was not immediately remembered. Neither a city, nor a village , and the place... Well, we think we’re “lucky”, the guys are going to what cities, and we...

Upon arrival in Vitebsk, the division headquarters asked two questions: “Married? Single?” If you were single, they said: “A regiment is being formed in Krechevitsy, you will serve there.”

It's time to wane. By plane to Leningrad, and then from Vitebsky station by train to Novgorod. The train arrived in Novgorod at night. We were met by a military bus and taken to this very place. It was dark behind the windows of the bus and, no matter how hard we tried, in general, we didn’t see anything resembling a big city. We quickly left the city limits and just as quickly found ourselves at checkpoint-1.

Classrooms were prepared for us on the second floor of the educational building, turning them into living rooms. I lived in the weapons and airborne transport equipment class. There were about 30 of us in this class. Noise, din, smoke and

etc. But this could still be tolerated, but the dampness and cold... besides, this part of the building has not yet been restored since the war.

Many personnel were transferred from other garrisons, from other types of aircraft. Many aviators came to our regiment from long-range aviation, from Tu-16, from Borzi, from Spask-Dalny and other places. The people are mostly families, and there was no housing in Krechevitsy.

The regiment was still being formed. We didn't have our own planes. In the morning, as usual, formation. After it, we were most often sent to classes. Then, in order not to discourage the personnel, the command assigned us to the 224th Vtap (old regiment). They were assigned to air squadrons in order to acquire practical skills in maintaining equipment. Personnel who arrived from other types were retrained on the An-12 in Vitebsk. Many conscripts also arrived. There were up to 60 soldiers in the squadrons, and about a hundred in the TECH. Such a mass of people needed something to do.

Czech paratroopers before boarding a plane

Moment of truth: the cargo is dropped exactly at the target indicated by the cross

In the winter of January-February 1967, our 3rd squadron began to receive aircraft. The planes were received by other divisions and regiments. Personally, I, the crew and the acceptance group, accepted several aircraft in the Krivoy Rog division. I got the division commander's plane. It was distinguished from all others by a wide red stripe along the fuselage. Later it was easy for me to distinguish him from others when flights were underway and he taxied to the parking lot.

In December 1967, the Minister of Defense presented the regiment with the Red Banner. There was a ceremonial formation at the airfield, we were congratulated, and we marched in a ceremonial manner. From that moment on, the 110th Vtap became a combat unit of the BTA. Now two regiments were based at the airfield. Ivanov's regiment and Eremenko's regiment. Flight days and nights alternated. One day they flew, the next day we flew. The canteen worked in two shifts. First, the personnel of the 224th regiment took food, and after that - the 110th."

From August 18 to 23, 1968, the regiment took part in the Danube Storm exercises - the entry of troops of the Warsaw Pact countries into Czechoslovakia. The entire regiment, 26 An-12B aircraft, made two combat sorties from Vitebsk to the Brno airfield. The takeoff from the Vitebsk airfield was carried out at night in difficult weather conditions - horizontal visibility 1-1.5 km, the height of the lower edge of the clouds - 80-100 m. 820 personnel of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division and 518 tons were landed in Brno by landing method cargo. 52 sorties were flown with a total flight time of 330 hours.

From Soldatenko’s memoirs: “Aviation Day, ceremonial formation at the stadium. The commander congratulated the personnel. Those who deserved it were awarded certificates and valuable gifts. After this ceremony we went home to celebrate the holiday. The almost full crew of our plane No. 9 (there was no commander and navigator) went to the apartment of one of the crew members. They sat down, poured drinks, and congratulated each other. We drank a glass, then a second, and started talking. And when the turn came to the third, the alarm siren began to wail. We are at a loss, we think that the regiment duty officer has messed something up. And when the third one was knocked over, the doorbell rang. The messenger sounded the alarm.

What happened here! We thought maybe the commander decided to test us, but the matter turned out to be much more serious. The Czechoslovak events began. Many officers had already left the unit. So some crews did not fly away in full force. Somewhere there was no gunner, somewhere there was no on-board ADO technician. They had to catch up with their crews in Vitebsk. The regiment then completed its tasks successfully. Such sudden alarms happened.”

The average flight time per crew in 1968 was 204 hours. In addition to participating in Operation Danube, the regiment took part in the Spring Thunder and Neman exercises.

By 1969, all navigators of the regiment were trained for 1st class; navigators were categorically denied transfer to other duty stations. The entire regiment took part in the exercises "Oder", "Oder - Neisse", in the exercises

Leningrad Military District. On the last 23 An-12s, in 18 minutes, one parachute regiment of the 75th Airborne Division was parachuted onto the Kilp-Jarv site (with 20 An-12s) and landed onto the Smuryevo airfield (three An-1 2).

During the Vostok exercise, the regiment delivered air command staff and support equipment for the 6th Military Transport Air Division from Krivoy Rog to the Far East, Ukurei and Zavitinsk airfields. The troops were landed by parachute on the Ussuri Lithuanians site, and the troops were loaded in Vozdvizhenka.

In 1972, the regiment took part in major ATS exercises “Shield-72”. At 6:30 a.m. on September 4, 1972, the regiment's personnel were alerted and placed on full combat readiness. 24 An-12 aircraft flew to Poland to the Mosznow airfield. During the exercises, the regiment parachuted 5,142 paratroopers of the Czechoslovak army. The USSR Minister of Defense awarded the regiment with the pennant “For Courage and Military Valor” for participation in the Shield-72 exercises. The personnel of the regiment were thanked by the President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Army General Ludwig Svoboda.

In 1973, the regiment took part in the major exercises “Zapad-73” and carried out research flights on the topic “Maneuver-73”. The real test of the combat skills of personnel was transportation via air bridge to Arab countries, called Operation Caucasus. For excellent performance of the task of transporting cargo and equipment to the countries of the Middle East, five ship commanders were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, 13 people were awarded the Order of the Red Star.

“We were given 24 hours to prepare. During this time, the flight crew had to prepare for the flight to Damascus, and the technical staff had to prepare the aircraft. The preparation of the aircraft was as follows: urgently remove the guns, wash away the stars, and in return apply civil aviation signs.

They worked all night, but by morning the planes were without guns and with civilian markings. The order was given to dress the entire flight crew in the uniform of the civil air fleet, of which there were limited quantities in the warehouse - only one for several crews. I had to dress in whatever way I could. When the regiment (110th VTAP) was formed, the personnel looked like a partisan detachment.”

In 1973, the regiment was again recognized as the best in the BTA.

From Soldatenko’s memoirs:

“About 1973, they began to say that the “Chinese,” that is, our regiment, would be disbanded. Rumors, rumors, and we flew, carried out combat missions of landing and transporting cargo. We practiced new types of flights. I really liked flying at extremely low altitudes (I practiced this type of flight). Almost at low level, height 80-100 meters, we flew over the village. All the living creatures: chickens, cows, sheep, went mad and ran in all directions. We also practiced “snake” flights (transitions) – an anti-missile, anti-aircraft maneuver. The duration of the “snake” flight was up to 2 hours 30 minutes. After such a flight, you walk from the airfield almost like a snake.

One of the first Il-76 of the 110th regiment

Since July we have often had to fly to Poland. Operation Strawberry began. They took her mainly to the northern garrisons. This is Novaya Zemlya, Murmansk, Severomorsk, it happened even in Transbaikalia.

The regiment's combat life went on as usual. Now I don’t remember what kind of exercises took place in the Baltic states. Both the old and the new regiment took part in them. At the end of the exercises and upon returning to the base, we learned that a directive from the Ministry of Defense had been signed on the disbandment of the 244th military regiment (old).

It turned out that their sentry, while guarding the battle Red Banner, cut out a decent piece of it (the banner) for cleaning boots (as he himself explained). In general, the regiment was dispersed, and many pilots, navigators, technicians and mechanics transferred to our regiment. We also made fun of them, saying that it was you who went to the “Chinese”?”

With the disbandment of the old regiment, the housing problem improved somewhat. However, it has not yet been resolved.

During the “Maneuver-74” exercise, for the first time in the military aviation, the regiment practiced flights in “flow of pairs” combat formations along three parallel routes with landings on three closely spaced landing sites. The flights were carried out using the MSN inter-aircraft navigation system, which was tested in 1972 in the 110th regiment.

The 110th Regiment was the second in the VTA to receive Il-76 aircraft (the first was the 339th Regiment from Vitebsk). On September 19, the regiment commander, Colonel I.N. Novikov, and the commander of the 1st squadron, Lieutenant Colonel A.N. The first two Ilas were planted in Krechevitsy. Having two aircraft available, it was possible to prepare seven crews for flights on the Il-76. New IL-76s entered the regiment directly from the factory.

From Soldatenko’s memoirs:

“The IL-76 aircraft was fundamentally different from the An-12 aircraft. If on the An-12 the crew commander worked with the throttles (engine control handles), then on the Il-76 this role was assigned to the flight engineer.

I remember such an incident. I flew with the deputy. regiment commander Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov (he was in his crew for 2.5 years). One might say, we have only just begun to fly on our own. We performed training flights in a circle. The circling flight technique was worked out, the technique of working with the thrust levers at flight stages was also developed, and we were guided by it and carried it out. But something didn’t go quite smoothly with us passing the runway threshold and landing. We agreed with the commander to remove the thrust levers not above the end of the runway, but later and smoothly. The result was that the plane did not want to land, and we touched down on the runway almost opposite the flight control point. Let's go to the next circle. We decide to remove the throttles, not reaching the runway threshold a little, and more energetically. The result is that we plop down, slightly dragging the end of the runway. Then I had to remove the rubber marks. After this, the commander says: “Everything, Sabbath, we will work according to the methodology.”

In general, the retraining was, one might say, successful. The regiment began to carry out combat missions. We flew a lot, there were three flight shifts a week. We practiced flying in a circle, on a drop, along a route. They were involved in the transportation of goods, equipment, and the landing of paratroopers and large loads. We often worked with paratroopers of the Pskov Parachute Division.

With Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov, we carried out a test and experimental drop of an airborne combat vehicle with its crew. This happened at the Kėdainiai airfield in the Baltic states. The first such experiment was carried out by the son of the Airborne Forces commander, Major Margelov, the second experiment was the release of a BMD with a crew. The landing was successful; after landing, the BMD entered the “battle” in a matter of minutes. All these tests made it possible in a combat situation to significantly reduce the time for airborne units to enter the “battle” after landing.

In December 1975, the regiment was transferred to a new staff - two squadrons of Il-76 aircraft, one squadron of An-12. In December 1976 - three squadrons of Il-76 and a detachment of An-12 aircraft. The An-12 aircraft were finally withdrawn from service with the regiment in October 1981.

In 1978, the regiment retained the title of “excellent” and again took 1st place in the BTA.

In 1979, the TECh regiment fully mastered the routine maintenance of the Il-76 aircraft. The personnel of the Hungarian People's Army were rewarded for their participation in the Shield-79 exercise.

From Soldatenko’s memoirs:

“Time passed, the international situation changed, we spent more and more time in training classes, at airfields, on flights, and even sat on high alert. There was less time for leisure, sports, etc.

In the spring of 1979, China began to stir. The Soviet government decided to conduct large-scale military exercises in Mongolia near the Chinese borders. Our regiment took part in these exercises. Our regiment and the Pskov regiment with airborne personnel and heavy cargo (BMD) concentrated at the airfield of Steppe station. A fighter regiment flying Mig-23 aircraft was based there, near the Olovyannaya station (my homeland) in the Chita region. We were there for a week. It was spring, there was no more snow, the sun was warm during the day.

We lived in a town in a barracks, the paratroopers lived right at the airfield. We were still not allowed to fly, something was postponed. Finally, the command to load and take off.

They took off in two regiments. The regiment from Panevezys was the first to take off, followed the route and crossed the state border with the Mongolian People's Republic in the Kyakhta area. We passed through the territory of the MPR to the border with the PRC and walked along the border. Now I no longer remember the point of the initial landing area. We were preparing for the release, listening to the broadcast. You could hear how the work (landing) began. The three crews flying first worked. Then a ban on landing came. Work was prohibited. We didn’t understand what was going on, we walked through empty and returned to the Steppe airfield. And this is what happened: there was a strong wind in the landing area. But someone decided to land. The first side landed large loads (three BMD). They crashed (one BMD's turret collapsed from the impact). The next two aircraft landed personnel. There were many wounded and dead. Experienced paratroopers freed themselves from the harness before landing and thereby saved their lives. There was a strong wind, the soil was rocky, and after landing the canopy picked up and dragged the parachutist over these stones until the spare tire, then the peacoat and the living body were worn out. Eyewitnesses said that the paratroopers were caught up in cars to extinguish the dome, as the speed reached 60 km/h. That’s how we failed to scare the Chinese then.”

The Afghan epic began for the regiment on December 13, 1979, when the personnel were put on alert. The commanders of all units of the Krechevitsa garrison gathered at the command post. The division's command post received the usual "training" instructions in such cases, and everyone decided that some major military exercises were coming up. However, soon a combat order was received indicating the time of departure of the aircraft and the landing airfield (Vitebsk), where the landing force was to be loaded. No pre-flight preparation. Instructions were given to the crews immediately before takeoff; takeoff from Krečevice was carried out in complete radio silence.

“In December 1979, as I remember now, around the 10th, the regiment was alerted. Everyone is at the airfield to prepare the planes for takeoff. The scheme is familiar and has already been worked out to the smallest detail. There are rumors about where, why? By the end of the day, the command announces to us that we should take the necessary things at home, although upon alarm we have everything we need in emergency suitcases, and go to the barracks. The regiment switches to increased combat readiness. A flight to Afghanistan is possible, there is a coup there.

So we sat in the barracks for ten days. No flights, no classes. Only aircraft preparation, in-depth targeted and control inspections. Finally, the command to fly to the Vitebsk airfield comes. We load the Vitebsk Airborne Division there, equipped with wartime personnel, weapons and equipment, and transfer this equipment to the Balkhash region, Kazakhstan. Our regiment and Vitebsk are participating. Other VTA regiments from other airfields also worked. We unload or, in aviation style, carry out a ground landing, and make a second trip after the next batch. After the transfer of Airborne Forces personnel, a turbulent life began. We lived in barracks, some in a hotel. Every other day, alarms were announced and the all clear was carried out. The paratroopers, it was clear, were young, and apparently had not yet completed the young fighter course. The autumn recruitment has just been held. So the commanders, right there at the airfield, taught them to crawl on their bellies, change position, etc.

We, the flight personnel (crews), were gathered in the local officers' house, and the head of the political department of our division, Colonel Kirillovsky, informed us of the political situation in Kabul.

On the night of December 26, we were alerted. Our planes had long been loaded with BMD, and it didn’t take much time to prepare. I was in the crew of the squadron commander, Major Karavaev. We worked at Bagram airfield. It was something that simply cannot be imagined. We were warned that the airfield might not be lit; the runway would be marked by burning barrels.

When approaching Bagram, planes also flew above and below us. And also night, mountains.

Basically, all the involved BTA regiments from different airfields of the Union worked at this airfield. Therefore, there was a large concentration of aircraft. The crews were instructed, after landing and taxiing from the runway during taxiing, to unmoor the cargo (BMD), start the APU and at the unloading site turn off engines 2,3,4, leave the 1st engine running to start subsequent engines, in case of APU failure.

As soon as the plane stopped, the ADO flight technician quickly opened the cargo hatch, and the BMDs left the cargo compartment under their own power (since the struts were set to the “automatic” position and there was no need to install them manually), the hatches were closed, the engines were started, the plane taxied to the preliminary start, all engines were already running. Thus, it took about three minutes, no more, to unload the equipment. Such was the efficiency. And from the moment of landing to take-off 7-10 minutes!

And what a carousel we observed from the outside: one plane had not yet taken off, and the other was already landing. And so on endlessly. All this happened quickly, clearly, without delays. The excellent training of the crews, clear interaction and well-coordinated work of everyone had an impact.

A day later, December 28, again at night, we made a second flight to Bogram and delivered the remaining paratroopers in Balkhash. The second flight we felt more confident, the situation was already familiar. During the second flight, one of our crews experienced an aircraft failure. One of the switched off engines did not start. This was the crew of the detachment commander of the 2nd Air Force, Major A.M. Kisilev, senior onboard technician of the ship Art. Lt. Shaloiko N.A. There is nowhere to turn, there is no time to deal with the refusal. The crew decides to take off on 3 engines, and this is night and mountains, there is a big risk. The guys managed it, and already in flight they started the failed engine from the oncoming air flow - there is such an exercise in the combat training course. For their courage, courage and resourcefulness, the commander and senior on-board technician were awarded government awards. Commander of the Order of the Red Star, senior on-board technician with the medal "For Military Merit".

After landing, we found out the reason for the non-launch. The starter has failed (clutch shaft sheared).

On the 26th, an Il-76 with an advance team from Panevezys crashed at the Kabul airfield. They didn’t tell us right away, they didn’t want to psychologically traumatize us. We bowed our heads and held a minute of silence in memory of our fighting friends. On December 29 we returned to base, a new year began, 1980. There was an order not to relax too much. We celebrated the New Year normally, we were not disturbed, everything went smoothly. And then the long, difficult work for Afghanistan began.

Five crews worked in a group from different airfields in Central Asia. But mostly these were the airfields of Fergana and Tashkent.

I remember 1980, winter. Various types of troops arrived in Central Asia from all over the Soviet Union: signalmen, motorized riflemen, sappers, construction battalions. We focused on the airfields of Kokaydy, Karshi, Kyzyl-Arvat, Mary, etc. We picked them up there and transferred them to Afghanistan. These were single, shuttle flights. Then, by the spring of this year, they began to form groups of 5-6 crews with a mission duration of 45-50 days. The base was first in Fergana, then with the construction of customs in Tashkent, the base was moved there, to the Tuzel factory airfield.

A little about such a long business trip. We then stayed for 50 days in Fergana. It was the end of February 1980. Our Krechevitsa group worked from Fergana to Afghanistan. Our ship commander - squadron commander Major Karavaev - receives the task of transporting soldiers' beds from Vitebsk to Kabul. Round trip mission. It’s winter here, we’re dressed like winter – fur jackets, fur hats, etc. The cargo was delivered to its destination. After Kabul, landing in Fergana. And our crew is left as part of the group instead of one of the crews whose APU failed on the plane. They worked as tankers, transporting kerosene to Kabul, Kandahar, Shindant. They loaded 14 small tanks with a capacity of 2.5 or 3 thousand liters. A lot of time was spent loading, unloading, swinging, loading again and, finally, at the base, unloading. We were so tired that the light was not nice. They reassured us that the Pskov group would arrive soon. They will replace us in fuel transportation. They arrived by the end of March, and we felt better, but in Fergana by the end of March the temperature was already almost summer, and we were in winter gear. Oh, and we sweated then, horror! Changing like this periodically, I had to go through 3-4 batches per year, as we called this frequency of business trips.

Il-76 being prepared for loading before departure to Afghanistan

Kabul. 80s. In the center is flight engineer Vasily Dyba

All this continued until 1984, until in Kabul, during landing, the “spirits” shot down the Panevezys plane with humanitarian cargo on board. After this incident, aircraft not equipped with active means of protection against surface-to-air missiles were suspended from flights to Afghanistan.

The aircraft in our regiment were not modified with these means. We started sending planes to the Tashkent aircraft plant for modifications. Some of the old aircraft were transferred to other units. In exchange, they received new, modified Il-76MD from the factory. All this rigmarole took a lot of time. Our regiment resumed flights to Afghanistan again about 2-3 years later. During this time, the regiment was almost equipped with new aircraft; the old ones were handed over to Ukurei and transported there themselves.”

In addition to Afghanistan, personnel took part in exercises: in 1980 - the operational-strategic exercise "Brotherhood in Arms", in 1982 - the exercise in Bulgaria "Shield-82". The Shield-82 exercise took place in very difficult weather conditions. According to the recollections of veterans, it was one of the most difficult drops. The flight along the route over the Black Sea took place in normal weather conditions, but on the approach to Bulgaria the planes encountered a thunderstorm. The strike group and fighters were unable to get through the thunderstorm and were returned from the route. The IL-76's battle formation bypassed the flares. “The combat path itself took place in the most difficult conditions. Rain, sometimes hail, bumpiness, great psychological stress. The task was completed only thanks to the good flight training of our crews.”

In 1988, flights to Angola began.

From Soldatenko’s memoirs: “In 1988, our regiment was trusted to participate in international assistance to the Republic of Angola. They saw us off solemnly, with the regiment's Red Banner.

A group of five crews worked in Angola. They transported all kinds of cargo: food, equipment, ammunition. But the main task was to remove Cuban troops. By that time, the Cubans were fulfilling their mission in Angola to provide international assistance to the Angolan government. Although the civil war continued between government forces and Savimbi's militias, Cuba began withdrawing its troops and our crews transported these troops from the Angolan provinces to Luanda. From where they departed by air and sea. We also had to transport Angolan recruits. They are caught in Luanda, and then they are put on our planes, and we took them to other provinces. They also carried civilians, and there was no end to them. For two years, changing crews of our regiment provided assistance to Angola.

After Angola there was Afghanistan again. Our troops have already left the country. Our five crews have already worked for Afghanistan through the UN. They were all based in Tashkent and Tuzel. We worked tirelessly for a month. We made two flights a day. The order of work was as follows: we fly for two days, then preliminary preparation. Again two flight days, then preliminary training. And there may be a park day to perform targeted and control inspections. All this was done for a more in-depth inspection and preparation of aircraft.

The crews of the 110th brigade in Angola stand aboard a Soviet warship. Late 1980s.

Delivery of ammunition to Afghan government forces by aircraft of the 110th military regiment

Aviation equipment worked in difficult conditions. They were loaded right up to the cap, of course, without going beyond the flight, weight, etc. restrictions. They carried only weapons: shells, bombs, missiles. And they carried so much of everything, but they told us: “There’s not enough, there’s not enough.” Our troops are gone, and the war in Afghanistan continued. Various opposition groups of the Mujahideen fought among themselves for the main, so to speak, position in the country. With the departure of our troops, Najibula's government was no longer able to resist the rebels. Although we carried ammunition there, making two sorties a day, there was not enough of it. In a conversation with the Afghans, it turned out that 50% of the imported ammunition fell into the hands of the Mujahideen. That's why Najibula's regime soon fell.

Times in Afghanistan were hot back then. Kabul and the airport were frequently shelled. Many times I had to return back to Tashkent after crossing the border, when Kabul, through radio traffic, prohibited further flight due to the fact that the Kabul airport was being shelled.

Takeoff and descent were carried out using a new method, although it can no longer be called new. We already began to use it at the end of the Afghan events, and used it during flights in Angola. This is a takeoff with a maximum gradient of climb, and during landing ~ a maximum gradient of descent. Simply put, takeoff and descent in a spiral, in the area of ​​the airfield, without leaving it in a protected area. And of course, with the use of active anti-missile weapons.

I cannot help but mention the flight qualities of the Il-76 aircraft, its reserve of flight characteristics, stability and controllability in critical and even supercritical conditions. And of course, we must say about the skill and composure of our pilots, and the crew as a whole.

This is what happened to our crew over Kabul...

The plane was piloted by the ship's commander, Major V.V. Smirennikov - our deputy. squadron commander. On one of the flights to Kabul, and on this last business trip we only flew to Kabul, our control group was there. As usual, they loaded up with shells and bombs. When approaching Kabul, they asked for conditions. We were told that there was a small pile up at the airfield. They gave the go-ahead for the reduction. And according to the procedure, before descending, we had to release the wing mechanization and lower the landing gear, which was done. We began to descend, and when we entered the clouds, everything became dark and severe icing began. We quickly switched the anti-icing systems to maximum mode. The ice formation rate indicator went off scale. I shout to the commander that we need to leave. He tells Kabul: “I’m stopping the descent, I’m leaving,” they confirm the departure. The command to remove the landing gear and mechanization. And I think, what if she got iced up? In general, I retract the flaps in impulses, everything is fine. The commander puts the plane into a climb, and we are loaded at maximum landing. The plane reluctantly sets off. Ice builds up on the windshield before your eyes, then peels off and grows again. The speed begins to drop. I switch all 4 engines to maximum operating mode - takeoff. This altitude regime was also limited and was used in exceptional cases. The variometer shows either a 30-meter climb or a 30-meter decline. I shout to the commander: “Less vertical, the speed is dropping!” He doesn’t answer me, he just moves the helm back and forth.

The whole plane is shaking, the shaking is characteristic. But we know that shaking occurs before stalling. This characteristic warning to the crew is given by the aircraft itself. The instrument speed dropped to 300 km/h, we were climbing, there was overcast, icing, and there were mountains around. The mountains are high, somewhere between 1 and 6000 meters. And so the speed is 300 km/h, and for our weight the minimum permissible or, one might say, stall speed is 340 km/h. The plane is shaking, but it is slowly climbing up. And then we jump out beyond the clouds. We sighed, made up our minds and sank home, to Tashkent.

When the passions calmed down a bit, we began to evaluate what had happened. I ask Smirennikov a question: “Commander, why didn’t you respond to my command that the vertical speed was high, but the instrument speed was falling?” He answers me: “In principle, I heard this command, but did not react. All my attention was focused on the angle of attack device. As soon as the needle starts to go beyond the supercritical angle, I was steering away from myself, and my thought was mountains, mountains, mountains.” Of course, the commander acted competently. He felt the plane better.

At the end of April it is already summer in Tashkent. But when we landed, everyone gasped - thick ice growths hung on the landing gear and other protruding parts of the plane. The icing was actually very strong. I didn’t even know that the IL-76 was capable of this. That fight in the sky over Kabul seemed to me to have lasted about thirty minutes. At the base, when we listened to the tape recorder, the whole thing, from the moment the situation began to leaving the clouds, took only five minutes.

During the month, our crew made 42 sorties. I don’t remember how many tons of cargo we transported. In early May we returned to Krechevitsy. Then I received a referral to the Leningrad military hospital, where I was discharged from flying work. This is where my service in the 110th VTAP ended.”

In 1992, three crews carried out a government task to evacuate the Russian embassy from Kabul. During the operation, the plane of Major V.A. was burned on the ground by Mujahideen fire. Malova. Lieutenant Colonel A.S. Kopyrkin decided to abort the takeoff and pick up the passengers and crew of the burning Il-76. Landing and re-takeoff were carried out under fire. Several tire tires of Lieutenant Colonel Kopyrkin's Il-76 were damaged by mine fragments, but the crew and passengers of the damaged Il were taken on board and taken to Kokaydy. The general management of the operation was carried out by the regiment commander, Colonel E.A. Zelenov. For courage, heroism, high professionalism and endurance shown during the execution of the task, Colonel Zelenov E.A. and Lieutenant Colonel A.S. Kopyrkin awarded the title Hero of Russia.

Lipetsk Su-27 and F-16 of the Norwegian Air Force on board the Il-76 of the 110th brigade

Il-76 of the 110th airborne regiment landed at Kabul airport. July 2005

Somewhere in Southeast Asia, waiting for a flight...

Loading equipment into the Il-76 of the 110th brigade

Named aircraft of the Veliky Novgorod regiment

In November 2001, five aircraft of the regiment landed at Bagram airfield, which had recently been recaptured from the Taliban, delivering medicines and the Ministry of Emergency Situations hospital. Three planes flew to Bagram back in December 2001. For the excellent performance of the task of delivering people and cargo to Afghanistan, the personnel of the 61st VA VGK (VTA) were then thanked by the President of the Russian Federation. In February 2002, four aircraft transported troops and equipment from Kabul to Samara. For completing the task, 15 people were awarded government awards.

In 1986, for the first time in its history, the regiment received an annual rating of “satisfactory”... The grade of the personnel sharply decreased. But for a long time the 110th VTAP was literally “first-class” - almost all navigators and pilots had 1st class. In 1987, less than half of ship commanders and two-thirds of navigators had 1st class. In 1988, for the first time in the history of the regiment, an accident occurred. On October 19, the ship's commander, Captain A.A. During the landing approach, Merkulov landed 800 m before the end of the runway. The crew survived, but the plane was beyond repair.

In 1988, the regiment had 32 Il-76 aircraft with 40 crews. In the period from 1990 to 1994. the regiment took part in the withdrawal of the Western Group of Forces

In December 1995, the regiment was involved in cargo transportation to the area of ​​​​the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya; The crews flew to Mozdok airfield.

In 1995 – 1998 Flights were periodically carried out in the interests of Russian peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina with landings at the Tuzla airfield. At the end of December 2004, the crews of Lieutenant Colonel V.D. Zaitsev, Lieutenant Colonel Avdeyuk S.S. and major

B.M. Ryzhov delivered humanitarian aid to victims of the tsunami caused by the earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Aircraft details at Banda Aceh airfield, o. Sumatra, Indonesia.

Commander of the 110th brigade regiment, Colonel Gorskov A.M.

Hero of Russia Lieutenant Colonel A.S. Kopyrkin

Hero of Russia Colonel E.A. Zelenin

Like other VTA regiments, the 110th Regiment provided fighter visits to other countries: in 2005 it accompanied a group of Su-27s from Lipetsk to Norway, in 2006 – “Russian Knights” to the Emirates.

In connection with the disbandment of the 930th Komsomolsk-Transylvanian Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Regiment, the regiment's battle banner, order and honorary titles were transferred to the 110th Military Transport Aviation Regiment. Since May 1, 1998, the 110th VTAP has been called the “110th Komsomolsk-Transylvanian Red Banner Regiment.” On the same day, May 1, 1998, the regiment was transferred from three squadrons to two squadrons.

It was not by chance that the regalia of the 930th VTAP was transferred to the 110th regiment: “Komsomol Transylvanians” were based in Krechevitsy from 1961 to 1963. The 930th regiment was formed in 1942 as the “Komsomol Light Bomber”; the regiment operated on airplanes throughout the war U-2. The regiment took part in the battles near Rzhev and Velikiye Luki in 1942 - 1943, in the areas of Kharkov, Kremenchug, Korsun-Shechenkovsky in 1943 - 1944. For the exemplary performance of command tasks to complete the destruction of the Nazi invaders in the area of ​​​​the city of Korsun-Shevchenkovsky, the regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. For participation in the hostilities to capture the Hungarian city of Debrecen, the regiment was given the honorary name “Transylvanian”. Victory found the regiment in Czechoslovakia. After the war, the 930th regiment became a transport regiment. The following aircraft were in service: Li-2, Il-14, An-12; in 1963 the regiment was relocated to the Far East, to Zavitinsk. The 930th VTAP passed Afghanistan “from bell to bell.”

By its decision No. 950 of May 30, 2000, the Novgorod City Duma petitioned the Commander of the VTA to assign the honorary name “Veliky Novgorod” to the Il-76 aircraft of the 110th VTAP. The honorary name “Veliky Novgorod” was assigned by order of the Commander of the Military Aviation Administration dated August 1, 2000 to the Il-76 aircraft with tail number “RA-86044”.

Heroes of Russia

Zelenov E.A.

Kopyrkin A.S.

Commanders of the 110th Komsomolsk-Transylvanian Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Regiment year of taking office

Colonel Ivanov V.T 1966

Lieutenant Colonel Novikov I.N. 1968

Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov Yu.T. 1977

Lieutenant Colonel Levkovich G.I. 1980

Colonel Grebelkin V.A. 1984

Colonel Botapov V.M. 1988

Colonel Zelenoe E.A. 1989

Lieutenant Colonel Daev V.V. 1993

Colonel Gorskov A.M. 1995

In December 2006, the 110th VTAP celebrated its 40th anniversary...

With this publication, our magazine completes the series of articles devoted to the regiments of the 61st VA VGK (VTA). The editors express gratitude for the assistance provided to the headquarters of the 61st Air Army, the commander of the Military Air Forces, Lieutenant General V.F. Denisov, deputy BP commander Colonel A.V. Lukonin, assistant commander for information support Art. Lieutenant V.A. Drobyshevsky, as well as many, many officers of the VTA regiments. Many thanks to the commander of the 78th separate military transport aviation squadron, Lieutenant Colonel V.I. Grabovoi, for the wonderful “flying” flights.

Anatoly ARTEMYEV

The Military Transport Aviation regiment, disbanded in the late 90s, was revived on the territory of the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airport thanks to the support of President Vladimir Putin and the authorities of the Ulyanovsk region.

On December 1, 9 Il-76 aircraft of the Military Transport Aviation from Orenburg landed in Ulyanovsk. This is the basis of the 235th aviation regiment of the 18th military transport aviation division of the BTA. A ceremonial meeting of the aircraft took place, as well as the opening and consecration of the regiment headquarters (about 1,500 people will serve in it) and production facilities on the territory of the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airport. Unit commander Vadim Dyrdin received brand new colonel shoulder straps from the hands of the commander of the Military Transport Aviation, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov. Other officers were also promoted.

“Truly a great day! Let Ulyanovsk land accept words of gratitude from all VTA pilots. She greeted us hospitably and at home, as is customary in Rus'. The 235th regiment celebrates its second birthday and spreads its wings,” Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, commander of the Military Transport Aviation, commented on the event.

Military families will not have housing problems. “The Ministry of Defense has a program for allocating funds for rental housing. The issue regarding Ulyanovsk is closed, everything is in order,” the BTA commander briefly explained to a Media73 correspondent. The event was attended by the head of the regional government, Alexander Smekalin, who conveyed greetings from Governor Sergei Morozov.

A little history. The military transport aviation regiment was formed at the Seshcha airfield in the Bryansk region in October 1989. It included two squadrons flying An-124 Ruslan aircraft and one squadron flying Il-76 aircraft. Since its formation, the regiment has carried out operational transportation of personnel, equipment and cargo on the territory of the USSR and abroad. In 1994, the regiment's personnel took part in the peacekeeping operation of the UN forces in Zaire, code-named "Turquoise", in combat operations to eliminate illegal groups on the territory of the Chechen Republic. On February 1, 1995, the regiment began relocating to a new location - Ulyanovsk; three years later it ceased to exist.

In May 2017, the commander of military transport aviation (MTA), Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, announced that the formation of a new formation was beginning - the 18th military transport aviation division with headquarters in Orenburg, as well as a MTA regiment based in Ulyanovsk. “This aviation unit will also receive new aircraft - Il-76MD-90A. Today this is a priority task for us. In 2017, BTA planned to receive three new Il-76MD-90A aircraft. Last year we got two. At the center for combat training and retraining of flight personnel in Ivanovo, active training of instructors and teaching staff for the new aircraft is underway,” Benediktov said then.

Il-76MD-90A is a heavy transport aircraft, a deeply modernized version of the Il-76MD. Produced at the Ulyanovsk aircraft manufacturing plant "Aviastar-SP". Under a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, the company must supply military transport aviation with 39 aircraft of this type by 2020 - this is the largest order in the history of Russian aviation. The aircraft is designed to transport troops, heavy large equipment and cargo, as well as parachute and landing of personnel, equipment and cargo; it can also be used to transport sick and wounded people and extinguish area fires.

And so on December 1, the new “old” 235th VTA regiment was revived in Ulyanovsk. “Comrades! Today we have witnessed a historic event. Previously, we observed the reverse processes of the disbandment of units and the cessation of flights. People left the army. Thanks to Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin, much has changed radically. I am grateful to Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov and the personnel for the fact that without huge financial investments the regiment was equipped in Ulyanovsk. I wish that the number of takeoffs corresponds to the number of landings, this is our tradition. I am sure that the life of pilots in the Ulyanovsk region will bring them only joy,” said Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Commander of the Russian Air Force, Lieutenant General Andrei Yudin.

Also at Ulyanovsk-Vostochny, a ceremony was held to name the An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft after the great aircraft designer Oleg Antonov, which completed its modernization at the Aviastar-SP plant. The name of Oleg Antonov is inextricably linked with the history of domestic military transport aviation, and aircraft of the Il and An brands form the basis of its flight fleet today.

An-124-100 "Ruslan" is the most load-lifting aircraft in the world. “Ruslan” was developed in the first half of the 80s of the 20th century at the Antonov Design Bureau together with leading allied research institutes, enterprises, aviation industry organizations and ministries. The entire Soviet Union worked on its creation. Two thirds of the Ruslan production aircraft were produced in Ulyanovsk. Currently, the repair and modernization of the An-124 in Russia is carried out at the Aviastar-SP aircraft plant.

The aircraft, which was solemnly named after Oleg Antonov on December 1, was released on December 31, 1986 and was operated as part of the Russian VTA. In October 2017, production work to modernize the airframe and aircraft systems was completed in the final assembly shop of the Aviastar-SP plant.

According to Benediktov, the plans of the 235th regiment include the use of the modernized An-124-100 Ruslan and the new project of the Il-276 medium transport aircraft, which are associated with Aviastar-SP.

Aviastar, we recall, may become the manufacturer of the new Il-276 transport aircraft. UAC Vice President for Transport Aviation, General Director of the Aviation Complex named after. S.V. Ilyushin Alexey Rogozin spoke about this at a meeting on the development of VTA in Ulyanovsk this fall. The medium transport aircraft should replace the outdated An-12, An-26 and An-72. The price and requirements for this project, as well as the tactical and technical specifications, are being worked out.

“Today, the UAC transport division is the base for the production of military transport aircraft. We have an important task ahead of us - we undertake to supply new and deeply modernized aircraft for the needs of the BTA in the coming years. We are confident that soon our winged aircraft will serve to ensure Russia’s defense capability,” Rogozin made a statement on December 1 in Ulyanovsk.

The formation of the 334th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment began at the Vorotynsk airfield in the Kaluga region on April 10, 1944, based on the GKO decree of March 12, 1944.

After the completion of the battles to liquidate the blockade of Leningrad, the 1st Stalingrad Red Banner Bomber Air Division of the ADD, consisting of the 31st Krasnoselsky and 32nd Kerch Guards Red Banner Air Regiments, was withdrawn to the rear. On the basis of these regiments, it was decided to form the third regiment in the division. It became the 334th bap ADD. Major V. I. Lebedev was appointed the first commander of the regiment.

Command personnel came from the regiments of the 1st Air Division (most of them came from the 31st Regiment, commanded by B.S. Grizodubova), and the personnel in the OS

Newly, it was staffed from the staff of the State Fund of Air Forces and graduates of aviation schools.

Commander of the 334th Regiment V I Lebedev]

Formation of the regiment's personnel with the banner of the Polish unit, 1944

The crew of Lieutenant GB Ivlev after completing a combat mission, September 1944.

Regiment personnel during combat training

Practicing interaction between the tug pilot (Panarin A G) and the glider pilot. 1949

Pioneers Yak 14 in the regiment's parking lot. 1954

The formation of the regiment was completed by June 1, 1944. Li-2 aircraft entered service - both new (from factory N? 84) and already flown (from the regiments of the 73rd Air Division of the ADD). At the time of formation, the regiment had 29 Li-2 aircraft.

The regiment's crews operated in the ports of Libau, Pärnu, Memel, the railway stations of Tolochin, Polotsk, Novo-Borisov, crossing the Western Dvina River, the Bobruisk airfield, and along the front edge of enemy positions in the Baltic States. Flights were also carried out deep behind enemy lines to drop scouts. In April 1945, the regiment bombed Berlin; 90 sorties were carried out across the German capital. The regiment's crews carried out their last combat missions in the port of Swinemünde.

In connection with the transformation of Long-Range Aviation into the 18th Air Army, by order of December 6, 1944, the regiment was renamed the 334th Bomber Regiment, and on June 11, 1945, by order of the Supreme High Command, the regiment was given the honorary name “Berlinsky”.

Based on the resolution of the Council of Ministers of April 3, 1946 and the Directive of the Commander of Long-Range Aviation dated April 9, 1946, the regiment as part of the 1st Stalingrad Red Banner Air Division was transferred to the subordination of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District, but already in June-July the regiment was withdrawn from composition of the 1st Air Division and transferred to the Leningrad Military District. From August 9, 1946, the unit was called the “334th Berlin Airborne Transport Aviation Regiment,” and from October 7 of the same year, the “334th Berlin Airborne Transport Airborne Regiment.”

As of January 1, 1947, the regiment had seventeen Li-2, one S-47 and seven Po-2 aircraft.

During 1946, the regiment's crews landed 25,570 people by parachute, and 667 people by landing. The regiment took part in a parade in Moscow on the occasion of Air Fleet Day. In 1948, the regiment began to receive Il-12 aircraft and Ts-25 gliders.

In parallel with the landing training, the regiment practiced bombing with the Li-2 - 75 practical bombing missions were carried out.

From September 19 to September 29, 1948, 21 Il-12 aircraft and ten Li-2 aircraft from the regiment took part in the airborne forces exercises shown. which took place in the Starokonstantinovo area.

Once again, the name of the regiment was changed by order of March 25, 1949 - “334th Berlin Transport Airborne Regiment.”

From May 28 to July 18, 1949, 14 Il-12 crews took part in the preparation and conduct of an air parade in honor of Air Fleet Day. According to the preparation plan and during the parade, 242 flights were carried out, 1,689 people were parachuted. From July 25 to August 6, 1949, 17 crews and the regiment's headquarters were involved in the exercises of the 107th Airborne Division from the Kirovograd airfield. 104 people, 286 tons of cargo and military equipment were landed by landing method.

The crew of the regiment near the An-12 military transport aircraft

"High-quality repair of aircraft is the key to accident-free flight operations!”

Removing snow from a Yak-14 glider

– IL-12: 23 serviceable and one faulty;

– Li-2: 11 serviceable and two faulty;

– Po-2: four serviceable, no faulty ones;

– Ts-25: 21 serviceable, one faulty;

– G-I: five serviceable, no faulty ones.

In 1950, retraining for the Yak-14 glider began. At the end of 1950, the regiment had seven Yak-14 and 16 Ts-25 gliders, in 1951 the glider fleet was unified - 60 Yak-14 gliders. This was a double set, since the regiment had 28 glider crews. Also in 1951, the Li-2 aircraft were completely replaced by Il-12 aircraft (the regiment had 29 aircraft in service at the end of the year).

In 1950, nine Il-12s took part in an air parade in honor of Air Fleet Day.

From August 3 to August 22, 1951, 28 glider train crews and the regimental headquarters took part in a demonstration exercise to land the 107th Airborne Division from the Priluki airfield to a landing site in the Cherkassy region. 328 flights were completed, 960 people and 131 tons of cargo were landed.

From September 11 to 18, 1952, 27 crews of glider trains (Il-12 aircraft and Yak-14 gliders) took part in exercises on the territory of Belarus. 131 people from the 350th separate airborne regiment and 77 tons of cargo were landed by landing method.

From October 3 to October 16, 1953 - maneuvers of the Carpathian District for the landing of the 31st Airborne Division. 130 people and 40 tons of cargo were delivered by landing from the Lutsk airfield to the exercise area.

By order of October 1, 1954, 30 glider pilots were excluded from the regiment's staff; most of them underwent retraining as airship pilots, after which they served in transport aviation for a long time.

Since October 12, 1955, the regiment has been called the “334th Military Transport Berlin Aviation Regiment of the VTA Air Force.”

From October 25 to November 29, 1956, the regiment's crews carried out special missions abroad. 369 sorties were flown, 396 tons of cargo were transported.

On October 31, 1957, the crew of Major Samarin crashed, killing all five crew members. The disaster occurred due to unsatisfactory organization and management of the flights.

From May 30, 1961 to January 15, 1962, 11 crews performed special missions in Laos and Vietnam. 1,908 combat missions were flown, 1,064 tons of cargo were dropped, 901 tons of cargo and 7,451 passengers were transported to Laos. Both Il-12 and Li-2 flew in Laos. At the same time as our crews, the Americans carried out similar tasks. Veterans recalled that sometimes a Li-2 dropped cargo on one site for “their” partisans, while an American S-47 dropped “humanitarian” aid nearby to “alien” combatants.

Regimental tradition: seeing off a plane with the unit's banner unfurled

Presentation of military awards to the personnel of the regiment for fulfilling the international

Commander of the 334th VTAP in 1966-75 Jurges P Ya

Li-2 in Laos

In 1961, an interesting situation arose with the aircraft fleet. The regiment was planned to be re-equipped with the An-12, but earlier one of the transport regiments stationed in Germany began to receive new equipment. Li-2 from the “German” regiment was transferred to the 334th regiment. As of January 1, 1962, the regiment's aircraft fleet was as follows:

In 1963, retraining on the An-12 began. In March - May, the personnel mastered the theory, and flights began in May. By December, 30 crews were flying the An-12.

In August 1964, the detachment commander, Major N. S. Papkin, made an emergency landing outside the airfield due to the involuntary shutdown of three engines at once. By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, gratitude was expressed to the crew; Major Papkin and the flight engineer, senior technician-lieutenant Kuznetsov, were awarded valuable orders.

As practice has shown, young pilots mastered new technology faster; apparently, the “old men” had a negative impact on their acquired skills in piloting two motor piston aircraft.

From September 14 to 21, 1963, 26 crews of the regiment on An-12B aircraft took part in Warsaw Pact exercises with a practical landing of personnel and military equipment of the 1044th Airborne Division to the Rovenets airfield in Bulgaria. Transported:

– 26 SAU-85;

– 3 GAZ-63;

– 8 GAZ-69;

– 2 UAZ-450;

– 1 ZIL-164;

– 18 D-30 guns;

– 18 ZIL-157 vehicles;

– 323 personnel.

The regiment had 11 An-12B and two Li-2 aircraft. A year later, the number of An-12s increased to 32, and the Li-2s were removed from service with the regiment.

Presentation of memorable gifts to distinguished crews

From February 25 to March 5, 1965, the experimental exercise “Kharkov” took place on the transportation of anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition from the Baltic airfields and from Chkalovskaya to the Belaya airfield near Irkutsk. 27 crews from the regiment took part in the exercise. 28 ZPU-1 and 47 ZPU-2 anti-aircraft guns, 60 personnel, 8,204 boxes of ammunition, as well as a 37-mm cannon and a GAZ-66 vehicle were transported. The regiment received an “excellent” rating for the exercises.

From October 17 to 27, 1965, 27 An-12B aircraft were involved in the training of the Warsaw Pact armies, which took place on the territory of the GDR. Units of the 6th Airborne Division of the Polish Army were landed at the Erfurt airfield and transported:

– 24 self-propelled artillery units CY-85;

– 3 ZIL-157 vehicles;

– 1 GAZ-69 car,

– 3 GAZ-ZbZ cars;

– 1 UAZ-450 car;

– 1 GAZ-51 car.

In 1966, cargo was transported in the interests of the Ministry of Geology in the Arctic, 6221 people and 9535 tons of cargo were transported.

In the period from June 8 to June 29, 1967, the regiment carried out special missions to transport military equipment to Egypt, Algeria and Syria. 86 flights were completed with 1853 flight hours.

From August 21 to 23, 1967, the regiment, consisting of 28 crews, took part in the Rodopi exercises, which took place on the territory of Bulgaria.

The regiment participated in its entirety, 26 crews. The landing was carried out from combat formations in a column of detachments and a stream of pairs at intervals of 30 seconds from low altitudes.

From December 1 to December 31, 1967 - 19 crews transported cargo to Yemen, completing 30 flights, transferring 187 tons of cargo and 225 people.

Transport flights were also carried out to the Arctic. In 1967, the regiment received the Challenge Red Banner of the Commander of the VTA.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 22, 1968, for great merits shown in battles to defend the Soviet Motherland, success in combat and political training, and in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Army and Navy, the 334th Military Transport Aviation Regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

As part of Operation Danube, from August 18 to 25, 185 sorties were carried out from the Vitebsk airfield to the Brno airfield and from the Chkalovskaya airfield to the Prague-Ruzine airfield. 1522 people and 137 tons of cargo were transported.

From July 6 to August 3, 1970, eight crews led by regimental commander Colonel Yuger took part in providing assistance to earthquake victims in Peru. 26 people and 91 tons of cargo (medical equipment, food, vehicles) were transferred from Chkalovskaya to Lima.

A few words about Colonel Yuger. He was a man of unique destiny. At the age of 22, he was selected as the commander of the Li-2 crew. who delivered the Victory Banner to Moscow from Berlin. He was a holder of five (!) Orders of the Red Star. In 1969, during the Odra-Neisse exercises, the regiment again parachuted the Poles.

Loading military equipment into the Il-76. Pskov. September 21, 2005

From February 24 to April 9, 1970, military equipment and cargo were transported to Egypt (85 flights, 664 people and 669 tons of cargo).

In 1973, the regiment carried out flights to Egypt, Syria and Iraq in full force, completing 122 sorties (60 people and 1012 tons).

In the summer of 1972, to carry out the transportation of passengers and cargo abroad on special assignments, the 334th VTAP was included in the 1st squadron of the 224th Air Force flight squadron. In 1972, the regiment became the best in the VTA.

From June 18 to August 19, 1975, 11 crews completed 908 flights to Somalia, transporting 8,515 people and 2,783 tons of cargo.

From November 13, 1977 to November 17, 1978, 21 crew flew to Ethiopia. There, 6,401 flights were carried out with a total flight time of 7,906 hours, 40,073 people and 33,076 tons of cargo were transported.

On October 16, 1978, the 1st squadron of the regiment began studying the Il-76 aircraft. The regiment's crews performed their first flights on the Il-76M on December 13, 1978 at the Vitebsk airfield. On January 23, the regiment began re-equipment with the Il-76M aircraft. The first Il-76M was transported to the Pskov airfield from the Vitebsk airfield by the commander of the 1st squadron, Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Trifonov. The first flight shift in Pskov on Il-76M aircraft was carried out on January 26. At the end of the year, the regiment had 14 Il-76M and three An-12BP aircraft.

In 1978, flights to Ethiopia were again carried out. 46 people received awards for Ethiopia, including six people awarded the Order of the Red Banner and 17 people with the Order of the Red Star.

The first flights to Afghanistan were carried out on December 11, 1979, five crews flew. In 1980, when taking off from Kabul airfield, the crew of Major P.A. Efimov, one engine failed, however, the crew continued the flight on three working engines and landed safely in Tashkent.

In 1980, the regiment's aircraft fleet consisted of 25 Il-76M and three An-12BP. The following year, only 25 Il-76M remained. In 1981, the regiment received the Challenge Red Banner of the Commander of the VTA for the second time.

In the 80s, flights were constantly carried out to Afghanistan, Angola, and Syria.

On July 3, 1983, a regiment of 20 crews took part in the operational-strategic exercise of the USSR Ministry of Defense. 51 BMD and 6 Nona installations were parachuted

In 1986, the crews of the regiment took part in the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

From January 6 to January 24, 1991, seven crews deployed airborne units to Lithuania to maintain Constitutional order on the territory of the USSR.

G V Novozhilov at the celebration of the regiment's anniversary

Veterans of the regiment

"Combat leaflet" dedicated to the brave actions of the Il-76 crew

From November 8, 1992 to June 13, 1993, flights were carried out to evacuate refugees from CIS “hot spots” and to deliver a contingent of Russian peacekeeping forces to North Ossetia and Ingushetia.

On July 8, 1993, the Il-76M No. 86039 crew of Major V. Gudin crashed, killing eight crew members and three LVVAUSH trainee cadets. The pilots managed to divert the falling plane from the outskirts of Pskov. The disaster occurred as a result of a fire that broke out in the gunner's cabin (presumably the ammunition for the guns ignited). Streets in Pskov and Novozborsk were named in memory of the deceased crew.

In 1994, due to a lack of fuel, there was a sharp decrease in flight hours, the total flight time was 3044 hours against the plan of 4403 hours, the number of flight shifts performed was 38 against the plan of 68. Subsequently, the trend, alas, continued. In 1995, only 18 flight shifts were carried out. shifts, and the actual flight time of the regiment was 2390 hours, and according to the combat training course - only 602 hours. Unfortunately, at present the situation has not changed radically.

Since December 9, 1994, the regiment has been taking part in ensuring the counter-terrorism operation in Chechnya.

From March 2 to March 27, 1995, the crew of Major V. N. Gorbunov took part in a joint Russian-Canadian exercise to search and rescue those in distress.

Since January 15, 1996, 24 Il-76s have delivered a contingent of Russian peacekeepers to the Balkans, to the airports of Belgrade and Tuzla, 76 flights have been carried out, 2048 people, 404 tons of cargo and 30 units of military equipment have been transported.

From August 26 to 28, 1996, the Russian-American exercise SAREK-96 was carried out. As part of the exercise, the crew of Major S.G. Aneykhino carried out two flights from Khabarovsk, transporting 107 people and 19 tons of cargo.

In June 1997, at the Kresty airfield (Pskov), 28 military attachés of foreign states held a display of aviation equipment of the 334th VTAP and military equipment of the 76th Guards Airborne Division.

From June 26 to July 23, 1999, troops and military equipment were transported to Kosovo. Nine flights were completed, 147 people and 142.1 tons of ammunition were transported.

From November 23 to 27, 2001, four crews completed eight flights to Afghanistan, transporting 45 people and 56 tons of cargo.

In 2004, the regiment took part in the Mobility 2004 exercise. Ten crews took part in the exercise, which took place from June 16 to 28. 67 sorties were carried out, 332 people were landed, 45 pieces of equipment and 201 tons of cargo were transported.

In 2005, the regiment's crews were involved not only in airborne landings in exercises that took place on Russian territory, but also participated in joint Russian-Chinese and Russian-Indian exercises.

Concluding the brief story about the 334th military transport Berlin Red Banner Aviation Regiment, I would like to note two facts. Firstly, this is one of the few regiments in the domestic Air Force that has not changed numbers in its entire history. Secondly, since 1948 the regiment has been based in Pskov at the Kresty airfield. Such a long stay in one place is also not very common in our Air Force.

Personalized aircraft Il-76 "Pskov"

Loading equipment into the IL-76. View from the navigator's cabin.

Pskov. 21.0905

The airfield is located on the outskirts of the ancient city and it is not surprising that the residents of Pskov have long considered the regiment theirs, Pskov. Many veterans of the regiment live next to the airfield, in the Kresty garrison, without breaking ties with their native unit. In turn, the regiment’s personnel constantly take care of the veterans.

The proximity of the border, vast expanses of water and the long-standing passion of all military personnel for fishing and hunting, glorified by many films, sometimes lead to comic situations. For example, quite recently, in winter, a massive fishing trip of personnel was organized to Lake Pskov. The border with Estonia runs along the lake. No, they caught it in Russia, but the crowd dressed in camouflage attracted the attention of the Estonian border guards: What if there was an invasion? Communication across the border resolved the misunderstanding, but “friendship of peoples” did not happen. By the way, very close by, in Ostrov, the iconic film “Peculiarities of National Hunting” was filmed, and you can see the bathhouse of the Pskov military transport regiment with a live crocodile in the film “Peculiarities of National Policy”. The crocodile, by the way, is from Pskov.

The regiment has two named aircraft:

Il-76M No. 86049 “Pskov”, the name was assigned by order of the Commander of the VTA dated January 13, 2000, the ceremony was held on January 20, 2001.

Il-76MD “Nikolai Zaitsev”, the name was assigned in July 2005 in honor of the commander of the 334th VTAP.

Material prepared by Mikhail Nikolsky

Memoirs of a veteran of the 3rd air brigade ON named after. S. M. Kirov Khrebtovsky Ivan Sergeevich.

The previously disbanded 235th Military Transport Aviation Regiment (MTA) returned to its original location - the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield. Now it will be replenished with new Il-76 MD-90A aircraft produced at the Ulyanovsk aircraft manufacturing plant Aviastar-SP. The plant's management welcomes the military, believing that joint basing will reduce the cost of maintaining the airfield. Experts call the decision to dislocate the BTA unit “absolutely justified.”

Last Friday, the first 9 Il-76 MD aircraft of the 235th VTA regiment arrived at the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield from Orenburg for permanent deployment. From this moment on, the regiment is considered formed and operational. The commander of the VTA, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, called this day “the second birthday of the 235th regiment and the 18th division of the VTA, which returned to their home places of deployment.” A day earlier, the management of the 18th BTA division officially began operating in Orenburg, which now includes BTA units in Orenburg, Ulyanovsk, Taganrog and Omsk.

Let us recall that the 235th Military Aviation Regiment was formed in 1985 at the Seshcha airfield (Bryansk region) as a regiment of An‑124 aircraft, and in 1995 it was relocated to Ulyanovsk, where not only the plant that produced the An‑124 is located, but also interacts with VTA 31st Airborne Brigade. In 1998, the regiment was disbanded, the An-124 aircraft were returned to Seshcha. Since 2008, a squadron of An-2 aircraft from the Orenburg air regiment has been stationed at Ulyanovsk-Vostochny under a joint basing agreement, providing training for paratroopers of the 31st Airborne Brigade.

Vladimir Benediktov explained that in the future the regiment will be replenished with new Il‑76 MD‑90A aircraft, the production of which is carried out by the Ulyanovsk aircraft manufacturing plant "Aviastar-SP" (state defense order for 39 aircraft), noting that the idea of ​​​​returning to Ulyanovsk is precisely connected with manufacturer of transport aircraft. He also added that in the future the regiment plans to accept military transport An‑124.

The strength of the regiment will be about 500 people. It was located on one of the parking areas of Ulyanovsk-Vostochny, where the planes of the Polet airline used to be located (which ceased operations in 2014). The administrative buildings (headquarters) of the regiment are also located there, as well as technical premises (TECH), which previously belonged to Polet. One of the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny boathouses and half of the control post building are also at the disposal of the regiment.

The prospective quantitative composition of the aircraft of the 235th regiment is not disclosed, however, as explained by the director of the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airport (a separate division of Aviastar-SP) Vladimir Gortikov, the airfield parking areas are not enough for all aircraft, and “what we have now is actually at the limit." According to him, land has already been allocated and in the near future the Ministry of Defense will begin to build new parking lots for aircraft.

According to Kommersant's information, while the regiment's personnel will be housed in the vacant living quarters and barracks of the 31st Airborne Brigade, in the future the Ministry of Defense plans to build a separate military camp for the regiment's personnel in the immediate vicinity of the airfield.

Managing Director of Aviastar-SP JSC Sergei Yurasov met the BTA regiment “in a good mood,” noting that maintaining such a factory airfield is “a bit difficult,” and the arrival of the military will reduce the load and also take interaction with the operator to a new level.

However, as Mr. Gortikov explained to Kommersant, no financial compensation is expected for the deployment of the VTA, and the load on maintaining the airfield could be reduced by 8-10% due to joint efforts to clear the runway when the regiment receives the necessary airfield equipment.

Chairman of the Government of the Ulyanovsk Region Alexander Smekalin, in response to a question about the region’s readiness to accept additional social burden, notes that, on the contrary, developers will only be happy to have a new buyer and tenant in the person of the Ministry of Defense, and the regional budget does not provide for special costs for the deployment of the regiment. “The arrival of the air regiment is a big plus and a challenge for the development of the region; moreover, it is also a large taxpayer,” the prime minister noted.

The head of the analytical center of the Aviaport agency, Oleg Panteleev, sees “only advantages” in joint deployment at the factory airfield. “Even when the development of the Ulyanovsk aviation cluster was discussed, we pointed out the prospects for such a location, since it is an excellent combination of infrastructure capabilities, proximity to a service organization, great savings on the delivery of spare parts and travel of specialists, the possibility of training flight and engineering personnel. And such proximity to manufacturer of heavy military transport aircraft is absolutely justified,” the expert said.