Long Range Aviation (Russian: Дальняя Авиация, Dalnaya Aviatsiya, or ДА, DA) was the branch of the Soviet Air Force tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force. The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the air force of the Soviet Union. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film) The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ...

History

Comparison of Soviet Strategic Aviation aircraft towards the end of the Cold War

As the 1940s closed and the Cold War dawned, the Soviet Union was scrambling to develop an instrument of deterrence against the United States. Strategic bombers were grouped within the Long Range Aviation of the Armed Forces (DA VS), formed from the wartime 18th Air Army (VA) in April 1946.^[1] The DA VS consisted of the 1st Air Army DA in Smolensk, which was renamed 50th Air Army in Jan 1949, the 2nd Air Army DA in Vinnitsa (renamed the 43rd Air Army in Jan 1949) and the 3rd Air Army DA in Khabarovsk (renamed 65th Air Army in Jan 1949).^[2] For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Deterrence theory is a defensive strategy developed after World War II and used throughout the Cold War. ...

The only substantial aircraft it was equipped with was the Tupolev Tu-4 (Bull), an exact copy fo the B-29 Superfortress. This was fielded in 1949 and brought the first threat of war to the United States, as missile technology at this time was still a decade away. However the Tu-4 was incapable of returning to the Soviet Union, and the establishment worked to develop an aircraft capable of a round trip operation. The Tupolev Tu-4 (NATO reporting name: Bull) was a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber which served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid 1960s. ... The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and other military organizations afterwards. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ...

The outcome of this competition was the highly successful Tupolev Tu-95, which entered service in the 1955-1956 period, and remained the backbone of power against the United States for many decades. Myasischev's contribution was the Myasishchev M-4, but this aircraft fell below expectations. Surprisingly went on to serve an unexpected but vital role as the 3M aerial refueling tanker, which extended the reach of the strategic air fleet. Other aircraft in service with the DA during this period included the Tupolev Tu-16 (Badger) and the Tupolev Tu-22 (Blinder). The Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name Bear) is the most successful Tupolev strategic bomber and missile carrier from the times of the Soviet Union, still in service as of 2006 and expected to remain in service with the Russian Air Force until at least 2010 [1]. The Bear is... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Myasishchev M-4 Molot (Russian: Hammer, NATO reporting name Bison) is a four-engined strategic bomber, designed by Vladimir Myasishchev and developed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to provide a bomber capable of attacking targets in North America. ... The Myasishchev M-4 Molot (Russian: Hammer, NATO reporting name Bison) is a four-engined strategic bomber, designed by Vladimir Myasishchev and developed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to provide a bomber capable of attacking targets in North America. ... Boom and receptacle: USAF KC-135R Stratotanker, two F-15s (twin fins) and two F-16s, on an aerial refueling training mission Probe and drogue: USAF HC-130P refuels a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter Aerial refueling, also called Air refueling or in-flight refueling (IFR) or air-to-air... Tupolev Tu-16 3-view The Tupolev Tu-16 (NATO codename: Badger) was a twin-engine jet bomber used by the Soviet Union. ... Tu-22 at Monino AF Museum The Tupolev Tu-22 (NATO reporting name Blinder) was a Soviet jet supersonic bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. ...

In 1957 the 65th Air Army was renamed 5th Air Army and was relocated to Blagoveshchensk. In 1960 the DA was reorganised into Independent Heavy Bomber Air Corps (OTBAK) instead of Air Armies.^[3] Blagoveshchensk (Russian: Благовещенск) (pop. ...

A classified Central Intelligence Agency report indicated that at least during the early 1970s there was no evidence of a quick-reaction posture; in other words, no airborne alert force and no quick-reaction crews on the ground. This stood in stark contrast to the United States, which was always at a high state of readiness. Furthermore, the 195 bombers belonging to Strategic Aviation were concentrated at only five primary airfields and spent most of their time there. This suggested that the Soviet Union had discounted the possibility of any first strike by the United States. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Until 1980 the DA VS existed as a separate service. In January 1980 the DA was disbanded and the heavy bomber units divided between three air armies, the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic Purpose), (37 VA VGK (SN))) with its headquarters in Moscow, the 46 VA VGK (SN) at Smolensk and the 30 VA VGK (SN) at Irkutsk. During the 1980s, DA introduced the Tupolev Tu-160 (Blackjack) high-performance bomber, similar to and slightly larger than the American B-1 Lancer. In 1988 the three air armies were again reunified to form the Long Range Aviation Command. A view of Smolensk in 1912. ... Irkutsks location Kazansky Church in Irkutsk Irkutsk (Russian: ) is one of the largest cities in Siberia. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO reporting name Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber designed by the Soviet Union. ... The Boeing (formerly Rockwell International) B-1B Lancer is a long-range strategic bomber in service with the United States Air Force (USAF). ...

Strategy

In the event of a nuclear war with the United States, the Soviet Union would likely have committed its entire heavy bomber force to attacks against United States targets. Medium-sized bombers would have been used in a peripheral role.

However elements of all of the Soviet Union's strategic forces would have been available to participate in Warsaw Pact operations. The Central Intelligence Agency in 1975 estimated that 530 intermediate-range bombers west of the Urals, possibly augmented by Soviet Navy aircraft, were intended for European strikes in the NATO rear area that required large conventional or nuclear payloads. Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Ural Mountains, (Russian: Ура́льские го́ры = Ура́л) also known simply as the Urals, are a mountain range that run roughly north and south through western Russia. ... The Soviet Navy (Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР, Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally Naval military forces of the USSR) was the naval arm of the Soviet armed forces. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ...

Long Range Aviation's aircraft was based at about a dozen key bases around the Soviet Union: Ryazan Dyagilevo near Moscow; Priluki and Uzyn in Ukraine; Engels-2 near Saratov; Mozdok near Chechnya; Dolon near Semipalitinsk; and Belaya, Ukrainka, and Vozdvizhenka in the Far East. Dyagilevo (also given as Dyagilevo, Dyaghilevo) is an air base in Ryazan Oblast, Russia located 11 km west of Ryazan. ... Uzyn (Ukrainian: ) is a city in Kiev Oblast (province) of Ukraine. ... Engels-2 (also given as Engels, Engels, or Zngyelse) is a strategic air base in Russia located 14 km east of Saratov. ... Map of North Ossetia, Russia Mozdok (Russian: Моздо́к, Ossetian Мæздæг) is a town in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in southern Russia. ... In Greek mythology, Dolon (In Ancient Greek: Δόλων) was the son of Eumedes. ... Belaya (ICAO: UIIB) is a significant strategic air base in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia located 18 km northwest of Usolye-Sibirskoye and 85 km northwest of Irkutsk. ...

Though basing forces in the arctic would have posed more of a threat to North America, the hostile climate, poor logistical network, and weak defense network precluded such a plan. Therefore the Soviet Union created a network of standby arctic staging bases under the control of OGA (Arctic Control Group), which would have been activated in wartime. These bases primarily included Olenegorsk and Vorkuta Sovetskiy in the northwest; and Tiksi Airport, Anadyr Ugolny Airport, and Mys Shmidta in the northeast. High-arctic bases such as Nagurskoye and Greem-Bell may have been available to smaller aircraft, and the staging airfields Sredniy Ostrov, Dresba, Chekurovka, and Tiksi North were probably never completed. Though the Tu-95 could operate without the use of staging bases, nearly all other aircraft would have required the facilities in order to reach the United States . Tiksi Aerodrome (IATA: IKS, ICAO: UEST) is located 1 km (0. ... Anadyr/Ugolny (also Leninka, Ugolnyye Kopi, Ugolnoye) (IATA: DYR, ICAO: UHMA) is a mixed-use military and civil airfield in Siberia located 11 km east of Anadyr. ... The Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name Bear) is the most successful Tupolev strategic bomber and missile carrier from the times of the Soviet Union. ...

Bomber crews were trained to be proficient in all basic aspects of strategic operations, including navigation, inflight refueling, air-to-surface missile strike procedures, Arctic staging, penetration tactics, and electronic countermeasures.

Under the Russian flag

With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Long Range Aviation entered a period of decline, along with the other former components of the Soviet Armed Forces. This culminated when the command was formally disbanded in 1998 as part of the amalgamation of the Russian Air Defence Force and the Air Forces. It was replaced by the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command, which now numbers one regiment of around 15 Tupolev Tu-160, three regiments of Tu-95s, four regiments of Tupolev Tu-22Ms, and an air refueling regiment. Total aircraft strength is around 80 Tu-160s and Tu-95s, 116 Tu-22Ms, and about 20 Il-78 refueling aircraft.^[4] Voyska PVO (Russian: Войска ПВО, or PVO Strany until 1981) was the air defense branch of the Soviet military. ... The Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO reporting name Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber designed by the Soviet Union. ... The Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name Bear) is the most successful Tupolev strategic bomber and missile carrier from the times of the Soviet Union. ... The Tupolev Tu-22M (NATO reporting name Backfire) is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic bomber developed by the Soviet Union. ...

References