The Armenian Air Force () is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Armenia formed by independent Armenia in 1992 in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Outside its conventional name, its understood to be collectively under the Aviation Department of the Armenian Armed Forces. It is organized and equipped principally to provide Armenian ground forces with tactical air support in the form of ground attack and airlift in mountainous terrain. It provided effective support during the battles with Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region from 1992 to 1994.Cooper, Tom (29 September 2003). . Air Combat Information Group (ACIG). Retrieved 15 December 2007.
Since 2003, the Armenian government has been funding a modernization and enlargement of the air fleet.Martirosjan, Samvel; translated by A. Ignatkin (25–31 August 2004). "Armenia Builds Up Its Military Might". Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kurier. The original link is dead but a copy may be found at http://hyeforum.com/lofiversion/index.php?t9724.html.
History First Nagorno-Karabakh War Although Armenia began taking over Soviet weapons shortly following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, it would not be until October 1992 that its nascent air force was able to conduct offensive combat operations. The first Armenian combat loss was suffered on 12 November 1992, when an Mi-24 gunship operating in support of the Armenians' Martuni Offensive was shot down near the village of Kazakh. On 23 November, two Mi-8 transports were hit by ground fire, downing one and seriously damaging another; another Mi-8 was lost on 30 December.
The Azeris initiated a new offensive on 1 January 1993, successfully cutting the Lachin corridor the following day and isolating Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh from resupply from Armenia proper. The Armenian Air Force helped bring up reinforcements for a counterattack that began 7 January. The first day of this action, the Armenian Air Force suffered its worst single-day losses with an Mi-8, Mi-24 and a (possibly Russian) Su-25 shot down; the Su-25 may have been brought down by friendly fire. By the time the Azeri attack had been defeated at the end of the month, another three helicopters and possibly another fighter – reportedly a MiG-21 (and therefore probably Russian) – were lost.
In late March 1993, the Armenians kicked off a new offensive in the north aimed at opening a second supply route from Armenia. Operation Kelbajar involved a four-prong attack which was successful in routing Azerbaijan's 2nd Army Corps and securing control of the region. Armenian Air Force losses for amounted to one Mi-8 helicopter (on 16 April). No aircraft losses were suffered during the subsequent summer offensives of 1993 or in the next year's actions preceding the ceasefire of 16 May 1994.
Although Armenia began working to establish an independent Armenian armed forces as early as 1989, due to a lack of resources, suitably trained personnel and useful infrastructure, the government delayed formally creating an air force until August 1992, and commenced combat operations in October.Petrosyan, David (June 2002). "Formation and Development of Armenian Armed Forces" . Moscow Defense Brief. Retrieved 14 December 2007. However, this may not represent the first use of armed aircraft by the Armenians; an Azeri report states that the Armenians allegedly used modified civilian Mi-8 helicopters for bombing civilian targets in the Geranboi region of Azerbaijan in January 1990.Matveeva, Anna & Hiscock, Duncan. (2003). The Caucasus: Armed and Divided – Small arms and light weapons proliferation and humanitarian consequences in the Caucasus. Saferworld. . See "Chapter 2: Azerbaijan: The burden of history – waiting for change" by Arif Yunusov. Retrieved 21 March 2012. The Azeris also claimed Armenian Mi-24 attack helicopters were employed in support of an assault on Shusha in February 1992. Azerbaijani helicopter gunships were also used in fighting in the region.Anon. (29 February 1992). "Ex-Soviet Troops to Leave Enclave". New York Times. Retrieved: 19 March 2012.
Establishment of an air force In January 1992, the General Directorate of Aviation and Air Defense Forces was created as part of the newly created Ministry of Defense of Armenia. In 1992, by order of Minister of Defense Vazgen Sargsyan, the aviation department was separated from the air defense department and became a separate structure, with a separate aviation units and subunits being created. In subsequent years, in parallel with the stages of army construction, various programs for the development and improvement of the air force were implemented. As a result of the reorganization and restructuring of the DOSAAF flying club and the "Arzni" airport and their transfer in 1992 to the Ministry of Defense, the Aviation Training Center was founded. According to its December 1992 declaration for the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Armenia had inherited only three operational combat aircraft and at least 13 armed helicopters from the former Soviet Union, along with a portion of its air defense network.Willis, David (Ed.) (1999). "Armenia" entry in Aerospace Encyclopedia of World Air Forces. London, UK: Aerospace Publishing Ltd. p. 162. . The armed helicopter came from the former 7th Guards Helicopter Regiment and were taken over in 1991. The identities of the three combat aircraft are uncertain, but may have included one MiG-25 interceptor and two Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, probably from the former Soviet 80th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment at Sitalçay air base in Azerbaijan; the helicopter force comprised Mi-8 transport and Mi-24 attack versions that had been based near Yerevan, Armenia. Other aircraft reportedly taken over by the Armenians in 1991 include six An-2, one An-24 and one An-32 transports, as well as ten Yak-52 trainers.Jackson, Paul; Munson, Kenneth; & Peacock, Lindsay (Eds.) (13 June 2007). Jane's World Air Forces. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group Limited. .
Territorial conflicts with Azerbaijan instigated a major expansion of Armenia's air and air defense forces in 1993–1994. The bulk of Armenia's aviation-related investment, however, went to greatly strengthening the Armenian Air Defense organization. With Russian technical assistance and contributions of anti-aircraft weapons and equipment, within a year Armenia was able to integrate most of the Soviet radars and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) left in its territory into a coherent and effective air defense system, which it officially declared operational in April 1994. Aircraft additions were few, but by the end of 1994 the Armenian Air Force's inventory had reached an estimated 5–6 operational Su-25s (one has long been non-operational) and possibly one MiG-25 combat aircraft; two L-39 and ten Yak-52 trainers; six An-2, two An-72, one Tu-134, one Tu-154 transport aircraft; and two Mi-2, seven Mi-8/Mi-17, 15 Mi-24 helicopters.
21st century The Armenian Air Force experienced a major expansion and modernization in 2004–2005. It tripled its fixed-wing combat arm through the procurement of ten surplus Su-25 from Slovakia for a total of US$1 million in August 2004.Anon. (30 June 2004). "Defense" entry under the Corporate & Finance section, p. 3. SITA Slovak News Agency. Retrieved 31 December 2007. SITA further reports that according to Markiza TV, the aircraft were sold to Wiper, a Bratislava-based company acting as a broker for the Armenian Defense Ministry. The sale price was SKK 8 million, although Armenia was reportedly willing to spend up to SKK 34 million for the aircraft (probably including refurbishment costs). At that time, the SKK ran 32.844 to the US$, rendering the final cost to the Armenian government as roughly $1 million.United Nations Register of Conventional Arms , entries for Calendar Year 2004. Retrieved 31 December 2007Anon. (7 September 2004). "Armenia purchases 10 SU-25 fighters from Slovakia". Noyan Tapan News Agency. These twenty-year-old aircraft – which had not been flown for a decade and required work to re-certify their flightworthiness – were delivered in September 2005.Anon. (9 September 2005). "Armenia Bolsters Air Force With 10 Russian Fighters". Agence France-Presse. The Su-25 receipt was also originally mis-reported as an acquisition of ten Su-27 air superiority fighters, an aircraft the Slovak Air Force never operated.Anon. (3 October 2005). "Armenia Buys War Planes From Russia". Turan News Agency (Azerbaijan).Ghazinyan, Aris (21 October 2005). "Fit for a Fight?: Armenia and Azerbaijan flex military muscles, vow to not be overcome". ArmeniaNow. Retrieved 31 December 2007. Also in 2004, Armenia received a pair of L-39C trainers from each of Russia and Ukraine, as well as two Il-76 transports from Russia in May.Anon. (21 May 2004). "Armenia Purchased Two Il-76 Russian Transport Warplanes". PanARMENIAN.Net. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
Recently, there have been unverified reports that Armenia received up to ten Su-27s from Russia in 2006. This may have been presaged by an Azeri source which reported in October 2005 that Armenia had bought "10 fighter jets", but that, according to Azeri military sources, only 2-3 of the aircraft were Su-27s; the remainder were purportedly Su-25 jets and Mi-24 attack helicopters. Ostensibly, these would have been procured on preferential terms under the provisions of the 2002 Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) agreement. To date, however, there has been no confirmation of the receipt of any of these aircraft, and it is possible that any appearance of Su-27s in Armenia may have been a deployment of Russia's own aircraft to its airbase at Yerevan. (It has also been pointed out that the Soviets never based Su-27s in Transcaucasia because it was too difficult an environment for them to operate in. Armenia's small size limits operational maneuver room and makes it difficult for them to climb to sufficient altitude.Anon. (4 October 2005). "Where From Fighters SU-27 Appeared in Armenia? ". 525-ci gazet (via ПРАВО еыбора). Retrieved 5 January 2008.)
In January 2016, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan mentioned that Russia had discussed the possibility of supplying Su-30 fighters to Armenia during a four-day Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission on bilateral military-technical cooperation. Armenia has ordered four Su-30SMs in February 2019, with deliveries expected to begin in 2020. The country plans to acquire additional Su-30SM aircraft, according to the Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan. On 27 December 2019, Armenia has received all four aircraft ahead of schedule. In August 2020, negotiations were under way to acquire a new batch of Su-30SM fighters, according to Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan. In March 2021, Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, confirmed that Armenia bought Su-30SM fighters without a missile package from Russia.
Organization Little information has been made public about the Armenian Air Force's organization. It is known that the Air Force operates within a joint Air and Air Defense Force structure, and in 2004 the Air Force comprised four functional units:Cornell, Svante E.; McDermott, Roger; O'Malley, William; Socor, Vladimir; and Starr; S. Frederick (2004). "Regional Security in the South Caucasus: The Role of NATO" . Central Asia-Caucasus Institute. .
121st Ground Attack Aviation Squadron (Gyumri Aviation Military Unit), based at Gyumri 15th Mixed Aviation Regiment, a composite helicopter squadron based at Yerevan 60th Aviation Training Squadron, a training center at Arzni 14th Aviation Squadron Aviation Military Unit based at Kapan 24th Aviation Squadron Aviation Military Unit based at Vanadzor
Airbases Armenia's main airbases are located at Erebuni Airport in Yerevan and Shirak Airport in Gyumri, with the addition of a training base at Arzni Airport.
Air Defense Force