Russian Naval Aviation

The Russian Naval Aviation (Russian: Морская авиация Военно-морского флота России, romanized: Morskaya aviatsiya Voenno-morskogo flota Rossii, lit. 'Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy'; abbr. МА ВМФ России, MA VMF Rossii) is the naval aviation arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: the Northern, Pacific, Baltic, Black Sea Fleets, and the Caspian Flotilla.

The air forces of the largest and most important fleets—the Northern and Pacific Fleets—operate Tu-142 long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft, Il-38 medium-range ASW aircraft, and Ka-27 shipborne ASW and search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopters. Formations operating Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers were transferred to the Russian Long Range Aviation in 2011. The relatively small fleets—the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets—currently have only Su-24 tactical bombers and ASW helicopters in service. Since the early 2000s, the small Caspian Flotilla has not had its own naval aviation units, so it currently uses airplanes and helicopters from the Russian Air Force and the Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation.

In 2011, the Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Naval Aviation and Air Defense/Commander, Naval Air and Air Defense Forces is Major General Igor Kozhin.

On 30 May 1912, the Vice-Admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy, Vice-Admiral Alexander Karl Nikolai von Lieven submitted a written report No. 127 on the plan for the creation of aviation detachments in the fleets . This document, approved with some reservations by the Naval Minister Vice Admiral Ivan Grigorovich, acquired the character of an order for the Naval Ministry. The logical continuation of the report was a letter from MGSh No. 1706/272 dated 06/02/1912 to the head of the General Staff School on the formation of the infrastructure of aviation units in 1913.^{[citation needed]}

As of 1 January 1913, there was one seaplane and two wheeled airplanes on the Baltic Sea, and five seaplanes on the Black Sea. In the spring of 1914, by the decision of the Minister of the Navy, an aviation department was introduced into the staff of the Naval General Staff, consisting of three people.^{[citation needed]}

The beginning of the World War I found the Russian Naval Aviation at the stage of organizational formation. In total, by 1 August 1914, the Naval Ministry had about three dozen aircraft of various types and about 20 certified pilots. About 10 more officers underwent flight training directly in the fleets. By the beginning of the war, there were only 10 seaplanes on the Baltic, based in Libau, and 8 seaplanes on the Black Sea, in Sevastopol, and Kilen Bay. It was planned to deploy air detachments on the Pacific Ocean only by the summer of 1915, but this was not implemented due to the outbreak of the war.^{[citation needed]}

At the beginning of March 1915, the Naval Aviation already had 77 aircraft, including 47 on the Baltic, and 30 seaplanes on the Black Sea. They were served by 78 officers and 859 lower ranks. As of 1 January 1917, the Russian Naval Aviation was an impressive force and included 264 airplanes of various types. Of these, 152 aircraft and 4 small controlled balloons were in the Black Sea Fleet, 88 aircraft in the Baltic Fleet. Another 29 aircraft were available in the Petrograd and Baku naval aviation officer schools.^{[citation needed]}

From September 1916 to May 1917 alone, the Naval Department received 61 Grigorovich M-11 and M-12 seaplanes. 26 of them flew in the Black Sea Fleet, about 20 entered the Baltic Fleet. In the Black Sea and Baltic aviation units, respectively, 115 and 96 officers, 1,039 and 1,339 conductors, non-commissioned officers and privates served.^{[citation needed]}