Airborne operation at ´Slavic Brotherhood – 2020´ tactical exercise

An annual, joint tactical exercise ´Slavic Brotherhood – 2020´ was held between 14th and 25th September this year, at Brestsky training ground, located near Brest, the Republic of Belarus. More than 6000 soldiers and 500 vehicles participated in the exercise, coming from the Western Operational Command of Belarus and two units of the Russian... Read More

Russia celebrates the 90th anniversary of Airborne Forces

Only a week after the Day of the Russian Navy, this year being celebrated on 26th July, another military holiday was observed in Russia. The feast, officially known as the Airborne Forces Day (День Воздушно-десантных войск) and commonly called also the ´Paratroopers´ Day´, is celebrated on 2nd August each year. This date is not... Read More

Russian northernmost air base now has the all-year runway

Nagurskoye, a remote Arctic air base located in Alexandra Land (an island in Franz Josef Land archipelago), is the northernmost airfield of the Eastern hemisphere and the second-northernmost in the world (after the Alert Air Base in Canada, located approximately just two geographical degrees closer to the North Pole, than Nagurskoye). The air base... Read More

Combat exercise of Russian transport aviation

In early March 2020, the crews of Russian Military Transport Aviation – MTA (Военно-транспортная авиация – ВТА) performed the live-fire combat exercise at Kushalino training ground, Tver region. At first sight, the combination of terms ´transport aviation´ and ´live-fire exercise´ could seem strange, if not even ridiculous, but a closer inspection can show a... Read More

PAK DA engines to be tested this year

According to the information released by ´Rostec´ state corporation, the tests of engines for the new Russian long-range strategic bomber system PAK DA will start at the end of 2020. The engines will be mounted at the Ilyushin Il-76LL test-bed aircraft (´LL´ stands for Летающая лаборатория – ´flying laboratory´) and the contract of value... Read More

Almost a half-century with the Ilyushin airlifter – the IL-76 story

On March 25th there was a 48th anniversary of the first flight of Ilyushin Il-76, the multi-purpose strategic airlifter, designed and produced in the former Soviet Union. During those 47 years Il-76 has become one of the icon aircraft, inseparable connected with the late 20th century military conflicts, natural disasters, humanitarian aid and several... Read More