Back القوة الجوية الأوكرانية Arabic Ukrayna Hərbi Hava Qüvvələri Azerbaijani Военновъздушни сили на Украйна Bulgarian Força Aèria Ucraïnesa Catalan Ukrajinské letectvo Czech Ukrainische Luftstreitkräfte German Ukraina Aer-Armeo Esperanto Fuerza Aérea de Ucrania Spanish Ukraina õhuvägi Estonian نیروی هوایی اوکراین Persian
| Ukrainian Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Повітряні сили Збройних сил України | |
 Emblem of the Ukrainian Air Force | |
| Active | 1917–1921 1992–present |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 35,000 (2022)[1] 207 aircraft (2021)[2] |
| Part of | Armed Forces of Ukraine |
| Headquarters | Vinnytsia |
| Anniversaries | Air Force Day (6 August)[3] |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk |
| Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | Chief Master Sergeant Kostiantyn Stanislavchuk |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Fin flash |  |
| Flag |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Su-24M, Su-25 |
| Fighter | MiG-29, Su-27, F-16 |
| Helicopter | Mi-8T, Mi-17 |
| Reconnaissance | An-30, Su-24MR, Bayraktar TB2, Tu-141, Tu-143, RQ-11 |
| Trainer | Aero L-39 |
| Transport | Il-76MD, An-24, An-26B, An-30, An-70, An-178 |
The Ukrainian Air Force (Ukrainian: Повітряні сили Збройних сил України, romanized: Povitriyani syly Zbroiynyh syl Ukraiyini, PS ZSU) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the seven branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[5] Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Force.
When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, many aircraft were left in Ukrainian territory. After Ukrainian independence in 1991, the air force suffered from chronic under-investment, leading to the bulk of its inventory becoming mothballed or otherwise inoperable.[6] However its domestic defense industry Ukroboronprom and its Antonov subsidiary are able to maintain its older aircraft.[7]
The Ukrainian Air Force participated in the war in Donbas.[4] Following the 2014 ceasefire, the air force was suspended from carrying out missions in the areas of Donbas.[8] Since February 2022, the Air Force has been engaged in constant combat operations in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The main inventory of the air force still consists of Soviet-made aircraft, but pilots are training to fly the F-16.[9]
- ^ The Military Balance 2022. International Institute for Strategic Studies. February 2022. ISBN 9781000620030.
- ^ Hoyle 2021, p. 32.
- ^ Ukraine leaders greet pilots on Ukrainian Air Force Day Archived 2017-08-06 at the Wayback Machine, UNIAN (6 August 2017)
- ^ a b "Ukrainian Air Force put on full combat alert, fighter aircraft scrambled". www.ukrinform.ua. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Military Balance in Russia and Eurasia 2023", The Military Balance, 123: 165–170, 201–205, 14 February 2023, doi:10.1080/04597222.2023.2162717, S2CID 256848656
- ^ "Ukraine returns combat aircraft to service". Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "Combat Aircraft, Countries Compared". Nationmaster. Archived from the original on 3 December 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ "СНБО: расторжение минских договоренностей даст повод РФ ввести "миротворцев"". LB.ua. 10 November 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ Cohen, Rachel (26 October 2023). "Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in Arizona". Air Force Times. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
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