Georgian Air Force

Georgian Air Force
საქართველოს სამხედრო-საჰაერო ძალები
sak’art’velos samxedro-sahaero dzalebi

Georgian Air Force flag
Active 1991 -
Country  Georgia
Size 3.000 personnel
N/A aircraft
Garrison/HQ Alekseevka, Tbilisi
Engagements Georgian Civil War, 2008 South Ossetia war
Commanders
Air Force Commander Colonel Gocha Shingazrdilov
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack Su-25, Mi-24, Mi-35
Trainer Yak-52, L-39, L-29
Transport An-12, An-24 Mi-8, UH-1

The Georgian Air Force is the air arm of the Georgian Armed Forces. Currently, it has 2,971 military and civilian personnel,[1] fixed wing aircraft (Su-25KM/UB, L-39, Yak-52), helicopters of different types (Mi-24, Mi-8, UH-1H, Mi-2) and air defense missiles of the "surface-to-air" class. The Air Force was founded in 1991 in the wake of the break-up of the Soviet Union. In 1995 the Air Force had around 1,000 personnel and since that time it has had relatively modest growth compared to the Georgian Army which has had greater investment.[2]

Contents

Mission and objectives

Main objectives of the Georgian Air Force are:

Functions of the Georgian Air Forces:

The two major airfields are located near Tbilisi at Alekseevka and Marneuli. The Georgian Air Force is currently undergoing a process of modernization with the help of Georgia’s NATO partners, specifically the United States and Turkey.

Plans

Georgia was planning to buy ten new cargo aircraft possibly the United States' C-130 cargo aircraft.

Aircraft inventory

Aircraft Origin Role Number Note
Aircraft Inventory
Su-25KM/U/UB Scorpion/'Frogfoot'  Georgia/ Israel Ground Attack Aircraft/Night Attack 12 6 Night Attack “Scorpion” Upgrade, Under License of TAM
Aero L-39 Albatros  Czechoslovakia Military Trainer Aircraft 7 Former Soviet Union
Elbit Hermes 450  Israel Unmanned aerial vehicle 5
Elbit Skylark  Israel Unmanned aerial vehicle N/A
Mi-24V 'Hind-E'/Mi-24P 'Hind-F'  Georgia/ Russia Attack Helicopter 15 Under License of TAM
Mi-8T 'Hip-C'  Soviet Union Utility Helicopter 18 Former Soviet Union
Mi-14PS 'Haze-C'  Soviet Union Naval Helicopter 1 Former Soviet Union
UH-1H Iroquois  United States Utility Helicopter 26
Weapon Type
Air Defense Weapons
SA-18 Grouse MANPADS
SA-7 Grail MANPADS
Grom (missile) MANDPAS
9K33 Amphibious SAM
SPYDER Medium Range SAM
Buk M1 Medium Range SAM
S-125 Strategic SAM
57 mm AZP S-60 Auto Cannon
ZSU-23-4 Self-propelled AA gun
Bombs and Missiles[3]
Mark 82 bomb Low-Drag General Purpose (LDGP) bomb
Mark 83 bomb Low-Drag General Purpose (LDGP) bomb
GBU-16 Laser-Guided bomb
Python 5 Short-range air-to-air missile
R-73 AA-11 Archer Short-range air-to-air missile
Kh-29 air-to-surface TV guided Missile

References