Page 37 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

war games

The air component its shipborne Above: Su-24M ‘28 White’ (c/n 0815328) of the 7 brTA

Just as last year (see Black Ka-27 departs Kul’bakino for a live-firing sortie at a local
training range on July 9. The ‘Fencers’ were there on a
Sea peacekeepers, November helicopters – separate PS exercise, but two took part in Sea Breeze
were absent this s
2018, p30-33), the bulk of the w er e ab s en t t hi 2019, making their debut. This aircraft is one of only
air component was provided year. However, a few Su-24Ms that were operational before 2014 and
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ac
ir pl
by Ukraine. Its primary sources t their place was s carries the unit’s ‘dragon’ emblem. All photos Sergey Smolentsev
he
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unless stated Below: Two Mi-8MTs of the 11 obrAA – ‘130 Red’
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ille
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were three ZSU services – the filled by the other her (c/n 94838, in front) and ‘144 Red’ – deliver Bulgarian and
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Povitryani Syly (PS, Ukrainian Air VM S he lic opt ers , a Ukrainian SOF troops aboard the ‘Het’man Sahaydachnyy’ frigate
VMS helicopters, as s
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Force), Sukhoputni Viys’ka (SV, well as by rotorcraft aboard d on July 9. The SOF troops performed a VBSS mission on the ‘Balta’
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Ground Forces) and VMS, with the the warships of Standing NATO degaussing ship while it was under way. Ukrainian MoD/Yevheniy Sylkin
Natsional’na Hvardiya Ukrayiny Maritime Group Two (SNMG2).
(NGU, National Guard of Ukraine) The PS provided four Su-25s from
and Derzhavna Prykordonna its 299 brihada taktichnoyi aviatsiyi
Sluzhba Ukrayiny (DPSU, State (brTA, tactical aviation brigade)
Border Guard Service of Ukraine) at Kul’bakino, plus two Su-24s of
providing additional assets. the 7 brTA at Starokostyantyniv
The single VMS aviation unit – that were temporarily detached
the 10 mors’ka aviatsiyna brihada to Kul’bakino on a separate PS
(mabr, naval aviation brigade) from exercise (see boxed item). In
Kul’bakino air base near Mykolayiv addition to these, two Su-27s –
– provided the two An-26 part of a quick reaction alert (QRA)
transports (‘09 and 10 Yellow’), detachment of four Flankers (‘28,
one Ka-226 search and rescue 30, 52 and 101 Blue’) from the
(SAR) helicopter (‘41 Yellow’), 831 brTA at Myrhorod air base,
one Mi-14PS SAR helicopter stationed at the Shkil’nyy military
(‘34 Yellow’) and two Mi-14PL apron of Odessa International
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) Airport – were placed in reserve
helicopters (‘35 and 36 Yellow’). for Sea Breeze but were not
Interestingly, some of its assets employed. All these were tasked
that regularly attended earlier Sea to provide combat air patrol (CAP)
Breeze exercises – most notably and close air support (CAS).
www.Key.Aero #381 December 2019 // 37
36-40 SeaBreeze AFM Dec2019.indd 37 11/11/2019 12:36:42