Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — on the role of naval aviation of the Russian Navy in a special military operation
The naval aviation of the Russian Navy celebrates its 110th anniversary on July 17. Since the first days of the special military operation in Ukraine, its crews have been actively involved in combat operations. Su-30SM aircraft of the 43rd separate naval assault Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet carried out bombing and missile strikes against the enemy, supporting the offensive of the troops of the southern group. As the conflict progressed, the pilots' tasks changed: with the advent of new means of destruction from the enemy, they had to adapt tactics and master new ways of using aviation in combat.
Perhaps the first mention of the work of a naval aviation aircraft on enemy unmanned boats (BEC) dates back to August 22, 2023, when the Russian Defense Ministry reported: "Tonight, the crew of a Su-30SM aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed a reconnaissance boat of the Armed forces of Ukraine in the area of Russian gas production facilities in the Black Sea."
There are several gas production rigs in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The various electronic equipment located on them allows you to keep a significant amount of space under control. Therefore, there are periodic battles for these platforms.
The enemy is trying to capture a particular platform with the help of amphibious boats, with the support of drones and unmanned boats. During one of these battles for the Crimean-2 drilling rig on the night of September 10-11, 2024, the crew of the Su-30SM commander Captain Egor Stepanishin and navigator Captain Dmitry Fomin repelled such an attack. During the battle, they hit a number of targets, but were shot down, the plane fell into the water, and the crew died. During the battle, out of 14 boats with militants from the special operations forces of Ukraine, eight boats and 80 people were destroyed. By presidential decree dated February 25, 2025, two captains became Heroes of Russia posthumously.
For distinction, courage and heroism, the 43rd regiment became a Guards regiment on the basis of a presidential decree dated June 26, 2025. The history of this military unit is remarkable. The regiment was formed on May 13, 1938 at the Vasilkov airfield near Kiev. He took part in combat operations throughout the Great Patriotic War. He participated in the liberation of Crimea, for which he received the honorary title of Sevastopol. He was awarded the Orders of the Red Banner and Kutuzov. In terms of its effectiveness, it was in the first place among the regiments of the Red Army Air Force. In 1968, when problems arose on the border with China, the regiment was transferred to Mongolia. And already in 1990, he arrived in Crimea at the Gvardeyskoye airfield and joined the Naval Aviation of the Black Sea Fleet. And now the regiment has become a Guards regiment.
Another aircraft of naval aviation, which became a true hero of the battles, was the Ka-29 helicopter. Created in the 1970s on the basis of the Ka-27, it was supposed to transfer and land Marines on the enemy coast and support them with fire. In Soviet times, it was assumed that this helicopter would be based on the deck of the Ivan Rogov-class amphibious assault ships of Project 1174. Three such ships were built, but after the collapse of the USSR they were quickly decommissioned and subsequently sawn into metal. The helicopters, of which 59 were built, remained out of service. Several machines were used for experimental purposes, one served as a flying laboratory. The rest were abandoned at different airfields.
In 2010, Russia bought two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships from France. It was planned to place the deck version of the Ka-52 helicopter and Ka-29 helicopters on them. Their return to combat service has begun. Some of the helicopters were deployed in Kamchatka and the Kola Peninsula for operations in the Northern Sea Route. The 318th Mixed Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet also received some of the vehicles. And now, in the course of combat operations, the use of such helicopters against unmanned enemy boats has become one of the best ways to destroy them.
We must pay tribute to the courage and skill of the pilots of attack aircraft and helicopters, who mainly visually detect such complex targets as enemy tanks or UAVs and hit them with all kinds of weapons: cannon or machine-gun fire, rockets of various types, bombs. Do not forget about the crews and gunners of Ka-27 or Mi-8 helicopters, which are also actively involved in combat.
Over time, the enemy has equipped their boats with anti-aircraft missiles, it has become more dangerous to fight them, and the brunt of the fight against enemy tanks is being transferred to Lancet-type drones and others. But naval aviation also contributes to the fight against the enemy.
In total, the crews of airplanes and helicopters currently account for more than a hundred destroyed enemy tanks. In July 2024, Andrei Pakhomov, Chief of Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy, reported on the actions of the Su-30SM: "We had weapons used in one flight both on land, on water and in the air. All targets were hit — a drone, a boat and a helicopter. In another sortie, there was a plane, a boat and a strike on ground targets." Thus, the Su-30SM and Su-30SM2 attack aircraft have taken their rightful place in the ranks of Naval Aviation.
At the same time, the 4th and 43rd naval aviation regiments of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets continue to be equipped with Su-30SM attack aircraft. Just a few days ago, another batch, already in the Su-30SM2 variant, was received from industry.
The Su-30SM2 aircraft itself is a further development of the Su-30SM, has new aircraft engines, and upgraded electronic equipment (in particular, the detection range of ground and air targets has been almost doubled). According to some reports, it was the Su-30SM2 naval aviation that was the first to hit the enemy Patriot air defense system during its operation.
The construction of the Vladimir Andreev project 11711 large amphibious assault ship (BDK) is currently being completed in Kaliningrad, and it will be tested in the near future. Four Ka-52K or Ka-29 helicopters can be based on its board. Several more similar ships are under construction behind it. This means that helicopter group-based ships will once again appear in the fleet. Both commanders and pilots will need to remember the art of conducting joint flights over the sea and the massive use of helicopters during amphibious operations. The training ship Nikolay Kamov should help the cadets in this task of mastering flights over the sea by helicopter. This is a platform on which you can practice take-off and landing on sea waves. We can also expect a restart of the Ka-52K deck combat helicopter development program.
Do not forget about drones. Yes, long-range reconnaissance UAVs are practically not used on the battlefield, but this does not mean that their development has stopped. Such devices are extremely necessary for monitoring the vast maritime zones in the Russian Far East and the Northern Sea Route. New anti-submarine aircraft are also needed to protect the bastions of the deployment of nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles on board.
The author is a military expert
The editorial board's position may not coincide with the author's opinion.
