Ukrainian Naval Aviation


The Ukrainian Naval Aviation is a component of the Ukrainian Navy.
During the breakup of the Soviet Union, significant portions of the Soviet Naval Aviation were based in Ukraine, which were intended to support the Black Sea Fleet. These forces included the 2nd Guards Maritime Missile Aviation Division, with three regiments of maritime attack Tu-22M2s, and the 30th independent Maritime Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment of Tu-22Ps.
In the second half of 1997, when Ukraine and Russia agreed on how to split the Black Sea Fleet, Ukraine received 12 planes and 30 helicopters.
FB UkraineNavalAviation

History

Ukraine inherited large naval aviation units from the Soviet Union. These included large aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-142 and Tupolev Tu-22M, however these were scrapped under the Budapest Memorandum. Fighters such as the Mig-29 were either decommissioned due to budgetary reasons or transferred to the air force.
The remaining inventory included transport, attack, and anti-submarine warfare helicopters, as well as numerous transport aircraft. Ukraine's naval units, along with some aviation units participated in several deployments such as Operation Atalanta and Operation Ocean Shield.

2014 Russian annexation of Crimea

During the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, Ukrainian naval aviation managed to get a number of its aircraft and helicopters airborne from its Novofedorivka airbase to fly to bases in mainland Ukraine on 5 March. This included one Kamov Ka-27PL and three Mil Mi-14PL maritime helicopters, and one Beriev Be-12 amphibian and two Antonov An-26 transports.
More than a dozen aircraft and helicopters, which were undergoing maintenance, had to be left behind. The long-term sustainability of the Ukrainian Navy's surviving helicopters is uncertain after the pro-Russian administration in Crimea nationalised all state owned enterprises, including the Sevastopol Aviation Enterprise, which had provided long-term maintenance and overhaul of the service's helicopters.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 7 May, Ukraine confirmed that Colonel Ihor Bedzay, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Navy, was killed in action. His Mi-14PS was shot down by a Russian Sukhoi Su-35. The Ukrainian Navy also operates the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 drone along with the Ukrainian Air Force. In November 2022 it was revealed by the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that 3 former Royal Navy Sea King helicopters would be sent to Ukraine, to provide anti-submarine warfare and combat search and rescue capabilities.

Organization

;10th Naval Aviation Brigade
All naval aircraft in service are controlled by the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade in Mykolaiv.10th Naval Aviation Brigade, Mykolaiv
  • * Headquarters & Headquarters Company
  • * Air Squadron
  • * Helicopter Squadron
  • * Signal & Radio-technical Support Battalion
  • * Airfield & Technical Support Battalion
  • * Aviation Technical & Operational Engineering
  • * Helicopter Technical & Operational Engineering
  • * CSAR Company
  • * Logistic Company
  • * Meteorological Company
  • * Engineer Platoon
  • * Security Platoon
One Kamov Ka-27 helicopter is to be stationed on the Hetman Sahaidachnyi. The frigate is able however carry a maximum of two helicopters.

Equipment

Retired aircraft