Baku Red Banner Air Defence District
in January 1, 1978
North Caucasus, Transcaucasian and Western Turkestan Military District

In the second half of the seventies, the Baku Red Banner Air Defence District reduced the number of regiments of the fighter plane by a third. The very outdated Su-9 ‘Fishpot-A’ type was they were withdrawn from front line service, three regiments were decommissioned.

In the north, the 767th Fighter Air Regiment PVO ceased to exist. In its place, the Stavropol High Military Aviation School began training young air defense pilots for the Su-15 'Flagon-A' at Marinovka Airport.

In the south, the 167th Guard Fighter Air Regiment PVO disbanded. Previously they used Kopitnari airport together with the 143rd Bomber Air Regiment of 34th Tactical Air Army. The 143rd Bomber Air Regiment got new Su-24 ‘Fencer-B’ bombers in 1977. The old Su-9 ‘Fishpot-A’ wasn't needed and there was no room for them at Kopitnari airport.
 

On the other side of the Caspian Sea, two regiments of the 16th Guard Air Defense Division were merged. The 179th Regiment moved from Krasnovodsk airport to Nebit Dag, because the 18th Training Center and the shooting exercises needed more space. At the airport of Nebit Dag, the 179th and the 364th regiments merged in 1978. The old Su-9 ‘Fishpot-A’ type was withdrawn. The old Su-15s ‘Flagon-A’ were handed over to the Maronovka training base. The 179th regiment received new MiG-23M ‘Flogger-B’ type instead of older types in 1976. It was the first fighter type of the Baku Red Banner Air Defence District with lockdown capability radar system.

Two Yak-28P 'Fireball' regiments were retrained to a modern type. The 171st regiment got Su-15TM ‘Flagon-F’ and the 82nd regiment received MiG-25P ‘Foxbat-A’ in the mid-seventies. Meanwhile, the 10th Air Defense Division was merged with 12th Air Defense Corps. The 12th corps protected the entire North Caucasus Military District.

So, the three largest cities in the region are protected by modern Su-15TM ‘Flagon-F’ and MiG-25P ‘Foxbat-A’ interceptors from the end of the seventies.
 

Soviet 171st Fighter Air Regiment PVO’s pilots and their Su-15TM ‘Flagon-F’ interceptors at the Gudauta, Bombora on the Black Sea eastern coast in 1979