Soviet 19th Independent Air Defence Army in 1988


	Soviet 19th Independent Air Defence Army in January 1, 1988 North Caucasus, Transcaucasian Military District




		19th Independent Air Defense Army’s early Su-27 ‘Flanker-B’ fighter visited at the Nasonaya airport near Baku city.

After 1986, major organizing changes happened again at the Caucasus territory! On the 31st of May 1986, the 19th Independent Air Defense Army was founded. Three higher air defense unit joined the new Air Defense Army.

The 51st Air Defense Corps defended the North Caucasus Military District territory and the 96th and the 97th Air Defense Divisions defended the Transcaucasian Military District's territory.

The 19th Independent Air Defense Army received two regiment very modern and long-range Su-27 ‘Flanker-B’ fighters in the second half of the eighties. The 562nd and 529th Fighter Air Regiment PVO flew with this new high-performance fighter type at the Black Sea eastern coast.

Soviet MiG-23P interceptors in the cold deser between 1985 and 1987




		* During retraining ** The 166th regiment was reorganized to the 19th OA PVO between 1988 and 1989.

The Soviet 96th Air Defense Division received an old-new 166th Guard Fighter Air Regiment PVO in 1988. The 166th Guard regiment flew as fighter bomber air regiment between 1983 and 1988.

They replaced their Su-17M3 ‘Fitter-H’ bomber type with Su-15TM ‘Flagon-F’ interceptor in 1989. The 166th Guard Fighter Air Regiment PVO received more camouflaged second-hand Su-15TM ‘Flagon-F’ air defence fighter aircraft.




		Former 166th Guard Fighter Air Regiment PVO’s Su-15TM ‘Flagon-F’ interceptors with R-98M 'AA-3 'Anab' was a medium-range air-to-air missile after these moved to Privolzhskiy, Astrakhan airport in Russian Federation in early nineties.




		Soviet MiG-23P ‘Flogger-G’ with R-24 ‘AA-7 Apex’ and R-60M ‘AA-8 Aphid’ missile of the 393rd Guard Fighter Air Regiment PVOs at Privolzhskiy, Astrakhan airport in the second half eighties.

In the Caucasus region was several ethnic and territorial conflict that took place in the late eighties. Later the Caucasian region nations declared their independence from the Soviet Union. They tried to take away the weapons of the Soviet units. It was a difficult time period for the crew of the 19th Independent Air Defense Army.

Between 1992 and 1995 the former Soviet air units moved to the Russian Federation territory. The 166th Guard and the 529th Fighter Air Regiment PVOs moved to Privolzhskiy, Astrakhan airport and merged as 209th Guard Fighter Air Regiment PVO. The 82nd Fighter Air Regiment PVO's crew moved to Rostov na Donu airfield without the MiG-25PDS ‘Foxbat-E’ fighters and joined the Russian 83rd Fighter Air Regiment PVO.