Soviet 145th Fighter Air Regiment in Afghanistan
between 1982 and 1983

Carpathian Military District's Air Force (in 1980 the 14th Tactical Air Army command was transformed into this) sent one squadron MiG-21R ‘Fishbed-H’ Reconnaissance and two squadron MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L/N’ tactical fighter aircraft to Afghanistan in the early eighties:

The 229th independent Reconnaissance Air Squadron from Chorktov airport

• April 1980 - June 1981 - Kabul airport with Mig-21R 'Fishbed-H'

The 145th Fighter Air Regiment from Ivano-Frankovsk airport (replaced the 27th GvIAP)

• July 1982 - June 1983 - one squadron MiG-21bis at the Bagram AB
• July 1982 - June 1983 - one squadron MiG-21bis at the Kandahar AB

Both squadrons flew from Shindand airport. The 145th regiment's pilots escorted the Su-17M3 ‘Fitter-H’ bombers with MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L/N’ tactical fighter. They flew near Iran and the Pakistan border with R-13 ‘AA-2C Atoll’  and R-60 ‘AA-8 Aphid’ missile weapons. During the bomber escort mission, the pilots of the 145th regiment attacked the air defense stations with FAB-250 bombs or S-24 rockets.
 

Carpathian Military District' Air Force’s combat loss in Afghanistan:

• On September 9, 1980, two MiG-21R ‘Fishbed-H’ flew over Afghanistan. The enemy shot down the leader aircraft.
• On September 23, 1980, an ammunition depot exploded at the Kandahar airbase. One 229th Reconnaissance Air Squadron's MiG-21R and an Afghan Mi-25 ‘Hind-D’ attack helicopter were destroyed. And eight MiG-21SM ‘Fishbed-J’  aircraft of the 136th Fighter Bomber Air Regiment was damaged.
• On August 18, 1982, the 145th regiment's MiG-21bis was shot down from the ground. The pilot ejected and survived.

After Afghanistan, both regiments reorganized. In 1981 the 229th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron reorganized to independent Aviation Squadron for Electronic Warfare with Yak-28PP 'Brewer-E' ECM aircraft type. Also after Afghanistan, 1984 the 145th Fighter Air Regiment exchanged their older MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L/N’ type for new high-performance MiG-29 9.12 ‘Fulcrum-A’ tactical fighter.

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Photos: Vladimir Logachev, Leonid Zuzunadze collections

Tags:
Soviet Union, USSR, Soviet Air Forces, VVS, Cold War, Carpathian Military District's Air Force 1988, 14th Tactical Air Army, 4th Fighter Air Division, Ivano-Frankovsk, 4th Fighter Aviation Flogger-B, 145th Fighter Air Regiment, Ivano-Frankovsk, MiG-21bis Fishbed-L/N, 145th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Mikoyan and Gurevich


Облако тегов:
Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, СССР, Военно-воздушные силы, ПрикВО, Прикарпатском ВО, 14-я воздушная армия, 14-я ВА, Прикарпатского военного округа, 4-я истребительная авиационная дивизия, 4-й ИАД, МиГ-21бис, Ивано-Франковск, Микоян и Гуревич