Georgian Air Force

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Not to be confused with Georgia Air National Guard.
Aviation and Air Defense Command
Emblem of the aviation and Air defense command of the Defense forces of Georgia.png
Georgian Air Force emblem
Founded1992; 29 years ago (1992) (as Georgian Air Force)
Country Georgia
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size2,971 personnel
76 aircraft
Part ofGeorgian Defence Forces
HeadquartersAlekseevka, Tbilisi
Anniversaries19 September
Engagements
WebsiteMOD Website in georgian
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefPresident Salome Zourabichvili
Prime MinisterIrakli Garibashvili
Minister of Defense
Chief of Defense ForcesMaj. Gen. Giorgi Matiashvili[1]
CommanderSergo Ninua [2]
Insignia
RoundelRoundel of Georgia.svg Roundel of Georgia – Low Visibility.svg
FlagFlag of the Aviation and Air Defense Command of the Defense Forces of Georgia.png

The Aviation and Air Defence Command of the Defence Forces (Georgian: თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა, romanized: tavdatsvis dzalebis aviatsiisa da sahaero tavdatsvis sardloba),[2] (formerly Georgian Air Force (Georgian: საქართველოს საჰაერო ძალები, sak’art’velos sahaero dzalebi)) is the air force of the Defense Forces of Georgia. It was established as part of the Georgian Armed Forces in 1992 and merged into Army Air Section in 2010. As part of reforms in the Georgian military, the Air Force was reestablished as a separate command of the Defense Forces in 2016.[3]

History[]

Founding and abolition[]

The Georgian Air Force and Air Defense Division was established on January 1, 1992. On August 18, 1998, the two divisions were unified in a joint command structure and renamed the Georgian Air Force.[4]

The first combat flight was conducted by Izani Tsertsvadze and Valeri Nakopia on September 19, 1992, during the separatist war in Abkhazia. This date was later designated as the Georgian Air Force Day.[4]

In 2010, the Georgian Air Force was abolished as a separate branch and incorporated into the Georgian Land Forces as Air and Air Defense sections.[5]

Reestablishment and modernization[]

The Georgian Air Force was formally re-established in 2016 but all fixed wing aircraft were left abandoned till 2020. Under the leadership of Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Garibashvili the Air Force was re-prioritized and aircraft owned by the Georgian Air Force are being modernized and re-serviced after they were left abandoned for 4 years. The Minister of Defense also announced plans to acquire strike drones to increase Georgia's combat readiness.[6]

Ranks[]

Commissioned officers[]

Georgian armed forces O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 0-11
Insignia GAF airforce junior lieutenant.jpg GAF airforce lieutenant.jpg GAF airforce senior lieutenant.jpg GAF airforce captain ( diamond form version ).jpg GAF airforce major.jpg GAF airforce lieutenant colonel.jpg GAF airforce colonel.jpg GAF airforce brigadier general.jpg GAF airforce major general.jpg GAF airforce lieutenant general.jpg GAF airforce general.jpg
Title Second lieutenant Lieutenant First lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant colonel Colonel Brigadier general Major general Lieutenant general General
Abbreviation 2LT LT 1LT CPT MAJ LTC COL BG MG LTG GEN
NATO code OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9

Mission and objectives[]

The objectives of the Georgian Air Force are defined as follows:

  • Warfare and mobilization readiness of the Air Forces sub-units
  • Protection of sovereignty and control of the air space of Georgia
  • The fight against air terrorism
  • Participate in the fight against terrorism on land and at sea
  • Air defence of state entities and troops
  • Destruction of land and naval targets at the enemy's front line and tactical inmost. Providing air support for friendly land and naval forces
  • Participation in collective and multinational exercises.

Functions of the Georgian Air Forces:

  • Troop and cargo transportation
  • Search and rescue of downed aircraft and pilots
  • MEDEVAC
  • Informing the leadership of the Air Force and the Army about enemy air assaults
  • Destruction of enemy manpower, land and naval targets
  • Air forces landing
  • Aerial reconnaissance

The two major airfields are located near Tbilisi at Vaziani and Marneuli.

Current inventory[]

A Georgian Mi-24 in flight
A Georgian Su-25 in flight
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
Sukhoi Su-25 Soviet Union CAS 10[7]
Transport
Antonov An-28 Ukraine transport 2[7]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-8 Russia utility Mi-8/171 15[7]
Mil Mi-14 Soviet Union ASW / SAR 2[7]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack 9[7]
Bell UH-1 United States utility UH-1H 12[7]
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39 Czech Republic trainer and light attack 4[7]
Aero L-29 Czech Republic trainer and light attack 4[7]

References[]

  1. ^ https://mod.gov.ge/en/page/14/chief-of-general-staff
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა" [Aviation and air defense command of the defense forces] (in Georgian). Ministry of Defense of Georgia. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  3. ^ ",,On Defense of Georgia,,". Law No. 1030 of 15 July 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Defence Today 27: 1. September 2009. Accessed February 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Structure of Land Forces Archived 2013-11-05 at the Wayback Machine. Ministry of Defense of Georgia. Accessed on February 10, 2012.
  6. ^ "ავიაციის პარკის განახლების სამუშაოები აქტიურად მიმდინარეობს - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "World Air Forces 2021". Flightglobal Insight. 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
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