Georgian Air Force საქართველოს სამხედრო-საჰაერო ძალები sak’art’velos samxedro-sahaero dzalebi
Georgian Air Force flag
Active	1991 -
Country	Georgia
Size	1,194 personnel 33 aircraft
Garrison/HQ	Alekseevka, Tbilisi
Engagements	Georgian Civil War, 2008 South Ossetia war
Commanders
Air Force Commander	Colonel Zurab Pochkhua
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	Su-25, Su-25 Skorpion, Mi-24, Mi-35
Trainer	Yak-52, L-39
Transport	An-2, Mi-8, UH-1

The Georgian Air Force is the air arm of the Georgian Armed Forces. Currently, it has 1,813 military and civilian personnel^[1], up to 22 fixed wing aircraft (Su-25KM/UB, L-39, Yak-52,) and 11 helicopters of different type (Mi-24, Mi-8, UH-1H, Mi-2) and 380 air defense missiles of the "surface-to-air' class. The Air Force was founded in 1991 in the wake of the break-up of the Soviet Union. In 1995 the Air Force had around 1,000 personnel and since that time it has had relatively modest growth compared to the Georgian Army which has had greater investment.^[2]

Contents 1 Mission and objectives 2 Structure 3 Aircraft Inventory 3.1 Equipment 3.2 Air Defence 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Mission and objectives

The Georgian Air Force has the following objectives:

• To control and defend the air space of Georgia.
• To conduct air intelligence and surveillance.
• To provide support to the the other braches of the Armed Forces.
• To conduct air evacuation and search and rescue operations.
• To conduct air movement of personnel and military cargo transportation.

[edit] Structure

Georgian Air Force Components Air Force Commander Air Defence Anti-aircraft rocket divisions Radar reconnaisannce batteries HQ Staff Central Command Point A1 to A5 components Aviation Aircraft Base (fixed wing) Helicopter Base

The Georgian Air Forces is controlled by a headquarters staff and is divided into two function elements of Aviation and Air Defence.^[3] The current commander of the Air Force (since 15 September 2008) is Colonel Zurab Pochkhua.^[4] Prior to that, from 21 March 2007 to 15 September 2008, the Air Force commander was Colonel David Nairashvili. He was preceeded by Alan Lakoyev.^[5]

The two major airfields are located near Tbilisi at Alekseevka and Marneuli. The Georgian Air Force is currently undergoing a process of modernization with the help of Georgia’s NATO partners, specifically the United States and Turkey.

[edit] Aircraft Inventory

The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed. The dispute is about Aircraft numbers in this section do not match numbers existing in reference. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page before making changes.(May 2008)

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Losses for the Georgian Air Force in the 2008 South Ossetia war were 5 aircraft and 2 helicopters.^[6]

Some of these this units may have been destroyed in the 2008 South Ossetia war, so the figures may not be up to date.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[7]	Notes
Fighter Aircraft
Ground-Attack Aircraft
Su-25KM Skorpion	Soviet Union /  Israel /  Georgia	attack	Su-25KM Su-25UB	8[8] 1[8]
Transport and Liaison Aircraft
Antonov An-2	Soviet Union  Poland	utility	An-2	5	built by PZL
Antonov An-24	Soviet Union	tactical transport	An-24	1
Antonov An-32	Soviet Union	tactical transport	An-32	1
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	trainer	L-39	6
Attack Helicopters
Mil Mi-24	Soviet Union	attack helicopter	Mi-24V Mi-24P	8
Transport and Utility Helicopters
Bell UH-1H Iroquois	United States	utility helicopter	UH-1H	8
Mil Mi-2	Poland	utility helicopter	Mi-2	7	built by PZL
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	Mi-8T Mi-8MTV-1	18
UAV
Elbit Hermes 450	Israel	unmanned aerial vehicle	Hermes 450	??

[edit] Equipment

Aircraft

• 8 Su-25KM^[8]
• 3 Su-25UB^[8]
• 4 Su-25KM Skorpion (Georgia-Israel Joint Dev.)
• 11 Aero L-39 Albatros
• 2 Aero L-29 Delfin

Helicopters

• 8 Mi-35
• 12 Mi-24P
• 6 Mi-24V
• 18 Mi-14
• 16 Mi-8
• 6 Bell 212
• 40 UH-1H
• 2 Mi-2

[edit] Air Defence

• 5 SA-3 Goa
• 18 SA-8
• ?? SA-7A/B Grail
• ?? SA-16 Gimlet
• 8 ZSU-23-4
• 2 SPYDER
• 15 S-60
• 40 MT-LB with towed ZU-23-2

Buk-m1

• 30 Grom man-portable air-defense system missile launchers with 100

missiles^[9]

[edit] Gallery

Mil Mi-24V attack helicopter no.09	Aero L-29 Delfin	Mil Mi-24V No.05	Georgian Bell UH-1H Iroquois
Mil Mi-14PS SAR helicopter	Mil Mi-8T transport helicopter	Georgian Sukhoi Su-25UB

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Air force of Georgia

• Abkhazian Air Force
• 2008 Georgian spy plane shootdowns

[edit] References

v • d • e Air Forces in Europe Sovereign states Albania · Andorra · Armenia2 · Austria · Azerbaijan1 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus2 · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France1, 3 · Georgia1 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan1 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands3 · Norway3 · Poland · Portugal3 · Romania · Russia1 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain1 · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey1 · Ukraine · United Kingdom3 1 Has part of its territory outside Europe.  2 Entirely in West Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.  3 Has dependencies or similar territories outside Europe.