88th Separate Fighter Bomber Regiment

The 88th Separate Fighter Bomber Regiment (88th OMAPIB) was an aviation regiment of Soviet Naval Aviation and subsequently Russian Naval Aviation from 1990-1994. It operated the MiG-27 attack aircraft, the only naval unit to do so.[1]

88th Independent Fighter Bomber Regiment
88th Independent Shipboard Attack Air Regiment
Active1990-1994
Country Soviet Union (1990-91
 Russia 1991-94
Allegiance Soviet Union
(1963–1991)
Russian Federation
Branch Soviet Navy
Russian Navy
Aircraft flown
AttackMiG-27D, Su-25
TrainerMiG-23UB, Su-25UB

History

In 1990, the 88th GvAPIB, along with the rest of the 36th Air Army, was pulled out of Czechoslovakia along with the rest of the Southern Group of Forces, which had been based throughout Central Europe. In order to save the unit, which had a distinguished history, from being disbanded under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, defense minister Marshal Dmitry Yazov transferred it to the Northern Fleet, which was not subject to the provisions of the treaty. In May 1990 the aircraft and personnel were moved to Olen'ya Airbase, near Olenegorsk, Murmansk Oblast where they operated in support of the Soviet Navy.

In May 1994, after the Russian Ministry of Defence had ordered the retirement of the MiG-23/27 family, the unit was re-equipped with the Sukhoi Su-25 and its aircraft were allowed to deteriorate, being stripped for scrap by the locals. It was then renamed the 88th Independent Shipboard Attack Air Regiment.

References
  1. Gordon, E. (2019). Mikoyan MiG-23 and MiG-27. Dmitriĭ Komissarov. Manchester. pp. 360–362. ISBN 978-1-910809-31-0. OCLC 1108690733.
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