Out of 1.2 thousand combat aircraft in Russia, 550 are approaching "end of their life cycle" - Defence24
Currently, Russia has about 1,200 combat aircraft of various types, including strategic aviation. However, about 550 of the aircraft are approaching the "end of their life cycle."
This was written by the Polish edition of Defence24, Censor.NET reports.
In the United States, combat aircraft were built with the expectation of 6-8 thousand hours in the air (now this period is planned to be increased to 12 thousand hours or more), while Soviet and Russian aircraft are designed for only 4-5 thousand hours of flight. We are talking about MiG-29 or Su-27.
However, only about 340-360 combat aircraft can be considered relatively modern and new, i.e., manufactured after 2010. These are, for example, Su-30, Su-34, Su-35, and Su-57.
Thus, due to operational wear and tear alone, in 2024, Russia will have to retire about 60 combat aircraft. This does not include downed and destroyed aircraft.
In 2022, the Russian defense industry put 27 new combat aircraft into service, in 2023 - 24, and in 2024 - 23.
Thus, the publication writes, Russia has not been able to increase its aircraft production capacity. Their number is decreasing. This may be due to the fact that the production of aircraft is much more complex than the production of tanks or infantry fighting vehicles and requires a large number of modern components.
Many parts are in short supply or are imported illegally at high prices.
Experts also point to the low level of technical culture in Russia, as ships are not properly maintained and are sometimes kept in the open air rather than in air-conditioned hangars.
