88th Separate Fighter Bomber Regiment

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

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.

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 locals. It was then renamed the 88th Independent Shipboard Attack Air Regiment.

References

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