Sukhoi Su-15 'Flagon' Operators
Information regarding Soviet Air Defense fighter regiments prior to 1989-1991 is hard to find on the internet. The information you find below is probably somewhat inaccurate and incomplete, and can only be used as an indication. The same applies to the delivery and other service information.
Operator: | Soviet Union / Russia | Azerbaijan | Georgia | Ukraine |
| 1. Soviet Union/Russia: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
| Delivered: | Total: 1290 | |||||||||
| Service pre-1992: |
54th IAP, 6th OA PVO, Vaneide (Wainode), Su-15 1967, Su-15TM 1970s (replaced by Su-27) 180th IAP, 6th OA PVO, Su-15 1969, Su-15TM 1978 (replaced by Su-27 1988, and/or MiG-31) 57th IAP, 10th OA PVO, Norilsk 265th IAP, 10th OA PVO, Poduzheme, Latvia (replaced by Su-27) 431st IAP, 10th OA PVO, Afrikanda (replaced by Su-27 1991-1992) 22nd IAP, 14th OA PVO, Bezrechnaya (Su-15TM) 813th IAP, 14th OA PVO, Novosibirsk (Su-15TM) 153rd IAP, PVO, Morshansk, (replaced by MiG-31 1989-1991) 156th IAP, PVO, ?, (reequipped with Su-17 in 1981 and became 156th APIB) 611th IAP, PVO, Dorokhovo 700th IAP, PVO, Tikhoretsk 712th IAP, PVO, Kansk (replaced by MiG-31) 777th IAP, PVO, Sokol, Dolinsk, Su-15TM (disbanded?) 2179th BRS, PVO, Bobrovka, depot unit 4884th BRS, PVO, Bobrovka, depot unit (disbanded 1990) 148th Pilot Combat Training Centre, PVO, Savastleika | |||||||||
| Service post-1992: | 57th IAP, 10th PVO VA, Norilsk 611th IAP, PVO, Dorokhovo, Su-15TM (1993 replaced by Su-27) | |||||||||
| Withdrawn: | ~1978-1980 Su-15/Su-15UT ~1992-1993 Su-15TM/Su-15UM | |||||||||
| First delivered: | 1967 Su-15 1970 Su-15UT 1972 Su-15TM 1976 Su-15UM | |||||||||
| Last delivered: | ~1971 Su-15 1972 Su-15UT 1975 Su-15TM 1979 Su-15UM | |||||||||
| Information: |
The Soviet Union was the only operator of the Su-15 until the break-down of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) were until then the sole operator of the Su-15 and only
operated the aircraft from Soviet territory with exception of a small group of Su-15 operated
by Soviet crews in Egypt during the 1970s for air defense. It replaced the early Su-9 and Su-11
interceptors as well as Yak-25Ms and Yak-25Ps. The Su-15 was operated in natural metal color or a camouflage consisting of brown and green tones with a grey-blue underside. The radome always in green. The number of operational Su-15 interceptors in the early 1990s is estimated at 300 aircraft (with about 230-240 based in the European part of the Soviet Union), a total of 500 Su-15 airframes are believed to have been scrapped after the CFE treaty went into force in 1992. | |||||||||
| 2. Azerbaijan: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
| Delivered: | * | |||||||||
| Service pre-1992: | 41st IAP?, (19th AO PVO?), Baku | |||||||||
| Service post-1992: | ? | |||||||||
| Withdrawn: | 2000? | |||||||||
| First delivered: | ? | |||||||||
| Last delivered: | ? | |||||||||
| Information: | Following the break-down of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan was one of the countries that inherited a number of Soviet aircraft types which were stationed on their territory. In the case of Azerbaijan these included a number of Su-15TM/UM. Little is known about the status of these aircraft and their operational service after 1992. In the series of conflicts with Armenia between 1988 and 1994, the deployed combat aircraft were MiG-21, MiG-25, Su-17, Su-24, Su-25 and Mi-24 helicopters. It was reported in 2000 that Azerbaijan could possibly still have a handful operational. But this seems unlikely, considering the amount of more capable aircraft in service. | |||||||||
| 3. Georgia: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
| Delivered: | ~40 Su-15TM/UM to 166th IAP 29* Su-15TM/UM to independent republic of Georgia | |||||||||
| Service pre-1992: | 166th IAP, 19th PVO VA, Sandar (Marneuli) | |||||||||
| Service post-1992: | ? | |||||||||
| Withdrawn: | 1991-1992 | |||||||||
| First delivered: | ? | |||||||||
| Last delivered: | 1992* | |||||||||
| Information: | Georgia is sometimes reported as an operator of the Su-15, however the independent republic did not continue to operate the aircraft after the break-up. The 166th IAP was one Su-15 regiment of the PVO that was stationed in Georgia until 1991-1992, but the regiment moved to Russia and dissolved. The Russians left primarily Su-15s behind at Marneuli AB, near Tbilisi. The Georgian Military Chronicle, Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1994. reports a total number of 29 Su-15 aircraft that it inherited from the Soviet Union in 1992. When the Georgian Air Force was established it took delivery of new Su-25s, produced by Tbilisi Aircraft Works, and thus it seems unlikely any Su-15s were ever operated under the Georgian flag. | |||||||||
| 4. Ukraine: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
| Delivered: | ||||||||||
| Service pre-1992: | 62nd IAP, 8th PVO Air Army, Belbek 636th IAP, 8th PVO Air Army, Kramatorsk 737rd IAP, PVO, ?, (replaced by MiG-23P) | |||||||||
| Service post-1992: | 62nd IAP, Ukr ADF, Belbek (replaced by Su-27) 636th IAP, Ukr ADF, Kramatorsk (replaced by MiG-23P) | |||||||||
| Withdrawn: | 1996 Su-15TM/UM | |||||||||
| First delivered: | ? | |||||||||
| Last delivered: | ? | |||||||||
| Information: | After the break-up of the Soviet Union, two former PVO Su-15 regiments remained in the country. The 62nd IAP used to be based at Belbek with 31 aircraft, and the 636th IAP at Kramatorsk with 39 aircraft. At the time of the Soviet break-up the 62nd was receiving the Su-27P and the 636th the MiG-23P as replacements. However the Ukraine continued to fly the Su-15TM/UM aircraft into the mid 1990s. In March 1992 the Ukrainian Air Force was officially established, but the Su-15s continued to serve with the Air Defence. The Soviet red star was replaced by the Ukrainian trident and in 1995 the Air Defence fleet was incorporated into the Air Force. In 1996 the last examples could be seen flying from Belbek near Sevastopol, before being mothballed. | |||||||||
| Notes: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
|
* aircraft were inherited from the former Soviet Union ~ estimated ? unknown - none or not applicable / combination of both Several websites on Soviet military aviation are based on the Soviet Aerospace Almanac, Air Force Magazine, March 1987 which reported 240 Su-15s for the PVO and 260 for the VVS. It is now known that only the PVO operated the Su-15. | ||||||||||
| Sources: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
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| Comment: BACK TO TOP | ||||||||||
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