17th Red Banner Air Army

17-я Воздушная Краснознамённая Армия

Military Unit: 55127

Commanders:

• Lieutenant-General Stepan Akimovich Krasovskiy, 15.11.42 - 26.3.43
• Colonel-General Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sudets, 3.43 - 4.46
• Colonel-General Sergey Kondratevich Goryunov, 5.46 - 4.49
• Lieutenant-General Vasiliy Georgievich Ryazanov, 4.49 - 7.51
• Colonel-General Sergey Kondratevich Goryunov, 8.51 - 8.56
• Lieutenant-General Dmitriy Pavlovich Galunov, 8.56 - 10.59
• Lieutenant-General Vasiliy Nikolaevich Bibikov, 10.59 - 12.60
• Lieutenant-General Vasiliy Artemovich Kolesnik, 12.60 - 4.68
• Colonel-General Nikolay Mikhaylovich Skomorokhov, 4.68 - 8.73
• Colonel-General Aleksandr Petrovich Andreev, 8.73 - 12.79
• Lieutenant-General Valentin Epifanovich Pankin, 12.79 - 3.85
• Lieutenant-General Nikolay Petrovich Kryukov, 10.85 - 9.90
• Lieutenant-General Konstantin Petrovich Morosov, 9.90 - 12.91
• Major-General Anatoliy Ivanovich Basov, 12.91 - 2.92

Activated 15.11.42.

Organisation 5.45:

• 10th Assault Aviation Corps
• 244th Bomber Aviation Division
• 189th Assault Aviation Division
• 194th Fighter Aviation Division
• 288th Fighter Aviation Division
• 295th Fighter Aviation Division
• 262nd Night Bomber Aviation Division
• 39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
• 96th independent Artillery Correction Regiment
• 227th Transport Aviation Regiment
• 282nd Aviation Communications Regiment

29.5.45 STAVKA directive No. 11098 was issued (effective from 10.6.45), renaming the 3rd Ukrainian Front to Southern Group of Forces. The order also stated the new organisation of the 17th Air Army.

Organisation mid-1945 (the additional units came from the 5th Air Army):

• 3rd Guards Assault Aviation Corps (Arad, Romania)
  • 7th Guards Assault Aviation Division (Arad, Romania)
  • 12th Guards Assault Aviation Division (?, Romania)
• 10th Assault Aviation Corps
  • 136th Assault Aviation Division (Craiova, Romania)
  • 189th Assault Aviation Division (Brasov, Romania)
  • 306th Assault Aviation Division (Pleven, Bulgaria)
• 3rd Guards Fighter Aviation Corps (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
  • 13th Guards Fighter Aviation Division (Stara Zagora, Bulgaria)
  • 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Division (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
  • 194th Fighter Aviation Division (?, Romania)
  • 288th Fighter Aviation Division (Craiova, Romania)
  • 295th Fighter Aviation Division (?, Bulgaria)
• 244th Bomber Aviation Division (Brasov, Romania)
• 262nd Night Bomber Aviation Division
• 39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Dobrich, Bulgaria)
• 96th independent Artillery Correction Regiment
• 227th Transport Aviation Regiment
• 282nd Aviation Communications Regiment

Re-organised in late 1945/early 1946, when several divisions and regiments were either disbanded or transferred out of Romania and Bulgaria.

Organisation mid-1946:

• 3rd Guards Assault Aviation Corps (Arad, Romania)
  • 7th Guards Assault Aviation Division (Arad, Romania)
  • 12th Guards Assault Aviation Division (?, Romania
• 3rd Guards Fighter Aviation Corps (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
  • 13th Guards Fighter Aviation Division (Stara Zagora, Bulgaria)
  • 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Division (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
• 244th Bomber Aviation Division (Brasov, Romania)
• 39th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Dobrich, Bulgaria)
• 96th independent Artillery Correction Regiment
• 227th Transport Aviation Regiment

5.47 transferred to Kiev, Kiev Oblast.

10.1.49 renamed 69th Air Army.

Organisation 1962:

• 138th Fighter Aviation Division (Mirgorod, Mirgorod Oblast)
• 255th independent Mixed Aviation Squadron (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 71st independent Aviation Squadron for Tactical Reconnaissance (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 135th independent Communications Regiment and Automated Control Regiment (Kiev, Kiev Oblast)
• Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (ChVVAUL) (Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast)
• Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (KhVVAUL) (Kharkov-Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast)
• Voroshilovgrad Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators (VVVAUSh) (Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), Voroshilovgrad Oblast)

4.64 renamed VVS Kiev Military District.

4.4.68 renamed 69th Air Army.

Organisation 1970:

• 138th Fighter Aviation Division (Mirgorod, Mirgorod Oblast)
• 255th independent Mixed Aviation Squadron (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 135th independent Communications Regiment and Automated Control Regiment (Kiev, Kiev Oblast)
• Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (ChVVAUL) (Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast)
• Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (KhVVAUL) (Kharkov-Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast)
• Voroshilovgrad Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators (VVVAUSh) (Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), Voroshilovgrad Oblast)

4.72 renamed 17th Air Army.

The 138th Fighter Aviation Division joined the 24th Air Army VGK in 1980.

6.80 renamed VVS Kiev Military District.

Organisation 1980:

• 255th independent Mixed Aviation Squadron (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 294th independent Helicopter Squadron for Electronic Warfare (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 135th independent Communications Regiment and Automated Control Regiment (Kiev, Kiev Oblast)
• Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (ChVVAUL) (Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast)
• Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (KhVVAUL) (Kharkov-Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast)
• Voroshilovgrad Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators (VVVAUSh) (Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), Voroshilovgrad Oblast)

The 294th independent Helicopter Squadron for Electronic Warfare left for Hungary in 8.81.

The 88th independent Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment was part of the Air Army 1984 to 7.87.

The 452nd independent Assault Aviation Regiment was part of the Air Army 12.86 to 1989.

5.88 renamed 17th Air Army.

Organisation 1990:

• 255th independent Mixed Aviation Squadron (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 228th independent Helicopter Squadron for Electronic Warfare (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 135th independent Communications Regiment and Automated Control Regiment (Kiev, Kiev Oblast)
• Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (ChVVAUL) (Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast)
• Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (KhVVAUL) (Kharkov-Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast)
• Voroshilovgrad Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators (VVVAUSh) (Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), Voroshilovgrad Oblast)

1.92 taken over by Ukraine.

Bases:

• Bucharest, Romania, 1945 - 1947
• Kiev, Kiev Oblast, 1947 - 1992 [50 26 29N, 30 28 27E]

Subordination:

• Southern Group of Forces, 1945 - 1947
• Kiev Military District, 1947 - 1992