Georgian Air Force

Aviation and Air Defense Command
Aviation and Air Defense Command
თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა; tavdatsvis dzalebis aviatsiisa da sahaero tavdatsvis sardloba;
	Georgian Air Force emblem
Founded	1992; 32 years ago (as Georgian Air Force)
Country	Georgia
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	2,971 personnel; 48 aircraft;
Part of	Georgian Defence Forces
Headquarters	Alekseevka, Tbilisi
Anniversaries	19 September
Engagements	Georgian Civil War; Russo-Georgian War;
Website	MOD Website in georgian
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Salome Zourabichvili
Prime Minister	Irakli Kobakhidze
Minister of Defense	Irakli Chikovani
Chief of Defense Forces	Maj. Gen. Giorgi Matiashvili
Commander	Colonel Sergo Ninua
Insignia
Roundel
Flag

The Aviation and Air Defence Command of the Defence Forces (Georgian: თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა, romanized: tavdatsvis dzalebis aviatsiisa da sahaero tavdatsvis sardloba),^[2] (formerly Georgian Air Force (Georgian: საქართველოს საჰაერო ძალები, sak’art’velos sahaero dzalebi)) is the air force of the Defense Forces of Georgia. It was established as part of the Georgian Armed Forces in 1992 and merged into Army Air Section in 2010. As part of reforms in the Georgian military, the Air Force was reestablished as a separate command of the Defense Forces in 2016.^[3]

History

Founding and abolition

The Georgian Air Force and Air Defense Division was established on January 1, 1992. On August 18, 1998, the two divisions were unified in a joint command structure and renamed the Georgian Air Force.^[4]

The first combat flight was conducted by Izani Tsertsvadze and Valeri Nakopia on September 19, 1992, during the separatist war in Abkhazia. This date was later designated as the Georgian Air Force Day.^[4]

In 2010, the Georgian Air Force was abolished as a separate branch and incorporated into the Georgian Land Forces as Air and Air Defense sections.^[5]

Reestablishment and modernization

The Georgian Air Force was formally re-established in 2016 but all fixed wing aircraft were left abandoned till 2020. Under the leadership of Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Garibashvili the Air Force was re-prioritized and aircraft owned by the Georgian Air Force are being modernized and re-serviced after they were left abandoned for 4 years. The Minister of Defense also announced plans to acquire strike drones to increase Georgia's combat readiness.^[6]

Ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Georgian Air Force^[7] v t e
Georgian Air Force^[7] v t e			გენერალი Generali		გენერალ ლეიტენანტი General leit’enant’i		გენერალ მაიორი General maiori		ბრიგადის გენერალი Brigadis generali		პოლკოვნიკი P’olk’ovnik’i		ლეიტენანტ პოლკოვნიკი Leit’enant’ p’olk’ovnik’i		მაიორი Maiori		კაპიტანი K’ap’it’ani		უფროსი ლეიტენანტი Uprosi leit’enant’i			ლეიტენანტი Leit’enant’i

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Georgian Air Force^[7] v t e
Georgian Air Force^[7] v t e	მთავარი სერჟანტი Mtavari serzhant’i						მასტერ-სერჟანტი Mast’er-serzhant’i		უფროსი სერჟანტი Uprosi serzhant’i								სერჟანტი Serzhant’i						უმცროსი სერჟანტი Umtsrosi serzhant’i		კაპრალ-სპეციალისტი K’ap’ral-sp’etsialist’i		კაპრალი K’ap’rali		I კლასის რიგითი I k’lasis rigiti						რიგითი Rigiti

Mission and objectives

The objectives of the Georgian Air Force are defined as follows:

Warfare and mobilization readiness of the Air Forces sub-units
Protection of sovereignty and control of the air space of Georgia
The fight against air terrorism
Participate in the fight against terrorism on land and at sea
Air defence of state entities and troops
Destruction of land and naval targets at the enemy's front line and tactical inmost. Providing air support for friendly land and naval forces
Participation in collective and multinational exercises.

Functions of the Georgian Air Forces:

Troop and cargo transportation
Search and rescue of downed aircraft and pilots
MEDEVAC
Informing the leadership of the Air Force and the Army about enemy air assaults
Destruction of enemy manpower, land and naval targets
Air forces landing
Aerial reconnaissance

The two major airfields are located near Tbilisi at Vaziani and Marneuli.

Current inventory

Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Attack
Sukhoi Su-25	Soviet Union	CAS	Su-25KM Su-25UB	2^[8] 2^[8]	2 in storage.^[8] 1 lost in 2024.^[9]
Transport
Antonov An-2	Soviet Union	transport		6^[8]
Antonov An-28	Soviet Union	transport		2^[10]
Yakovlev Yak-40	Soviet Union	transport		2^[8]
Helicopters
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	utility	Mi-8/171	15^[10]
Mil Mi-14	Soviet Union	ASW / SAR		2^[10]
Mil Mi-24	Soviet Union	attack		9^[10]
Bell UH-1	United States	utility	UH-1H	12^[10]
Trainer aircraft
Aero L-39	Czechoslovakia	trainer / light attack		8^[10]
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Elbit Hermes 450	Israel	reconnaissance		1+^[8]

Air defence

Name	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Surface-to-air missiles
9K37 Buk	Soviet Union	Medium range	Buk-M1	1−2 batteries^[8]	Former Ukrainian vehicles.^[11]
9K33 Osa	Soviet Union	Short range	Osa-AKM	6−10 batteries^[8]	Former Ukrainian vehicles, modernized before delivery.^[11]