Soviet Air Force AWACS Doctrine
Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union the Air Force was divided into three aircraft based groups of units. They were the VVS-DA (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Dal'naya Aviatsiya) or Long Range Aviation (Bombers), VVS-FA (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Frontovaya Aviatsiya) (Fighters, Fighter Bombers and Attack aircraft) and the VVS-VTA (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Voenno-Transportnaya Aviatsiya) or Military Transport aircraft. The PVO (Voyska protivovozdushnoy oborony or Voyska PVO) which was the primary defensive fighter, Interceptor and surface based defensive force was in no way part of the VVS. This means the A-50 Mainstay AWACS aircraft and its predecessor the Tu-126 Moss both served exclusively with the Voyska PVO and did not assist in the direction of day to day tactical aircraft. The An-71 was designed to be used overland to support the FA. This doctrine of each force having its own AWACS plane is contrary to most Western air forces use of land based AWACS aircraft. This doctrine difference lead in part to the fallacy that the An-71 was designed to be used by on the Russia Aircraft Carriers.
Read more about this topic: Antonov An-71
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