List of MiG-27 operators

This is a list of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 operators. As of late 2023, the MiG-27 has been fully retired.

Operators[edit]

As of 2023, the MiG-27 has been fully retired from active military service.

Belarus[edit]

The Belarusian Air Force inherited a small number of MiG-27s of the 911th APIB, based at Lida, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.^[1] These aircraft were scrapped at Baranovichi.

911th APIB at Lida, MiG-27K

India[edit]

The Indian Air Force operated the largest MiG-27 fleet outside the Soviet Union from 1988 to 2020.

Eastern Air Command
- No.2 Squadron 'Winged Arrows', Kalaikunda
- No.9 Squadron 'Wolfpack', Hindan
- No.10 Squadron 'Winged Daggers', Jodhpur
- No.18 Squadron 'Flying Bullets', Hindon, moved to Kalaikunda in 1996
- No.20 Squadron 'Lightnings', Kalaikunda
- No.22 Squadron, 'Swifts', Hasimara
- No. 29 Squadron 'Black Scorpions', Jodhpur
- No. 51 Squadron 'Sword Arms', Jamnagar
- No. 222 Squadron 'Tigersharks', Hasimara
- Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, Bangalore
- Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, Jamnagar

Kazakhstan[edit]

The Kazakhstan Air Force operated 12 MiG-27s until 2023, when they were retired, and put up for auction. Subsequently, they were sold to the USA in 2024, and are speculated to be transferred to Ukraine for use as spare parts sources and/or decoys.^[2]^[3]^[4]

129th APIB - Soviet Air Force regiment operating MiG-27s from Taldykorgan Air Base in Kazakh territory when the Soviet Union collapsed, MiG-27M
134th APIB - Another Soviet unit based at Zhangiztobe Air Base, MiG-27M
60th IAP
604th Aviation Base at Taldykorgan, formed out of the 60th, 129th and 134th regiments, MiG-27M

Russia[edit]

The Russian Air Force inherited most of the remaining MiG-27s after the collapse of the USSR. However, these were quickly retired in favour of the Su-24 and Su-25.

USSR[edit]

Direct Reporting Units[edit]

4th TsBP, Lipetsk
- 91st IISAP, Lipetsk-2
- 760th IIAPIB, Lipetsk-2
1080th UATs PLS, Borisoglebsk
- 707th IAPIB / 1st GvIAPIB, Lebyazhye
GNIKI VVS, Akhtubinsk
- 333rd OIAP, Vladimirovka?
  - 929th GLITs
4020th BRS, Lipetsk-2
4215th BRS, Dmitriyevka

Baltic Military District[edit]

15th Air Army (Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic), Riga
- 53rd GvAPIB, Šiauliai, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
- 88th APIB, Suurkyul, Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
- 321st APIB, Suurkyul
- 372nd APIB, Lotsaki, Daugavpils, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
- 899th APIB, Lielvārde

Belorussian Military District[edit]

26th Air Army, Minsk
- 1st GvADIB
  - 911th APIB, Lida (transferred to Western Group of Forces 1989)
  - 940th APIB, Postavy Air Base

Carpathian Military District[edit]

15th Air Army
- 289th ADIB, L'vov
  - 236th APIB, Chortkiv
  - 314th APIB, Cherlyany

Central Asian Military District[edit]

73rd Air Army, Tashkent
- 10th IAD, Ucharal
  - 134th APIB, Zhangiztobe
- 24th SAD, Taldy-Kurgan
  - 129th APIB, Taldy-Kurgan

Far Eastern Military District[edit]

1st Air Army, Khabarovsk
- 33rd ADIB
  - 300th APIB, Pereyaslavka
- 303rd ADIB, Ussuriysk
  - 18th 'Vitebskiy' GvIAP, Galyonki
  - 224th APIB, Ozornaya Pad

Transbaikal Military District[edit]

23rd Air Army, Chita
- 30th ADIB, Step
  - 58th IBAP/APIB, Step
  - 266th APIB, Step

Volga Military District[edit]

281st IAPIB, Totskoye-2

Central Group of Forces (Czechoslovakia)[edit]

131st SAD, Milovice
- 236th APIB, Hradčany-Mimoň

Southern Group of Forces[edit]

36th Air Army, Budapest
1st GvAPIB, Kunmadaras
88th GvAPIB, Debrecen (both this unit and the 1st GvAPIB reported directly to HQ Southern Group in Budapest)

Western Group of Forces[edit]

16th Air Army, Wünsdorf
- 105th APIB, Großenhain
  - 296th APIB, Altenburg, moved to Großenhain
  - 559th 'Mozyrskiy' APIB, Fürstenwalde
  - 911th APIB, Brand (later withdrawn to Lida, Belarus)
- 125th GvADIB, Rechlin
  - 19th GvAPIB, Lärz

Group of Soviet Forces in Mongolia[edit]

23rd Air Army, Choibolsan
- 44th SAK, Choibolsan
  - 29th ADIB, Choibolsan
    - 266th APIB, Nalaïh

Soviet Naval Aviation[edit]

Northern Fleet
- 88th OMAPIB

Sri Lanka[edit]

The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) purchased five MiG-27s from Ukraine in 2000. These were used in the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Ukraine[edit]

ALthough the Soviet Air Force had not based any MiG-27 regiments in Ukraine, when the Soviet Union fell 49 MiG-27s of various models were undergoing maintenance in Ukraine.

117th ARZ, Lvіv-Sknyliv
562nd ARZ, Odesa
536th ARZ, Chuhuiv
805th ARZ, Dnipro
6221st BLAT, Ovruch

References[edit]

^ Gordon, E. (2019). Mikoyan MiG-23 and MiG-27. Dmitriĭ Komissarov. Manchester. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-910809-31-0. OCLC 1108690733.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "117 MiG-31, MiG-29 & Other Russian-Origin Fighter Jets Put Up On Auction By Kazakhstan; Here's Why". 28 October 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^ "Kazakhstan sells over 100 military aircraft". 27 October 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^ "US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says". 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

Bibliography[edit]

Gordon, Y. and Komissarov, D., 'Mikoyan MiG-23 & MiG-27', Crecy Publishing, Manchester, 2019 ISBN 978-1-910809-31-0

[1] Gordon, E. (2019). Mikoyan MiG-23 and MiG-27. Dmitriĭ Komissarov. Manchester. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-910809-31-0. OCLC 1108690733.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[2] "117 MiG-31, MiG-29 & Other Russian-Origin Fighter Jets Put Up On Auction By Kazakhstan; Here's Why". 28 October 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

[3] "Kazakhstan sells over 100 military aircraft". 27 October 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

[4] "US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says". 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]