In late November 2024, South Korea scrambled several fighter jets as eleven foreign aircraft flew through South Korea’s air defense zone. The five Chinese planes and six Russian planes passed through the air defense zone with no concerns, and at no point seemed to enter South Korean airspace. Airspace and air defense zones differ; the latter is broader and encompasses areas where a country would like to control aircraft for security reasons. The scrambled jets ensured that, should either the Chinese or Russian aircraft attack, there would be a backup plan in place for protection. This is not the first time that concerns were raised about Russia flying in airspace where it might not belong. Russian aircraft were recently intercepted while flying over the Baltic Sea, an area known for its NATO presence, and near British airspace. (This is what might happen if Russia ever joined NATO.)
With the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia is looking to improve its air strategy and capabilities. One strategic shift Russia has made this past year is the procurement of more attack helicopters to keep up with the demand for the battlefield. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the military aircraft that Russia has been buying this year. To identify every aircraft on order for the Russian military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these aircraft by how many are on order. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, year introduced, top speed, and armament.
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding Russia’s acquisition of new attack helicopters and military aircraft provides some context to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It also gives further context to Russia’s tactical and strategic application of military aircraft in the conflict. Lastly, it sheds some light on the current geopolitical situation within the region.
Take a look at all the military aircraft that Russia is buying now:
18. L-410 Turbolet
- Type: Twin-turboprop utility aircraft
- Year introduced: 1970
- Ordered: 2
- Active aircraft: 53
- Top speed: 252 mph
- Armament: N/A
17. Mil Mi-38
- Type: Medium-lift twin-engine transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2019
- Ordered: 2
- Active aircraft: 2
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Armament: N/A
16. Su-34 Fullback
- Type: Strike fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 2014
- Ordered: 4
- Active aircraft: 134
- Top speed: 1,367 mph
- Armament: 30mm internal cannon, Archer missiles, Uran missiles, Moskit missiles, Ovod missiles, rocket pods, guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
15. Il-96
- Type: Transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 1992
- Ordered: 10
- Active aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 559 mph
- Armament: N/A
14. Mi-8/17/171 Hip
- Type: Medium-lift transport/gunship helicopter
- Year introduced: 1981
- Ordered: 10
- Active aircraft: 780
- Top speed: 158 mph
- Armament: 23mm cannon pods, 7.62mm machine guns, rocket pods, gun pods, Shturm-V rockets
13. Il-76 Candid
- Type: Transport/tanker aircraft
- Year introduced: 1975
- Ordered: 11
- Active aircraft: 128
- Top speed: 559 mph
- Armament: 23mm twin-barrel cannons, conventional drop bombs
12. Mil Mi-26 (Halo)
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1983
- Ordered: 15
- Active aircraft: 44
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Armament: Various calibers of machine guns
11. Yak-130 Mitten
- Type: Light strike aircraft
- Year introduced: 2010
- Ordered: 29
- Active aircraft: 118
- Top speed: 652 mph
- Armament: 30mm cannon, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, guided munitions, rocket pods, gun pods, conventional drop bombs
10. IL-78 Midas
- Type: Tanker aircraft
- Year introduced: 1984
- Ordered: 31
- Active aircraft: 19
- Top speed: 528 mph
- Armament: N/A
9. MiG-29/35 Fulcrum
- Type: Lightweight multirole fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1984
- Ordered: 35
- Active aircraft: 253
- Top speed: 1,519 mph
- Armament: 30mm internal cannon, Alamo missiles, Adder missiles, rocket pods, laser-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs
8. Ka-52 Alligator
- Type: Attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2010
- Ordered: 41
- Active aircraft: 137
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, air-to-surface missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods
7. Su-27/30/35 Flanker
- Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1985
- Ordered: 44
- Active aircraft: 409
- Top speed: 1,553 mph
- Armament: 30mm internal automatic cannon, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, precision-guided bombs, cluster bombs, anti-ship missiles
6. Tu-160 Blackjack
- Type: Strategic bomber aircraft
- Year introduced: 1989
- Ordered: 50
- Active aircraft: 15
- Top speed: 1,243 mph
- Armament: Kent cruise missiles, Kickback nuclear missiles, conventional drop bombs, air-to-surface missiles
5. IL-112
- Type: Transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 2023
- Ordered: 62
- Active aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 295 mph
- Armament: N/A
4. Su-57 Felon
- Type: Fifth-generation stealth aircraft
- Year introduced: 2019
- Ordered: 62
- Active aircraft: 14
- Top speed: 1,616 mph
- Armament: 30mm internal cannons, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, guided bombs
3. Ka-62 Killer Whale
- Type: Transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2018
- Ordered: 100
- Active aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 191 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns, rocket pods
2. IL-276
- Type: Transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 2024
- Ordered: 100
- Active aircraft: 0
- Top speed: 540 mph
- Armament: N/A
1. Mil Mi-28 Havok
- Type: Attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2009
- Ordered: 150
- Active aircraft: 111
- Top speed: 199 mph
- Armament: 30mm cannon, rocket pods, Spiral missiles, gun pods, cannon pods
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