4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army
Organizational Overview
The 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army of the Russian Aerospace Forces, subordinated within the Southern Military District, is responsible for air operations and air defense across Russia’s south. The headquarters is reported at Rostov-on-Don. The formation integrates transport, army aviation, reconnaissance, and command-and-control elements to provide air superiority, close air support, air mobility, ISR, and integrated air defense within its area of responsibility.
Headquarters and Administrative Elements
The provided data lists the army as military unit 40911 with HQ at Rostov-on-Don, and also lists the 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army HQ and a Vehicle Park under military unit 83477. The repeated use of 83477 for both HQ and vehicle park suggests separate administrative or support elements associated with the same headquarters complex. In the absence of authoritative public confirmation, both identifiers should be treated as associated with the HQ garrison in Rostov-on-Don.
Command Leadership
The provided information identifies Major General Vladimir Kutsenko as commander. This detail cannot be independently verified here against official public sources as of October 2024. Russian Ministry of Defense announcements regarding current commanders of operational armies are not consistently published in open sources. The commander attribution should be considered unconfirmed unless corroborated by primary documentation.
Order of Battle (Provided Units and Equipment)
According to the provided listing: 30th Separate Transport Mixed Aviation Regiment (military unit 41497) with 1 An-148, 7 An-12BK, 6 An-26, 2 Il-20M, 1 Mi-24V, 9 Mi-24P, 1 Mi-26T3, 2 Mi-26T, 5 Mi-26; 55th Separate Helicopter Regiment (military unit 35666) with 4 Ka-52, 10 Mi-35M, 12 Mi-28N, 17 Mi-8AMTSh; 16th Army Aviation Brigade (military unit 41767) with 9 Mi-8AMTSh, 21 Mi-28N, 3 Mi-8PP; 487th Separate Helicopter Regiment (military unit 44936) with 17 Mi-35M, 17 Mi-28N, 4 Mi-8AMTSh, 4 Mi-8MTV-5, 12 Mi-8MTV-5-1, 2 Forpost UAV; 3661st Air Base (military unit 62467) used by Aerospace Forces helicopters and UAVs of the 487th regiment and other units, as well as aviation of Rosgvardia and the FSB; 214th Command and Control Center (military unit 65246); and 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army HQ elements and vehicle park (military unit 83477).
Aircraft and Helicopter Fleet Capabilities
The fleet covers transport, attack, heavy lift, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare roles. An-148 provides personnel transport; An-12BK and An-26 provide medium and light airlift respectively. Il-20M aircraft are long-endurance intelligence collection platforms combining signals intelligence with side-looking radar and optical sensors. Mi-24V and Mi-24P are attack helicopters with limited troop transport capability; the P variant features a fixed cannon installation. Mi-26, including T and T3 variants, provides heavy-lift capability with payloads up to approximately 20 tonnes. Ka-52 and Mi-28N are modern all-weather attack helicopters. Mi-35M is a modernized attack helicopter derived from the Mi-24 with updated avionics. Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-8MTV-5 series are assault transport helicopters, while Mi-8PP denotes an electronic warfare configured variant. Forpost is a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle used for ISR with multi-hour endurance.
Functional Roles by Unit
Based on the composition provided, the 30th Separate Transport Mixed Aviation Regiment covers intra-theater airlift, staff transport, and ISR via the Il-20M, with heavy-lift by Mi-26 variants and a limited attack helicopter component. The 55th Separate Helicopter Regiment, the 16th Army Aviation Brigade, and the 487th Separate Helicopter Regiment form the primary army aviation combat element, combining attack and assault helicopters for close air support, air assault, and battlefield mobility. The 487th regiment also fields Forpost UAVs, enabling organic reconnaissance and target acquisition. The 214th Command and Control Center supports operational command, control, and communications. The 3661st Air Base provides the primary airfield infrastructure for rotary-wing and UAV operations and supports other state agencies as reported.
3661st Air Base (military unit 62467) – Infrastructure and Joint Use
The 3661st Air Base is described as a joint-use facility hosting Aerospace Forces helicopters and UAVs, with additional aviation activity by Rosgvardia and the FSB. Joint basing typically implies multiple rotary-wing pads, sheltered and open parking, fuel storage and distribution, ammunition storage observing military safety distances, UAV ground control stations, maintenance workshops, and secure communications and access control suitable for multi-agency operations. Co-location of army aviation and internal security aviation is consistent with the Southern Military District’s mixed mission profile that includes border and internal security tasks.
ISR and UAV Integration
Il-20M aircraft provide theater-level signals and imagery intelligence with extended on-station times, supporting operational planning, electronic order of battle assessment, and wide-area surveillance. Forpost UAVs provide tactical reconnaissance, target detection, and post-strike assessment at shorter ranges, with data typically relayed in near real time to unit command posts. Together, these assets support target cueing for attack helicopter units and enhance situational awareness for air and ground formations.
Logistics and Heavy-Lift Capacity
An-12BK and An-26 aircraft, together with Mi-26 family helicopters, provide a flexible logistics backbone. Mi-26 series helicopters enable vertical lift of heavy engineering equipment, air defense components, or damaged aircraft within practical ranges, supporting operations from austere sites. An-12 and An-26 cover runway-dependent logistics between established airfields. An-148 augments personnel movement where jet transport offers a time advantage for staff and small cargo.
Army Aviation Combat Capability
The 55th Separate Helicopter Regiment, 16th Army Aviation Brigade, and 487th Separate Helicopter Regiment together field a substantial attack and assault helicopter force. Ka-52, Mi-28N, Mi-35M, and Mi-24 variants provide anti-armor, close air support, and interdiction capabilities, while Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-8MTV series deliver troop lift, resupply, and medical evacuation. The presence of Mi-8PP indicates an electronic warfare support role to disrupt adversary radars and communications in support of air and ground operations.
Command and Control Nodes
The 214th Command and Control Center (military unit 65246) functions as an operational node for airspace control and mission command, integrating inputs from aviation units, radar, and air defense assets within the army’s area of responsibility. While specific systems are not detailed in the provided material, such centers typically maintain redundant communications, data links to air defense and aviation units, and interfaces to the military district’s joint operations center. The HQ administrative elements and the associated vehicle park under military unit 83477 provide headquarters support, ground mobility, and logistics for command staff.
Geographic Orientation and Operational Reach
The reported headquarters location at Rostov-on-Don situates the command near key transport corridors serving the North Caucasus and Black Sea regions. The area hosts multiple military airfields and rotary-wing operating sites, enabling dispersion and rapid concentration of helicopter assets across the Southern Military District and adjacent theaters, subject to tasking and airfield availability.
Data Consistency and Verification Status
Unit designations, military unit numbers, and equipment counts presented here are taken directly from the provided listing. Two different military unit numbers, 40911 and 83477, are both associated with the army headquarters in the provided data; without authoritative corroboration it is not possible here to reconcile this discrepancy. The identification of Major General Vladimir Kutsenko as commander cannot be independently confirmed here against official public sources as of October 2024. Equipment holdings in Russian aviation units are subject to rotation, repair, and attrition, so the counts should be treated as a time-specific snapshot.
Notable Capability Indicators to Monitor
Indicators that would reflect changes in capability include replacement or augmentation of attack helicopters with newer variants such as Ka-52M or Mi-28NM, growth or substitution in the UAV fleet with upgraded Forpost-R or other domestic types, increased availability of Mi-26 family heavy-lift helicopters, addition of electronic warfare configured Mi-8 variants, visible expansion of hardened shelters and perimeter defenses at rotary-wing sites, and administrative changes in military unit identifiers or publicly reported command personnel.