Long-Range Aviation Command
Executive Summary
The listed entities form core command, communications, and support components of Russia’s Long-Range Aviation (Dalnaya Aviatsiya, DA) within the Aerospace Forces (VKS). The Long-Range Aviation Command (military unit 44402) in Moscow directs strategic and long-range bomber operations, supported by dedicated command-and-control and communications nodes (military units 23449, 83069, 06987), an aerial refueling regiment (203rd Guards, Il-78/Il-78M), and a mixed aviation regiment (military unit 36097) providing airlift and rotary-wing support. Aircraft types referenced include Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), Il-78/Il-78M (Midas), An-12 (Cub), Mi-26 (Halo), and Mi-8MT (Hip).
Long-Range Aviation Command Headquarters (military unit 44402)
The Long-Range Aviation Command, military unit 44402, is headquartered in Moscow and is responsible for the operational command of Russia’s long-range and strategic bomber forces within the VKS. Open sources identify Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash as the commander. The headquarters’ functions include force readiness, operational planning, training oversight, and integration of enabling capabilities (aerial refueling, logistics, and specialized communications) to support bomber fleets such as the Tu-95MS (Bear-H), Tu-160 (Blackjack), and Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C).
676th Long-Range Aviation Command Center (military unit 23449)
The 676th Long-Range Aviation Command Center, military unit 23449, functions as an operational-level node for command-and-control, mission planning, and coordination of Long-Range Aviation assets and support elements. Its role is to maintain continuous situational awareness and execute tasking from the Long-Range Aviation Command HQ, ensuring the dissemination of orders and synchronization of sorties, support, and communications. Specific location details and technical systems are not publicly disclosed.
63rd Automated Control Systems Separate Communications Center (military unit 83069)
The 63rd Automated Control Systems Separate Communications Center, military unit 83069, supports Long-Range Aviation by operating secure communications and automated command-and-control networks. Its mission is to ensure reliable, encrypted connectivity between command elements, air bases, and airborne platforms, underpinning operational control, redundancy, and continuity of command. Detailed locations, equipment configurations, and network architectures are not publicly available.
Engels Air Base Transmitting Radio Center and Command Post (military unit 06987)
Military unit 06987 is identified as the Transmitting Radio Center and Command Post supporting Engels Air Base, a principal Long-Range Aviation hub near Saratov that hosts Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bomber units. The radio center provides base-level and higher-echelon communications support, enabling command-and-control of flight operations and coordination with other Long-Range Aviation elements. Engels Air Base has been the subject of publicly reported long-range UAV attacks on 5 December 2022 and 26 December 2022, underscoring the operational importance of resilient communications and base defense at this site.
203rd Guards Aerial Refueling Regiment (Il-78/Il-78M)
The 203rd Guards Aerial Refueling Regiment operates Il-78/Il-78M tankers (NATO: Midas) and provides in-flight refueling to extend the range and endurance of Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3 missions. Open sources place this regiment at Dyagilevo Air Base (Ryazan Oblast), a long-standing tanker and training location for the VKS. The Il-78/Il-78M fleet employs hose-and-drogue systems (e.g., UPAZ-series refueling pods) to support single- and multi-point refueling, directly enabling strategic and theater-level strike profiles. Detailed aircraft counts and readiness rates are not officially published.
40th Mixed Aviation Regiment (military unit 36097)
The 40th Mixed Aviation Regiment, military unit 36097, provides Long-Range Aviation with transport and rotary-wing support. The reported inventory comprises 4 An-12 (Cub) transports, 3 Mi-26 (Halo) heavy-lift helicopters, and 6 Mi-8MT (Hip) medium helicopters. This mix supports personnel and cargo movement, heavy-lift tasks, intra-theater logistics, and general base sustainment operations, facilitating bomber unit readiness and dispersal when required. Specific basing and deployment patterns are not disclosed in official sources.
Long-Range Aviation Tu-22M3 Unit (formerly part of the 6950th Air Base)
The referenced Long-Range Aviation unit operating Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C) is described as formerly assigned to the 6950th Air Base, reflecting the 2009–2011 Russian Armed Forces reorganization that grouped bomber regiments into numbered air bases; subsequent reforms restored regimental structures under the Long-Range Aviation Command. Tu-22M3 units conduct long-range conventional strike missions and have been documented employing Kh-22/Kh-32 air-launched cruise/anti-ship missiles. Current detailed unit identifiers and locations in this context are not specified in the provided information.
Functional Integration and Roles
The listed units collectively ensure end-to-end operational capability: the Long-Range Aviation Command HQ (military unit 44402) issues tasking, the 676th Command Center (military unit 23449) executes operational control and coordination, the 63rd ACS Communications Center (military unit 83069) maintains secure command-and-control networks, the Engels Transmitting Radio Center and Command Post (military unit 06987) provides critical base-level communications at a primary bomber hub, the 203rd Guards Aerial Refueling Regiment delivers in-flight refueling capacity, and the 40th Mixed Aviation Regiment (military unit 36097) supplies transport and rotary-wing support. Together, these elements enable planning, sustainment, and execution of long-range bomber operations.
Basing and Geographic Context (publicly reported)
Within the scope of the provided data, key nodes include Moscow (Long-Range Aviation Command HQ), Engels Air Base near Saratov (radio center and command post), and Dyagilevo Air Base in Ryazan Oblast (203rd Guards Aerial Refueling Regiment). Beyond these, Long-Range Aviation bomber forces are widely reported to operate from multiple large airfields across Russia, but detailed locations for the 676th Command Center (military unit 23449), the 63rd ACS Separate Communications Center (military unit 83069), and the 40th Mixed Aviation Regiment (military unit 36097) are not publicly confirmed in the referenced material.
Capabilities Context
Long-Range Aviation constitutes the air-delivered leg of Russia’s strategic strike capability and conducts conventional long-range strike operations. Its bomber fleets—Tu-160 and Tu-95MS—are documented as carrying air-launched cruise missiles such as Kh-101/Kh-102, while Tu-22M3 units employ missiles including Kh-22/Kh-32. The enabling units listed here are essential to those missions: aerial refueling extends operational reach, mixed-aviation transport and helicopter assets support logistics and dispersal, and specialized command-and-control nodes preserve continuity of operations under routine and contested conditions.
Recent Public Reporting Relevant to These Sites
Open-source reporting since late 2022 has described long-range UAV attacks against Long-Range Aviation infrastructure, notably at Engels Air Base (5 and 26 December 2022) and Dyagilevo Air Base (5 December 2022), with Russian authorities acknowledging damage and casualties in some instances. These events highlight the operational significance of hardened, redundant communications (e.g., military unit 06987 at Engels) and the critical roles of aerial refueling and logistics units in sustaining and adapting bomber operations under elevated threat conditions.
Information Gaps and Classification Constraints
While the designations and roles listed are consistent with open-source reporting, certain specifics—including precise locations, facility layouts, detailed equipment inventories, readiness levels, and communications architectures for military units 23449, 83069, and 36097—are not publicly available or are classified. Where not explicitly stated in publicly accessible sources, such details are omitted here to maintain factual accuracy and avoid unsupported claims.