By 2012 the Russian Naval Aviation consisted of Su-33 fighters and Su-25UTG attack aircraft belonging to the 279th Regiment that formed the Admiral Kuznetzov carrier air wing. Also considered as part of this group were the Su-24 bombers based in the Crimea. Established in 1973 as the 279th Independent Shipborne Assault Aviation Regiment but in 1990 it became a maritime Assault Aviation Regiment. In 1993 the unit absorbed the 100th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment so the 279th was renamed the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment based at Severomorsk-3, Murmansk Oblast.

Designed by the Soviet Union to challenge the superiority of fourth generation US fighters such as the F-15 Eagle, the Su-27 was first flown on May 20, 1977. This one seat Mach-2 fighter had the Soviet Union’s first operational fly-by-wire system. The aircraft is very large compared to the MiG-29, its closest Soviet counterpart, but it is built with a high percentage of titanium, which helps minimize its weight. It is exceptionally agile and is perhaps most famous for its “Cobra” maneuver, which is a short, sustained level flight at a 120 degree angle of attack, often performed at air shows.

• Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Pad printed markings and placards that won’t fade or peel like decals.
• Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.
• Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
• Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
• Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.