Confederal Air Force¶
The Confederal Air Force is the AFCS's air-superiority, strike, bomber, and integrated air-defence service. Approximately 60,000 active personnel plus approximately 40,000 reservists operating a peer-tier modern Eastern-bloc VKS-pattern air force across all principal mission areas.
The Confederal Air Force is the smallest of the three services by personnel but represents a substantial peer-tier capability — broadly comparable to mid-tier WDP air forces in qualitative terms, with the principal limitations being aggregate force size and certain electronic-warfare and precision-munition categories where the FEZ-anchored technology partnerships have not delivered fully equivalent capability.
The Air Force is the principal air-superiority and strike instrument of the confederation; it contests Aegiran and broader WDP air operations across the Aegiran Sea and the Shalmeen approaches.
Organisation¶
The Confederal Air Force reports to the Commander of the Confederal Air Force under the General Staff. It is organised into four operational commands plus the integrated Air Defence Command, with the Naval Aviation Arm operating under the Confederal Navy (see Confederal Navy):
- Air Defence Command (ADC) — national air-and-missile defence; interceptor regiments, long/medium/short-range SAM brigades; formally separate but operationally integrated under the Air Force
- Frontal Aviation Command — tactical air support; air superiority; CAS; the principal combat aviation force
- Long-Range Aviation Command — strategic conventional strike; Tu-22M3 bomber regiment; strategic recce
- Transport Aviation Command — strategic and tactical airlift; air-to-air refuelling
- Aviation Special Operations Detachment — EW, special-ops support, ISR
Principal air bases¶
- Mehrvaan Air HQ — Air Force headquarters and Air Defence Command principal node
- Plateau Air Base — interceptors covering the capital region
- Shalmeen Coast Air Base — Aegiran-Sea contest base
- Southern Air Base — Livonian frontier
- Forward Aegiran Air Base — eastern occupied islands; established August 2026
Air Defence Command (ADC)¶
The integrated air-defence system is one of the most substantial in Sierra. ADC fields:
- Interceptor regiments — MiG-31BM 'Saqr' heavy interceptors; two regiments dedicated to long-range air defence
- Long-Range SAM Brigade — S-400 'Triumf'; ~4-6 battalions covering the Mehrvaan capital region and the principal Shalmeen-Sea ports
- Medium-Range SAM Brigade — Buk-M3 (modern) and Buk-M2 (legacy)
- SHORAD Brigade — Tor-M2 and Pantsir-S1
- Radar surveillance network — domestic + Eastern-bloc-pattern early-warning radars; covers the Ardun Plateau, Shalmeen Sea approaches, and the western Aegiran-Sea contest area
- Counter-UAS Battalion — recent activation reflecting the growth of loitering-munition threats in the Aegiran-Sea contest
The air-defence network is integrated through the National Air Defence Command's command-and-control systems. The principal current operational pressure is on the western coastal air-defence systems, which face continuous WDP coalition probing.
Frontal Aviation Command¶
The principal combat aviation force:
- Multi-role Fighter Wing — Su-35S 'Anqa' equivalent (modern) and Su-30SM 'Anqa-2' equivalent (multi-role); ~5 regiments
- Strike Wing — Su-34 'Hammer' equivalent tactical strike fighter-bomber; ~3 regiments
- CAS Wing — Su-25SM 'Najm' equivalent close-air-support; ~2 regiments
Frontal Aviation conducts the air-superiority and strike contest over the Aegiran Sea and (in standby posture) supports the Confederal Army on the Livonian frontier.
Long-Range Aviation Command¶
CSAT's conventional strategic-strike instrument:
- Strategic Bomber Regiment — Tu-22M3 'Aqil' equivalent long-range maritime strike + conventional bombing; ~24 aircraft; the principal CSAT blue-water strategic-strike platform (conventional only — no nuclear weapons per canon)
- Strategic Recon Squadron — Tu-22MR / Tu-214R 'Basir' equivalent ISR
The Tu-22M3 force is the symbol of CSAT's strategic-strike reach and is the principal long-range maritime-strike asset coordinated with the Confederal Navy.
Transport Aviation Command¶
- Strategic Transport Regiment — Il-76MD 'Hammal' equivalent; ~30 aircraft
- Tactical Transport Regiment — An-26 / An-12 / Il-112V equivalent
- Tanker Squadron — Il-78M 'Saqi' equivalent aerial refueller; ~6 aircraft
Aviation Special Operations Detachment¶
Specialised aviation supporting:
- AFCS special operations forces (insertion, extraction, support) — Mi-8MTPR special-ops variants
- Airborne electronic warfare — Il-22M 'Janub' equivalent
- Strategic and tactical ISR — Tu-214R 'Basir', Orion-E 'Uqab' MALE
- Combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) — integrated with transport regiments
Unmanned systems¶
The Confederal Air Force fields a substantial UAS inventory:
- Orion-E 'Uqab' — MALE strike/ISR drone; domestic Confederal Aviation Industries product; principal CSAT export item to ESA partners and non-aligned customers
- Orlan-10 'Saqr-Sagheer' — tactical ISR drone; widely fielded
- Lancet-A 'Rumh' — loitering munition; recent fielding; significant role in the Aegiran-Sea contest
- Counter-UAS — battalion-level capability under Air Defence Command
Current operational posture (late 2026)¶
| Mission | Force | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Aegiran Sea air superiority | Frontal Aviation (Aegiran sector) | Continuous combat operations; substantial losses incurred and replaced |
| Maritime strike | Long-Range Aviation (Tu-22M3) + Frontal Aviation Strike Wing + naval-air coordination | Continuous operations against WDP coalition shipping and naval forces |
| Air defence (national) | Air Defence Command (full) | Continuous; expanded readiness since July 2026 |
| Air defence (Aegiran coastal) | Air Defence Command (forward elements) | Continuous; substantial WDP coalition probing |
| Ground support (Livonian frontier) | Frontal Aviation Strike + CAS Wings (Southern) | Standby; not actively engaged |
| Ground support (eastern islands) | Frontal Aviation (Aegiran sector) + Naval Aviation Arm | Continuous support to occupation forces and island defence |
| Strategic strike | Long-Range Aviation (Tu-22M3) | Limited operations; selected high-value strikes |
The Confederal Air Force is the second-most-engaged service after the Navy. Air losses since July 2026 have been substantial — fighter and strike aircraft losses in the moderate hundreds, helicopter losses in the lower hundreds — but within sustainable replacement rates given domestic production.
Recruitment and training¶
Confederal Air Force manpower:
- Volunteer-professional — virtually all officers and the bulk of enlisted are volunteer-professional career personnel
- Limited conscription — only for selected non-technical specialties
- Officer recruitment — through the Confederal Air Force Academy and supporting institutions
- Pilot training — through the Confederal Pilot Training Command; long pipeline producing peer-tier-capable aircrews; Yak-130 'Mu'allim' equivalent advanced jet trainer
Pilot training quality is broadly comparable to WDP peer standards — confederal aircrews are professionally trained, technically capable, and tactically competent. The principal limitation is aggregate force size rather than per-unit quality.
Doctrine¶
Confederal Air Force doctrine:
- Air superiority over the confederation and its coastal approach zones as the foundational mission
- Air-defence integration with surface-based systems for layered defence of principal national assets
- Maritime strike in close coordination with the Confederal Navy — the principal CSAT offensive air mission of the current war
- Combined arms air support for Confederal Army operations (currently a secondary mission given the limited land-warfare commitment)
- Strategic conventional strike via the Tu-22M3 force — a deterrent and selectively-employed offensive capability
The doctrine emphasises defensive air superiority over offensive penetration — appropriate to a force facing aggregate WDP coalition air strength that exceeds the AFCS's own.
Industrial base¶
Confederal Aviation Industries operates the principal aircraft and aero-engine production facilities:
- Fighter and strike aircraft production — domestically built Eastern-bloc-pattern airframes (Su-35S / Su-30SM / Su-34 / Su-25SM derivative production)
- Helicopter production — Mi-17, Mi-28N, Ka-52, Ka-27 family
- Transport aircraft — Il-76 and Il-112V derivative production
- UAS production — Orion-E and Orlan-10 (principal export items)
- Aero-engine production — domestic with FEZ-anchored foreign-partnership content
- Missile and munitions production — air-launched cruise missiles, air-to-air missiles, precision-guided munitions (Confederal Electronics and Missile Systems)
The industrial base provides substantial domestic supply for the Confederal Air Force. The principal external dependencies are specific high-end electronics and precision-munition categories.
Equipment¶
Confederal Air Force equipment is principally domestically produced at peer-tier quality. See Equipment for full treatment. Key categories:
- Heavy interceptor: MiG-31BM 'Saqr'
- Multi-role fighter: Su-35S 'Anqa' + Su-30SM 'Anqa-2'
- Tactical strike fighter: Su-34 'Hammer'
- Close air support: Su-25SM 'Najm'
- Long-range bomber: Tu-22M3 'Aqil' (conventional only — no nuclear per canon)
- Strategic transport: Il-76MD 'Hammal'
- AEW&C: A-50U 'Mihrab' (~4 aircraft)
- Aerial tanker: Il-78M 'Saqi' (~6 aircraft)
- Strategic ISR: Tu-214R 'Basir'
- Airborne EW: Il-22M 'Janub'
- Attack helicopter: Ka-52 'Timsah' + Mi-28N 'Tair al-Layl'
- Heavy-lift helicopter: Mi-26 'Jamal' (~12 aircraft)
- MALE UAS: Orion-E 'Uqab' (principal export item)
- Loitering munition: Lancet-A 'Rumh'
- Long-range SAM: S-400 'Triumf'
- Medium-range SAM: Buk-M3 (modern) + Buk-M2 (legacy)
- SHORAD: Tor-M2 + Pantsir-S1
The Confederal Air Force is broadly comparable to WDP peer air forces in qualitative terms with the principal lag in specific stealth, electronic-warfare, and precision-munition categories.