Coot versus Typhoon
On 5 December 2020, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) was SCRAMBLE'd to an unmarked (or is its serial removed by photoshop?) Russian Federation Il-20M over the Baltics.
The NATO reporting name COOT A operated without a transponder signal north of Estonia and was on its way from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad.
The RF VKS Il-20, Il-20M fleet is based at:
Chkalovskiy air base, assigned to the Western Military District, 6th Leningrad Red Banner Air and Air Defence Army, 800th Red Banner Air Base (800 AB), 2nd level
Khabarovsk/Bolshoy air base, assigned to the Eastern Military District
11th Red Banner Air and Air Defence Army, 257th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment (257 OSAP)
Kubinka air base, assigned to the Supreme Command of the Air Force (Direct reporting units) 4th Centre for Combat Application and Crew Training (4 GTsPAP i VI), Guards Red Banner order of Kutuzov, order of Alexander Nevsky Centre for Display of Aviation Equipment
Rostov-na-Donu/North air base, assigned to the Southern Military District
4th Red Banner Air and Air Defence Army, 535th Independent Composite Transport Aviation Regiment (535 OSAP)
Voronezh/Baltimor air base, assigned to the Western Military District,
6th Leningrad Red Banner Air and Air Defence Army, 47th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment (47 OSAP)
These units also deploy on a rotational base an Il-20M to the Composite Aviation Squadron (ONAB), also known as the Special Purpose Aviation Brigade at Khmeimim / Bassel Al-Assad air base in Syria. This deployment is assigned to the Supreme Command of the Air Force as a direct reporting unit.
The Russian Federation - Naval Aviation (AVMF-RF) is also operating the Il-20, these aircraft are based at:
Severomorsk-1 air base, assigned to the Northern Fleet, 403rd Independent Composite Aviation Regiment (403 OSAP)
Yesk air base, assigned to the Headquarters Russian Navy, 859th Centre for Combat Application and Crew Training for Naval Aviation (859 TsBP i PLS MA VMF).
Scramble has knowledge of ten Il-20s in service with the RF VKS and AVMF-RF. If you have updates on the below review, please drop us a line