10th_Composite_Aviation_Corps
10th Composite Aviation Corps
Military formation of the Bulgarian Air Force
The 10th Composite Aviation Corps (10ти Смесен Авиационен Корпус) was a military formation of the Bulgarian Air Force. Its headquarters was in Plovdiv, and it was active from 1961 to the late 1980s.
It was established in September 1961 and its first commander was Major-General Simeon Simeonov .[1] The new corps headquarters was mainly composed of officers from the command of 2nd Air Defence Corps (in Yambol) and from the command of the just disbanded 10th Fighter Air Division in Graf Ignatievo, hence the number. It was decided that Plovdiv Airport was to be the headquarters of the new formation. Parallel to the formation of the corps commenced the formation of 44th Helicopter Air Regiment, also at the Plovdiv airport. In 1961 the air corps included:
- two fighter air regiments (15th FAR in Ravnets and 21st in Uzundzhovo), flying MiG-15s, 17s and 19s
- two fighter-bomber air regiments (22nd FBAR in Bezmer and 25th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment at Cheshnegirovo Air Base), flying MiG-15s and 17s
- 26th Reconnaissance Air Regiment (in Tolbukhin), flying MiG-15bis and Il-28s
- one transport air regiment (16th RAR in Vrazhdebna), flying Li-2s and Il-14s
- 44th Helicopter air regiment (in Plovdiv), initially flying yhree Mi-4s and 4 Mi-1s
- signals battalion
- 10th Radiotechnical Battalion
- 19th Fighter Air Regiment was included temporarily at Graf Ignatievo, flying MiG-19S/PMs
The Corps was still active as of 1 June 1995 (IISS MB 95-96, p.81). However, it was disestablished over the next year or two to become the Tactical Aviation Command.