Soviet Air Force and Paratrooper Badges (1979-1991) |
Soviet Air Force Badges This section covers some of the many badges that were awarded to members of the Soviet Air Force (VVS) and paratroopers (VDV) during the Afghanistan War and late Soviet period. In each case we will attempt to give a full history of each badge when possible, and a general description at the very least. |
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Back to Patches, Badges,
Medals and |
Enlisted Qualification Badges - 1989 Type These are the later form of the badges first introduced in 1968. They were awarded to enlisted men based on their skill and conduct. The badges of the late 80's were almost identical in appearance to the earlier versions, but were made of aluminum and paint. The decline in quality was typical of many late period Soviet badges. They are all pin-back badges. They were finally replaced in 1994 by a new series of Russian qualification badges. |
(Coming Soon) |
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Officer Qualification Badges (1961) (2) These badges were established on 10 April 1961 by Prikaz #0085 of the USSR Ministry of Defense, and awarded to officers based on their proficiency, skill, and conduct. They came from a variety of factories in the Soviet Union and because of this standardization was a problem. These badges are made of brass and enamel. The tank in the center is painted (poorly on some examples). They were replaced in 1994 with a series of new Russian badges. (1) | |
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Enlisted Qualification Badges (1968) These badges were awarded to enlisted men of all branches of service based on their skill and conduct. Each is made of brass and enamel and are issued in both pin back and screw back varieties. These badges were used until replaced by simple aluminum and paint versions in 1989. |
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Pilot and Navigator Qualification Badges (1966) These badges were awarded to air force pilots and navigators based on their proficiency, skill, and conduct. They were first issued in 1966 and made of brass. Later variants made of aluminum were made in 1971. The navigator badges replaced the earlier variant established in 1950. As with many other badges, these were made from a variety of factories in the Soviet Union. All are have pin back fasteners. | |
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Qualification Badge(1) |
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Qualification Badge(1) |
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2nd Class Pilot Qualification Badge(1) |
3rd Class Navigator |
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Basic Pilot Qualification |
Basic Navigator Qualification |
Coming Soon!! |
Excellent Sportsman Badge (1964) These badges were established in 1964 and awarded to soldiers for excellence in physical conditioning and sports activities. It came in three classes and was worn by both soldiers, airmen, and sailors. They are screw back badges made of aluminum, white paint, and colored enamel. These replaced the earlier 1950 badges and were used until they were replaced by the Russian 1995 pattern badges. |
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First Class Badge | Second Class Badge | Third Class Badge |
Aviation Technician Badges (1958)
(1) These badges were established in four classes in June of 1958. They replaced the earlier 1949 Air Force Engineer Badge. They are 66mm across and have pin back fasteners. Each is made of aluminum. The 2nd and 3rd class badges below are older variations that were stamped, details of the front can be seen on the reverse. The Basic badge is a later, possibly 1980's version that has a flat back and maker's marking. These were issued until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. | |
Air Force Engineer Badge 1st Class |
Air Force Engineer Badge 2nd Class |
Coming Soon!! | |
Air Force Engineer Badge 3rd Class |
Air Force Engineer Badge Basic |
Works Cited 1) Gordon, Yefim. Soviet Strategic Aviation in the Cold War. Manchester: Hikoki Publications, 2009. Print. (130-131) (2) Prilutskaya, N. V. and N. L. Kortunova, ВОЕННАЯ ОДЕЖДА ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ СССР И РОССИИ (1917-1990), Moscow: Military Publishing, 1999. Print. (3) Borisov, V.A., НАГРУДНЫЕ ЗНАКИ СОВЕТСКИХ ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ 1918-1991, St. Petersburg: FARN, 1994. Print. |