Daily Archives: October 15, 2011

In yesterday’s decree, President Medvedev retired General-Lieutenant Sadofyev, Deputy CINC of the Air Forces and Aviation Chief.  As you’ve read, he was sometimes the service’s spokesman, especially on modernization issues.  Sadofyev turned 55 (normal age limit for two-stars) in January.  At one time,  he looked like a candidate to replace Air Forces CINC, General-Colonel Zelin, who continues to serve. 

Medvedev made General-Major Vladimir Gradusov Deputy CINC of the Air Forces.  He wasn’t given the Aviation Chief title to replace Sadofyev directly.  But he has the background for it.

General-Major Gradusov

As the decree said, Gradusov comes from the 185th Combat Training and Combat Employment Center in Ashuluk.  Krasnaya zvezda recently profiled him. 

He’s 53 (maybe 52).  Native of Moscow Oblast.  Trained at the Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots.  Served as pilot-instructor at Kharkov.  Commanded the training squadron at the Krasnodar Higher Aviation School,  training foreign students on the L-39 and MiG-21. 

He’s commanded fighter regiments, and served in the former Kiev, North Caucasus, Transbaykal, and Siberian MDs.  In 2003, he left the post of aviation chief of the Siberian MD’s air and air defense army for the training center job in Ashuluk. 

He’s mastered the L-29, L-39, MiG-21 (all mods), MiG-29, MiG-31, and An-26.  Apparently not a Sukhoy guy.  KZ notes without elaboration that Gradusov has been in combat.

But on with the decree . . .

Appoint:

• Colonel Andrey Mikhaylovich Bulyga, Chief, Material-Technical Support Planning and Coordination Directorate, Central MD.
• General-Major Vladimir Yuryevich Gradusov, Deputy CINC, Air Forces, relieved as Chief, 185th Combat Training and Combat Employment Center.
• Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Borisovich Yefimov, Chief, Missile-Artillery Armament Service, Southern MD.
• General-Major Fraiz Fazlyakhmetovich Salyyev, Chief, Technical Support Directorate, Central MD, relieved as Chief, Technical Support Directorate, Southern MD.
• Colonel Mikhail Anatolyevich Khvostenkov, Chief, Missile-Artillery Armament Service, Eastern MD.

Relieve and dismiss from military service:

• Rear-Admiral Vitaliy Nikolayevich Ivanov, Chief of Fleet Communications, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Pacific Fleet.
• General-Lieutenant Igor Vasilyevich Sadofyev, Chief of Aviation, Deputy CINC of the Air Forces for Aviation.