Georgian Aviation and Air Defence Command — Georgian Defence Forces — Force Atlas

In brief

The command that holds what remains of Georgian air power — helicopters, a handful of Su-25 airframes from the Tbilisi production line, and the ground-based air defence bought from France and Israel after 2008 — re- established as a separate command in 2016 after the air force had been folded into the land force.

Scope: Structure, role, lineage and links. No subordinate records published.
Subordination: Subordination confirmed
Sources: 3 on the record
Record state: Partial

Broad area of activity

Georgian airspace, nationally

Notable history

Georgia's air force flew Su-25s built at its own Tbilisi plant in the 2008 war and lost the argument afterwards: the service was merged into the land force in 2010 and re-established as a separate aviation and air-defence command only in 2016. Its fixed-wing element is small and ageing; its helicopters are the useful part; and its air defence was rebuilt after 2008 with French radars and Israeli and French missile systems, on the reasoning that a country whose airspace Russia entered at will could at least make the entry costly. The command's stated role is aviation support to the Defence Forces' formations and protection of the country's airspace, and this record states no more than that.

Strengths

A layered air-defence purchase from Western suppliers, and a helicopter force suited to the mountains.

Limitations

No credible manned air combat capability, and an air-defence architecture that could not prevent what it was bought to answer. No numbers, sites, coverage or readiness are published.

Reported & historical equipment associations

Su-25 · Historically associated · high confidence

Su-25: Operated the type and hosted its Soviet-era production line at Tbilisi; 2008 war employment documented.

Quick actions

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System access

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Equipment catalogue1 linked system — family-level records, never quantities

Sensitivity: Public · structuralConfidence: ModerateSources: IISS Military Balance ↗ · Civil.ge ↗ · Established historical recordMethodology Corrections

Assessed as of2026-06Last reviewed2026-09-09

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