MOSCOW. Jan 24 (Interfax-AVN) - Lieutenant General Valery Retunsky has been appointed commander of the 16th air force army which is being established on the basis of the 16th mixed aircraft corps stationed in the Kubinka garrison in the Moscow region, a spokesman for the Air Force command told Interfax- Military News Agency on Thursday.
The 16th army was originally established in August 1942 but was transformed into the 16th corps during the Russian Armed Forces reduction in 1998. A decision to restore the army was made in order to streamline the Air Force establishment and bring it to a single pattern. The army is to operate in the western destination.
Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov will hand over the combat banner of the 16th army to Retunsky on February 1.
Retunsky was born in the Stary Sokol village in the Belgorod region on March 6, 1952. He graduated from the Borisoglebsly higher military aircraft pilots college in 1975, Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1983 and General Staff Academy in 1995. He is a sniper pilot who has mastered over 10 types of aircraft, had over 2,000 flight hours and accomplished over 50 combat missions. Before being appointed commander of the 16th army Retunsky headed the 16th corps.
Also on Thursday, Major General Igor Sadofyev was appointed commander of the 11th air force and air defense army headquartered in Khabarovsk, the spokesman said.
Sadofyev was born in the Bratovshchina village in the Moscow region on January 28, 1956. He graduated from the Kacha higher air force pilots college in 1977, Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1987 and General Staff Academy in 2001. He is a first class pilot who has mastered 10 types of aircraft, had over 2,000 flight hours and accomplished over 100 combat missions, including in Afghanistan from 1980 to 1981. Before being appointed commander of the 11th army Sadofyev was deputy commander of the 4th air force and air defense army operating in the North Caucasus.
Lieutenant General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, former head of the 11th army, was appointed Air Force deputy commander.