After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the lion's share of the air forces ended up under Russian control. Over the last decade, the Soviet/Russian air forces have engaged in a massive, general technological upgrade program that has significantly eroded the technology gap between their forces and those of their technologically more advanced but numerically inferior Western counterparts. The Mig-29 and Su-27 are perhaps the most striking examples of this advancement. Forces include the 100,000-man Long-Range Aviation which has over one thousand long and medium range bombers and strike aircraft, plus about 500 of interceptors, fuel tankers, and ECM aircraft combined. The Air Defense Command has the duty of defending Russian soil and can call on 635,000 men and over 1,200 fighter/interceptor aircraft as well as the world's largest array of surface-to-air missile batteries. The largest number of aircraft are under the command of Frontal Aviation, with 315,000 men and 5,900 combat aircraft. Its duties are to provide air power over the front lines with its massive mix of fighter and strike aircraft. Naval Aviation, with its some 70,000 men and approximately 1,000 aircraft has long operated Yakovlev vertical-takeoff fighters from its carriers, and is currently 'navalizing' the Su-27 interceptor for carrier duty.
