Russian Aerospace Forces

Russian Aerospace Forces
	Воздушно-космические силы; Vozdushno-kosmicheskiye sily
	Emblem of the Russian Aerospace Forces
Founded	1 August 2015; 8 years ago
Country	Russia
Type	Air force and space force
Role	Aerial warfare ; Space warfare ; Missile defense
Size	165,000 personnel (2020)
Part of	Russian Armed Forces
Headquarters	Arbat District, Moscow
Patron	Saint Elijah the Prophet
Colors	Light Blue, Dark Blue, gold, silver
March	"Air March" (Russian: "Авиамарш") (official march-past of the Air Force); "14 Minutes Until Launch" (Russian: "14 минут до старта") (official march of the Space Forces)
Anniversaries	Air Force Day; (12 August)
Engagements	Intervention in the Syrian Civil War; 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine;
Website	Official website
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Army General Sergei Surovikin
First Deputy Commander-in-Chief	Lieutenant General Viktor Afzalov
Deputy Commander-in-Chief	Colonel General Sergey Dronov
Notable; commanders	Colonel General Viktor Bondarev
Insignia
Flag
Roundel
Patch
Middle emblem
Insignia

Short description: Air and space service of the Russian Armed Forces

President Putin presenting the banner of the Aerospace Forces to Viktor Bondarev

The Russian Aerospace Forces^[3] or Russian Air and Space Forces^[4] (Russian: Воздушно-космические силы (Russian: ВКС)) comprise the Air force and space branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Russia established the VKS as a new branch of its military on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force (VVS) and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO), as recommended by the Ministry of Defence. The VKS has its headquarters in Moscow.^[5] Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu explained the merger as improving efficiency and logistical support.^[6]

Organisation

Sub-branches

According to Jane's Information Group, with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, the new Russian Aerospace Forces consist of three sub-branches:^[7]

Russian Air Force
Air Defense and Anti-missile Defense Forces (ru)^[8]
Space Forces

Main Command of the Aerospace Forces (*Главное командование* *Воздушно-космическими силами*)
Command Staff
Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces (Главнокомандующий Воздушно-космическими силами)		Army general / Colonel general
Chief of the Main Staff - First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (Начальник Главного штаба — первый заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами)		Colonel general / Lieutenant general
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами)		Colonel general / Lieutenant general
Chiefs of branches, deputy commanders:
Commander of the Air Force, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces (Командующий Военно-воздушными силами — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) Colonel general / Lieutenant general	Commander of the Aerospace and Missile Defense Forces, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces (Командующий Войсками противовоздушной и противоракетной обороны — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) Colonel general / Lieutenant general	Commander of the Space Forces, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces (Командующий Космическими войсками — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) Colonel general / Lieutenant general
Functional deputy commanders:
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Military-Political Work (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по военно-политической работе) Major general	Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Logistics (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по материально-техническому обеспечению) Major general	Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Armaments (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по вооружению) Major general

Leadership

As of October 2022:
Position	Name	Start date	End date
Commander of the Aerospace Forces	Colonel General Viktor Bondarev	1 August 2015	26 September 2017
	Lieutenant General Pavel Kurachenko (acting)	26 September 2017	22 November 2017
	Army General Sergei Surovikin	22 November 2017

First Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces (Chief of the General Staff)	Lieutenant General Pavel Kurachenko	1 September 2015	unknown^[7]
	Lieutenant General Viktor Afzalov	unknown

Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces	Lieutenant General Sergei Dronov	1 August 2015	2019
Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces	Lieutenant General Andrei Yudin	2019
Deputy Commanders of the Aerospace Forces
Commander of the Air Force	Colonel General Andrei Yudin	1 September 2015	c. July 2019
Commander of the Air Force	Lieutenant General Sergei Dronov	c. July 2019
Commander of the Aerospace and Missile Defense Forces	Lieutenant General Viktor Gumyonny	1 September 2015	2018
	Lieutenant General Yury Grekhov	2018	2021
	Lieutenant General Andrei Dyomin	2021
Commander of the Space Forces	Colonel General Aleksandr Golovko	1 September 2015^[7]
Deputy Commander for Work with Personnel	Major General Andrei Kazakevich	unknown	unknown
Deputy Commander for Work with Personnel	Lieutenant General Aleksandr Maksimtsev	2019
Deputy Commander for Logistics	Lieutenant General Vladimir Trishunkin	unknown	unknown
Deputy Commander for Logistics	Lieutenant General Zabit Kheirbekov	unknown
Deputy Commander for Armaments	Colonel Andrei Medvedkov	unknown	unknown
	Major General Sergei Meshcheryakov	unknown	2021
	Colonel General Yury Grekhov	2021

Order of Battle

The Aerospace Forces are organised in air armies.

Air Forces High Command (Главное командование ВВС) (Moscow)

Units directly subordinated to the High Command (Части центрального подчинения ВВС)
operationally subordinated to the High Command:
- Military Transport Aviation Command (Командование военно-транспортной авиации) (Moscow)
- Long-Range Aviation Command (Командование дальней авиации) (Moscow)
operationally subordinated to the Western Military District:
- 6th Leningrad Red Banner Army of Air Forces and Air Defence (6-я Ленинградская Краснознамённая армия ВВС и ПВО) (Saint Petersburg)
operationally subordinated to the Southern Military District:
- 4th Red Banner Army of Air Forces and Air Defence (4-я Краснознамённая армия ВВС и ПВО) (Rostov-on-Don)
operationally subordinated to the Central Military District:
- 14th Red Banner Army of Air Forces and Air Defence (14-я Краснознамённая армия ВВС и ПВО) (Yekaterinburg)
operationally subordinated to the Eastern Military District:
- 11th Red Banner Army of Air Forces and Air Defence (11-я Краснознамённая армия ВВС и ПВО) (Khabarovsk)
operationally subordinated to the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command:
- 45th Air and Air Defenсe Forces Army (45-я Армия ВВС и ПВО) (Severomorsk-2) - uniquely the aviation units of the 45th Army belong administratively to the Naval Aviation and the ground-based missile air defence units belong to the Air Forces air defence branch.

Air Defence and Anti-Ballistic Missile Defence Forces Command (Командование войск ПВО-ПРО) (Moscow)

1st Order of Lenin Air Defence and Anti-Ballistic Missile Defence Army (Special Purpose) (1-я ордена Ленина армия противовоздушной и противоракетной обороны (особого назначения)) (Balashikha, Moscow Oblast) - air cover of the Moscow area. (:ru:1-я армия противовоздушной и противоракетной обороны особого назначения)
- 4th Air Defence Division "Hero of the Soviet Union Lt.-Gen. B. P. Kirpikov" (4-я дивизия ПВО имени Героя Советского Союза генерал-лейтенанта Б.П. Кирпикова) (Dolgoprudny, Moscow Oblast) (armed with the S-300PM/PS and the S-400 missile systems)
- 5th Air Defence Division (5-я дивизия ПВО) (Petrovskoe, Moscow Oblast) (armed with the S-300PM and the S-400 missile systems)
- 9th Anti-Ballistic Missile Defence Division (9-я дивизия ПРО) (Sofrino, Moscow Oblast) (armed with the A-135 anti-ballistic missile system)

Space Forces Command (Командование космических войск) (Krasnoznamensk, Moscow Oblast)

15th Aerospace Forces Army (Special Purpose) (15-я армия Воздушно-космических сил (особого назначения)) (Krasnoznamensk)
1st State Test Cosmodrome of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence "Plesetsk" (1-й Государственный испытательный космодром Министерства обороны Российской Федерации «Плесецк»)
Space Forces Arsenal (Арсенал космических войск) (Znamenka-1 village, Tambov Oblast)

Ranks and rank insignia

Officer ranks

Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OF/Russia

Other ranks

Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/Russia

References

↑ "Russian Armed Forces: Military Modernization and Reforms". Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. 20 July 2020. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF11603.pdf.
↑ Main Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
↑ "Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister". http://tass.com/russia/812184.
↑ "6 Dead in Fire at Russian Aerospace Defense Research Institute – State Media". The Moscow Times. 21 April 2022. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/04/21/6-dead-in-fire-at-russian-aerospace-defense-research-institute-state-media-a77446.
↑ Шойгу объявил о создании нового вида ВС - Воздушно-космических сил , ria.ru/defense, 3 August 2015
↑ Compare: Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister , tass.ru, 3 August 2015. - "'The formation of the Aerospace Forces by combining the Air Force and the Aerospace Defense Force is the optimal option for improving the system of the country's aerospace defense,' Shoigu said. [...] 'Now the single command unites aviation, air defense and anti-missile defense troops, space forces and means of the armed forces' [...]."
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Russia creates new Aerospace Force service branch , janes.com, 4 August 2015
↑ "Air and Missile Defence Forces". Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. https://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/vks/pvo-pro/structure.htm.

External links

Russian Aerospace Forces official site (English)

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[1] "Russian Armed Forces: Military Modernization and Reforms". Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. 20 July 2020. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF11603.pdf.

[2] Main Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces. Retrieved 2019-02-02.

[3] "Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister". http://tass.com/russia/812184.

[4] "6 Dead in Fire at Russian Aerospace Defense Research Institute – State Media". The Moscow Times. 21 April 2022. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/04/21/6-dead-in-fire-at-russian-aerospace-defense-research-institute-state-media-a77446.

[5] Шойгу объявил о создании нового вида ВС - Воздушно-космических сил , ria.ru/defense, 3 August 2015

[6] Compare: Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister , tass.ru, 3 August 2015. - "'The formation of the Aerospace Forces by combining the Air Force and the Aerospace Defense Force is the optimal option for improving the system of the country's aerospace defense,' Shoigu said. [...] 'Now the single command unites aviation, air defense and anti-missile defense troops, space forces and means of the armed forces' [...]."

[Janes2015-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 Russia creates new Aerospace Force service branch , janes.com, 4 August 2015

[8] "Air and Missile Defence Forces". Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. https://structure.mil.ru/structure/forces/vks/pvo-pro/structure.htm.

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