Russian Aerospace Forces | |
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Воздушно-космические силы | |
Founded | 1 August 2015 |
Country | Russia |
Type | Air and space force |
Role | |
Size | 165,000 personnel (2020)[1] |
Part of | Russian Armed Forces |
Headquarters | Arbat District, Moscow |
Colors |
|
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 | |
Website | Official website |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Colonel General Viktor Afzalov |
Deputy Commander-in-Chief | Colonel General Sergey Dronov |
Notable commanders | Colonel General Viktor Bondarev |
Insignia | |
Flag | |
Roundel | |
Patch | |
Middle emblem | |
Insignia |
Russian Armed Forces |
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Staff |
Services (vid) |
Independent troops (rod) |
Special operations force (sof) |
Other troops |
Military districts |
History of the Russian military |
The Russian Aerospace Forces (Russian: VKS)[2] or Russian Air and Space Forces[3][a] comprise the aerial, space warfare, and missile defence branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was established 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 to improve efficiency and logistical support.[4] The VKS is headquartered in Moscow.[5]
With the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, the Russian Aerospace Forces is a unified command consisting of the following branches:[6][7]
Command Staff | ||
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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) |
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) |
Commander of the Space Forces, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces
(Командующий Космическими войсками — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) |
Functional deputy commanders: | ||
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Military-Political Work (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по военно-политической работе) | Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Logistics (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по материально-техническому обеспечению) | Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Armaments (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по вооружению) |
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[6] |
Lieutenant General Viktor Afzalov | unknown | ||
Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces | Lieutenant General Sergey Dronov | 1 August 2015 | 2019 |
Lieutenant General Andrey Yudin | 2019 | 2021? | |
Lieutenant General Andrey Dyomin[8] | 2021 | ||
Deputy Commanders of the Aerospace Forces | |||
Commander of the Air Force | Colonel General Andrey Yudin | 1 September 2015 | c. July 2019 |
Lieutenant General Sergey 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 Andrey Dyomin | 2021 | ||
Commander of the Space Forces | Colonel General Aleksandr Golovko | 1 September 2015[6] | |
Deputy Commander for Work with Personnel | Major General Andrei Kazakevich | unknown | unknown |
Lieutenant General Aleksandr Maksimtsev | 2019 | ||
Deputy Commander for Logistics | Lieutenant General Vladimir Trishunkin | unknown | unknown |
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 |
The Aerospace Forces are organised in air armies.
Air Forces High Command (Главное командование ВВС) (Moscow)
Air Defence and Anti-Ballistic Missile Defence Forces Command (Командование войск ПВО-ПРО) (Moscow)
Space Forces Command (Командование космических войск) (Krasnoznamensk, Moscow Oblast)
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Russian Aerospace Forces[9] |
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Генера́л а́рмии Generál ármii |
Генера́л-полко́вник Generál-polkóvnik |
Генера́л-лейтена́нт Generál-leytenánt |
Генера́л-майо́р Generál-mayór |
Полко́вник Polkóvnik |
Подполко́вник Podpolkóvnik |
Майо́р Majór |
Kапита́н Kapitán |
Старший лейтена́нт Stárshiy leytenánt |
Лейтенант Leytenant |
Mла́дший лейтена́нт Mládshiy leytenánt |
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Russian Aerospace Forces[9] |
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Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik |
Пра́порщик Práporshchyk |
Старшина́ Starshyná |
Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt |
Сержа́нт Serzhánt |
Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt |
Ефре́йтор Efréĭtor |
Рядово́й Ryadovóy |