The decoding of the abbreviation “VKS”, which has recently appeared in the media, is known to almost everyone: “Aerospace Forces”. The Russian Aerospace Forces were formed in 2018. However, the prerequisites for the formation of these forces were outlined in the second half of 2008. Forcing Georgia to peace forced the command of the Russian armed forces to completely revise the structure of the Russian Air Force, which turned out to be obsolete and imperfect in practice.

The current state of the Russian Aerospace Forces

After the first of August 2015, as a result of the merger of the Air Force and the Aerospace Defense Forces, a new type of armed forces was formed - the Russian Aerospace Forces. The commander of the Aerospace Forces was General Viktor Bondarev, who repeatedly participated in various military conflicts, Hero of the Russian Federation and Honored Pilot of the Russian Federation.

The creation of the Aerospace Forces made it possible to concentrate all the means of the country's air defense - the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, which have the latest equipment - in a single structure.

Air force today

The Air Force of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation performs the following tasks:

1. reconnaissance of the situation in the air and space;
2. Detection of the beginning of hostilities against the country in aerospace. After detection, the aerospace forces must notify the authorities, and using all available weapons, repel the attack;
3. Protection of important and strategic objects of management and economic regions of the country. In addition to defense, aerospace forces must strike at enemy strategic targets;
4. Air support for other types of troops.

In addition to hostilities, the Russian Aerospace Forces must ensure the launch of vehicles into space and control them using the latest equipment.

Prospects for the modernization of the Air Force

The Main Headquarters of Space Defense announced that in the coming years, the aerospace forces will be understaffed with more than a hundred units of new aircraft, mainly for military purposes. This statement was made after the MAKS-2017 aerospace show. According to General Bondarev, Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, the tasks of updating the fleet are being solved at an accelerated pace, and by 2019 it is planned to increase the combat capability of the Aerospace Forces aviation to 95 percent.

In addition to the receipt of new equipment in military units, major repairs and modernization of older aircraft and helicopters are expected. Bondarenko emphasized that the equipment of the Russian Aerospace Forces is in no way inferior to the air fleets of world powers.

When asked whether the Aerospace Forces will receive increased funding and what is the general course of the state armament program until 2025, the general replied that there would be more than enough funds for equipping and performing the tasks of the Aerospace Forces. There was also a phrase that by 2025 80-90 percent of combat aircraft will be the latest models of technology.

Air Force tactical level today

Today, the Air Force fleet contains more than 3,800 aircraft, 1,400 helicopters of various types and has the latest equipment, some models of which have no equal in the world. Given the total number of aircraft, it is not easy to believe that in 7 years it will be possible to replace more than 80 percent of it. Such colossal spending is beyond the power of even the NATO army. Although observing the renewal trend, which has been clearly seen since 2011, it should be recognized that every year the VKS department purchases hundreds of military units of equipment.

According to the information service of the Aerospace Forces, each pilot training center will receive new Sr-10 training aircraft in 2018. They will be used in pilot training along with the Yak-152 and Yak-130. Since many new fighters and bombers should appear in the Air Force in the coming years, there is no need to worry about the security of the country's airspace.

Problems of import substitution and ways to solve them

In the recent past, most helicopter engines were supplied to Russia from Ukraine. However, as a result of the aggravation of the situation and the change of power in Ukraine, these deliveries almost completely stopped. As a result of the enormous work done by the United Engine Corporation, this problem was solved in just three years. Now the production of helicopter engines has been established in Russia. The rapid increase in production capacity made it possible to supply the entire Russian helicopter industry.

A similar situation arose with the production of engines for cruise missiles. The rapid response of Russian designers made it possible to cope with this problem.

Unfortunately, not all problems with import substitution have been successfully solved. The military transport aviation of the Aerospace Forces was left without aircraft of the AN series. After the change of power in Ukraine, the joint program was curtailed, and there are no Russian analogues of the AN series military transport aircraft yet.

Russian sword shield

The aerospace forces will protect Russia from a sudden enemy attack and create conditions for inflicting unacceptable damage on him in a retaliatory strike.

A new type of troops - Aerospace Forces (VKS) - was created in a timely manner and fully complies with the current military-political situation in the world.

The events in Ukraine and Syria have shown that the United States and its allies have chosen the Russian Federation as a primary target, which is the organizing core of resistance to the plans of the West and a powerful resource base. The VKS troops were created taking into account different views and accumulated experience (including foreign) in the construction and use of forces operating in the aerospace sphere.

First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Pavel Kurachenko, believes that "Russia today is the only global force that is capable and ready to counteract ... the military and political plans" of the West. He stated this at the scientific and technical conference "Aerospace as a sphere of protection of the planet Earth." According to him, "information warfare measures, economic sanctions and demonstration of military superiority" are used to achieve the goals.

Nevertheless, understanding the general situation, opponents continue to doubt the advisability of creating a VKS. In their opinion, the previously existing structures successfully solved their tasks and ensured the security of the country. Periodically, in one form or another, the question arises: what required the creation of a new type of troops?

Reasons for the creation of the videoconferencing

The collapse of Russia using various, including military means, is the main and long-standing goal of the West. It is clear to everyone that the use of nuclear weapons would be a disaster both for the victim of aggression and for the aggressor himself. Therefore, today and in the future, in the armed struggle against Russia, first of all, existing and promising conventional means of aerospace attack will be used, and gaining dominance in the aerospace sphere by them will become the main task with the outbreak of hostilities.

The United States and its NATO allies consider the AFCS as the main means, and air and space as the main "field" of confrontation with the Russian Federation. This is an indisputable conclusion from an analysis of trends in the development of means of armed struggle, methods of their use, as well as the results of wars and military conflicts in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

Reasons for the creation of the videoconferencing

The first and main reason for the creation of the Aerospace Forces is the unswerving desire of the United States to achieve military superiority over Russia in the aerospace sphere. It is precisely for this that the concept of a lightning-fast global strike using hypersonic weapons was developed, the main provisions of which are being gradually implemented today.

US hypersonic cruise missile successfully tested

The US Air Force successfully tested the X-51A Waverider hypersonic cruise missile, reports Space.com.

Tests of a rocket capable of reaching speeds five times the speed of sound took place on May 1 over the Pacific Ocean. The X-51A Waverider was launched from a B-52H Stratofortress from Edwards Air Force Base in California. The hypersonic missile was launched at an altitude of 15.2 thousand meters and rose to 18.2 thousand meters. The flight time of the rocket was 370 seconds. During them, the X-51A Waverider reached a speed of Mach 5.1 (6.1 thousand kilometers per hour) and covered a distance of 426 kilometers. After that, the hypersonic missile destroyed itself.

The main focus is "on gaining dominance in the air and space, conducting massive aerospace operations at the very beginning of the war with strikes against strategic and vital targets throughout the depths of the country," he said. Deputy Defense Ministry Arkady Bakhin.

At the same time, "the degree of threats themselves to Russia in the aerospace sphere will steadily increase."

Viktor Baranets, a military observer for the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, also supports his opinion. He believes that "America continues to militarize space and is stepping up its efforts here," despite the fact that today we have "one group responsible for airspace, and others for space."

Another important reason for the creation of the Aerospace Forces is the steady implementation of US plans to deploy American missile defense elements in Europe directly at the borders of Russia. President of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences Konstantin Sivkov believes that today a European region is actually being created as part of the US global missile defense system.

Diagram of the missile defense system in Europe

The third reason, closely intertwined with the above, is the buildup of NATO forces in Europe and the growth of a direct military threat to Russia. This is the transfer of American military equipment and its deployment on a rotational basis in the Baltic States, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and other European countries, the creation of bloc rapid reaction forces, forcing alliance partners to increase their defense budget, etc. etc.

Thus, the creation of the Aerospace Forces is an adequate response to the complex of military-political threats to Russia from the United States and NATO. This is implemented by integrating all forces and means to effectively repel an aerospace attack by a potential enemy. Taking into account the existing threats, the Aerospace Forces are called upon to solve the problems of deterring and neutralizing American plans in the aerospace sphere.

Based on the experience of past years, it can be argued that the actions of national air defense systems determine the course and outcome of armed struggle. Thus, the strong air defense of Vietnam, whose military and economic potential was noticeably inferior to the aggressor, became the main reason for the US refusal to continue the war. And, on the contrary, the weakness of the air defense systems of Iraq, Libya and Yugoslavia led to their defeat, and the latter disappeared altogether as a state.

In addition, other factors contribute to the use of SVKN groupings and the enemy’s aerospace attack on Russia. According to Kurachenko, this is the presence of large groups of foreign AFKN near the borders of the Russian Federation and its proximity to the centers of instability; large length of borders and area of ​​the country; the presence of an enclave - the Kaliningrad region, the remoteness and inaccessibility of Primorye, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Chukotka; the presence of potentially dangerous for the population - in case of their destruction - objects. These and other factors determine the preference for an aerospace attack over ground combat operations. These same factors simultaneously complicate the solution of aerospace defense tasks.

It is difficult to disagree with the fact that over time the desire of the West to "build" Russia is only growing, and the means for this, primarily military, are being improved. In the interests of preserving the country, our actions must be directed to strengthening the army and navy in every possible way. As Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker (1845-1894) once said, "we have only two faithful allies, our army and navy." The current situation is quite consistent with these prophetic words.

Structure and tasks of the HQS

General Command of the Aerospace Forces

Air Force

space troops

Air Defense and Missile Defense Forces

On August 1, 2015, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the Aerospace Forces began to carry out their tasks. Aerospace Forces include defensive and offensive components, which, according to Kurachenko, "is both a sword and a shield of Russia in the aerospace sphere."

According to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, the combat strength of the Aerospace Forces includes three types of troops - the Air Force, the Air Defense and Missile Defense Forces, as well as the Space Forces. In addition, the Aerospace Forces includes units and subunits of electronic warfare, communications, radio engineering, automated control, engineering, metrological, etc. They are united into a single type of troops by appropriate command and control structures.

Video conferencing systems are designed to solve the following main tasks.

The first and foremost of these is to ensure effective cover for strategic nuclear forces (SNF) in cooperation with other branches and arms of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is they who, in a retaliatory strike, should inflict unacceptable damage on the aggressor and force him to abandon further military operations. Simultaneously with this task, the Aerospace Forces solve the tasks of controlling aerospace and timely opening the beginning of an attack; repelling an attack by the enemy's air force control system and protecting the most important objects, political and economic regions of the country and groupings of troops from his attacks; inflicting damage on enemy targets and troops; ensuring the launch of spacecraft and their control in flight.

Why shield and sword?

The effective solution by the forces and means of the Aerospace Forces of their tasks will contribute to the prevention of aggression. Otherwise, as the experience of wars of the 20th and early 21st centuries has shown, the war will be lost without a modern aerospace defense. But the same experience also shows that, using only passive defense, regardless of its effectiveness, the defenders should not count on a positive outcome of the war in principle.

The victim's lack of aggression, even in the presence of a sufficiently strong air defense, of the ability to strike at the enemy unambiguously leads to defeat. It is a matter of time, which confirms the tragic fate of the previously mentioned Iraq, Libya and Yugoslavia. That is why the Russian Aerospace Forces have strike aircraft capable of inflicting powerful and high-precision strikes on enemy targets.

A convincing demonstration of this was the actions of our aviation in Syria.

Thus, the Aerospace Forces of Russia is a shield for covering it from enemy attacks and a sword for delivering retaliatory strikes.

The main directions of the construction and development of the airborne forces in terms of the air defense system are: the creation of advanced air defense systems - missile defense and their integration into a single control system; re-equipment of troops with promising models of weapons and military equipment; improvement of reconnaissance and information systems for warning of a missile attack and control of outer space, as well as their integration into a single system of reconnaissance and warning of an aerospace attack; increasing the size and quality characteristics of the domestic orbital constellation, which has been carried out more efficiently in recent years.

Concerning the currently most important problem of building up groupings of troops and forces in strategic directions, it should be noted that its solution should go in three main directions: the creation of groupings equipped with modern weapons and military equipment, increasing the quantitative and qualitative composition of existing groupings, ensuring strategic mobility aviation and air defense forces.

In general, the implementation of the planned activities by 2021 will enable the aerospace defense system to fulfill its tasks. The capabilities of the reconnaissance and warning system will make it possible to provide timely warning of an aerospace attack in order to ensure a decision is made for response actions, including with the use of strategic nuclear forces. Missile defense capabilities will be substantially increased. Guaranteed anti-aircraft missile cover will be provided for the most important military and state facilities, primarily objects of strategic nuclear forces and the highest levels of government and the Armed Forces.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the implementation of the planned plans for the construction of the aerospace defense system is impossible without a clear, high-quality and well-coordinated work of all military command and control bodies, research organizations and enterprises of the military-industrial complex. A significant role in this direction and in this process is assigned to the WEC on the problems of aerospace defense.

Work on the creation of the aerospace defense system should be carried out with a general focus, providing for the creation and development of information and fire weapons with the obligatory interface with the means of the fire control system. I am convinced that the plans to create an effective aerospace defense system will be successfully implemented, which will ensure the security of our state.

It should be noted the following. Since August 1, 2015, the Aerospace Forces have participated in all activities conducted under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Defense, in the Center-2015 exercises, joint live-fire exercises within the Combat Commonwealth-2015 air defense system. At present, our air group is successfully fulfilling its assigned tasks in Syria.

The Russian Air Force begins its history on August 12, 1912 - then by order they created the staff of the aeronautical unit. And already when the First World War was going on (1914-1918), aviation became a necessary means of aerial reconnaissance and fire support for ground forces from the air. It can be said with full confidence that Russia has a rather rich and extensive history.

Bitter lessons

The pre-war period and the first year (1942) of the Patriotic War, by a bitter example, showed how tragic the absence of a central command of the Air Force units can be for the country's defense capability.

It was at this time that the country's air force was fragmented. Yes, and in such a way that both the commanders of military districts, and the commanders, and commanders of army corps could control the air forces.

As a result of the lack of centralized leadership over the country's air forces, the Nazi Luftwaffe troops, which, by the way, were directly subordinate to the German Minister of Aviation, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, already inflicted heavy damage on the Soviet Air Force.

The result was bitter for the Soviet army. 72% of the Air Force from the border districts was destroyed. Having won air supremacy, the Luftwaffe troops ensured the offensive on the fronts of the Wehrmacht ground forces.

Such hard lessons of the first period of the war served as the basis for the introduction by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command (1942), the concentrated control of the Air Force. The air armies were newly formed on the basis of the air forces of the military districts.

All these measures led to the fact that by the summer of 1943, Soviet aviation had acquired a dominant position in the air.

new era

At the moment, the Russian Air Force is experiencing a new time in its development. We can say that we all live in an era of change, when the Russian army is rapidly being updated. officially began to operate from August 1, 2015 as a completely new uniform of the Russian Armed Forces .

In 2010 alone, the military space forces recorded more than thirty launches of foreign ballistic missiles by the forces of warning systems.

In the same 2010, about 110 spacecraft could be included in the structure of the Russian Aerospace Forces. And 80% of these were spacecraft, both military and dual-use.

The plans of the leadership of the Aerospace Forces, also for several years, are to update the key elements of the entire orbital group. This will increase the productivity of the entire space system. Thus, the Military Space Forces were able to solve various problems.

Destruction in the USSR

But, given the modern experience in the leadership of the Aerospace Forces, we must remember that in the 1960s, the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Nikita Khrushchev, in fact, destroyed bomber aircraft.

The basis for such a defeat was the myth that missiles can completely replace the existence of aviation as

The result of such an initiative was that a significant fleet of aircraft, consisting of fighters, attack aircraft, bombers, was simply sent for scrapping, despite the fact that they were fully operational and able to carry out combat duty.

Tasks that can be solved by videoconferencing

• air defense troops and missile defense troops;
• Space troops.

From this point of view, the creation of the Aerospace Forces is an important, but the first step in creating a combat-ready branch of the Russian Armed Forces.

Much more needs to be done to ensure that the most important strategic facilities, both military and industrial, are under reliable cover from attack, both from the air and from space.

aircraft fleet

The total strength of the VKS aircraft consists of the presence of new-built aircraft and the modernization of the existing fleet of aircraft.

Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces by 2020 will have up to 2430-2500 aircraft and helicopters in their fleet.

Here you can mention a small list of aircraft already in the fleet of aircraft and promising:

• Yak-141 - VTOL fighter;
• Tu-160 "White Swan";
• fighter "Berkut" Su-47 (S-37);
• PAK FA T-50:
• Su-37 "Terminator";
• MiG-35;
• Su-34;
• Tu-95MS "Bear";
• Su-25 "Rook";
• An-124 "Ruslan".

Along with the renewal of the fleet of military vehicles of the VKS, the infrastructure at the base sites is also being actively created. Also of no small importance in terms of increasing combat readiness is the timely maintenance and repair of military equipment.

Space threats and videoconferencing

According to Minister of Defense S. Shoigu, the Aerospace Forces will protect Russia from space threats. To do this, the created type of aircraft combines:

• aviation;
• troops and units of air defense and missile defense;
• Space Forces;
• means of the RF Armed Forces.

The Minister of Defense explained the need for such a reform by the fact that in the new realities of hostilities, the emphasis is increasingly shifting to the space sphere. And it is no longer possible to do without the involvement in hostilities in modern conditions of the Space Forces, but they cannot exist by themselves.

But it was specifically noted that the existing system for command and control of aviation and air defense forces is not subject to change.

General leadership will continue to be carried out by the General Staff, and direct leadership, as before, by the High Command of the Aerospace Forces.

Alternative view

But there are those who disagree. According to the President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Dr. V.Sc. K. Sivkova, The Russian Space Forces were created without taking into account the specifics of the work of the Air Force and Aerospace Defense troops. They are so different that transferring control over them to one hand is fundamentally inappropriate.

If they are united, then it is more logical to do this by combining the space command and the command of the missile defense system. According to the doctor of military sciences, they both solve one common problem - the fight against objects that pose a threat from the space sphere.

The use of all the capabilities of space systems by all leading military powers is regarded as an important security factor. Modern armed conflicts begin with aerospace reconnaissance and surveillance.

The US armed forces are actively implementing the concept of "total strike" and "total missile defense." At the same time, they provide in their doctrine for the rapid defeat of enemy forces anywhere in the world. In this case, the damage from a retaliatory strike is minimized.

In this case, the main stake is placed on the prevailing dominance both in the airspace and in space. To do this, as soon as hostilities began, massive aerospace operations are carried out with the destruction of vital enemy facilities.

The aerospace forces will replace the Air Force in Russia. For this, such reforms are being carried out in the country.

But the Minister of Defense believes that the new Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation will make it possible to concentrate all means in one hand, which will make it possible to form a military-technical policy for the further development of the troops responsible for security in the aerospace sphere.

All this is being done to ensure that all citizens of Russia are always confident that they will be under the protection of the army and the Aerospace Forces.

The Russian Aerospace Forces were formed in 2015 after the merger of the Air Force (Air Force) and the Aerospace Defense Forces. They began to perform their functions on August 1, 2015. The general governing body is the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and the direct command staff is managed by the High Command of the Aerospace Forces. The main headquarters of this type of troops is located in the building of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the Capital.

VKS is an abbreviation that stands for Aerospace Forces. Soldiers celebrate their holiday on August 12. According to General S. Shoigu, the unification of the 2 formations was the best option for improving the defense system. On the one hand, more targeted responsibility for the formation and development of the relevant troops is ensured, on the other hand, the success of functioning is increased due to deep integration, and on the third hand, the constant and irreversible development of the Aerospace Forces as a system is realized.

Starting from September 30, 2015, the Aerospace Forces has been participating in the military conflict in Syria, and by the next year, about 84% of the flight personnel had received relevant experience in combat, which was highly appreciated by the President of our country.

Tasks of the videoconferencing

Russian Aerospace Forces solve many purposes and functions:

1. Repulse attacks and implement protection against aggressive actions of the enemy in relation to administrative facilities, political centers, military groups, industrial and economic regions of Russia, the most important infrastructure zones.
2. The use of various means against the enemy, including nuclear ones.
3. Carrying out military operations with other troops.
4. Destruction of enemy missiles than an attack is made.
5. Providing management personnel with accurate information about the movement of missiles and warning of a possible attack.
6. Surveillance in space and detection of threats in relation to Russia, as well as response actions regarding them.
7. The launch of special vehicles into space, the regulation of satellites.
8. Maintenance, readiness for activation of satellites.
9. Solving other problems.

The composition of the VKS

The structure of the Aerospace Forces is represented by 3 branches of the military. These include the following:

• air and missile defense;
• space military forces.

The first category includes missile, anti-aircraft and radio engineering troops, aviation, administrative authorities, medical and other institutions, as well as special purposes (which include communications, automated control systems, reconnaissance, engineering, search and rescue, logistics, aeronautical and other troops ).

The structure of the Air Force can be long-range, operational-tactical, military transport and army aviation. The reform started in 2008 ended with the fact that instead of 6 armies, 4 were created, which later became part of the renewed military districts.

The second category of troops until 1998 was a separate type of the RF Armed Forces, then merged with the Air Force, and later reorganized as 11 brigades of the aerospace defense. After the unification in 2015, new troops were organized, which are abbreviated as air defense-missile defense of the VKS.

Using appropriate means, they must protect against and reflect enemy strikes, as well as hit ballistic missiles that are trying to attack objects of national importance.

The main tasks solved by these troops are to monitor space objects in order to detect various kinds of threats, launch special vehicles into space, and keep satellites in a state of readiness for use.

How to get a job in the VKS

Many young people dream of getting into this branch of the military, but for this you need to meet different parameters. Today, conscription and contract service is carried out in the Aerospace Forces in the same way as in other branches of the RF Armed Forces. Service here is due to the highest level of responsibility. The slightest mistake in the execution of the operation can threaten the safety of many people, and also leads to malfunctions and the loss of expensive equipment.

Some airfields store nuclear weapons, while the management seeks to minimize the number of newcomers in such a responsible direction.

Depending on the rank and experience of the service, the salary of a contract soldier here is about 40 thousand rubles. In addition to material support, employees are endowed with a whole package of various social benefits. These include travel without payment, provision of housing, food and more.

A conscript can get into military service or get a job under a contract. In the first case, during the questionnaire, one should indicate the desire to serve in this form of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, then the conscript will have the appropriate chances if he is fit for health reasons (and not only the physical condition, but also the mental one is taken into account). However, in this case, the soldier can only rely on economic, security and other similar functions, but not in any way on controlling, for example, an aircraft. However, a conscript will still not have a full guarantee of getting into the Aerospace Forces for military service.

To become a pilot, you must enter and graduate from the appropriate university. At the same time, an application is submitted to the military commissariat, to which the following documents should be attached:

• short biography;
• characteristic;
• certificate;
• 6 photos sized 4.5*6;
• certificates from dispensaries;
• a certificate from a medical institution confirming the absence of chronic diseases.

Many believe that a recruit will have more chances to get into the desired branch of the military if he is trained in DOSAAF. In this organization, young people have been trained since Soviet times. This activity is currently ongoing as well. Every year, over 100,000 future conscripts are trained in this organization. As a result, they receive a military registration specialty, and are more likely to get into the branch of the military for which they are better prepared.

You can also try to submit an appropriate application to the military registration and enlistment office. To do this, you need to come there, take an application form, write it out stating your request. If there is a desire, then you need to make efforts to achieve it, then, perhaps, the recruit will get exactly where he wants.

Today, a young man who served in the army is a role model. Whatever type of troops he gets into, life in the army will instill in him responsibility, as well as a number of high moral principles. At the same time, he gets a good experience, becomes a real man, rather chooses the right direction in life.

(in the abbreviation VKS) are a new branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, since they were formed in 2015. It will soon be a year since they began to fulfill their tasks. After all, on August 1 of that year, a presidential decree was issued on the entry into force of the Aerospace Forces.

Story

The Aerospace Forces is a structure formed as a result of the unification of the air and space forces of our country, and therefore the history of their emergence consists of several different stages. It is worth first talking about the space units.

It all started in the middle of the last century. The first parts that dealt with control and launch appeared in Russia back in 1955. Then, in 1957, the so-called Command and Measurement Complex was created, designed to control spacecraft. And in 1961, as everyone is well aware, the world's first manned spacecraft Vostok was launched. Then the TsUKOS, that is, the Central Directorate of Space Facilities, organized and managed this activity. In 1992, the VKS took up this. But not the aerospace forces, but the military. But the abbreviation was the same as it is now.

air force

They have existed since 1912. Their structure includes not only aviation, but also radio engineering, anti-aircraft missile, aeronautical and many other troops.

In the 1930s, the Air Force developed very rapidly. Russian aviation took a direct part in the Soviet-Finnish war, which took place in 1939. Then more than a hundred thousand sorties were carried out. Losses amounted to 627 aircraft. Most of them were shot down, some were lost during catastrophes or accidents. Many received such damage, because of which it was simply not possible to return the machines to service. 14 percent are missing.

Creation of the videoconferencing

As it was already possible to understand, both space and air forces are connected with the same environment, and therefore the reasons for their unification are quite clear. Sergei Shoigu, who is the Minister of Defense of our country, also spoke about this. He argued that if the aerospace forces were organized, it would be possible to improve the overall defense system of the state. First, the responsibility for the formation of both military and technical policy will be concentrated in one hand. Secondly, by combining several structures together, it will be possible to significantly increase their effectiveness. And, thanks to all of the above, the aerospace forces will develop more dynamically. So the premises are quite clear and logically justified.

It is interesting that less than two months have passed since the creation of the Aerospace Forces, as the troops of the new structure have already been sent to Syria to conduct a military operation. It was on the last day of September 2015. The operation involved not only attack aircraft and bombers, but also strategic aircraft.

Tasks

Russia is carrying out very important activities. One of the main tasks is to detect ballistic missile launches and an attack planned by the enemy. The aerospace forces of Russia should notify the highest levels of command about this.

They can also hit the warheads of the enemy's ballistic missiles if he intends to attack an important government facility and provide protection to command posts.

More peaceful tasks include launching aircraft and satellites into orbit. The structures of the Aerospace Forces are also obliged to ensure that Russia is not threatened by a threat emanating from air and outer space.

Another task is carried out by a new type of armed forces. Aerospace structures are required to maintain all equipment in full readiness, so that at any time in the event of a threat, it can be launched and used in action.

Command

The aerospace forces of the Russian Federation have a very branched structure and a considerable range of tasks that they are required to perform. This could already be understood based on all of the above. And the leadership team, respectively, is also large. Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces - Colonel-General Nikolaevich. It will be discussed in more detail a little later.

The main headquarters is commanded by the first deputy of Viktor Nikolaevich - Lieutenant General Kurachenko Pavel Pavlovich. The same title is Dronov Sergey Vladimirovich. He is the second deputy commander-in-chief of the VKS. As a matter of fact, the entire command staff that the aerospace forces of the Russian Federation have is lieutenant generals, there are no other ranks. The composition that has not yet been listed also includes Yudin A.V., Humenny V.V. and Golovko A.V.

Head of structure

So, now it is worth telling in more detail about Viktor Nikolaevich Bondarev. He is the chief commander of the Aerospace Forces. Born in 1959, December 7, in the Voronezh region. Since 2012, he has been the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. After the creation of the aerospace forces was put into practice, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin appointed the colonel general as head of the new structure. On March 16 of this year, the President of the Russian Federation presented V. N. Bondarev with the Battle Banner of the Aerospace Forces.

It is worth noting that in 2000 Viktor Nikolaevich was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. Bondarev is also a participant in the first and second Chechen wars. He flew over 400 sorties. It must also be said that Bondarev is an honored military pilot of Russia and is qualified as a sniper pilot.

What is the future

It can be stated with certainty that the structure of the HQS will continue to develop in the Russian Federation. Now there are several specialized educational institutions where you can get the appropriate specialty. They are located in Voronezh, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Yaroslavl and Tver. In 2017, it is planned to open a presidential school (in the capital of Russia). Certainly educational institutions of this direction will be created in other places of our state.

And, of course, training units are located in different Russian cities, where conscripts are sent to serve in the army, from there they are transferred to combat units. Previously, all units belonged to the Air Force, but after 2015 they, of course, were renamed.

By the way, the VKS is a branch of the military in which recruits will not only have to train a lot and engage in physical activity, in these units they also need to carry out mental activity. After all, everything is connected with aircraft and other devices. Therefore, once in the VKS, the recruit must be prepared for the fact that he will have to learn a lot of very important and necessary material.