Russian Aerospace Forces

Russian Aerospace Forces
Воздушно-космические силы
Middle emblem of the Russian Aerospace Forces
Founded	1 August 2015;10 years ago (2015-08-01)
Country	Russia
Type	Air and space force
Role	Aerial warfare Space warfare Missile defense
Size	165,000 personnel (2020) [1]
Part of	Russian Armed Forces
Headquarters	Arbat District, Moscow
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 Russo-Ukrainian War
Website	eng.mil.ru/forces/aerospace
Commanders
Supreme Commander-in-Chief	President Vladimir Putin
Minister of Defense	Andrey Belousov
Commander-in-Chief	Colonel General Viktor Afzalov
Chief of the Main Staff	Lieutenant General Aleksandr Maksimtsev
Insignia
Flag
Roundel
Patch
Great emblem
Insignia

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

The Russian Aerospace Forces ^{[2] [a]} or Russian Air and Space Forces ^[3] (VKS ^[b] ) 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]

Organisation

Branches

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]}

• Air Force
• Air and Missile Defense Forces
• Space Forces

Main Command of the Aerospace Forces(Главное командованиеВоздушно-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

Ranks and rank insignia

Main article: Aerospace Forces ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

Officer ranks

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Russian Aerospace Forces [8] v t e
			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

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Russian Aerospace Forces [8] v t e
	Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik			Пра́порщик Práporshchyk			Старшина́ Starshyná		Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt		Сержа́нт Serzhánt						Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt						Ефре́йтор Efréĭtor				Рядово́й Ryadovóy

See also

• Russia portal
• Aviation portal

• Russian Naval Aviation
• Strategic Missile Forces
• United States Department of the Air Force
  • United States Air Force
  • United States Space Force
• List of Russian military bases

Notes

1. Russian: Воздушно-космические силы, romanized: Vozdushno-kosmicheskiye sily
2. Russian: ВКС

References

1. "Russian Armed Forces: Military Modernization and Reforms" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. 20 July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
2. "Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister". Archived from the original on 2017-03-21. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
3. "6 Dead in Fire at Russian Aerospace Defense Research Institute – State Media". The Moscow Times . 21 April 2022.
4. Compare: Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister Archived 2016-05-13 at the Wayback Machine , 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' [...]."
5. Шойгу объявил о создании нового вида ВС - Воздушно-космических сил Archived 2015-08-05 at the Wayback Machine , ria.ru/defense, 3 August 2015
6. Russia creates new Aerospace Force service branch Archived 2015-12-27 at the Wayback Machine , janes.com, 4 August 2015
7. "Воздушно-космические силы". structure.mil.ru. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
8. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 11 марта 2010 года № 293 "О военной форме одежды, знаках различия военнослужащих и ведомственных знаках отличия"". rg.ru (in Russian). Российской газеты. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

External links

• Russian Aerospace Forces official site (English)