EQUIPMENT AND WEAPONS No. 7/2008, pp. 4-9

Air defense of the Ground Forces: problems and prospects

Chief of Military Air Defense of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel General Nikolai Alekseevich Frolov.

Born on August 1, 1948 in the village of Vodyanoye, Kharkov region, Ukrainian SSR. Graduated from the Poltava Higher Anti-Aircraft Artillery School (1970), the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Ground Forces named after. Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky (1977), Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces (1992). Candidate of Military Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Russian Federation. Served as an anti-aircraft platoon commander, commander of an anti-aircraft missile and artillery battery, deputy commander and commander of an anti-aircraft missile regiment, head of a district training center,

Chief of Staff - Deputy Chief of the Air Defense Troops of the Military District, Head of the Air Defense Troops of the Military District, Head of the Department of the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Northern Forces of the Russian Federation, Deputy Head of the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Northern Forces of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chief of the Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Head of the Military University (later the Military Academy) of the Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces RF. Since 2005 - Chief of Military Air Defense of the RF Armed Forces.

At the XVI military-scientific conference “Problems of the theory and practice of the development of military air defense in modern conditions” held in Smolensk, as noted above, many issues related to the state of affairs in the military air defense of the Russian Federation in difficult modern conditions were considered. The head of the military air defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General NA, kindly agreed to talk about the current state and prospects for the development of air defense of the Ground Forces. Frolov.

- Nikolai Alekseevich, what is the place and importance of military air defense in ensuring the security of Russia in modern conditions?

Currently, military air defense troops, in cooperation with formations and units of the Ground Forces, Air Force formations, reconnaissance and electronic warfare units, forces and means of air defense of fleets, are intended to carry out tasks of protecting Ground Forces groups, formations and military units of the Airborne Forces from air strikes , coastal forces of the Navy in operations in strategic directions, as well as when performing tasks in local wars and armed conflicts.

The basis of the military air defense is the air defense troops of the Ground Forces, which solve the problems of air defense of troops and objects in peacetime, during a period of threat and in war time. Groupings of air defense troops of the Ground Forces form the basis of air defense systems of military districts, armies, and divisions.

The air defense force groupings of military districts include formations, military units and air defense units armed with anti-aircraft missile systems and air defense systems of different purposes and combat capabilities. They are united by an intelligence and information system and an automated control system. This allows, in accordance with the current situation, to create an effective multifunctional air defense system in the strategic direction. I would like to emphasize that the structure of military air defense forces allows, in any combat situation, to create a dynamic, all-altitude, deeply echeloned air defense system for troops and facilities.

From the beginning of its existence, air defense of troops had to effectively counteract the most high-tech means of attack - aviation. Thus, military air defense systems must correspond in their capabilities and level to air attack weapons. The basis of the military air defense weapon system is the S-300V, Buk-Mi, Tor-M1, Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes, the Tunguska-M1 anti-aircraft gun and missile system, the main developers
ki which such famous designers as V.P. Efremov, V.N. Epifanov, I.M. Drize, E.A. Pigin.

These complexes and systems are capable of hitting both aerodynamic and ballistic targets, cruise missiles, air reconnaissance and electronic warfare systems, aviation elements of reconnaissance and strike complexes, electronic jammers and provide reliable cover for troops in various types military operations. The ongoing work to improve and develop weapons has made it possible to expand the list of tasks solved by military air defense troops. Thanks to this, they are able to effectively provide not only air defense, but also partially non-strategic missile defense of troops (forces) in strategic directions.

In general, we can say that the role and importance of military air defense in ensuring Russia's military security will continuously increase. The main task in wartime - covering troops and installations, army, divisional, brigade, regimental groups - was and remains. In peacetime, our goal is to maintain high combat readiness of forces and means, weapons and equipment, and to carry out unexpected tasks. Now we intend to put permanently ready divisions in anti-aircraft missile brigades on combat duty.

- What new and modernized weapons and military equipment have arrived? Can we expect military air defense in the troops in the near future? In what direction is the modernization of military air defense complexes and systems going?

In accordance with the construction plan of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a planned re-equipment of military air defense formations and units and, first of all, permanent readiness units is underway. The indicators of the state defense order allow us to have several units equipped with new or modernized weapons in combat strength until 2010.

In the near future (this year 2008), the following types of weapons will be delivered to the troops:

Small portable Detection radar air targets "Garmon" for air defense units and units of the regimental level and airborne forces;

A unified complex of automated control of the tactical level “Tangential”, replacing the entire existing fleet of automated control systems for military air defense weapons at the divisional level. This system is already being mastered. In the near future (2009):

The modernized combat vehicle of the Strela-10 air defense system, the use of which will be possible at any time of the day;

Upgraded ACS tool - PPRU9S80;

Upgraded combat vehicle of the Osa air defense system.

It is also planned to modernize the Tor air defense system to the Tor-M2 level. In fact, this is a new multi-channel system capable of firing at several air targets simultaneously.

Work has been completed on the creation of a new man-portable anti-aircraft missile system.

The modernization of anti-aircraft systems is carried out in a number of areas: the introduction of a new element base, new control and guidance algorithms, improving noise immunity characteristics, replacing display means with new ones (based on automated workstations), imparting multi-channel characteristics to the complexes, and reducing the operating time of location stations. At the same time, the requirements for high mobility of the complexes (corresponding to the mobility of units of the Ground Forces), their survivability and operational reliability are maintained.

In August-November 2008, state tests of the modernized Buk Ml complex (Buk M1-2) should take place. The complex has been improved in the direction of increasing the effectiveness of the fight against tactical ballistic missiles; it includes an anti-aircraft guided missile with an active homing head, which, among other parameters, increases its survivability by reducing the radar emission time. The Tunguska anti-aircraft missile system is being modernized: according to the R&D plan, in 2009, the detection systems (using passive means of detecting and tracking targets), control and guidance in this complex should be changed, and the missile channel should be improved.

All modernized and new models meet the most modern requirements and in the near future will provide us with the opportunity to successfully counter the threats of a potential enemy. The combat characteristics are not inferior to, and in the main parameters superior to, the characteristics of existing foreign analogues.

It should be admitted that there was a big delay in putting a number of new systems into service with military air defense. If five years ago there simply were no funds for this, now that the funds have appeared, a number of problems have emerged that need to be solved by both the troops and industry. No less urgent are the tasks of developing reconnaissance and command and control systems for military air defense. In particular, they consist in ensuring the detection of high-speed, relatively small-sized air objects at a distance significantly exceeding the line-of-sight range.

Modernization of obsolete types of radars is carried out in the direction of increasing their noise immunity, improving operational characteristics and automating combat work processes. Radar systems and control systems must be interfaced with control systems of other branches of the armed forces and branches of the Armed Forces, and electronic warfare equipment. The main efforts are aimed at creating a unified information system air defense troops, integrated with radar and electronic reconnaissance equipment of other branches of the Armed Forces and branches of the military. The task is to integrate into a single control system all the forces and means of existing groups - from the army level to the individual anti-aircraft gunner.

At the same time, military air defense abandoned a number of models that had exhausted their service life, were morally obsolete and, in terms of their capabilities, no longer provided solutions to air defense problems. These are, for example, anti-aircraft missile systems “Strela-1”, “Cube”, “Krug”, MANPADS “Strela-2”, control systems “Polyana D1”, “Polyana D4”, “Crab”. The “Maneuver” control system and PU-12 battery and platoon command posts are being abandoned.

-In terms of reconnaissance, communications and control, much attention is now paid to the use of various types of unmanned aerial vehicles. Are such military air defense devices needed?

The fact that the role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in military affairs is constantly growing and they have a great future is beyond doubt. This is evidenced by their growing capabilities, the effectiveness of combat use in wars and armed conflicts of various levels and the pace of equipping the Armed Forces of foreign states with them.

UAVs are now in demand in all branches and branches of the Armed Forces. The Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces are no exception here. Moreover, for a number of problems being solved, this demand is of an extreme necessity. After all, very high demands are placed on solving reconnaissance tasks in the Air Defense Forces, which are not so typical for reconnaissance of other branches of the Ground Forces. And the capabilities of already developed and promising UAVs potentially make it possible to implement a number of emerging ways to solve the problems of reconnaissance of aerial objects.

Let's say the problem is the detection of such low-flying air objects as specialized attack and reconnaissance helicopters. Of all air attack weapons, they pose the greatest threat to covered troops operating close to the front line. The practical absence of the possibility of their timely detection (from the moment of take-off and during advancement to firing lines outside the line of sight) forces autonomous fighting calculations of anti-aircraft missile (artillery) systems. Such actions are characterized by a number of negative consequences for solving air defense problems in general.

There are problems in sustainable reconnaissance in the face of powerful enemy electronic countermeasures, as well as in recognizing airborne objects for various purposes, including decoys.

The use of UAVs in promising reconnaissance systems of the air defense forces of the Northern Forces will ensure:

The ability to receive information about the takeoff of enemy helicopters from their bases, accompanying their fire groups with the issuance of information in real time;

Placement of sensors of advanced reconnaissance systems in territory occupied by the enemy, including near tactical aviation airfields;

Retransmission of intelligence data from all remote sources;

Carrying out technical and tactical measures to activate a number of reconnaissance signs of real air attack weapons that are inaccessible under normal conditions, which provides more favorable conditions for the performance of fire missions by air defense missile systems.

Thus, the use of UAVs in the interests of air defense can provide a solution to the most pressing problems of reconnaissance of air targets, which will lead to increased efficiency in the use of modern and future anti-aircraft weapons.

The experience of wars and armed conflicts has shown that combining the tasks of air defense and fire destruction of a ground enemy with the same means has not been successful. This requires either the use of specialized UAVs in the interests of air defense of the ground forces, or the allocation of the necessary resource in the use of multi-purpose UAVs from the army kit. Here again the question arises automated system management.

- Reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles are becoming an important target for air defense systems. By what means can you fight them?

UAVs confidently take their place in armed struggle as means of reconnaissance and target designation, fire destruction and communications. For example, the total total flight time of the Shadow-200 UAV (and this is the most actively used tactical unmanned system in the US Armed Forces) in the summer of 2007 exceeded 200 thousand hours. Moreover, more than 88% of this time the Shadow-200 UAV flew in during operations to support American and allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The armed forces of Germany, France and Great Britain will also have a relatively large number of UAVs.

The total share of attack vehicles could be: for unmanned aircraft - 25%, for unmanned helicopters - 40%. UAVs have been successfully tested in combat conditions as means of using high-precision weapons.

If, let’s say, “classic” aircraft are not problematic targets for all means of armed warfare in the air (aviation and anti-aircraft systems), then ultra-small UAVs, which are rapidly developing in recent years, pose a danger. Given their relatively high vulnerability, UAVs remain stealthy objects, and this gives them significant advantages. Low radar and optical signature, combined with high maneuverability and low noise flight, as well as minimum combat altitudes, make combat aircraft and the overwhelming mass of anti-aircraft systems virtually unable to fight these targets. In fact, for the same reasons, the only effective means of combating UAVs in the air are short-range anti-aircraft systems of military air defense. Combat training programs for crews armed with these anti-aircraft systems do not require significant changes to successfully combat “mini” or even “micro” UAVs. It is only necessary to conduct classes on the implementation of features in the organization of reconnaissance and equipping reconnaissance posts with individual devices. Improving air reconnaissance and fire control with short-range air defense systems can significantly reduce the advantages of an enemy using UAVs even on a large scale. During planned combat training and in the process of training military air defense specialists, we take this into account.

After all, UAVs can also become weapons of terrorist attacks. Technologies for creating small-sized aircraft now make it possible to “rivet” them “on the knee”, without significant material and intellectual costs. And with proper preparation, it is possible to launch a mass of remotely controlled ultra-small UAVs and detonate them in the right place and at the right time. To counter this threat, short-range anti-aircraft systems of military air defense can also be used - as the last echelon, to destroy devices already in the air. Another task that military air defense can effectively solve in the fight against terrorism is the fight against tactical missiles, similar to those used in the Middle East. During scheduled tactical live-fire exercises, we practice fire missions to defeat them. Moreover, the created type of military air defense weapons makes it possible to hit these missiles with the highest possible value of the “effectiveness-cost” indicator.

In general, everything related to the war in the air is carefully monitored, studied and analyzed by us. Thus, following the results of the military operations in Yugoslavia, we conducted an exercise, the purpose of which was to simulate combat operations in relation to our troops and analyze the results obtained. A number of problems were revealed that required immediate solutions both in the field of improving weapons and in the field of troop training.

Conducted studies have shown that in order to effectively combat an air enemy in a modern war, air defense must have two determining factors - secrecy of use and mobility. In addition, the need for a comprehensive (combined arms) fight against the air enemy is once again confirmed. In this regard, the statutory documents regulating the combat activities of fire crews have been revised, and major measures have been taken to change the methodology for conducting tactical live-fire exercises. In particular, an analysis of the nature of anti-aircraft battles showed that in order to effectively counter air attack weapons, it is necessary to integrate different types of anti-aircraft systems in highly mobile fire groups, using different guidance methods and detection principles.

Therefore, live-fire exercises in military air defense forces have recently been carried out only under the leadership of combined arms commanders (commanders), as part of groups of various levels.

- How do the technical means used for training and education in military air defense troops change in this regard?

For more visual training and to give the exercises a combined arms focus, training grounds are being equipped with tactical fire strips. A tactical fire zone is the logistical support for tactical live-fire exercises, which makes it possible to implement the “fire-maneuver” principle in the conditions of modern combined arms combat. In the course of performing traditional tasks to solve combat problems associated with marching, overcoming various obstacles, and operating in conditions of the use of weapons of mass destruction, troops for the first time are constantly in readiness to fire with combat missiles (shells). Since the trainees do not know where the targets will fly from, in what composition and at what altitudes the enemy will operate.

Previously, the combat firing stage was carried out by individual firing units, or at best, by subunits, with excessive reinsurance to comply with safety requirements. Thorough research made it possible to bring the training battle as close as possible to the real one. At the same time, the conditions for conducting the exercises and the organization of control over the actions of the trainees are such that after overcoming the TOP, one can unambiguously say whether the trained unit or military unit is capable of operating in modern war conditions and whether they can be sent into battle.

The experience of training troops to operate in modern conditions shows that further improvement of the military air defense target fleet is necessary. Until now, we have accepted targets that were produced by industry to supply military air defense. Basically, these are, as a rule, anti-aircraft missiles or missiles of the Ground Forces that have been withdrawn from service. Without denying the rationality of this approach, at the same time I would like to note that some of them are no longer capable of meeting modern requirements, and, in addition, there is duplication of simulated EHVs. We are currently working to develop and equip our ranges with new sets of target systems. In our opinion, three sets of target complexes are being viewed.

The first set is for the equipment of the central training ground. This target kit should include the entire range of targets-analogues of air defense systems, which military air defense is capable of fighting.

The second set is for equipping military training grounds where live firing is carried out by regimental-level military air defense units. This kit should only contain targets analogous to air attack weapons that units armed with anti-aircraft systems designed to cover a motorized rifle (tank) regiment are capable of fighting. The troops as a whole have already learned how to hit targets such as cruise missiles and other high-precision weapons. Now the task is to complicate the air situation and the conditions for the use of weapons, to teach troops to operate in conditions where the enemy uses modern electronic warfare systems, with the widespread use of interference.

The third set is designed to solve problems of sudden inspection of troops, both during test firing training and combat. It must be highly mobile, include not only target analogues of the main air attack weapons and means of controlling them, but also ensure the production of the entire spectrum of jamming and control over the actions of those being tested (trained). If necessary, these kits must be integrated into any configuration while maintaining the possibility of unified control.

- How is combat training going in the troops in 2008? What issues are you focusing on?

In connection with the concept of staffing units of constant readiness with contract servicemen, as well as with the transition to a service period of 12 months, the main goal of combat training of formations, military units and air defense units in 2008 is to increase their combat readiness in peacetime. The main efforts of combat training are focused on improving the field training of command and control units, formations, military units and air defense units of constant readiness in order to ensure that they carry out combat missions as intended in peacetime states.

To solve these problems in the air defense forces, the training process in 2008 is taking place according to newly developed combat training programs. Particular attention is paid to improving the quality of the educational process, reducing costs for individual training of military personnel, coordinating crews, platoons, and batteries through the rational use of training facilities, complexes, points, and resource-saving training methods. The programs were also based on practical training of crews in the ability to confidently identify missile-hazardous directions, destroy cruise, ballistic operational-tactical and tactical missiles, recognize the beginning of the use of airborne weapons by enemy aviation (PRR, KR, UAB) and combat it, search for and destroy UAVs , radio beacons, prepare weapons and conduct combat work (shooting) in conditions of information warfare, exposure to medium and high intensity interference, fire and electronic countermeasures.

Particular attention is paid to the system of training junior specialists for the Armed Forces, which provides for the training of junior commanders and specialist soldiers in the context of shorter periods of military service for conscripts. The main task of training junior specialists is to graduate a trained cadet from school. For this purpose, training programs pay special attention to technical and special tactical training, as well as driving. This is achieved by involving teachers of educational cycles who have experience of practical work in the military, and highly qualified civilian specialists.

In 2008, a major exercise was already conducted under the leadership of the commander of the Volga-Ural Military District with the district’s air defense forces and means, which was highly appreciated by the leadership of the Ministry of Defense.

Meanwhile, four years ago, when conducting exercises with groups of air defense forces, our results were very low - rarely did any part receive a “satisfactory” rating. The reason for this was a long break in tactical exercises; the exercises were mainly carried out in the form of command and staff exercises on maps. For three years in a row we have been conducting exercises with groups, and the result is obvious. Of course, we cannot say that all our problems have been solved. In particular, problems of group management remain.

An important area of ​​improving combat training and improving the interaction of military air defense with other branches of the armed forces and branches of the Armed Forces has become the holding of joint exercises. This is evidenced by the exercises of military air defense units and units conducted this year at the Ashuluk training grounds (together with a tank regiment on the offensive) and Kapustin Yar (with a motorized rifle regiment on the defensive).

The plan for 2008 includes exercises with air defense forces and means of the Moscow Military District, exercises in Yeisk with anti-aircraft divisions of permanent readiness units.

The material was prepared jointly with the Information and Public Relations Service of the Ground Forces.

Photos of D. Pichugin were used, as well as those provided by the Information and Public Relations Service of the Ground Forces.

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Head of the Military Academy of Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces Russian Federation named after Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky Lieutenant General EREMIN Gleb Vladimirovich, born 04/13/1961, native of Kaliningrad. Graduated from the Leningrad Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile School command school named after the 60th anniversary of the Great October Revolution in 1982, the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Ground Forces in 1993, the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2003.
Candidate of Military Sciences.
Honored Military Specialist of the Russian Federation.

Awarded the Order of Military Merit in 2000, the Order of Friendship in 2018, and the commemorative badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.

11 medals, a memorial badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.
Married, has a daughter and son.
Combat veteran.

Deputy Head of the Military Academy

Deputy Head of the Academy Major General NOVIKOV Boris Alekseevich, born 02/04/1966, native of the village. Viktorovo, Krasninsky district, Smolensk region. He graduated from the Smolensk Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Engineering School in 1988, and the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Ground Forces in 1998.
Candidate of Military Sciences.

Awarded the Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, in 2007, and the Order of Military Merit in 2012.
Married, has a daughter and son.
Combat veteran.

Deputy Chief Military Academy for educational and scientific work

Deputy Head of the Academy for Educational and Scientific Work Major General VASILCHENKO Oleg Vladimirovich, born July 23, 1969, native of Akhalkalaki, Georgian SSR. He graduated from the Smolensk Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Engineering School in 1990, the Moscow Energy Institute (Technical University) in 1995, the Military Academy of Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation named after Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky in 2009.
Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor.
Full member of the Academy of Military Sciences.
Advisor to the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences.
Honorary worker of higher education vocational education Russian Federation.
Honorary worker of science and technology of the Russian Federation.

He was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II class in 2012, the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, I class with swords in 2017, the commemorative badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, and the insignia of military personnel of the Ground Forces “For Merit.”
Married, has a daughter and son.
Combat veteran.

Deputy Head of the Military Academy for Military-Political Work

Deputy Head of the Academy for Military-Political Work Colonel STAKHOVICH Igor Rostislavovich, born 10/08/1967, native of Gorlovka, Donetsk region. Graduated from the Novosibirsk Higher Combined Arms School in 1989, and the Moscow Military University in 2003.

Married, has a son.
Participant in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.

Deputy Head of the Military Academy for Logistics

Deputy Head of the Academy for Logistics and Technical Support – Colonel Bochkarev Alexander Vladimirovich, born 05/04/1977. Higher education. Graduated: Volskoe Higher Education military school logistics in 1998, Military Academy of Logistics and Transport named after Army General A.V. Khrulev in 2010. Since February 2017 - Deputy Head of the Military Academy of Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation named after Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky for logistics.

Awarded medals of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Married.

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY'S AIR DEFENSE

From the first days and months of the First World War, government and military authorities paid close attention to the state of air defense.

In the First World War, due to the intensive development and use of aircraft by the warring parties for military purposes in the armies of the warring states, the need arose to create special means of combating them and organizing air defense of groups of their troops and important installations in the theater of operations. In Russia, among the top priorities, measures were being developed to prevent enemy air attack weapons from flying over the capital and the emperor’s residence in Tsarskoe Selo.

On November 30, 1914*, the commander of the 6th Army, by order No. 90, announced a special instruction, on the basis of which the air defense** of Petrograd and its environs was organized. Its chief was Major General G.V. Burman. On December 8, 1914, the “Instructions for Aeronautics in the Area of ​​the 6th Army” were put into effect, and the air defense of the Russian capital began to be implemented.

*Here and below, dates are given in the new style.
** The term “air defense”, which meant the totality of forces and means, as well as organizational measures to combat the enemy’s air fleet and protect one’s troops and facilities from its actions, was used in Russia for a relatively short time - from 1914 to 1926 ., in 1926-1927. the term “aerochemical defense” was used, and since 1928 - “air defense”. The name “air defense” first appeared in an official document (it was signed by the assistant chief of staff of the Red Army B.M. Shaposhnikov) at the beginning of 1924, and since 1928 it has been legalized by a decree of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR.

For timely detection of the enemy in the air on the distant approaches to the city and warning about him, a network of observation posts was deployed, artillery guns adapted for firing at aircraft were installed in positions around Petrograd and near Tsarskoye Selo, and those trained for combat were appointed from the Gatchina Military Aviation School with aircraft crews.

By April 1915, the air defense of Petrograd and the imperial residence in Tsarskoe Selo was replenished with new forces and means, in connection with which the order for the 6th Army No. 112 and separate orders from May 14, 1915 introduced a number of instructions that determined the actions of the bodies designated for air defense leadership, units and units of various types of weapons. Since the summer of 1915, for the first time, the organization of air defense of the capital of the empire was regulated by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

During the First World War, air defense was also created to protect other cities, in particular Odessa and Nikolaev, large headquarters, and troop groups on all fronts of the active Russian army. Its organization and weapons were improved.

At the beginning of 1917, on the initiative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, a radio reconnaissance system, or, as it was then called, radiotelegraph defense in the areas of Petrograd and Odessa, began to be created in order to provide advance warning of the appearance of enemy airships and determine the direction of their flight.

Thus, in 1915-1917. the beginning was made of the creation of air defense systems for individual cities and important military installations in theaters of military operations. In the Russian army, special positions of air defense chiefs were introduced (regular and non-regular) and their headquarters were formed.

The created air defense systems of the administrative, political and military centers of Russia were continuously improved throughout the war, taking into account the situation in the East European theater of operations, the technical means available in service and the experience of fighting an air enemy.

During the years of the Civil War and military intervention, the air defense of the Soviet state took its first steps. The extremely low technical level and small number of forces and means involved in air defense did not allow the development of the experience of their combat use on the fronts of military operations that emerged during the First World War.

After the end of the Civil War, by decision of the government of the RSFSR, the transfer of the Red Army to a peaceful position began in a short time.

During these years, significant reductions were also carried out in air defense units. The absence of a unified leadership body for the latter, the limited number of anti-aircraft artillery and aviation, and their poor technical condition led to the fact that “in the period 1921-1924, air defense as a system did not exist in the country.”

This is how the head of the Air Defense Department M.E. assessed this period in 1932.

In December 1926, the Red Army Headquarters attempted to combine air and chemical defense. For this purpose, air-chemical defense sectors are being created in military districts, combining the fight against an air enemy and eliminating the consequences of its possible use of chemical weapons. In all command and staff bodies, in the plans and official documents being developed, instead of the term “air defense (air defense)”, the term “aerial chemical defense (ACD)” began to be used. However, the latter existed for a little more than a year, since it did not accurately reflect the essence of measures to protect the country from air strikes. On January 31, 1928, at a meeting of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, at the suggestion of S.S. Kamenev, who at that time held the position of deputy chairman of the RVS, it was decided to abandon the term “aerochemical defense”.

In accordance with the “Regulations on the Air Defense of the USSR (for peacetime)”, approved on the same day by the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR K.E. Voroshilov, all air defense units, means and bodies were renamed into air defense units, means and bodies. The name “air surveillance, warning and communications service (VNOS)” was also legalized. The leadership of the country's air defense was entrusted to the People's Commissar of Military Affairs, which he was to carry out through the Headquarters of the Red Army.

In the same 1930, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR developed and approved on November 23 the first General Plan for the country's air defense with the main digital indicators of air defense development for 1931-1933.

In accordance with it, measures began to be implemented to strengthen units and create the first formations of air defense troops.

Many territorial air defense units intended for the defense of large centers of the country are being transferred to personnel. On the basis of anti-aircraft artillery regiments, air defense brigades are created, which, in addition to units and units of anti-aircraft artillery, include machine gun, searchlight battalions (companies), units of barrage balloons and VNOS. In the fall of 1931, the brigades in the defense of Moscow and Leningrad were reorganized into air defense divisions.

Such changes in the air defense forces required a new organization of air defense leadership in the center. On May 1, 1932, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 033, the 6th Directorate of the Headquarters of the Red Army was renamed the Air Defense Directorate of the Red Army with its direct subordination to the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. The year 1932 was a turning point in resolving issues of air defense construction, during which the state of air defense and measures to further strengthen it were considered twice (in April and in September-October) at the government level. The result of these discussions was the adoption of a number of documents that determined both the fundamentals of organizing air defense throughout the country, its management at the center and locally, and ways to improve the quality of combat training of units and the functioning of the entire air defense service system. One of these documents was, in particular, approved on October 4, 1932 by the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR "Regulations on the air defense of the territory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" (announced by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 0031 of October 23, 1932). The measures developed by the government and the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, aimed at achieving a decisive turning point in the country's air defense, noticeably revived the activities of all bodies, institutions and establishments of the military department to modernize existing and create new domestic models of weapons and

Measures were also taken to create fundamentally new types of weapons for air defense based on the latest achievements in the field of science and technology and intensive development of production.

In 1934, for the first time in world practice, successful tests were carried out, developed according to the ideas and with the participation of the electrical engineer of the Pskov anti-aircraft artillery regiment P.K. Oshchepkov equipment for detecting aircraft in the air based on the use of continuous radiation of radio waves (Rapid equipment), which served as the prototype of the first RUS-1 radio detection system adopted in 1939 by the VNOS service (the first aircraft radio catcher; the Rhubarb system). In July 1940, the RUS-2 (Redut) long-range detection station for air targets was put into service, operating on the principles of pulse radiation and signal reception.

Thus, during the interwar period, various types of weapons and military equipment were developed for air defense, although not all of them had the required quality characteristics. The entry of new types of weapons into the troops was made difficult due to the country's underdeveloped industrial base. For objective and often subjective reasons, a number of new models were either not accepted into production at all, or qualitatively more advanced weapons were produced in negligibly small quantities. All this, as well as a number of other factors, ultimately led to serious shortcomings in the air defense system, which in May 1940, People's Commissar of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. was forced to point out. Tymoshenko: “The air defense of troops and guarded points is in a state of complete neglect... Given the current state of leadership and organization of air defense, proper protection from air attack is not provided.”

On April 14, 1936, the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR approved the proposals of the General Staff of the Red Army for the construction of an air defense system, developed by the Air Defense Directorate. The air defense forces and means of the largest points - Leningrad, Moscow, Baku and Kyiv, headed by the air defense chiefs of these points, were directly subordinate to the commanders of the military districts; the heads of air defense points were given the functions of the heads of military branches of the districts. In February-April 1938, air defense corps were formed to protect Moscow, Leningrad and Baku from air strikes, and an air defense division was formed for Kyiv. The air defense corps and divisions included formations and units of anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft machine guns, anti-aircraft searchlights, air surveillance, warning and communications, as well as units and units of barrage balloons.

The air defense corps and division commanders were promptly subordinate to the Air Force fighter aircraft (IA), assigned to carry out the air defense missions of the point.

Since 1937, the turnover of the heads of the Air Defense Directorate has increased. So, on December 2 of this year, Army Commander 2nd Rank A.I. Sedyakin (head of the department since January 25, 1937) was arrested, and I.F. temporarily took over the leadership of the air defense. Blazhevich, but he was also arrested on February 18, 1938. The head of the 2nd department, Colonel G.M., took over the duties of the head of the Air Defense Directorate. Koblenz, and on November 13 this position was accepted by division commander Y.K. Polyakov, who arrived from the post of commander of an air defense brigade. However, on June 4, 1940, Polyakov was transferred to the Far East, and Major General M.F. began to lead the Air Defense Directorate. Korolev, who before this appointment was commander of the rifle corps. But in November 1940, he left for a new duty station in the Main Directorate of the local air defense of the NKVD.

In January 1941, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution "On the organization of air defense." It defined a zone threatened by air attack to a depth of up to 1,200 km from the state border. On this territory, within the military districts, air defense zones were created (by order of the USSR NKO dated February 14), with air defense areas, as well as air defense points, in them. The combat composition of the air defense zone included air defense formations and units of anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft machine guns, searchlights, airborne assault forces and barrage balloons, which directly carried out the tasks of protecting cities, objects and structures in the zone from enemy air strikes.

Lieutenant General D.T. Kozlov headed the Air Defense Main Directorate until February 14, 1941. Further (until November 1941) the heads of the Main Directorate of Air Defense were: Lieutenant General of Aviation E.S.

Ptukhin, Colonel General G.M. Stern, Colonel General of Artillery N.N. Voronov, Major General of Artillery A.A. Osipov (vreed).

In total, by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, air defense troops had: air defense zones - 13; air defense corps - 3; air defense divisions - 2; air defense brigades - 9; air defense brigade areas - 39. The number of air defense troops personnel was 182 thousand people. To solve the problems of air defense of the most important centers of the country, 40 fighter aviation regiments were also allocated, numbering about 1,500 combat aircraft and 1,206 crews.

At dawn on June 22, 1941, bombing and assault attacks by Nazi aviation on troops and objects within the borders of the Baltic Special, Western Special, Kyiv Special, Odessa and Leningrad military districts and the Black Sea Fleet began the Great Patriotic War for the Soviet people. At 3:15 a.m. Ochakov and Sevastopol were hit. From 3:30 a.m., enemy aircraft bombed the cities of Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic states, and launched massive attacks on air force airfields in border districts. At 4 o'clock the invasion of the USSR by the ground forces of Nazi Germany began. The Armed Forces of the Soviet Union and their air defense forces and means entered into a fierce confrontation with the enemy. Often, air defense units and units entered into battle with enemy aircraft without permission from above, at their own peril and risk, since on the eve of the war there was an order: do not open fire on border violators.

From the first days and months of the war, government and military authorities paid close attention to the state of air defense. The military councils of the fronts and the commanders of the military districts sent requests to the General Staff for additional air defense systems to strengthen the cover of points and objects in their areas of responsibility. In June-July 1941, the heads of people's commissariats and secretaries of regional committees of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks repeatedly contacted the General Staff regarding the allocation of air defense assets.

At the same time, the state of the air defense of Moscow and other important cities and regions of the country caused serious concern among the highest-ranking leaders. In particular, the State Defense Committee (GKO), formed on June 30, 1941, headed by I.V. From the first days of his activity until the end of the Great Patriotic War, Stalin repeatedly turned to solving air defense problems. So, on July 9, 1941, he adopted a special resolution “On the air defense of Moscow”, and on July 22, 1941 - “On the air defense of Leningrad”.

The course of the summer-autumn campaign of 1941 convincingly confirmed the increasing role of air defense in the war. Under conditions of enemy air supremacy, air defense forces in the first days and months of the war in border defensive battles, while repelling massive raids on Moscow, and while protecting Leningrad, Kyiv, Odessa and other important points from air strikes, inflicted significant damage on fascist aviation, destroying more than 2,500 enemy aircraft, acquired the necessary combat experience. At the same time, the irreparable losses of air defense formations and units, identified shortcomings in the organization and management of air defense led to the need to take urgent measures to improve the organization and build up air defense forces and means.

On November 9, 1941, the State Defense Committee adopted a resolution “On strengthening and strengthening the air defense of the territory of the Union,” which radically changed the organization of the entire air defense system. In accordance with it, formations and units intended to protect large administrative-political centers and vital facilities in the rear of the country from air strikes were removed from the subordination of military councils of districts, fronts and fleets (with the exception of formations and units covering Leningrad: they remained subordinate to the command of the Leningrad Front) and were transferred to the jurisdiction of the commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country - the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense for Air Defense (Lieutenant General M.S. Gromadin was appointed to this newly introduced position). Under him, a department was created, which included: headquarters, departments of fighter aviation, anti-aircraft artillery and other bodies (the intelligence agency allocated to solve the problems of air defense of objects was transferred to the commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country only under operational subordination). At the same time, instead of the air defense zones that previously existed in the European part of the USSR, two corps (Moscow and Leningrad) and a number of divisional air defense areas were created on their basis.

On November 24, 1941, in pursuance of the GKO resolution, the People's Commissar of Defense, by his order, distributed air defense units and formations between the Air Defense Forces of the country's territory and the fronts. Thus, the air defense system was divided into two components - country air defense and military air defense.

In the subsequent months of the first period of the Great Patriotic War, the State Defense Committee at its meetings repeatedly returned to the consideration of problems related to air defense. Thus, on January 22, 1942, he discussed issues relating to the Air Force. The result of this discussion was the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR I.V. Stalin from the same date, according to which the corps, divisions and individual regiments of the IA, allocated for the air defense of facilities, were transferred to the full subordination of the commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country, and along with them the airfield service battalions that provided them. With the publication of this order, the transformation of the Air Defense Forces of the country into an independent branch of the Armed Forces of the USSR was essentially completed. Solving a strictly defined range of strategic tasks, they had a structure unique to them and independent command, directly subordinate to the highest military leadership. The main branches of the military were anti-aircraft artillery and fighter aviation with their inherent forms and methods of action against an airborne enemy using anti-aircraft searchlights and the VNOS system, the units and units of which began to receive the first radio detection stations for aircraft in the air.

On April 5, 1942, the State Defense Committee adopted a resolution on the reorganization of the Moscow Corps Air Defense Region into the first operational-strategic association of the country's Air Defense Forces in the Russian Armed Forces - the Moscow Air Defense Front. Another decree of the same date created a qualitatively new operational formation on the basis of the Leningrad Corps Air Defense District - the Leningrad Air Defense Army, and on the basis of the Baku Corps District - the Baku Air Defense Army.

On June 29, 1943, the State Defense Committee considered “Issues of air defense of the country’s territory” and adopted a special resolution, according to which it was prescribed to have two air defense fronts on the country’s territory - Western and Eastern. Coordination of their actions and control over them was entrusted to the commander of the artillery of the Red Army N.N. Voronova (The Office of the Commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country was liquidated). Under him, the following were formed: the Central Headquarters of the Air Defense Forces, the Central Headquarters of the Air Defense Fighter Aviation, the central VNOS post and other bodies.

The creation of two air defense fronts improved the organization of interaction between the country's air defense formations and formations with the forces of fighter aviation and anti-aircraft artillery of combined arms fronts and fleets. At the same time, the abolition of the post of commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country's territory was not caused by objective necessity and complicated the centralized management of forces and means performing the tasks of air defense of facilities and communications of the country's rear. The demarcation line between the air defense fronts, drawn from north to south, in which the Eastern Air Defense Front covered objects in the deep rear, and the Western carried out tasks on a vast territory stretching behind the active combined arms fronts, was also not expedient. As the latter rapidly advanced to the west during the strategic offensive of the Red Army in the second half of 1943 - early 1944, the gap between the formations Western Front The air defense that followed the advancing troops in an intense fight against the air enemy, and the formations of the Eastern Air Defense Front, which continued to remain covering objects that were mostly beyond the reach of German aviation, increased more and more, which created serious difficulties in resolving issues not only of control , maneuvering forces and means in depth to build up air defense in the liberated territory, but also its organization as a whole.

In order to eliminate the identified shortcomings of the reorganization, on March 29, 1944, the State Defense Committee adopted a resolution “On measures to improve the management of active air defense forces of the Red Army,” which determined the creation, based on the forces and means of the Western and Eastern air defense fronts, respectively, of the Northern and Southern air defense fronts with a demarcation line between them from west to east. The Transcaucasian air defense zone was reorganized into the Transcaucasian air defense front.

The further offensive of the Red Army troops to the west increased the airspace within which it was necessary to organize and carry out air defense of objects dispersed to great depths in the front line, which led to an increase in the number of forces and means in the air defense fronts and to the complexity of their management. In this regard, on December 24, 1944, by another decree, the State Defense Committee took measures to bring the operational management of air defense closer to the active troops. The Northern Air Defense Front was transformed into the Western Front with the movement of front control from Moscow to Vilnius, and the Southern Front was transformed into the South-Western Front with the relocation of the headquarters from Kyiv to Lvov. To cover the country's deep rear facilities, a Central Air Defense Front with headquarters in Moscow was created on the basis of the Special Moscow Air Defense Army. The Transcaucasian air defense front has been preserved without changes. The central headquarters of the air defense forces and air defense fighter aviation of the Red Army were renamed respectively into the Main Headquarters of the Red Army Air Defense Forces and the Main Headquarters of the Red Army Air Defense Fighter Aviation.

In the 1945 campaign in Europe, the country's air defense forces, continuing to carry out tasks of defending the most important centers, industrial areas and communications of the Soviet Union, focused their main efforts on ensuring the final offensive operations of the fronts, organizing the defense of the most important facilities liberated by the Red Army in Central and South-Eastern Europe . During this period, four air defense fronts operated as part of the Air Defense Forces, covering the most important strategic air directions.

In the east of the country, where groups of Soviet troops were concentrated and deployed with the goal of defeating militaristic Japan, it was necessary to strengthen cover from possible enemy air strikes along the Trans-Siberian Railway, other communications, important industrial facilities, warehouses, and troops. For this, by decision of the State Defense Committee (resolution “On strengthening the air defense of the Far East and Transbaikalia” dated March 14, 1945), three air defense armies were formed: Primorskaya, Priamurskaya and Transbaikalskaya, which later became part of the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern and Transbaikal fronts. In a special regard, they were transferred to the subordination of the commander of the artillery of the Red Army.

The overall result of the combat activities of the country's Air Defense Forces is their significant contribution to the achievement of Victory, achieved through the joint efforts of all branches of the USSR Armed Forces and military branches.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Air Defense Forces successfully completed their tasks. They, together with the air defense forces and means of the fronts and fleets, saved many cities, towns, industrial enterprises, and railway communications from destruction from the air, and ensured the conduct of operations in the land and sea theaters of action of the Soviet troops and naval forces. Carrying out their combat missions, the country's air defense forces destroyed 7,313 Nazi aircraft, of which 4,168 were destroyed by air defense fighter aircraft and 3,145 by anti-aircraft artillery, machine-gun fire and barrage balloons.

Constant attention to air defense during the war years by the highest bodies of state and military leadership ensured a steady increase in air defense forces and means in quantitative and qualitative terms and determined the creation of an independent organizational structure - the Air Defense Forces of the country. One of the most important conclusions based on the results of the Great Patriotic War should be considered the confirmation of the thesis about the increasing role of air defense in ensuring the security of the state. The task of repelling enemy air strikes can only be carried out by strong Air Defense Forces that are deployed in advance and are in constant combat readiness.

In June 1948, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of Ministers of the USSR determined a new structure for the air defense system and troops. Districts and air defense armies were subject to disbandment, and air defense districts of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd categories were created on their basis. The entire territory of the country was divided into the internal part (rear areas) and the border strip. Responsibility for the air defense of rear facilities, as well as for the preparation of the country's territory in an air defense respect, was assigned to the commander of the country's Air Defense Forces - the Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces. Subordinate to him were the country's Air Defense Forces, which covered objects in the rear areas, and the VNOS service throughout the entire USSR. Responsibility for air defense of objects in the border zone was assigned to the commanders of military districts, naval bases and ports - to fleet commanders.

On July 7, 1948, Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. was appointed commander of the country's Air Defense Forces.

Govorov, leaving him the post of chief inspector. From this date, the country's air defense troops left the subordination of the artillery commander of the Soviet army.

In accordance with these decisions, in 1948-1949. The second post-war radical reorganization of troops and the air defense system was carried out, which made it possible to expand work on preparing the country's territory for air defense (construction of airfields, command posts, communication lines, etc.). At the same time, the unity of command and control of the air defense system was disrupted, which negatively affected its combat readiness.

In September 1951, a government decree carried out another reorganization of air defense. Due to the fact that in the border zone the air defense forces were separated into military districts, and this made it difficult to control them and mutual information about the air situation, it was ordered to create a unified air defense of the border line from units and formations of fighter aviation, headed by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. All units of the VNOS in the border zone were transferred from the country's Air Defense Forces to the formed 8 districts of this line. However, this event did not play a noticeable role in increasing the effectiveness of the fight against aircraft violating the country’s airspace. On June 20, 1953, by order of the Minister of Defense "On measures to improve the organization of air defense"Air defense areas of the border line were abolished, and on their basis, air defense departments of military districts were created, which were included in the country's Air Defense Forces. The commander of the latter was entrusted with responsibility for air defense and management of air defense forces and means throughout the USSR.

On May 27, 1954, by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU "On unpunished flights of foreign aircraft over the territory of the USSR", the leadership of the country's Air Defense Forces and the VNOS service and responsibility for air defense were assigned to the Ministry of Defense.

For its direct leadership, the position of Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Defense Forces, who is also the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, was established.

Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. was appointed to this position. Govorov.

In the mid-1950s, intensive development of anti-aircraft missile forces began, which formed the basis of the firepower of air defense. On May 7, 1955, by decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the first S-25 anti-aircraft missile system was adopted into service with the country's Air Defense Forces, and the formation of units intended for the anti-aircraft missile defense of Moscow was completed. In July of the same year, by order of the USSR Minister of Defense, the Special Purpose Air Defense Army (1st Air Defense Army ON), which included four corps, became part of the Moscow Air Defense District. With the adoption in October 1954 of the government decree “On the creation of an anti-aircraft battery of the S-75 system,” work began to complete the design and supply to the troops of new anti-aircraft missile systems capable of maneuvering to new positions under their own power or transported by rail. In May 1957, development of the S-125 anti-aircraft missile system began. At the end of this year, the S-75 (Dvina) medium-range mobile complex was put into service, and in May 1961, the S-125 (Neva) complex, designed to combat air targets at low altitudes, also appeared in air defense units. .

Work began on the creation of the S-200 Angara long-range anti-aircraft missile system (put into service in 1967)

Since 1960, air defense corps and divisions of the new organization have been formed.

The air defense system created during these years, with certain additions, existed until 1978. During the same period, thanks to the coordinated activities of scientists, design teams and production workers, the country's Air Defense Forces included missile and space defense forces and systems, and in the general defense system of the state, the Air Defense Forces actually became aerospace defense troops.

Another reorganization of the air defense system and troops in 1978-1980. returned them to the structure that had already been introduced and rejected by the war and post-war activities. Border districts and air defense armies were disbanded, their air defense corps and divisions without fighter aircraft were transferred to military districts. The country's air defense forces were reorganized into the Air Defense Forces in 1980.

Since January 1986, this system was abolished (except for the names of the troops), and separate air defense armies were again restored.

The collapse of the Soviet Union as single state at the end of 1991, and with it the unified system and the USSR Air Defense Forces, led to a significant decrease in the combat effectiveness of air defense forces within the borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

With the signing of the decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the creation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on May 7, 1992, a new stage in the development of the Air Defense Forces began. The subsequent reform (and actually reduction) of the Armed Forces and, within them, the Air Defense Forces did not, unfortunately, lead to the restoration of the required level of state protection from the aerospace enemy.

An analysis of the development of the armies of the leading world powers and the military organization of NATO countries in general, their use in local wars and armed conflicts of the last decade of the last century shows that in these countries the forces and means of aerospace attack play a decisive role. There is an obvious increase in the dependence of the course and outcome of military operations on the results of confrontation in aerospace. Consequently, aerospace defense in the overall defense system of the country should occupy one of the central places. The long-term, focused work of the main command of the Air Defense Forces, and since 1998 - the Air Force (since February 1998, the Air Defense Forces became part of the Air Force) to substantiate the most important directions and stages of creating aerospace defense of Russia has recently given certain positive results. results: the Concept of Aerospace Defense of the Russian Federation was developed; Basic provisions of state policy in the field of air defense of the Russian Federation; Measures have been planned and are being implemented to improve the air defense system of the Russian Federation.

The attention of the country's top government and military leadership to the development of a specific program for the development of the state's aerospace defense system gives hope for the creation in the near future of means, complexes and weapons systems capable of combating all means of the enemy's aerospace attack or contributing to the solution of this problem. Today we have all the necessary prerequisites for successfully solving the problems facing us.

Heads of air defense of Russia, the USSR and the Russian Federation

Job title	Full Name	Military rank (towards the end of the service)	Years of life	Duration of stay in the position
Head of the air defense of Petrograd and its environs, head of the air defense of Petrograd and Tsarskoe Selo (May 1915 - March 1917)	BURMAN Georgy Vladimirovich	Major General
	BLAZEVICH Joseph Frantsevich			May - October 1930
Head of the 6th Directorate of the Red Army Headquarters, Head of the Country's Rear Air Defense Service	KUCHINSKY Dmitry Alexandrovich
Head of the 6th Directorate of the Red Army Headquarters, Head of the Country's Rear Air Defense Service	MEDVEDEV Mikhail Evgenievich
	MEDVEDEV Mikhail Evgenievich
Head of the Red Army Air Defense Directorate, Head of the Red Army Air Defense	KAMENEV Sergey Sergeevich	Commander 1st rank
Head of the Red Army Air Defense Directorate, Head of the Red Army Air Defense	SEDYAKIN Alexander Ignatievich	Commander 2nd rank		January - December 1937
Head of the Red Army Air Defense Directorate, Head of the Red Army Air Defense (WRD)	KOBLENTS Grigory Mikhailovich	Colonel		February - October 1938
Head of the Red Army Air Defense Directorate, Head of the Red Army Air Defense	POLYAKOV Yakov Korneevich	Major General of Artillery
Head of the Red Army Air Defense Directorate, Head of the Red Army Air Defense	KOROLEV Mikhail Filippovich	Lieutenant General		June - November 1940
	KOZLOV Dmitry Timofeevich	Lieutenant General
Head of the Main Air Defense Directorate of the Red Army	PTUKHIN Evgeniy Savvich	Lieutenant General of Aviation		February - March 1941
Head of the Main Air Defense Directorate of the Red Army	STERN Grigory Mikhailovich	Colonel General		March - June 1941
Head of the Main Air Defense Directorate of the Red Army	VORONOV Nikolay Nikolaevich	Chief Marshal of Artillery		June - July 1941
Head of the Main Air Defense Directorate of the Red Army (WRD)	OSIPOV Alexey Alexandrovich	Major General of Artillery		July - November 1941
Commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense for Air Defense	GROMADIN Mikhail Stepanovich	Colonel General
Commander of the Air Defense Forces of the country	GROMADIN Mikhail Stepanovich	Colonel General
Commander of the Red Army Artillery	VORONOV Nikolay Nikolaevich	Chief Marshal of Artillery
	GROMADIN Mikhail Stepanovich	Colonel General
Commander of the country's Air Defense Forces - Deputy Minister of the USSR Armed Forces	GOVOROV Leonid Alexandrovich*	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commander of the country's air defense forces	NAGORNY Nikolai Nikiforovich	Colonel General
Commander of the country's air defense forces	VERSHININ Konstantin Andreevich	Air Chief Marshal
	GOVOROV Leonid Alexandrovich	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Defense Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR**	BIRYUZOV Sergey Semenovich	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Defense Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR	SUDETS Vladimir Alexandrovich	Air Marshal
Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Defense Forces, Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR	BATITSKY Pavel Fedorovich	Marshal of the Soviet Union
Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Defense Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, since January 1980 - Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces, Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR	KOLDUNOV Alexander Ivanovich	Air Chief Marshal
	TRETYAK Ivan Moiseevich	Army General	Genus. in 1923
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces, Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR	PRUDNIKOV Viktor Alekseevich	Army General	Genus. in 1939	August - December 1991
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States - Commander of the Air Defense Forces	PRUDNIKOV Viktor Alekseevich	Army General	Genus. in 1939
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Defense Forces	PRUDNIKOV Viktor Alekseevich	Army General	Genus. in 1939
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Defense Forces (VRD)	SINITSYN Viktor Pavlovich	Colonel General	Genus. in 1940
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Russian Armed Forces	KORNUKOV Anatoly Mikhailovich	Army General	Genus. in 1942	March 1998*** - January 2002
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Russian Armed Forces	MIKHAILOV Vladimir Sergeevich	Army General	Genus. in 1943	January 2002 - present

* Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov simultaneously remained in the position of chief inspector of the USSR Armed Forces.
** From January 1956 to February 1991, the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Defense Forces was at the same time the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact member states, the commander of the Air Defense Forces of the United Armed Forces.
*** In the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force since January 1998, responsibility for air defense assigned since March 1998.

Information sources

Colonel General B.F. CHELTSOV, Chief of the Air Force General Staff - First Deputy
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY'S AIR DEFENSE"Military History Magazine" No. 12 2004

DEFENSE FORCES ARMY

07.01.2016

Since 2015, the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces began using a new type of target missile in exercises that simulates high-speed targets. This was announced by the head of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov.
“To create a complex target environment during tactical live-fire exercises, the new Pincene target missile was used for the first time, simulating high-speed targets with the characteristics of modern air attack weapons,” explained Alexander Leonov.
The main advantage of this target missile, according to him, is the ability to “carry out a full cycle of fire control using automation tools.”
In addition, to objectively assess the combat performance of crews and the results of live firing, the Conglomerat-1P mobile control system was used. It provides digital video recording and processing of the flight trajectory of anti-aircraft guided missiles and artillery shells of short-range and short-range anti-aircraft systems.
In 2015, 65 tactical live-fire exercises of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces were planned and conducted. They were carried out at the Kapustin Yar and Ashuluk training grounds in the Southern Military District and the Telemba training ground in the Eastern Military District.
In total, more than 10 thousand military personnel, including 1.5 thousand officers, took part in the training events; up to 3.5 thousand units of weapons, military and special equipment were involved.
Directorate of Press Service and Information of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

25.12.2016


The military air defense (air defense) of the Russian Armed Forces conducted 120 exercises, during which 1043 target missiles were hit, the head of the air defense troops of the Russian Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov, said on the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
The Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces (SV) of the Russian Armed Forces celebrate the anniversary of their formation on Saturday. The formation of military air defense units began with the order of the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army dated December 13 (26), 1915 on the formation of separate four-gun light batteries for firing at the air fleet. According to the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated February 9, 2007, the date of creation of military air defense is considered to be December 26.
“In total, 129 exercises were conducted in 2016,” Leonov said. He noted that during these exercises, 1,043 target missiles were destroyed.
RIA News

25.12.2016


Russia has begun the development of a new man-portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS). Interfax reports this with reference to the head of the air defense of the Ground Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov.
“The development of a new MANPADS is underway,” Leonov said on the Ekho Moskvy radio station, adding that domestic MANPADS are now significantly superior to any foreign analogues.
Man-portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS) is an anti-aircraft missile system designed to be transported and fired by one person. In Russia, the Igla and Verba MANPADS are in service. The Strela and Igla missile systems developed in the USSR were exported to dozens of countries around the world and are still actively used in armed conflicts.
https://lenta.ru

25.12.2016


Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems will no longer be supplied to the Russian Ground Forces; re-equipment with Buk-M3 systems is underway.
This was announced by the head of the military air defense of the Russian Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov.
“There will be no more deliveries of Buk-M2 (to the Ground Forces). At the beginning of next year, retraining for the Buk-M3 complexes will begin,” he said on the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
TASS

Anti-aircraft missile system 9K317M "BUK-M3"


26.12.2016


Three new anti-aircraft missile brigades have been formed in two military districts, the head of the military air defense (air defense) of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov, said on Saturday on the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
“The formation of our new connections continues. To date, three anti-aircraft missile brigades have been formed: one long-range anti-aircraft missile brigade in the Southern (military) district and two medium-range anti-aircraft missile brigades in the Southern and Eastern military districts,” Leonov said.
He noted that, in addition to this, military air defense units and formations are being re-equipped with new equipment.
“We are re-equipping the existing one air defense missile system and regiment. Seven anti-aircraft missile divisions have been re-equipped with the new Tor-M2 short-range complex, and a planned re-equipment of short-range systems is underway - the Strela-10MN anti-aircraft missile system and Verba MANPADS,” Leonov said.
RIA News

12.01.2017


According to the head of the air defense troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov, the main efforts of combat training of military air defense in the past academic year were focused on organizing and conducting planned training of formations, military units and subunits in accordance with their intended purpose.
In total, 129 tactical live-fire exercises were conducted in 2016. Of these, 98 are with anti-aircraft missile (anti-aircraft) units and subunits of military districts and the Northern Fleet and 31 are with units of the Airborne Forces.
At the same time, more than 50% of formations, military units and subunits were rated “good” and “excellent” based on the results of tactical exercises. The total consumption of missiles was more than 1000, ammunition - more than 40 thousand, target missiles - more than 1000.
Over 15 thousand military personnel were involved in the exercises, more than 3.5 thousand units of weapons, military and special equipment were involved.
During the exercise, several innovative approaches were tested for the first time.
Firstly, it is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to create a complex air situation that meets modern realities, as well as to monitor the actions of inspected formations, military units and subunits. For the first time, the Conglomerat-1P complex, which has no analogues in the world, was used to objectively assess the results of firing.
Secondly, during tactical live-fire exercises, modern Barnaul-T automated control systems were widely used, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time for assessing the situation and making decisions.

13.01.2017


By the end of 2020, formations, units and air defense units of the Ground Forces will be re-equipped with anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-300V4 (long-range), Buk-M3 (medium-range) and Tor-M2 (short-range), anti-aircraft artillery systems and man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) of a new generation (short-range).
This was announced by the head of the air defense troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov.
In accordance with the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the share of modern models of military air defense equipment included in the list of priorities and determining the appearance of promising weapons systems will be more than 70%.
The increase in combat strength and comprehensive re-equipment will lead to an increase in the combat capabilities of the air defense forces of the ground forces by almost two times (1.8 times), which will significantly increase the effectiveness of air defense.
As a result, a reliable air defense system will be created in all strategic directions to cover not only troop groups, but also important government facilities in the areas of responsibility.
Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

14.05.2017


Military air defense (air defense) specialists of the Ground Forces are being retrained for new types of weapons, this was stated by the head of the combat training department of the Ground Forces, Colonel Roman Benyukov.
“During the winter training period, specialists were trained for seven types of basic equipment. Today, the number of trained military personnel corresponds to the amount of new equipment received, which ensures its high-quality operation,” emphasized Colonel Roman Benyukov.
He also said that the main efforts of the Army Air Defense Forces were aimed at training junior specialists and retraining formations, military units and units on the latest types of weapons and military equipment (anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes S-300V4, Buk-M2, Buk- M3", "Tor-M2U", "Tor-M2", man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems "Verba"), and for the missile forces and artillery, about 1.5 thousand people were trained in four training centers during the winter training period.
The created combat training system includes three areas: training of conscripted and contract military personnel and university students, added the head of the combat training department of the Army.

06.01.2018


In the interests of the Ground Forces, a universal mechanized training complex has been developed and is completing tests, intended for training military air defense units and testing promising air defense systems.
The complex created software and remotely controlled reusable targets that simulate a cruise missile, tactical UAV, jet aircraft and hovering attack helicopter.
The complex also allows you to create a dynamically changing air situation, such as a “star” raid, for practicing electronic and combat launches by air defense missile crews.


Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

09.01.2018


Based on the results of combat training in 2017, more than ten military air defense units of the Ground Forces were awarded the honorary title “Shock”.
About 90 tactical exercises were conducted with military air defense units of the Ground Forces in 2017, in which more than 14.5 thousand military personnel and more than 3.5 thousand weapons and special equipment took part.
The military air defense training centers of the Ground Forces have trained about 2 thousand junior specialists, of which more than 250 are military personnel serving under contract.
In addition, in 2018 it is planned to equip with modern weapons and equipment, including: two military air defense formations - the Tor-M2 short-range anti-aircraft missile system; air defense units operating in the Arctic and Far North - the Tor-M2DT short-range anti-aircraft missile system; air defense units of combined arms formations - the Verba portable anti-aircraft missile system.
The systematic and annual increase in the combat strength of troops, the implementation of complete rearmament with modern anti-aircraft missile systems will make it possible to increase the combat capabilities of air defense forces by 2020.
Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

09.03.2018


The air defense systems and complexes of the Ground Forces of the Russian Armed Forces are capable of fighting all existing means of air attack; they have no analogues in the world, which is confirmed by their high competitiveness in the arms market, said Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.
“The modern weapons of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces are in many ways superior to their predecessors and have no analogues in the world, which is confirmed by their high competitiveness in the arms market. According to their characteristics, the anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes in service with the branch of the armed forces are capable of combating all existing means of air attack,” Salyukov said in an interview with the newspaper of the Russian Armed Forces “Red Star”, published on the publication’s website on Wednesday.
He noted that now the air defense forces of the Ground Forces have received a new impetus for development. “New anti-aircraft missile formations have been formed, armed with the S-300V4 anti-aircraft missile system (the most long-range in its class of weapons, capable of hitting ballistic targets in the extra-atmospheric zone) and the Buk-M2 complex. Re-equipment is being carried out with the Buk-MZ and Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems and the Verba man-portable anti-aircraft missile system. Currently, the Armed Forces maintain two brigades of the Buk-M3 air defense system, two regiments and seven divisions of the Tor-M2 (M2U) air defense system and eight units of the Verba MANPADS,” the commander-in-chief said.
According to him, the prospect of further development of the armed forces lies in equipping them with the latest highly effective anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems, in implementing the latest developments that will significantly increase the effectiveness of anti-aircraft weapons in the fight against modern air enemies, in increasing the level of combat training of troops, in improving the system training of highly qualified air defense specialists.
RIA News

06.01.2019


In 2019, military air defense units of the Ground Forces will receive five anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-aircraft missile systems. As part of the execution of the state defense order, manufacturing enterprises will transfer to the Russian Ministry of Defense a brigade set of S-300V4 air defense systems, divisional sets of BUK-M3 and TOR-M2 air defense systems.
The systematic and annual increase in the combat strength of the troops, the implementation of complete rearmament with modern anti-aircraft missile systems will make it possible by 2020 to increase the combat capabilities of the air defense forces by more than 1.3 times.
Russian Ministry of Defense

GROUND FORCES WILL RECEIVE S-300V4 AND BUK-M3 ANTI-AIRCY COMPLEXES IN 2019

AIR DEFENSE FORCES OF THE GROUND FORCES

Air Defense Forces (Air Defense Forces) are a branch of the Ground Forces, designed to cover troops and objects from the actions of enemy air attacks when combined arms formations and formations conduct operations (combat operations), perform regroupings (march) and are stationed on the spot. They are responsible for the following main tasks:
carrying out combat duty in air defense;
conducting reconnaissance of enemy air and alerting covered troops;
destruction of enemy air attack weapons in flight;
participation in the conduct of missile defense in theaters of military operations.
Organizationally, the Air Defense Forces of the Army consist of military command and control bodies, air defense command posts, anti-aircraft missile (missile and artillery) and radio technical formations, military units and subunits. They are capable of destroying enemy air attack weapons in the entire range of altitudes (extremely low - up to 200 m, low - from 200 to 1000 m, medium - from 1000 to 4000 m, high - from 4000 to 12000 m and in the stratosphere - more than 12000 m) and flight speeds.

Formations, military units and air defense units of the Army are equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft gun-missile systems (systems) and man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems that vary in reach, channel and methods of missile guidance. Depending on the range of destruction of air targets, they are divided into short-range systems - up to 10 km, short-range - up to 30 km, medium-range - up to 100 km and long-range - more than 100 km.

Further development of the Air Defense Forces is carried out by increasing mobility, survivability, secrecy of operation, degree of automation, fire performance, expanding the parameters of the affected area, reducing reaction time and weight-dimensional characteristics of anti-aircraft missile (missile and artillery) systems.

THE RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF MILITARY AIR DEFENSE

On December 26, 2015, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of military air defense (air defense). Exactly a century ago, in accordance with the order of the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated December 13 (26), 1915 No. 368, the formation of separate four-gun light batteries for firing at air targets began.
On the official website of the Russian Ministry of Defense, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, a special information section “100 years of military air defense” was opened.
The section opens with congratulations to the personnel on the anniversary of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu.
The section is based on numerous historical documents and memories of military veterans about the stages of formation and development of the oldest special branch of the armed forces in the Armed Forces.
Currently, the basis of military air defense consists of formations, military units and air defense units of the Ground, Airborne Forces and coastal forces of the Navy. They are designed to conduct reconnaissance and repel enemy air attacks, protect troop groups and facilities from air strikes in all types of combat operations.
In the context of the rapid development of aerospace attack means of the armies of foreign states, formations, military units and air defense units have become an integral part of combined arms formations from the tactical to the operational-strategic level.
In 2015, 65 tactical exercises with military air defense formations and units with live fire were planned and conducted. They were carried out at the Kapustin Yar and Ashuluk training grounds on the territory of the Southern Military District and the Telemba training ground on the territory of the Eastern Military District.
In total, more than 10 thousand people were involved in the maneuvers, including 1.5 thousand officers and up to 3.5 thousand weapons, military and special equipment.
Currently, the planned re-equipment of formations, military units and military air defense units with new anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes “S-300V4”, “Buk-M2”, “Tor-M2U”, man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems “Verba” is underway. New complexes and systems have absorbed the best qualities of their predecessors and are capable of hitting both aerodynamic and ballistic targets, cruise missiles, aerial reconnaissance and electronic warfare systems.
In 2016, the first brigade set of the Buk-M3 medium-range anti-aircraft missile system is planned to be delivered to the Ground Forces.
For the period until 2020, the main directions for the development of military air defense are:
improving the organizational and staffing structures of military command and control bodies, formations, military units and air defense units of the Ground Forces in order to maximize the use of the combat capabilities of incoming and developed anti-aircraft missile weapons;
development of new generation air defense weapons and military equipment capable of effectively combating all types of air attack weapons, including those created on the basis of hypersonic technologies.
improving the system for training highly qualified personnel for military air defense, including junior specialists studying in specialized training centers of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces.
The most important task for the High Command of the Ground Forces is to train the main core of personnel for the Air Defense Forces - specialist officers.
Training of personnel for military air defense is carried out at the Military Academy of Military Air Defense of the RF Armed Forces named after Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky. Today, the Military Academy of Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is a single educational and scientific center that provides multi-level training of air defense officers with the highest operational-tactical training and full military-special training for the air defense forces of the Ground Forces, Airborne Forces, coastal forces of the fleets, as well as other ministries and departments of the Russian Federation, as well as leading scientific research, training of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel. The Academy has 17 departments, five faculties and a research center. The training of military specialists at the academy is carried out in 38 specialties.
In addition, the training of officers for military air defense is carried out at five military departments and in two military training centers at civilian universities.
Training of junior specialists is carried out in two training centers for air defense troops of the Ground Forces and two training centers for training air defense specialists from the training center according to 4-month training programs (including 1 month of combined arms training and 3 months of specialty training).
More than 4.5 thousand specialists are trained annually in 25 military accounting specialties.
Since 2014, for the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, the training of reserve soldiers and sergeants has been carried out at military departments and military training centers in 5 educational institutions of higher professional education in 20 military specialties. Currently, over 1,300 people are undergoing training; from August 2016, the number of trainees will increase to 2,000 thousand.
As part of the International Army Games 2015, Russian air defense specialists took part in the “Masters of Anti-Aircraft Combat” competition, showed good results and took first place.
The “Masters of Anti-Aircraft Combat” competition was held in Yeisk, Krasnodar Territory, on the basis of the 726th training center of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces. 6 teams from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America took part in the competition, these are the Republic of Belarus, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the team of the Russian Federation.
Currently, the methods developed during the training of the team for the training of air defense troops specialists are actively being implemented and used in organizing and carrying out combat training activities.
In 2016, the name of the competition itself and its program changed. Now the competition will be called “Clear Sky 2016”. This is due to changes in team composition and weapons. In addition to a unit armed with man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, a unit armed with anti-aircraft guns with a caliber of up to 25 mm will also take part. Also, the number of competitive disciplines has been increased. Teams will compete in the sprint (with shooting from MANPADS and ZU), the pursuit (with shooting from MANPADS and ZU) and the combined relay.
All changes to the program were made taking into account the wishes of foreign colleagues - participants in the last competition.

As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of military air defense in all military districts, at the Military Academy, training centers of air defense forces, festive and military-patriotic events were and are being held in December with the participation of military personnel, military air defense veterans, public figures and youth.
Significant events for the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, held as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of military air defense, are:
laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (December 26, Moscow);
a ceremonial meeting at the cultural and leisure center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Preobrazhensky”, with the participation of the senior staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (December 26, Moscow);
opening of a bust of the first chief of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Artillery V.I. Kazakov (December 19, 726 training center of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces (Yeisk, Krasnodar Territory);
laying a capsule with a message to descendants at the memorial complex named after Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Artillery V.I. Kazakov (December 25, 106th Air Defense Training Center of the Ground Forces (Orenburg).

On the occasion of the professional holiday - Day of formation of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces , to questions from a correspondent of the newspaper “Ural Military News” Sergei Korogod answers.

- Valery Yuryevich, you recently headed the air defense forces of the district. How do you assess the level of their combat skills? What are the results of the completed academic year?

Summing up the results of combat training in 2016, we can say with confidence that the air defense troops of the military district coped with the assigned tasks.
The air defense troops of the Central Military District once again confirmed their high level of combat training at this year’s exercises, all-army competitions and field exercises at the Kapustin Yar training ground in the Astrakhan region, where excellent and good ratings were received based on the results of live firing.

- What priorities have you outlined for yourself in combat training of troops? How will the experience of recent armed conflicts be used in combat training?

The main priorities of combat training will be related to increasing the field training of personnel of formations and military units, preparation and participation in tactical exercises with live firing at the Kapustin Yar training ground, mastering the incoming new types of weapons and military equipment, as well as participation in all-army competitions.
As you noted, a lot of analytical work is being done to assess the experience of recent armed conflicts. Together with the Military Academy of Military Air Defense Armed Forces The Russian Federation is developing new forms and methods of conducting combat operations, which are being tested and implemented during scheduled combat training exercises, during exercises and field exercises of air defense troops. Particular attention is paid to non-standard methods of combat use of enemy air reconnaissance assets, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-aircraft artillery systems, which have become widespread in the last 2-3 years.

- Today, the Armed Forces continue to re-equip themselves with the latest models of equipment. How modern are the technical means and weapons that the district’s air defense units are currently equipped with? To what extent do they meet the objectives?

The air defense troops of the military district continue their planned rearmament with new, modern types of weapons and special equipment. We are working together with industry representatives to modernize and maintain equipment. The question of how modern the technical equipment and weapons that the military units and air defense units of the district are currently equipped with can be answered by the results of the exhibitions and displays held, the interest of foreign experts in domestic air defense weapons and the number of contracts concluded.
Anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes prove their reliability, noise immunity and multi-channel capabilities not only in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but also in countries that import our weapons.
Returning to the experience of recent armed conflicts, we can say that military air defense military equipment has proven itself to be reliable, unpretentious to various climatic conditions and relatively easy to operate, making it possible to reliably carry out missions to destroy the air enemy over the entire range of speeds and altitudes.

- How fully are air defense units staffed with officers and soldiers? How is the training of specialists for anti-aircraft missile and radio engineering troops? Which option of service is preferable - conscription or contract?

The Air Defense Forces, traditionally, just like the Air Force, have always enjoyed increased interest from those wishing to connect their destiny with the profession of Defender of the Fatherland, as a result of which it can be noted that the troops are well staffed.
Whatever the power and combat capabilities of modern military air defense weapons, they can only be used with high efficiency by real professionals, whose training is given close attention.
Specialists such as senior and junior officers are trained at the Military Academy of Military Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation named after Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky.
Training of junior specialists for military air defense is carried out at the Yeisk and Orenburg training centers.
Priority in recruiting air defense troops of the military district is given to military personnel serving under contract - this is due to the incoming new types of weapons and special equipment that require special training and preparedness of personnel.

- Which of your subordinates and which military groups would you note in better side?

Based on the results of the past academic year, the air defense troops of the military district showed decent combat training. And it’s difficult to single out anyone in particular. All teams deserve prizes. I would like to commend for the better the commander of the anti-aircraft missile unit, Colonel Alexei Nikolaenkov, and the head of the command post, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Anokhin.

- What festive events are planned in the air defense forces of the district?

In the air defense forces of the military district, ceremonial meetings will traditionally be held with the participation of veterans of the air defense forces, where they will convey the order of the commander of the troops of the Central Military District, Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitsky, in which the best specialists of the military air defense will be recognized and rewarded with departmental awards based on the results of combat training of the past academic year.
In conclusion, I would like to cordially congratulate the anti-aircraft gunners, veterans of the air defense forces, scientific and labor teams who have contributed and continue to improve the air defense shield of the Fatherland, on our professional holiday, wish them good health and further success in protecting the air borders of our Motherland.

Born on July 28, 1969, graduated from the Leningrad VZRKU (1990) with honors, the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation (1997) with honors, and the Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (2007). He served in the Leningrad Military District as a crew chief, deputy commander of an anti-aircraft missile battery, and commander of an anti-aircraft missile battery. He served as commander of an anti-aircraft missile battery in the Western Group of Forces and commander of a separate anti-aircraft missile division, chief of staff of an anti-aircraft missile unit in the Moscow Military District. From November 2002 to August 2016, he served in the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces as a senior operator officer, group chief, department head, and deputy department chief. On August 11, 2016, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, he was appointed head of the air defense and aviation forces of the Central Military District. Married, has a son and daughter.