Russian Aerospace Forces

Russian Aerospace Forces
Воздушно-космические силы
Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily

Emblem of Russian Aerospace Forces
Founded August 1st, 2015 - present
Country  Russia
Branch Russian Armed Forces
Role Aerospace Defence
Size 188,000 personnel (2014)[1][nb 1]
Approx. 3,040+[2] to 3,155 aircraft[3]
65 satellites[1][4][5]
Headquarters Moscow
Engagements Intervention in the Syrian Civil War
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel General Viktor Bondarev[6]

The Russian Aerospace Forces or VKS (Russian: Воздушно-космические силы, tr. Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily) are the Aerospace Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was established as a new armed force on the 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force (VVS) and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VKO) under the recommendations of the Ministry of Defence. It is headquartered in Moscow.[7] Several reasons were announced for the merger, including greater efficiency and logistical support.[8]

Organisation

Sub-branches

According to Jane's Information Group, with the merger of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces, the new Russian Aerospace Forces consists of three sub-branches:[6]

Leadership

Commander of the Aerospace Forces First Deputy Commander Deputy Chief of the Aerospace Forces
Colonel General Viktor Bondarev (1 August 2015- )[6] Lieutenant General Pavel Kurachenko (1 August 2015- )[6] Lieutenant General Aleksandr Golovko (1 August 2015- )[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Figure is pre-merger, and includes Air Force (148,000) and Space Forces (40,000) personnel.

References

  1. 1 2 International Institute for Strategic Studies: The Military Balance 2014, p.181
  2. ↑ International Institute for Strategic Studies: The Military Balance 2014, p.186
  3. ↑ Flightglobal - World Air Forces 2015 (PDF), Flightglobal.com
  4. ↑ http://rg.ru/2016/03/24/reg-szfo/minoborony-zapushchennyj-s-plesecka-voennyj-sputnik-priniat-na-upravlenie.html
  5. ↑ http://tass.ru/kosmos/3339741
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Russia creates new Aerospace Force service branch, janes.com, 4 August 2015
  7. ↑ Шойгу объявил о создании нового вида ВС - Воздушно-космических сил, ria.ru/defense, 3 August 2015
  8. ↑ Russia establishes Aerospace Forces as new armed service — Defense Minister, tass.ru, 3 August 2015
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