| Russian Aerospace Forces | |
|---|---|
| Воздушно-космические силы | |
 Middle emblem of the Russian Aerospace Forces | |
| Founded | 1 August 2015; 10 years ago (2015-08-01) |
| Country | Russia |
| Type | Air andspace force |
| Role | |
| Size | 165,000 personnel (2020)[1] |
| Part of |  Russian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Arbat District, Moscow |
| Colors |
|
| March | "Air March" (Russian:"Авиамарш") (official march-past of the Air Force) "14 Minutes Until Launch" (Russian:"14 минут до старта") (official march of the Space Forces) |
| Anniversaries | Air Force Day (12 August) |
| Engagements | |
| Website | eng.mil.ru/forces/aerospace |
| Commanders | |
| Supreme Commander-in-Chief | PresidentVladimir Putin |
| Minister of Defense | Andrey Belousov |
| Commander-in-Chief | Colonel GeneralViktor Afzalov |
| Chief of the Main Staff | Lieutenant GeneralAleksandr Maksimtsev |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Roundel |  |
| Patch |  |
| Great emblem |  |
| Insignia |  |
| Russian Armed Forces |
|---|
.svg) |
| Staff |
| Services (vid) |
| Independent troops (rod) |
| Special operations force (sof) |
| Other troops |
| Military districts |
| History of the Russian military |
TheRussian Aerospace Forces[2][a] orRussian Air and Space Forces[3] (VKS[b]) comprise theaerial,space warfare, andmissile defencebranches of theArmed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was established on 1 August 2015 with the merging of theRussian Air Force (VVS) and theRussian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO), as recommended by theMinistry of Defence to improve efficiency and logistical support.[4] The VKS is headquartered inMoscow.[5]
With the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, the Russian Aerospace Forces is a unified command consisting of the following branches:[6][7]
| Command Staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces (Главнокомандующий Воздушно-космическими силами) | Army general /Colonel general | |
| Chief of the Main Staff - First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (Начальник Главного штаба — первый заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) | Colonel general /Lieutenant general | |
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) | Colonel general /Lieutenant general | |
| Chiefs of branches, deputy commanders: | ||
| Commander of the Air Force, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces (Командующий Военно-воздушными силами — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) | Commander of the Aerospace and Missile Defense Forces, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces (Командующий Войсками противовоздушной и противоракетной обороны — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) | Commander of the Space Forces, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Aerospace Forces (Командующий Космическими войсками — заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) |
| Functional deputy commanders: | ||
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces forMilitary-Political Work (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по военно-политической работе) | Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Logistics (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по материально-техническому обеспечению) | Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces for Armaments (Заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами по вооружению) |
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| Position | Name | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commander of the Aerospace Forces | Colonel GeneralViktor Bondarev | 1 August 2015 | 26 September 2017 |
| Lieutenant GeneralPavel Kurachenko (acting) | 26 September 2017 | 22 November 2017 | |
| Army GeneralSergei Surovikin | 22 November 2017 | 22 August 2023 | |
| Colonel GeneralViktor Afzalov | 20 August 2023 (acting) 20 October 2023 | ||
| First Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces (Chief of the Main Staff) | Lieutenant General Pavel Kurachenko | 1 September 2015 | July 2018 |
| Lieutenant GeneralViktor Afzalov | August 2018 | August 2023 | |
| Lieutenant GeneralAleksandr Maksimtsev | 20 August 2023 | ||
| Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces | Lieutenant GeneralSergey Dronov | 1 August 2015 | 2019 |
| Lieutenant GeneralAndrei Yudin | 2019 | 2023 | |
| Colonel GeneralVladimir Kravchenko | 2023 | ||
| Deputy Commanders of the Aerospace Forces | |||
| Commander of the Air Force | Colonel GeneralAndrei Yudin | 1 September 2015 | July 2019 |
| Lieutenant GeneralSergey Dronov | July 2019 | 24 July 2024 | |
| Lieutenant GeneralSergey Kobylash | 24 July 2024 | ||
| Commander of the Aerospace and Missile Defense Forces | Lieutenant GeneralViktor Gumyonny | 1 September 2015 | 2018 |
| Lieutenant GeneralYury Grekhov | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Lieutenant GeneralAndrey Dyomin | 2021 | May 2023 | |
| Lieutenant GeneralAndrei Semyonov | May 2023 | ||
| Commander of the Space Forces | Colonel GeneralAleksandr Golovko | 1 September 2015[6] | |
| Deputy Commander for Work with Personnel | Major General Andrei Kazakevich | unknown | unknown |
| Lieutenant General Aleksandr Maksimtsev | 2019 | 2023 | |
| Deputy Commander for Logistics | Lieutenant General Vladimir Trishunkin | unknown | unknown |
| Lieutenant General Zabit Kheirbekov | unknown | ||
| Deputy Commander for Armaments | Colonel Andrei Medvedkov | unknown | unknown |
| Major General Sergei Meshcheryakov | unknown | 2021 | |
| Colonel General Yury Grekhov | 2021 | ||
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The Aerospace Forces are organised in air armies.
Air Forces High Command (Главное командование ВВС) (Moscow)
Air Defence and Anti-Missile Defence ForcesCommand (Командование войск ПВО-ПРО) (Moscow)
Space Forces Command (Командование космических войск) (Krasnoznamensk, Moscow Oblast)
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Aerospace Forces[8] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
| Генера́л а́рмии Generál ármii | Генера́л-полко́вник Generál-polkóvnik | Генера́л-лейтена́нт Generál-leytenánt | Генера́л-майо́р Generál-mayór | Полко́вник Polkóvnik | Подполко́вник Podpolkóvnik | Майо́р Majór | Kапита́н Kapitán | Старший лейтена́нт Stárshiy leytenánt | Лейтенант Leytenant | Mла́дший лейтена́нт Mládshiy leytenánt | ||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Aerospace Forces[8] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik | Пра́порщик Práporshchyk | Старшина́ Starshyná | Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt | Сержа́нт Serzhánt | Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt | Ефре́йтор Efréĭtor | Рядово́й Ryadovóy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leadership of theRussian Aerospace Forces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Commander-in-Chief |  | |
| Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief | ||
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief | ||
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