Day of the Russian Air Defense Forces. Air Defense Forces Day. Dossier

Modern conflicts take place with the participation of aviation. Its use provides a number of advantages over other means, allowing for reconnaissance, high-precision strikes, and airdropping of manpower, weapons and supplies. There are special units to counter aircraft. A professional holiday is dedicated to them.

When is it celebrated?

Air Defense Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of April. In 2019, it falls on April 14 and is not a national holiday. Troops Day air defense enshrined in Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 31, 2006 No. 549 “On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.” The document was signed by V. Putin.

Who's celebrating

All military personnel of the air defense forces take part in the celebrations Armed Forces Russian Federation, regardless of rank or position. Among them are plant operators, dispatchers, developers and manufacturers of relevant equipment, and support personnel.

The holiday is considered by cadets, teachers, graduates of specialized higher educational institutions, soldiers and officers who have ever been in the ranks of these units. Their relatives, acquaintances, friends, relatives and close people join the events on the occasion of Air Defense Forces Day.

History and traditions of the holiday

The event starts in Soviet times, with the adoption of Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 20, 1975 No. 1098-IX “On the establishment of the annual holiday “Day of the Country’s Air Defense Forces”. Since then, the custom of honoring employees arose and has been preserved in Russia. In 2006, the head of state issued a document adding celebrations in honor of the guards of the sky to the list of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The date has symbolic meaning. It coincides with the adoption in April of a number of regulations and measures that strengthened protection against aviation. The custom unites officers, cadets, veterans for festive tables. Toasts are made to colleagues. Congratulations, wishes for health and peace come from the lips of those gathered. Colleagues show photographs from albums, tell stories from everyday life, share their accumulated experience and plans for the future.

Events continue with family, friends and loved ones. Law enforcement officers receive gifts. Among them are souvenir and thematic products: atlases and models of military equipment, books about the history of military units. The command holds a ceremony to award employees with medals, orders, and certificates of honor. The bosses make notes of gratitude in personal files.

The best are promoted to ranks and positions for outstanding achievements. Air Defense Day 2019 is marked by the ritual of the so-called washing of stars, which will soon appear on shoulder straps. Tradition involves immersing new insignia in alcoholic drink who drinks.

About the profession

Air defense troops are engaged in monitoring the country's airspace. For this purpose, radars, radar stations, and friend-or-foe recognition systems are used. When an intruder is detected, he is intercepted by a flight of fighters to be escorted to the landing or expelled from the border. In some cases it is allowed to shoot down aircrafts. For this purpose, missiles and anti-aircraft installations are used.

A career begins with military service or training in a specialized educational institution Ministry of Defense. The graduate must have tactical training, know the operating principles and design of the equipment, and be able to handle it while complying with the standards. IN war time Air defense units are the enemy's primary target and are relatively easy to identify.

One of the most important holidays among professional military personnel is Air Defense Forces Day. It is celebrated by everyone involved in protecting the country’s territory from airborne threats. Find out what date Air Defense Day is in 2019 and the history of this holiday in our article.

Days and numbers

Initially, Air Defense Day was classified as a professional holiday - it was celebrated by military personnel who were involved in the issue of “cleanliness” of the airspace. In addition, it was celebrated by those who guarded military installations outside the country.

Today this holiday is included in the list of memorable days in the armed forces of the Russian Federation. This status was assigned to him by a Presidential Decree in 2006.

Air Defense Day does not have a fixed date. That is, every year it falls on a new date. The same Decree designated the second Sunday in April as the day of celebration.

History of appearance

Air Defense Day is a holiday with the rich, heroic story, because the entire journey of the air defense troops is a feat. Despite the fact that the first air defense units appeared more than a hundred years ago, a memorial day in honor of this formation was established only in 1975. By decree of the Presidium of the USSR in memory of the merits of the troops during the Great Patriotic War A special holiday was allocated - April 11. The date was chosen in memory of the most important decisions made during the Second World War in April. It was these decisions that largely determined the future path of development of the army.

Five years later, in 1980, the date is moved. Now it is celebrated in April, on the second Sunday of the month. Essentially, with the collapse Soviet Union Decrees on holidays also ceased to apply, however, until 2006, Air Defense Day was celebrated annually on this very day - the second Sunday in April. Well, in 2006, as mentioned above, a presidential decree officially assigned the specified date to professional troops.

Military history

The issue of air defense was first raised after the use of balloons and airships during the First World War. The first aircraft were used first for reconnaissance - detecting enemy units, and then during combat operations - they dropped bombs on enemy concentrations. Of course, as a type of armed equipment, airships were ineffective, but they still caused some damage. And then the engineers began to think about protecting their own units from air attacks. With the advent of aircraft, the problem of air defense has become very urgent.

In the first decade of the 20th century, air defense was carried out on a residual basis, that is, systematic defense was not established. But already in 1914, the first air defense complex appeared - a battery of guns, whose task was to shoot down aircraft. A year later, the first anti-aircraft guns appeared, and with them the defense became more effective. Of course, due to the poor development of air defense technology and weapons, both independent genus troops for the First World War were never formed. But the foundations, the principles that are still used today, were laid and formed precisely in that distant time.

The next stage in the development of armed units was the Second World War, or more precisely, the Great Patriotic War. The rapid development of aviation and the increasing threat it brought with it simply forced the Soviet command to pay special attention to air defense. Although it would be more correct to say - first only defense, and then full-fledged defense. During the war years, a large-scale idea of ​​air defense developed, which is still in effect today. This concept includes not only anti-aircraft weapons, but also a whole range of measures designed to protect against air raids.

With the cessation of hostilities, the development and improvement of air units did not stop. Aircraft and artillery, missile systems and radar equipment - all the best was allocated to equip the units.

In 2015, there was a significant change in the air defense structure. On the basis of existing units, unified troops were created - the Aerospace Forces. Currently, it is these military formations that carry out the air defense of the country, both on the territory of the Russian Federation and abroad. Today, the total length of airspace protected by the Aerospace Forces is 4,500 km, of which about 1,500 are on the state border.

Look video about Air Defense Day in Russia:

TASS DOSSIER. Every year on the second Sunday of April (in 2018 - April 8), the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) celebrates the memorable Day of the Air Defense Forces (ADF). Established by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin dated May 31, 2006. On Air Defense Forces Day, formations and military units of the Aerospace Forces hold ceremonial formations personnel, rallies with the participation of veterans, concert performances.

From the history of the holiday

Initially, Air Defense Forces Day was established by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on February 20, 1975 and was celebrated on April 11. By decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council of October 1, 1980, it was moved to the second Sunday in April.

Air defense troops

Organizationally, the air defense and missile defense troops (PVO-PRO, should not be confused with the air defense troops Ground Forces, so-called military air defense) are part of the Aerospace Forces. Their tasks include repelling aggression in the aerospace sphere, protecting the highest levels of state and military command, groupings of troops and forces, the most important objects of the country's economy and infrastructure, industrial areas, administrative and political centers, etc. Air defense and missile defense troops must track and hit the leading parts of ballistic missiles of a potential enemy attacking important targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.

As of 2018, a significant part (more than 65%) of the weapons of the air defense and missile defense troops are modern designs, including the S-400 "Triumph" and S-300 "Favorit" anti-aircraft missile systems (ZRS), the "Pantsir-S" anti-aircraft missile and gun systems (ZRPK), radar stations of the new fleet "Sky-M" and "Podlet- K1". According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, by January 1, 2021, the share of modern weapons of air defense and missile defense troops should reach 70%.

Currently, the newest S-500 air defense system is being created. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that deliveries of this system to the troops will begin in 2020. Training of specialists to work on it has been carried out since 2017 on the basis of the Military Academy of the East Kazakhstan region in Tver.

Information for anti-aircraft missilemen and air defense aviation is issued by the radio technical troops (RTV) of the VKS. They are equipped with radar systems and stations in combat and standby modes with a detection range of airborne objects of up to 600 km and an upper limit height of more than 100 km. These include radar complexes and stations "Sky-M", "Podlet-K1", "VVO" ("All-Altitude Detector"), "Adversary", "Casta", "Gamma" and others modern means radar control of airspace.

The tasks of air defense and missile defense of Moscow and the Central Industrial Region of the country (the territory of more than 25 regions and three republics of the Russian Federation, the length of the boundaries of responsibility is about 4 thousand 500 km) in the Aerospace Forces are solved by the 1st Air Defense and Special Purpose Missile Defense Army. Every day, about 2 thousand military personnel and specialists go on combat duty in this association civilian personnel. They conduct regular checks using control targets and training to detect and intercept simulated air targets across the entire range of altitudes and speeds. Real combat conditions are simulated with the use of various means of aerospace attack by a simulated enemy. According to the Ministry of Defense, every day the duty forces of the association carry out radar detection and tracking of more than 4 thousand aircraft, of which at least 10% are subject to continuous radar control with the provision of information to the Aerospace Forces Control Center. During 2017, RTV duty forces detected and provided escort for about 570 thousand aircraft.

Air defense aviation is being re-equipped with Su-35S and Su-30SM fighters, MiG-31BM fighter-interceptors and A-50U radar patrol and guidance aircraft are being modernized.

Educational establishments

The training of specialists for military air defense formations is carried out by the Military Academy of the East Kazakhstan region named after Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov in Tver, Yaroslavl Higher military school Air defense, as well as the Specialist Training Center radio technical troops in Vladimir and the Anti-Aircraft Training Center missile forces in Gatchina (Leningrad region). Officers serving in the departments of associations and formations are involved in the training. In addition, there is a practice of interaction with training centers of industrial enterprises. Thus, in 2016, the training center of the Tula JSC Instrument Design Bureau, the training centers of JSC FSPC Nizhny Novgorod Scientific Research Institute of Radio Engineering and JSC NPO Lianozovo Electromechanical Plant (Moscow) trained more than 200 military personnel of the anti-aircraft missile and radio engineering forces.

Troops Command

Since 2015, the air and missile defense forces have been commanded by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Viktor Gumenny.

Days of Air Defense Aviation and Military Air Defense

Every year, the Aerospace Forces celebrate Air Defense Aviation Day on January 22, and Military Air Defense Day on December 26.

Original 04/09/2017, 07:00

In 2006, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.” According to this Decree, Air Defense Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of April. This year it is April 9th.

This is some modification of the date, which was established as a holiday in 1975. Then, by resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, April 11 was chosen as the holiday date. And just five years later, the very modification in question was introduced - the holiday of the USSR Air Defense Forces began to be celebrated on the second Sunday of the second spring month.

Air defense troops were created to prevent enemy air strikes, and were called upon to protect particularly important facilities, political centers, and industrial areas from air attack. Air defense troops of the ground forces cover the territory of military installations with military equipment and personnel deployed there.

The country's air defense forces consist of several segments, including anti-aircraft missile units.

The emergence of air defense troops is directly related to the beginning of the use of aircraft in military affairs. As soon as aircraft began to be used for reconnaissance and attack of targets from the air, the need to effectively counter them immediately arose. And the first truly massive one combat use air defense systems took place during the First World War.

The air defense forces developed and improved their “functionality” during the Great Patriotic War. At its beginning, there were 13 air defense districts on the territory of the USSR, but the troops at that time did not have their own aircraft. Soon fighters began to enter air defense service: I-15, I-16, I-153, which made it possible to more effectively protect the cities of the Soviet Union from enemy air attacks. Then the air defense forces received interceptor fighters: MiG-3, Yak-1, Yak-3, Yak-9, as well as foreign-made fighters.

During the war, anti-aircraft artillery continued to develop. By the beginning of 1945, on all fronts there were already 61 anti-aircraft artillery divisions of the RVGK (Reserve of the Supreme High Command), 192 small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery regiments, 97 separate divisions of the RVGK.

The Great Patriotic War became a real test and a true baptism of fire for the Soviet air defense forces. The units showed their high fighting qualities when defending Moscow and Leningrad from enemy air strikes. Dozens of formations and units took part in repelling massive enemy air raids on Soviet cities.

Part of the forces of the air defense forces was involved in solving problems in the interests of the advancing fronts. They, together with the Air Force, carried out an air blockade of enemy groups (Stalingrad, Demyansk, Breslau), and participated in breaking through enemy defenses (near Leningrad, on the Kola Peninsula, in the Berlin direction).

The results of the actions of air defense troops are difficult to overestimate. Throughout the war Soviet troops air defense systems were used not only to attack air targets, but also during ground confrontation.

The statistics speak for themselves: during the battles, more than 7.5 thousand enemy aircraft, more than 1 thousand tanks, and 1.5 thousand guns were destroyed.

For military exploits during the war, 80 thousand soldiers from the air defense forces were awarded orders and medals, of which 92 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In Stalingrad (Volgograd), the feat of military personnel representing the air defense forces is immortalized, including in the form of the name of Zenitchikov Street.

The number of air defense troops during the war years increased almost 2 times, which at the same time confirms their effectiveness and says a lot about their contribution to the Great Victory.

The experience of the Great Patriotic War confirmed that air defense has become one of the main components of maintaining combined arms combat. Currently, the country's air defense forces are capable of hitting all modern air attack weapons in any weather conditions and time of day.

Thanks to the talent of domestic designers, they acquired such properties as high maneuverability, the ability to intercept and destroy air attack weapons at large distances from defended objects. Today, the defense industrial enterprises of our country are developing and producing effective military equipment, weapons and ammunition for such weapons - anti-missile and air defense systems.

Now these are the S-400 “Triumph”, “Pantsir-S1” anti-aircraft missile systems, which have become widely known in the world, and not only.

Until the end of the current State Rearmament Program - 2020 - it plans to receive the latest S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile systems. The characteristics of this complex will make it possible to combat hypersonic aerodynamic and ballistic targets, and it is not surprising that interest in them is already high, and not only in Russia itself.

Additional air defense systems, according to recent reports from the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Konashenkov, will also be supplied for the needs of the Syrian army, which is not only fighting manifestations of international terrorism, but is also becoming a target for direct military aggression from the United States. We are talking primarily about a missile attack on the Syrian Air Force air base in Homs province. About what kind of air defense and missile defense systems will be supplied to Syria Russian Federation, not reported.

Returning to the date, it is worth noting that despite the holiday of the air defense troops of the ground forces, military personnel are still on combat watch.

"Military Review" congratulates all air defense troops and service veterans on their professional holiday!

Photos used: http://function.mil.ru

Our great country has many reasons to be proud, one of which is the air defense troops. It is thanks to these defenders of the Fatherland that Russians can live, love, and grow up in peace, without fear of a threat from the air.

However, people are so accustomed to the impeccable work of air defense soldiers that they have ceased to appreciate the security provided and the hard work of the defenders, taking it for granted. Therefore, the government of the Russian Federation decided to introduce a good and important holiday– Day of the Air Defense Forces, which is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of April. Air Defense Day in 2017 falls on April 9th.

History of the Air Defense Forces and the holiday “Air Defense Day”

IN modern world military conflicts usually cannot be accomplished without the participation of aviation. Application air force provides a number of advantages when compared with other means. With the help of aviation, reconnaissance is carried out, supplies, weapons, manpower are dropped, and precision strikes are carried out, if necessary. Counteracting enemy aircraft is carried out by special units. The holiday is dedicated to them.

The history of air defense forces dates back to the dawn of the 20th century, during the First World War. With the advent of airships and balloons used for military purposes, the need for an opposing force arose.

In order to protect their troops from the destructive actions of the enemy from above, our military began to use portable rapid-fire cannons and machine guns, with the help of which they shot down enemy aircraft as they approached the location of the military unit.

In 1914, the first battery of cannons was created, which performed the tasks of monitoring and eliminating enemy aircraft. A year later, the first anti-aircraft guns appeared, and with the help of airships and balloons, a full-fledged aerial surveillance system was created.

The real “baptism of fire” of the air defense forces was the Second World War. The rapid development of aviation completely destroyed the security of the rear areas - the forces of tank units and infantry could not restrain air raids. To ensure the security of the rear, special military units were allocated, whose task was to protect and preserve the “purity of the sky.”

Over time, from a rather simple security system, air defense has turned into a high-tech segment of the Russian defense forces.

On February 20, 1975, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On the establishment of the annual holiday “Day of the Country’s Air Defense Forces” was adopted. The celebration was sure to draw public attention to the underestimated merits of the units of these troops, as well as invaluable contribution these “knights of heaven” in defense of the Motherland both military and Peaceful time.

Already in 2006, the commander-in-chief of our country, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, signed a document adding the holiday in honor of the guardians of peace and security from the sky to the list of memorable days and professional holidays in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The date for celebrating Air Defense Day was not chosen by chance and is symbolic in nature. Just in mid-April, the most important resolutions related to the organization and establishment of an air defense system, as well as the creation of such troops, took place.

Initially, this significant day was celebrated on April 11, but in 1980 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR decided to move the date of celebration to the second Sunday of April each year.

Traditions of Air Defense Day

A custom formed over the years brings together veterans, officers and cadets at festive tables. Toasts are made in honor of colleagues, congratulations and wishes for peace and health are heard. The military show each other albums with memorable photographs, tell each other interesting stories from everyday work, share experiences and plans for the future.

Of course, the celebration continues with family, loved ones, friends and comrades. Both at home and at work, department employees receive gifts. These can be souvenirs or useful thematic gifts: from atlases to books about the history of military units. Conducted under the leadership of the command solemn ceremony awarding distinguished employees with orders, medals, and certificates of honor. Thank you notes are also included in personal files.

The best security officers government agency promoted to positions and ranks for outstanding achievements in the professional field. Air Defense Day is also marked by a certain ritual of the so-called “washing” of new stars appearing on shoulder straps. This interesting tradition involves lowering new insignia into a vessel of alcohol, which should be drained.