One among strangers. Russian Military Space Forces: description, structure and composition Commander-in-Chief of the VKS Surikin framed

Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces
Colonel General

Biography

Since 1983 - in active military service in the Armed Forces of the USSR.

In 1987 he graduated from the Omsk Higher Combined Arms Command School named after M.V. Frunze with a gold medal.

Since 1987 - commander of a motorized rifle platoon, commander of a motorized rifle company, chief of staff - deputy commander of a motorized rifle battalion.

In 1995 he graduated from the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze with honors. Then he served as commander of a motorized rifle battalion, chief of staff - deputy commander of a motorized rifle regiment.

Since 1998 - commander of the 149th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 201st Motorized Rifle Division.

Since 1999 - chief of staff - deputy commander of the 201st motorized rifle division.

Participant in the armed conflict on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, participant in the Second Chechen War, participant in the military operation in the Syrian Arab Republic.

In 2002 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with honors.

Since June 2002 - commander of the 34th motorized rifle division.

Since June 2004 - commander of the 42nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division.

Since 2005 - Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff, since April 2008 - Commander of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army.

From October 2008 to January 2010 - Head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

From January to July 2010 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Volga-Ural Military District.

From July to December 2010 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Central Military District.

From December 2010 to April 2012 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Central Military District.

From April to October 2012 - head of the working group on the formation of the Military Police of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Since October 2012 - Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Military District.

From October 2013 to October 2017 - Commander of the Eastern Military District.

On December 8, 2017, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for courage and heroism shown while performing military duty in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Awarded the Order of St. George IV degree, Courage, “For Military Merit” and a number of medals.

In the article we will talk about General Surovikin. Although not everyone knows this man, he is worthy of our attention, and from the article you will learn the reason. Keep reading to find out how an ordinary man became a general.

First meeting

The future Colonel General Surovikin was born in the fall of 1966 in the city of Novosibirsk. Afterwards he became a Russian military leader who commanded the troops of the Eastern District. In 2013 he became a colonel general. At the moment, Surovikin is 51 years old and continues his career. Began service in 1983.

Biography

General Surovikin graduated from the Omsk Higher Command School named after M.V. Frunze in 1987. Upon graduation, he received a gold medal for excellent achievements. In the summer of 1991, he was already captain. At that time, Surovikin served in the motorized rifle battalion of the Taman division and was its commander. By order of the State Committee for the State of Emergency, the battalion was sent to the Garden Ring, where it was supposed to form commandant posts. During the conflict known to all Russians, three people died in the tunnel on the Garden Ring. These were the military men who were part of the battalion: D. Komar, I. Krichevsky and V. Usov. Dmitry Komar was crushed while performing a BMP maneuver, Vladimir Usov and Ilya Krichevsky were shot.

Arrest

After the State Emergency Committee realized its defeat, Surovikin was arrested. He was under investigation for about 7 months, but after that the charges against him were dropped, since it was proven that he strictly followed the orders of his superiors. After his release, the man was even promoted on the personal orders of Boris Yeltsin, the then-current president of Russia.

Scandalous case

The future Colonel General Surovikin was involved in a scandal in the fall of 1995, just during his studies at the Frunze Military Academy. The Moscow Military Court found him guilty of assisting in the acquisition and sale of firearms and ammunition. He was also accused of carrying a weapon without the required permit. The military man received a suspended sentence of one year. However, after some time, the court realized that the young officer had been framed. As a result, the charges against him were dropped and his criminal record was sealed. Despite this, General Surovikin still tolerated hints from his enemies that there was an arms sale going on.

Rehabilitation

This couldn't last long. General Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin understood that he could not get rid of this situation just like that. However, he was determined to wash away this stain. He goes to court and manages to get the decision overturned. Thus, the man managed to completely rehabilitate himself even in the eyes of his enemies. And he himself has repeatedly stated in interviews that he closed this topic for himself back in 1995. Then the investigation officially apologized to him. The officers also took maximum measures to ensure that this dark spot did not resurface in the biography of General Surovikin.

Personal opinion

General Sergei Surovikin said more than once in his interviews that many returned to the topic of the arms sales scandal, especially after he received the position of senior commander during the creation of the military police. Then some people began to speculate on the old incident and try in every possible way to denigrate the officer’s dignity. Naturally, this was unacceptable for Surovikin. This also influenced the man’s decision to go to court. After the official apology was made, speculation practically ceased, since the very subject of it no longer existed.

Upon graduation

As we already know, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin graduated from training in 1995. After that, he served as commander of a motorized rifle battalion in Tajikistan. After that, he was chief of staff of the motorized rifle regiment of the Gatchina division. In 2002, the guy graduated from the RF Armed Forces, with honors.

Adulthood

Colonel General Surovikin, whose biography we are considering, from the fall of 2008 to the winter of 2010, he worked as the head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Air Force. In 2010, he became the head of the Volga-Ural Military District in Yekaterinburg. At the same time, until the spring of 2012, he held the position of chief in the same city. Since 2012, he commanded the operation to create a military police. He had great prospects for obtaining the post of head of the Main Directorate of Military Police. In the period 2012-2013 he was first deputy commander. In the fall of 2013 he received the position of commander

Present tense

Since the spring of 2017, he has held the post of commander of a group of troops of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria. In the fall of 2017, he created a group to release a military police platoon, which consisted of 28 military personnel from Russia. During the operation, they were surrounded by superior enemy forces and terrorists. As a result of Surovikin’s actions, the Russian military completed the operation without losses, and the terrorists suffered significant losses.

Awards

General Surovikin, whose biography we reviewed, has many awards. These are mainly medals for courage and valor during military service.

The officer was awarded the Order of the Red Star. He also holds three Orders of Courage. As for medals, he has medals “For Courage” and “For Military Merit”. Also awarded medals from the Russian Federation and the USSR. He has two orders “For Merit to the Fatherland”, 1st and 2nd degree. All these awards are well deserved, since Surovikin performed his military service with honor, which he continues to do to this day. He was always brave and ready to take any risk in order to help his colleagues.

Just look at the operation he carried out in Syria in 2017, when he helped all the military personnel complete the operation without losses! We can say that he saved the lives of 28 people. Our hero received awards throughout his life, and no one will be surprised if he continues to receive them. He is a true defender of his homeland, who knows what real honor and duty are.

Family

It is known that General Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin has a wife. The couple had two girls, whom the man carefully and carefully raises. There were no scandals related to the family. In many interviews, the military man says that family means a lot to him. He received this idea of values from his own family. She sincerely participates in the lives of her daughters and wishes them a good future. However, the man is quite secretive in terms of his personal life, but this is understandable. He is not a public person, so he is not obliged to lift the veil over the secrets of his private life. However, when it comes to family in an interview, he always speaks of it very kindly and tenderly.

Scandals

It is undeniable that General Surovikin showed a very worthy position in Syria. He protected his own and thereby repaid his debt to the Motherland. However, his name is still mentioned in some scandals. Now let's talk about this in more detail. So, in the spring of 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Tsibizov accused the military man of beating a man for political reasons. After this, this fact was refuted at the Headquarters of the Volga-Ural Military District. Journalists said that there was no fight or beating, that is, a pure provocation. After some proceedings, which took place not on a legal, but on a personal level, Lieutenant Colonel Tsibizov decided to withdraw his statement from the prosecutor's office. He also apologized to Surovikin and even publicly admitted that he was wrong. In principle, this was the end of the incident, but Surovikin’s enemies and ill-wishers believe that there is no smoke without fire, and some kind of conflict still took place.

In addition, those who personally know Tsibizov claim that he could not simply withdraw the application from the prosecutor’s office. After all, they know him as a very principled person who zealously pursues his goal, especially if he is confident that he is right. No one knows for sure the true state of affairs, but we can make assumptions. However, we will not do this, since our job is to provide the facts.

The second scandal occurred in April of the same year. It was a very high-profile incident, which was spread by journalists almost throughout the country. In the military man's office, in his presence and the presence of his deputy, the deputy for armaments personally shot himself. It was Colonel Andrei Shtakal. Little is known about this incident, and no one wants to give any information publicly, but it is clear that such situations do not happen out of the blue.

Wife

Sergei Surovikin’s wife is also a public person who often gives interviews. In one of them, a woman shared her opinion. She was asked an open and frank question about whether her husband has influence in politics. To this the woman replied that the military has a principle - not to interfere in political affairs. She emphasized that her husband adheres to the same position, so it is simply incorrect to talk about any political influence. At the same time, the woman claims that her husband went through a rich school of life, which taught him to maneuver in different situations. It should also be noted that he knows how to solve really complex, serious problems, which many simply cannot handle. Anna Surovikina herself believes that perhaps this is what is considered to be the influence.

The woman says that she truly fell in love with Yekaterinburg. Her husband worked in this city for quite a long time. She says that even a bad climate cannot spoil the wonderful image of the city. She was also sorry to leave Yekaterinburg because many family friends remained here.

Summing up the article, I would like to say that Colonel General Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin is an interesting, diverse personality who has seen a lot of things along the way. This man went through serious life trials and learned many lessons from them. The Surovikin family is an example of a close-knit family that jointly achieves certain goals. Anna will always protect her husband and consider him the best, and not in vain.

In the article we did not consider various scandalous statements, of which there are quite a lot on the Internet. We relied mainly on facts that actually took place. At the same time, everyone has the right to form their own opinion about Colonel General Surovikin. Remember that the military defends the Motherland, but this does not mean that they have no right to make mistakes. They are people just like you and me who are prone to making mistakes. The main thing is to always get up again and move forward.

There are unprecedented changes in the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces. A 51-year-old man was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, who has led the Russian group in Syria since March 2017. A graduate of the Omsk Higher Combined Arms Command School, and then of the Combined Arms Academy and the Academy of the General Staff, a motorized rifleman by education and service experience, who had never before had anything to do with military aviation. One of the ideologists of the creation of the military police in our army, as it was believed, he was supposed to lead it from December 2011. But it didn’t work out. Instead, the general had to go to the Eastern Military District - first as deputy commander, and then as commander of his troops. Later, as already said, there was Syria.

And now it’s turned out like this: apparently, Sergei Vladimirovich hung up his usual green jacket in the closet forever, changed into a beautiful general’s uniform the color of the sky and turned into the main Russian military aviator. It is unlikely that he will simply be at the head of all the air aces of our country, who are already silently grumbling about this.

This decision of the Kremlin can only be compared with an appointment sadly remembered by many Anatoly Serdyukov Minister of Defense of Russia. As former colleagues told me then, at the first meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense, Serdyukov read the familiar abbreviation Air Force (in the sense of the Air Force) for servicemen in a speech prepared in advance for him as BBC (in the sense of a British radio station). And this was only the beginning of many professional blunders of this character on a previously unknown professional path.

What pitfalls Colonel General Surovikin will have to face in his new post - we will probably soon find out. But why and why did the Kremlin even have to perform a personnel somersault so unheard of in the history of Russian military aviation?

Well, thanks President Vladimir Putin for his exploits in the fight against international terrorism in the Middle East - this is understandable. Everyone who has had the opportunity to command our warring group in Syria over the years has invariably been promoted. Such as, Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov, after returning home he was placed at the head of the Southern Military District.

Exactly the same thing happened during the Chechen war. Putin never forgot any of the generals who ensured his political victory. So, let’s say, at the head of our General Staff from 1997 to 2004 was Army General Anatoly Kvashnin. Thus, in May 2000, the former commander of the joint group of troops in Chechnya was appointed as the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District. General Viktor Kazantsev, who took Grozny.

There is no doubt that the current appointment of General Surovikin is from the same series of officially formalized thanks from the president. But it would still be possible to find something very significant for this honored military man, but still not related to a completely unknown field of activity, where for this reason one could easily break the bank for many billions. As it happened with the same Serdyukov. But since Surovikin was nevertheless thrown into the VKS, it turns out that there were some other compelling reasons for such a decision?

Most likely so. If we continue the analogies with Serdyukov, then the Kremlin probably needed the former motorized rifleman Surovikin at the head of military aviation to break the corporate ties that had developed in this high command and carry out its reform. The first thing that comes to mind is a long overdue solution to the problem of Army Aviation (AA).

Let me remind you that until 2003, Russian army aviation (which means helicopters for various purposes, primarily combat) was part of the Ground Forces. As is customary today almost throughout the world. Because combat and transport helicopters are the most important means of conducting combined arms combat. And it should be in the hands of the military leader who organizes this battle. That is, the commander of a motorized rifle or tank division, corps, combined arms or tank army.

But in 2003, everything was once again turned upside down. Moreover, this happened hastily and completely thoughtlessly. This is how I told reporters about that decision at one time: former commander of army aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Vitaly Pavlov: “Everything was decided spontaneously, at the board of the Ministry of Defense. I was not invited to this meeting. Previously, the question was raised (1995) about the transfer of army aviation to the country's air force, but then the approach was different. They created a commission of 40 people in advance, interviewed the entire army leadership, analyzed the situation and made a decision on the inappropriateness of such transformations. Right here Ivanov(in those days - the Minister of Defense of Russia - “SP”) asked Kormiltseva(at that time - the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - “SP”), is he ready to transfer army aviation to the subordination of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force Mikhailova. He answered without hesitation: “Aviation should be in one hand.” Stupidity. Real stupidity... After a while they will come to their senses, but this will again come up against colossal costs, both human and financial. I am sure that for what he did Kormiltsev, neither Kvashnin(then Chief of the General Staff - “SP”) will not answer.”

Here's how he commented on the situation: Colonel General Leonid Ivashov, formerly a member of the board of the Ministry of Defense: “The decision to transfer it (army aviation - “SP”) to the Air Force was made under pressure from a very narrow-minded military leader - Anatoly Kvashnin. He broke a lot of wood. Army aviation is called that way because it is designed to support the army on the battlefield. It was obvious from the very beginning that the decision to transfer helicopters to the Air Force was wrong. Firstly, the Air Force and Air Defense are united into one structure and solve common specific tasks. Helicopter units are a burden for them. Secondly, the Ground Forces themselves lost very powerful fire support. This was especially evident in August 2008 during the war with Georgia. When our troops moved forward, there was not a single helicopter in the area that could be used for fire support, evacuation, reconnaissance or transport of special forces. Even the department for interaction with aviation was disbanded. You just need to go to prison for this stupidity.”

Of course, no one was imprisoned or will be imprisoned for transferring AA first to the Air Force, and then to the Aerospace Forces. But the war of 08.08.08 with Georgia really showed that a lot of wood was broken. And the generals began to slowly retreat. At the same time, it was necessary (and still is today!) to overcome serious hardware resistance from the High Command of the Aerospace Forces, which, as one can understand, is not at all eager to return helicopter pilots to the fold of the Ground Forces. Apparently, because they will have to lose a considerable financial pie, high staff positions and other delights.

In 2008, the already mentioned Colonel General Pavlov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper: “Diplomacy has nothing to do with it. And it's not about me. Yes, I was and remain a strong supporter of army aviation being part of the Ground Forces. But this is not some kind of whim, not the ambition of a lover, I won’t hide it, a professional in his own branch of the military. This is an objective necessity, determined by the realities of modern combat and confirmed by practice.

If you noticed, after the events in South Ossetia, even some of those who had previously foamed at the mouth to prove the advisability of transferring army aviation under the “wing” of the Air Force, publicly admit the inconsistency and even harmfulness of their idea. Where does this insight come from? Yes, this war itself, be it wrong, showed that the Air Force command, with all its desire, does not have the ability to constantly monitor the situation in the theater of operations and directly control aviation on the battlefield. The Air Force has other tasks. They (I mean, first of all, long-range bombers) hit bridges, warehouses, arsenals, railway junctions, and so on, that is, they strike at predetermined targets. And a helicopter is a battlefield weapon. His task is to search for and destroy enemy tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, and manpower. This means that the control structures for these weapons should be located in the Ground Forces."

In July 2010 then Commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov slashed irritably from the shoulder: “It would be the right decision to return army aviation to the Ground Forces, as is done all over the world.”

In 2012, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Chirkin announced that by 2020, 14 additional army aviation brigades will be formed in the Ground Forces. However, he, however, did not explain how all this would be combined with the very fact of the continued subordination of army aviation to the Aerospace Forces.

A little later, a representative of the Aerospace Forces clarified that the compromise reached with the ground forces is as follows: the helicopter brigades actually went to the Ground Forces, but the organization of their combat training remains with his department. Apparently, according to the principle: “Everything that flies is ours.”

Accordingly, the combat training department of army aviation remains in the High Command of the Aerospace Forces. His boss is, in essence, the unofficial commander of army aviation. Today it is Major General Oleg Chesnokov.

Judging by his public speeches, Chesnokov believes that AA’s management scheme, born in pain, is today close to ideal. And this is confirmed by the fact that in recent years the combat power of his troops has been steadily growing. The flight hours of crews are increasing, and new equipment is arriving rhythmically. Victory in Syria was achieved to a large extent through the efforts of helicopter pilots. As if if this structure had been entirely within the High Command of the Ground Forces, everything would have turned out differently.

Why suddenly? New helicopters are being commissioned because the country is able to provide significant defense orders. The average flight time of crews is growing due to the rhythmic funding of combat training for the entire army, and helicopter pilots in particular. And also because of the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East. And all this is not happening at all because the combat training of helicopter units and formations is organized by the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces. The Ground Forces would probably have dealt with this too. Only for this, it would be necessary to organize a full-fledged management structure of army aviation there. Including, of course, the organization of combat training. Something like what it was before 2003, when the Russian army aviation included up to 40 helicopter regiments, 9-10 separate helicopter squadrons, the Combat Use Center in Torzhok and the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School. This whole colossus was directed from Moscow by the Army Aviation Directorate, consisting of 111 officers. In each district there is an AA command post of 50-70 officers.

It is simply impossible to imagine that today the functions of these long-abolished powerful structures are fully performed by the only helicopter combat training department remaining in the Aerospace Forces, consisting of eight officers, headed by Major General Chesnokov. In addition, the once unified organism of army aviation today looks dismembered between two serious departments - the Ground Forces and the Aerospace Forces. The experience of previous service suggests that this also does not add harmony to the overall military-bureaucratic process.

This means that a lot of things need to be changed here urgently. The new commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces, General Surovikin, holds the cards. Who else, if not him—the former commander of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division and the district commander—would know the cost of supporting infantry with helicopter pilots on the battlefield? And what does it mean to beg the aviators for these helicopters literally for Christ’s sake?

Therefore, if he is behind this reform and is dressed as the president in a flight uniform, I personally would understand that. But it will be difficult for Surovikin. You can be sure of that. It would be simple - army aviation would have returned entirely to the Ground Forces long ago. As they say, it’s overripe.

Russia. This time we will talk about Aerospace Forces

And we'll start with the most pleasant part. When is Aerospace Forces Day celebrated?

Aerospace Forces Day

U Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation very little experience of existence. They arose on August 1, 2015 with the unification of the Air Force (Air Force) and Aerospace Defense Forces (ASD)

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces presents the Battle Banner of the Aerospace Forces

Taking into account the merits of the personnel in the defense of the country, by decree of the President of our country, a professional holiday of the Air Force was adopted back in 2006. Their day is considered to be August 12.

And since the Aerospace Forces now include the Air Force, this same day is considered a holiday!

The combination of forces led to the necessary combination of the air and space spheres as adjacent areas for more convenient control over them. The creation of these forces is due to the situation on the world stage, changes in the rearmament of other states, and the increasing importance of the space sector for military-economic and social progress.

Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces is Colonel General Sergei Vladimirovich Surovikin, in office since November 22, 2017. He commanded the last stage of a group of Russian troops during the Syrian military mission.

Composition of the Aerospace Forces

VKS structure consists of 3 types:

Air Force,
Space Forces,
Air and missile defense troops.

The Air Force is represented by several branches:

Long-range aviation;
Frontline aviation;
Military transport aviation;
Anti-aircraft missile forces;
Radio technical troops;

U Long-Range Aviation their purpose is expressed by the elimination of air and sea targets, command posts and communication connections of the opposing side.

DA units are armed with strategic bombers and Tu-160 and Tu-95MS missile carriers, and Tu-22M3 long-range aircraft. The aircraft are equipped with maximum and medium range cruise missiles X-55 and X-22 on their sides; in addition, they are armed with aerial bombs (including nuclear ones).

White Swan TU-160 strategic bomber-missile carrier of the aerospace forces of the Russian Federation

Frontline aviation- is obliged to provide cover for the Ground Forces. It contains:

Front-line bomber and attack aviation - its arsenal includes Su-24M, Su-25, Su-30, Su-35 aircraft. On board they are equipped with a set of aerial bombs, guided and unguided missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and air cannons.

Su-30 multi-role fighter 4+ generation

Reconnaissance aircraft– conducts general reconnaissance during flight. The Su-24MRs in their arsenal are equipped with reconnaissance complexes.

The purpose of Fighter Aviation is to counter air attacks and opposing targets in the air. They are armed with Su-27, Su-33, MiG-25, MiG-29, MiG-31 fighter aircraft, equipped on board with air-to-air missiles and air cannons.

"Fox Hound" MiG-31 supersonic high-altitude all-weather interceptor fighter

Army aviation– specifically provide cover for the Ground Units, supply the rear and front. Equipped with airplanes and helicopters: Mi-8, Mi-24, Ka-50, Ka-52, Su-24M, Su-25, Su-30, Su-35, providing fire cover. Equipped with air-to-ground guided missiles, unguided rockets, aircraft guns, and bombs on board. In addition, AA is supplemented by Mi-8 transport helicopters and An-26 aircraft.

"Alligator" Attack helicopter Ka-52

Military transport aviation– lands manpower and equipment, provides rear transportation and technical support in war situations on water and land. They are armed with strategic aircraft An-124 "Ruslan", An-22 "Antey", long-range aircraft Il-76, An-12, and medium-range aircraft An-26.

Anti-aircraft missile forces– protect military forces and points from air threats of the opposing side. They are armed with short, medium and long range anti-aircraft missile systems - Osa, Buk, S-75, S-125, S-300, S-400.

Radio technical troops– engaged in identifying air threats from opposing forces. Identification, notification of management, pursuit of identified objects, control and management support of flights.

Space Force

They are engaged in maintaining the security of our state in the space sector.

As a separate branch of the military, it existed in the RF Armed Forces from 2001 to 2011. From December 1, 2011, they were transformed into the Aerospace Defense Forces. And 08/01/2015 are considered a branch of the military that is part of the Aerospace Forces.

KVs are armed with: satellites for specific reconnaissance, electronic control, communications and a global system of satellite military navigation.

Air and Missile Defense Troops

Formed in 1914. In their current form, they represent air defense-missile defense brigades and have primary purposes:

countering ballistic and aerodynamic threats.

Purpose of the Aerospace Forces

Military space forces have their own tasks, namely:

countering air attacks and protective measures against attacks on top-level military command posts of the state, administrative and political points, industrial and economic territories, valuable infrastructure and economic facilities of the state and military formations;
destruction of military points of the opposing side using conventional and nuclear means of destruction;
air support for all its units during an armed conflict;
studying the space sphere, identifying possible dangers in that area, and neutralizing them if they arise;
launching spacecraft, maintaining civilian and military satellites, obtaining the necessary military information;
maintaining the satellite system in a certain quantity and ready for use.

Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria

First combat experience

The first combat experience was the Syrian military mission, which was highly praised by the country's leadership. Aerospace Forces personnel were involved in the Syrian conflict in large numbers and many were awarded high government awards. Even world analysts highly appreciated the quality of the actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

During control surveillance of Syrian territory, a constellation of satellites was used to carry out visual and electronic reconnaissance, in addition, to provide radio communications.

There were reports of the use of Orlan and Granat drones.

Achievements of VKS

At some cultural events and during demonstration flights at any air show, the Russian Aerospace Forces usually present the aerobatic teams “Russian Knights” and “Swifts”.

Their skill delights visitors to those show programs. Often the impression of the flights seen encourages young men to choose this military service. This is evidenced by surveys of flight school cadets who saw virtuosos of piloting skills.

A similar and most famous event has been taking place at the MAKS air show for more than two decades, which anyone can visit.

Representatives Russian Aerospace Forces clearly demonstrate their professional skills.

Colonel General Surovikin, who was appointed to this position on November 22, 2017, is in no hurry to change into a blue uniform - judging by recent

His place at boards and meetings in Moscow is taken by General Dronov. Therefore, we personally stayed:

If the problems of reforming the Aerospace Forces required the appointment of a ground general, then why is he being marinated?

If the military-political situation in the SAR requires the long-term presence of a specific Severe General, then why appoint him in absentia as the chief “in air and space”?

In the meantime, I believe, the VKS Commander-in-Chief is in anxious anticipation.

The deputy commanders-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces are anxiously awaiting:

(photo below)

Two "pilots" - and Yudin

Two "air defense officers" - Gumenny and

Two "astronauts" - Golovko and Kazakevich

And who knows where it came from - .

The most unknown situation by Yandex is in position Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Armaments. I don’t even know if such a position has been preserved? The Internet, with grief, found two people for us:a person who looks likeColonel A.N. Medvedkov, and a man who looks likeColonel Miruk K.V.Both come from Air Force weapons structures; but what if the new commander-in-chief wants to see an armored vehicle engineer in this position? :)

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces

lieutenant general

(GC is present as an auxiliary agent on all television pictures)