What is included in the Space Force? Purpose of the Aerospace Forces

Aerospace Defense Forces

The Aerospace Defense Forces (ASD) are a fundamentally new branch of the military, which is designed to ensure the security of Russia in the aerospace sphere.

Middle emblem of the Aerospace Defense Forces

Aerospace defense troops solve a wide range of tasks, the main of which are:

Providing senior levels of management with reliable information about the detection of ballistic missile launches and warning of missile attacks;

Defeat the warheads of a potential enemy's ballistic missiles attacking important government facilities;

Protection of control points (CP) of the highest echelons of state and military command, groupings of troops (forces), the most important industrial and economic centers and other objects from attacks by enemy aerospace attack weapons (ASCA) within the affected zones;

Monitoring space objects and identifying threats to Russia in and from space, and, if necessary, countering such threats;

Launching spacecraft into orbit, controlling military and dual-purpose (military and civil) satellite systems in flight and using individual of them in the interests of providing the troops (forces) of the Russian Federation with the necessary information;

Maintaining the established composition and readiness for use of military and dual-use satellite systems, means of launching and controlling them, and a number of other tasks.

HISTORY OF CREATION

Aerospace Defense Forces

In accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, from December 1, 2011, a new branch of the military was created in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - the Aerospace Defense Forces (VVKO).

The Aerospace Defense Forces are formed on the basis of formations and military units of the Space Forces, as well as troops of the operational strategic command of the aerospace defense of the Air Force.

The creation of the Aerospace Defense Forces was dictated by the objective need to combine forces and assets responsible for ensuring the security of Russia in and from space with military formations responsible for the country's air defense (air defense) in order to create a unified aerospace defense system.

The first units and institutions for launching and controlling spacecraft (SV) began to be created in our country in 1955 with the decision to build a test site for intercontinental ballistic missiles in Kazakhstan (now the Baikonur Cosmodrome).

In connection with preparations for the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in 1957, a Command and Measurement Complex for spacecraft control was created. In the same year, construction began in the Arkhangelsk region of a test site intended for launches of R-7 intercontinental ballistic missiles (now the Plesetsk cosmodrome).

On October 4, 1957, the launch and control units of the spacecraft carried out the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite “PS-1”, and on April 12, 1961, the launch and control of the flight of the world’s first manned spacecraft “Vostok” with cosmonaut Yu.A. Gagarin. Subsequently, all domestic and international space programs were carried out with the participation of associations, formations and units of spacecraft launch and control.

To organize the management of space activities in 1960, the 3rd Directorate of the Main Directorate of Missile Weapons was formed in the USSR Ministry of Defense, which in 1964 was transformed into the Central Directorate of Space Facilities (TSUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense, and in 1970 - into the Main Directorate Directorate of Space Facilities (GUKOS) of the USSR Ministry of Defense. In 1982, GUKOS and the units subordinate to it were withdrawn from the Strategic Missile Forces and subordinated directly to the USSR Minister of Defense - the Directorate of the Chief of Space Facilities of the Ministry of Defense was created.

In August 1992, the Military Space Forces of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation were created, which included the Baikonur, Plesetsk cosmodromes and, since 1994, the Svobodny cosmodrome, as well as the Main Test Center for Testing and Control of Space Facilities (GITSIU KS), the Military Engineering Space Academy and 50th Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Since 1957, spacecraft launch and control units and institutions have provided the launch and flight control of more than 3,000 spacecraft, carry out tasks to ensure national security in the space sector, and take part in the implementation of all joint international manned projects and projects for fundamental research of deep space. In close cooperation with a wide cooperation of scientific and industrial organizations, flight tests of more than 250 types of spacecraft for military, socio-economic and scientific purposes were carried out.

Manned flights, exploration of the Moon, Mars, Venus, complex experiments in outer space, the launch of an unmanned spacecraft of the reusable orbital complex "Buran", the creation of an international space station - this is not a complete list of achievements of domestic cosmonautics, to which military formations for space purposes made a significant contribution.

Soyuz-2 launch vehicle on the launch pad

At the same time, the combat path of “space in uniform” was not limited to launches and control of spacecraft. With the beginning of the era of space exploration, the need arose to monitor the launches of potential enemy missiles and space objects, control their movement, assess their condition, and warn about possible emergency situations in space. There was a threat of the enemy using weapons from space. Therefore, in the early 1960s. The first samples of missile attack warning systems (MAW), space control systems (SSC), and missile defense systems (ABM) began to be created.

Optical-electronic space monitoring complex OEC "Window"

The most productive period in the history of domestic military space activity was the period of the 1970s–1980s, when scientific, technical and production groundwork was laid in rocket and space technology for decades to come, which is still being implemented today. Space warning, reconnaissance, communications, and navigation systems were created and put into service. The orbital group became permanently operational and began to be actively used in the interests of solving problems and ensuring the daily activities of the Armed Forces. PRN and missile defense systems were put on combat duty.

Radar station of high factory readiness "Voronezh-DM"

All these and many other domestic and international space programs have been carried out for more than 50 years with the direct participation of military units for launching and controlling spacecraft and military formations of missile and space defense (RKO), on the basis of which the Space Forces were created in 2001. At the same time, it was taken into account that space forces and means, forces and means of the RKO have a single sphere of problem solving - space, as well as close cooperation of industrial enterprises, ensuring the creation and development of weapons.

Over the 10-year period of active activity, the Space Forces conducted and ensured more than 230 launches of launch vehicles, which launched into orbit more than 300 spacecraft for military, dual, socio-economic and scientific purposes. Among them are communications, navigation, cartography, remote sensing, telecommunications, scientific apparatus, etc.

Space control equipment provided warnings of more than 900 dangerous approaches of space objects to the international space station.

The duty forces of the Main Test Center for Testing and Control of Spacecraft named after G.S. Titov conducted about 2.5 million sessions of spacecraft control.

The inclusion of air defense forces and means into the Aerospace Defense Forces, dating back to the period of the First World War, when, to cover the most important centers of the country, the to create air defense for the capital of Russia - Petrograd and its environs. Even then, it included anti-aircraft artillery batteries, air crews, and a network of air surveillance posts.

The organizational structure of the air defense forces (since 1928 - air defense) developed with the development of military aviation. Since 1924, the formation of anti-aircraft artillery regiments began for air defense.

On May 10, 1932, the Red Army Air Defense Directorate was created. Separate brigades, divisions, and air defense corps have been formed. On November 9, 1941, the air defense forces of the country acquired the status of an independent branch of the military. In January 1942, air defense aviation was organized within them. The branches of air defense troops, in addition to fighter aircraft, were anti-aircraft artillery and air surveillance, warning and communications troops.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Air Force and Air Defense Forces included operational-strategic formations: air armies, fronts and air defense armies. During the war years, the Air Defense Forces destroyed more than 64 thousand enemy aircraft in air battles, anti-aircraft fire and at airfields.

Currently, air defense formations and military units are units of constant combat readiness. They include anti-aircraft missile and radio engineering units. They are designed to protect command posts of the highest echelons of state and military command, groupings of troops (forces), the most important industrial and economic centers and other objects from attacks by enemy aerospace attacks within the affected zones.

Radio technical equipment and complexes of automation equipment for radar complexes and stations of medium, high and low altitudes are intended for conducting radar reconnaissance of enemy air and issuing radar information about the air situation within the radar field to higher command and control bodies and other branches of the Armed Forces and branches of the armed forces, to combat control points means of aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces and electronic warfare when they solve problems in peacetime and wartime.

Currently, the air defense forces are armed with anti-aircraft missile systems and systems, which constitute the main firepower in the air defense (aerospace) defense system. Modern Russian anti-aircraft missile systems S-300, S-400, and the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system are capable of destroying various air targets, including hitting ballistic missile warheads.

Aerospace Defense Forces perform tasks to protect Russian aerospace space

Air defense brigade personnel are on combat duty around the clock to protect the airspace over the capital region and the Central Industrial Region of the country. About 140 objects of government administration, industry and energy, transport communications, and nuclear power plants are protected by the forces and means of anti-aircraft missile and radio engineering units of the air defense forces.

The creation of the Aerospace Defense Forces was caused by the objective need to integrate, under unified leadership, all forces and assets capable of fighting in the aerospace sphere, based on modern global trends towards expanding the role of aerospace in ensuring the protection of vital state interests in the economic, military and social spheres.

On December 1, 2011, formations and military units of the Space Forces, together with military formations of the operational strategic command of the East Kazakhstan region, became part of a new branch of the military - the Aerospace Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Today, the Aerospace Defense Forces are a modern, dynamically developing, high-tech branch of the military that ensures the defense and security of the state in aerospace.

The objects of the Aerospace Defense Forces are located throughout Russia - from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka, as well as beyond its borders. Facilities of missile attack warning and space control systems are deployed in neighboring countries - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

On December 1, 2011, the Aerospace Defense Forces, in cooperation with the air defense forces and means of the military districts, took up combat duty with the task of protecting the country’s territory from attacks by aerospace attack weapons.

Structure of the Aerospace Defense Forces:

Command of the Aerospace Defense Forces

Space Command (SC)

Main Test Space Center named after. G.S. Titova

Main missile attack warning center

Main space reconnaissance center

Air and Missile Defense Command (Air Defense and Missile Defense)

– Air Defense Brigades

– Missile Defense Joint

State Test Cosmodrome "Plesetsk" (GIC "Plesetsk")

Separate scientific research station (Kura test site)

Arsenal

Major milestones

Military Space Defense Forces:

1955

The first military units for space purposes were formed in connection with preparations for the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite (NIIP No. 5 - now the Baikonur State Test Cosmodrome, created on June 2, 1955, the annual holiday is June 2).

1957

A center for command and measurement complexes was formed (now the Main Test Center for Testing and Control of Spacecraft named after G.S. Titov, GITSIU KS, annual holiday - October 4) to ensure testing of launched and control of the first experimental spacecraft and cosmonaut flights.

On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite (PS-1) was launched.

On July 15, the first ICBM compound “Angara facility” was created (now the State Test Cosmodrome “Plesetsk”, the annual holiday of the cosmodrome).

1960

To create favorable conditions for the implementation of a long-term military space program, the formation of the first management body within the Strategic Missile Forces - the third directorate of the GURVO. Kerim Alievich Kerimov was appointed the first head of the department.

Kerimov Kerim Alievich (born in 1919). In 1944, after graduating from the Artillery Academy. F.E. Dzerzhinsky served in the system of the Main Directorate of Armament of Guards Mortar Units. After the war, he participated as part of a group of Soviet specialists in the collection and study of German rocket technology. After returning, he worked in the 4th Directorate of the GAU: senior officer, head of department, deputy head of department. During this period, he made a great contribution to the organization of orders for the first serial rocketry.

In March 1965, he was appointed head of the Main Directorate for Space Issues of the USSR Ministry of General Engineering. Subsequently, he was appointed chairman of the State Commission for flight testing of manned spacecraft and cosmonaut launches. He was awarded the military rank of lieutenant general. For his active work in the field of cosmonautics development, he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes, and was awarded a number of orders and medals of the USSR.

For reference: by the end of the 50s - the beginning of the 60s, the organizational structure of space units included a test department, separate engineering and testing units and a range measuring complex at the Baikonur test site, a Command and Measurement Complex Center and 12 separate scientific measuring points.

1961

On March 4, 1961, the B-1000 anti-missile with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, developed in an experimental design bureau under the leadership of Academician P.D. Grushin, for the first time in the world, the warhead of a domestic R-12 ballistic missile launched from the Kapustin Yar test site was destroyed in flight.

1964

To centralize work on the creation of new assets, as well as to quickly resolve issues of using space assets, the Central Directorate of Space Assets (TSUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense was created (stationed in Moscow). Its chief was Major General K.A. Kerimov.

1965

The Central Directorate of Space Facilities (TSUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense was headed by Major General A.G. Karas.

Karas Andrey Grigorievich (1918-1979). Colonel General, laureate of the USSR State Prize (1970), head of GUKOS (1970-1979).

In the Armed Forces since 1938. Graduated from the Odessa Artillery School. Participant of the Great Patriotic War. After the war he graduated from the Academy. F.E. Dzerzhinsky. In missile units since May 1951: head of the staff department, deputy chief, chief of staff of the Kapustin Yar test site, chief of staff of the Baikonur test site, scientific consultant of the 4th Central Research Institute of Defense, head of the command and measurement complex (1959). Since 1965 - head of TsUKOS (GUKOS).

1966

On March 17, the first launch of the Vostok-2 space rocket with the Cosmos-112 spacecraft was carried out from the NIIP MO (now the Plesetsk State Test Cosmodrome).

1967

In 1967, in accordance with the directives of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces dated January 31 and March 30, the Directorate of the Commander of the Anti-Missile Defense (BMD) and Anti-Space Defense Forces (PKO) was formed.

1968

In 1968, flight design tests of the PKO “IS” complex began and on November 1, 1968, for the first time in the world, the task of intercepting and destroying the I-2M target spacecraft using a two-orbit interception method was successfully completed.

1970

To develop space assets in the interests of all branches of the USSR Armed Forces, the national economy and scientific research, TsUKOS was reorganized into the Main Directorate of Space Assets (GUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense.

1979

GUKOS was headed by Major General A.A. Maksimov.

Maksimov Alexander Alexandrovich (1923-1990). Colonel General, Hero of Socialist Labor (1984), laureate of the Lenin (1979) and State Prize (1968) of the USSR, head of space assets (1986-1990).

Participant of the Great Patriotic War. After the war, he graduated from the F.E. Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy in 1952. He served in the military representative office at the S.P. design bureau. Korolev, then in the 4th Directorate of the GAU. As work on space assets expanded, A.A. Maksimov received new appointments: deputy chief, first deputy, chief of GUKOS (1979). In 1986, he was appointed head of space assets of the USSR Ministry of Defense.

1982

GUKOS and the units subordinate to it were withdrawn from the Strategic Missile Forces and subordinated directly to the USSR Minister of Defense, since the volume of tasks being solved had increased significantly.

Branch 4 of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was transformed into the 50th Central Research Institute of KS and is subordinate directly to the head of GUKOS.

On October 1, the directorate of the missile defense and anti-aircraft missile defense troops was reorganized into the command of the missile and space defense forces (RKO).

August 1992

A logical step was the creation of the Military Space Forces (VKS) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which included the Baikonur Cosmodrome, spacecraft launch units at the Plesetsk test site, and the GITSIU KS. Colonel General V.L. Ivanov was appointed the first commander of the Aerospace Forces (the Office of the Commander of the Aerospace Forces was stationed in Moscow).

Ivanov Vladimir Leontievich (born in 1936). Colonel General, Commander of the Military Space Forces (1992-1997), Doctor of Military Sciences (1992).

In 1958 he graduated from the Caspian Higher Naval School named after S.M. Kirov and was appointed to the missile unit (Plesetsk) as crew chief. After successfully graduating from the command department of the F.E. Dzerzhinsky Military Engineering Academy in 1971, he was appointed commander of a missile regiment, then deputy commander and commander of a missile division, deputy chief and chief of the Plesetsk cosmodrome.

On March 1, 1996, the State Test Cosmodrome “Svobodny” was created as part of the Aerospace Forces, the annual holiday of the cosmodrome.

1997

March 4 - the first launch of a space rocket (RKN "Start-1.2" with the "Zeya" spacecraft) from the State Test Cosmodrome "Svobodny".

The Aerospace Forces and RKO troops became part of the Strategic Missile Forces to increase the efficiency of military space activities. However, the integration goals were not achieved. In addition, a number of serious problems arose due to an attempt in a purely mechanical way to combine in one branch of the Armed Forces a strike group of ground-based strategic nuclear forces and military-space formations that provide space information to the highest levels of government of the country and the Armed Forces.

year 2001.

In connection with the negative results of integration and the increasing role of space assets in the military and national security system of Russia, the country's top political leadership decided to create, on the basis of associations, formations and spacecraft launch and control units allocated from the Strategic Missile Forces, as well as the RKO troops, a new type of force - Space troops (Office of the Commander of the Space Forces is stationed in Moscow)

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated March 28, Colonel General Anatoly Nikolaevich Perminov was appointed commander of the Space Forces.

On June 1, the Space Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were formed and began to carry out their assigned tasks.

2002

On March 26, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation presented a personal standard to the commander of the Space Forces.

On October 3, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1115, Space Forces Day was introduced, celebrated annually on October 4.

2003

On April 5, President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin visited the headquarters of the Space Forces.

On April 12, President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin got acquainted with the activities of the A.F. Mozhaisky Military Space Academy (St. Petersburg), where in one of the laboratories of the main military educational institution of the Space Forces he held a communication session with the crew of the international space mission stations.

2004

On the basis of the branch of the Military Space Academy named after A.F. Mozhaisky, the Pushkin Military Institute of Radio Electronics of the Space Forces named after Air Marshal E.Ya. Savitsky was created (Pushkin, Leningrad Region).

On February 17, during a strategic command and staff training of the Russian Armed Forces, Russian President V.V. Putin arrived at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, where on February 18 he was present at the launch of the Molniya-M launch vehicle with a military spacecraft.

By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 337 of March 10, Lieutenant General Vladimir Aleksandrovich Popovkin was appointed commander of the Space Forces.

On March 15, the Okno optical-electronic complex, part of the space control system, was put on combat duty.

On April 3, at the Main Test Center for Testing and Control of Space Facilities (GITSIU KS) named after G.S. Titov (Krasnoznamensk, Moscow Region), a meeting was held between the Presidents of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin and the French Republic J. Chirac. During a visit to the command post of the GITSIU KS, the commander of the Space Forces, Lieutenant General V.V. Popovkin, reported to the heads of both states on the composition of the Space Forces, the tasks they solve and the control system for the orbital constellation of Russian spacecraft, as well as on the directions of international cooperation in the field of space in regarding France.

On April 30, by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 125, the Flag of the Space Forces was approved.

On May 9, the combined battalion of the Moscow Military Institute of Radio Electronics of the Space Forces represented the Space Forces for the first time as part of a parade squad on Red Square.

Flag of the Aerospace Defense Forces

The flag of the Aerospace Defense Forces is a rectangular, double-sided blue panel. In the center of the cloth there is a small emblem of the Aerospace Defense Forces (a stylized contour image of a silver launching space rocket against the background of a stylized globe. The rocket is depicted in the form of a vertical acute triangle. The image of the globe is divided by four horizontal stripes: the first on top is dark blue, the second - white, the third - blue, the fourth - red. In the upper part of the ellipse there are two symmetrical triangular segments. In the lower part of the rocket image there is a red quadrilateral with an internal lower corner).

The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3. The ratio of the width of the emblem to the length of the flag is 1:2.

Large emblem of the Aerospace Defense Forces

The elements of the emblem symbolize:

a stylized, contour image of a silver launching space rocket against the background of a stylized image of the globe - the achievements of the Russian Federation in the field of exploration and control of outer space in order to strengthen the country's defense capability and ensure the activities of the branches and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the interests of preserving peace and maintaining general security;

the colors of the small emblem - the spheres of activity of the Aerospace Defense Forces: dark blue - the universe, white - space, blue - air, red - Earth;

two symmetrical triangular segments - a spacecraft control antenna and a space control antenna;

the red quadrangle at the bottom of the rocket image is the flame of the launching rocket;

two “Perunov” arrows, clamped in the eagle’s right paw, pointing downwards – the implementation of missile defense by the Aerospace Defense Forces;

a silver rod topped with a stylized image of a rocket and an element of a spacecraft control antenna - spacecraft launches and control of the orbital group;

emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - the Aerospace Defense Forces belong to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;

a pattern in the form of a wreath - the courage and valor of the military personnel of the Aerospace Defense Forces.

March 24, 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the Russian Space Forces. They were created in accordance with Decree No. 337 of March 24, 2001 of the President of Russia “On ensuring the construction and development of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and improving their structure.” And by the decision of the Security Council of the Russian Federation of February 6, 2001.

Help: Space Forces- a separate branch of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, responsible for the defense of Russia in space. October 4th is Space Forces Day. The holiday is timed to coincide with the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, which opened the chronicle of astronautics, including military ones. The first units (institutions) for space purposes were formed in 1955, when by decree of the USSR Government it was decided to build a research site, which later became the world-famous Baikonur Cosmodrome. Until 1981, responsibility for the creation, development and use of space assets was assigned to the Central Directorate of Space Assets (TSUKOS) of the Strategic Missile Forces of the USSR Armed Forces. In 1981, a decision was made to remove the Main Directorate of Space Facilities (GUKOS) from the Strategic Missile Forces and subordinate it directly to the General Staff. In 1986, GUKOS was transformed into the Office of the Chief of Space Facilities (UNKS). In 1992, UNKS was transformed into a branch of troops of central subordination - the Military Space Forces (VKS), which included the Baikonur, Plesetsk, Svobodny cosmodromes (in 1996), as well as the Main Center for Testing and Control of Spacecraft (SC) of the military and civil purpose named after German Titov. In 1997, the VKS became part of the Strategic Missile Forces. Taking into account the increasing role of space assets in the military and national security system of Russia, in 2001 the country's top political leadership decided to create, on the basis of associations, formations and launch and missile launch units allocated from the Strategic Missile Forces, an independent branch of the military - the Space Forces.

The main tasks of the VKS:

Timely warning to the country's top military-political leadership about the start of a nuclear missile attack;

Creation, deployment and management of orbital constellations of military, dual and socio-economic spacecraft;

Control of developed near-Earth space, constant reconnaissance of potential enemy territories using satellites;

Moscow's missile defense, destruction of enemy attacking ballistic missiles.

Troop composition:

Rocket and space defense,

State test cosmodromes of the Russian Ministry of Defense - Baikonur, Plesetsk, Svobodny,

Main Test Center for Testing and Control of Spacecraft named after G. S. Titov,

Department for depositing cash settlement services,

Military educational institutions and support units.

Number of people: more than 100 thousand people.

Aerospace Forces weapons:

Species reconnaissance satellites (optical-electronic and radar reconnaissance),

Electronic control (radio and electronic intelligence),

Communications and global satellite navigation system for troops, in total there are approximately 100 devices in the orbital grouping,

The launch of satellites into a given orbit is provided by light ("Start 1", "Cosmos 3M", "Cyclone 2", "Cyclone 3", "Rokot"), medium ("Soyuz U", "Soyuz 2", "Molniya M" launch vehicles) ") and heavy ("Proton K", "Proton M") classes,

Means of the ground-based automated spacecraft control complex (NAKU KA): command and measurement systems "Taman Baza", "Fazan", radar "Kama", quantum optical system "Sazhen T", ground-based receiving and recording station "Nauka M 04",

Detection systems, radar stations "DON 2N", "Daryal", "Volga", "Voronezh M", radio-optical complex for recognition of space objects "KRONA", optical-electronic complex "OKNO".

Moscow missile defense A-135 - missile defense system of the city of Moscow. Designed to “repel a limited nuclear strike on the Russian capital and central industrial region.” Radar "Don-2N" near Moscow, near the village of Sofrino. 68 53Т6 (“Gazelle”) missiles, designed for interception in the atmosphere, are located in five position areas. The command post is the city of Solnechnogorsk.

Space Forces facilities are located throughout Russia and beyond its borders. Abroad, they are deployed in Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.

At almost all times, violence has been the main way to solve internecine problems. When a man first picked up a stick and realized that with the help of brute force he could influence the actions of his own kind, he began to use violence everywhere. Thus, the art of war appeared in the world. Of course, wars were not always exclusively negative. Sometimes quite powerful states grew up after them, such as Ancient Rome, Sparta, Macedonia, etc. Nevertheless, in most cases, wars brought devastation and suffering to civilians of certain states. As for the art of warfare, it has developed since the advent of Homo sapiens. Initially, any conflicts were reduced to a chaotic “chopping” of each other with sticks, and mainly tribal communities took part in the battle. Later, with the advent of states, the process of waging war began to change. Their evolution was influenced by various factors, one of which is the emergence of new threats from the enemy.

If we analyze the current level of combat capability of the world's countries, it is largely due to the emergence of specific international legal relations and new sectors of the economy. For example, today the economy is of great importance. Security in this area has led to the emergence of various units that provide it. It is also necessary to note the growing interest of world powers in space. In addition to the large number of advantages that will appear as a result of its development, this process also carries a number of certain threats. Therefore, in the Russian Federation for several years now there have been space defense units, which will be discussed in the article.

Defense of the Russian Federation

In modern Russia, the defense capability of the state is a priority direction of the entire political course. The growing prestige of this area of government activity is also determined by the constantly emerging local military conflicts in certain parts of the planet. In some cases, such conflicts contradict the international interests of the Russian Federation, which requires its mandatory intervention. To organize the appropriate political course and ensure the defense and combat effectiveness of the Russian army, there is a corresponding executive body within the Government of the Russian Federation, namely: the Ministry of Defense.

It should be noted that due to the emergence of new threats, the Ministry of Defense is constantly conducting research with the aim of constantly modernizing the military sector of the Russian Federation. Thus, back in 2001, a decision was made to create special space forces, which later became part of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Russian Aerospace Forces: concept

Similar military formations are part of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. At its core, the air and space defense forces are a kind of hybrid of the Russian Federation and the military space forces. They were created in 2015. These united various departments and services that are designed to protect Russian airspace, as well as outer space. When conducting combat operations, military formations of this type are capable of delivering and repelling strikes both directly in the air and in space. Coordination of activities is carried out by the Main Command of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation.

The main headquarters of the Aerospace Forces is located in the building of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

History of creation

The air and space defense forces have a fairly long and interesting history of formation. As stated earlier, they were created on the basis of the merger of two departments. It should be noted that the Russian space forces have, in fact, been reborn in this new military direction. Because in the period from 2001 to 2011 they existed, but were later disbanded. In 2015, the space forces became part of a new branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. There are several key features that led to the creation of the aerospace forces, namely the desire to:

1. Concentrate military formations that are different, but quite similar in their tasks and functions, in a single sphere of activity.

2. Increase the efficiency and functionality of the air and space forces by actually “crossing” them.

3. Concentrate within a single framework responsibility for the implementation and formation of military space policy, as well as state defense capability in this area.

4. Ensure the further development and evolution of the Russian air and space forces.

Tasks of the Russian Aerospace Forces

The Aerospace Forces have their own range of tasks, which they are constantly engaged in solving. It should be noted that due to the novelty of the military direction presented in the article, its tasks have corresponding features and are:

Ensuring the defense capability of the state in the aerospace sector, as well as repelling any manifestations of aggression in it;

Defeat and destroy enemy combat forces using conventional means, as well as nuclear weapons;

Ensuring the activities of other types of troops through the effective use of aviation;

Reflecting strikes from ballistic missiles by destroying their warheads;

Informing about possible missile attacks;

Observation and analysis of outer space in order to identify threats to Russia;

Such a structure ensures the effective use of all forces and means of a given military direction, as well as the appropriate level of defense capability of the state. It should also be noted that the unification of several branches of the armed forces that are similar in nature made it possible to ensure simplicity of their regulation at the level of central executive authorities.

Russian Space Forces

The Space Defense Troops of the Russian Federation are a special branch of the military, which is designed to organize and ensure the security of the interests of the state in the space sector.

It should be noted that space defense is an innovative field of military art. Analogues of such troops exist only in the most developed countries today. The main specificity of the units of this part of the army is, first of all, In other words, the very subject of the troops’ activities determines a rather interesting range of tasks that are assigned to them. Thus, the Russian space forces, parts of which are scattered throughout almost the entire Russian Federation, are innovative and at the same time specific units.

Evolution of Space Forces

Air and space defense has always been a priority direction for the development of the army in the Russian Federation. However, the troops corresponding to this priority experienced two stages of formation. In the period from 2001 to 2011, the Russian space forces were a separate and independent component of the Armed Forces. But, as stated earlier, from August 1, 2015, they became part of the Aerospace Forces.

Tasks of the Space Forces

Despite the fact that the Russian space forces are part of the aerospace forces, they have a range of their own special tasks. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the space sector is the most developing area of activity of the armed forces, since in the future scientists predict a central place for space forces due to the great potential of space as a theater of combat operations. However, today Russia is implementing the following tasks:

1. Observation of space and objects in it.

2. Identification of threats from space, as well as directly in it.

3. Reflecting and eliminating threats from space.

4. Implementation of launches into orbit of military and civilian satellites.

5. The use of orbital satellites in the interests of the Russian armed forces.

6. Maintaining military and civilian satellites in full combat readiness for their immediate use in emergency situations.

Taking into account the above-mentioned priority for the development of space forces, the presented list of tasks can be replenished with new ones, since the military sphere of the Russian Federation is evolving almost daily.

Russian orbital group

The space defense forces simply would not be able to carry out the tasks assigned to them without artificial orbital satellites, which are located near planet Earth. A collection of spacecraft of this type is called an orbital constellation. Today, Russia is in second place in terms of the number of satellites launched. The Russian orbital constellation includes 149 spacecraft.

In first place is the United States, which has launched 446 space orbital satellites. Third place is occupied by China with its 120 satellites. Thus, outer space is almost completely covered by the most developed world powers, which emphasizes the high level of financial consumption in this area of development of the armed forces. This means that powers with small economies cannot afford research in the space industry and the creation of corresponding branches of the military.

Training for space forces

Today in the Russian Federation there is a serious issue of training highly qualified personnel for the Armed Forces. This means that there are corresponding educational institutions in all areas of defense. The Russian Space Forces are no exception in this matter. There are two main educational institutions for training space force officers:

Military Space Academy.

Military Academy of Aerospace Defense named after Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.

Conclusion

So, in the article we told you what the Russian space forces are, where they are located, and in which educational institutions personnel are trained. In conclusion, it should be noted that the development of this branch of the Armed Forces is simply necessary, taking into account current trends in the evolution of the military sector throughout the world. Perhaps in the near future conflicts will arise not only on earth, but also in space.

The creation of the Space Forces is dictated by the real increase in the role of national space complexes and systems in information support for the activities of the Russian Armed Forces and is an essential element in the further strengthening of the country's defense and security.

The Space Forces are a fundamentally new branch of the military, which is designed to ensure Russia’s security in the space sector.

The integration of formations, formations and units of launch, spacecraft control, missile attack warning, space control and missile defense into one branch of the military was dictated, first of all, by the fact that they have one field of application - space.

The complexes and systems of the Space Forces solve problems of a national strategic scale not only in the interests of the Russian Armed Forces and other law enforcement agencies, but also of most ministries and departments, the economy, and the social sphere.

The main tasks of the Space Forces are to communicate warnings to the country's top military-political leadership about a missile attack, missile defense of Moscow, the creation, deployment, maintenance and management of an orbital constellation of military, dual, socio-economic and scientific spacecraft.

The use of outer space and the capabilities of space systems around the world is assessed as one of the most important factors in the political, military and economic security of the state.

Space Force Milestones

On July 15, the first ICBM compound “Angara facility” was created (now the State Test Cosmodrome “Plesetsk”, the annual holiday of the cosmodrome).

The Central Directorate of Space Facilities (TSUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense was headed by Major General A.G. Karas.

Karas Andrey Grigorievich (1918-1979). Colonel General, laureate of the USSR State Prize (1970), head of GUKOS (1970-1979).

On March 17, the first launch of the Vostok-2 space rocket with the Cosmos-112 spacecraft was carried out from the NIIP MO (now the Plesetsk State Test Cosmodrome).

GUKOS was headed by Major General A.A. Maksimov.

Maksimov Alexander Alexandrovich (1923-1990). Colonel General, Hero of Socialist Labor (1984), laureate of the Lenin (1979) and State Prize (1968) of the USSR, head of space assets (1986-1990).

On October 1, the directorate of the missile defense and anti-aircraft missile defense troops was reorganized into the command of the missile and space defense forces (RKO).

August 1992

Ivanov Vladimir Leontievich (born in 1936). Colonel General, Commander of the Military Space Forces (1992-1997), Doctor of Military Sciences (1992).

On March 1, 1996, the State Test Cosmodrome “Svobodny” was created as part of the Aerospace Forces, the annual holiday of the cosmodrome.

March 4 - the first launch of a space rocket (RKN "Start-1.2" with the "Zeya" spacecraft) from the State Test Cosmodrome "Svobodny".

In connection with the negative results of integration and the increasing role of space assets in the military and national security system of Russia, the country's top political leadership decided to create, on the basis of associations, formations and spacecraft launch and control units allocated from the Strategic Missile Forces, as well as the RKO troops, a new type of force - Space troops (The Office of the Commander of the Space Forces is stationed in Moscow).

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated March 28, Colonel General Anatoly Nikolaevich Perminov was appointed commander of the Space Forces.

On June 1, the Space Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were formed and began to carry out their assigned tasks.

On October 3, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1115, Space Forces Day was introduced, celebrated annually on October 4.

By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 337 of March 10, Lieutenant General Vladimir Aleksandrovich Popovkin was appointed commander of the Space Forces.

On March 15, the Okno optical-electronic complex, part of the space control system, was put on combat duty.

On April 30, by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 125, the flag of the Space Forces was approved.

On May 9, the combined battalion of the Moscow Military Institute of Radio Electronics of the Space Forces represented the Space Forces for the first time as part of a parade squad on Red Square.

Structure of the Space Force

The Space Forces include the Missile and Space Defense Association (RKO); State test cosmodromes of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Baikonur”, “Plesetsk” and “Svobodny”; Main Test Center for Testing and Control of Spacecraft named after G.S. Titov; management for depositing cash settlement services; military educational institutions and support units.

The RKO association includes missile attack warning, missile defense and space control units.

October 4 – Russian Space Forces Day

According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated October 3, 2002, October 4 is celebrated as Space Forces Day. The holiday is dedicated to the day of the launch of the first artificial earth satellite, which opened the chronicle of astronautics, including military ones.

The world's first artificial satellite, called PS-1 (the simplest satellite-1), was launched on October 4, 1957. The launch took place from the 5th research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later became the world-famous Baikonur Cosmodrome. This spacecraft was a ball with a diameter of less than 60 centimeters and weighed just over 80 kilograms. It was in orbit for 92 days, covering a path of about 60 million kilometers.

Since then, more than 24 thousand space objects have been included in space catalogs, including almost 5 thousand satellites. Today, satellites from 50 countries around the world rotate in low-Earth orbit. But Russia holds the palm. It was she who became the author of the first launch.

The Space Forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense were created in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 24, 2001. Until this time, the functions of ensuring space security were performed by the military space forces, which were part of the Strategic Missile Forces.
The structure of the youngest branch of the military includes formations, formations and units for launching and controlling spacecraft and formations and units of missile and space defense (RKO), as well as military educational institutions.

On June 1, 2001, the headquarters and Command Post of the Space Forces took over control of the troops. From this day on, the Space Forces began to carry out their intended tasks in full. On March 26, 2002, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation presented a personal Standard to the commander of the Space Forces.

But the first military formations for space purposes were formed back in the second half of the 50s of the last century in connection with preparations for the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite. By the beginning of the 60s, their organizational structure included a test department, separate engineering and testing units and a measurement complex at the Baikonur test site, as well as a Command and Measurement Complex Center and 12 separate scientific and measurement stations for spacecraft control and measurements. In 1964, it was decided to create the Plesetsk training ground on the basis of the Strategic Missile Forces units on combat duty. It was supposed to ensure launches of spacecraft into polar orbits and testing of promising missile weapons.

To centralize work on the creation of new launch vehicles and spacecraft, as well as to quickly resolve issues of using space assets, the Central Directorate of Space Assets (TSUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense was created in 1964. In 1970, it was reorganized into the Main Directorate of Space Facilities (GUKOS) of the Ministry of Defense.

In 1982, GUKOS and the units subordinate to it were withdrawn from the Strategic Missile Forces and subordinated directly to the USSR Minister of Defense, since the volume of tasks being solved had increased significantly. In 1986, GUKOS was reorganized into the Office of the Chief of Space Facilities of the USSR Ministry of Defense (UNKS).

A logical step was the creation in August 1992 of the Military Space Forces (VKS) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which included the Baikonur, Plesetsk, Svobodny cosmodromes, as well as the Main Test Center for testing and controlling space assets. Almost during the same period, the formation of the Rocket and Space Defense (RKO) troops took place.

Active space activities are evidence of the economic, scientific and technical power of the state. Space is becoming an area of vital interest for the world's leading states. The expansion of its use for socio-economic purposes determines a steady trend towards increasing dependence of the economic power and social well-being of the country on the scale and efficiency of its space activities. In this regard, competition for the possession of orbital frequencies and other space resources is intensifying in the world. Therefore, the protection of national economic interests in the space sector is already considered by the world's leading states as an objective necessity.

On the other hand, the specific properties of outer space, such as globality, extraterritoriality and the ability to ensure continuity of presence, determine the increasing dependence of the effectiveness of armed struggle on land, at sea and in the air on the effectiveness of the use of space military systems, primarily information ones.

Currently, in military affairs there is a tendency to ensure overwhelming military superiority over the enemy, primarily through achieving information superiority. And this can only be achieved through the widespread use of space information technologies. Space information is a key element of modern and future high-precision weapons systems; without it, the effective implementation of a rapid response and preemptive impact strategy is impossible. In other words, space has already become an integral part of the military potential of the world's leading powers, and its contribution to this potential is steadily increasing.

Accordingly, we can conclude that the creation of the Space Forces was caused by objective global economic and military trends. It was carefully balanced, comprehensively thought out and, of course, contributed to increasing the efficiency of military space activities, defense and security of the Russian Federation.

The Space Forces perform the tasks of missile attack warning, missile defense, space control, creation, deployment, maintenance and control of an orbital constellation of spacecraft for various purposes.

Since the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, the history of domestic cosmonautics has been inextricably linked with the strengthening of the country's defense capability. By solving the problems of information support for the activities of troops and naval forces, military personnel and civilian personnel of the Space Forces make a significant contribution to the exploration of near-Earth space for peaceful purposes. Through their labor, unique facilities for rocket and space defense, launch and control of spacecraft have been created and operated.

The centralization of the management of military space activities in a separate branch of the Armed Forces has become a natural and objectively justified stage of military reform, reflecting the increasing role of space in ensuring the national security and defense of the Russian Federation.

Today, the Space Forces are successfully implementing the main directions of the state military-technical policy and federal space programs. Together with research institutions and defense industry enterprises, work is being carried out to modernize and increase the capabilities of rocket and space complexes and weapons systems in the interests of increasing the effectiveness of the combat use of the Armed Forces.

The personnel of the Space Forces worthily continue the glorious traditions of loyalty to military duty and dedication of their predecessors, constantly raising their professional level.

The modern generation of military personnel and civilian specialists of the Space Forces professionally and responsibly solves the problems of maintaining and using the orbital constellation of military, dual, socio-economic and scientific spacecraft, as well as the country’s rocket and space defense.

Middle emblem of the Russian Space Forces

Flag of the Russian Space Forces

Space Forces- a separate branch of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, responsible for military operations in space. On June 1 of the year, the Space Forces of the Russian Armed Forces were formed and began to carry out tasks. According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated October 3, 2002, October 4 is celebrated as Space Forces Day. The holiday is dedicated to the day of the launch of the first artificial earth satellite, which opened the chronicle of astronautics, including military ones.

Tasks

The main tasks of the space forces are:

timely warning to the country's top military-political leadership about the start of a nuclear missile attack.
creation, deployment and management of orbital constellations of military, dual and socio-economic spacecraft;
control of developed near-Earth space, constant reconnaissance of potential enemy territories using satellites;
missile defense of Moscow, destruction of attacking enemy ballistic missiles.

Story

Until 1981, responsibility for the creation, development and use of space assets was assigned to the Central Directorate of Space Assets (TSUS) of the Strategic Missile Forces of the USSR Armed Forces. At the end of the 70s, a contradiction objectively arose and began to intensify between the interspecific nature of the tasks being solved and the subordinate subordination of military space.

Under these conditions, the leadership of the USSR Ministry of Defense (USSR Ministry of Defense) in 1981 decided to remove the Main Directorate of Space Facilities (GUKOS) from the Strategic Missile Forces and subordinate it directly to the General Staff. In 1986, GUKOS was transformed into the Office of the Chief of Space Facilities (UNKS). In 1992, the UNKS was transformed into a centrally subordinate branch of the military - the Military Space Forces (VKS), which included the Baikonur, Plesetsk, Svobodny cosmodromes (in 1966), as well as the Main Control Center for spacecraft (SC) for military and civilian purposes. In 1997, the VKS became part of the Strategic Missile Forces.

Taking into account the increasing role of space assets in the system of military and national security of Russia, in 2001 the country's top political leadership decided to create, on the basis of associations, formations and launch and missile launch units allocated from the Strategic Missile Forces, a new type of troops - the Space Forces. At the same time, it was taken into account that space forces and means, forces and means of the RKO have a single sphere of problem solving - space, as well as close cooperation of industrial enterprises, ensuring the creation and development of weapons.

Orbital constellation

For comparison, the United States has the largest orbital constellation, which owns 413 artificial satellites. In third place is China with 34 satellites.

Commanders

- 1997 Ivanov, Vladimir Leontievich
- 2009 Ostapenko, Oleg Nikolaevich Chief of Staff - Major General Yakushin, Alexander Nikolaevich.

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