Russian Air Defense Forces Day

The rapid development of aviation, the use of aircraft for reconnaissance and air strikes served as an impetus for the creation of units that fought against enemy aircraft In the Russian army, the first air defense units were created at the end of 1914 They fought against enemy airships and airplanes The first battles showed the effectiveness of the units Despite the lack of special weapons, they could destroy airplanes on approach to important objects At first, conventional machine guns and light cannons were used, which were mounted on turrets A few months later, units began to be armed with 8-K anti-aircraft guns The gun had a caliber of 762 mm and could be mounted on trucks, which was used in the defense of cities The Bolsheviks also understood the influence of aviation on the course of battles They had to urgently create and staff air defense units already within the Red Army The 20s and 30s are spent in the development of weapons, training of personnel and determination of strategic directions that need to be protected first The degree of preparedness and quality of weapons of air defense units was tested by fire and iron in 1941 The first day of the war taught a bitter lesson, but already in September the soldiers showed what they were worth The Germans' multiple superiority in the skies of Moscow did not give them the opportunity to bomb the capital with impunity The barrage was so dense and accurate that the Luftwaffe aces were never able to inflict serious damage on the city The feat of the Soviet anti-aircraft gunners cannot be forgotten In the first year of the war, in the most difficult conditions of retreat and encirclement, they not only destroyed enemy aircraft, but also tanks Statistics is a serious science During the Great Patriotic War, air defense fighters destroyed almost 8 thousand aircraft, more than a thousand tanks and 15 thousand artillery pieces A huge contribution to the Victory was made by women, many of whom fought in anti-aircraft regiments They shot down Germans over Leningrad, Minsk, Stalingrad, and on the Kursk Bulge In Stalingrad there is Zenitchikov Street It immortalized the feat of the military personnel who defended the city The end of the war did not bring peace to our country - decades of the Cold War began The advent of aircraft powered by jet engines and the development of the nuclear industry presented designers with the difficult task of creating the latest models of defensive equipment Our air defense is no less known than our missile weapons The S-300 air defense system in various modifications still makes our potential adversaries flinch The modern Triumph complex has already successfully proven itself in Syria The development of defense equipment continues According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, the latest S-500 will be on combat duty in 2-3 years Modernization of the used radars continues: “Radioluch”, “Sopka”, “Sky” The official holiday appeared among soldiers and officers of the air defense forces only 30 years after the war In February 1975, a decree establishing the holiday was signed It was celebrated annually on April 11 In the modern history of the Russian army, the holiday appeared after the Presidential Decree in 2006 The inextricable connection of history is supported by the date of the holiday - it is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of April Congratulations to all soldiers, officers and veterans of the air defense forces Calm watches and peaceful skies!