At the time of the collapse, in 1991, the Soviet Union had a powerful air defense system, which had no equal in the world. Almost the entire territory of the country, with the exception of part Eastern Siberia, was covered by a continuous constant radar field. The Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Air Defense Forces of the country) included the Moscow Air Defense District and 9 individual armies, uniting 18 corps (of which 2 are separate) and 16 divisions. According to American intelligence services, in 1990 the USSR Air Defense Forces had more than 2,000 interceptors: 210 Su-27, 850 MiG-23, 300 MiG-25, 360 MiG-31, 240 Su-15, 60 Yak-28, 50 Tu -128. It is clear that not all fighter-interceptors were modern, but their total number in 1990 was impressive. It should also be taken into account that the USSR Air Force had about 7,000 combat aircraft, about half of them were front-line fighters, which were also tasked with providing air defense. Now, according to Flight International, Russia has 3,500 combat aircraft of all types, including attack aircraft, front-line and long-range bombers.

By 1990, the industry had built more than 400 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-75, 350 S-125, 200 S-200, 180 S-300P. In 1991, the Air Defense Forces had about 8,000 launchers (PU) of anti-aircraft missiles (SAM). Of course, these are very approximate figures for air defense systems, a significant part of them had been decommissioned or delivered abroad by that time. But even if half of these anti-aircraft systems were on combat duty, then in a hypothetical conflict without the use of strategic nuclear aircraft from the US and its allies, even with the massive use of cruise missiles, there was no chance of destroying the main strategic Soviet facilities and most of the vital important infrastructure without suffering catastrophic losses. But in addition to the Air Defense Forces of the country, there were also the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces, which were armed with a large number of mobile anti-aircraft missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Anti-aircraft missile units(ZRV) The Ground Forces were also involved in combat duty. First of all, this concerned the anti-aircraft missile brigades (zrbr) deployed in the European North and Far East, which were armed with the Krug-M / M1 air defense system and anti-aircraft missile systems(ZRS) S-300V.

Lighting of the air situation was provided by the Radio Engineering Troops (RTV). The purpose of the Radio Engineering Troops is to provide early information about the beginning of an enemy air attack, to provide combat information to anti-aircraft missile forces (ZRV), air defense aviation (IA PVO) and headquarters to control air defense formations, units and subunits. The radio engineering brigades, regiments, separate battalions and companies were armed with surveillance radar stations (radar) of the meter range, quite advanced for their time, which had a long range for detecting air targets: P-14, 5N84, 55Zh6. Stations of the decimeter and centimeter range: P-35, P-37, ST-68, P-80, 5N87. Mobile stations on a truck chassis: P-15, P-18, P-19 - as a rule, they were attached to anti-aircraft missile divisions for issuing target designation, but in some cases they were used at stationary radar posts to detect low-flying targets. Together with two-coordinate radars, radio altimeters were operated: PRV-9, PRV-11, PRV-13, PRV-16, PRV-17. In addition to radars that had one degree or another of mobility, the Air Defense Forces had stationary "monsters" - radar systems (RLK): P-70, P-90 and ST-67. With the help of the radar, it was possible to simultaneously track dozens of air targets. Computer-processed information was transmitted to the command posts of the anti-aircraft missile forces and used in the automated guidance systems of interceptor fighters. In total, in 1991, the troops and storage bases had more than 10,000 radars for various purposes.

Position RLC P-90

In the Soviet Union, unlike present-day Russia, all significant defense, industrial and administrative centers and strategically important objects were covered from air strikes: large cities, important defense enterprises, locations of military units and formations, objects of strategic missile forces (RVSN), transport hubs, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric dams, spaceports, major ports and airfields. A significant number of SAM positions, interceptor airfields and radar posts were deployed along the borders of the USSR. After the collapse of the USSR, a significant part of this wealth went to the "independent republics".

Baltic republics

The description of the state of the air defense system of the former Soviet republics, and now "independent states", let's start with the northwestern borders of the USSR. In December 1991, as a result of the collapse of the USSR, the air defense and air force forces of the USSR were divided between Russia and 11 republics. The Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia refused to participate in the division of the USSR Armed Forces for political reasons. At that time, the Baltic states were in the area of ​​​​responsibility of the 6th separate air defense army. It included: 2 air defense corps (27th and 54th), 1 aviation division - a total of 9 fighter regiments (iap), 8 anti-aircraft missile brigades and regiments (zrp), 5 radio engineering brigades (rtbr) and regiments ( rtp) and 1 air defense training brigade. Parts of the 6th Air Defense Army, which was at the forefront of the Cold War, were armed with fairly modern equipment at that time. So, for example, in three fighter regiments there were more than a hundred of the latest Su-27P interceptors at that time, and the pilots of the 180 IAP, based at the Gromovo (Sakkola) airfield, flew the MiG-31. And the fighters of other air regiments MiG-23MLD - at that time were quite capable machines.

Anti-aircraft missile forces in the late 80s were in the process of rearmament. Single-channel complexes S-75 with liquid rockets were actively replaced by multi-channel, mobile S-300P with solid-propellant missiles. In the 6th Air Defense Army in 1991, there were 6 squadrons armed with S-300P. S-300P air defense systems and S-200 long-range air defense systems were created over the Baltic part Soviet Union a huge air defense "umbrella" covering a significant part of the Baltic Sea, Poland and Finland.

The affected areas of the S-300P air defense system (light area) and the S-200 air defense system (dark area), deployed in the Baltic States until 1991.

The greatest concentration of air defense systems of the 6th Air Defense Army in 1991 was observed on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Divisions armed with medium-range S-75 and low-altitude S-125 complexes were mainly deployed here. At the same time, the positions of the air defense systems were located in such a way that their affected areas overlapped mutually. In addition to combating air targets, the S-125 air defense systems could fire at surface targets, participating in the antiamphibious defense of the coast.

The location of the positions of the air defense system and the command post of the 6th air defense army in the Baltic

After the collapse of the USSR, the property and weapons of the Soviet Army were withdrawn to Russia. What was impossible to take out or did not make sense was destroyed on the spot. Real estate: military camps, barracks, warehouses, fortified command posts and airfields were transferred to representatives of local authorities.

In Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, airspace control is provided by eight radar posts. Until recently, the Soviet P-18 and P-37 radars were used. Moreover, the latter functioned as air traffic control radars. Recently, information has appeared about the deployment of modern fixed and mobile radars of French and American production in the territory of the Baltic States. So, in mid-June 2016, the United States transferred two AN / MPQ-64F1 Improved Sentinel radar stations to the Latvian armed forces. Two more similar radars are scheduled to be delivered in October 2016. The AN/MPQ-64F1 three-coordinate station is a modern, mobile short-range radar, designed primarily for targeting air defense systems. The most modern modification of this radar, which was delivered to Latvia, makes it possible to detect low-altitude targets at a distance of up to 75 km. The radar has small dimensions and is towed by an army off-road vehicle.

Radar AN/MPQ-64

It is significant that the AN / MPQ-64 radar can be effectively used in conjunction with the US-Norwegian NASAMS medium-range air defense systems, which are produced by the Norwegian company Kongsberg together with the American military-industrial giant Raytheon. At the same time, the Latvian military, back in 2015, expressed a desire to acquire the NASAMS-2 air defense system. It is likely that the delivery of radars is the first step in the process of creating a Latvian air defense system, and possibly a joint regional air defense system of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is known that Poland, as part of the construction of the national air defense system "Vistula", should receive from the United States several batteries of the "Patriot PAK-3" air defense system. Some of these complexes can be placed on the territory of the Baltic countries. According to the military and officials of these countries, all these measures are needed to protect against the "Russian threat." The possibility of supplying French GM406F and American AN / FPS-117 radars is also being discussed. Unlike small-sized AN / MPQ-64, these stations have a long range of airspace viewing, can operate in difficult jamming conditions and detect tactical launches. ballistic missiles. If deployed in the border areas, they will be able to control the airspace at a distance of 400-450 km in the depths of Russian territory. One AN / FPS-117 radar has already been deployed in the vicinity of the Lithuanian city of Siauliai.

As for the means of destruction of the air defense system of the Baltic countries, at the moment they are represented by a small number of portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) "Stinger" and "Mistral", as well as small-caliber anti-aircraft guns (MZA) ZU-23. That is, these states do not have the ability to resist any serious combat aviation at all, and the anti-aircraft potential of the armies of the Baltic countries is not capable of protecting the inviolability of air borders. Currently, to neutralize the hypothetical “Russian threat”, the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia is being patrolled by NATO fighters (Operation Baltic Air Policing). At the Lithuanian Zokniai air base, located near the city of Siauliai, at least four tactical fighters and a NATO aviation technical group (120 military personnel and civilian specialists) are constantly on duty to conduct "air patrols". To modernize the infrastructure of the airfield and keep it in working order, European NATO countries have allocated 12 million euros. The composition of the air group on duty at the Zokniai airbase on a rotational basis changes from time to time depending on which countries' fighters are involved.

Mirage 2000 fighter jets at Zokniai Air Base in winter 2010

French Mirage 2000 and Rafale C, British, Spanish, German and Italian Eurofighter Typhoon, Danish, Dutch, Belgian, Portuguese and Norwegian F-16AM, Polish MiG-29, Turkish F-16C, Canadian CF-18 Hornet, Czech and Hungarian JAS 39C Gripen. And even such Cold War rarities as the German F-4F Phantom II, the British Tornado F.3, the Spanish and French Mirage F1M and the Romanian MiG-21 Lancer. In 2014, during the “Crimean Crisis”, American F-15Cs were deployed here from the Lakenheath airbase in the UK. Refueling of NATO fighters in the air is provided by two American air tankers KS-135.

Satellite image of Google earth: Eurofighter Typhoon fighters and A-10C attack aircraft at Ämari airbase.

In addition to the Zokniai air base in Lithuania, the fighters of the North Atlantic Alliance have also been using the Suurkula (Emari) airfield since 2014. In Soviet times, Su-24s of the 170th Naval Assault Aviation Regiment were based here. In August 2014, four Danish F-16AM fighters were stationed at Ämari Air Base. Further on the base in turn were the fighters of the German, Spanish and British Air Forces. The base is also actively used for basing NATO aircraft during exercises. In the summer of 2015, Emari hosted 12 A-10S attack aircraft for several months. In September 2015, the fifth generation F-22A fighters from the 95th squadron of the US Air Force visited the Emari airfield. All these actions are aimed at "containment" of Russia, where there are supposedly aggressive intentions towards the "independent" Baltic republics.

Belarus

From 1960 to 1991, the sky of the BSSR was protected by the 2nd separate air defense army. Organizationally, it included two corps: the 11th and 28th. The main task of the units and subunits of the 2nd Air Defense Army was to cover the western strategic direction and protect cities, strategic and military facilities on the territory of Belarus from air attacks. Particular attention was paid to the task of preventing an enemy air flight inland and to the capital of the USSR. With this in mind, the air defense troops stationed in Belarus were among the first to master the most modern equipment and weapons. On the basis of units of the 2nd Air Defense Army, state tests of the automated control systems Vector, Rubezh, and Senezh were carried out. In 1985, the 15th zrbr was re-equipped with the S-300P anti-aircraft missile system. And the 61st IAP, where they had previously flown the MiG-23 and MiG-25, shortly before the collapse of the USSR, switched to the Su-27P. In total, two air defense fighter aviation regiments were deployed in Belarus, armed mainly with MiG-23MLD interceptors. 3 zrbr and 3 zrp were armed with S-75, S-125, S-200 and S-300P air defense systems. The control of the air situation and the issuance of target designation was carried out by the radars of the 8th RTB and the 49th RTP. In addition, the 2nd Air Defense Army had the 10th separate battalion (obat) electronic warfare(EW).

Unlike the Baltic states, the leadership of Belarus turned out to be more pragmatic and did not destroy the air defense system inherited from the Soviet Union. As a result of the collapse of the USSR and the division of Soviet baggage on August 1, 1992, on the basis of the Air Defense Directorate of the Belarusian Military District and the 2nd Separate Air Defense Army, the command of the Air Defense Forces of the Republic of Belarus was formed. Soon, in the early 90s, the air defense forces of Belarus began to decommission obsolete Soviet-made equipment. First of all, single-channel S-75 air defense systems with a lamp element base and liquid missiles were subject to liquidation, which required labor-intensive maintenance and refueling with toxic fuel and a caustic explosive oxidizer. They were followed by low-altitude S-125 systems, although these air defense systems could also serve. "One hundred and twenty-five" had good combat characteristics, were not so expensive to maintain, quite maintainable and subject to modernization. Moreover, such work was carried out in the republic, the upgraded S-125M air defense systems under the designation "Pechera-2TM" of the Belarusian company "Tetrahedron", starting from 2008, were supplied to Azerbaijan. In total, the contract provides for the restoration and modernization of 27 anti-aircraft systems. Most likely, the reason for the abandonment of the S-125 was the desire to save on defense. For the same reason, first, MiG-29MLD fighters, whose age was slightly more than 15 years old, went to the storage bases, and then for scrapping in the second half of the 90s. In this regard, the Republic of Belarus basically followed the path of Russia. Our leaders in the years 90-2000 also hastened to get rid of the "extra" weapons, citing budget savings. But in Russia, unlike Belarus, it has its own production of anti-aircraft systems and modern fighters, and Belarusians have to get all this from abroad. But long-range S-200V air defense systems in Belarus were kept to the last, despite the high cost of operation and the extreme complexity of relocation, which makes this complex, in fact, stationary. But the range of destruction of high-altitude air targets of 240 km is currently achievable only for the S-400 air defense systems, which are not in the air defense forces of Belarus, which, in fact, leveled all the shortcomings of the S-200V. In the context of the mass liquidation of anti-aircraft systems, a “long arm” was required, capable of at least partially covering the gaps in the air defense system.

Satellite image of Google earth: the location of the positions of the air defense system in the Republic of Belarus as of 2010 (blue radar figures, colored triangles and squares are the positions of the air defense system).

In 2001, the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus were merged into one branch of the armed forces. This was largely due to a reduction in the number of equipment, weapons and personnel. Almost all operational S-300PT and S-300PS air defense systems were deployed around Minsk. In 2010, in Belarus, formally, there were still four S-200V air defense missiles in service. As of 2015, they have all been decommissioned. Apparently, the last Belarusian S-200V on combat duty was the complex near Novopolotsk. In the late 2000s, due to extreme wear and the lack of conditioned missiles, all the S-300PT air defense systems and part of the S-300PS inherited from the USSR were written off.

After 2012, the last 10 heavy Su-27P fighters were withdrawn from the combat strength of the Air Force. The official reason for abandoning the Su-27P was the too high cost of their operation and the unnecessarily long flight range for such a small country as the Republic of Belarus. In fact, the main reason was that the fighters needed to be repaired and modernized, and there was no money in the treasury for this. But in the 2000s, part of the Belarusian MiG-29s was modernized. During the division of Soviet property, the republic received more than 80 MiG-29 fighters of various modifications in 1991. Part of the "extra" fighters from the Belarusian Air Force was sold abroad. Thus, 18 MiG-29 fighters (including two MiG-29UB) were delivered by Belarus under a contract to Peru. Algeria received another 31 aircraft of this type in 2002. To date, according to Global Serurity, 24 fighters have survived in Belarus.

Satellite image of Google earth: MiG-29BM fighters at the air base in Baranovichi

Repair and modernization of fighters to the level of the MiG-29BM was carried out at the 558th aircraft repair plant in Baranovichi. During the modernization, the fighters received means of refueling in the air, a station satellite navigation and a modified radar for the use of air-to-ground weapons. It is known that specialists from the Russian Design Bureau "Russian Avionics" took part in these works. The first four upgraded MiG-29BMs were first publicly shown in flight at an air parade in honor of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders on July 3, 2004. At the moment, the MiG-29BM are the only fighters of the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus capable of performing air defense tasks, they are based at the 61st Fighter Air Base in Baranovichi.

Belarusian Su-27P and MiG-29

The limited number of MiG-29BMs stationed at a single air base does not allow effective control of the country's airspace. Despite statements by Belarusian officials about the high cost of maintenance and excessive range of the Su-27P fighters, their decommissioning significantly reduced the ability to combat an air enemy. In this regard, the issue of creating a Russian air base in Belarus was repeatedly discussed, but so far the matter has not progressed beyond talk. In this context, it is worth mentioning the 18 Su-30Ks stored at the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant. In 2008, India returned these machines to Russia after the start of large-scale deliveries of more advanced Su-30MKIs. The Indian side received 18 new Su-30MKIs in return, paying the difference in price. Initially, it was assumed that the former Indian Su-30Ks, after repair and modernization, would be transferred to Belarus, but it was subsequently stated that the aircraft went to Baranovichi in order not to pay VAT on imports to Russia while a buyer was being searched for. According to information published in the media, the cost of a batch of Su-30Ks could be $270 million, based on the cost of one fighter at $15 million, including modernization. For a heavily modernized 4th generation fighter with a large residual resource, this is a very affordable price. For comparison, the light Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder fighter, which has much more modest capabilities, is offered to foreign buyers for 18-20 million dollars. However, there is no money in the Belarusian budget to buy even used fighters, one can only hope that in the future the parties will be able to agree, and the Su-30K, having undergone repairs and modernization, will protect the air borders of Belarus and Russia.

Despite some contradictions between our countries and the unpredictability of President Lukashenko, the Republic of Belarus and Russia maintain close allied relations. The Republic of Belarus is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and is part of the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS member states. In 2006, Russia and Belarus planned to create a unified regional air defense system of the union state, but for a number of reasons, these plans were not destined to come true. Nevertheless, between the command posts of the Air Force and Air Defense of Russia and Belarus, an automated exchange of information about the air situation is carried out and the Belarusian calculations of the air defense system have the ability to conduct control and training firing at the Ashuluk air defense range in the Astrakhan region.

On the territory of Belarus, in the interests of the Russian missile attack warning system (SPRN), the Volga radar operates. The construction of this station began shortly before the collapse of the USSR, 8 km northeast of the city of Gantsevichi. In connection with the conclusion of an agreement on the liquidation of the INF Treaty, the construction of the station was frozen in 1988. After Russia lost the early warning system in Latvia, the construction of the Volga radar station in Belarus resumed. In 1995, a Russian-Belarusian agreement was concluded, according to which a separate radio engineering unit (ORTU) "Gantsevichi", together with a land plot, was transferred to Russia for 25 years without levying all types of taxes and fees. As compensation for Belarus, part of the debts for energy carriers was written off, and Belarusian servicemen perform partial maintenance of the nodes. At the end of 2001, the station took up experimental combat duty, and on October 1, 2003, the Volga radar was officially put into service. The early warning radar station in Belarus controls the combat patrol areas of American, British and French SSBNs in the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea. Radar information from the radar in real time enters the Main Missile Attack Warning Center. Currently, this is the only object of the Russian missile attack warning system operating abroad.

In the framework of military-technical cooperation, the Republic of Belarus in 2005-2006 received from Russia 4 zrn S-300PS air defense systems from the Russian armed forces. Before that, the air defense systems and missiles 5V55RM with a maximum range of hitting high-altitude targets of 90 km underwent refurbishment and “small” modernization. It is worth recalling that the S-300PS air defense system, which is the most numerous modification in the S-300P family, was put into service in 1984. S-300PS entered service with the 115th air defense brigade, two of which were deployed in the Brest and Grodno regions. At the end of 2010, the brigade was transformed into the 115th and 1st srp. In turn, from Belarus, as payment for the repair and modernization of anti-aircraft systems, counter deliveries of the MZKT-79221 chassis for mobile strategic missile systems RS-12M1 Topol-M were carried out on barter.

SPU of the Belarusian S-300PS

In the first half of 2016, information appeared in the media about the transfer of four more S-300PS missiles to the Belarusian side. It is reported that earlier these air defense systems served in the Moscow region and in the Far East. Before being sent to Belarus, they underwent refurbishment and modernization, which will allow them to carry out combat duty for another 7-10 years. The received S-300PS air defense systems are planned to be deployed on the western border of the republic, now 4 srdns of a truncated composition are deployed in the region of Brest and Grodno.

Satellite image of Google earth: the position of the S-300PS air defense system in the Brest region

On July 3, 2014, a military parade was held in Minsk in honor of Independence Day and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazis, at which, in addition to the equipment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian long-range air defense system S-400 was demonstrated. The Belarusian leadership has repeatedly expressed interest in the S-400. At the moment, the S-400 air defense systems of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the 48N6MD missiles available in the ammunition load are capable of fighting high-altitude aerodynamic targets at a distance of up to 250 km. The S-300PS air defense systems in service with the Belarusian air defense forces are more than twice as short as the S-400 in range. Equipping the air defense of Belarus with the latest long-range systems would increase the cover zone and, if deployed in the border areas, would make it possible to deal with air attack weapons at distant approaches. Apparently, the Russian side stipulates a number of conditions for possible deliveries of the S-400, which the Belarusian leadership is not yet ready to accept.

SPU Russian S-400 during a parade rehearsal in June 2014 in Minsk

The air situation in the Republic of Belarus is covered by two dozen radar posts. Until now, Belarusian RTV mainly operate Soviet-made radars: P-18, P-19, P-37, 36D6. These stations are for the most part already at the limit of their useful lives and need to be replaced. In this regard, deliveries of Russian mobile three-coordinate radar stations of the decimeter range "Opponent-GE" with a range of detecting targets flying at an altitude of 5-7 km up to 250 km have begun. At own enterprises of the Republic of Belarus, modified radars are being assembled: P-18T (TRS-2D) and P-19T (TRS-2DL), which, in combination with the supply of Russian radars, makes it possible to update the fleet of radars.

After 1991, the armed forces of Belarus got more than 400 vehicles of military air defense systems. According to some reports, Belarusian units armed with military air defense systems have been reassigned to the command of the Air Force and Air Defense. Today, according to foreign expert estimates, about 300 air defense systems and air defense systems are in service. These are mainly Soviet short-range systems: Strela-10M and Osa-AKM. In addition, the Belarusian air defense units of the Ground Forces have Tunguska anti-aircraft gun-missile systems and modern short-range Tor-M2 air defense systems. The chassis for the Belarusian "Tors" is made at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT). The 120th anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Air Force and Air Defense of Belarus, stationed in Baranovichi, Brest region, received the first battery of the Tor-M2 air defense system in 2011.

Belarusian air defense system "Tor-M2" on the MZKT wheeled chassis

In addition to short-range complexes designed to directly cover troops in the frontline from air attack weapons operating at low altitudes, Belarus has one air defense system each, which is armed with medium-range Buk-MB air defense systems and S-300V air defense systems. The Belarusian "Buks" have been modernized and modified to use the new 9M317 missiles, while some of the complexes have been transferred to the wheeled chassis manufactured by the MZKT. The regular radar of the Buk-M1 air defense system 9S18M1 was replaced with a mobile three-coordinate all-round radar 80K6M on a wheeled chassis. The Belarusian "Bukovskaya" 56th air defense brigade, previously deployed near Slutsk, according to some reports, was relocated to Baranovichi, where its complexes are on combat duty in the area of ​​​​the 61st fighter airbase. Azerbaijan received one Buk-MB division in 2012 from the armed forces of Belarus.

SPU ZRS S-300V during a parade rehearsal in June 2014 in Minsk

As for long-range military air defense systems, there is every reason to believe that the S-300V of the 147th air defense missile brigade is currently not combat-ready and needs to be repaired and modernized. The brigade stationed near Bobruisk was the third military formation in the USSR to be armed with this system, and the first to be able to perform combat mission with the so-called "big rocket" 9M82. In January 2011, the brigade became part of the North-Western operational-tactical command of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Republic of Belarus. The future of the Belarusian S-300V air defense systems completely depends on whether it will be possible to agree with the Russian side on their repair and modernization. At the moment, Russia is implementing a program to radically improve the combat characteristics of the existing S-300V to the level of S-300V4.

If for the modernization of anti-aircraft systems of medium and long range Belarus is forced to seek help from Russian enterprises, then the repair and improvement of the complexes of the near zone is carried out on its own. The head organization in this is the Multidisciplinary Research and Production Private Unitary Enterprise "Tetrahedron". At this enterprise, a variant of the modernization of the Strela-10M2 air defense system was developed, which received the designation "STRELA-10T". The main difference between the new complex and its prototype is to ensure its round-the-clock use and the possibility of transferring it to the chassis of an all-wheel drive army off-road vehicle. Modernized fighting machine of the new complex, unlike the basic version, is capable of round-the-clock combat work. The presence of data transmission equipment allows the exchange of information between combat vehicles, as well as remote control the process of combat work in repelling enemy air strikes.

SAM T38 "STYLET"

On the basis of the Soviet Osa air defense system, Tetrahedra specialists created the T38 STYLET short-range air defense system, two-stage T382 air defense systems for it were developed in the Luch design bureau in Kiev. The T38 military air defense system is a further continuation of the Osa-T program, aimed at modernizing the obsolete Soviet military Osa air defense system. The control systems of the complex are made on a new element base, the combat vehicle, in addition to the radar, is equipped with an electro-optical detection system. Compared to the Osa-AKM air defense system, the range of destruction of air targets has been doubled and is 20 km. SAM T-38 "STYLET" is placed on a wheeled chassis MZKT-69222T off-road.

SAM T-38 "STYLET" was presented at the 7th International Exhibition of Arms and Military Equipment "MILEX-2014", held from 9 to 12 July 2014 in Minsk. The "A3 multi-purpose rocket-machine-gun complex" was also shown there. The sample shown at the exhibition is in the process of being finalized, and had only mock-ups of missile weapons.

Multi-purpose rocket-machine gun complex A3

From the brochures of the Tetraedr enterprise it follows that the A3 complex, equipped with passive optical means of reconnaissance, target tracking and guidance of weapons, which ensures its complete secrecy combat use. It is designed to protect administrative, industrial and military facilities from all types of modern and advanced aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and high-precision weapons. The detection range of air targets is 20 km, the range of destruction of air targets by missiles is 5 km. In addition to solving air defense tasks, the A3 complex can be used to combat enemy manpower and ground armored targets. The complex can be operated at any time of the day, in any weather conditions and in various climatic zones. It consists of a command post and six remotely controlled combat modules.

But, despite individual successes in the development of near-field air defense systems, the modernization and export deliveries of Soviet weapons, the Republic of Belarus is currently unable to provide itself with modern medium and long-range air defense systems, as well as fighters. And in this respect, Minsk is completely dependent on Moscow. I would like to hope that our countries will maintain close friendly ties in the future, which is a guarantee of peace and security in the region.

To be continued...

According to materials:
http://geimint.blogspot.ru/
http://www.tetraedr.com
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/belarus/army-equipment.htm
http://myzarya.ru/forum1/index.php?showtopic=6074
http://nectonlab.org/index.php/katalog-materialov/urbex-activity/soviet-army/pvo/102-pvo-baltic-states.html

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Home Structure Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Aerospace Forces Air Defense Forces History

In world history, the first use of anti-aircraft weapons can be attributed to the end of the 18th century, by the time of the war of the First Coalition (1793-1797) - the military operations of a number of European countries against France, which declared war on Austria in 1792, and with the aim of restoring the monarchy in France. The historical chronicles cite the case of the shelling of a French free-moving balloon by the Austrians (who then had one of the most advanced artillery schools) from a mortar with a maximum elevation angle of the barrel. Despite the obvious shortfall of the nuclei to the target, the aeronauts hurried to leave the battlefield. Two years later, the Austrians "rehabilitated": during the siege of the Dutch fortress of Charleroi, the French company of aeronauts lost a balloon destroyed by Austrian artillery.

Domestic air defense: milestones in history

Our military received a wealth of practical experience in the use of aeronautics (aerostats) for military purposes and methods of dealing with it during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. during the defense of Port Arthur. As a result, the Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate (Artkom) in November 1907 decided to "start developing measures to combat controlled balloons."

In 1910, developments were underway in Russia missile weapons. For example, military engineer N.V. Gerasimov believed that a direct hit by a rocket on a moving aircraft was extremely difficult. In this regard, he proposed to hit not the aircraft itself, but the space in which it was located at that time. For this purpose, he designed a 76.2-mm special gyroscopic rocket. In the course of numerous tests, specialists from the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) came to the conclusion that, in terms of range and flight accuracy, it was noticeably inferior to the 76.2-mm luminous rockets that were in service with the Russian army at that time.

In 1912, a specialist in the field of artillery, General E.K. Smyslovsky proposed a special method of firing at aircraft (aeroplanes). Despite its small size and high speed, the airplane had a "forced constancy" in flight (unlike maneuvering airships and balloons). In this regard, the general proposed firing machine-gun fire not at a single aircraft, but at a certain zone of airspace through which the specified air asset, subjected to shelling, should pass. According to Smyslovsky's theoretical calculations, "simultaneous firing from 8 machine guns for 15 seconds should have disabled one of the three persons [pilots] flying on an apparatus that fell into a similar firing zone." In the future, this method was widely used in combination with artillery anti-aircraft fire.

In 1912, an officer of the permanent staff of the Officer Artillery School of the Guard, Staff Captain V.V. Tarnovsky developed an armored vehicle installation with a 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun. The leadership of the Putilov Plants Society combined previously independent work on the production of this special anti-aircraft gun into a common project, later called the Tarnovsky-Lender Gun (after the names of the developers). In June 1914, Artkom ordered the first batch of 12 such guns from the Putilov factory. This tool was a pedestal installation, which could be mounted on various platforms (automobile, railway and stationary). The reach in height (up to 5 km), along the horizon (up to 8 km), with a practical rate of fire of 12-15 rounds per minute and circular fire, made the anti-aircraft gun suitable for successfully combating aircraft at a height of up to 4 km.

The first four guns, which received the name "3-inch anti-aerostatic gun of the model 1914 of the Putilov factory on an automobile installation", were assembled at the end of 1914 and installed on 5-ton vehicles of the American White company, manufactured especially for them by the Russo-Baltic factory. In the same period, on the proposal of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, the Military Council under the Minister of War approved the state of the Separate Automobile Battery for firing at the air fleet and determined "to form [according to the mentioned state] one automobile battery and maintain it for the entire duration of this war."

The origin of fighter aircraft

For the first time, the term "struggle for air supremacy" was used in the report of Colonel-Engineer Kolosovsky at an officer meeting on the use of force by the means of the air fleet. To solve this problem, the idea of ​​​​creating special fighter aircraft was put forward, voiced in the article "Military Use of Airplanes", published in 1908 in the newspaper "Russian Invalid".

In December 1912, the chief of the General Staff, cavalry general Ya.G. Zhilinsky, at the Military Council under the Minister of War, was asked to place an order "at Russian factories for 79 airplanes, of which 24 are armored for active combat operations ... with the goal of fighting the enemy's air fleet and destroying it."

The need to use fighter aircraft to gain air supremacy was first documented in 1912 in the document “The General Plan for the Organization of Aeronautics and Aviation in the Army” developed by the aeronautical part of the Main Directorate of the General Staff. According to him, the task of destroying enemy aircraft in wartime was assigned to army aviation units.

According to the “Requirements for a military airplane”, developed by the aeronautical part of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, in the spring of 1213, an aircraft adapted for air combat must “act with its weapon both forward and down, to the sides; have a power reserve for lifting, except for a crew of two people, a load of at least 80-100 kg; should ensure the convenience of observation and the possibility of placing a wireless telegraph. The speed must be at least 90 km/h.

The order for the production of "24 military armored vehicles Farman ... with a device for mounting a machine gun" was taken over by the Moscow joint-stock company "Duks", which immediately began work. But at the beginning of 1914, the aeronautical unit of the General Staff of the General Staff was disbanded. As a result, by the beginning of the First World War, a combat airplane had not been created in Russia.

On the eve of the First World War, aerobatics began to emerge in Russia, which later became an integral part of air combat. So, on September 9, 1913, at the Kiev airfield, Lieutenant P.N. Nesterov, for the first time in world practice, a closed loop in the vertical plane (“dead loop”) was performed on an aircraft of the Nieuport-IV type. According to the pilot, this was done in order to expand the maneuverability of the aircraft.

By the beginning of the First World War, the leading European states had the following number of aircraft fleet (airplanes):

France - 500
Germany - 150
Russia - 140
England - 65
Italy - 50
Austria-Hungary - 20

The fight against violators of air borders

The first legislative act that consolidated the sovereignty of the air territory of Russia and thus laid the foundation for the organization of national air defense was the law “On Amending and Supplementing the Current Laws on High Treason through Espionage”, signed by Emperor Nicholas II on July 5, 1912. In it, among other criminal acts, punishment was also provided for "the guilty of flying without proper permission on an aircraft over a Russian fortified place, as well as over areas over which flying is prohibited by the proper authorities."

By the way. At the beginning of the 20th century, measures were taken in Russia to prevent flights across the border ... carrier pigeons. Pigeon mail between the Russian and German empires was officially organized at the end of the 19th century (it was regulated by the Highest approved opinion of the State Council in February 1888). however, this type of mail was used primarily for the transmission of intelligence information. In this regard, in 1906, the line of the border guard was instructed to shoot pigeons when they fly across the border and back. All the downed or caught pigeons were to be examined and the dispatches found on them, as well as “feathers, if there were any signs or brands on them,” were to be transferred to the headquarters of the military district.

World War I period

One of the first examples of well-coordinated work of various types of troops - aviation and ground units - in air defense was the incident in the zone of action of the North-Western Front on September 9, 1914. Military pilot of the 28th Corps Aviation Detachment, Lieutenant A.I. Semenov, during a reconnaissance flight (with an observer cornet Nikolaev) in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bLake Meyer in East Prussia, discovered an enemy apparatus. Maneuvering dangerously close to the enemy, Semyonov forced him to go down and change the direction of flight to the area of ​​Russian positions. There the German plane was fired upon by our infantry and crashed near the lake.

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First air ram

Due to the insufficiency of machine guns and automatic rifles for installation on airplanes as means of destruction, during the First World War, the only in an efficient way for reliable destruction of the enemy in the air, a tangent strike was considered, later called a ram in Russian (Soviet) aviation.

The first such method in the sky over the headquarters of the 3rd Russian Army of the South-Western Front (Zhokliev in Ukraine) against an Austrian reconnaissance aircraft of the Albatross type on September 8, 1914 was used by the commander of the 11th corps air squadron, staff captain P.N. Nesterov. On a two-seater Moran-type aircraft, a Russian pilot, who intercepted a group of enemy air reconnaissance aircraft (3 aircraft) from the “airfield duty” position, attacked one of them. As a result of the ramming, the crew of the Austrian aircraft and Nesterov himself died. For this feat, the Russian pilot was awarded the Order of St. George IV degree and the rank of captain (posthumously).

Imperial air defense in action

During the First World War, the best means for firing at air targets were 76.2-mm cannons (model 1900), as well as 76.2-mm mountain guns of the Schneider system (model 1909), mounted on special anti-aircraft swivel frames.

August 14, 1914 In the zone of the North-Western Front, a combat account of downed enemy aircraft was opened by means of ground fire destruction. A German airplane was shot down by a battery of 76.2-mm rapid-fire guns on special anti-aircraft frames 13 kilometers west of Simno [Lake Amalva region, Suvalka province]. Four pilots crashed in the fall. Then one of the secret documents of the German Air Force fell into the hands of the Russian command.

By the end of the first year of the war, Russian ground forces had destroyed 19 enemy planes and two airships. 80 crew members were taken prisoner. Russian pilots shot down 3 enemy aircraft in the air.

In the spring of 1915, in connection with the increasing incidence of the use of German aviation, "air curtains" - barrages - began to be organized in certain sectors of the Russian-German front. In other words, aviation patrol.

On March 31, 1915, a military pilot of the 4th Corps Aviation Squadron, Lieutenant A.A. Kozakov in the zone of the North-Western Front shot down a double "Albatross" of the enemy with a ramming blow. At the same time, the Russian pilot himself survived and kept his plane in good condition. By the highest order of August 10, 1915, he was awarded the St. George weapon.

For the first time in the history of the Russian army, an automobile anti-aircraft battery (commander - Captain V.V. Tarnovsky) was used to cover the troops of the North-Western Front from an air attack. In the spring of 1915, her crews operated near Warsaw, Lomza, Ostroleka and other settlements of the Kingdom of Poland.

May 16, 1915 was a "black day" for German aviation. During the day, as a result of anti-aircraft fire, the Germans lost 4 aircraft in the Russian North-Western Front. Later, the commander of the German land aviation, General von Hoepner, was forced to admit heavy losses on the German Eastern Front among the flight personnel.

According to the newspaper "Russian invalid" only for the period of January-July 1915, 13 enemy vehicles were destroyed by anti-aircraft artillery fire in the front line, several aircraft were taken as a trophy in good condition.

The successes of Russian aviation forced the enemy to appreciate its combat capabilities. So, in an interview with an Austrian newspaper, Major Morat of the Austrian army in the fall of 1915 bitterly admitted: “It would be ridiculous to speak with disrespect about Russian pilots. Russian pilots are more dangerous enemies than the French. Russian pilots are cold-blooded. Russian attacks may be as unplanned as the French, but in the air Russian pilots are unshakable and can endure heavy losses without any panic. The Russian pilot is and remains a formidable adversary.”

Organized anti-aircraft defense

In the autumn of 1915, during the defense of the fortress city of Dvinsk, by order of the head of the military garrison, a procedure was established for shelling enemy aircraft with anti-aircraft artillery. Special forces were also involved in the artillery units of the army, allocated to fight the German air fleet: the anti-aircraft battery of the 6th reserve artillery battalion of Lieutenant McKibbin and the 6th air-piercing battery, commanded from the Petrograd Fortress Artillery. For firing at night (German zeppelins carried out bombardment mainly at night), a separate searchlight observation post was formed. Also, during the night raids of the enemy on the city, military installations were blackouted.

By the middle of 1916, taking into account the linkage of the enemy’s air routes to the lines of railways and highways, the leadership of the air defense of Minsk switched to the tactics of the so-called “anti-aircraft ambushes” with the advancement of anti-aircraft batteries closer to the front line. It was also practiced to periodically change the positions of anti-aircraft units in order to disorientate the enemy. All this contributed to a significant increase in the losses of German and Austrian aviation. In this regard, the enemy was forced to make his flights at heights outside the zone of anti-aircraft fire (over 2.5 km), which significantly reduced the effectiveness of his bombardments.

In the spring of 1916, the foundation was laid for the creation in Russia of fighter aviation, which simultaneously solved the tasks of air defense. In accordance with the order of the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command No. 329 dated March 25, three fighter squadrons were formed under the air companies of the 2nd, 7th and 12th armies. By the summer, the Headquarters of the VG demanded the creation of similar fighter units in other armies. These first fighter squadrons were armed with single and double aircraft such as Nieuport-10, Caudron, Voisin, Farman, and others.

Despite the conclusion by Soviet Russia with the states of the Quadruple Alliance of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty (March 3, 1918), there remained a real danger of resumption of hostilities by Germany and its allies using a large number of air assets. In this regard, the leadership of the Red Army decided to include in the staff of each infantry division (which forms the basis ground units Red Army) 4-gun anti-aircraft positional battery.

In May 1918, the Main Directorate of the General Staff was entrusted with the general leadership of the formation of anti-aircraft artillery units of the Red Army with the creation of a special "Office of the head of anti-aircraft battery formations" (Uprzazenfora). It was supposed in a short time to restore the previously disbanded anti-aircraft batteries, as well as to create again 20 automobile and 5 "driving" [railway] anti-aircraft batteries.

In total, during the period of the Civil War in Soviet Russia, 131 air battles between red and white pilots and their allies were officially recorded. On account of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Force, there were 9 enemy aircraft shot down, the White Army Air Force - 3 aircraft and 2 balloons, British aviation - 2 aircraft and 3 balloons, Polish-American aviation - 1 aircraft and 3 balloons.

In the report of the artillery inspector of the Red Army Yu.M. Sheideman "On the air defense of the Republic" to the Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Republic S.S. In December 1922, Kamenev was proposed to divide the country's territory into a border strip 500 km deep (accessible to enemy aircraft) and rear areas of the state that were outside the zone of threats from air attack. For the defense of the most important points and objects - Moscow, Petrograd, the capitals of the Union republics, railway junctions and fortified areas - it was required to have 127 anti-aircraft divisions or 381 batteries. In total, in the interests of the country's air defense, it was supposed to realize 617 batteries (2684 guns), of which 250 were stationary, 380 mobile and 41 railway.

Due to the lack of proper funding for the Armed Forces (only for the needs of anti-aircraft artillery, up to 150 million gold rubles were required), this proposal remained unrealized.

Rearmament and reorganization

Since 1924, the construction of domestic fighters I-1, I-2, designed by N.N. Polikarpov and D.P. Grigorovich, since 1926 - mass production of a modified modification of the I-2bis. It was only in the early 1930s that the air defense of our country was equipped with anti-aircraft searchlights, sound detectors, Prozhzvuk systems and barrage balloons, which were widely used in the armies of other states.

At the beginning of 1925, for approval by the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR M.V. Frunze was presented with a plan for the air defense of the Leningrad Military District. The probable danger from the airspace came at that time from the air forces of Finland and the Baltic countries, which had a total of up to 160 combat aircraft in service (of which 15% were of the bomber type). In the event of an aggravation of the political situation, the aircraft fleet of these countries could be strengthened by the Royal Air Force of Great Britain (on which there was a certain agreement). To protect against air raids by enemy aircraft in the district there were: 43 fighters, 116 anti-aircraft artillery guns and 70 anti-aircraft machine guns. At the same time, several sectors of air defense were created, as well as air defense cover for the airfield aviation network of the district was deployed.

In general, the aircraft fleet of the states - the probable opponents of the USSR in a possible future war in the mid-1920s. only in the western direction was 1650 military vehicles.

In June 1926, the inspector of artillery and armored forces of the Red Army V.D. Grendal proposed dividing anti-aircraft artillery into military (for air defense of troops on the battlefield) and positional (for the defense of regions and facilities in the rear of the country), having prepared a corresponding memorandum to the Chief of Staff of the Red Army. In particular, it was planned to have three types of guns in the composition of anti-aircraft artillery - small, medium and large caliber.

On November 18, 1926, the first document of national importance on air defense (later - air defense) was adopted - the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR "On air defense measures during construction in a 500-kilometer border strip." Within this zone, it was prescribed in the course of new construction (objects and points of federal and republican significance) to carry out appropriate engineering and technical measures to protect the population and facilities National economy. Separate points were also included in the 500-km threatened zone: Moscow, Tula, Kursk and Kharkov.

In 1929, for the first time at the official level - in the "Combat Regulations for the Artillery of the Red Army" - the division of anti-aircraft artillery into military and positional was fixed, and the tasks of anti-aircraft artillery of small (up to 40 mm), medium (about 76 mm) and large (80 mm and above) calibers.

On the basis of foreign samples, the first domestic anti-aircraft searchlights of the open O-15-1, O-15-2 (1927) and closed type (Z-15-4) with a range of 7-9 km were developed and put into production.

In 1928, the first Soviet samples of direction finders ZP-2 were produced, and in 1931 military tests of the Z-15-3 anti-aircraft searchlight and the Prozhzvuk-1 search station were carried out, in which the searchlight was synchronously connected to the sound detector ZT- 3.

Air chemical defense

On May 14, 1927, for the first time at the state level, the "Regulations on the organization of the air-chemical defense of the USSR" were approved. The entire territory of the country in relation to air-chemical defense was divided into the border strip and the rear of the country.

As part of the air-chemical defense in the country, the new kind mass training of the population - citywide exercises. The first mass exercises were held in Odessa in 1927. 25,000 people participated in similar exercises in Rostov-on-Don, held in 1928.

On January 31, 1928, People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR K.E. Voroshilov approved the "Regulations on the air defense of the USSR" (peacetime), according to which the term "air-chemical defense" was abolished.

On January 28, 1930, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR discussed the issue of an air defense plan and recognized the need to combine anti-aircraft artillery, machine gun, searchlight, aeronautical, chemical and observation air defense units of the rear into divisions, regiments, brigades and air defense divisions.

For experience - abroad

On the night of October 25, 1937, in the sky over Barcelona, ​​a Soviet pilot, Captain E.N. Stepanov on the I-15 fighter made the world's first night air ramming. A flight of two I-15 fighters attacked a trio of Italian SM-81 Savoia Marchetti bombers. Seeing that, despite the hits, enemy aircraft continued to approach the city, Stepanov sent his fighter to the nearest of them. After hitting the tail, the bomber went down sharply and crashed with the entire crew (6 people) in the suburbs of Barcelona. For this feat, Stepanov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

After the events at Khalkhin Gol (a local armed conflict between the USSR and Mongolia on the one hand and the Empire of Japan on the other, which lasted from spring to autumn 1939 near the Khalkhin Gol River in Mongolia (about 900 km east of Ulaanbaatar), jet 82-mm caliber shells were included in the armament of attack aircraft and SB bombers.

During the fighting at Khalkhin Gol, 45 Japanese aircraft were shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft guns, which accounted for about 7% of the total number of Japanese aviation losses.

In 1934-1936. a significant increase in the country's air defense means was achieved. On January 1, 1936, there were air defense systems:

Fighter aircraft - 736,
- anti-aircraft guns - 1693,
- anti-aircraft machine gun installations - 944,
- searchlight stations - 853,
- barrage balloons - 135.

The total number of personnel of the air defense troops exceeded 30,600 people.

Pre-war training of specialists

In the mid 1930s. The air defense personnel training system was improved. The existing Air Defense Command Staff Improvement Courses in Sevastopol in the autumn of 1933 were transferred to Leningrad and included in the Air Defense KUKS under the name Aircraft Defense Courses, and a year later they were deployed in the Improvement Courses for the command staff of anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns (Moscow). In 1936, a school of anti-aircraft artillery was created in Orenburg, in September of the following year, the Gorky school of anti-aircraft artillery of the Red Army was formed. At the previously existing military educational institutions, departments were opened to train personnel for the air defense forces.

In total, on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army had 8 schools that trained personnel for anti-aircraft artillery, as well as a network of secondary educational institutions for training specialists for other branches of the air defense forces.

First ram

The first fighter pilot in the Air Defense Forces, who destroyed an enemy aircraft with a ram attack at night, was the deputy squadron commander of the 27th IAP, Senior Lieutenant Pyotr Yeremeev, during the next sortie on the night of July 29, 1941, who attacked an enemy aircraft on the outskirts of Moscow Ju-88 aircraft and shot it down at the risk of life. For that feat, the pilot was presented to the Order of Lenin.

On the night of August 7, the pilot of 177th IAP Viktor Talalikhin made the second air ramming of an enemy vehicle in the air defense forces without illuminating the target with projectors. The downed Heinkel collapsed in the area of ​​vil. Stepykhino near Podolsk. Fragments of the Talalikhin fighter, which crashed in the Domodedovo district of the Moscow region, were discovered by members of the search teams only in the summer of 2014. On August 8, 1941, the Soviet pilot, who managed to safely escape by parachute, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On October 27 of the same year, he died in an air battle near Kamenka, commanding six fighters covering our ground forces.

Air Defense of Moscow

The German bomber squadrons allocated for raids on Moscow suffered heavy losses. For example, the 55th bombing squadron by the end of August lost half of its composition, and the 53rd bomber squadron of the Condor Legion lost 70% of its aircraft.

According to military press reports, only during October 29, fascist German aviation did not count 47 aircraft destroyed by the air defense of the Soviet capital in air battles and anti-aircraft fire.

After the failure of major night raids on Moscow, German aviation was forced to change its tactics. Night raids began to be made in small groups, stretching them for several hours. In daytime raids, bombers began to accompany fighters, but these raids were also successfully repelled by air defense forces.

The active phase of the raids on Moscow ceased with the beginning of the counter-offensive near Moscow in early December 1941. Subsequently, until the end of the war, German aviation no longer carried out massive raids on the capital of the USSR, considering the air defense of Moscow to be insurmountable.

Air Defense of Leningrad

In July-August 1941, the enemy made 17 massive raids on Leningrad, half of them at night. All of them were successfully reflected. Of the 1614 enemy aircraft, only 28 broke through to the city. Air defense units shot down 232 enemy aircraft.

After the blockade of Leningrad was established, despite the continuous growth of German aviation activity in the sky of the city (2712 sorties compared to 690 in August), air defense units managed to create a reliable system for protecting the city on the Neva. A significant role in this was played by the creation of a unified radar detection and guidance system for air defense aviation under centralized control from the command post of the 2nd Air Defense Corps. From that moment on, radar stations became the main means of timely warning of air raids, and observation posts began to play a supporting role.

The Leningrad Air Defense Corps played a significant role not only in the defense of the city from enemy air raids, but also in the fight against the ground enemy. In July 1941, by order of the commander of the Leningrad Front, the corps allocated 100 anti-aircraft guns of 76.2 mm caliber to strengthen the anti-tank defense of the Krasnogvardeisky fortified area. Many anti-aircraft artillery batteries fired at direct fire on attacking enemy tanks and infantry, and suppressed German artillery batteries.

There were also reverse examples - the strengthening of the air defense of Leningrad at the expense of other types and branches of the troops. So, after the breakthrough of the Baltic Fleet from the blockaded Tallinn to Kronstadt, the anti-aircraft artillery of warships was turned on and strengthened the unified air defense system of the city.

Chemical warfare

In an effort to break the resistance of the Soviet people in the war, the German command for a long time hatched plans for the possible use of chemical weapons on the Soviet-German front. Thus, by 1942, the enemy concentrated 36 chemical bases and warehouses of poisonous substances in the front line.

The Luftwaffe was armed with special means the use of chemical weapons: special chemical bombs, pouring aviation devices and fragmentation chemical bombs with toxic fumes. In general, the leadership of Germany was ready to unleash a "chemical war" throughout the war, right up to the very surrender.

The task of anti-chemical protection of the population was entrusted to the Main Directorate of the MPVO of the NKVD of the USSR and was carried out through the line of local air defense. Significant work was carried out to improve the reliability of the anti-chemical service - in the shortest possible time in the summer of 1941, a mass production of “Anti-chemical packages No. 1 and No. 2” was organized for the civilian population, and subsequently civilian gas masks “GP-1”.

At an accelerated pace, bomb shelters were improved and converted into gas shelters, the production of special degassing agents was launched, and the training of chemical specialists was launched. By the end of 1942, 374 anti-chemical companies were formed in 114 cities of the Soviet Union. For the timely detection of a chemical attack, by July 1943, 16,788 meteorological posts were deployed, and by April 1945, 32,663 such posts were already operating throughout the country.

To educate the population in measures of anti-chemical protection, the GU MPVO NKVD and the Osoaviakhim of the USSR organized mass anti-gas training at enterprises and organizations, and hikes in gas masks were carried out, lasting up to 30-60 minutes.

In total, during the years of the Great Patriotic War, 15,695,800 civilian gas masks were manufactured in the USSR, gas shelters with a total capacity for 1,943,000 people were equipped in 126 cities-air defense points, and more than 98,400 PHO specialists were trained.

Maneuverable anti-aircraft artillery groups in the battles near Moscow

During the defensive battles near Moscow in the autumn of 1941, when the situation deteriorated significantly after the start of the German command of the strategic offensive operation"Typhoon", to fight enemy tanks and motorized infantry from the anti-aircraft artillery of the Moscow air defense zone, maneuverable anti-aircraft artillery groups (ZAG) were created, which had 84 medium-caliber guns and 48 machine guns. Such groups were usually subordinate to senior officers and attached as a mobile reserve to infantry units. Created near Moscow during this period, the ZAG operated jointly with the 7th Guards, 18th, 126th and 133rd Rifle Divisions.

So, by the forces of the ZAG, Colonel D.F. Garkusha, majors M.V. Dobritsky and S.L. Spiridonov on the outskirts of Moscow for the period from November 24 to December 12, 1941, 4 aircraft, 20 tanks, about two infantry regiments, 3 vehicles were destroyed, 4 mortar batteries and over 20 firing points were suppressed.

Especially in the battles near Moscow, the 732nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment, which was part of the Tula air defense brigade district, distinguished itself. When, on October 29, units of the Wehrmacht tank division, breaking through the defenses, reached the outskirts of Tula, the tank attack was repelled by anti-aircraft gunners and cost the German side 25 tanks and more than 200 infantry. In further battles for Tula, the 732nd Zenap continued to wage a tense struggle with enemy aircraft, tanks and infantry. (photo p. 76) Defending the city, the anti-aircraft batteries of the regiment shot down 11 aircraft, destroyed 49 tanks and over 1,800 soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht. 34 soldiers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.

girl's call

When a change in the organizational structure of air defense required the adoption of additional measures to increase its personnel, it was decided to replace some of the posts in air defense units and formations (telephone operators, radio operators, anti-aircraft artillery instrumentation, anti-aircraft artillery reconnaissance air observers and VNOS service posts, some numbers searchlight stations, anti-aircraft machine guns and barrage balloons) by women.

The GKO decree of March 25, 1942 “On the mobilization of Komsomol girls in the air defense unit” ordered 100,000 young women aged 19-25 years to be sent to the air defense forces. Of these, it was supposed to include 45 thousand people in the composition of anti-aircraft artillery, 3 thousand people in anti-aircraft machine gun units, 7 thousand people in anti-aircraft searchlight units, 5 thousand people in terms of air barrage balloons, and in terms of the VNOS service - 40 thousand people.

In October 1942, the order of the People's Commissar of Defense determined an additional 50,000 women to fill the positions of ordinary and junior commanders in the air defense forces.

Girls in the sky

In addition to the air defense artillery units, for the first time, female pilots of the air defense air force, who operated as part of the 586th fighter aviation regiment of air defense, formed by February 1942, went into battle for the Motherland. Pilots who had good flight training were selected for the regiment. On the Yak-1 and Yak-9 fighters, they defended the industrial centers of the country and the railway junctions of Saratov, Voronezh, Kursk, Kyiv and Donbass, bridges and crossings over the Volga, Don, Dnieper, Dniester and Danube. Participated in the battles for Stalingrad. They guarded military installations and railway junctions in Hungary.

In total, during the war years, the flight crew of the regiment carried out 4419 sorties, conducted 125 air battles, shot down 38 enemy aircraft. Two brave female pilots were posthumously awarded the highest rank - Guards Junior Lieutenant Lidia Litvyak - Hero of the Soviet Union, and Guards Senior Lieutenant Ekaterina Budanova - Hero Russian Federation.

The 586th IAP is the world's first full-blooded combat aviation unit, in which female volunteers were able to participate in battles on an equal basis with men.

Anti-aircraft gunners in the Arctic

A tense situation has developed on the Kola Peninsula. Anti-aircraft gunners and pilots repelled 6-8 enemy raids per day. The following fact speaks of the effectiveness of anti-aircraft artillery. In April 1942, Ju-87 dive bombers dropped about 250 high-explosive bombs on two transports that were in the Kola Bay. Under the fire of anti-aircraft gunners, the fascist pilots could not conduct accurate aimed bombing. Of the 250 bombs dropped, only one hit the target. In this case, the enemy lost several aircraft.

Stalingrad

The command of the Wehrmacht was forced to admit its complete defeat, not only on the ground, but also in the air. According to Wehrmacht Major General G. Dörr, “German aviation suffered the biggest losses in this operation since its air attack on England ... Not only ground forces, but aviation also lost an entire army near Stalingrad.

During the Battle of Stalingrad, Soviet pilots and air defense soldiers showed examples of mass heroism and devotion to their homeland. Only in the 8th Air Army during the battle, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 17 pilots; 3 thousand personnel were awarded orders and medals.

In total, during the counter-offensive near Stalingrad from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943, the Air Force and Air Defense Aviation Administration of the TS carried out 35,929 sorties; fired about 30 thousand rocket and more than 900 thousand cannon shells, about 2,581,000 machine-gun cartridges. Soviet pilots successfully conducted 950 air battles, i.e. on average up to 30-35 per summer day.

According to the leadership of the Luftwaffe, the successful actions of Soviet aviation inflicted such losses on German bombers that they began to consider the Battle of Stalingrad the beginning of the end of German bomber aviation.

Air defense of the iron arteries

Much attention was paid to the air defense of railway stations for loading and unloading troops during their regrouping. These stations, at the request of the armies and fronts, were covered for the entire period of unloading or loading by air defense fire weapons and patrolled by air defense fighter aircraft.

To combat single aircraft that were "hunting" for echelons on the way, maneuverable groups of air defense equipment were used - (ZA guns and anti-aircraft machine gun installations), which set up "ambushes" on the most likely flight paths of enemy aircraft, and the trains themselves were covered along the way by fire air defense systems from special platforms and wagons coming with echelons.

The air defense armies had a significant number of anti-aircraft armored trains, which were intended to cover both stationary objects and trains along their route.

Heroism of the personnel

During the Bobruisk operation, along with the solution of the main task, anti-aircraft gunners often had to fight with enemy ground forces. Thus, the gun commander of the 1st battery of the 2012th anti-aircraft artillery regiment, senior sergeant I.S., showed genuine heroism and skill. Fursenko. Being seriously wounded, he continued to command the calculation and destroyed five tanks, and then ordered to open fire from carbines and personally destroyed up to 20 enemy soldiers in close combat. To this day, the calculation led by him shot down 14 aircraft. For his courage and courage, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).

Dawn of missile defense

In the summer of 1944, after the start of the German missile attack on England, the leadership of Nazi Germany also decided to use cruise missiles, V-1 (V-1) projectiles to bombard large cities and industrial regions of the Soviet Union.

So, taking into account the receipt in July-August 1944 of detailed information about the new means of air attack used in London, the central headquarters of the Air Defense Forces developed detailed "Instructions for combating projectile aircraft." They revealed the purpose and main performance data of the V-1, as well as information about their design and identification features in flight.

The zone of combat against projectiles in the sector of their flight included a zone of barrage balloons, the rear border of which was located at a distance of 5-10 km from the defended point, successively located zones of fire of anti-aircraft artillery and fighter aircraft. A special instruction prescribed the destruction of cruise missiles to be carried out in the air defense force grouping being created in the areas of the proposed air corridors for the passage of projectile aircraft.

The headquarters of the Leningrad Air Defense Army developed a special plan for the defense of Leningrad from a missile attack. After its implementation, exercises were held to repel massive V-1 raids, imitated by the flights of Soviet Yak-9 fighters, which clearly showed that not a single alleged “projectile” flew to the city - everyone was intercepted.

The Moscow defense plan assumed that the enemy would use the V-1 exclusively from carrier aircraft. At the same time, the line for launching cruise missiles was supposed to pass along the line of the cities of Rzhev-Vyazma. This made it possible to develop a general plan to combat the V-1 and its means of delivery. The main barrier in repelling air strikes against Moscow was created by the troops of a specially created cover zone along the line of the cities of Nevel - Vitebsk - Orsha - Mogilev. Single planes that broke through behind it were to be destroyed by the air defense system of the capital - the so-called second cover strip.

To detect air targets, along with a network of VNOS posts, 24 radars of the Redut and Pegmatit types, located at four lines, were used. For round-the-clock detection, the posts of the fourth line had two radars each.

Liberation of Europe

During the battles for Budapest, the air defense soldiers showed mass heroism, resourcefulness and high skill in solving combat missions. The 1st battery of the 748th regiment of the 5th anti-aircraft artillery division, acting together with the rifle regiment of the 151st rifle division, firing direct fire, repelled 27 enemy counterattacks. Despite severe injuries, the battery commander, Senior Lieutenant E.M. Ayanyan continued to personally direct the fire and maneuver of combat crews and was the first to go out with his guns to the Danube River.

On January 9, during street fighting in Budapest, corporal V.A. Chernoshein in the area of ​​​​the city park Varoshliget, replacing a wounded gunner, personally suppressed the fire of several firing points. His anti-aircraft gun destroyed 3 mortars, 8 heavy machine guns, 60 Nazis.

On January 11, during street fighting, when repelling an enemy counterattack, the commander of a machine-gun platoon, senior sergeant A.S. Milyutin, replaced the deceased company commander. Under his leadership, the company destroyed an armored personnel carrier, 12 observation posts, 3 vehicles, 20 firing points, about 350 enemy soldiers and officers.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 15, 1946, these servicemen were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Another "wonder weapon"

In the last months of the war, the German command attempted to use the "miracle weapon" - glider bombs, similar in combat use and destructive power to the V-1, on the Soviet-German front.

Chief Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronov pointed out in his directive: “The Germans began to use Henschel-293 glider bombs against the objects of our troops and the rear ... Considering the possibility of using glider bombs in the deep rear ... provide for the organization of the defense of the most important objects, paying special attention to ensuring the defense of the most important railway bridges on the communications of the linear fronts ... Fighter aircraft should be used as the main means of combating towing aircraft on the approaches to the defended object. In addition to the fight against towing aircraft, the fighter aircraft will be entrusted with the task of destroying glider bombs dropped from towing aircraft before the bombs go into a steep dive.

Most often, BPs were used in the form of a "spark" - Ju-88 bombers stuffed with explosives paired with FW-190 escort fighters. Our anti-aircraft gunners quickly learned to destroy these air targets, taking up positions on the approaches to crossings in the direction of the most probable direction of enemy air raids.

So, on April 12, 1945, the battery commanders of the 734th anti-aircraft artillery regiment of the 82nd air defense division, senior lieutenant V.M. Kopyl and Lieutenant K.D. Gasanov, having figured out the deceptive maneuver of a group of Me-109 fighters, concentrated the fire of their batteries on six twin FW-190 and Ju-88 aircraft and did not allow a strike on the crossings. At the same time, as a result of the skillful actions of Sergeant A.I. Zotov, the gun crew shot down the FW-190 tugboat with direct fire.

The Soviet military command did not see much difference between glider bombs and projectiles.

Projectionists

A unique example of the non-standard use of anti-aircraft searchlights entered the annals of military history. On the night of April 16, 1945, before the start of a night attack by infantry and tanks in the zone of the main strike force of the 1st Belorussian Front, on a single signal, more than 140 anti-aircraft searchlights were turned on to blind the enemy’s advanced troops.

The searchlights were located in open positions 400-600 meters from the front line of the German defense. Such an unexpected use of searchlights gave a stunning effect to ensure a night attack - the advancing troops captured the positions of the Nazis long before dawn.

The results of the war

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the country's air defense forces destroyed 7,313 enemy aircraft: air defense air defense -4,168, anti-aircraft artillery, machine-gun fire and barrage balloons - 3,145.

During the war years, a large amount of work was carried out along the line of local air defense - by the spring of 1945, various shelters and shelters with a total capacity of 6 million 670 thousand people had been built and equipped.

During the war years, the fire service eliminated 77,938 fires and 10,133 fires. The health service provided assistance to 135,224 victims; emergency medical care was provided on average within 16 minutes; population losses during air raids amounted to 0.03% against 1% assumed before the war. Pyrotechnic units of both military and urban units of the MPVO neutralized and destroyed over 482 thousand various air bombs; collected, neutralized and destroyed 1 million 899 thousand artillery shells, mines, grenades and other ammunition.

Air defense fighter aviation carried out 269,465 sorties and conducted 6,787 air battles.

During the war years, future well-known Soviet artists, theater and film actors served in the ranks of the defenders of the sky. Among them are anti-aircraft gunners V.P. Basov, Yu.V. Nikulin, A.D. Papanov, P.P. Glebov, A.I. Mironov and many others.

Postwar years

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the Air Defense Forces switched to a peacetime state, in 1945-1946. the first post-war reorganization of the entire air defense system took place. As long as the main forces and means of air defense were concentrated on covering the most important objects in the European part of the USSR, it was also obvious that it was necessary to form formations to cover the largest industrial centers located in the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia and Central Asia from air strikes.

Measures were taken to intensively upgrade the aircraft fleet. AT design office S.A. Lavochkin, the La-9 four-gun fighter was created - one of the best piston fighters of its time, which entered service in 1949.

At the same time, work was underway to create the first jet fighters, on which the design teams of A.S. Yakovlev, A.I. Mikoyan, S.A. Lavochkin and others.

In April 1949, two thirds of the fighter aviation regiments of the air fighter air defense army of the Moscow region were re-equipped with jet fighters. Since 1950, new fighters of the MiG-15 type began to enter the arsenal of the country's Air Defense Forces in large numbers. On January 1, 1951, there were 1,517 jet fighter aircraft in fighter aviation (50.5% of their total number), and by the end of 1952 their share had increased to 85.5%.

In 1945-1946. work interrupted by the war on the creation of the 100-mm anti-aircraft artillery system ZAK-100, capable of fighting air targets at altitudes up to 12 km, was resumed. The re-equipment of artillery units with a new complex began in 1949. At the same time, to combat enemy aircraft at altitudes above 12 km, the development of the 130-mm ZAK-130 complex, as well as 152-mm anti-aircraft guns KM-52.

Anti-aircraft searchlight units in the first post-war years underwent a significant reduction. Three divisions remained on the defense of Moscow (1st, 2nd and 3rd), and for the air defense of Leningrad the 4th anti-aircraft searchlight division was formed from three regiments. By 1947, the regiments were re-equipped with new 150-cm radar searchlight stations RP-15-1 "Iskatel".

The P-3 became the main radar station in the post-war years. In addition to her in 1948-50. the first radar station of the meter range with a circular view indicator and anti-jamming equipment was created, which found wide application in the Air Defense Forces, in the Air Force and in the coastal air defense units of the Navy. Radar stations were continuously improved in the future, and the air defense forces regularly received the most modern models.

Combat use

Simultaneously with the peaceful construction of the country's air defense forces, Soviet military specialists were seconded to the People's Republic of China, formed on October 1, 1949, and aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery were also delivered to organize China's air defense.

In difficult conditions, overcoming the language barrier, military advisers trained 1,386 commanders and 15,100 privates and sergeants for the young People's Liberation Army of China within three months. This made it possible to form 10 anti-aircraft artillery regiments, which formed the basis of the PRC air defense, which soon went through a baptism of fire, protecting cities and industrial regions from Kuomintang aviation.

To organize the air defense of Shanghai, a Group of Soviet Air Defense Forces was organized, headed by Lieutenant General P.F. Batitsky. During the entire period of fighting (from February 20 to October 20, 1950), the Kuomintang aviation lost 8 aircraft, after which the raids on Shanghai and its suburbs ceased. All Combat vehicles The group was subsequently turned over to the Chinese government.

After that, Soviet military units were partially returned to their homeland or redeployed to Northeast China to form the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps to participate in combat operations to cover units and formations of Chinese volunteers in North Korea.

Initially, the flight crew of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps covered strategic facilities of the PRC from American air raids, but later part of the corps units were redeployed to the territory North Korea, and its pilots began to conduct active hostilities.

During the conduct of hostilities until July 1953, the air formations of the corps made 19,203 sorties, and 307 group air battles were made in the daytime. In the period from November 1950 to January 1952, 564 enemy aircraft were shot down in air battles.

The effective actions of Soviet aviation and anti-aircraft artillery, in essence, thwarted enemy air strikes, dispersing his battle formations and reducing the accuracy of bombing.

Mixed artillery regiments had anti-aircraft guns of medium and small caliber and were deployed on the defense of the Andong airfield hub and other airfields and bridges across the river. Yalujiang. The 52nd Zenad conducted 1,093 battery fires in three months in 1951 and shot down 50 enemy aircraft. The 87th and 92nd Zenads, who left for the USSR in February 1953, shot down 62 and 39 enemy combat vehicles, respectively, during the period of combat missions in the defense of facilities.

In general, anti-aircraft artillery of the Soviet corps from March 1951 to July 1953 shot down 16% of the aircraft destroyed by means of 64 Iak.

The composition of the 64th IAC periodically changed, new air defense divisions and the USSR Air Force arrived to replace the withdrawn ones. In total, during the war in Korea, 12 fighter aviation and 4 anti-aircraft artillery divisions, 30 fighter aviation, 10 anti-aircraft artillery and 2 anti-aircraft searchlight regiments and other units - more than 40 thousand military personnel of the Soviet Army received combat experience.

Another reform - Radiotechnical Troops

In the post-war period, in addition to open confrontation in the air, the intensity of intelligence activities on the part of the United States and its allies increased sharply. In 1950 alone, 50 cases of unpunished violation of the state borders of the Soviet Union were recorded.

The VNOS service, by decision of the government, was to be built as a single system throughout the country with subordination to the commander of the country's air defense forces. In 1952, all ground-based reconnaissance facilities were combined, which made it possible to start creating a single radar system designed to conduct airspace reconnaissance, warning and radar support for fighter aircraft and other military branches. As part of the Air Defense Forces, instead of the VNOS service, the Radio Engineering Troops (RTV) are being created.

In December 1951, the General Staff of the Soviet Army organized an inspection of the state of the air defense of the state borders of the USSR, as a result of which success was noted in the construction of airfields and the infrastructure of fighter aircraft and troops in the border areas of air defense, but at the same time shortcomings were revealed in matters of interaction between the border areas of air defense , neighboring areas of the Air Defense Forces of the country and coastal areas of air defense.

violators

Despite the measures taken, in 1951-1952. cases of unpunished violation of the state border of the USSR by foreign aircraft did not stop. During this period, the Air Defense Forces for the first time encountered attempts at deep penetrations by foreign reconnaissance jet aircraft into Soviet territory.

On the night of April 17-18, penetration into the airspace of the USSR was noted in three regions at once: in the Baltic states - for 170 km, in Belarus - to Baranovichi and in the region of the Moldavian SSR - for 830 km to Kharkov and Kyiv.

In 34 cases of violations, only 3 foreign aircraft were shot down and 3 more were damaged, while their aircraft was lost and the pilot died.

By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR in 1953, the procedure for combating foreign aircraft violating the state border, as well as showing hostile actions, was changed. It was required to destroy intruder aircraft with IA and ZA fire when penetrating the territory of the USSR to a depth of 25-30 km and further from the borders or coast.

Further measures to increase combat readiness and improve the organizational structure of the air defense forces resulted in the decision to reorganize the structure of the country's air defense forces in 1954. , divisions) air defense.

The creation of a unified air defense system throughout the country and an increase in the level of leadership in air defense completed the process of formalizing the country's Air Defense Forces into an independent branch of the Armed Forces. The post of Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces was established with the rank of Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR.

The qualitative and quantitative growth of the potential enemy's means of air attack, the improvement of the methods of their combat use, presented new, higher demands on the air defense of the Soviet Union. Dates were set for increasing the production of anti-aircraft guns of 100 mm and 57 mm calibers, as well as the serial production of 130-mm anti-aircraft guns KS-30 in combination with modern devices.

At the same time, the Air Defense Forces of the country began to be equipped with more advanced means of combating an air enemy.

In August 1951, at the request of the command of the Air Defense Forces, the Minister of War of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky wrote a letter to I.V. Stalin with a proposal to create a special fighter-interceptor. Such a task requires the development of special airborne radar stations for interception and aiming.

Already in 1952, serial production of Mig-17P interceptor fighters with the RP-1 Izumrud radar and two-seat Yak-25 interceptor fighters was launched, for which their own Sokol radar was developed by May of the following year. In subsequent years, the Yak-25 was armed with RS-2U air-to-air guided missiles, guided by a radio beam.

On the basis of a front-line fighter in the Design Bureau A.I. Mikoyan, the first domestic supersonic fighter Mig-19 was developed, reaching stratospheric altitude with a high rate of climb - it entered serial production in 1955.

Also in the second half of the 1950s. On the basis of the Yak-25, the Yak-28 multi-purpose long-range interception fighter was created, capable of destroying carriers of air-to-ground cruise missiles before the turn of their launch.

In 1959, at the Design Bureau P.O. Sukhoi, the first aviation missile interception system Su-9-51 was created, which raised the effectiveness of fighter aircraft to a qualitatively new level. The complex provided takeoff, guidance, target attack, maneuver of the fighter-interceptor and its landing at the airfield in any meteorological conditions.

New anti-aircraft weapons

Measures were also taken to further develop anti-aircraft weapons. The most powerful complexes ZAK-130, each of which included eight anti-aircraft guns KS-30, were deployed on the defense of large centers - Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Minsk, Baku. But the studies carried out on the possibility of further development and combat use of anti-aircraft weapons led to a scientific justification for the need to develop missile weapons systems and form anti-aircraft missile forces (ZRV), which soon formed the basis of the firepower of the country's Air Defense Forces.

The first anti-aircraft missile system developed in the Soviet Union was the S-25 Berkut, designed for all-round air defense of Moscow. This system provided for the presence of 56 firing complexes located on two rings, remote at 45-50 and 85-90 km from the center of Moscow; All-round radar (A-100) located at the far (200-300 km) and near (25-30 km) lines and designed for early detection of targets. Each complex included a guidance radar and a starting position for 60 missiles and provided simultaneous shelling of 20 targets in its sector.

S-25 anti-aircraft missile systems first took part in the exercise of the Air Defense Forces in August 1956. In two days, under conditions of intense interference, up to 450 aircraft entered the combat zone of the 1st Air Defense Army. During the exercise, 191 targets were “destroyed”, consisting of 432 aircraft, while 1952 missiles were “used up”.

But in order to protect a large number of important objects on the territory of the country from air attack, mobile air defense systems were needed, capable of maneuvering to new positions in a relatively short time by rail or moving on their own. The development of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile system laid the foundation for the creation of mobile systems for anti-aircraft guided missile weapons.

The medium-range air defense system was supposed to ensure the destruction of air targets at speeds up to 1500 km / h in the altitude range from 3 to 29 km at ranges up to 22 km. At the same time, up to three anti-aircraft guided missiles were simultaneously aimed at one target.

This air defense system, which received the SA-75 "Dvina" code when put into service, received its baptism of fire on October 7, 1959 in the sky of the Chinese capital - Beijing. Three missiles of the complex, led by Soviet military advisers, at an altitude of 20.6 km, destroyed a high-speed long-range reconnaissance aircraft RB-57D of American production, which belonged to the Taiwanese Air Force. During the fall, the plane fell apart, its individual elements scattered within a radius of 5-6 km. The accuracy of the defeat is evidenced by the fact that on a wing area of ​​\u200b\u200b3 square meters. meters later counted 2471 through holes. This event was a serious step in the further improvement of Chinese air defense.

To combat low-altitude targets, the S-125 Neva air defense system was specially developed, capable of firing aircraft at altitudes from 200 m to 10 km and at a distance of 6-10 km.

Development of military air defense

Military air defense followed a different, albeit similar, path of development. By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR of August 16, 1958, all ground assets and forces of the military air defense were withdrawn from the combined arms artillery and were merged into an independent branch of the army - the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces. For this kind of troops, an armament system was developed, the basis of which was anti-aircraft guided missiles.

In 1964, the Krug medium-range air defense system was adopted by the air defense of the Ground Forces, and in 1967, the Kub short-range air defense system. Since 1968, mobile air defense systems "Strela-1" and compact portable air defense systems "Strela-2" began to enter the Ground Forces.

Long-range air defense systems - S-200

The next step in the development of anti-aircraft missile technology was to increase the firing range to ensure the possibility of combating strategic bombers - carriers of air-to-ground cruise missiles to the lines of their launch. The development of the S-200 "Angara" air defense system began in 1958 - the complex was supposed to ensure the destruction of targets in the speed range of 360 - 3500 km / h at ranges up to 160 km and altitudes up to 35 km. The S-200 air defense system was adopted by the Air Defense Forces in 1967, over the next 15 years it was considered secret and was not supplied outside the USSR.

There is no limit to perfection

An important step in organizing the training of command personnel for the Air Defense Forces of the country was the formation of the Kalinin Military Command Academy of Air Defense. On March 1, 1957, scheduled classes began at the academy. Along with the training of officers for the Air Defense Forces of the country, the academy became a scientific center for the development of problems of operational art and tactics of the Air Defense Forces.

Against this background, the improvement of the structure of the country's air defense system, the reorganization of strategic formations and other groupings of forces and means continued. Curiosity is an innovative initiative for that time, put forward in 1960 by the commander of the 24th Army of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, Colonel-General of Aviation G.V. Zimin. He submitted a proposal to the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, in which he justified the need to unite all the forces and means of air defense available in the Air Defense Forces of the country, the Air Force, the Ground Forces, the Navy into a single Air Force and Air Defense Command, as well as the inclusion in this command of long-range, front-line aviation and cruise missiles.

This idea was partially implemented in the RF Armed Forces in 1997-1998. But then, after consideration of the proposals in the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, their inexpediency was justified due to the difficulty of simultaneous operational control of the Air Defense Forces of strategic centers, border areas, covering troops and front-line facilities in the conditions of using means of automation of command and control of troops at the level of the early 1960s.

Accelerated training

For accelerated training of officers, training and coordination of units and subunits re-equipped with anti-aircraft missile technology, in the second half of the 1950s. several training centers have been established. Of interest is the intensity of their work.

The 12th ZRV Training Center in the village of Kubinka, for example, annually trained from 7 to 15 regiments on the S-75 complexes. For 6 years from 1957 to 1963. 76 anti-aircraft missile regiments and 3 S-75 anti-aircraft missile brigades underwent retraining at the center.

Since May 1958, units were trained with the same intensity at the training center in Gatchina, from 12 to 22 regiments were retrained annually at the joint Red Banner Training Center. 19th Training Center simultaneously retrained from 12 to 22 regiments.

And again the violators ...

During these years, violations of the air borders of the USSR continued. On May 1, 1960, the Air Defense Forces thwarted an attempt to penetrate deep into the territory of the USSR by the American high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft U-2, piloted by Francis Powers. On-duty fighters rose to intercept the scout, but the S-75 air defense systems, which hit the plane in the area of ​​Sverdlovsk, achieved results. When the missile was blown up, the intruder was seriously damaged (the tail unit was broken off) and went into a fall. The pilot with great difficulty was able to leave the cockpit. Already falling U-2 was hit by a second missile launched by another division of the anti-aircraft missile brigade.

The wreckage of the U-2 was scattered over a wide area, but almost all were collected - including the relatively well-preserved forward fuselage with center section, cockpit, engine and tail section with keel. Later, fragments of the destroyed spy plane were exhibited in the Moscow Park of Culture and Recreation. Gorky.

Another example of the successful use of the S-75 air defense system against the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft is the actions of anti-aircraft gunners in Cuba on October 27, 1962. reconnaissance aircraft - 50 violations of Cuban airspace by American aircraft were recorded. The launch of two missiles destroyed one of the intruder aircraft flying at an altitude of 21 thousand meters. The wreckage of the downed U-2 is on display at the Aviation Museum in Havana.

In addition to anti-aircraft weapons, Soviet fighter aircraft, for example, MiG-21 fighters, were also involved in stopping American aviation flights in Cuban airspace.

In the first half of the 1960s. a number of measures were taken to radically restructure the air and missile defense. Anti-aircraft missile defense was especially actively built up. Already in 1967, it covered all regions of the country. To the south along the Turkestan railway in addition, a boundary was created that overlapped a strip of 2 thousand kilometers.

Hanoi air defense

In the mid 1960s. the political situation in Indochina has become seriously aggravated due to the confrontation between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam. After the start of US military aggression and the appeal of the leadership of the DRV to the countries of the socialist camp for help, the decision was made in the USSR to provide comprehensive military assistance to the DRV.

The Group of Soviet military specialists also included specialists from the country's Air Defense Forces. At the same time, Soviet military equipment was sent to North Vietnam - the S-75M Dvina air defense system, Mig-17 and Mig-21 fighters, radar detection stations, communications equipment, and anti-aircraft artillery.

On July 24, 1965, divisions of the first anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Vietnam People's Army in the area of ​​Hanoi destroyed 3 F-4C Phantom fighter-bombers by launching 4 B-750V missiles. This was the first combat use of air defense systems against supersonic fighter-bombers in the history of air defense. By decree of the President of the DRV, July 24 became the Day of the anti-aircraft missile forces of the VNA.

Until the end of 1965 alone, the VNA anti-aircraft missile troops being created destroyed 93 aircraft. Subsequently, the Vietnamese combat crews, who had previously participated in hostilities as backup trainees, began to directly carry out all operations for launch preparation and guidance of missiles. The tasks of Soviet specialists included their safety net and, if necessary, the prompt correction of errors.

A Timely Change: A Unified Defense Plan

By the beginning of the 1970s. there is a need for a deep revision of the operational plan of the country's air defense due to the accumulated structural changes in the economy, major changes in the means of aerospace attack, the emergence of new important objects that need cover from an air strike.

The General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces made an unprecedented decision - the air defense forces were essentially asked to independently determine their operational-strategic tasks. The result of this work was the emergence of a new plan for the air defense of the country and allied states, approved in 1970.

In 1975, for the great merits of the Air Defense Forces of the country in the Great Patriotic War and the fulfillment of especially important tasks by them, an annual holiday was established - the Day of the Air Defense Forces.

The last trill of the "Blackbird"

The main task of the Air Defense Forces in Peaceful time remained on constant combat duty. Reconnaissance flights of US and NATO aircraft along the borders of the USSR were carried out with high intensity. Of particular danger was the supersonic reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 "Blackbird", adopted by the US Air Force in 1966. It made reconnaissance flights along the coast of the Barents and Baltic Seas, mainly without entering Soviet airspace.

The appearance in service with the Air Defense Forces of the country of the S-200 air defense system and the high cost of operating the SR-71 led to the termination of its use in March 1990.

The adoption by the US Armed Forces of intercontinental ballistic missiles and spacecraft for military purposes led to the creation of a new type of troops in the Air Defense Forces of the country - anti-missile and anti-space defense forces. The ABM and PKO included the following systems: a missile attack warning system, a space control system, an ABM system and a PKO system.

Difficulties of the New Age

The fulfillment of the tasks of the air defense of the state became more and more complicated. The means of attack began to be based not only in the air, but also in outer space. The questions of further improvement of reconnaissance in the aerospace sphere, uniting it into a single system, arose more acutely. The role of automation of information support for troops and their automated control at the operational level has increased both in the process of combat operations and in preparation for them.

Since the beginning of the 1980s, one of the main directions in the preparation of air defense formations was to increase the mobility of defense, the maneuverability of parts of the armed forces, equipped with new, more advanced fighter-interceptors, air defense systems, radars and jamming stations.

The general air defense system within the framework of the ATS continued to improve. In the 1980s The Zenit-80 air defense exercise of the Warsaw Pact countries was organized, where the new “Regulations on the Joint Armed Forces of the States Parties to the Warsaw Pact” was tested in practice.

The combined arms exercise of the USSR and the ATS countries "Shield-82", which received the name "Seven Hours" in the West nuclear war”, provided for the reflection of a “massive missile attack of a potential enemy” by the Moscow missile defense forces. The warheads of two UR-100 ICBMs launched from the silo launchers of the Baikonur Cosmodrome were successfully intercepted by two A-350R anti-missiles launched from the Sary-Shagan range.

New political course

In the second half of the 1980s. the Soviet leadership decided to unilaterally withdraw its troops of up to 500 thousand people from the Eastern European countries. The adoption of this decision was facilitated by the Vienna agreements reached on the mutual reduction of the armed forces of the Department of Internal Affairs and NATO, including air defense units.

As a result of the reduction of aviation under the CFE Treaty and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, there was, in fact, the disintegration of the unified air defense system, which previously provided an extensive defensive belt for the USSR.

In total, at the end of 1991, by the time of the collapse of the USSR, the Air Defense Forces were armed with about 2220 fighter-interceptors, approximately 8 thousand launchers of 4 types of anti-aircraft missile systems and about 10 thousand radar stations for various purposes. After the division of the USSR Armed Forces, which occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union, after the redeployment of air defense formations and formations on the territory of Russia, about 65% of the forces and means that the Air Defense Forces of the Soviet Union had at their disposal remained.

New goals and objectives

With the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 1992 "On the creation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation", the construction of the Air Defense Forces as an integral part of the RF Armed Forces began. The main organizational measures were aimed at reducing military units equipped with obsolete models of air defense equipment and weapons.

The organizational and staffing structure of the military air defense was also significantly reduced. To maintain its combat capability, the Oborona-92 experimental research exercise was conducted, which confirmed the declared combat capabilities of the anti-aircraft missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems that were in service with the military air defense.

By the Decree of the President of the Pension Fund of 1993, 1.5 thousand of the most important objects were identified on the territory of Russia to protect against possible threats from the air (and in the future - outer space). Of these, up to 70% were subject to direct anti-aircraft missile cover, and the rest were to be covered in the general air defense system by fighter aircraft.

Unity combat control all troops and air defense forces made it possible to prevent a sharp decrease in the effectiveness of air defense. The air defense zones became a territorial operational association, where all air defense troops and forces, regardless of their type, performed a single task of combating air attack weapons under the leadership of a single commander - the commander of the air defense zone.

The border air defense zones were transferred to the operational subordination of the commanders of the military districts. In the depths of the country's territory, responsibility for the defense of facilities remained with the commander-in-chief of the Air Defense Forces.

Since October 1992, for the first time, instead of the command of missile defense and air defense, the command of missile and space defense was formed in the state of the Air Defense Forces, the head of the radio engineering troops of the air defense became the commander of the RTV air defense.

In the same year, the main headquarters and commands of the military branches, with the participation of scientific bodies of the Air Defense Forces, analyzed the existing ones and developed new statutory documents - the Combat Regulations of the Air Defense Forces, the Combat Regulations of the Air Defense Forces and others.

Along with the construction of a national air defense, Russia took active steps to restore the air shield in the post-Soviet space. Back in 1992, the Agreement on the means of missile attack warning systems and control of outer space was signed. According to him, although the means of the early warning missile system and the SKKP were the property of the states on whose territory they were located, the states parties to the agreement were obliged not to interfere with the combat functioning of these means in unified systems.

Again - unity

The logical continuation of these efforts was the conclusion in 1995 of the Agreement "On the Creation of a Joint Air Defense System of the CIS Members". The order of interaction between the forces and means of the Air Defense Forces was determined by the Coordinating Committee on Air Defense Issues under the Council of Ministers of Defense of the CIS. The coordination of the actions of the Air Defense Forces was carried out from the central command post of the Air Defense Forces of the Russian Federation.

During 1995, joint trainings were held in command and control of the CIS Air Defense Forces with the Central Command Center of the Air Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces. At the same time, the process of organizing joint combat duty to protect the air borders of the Commonwealth was outlined - from April 1996, Russian-Belarusian combat crews took up the protection of the joint airspace, and from May 1 their Kazakh colleagues joined them.

In 1993, for the first time in Russia, the principles and directions for the creation of the Aerospace Defense (VKO) of the Russian Federation were outlined. It included a system of reconnaissance and warning of an aerospace attack, forces and means of air defense and missile defense, SKKP and a control system. It was also envisaged to attract additional air defense forces and means from other branches of the RF Armed Forces and departments.

By this time, the Air Defense Forces had two large functionally complete information systems. One of them was formed by radars and other means of reconnaissance of the RKO troops, and the other by formations and units of the air defense radio engineering troops. In January 1994, the Federal Airspace Reconnaissance and Control System was created, which provided for the integration of radar systems and means of the Air Defense Forces, the Department of Air Transport, the Air Force and the Navy through an automation system.

Rearmament in the 90s

In the mid 1990s. The air defense forces were sufficiently equipped, existed in well-established combat readiness modes and included formations and units of the ZRV (70 units), RTV (40 units) and air defense aviation (30 units), as well as auxiliary forces and means, modern control systems.

At the same time, there were significant problems in terms of equipment modern views weapons. So, in 1993-1995. only 40% of the S-300PM air defense systems planned for delivery were delivered to the ZRV, and in 1995-1996. - not a single set.

The process of reducing the number of Air Defense Forces took place in the course of the planned rearmament of the ZRV. At the same time, the type of air defense missile systems was significantly reduced - by the end of 1996, obsolete air defense systems of the S-75 and S-125 types were almost completely removed from service. Also significantly (from 1200 in 1991 to 400 in 1996) the number of long-range S-200 systems in service was reduced, which were replaced by new S-300PM.

The total number of air defense aviation was 825 aircraft of various types, incl. 100 MiG-23, 425 MiG-31 and 300 Su-27 interceptors.

New time - old orders

In connection with the weakening of the Russian air defense system in the mid-1990s. the number of reconnaissance flights by aviation of other states near the borders of the Russian Federation has significantly increased. Thus, in just 10 months of 1995, the duty forces of the Air Defense Forces uncovered 925 flights of reconnaissance aircraft and E-3 AWACS early warning aircraft near the state border of the Russian Federation.

The overall intensity of reconnaissance aviation activity in 1995 increased by 29% compared to 1994 due to an increase in the number of flights performed by US and Japanese base patrol aircraft over the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The activity of AWACS E-3 AWACS aircraft increased by 2.6 times.

Air defense chain on the southern borders

In the 1990s significant efforts were made to restore the air defense potential, which was practically nullified along the borders of the Central Asian region and in the Transcaucasus.

In 1995, the 102nd Russian military base was created in Armenia, one of the main tasks of which is to ensure air defense of the southern borders of the CIS. In 1999, a number of amendments were made to the intergovernmental agreement, in particular, it provided for the deployment of MiG-29 fighters at the Erebuni airfield, and S-300V anti-aircraft missile systems at the Gyumri base.

Command cadre forges

The construction of the Russian Air Defense Forces entailed the re-profiling and formation of new educational institutions on the territory of Russia. Thus, the military air defense command academy in Kalinin was renamed the Military Academy of Air Defense named after Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.

In connection with the transition of the Military Academy of Air Defense. Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in 1992 the Military Academy of Air Defense of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation was established on the basis of the Smolensk Higher Engineering School of Air Defense Radio Electronics.

Other educational institutions necessary for the smooth functioning of the Air Defense Forces were also actively reorganized and reprofiled, some were created again.

On the whole, by 1994 the air defense command and engineering personnel training system had been restored on the whole, although not without inevitable losses.

Air Force

By January 1, 1999, a new type of Armed Forces was formed in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - Air Force. The commander-in-chief was given responsibility for the air defense of the state.

By the time of the merger single view The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation included 5 corps, 10 air defense divisions, 63 air defense units, 25 fighter regiments, 35 RTV units, 6 reconnaissance formations and units and 5 electronic warfare units. There were 20 aircraft in service aviation complexes radar surveillance and guidance A-50, more than 700 air defense fighters, more than 200 anti-aircraft missile divisions and 420 radio engineering units with radar stations of various modifications.

On the basis of individual air defense armies, in a number of cases - air armies of the Air Force, the Air Force and Air Defense armies were formed, operationally subordinate to the commanders of military districts.

Military air defense in the new conditions

The composition of the military air defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation included the air defense forces of the SV, air defense of the coastal troops of the Navy and the Airborne Forces, as well as formations and military units of the air defense of the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. In military air defense, anti-aircraft missile units and formations were reduced (the Krug air defense missile system, the Kub air defense missile system were completely disbanded, the number of S-300V air defense missile systems, the Buk air defense missile system was reduced), all district radio engineering brigades were disbanded, individual radio engineering teams were disbanded or transferred to the Air Force. battalions.

For 9 months of 2003, the duty forces and air defense systems detected and carried out 109,747 air targets, including 58,206 foreign aircraft (of which 615 were combat aircraft), 267 reconnaissance aircraft, revealed 40 cases of violations of the procedure for using airspace and 14 violations state border of the Russian Federation.

In those same years, the process began to restore a continuous radar field on the territory of the country. Deliveries of new radar stations have begun, including over-the-horizon and over-the-horizon, "standby" stations. In 2005-2010 about 70 new and modernized radars and up to 80 automation equipment complexes were purchased.

Joint Air Defense System of the CIS in the 2000s

One of important elements Collective security system in the post-Soviet space continues to act the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS.

By 2006, it was actually possible to revive the air defense of Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan within the framework of the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS.

Through military-technical cooperation, two S-300V air defense systems were delivered to the Armenian air defense forces. Two more S-300PS air defense systems were delivered to the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus. By the mid-2000s, the Belarusian air defense system had become one of the strongest in Europe.

Main stream modern development Air Defense OS of the CIS - improvement of unified air defense systems of collective security in the East European, Caucasian and Central Asian regions.

Triumph of perfection

In April 2007, the new-generation S-400 Triumf long-range anti-aircraft missile system was adopted by the Air Force, designed to destroy all modern and advanced aerospace attack weapons. Each air defense system is capable of simultaneously firing up to 36 targets with up to 72 anti-aircraft missiles aimed at them. The complex is capable of hitting aerodynamic targets at ranges up to 400 km, tactical ballistic targets flying at speeds up to 4.8 km/s - at ranges up to 60 km.

The age-old history of Russia's air defense is inextricably linked with Russian military history. With the development of air defense, it found its important place in the branches of the Armed Forces and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, for a long time it acted as an independent branch of service (later - type) of the Armed Forces.

Originating at the beginning of the 20th century, air defense in a short time turned into a coherent nationwide air defense system of the country, the strength and reliability of which was tested during the Great Patriotic War.

The experience of local wars and armed conflicts at the beginning of the 21st century clearly confirms the key role of air attack forces and means of the Air Force and Navy, as well as space communications, intelligence and navigation systems. The trend towards an increase in the share of high-precision weapons in the total number of weapons used has also been confirmed.

Currently, the aerospace defense forces are again, as in the middle of the 20th century, in the process of reaching a new qualitative level. The increased economic opportunities of the state made it possible to increase the number of samples of weapons and military equipment of the East Kazakhstan region annually received.

The development of new means of enemy aerospace attack requires concentration of efforts on solving the problem of ensuring maximum efficiency in parrying potential military threats to the Russian Federation from airspace and space.

Already, the process of forming a strike-defense system of the Aerospace Defense Forces, designed to become a guarantor of the military security of the Russian Federation in the military space sphere, is underway.

1. Introduction

The purpose of this work is to study the history of the development of air defense forces in the USSR and Russia in the period from the 50s of the XX century to the present. The relevance of the topic is emphasized by the fact that, as a result of modern scientific and technological progress, military science is paying more and more attention to technologies related to air defense in order to reliable protection air borders of Russia and opposition to the "global" attack planned by NATO.

Unfortunately, along with brilliant ideas that make life easier for a person and give him new opportunities, there are ideas no less brilliant, but representing a destructive force and a threat to humanity. A number of states now have a multitude of space satellites, aircraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and nuclear warheads.

With the advent of new military technologies and formidable forces, forces opposing them always arise on their basis, as a result, new means of air defense (air defense) and anti-missile defense (ABM) appear.

We are interested in the development and experience of using the first air defense systems, starting from the s-25 (adopted into service in 1955), to new modern systems. Also of interest are the possibilities of other countries in the development and use of air defense systems, and the general prospects for the development of air defense systems. We set the main task in determining how Russia is protected from potential military threats from the air. Air superiority and long-range strikes have always been the focus of the opposing sides in any conflict, even a potential one. It is important for us to understand the capabilities of our country in ensuring air security, because the presence of powerful and modern air defense systems guarantees security not only for us, but for the whole world. The weapons of deterrence in the 21st century are by no means limited to the nuclear shield.

2. The history of the emergence of air defense forces

The phrase comes to mind: "A wise man prepares for war in peacetime" - Horace.

Everything in our world appears for some reason and with a specific purpose. The emergence of air defense forces is no exception. Their formation was due to the fact that in many countries the first aircraft and military aviation began to appear. At the same time, the development of weapons to combat the enemy in the air began.

In 1914, the very first air defense weapon, a submachine gun, was manufactured at the Putilov factory in St. Petersburg. It was used in the defense of Petrograd against German air raids during the First World War at the end of 1914.

Each state strives to win the war and Germany is no exception, its new JU 88 V-5 bombers from September 1939 began to fly at altitudes reaching 5000 meters, which brought them out of the reach of the first air defense guns, which required modernization of weapons and new ideas for its development.

It should be noted that the arms race in the 20th century was a powerful engine for the development of weapons systems and military equipment. During the Cold War, the first anti-aircraft missile stations (SAM) and anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) were developed. In our country, a great contribution to the creation and development of new air defense systems was made by the design engineer Veniamin Pavlovich Efremov, who took part in the development of the S-25Yu radar system, where he showed his talent. He took part in the development of the Tor, S-300V, Buk air defense systems and all their subsequent upgrades.

3. S-25 "Berkut"

3.1 History of creation

After the Second World War, military aviation switched to the use of jet engines, flight speeds and altitudes increased significantly, outdated anti-aircraft artillery could no longer provide reliable cover in the air, and their combat effectiveness was significantly reduced. So there was a need for new air defense systems.

On August 9, 1950, a resolution was adopted by the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the creation of an air defense missile system controlled by a radar network. Organizational work on this issue was entrusted to the Third Main Directorate under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, personally supervised by L.P. Beria.

The development of the Berkut system was carried out by KB-1 (design bureau), and now OJSC GSKB of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern, headed by K.M. .Beria, who was the chief designer together with P.N. Kuksenko. At the same time, V-300 missiles were developed for this complex.

According to the plan of the military strategists of the USSR, it was supposed to place two rings of radar detection around Moscow at a distance of 25-30 and 200-250 km from the city. The Kama stations were to become the main control stations. The B-200 stations were also developed to control missile launches.

It was planned to include in the Berkut complex not only a missile resource, but also interceptor aircraft based on Tu-4 bombers. This plan was not carried out. "Berkut" after rigorous testing was adopted on May 7, 1955.

The main performance characteristics (TTX) of this system:

1) hitting a target with a speed of up to 1500 km / h;

2) target height 5-20 km;

3) distance to the target up to 35 km;

4) the number of hit targets - 20;

5) the shelf life of missiles in the warehouse is 2.5 years, on the launcher 6 months.

For the 50s of the twentieth century, this system was the most advanced, designed using the most advanced technologies. It was a real breakthrough! Not a single anti-aircraft missile system of that time had such broad capabilities for detecting and hitting targets. Multi-channel radar stations were a novelty, because. Until the end of the 1960s, there were no analogues of such systems in the world. The Soviet scientist, designer Efremov Veniamin Pavlovich participated in the development of radar stations.

However, such a perfect air defense system of that time had a colossal cost and high maintenance costs. It was advisable to use it only to cover especially important objects; it was not possible to cover the entire territory with it. The air defense plan provided for covering the area around Leningrad, but this project was not implemented due to its high cost.

Another disadvantage was that the Berkut had low mobility, which made it extremely vulnerable to an enemy nuclear strike. In addition, the system was designed to repel a large number of enemy bombers, and by that time the war strategy had changed and the bombers began to fly in small units, which significantly reduced the chances of their detection. It should also be noted that low-flying bombers and cruise missiles were able to bypass this defense system.

3.2 Goals, objectives and experience with the use of S-25

The S-25 complex was developed and put into service in order to protect strategically important objects from enemy aircraft and cruise missiles. According to the general plan, the ground elements of the complex were supposed to monitor the air target, process the received data and issue commands to the guided missile. It was supposed to start vertically and could hit a target at a distance of up to 70 meters from the place of its explosion (the error value of hitting the target).

At the end of July 1951, the first tests of the S-25 and the V-300 missile in particular began. Test runs consisted of several stages. The first 3 launches were to check the rocket at the start, check the characteristics, the time of dropping the gas rudders. The next 5 launches were carried out to test the missile control system. This time, only the second launch occurred without any failures. As a result, shortcomings in the rocket equipment and ground cables were revealed. The following months, until the end of 1951, test launches were carried out, which were crowned with some success, but the missiles still needed to be finalized.

In 1952, a series of launches were carried out aimed at testing various electronic equipment of the rocket. In 1953, after 10 series of launches, the rocket and other elements of the Berkut anti-aircraft missile system received a recommendation for mass production.

In the late spring of 1953, testing and measurement of the combat characteristics of the system began. The possibility of destroying Tu-4 and Il-28 aircraft was tested. The destruction of targets required from one to four missiles. The task was solved by two missiles, as it is established at the present time - 2 missiles are used simultaneously to completely destroy the target.

S-25 "Berkut" was used until the 60s of the twentieth century, after which it was modernized and became known as S-25M. New characteristics made it possible to destroy targets at a speed of 4200 km / h at altitudes from 1.5 to 30 km. The flight range was increased to 43 km, and the storage periods at the launcher and warehouse were increased to 5 and 15 years, respectively.

S-25M were in service with the USSR and protected the sky over Moscow and the Moscow region until the early 80s of the twentieth century. Subsequently, the missiles were replaced with more modern ones and decommissioned in 1988. The sky over our country, together with the S-25, was protected by the S-75 air defense systems, which were simpler, cheaper and had a sufficient degree of mobility.

3.3 Foreign analogues

In 1953, the United States adopted the MIM-3 Nike Ajax anti-aircraft missile system. The complex has been developed since 1946 as a means for the effective destruction of enemy aircraft. The radar system had one channel, unlike our multi-channel system, but was much cheaper and covered all cities and military bases. It consisted of two radars, one of which tracked the enemy target, and the second directed the missile at the target itself. The combat capabilities of the MIM-3 Nike Ajax and C-25 were approximately the same, although the American system was simpler and by the time the C-75 complexes appeared in our country, there were several hundred MIM-3 complexes in the USA.

4. C-75

4.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

On November 20, 1953, the design of a mobile anti-aircraft missile system began on the basis of the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 2838/1201 "On the creation of a mobile system of anti-aircraft guided missile weapons to combat enemy aircraft." At that time, tests of the S-25 complex were in full swing, but due to its enormous cost and low mobility, the S-25 could not protect all important facilities and places of concentration of troops. The development was entrusted to the management of KB-1 under the leadership of A.A. Raspletin. At the same time, the OKB-2 department began work under the leadership of P.D. Grushin, who was engaged in the design of the S-75 using the existing developments on the S-25 complex, including those that were not implemented. The missile created for this complex was called the B-750. It was equipped with two stages - starting and marching, which gave the rocket more initial speed at an inclined start. The SM-63 launchers and the PR-11 transport-loading vehicle were specially developed for it.

The complex was put into service in 1957. The characteristics of the S-75 allowed it to compete with its analogues from other states.

In total there were 3 modifications "Dvina", "Desna" and "Volkhov".

In the Desna variant, the target engagement range was 34 km, and in the Volkhov variant, up to 43 km.

Initially, the range of target engagement heights was from 3 to 22 km, but then in Desna it changed to a range of 0.5-30 km, and in Volkhov it became 0.4-30 km. The maximum speed of hitting targets reached 2300 km / h. In the future, these indicators were improved.

In the mid-70s, the complex began to be equipped with 9Sh33A television optical sights with an optical target tracking channel. This made it possible to guide the target and fire at it without the use of air defense radar systems in the radiation mode. And thanks to the "narrow" beam antennas, the minimum target engagement height was reduced to 100 meters, and the speed was increased to 3600 km / h.

Some of the missiles of the complex were equipped with a special nuclear warhead.

4.2 Goals, objectives and application experience.

The goals of creating the S-75 complex were to reduce the cost compared to the S-25, increase mobility so that it could protect the entire territory of our country. These goals have been achieved. In terms of its capabilities, the S-75 was not inferior to foreign counterparts and was supplied to many Warsaw Pact countries, to Algeria, Vietnam, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Cuba, China, Libya, Yugoslavia, Syria and many others.

On October 7, 1959, for the first time in the history of air defense, a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, an American RB-57D aircraft belonging to the Taiwanese Air Force near Beijing, was shot down by an anti-aircraft guided missile of the S-75 complex. The reconnaissance flight altitude was 20,600 meters.

In the same year, on November 16, an S-75 shot down an American balloon near Stalingrad at an altitude of 28 km.

On May 1, 1960, an S-75 destroyed an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force over Sverdlovsk. However, on this day, a MiG-19 fighter of the USSR Air Force was also destroyed by mistake.

In the 60s, during the Caribbean crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was also shot down. And then the Chinese Air Force shot down 5 US reconnaissance aircraft over its territory.

During the Vietnam War, according to the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1293 aircraft were destroyed by this complex, including 54 B-52 strategic bombers. But according to the Americans, the losses amounted to only 200 aircraft. In reality, the data of the USSR Ministry of Defense were somewhat overestimated, but in general the complex showed itself from the excellent side.

In addition, the S-75 complex participated in the 1969 Arab-Israeli conflict. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East. In these battles, the complex perfectly demonstrated that it is able to protect the territory and people from enemy attacks.

In the Persian Gulf in 1991, the S-75 was defeated and 38 units were destroyed by electronic warfare and cruise missiles. But the complex managed to shoot down a 4th generation F-15 fighter.

In the 21st century, many countries use this complex, for example, Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Egypt, Iran, but it’s worth moving on to more modern ones, not forgetting to mention foreign counterparts.

4.3 Foreign analogues

To replace the MIM-3, the Americans adopted the MIM-14 Nike-Hercules in 1958.

It was the world's first anti-aircraft missile system large radius actions - up to 140 km with a height of defeat of 45 km. The missiles of the complex were designed not only to destroy enemy aircraft, but also to intercept ballistic missiles and destroy ground targets.

MIM-14 Nike-Hercules remained the most advanced until the advent of the Soviet S-200. The large radius of destruction and the presence of a nuclear warhead made it possible to hit all the planes and missiles on the planet at that time.

The MIM-14 is superior to the C-75 in some respects, but in terms of mobility, the MIM-14 Nike-Hercules inherited the low mobility ailment of the MIM-3, which is inferior to the C-75.

5. S-125 "Neva"

5.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

The first anti-aircraft missile systems, such as the S-25, S-75, and their foreign counterparts, did their job well - hitting high-speed high-flying targets that are inaccessible to cannon anti-aircraft artillery and difficult to destroy for fighters.

Due to the fact that previous anti-aircraft missile systems have shown that they are capable of carrying out combat duty and participating in hostilities, it is natural that it was decided to extend this type of weapon to the entire range of heights and speeds of potential threats.

At that time, the minimum height for hitting targets with the S-25 and S-75 complexes was 1-3 km, which fully met the requirements of the early 50s of the twentieth century. But given this trend, it was to be expected that aviation would soon switch to a new method of warfare - combat at low altitudes. realizing given fact, KB-1 and its head A.A. Raspletin were tasked with creating a low-altitude air defense system. Work began in the autumn of 1955. The latest system was supposed to serve to intercept low-flying targets at altitudes from 100 to 5000 meters at speeds up to 1500 km / h. The range of hitting targets was relatively small - only 12 km. But the main requirement was the full mobility of the complex with all its missiles, radar stations for tracking, control, reconnaissance and communications. The developments were carried out taking into account transportation on an automobile basis, but transportation by rail, sea and air was also envisaged.

As with the S-75, the development of the S-125 used the experience of previous projects. The methods of searching, scanning and tracking the target were completely borrowed from the S-25 and S-75.

The big problem was the reflection of the antenna signal from the surface of the earth and its landscape. It was decided to place the antennas of the guidance stations at an angle, which gave a gradual increase in interference from reflection when tracking the target.

An innovation was the decision to create an automated missile launch system APP-125, which itself determined the boundary of the affected area and fired a missile due to the short time of enemy aircraft approaching.

In the course of research and development, a special V-600P rocket was also developed - the first rocket designed according to the "duck" scheme, which provided the rocket with great maneuverability.

In the event of a miss, the rocket automatically went up and self-destructed.

The anti-aircraft missile regiments of the air defense of the USSR Armed Forces were equipped with SNR-125 guidance stations, guided missiles, transport-loading vehicles and interface cabins in 1961.

5.2

The S-125 "Neva" complex was designed to destroy low-flying enemy targets (100 - 5000 meters). Target recognition was provided at a distance of up to 110 km. The Neva had an automatic launch system. It is important to note that during the tests it was revealed that the probability of hitting a target without interference was 0.8-0.9, and the probability of hitting in passive interference was 0.49-0.88.

A large number of S-125s were sold abroad. The buyers were Egypt, Syria, Libya, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Turkmenistan. The total cost of deliveries amounted to about $250 million. US dollars.

There were also various modifications of the S-125 for air defense (Neva), for the Navy (Volna) and Export (Pechora).

If we talk about the combat use of the complex, then in 1970 in Egypt, Soviet divisions destroyed 9 Israeli and 1 Egyptian aircraft with 35 missiles.

During the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel, 21 aircraft were shot down by 174 rockets. And Syria shot down 33 aircraft with 131 missiles.

The real sensation was the moment when, on March 27, 1999, a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth tactical strike aircraft was shot down over Yugoslavia for the first time.

5.3 Foreign analogues

In 1960, the MIM-23 Hawk was adopted by the Americans. Initially, the complex was developed to destroy enemy aircraft, but was later upgraded to destroy missiles.

It was slightly better than our S-125 system in terms of its characteristics, as it could hit targets at altitudes from 60 to 11,000 meters at a distance of 2 to 25 km in its very first modifications. In the future, it was modernized many times until 1995. The Americans themselves did not use this complex in hostilities, but foreign states actively used it.

But, the practice is not so different. For example, during the October War of 1973, Israel fired 57 missiles from this complex, but none of them hit the target.

6. Z RK S-200

6.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

In the mid-1950s, with the rapid development of supersonic aviation and thermonuclear weapons, it became necessary to create a long-range mobile anti-aircraft missile system that could solve the problem of intercepting a high-flying target. Given that the systems available at that time had a short range, it was very expensive to deploy them throughout the country for reliable protection against air strikes. Especially important was the organization of the protection of the northern territories, where there was the shortest flight distance. American missiles and bombers. And if we take into account that northern regions Since our country is poorly equipped with road infrastructure and the population density is extremely low, a completely new air defense system was required.

According to the Government Decree of March 19, 1956 and May 8, 1957 No. 501 and No. 250, a large number of enterprises and workshops were involved in the development of a new air defense system long range. The general designer of the system, as before, was A.A. Raspletin and P.D. Grushin.

The first sketch of the new B-860 missile was presented at the end of December 1959. Particular attention was paid to the protection of the internal structural elements of the rocket, since as a result of the flight of the rocket at hypersonic speed, the structures were heated.

The initial characteristics of the missile were far from those of foreign counterparts already in service, such as the MIM-14 Nike-Hercules. It was decided to increase the radius of destruction of supersonic targets up to 110-120 km, and subsonic - up to 160-180 km.

The new generation firing complex included: a command post, a radar for clarifying the situation, a digital computer and up to five firing channels. The firing channel of the firing complex included a half-light target radar, a starting position with six launchers, and power supply facilities.

This complex was put into service in 1967 and is currently in service.

The S-200 was produced in various modifications both for our country and for export to foreign countries.

The S-200 Angara was put into service in 1967. The maximum speed of the hit targets reached 1100 km/h, the number of simultaneously fired targets was 6. The height of the hit was from 0.5 to 20 km. Range of defeat from 17 to 180 km. The probability of hitting targets is 0.45-0.98.

S-200V "Vega" was put into service in 1970. The maximum speed of the hit targets reached 2300 km / h, the number of simultaneously fired targets was 6. The height of the hit was from 0.3 to 35 km. Range of defeat from 17 to 240 km. The probability of hitting targets is 0.66-0.99.

S-200D "Dubna" was put into service in 1975. The maximum speed of the hit targets reached 2300 km / h, the number of simultaneously fired targets was 6. The height of the hit was from 0.3 to 40 km. Range of defeat from 17 to 300 km. The probability of hitting targets is 0.72-0.99.

For a greater probability of hitting targets, the S-200 complex was combined with low-altitude S-125, from where the formations of anti-aircraft brigades of mixed composition came from.

By that time, long-range air defense systems were already well known in the West. US space intelligence facilities continuously recorded all stages of its deployment. According to American data, in 1970 the number of S-200 launchers was 1100, in 1975 - 1600, in 1980 -1900. The deployment of this system reached its peak in the mid-1980s, when the number of launchers amounted to 2030 units.

6.2 Goals, objectives and application experience

The S-200 was created as a long-range complex, its task was to cover the country's territory from enemy air strikes. A big plus was the increased range of the system, which made it economically possible to deploy it throughout the country.

It is worth noting that the S-200 was the first air defense system that was capable of the specific purpose of the Lockheed SR-71. For this reason, US reconnaissance aircraft have always flown only along the borders of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries.

The S-200 is also known for the tragic incident on October 4, 2001, when a civilian Tu-154 aircraft of Siberia Airlines was mistakenly shot down during exercises in Ukraine. Then 78 people died.

Speaking about the combat use of the complex, on December 6, 1983, the Syrian S-200 complex shot down two Israeli MQM-74 drones.

On March 24, 1986, the Libyan S-200 complex is believed to have shot down American attack aircraft, 2 of which were A-6Es.

The complexes were also in service in Libya in the recent conflict of 2011, but nothing is known about their use in it, except that after an air strike they were completely destroyed on the territory of Libya.

6.3 Foreign analogues

An interesting project was the Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc. This complex was developed from 1949 to 1957. It was put into service in 1959. Currently, it is considered the most long-range air defense system. The range of destruction of Bomarc-A was 450 km, and the modification of 1961 Bomarc-B was up to 800 km with a missile speed of almost 4000 km/h.

But, given that the USSR quickly grew its arsenal of strategic missiles, and this system could only hit aircraft and bombers, then in 1972 the system was withdrawn from service.

7. ZRK S-300

7.1 History of creation and performance characteristics

By the end of the 60s, the experience of using air defense systems in the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East showed that it was necessary to create a complex with the greatest mobility and a short transition time from marching and duty to combat and vice versa. The need is due to the rapid change of position before the arrival of enemy aircraft.

In the USSR at that time, the S-25, S-75, S-125 and S-200 were already in service. Progress did not stand still and it took a new weapon, more modern and versatile. Design work on the S-300 began in 1969. It was decided to create air defense for the ground forces S-300V ("Military"), S-300F ("Navy"), S-300P ("air defense of the country").

The chief designer of the S-300 was Veniamin Pavlovich Efremov. The system was developed taking into account the possibility of hitting ballistic and aerodynamic targets. The task of simultaneously tracking 6 targets and aiming 12 missiles at them was set and solved. For the first time, a system of full automation of the work of the complex was implemented. They included the tasks of detection, tracking, target distribution, target designation, target acquisition, its destruction and evaluation of the result. The crew (combat crew) was tasked with assessing the operation of the system and monitoring the launch of missiles. It was also assumed the possibility of manual intervention in the course of the combat system.

Serial production of the complex and testing began in 1975. By 1978, tests of the complex were completed. In 1979, the S-300P took up combat duty to protect the air borders of the USSR.

Important features are that the complex is capable of operating in various combinations within one modification, operating as part of a battery with various other combat units and systems.

In addition, it is permissible to use various means of camouflage, such as simulators of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared and radio ranges, camouflage nets.

The S-300 systems were widely used in the class of modifications. Separate modifications were developed for sale abroad. As can be seen in Figure No. 19, the S-300 was supplied abroad only for the fleet and air defense, as a means of protecting the Ground Forces, the complex remained only for our country. ​

All modifications are distinguished by various missiles, the ability to protect against electronic warfare, range and the ability to deal with short-range ballistic missiles or low-flying targets.

7.2 Main tasks, application and foreign analogues

The S-300 is designed to defend large industrial and administrative facilities, command posts, and military bases from attacks by enemy aerospace weapons.

According to official figures, the S-300 has never taken part in real hostilities. But, training launches are conducted in many countries.

Their results showed the high combat capability of the S-300.

The main tests of the complex were aimed at countering ballistic missiles. Aircraft were destroyed with just one missile, and two shots were enough to destroy missiles.

In 1995, a P-17 missile was shot down at the Kapustin Yar range during demonstration firing at the range. The training ground was attended by delegations from 11 countries. All targets were completely destroyed.

Speaking of foreign analogues, it is worth pointing out the famous American MIM-104 Patriot complex. It has been created since 1963. Its main task is to intercept enemy ballistic missiles, defeat aircraft at medium altitudes. It was put into service in 1982. This complex could not surpass the S-300. There were Patriot, Patriot PAC-1, Patriot PAC-2 complexes, which were put into service in 1982, 1986, 1987, respectively. Considering the performance characteristics of the Patriot PAC-2, we note that it could hit aerodynamic targets at ranges from 3 to 160 km, ballistic targets up to 20 km, altitude range from 60 meters to 24 km. The maximum target speed is 2200 m/s.

8. Modern air defense systems

8.1 Standing in service with the Russian Federation

The main topic of our work was the consideration of air defense systems of the "C" family, and we should start with the most modern S-400 in service with the RF Armed Forces.

S-400 "Triumph" - long-range and medium-range air defense systems. It is designed to destroy the enemy's means of aerospace attack, such as reconnaissance aircraft, ballistic missiles, hypersonic. This system was put into service relatively recently - on April 28, 2007. The latest air defense system capable of hitting aerodynamic targets at ranges up to 400 km and up to 60 km - ballistic targets, the speed of which does not exceed 4.8 km/s. The target itself is detected even earlier, at a distance of 600 km. The difference from the "Patriot" and other complexes is that the minimum target engagement height is only 5 m, which gives this complex a huge advantage over others, making it universal. The number of simultaneously fired targets is 36 with 72 guided missiles. The deployment time of the complex is 5-10 minutes, and the time for bringing it to combat readiness is 3 minutes.

The Russian government agreed to sell this complex to China, but not earlier than 2016, when our country will be fully equipped with them.

It is believed that the S-400 has no analogues in the world.

The following complexes that we would like to consider in the framework of this work are TOR M-1 and TOR M-2. These are complexes designed to solve air defense and missile defense tasks at the divisional level. In 1991, the first TOR was put into service as a complex for protecting important administrative facilities and ground forces from all types of enemy air attacks. The complex is a short-range system - from 1 to 12 km, at altitudes from 10 meters to 10 km. The maximum speed of targets hit is 700 m / s.

TOR M-1 is an excellent complex. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation refused China a license to produce it, and as you know, there is no concept of copyright in China, so they created their own copy of the Hongqi-17 TOP.

Since 2003, the Tunguska-M1 anti-aircraft gun-missile system has also been in service. It is designed to provide air defense for tank and motorized rifle units. Tunguska is capable of destroying helicopters, airplanes, cruise missiles, drones, tactical aircraft. It is also distinguished by the fact that both missile and cannon weapons are combined. Cannon armament - two 30-mm anti-aircraft double-barreled guns, the rate of fire of which is 5000 rounds per minute. It is capable of hitting targets at an altitude of up to 3.5 km, a range of 2.5 to 8 km for missiles, 3 km and from 200 meters to 4 km for anti-aircraft guns.

The next means of combating the enemy in the air, we would note the BUK-M2. This is a multifunctional, highly mobile medium-range air defense system. It is designed to destroy aircraft, tactical and strategic aviation, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles. BUK is used to protect military facilities and troops in general, throughout the country to protect industrial and administrative facilities.

It is very interesting to consider another air defense and missile defense weapon of our time, Pantsir-S1. It can be called an improved Tunguska model. This is also a self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system. It is designed to cover civilian and military facilities, including long-range air defense systems, from all modern air attack weapons. It can also perform military operations against ground, surface objects.

It was put into service quite recently - November 16, 2012. The missile unit is capable of hitting targets at altitudes from 15 m to 15 km and a range of 1.2-20 km. The target speed is not more than 1 km/s.

Cannon armament - two 30-mm anti-aircraft double-barreled guns used in the Tunguska-M1 complex.

Up to 6 machines can work simultaneously and together via a digital communication network.

It is known from the Russian media that in 2014 the Shells were used in the Crimea and hit Ukrainian drones.

8.2 Foreign analogues

Let's start with the well-known MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3. This is the latest modification currently in service with the US Army. Its main task is to intercept the warheads of tactical ballistic and cruise missiles of the modern world. It uses highly maneuverable direct-hit missiles. A feature of the PAC-3 is that it has a short range of hitting targets - up to 20 km for ballistic and 40-60 for aerodynamic targets. It is striking that the sale of the missile stock includes PAC-2 missiles. Modernization work was carried out, but this did not give the Patriot complex an advantage over the S-400.

Another object of consideration will be the M1097 Avenger. This is a short-range air defense system. Designed to destroy air targets at altitudes from 0.5 to 3.8 km with a range of 0.5 to 5.5 km. He, like the Patriot, is part of the National Guard, and after September 11, 12 Avenger combat units appeared in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Congress and the White House.

The last complex that we will consider is the NASAMS air defense system. This is a Norwegian mobile anti-aircraft missile system, which is designed to destroy air targets at low and medium altitudes. It was developed by Norway together with the American company "Raytheon Company System". The range of hitting targets is from 2.4 to 40 km, the height is from 30 meters to 16 km. The maximum speed of the hit target is 1000 m/s, and the probability of hitting it with one missile is 0.85.

Consider what our neighbors, China, have? It should be noted right away that their developments in many areas, both in air defense and missile defense, are mostly borrowed. Many of their air defense systems are copies of our types of weapons. For example, take the Chinese HQ-9 - a long-range anti-aircraft missile system, is the most effective tool Air defense of China. The complex was developed back in the 80s, but work on it was completed after the purchase of the S-300PMU-1 air defense system from Russia in 1993.

Designed to destroy aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters, ballistic missiles. Maximum range 200 km, defeat heights from 500 meters to 30 km. The interception range of ballistic missiles is 30 km.

9. Prospects for the development of air defense and future projects

Russia has the most modern means of combating enemy missiles and aircraft, but there are already defense projects 15-20 years ahead of time, when the place of air combat will be not only the sky, but also near outer space.

Such a complex is the S-500. This type of weapon has not yet been adopted for service, but is being tested. It is assumed that it will be capable of destroying medium-range ballistic missiles with a launch range of 3500 km and intercontinental ballistic missiles. This complex will be able to destroy targets within a radius of 600 km, the speed of which reaches 7 km / s. The detection range is supposed to be increased by 150-200 km compared to the S-400.

The BUK-M3 is also under development and should soon be put into service.

Thus, we note that soon the air defense and missile defense forces will have to defend and fight not only close to the ground, but also in the nearest space. This shows that development will go in the direction of combating enemy aircraft, missiles and satellites in near space.

10. Conclusion

In our work, we examined the development of the air defense system of our country and the United States in the period from the 50s of the twentieth century to the present day, partly looking into the future. It should be noted that the development of the air defense system was not easy for our country, it was a real breakthrough through a number of difficulties. There was a time when we tried to catch up with world military technology. Now everything is different, Russia occupies a leading position in the field of combating enemy aircraft and missiles. We can really consider that we are under reliable protection.

As we have already noted, at first 60 years ago they fought with low-flying bombers at subsonic speeds, and now the battle arena is gradually being transferred to near space and hypersonic speeds. Progress does not stand still, so you should think about the prospects for the development of your Armed Forces and predict the actions and development of technologies and tactics of the enemy.

We hope that all the military technology now available will not be needed for combat use. Nowadays, weapons of deterrence are not only nuclear weapon, but also any other types of weapons, including air defense and missile defense.

List of used literature

1) Anti-aircraft missile forces in the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East (in the period 1965-1973). Under the general editorship of Colonel-General of Artillery I.M. Gurinov. Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow 1980

2) General information about the S-200 anti-aircraft missile system and the 5V21A missile device. Tutorial. Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow - 1972

3) Berkut. Technical project. Section 1. General characteristics of the Berkut air defense system. 1951

4) Tactics of anti-aircraft missile troops. Textbook. Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Moscow - 1969

5) http://www.arms-expo.ru/ "Arms of Russia" - federal directory

6) http://militaryrussia.ru/ - domestic military equipment (after 1945)

7) http://topwar.ru/ - military review

Http://rbase.new-factoria.ru/ - rocket technology

9) https://ru.wikipedia.org - free encyclopedia

Two years ago, inspired by this essay, I decided for myself that I would definitely go and find the place where I served in the Soviet Army for 2 years. And I served in the missile division, of which there were quite a few in the Karelian forests. Code name "Square". "Tochka" was part of the first circle of defense of the air defense of the heart of the Soviet Union - Moscow. And it was the most deaf of all air defense missile divisions located around Petrozavodsk. There was not a single settlement within a radius of 10 kilometers, so the most difficult thing was to find this place after almost 30 years. Google maps and memories that stuck in my memory for the rest of my life helped.

S-75 "Dvina" missile on a launcher (according to the classification of the US Defense Ministry and NATO - SA-2 Guideline). Photo: site

And it all started, as I said, with the map. I tried to find the place of my unit on the map for a long time. I knew the landmarks on the ground poorly, since they took us out of the forest very rarely, and we always rode in a covered iron body, called a kung. Therefore, the only hope was that I remember the approximate location of the missile battalion (plus or minus 20 km) and what our unit and roads looked like in a combat position.

Even 10 years ago, Google maps in that place gave out a very indistinct picture, so I never found it, but three years ago I still managed to do it! I determined it precisely by the characteristic pattern of the glades.

Look up from the star and you can see the circle. This was it fighting position, in a circle stood missiles. In the center was equipment that provided target tracking, guidance and launch of missiles. Looking ahead, I’ll say that there were practically no traces of the unit left on the spot. A casual passer-by will never guess that it was here 30 years ago.

Therefore, let me first show you the "dot" on my not very high-quality army photos, well, I'll tell you about the service. Then we will see what I saw with a friend there this summer and at the end about the story of the downed intelligence officer 55 years ago.

Photo 1. Smoking room at the entrance to the unit. The same place marked with an asterisk on the Google map.

Photo 2. I called up in the late autumn of 1988, when no one had even thought about the collapse of the USSR. Two weeks of "quarantine" after we were brought by train to Petrozavodsk from the "monkey" in Tallinn, I spent in the military camp "Buran" (the village of Novoe Lososinnoye), where a more modern air defense system S-125 was stationed. I remember "Buran" with snowdrifts, 3 km runs. every morning, not like autumn winter, the whole barracks with recruits, the first corns from incorrectly wound footcloths and the clearing of the whole stadium in the middle of the night for the solemn acceptance of the oath. Oh yes, even before that there was a haircut with a mechanical machine in a cold bath to zero. It was not in vain that experienced people said - go to the Army already bald

What is left of Buran can be seen in this video. Now it is a well-known object for "stalking" in certain circles.

After taking the oath, several recruits, including me, are taken to the very wilderness - the Kvadratura division with S-75 missiles. In the photo the first New Year in the army. The hair has already grown back a little.

Photo 3. And this is the spring of next year. The first of two leaves for the entire service in Petrozavodsk. In general, employees usually walked more often, but I had the share of being the permanent and only operator and part-time commander of the calculation of the RRS (radio relay communications).

Photo 4. Here is my "cabin", covered with disguise. As they sang in our most killer army song, composed by guys from the neighboring division, "we are inhabitants of iron cabins." I immediately apologize for the quality, but you yourself understand that all the photos were taken illegally on the killed "Change" camera and appeared secretly from the officers in the supply room of our "secretary" (fortunately he was my fellow countryman)

Photo 5. And here is the resident of the cabin

Now I will tell you what I did there. Radio relay communication was similar to modern mobile communication. In general, all negotiations with the command post and other technical data that the missile divisions exchanged when they were on combat duty(and they were every second month of the year), they went through special cables laid between the parts. But if, for some reason, the connection failed (especially important, of course, in wartime), then finest hour radio relayers. We provided communication over the air using directional burdock antennas. This is probably why these stations were code-named Cycloid. Here is more of it modern photo from the Internet.

Radio relayers also ensured the transmission of highly secret encrypted data, those that were easier to intercept over wires. To do this, the station was turned on and a special apparatus gave out a ribbon with holes, that is, a punched card. Then a specially trained warrior-"secretary" took it to his office and deciphered it only in a way known to him. By the way, the "secretary", oddly enough, was a conscript. In my case, a Russian guy from Tallinn with an Estonian surname Randoya.

Photo 6. But this, fortunately, happened very rarely and the main duty was to turn on all the equipment that was located on numerous racks every three hours and get in touch with the command post, which was located in the village of Vilga. It is there that a monument to the air defense soldiers will then be erected (see below ..).

I slept in the same cabin, since I had to get in touch at night as well. Therefore, I could sleep during the day at any time and in general I was special, which not one officer dared to touch. Just such a moment was caught by the political officer when he came to take a picture of me on the honor roll, and I, with a sleepy face on my face (they rewarded me for quickly mastering the profession, even with vacation to his homeland two months after the start of the service, although they were released only after a year and a half, when he brought up the shift).

Photo 7. Now let's go further along the combat position. As I already said, each division was on combat duty for the protection of the airspace of the USSR for a month, and the second month it rested, or rather, carried out maintenance work, personnel training, deployment-folding exercises (part was mobile, that is, everything was on wheels and in time, if memory serves, it was supposed to turn around in 4 hours from the moment of arrival at the point to the ability to carry out combat duty.During their service, they went to such exercises several times within Karelia and once to the largest air defense training ground in Kazakhstan (Saryshagan), though without their own equipment (the exercises were held on equipment that was already at the training ground).

This is the most important missile guidance station. It created a beam along which the rocket went, and the task of the combat crew was to keep the target. Manually! These are modern air defense systems that operate fully on automation, and then everything depended on the operators. Therefore, even in the 80s, the S-75 was considered the most reliable. And of course, only the officers performed the most responsible work. Yes, and all the equipment worked on lamps, like TVs of that time. Some lamps were larger than a human head! And how much copper was in them !!! But then they were lying around useless, color fever will come a little later ...

Better photo from internet

Photo 8. The guidance calculation was engaged in this. I was listed in the support calculation, which included, in addition to my cockpit, another radar station, which actually detected the aircraft (in fact, it was also a backup in case of autonomous operation of the division - all data on the aircraft came from the command post, where there were more powerful and modern radars ).

Photo 30.
In the photo, it’s just me and the radar operator Roma Buchma from Ukraine.

In general, I should have been in his place, since before the Army in Tallinn, from the military registration and enlistment office, I studied for three months as a radar operator and a tablet operator (this is the one who marks targets on a transparent stand, who watched "Return move", will remember this moment.

We taught in Tallinn on Lai Street right in the old town (here, see photo. First floor, windows to the right of the entrance).

We lived in a hotel. They also accrued 50% of the salary, at that time I was already working! It was a very fun time

This is how this very radar station looked from the side (photo from the Internet), which I did not get to. A machine with a rotating antenna and next to it is always a hardware one. All based on "Ural". Beast machine. I had a chance to ride on the exercises behind the wheel.

When they told me that I would not serve on the radar station, I was upset. Three months in vain studied chtoli. But my mentor from Odessa, whom I had to urgently replace, since he was about to be demobilized, told me that I would have the most thieves service of all conscripts. And the heaviest thing you will lift, he said with Odessa humor, is this metal mug with tea. A little later, I realized what he was talking about. True, all the same, there was one position more abruptly than mine. This is the personal driver of the division commander. But I doubt that, apart from the mug, he did not lift anything heavier.

There was also such a monstrous altimeter antenna at our support position. Determined the height of the target. The most headache of officers. Too capricious, very often broke down. Still, what mechanism can withstand waving such an antenna up and down for a long time. I took this photo from the height of my antenna with burdocks, I specially climbed for this.

Photo 9.

By the way, my antenna looked like this from the side (photo from the Internet)

And the last cabin attached to our calculation. She is the most modern and secret. It was surrounded by a double row of barbed wire, and only one officer assigned to it had the right to enter it.

This is a "requestor" friend or foe. That is, according to especially secret algorithms, the equipment requested the target from all the aircraft that the radar caught, in order to belong to their own. If there was no answer, then the target is enemy and you can shoot it down. Now I understand why this car was so secret?

Photo 10. And this is our position with combat missiles, taken again from my antenna. Oh, and it would fly to me from the officers if I were caught doing this. On the right side of the photo you can see the edge of one of the "plates".

Here is an approximate diagram of the starting positions of the S-75 division. In the middle is always a command post and underground bunkers for personnel in case of bombing. People lived there for the whole month while they were on combat duty. They even brought food to them. It is this circle that is barely visible in the first satellite photo.

Photo 11.
And here is the launcher itself. Its maintenance was carried out by "starters". These guys were not lucky, they were chased in the tail and in the mane. Each calculation had to charge such a rocket that the TZM-ka (transport loading machine) would bring in a matter of seconds. Each number had its own duty, like in a Formula 1 team at the pitstop. Only to place such a healthy combat missile is not for you to change 4 wheels. They jumped like acrobats in a circus.

And their duty was to maintain the missiles, including the removal of snow from the entire starting position. And the snow in Karelia was then heaps! In general, the guys from the Army came with awesomely pumped health. We, the inhabitants of the cabins, "starters" jokingly contemptuously (but probably with envy in our souls), called hemorrhoids

Photo 12. These are spare missiles

And yet they had to be protected. Day and night! This was done by the guards. In it, each department was obliged to allocate soldiers, who, of course, were exempted from their other military duties for the duration of guard duty. In the forest at night it was not very pleasant to stand at the post for two hours. There was a case, one of us opened fire with a fright, it turned out that the beast. But it turned out later, though they didn’t want to take out such rubbish from the hut. They wrote it off as real encroachers on the military unit, and the guy was given a vacation home for this.

Photo 13. Another anecdotal incident was related to the flight of Mathias Rust across the border in the Kohtla-Järve region and the landing of his sports plane on Red Square a year before I went to serve.

It happened on May 28, and on that day there was a subbotnik in each air defense unit, and the so-called PVN (visual observation point) was built at the combat position in the center, where soldiers were supposed to be on duty day and night. At this point, there was a DShK heavy machine gun and signs with silhouettes of light aircraft of various models were placed. The bottom line is to identify the enemy in a low-flying target and open fire on it. Here is such an air defense.

Photo 14.

Photo 15. For the entire service, except for a couple of dismissals and home leave, I saw civilians in the unit itself only once. They were mushroom pickers with drooping jaws. Still, you are walking in a dense forest, and then suddenly this! The inscription on the pillar - "Stop shooting. Stop, danger zone"

Photo 16. The guys from the guard lent equipment to take pictures. I myself have defended only once in quarantine on the nightstand in my entire service. On this all my "outfits" and ended. So it was a sin to complain about the service

Photo 25.

Photo 17. True, another problem appeared - too much free time. It was especially gloomy when the division was not on combat duty and after 5 pm everyone went to the barracks. So he had fun as much as he could.

Photo 18. I learned to play chess well (on the left, the teacher, a guy from Ukraine, could play without looking at the board).

Photo 19 Still cut friends. Yes, yes, the unit did not have its own hairdresser, so who was capable of what. They say it turned out not bad, even the officers at first began to go to me, but I brushed it off - I began to hack on purpose. I was also very sorry that I could not unfasten my head and cut it the way I needed

Photo 21.
By the way, they say the gypsies did not serve in the Soviet Army. Lies! Alyosha Shashkov, second from the left, is the purest gypsy, a great cheerful guy. The third from the left is my only sidekick, with whom he maintained relations even after the Army, not counting, of course, the Narva colleague, this goes without saying. He lived right on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, two years after the demobilization, he was poisoned by carbon monoxide from a gas column to death.

Photo 22.
In the middle is the same secret from Tallinn. In general, we had only two pure Estonians in the unit. One quit almost as soon as I got into the unit, and he served ... as a pigsty. With part of their pigs were, so he was engaged in them. Then another farmer, only from Ukraine, took his place. The second Estonian appeared in the unit after a year and a half of my service. I didn't even see him. A couple of days after his appearance, my mother arrived, supposedly on a date, and agreed with the taxi driver in advance that he would drive up to the unit at night. By tradition, on the day of the visit, a soldier is allocated a room with the opportunity to spend the night. So instead of spending the night, mom took her son away. It was already 1990 and all this talk about secession. Naturally, things never came to the dizbat that shone on the young fighter. Yes, he was simply not even found in Estonia, although they were looking for it. A special representative traveled from the unit to Estonia.

Photo 23.
In general, two hefty guys from Lithuania and two from Kaliningrad also served from the Baltic states (in the photo they are standing with their "spirits"). Kaliningraders served as drivers and thanks to them I learned to ride all kinds of wheeled vehicles.

Photo 26

Photo 24.
There were especially many guys from Kazakhstan. Great guys. Here is Sergeant Bekbulatov, a funny kid with inimitable plasticity and a sense of humor from my draft. He rose to the rank of chief diesel operator.

Photo 27.
The first on the left is the most countryman of all countrymen. Petruha Kozyrev from Narva. He was in charge of wire communications. So for 2 years all communication on the "Quadratura" was based on Narva!

Photo 28.
And another way to kill free time

Photo 29.
And maybe so

Photo 31.
One of the main skills acquired in the Army is the ability to play the guitar. It was purchased by many, but I also inherited a guitar, subsequently painted with the names and murals of my entire call. In the photo, she and the land from Narva.

Photo 32.

Photo 33.
100 days to order lined with dandelions

Photo 34.
A party about the release of the demobilization order. Pictured is my call. The top row, with the exception of one Moldavian, is solid Ukraine. The bottom in the middle are the same two Lithuanians. Naturally, they were the most important starters. Together, without TZM-ki, they could grab a spare rocket, bring it to the starting position and put it on the launcher (just kidding)

Photo 35.

Photo 36

Photo 37.

And I’ll add a little more about the landfill in Kazakhstan. Just before the demobilization, we were loaded into a letter train with warm cars and went with the whole division to the shooting range, where we had a chance to see the launch and flight of these beauties. Photo from the Internet.

Other systems were fired there, up to the most modern S-300s. But only ours, s-75, started so spectacularly. Baba, a second and rockets are no longer visible. Shooting was carried out at real targets - remotely controlled blanks simulating an airplane.

We shot at 5-ku, I remember the officers were very pleased, so much so that half of the demobilizations were sent home directly from the training ground.

Well, now a photo from a trip 29 years after demobilization. I’ll tell everyone who still doubts whether or not to go where they served. Ride for sure! Just take with you preferably an old reliable friend. Not only will you get a huge charge of nostalgia at the very end point, but there will also be something to remember along the way. I also brought home a piece of brick from the checkpoint and a piece of radio tube

Photo 1. Some photos on the way there

Photo 2.

Photo 3. The village of Vilga and the memorial erected to rocketmen, including those who defended the sky back in World War II

Photo 4.

Photo 5.

Photo 6.

Photo 7.

Photo 8.

Photo 9.

Photo 10.

Photo 11. And now what is left of my part. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the road along which I had to get. It was not easy, at first I had to return, because it was impossible to drive, and if it were not for my faithful companion, who cheered me up in difficult times, I would have spit on the idea of ​​​​getting to a point by car, which is not at all intended for extreme roads. But in the end we found a more convenient check-in and just 40 minutes after the highway we were at the place where I repaid my debt to the Motherland for two long years. As they said then "The army is two pages torn at the most interesting place from the book of life". Maybe so it is, but I do not regret anything. And this trip stirred up a lot of memories, and only positive ones!

Remember the photo with the smoking room at the beginning of the story? Here you can see these birch trees with painted trunks. They grew right under the windows of the soldiers' barracks. In total, there were three barracks at the point. One for soldiers, one for officers and their families, the third is a canteen with a club. Plus, its own bathhouse and a stoker, which heated all this simple household in the winter.

Photo 12. This is all that remains of the barracks

Photo 13.

Photo 14.

Photo 15.

Photo 16. It is amazing how nature for 25 years (the division moved out in 1992) destroyed almost all traces of this military town.

Photo 17. And this miracle is a huge overgrown meadow with wild strawberries, which, apparently, were grown by their wives near the officers' barracks. Small but tasty. We even ate! So part thanked their guests!

Photo 18.

Photo 19.

Photo 20. And along this path to the dining room three times a day with a song "Protecting the Motherland, not knowing any barriers, menacing rockets look into the sky and soldiers stand at the remote control. People know, people understand, the menacing look of a combat rocket and when the rocket men walk, the sky above the earth turns blue" soldiers and sergeants marched. There was nothing left of the dining room.

Photo 21. These places are popular only with hunters. "Stalkers" have nothing to do here for a long time.

Photo 22. Checkpoint. A soldier was usually on duty in this booth, only if infrequent distinguished guests were expected. No one else went to us and it was pointless to sit there to no avail.

Photo 23.

Photo 24. The photo shows steel sheets that covered the ditch with cables that went to the center of the starting position.

Photo 25.

Photo 26. Little that remains of the underground dwelling.

Photo 27. And this is the place that I most wanted to find and found with great difficulty. Here was my cabin, here I spent two years. And I found it only thanks to this conspicuous boulder, which I climbed to get off in a big way, I apologize for the details.

Photo 28. Iron rope, which fastened the mast with antennas.

Photo 29 But before that, we remembered a little army art. My friend served in the Far East, accompanied wagons with military cargo. He now has heaps of these pistols ... A joke about pistols, of course. Truth about security

Photo 30.

Photo 31. Results

Photo 32. Air defense defeats infantry! Who said there that they never held weapons in their hands in air defense?

Photo 33 Five minutes and the heat is collected.

Photo 34.

Photo 35.

Photo 36.

Photo 37.

Photo 38. Water procedures in the morning and on the way back. But before that, we will stop by Petrozavodsk. This will be a separate post.

Photo 39.

Photo 40. And I still can't keep silent about the roads in Karelia. The federal highway is simply amazing. Yes, and the one that comes from the other side Lake Ladoga in great condition! So go to Karelia in the summer to relax, you won't regret it!

Photo 41.

Photo 42.

Photo 43.

Thank you for your attention!

At the end, I want to remember the words from a song that you will not find on the Internet. Unfortunately, there is no guitar at hand to sing it. It was written by the guys from my draft from the command post "Vilga" (there were especially many iron cabins and their inhabitants) and became the first in my repertoire of songs with a guitar.

All day on your feet
730 days in boots
You forgot all the smells of wine
You are a resident of iron cabins

You get up from the song of the sirens
Forests enchanted captivity
Readiness you hear again
The order came to fight

And only your mother is waiting for you at home
When you get back
Raise a glass of vintage wine
For the inhabitants of the iron cabins

And this is a video showing what is left of the command post in "Vilga"

This is the commander of my division (when I retired, I was a lieutenant colonel) in our time with his wife.

And this is the most beautiful woman in the division, the wife of one of the officers and part-time was a saleswoman in our shop. Many went to the store just to look at it. Also a more or less modern photo:

And now the promised story about the downed scout with the S-75 complex:

"Black Saturday", October 27, 1962 - the day when the world was closest to a global nuclear war.

More than half a century ago, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began sending U-2 high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft equipped with photographic equipment specially designed for their needs into the airspace of the USSR. These flights lasted almost 4 years and, in the end, became the cause of a serious international crisis, which, in fact, led to their termination. In many ways, it was the flights over the territory of the USSR by American spy planes that gave a great impetus to the development of domestic air defense systems, which to this day remain the best in the world. Then, at the turn of the 50-60s of the last century, the main enemy for high-altitude American reconnaissance aircraft was the S-75 Dvina air defense system, which closed the Soviet sky for them.

U-2 flight history

For the first time, American aircraft began photographic and electronic monitoring of Soviet territory as early as the end of 1946. The beginning of these flights coincided with the beginning of the Cold War and, of course, was not accidental. Initially, such aircraft took off only from Alaska and flew along Soviet land and sea lines. At the same time, as the confrontation between the two countries intensified, the US Department of Defense increasingly insisted on the need for deep air reconnaissance of the territory of the USSR and its allies. Over time, such flights really began, but they led to heavy losses. A very large number of reconnaissance aircraft were shot down in Soviet airspace, a smaller part over the territory of the PRC and other states of the Soviet bloc. The total number of teams of lost aircraft was 252 people, while the fate of 138 pilots remained unknown.

Taking this into account, the CIA decided to sign an agreement with Lockheed to build a stratospheric reconnaissance aircraft. So on March 22, 1955, a formal contract was signed with the firm. According to this document, Lockheed was to build 20 aircraft at a total cost of $22 million. This amount did not include the cost of building jet engines, which were to be purchased by the Air Force, as well as photographic equipment, which the CIA planned to order separately. The terms of the contract were quite tough, the first Lockheed aircraft was supposed to be delivered in 4 months, no later than the end of July.

The implementation of this order has become a real technical epic, many of the details of which remain classified. For example, the fuel of those years for jet aircraft at an altitude of 20,000 meters began to boil and evaporate. Therefore, Shell urgently created aviation kerosene with stabilizing additives. Modifying Pratt & Whitney's J57 engines was no easy task either, and there were plenty of other problems. However, the first aircraft was still built by 15 July. It, like all subsequent aircraft, was built in the Californian city of Burbank.

Flight tests of the novelty took place at an extremely fast pace and in deep secrecy. The plane took off and landed on the bottom of a dry lake in the state of Nevada, located north of Las Vegas. A nuclear test site was located near this place, so the entire area around was closed. On July 29, 1955, a reconnaissance aircraft, flown by test pilot Tony Levier, rolled across the airfield for the first time. In September of the same year, he managed to climb to a height of 19,500 meters. And at the end of 1956 he managed to climb more than 22 kilometers. On May 1 of the same year, the disassembled U-2 was transported to the English airbase Lakenheath, where the aircraft was reassembled and prepared for flights.

The UK is a fairly densely populated country, so it was obvious that an unusual aircraft would be quickly noticed. For this reason, even before the first U-2 flights over the countries of the Warsaw Pact began, the American intelligence services carried out a large-scale camouflage operation. NASA Director Hugh Dryden announced on May 7 that Lockheed has begun production of a super-high-altitude aircraft that will be used to study the ozone layer, cosmic rays and stratospheric air currents. Later general public reported that the new aircraft had been incorporated into the UK-based 1st Weather Observing Squadron. It was also reported that such aircraft would fly to "other regions of the globe." Of course, not a word was said about the USSR.

In 1956, the Soviet air force and air defense units did not yet have fighters that could climb to a height of 20,000 meters, at which the U-2 flew, nor air defense systems that could get them there. The very first missions confirmed the invulnerability of the aircraft. The ability of the aircraft to fly without interference in the Moscow sky was even proven. In 1956, American spy planes carried out a number of flights over the USSR. In particular, 2 flights took place on July 9, another one took place on July 10. On the same day, the USSR officially sent a note of protest to the United States and President Eisenhower ordered that all U-2 raids over Soviet territory be stopped for a while. They were resumed only in June 1957, and this time the flights were carried out not in the western part of the USSR, but in the Far East.

In total, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft penetrated the airspace of the USSR 24 times. The last such raid, called Mission 4154, took place on May 1, 1960. This flight was personally authorized by President Eisenhower, who at the same time gave the order after May 1 not to fly over the territory of the USSR. As a result, the previously invulnerable U-2 aircraft was shot down by a Soviet anti-aircraft missile in the Sverdlovsk region, and its pilot Powers safely parachuted down and was captured, which Khrushchev officially announced on May 7th.

As a result, Soviet-American relations once again underwent a crisis, which caused the cancellation of an international meeting with the participation of the leaders of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France, which was to be held in Paris on May 16. The pilot of the downed U-2 remained imprisoned in the USSR until February 19, 1962, when he was exchanged for the Soviet intelligence officer William Fisher, who was known as Rudolf Abel.

In just 4 years of flying over the territory of the USSR, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft photographed 3 million 370 thousand square meters. meters of Soviet territory or about 15% of the total area of ​​the country. A total of 392 thousand meters of film was filmed, which is still stored in the archives of the CIA. The value of this aircraft is confirmed at least by the fact that in 1962 it was they who confirmed the preparation of starting positions for Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba. Currently, modern modifications of the U-2S and TU-2S aircraft continue to be in service with the US Air Force. It is assumed that they will be decommissioned only by 2023. Design is also ongoing for a new generation of Astor radar,
which is used on these reconnaissance aircraft.

SAM S-75 "Dvina"

The S-75 Dvina air defense missile system (according to NATO codification - SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet mobile anti-aircraft missile system. The main developer of the air defense system was NPO Almaz (general designer A. A. Raspletin), and the rocket developer was MKB Fakel (general designer P. D. Grushin). The complex was put into service in 1957. The S-75 air defense system could destroy targets at ranges up to 43 km, in the altitude range from 0.5 to 30 km, with speeds up to 2,300 km/h. Since the moment it was put into service, this complex has been constantly improved. Its latest modifications are capable of destroying targets flying at speeds up to 3,700 km/h.

The S-75 air defense system occupies a special place among domestic air defense systems, it was this complex that became the first to be transported. He was the first in the world to take part in real combat operations and opened an account of downed enemy aircraft. It was from the S-75 complex that the deliveries of domestic air defense systems abroad began. ZRK-75 has become the most used complex in the history of the air defense forces around the world. This complex in various modifications was in service with more than 40 countries. For the entire time of its release, about 800 divisions of this complex were exported. The C-75 was also produced in China under license, where it was called Hongqi-1 (HQ-1) and Hongqi-2 (HQ-2).

In many ways, the initial success of the complex is associated with its main weapon - an anti-aircraft missile, which was designed in Grushin's design bureau. Choice of main technical solutions according to the SAM, which received the designation 1D, was largely determined by the appearance of the electronic part of the S-75 air defense system. For example, the use of a narrowly directed antenna for transmitting commands to a missile, rigidly connected to the block of the main antennas of the guidance station oriented towards an air target, predetermined the use of an inclined launch of a missile from launchers deployed towards the target.

To carry out such a launch, the rocket had to have a very good initial thrust-to-weight ratio, which could only be provided by a solid propellant rocket engine (RDTT). On the contrary, during a relatively long subsequent flight to the target, the requirements for thrust values ​​were an order of magnitude smaller. In addition, high engine efficiency was required here. In those years, only a liquid-propellant rocket engine (LRE) met these conditions. So it was decided to use a two-stage rocket scheme, which was equipped with a solid propellant rocket engine operating at the start, and a liquid propellant rocket engine that worked on the marching section. This scheme made it possible to provide the rocket with a high average speed, and hence the ability to hit an air target in a timely manner.

In order to determine the aerodynamic scheme of the rocket, the designers created original calculation methods. They took into account the requirements for the effective operation of the stabilization system, the necessary maneuverability of the rocket (the use of a radio command targeting system was allowed) and the control loop, as well as obtaining minimal aerodynamic drag. As a result, for the first time in the USSR, a normal aerodynamic scheme was used for missiles. At the same time, destabilizers were installed in front of the anti-aircraft missile, which increased its maneuverability, and also made it possible to adjust the stock of its static stability during the debugging process.

The use of the normal scheme made it possible to realize in practice higher aerodynamic characteristics in comparison with the "duck" scheme. For such a scheme, it was not even necessary to use the ailerons - the roll control of the missile defense system was carried out using the differential deflection of the rudders. In turn, sufficient static stability and high thrust-to-weight ratio of the anti-aircraft missile at the launch site ensured a delay in yaw and pitch control up to the separation of the booster. At the same time, in order to prevent unacceptable drift of the axes of on-board instruments at the launch site, the rocket was stabilized in roll. For this, a pair of stabilizer consoles located in one of the planes had ailerons.

The air defense system consisted of a guidance radar, a two-stage anti-aircraft missile, as well as 6 launchers, power supplies and transport-loading vehicles. It was from the S-75 air defense system that the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down. On May 1, 1960, the Americans decided to fly over Red Square during the May Day parade. The plane under the control of Powers came from Central Asia. At the same time, the USSR air defense radar system was inextricably following the aircraft, and N. S. Khrushchev was personally reported on the route of his flight directly to the podium of the mausoleum. Near Sverdlovsk, the plane entered the zone of operation of the air defense system and was shot down. A pair of MiG-17 fighters were raised to intercept it. By an unfortunate coincidence, one of these aircraft was also shot down by a S-75 missile, while the pilot died.

The S-75 complex played a very important role in the formation and development of all guided missile air defense systems of the USSR. It became the only air defense system in the world that successfully performed the function of providing air defense during large-scale hostilities (Vietnam, Egypt). Currently, like the U-2 aircraft, it continues to be in service with a number of states.

Air defense is a special set of measures that are aimed at repelling any air threat. As a rule, this is an air attack of the enemy. The Russian air defense system is divided into the following types:

• Military air defense. This is a special kind of NE of Russia. The air defense troops of the Russian ground forces are the most numerous type of air defense in Russia;
• Objective air defense, which since 1998 became part of the Russian Air Force, and since 2009-2010 are aerospace defense brigades;
• Shipborne air defense or air defense system navy. Air defense missiles, which are armed with ship-based air defense systems (for example, the Storm air defense system), are capable of not only protecting ships from enemy air attacks, but also hitting surface ships.

as a special holiday for the military, who were related to the country's air defense. Then the day of air defense was celebrated on April 11. Since 1980, Air Defense Day in the USSR has been celebrated every second Sunday in April.

In 2006, by a special Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 31, Air Defense Day was officially declared a memorable day. The holiday is also celebrated every second Sunday in April.

The history of the emergence of air defense forces in Russia

The need for the appearance of anti-aircraft artillery was recognized at the end of the 19th century. In 1891, the first firing at air targets took place, which were used as balloons and balloons. Artillery showed that it could quite successfully deal with stationary air targets, although firing at moving targets was unsuccessful.

In 1908-1909, experimental firing at moving targets took place, as a result of which it was decided that in order to successfully combat aviation, it was necessary to create a special gun designed to fire at moving air targets.

In 1914, the Putilov Plant manufactured four 76 mm guns, which were intended to fight enemy aircraft. These guns were moved on special trucks. Despite this, before the start of the First World War, Russia was completely unprepared for combat with an air enemy. Already in the autumn of 1914, the command had to urgently form special artillery units, the main task of which was to fight enemy aircraft.

In the USSR, the first air defense units, consisting of searchlight companies and machine gun installations, took part for the first time in a military parade on May 1, 1929. By the parade of 1930, the air defense forces were replenished with anti-aircraft artillery, which moved in cars:

• Anti-aircraft guns of 76 mm caliber;
• Machine gun installations;
• Projector installations;
• Soundproof installations.

Air Defense Forces during World War II

Second World War demonstrated the importance of aviation. The ability to deliver swift air strikes has become one of the keys to the success of military operations. The state of the USSR air defense before the start of the Second World War was far from perfect and was completely unsuitable for repelling massive German air raids. Although before the start of the Second World War, the Soviet command devoted a lot of time and money to the development of air defense systems, these troops were completely unprepared to repel modern German aircraft.

The entire first half of the Second World War is characterized by huge losses of Soviet troops precisely because of enemy air raids. The ground forces of the USSR did not have the necessary air defense system at all. The defense of the corps from air attacks was carried out by the regular number of air defense systems, which were represented by the following fire weapons per 1 km of the front:

• 2 anti-aircraft guns;
• 1 heavy machine gun;
• 3 anti-aircraft quadruple installations.

In addition to the fact that these guns were clearly not enough, there was a huge need for fighter aircraft at the front. The air surveillance, warning and communications system was in its infancy, and did not cope with the tasks assigned to them at all. For a long time, the troops did not even have their own means of this type. To carry out these functions, it was planned to strengthen the army with VNOS radio companies. These companies did not at all correspond to the technical development of German aviation, since they could only detect enemy aircraft visually. Such detection was possible only at a distance of 10-12 km, and modern German aircraft covered such a distance in 1-2 minutes.

The domestic theory of the development of air defense troops before the start of the Second World War did not make any serious emphasis on the development of this group of troops. Based on the dogmas of this theory, the air defense forces, no matter how highly developed they are, are not able to provide full protection of the front from enemy air raids. In any case, small groups of the enemy will still be able to fly and destroy the target. That is why the command of the USSR did not pay serious attention to the air defense forces, and the construction of air defense was based on the fact that air defense systems would distract the enemy, enabling aviation to join the battle.

In any case, the fighter aviation of the USSR in the first years of the war was not able to give any serious rebuff to enemy aircraft, which is why German pilots in those years staged a real entertaining "hunt" for ground targets.

Realizing their mistakes, the Soviet command concentrated its efforts on the development of air defense systems, placing special emphasis on improving fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery.

The development of air defense after the end of the Second World War

In 1946, a new era began in the development of the air defense forces - a new department was created, whose task was to test anti-aircraft missiles. During the 1947-1950s, this department, which was located at the Kapustin Yar training ground, tested German anti-aircraft missiles, while supervising the development of Soviet-made anti-aircraft missiles. Until 1957, this committee was engaged in testing domestically developed anti-aircraft unguided missiles.

In 1951, tests of anti-aircraft missiles became so large-scale that it was necessary to create a special range for testing anti-aircraft missiles. This test site was formed on June 6, 1951. Rocket testers from all over the country were sent to this test site as personnel.

The first launch of a guided anti-aircraft missile took place at this test site in 1951. In 1955, the first in the USSR anti-aircraft missile system S-25 "Berkut" was adopted by the Air Defense Forces, which remained in service until the 90s.

In the period from 1957 to 1961, a new S-75 mobile anti-aircraft missile system was developed and put into service. This air defense system for 30 years remained the main weapon of the Soviet air defense forces. In the future, the S-75 air defense system received many modifications and was supplied as military assistance to friendly countries. It was the S-75 anti-aircraft missile system that shot down the American U-2 aircraft in 1960 near Sverdlovsk. During the Vietnam War, the S-75 air defense system, which was supplied as military aid to Vietnam, shot down many American aircraft. According to the most rough estimates, this air defense system destroyed more than 1,300 units of American aircraft of various systems.

In 1961, the new S-125 short-range anti-aircraft missile system was adopted. This air defense system proved to be so effective that it is still in service with Russian air defense. During the Arab-Israeli wars, the S-125 complex was able to destroy several dozen supersonic aircraft owned by the US and Israel.

The Great Patriotic War showed that air defense systems have great prospects. The development of air defense in the second half of the 20th century was carried out in the right direction, which was repeatedly proved in the course of numerous Arab-Israeli conflicts. The tactics of using air defense systems were now based on completely different principles. New air defense systems had the following characteristics:

• Mobility of anti-aircraft missile systems;
• The suddenness of their use, for which they carefully disguised themselves;
• General survivability and maintainability of air defense systems.

To date, the basis of anti-aircraft weapons of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation are the following complexes and systems:

• S-300V. This system is capable of effectively protecting troops not only from enemy aircraft, but also from ballistic missiles. This system could fire two types of missiles, one of which was ground-to-ground;
• "Buk-M1". This complex was developed in the 90s, and it was put into service in 1998;
• "Tor-M1". This system is able to independently control the designated airspace;
• OSA-AKM. This SAM system is very mobile;
• "Tunguska-M1", which was put into service in 2003.

All these systems are developments of well-known Russian designers and not only absorbed all the best qualities of their predecessors, but also equipped with modern electronics. These complexes effectively protect troops from all types of air attacks, thereby providing reliable cover for the army.

At various military exhibitions, domestic anti-aircraft missile systems not only are not inferior to foreign counterparts, but also surpass them in a number of parameters, ranging from range to power.

The main prospects for the modern development of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces

The main areas in which the development of modern air defense forces is directed are:

• Change and reorganization of all structures, one way or another connected with air defense. The main task of the reorganization is the maximum use of all the resources and combat power of the missile weapons that are now entering service. Another task of paramount importance is to establish the maximum interaction of the air defense forces with other groups of troops of the Russian army;
• Development of a new generation of weapons and military equipment that will be able to fight not only existing means of air attack, but also the latest developments in the field of hypersonic technologies;
• Change and improvement of the personnel training system. Particular attention should be paid to changing the training program, because it has not changed for many years, although new air defense systems have long been adopted.

The priority is still the planned development of the latest air defense models, the modernization of older models and the complete replacement of obsolete air defense systems. Generally, modern system Air defense is developing in accordance with the words of the famous Marshal Zhukov, who said that only a powerful military air defense system is capable of repelling sudden enemy attacks, thereby making it possible Armed Forces engage in full scale combat.

Modern air defense systems and air defense systems in the Russian air defense forces

One of the main air defense systems that are in service with the air defense forces is the S-300V system. This system is capable of hitting air targets at a distance of up to 100 km. Already in 2014, the S-300V air defense systems began to be gradually replaced by a new system, which was called the S-300V4. New system improved in all respects, it is an improved modification of the S-300V, differing from it in an increased range, a more reliable design, which is distinguished by improved protection against radio interference. The new system is able to deal more effectively with all types of air targets that appear within its range.

The next most popular complex is the Buk air defense system. Since 2008, a modification of the complex, called the Buk-M2, has been in service with the air defense forces. This air defense system can simultaneously hit up to 24 targets, and the range of hitting targets reaches 200 km. Since 2016, the Buk-M3 complex has been adopted, which is a model made on the basis of the Buk-M2 and seriously modified.

Another popular air defense system is the TOR complex. In 2011, a new modification of the air defense system, called the TOR-M2U, began to enter service. This modification has the following differences from the base model:

• She can conduct reconnaissance on the move;
• Fire at 4 air targets at once, thereby providing an all-round defeat.

The latest modification is called "Tor-2". Unlike previous models of the TOR family, this modification has a 2-fold increase in ammunition and is capable of firing on the move, ensuring the complete safety of troops on the march.

In addition, Russian air defense systems also have man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems. The ease of training and use of this type of weapon makes it a serious problem for air force enemy. Since 2014, new MANPADS "Verba" began to enter the air defense units of the Ground Forces. Their use is justified when you have to operate in conditions of powerful optical interference, which hinder the operation of powerful automatic air defense systems.

At present, the share of modern air defense systems in the air defense forces is about 40 percent. The latest Russian air defense systems have no analogues in the world, and are capable of providing complete protection against sudden air attacks.