First World War significantly accelerated further development military aviation. Ample capabilities were confirmed on the battlefields combat use aircraft: first for reconnaissance and adjustment of artillery fire, and then for hitting ground and air targets. By the end of the First World War, Russian military aviation had transformed from an auxiliary means of reconnaissance and communications into an independent branch of the ground forces, which included reconnaissance, fighter and bomber aircraft. At the final stage of the war, the air force took part in all major front-line and army operations and provided significant influence on the nature of hostilities.
The Soviet Air Force was created together with the Red Army. In the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs, on December 20, 1917, the All-Russian Collegium for the Management of the Air Fleet of the Republic was established, which was entrusted with the management of the formation of aviation units, central and local directorates of the Air Fleet, the preservation and preservation of aviation property, the training of aviation personnel, and the organization of logistics. During the demobilization of the old army, only 33 aviation detachments were preserved. By December 1920, the Air Force had 83 air squadrons, including 18 naval ones. Total in years Civil War Up to 350 Soviet aircraft operated simultaneously on the fronts.
After the end of the Civil War, aviation enterprises were restored and partially expanded in a short period of time, and the production of aircraft of domestic designs was established. In 1924-1933, I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5 fighters, R-3 reconnaissance aircraft, and TB-1 and TB-3 heavy bombers entered service. In the 1930s, I-15, I-16, I-153 fighters, SB, DB-3 (DB-Zf) bombers were put into service. In 1940-1941, serial production of new Yak-1, MiG-3, LaGG-3 fighters, Pe-2, Pe-8 bombers, and Il-2 attack aircraft began.
The organizational structure of the Air Force was improved. In 1924, the squadron became the main organizational unit in the Air Force; in 1927, the formation of aviation brigades began; in 1933, aviation corps of heavy bomber aviation were created, and in 1936-1938, operational formations of heavy bomber aviation (three special-purpose armies). In 1939-1940, the Air Force was transferred from a brigade organization to a regimental and divisional one.
By June 1941, the USSR Air Force had 79 aviation divisions and five aviation brigades, and 19 aviation regiments armed with new types of aircraft had been formed. The Air Force had 53.4% fighter aircraft, 41.4% bombers and attack aircraft, 3.2% reconnaissance aircraft, and 2% transport aircraft.
In the first days of the Great Patriotic War Soviet aviation suffered significant losses. In difficult conditions, measures were taken to strengthen the Air Force, rebuild the aviation industry, and train aviation personnel. IN short time managed to significantly increase the power of the Soviet Air Force. By mid-summer 1943, Soviet aviation had firmly gained strategic air supremacy.
During the war years, the Soviet Air Force carried out about 3,125 thousand combat sorties and inflicted great damage on the enemy in manpower and equipment. IN air battles and 57 thousand enemy aircraft were destroyed at airfields.
In the post-war period, there was a transition from piston aircraft to jet aircraft, and improvements continued organizational structure parts and connections. One of the components of strategic nuclear forces became long-range aviation, the basis of which was supersonic missile carriers. Front-line aviation was equipped with supersonic all-weather fighters, fighter-bombers, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, combat and transport helicopters capable of performing various tasks using conventional and nuclear weapons.
Military transport aviation has been re-equipped with turboprop aircraft (An-12) with large payload and flight range. Army aviation received various types of helicopters (Mi-4, Mi-6, Mi-8).
Modern military aviation, according to its purpose and the tasks it solves, is divided into long-range, military transport, operational-tactical and army aviation, which include bomber, attack, fighter, reconnaissance, transport and special aviation.
Aviation has repeatedly proven its courage in battles, defending our Motherland from the enemy. As a sign of respect for the exploits of military pilots, in memory of those who died in the performance of their duty and the formation of an honorable image military service It is customary for the civilian population, including young people in Russia, to celebrate Air Force Day every year.
Until 1997, military pilots did not have their own holiday and celebrated Air Fleet Day, which was established in 1933, together with civilian aviators. From 1933 to 1972 it was celebrated on August 18. The holiday was timed to coincide with the end of the summer period of combat training of the military air forces, which made it possible to combine the holiday with a number of competitions in aviation technology, aerobatics, fire and tactical training.
The first celebration of Air Fleet Day took place on August 18, 1933. On this day in Moscow, at the Central Airfield named after M.V. Frunze (on the territory of Khodynka Field) an aviation festival was held, during which samples of Soviet aviation technology, the skill and courage of aviators were shown. From this day on, August 18 became a national holiday, however, despite the fact that the Day of the “entire” Air Fleet was declared, that is, all aviation of the USSR, including aviation of the Navy, Civil Air Fleet, Defense Assistance Society, Aviation and Chemical construction of the USSR (Osoaviakhim), etc., the Air Force of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), both in numbers and in the variety of tasks performed, played a leading role in this holiday.
Since 1935, air parades dedicated to the USSR Air Fleet Day have been held in Tushino on weekends, i.e. were not strictly tied to the day of August 18, but were sometimes postponed to another day or even canceled due to weather conditions. Even during the Great Patriotic War, the country celebrated USSR Air Fleet Day, but air parades were not held.
In the period from 1947 to 1961, Air Fleet Day was celebrated, as a rule, on one of the Sundays in July and was accompanied by an air parade in Tushino. Since 1962, the holiday has been celebrated without annual air parades on August 18, and since 1972 - on the third Sunday in August.
However, the tradition of holding air holidays dedicated to the USSR Air Fleet Day has been preserved at the regional (local) level. Every year, air holidays were held in Zhukovsky (by LII test pilots), Monino, Kubinka and other aviation cities.
As the importance of the components of the USSR Air Fleet grew, USSR Civil Aviation Day (February 9), Navy Aviation Day (July 17), etc. appeared. In 1997, responding to requests from military aviators, the President of the Russian Federation established Air Force Day by decree.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources (additional
On September 28, 1992, the Russian authorities adopted a resolution “On the establishment of the Russian Air Fleet Day holiday.” It indicated that this event should be celebrated on the third Sunday in August - in 2016 this day fell on August 21.
A little history:
- On July 30, 1912, Emperor of the Russian Empire Nicholas II decided to form the country's first aviation unit. The old calendar was used back then. Therefore, when moving to new dates, the founding day of the air fleet was moved to August 12.
- On April 28, 1933, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decided to celebrate Aviation Day on August 18. The holiday was also called USSR Air Fleet Day.
- September 28, 1992 already Russian authorities decided to hold the celebrations on the third Sunday in August.
- On May 31, 2006, another decree appeared, which combined Air Force Day (August 12) with Russian Air Fleet Day. Since then, all festive events have been held at the end of August.
In 2016, the head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Alexander Neradko, spoke with congratulations:
Dear Colleagues! Dear veterans of civil, state and experimental aviation!
Air Fleet Day is a professional holiday for everyone who has connected their lives with the sky, controls aircraft in the air, ensures their flights on the ground, works to create new and improve existing winged machines, and prepares new generations of conquerors of the fifth ocean.
An aviator is not just a profession, it is a vocation to make the dream of flight inherent in every person come true.
On behalf of the Central Office of the Federal Air Transport Agency and on my own behalf, I cordially congratulate all Russian aviators and aviation enthusiasts on our common holiday! I sincerely wish you all good health, prosperity, new heights in service and at work, peaceful and clear skies, and good luck in all your endeavors!
In anticipation professional holiday On August 18, the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Maxim Sokolov presented state and departmental awards to civil aviation workers.
Festive events will take place today in different cities of Russia.
An air show from the Falcons of Russia took place in Khabarovsk. Numerous spectators were able to watch demonstration flights of SU-27, SU-35S, SU-30SM fighters and MiG-29 light front-line fighters. Figures aerobatics the Russian Falcons aerobatic team demonstrated at low altitude and high speeds. Paratroopers of special groups demonstrated jumps from low altitude. And the festive events continued with performances by dance and vocal groups.
In the sky in Perm will take place festive program"Airmania on Kama". The main event here will also be the performances of the pilots. Spectators will be able to see P-96 Golf, Cessna-172, LA-4, Flamingo, Vilga-35, Yak-52 and Yak-54 aircraft in the sky.
At the Irkutsk airport they decided to celebrate Russian Air Fleet Day with an exhibition of equipment. Visitors will be able to see the following aircraft models - AN-24, AN-26, AN-148, Sukhoi Superjet, CRJ-200. In addition, they will be shown several types of helicopters, as well as special ground equipment for servicing aircraft. Well, a festive concert will take place on the main stage of the city.
Legislative framework of modern Russian state provides for the celebration of all professional celebrations dedicated to a particular date, which is a historical milestone in a given field of human activity. The past of our Motherland is quite turbulent and controversial; over the centuries and decades, numerous invaders and conquerors have sought to conquer our freedom-loving people.
This is what formed a special view of the role of defenders of the Fatherland, who have always enjoyed love and sincere respect:
- Numerous annals, chronicles.
- Epics, traditional tales and legends.
- Later - literary documentaries and works of art,
- Creations of fine and monumental art.
- Masterpieces of cinema and numerous mass celebrations to honor the heroism of the people.
All this and beloved by all adults and children, even those who are completely far from military aviation, the annual Air Force Day is dedicated to our heroic aviators of the past and present. What date will it take place this year, 2016 and in the next few years? This and other details are of interest to most of our fellow countrymen and guests of the country.
A little about the history of aviation
The decree on Air Force Day was signed by the President of the Russian Federation in 1997, on August 29. The document with registration number 949 established the annual calendar date, regulations for the ceremonial and entertainment parts. In Russia it falls on August 12, that is, the second weekend of the last summer month. The past of the holiday began at the distant beginning of the last century. War Ministry Russian Empire received decree No. 397 of August 12, 1912, which placed on official duty the aeronautical unit subordinate to the Main Directorate of the General Staff.
The history of the Russian air fleet is quite short. But it was precisely in these short seven years - between the beginning of 1910 and the revolution that destroyed the empire in 1917 - that the foundation of today's Air Force was laid. Even then, the Imperial Aviation of Russia took a leading position in the world and gained significant weight in the development of air forces of global importance. The chronology is as follows:
- 1904 - the outstanding engineer Zhukovsky creates the Kashin Institute of Aerodynamics.
- 1910 - the first school of military pilots based on French biplanes was opened in the Moscow region.
- 1913 Sikorsky built the “Russian Knight” and “Ilya Muromets” - the first operational examples of a four-engine biplane and bomber.
- 1914 - Russian pilots carried out flights in search of the polar expedition of G. Sedov.
- 1917 The legendary Russian pilot P. Nesterov used a ram in the air. By the fall of this year, the Russian military department possessed only 700 combat flying units.
The role of the Air Force in modern conditions
Aviation and aerospace units are one of the branches of the Russian Armed Forces and today they perform the following tactical and strategic tasks:
- Conducting reconnaissance activities and monitoring groups of the alleged or actual enemy.
- Ensuring air supremacy.
- They carry out measures to protect against air strikes in important areas of the state and troop groups.
- Argument for forceful prevention of air attack.
- They destroy regions and property that is the basis of the enemy’s military economic potential.
- Provide air support to ground and naval forces.
- Air units are being landed.
- Transport troops and material resources by air.
- Assisting the army medical service in transporting specialists and equipment wounded to the rear of hostilities. The role of air hospitals in saving thousands of lives of military personnel, civilians, and children is well known.
Everyone is celebrating!
As mentioned above, hundreds of thousands of our compatriots are involved in the creation, maintenance and combat operation of the air fleet. Therefore, aircraft factories, design bureaus, testing grounds, bases, and airfields are located in different regions. Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Novosibirsk and Voronezh are honoring workers who create modern powerful machines with exceptional capabilities and military personnel who operate and maintain aircraft. The hero city of Moscow holds a large-scale parade and demonstration flights. Truly, this spectacle fascinates everyone. Children and adults, aviators and ordinary people will be delighted here.
Air Force Day 2016
Russian Air Force Day 2016 is a symbol of the feat of brave pilots, a time of reward for the courage of all those who dedicated their strength, and indeed their whole lives, to our air force. And even if this is a military holiday, are there people who dream of peace more than others than the defenders of the Motherland?
Air Force Day 2016: what date?
The Presidential Decree, signed on May 31, 2006, approves the time for celebrating Air Force Day. According to this document, the Day of the Russian Military Armed Forces falls on August 12. This time was not chosen by chance: it was on August 12, one hundred and two years ago, that the State of the Aeronautical Unit was created in the Russian Empire - the first air forces of the vast Empire. Russian Air Force Day, the date of celebration of which does not depend on the day of the week, that is, is not variable, is celebrated in air military units on a large scale. However, most of the various events designed to celebrate this solemn date are held on Russian Air Fleet Day, which always falls on a day off.
Happy Air Force Day, you will find
Air Force history
August 12, the date when Air Force Day 2016 will be celebrated throughout our vast country, was chosen with reason. It was on this significant day exactly 102 years ago that the Military Department of the Russian Empire issued a decree on the creation of the Aeronautical State - a special department responsible for managing the air forces under the control of the General Staff. This decree was preceded by a number of extraordinary circumstances.
The first milestone on the path to creating an air force should be considered the formation of the Aerodynamic Institute in Kuchino in 1904. Zhukovsky, the father of aerodynamics, began training pilots for the first aircraft of the Empire. However, several more years were to pass before the construction of its own military aircraft.
1910 is the date of a large purchase of aircraft in France. From that moment on, government training of pilots began, and the aircraft were placed at the disposal of the military forces.
Next significant date in the history of Russian aeronautics - 1913. Sikorsky, famous inventor, who had a huge influence on the development of aviation not only in Russia, but throughout the world, builds his famous aircraft - “Ilya Muromets” and “Russian Knight”. The history of Russian aircraft construction began with these aircraft.
The rapid development of the industry could not but affect the military forces. Airplanes become a full-fledged part of the state imperial army, first as a way of conducting reconnaissance, and then as an independent combat unit. Pilot Nestorov, a legend of world aviation, was the first to perform a combat air ram, which became an example of the courage of domestic pilots.
After the signing of the famous decree in 1912 on the creation of a special air unit, one could already safely talk about the presence of a full-fledged armed air force in the country.
Unfortunately, with October Revolution Since 1917, the development of aeronautics has seriously slowed down. However, already in the 30s of the last century, the country rapidly began to catch up with the rest of the world, which had gone ahead in this area. A sharp increase in the number of aircraft, the construction of pilot training schools, the design and construction of our own fighters and bombers - all this became the basis of today's Russian Air Force.
It finds its origins in the Russian Empire, which became its ancestor by purchasing aircraft from France. This became a prerequisite for the founding of flight schools, and then for the creation of military aviation. Until now, Russia pays tribute to the pilots who did not return from the battlefield, who achieved victory at the cost of their lives, and honors the military who underwent training and achieved success in their service. However, not everyone knows what date the Air Force holiday is, despite its state status. To clarify, we should look at history.
The birth of the celebration
Initially, August 12 can be considered. It was on this date in 1912 that Nicholas II signed a decree on the creation of the first aviation unit, which was part of the Main Directorate General Staff. Before this, aviation was part of and only with the signing of the Decree began to perform independent intelligence functions.
Why then does the question arise about what date is the Air Force holiday?
It must be remembered that Russia once had Soviet and post-Soviet space.
The first prerequisite for changing the date of the celebration was the creation of the workers' and peasants' Red Fleet in 1918.
Even then, the Bolsheviks got rid of all symbols and remnants that were reminiscent of the Russian Empire that once existed.
Let's start researching the topic. Air Force holiday, what date has it been approved since the times of the USSR?
In 1933, to match the new fleet, a new date for the celebration was chosen - August 18. The main reason for choosing the day was the combination of the celebration with the end of the summer combat training period and demonstration of the merits of aviation production. Now the holiday includes mandatory aeronautical competitions, aerobatics performances, and fire exercises.
The purpose of creating Air Force Day was to promote the development of socialism through the growth of aviation construction and the strengthening of air defense. However, it would be fair to note that the USSR fleet consisted of several aircraft, which means that they soon began to separate, demanding their own day of honor. This is how, for example, Civil Aviation Day appeared.
So, the question of when to celebrate the holiday remains open.
It is inevitable that the Air Force will join the general trend and petition for a separate show of respect.
In 1997, President Russian Federation, heeding the requests of military aviators and taking into account their merits, both in land and naval military operations, issues a decree recognizing Air Force Day and returning the historical date - August 12.
Now the question of what date the Air Force holiday seems to have been resolved. But no.
Having completely confused the people, it was decided to approve the third Sunday of August as the official Air Force Day. The reason for this was the need to combine the Foundation Day of Russian Aviation with a day off. Thus, the government was able to find consensus without forgetting its historical roots.
A little confusion
Some people not only wonder about the date of the celebration, but ask: “What date is the Air Force and Air Defense holiday?”
You shouldn't combine these two great events into one. Despite some similarity in dates, Air Force Day, as we found out, is celebrated on the third Sunday in August, and Air Defense Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in April - the holidays are different.
In addition, the celebration of Air Defense Day is younger. The first participation of these troops in battle was marked by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. It was for their services during this difficult period for the country that the army was awarded its own memorial day.
True, here too there was a change of dates. Initially, it was celebrated on April 11, but already in 1980 it was moved to the second Sunday of the same month.
Yet the differences between these memorials are stronger than their similarities.
Conclusion
The great dates of our Motherland should be remembered, because this is history, the struggle of our ancestors for the life that we now have.
What date is the Air Force holiday, everyone needs to know; this holiday needs to be celebrated, paying tribute to all those who fought for our peaceful sky.