Air Defense Day
The emergence of air defense forces is inextricably linked with the appearance of the first aircraft over the battlefields. It is not surprising that the full-fledged debut of these troops came precisely during the years of the First World War, when the armies of the fighting powers began to make extensive use of various airplanes. At the same time, in Russia they began to think over the creation of means of fighting air targets even before the start of the world war. In many ways, this contributed to the experience gained by Russian troops in battles with the Japanese, especially in the defense of Port Arthur. During the years of the Russo-Japanese War, sufficient experience was gained of using aerostats for military purposes. Therefore, the first anti-aircraft tools, which were developed in the Russian Empire, were created precisely to combat such goals.
Even then, at the dawn of the appearance of the first air defense systems, rockets were considered as one of the methods for fighting air targets. So, back in 1910, Russian military engineer N. V. Gerasimov proposed using 76,2-mm missiles to fight against air targets, while he understood that getting a missile into an aircraft was a very difficult task, so he hoped not to hit the target itself, but the largest possible space in which she could be. Then, such ideas were ahead of their time, creating an effective anti-aircraft missile in 1910-s was not possible, but today it is precisely anti-aircraft missile systems that form the basis of an air defense shield that protects our country from air threats.
After conducting a series of experiments with rockets and realizing that with this weapons so far it is very difficult to cope, Russian engineers have switched their eyes to more traditional types of weapons. For example, already in 1912, General E. K. Smyslovsky, a prominent expert in the field of artillery, suggested using concentrated machine guns of several machine guns as a means of fighting enemy airplanes, their shooting should have hit either pilots or various aircraft components. In the same year, 1912, in the empire, was engaged in the creation of the first self-propelled anti-aircraft installation, its developer was the staff captain V. V. Taranovsky. He proposed to install an anti-aircraft cannon on an armored car chassis, the carriers of the Russo-Balt plant and the American White trucks were supposed to be used as carriers. Sheets of 3-mm shield steel were used as armor, they were supposed to protect the crew, the drivers and the vital elements of the truck from the enemy's long-range rifle and shrapnel fire.
The installation was based on a 76,2 mm anti-aircraft gun of the 1914/15 model. In Russia, this was the first weapon designed to combat air targets, and it was also widely known as the Lender gun. The first experimental batch of such guns, consisting of 12 units, was ordered in August 1914. The gun, which had a rate of fire of 12 rounds per minute, had a wedge bolt with inertial semi-automatic (this was the first such gun). During the improvement, the elevation angle of the 76,2 mm gun was increased from 66 to 75 degrees. The cannon could be used together with a carriage mount, it could be placed not only on a car chassis, but also on trains, as well as Russian ships fleet. Unfortunately, the tools were made rather slowly. By 1917, the troops had only 76 such anti-aircraft guns (of which only 36 were based on automobiles), although their need for an active army was estimated at a minimum of 584 guns consisting of 146 batteries.
The full combat debut of the Russian air defense units took place in 1915. The first battery, equipped with specialized anti-aircraft installations, arrived on the North-Western Front in March of the same year. June 17 during the reflection of the attack immediately 9 German aircraft, Russian anti-aircraft gunners were able to shoot down two enemy aircraft, these were the first targets destroyed by anti-aircraft artillery. There is also information that the combat debut of Taranovsky’s unit could have taken place two weeks earlier - 2 June 1915, when in the area of the Polish city of Pulutsk one of the German aircraft was shot down.
But even before the appearance on the front of specialized anti-aircraft guns, Russian troops opened the account of the downed aircraft. Conventional 76,2 field guns of the 1900 model of the year, as well as Schneider system mountain guns of the same caliber, mounted on improvised anti-aircraft swivel frames, were actively used to combat enemy airplanes. Already 14 August 1914, the battery of the 76,2-mm guns was hit by the first German airplane, this happened 13 kilometers to the west of Simno in the territory of Suwalki province. And just by the end of the first year of the war, the Russian artillerymen recorded 19 downed enemy airplanes, as well as two airships destroyed, into their own account.
In the interwar period, there was a process of final separation of air defense units and formations into a separate type of armed forces. Already in the 1930-s in the Soviet Union, the Air Defense Directorate was formed, which then became the Main Air Defense Directorate, and in 1941, the Air Defense Forces. It was in 30-s of the last century that it was decided to unite all the existing units: anti-aircraft artillery, machine-gun, aeronautic, observation, searchlight and rear units into divisions, regiments, brigades and air defense divisions.
The beginning of World War II, the Soviet air defense units met with 3329 medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns (76,2 and 85 mm), as well as 330 small-caliber guns (37 mm) and 650 anti-aircraft guns. In addition, at the disposal of air defense troops there were 45 radar stations, more than 1,5 thousands of anti-aircraft searchlights, around 850 aerostat air barriers. In total, over 182 thousands of personnel served in air defense units and formations. In addition, the Red Army Air Force units, which were to be used to solve the problems of air defense of cities and important strategic facilities of the Soviet Union, had 40 fighter regiments, armed with about 1,5 thousands of combat aircraft.
The new war demonstrated new possibilities and examples of the use of air defense forces. So for the air defense of Leningrad and Moscow, Soviet troops actively used not only a variety of anti-aircraft artillery, but also fighter Aviation, as well as the first domestic radar stations. Subsequently, British radars were added to them, which were delivered to the USSR as part of the Lend-Lease program. The fighters and commanders of the air defense forces demonstrated a high level of training and courage, reflecting the Luftwaffe air raids on Moscow and Leningrad, breaking the plans of the German command and inflicting serious losses on enemy bomber aircraft. At the same time, in battles on the near approaches to Moscow, at the most critical moment of the battle, the maneuverable anti-aircraft artillery groups, which were used by the command to stop threats arising in different defense sectors, covered themselves with fame. Then the anti-aircraft guns were retrained to fight the advancing armored vehicles and Wehrmacht infantry. It was the anti-aircraft gunners that became one of the components of The Miracle Near Moscow, when the Soviet units not only managed to exhaust the enemy in fierce defensive battles, but also went on the offensive, dropping the troops of the Army Group of the Center 100-250 kilometers from the capital.
Performing their combat missions on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, the personnel of the air defense units covered themselves with unfading glory, more than 80 thousand soldiers and commanders were awarded various government orders and medals, 92 people were awarded the highest award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and two people - twice . All in all, during the war, the air defense troops recorded at their own expense 7313 destroyed enemy aircraft. 3145 fell to the share of anti-aircraft artillery, machine-gun fire and airborne aerostats, another 4168 were shot down by fighter aircraft from the air defense regiments. The battery, led by Senior Lieutenant Gennady Olkhovikov, became the most productive unit among the Soviet anti-aircraft gunners. In battles with the Nazi invaders, the 1-I battery of the 93-th anti-aircraft artillery regiment, commanded by Olkhovikov, recorded at their own expense 33 downed enemy aircraft.
At the present stage of its development, the air defense forces are part of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation (VKS), which included their separation into a new branch of service - the Air Defense and Missile Defense Forces. Currently, according to foreign experts and specialists, the Russian integrated air defense system is recognized as one of the most powerful and advanced on the planet. The real pearl of the Russian air defense system are various anti-aircraft missile systems, which are actively promoted for export and are in demand on the international arms market. The most striking example is the Triumph C-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which Turkey, China and India have already acquired, and many countries from all regions of the world are interested in the system. Very soon, the composition of the Russian air defense-missile defense forces will be replenished with an even more sophisticated C-500 complex, which will be able to effectively solve various anti-missile defense tasks. One of the purposes of the new complex will be the fight against various ballistic targets, including medium-range missiles, and, if necessary, the enemy’s ICBMs, which the complex can confidently hit not only on the final trajectory segment, but also in some cases on the middle flight segment. It is expected that the complex, which received the sonorous name "Prometheus", will be ready for trial operation in 2020 year.
Also, it is by 2020 that the process of re-equipping air defense-missile defense units and compounds with modern and prospective radar weapons should be completed. Some of these radars will detect enemy targets at a distance of 1800 kilometers and at altitudes of 1200 kilometers. At the same time, the number of types of radar available in the radio engineering forces will be reduced several times. Increasing the capabilities of the air defense missile defense forces will be achieved by bringing the share of modern radar systems and stations to 80 percent, and modern complexes and automation equipment to 100 percent.
April 14 "Military Review" congratulates all veterans and current soldiers and officers serving in the structure of the air defense forces of the All-Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on their professional holiday.
Modern air defense forces, photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (multimedia.minoborony.rf):
Based on materials from open sources
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