"Hawk" - aviation special forces
Early morning in one of the suburban suburban villages. The sun is still timidly trying to announce the beginning of the day. There is not a soul in the street. Peace and quiet. Suddenly, because of the forest, cutting the morning air with a silver screw, with the speed of a hawk appears and a helicopter with the word "Police" hangs on one of the houses. Snipers on the landing platforms - they keep the whole yard and the surrounding territory on sight. The building is instantly surrounded by a group of special forces. From the loudspeakers of the rotary-winged car sounds terrible “Attention! The police are working! ”
Later, during interrogation, the detainees admit that they were stunned by the sudden appearance of a police helicopter and it never occurred to them to resist. The rotorcraft had a powerful psychological effect on them! The unit that ensured the successful outcome of that operation is called the Hawk, and its full name is Aviation Special Forces detachment of the Special Forces Center for Rapid Response and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia This is only one of many successful operations in which the Ministry of Internal Affairs aviation pilots took part. The detachment in its current form has existed a little over a year, and its proper name appeared at all literally six months ago. However, despite this, the aviation special forces have a rich historywhich began over 10 years ago.
The first aviation units of the then militia appeared in Russia at the end of the last century. At that time, these were separate units, each of which was subordinate to the territorial bodies of internal affairs. These units had neither a common regulatory framework, nor a centralized management, nor, most importantly, a general control over flight safety. Meanwhile, aviation in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was needed, even necessary. In this regard, in 2002, the decision was made to create a department in the organization of the activity of the Interior Ministry of the Interior of Russia for the organization of the activities of aviation of the internal affairs bodies (OODA ATS). The new division was headed by Sergey Yurevich Yezhov. The tasks of this department were to create a regulatory framework that would allow the aircraft to be operated in the interests of law enforcement agencies, as well as new units in those regions where this was necessary. However, the functions of the OODA were not limited to rulemaking. Some time after the appearance, the squadron received its first Mi-8 helicopter, and from that time the squadron began operating in the interests of law enforcement. Oleg Alekseevich Bobrov, the current deputy commander for flight operations, and then still an officer of the ATLA ATS, remembers that moment very well and considers it significant for the detachment.
Deputy Commander of the Yastreb AOPSN for Flight Operations of the TsSN SR Ministry of the Interior of Russia Police Colonel Oleg Bobrov:
“With the receipt of the Mi-8 helicopter, we began to perform flights in the interests of law enforcement agencies, and I must say, this helped us a lot. Facing problems in practice, we understood the direction in which to move in order to create new documents or make changes to existing ones that regulate the activities of our aviation. We needed to think through all the features of police work so that we could use aviation as efficiently as possible in the interests of law enforcement agencies, without going beyond the framework of national norms. ”
In 2003, in connection with the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and also because the department was already performing operational tasks using aviation, it was decided to reorganize it into the Aviation Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Under the leadership of the new management structure, by that time around 10 militia detachments were united in various subjects of the Russian Federation. The center provided comprehensive methodological, organizational and practical assistance to all these departments. In 2011, the Aviation Center was reorganized again. Some of the employees were transferred to the new department created in the structure of the Directorate for the support of the activities of the special-purpose units and aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (UIPAA). The rest constituted the backbone of a special-purpose aviation detachment in the structure of the newly created Special Purpose Center of the Operational Response Forces and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Together with the aviation detachment, the LNG and the Zubr riot police also entered the CPS. 2012 year - another important milestone in the history of the detachment - the assignment of its own name "Hawk". Thanks to the richest experience, the division remains today a kind of “elder brother” for the remaining police squadrons. Its employees provide methodological assistance to colleagues, help to form a regulatory framework and exercise control over flight safety.
The main striking force of ASNS “Yastreb” is lightweight AS-355 Ecureuil multi-purpose helicopters (translated from French as “protein”) produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Eurocopter. Maximum flight altitude - 6 km, speed - 250 km / h. The most important requirement for a police helicopter is maneuverability. Despite the fact that in urban development the helicopter does not have to fly often, and the main field of its activity is large open spaces, even within the city, but still the helicopter policeman must be prepared for the fact that he will have to maneuver with small turning angles and sharply soar into the sky or descend if necessary. AS-355 is ideal for these maneuvers. One more indisputable advantage of this car is its weight and dimensions. Due to its modest size, the helicopter, if necessary, can land on a penny with a diameter of not more than 30 meters and at the same time sit on almost any site, including the roofs of tall buildings. In this case, the machine is able to work not only in flat conditions, but also in the mountains, and this environment, as is known, is considered one of the most difficult to fly.
One of the most important and crucial areas in the work of the AOPS today is work with special forces units. In the first place, with those who are part of the Central Specialized Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia - the Special Task Force “Lynx” and the special police unit “Zubr”. However, if necessary, aviators can cooperate with other units. The main task of police aviation when working with special forces is to transport the combat team to the site of the special operation. A helicopter can take on board up to 4 employees with weapons and in full gear. And the special forces can be located not only inside the helicopter, but also outside. Landing can also be made by any of the existing methods. Employees can dismount from the landing platforms after landing the machine or hovering above the ground, or they can descend on a halyard or with the use of mountaineering equipment - a helicopter can be equipped for this with all necessary. In addition to the amphibious functions, the helicopter can carry out the cover-up of the actions of groups from the air - on the amphibious platform can be placed personnel armed with any type of small arms up to the light machine gun. By the way, from a helicopter you can conduct not only fire to suppress, but also high-precision shooting - during the exercises in conjunction with the “Lynx” SWRD, the unit’s sniper successfully hit the target with a sniper rifle from the helicopter that was in the air at that moment. In addition to transport and combat functions, the helicopter can also perform reconnaissance missions using special equipment.
This is how the employees of AOPS worked when they were observing pseudo-monitors who committed robberies against entertainment establishments. With the help of night vision devices, the pilots observed the criminals from a considerable distance. At the moment when the raiders were heading for the object, the helicopter pilot transmitted information to the ground capture group, which was in ambush - the special forces conducted a lightning-fast capture, detaining the bandits at the crime scene.
In addition to helicopters in combat operations, smaller vehicles that are in service with the “Hawk” - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used. The possibilities of this class of airborne equipment are almost limitless - a drone can keep a territory of several square kilometers under observation and from the ground it will be almost impossible to examine it, because even the most dimensional police UAV does not exceed 3 meters in length, reaching an 2 – 3 height in flight thousands of meters, on which it turns into an indiscernible point!
AOSN is armed with Drones both helicopter and aircraft type. Each has its own advantages and is used to perform certain tasks. Aircraft-type UAVs develop high speed and can fly at a distance of up to 50 kilometers, while from a distance of up to 25 kilometers an unmanned "baby" can broadcast a video image to the base, and it can conduct autonomous shooting, being at a distance of up to 50 kilometers from the operator. If the signal is lost, the drone returns to the base on its own. Helicopter-type UAVs have more modest characteristics of speed and flight range, but they can hover in the air, continuously monitoring a certain area of area or an object of interest to law enforcement agencies. At the moment, police UAVs are actively used for reconnaissance, the results of which are used in planning special operations.
The head of the UAV AOSN Yastreb department of the TsSN SR Ministry of the Interior of Russia, police major Alexei Vorobyov:
“Spetsnaz, which was given our unmanned aerial vehicle, pursued a group of militants. It happened at night, and visibility was severely limited. Trying to escape from the chase, the militants took refuge in a huge field planted with corn. The plants were already taller than a man, and it was dangerous to move along the field after the criminals, because the staff could not see anything in front of them and could run into shots at close range. Then a drone was launched over the field, which with the help of a thermal imaging camera determined the location of the bandits. The information was broadcast in real time on the monitor, behind which was our operator. He pointed out to the special forces the location of the militants, and our employees fired at the gangsters from the podstvolniki who were hiding in the corn and threw grenades at them. As a result, the entire group of militants was then destroyed. "
By the way, in addition to the rotary-winged "Ekyurel" and the drone kids in the arsenal of AOSN, there are cars and bigger ones - for example, the Yak-40 transport cargo plane, which is mainly used as a flying operational headquarters. Often the plane is used to evacuate wounded employees from hot spots.
The range of tasks performed by the squad today is not limited to working only with special forces. Despite the fact that AOPS is included in the structure of the CPS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the unit may be involved in solving tasks performed not only by the Center’s employees, but also by any unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that needs the help of special aviation, whether it is police or traffic police or criminal investigation. The bulk of aviators' work is reconnaissance, reconnaissance, patrolling, search activities, observation, prosecution. The advantage of a helicopter is the great heights at which it operates. It is this feature that makes police aviation an indispensable surveillance and reconnaissance tool. And thanks to the powerful optics installed on the helicopter, his pilot becomes truly all-seeing. Complex equipment is placed in a separate mounted unit. In aviation slang, this device is called the "head." Inside this "head" is placed powerful optics and cameras of all types: day, night, thermal imaging. With the help of such equipment from heaven, you can consider anything. From a height of 150 – 200 meters, the operator can view the vehicle number. You can accurately determine the make and model of the vehicle from a height of 1000 meters. At night, using a thermal imager, you can spot a person from 4 – 5 kilometers, the car can be “viewed” and altogether from 6 – 8 kilometers. Very productive detachment working in the interests of the traffic police.
The commander of AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“We have repeatedly performed preventive flights on the most dangerous parts of federal highways, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of traffic violations. The search events led to the return of more than a dozen stolen vehicles to the rightful owners. It must be said that the online video data from our aircraft helped the managers to quickly make competent decisions on the organization of traffic in conditions of congestion of vehicles during various mass events. And it is very pleasant that the traffic police leadership understands the efficiency and prospects of using aviation for solving their tasks and cooperates with us with pleasure. ”
Often, AESN “Yastreb” is involved in various mass events. In addition, in such operations, in addition to making video and photo recordings and transmitting them to the ground, the pilot of the helicopter can act as a coordinator for the actions of ground units.
The commander of AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“When observing mass events, our main task is to control the situation on the ground. The sooner we find provocations, aggression, clashes, and we transmit this information to the operational headquarters responsible for organizing public security, the more chances there are to localize the conflict without letting it grow and go into riots. ”
And at one of the football matches, the aviation special forces helped track down the villains, who, hiding on the roof of one of the buildings, threw stones at the ground police. From the ground, the police could not pinpoint the location of the hooligans, but from a helicopter they were clearly visible.
If necessary, the detachment can organize a full-fledged broadcast of the image from the helicopter to the transmitter on the ground, if there is a need. Such opportunities, by the way, were very useful during the many thousands of meetings that took place in Moscow in 2012. It was thanks to the aviators that they managed to establish the true number of participants in the rally and dispel the political “myths” of various figures.
The boundaries of responsibility of the "Hawk" are not limited to the metropolitan region. Today, AOPS employees can work in the Moscow region, and in a couple of days they will be performing tasks in the sky over Siberia or the Kuban. Moreover, the detachment is constantly in readiness number 2 - this means that when you receive an order, the helicopter must be in the sky within 20 minutes. AOPS is constantly engaged to work while ensuring the security of large state and international events. For example, the detachment worked during the G8 summit in St. Petersburg. By the way, it was the Yastreb pilots who were entrusted to provide aerial surveys of events related to the elections and the inauguration of the President of the Russian Federation.
In aviation, only the best of the best have always served. This was the toughest selection, both in physical and in moral and volitional qualities. Special purpose aircraft rightly place high demands on candidates who must have a higher technical education, perfect health and many hours of raid on machines of the most diverse classes. Employees come to the squadron with the richest work experience. All the pilots behind the service either in the aviation of the Ministry of Defense or the internal troops. A prerequisite is the flight class is not lower than the second and the experience of flying over Moscow and the Moscow Region in the conditions of urban development. The age of the candidate for the flight position should not exceed 45 years. The maximum age up to which an employee can serve as a pilot is determined individually.
The commander of the aviation unit, Igor Konshin, is a pilot with extensive experience. He came to the detachment from the air force, from childhood admired the work of special forces and despite the high leadership position still continues to pilot helicopters, working at the forefront of the fight against crime. She loves her job and says that she does it with pleasure. And just like every pilot can't imagine his life without sky. The rest of the Yastreb pilots, all experienced aces, were awarded to the commander, and many were awarded high state awards. The detachment sacredly honored aviation traditions and heroes who died in the performance of their duty.
The commander of AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“We have three aircraft named after the dead pilots. These are Mi-8 in memory of Alexander Nepokrytykh (currently in the Novosibirsk detachment), Р-44 in memory of Ilja Garanin (flies in the sky of Baikonur) and АС-355 - in memory of Alexander Kalabushkin (in our squad) ”.
Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is still a relatively young structure, however, the AESN “Yastreb” of the TsSN SR of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia has already managed to enter into it many glorious lines. Today, as always, aviation special forces are ready to perform any task at any
the time.
Later, during interrogation, the detainees admit that they were stunned by the sudden appearance of a police helicopter and it never occurred to them to resist. The rotorcraft had a powerful psychological effect on them! The unit that ensured the successful outcome of that operation is called the Hawk, and its full name is Aviation Special Forces detachment of the Special Forces Center for Rapid Response and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia This is only one of many successful operations in which the Ministry of Internal Affairs aviation pilots took part. The detachment in its current form has existed a little over a year, and its proper name appeared at all literally six months ago. However, despite this, the aviation special forces have a rich historywhich began over 10 years ago.
The first aviation units of the then militia appeared in Russia at the end of the last century. At that time, these were separate units, each of which was subordinate to the territorial bodies of internal affairs. These units had neither a common regulatory framework, nor a centralized management, nor, most importantly, a general control over flight safety. Meanwhile, aviation in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was needed, even necessary. In this regard, in 2002, the decision was made to create a department in the organization of the activity of the Interior Ministry of the Interior of Russia for the organization of the activities of aviation of the internal affairs bodies (OODA ATS). The new division was headed by Sergey Yurevich Yezhov. The tasks of this department were to create a regulatory framework that would allow the aircraft to be operated in the interests of law enforcement agencies, as well as new units in those regions where this was necessary. However, the functions of the OODA were not limited to rulemaking. Some time after the appearance, the squadron received its first Mi-8 helicopter, and from that time the squadron began operating in the interests of law enforcement. Oleg Alekseevich Bobrov, the current deputy commander for flight operations, and then still an officer of the ATLA ATS, remembers that moment very well and considers it significant for the detachment.
Deputy Commander of the Yastreb AOPSN for Flight Operations of the TsSN SR Ministry of the Interior of Russia Police Colonel Oleg Bobrov:
“With the receipt of the Mi-8 helicopter, we began to perform flights in the interests of law enforcement agencies, and I must say, this helped us a lot. Facing problems in practice, we understood the direction in which to move in order to create new documents or make changes to existing ones that regulate the activities of our aviation. We needed to think through all the features of police work so that we could use aviation as efficiently as possible in the interests of law enforcement agencies, without going beyond the framework of national norms. ”
In 2003, in connection with the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and also because the department was already performing operational tasks using aviation, it was decided to reorganize it into the Aviation Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Under the leadership of the new management structure, by that time around 10 militia detachments were united in various subjects of the Russian Federation. The center provided comprehensive methodological, organizational and practical assistance to all these departments. In 2011, the Aviation Center was reorganized again. Some of the employees were transferred to the new department created in the structure of the Directorate for the support of the activities of the special-purpose units and aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (UIPAA). The rest constituted the backbone of a special-purpose aviation detachment in the structure of the newly created Special Purpose Center of the Operational Response Forces and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Together with the aviation detachment, the LNG and the Zubr riot police also entered the CPS. 2012 year - another important milestone in the history of the detachment - the assignment of its own name "Hawk". Thanks to the richest experience, the division remains today a kind of “elder brother” for the remaining police squadrons. Its employees provide methodological assistance to colleagues, help to form a regulatory framework and exercise control over flight safety.
The main striking force of ASNS “Yastreb” is lightweight AS-355 Ecureuil multi-purpose helicopters (translated from French as “protein”) produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Eurocopter. Maximum flight altitude - 6 km, speed - 250 km / h. The most important requirement for a police helicopter is maneuverability. Despite the fact that in urban development the helicopter does not have to fly often, and the main field of its activity is large open spaces, even within the city, but still the helicopter policeman must be prepared for the fact that he will have to maneuver with small turning angles and sharply soar into the sky or descend if necessary. AS-355 is ideal for these maneuvers. One more indisputable advantage of this car is its weight and dimensions. Due to its modest size, the helicopter, if necessary, can land on a penny with a diameter of not more than 30 meters and at the same time sit on almost any site, including the roofs of tall buildings. In this case, the machine is able to work not only in flat conditions, but also in the mountains, and this environment, as is known, is considered one of the most difficult to fly.
One of the most important and crucial areas in the work of the AOPS today is work with special forces units. In the first place, with those who are part of the Central Specialized Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia - the Special Task Force “Lynx” and the special police unit “Zubr”. However, if necessary, aviators can cooperate with other units. The main task of police aviation when working with special forces is to transport the combat team to the site of the special operation. A helicopter can take on board up to 4 employees with weapons and in full gear. And the special forces can be located not only inside the helicopter, but also outside. Landing can also be made by any of the existing methods. Employees can dismount from the landing platforms after landing the machine or hovering above the ground, or they can descend on a halyard or with the use of mountaineering equipment - a helicopter can be equipped for this with all necessary. In addition to the amphibious functions, the helicopter can carry out the cover-up of the actions of groups from the air - on the amphibious platform can be placed personnel armed with any type of small arms up to the light machine gun. By the way, from a helicopter you can conduct not only fire to suppress, but also high-precision shooting - during the exercises in conjunction with the “Lynx” SWRD, the unit’s sniper successfully hit the target with a sniper rifle from the helicopter that was in the air at that moment. In addition to transport and combat functions, the helicopter can also perform reconnaissance missions using special equipment.
This is how the employees of AOPS worked when they were observing pseudo-monitors who committed robberies against entertainment establishments. With the help of night vision devices, the pilots observed the criminals from a considerable distance. At the moment when the raiders were heading for the object, the helicopter pilot transmitted information to the ground capture group, which was in ambush - the special forces conducted a lightning-fast capture, detaining the bandits at the crime scene.
In addition to helicopters in combat operations, smaller vehicles that are in service with the “Hawk” - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used. The possibilities of this class of airborne equipment are almost limitless - a drone can keep a territory of several square kilometers under observation and from the ground it will be almost impossible to examine it, because even the most dimensional police UAV does not exceed 3 meters in length, reaching an 2 – 3 height in flight thousands of meters, on which it turns into an indiscernible point!
AOSN is armed with Drones both helicopter and aircraft type. Each has its own advantages and is used to perform certain tasks. Aircraft-type UAVs develop high speed and can fly at a distance of up to 50 kilometers, while from a distance of up to 25 kilometers an unmanned "baby" can broadcast a video image to the base, and it can conduct autonomous shooting, being at a distance of up to 50 kilometers from the operator. If the signal is lost, the drone returns to the base on its own. Helicopter-type UAVs have more modest characteristics of speed and flight range, but they can hover in the air, continuously monitoring a certain area of area or an object of interest to law enforcement agencies. At the moment, police UAVs are actively used for reconnaissance, the results of which are used in planning special operations.
The head of the UAV AOSN Yastreb department of the TsSN SR Ministry of the Interior of Russia, police major Alexei Vorobyov:
“Spetsnaz, which was given our unmanned aerial vehicle, pursued a group of militants. It happened at night, and visibility was severely limited. Trying to escape from the chase, the militants took refuge in a huge field planted with corn. The plants were already taller than a man, and it was dangerous to move along the field after the criminals, because the staff could not see anything in front of them and could run into shots at close range. Then a drone was launched over the field, which with the help of a thermal imaging camera determined the location of the bandits. The information was broadcast in real time on the monitor, behind which was our operator. He pointed out to the special forces the location of the militants, and our employees fired at the gangsters from the podstvolniki who were hiding in the corn and threw grenades at them. As a result, the entire group of militants was then destroyed. "
By the way, in addition to the rotary-winged "Ekyurel" and the drone kids in the arsenal of AOSN, there are cars and bigger ones - for example, the Yak-40 transport cargo plane, which is mainly used as a flying operational headquarters. Often the plane is used to evacuate wounded employees from hot spots.
The range of tasks performed by the squad today is not limited to working only with special forces. Despite the fact that AOPS is included in the structure of the CPS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the unit may be involved in solving tasks performed not only by the Center’s employees, but also by any unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that needs the help of special aviation, whether it is police or traffic police or criminal investigation. The bulk of aviators' work is reconnaissance, reconnaissance, patrolling, search activities, observation, prosecution. The advantage of a helicopter is the great heights at which it operates. It is this feature that makes police aviation an indispensable surveillance and reconnaissance tool. And thanks to the powerful optics installed on the helicopter, his pilot becomes truly all-seeing. Complex equipment is placed in a separate mounted unit. In aviation slang, this device is called the "head." Inside this "head" is placed powerful optics and cameras of all types: day, night, thermal imaging. With the help of such equipment from heaven, you can consider anything. From a height of 150 – 200 meters, the operator can view the vehicle number. You can accurately determine the make and model of the vehicle from a height of 1000 meters. At night, using a thermal imager, you can spot a person from 4 – 5 kilometers, the car can be “viewed” and altogether from 6 – 8 kilometers. Very productive detachment working in the interests of the traffic police.
The commander of AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“We have repeatedly performed preventive flights on the most dangerous parts of federal highways, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of traffic violations. The search events led to the return of more than a dozen stolen vehicles to the rightful owners. It must be said that the online video data from our aircraft helped the managers to quickly make competent decisions on the organization of traffic in conditions of congestion of vehicles during various mass events. And it is very pleasant that the traffic police leadership understands the efficiency and prospects of using aviation for solving their tasks and cooperates with us with pleasure. ”
Often, AESN “Yastreb” is involved in various mass events. In addition, in such operations, in addition to making video and photo recordings and transmitting them to the ground, the pilot of the helicopter can act as a coordinator for the actions of ground units.
The commander of AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“When observing mass events, our main task is to control the situation on the ground. The sooner we find provocations, aggression, clashes, and we transmit this information to the operational headquarters responsible for organizing public security, the more chances there are to localize the conflict without letting it grow and go into riots. ”
And at one of the football matches, the aviation special forces helped track down the villains, who, hiding on the roof of one of the buildings, threw stones at the ground police. From the ground, the police could not pinpoint the location of the hooligans, but from a helicopter they were clearly visible.
If necessary, the detachment can organize a full-fledged broadcast of the image from the helicopter to the transmitter on the ground, if there is a need. Such opportunities, by the way, were very useful during the many thousands of meetings that took place in Moscow in 2012. It was thanks to the aviators that they managed to establish the true number of participants in the rally and dispel the political “myths” of various figures.
The boundaries of responsibility of the "Hawk" are not limited to the metropolitan region. Today, AOPS employees can work in the Moscow region, and in a couple of days they will be performing tasks in the sky over Siberia or the Kuban. Moreover, the detachment is constantly in readiness number 2 - this means that when you receive an order, the helicopter must be in the sky within 20 minutes. AOPS is constantly engaged to work while ensuring the security of large state and international events. For example, the detachment worked during the G8 summit in St. Petersburg. By the way, it was the Yastreb pilots who were entrusted to provide aerial surveys of events related to the elections and the inauguration of the President of the Russian Federation.
In aviation, only the best of the best have always served. This was the toughest selection, both in physical and in moral and volitional qualities. Special purpose aircraft rightly place high demands on candidates who must have a higher technical education, perfect health and many hours of raid on machines of the most diverse classes. Employees come to the squadron with the richest work experience. All the pilots behind the service either in the aviation of the Ministry of Defense or the internal troops. A prerequisite is the flight class is not lower than the second and the experience of flying over Moscow and the Moscow Region in the conditions of urban development. The age of the candidate for the flight position should not exceed 45 years. The maximum age up to which an employee can serve as a pilot is determined individually.
The commander of the aviation unit, Igor Konshin, is a pilot with extensive experience. He came to the detachment from the air force, from childhood admired the work of special forces and despite the high leadership position still continues to pilot helicopters, working at the forefront of the fight against crime. She loves her job and says that she does it with pleasure. And just like every pilot can't imagine his life without sky. The rest of the Yastreb pilots, all experienced aces, were awarded to the commander, and many were awarded high state awards. The detachment sacredly honored aviation traditions and heroes who died in the performance of their duty.
The commander of AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“We have three aircraft named after the dead pilots. These are Mi-8 in memory of Alexander Nepokrytykh (currently in the Novosibirsk detachment), Р-44 in memory of Ilja Garanin (flies in the sky of Baikonur) and АС-355 - in memory of Alexander Kalabushkin (in our squad) ”.
Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is still a relatively young structure, however, the AESN “Yastreb” of the TsSN SR of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia has already managed to enter into it many glorious lines. Today, as always, aviation special forces are ready to perform any task at any
the time.
Information