Today is the Day of the Air Defense Forces
According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 549 of 31 of May 2006, “On the establishment of professional holidays and commemorative days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”, the Day of Air Defense Forces is celebrated on the second Sunday of April. Setting the date of the holiday is due to the fact that in April, the most important government decrees were adopted on the organization of the country's air defense, which became the basis for building the air defense system of our state, the organizational structure of the air defense forces, their formation and further development.
History air defense, as a special type of armed support in the defense of the state, has been around for several decades. In December, 1914, the first units equipped with machine guns and light cannons appeared to fight German and Austrian airplanes.
The Great Patriotic War became the baptism of fire for the air defense forces. It’s enough to mention the air battles over Moscow, Leningrad, on the Kursk, where the German aviation suffered heavy losses. During the war, air defense troops shot down more than 7 aircraft, destroyed over 500 tanks, more than 1 enemy guns.
For the merits of the air defense forces during the war, as well as for performing particularly important tasks in peacetime, by decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council of February 20, 1975, a public holiday was established - the Day of the Air Defense Forces, celebrated on April 11.
By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 1 of October 1980, the Day of the Air Defense Forces was postponed to the second Sunday of April, this date was fixed by the Decree of 2006 of the year, which was mentioned above.
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