Russian Air Fleet. Start. Submarines and airplanes. What did the Soviet government inherit from Tsarist Russia? Imperial Air Force

Continuing the theme of the First World War, today I will talk about the origins of Russian military aviation.

How beautiful the current Su, MiG, Yaks are... What they do in the air is difficult to describe in words. This must be seen and admired. And in a good way envy those who are closer to the sky, and with the sky on first name terms...

And then remember where it all began: about “flying bookcases” and “plywood over Paris”, and pay tribute to the memory and respect of the first Russian aviators...

During the First World War (1914 - 1918), a new branch of the military - aviation - arose and began to develop with exceptional speed, expanding the scope of its combat use. During these years, aviation stood out as a branch of the military and received universal recognition as a effective means fighting the enemy. In the new conditions of war, military successes of troops were no longer conceivable without the widespread use of aviation.

By the beginning of the war, Russian aviation consisted of 6 aviation companies and 39 aviation detachments with a total number of 224 aircraft. The speed of the aircraft was about 100 km/h.

It is known that tsarist Russia was not completely ready for war. Even in " Short course history of the CPSU (b)" indicates:

“Tsarist Russia entered the war unprepared. Russian industry lagged far behind other capitalist countries. It was dominated by old factories and factories with worn-out equipment. Agriculture in the presence of semi-serf land ownership and a mass of impoverished, ruined peasantry, it could not serve as a solid economic basis for waging a long war.”

Tsarist Russia did not have an aviation industry that could provide the production of aircraft and engines in the quantities necessary for the quantitative and qualitative growth of aviation caused by the growing needs of wartime. Aviation enterprises, many of which were semi-handicraft workshops with extremely low productivity, were engaged in assembling aircraft and engines - this was the production base of Russian aviation at the beginning of hostilities.

The activities of Russian scientists had a huge impact on the development of world science, but the tsarist government was dismissive of their work. Tsarist officials did not give way to the brilliant discoveries and inventions of Russian scientists and prevented their mass use and implementation. But, despite this, Russian scientists and designers persistently worked to create new machines and developed the foundations of aviation science. Before the First World War, as well as during it, Russian designers created many new, completely original aircraft, in many cases superior in quality to foreign aircraft.

Along with building airplanes, Russian inventors successfully worked on creating a number of remarkable aircraft engines. Particularly interesting and valuable aircraft engines were built during that period by A. G. Ufimtsev, called by A. M. Gorky “a poet in the field of scientific technology.” In 1909, Ufimtsev built a four-cylinder birotative engine that weighed 40 kilograms and operated on a two-stroke cycle. Acting like a conventional rotary engine (only the cylinders rotated), it developed power of up to 43 hp. With. With birotation action (simultaneous rotation of the cylinders and shaft in opposite directions), the power reached 80 hp. With.

In 1910, Ufimtsev built a six-cylinder birotative aircraft engine with an electric ignition system, which was awarded a large silver medal at the international aeronautics exhibition in Moscow. Since 1911, engineer F. G. Kalep successfully worked on the construction of aircraft engines. Its engines were superior to the then widespread French Gnome engine in power, efficiency, operational reliability and durability.

In the pre-war years, Russian inventors also achieved major achievements in the field of flight safety. In all countries, aircraft accidents and disasters were then a frequent occurrence, but attempts by Western European inventors to make flights safer and create an aviation parachute were unsuccessful. The Russian inventor Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov managed to solve this problem. In 1911, he created the RK-1 backpack aviation parachute. Kotelnikov's parachute with a convenient suspension system and a reliable opening device ensured flight safety.

In connection with the growth of military aviation, the question arose of training personnel and, first of all, pilots. In the first period, flight enthusiasts flew airplanes, then, as aviation technology developed, special training was required for flights. Therefore, in 1910, after the successful holding of the “first aviation week,” an aviation department was created at the Officers’ Aeronautical School. For the first time in Russia, the aviation department of the aeronautical school began to train military pilots. However, its capabilities were very limited - initially it was planned to train only 10 pilots per year.

In the fall of 1910, the Sevastopol Aviation School was organized, which was the main educational institution in the country for the training of military pilots. From the first days of its existence, the school had 10 aircraft, which allowed it to train 29 pilots already in 1911. It should be noted that this school was created through the efforts of the Russian public. The level of training of Russian military pilots was quite high for that time. Before starting practical flight training, Russian pilots took special theoretical courses, studied the basics of aerodynamics and aviation technology, meteorology and other disciplines. The best scientists and specialists were involved in delivering lectures. Pilots from Western European countries did not receive such theoretical training; they were only taught to fly the aircraft.

Due to the increase in the number of aviation units in 1913 - 1914. it was necessary to train new flight personnel. The Sevastopol and Gatchina military aviation schools that existed at that time could not fully satisfy the army’s needs for aviation personnel. The aviation units experienced great difficulties due to the lack of aircraft. According to the property list that existed at that time, corps air squads were supposed to have 6 aircraft, and serfs - 8 aircraft. In addition, in case of war, each air squad was supposed to be equipped with a spare set of aircraft. However, due to the low productivity of Russian aircraft manufacturing enterprises and the lack of a number of necessary materials, the aviation detachments did not have a second set of aircraft. This led to the fact that by the beginning of the war, Russia did not have any aircraft reserves, and some of the aircraft in the detachments were already worn out and required replacement.

Russian designers have the honor of creating the world's first multi-engine airships - the first-born of heavy bomber aircraft. While the construction of multi-engine heavy-duty aircraft intended for long-distance flights was considered impracticable abroad, Russian designers created such aircraft as the Grand, Russian Knight, Ilya Muromets, and Svyatogor. The emergence of heavy multi-engine aircraft opened up new possibilities for the use of aviation. The increase in carrying capacity, range and altitude increased the importance of aviation as air transport and powerful military weapons.

The distinctive features of Russian scientific thought are creative daring, a tireless striving forward, which led to new remarkable discoveries. In Russia, the idea of creating a fighter aircraft designed to destroy enemy aircraft was born and implemented. The world's first fighter aircraft, RBVZ-16, was built in Russia in January 1915 at the Russian-Baltic Plant, which previously built the heavy airship Ilya Muromets designed by I. I. Sikorsky. At the suggestion of famous Russian pilots A.V. Pankratyev, G.V. Alekhnovich and others, a group of plant designers created a special fighter aircraft to accompany the Muromites during combat flights and protect bomber bases from enemy air attacks. The RBVZ-16 aircraft was armed with a synchronized machine gun that fired through the propeller. In September 1915, the plant began serial production of fighters. At this time, Andrei Tupolev, Nikolai Polikarpov and many other designers who later created Soviet aviation received their first design experience at the Sikorsky company.

At the beginning of 1916, the new RBVZ-17 fighter was successfully tested. In the spring of 1916, a group of designers at the Russian-Baltic Plant produced a new fighter of the “Two-Tail” type. One of the documents from that time reports: “The construction of the “Dvukhvostka” type fighter has been completed. This device, previously tested in flight, is also sent to Pskov, where it will also be tested in detail and comprehensively.” At the end of 1916, the RBVZ-20 fighter of a domestic design appeared, which had high maneuverability and developed a maximum horizontal speed at the ground of 190 km/h. Also known are the experimental Lebed fighters, produced in 1915 - 1916.

Even before the war and during the war, designer D.P. Grigorovich created a series of flying boats - naval reconnaissance aircraft, fighters and bombers, thereby laying the foundations for seaplane construction. At that time, no other country had seaplanes equal in flight and tactical performance to Grigorovich’s flying boats.

Having created the heavy multi-engine aircraft "Ilya Muromets", the designers continue to improve the flight and tactical data of the airship, developing its new modifications. Russian designers also worked successfully on the creation of aeronautical instruments, devices and sights that helped carry out targeted bombing from aircraft, as well as on the shape and quality of aircraft bombs, which showed remarkable combat properties for that time.

Russian scientists working in the field of aviation, headed by N. E. Zhukovsky, through their activities provided enormous assistance to the young Russian aviation during the First World War. In the laboratories and circles founded by N. E. Zhukovsky, scientific works, aimed at improving the flight-tactical qualities of aircraft, solving issues of aerodynamics and structural strength. Zhukovsky's instructions and advice helped aviators and designers create new types of aircraft. New aircraft designs were tested in the design and testing bureau, whose activities took place under the direct supervision of N. E. Zhukovsky. This bureau united the best scientific forces of Russia working in the field of aviation. N. E. Zhukovsky’s classic works on the vortex theory of the propeller, aircraft dynamics, aerodynamic calculation of aircraft, bombing, etc., written during the First World War, were a valuable contribution to science.

Despite the fact that domestic designers created aircraft that were superior in quality to foreign ones, the tsarist government and the heads of the military department disdained the work of Russian designers and prevented the development, mass production and use of domestic aircraft in military aviation.

Thus, the Ilya Muromets aircraft, which, according to flight-tactical data, could not be equaled by any aircraft in the world at that time, had to overcome many different obstacles before they became part of the combat ranks of Russian aviation. "Chief of Aviation" Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich proposed to stop the production of Muromtsev, and use the money allocated for their construction to purchase airplanes abroad. Through the efforts of high-ranking officials and foreign spies who made their way into the military ministry of tsarist Russia, the execution of the order for the production of “Murom” aircraft was suspended in the first months of the war, and only under the pressure of indisputable facts testifying to the high combat qualities of the airships that had already participated in the hostilities, The Ministry of War was forced to agree to the resumption of production of the Ilya Muromets aircraft.

But in the conditions of tsarist Russia, building an aircraft, even one that clearly surpassed existing aircraft in its qualities, did not at all mean opening the way for it to fly. When the plane was ready, the bureaucratic machine of the tsarist government came into action. The plane began to be inspected by numerous commissions, the composition of which was replete with the names of foreigners who were in the service of the tsarist government and often carried out espionage work in the interests of foreign states. The slightest design flaw, which could easily be eliminated, caused a malicious howl that the plane was supposedly no good at all, and the talented proposal was put under a bushel. And after some time, somewhere abroad, in England, America or France, the same design, stolen by spy officials, appeared under the name of some foreign false author. Foreigners, using the help of the tsarist government, shamelessly robbed the Russian people and Russian science.

The following fact is very indicative. The M-9 seaplane, designed by D. P. Grigorovich, was distinguished by very high combat qualities. The governments of England and France, after a number of unsuccessful attempts to create their own seaplanes, in 1917 turned to the bourgeois provisional government with a request to transfer them the drawings of the M-9 seaplane. The provisional government, obedient to the will of the English and French capitalists, willingly betrayed the national interests of the Russian people: the drawings were placed at the disposal of foreign states, and according to these drawings of the Russian designer, aircraft factories in England, France, Italy, and America built seaplanes for a long time.

The economic backwardness of the country, the lack of an aviation industry, and dependence on supplies of aircraft and engines from abroad in the first year of the war put Russian aviation in an extremely difficult situation. Before the war, at the beginning of 1914, the War Ministry placed orders for the construction of 400 aircraft at a few Russian aircraft factories. The tsarist government expected to obtain most of the aircraft, engines and necessary materials abroad, having concluded appropriate agreements with the French military department and industrialists. However, as soon as the war began, the tsarist government’s hopes for help from the “allies” burst. Some of the purchased materials and engines were confiscated by Germany at paths to the Russian border, and most of materials and engines provided for by the agreement were not sent by the “allies” at all. As a result, of the 400 aircraft that were eagerly awaited in the aviation units, which experienced an acute shortage of material, by October 1914 it turned out to be possible to continue the construction of only 242 aircraft .

In December 1914, the “allies” announced their decisions to sharply reduce the number of aircraft and engines supplied to Russia. The news of this decision caused extreme alarm in the Russian Ministry of War: the plan to supply aircraft and engines to units of the active army was disrupted. “The new decision of the French military department puts us in a difficult situation,” wrote the head of the main military-technical department to the Russian military agent in France . Of the 586 aircraft and 1,730 engines ordered in France in 1915, only 250 aircraft and 268 engines were delivered to Russia. Moreover, France and England sold obsolete and worn-out aircraft and engines to Russia, which had already been withdrawn from service in the French aviation. There are many cases where French identification marks were discovered under the fresh paint that covered the sent aircraft.

In a special certificate “On the condition of engines and airplanes received from abroad,” the Russian military department noted that “official acts testifying to the condition of engines and airplanes arriving from abroad show that in a significant number of cases these items arrive in faulty form... Foreign factories send already used devices and engines to Russia.” Thus, the plans of the tsarist government to receive material from the “allies” to supply aviation failed. And the war demanded more and more new aircraft, engines, and aviation weapons.

Therefore, the main burden of supplying aviation with materiel fell on the shoulders of Russian aircraft factories, which, due to their small numbers, acute lack of qualified personnel, and lack of materials, were clearly unable to satisfy all the growing needs of the front for aircraft. and motors. During the First World War, the Russian army received only 3,100 aircraft, of which 2,250 were from Russian aircraft factories and about 900 from abroad.

The acute shortage of engines was especially detrimental to the development of aviation. The military department's leaders' focus on importing engines from abroad led to the fact that, at the height of hostilities, there were no engines available for a significant number of aircraft built in Russian factories. Airplanes were sent to the active army without engines. It got to the point that in some aviation detachments, for 5-6 aircraft there were only 2 serviceable engines, which had to be removed from some aircraft and transferred to others before combat missions. The tsarist government and its military department were forced to admit that dependence on foreign countries put Russian aircraft factories in an extremely difficult situation. Thus, the head of the organization of aviation in the active army wrote in one of his memos: “The lack of engines had a disastrous effect on the productivity of airplane factories, since the calculation of domestic airplane production was based on the timely supply of foreign engines.”

The enslaving dependence of the economy of Tsarist Russia on foreign countries brought Russian aviation to disaster during the First World War. It should be noted that the Russian-Baltic Plant successfully mastered the production of domestic Rusbalt engines, with which most of the Ilya Muromets airships were equipped. However, the tsarist government continued to order worthless Sunbeam engines from England, which continually failed to fly. ABOUT poor quality these engines are eloquently expressed by an excerpt from a memorandum from the department of the general on duty under the Commander-in-Chief: “The 12 new Sunbeam engines that had just arrived in the squadron turned out to be faulty; there are defects such as cracks in the cylinders and misalignments of the connecting rods."

The war required continuous improvement of aviation equipment. However, the owners of aircraft factories, trying to sell already manufactured products, were reluctant to accept new aircraft and engines for production. It is appropriate to mention this fact. The Gnome plant in Moscow, owned by a French joint-stock company, produced obsolete Gnome aircraft engines. The Main Military-Technical Directorate of the War Ministry proposed that the plant's management move to the production of a more advanced rotary motor "Ron". The plant's management refused to comply with this requirement and continued to impose its outdated products on the military department. It turned out that the director of the plant received a secret order from the board of a joint stock company in Paris - to slow down the construction of new engines by any means in order to be able to sell the parts prepared in large quantities for the outdated design engines produced by the plant.

As a result of Russia's backwardness and its dependence on foreign countries, Russian aviation during the war fell catastrophically behind in terms of the number of aircraft from other warring countries. An insufficient amount of aviation equipment was a characteristic phenomenon for Russian aviation throughout the war. The lack of aircraft and engines disrupted the formation of new aviation units. On October 10, 1914, the main directorate of the main headquarters of the Russian army reported on a request about the possibility of organizing new aviation detachments: “... it has been established that aircraft cannot be built for new detachments before November or December, since all those currently being manufactured are being replenished significant loss of apparatus in existing detachments" .

Many aviation detachments were forced to conduct combat work on outdated, worn-out aircraft, since the supply of new brands of aircraft had not been established. In one of the reports of the army commander-in-chief Western Front, dated January 12, 1917, states: “Currently at the front there are 14 aviation detachments with 100 aircraft, but none of them are serviceable aircraft modern systems... only 18." (By February 1917, on the Northern Front, out of the required 118 aircraft, there were only 60 aircraft, and a significant part of them were so worn out that they required replacement. The normal organization of combat operations of aviation units was greatly hampered by the diversity of aircraft. There were many aviation detachments, where all available The aircraft had different systems, which caused serious difficulties in their combat use, repair and supply of spare parts.

It is known that many Russian pilots, including P.N. Nesterov, persistently sought permission to arm their aircraft with machine guns. Managers tsarist army denied them this and, on the contrary, slavishly copied what was being done in other countries, and everything new and advanced that was created the best people Russian aviation was treated with distrust and disdain.

During the First World War, Russian aviators fought in the most difficult conditions. Acute lack of material, flight and technical personnel, dullness and inertia tsarist generals and dignitaries, into whose care the air force was entrusted, delayed the development of Russian aviation, narrowed the scope and reduced the results of its combat use. And yet, in these most difficult conditions, advanced Russian aviators showed themselves to be bold innovators, decisively paving new paths in the theory and combat practice of aviation.

During the First World War, Russian pilots accomplished many glorious deeds that went down in the history of aviation as a clear evidence of valor, courage, inquisitive mind and high military skill of the great Russian people. At the beginning of the First World War, P.N. Nesterov, an outstanding Russian pilot, the founder of aerobatics, accomplished his heroic feat. On August 26, 1914, Pyotr Nikolaevich Nesterov conducted the first air battle in the history of aviation, realizing his idea of using an aircraft to destroy an air enemy.

Advanced Russian aviators, continuing the work of Nesterov, created fighter squads and laid the initial foundations of their tactics. Special aviation detachments, whose goal was to destroy enemy air forces, were first formed in Russia. The project for organizing these detachments was developed by E. N. Kruten and other advanced Russian pilots. The first fighter aviation units in the Russian army were formed in 1915. In the spring of 1916, fighter aviation detachments were formed in all armies, and in August of the same year, front-line fighter aviation groups were created in Russian aviation. This group included several fighter aviation squads.

With the organization of fighter groups, it became possible to concentrate fighter aircraft on the most important sectors of the front. The aviation manuals of those years stated that the goal of fighting enemy aviation “is to ensure your air fleet freedom of action in the air and constrain the enemy. This goal can be achieved by incessantly pursuing enemy aircraft for their destruction in air combat, which is the main task of fighter squads.” . The fighter pilots skillfully beat the enemy, increasing the number of enemy aircraft shot down. There are many known cases when Russian pilots entered into an air battle alone against three or four enemy aircraft and emerged victorious from these unequal battles.

Having experienced the high combat skill and courage of Russian fighters, German pilots tried to avoid air combat. One of the reports from the 4th Combat Fighter Aviation Group stated: “It has been noticed that recently German pilots, flying over their territory, are waiting for the passage of our patrol vehicles and, when they pass, they are trying to penetrate our territory. When our planes approach, they quickly retreat to their location.”.

During the war, Russian pilots persistently developed new air combat techniques, successfully applying them in their combat practice. In this regard, the activity of the talented fighter pilot E. N. Kruten, who enjoyed a well-deserved reputation as a brave and skillful warrior, deserves attention. Just over the location of his troops, Kruten shot down 6 planes in a short period of time; He also shot down quite a few enemy pilots while flying behind the front line. Based on the combat experience of the best Russian fighter pilots, Kruten substantiated and developed the idea of paired formation of fighter combat formations, and developed a variety of air combat techniques. Kruten has repeatedly emphasized that the components of success in air combat are surprise of attack, altitude, speed, maneuver, caution of the pilot, opening fire from extremely close range, persistence, and the desire to destroy the enemy at all costs.

In Russian aviation, for the first time in the history of the air fleet, a special formation of heavy bombers arose - the Ilya Muromets squadron of airships. The tasks of the squadron were defined as follows: through bombing, destroy fortifications, structures, railway lines, hit reserves and convoys, operate on enemy airfields, carry out aerial reconnaissance and photograph enemy positions and fortifications. The squadron of airships, actively participating in the hostilities, inflicted considerable damage on the enemy with their well-aimed bomb attacks. The pilots and artillery officers of the squadron created instruments and sights that significantly increased the accuracy of bombing. The report, dated June 16, 1916, stated: “Thanks to these devices, now during the combat work of ships there is complete opportunity to accurately bomb the intended targets, approaching them from any direction, regardless of the direction of the wind, and this makes it difficult to target ships enemy anti-aircraft guns."

The inventor of the wind gauge - a device that allows one to determine the basic data for targeted dropping of bombs and aeronautical calculations - was A. N. Zhuravchenko, now a Stalin Prize laureate, an honored worker of science and technology, who served in an airship squadron during the First World War. Leading Russian aviators A.V. Pankratiev, G.V. Alekhnovich, A.N. Zhuravchenko and others, based on the experience of the squadron’s combat operations, developed and generalized the basic principles of targeted bombing, actively participated with their advice and proposals in the creation of new modified aircraft ships "Ilya Muromets".

In the fall of 1915, the pilots of the squadron began to successfully conduct group raids on important enemy military targets. Very successful raids by the Muromites on the cities of Towerkaln and Friedrichshof are known, as a result of which enemy military warehouses were hit with bombs. Enemy soldiers captured some time after the Russian air raid on Towerkaln showed that bombs had destroyed warehouses with ammunition and food. On October 6, 1915, three airships made a group raid on railway station Mitau and blew up fuel warehouses.

Russian planes successfully operated in groups and alone at railway stations, destroying tracks and station structures, hitting German military echelons with bombs and machine-gun fire. Providing great assistance to ground troops, the airships systematically attacked the enemy’s fortifications and reserves and hit his artillery batteries with bombs and machine-gun fire.

The squadron pilots flew on combat missions not only during the day, but also at night. Night flights of the Muromets caused great damage to the enemy. During night flights, aircraft navigation was carried out using instruments. The aerial reconnaissance conducted by the squadron provided great assistance to the Russian troops. The order for the Russian 7th Army noted that “during aerial reconnaissance, the Ilya Muromets 11 airship photographed enemy positions under extremely heavy artillery fire. Despite this, the work of that day was successfully completed, and the next day the ship again took off on an urgent task and performed it perfectly. As during the entire time that the airship “Ilya Muromets” 11 was in the army, the photography on both of these flights was excellent, the reports were compiled very thoroughly and contain truly valuable data.” .

The Muromets inflicted significant losses on enemy aircraft, destroying aircraft both at airfields and in air battles. In August 1916, one of the squadron's combat detachments successfully carried out several group raids on an enemy seaplane base in the area of Lake Angern. Airship crews have achieved great skill in repelling fighter attacks. The high combat skill of the aviators and the powerful small arms of the aircraft made the Muromets low-vulnerable in air combat.

In battles during the First World War, Russian pilots developed the initial tactics for defending a bomber from attack by fighters. So, during group flights when attacked by enemy fighters, the bombers took over the formation with a ledge, which helped them support each other with fire. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Russian airships Ilya Muromets, as a rule, emerged victorious from battles with enemy fighters. During the entire First World War, the enemy managed to shoot down only one aircraft of the Ilya Muromets type in an air battle, and that was because the crew ran out of ammunition.

Russian army aviation was also actively bombing enemy personnel, railway structures, airfields and artillery batteries. Thorough aerial reconnaissance carried out before the raids helped the pilots to timely and accurately bomb the enemy. Among many others, a successful night raid by planes of the Grenadier and 28th aviation detachments on the Tsitkemen railway station and the German airfield located near it is known. The raid was preceded by thorough reconnaissance. The pilots dropped 39 bombs on pre-designated targets. Accurately dropped bombs caused fires and destroyed hangars with enemy aircraft in them.

From the very first days of the war, Russian aviators showed themselves to be brave and skillful aerial reconnaissance officers. In 1914, during the East Prussian operation, pilots of the aviation detachments of the 2nd Russian Army, through thorough aerial reconnaissance, collected data on the location of the enemy in front of the front of our troops. Conducting intensive reconnaissance flights, the pilots relentlessly monitored the Germans retreating under the attacks of Russian troops, supplying headquarters with information about the enemy.

Aviation reconnaissance promptly warned the command of the 2nd Army about the threat of a counterattack, reporting that enemy troops were concentrating on the flanks of the army. But the mediocre tsarist generals did not take advantage of this information and did not attach any importance to it. Neglect of aerial intelligence was one of the many reasons why the offensive East Prussia failed. Aerial reconnaissance played a significant role in preparing the August 1914 offensive of the armies of the Southwestern Front, as a result of which Russian troops defeated the Austro-Hungarian armies and occupied Lvov, Galich and the Przemysl fortress. Carrying out reconnaissance flights over enemy territory, the pilots systematically supplied headquarters with information about the enemy’s fortifications and defensive lines, about his groupings and escape routes. Air reconnaissance data helped determine the direction of attacks of the Russian armies on the enemy.

During the siege of the Przemysl fortress, on the initiative of advanced Russian pilots, photography of fortifications was used from the air. By the way, it should be said that here, too, the highest ranks of the tsarist army showed stupidity and inertia. Representatives of the high command of aviation were staunch opponents of aerial photography at the beginning of the war, believing that it could not bring any results and was a “worthless activity.” However, Russian pilots, who systematically carried out successful photographic reconnaissance, refuted this point of view of the dignitaries.

The Brest-Litovsk fortress and 24th aviation detachments, operating as part of the troops that took part in the siege of Przemysl, conducted intensive aerial photographic reconnaissance of the fortress. So, on November 18, 1914 alone, they took 14 photographs of the fortress and its forts. The report on the work of aviation in November 1914 indicates that as a result of reconnaissance flights accompanied by photography:

"1. A detailed survey of the south-eastern area of the fortress has been completed.

2. An engineering survey was carried out of the area facing Nizankovitsy, in view of information from the army headquarters that they were preparing for a sortie.

3. The places where our shells hit were determined by photographs of the snow cover, and some defects were identified in determining targets and distances.

4. The enemy’s reinforcement of the northwestern front of the fortress was clarified.” .

The 3rd point of this report is very interesting. Russian pilots cleverly used aerial photography of the places where our artillery shells exploded to correct its fire.

Aviation took an active part in the preparation and conduct of the June offensive of the troops of the Southwestern Front in 1916. Aviation detachments assigned to the front troops received certain sectors of the enemy's location for aerial reconnaissance. As a result, they photographed enemy positions and determined the locations of artillery batteries. Intelligence data, including airborne intelligence, helped to study the enemy’s defense system and develop an offensive plan, which, as we know, was crowned with significant success.

During the fighting, Russian aviators had to overcome enormous difficulties caused by the economic backwardness of Tsarist Russia, its dependence on foreign countries, and the hostile attitude of the Tsarist government towards the creative pursuits of talented Russian people. As already indicated, Russian aviation during the war lagged behind the air forces of its “allies” and enemies. By February 1917, there were 1,039 aircraft in Russian aviation, of which 590 were in the active army; a significant portion of the aircraft had outdated systems. Russian pilots had to compensate for the acute shortage of aircraft with intense combat work.

In a stubborn struggle against the routine and inertia of the ruling circles, advanced Russian people ensured the development of domestic aviation and made remarkable discoveries in various branches of aviation science. But how many talented inventions and undertakings were crushed by the tsarist regime, which stifled everything brave, smart, and progressive among the people! The economic backwardness of Tsarist Russia, its dependence on foreign capital, which resulted in a catastrophic lack of weapons in the Russian army, including a lack of aircraft and engines, the mediocrity and corruption of the Tsarist generals - these are the reasons for the serious defeats that the Russian army suffered during the First World War,

The further the First World War dragged on, the clearer the bankruptcy of the monarchy became. In the Russian army, as well as throughout the country, the movement against the war grew. The growth of revolutionary sentiment in the aviation units was greatly facilitated by the fact that the mechanics and soldiers of the aviation units were mostly factory workers drafted into the army during the war. Due to the lack of pilot personnel, the tsarist government was forced to open access to aviation schools to soldiers.

Soldier-pilots and mechanics became the revolutionary core of aviation detachments, where, as in the entire army, the Bolsheviks launched a great deal of propaganda work. The Bolsheviks' calls to turn the imperialist war into a civil war and to direct weapons against their own bourgeoisie and the tsarist government often met with a warm response among the aviator soldiers. In the aviation units, cases of revolutionary actions became more frequent. Among those sentenced to court-martial for revolutionary work in the army were many soldiers from aviation units.

The Bolshevik Party launched powerful propaganda work in the country and at the front. Throughout the army, including in the aviation units, the influence of the party grew every day. Many aviator soldiers openly declared their reluctance to fight for the interests of the bourgeoisie and demanded the transfer of power to the Soviets.

The Revolution and Civil War were ahead...

The beginning of the twentieth century - a time of global changes in the life of mankind and a complete redrawing political map world - was marked by such an event as the First World War. Two large blocs of countries clashed in a battle to divide spheres of influence and plunged the world into a smoke of powerful weapons and human blood for four long years. Total in First world war about 40 states were involved. Aviation played one of the main roles in the war, which was used to achieve three main goals: productive reconnaissance, bombing and destruction of enemy aircraft.

Domestic military aviation was at the stage of formation at the beginning of the war, but in terms of the number of aircraft Russian empire came first.

The main problem of the Russian air flotilla was that the quality of the aircraft was poor: the aircraft were built according to old designs, since foreign companies were in no hurry to share with their allies the latest developments. Insufficient production of aircraft was compensated by their purchases abroad; deliveries were carried out quite rarely due to large interruptions. Russian production was only at elementary level: the inventions of Russian designers such as Sikorsky, Steglau, Haeckel did not find support from domestic manufacturers. To illustrate this problem, we can cite a few dry facts: by the end of 1916, Russia purchased almost 900 foreign aircraft and two thousand engines. Most purchases were from France, Italy and England, but not all were of high quality.

Russian engineering thought developed in several directions: quite unique designs of aircraft, as well as their parts and other load-bearing parts, were created. The greatest attention was paid to the construction of a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft, as the most necessary aircraft in wartime. The aircraft structures were only wooden. The world's only multi-engine bomber, the Ilya Muromets, the serial production of which was a significant problem, was invented by Russian designers.

Bomber Ilya Muromets

A huge breakthrough in the Russian aircraft industry was the invention of Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky - the world's first four-engine bomber aircraft, the Ilya Muromets. The idea of developing a “winged hero” has its origins in April 1912. At first, the main purpose of the aircraft was to be passenger and cargo transportation, as well as its operation to explore the vastness of Siberia.

Initially, a twin-engine Grand aircraft was created, to the design of which two more engines were later added. It successfully passed the test in the spring of 1913, but its only flaw, according to its creators, was the foreign name of the unit. So, it was decided to give him the name “Russian Knight”.

About six months later, at a military aircraft tournament, the “Russian Knight” crashed - the engine of a plane flying over it fell on the left box of its wings. Subsequently, the aircraft was not restored; Sikorsky studied in detail all its pros and cons and, based on the conclusions drawn, decided to design a new unit. By the end of autumn, a new airship was ready with a bright name in honor of the famous Russian hero - “Ilya Muromets”.

At the end of 1913, this plane withstood a serious test - with 16 passengers and a dog, it flew over St. Petersburg. The military department had doubts about the armament of the new aircraft, but to convince the government, Sikorsky at the end of June 1914. spent a long, unprecedented flight from St. Petersburg to Kyiv.

By 1914, four similar aircraft had been built. During the war, the use of two Murom residents showed that without constant leadership and technical support planes quickly break down.

In December 1914, the great Russian Emperor approved a decree on the creation of the world's first bomber squadron. Unfortunately, only its inventor was able to fly the Muromets, so Russian aviation required new qualified personnel and weapons.

In mid-February 1915, the squadron took off on its first combat mission. Throughout the war, she made about four hundred combat sorties, dropped several dozen tons of bombs and destroyed more than ten enemy aircraft.

During the war production air aviation underwent constant changes: bombers with various technical parameters were produced, first of all, they sought to increase the speed of aircraft and increase the number and quality of their weapons. Production of the Murom aircraft continued until 1918, and its last combat flight took place two years later - on November 21.

During the war, Russian engineers and inventors had to overcome enormous economic difficulties during a difficult period for the country. By February 1917, there were more than 1000 aircraft in the domestic aviation, but only half were used in the active army, the rest of the aircraft were outdated.

The failures of Russian aircraft during the war were explained by the mediocrity and corruption of the authorities and their distrust of domestic aviation. Low funding and underestimation of the strengths of Russian inventors became factors in the slow development of engineering construction.

To date, all omissions in the subject of Russian aviation of those years have been analyzed. IN modern world aviation ranks first in transport and military industry, every country understands its enormous importance and invests huge amounts of money in its development.

During the First World War (1914 - 1918), a new branch of the military - aviation - arose and began to develop with exceptional speed, expanding the scope of its combat use. During these years, aviation stood out as a branch of the military and received universal recognition as an effective means of fighting the enemy. In the new conditions of war, military successes of troops were no longer conceivable without the widespread use of aviation.

In the spring of 1916, a group of designers at the Russian-Baltic Plant produced a new fighter of the “Two-Tail” type. One of the documents from that time states:

“The construction of the Dvukhvostka-type fighter has been completed. This device, previously tested in flight, is also sent to Pskov, where it will also be tested in detail and comprehensively.”

At the end of 1916, the RBVZ-20 fighter of a domestic design appeared, which had high maneuverability and developed a maximum horizontal speed at the ground of 190 km/h. Also known are the experimental Lebed fighters, produced in 1915 - 1916.

Having created the heavy multi-engine aircraft "Ilya Muromets", the designers continue to improve the flight and tactical data of the airship, developing its new modifications.

Russian designers also worked successfully on the creation of aeronautical instruments, devices and sights that helped carry out targeted bombing from aircraft, as well as on the shape and quality of aircraft bombs, which showed remarkable combat properties for that time.

New aircraft designs were tested in the design and testing bureau, whose activities took place under the direct supervision of N. E. Zhukovsky. This bureau united the best scientific forces of Russia working in the field of aviation.

N. E. Zhukovsky’s classic works on the vortex theory of the propeller, aircraft dynamics, aerodynamic calculation of aircraft, bombing, etc., written during the First World War, were a valuable contribution to science.

Thus, the Ilya Muromets aircraft, which, according to flight-tactical data, could not be equaled by any aircraft in the world at that time, had to overcome many different obstacles before they became part of the combat ranks of Russian aviation. “Chief of Aviation” Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich proposed to stop production of the Muromtsev, and use the money allocated for their construction to purchase airplanes abroad. Through the efforts of high-ranking officials and foreign spies who made their way into the military ministry of tsarist Russia, the execution of the order for the production of “Murom” aircraft was suspended in the first months of the war, and only under the pressure of indisputable facts testifying to the high combat qualities of the airships that had already participated in the hostilities, The Ministry of War was forced to agree to the resumption of production of the Ilya Muromets aircraft.

The plane began to be inspected by numerous commissions, the composition of which was replete with the names of foreigners who were in the service of the tsarist government and often carried out espionage work in the interests of foreign states. The slightest design flaw, which could easily be eliminated, caused a malicious howl that the plane was supposedly no good at all, and the talented proposal was put under a bushel. And after some time, somewhere abroad, in England, America or France, the same design, stolen by spy officials, appeared under the name of some foreign false author. Foreigners, using the help of the tsarist government, shamelessly robbed the Russian people and Russian science.

However, as soon as the war began, the tsarist government’s hopes for help from the “allies” burst. Some of the purchased materials and engines were confiscated by Germany at routes to the Russian border, and most of the materials and engines provided for by the agreement were not sent by the “allies” at all. As a result, of the 400 aircraft that were eagerly awaited in the aviation units, which experienced an acute shortage of material, by October 1914 it turned out to be possible to continue the construction of only 242 aircraft .

In December 1914, the “allies” announced their decisions to sharply reduce the number of aircraft and engines supplied to Russia.

The news of this decision caused extreme alarm in the Russian Ministry of War: the plan to supply aircraft and engines to units of the active army was disrupted. “The new decision of the French military department puts us in a difficult situation,” wrote the head of the main military-technical department to the Russian military agent in France .

Of the 586 aircraft and 1,730 engines ordered in France in 1915, only 250 aircraft and 268 engines were delivered to Russia. Moreover, France and England sold obsolete and worn-out aircraft and engines to Russia that had already been withdrawn from service in French aviation. There are many cases where French identification marks were discovered under the fresh paint that covered the sent aircraft.

Thus, the plans of the tsarist government to receive material from the “allies” to supply aviation failed. And the war demanded more and more new aircraft, engines, and aviation weapons.

The tsarist government and its military department were forced to admit that dependence on foreign countries put Russian aircraft factories in an extremely difficult situation. Thus, the head of the organization of aviation affairs in the active army wrote in one of his memos:

“The lack of engines had a disastrous effect on the productivity of airplane factories, since the calculation of domestic airplane production was based on the timely supply of foreign engines.”

The enslaving dependence of the economy of Tsarist Russia on foreign countries brought Russian aviation to disaster during the First World War.

It should be noted that the Russian-Baltic Plant successfully mastered the production of domestic Rusbalt engines, with which most of the Ilya Muromets airships were equipped. However, the tsarist government continued to order worthless Sunbeam engines from England, which continually failed to fly. The poor quality of these engines is eloquently evidenced by an excerpt from a memo from the department of the general on duty under the Commander-in-Chief:

“The 12 new Sunbeam engines that had just arrived in the squadron turned out to be faulty; there are defects such as cracks in the cylinders and misalignments of the connecting rods."

As a result of the backwardness of Tsarist Russia and its dependence on foreign countries, Russian aviation during the war fell catastrophically behind in terms of the number of aircraft from other warring countries. An insufficient amount of aviation equipment was a characteristic phenomenon for Russian aviation throughout the war. The lack of aircraft and engines disrupted the formation of new aviation units. On October 10, 1914, the main directorate of the main headquarters of the Russian army reported on a request about the possibility of organizing new aviation detachments: “... it has been established that aircraft cannot be built for new detachments before November or December, since all those currently being manufactured are being replenished significant loss of apparatus in existing detachments" .

Many aviation detachments were forced to conduct combat work on outdated, worn-out aircraft, since the supply of new brands of aircraft had not been established. One of the reports of the commander-in-chief of the armies of the Western Front, dated January 12, 1917, says: “Currently, the front consists of 14 aviation detachments with 100 aircraft, but of these, only 18 are serviceable devices of modern systems.”

By February 1917, on the Northern Front, out of the 118 aircraft required by the state, there were only 60, and a significant part of them were so worn out that they required replacement.

The normal organization of combat operations of aviation units was greatly hampered by the diversity of aircraft. There were quite a few aviation detachments, where all the available aircraft were of different systems. This caused serious difficulties in their combat use, repair and supply of spare parts.

The “Short Course on the History of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)” characterizes the situation in which the Russian army found itself in the First World War: “The tsarist army did not have enough guns, there were not enough shells, there were not even enough rifles. Sometimes there was one rifle for three soldiers.” This characteristic fully applies to the state of Russian aviation during the First World War.

During the First World War, Russian aviators fought in the most difficult conditions. An acute shortage of material, flight and technical personnel, the stupidity and inertia of the tsarist generals and dignitaries, into whose care the air force was entrusted, delayed the development of Russian aviation, narrowed the scope and reduced the results of its combat use.

And yet, in these most difficult conditions, advanced Russian aviators showed themselves to be bold innovators, decisively paving new paths in the theory and combat practice of aviation.

At the beginning of the First World War, P.N. Nesterov, an outstanding Russian pilot, the founder of aerobatics, accomplished his heroic feat. On August 26, 1914, Pyotr Nikolaevich Nesterov conducted the first air battle in the history of aviation, realizing his idea of using an aircraft to destroy an air enemy.

Advanced Russian aviators, continuing the work of Nesterov, created fighter squads and laid the initial foundations of their tactics. Special aviation detachments, whose goal was to destroy enemy air forces, were first formed in Russia. The project for organizing these detachments was also developed by other advanced Russian pilots. The first fighter aviation detachments in the Russian army were formed in 1915. In the spring of 1916, fighter aviation detachments were formed in all armies, and in August of the same year, front-line fighter aviation groups were created in the Russian aviation. This group included several fighter aviation squads.

The fighter pilots skillfully beat the enemy, increasing the number of enemy aircraft shot down.

There are many known cases when Russian pilots entered into an air battle alone against three or four enemy aircraft and emerged victorious from these unequal battles.

Having experienced the high combat skill and courage of Russian fighters, German pilots tried to avoid air combat. One of the reports from the 4th Fighter Fighter Group stated:

“It has been noticed that recently German pilots, flying over their territory, wait for the passage of our patrol vehicles and, when they pass, try to penetrate our territory. When our planes approach, they quickly retreat to their location.”

Based on the combat experience of the best Russian fighter pilots, Kruten substantiated and developed the idea of paired formation of fighter combat formations, and developed a variety of air combat techniques. Kruten has repeatedly emphasized that the components of success in air combat are surprise of attack, altitude, speed, maneuver, caution of the pilot, opening fire from extremely close range, persistence, and the desire to destroy the enemy at all costs.

The squadron of airships, actively participating in the hostilities, inflicted considerable damage on the enemy with their well-aimed bomb attacks.

The pilots and artillery officers of the squadron created instruments and sights that significantly increased the accuracy of bombing. The report, dated June 16, 1916, stated: “Thanks to these devices, now during the combat work of ships there is complete opportunity to accurately bomb the intended targets, approaching them from any direction, regardless of the direction of the wind, and this makes it difficult to target ships enemy anti-aircraft guns."

Leading Russian aviators A.V. Pankratiev, G.V. Alekhnovich, A.N. Zhuravchenko and others, based on the experience of the squadron’s combat operations, developed and generalized the basic principles of targeted bombing, actively participated with their advice and proposals in the creation of new modified aircraft ships "Ilya Muromets".

Russian planes successfully operated in groups and alone at railway stations, destroying tracks and station structures, hitting German military echelons with bombs and machine-gun fire.

Providing great assistance to ground troops, the airships systematically attacked the enemy’s fortifications and reserves and hit his artillery batteries with bombs and machine-gun fire.

The aerial reconnaissance conducted by the squadron provided great assistance to the Russian troops. The order for the Russian 7th Army noted that “during aerial reconnaissance, the Ilya Muromets 11 airship photographed enemy positions under extremely heavy artillery fire. Despite this, the work of that day was successfully completed, and the next day the ship again took off on an urgent task and performed it perfectly.

As during the entire time that the airship “Ilya Muromets” 11 was in the army, the photography on both of these flights was excellent, the reports were compiled very thoroughly and contain truly valuable data.” .

Airship crews have achieved great skill in repelling fighter attacks. The high combat skill of the aviators and the powerful small arms of the aircraft made the Muromets low-vulnerable in air combat.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Russian airships Ilya Muromets, as a rule, emerged victorious from battles with enemy fighters. During the entire First World War, the enemy managed to shoot down only one aircraft of the Ilya Muromets type in an air battle, and that was because the crew ran out of ammunition.

From the very first days of the war, Russian aviators showed themselves to be brave and skillful aerial reconnaissance aircraft. In 1914, during the East Prussian operation, pilots of the aviation detachments of the 2nd Russian Army, through thorough aerial reconnaissance, collected data on the location of the enemy in front of the front of our troops. Conducting intensive reconnaissance flights, the pilots relentlessly monitored the Germans retreating under the attacks of Russian troops, supplying headquarters with information about the enemy.

Aerial reconnaissance played a significant role in preparing the August 1914 offensive of the armies of the Southwestern Front, as a result of which Russian troops defeated the Austro-Hungarian armies and occupied Lvov, Galich and the Przemysl fortress. Carrying out reconnaissance flights over enemy territory, the pilots systematically supplied headquarters with information about the enemy’s fortifications and defensive lines, about his groupings and escape routes. Air reconnaissance data helped determine the direction of attacks of the Russian armies on the enemy.

"1. A detailed survey of the south-eastern area of the fortress has been completed.

2. An engineering survey was carried out of the area facing Nizankovitsy, in view of information from the army headquarters that they were preparing for a sortie.

3. The places where our shells hit were determined by photographs of the snow cover, and some defects were identified in determining targets and distances.

4. The enemy’s reinforcement of the northwestern front of the fortress was clarified.” .

The 3rd point of this report is very interesting. Russian pilots cleverly used aerial photography of the places where our artillery shells exploded to correct its fire.

She took an active part in the preparation and conduct of the June offensive of the troops of the Southwestern Front in 1916. Aviation detachments assigned to the front troops received certain sectors of the enemy's location for aerial reconnaissance.

As a result, they photographed enemy positions and determined the locations of artillery batteries. Intelligence data, including airborne intelligence, helped to study the enemy’s defense system and develop an offensive plan, which, as we know, was crowned with significant success.

The power of the landowners and bourgeoisie doomed our country to backwardness, catastrophically delayed its development, fettered the Russian national science and threatened to drive her into a hopeless dead end.

The economic backwardness of Tsarist Russia, its dependence on foreign capital, which resulted in a catastrophic lack of weapons in the Russian army, including a lack of aircraft and engines, the mediocrity and corruption of the Tsarist generals - these are the reasons for the serious defeats that the Russian army suffered during the First World War,

The growth of revolutionary sentiment in the aviation units was greatly facilitated by the fact that the mechanics and soldiers of the aviation units were mostly factory workers drafted into the army during the war. Due to the lack of pilot personnel, the tsarist government was forced to open access to aviation schools to soldiers. Naturally, the soldier-pilots, workers and toiling peasants in the recent past, bitterly hated the tsarist government.

Soldier-pilots and mechanics were the revolutionary core of the aviation detachments, where, as in the entire army, the Bolsheviks launched a great deal of propaganda work. The party's calls to turn the imperialist war into a civil war, to direct weapons against its own bourgeoisie and the tsarist government, met with a warm response among the aviator soldiers. In the aviation units, cases of revolutionary actions became more frequent. The tsarist government dealt savagely with revolutionary-minded aviator soldiers.

Among those sentenced to court-martial for revolutionary work in the army were many soldiers from aviation units.

But the more the tsarist government went on a rampage, trying fruitlessly to delay the impending revolution, the stronger it became revolutionary movement in the army, covering increasingly wider masses of soldiers.

In February 1917, the monarchy was overthrown by the rebellious working people, led by the Bolshevik Party. “The revolution was carried out by the proletariat, it showed heroism, it shed blood, it carried with it the broadest masses of the working and poor population...” wrote V.I. Lenin in the first days of the revolution.

The Communist Party has launched a huge political work in the country and at the front and led the working masses of Russia to the October Socialist Revolution. Throughout the army, including in the aviation units, the influence of the party grew every day. Many aviator soldiers openly declared their reluctance to fight for the interests of the bourgeoisie and demanded the transfer of power to the Soviets.

The victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution opened the path to rapid development and prosperity for our domestic aviation. Workers and peasants, under the leadership of the Communist Party, began building the Soviet air fleet.

The importance of air power in modern warfare is enormous, and the conflicts of recent decades clearly confirm this. The Russian Air Force is second only to the American Air Force in the number of aircraft. Russian military aviation has a long and glorious history; until recently, the Russian Air Force was a separate species troops, in August last year the Russian air force became part of the Aerospace Forces Russian Federation.

Russia is undoubtedly a great aviation power. Except glorious history, our country can boast of a significant technological reserve, which allows us to independently produce military aircraft of any type.

Today, Russian military aviation is going through a difficult period of its development: its structure is changing, new aircraft are entering service, and a generational change is taking place. However, the events of recent months in Syria have shown that the Russian Air Force can successfully carry out its combat missions in any conditions.

History of the Russian Air Force

The history of Russian military aviation began more than a century ago. In 1904, an aerodynamic institute was created in Kuchino, and one of the creators of aerodynamics, Zhukovsky, became its director. Within its walls, scientific and theoretical work was carried out aimed at improving aviation technology.

During the same period, the Russian designer Grigorovich worked on the creation of the world's first seaplanes. The first flight schools were opened in the country.

In 1910, the Imperial Air Force was organized, which existed until 1917.

Russian aviation took an active part in the First World War, although the domestic industry of that time lagged significantly behind other countries participating in this conflict. Most of the combat aircraft flown by Russian pilots of that time were manufactured at foreign factories.

But still, domestic designers also had interesting discoveries. The first multi-engine bomber, the Ilya Muromets, was created in Russia (1915).

The Russian air force was divided into air squads, which included 6-7 aircraft. The detachments were united into air groups. The army and navy had their own aviation.

At the beginning of the war, aircraft were used for reconnaissance or adjusting artillery fire, but very quickly they began to be used for bombing the enemy. Soon fighters appeared and air battles began.

Russian pilot Nesterov made the first aerial ram, and a little earlier he performed the famous “dead loop”.

The Imperial Air Force was disbanded after the Bolsheviks came to power. Many pilots took part in civil war on different sides of the conflict.

In 1918, the new government created its own Air Force, which took part in the civil war. After its completion, the country's leadership paid great attention to the development of military aviation. This allowed the USSR in the 30s, after large-scale industrialization, to return to the club of the world's leading aviation powers.

New aircraft factories were built, design bureaus were created, and flight schools were opened. A whole galaxy of talented aircraft designers appeared in the country: Polyakov, Tupolev, Ilyushin, Petlyakov, Lavochnikov and others.

In the pre-war period, the armed forces received a large number of new types of aviation equipment, which were not inferior to foreign analogues: MiG-3, Yak-1, LaGG-3 fighters, TB-3 long-range bomber.

By the beginning of the war, Soviet industry had produced more than 20 thousand military aircraft of various modifications. In the summer of 1941, USSR factories produced 50 combat vehicles per day, three months later the production of equipment doubled (up to 100 vehicles).

The war for the USSR Air Force began with a series of crushing defeats - a huge number of aircraft were destroyed at border airfields and in air battles. For almost two years, German aviation had air supremacy. The Soviet pilots did not have the proper experience, their tactics were outdated, like most of the Soviet aviation equipment.

The situation began to change only in 1943, when the USSR industry mastered the production of modern combat vehicles, and the Germans had to send their best forces to protect Germany from Allied air raids.

By the end of the war, the quantitative superiority of the USSR Air Force became overwhelming. During the war, more than 27 thousand Soviet pilots died.

On July 16, 1997, by Decree of the President of Russia, the the new kind troops - the Air Force of the Russian Federation. The new structure included troops air defense and the air force. In 1998, the necessary structural changes were completed, the Main Headquarters of the Russian Air Force was formed, and a new commander-in-chief appeared.

Russian military aviation participated in all conflicts in the North Caucasus, in the Georgian war of 2008, in 2019, Russian Aerospace Forces were introduced into Syria, where they are currently located.

Around the middle of the last decade, active modernization of the Russian air force began.

Old aircraft are being modernized, units are receiving new equipment, new ones are being built and old air bases are being restored. The fifth generation fighter T-50 is being developed and is in its final stages.

The pay of military personnel has been significantly increased, today pilots have the opportunity to spend enough time in the air and hone their skills, and exercises have become regular.

In 2008, the reform of the air force began. The structure of the Air Force was divided into commands, air bases and brigades. The commands were created on a territorial basis and replaced the air defense and air force armies.

Structure of the air force of the Russian Air Force

Today, the Russian Air Force is part of the military space forces, the decree on the creation of which was published in August 2019. The leadership of the Russian Aerospace Forces is exercised by the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and direct command is exercised by the Main Command of the Aerospace Forces. The commander-in-chief of the Russian military space forces is Colonel General Sergei Surovikin.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force is Lieutenant General Yudin, he holds the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

In addition to the air force, the Aerospace Forces include space force, air defense and missile defense units.

The Russian Air Force includes long-range, military transport and army aviation. In addition, the Air Force includes anti-aircraft, missile and radio technical troops. The Russian Air Force also has its own special troops, which perform many important functions: provide reconnaissance and communications, engage in electronic warfare, rescue operations and protection against weapons of mass destruction. The Air Force also includes meteorological and medical services, engineering units, support units and logistics services.

The basis of the structure of the Russian air force are brigades, air bases and commands of the Russian Air Force.

Four commands are located in St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Khabarovsk and Novosibirsk. In addition, the Russian Air Force includes a separate command that manages long-range and military transport aviation.

As mentioned above, the Russian Air Force is second only to the US Air Force in size. In 2010, the strength of the Russian air force was 148 thousand people, about 3.6 thousand different pieces of aircraft were in operation, and about 1 thousand more were in storage.

After the 2008 reform, air regiments turned into air bases; in 2010, there were 60-70 such bases.

Before air force Russia is given the following tasks:

repelling enemy aggression in the air and outer space;
protection from air strikes of military and government controlled, administrative and industrial centers, other important infrastructure facilities of the state;
defeating enemy troops using various types of ammunition, including nuclear;
conducting intelligence operations;
direct support for other branches and branches of the Russian Armed Forces.

Military aviation of the Russian Air Force

The Russian Air Force includes strategic and long-range aviation, military transport and army aviation, which, in turn, is divided into fighter, attack, bomber, and reconnaissance.

Strategic and long-range aviation is part of the Russian nuclear triad and is capable of carrying various types of nuclear weapons.

. These machines were designed and built back in the Soviet Union. The impetus for the creation of this aircraft was the development by the Americans of the B-1 strategist. Today, the Russian Air Force has 16 Tu-160 aircraft in service. These military aircraft can be armed with cruise missiles and free-fall bombs. Whether Russian industry will be able to establish serial production of these machines is an open question.

. This is a turboprop aircraft that made its first flight during Stalin’s lifetime. This vehicle has undergone deep modernization; it can be armed with cruise missiles and free-falling bombs with both conventional and nuclear warheads. Currently, the number of operating machines is about 30.

. This machine is called a long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber. Tu-22M was developed in the late 60s of the last century. The aircraft has variable wing geometry. Can carry cruise missiles and nuclear bombs. The total number of combat-ready vehicles is about 50, another 100 are in storage.

The fighter aviation of the Russian Air Force is currently represented by the Su-27, MiG-29, Su-30, Su-35, MiG-31, Su-34 (fighter-bomber) aircraft.

. This machine is the result of a deep modernization of the Su-27; it can be classified as generation 4++. The fighter has increased maneuverability and is equipped with advanced electronic equipment. Commencement of operation of the Su-35 - 2014. The total number of aircraft is 48 aircraft.

. The famous attack aircraft, created back in the mid-70s of the last century. One of the best aircraft in its class in the world, the Su-25 has participated in dozens of conflicts. Today there are about 200 Rooks in service, with another 100 in storage. This aircraft is being modernized and will be completed in 2020.

. A front-line bomber with variable wing geometry, designed to overcome enemy air defenses at low altitude and supersonic speed. The Su-24 is an obsolete aircraft; it is planned to be written off by 2020. 111 units remain in service.

. The newest fighter-bomber. There are currently 75 such aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force.

Transport aviation of the Russian Air Force is represented by several hundred different aircraft, the vast majority developed in the USSR: An-22, An-124 Ruslan, Il-86, An-26, An-72, An-140, An-148 and others models.

Training aviation includes: Yak-130, Czech aircraft L-39 Albatros and Tu-134UBL.

The Russian Imperial Air Force existed from 1885 to 1917. Despite its short history, it played a significant role in the development of world aviation.

In December 1869, the Aeronautics Commission was created, which was tasked with assessing the prospects for the use of balloons in military affairs. In 1870 the first balloon was lifted. In February 1885, the Aeronautical Command was formed, in 1890 it was transformed into a Separate Aeronautical Park, which was at the disposal of the Commission for Aeronautics, Pigeon Post and Watchtowers.

Preparation for the rise of the Kobchik balloon at the Cherno aeronautical park navy, Holland Bay, Sevastopol. Convinced of the feasibility of using tethered balloons, the War Ministry decided to create special aeronautical units at fortresses in Warsaw, Novgorod, Brest-Litovsk, Kovno, Osovets and the Far East, which included 65 balloons.

The first Russian military airship "Krechet" in flight. Received the name "Commission" at the start of construction, the airship was built in 1909, made its first flight in 1910 and, after testing, was put into service with the 9th Aeronautical Company.

In 1903, the publication of the Aeronaut magazine began.

On January 30, 1910, the Air Fleet Department was created in the Special Committee for the Restoration of the Navy, headed by Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, using voluntary donations. In March 1910, the group Russian officers was sent to France for flying training. Returning to Russia, they began teaching flying to other officers. In the summer of 1910, the first school for training military pilots was opened, for which French-made airplanes were purchased in France. Since May 1911, the school was located in Gatchina. On June 19, 1910 (new style), the aircraft, which was completely developed and built in Russia, made its first flight. It was called "Gakkel-III" and was designed by engineer J. Gakkel. In 1911, the first experiment in creating an armed airplane was carried out in Russia - a machine gun was installed on one of the airplanes.

The Spad reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Imperial Air Force made an emergency landing in an enemy position and was then repulsed by Russian reconnaissance aircraft. Galicia, August 1917

Farman-16 aircraft from one of the air squads of the Russian Imperial Air Force at the airfield.

A celebration organized in honor of the production of the 100th aircraft by the Dux joint-stock company plant, in the cockpit of the Farman-XV aircraft, test pilot A.M. Gaber-Vlynsky. Aerodrome of the Moscow Aeronautics Society on Khodynskoye Field, April 1913.

Instructor pilot Alexander Evgenievich Raevsky (in the center of the photo, in civilian clothes) with a group of aviators near the Farman aircraft, Kachin Aviation Officer School.

A group of aviators near the piled-up wreckage of a crashed plane.

Flight on a combat mission by a Voisin aircraft (Voisin 3 LA or 5 LAS) of the Russian Imperial Air Force, 1916.

Pilots and technicians are preparing the Farman aircraft for takeoff; a Maxim machine gun is installed in the nose of the aircraft.

Spud A.4 aircraft on a ski chassis from the 30th Corps Aviation Detachment, winter 1916-1917.

Aviator near the plane

Military pilot Alyokhin in the Morane-Saulnier Type L aircraft.

Demonstration of dropping an aerial bomb manually, pilot and aircraft designer Georgy Adler in the pilot’s seat in the gondola of the Farman HF.16 airplane.

Familiarization with the aircraft designed by I.I. Steglau at a military airplane competition in St. Petersburg, Komendantsky airfield, 1912. The aircraft, built by a self-taught designer, attracted attention with a number of advanced solutions for its time, first used in aircraft construction, which gave it exceptional strength and good aerodynamic qualities.

Saolet designed by I.I. Steglau at a military airplane competition in St. Petersburg, Komendantsky airfield, 1912. Steglau's innovative solutions were appreciated by A. Fokker, who was present at the competition, and he later transferred some of them to the designs of his aircraft. Setglau's plane dropped out of further participation in the competition after a forced landing in a ditch due to a propeller failure in the air.