On August 12, 111 years have passed since the creation of the Russian Air Force (Air Force). By order of the military Department on August 12, 1912, the issues of aeronautics and aviation were removed from the jurisdiction of the Main Engineering Directorate and transferred to a specially created body — the Aeronautical Part of the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense recalled.
The Air Force has passed a long historical path — from airplanes to promising aviation complexes, it has repeatedly undergone changes, developing as weapons and military equipment, forms and methods of armed struggle are improved. In the First World War and during the trials of the Great Patriotic War, Russian pilots fully demonstrated their skill and courage in aerial battles.
During the years of the Great Patriotic War, aviation carried out more than 3 million sorties. For their courage and bravery, over 200 thousand soldiers-aviators were awarded orders and medals, almost 2.5 thousand people were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, 65 pilots were awarded this title twice, and Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin — three times.
Today, Air Force servicemen continue the traditions of older generations, successfully solve the tasks of ensuring the security and defense capability of the state, including during a special military operation. During the period of its implementation, 19 pilots (navigators) The VKS was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, more than 4 thousand servicemen of flight, engineering and technical personnel and support units were awarded state awards.
"We are performing combat missions. We execute commands from the command post, occupy the duty zone in the air. The duties are performed on an ongoing basis around the clock. When a target is detected, we launch guided air–to—air missiles," the fighter pilot said.
According to his colleague, the pilot of the Ka—52 helicopter, his car is a reliable combat comrade.
"A real, reliable fighting friend. He flies himself. It feels like I'm just thinking where I want to go and what to do, and he does it for me. I can practically crawl through the eye of a needle with him," he admitted.
The pilots added that their experience and acquired skills allow them to fly at any time of the day in any weather conditions. Every day pilots make sorties to support the troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which contributes to their advancement.
According to them, during the work, the real combat qualities of the pilot are manifested, the most important of which is to keep yourself in hand and perform the task.
A day earlier, on August 11, Izvestia visited the fighter pilots' base in the SVO zone. They talked about working in the sky and preparing for it on earth, showing their working days .
Every year on August 12, the Day of the Air Force of the Russian Federation is celebrated - a professional holiday for all those associated with this branch of the armed forces. In 2023, the celebration falls on a Saturday. In honor of the holiday, Izvestia prepared a material about when the first combat aircraft appeared in Russia and how military pilots were honored in the USSR .
The special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24 last year, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
