Soviet Frontal Aviation/ Soviet Air Defence Forces
Soviet Frontal Aviation/ Soviet Air Defence Forces
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily (literally, "Military Air Forces") and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces.
The VVS was founded as the "Workers' and Peasants' Air Fleet", with the status of a Main Directorate, on May 24th, 1918, succeeding the Imperial Russian Air Force. It became the Directorate of the USSR Air Forces on March 28, 1924, and then the Directorate of the Workers-Peasants Red Army Air Forces on January 1st, 1925. Gradually its influence on aircraft design became greater. From its earliest days, the force mimicked ground forces' organization, being made up of Air armies, Aviation Divisions, and aviation regiments.
Air Defence Forces (Russian: Voyska PVO) was the air defense branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. It continued being a service branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 1998. PVO is short for
ProtivoVozdushnaya Oborona or "Air Defense". Unlike Western air defense forces, PVO National Air Defence Troops was a branch of the military unto itself, separate from the Soviet Air Force (VVS). During the Soviet period it was generally ranked third in importance of the Soviet services, behind the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Ground Forces.
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