Russian Air Force Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Russian Air Force
Военно-воздушные силы России Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii
Russian Air Force emblem
Active	7 May 1992 (1992-05-07)
Country	Russia
Type	Air force
Size	148,000 personnel (2018) 3,200+ aircraft
Part of	Russian Aerospace Forces
Headquarters	Moscow, Russia
March	"Air March" (Russian: "Авиамарш")
Anniversaries	12 August
Engagements	First Chechen War War of Dagestan Second Chechen War Russo-Georgian War Syrian Civil War
Commanders
Chief of the General Staff	Valery Gerasimov
Commander of the Aerospace Forces	Sergei Surovikin
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force	Andrey Yudin
Insignia
Roundel
Roundel (1991–2010)
Flag
Aircraft flown
Attack	Su-25SM, Su-24M, Su-34
Bomber	MiG-31K, Tu-22M3, Tu-95, Tu-160
Electronic warfare	A-50/A-50U, Il-22PP, Il-80
Fighter	MiG-29, MiG-35, Su-27, Su-30, Su-35, Su-57
Helicopter	Ka-60, Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26
Attack helicopter	Mi-24/Mi-35M, Mi-28N, Ka-50, Ka-52
Interceptor	MiG-31
Trainer	Aero L-39 Albatros, Yak-130
Transport	Il-76, Il-112, An-26, An-124, An-140, An-148
Tanker	Il-78

The Russian Air Force is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merger of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The modern Russian Air Force was originally established on 7 May 1992 following Boris Yeltsin's creation of the Ministry of Defence; however, the Russian Federation's air force can trace its lineage and traditions back to the Imperial Russian Air Service (1912–1917) and the Soviet Air Forces (1918–1991).

The Russian Navy has its own independent air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno-morskogo Flota (lit. "Aviation of the military-sea fleet"), or AVMF. The Russian Air Force is the air wing of the Russian Military. It is the world's second largest air force after the United States Air Force. It is also the only air force other than the United States Air Force who use modern strategic bombers.

History

During the Cold War, the Soviet Air Force had an air force equal to the United States Air Force. However, after the collapse of Soviet Union, the Russian Air Force was made much smaller because Russia did not have enough money to keep everything. However, spending on the Russian Air Force increased in the early 21st century.