The VKS (Russian: Воздушно-космические силы, "Aerospace Forces") came into being in 2015 through the merger of the former Air Force (VVS) and the Aerospace Defence (VKO). Since then it has been one of the three main services of the Russian Federation, alongside the Ground Forces and the Navy, and separate from the strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN).
The VKS bundles three traditionally separate domains under one command: flying (fighters, bombing, transport), ground-based air defence (radar and surface-to-air missiles) and space (satellites, launch, early warning of ballistic missiles). That bundling is deliberate: in the Russian view the airspace is one coherent battlespace in which aircraft, missiles and sensors must operate as a single system.
The VKS is not a copy of a Western air force. It is strongly ground-oriented and defensive by design: the centre of gravity is denying its own airspace to the adversary (air defence), not independently winning air superiority over enemy territory.
| Characteristic | Value (indicative, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Russian name | Воздушно-космические силы (VKS) |
| Established | 1 August 2015 (merger VVS + VKO) |
| Personnel strength | ± 160,000–165,000 |
| Aircraft strength | ± 4,000 (total inventory; significant war losses and wear) |
| Main components | Air Force (VVS) · Aerospace & Air Defence (ADD/PVO-PRO) · Space Forces (KV) |
| Tactical commands | 5 air armies (VA i PVO) + 1st Special Purpose Army (Moscow) |
The VKS has changed profoundly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (February 2022): heavy equipment losses, a reorganisation of the military districts (2024) and a shift towards stand-off operations with glide bombs. See § 1.5 and the lessons from Ukraine.