The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Air Defense of Ukraine fulfils responsible tasks of protection of the Ukraine’s sovereignty and the inviolability of its borders and air space, has well specified functions in peacetime and in case of war and is intended to prevent the beginning of air and missile strikes, to intercept enemy aircraft, to defend the most important administrative, political and industrial centers, concentration of Army and Navy units, other state and military objects against enemy air and cruise missile strikes. 

It structurally consists of three Corps deployed in L’viv, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk. The HQ of Air Defense is located in Kyiv.

The Air Defense is composed of anti-aircraft missile, fighter aviation and radar troops, which are the branches of the Air Defense, and also liason forces and special components, elements of logistics and military educational institutions. The total strength of the Air Defense is over 35,000.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was created on the base of formations, units and elements, which were deployed in Ukraine by the time of declaration of the Ukrainian independence.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine consists of the following branches:

Surface-to Air Missile Forces (SAM) are intended to provide the air defense of Ukraine in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces.

SAM forces are equipped with different types of anti-aircraft missile (AAM) complexes highly capable to intercept modern air targets of wide range of altitude and speed under any weather conditions and 24 hours per day. The development of SAM forces means the increase of their mobility in order to create the concentration of SAM forces of enough combat power on the dangerous direction under conditions of SAM force reduction and incapability to provide the equal defense on all directions before the aggression starts. The basic equipment of SAM forces are: high range AAM complex S-200, modern multi-channel AAM system S-300 of different modifications and AAM complex “BUK”

Radar Troops are intended to conduct constant air space radar observation and to provide combat operations of SAM forces and fighter aviation.

Radar troops are equipped with modern radar sets capable to detect air targets on high spectrum of their distances and altitudes, to determine their exact coordinates and to provide target designation for SAM forces and fighter aviation 24 hours per day under any weather and electronic countermeasures (ECM) conditions.

Nowadays the retrofitting of existing radar sets from analogue to digital signal processing is conducted. It will increase their capabilities and also enable to connect these radar sets to automatic control system, which is being created on principles of modern computerized local networks with usage of new personal computers.

Fighter Aviation is intended to intercept and destroy enemy air targets on maximum approaches from friendly defended objects.

The use of high combat capabilities of the Fighter Aviation during shot-term maneuver on another airspace directions and conduct of combat operations on high range approaches exerts essential influence upon increase of Air Defense capabilities to repel an enemy air strike. The Air Defense Fighter Aviation consists of: one fighter aviation wing equipped with MiG-29s and L-39s and one separate transport aviation squadron equipped with An-26s and Mi-8s.

Special Forces, Units, Institutions and Elements of Logistics and Maintenance, Military Educational Institutions are intended to provide combat activity of formations, units and elements of Air Defense branches.

The primary high military educational institution of the Air Defense is the Kharkiv Military University which was founded in August, 1993 in order to train high qualified specialists for the Air Defense, Army Air Defense, Rocket and Artillery forces and chemical warfare (CW) troops.

Nowadays the Kharkiv Military University is a multiple-discipline high military educational institution and big research center which provides students with high quality basic training, high common education, skills of scientific research.

The Kharkiv Military University provides training of military specialists from a soldier’s level to an officer’s level of operative tactical training.

The training of officers for high scientific specialties of the Armed Forces, other ministries and departments of Ukraine is held in the University.

Graduates of the University obtains high military operative tactical education and qualification “master's degree - - military control officer - specialist of operative tactical level”, high military special education and qualification “bachelor – military control officer-specialist of tactical level”.

In 2000 the Lyceum of intensive physical fitness training was founded as a branch of the University and the first admission of pupils of Lyceum was done. The preparation of the material and technical basis of the Lyceum is about to be completed.

The teaching staff of the University is 832 men including staff of the scientific centers, who are lecturers, 91 Doctors of Science, professors and 586 Candidates of Science, assistant professors.

The training of the teaching staff is conducted in doctoranture and adjuncture of the University. The training of Doctors and Candidates of Science is organized in over 40 scientific schools, which have been created for decades and headed by leading scientists.

The military University supports scientific, teaching and methodical links with leading educational institutions, scientific establishments and organizations of Ukraine and countries of CIS.

The training process in the University is tightly connected with combat activity of military troops.

The main feature of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: even in peacetime it carries out combat tasks of Ukraine’s airspace border protection – 24-hour combat duty.

Every day 3000 servicemen of more than 120 specialties carry out combat duty. Units and elements of the Air Defense protect the state border of distance of over 7000 km, observe and check flights of planes of all national state structures and during state border crossing through the borders of 9 neighboring states.

Every month radar troops, crews of command posts of the Air Defense track more than 9000 aircraft. The crews on combat duty are always ready to prevent any airspace violations and to render assistance for aircraft in case of emergency.

The structure of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is being created and developed taking into account all experience gained before, coming from the geopolitical position of Ukraine, its military doctrine orientation, existing power and means of the Air Defense and according to the technical and economical abilities.

The integrated system of the Air Defense, which has been created using all power and means of all branches of the Armed Forces, is effective and economical but a strict centralized control system is required.

The transfer of main military activity to aerospace, direct relation of results of military conflict on the fact who dominates in aerospace stipulate the essential increase of role of means of air attack and air defense.

The confirmation of above mentioned fact is modern military conflicts, operations conducted by multinational forces in Gulf Bay and also operation of combined NATO armed forces in Yugoslavia.

The modern air defense must be multifunctional, capable to fight with not only aircraft and helicopters but cruise missiles and other unmanned means.

The effectiveness of combat application of different powers and means of the Air Defense must be achieved by the usage of combat capabilities taking into consideration the specified cooperation and centralized control.

Thus, in general the achievement of high effectiveness of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under today’s economical conditions is possible due to creation of the combined air defense system of the respective scale which shall have unified concept, assigned tasks and performance characteristics of its means.

The combined air defense system shall use effective means of reconnaissance, destruction means, electronic countermeasures and automatic control systems. The foundation of such air defense system shall be aviation and anti-aircraft missile means disposed in ranges and altitudes of target destruction.

 THE MAIN HISTORICAL EVENTS AND REMARKABLE DATES OF The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

 January, 1992 – The Command of 8^th Separate Air Defense Army and the personnel of combat anti-aircraft units and radar troops, fighter aviation and logistical support elements and units had sworn allegiance to the people of Ukraine.

April-May, 1992 – The Command of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is founded according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine #209 dated 5 Apr 1992 “About urgent measures as for creation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” and the Order of Minister of Defense.

June, 1996 – Lieutenant-General STETSENKO is appointed Deputy Minister of Defence – Commander-in-chief of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the Decree of the President of Ukraine #449/96 dated 20 Jun 1996.

3 July 1996 - Experimental firings (launchings) of short and medium range SAM complexes are conducted on the Ukrainian territory for the first time in the history of Ukraine.

2 July 1997 – The professional holiday - the Day of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine #602/97 as a national-wide recognition of the Air Defense contribution to the defensive potential of State. The Day of the Air Defense is yearly celebrated on the first Sunday of July.

In 1997 the Program of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was worked out and approved by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The Program includes the system of concepts on tasks of the Air Defense, the general ways, phases and perspectives of its development. The primary purpose of the Program is the foundation of the unified state air defense system taking into account today’s military and political situation, methods and rates of the Armed Forces development, financial and economical ability of Ukraine and up-to-date requirements for the state defense potential.

July 2000 – In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine #931/2000 of July 31, 2000 Lieutenant-general Volodimir V. Tkachov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense - Commander-in-chief of the Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

October 2000 – Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law of Ukraine “Of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” in which Air Defense force gained the status of the armed service of the Armed forces of Ukraine – this was the token of recognition of achievements of “sky guards” in the process of strengthening of the defensive capacity of the state and operational readiness of its Armed Forces.

Origin of the Air Defense of Ukraine

“Birth” of the Air Defense Force of Ukraine, its formation and development are tightly connected with history of our country.

In the period of 1914-1917 there were developed main operational-tactical principles of air defense of logistic objects. These principles were totally implemented in action in the process of organization of air-cover of important objects of Odessa operational command (Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson etc.)

In the middle 1915 there was created the service of air (visual) observation, warning and communication that was aimed to detect enemy aircrafts, to monitor their action and to warn air defense units of their appearance.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Air Defense of Ukraine fulfils responsible tasks of protection of the Ukraine’s sovereignty and the inviolability of its borders and air space, has well specified functions in peacetime and in case of war and is intended to prevent the beginning of air and missile strikes, to intercept enemy aircraft, to defend the most important administrative, political and industrial centers, concentration of Army and Navy units, other state and military objects against enemy air and cruise missile strikes. 

It structurally consists of three Corps deployed in L’viv, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk. The HQ of Air Defense is located in Kyiv.

The Air Defense is composed of anti-aircraft missile, fighter aviation and radar troops, which are the branches of the Air Defense, and also liason forces and special components, elements of logistics and military educational institutions. The total strength of the Air Defense is over 35,000.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was created on the base of formations, units and elements, which were deployed in Ukraine by the time of declaration of the Ukrainian independence.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine consists of the following branches:

Surface-to Air Missile Forces (SAM) are intended to provide the air defense of Ukraine in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces.

SAM forces are equipped with different types of anti-aircraft missile (AAM) complexes highly capable to intercept modern air targets of wide range of altitude and speed under any weather conditions and 24 hours per day. The development of SAM forces means the increase of their mobility in order to create the concentration of SAM forces of enough combat power on the dangerous direction under conditions of SAM force reduction and incapability to provide the equal defense on all directions before the aggression starts. The basic equipment of SAM forces are: high range AAM complex S-200, modern multi-channel AAM system S-300 of different modifications and AAM complex “BUK”

Radar Troops are intended to conduct constant air space radar observation and to provide combat operations of SAM forces and fighter aviation.

Radar troops are equipped with modern radar sets capable to detect air targets on high spectrum of their distances and altitudes, to determine their exact coordinates and to provide target designation for SAM forces and fighter aviation 24 hours per day under any weather and electronic countermeasures (ECM) conditions.

Nowadays the retrofitting of existing radar sets from analogue to digital signal processing is conducted. It will increase their capabilities and also enable to connect these radar sets to automatic control system, which is being created on principles of modern computerized local networks with usage of new personal computers.

Fighter Aviation is intended to intercept and destroy enemy air targets on maximum approaches from friendly defended objects.

The use of high combat capabilities of the Fighter Aviation during shot-term maneuver on another airspace directions and conduct of combat operations on high range approaches exerts essential influence upon increase of Air Defense capabilities to repel an enemy air strike. The Air Defense Fighter Aviation consists of: one fighter aviation wing equipped with MiG-29s and L-39s and one separate transport aviation squadron equipped with An-26s and Mi-8s.

Special Forces, Units, Institutions and Elements of Logistics and Maintenance, Military Educational Institutions are intended to provide combat activity of formations, units and elements of Air Defense branches.

The primary high military educational institution of the Air Defense is the Kharkiv Military University which was founded in August, 1993 in order to train high qualified specialists for the Air Defense, Army Air Defense, Rocket and Artillery forces and chemical warfare (CW) troops.

Nowadays the Kharkiv Military University is a multiple-discipline high military educational institution and big research center which provides students with high quality basic training, high common education, skills of scientific research.

The Kharkiv Military University provides training of military specialists from a soldier’s level to an officer’s level of operative tactical training.

The training of officers for high scientific specialties of the Armed Forces, other ministries and departments of Ukraine is held in the University.

Graduates of the University obtains high military operative tactical education and qualification “master's degree - - military control officer - specialist of operative tactical level”, high military special education and qualification “bachelor – military control officer-specialist of tactical level”.

In 2000 the Lyceum of intensive physical fitness training was founded as a branch of the University and the first admission of pupils of Lyceum was done. The preparation of the material and technical basis of the Lyceum is about to be completed.

The teaching staff of the University is 832 men including staff of the scientific centers, who are lecturers, 91 Doctors of Science, professors and 586 Candidates of Science, assistant professors.

The training of the teaching staff is conducted in doctoranture and adjuncture of the University. The training of Doctors and Candidates of Science is organized in over 40 scientific schools, which have been created for decades and headed by leading scientists.

The military University supports scientific, teaching and methodical links with leading educational institutions, scientific establishments and organizations of Ukraine and countries of CIS.

The training process in the University is tightly connected with combat activity of military troops.

The main feature of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: even in peacetime it carries out combat tasks of Ukraine’s airspace border protection – 24-hour combat duty.

Every day 3000 servicemen of more than 120 specialties carry out combat duty. Units and elements of the Air Defense protect the state border of distance of over 7000 km, observe and check flights of planes of all national state structures and during state border crossing through the borders of 9 neighboring states.

Every month radar troops, crews of command posts of the Air Defense track more than 9000 aircraft. The crews on combat duty are always ready to prevent any airspace violations and to render assistance for aircraft in case of emergency.

The structure of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is being created and developed taking into account all experience gained before, coming from the geopolitical position of Ukraine, its military doctrine orientation, existing power and means of the Air Defense and according to the technical and economical abilities.

The integrated system of the Air Defense, which has been created using all power and means of all branches of the Armed Forces, is effective and economical but a strict centralized control system is required.

The transfer of main military activity to aerospace, direct relation of results of military conflict on the fact who dominates in aerospace stipulate the essential increase of role of means of air attack and air defense.

The confirmation of above mentioned fact is modern military conflicts, operations conducted by multinational forces in Gulf Bay and also operation of combined NATO armed forces in Yugoslavia.

The modern air defense must be multifunctional, capable to fight with not only aircraft and helicopters but cruise missiles and other unmanned means.

The effectiveness of combat application of different powers and means of the Air Defense must be achieved by the usage of combat capabilities taking into consideration the specified cooperation and centralized control.

Thus, in general the achievement of high effectiveness of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under today’s economical conditions is possible due to creation of the combined air defense system of the respective scale which shall have unified concept, assigned tasks and performance characteristics of its means.

The combined air defense system shall use effective means of reconnaissance, destruction means, electronic countermeasures and automatic control systems. The foundation of such air defense system shall be aviation and anti-aircraft missile means disposed in ranges and altitudes of target destruction.

 THE MAIN HISTORICAL EVENTS AND REMARKABLE DATES OF The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

 January, 1992 – The Command of 8^th Separate Air Defense Army and the personnel of combat anti-aircraft units and radar troops, fighter aviation and logistical support elements and units had sworn allegiance to the people of Ukraine.

April-May, 1992 – The Command of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is founded according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine #209 dated 5 Apr 1992 “About urgent measures as for creation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” and the Order of Minister of Defense.

June, 1996 – Lieutenant-General STETSENKO is appointed Deputy Minister of Defence – Commander-in-chief of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the Decree of the President of Ukraine #449/96 dated 20 Jun 1996.

3 July 1996 - Experimental firings (launchings) of short and medium range SAM complexes are conducted on the Ukrainian territory for the first time in the history of Ukraine.

2 July 1997 – The professional holiday - the Day of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine #602/97 as a national-wide recognition of the Air Defense contribution to the defensive potential of State. The Day of the Air Defense is yearly celebrated on the first Sunday of July.

In 1997 the Program of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was worked out and approved by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The Program includes the system of concepts on tasks of the Air Defense, the general ways, phases and perspectives of its development. The primary purpose of the Program is the foundation of the unified state air defense system taking into account today’s military and political situation, methods and rates of the Armed Forces development, financial and economical ability of Ukraine and up-to-date requirements for the state defense potential.

July 2000 – In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine #931/2000 of July 31, 2000 Lieutenant-general Volodimir V. Tkachov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense - Commander-in-chief of the Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

October 2000 – Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law of Ukraine “Of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” in which Air Defense force gained the status of the armed service of the Armed forces of Ukraine – this was the token of recognition of achievements of “sky guards” in the process of strengthening of the defensive capacity of the state and operational readiness of its Armed Forces.

Origin of the Air Defense of Ukraine

“Birth” of the Air Defense Force of Ukraine, its formation and development are tightly connected with history of our country.

In the period of 1914-1917 there were developed main operational-tactical principles of air defense of logistic objects. These principles were totally implemented in action in the process of organization of air-cover of important objects of Odessa operational command (Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson etc.)

In the middle 1915 there was created the service of air (visual) observation, warning and communication that was aimed to detect enemy aircrafts, to monitor their action and to warn air defense units of their appearance.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Air Defense of Ukraine fulfils responsible tasks of protection of the Ukraine’s sovereignty and the inviolability of its borders and air space, has well specified functions in peacetime and in case of war and is intended to prevent the beginning of air and missile strikes, to intercept enemy aircraft, to defend the most important administrative, political and industrial centers, concentration of Army and Navy units, other state and military objects against enemy air and cruise missile strikes. 

It structurally consists of three Corps deployed in L’viv, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk. The HQ of Air Defense is located in Kyiv.

The Air Defense is composed of anti-aircraft missile, fighter aviation and radar troops, which are the branches of the Air Defense, and also liason forces and special components, elements of logistics and military educational institutions. The total strength of the Air Defense is over 35,000.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was created on the base of formations, units and elements, which were deployed in Ukraine by the time of declaration of the Ukrainian independence.

The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine consists of the following branches:

Surface-to Air Missile Forces (SAM) are intended to provide the air defense of Ukraine in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces.

SAM forces are equipped with different types of anti-aircraft missile (AAM) complexes highly capable to intercept modern air targets of wide range of altitude and speed under any weather conditions and 24 hours per day. The development of SAM forces means the increase of their mobility in order to create the concentration of SAM forces of enough combat power on the dangerous direction under conditions of SAM force reduction and incapability to provide the equal defense on all directions before the aggression starts. The basic equipment of SAM forces are: high range AAM complex S-200, modern multi-channel AAM system S-300 of different modifications and AAM complex “BUK”

Radar Troops are intended to conduct constant air space radar observation and to provide combat operations of SAM forces and fighter aviation.

Radar troops are equipped with modern radar sets capable to detect air targets on high spectrum of their distances and altitudes, to determine their exact coordinates and to provide target designation for SAM forces and fighter aviation 24 hours per day under any weather and electronic countermeasures (ECM) conditions.

Nowadays the retrofitting of existing radar sets from analogue to digital signal processing is conducted. It will increase their capabilities and also enable to connect these radar sets to automatic control system, which is being created on principles of modern computerized local networks with usage of new personal computers.

Fighter Aviation is intended to intercept and destroy enemy air targets on maximum approaches from friendly defended objects.

The use of high combat capabilities of the Fighter Aviation during shot-term maneuver on another airspace directions and conduct of combat operations on high range approaches exerts essential influence upon increase of Air Defense capabilities to repel an enemy air strike. The Air Defense Fighter Aviation consists of: one fighter aviation wing equipped with MiG-29s and L-39s and one separate transport aviation squadron equipped with An-26s and Mi-8s.

Special Forces, Units, Institutions and Elements of Logistics and Maintenance, Military Educational Institutions are intended to provide combat activity of formations, units and elements of Air Defense branches.

The primary high military educational institution of the Air Defense is the Kharkiv Military University which was founded in August, 1993 in order to train high qualified specialists for the Air Defense, Army Air Defense, Rocket and Artillery forces and chemical warfare (CW) troops.

Nowadays the Kharkiv Military University is a multiple-discipline high military educational institution and big research center which provides students with high quality basic training, high common education, skills of scientific research.

The Kharkiv Military University provides training of military specialists from a soldier’s level to an officer’s level of operative tactical training.

The training of officers for high scientific specialties of the Armed Forces, other ministries and departments of Ukraine is held in the University.

Graduates of the University obtains high military operative tactical education and qualification “master's degree - - military control officer - specialist of operative tactical level”, high military special education and qualification “bachelor – military control officer-specialist of tactical level”.

In 2000 the Lyceum of intensive physical fitness training was founded as a branch of the University and the first admission of pupils of Lyceum was done. The preparation of the material and technical basis of the Lyceum is about to be completed.

The teaching staff of the University is 832 men including staff of the scientific centers, who are lecturers, 91 Doctors of Science, professors and 586 Candidates of Science, assistant professors.

The training of the teaching staff is conducted in doctoranture and adjuncture of the University. The training of Doctors and Candidates of Science is organized in over 40 scientific schools, which have been created for decades and headed by leading scientists.

The military University supports scientific, teaching and methodical links with leading educational institutions, scientific establishments and organizations of Ukraine and countries of CIS.

The training process in the University is tightly connected with combat activity of military troops.

The main feature of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: even in peacetime it carries out combat tasks of Ukraine’s airspace border protection – 24-hour combat duty.

Every day 3000 servicemen of more than 120 specialties carry out combat duty. Units and elements of the Air Defense protect the state border of distance of over 7000 km, observe and check flights of planes of all national state structures and during state border crossing through the borders of 9 neighboring states.

Every month radar troops, crews of command posts of the Air Defense track more than 9000 aircraft. The crews on combat duty are always ready to prevent any airspace violations and to render assistance for aircraft in case of emergency.

The structure of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is being created and developed taking into account all experience gained before, coming from the geopolitical position of Ukraine, its military doctrine orientation, existing power and means of the Air Defense and according to the technical and economical abilities.

The integrated system of the Air Defense, which has been created using all power and means of all branches of the Armed Forces, is effective and economical but a strict centralized control system is required.

The transfer of main military activity to aerospace, direct relation of results of military conflict on the fact who dominates in aerospace stipulate the essential increase of role of means of air attack and air defense.

The confirmation of above mentioned fact is modern military conflicts, operations conducted by multinational forces in Gulf Bay and also operation of combined NATO armed forces in Yugoslavia.

The modern air defense must be multifunctional, capable to fight with not only aircraft and helicopters but cruise missiles and other unmanned means.

The effectiveness of combat application of different powers and means of the Air Defense must be achieved by the usage of combat capabilities taking into consideration the specified cooperation and centralized control.

Thus, in general the achievement of high effectiveness of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under today’s economical conditions is possible due to creation of the combined air defense system of the respective scale which shall have unified concept, assigned tasks and performance characteristics of its means.

The combined air defense system shall use effective means of reconnaissance, destruction means, electronic countermeasures and automatic control systems. The foundation of such air defense system shall be aviation and anti-aircraft missile means disposed in ranges and altitudes of target destruction.

 THE MAIN HISTORICAL EVENTS AND REMARKABLE DATES OF The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

 January, 1992 – The Command of 8^th Separate Air Defense Army and the personnel of combat anti-aircraft units and radar troops, fighter aviation and logistical support elements and units had sworn allegiance to the people of Ukraine.

April-May, 1992 – The Command of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is founded according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine #209 dated 5 Apr 1992 “About urgent measures as for creation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” and the Order of Minister of Defense.

June, 1996 – Lieutenant-General STETSENKO is appointed Deputy Minister of Defence – Commander-in-chief of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the Decree of the President of Ukraine #449/96 dated 20 Jun 1996.

3 July 1996 - Experimental firings (launchings) of short and medium range SAM complexes are conducted on the Ukrainian territory for the first time in the history of Ukraine.

2 July 1997 – The professional holiday - the Day of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine #602/97 as a national-wide recognition of the Air Defense contribution to the defensive potential of State. The Day of the Air Defense is yearly celebrated on the first Sunday of July.

In 1997 the Program of The Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was worked out and approved by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The Program includes the system of concepts on tasks of the Air Defense, the general ways, phases and perspectives of its development. The primary purpose of the Program is the foundation of the unified state air defense system taking into account today’s military and political situation, methods and rates of the Armed Forces development, financial and economical ability of Ukraine and up-to-date requirements for the state defense potential.

July 2000 – In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine #931/2000 of July 31, 2000 Lieutenant-general Volodimir V. Tkachov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense - Commander-in-chief of the Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

October 2000 – Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law of Ukraine “Of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” in which Air Defense force gained the status of the armed service of the Armed forces of Ukraine – this was the token of recognition of achievements of “sky guards” in the process of strengthening of the defensive capacity of the state and operational readiness of its Armed Forces.

Origin of the Air Defense of Ukraine

“Birth” of the Air Defense Force of Ukraine, its formation and development are tightly connected with history of our country.

In the period of 1914-1917 there were developed main operational-tactical principles of air defense of logistic objects. These principles were totally implemented in action in the process of organization of air-cover of important objects of Odessa operational command (Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson etc.)

In the middle 1915 there was created the service of air (visual) observation, warning and communication that was aimed to detect enemy aircrafts, to monitor their action and to warn air defense units of their appearance.