"Hawk" - aviation special forces. Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

Aviation of law enforcement forces today are aviation regiments and individual squadrons that transport personnel, weapons, combat and special equipment, and other materiel, support the actions of internal troops and internal affairs bodies when they carry out tasks to ensure a state of emergency, and combat organized crime. in armed conflicts, emergencies and other emergency circumstances.

Aviation Day of the Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is celebrated on March 3. It was on this day in 1978 that the Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR “On strengthening the protection of artificial structures on the Trans-Baikal and Far Eastern Railways” was issued, according to which the formation of new military units of internal troops began in the eastern part of the country. The 1st separate aviation squadron of the internal troops was formed in Khabarovsk.

The aviation of the internal troops is headed by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for Aviation - Head of the Aviation Directorate of the Main Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Afinogentov.

The 70th separate mixed special purpose aviation regiment of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia is stationed at the Ermolino airfield in the Kaluga region. The regiment is commanded by Colonel Ivanov Alexander Ivanovich.

One of the regiment’s Il-76MD aircraft is named after Vladimir Mikhailovich Ponomarev, the first chief of aviation of the Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Vladimir Mikhailovich Ponomarev was born in 1935. Graduated from the Balashov Military Aviation School for Pilots. From 1957 to 1978, he served in various military positions as commanding flight personnel in the Border Troops, and personally mastered the Li-2, Il-14, An-26, Il-76 aircraft, and the Mi-8 helicopter.

Participated in combat operations in Afghanistan. For courage and bravery in performing combat and special missions, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star, “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR”, III degree, medals, and was awarded the honorary title “Honored Military Pilot of the USSR.”

Vladimir Mikhailovich Ponomarev regularly carried out responsible tasks for transporting members of the government of the USSR, the Russian Federation, and heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Having retired from the Internal Troops upon reaching the age limit for military service, Vladimir Mikhailovich remained an active pilot, continuing to train future pilots in the ROSTO organization.

Major General Ponomarev passed away in 2007, but the Il-76MD “Vladimir Ponomarev” aircraft named after him immortalized the memory of the professional aviator who dedicated 42 years of service to the skies of his homeland.

For reference

Ermolino airfield was built in 1938, and was originally used as a military unpaved airfield. In 1954, it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the USSR Ministry of Radio Industry, and in 1965, construction began on concrete parking lots, taxiways and a runway (3000x60 meters), which was put into operation in 1973. Aviation of the internal troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has been based at the Ermolino airfield since 1992.

The Day of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (VV Day) is a professional holiday of military personnel of the internal troops, which is celebrated annually on March 27 in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 394 of March 19, 1996. Traditionally, the Day of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is celebrated by all employees and employees of the internal troops. In fact, this holiday is a tribute to all those who preserve the integrity of the country and constitutional order, maintain public order, protect the peace of citizens and peaceful life, and reliably ensure the protection of especially important transport hubs and government facilities. We congratulate all employees of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on this holiday and thank them for their service. For those who want to buy a gift for this holiday, we recommend visiting the Internal Troops page in our military store.

History of the emergence of internal troops

The internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are part of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and are intended to ensure the security of the state, society and the individual, to protect the freedoms and rights of citizens and people from any illegal attacks. The Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia are the legal successor of the special units that maintained state order back in the 16th century. In the 16th-17th centuries, some of these functions were performed by units of the Streltsy army.

Ivan the Terrible, in order to “preserve peace and quiet in Moscow,” created the institution of “tenants” - an army that consisted of serving nobles, later this army began to be considered the prototype of the internal troops.

Peter I ordered, in order to ensure internal security in the state, to form garrison, that is, internal battalions created from soldiers incapable of field service; these battalions were a reserve of field troops.

In Russia, until the 19th century, the functions of internal troops, together with the police, were performed by provincial teams and Cossack regiments. These were the first units of the internal troops. In January 1811, these local military commands, which were subordinate to civil authorities, were transferred to the military department.

March 27, 1811 became the generally accepted date for the creation of internal troops; it was on this day that Emperor Alexander I issued a decree according to which regular provincial teams and companies were deployed to provincial capitals and military battalions of the Armed Forces were organized - internal guards, which became one of the main parts of the state security system .

The internal guard is a branch of the military for convoy and guard duty that existed in Russia from 1811 to 1864. In addition to general military duties, the Internal Guard was also assigned special duties assigned by the provincial authorities. She could participate in the capture of fugitive criminals, the execution of court sentences, the pacification of disobedience, in prosecutions, in the confiscation of unauthorized goods, the collection of taxes, in maintaining order during natural disasters and other operations. Consequently, the Internal Guard was a police body, but had a military organization.

In 1816, the Internal Guard was given a different name - the Separate Corps of the Armed Forces. In 1817, gendarmerie divisions (in Moscow and St. Petersburg) and teams organized from police dragoon units were founded under this corps. By 1825, almost all Russian cities had units of the Armed Forces. In 1853, the Internal Guard included two half-battalions, 523 garrison battalions, 296 stage battalions, 564 invalids and five salt teams, which totaled 145 thousand people.

Soldiers of the Internal Guard took part in battles in the Patriotic War of 1812 and in the Crimean War of 1854-1855. In 1864, the Separate Corps of the Armed Forces was abolished, and its duties were entrusted to the newly formed local troops. Later, in 1886, a convoy guard was formed, which accompanied prisoners of all categories to judicial and administrative institutions, to forced labor and to places of detention.

Internal Troops of the USSR after the 1917 Revolution

In 1918, the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs ordered the reorganization of the convoy guards according to new principles, and a year later the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense decided to unite all service troops and organize the internal security forces of the Republic. Subsequently, the troops of VOKHR-VNUS-VChK-OGPU-NKVD were transformed many times, but their tasks were the same - protecting citizens from any threat. They took part in the civil and Soviet-Finnish war. In the dramatic 1930s, many of the best command personnel became victims of fabricated cases and were repressed.

In the Great Patriotic War, units and formations of the NKVD troops defended Leningrad and Moscow, Kyiv, the Brest Fortress, Voronezh, Odessa, Stalingrad, fought in the border regions, fought tough battles on the Kursk Bulge, and defended the North Caucasus. A total of 20 brigades and 53 divisions of the NKVD troops took part in the battles during the war years. 18 military units were awarded honorary titles or orders. 97,700 military personnel of these troops died in the war. For heroism and courage shown in battles for the Fatherland, more than 100 thousand soldiers and commanders were awarded state awards, 295 servicemen of the internal troops became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

The combat traditions of the internal troops were inherited by new generations of military personnel. The internal troops were additionally entrusted with the protection of scientific research institutions, rocket manufacturing enterprises and the nuclear industry. In carrying out the assigned tasks, the personnel of military units and units of the internal troops showed vigilance, military skill and courage. For courage and dedication, 48 sergeants, soldiers, officers and warrant officers were forever included in the lists of units.

In peacetime, the internal troops of the USSR protected the population from man-made and natural disasters. Thus, in 1986, explosives soldiers took part in eliminating the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Among the first they were in Spitak, which was destroyed by an earthquake. In Fergana, Nagorno-Karabakh, Ingushetia and North Ossetia, as well as in other hot spots, internal troops stopped the fighting of the warring parties, protected refugees, and disarmed bandits. Since 1988, the Internal Troops have taken part in eliminating various conflicts on the territory of the former Soviet Union. Since 1999, the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have participated in counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region, more than 11 thousand military personnel of the internal troops have been awarded state awards.

In the mid-1990s, the internal troops were reformed: the task of escorting and protecting convicts was removed, and the rights to protect public order were expanded. Taking into account the increasing threats of man-made terrorism and sabotage, enhanced measures were taken to protect the structures of the nuclear energy complex. The organizational and staffing structure also changed, and a gradual transition was made to staffing military units with contract servicemen. The division-regimental structure has been transformed into a brigade-battalion structure. The material support of explosive units was also improved. Operational units have acquired the ability to move to certain areas in the shortest possible time and function independently.

Since 2008, significant changes have occurred in the internal troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The district directorates were reorganized into seven regional military commands (Central, North-Western, North Caucasus, Ural, Volga regional commands, Eastern, Siberian). Our military store presents flags of all regional commands, so as a gift for Internal Troops Day, you can buy a flag of the North Caucasus Regional Command or another district.

In order to strengthen the law enforcement focus, the internal troops are actively re-equipping; heavy weapons were removed from their composition and transferred in accordance with the established procedure to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Special weapons and special armored wheeled vehicles became priority. The latest digital communication techniques are being actively introduced into the troop command and control system, and an information telecommunications center has been formed.

The Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs today are one of the core power structures of the Russian Federation, which is designed to solve a complex of various tasks, both in peacetime and in wartime. Today, internal troops are formed along the path of optimizing the number and composition, improving combat use, developing and introducing new training programs for military personnel of the internal troops. The further formation of internal troops should increase their importance in maintaining law and order and fighting crime. And from the assortment of our military store you can choose as a gift for the Day of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and buy Internal Troops T-shirts “if you defeat yourself, you will be invincible.”

Foreign analogues of internal troops

Paramilitary forces with an internal focus in the modern world exist in almost every country. They report not to the Minister of Internal Affairs, but to the President or the Minister of Defense, or several departments.

For example, in France, the equivalent of the internal troops is the National Gendarmerie. The gendarmerie refers not only to the military formations of the internal security of France, but also to the internal troops of its former colonies, and countries where state building was carried out based on the French experience. Today, this type of police stands out for its versatility, as well as its readiness to always help those in trouble. These formations differ from ordinary police structures in that they are subordinate to two departments (internal affairs and defense). They, like the domestic internal troops, are used for military-type operations to maintain order.

In Russia, since tsarist times, the word “gendarmes” has a negative connotation. Although translated from French they are simply “armed people.” On February 16, 1791, the French Parliament passed a law creating a national gendarmerie, trying to restore order in a state where revolutionary protests were rampant. The Gendarmerie was completely transformed in 1798: it became an elite military unit, in which people were recruited based on combat experience, age and literacy. Today, the French National Gendarmerie is entrusted with many tasks - from fighting criminal crime and terrorism, to regulating traffic on roads outside cities. Its representatives often take part in supporting significant international missions.

In Italy, as in its consulates and embassies around the world, guests are politely greeted by stately carabinieri dressed in elegant black uniforms. This type of police appeared in 1814 in the Kingdom of Sardinia, at that time only the bravest politicians dreamed of unifying Italy. The Royal Carabinieri Corps, created as one of the army units, soon participated in the war for sovereignty. After the proclamation of the kingdom, in 1861, the Carabinieri took up policing. The Carabinieri had to fight hard and seriously against banditry, and then with the mafia and all its varieties that challenged the central and local authorities.

In 1965, the Royal Carabinieri unit was named the "Office of the Carabinieri Guard of the President of the Republic." An old, but not forgotten name, became official on December 24, 1992, the name “Regiment of Cuirassiers” was returned to the majestic defenders of the Head of State.

The Civil Guard of Spain arose under Queen Isabella II, and was the first government body to ensure public order and security. The creation of the Civil Guard was prompted by the rampant banditry of the then authorities. Special decrees in 1844 officially established this paramilitary corps, intended to restore public order and fight bandits, but independent from the Ministry of Defense. The model was the French gendarmerie and the special squadron then operating in Catalonia. The Duke de Ahumada is considered the “father” of the Civil Guard; he developed the structure of this organization, defined its core tasks and main principles of activity. Today, the number of employees in the Civil Guard has been significantly preserved; among the employees there are more and more women, who are respected by the population of Spain.

Almost 150 years before the formation of the first American states, armed militia groups already existed. Consequently, the National Guard is considered not only the oldest military organization in the country, but also the oldest structure in American history. After gaining independence, the creators of the United States of America faced a dilemma - to subordinate these armed groups to the federal government, or to leave control over them to individual states. As a result of the compromise, the US Constitution gave the president the right to call upon the National Guard at any time to protect the state, however, the main control over the formations remained with the states.

Today, there are more than 450 thousand people in the National Guard, the troops are subordinate to state governors. They are used to maintain public order, to restore life after disasters, natural disasters, etc. The National Guard belongs to the combat power of the United States and the United States resorts to this reserve function of the National Guard much more often, since in fact only the regular army is not capable of ensuring the combat capability of the country.

The functions that internal troops perform can be roughly divided into three groups: police (assisting border guards and police, protecting facilities and cargo, etc.), military (fighting terrorism, territorial defense, etc.) and political (pacifying civil unrest, etc.). ). For obvious reasons, the last group of functions is not directly stated in the Federal Law, but it is no less significant, and in relation to the internal troops it is institution-forming.

Internal troops, together with the army, quite often participate in various operations, so unofficially they began to be called “warring troops.” There were 1 million 120 thousand people in the pre-reform Russian army, and 170 thousand people in the internal troops, which means that the ratio of internal and external use of military formations in Russia is 0.15. And a similar calculation of the ratios (BB/BC) in other countries, according to official information for 2006, provided the following values: Morocco - 0.1, Iran - 0.1, Poland - 0.05, Republic of the Congo - 0.2, Mongolia - 0.14, Pakistan - 0.3, Portugal - 0.58, Peru - 0.96, USA - 0.31, Romania - 0.59, Turkey - 0.29, Italy - 0.58, France - 0 .41, Yemen - 0.71. The political meaning of the provided coefficient is clear: the higher the indicator, the greater the comparative level of paramilitary forces in a particular country, capable of solving internal political problems, including the fight against civil unrest. According to these indicators, Russia is not a leader in the formation of internal security forces. France and Italy have the best indicators and at the same time in the modern world they are considered standards of democracy.

ODON

ODON is a military unit of the Russian Armed Forces, which ensures public order in Moscow and the Moscow region, participates in the fight against terrorist and extremist organizations, and in wartime protects especially important government institutions.

The main forces of the ODON Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation are located in the Moscow region, Balashikha-15. The number of military personnel, technical support and level of combat training enable the division to independently carry out not only highly specific, but also general-arms tasks. The high combat readiness of this unit is evidenced by the experience of personnel in participating in the elimination of mass unrest and counter-terrorism operations. The division is entirely motorized, maneuverable within 2 hours, by air transport, its units can be transferred to the designated location to perform assigned tasks. In total, ODON has hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery and helicopters.

Units of the ODON air force participated in operations in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Asia, Nagorno-Karabakh, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Dagestan, and Chechnya. Today, fighters of the division take part in counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. Officers and soldiers of the internal troops are always there where perseverance, courage, and high combat skills are needed.

20 ODON servicemen are forever included in the lists of division units. For heroism and courage, 18 ODON servicemen were awarded the title of Hero of Russia, more than 5 thousand people received state awards of the Russian Federation. In gratitude for the heroism and courage of the ODON Ministry of Internal Affairs soldiers, we offer to present them with high-quality products from the catalog of our military trade as a gift on Military Day. You can buy an ODON Internal Troops T-shirt for your acquaintance or friend, with the symbols of a separate operational division, thereby expressing your respect for the hard service of ODON fighters.

Special forces of internal troops

The special forces of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was created to ensure the security of the 1980 Olympics, was greatly reformed in the 2000s: the staff of special forces increased, the education and training system changed, and its own central special forces was formed. In addition to the Vityaz Detachment, in the early 90s, the staff of ON VV also included VV special forces companies, which consisted of 3 platoons: the 1st and 2nd VV special forces platoons were intended for assault operations, and the 3rd - for reconnaissance. On the basis of these platoons, reconnaissance companies were formed in 1993, and explosive special forces groups remained in the brigades and regiments of the ON. In 1994, other special forces detachments of the explosives appeared: “Rus” and “Rosich”. In these detachments, the level of combat training, in comparison with other units of the explosives, was very high. In 1995, OSN "Rus" participated in the release of hostages in Budennovsk. The “Rus”, “Vityaz” and GSN detachments of the 1st PON took part in the assault on the village of Pervomaiskoye in January 1996.

The special forces of the Russian Armed Forces, despite the fact that they had little combat experience, turned out to be the most prepared units of the Internal Troops to carry out combat missions. After the First Chechen War, new special forces units began to be created. By 2000, the internal troops had a total of 9 special forces units.

Today, in the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, combat missions are carried out by 16 special forces detachments of the Internal Troops and almost everyone has their own name. The number of special forces units of the Internal Troops, after the reform of the RF Armed Forces, is not a constant indicator. Internal troops are distinguished by the fact that special units are created for specific tasks and therefore, to a large extent, they differ from each other. For example, the North-Eastern Internal Troops Special Forces unit consists of 10 people within the commandant’s office in Chukotka. The unit is managed by the regional military command. The Eastern Regional Command of the Internal Troops includes the 21st Special Forces Detachment of the Internal Troops "Typhoon", the Ural Regional Command is subordinate to the 23rd Special Forces Detachment of the Internal Troops "Mechel" and the 12th Special Forces Detachment of the Internal Troops "Ural", the Volga Regional Command includes 26 OSN, 29 OSN. At the moment, there are four special forces in Chechnya; after a certain time, the rotation of the special forces forces of the Russian Air Force takes place, and the other four special forces detachments of the Russian Air Force come on duty.

The tasks of the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are very different, including reconnaissance, anti-terrorism, anti-sabotage operations, etc. All VV special forces units are highly mobile and 100 percent equipped with the most modern equipment and weapons. In the near future, all special forces units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia will receive CornerShot devices, which are designed for shooting from around corners.

The internal troops have 13 air regiments and separate squadrons. In total, there are more than 10 thousand soldiers and commanders in these elite units. And as they said on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Vityaz detachment, there will be no peace for the special forces as long as at least one terrorist remains alive. For special forces soldiers in our military store you can buy a black or gray Internal Troops sweatshirt; this original gift for the special forces day of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be the most pleasant and unforgettable.

History of maroon berets

In the Internal Troops of the Russian Federation, a maroon beret is not just an attribute of the special forces uniform, it is a sign of the highest qualifications of a special forces unit soldier. Military personnel of the internal troops are awarded the honor of wearing a maroon beret only for serious merit. The history of the maroon beret is associated with the creation in 1978, on the eve of the Moscow Olympics, of the 9th URSN of the 3rd battalion of the 2nd OMSDON regiment. Lieutenant General Sidorov Alexander Grigorievich at that time was the head of combat training, and it was he who suggested that the newly minted special forces soldiers choose a symbol that would distinguish them from the military personnel of other units.

So the maroon beret was chosen as a symbol; its color corresponded to the color of the shoulder straps of the internal troops, and the color of the blood of the soldiers that was shed during the fighting. The founders of the new tradition were Sergei Ivanovich Lysyuk, Hero of Russia, commander of the Vityaz company, and Viktor Putilov. At first, qualification tests were carried out illegally, that is, in the form of complex control classes. The high command did not understand why only a select few should wear a maroon beret; in their opinion, such an insignia belongs to all military personnel, regardless of their level of training. In 1993, the situation changed when Anatoly Sergeevich Kulikov, the then commander of the Internal Troops, approved a special regulation “On qualification tests for the right to wear a maroon beret.” The surrender process was streamlined and all speculation around the special forces symbol was eliminated.

Military personnel who have proven this right with their professional, moral and physical qualities can wear a maroon beret. The right to wear a maroon beret is automatically awarded only to special forces soldiers who took part in hostilities and were wounded or maimed, and do not have the opportunity to pass tests for the right to wear a maroon beret.

There are two main purposes of these tests. Firstly, to determine which members of the internal troops have the highest preparation for actions to free hostages, neutralize armed offenders, and perform other tasks that arise in emergency circumstances and critical situations. The second goal is to create an incentive among special forces military personnel to develop high volitional and moral qualities. Military personnel who serve under contract or conscription, but for at least six months, in a special forces unit are allowed to take the tests. At the same time, the serviceman must have excellent knowledge and skills in all subjects of combat training, as well as a positive characteristic. When passing the exam for the right to wear a maroon beret, the applicant must pass special physical, tactical and fire training of internal troops.

After successfully passing the test, the fighter is presented with a maroon beret in a solemn atmosphere during the general formation of the unit. A soldier who has proven the right to wear a maroon beret kneels on his right knee before the formation, kisses the maroon beret and puts it on his head. Then he puts his hand to his headdress, saying “I serve the Fatherland!” And Special Forces!

The exam for a maroon beret is a good tradition that will exist in the army for many, many years to come. The maroon beret is a symbol of the VV special forces. Of course, every fighter strives to receive the symbol of the VV special forces. However, the qualification exam is the last stage, and before that the applicant soldier is strictly selected by the council of “maroon berets” that exists in each special forces detachment of the VV. The council consists of experienced, honored military personnel with rich combat experience. They are the ones who evaluate the applicant’s intelligence, his psychological qualities, without missing a single detail. Therefore, to receive a maroon beret, not only physical qualities are important; the applicant must be an equally trained military man.

The difficult service of courageous servicemen of the internal troops continues. Internal troops are fighting troops. There are no pauses or breaks in this war, only an intense struggle to ensure public safety. We congratulate all the servicemen of the internal troops on the holiday and wish them, as well as their families, prosperity and health, and a quiet life, well, at least to a certain extent. For those who have friends or relatives who serve in the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, we suggest choosing an original gift in the Internal Troops section, collecting groceries, and in addition, buy a refrigerator magnet or buy an Internal Troops mug and celebrate March 27, Internal Troops Day together Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Early morning in one of the dacha villages near Moscow. The sun is still timidly trying to announce the beginning of the day. Not a soul on the street. Peace and quiet. Suddenly, from behind the forest, cutting the morning air with a silver propeller, a helicopter with the inscription “Police” on board appears with the speed of a hawk and hovers over one of the houses. There are snipers on the landing platforms - they keep their sights on the entire yard and surrounding area. The building is instantly surrounded by a special forces team. From the loudspeakers of the rotorcraft a menacing “Attention! The police are working!

Later, during interrogation, the detainees admit that they were stunned by the sudden appearance of a police helicopter and it did not even occur to them to resist. The rotorcraft had a powerful psychological effect on them! The unit that ensured the successful outcome of that operation bears the name “Yastreb”, and its full name is the Special Purpose Aviation Detachment of the Special Purpose Center for Rapid Reaction Forces and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (AOSN “Yastreb” TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia). This is just one of many successful operations in which MVD aviators took part. The detachment in its current form has existed for a little over a year, and its proper name appeared literally six months ago. However, despite this, aviation special forces have a rich history that began more than 10 years ago.

The first aviation units of the then police appeared in Russia at the end of the last century. At that time, these were separate units, each of which was subordinate to the territorial internal affairs bodies. These units had neither a common regulatory framework, nor centralized management, nor, most importantly, general control over flight safety. Meanwhile, aviation in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was needed, even necessary. In this regard, in 2002, it was decided to create within the structure of the Logistics Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia a department for organizing the activities of aviation of internal affairs bodies (OODA ATS). The new division was headed by Sergei Yurievich Ezhov. The objectives of this department were to create a regulatory framework that would allow the operation of aircraft in the interests of law enforcement agencies, as well as new detachments in those regions where this was necessary. However, the functions of the ODA were not limited to rule-making activities. Some time after its appearance, the detachment received its first Mi-8 helicopter, and from that time on, the detachment began operating aircraft in the interests of law enforcement agencies. The current deputy commander of the detachment for flight work, and then still an employee of the Department of Internal Affairs, Oleg Alekseevich Bobrov, remembers that moment very well and considers it significant for the detachment.

Deputy commander of the Yastreb AOSN for flight operations of the TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Oleg Bobrov:
“With the receipt of the Mi-8 helicopter, we began to perform flights in the interests of law enforcement agencies, and, I must say, this helped us a lot. Faced with problems in practice, we understood in which direction it was necessary to move to create new documents or make changes to existing ones that regulate the activities of our aviation. We needed to think through all the features of police work so that we could use aviation as effectively as possible in the interests of law enforcement agencies, without going beyond national norms.”

In 2003, in connection with the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the fact that the department was already performing operational and service tasks using aviation, it was decided to reorganize it into the Aviation Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Under the new management structure, by that time about 10 police aviation units had been united in various constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The center provided comprehensive methodological, organizational and practical assistance to all these units. In 2011, the Aviation Center was reorganized again. Some of the employees were transferred to a new department created within the structure of the Directorate for Supporting the Activities of Special Purpose Units and Aviation of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (UPSNIA). The rest formed the backbone of the special-purpose aviation detachment within the structure of the newly created Special Purpose Center of the Rapid Reaction Forces and Aviation of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Together with the aviation detachment, the TsSN also included SOBR “Lynx” and OMON “Zubr”. 2012 - another important milestone in the history of the detachment - the assignment of its own name "Hawk". Thanks to its wealth of experience, the unit remains today a kind of “big brother” for other police air squads. Its employees provide methodological assistance to colleagues, help form a regulatory framework and monitor flight safety.

The main striking force of the Yastreb AOSN is the light multifunctional helicopters AS-355 Ecureuil (translated from French as squirrel) produced by the French aircraft manufacturing concern Eurocopter. Maximum flight altitude is 6 km, speed is 250 km/h. The most important requirement for a police helicopter is maneuverability. Despite the fact that a helicopter does not have to fly often in urban areas, and its main field of activity is large open spaces, albeit within the city, a rotary-wing police officer must still be prepared for the fact that he will have to maneuver with small turning angles and soar sharply into the sky or descend if necessary. The AS-355 is ideal for such maneuvers. Another undeniable advantage of this machine is its weight and dimensions. Thanks to its modest size, the helicopter can, if necessary, land on an area no more than 30 meters in diameter and at the same time land on almost any site, including the roofs of high-rise buildings. Moreover, the machine is capable of operating not only in flat conditions, but also in the mountains, and this environment, as you know, is considered one of the most difficult for flights.

One of the most important and responsible areas in the work of the AOSN today is work with special forces units. First of all, with those that are part of the TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia - SOBR "Lynx" and OMON "Zubr". However, if necessary, aviators can cooperate with other units. The main task of police aviation when working with special forces is to transport the combat group to the site of the special operation. The helicopter can carry up to 4 employees with and in full equipment. Moreover, special forces can be located not only inside the helicopter, but also outside. Landing can also be carried out using any of the existing methods. Employees can dismount from landing platforms after landing the vehicle or from hovering above the ground, or they can descend along a halyard or using climbing equipment - the helicopter can be equipped with everything necessary for this. In addition to landing functions, the helicopter can also cover the actions of groups from the air - the landing platform can accommodate personnel armed with any type of small arms, up to a light machine gun. By the way, from a helicopter you can conduct not only suppressive fire, but also high-precision shooting - during exercises together with the Lynx SOBR, the unit’s sniper successfully hit a target with a sniper rifle from the side of a helicopter, which was in the air at that moment. In addition to transport and combat functions, the helicopter can also perform reconnaissance missions using special equipment.

This is exactly how AOSN employees worked when they were monitoring false riot police who were committing robbery attacks on entertainment establishments. Using night vision devices, the pilots monitored the criminals from a considerable distance. At the moment when the raiders were heading towards the object, the helicopter pilot transmitted information to the ground capture team, which was in ambush - the special forces carried out a lightning-fast capture, detaining the bandits at the crime scene.

In addition to helicopters, smaller vehicles in service with the Yastreb - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - can be used in combat operations. The possibilities of this class of aerial equipment are almost limitless - a drone can keep an area of ​​several square kilometers under surveillance and at the same time it will be almost impossible to see it from the ground, because even the largest police UAV does not exceed 3 meters in length, reaching a height of 2-3 meters in flight thousands of meters, at which it turns into an indistinguishable point!

AOSN is armed with both helicopter and aircraft-type drones. Each has its own advantages and is used to perform specific tasks. Aircraft-type UAVs develop high speed and can fly at a distance of up to 50 kilometers, while from a distance of up to 25 kilometers, an unmanned “baby” can broadcast a video image to the base, and it can conduct autonomous filming while being at a distance of up to 50 kilometers from the operator. If the signal is lost, the drone returns to the base on its own. Helicopter-type UAVs have more modest speed and flight range characteristics, but they can hover in the air, continuously monitoring a certain area of ​​the terrain or an object of interest to law enforcement agencies. Currently, police UAVs are actively used to conduct terrain reconnaissance, the results of which are used in planning special operations.

Head of the UAV department of the AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police major Alexey Vorobyov:
“The special forces, which were assigned to our unmanned aerial vehicle, were pursuing a group of militants. It happened at night and visibility was very limited. Trying to escape pursuit, the militants took refuge in a huge field sown with corn. The plants were already taller than human height, and moving across the field after the criminals was dangerous, since the employees could not see anything in front of them and could come across shots at point-blank range. Then a drone was launched over the field, which, using a thermal imaging camera, determined the location of the bandits. The information was broadcast in real time to the monitor behind which our operator was located. He pointed out the location of the militants to the special forces, and our employees fired at the bandits hiding in the corn with grenade launchers and threw grenades. As a result, the entire group of militants was then destroyed.”

By the way, in addition to rotary-wing “Ecurels” and baby drones, the AOSN is armed with larger vehicles - for example, the Yak-40 transport and cargo aircraft, which is used mainly as a flying operational headquarters. The aircraft is often used to evacuate wounded employees from hot spots.

The range of tasks performed by the detachment today is not limited to working only with special forces. Despite the fact that AOSN is part of the structure of the TsSN SR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, the unit can be involved in solving tasks performed not only by employees of the Center, but also by any unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that needs the help of special aviation, be it the police service, the traffic police or the criminal investigation department. The main work of aviators is reconnaissance, reconnaissance, patrolling, search activities, observation, pursuit. The advantage of a helicopter is the high altitudes at which it operates. It is this feature that makes police aviation an indispensable surveillance and reconnaissance tool. And thanks to the powerful optics installed on the helicopter, its pilot becomes truly all-seeing. Complex equipment is placed in a separate hanging unit. In aviation slang this device is called a “head”. Inside such a “head” there are powerful optics and cameras of all types: day, night, thermal imaging. With the help of such equipment you can see anything from the sky. From a height of 150–200 meters, the operator can see the license plate number of the car. You can accurately determine the make and model of a vehicle from a height of 1000 meters. At night, using a thermal imager, you can spot a person from a distance of 4–5 kilometers; a car can be “examined” even from 6–8 kilometers. The detachment works very fruitfully in the interests of the traffic police.

“We have more than once carried out preventive flights on particularly dangerous sections of federal highways, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of traffic violations. They carried out search activities that made it possible to return more than a dozen stolen vehicles to their rightful owners. It must be said that video data from on board our aircraft, provided online, helped managers quickly make competent decisions on organizing traffic in conditions of congestion of vehicles during various public events. And it’s very pleasant that the management of the traffic police understands the effectiveness and promise of using aviation to solve their problems and is happy to interact with us.”

AOSN "Yastreb" is often involved in various public events. Moreover, in such operations, in addition to making video and photographic recordings and transmission to the ground, the helicopter pilot can act as a coordinator of the actions of ground units.

Commander of the AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“When monitoring mass events, our main task is to control the situation on the ground. The sooner we detect the manifestation of provocations, aggression, skirmishes and transmit this information to the operational headquarters responsible for organizing public security, the greater the chance of localizing the conflict, preventing it from growing and developing into mass unrest.”

And at one of the football matches, special forces aircraft helped track down the scoundrels who, having taken refuge on the roof of one of the buildings, threw stones at the ground police units. From the ground, the police could not accurately determine the location of the hooligans, but from a helicopter they were clearly visible.

If necessary, the detachment can organize a full broadcast of the image from helicopter equipment in live mode to a transmitter on the ground, if necessary. Such opportunities, by the way, were very useful during the rallies of many thousands that took place in Moscow in 2012. It was thanks to the aviators that it was possible to establish the true number of participants in the rally and dispel the political “myths” of various figures.

The boundaries of Yastreb's responsibility are not limited to the capital region. Today, AOSN employees can work in the Moscow region, and in a couple of days they will perform tasks in the skies over Siberia or Kuban. Moreover, the detachment is constantly in readiness number 2 - this means that when an order is received, the helicopter should be in the sky within 20 minutes. AOSN is constantly involved in providing security for major state and international events. For example, the detachment worked during the G8 summit in St. Petersburg. By the way, it was the Yastreb pilots who were entrusted with providing aerial filming of events related to the elections and inauguration of the President of the Russian Federation.

Only the best of the best have always served in aviation. There was the most stringent selection here, both in terms of physical and moral-volitional qualities. Special-purpose aviation quite rightly places increased demands on candidates, who must have a higher technical education, ideal health and many hours of flight time on aircraft of a wide variety of classes. The team includes employees with extensive work experience. All pilots have served either in the aviation of the Ministry of Defense or the Internal Troops. A prerequisite is a flight class of at least second and experience flying over Moscow and the Moscow region in urban areas. The age of a candidate for a flight position must not exceed 45 years. The age limit up to which an employee can serve as a pilot is determined purely individually.

The commander of the aviation unit, Igor Konshin, is a pilot with extensive experience. He came to the detachment from the air force, admired the work of special forces since childhood and, despite a high leadership position, still continues to pilot helicopters, working on the front line of the fight against crime. He loves his job and says that he does it with pleasure. And just like every pilot cannot imagine his life without the sky. The rest of the Yastreb pilots are a match for the commander - all experienced aces, many awarded high state awards. The detachment sacredly honors aviation traditions and heroes who died in the line of duty.

Commander of the AOSN "Yastreb" TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police colonel Igor Konshin:
“We have three aircraft named after the deceased pilots. This is the Mi-8 in memory of Alexander Nepokrytykh (currently in the Novosibirsk detachment), the R-44 in memory of Ilya Garanin (flying in the skies of Baikonur) and the AS-355 in memory of Alexander Kalabushkin (in our detachment).”
Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is still a relatively young structure, but the AOSN “Yastreb” TsSN SR Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia has already managed to write many glorious lines into it. Today, as always, aviation special forces are ready to perform any task at any time.
time.

The Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated January 11, 1978, in order to ensure the service and combat activities of the internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs to protect the most important artificial structures and carry out special tasks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, prescribed the creation of aviation military units. By order of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs dated March 3, 1978, the first aviation military unit was formed - a separate aviation squadron based in Khabarovsk. This date is considered the birthday of internal military aviation.

In order to intensify further activities to develop the infrastructure of the newly created aviation military units of the internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, an aviation department was created in the Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. Subsequently, taking into account the importance and scale of the tasks being solved, as well as the pace of development of the aviation component of the internal troops, at the beginning of 1991, an aviation department was created on the basis of the aviation department.

The first helicopter air units and separately based aviation units of the internal troops, formed between 1978 and 1980, were armed with Mi-8T helicopters transferred from the USSR Ministry of Defense and the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR. Subsequently, equipment began to be purchased from the aviation industry.

An invaluable contribution to the formation of the first aviation military units of the internal troops, their formation and development was made by the Honored Military Pilot of the USSR, Major General of Aviation Vladimir Mikhailovich Ponomarev (1935-2007). In commemoration of special personal merits and perpetuation of the memory of V.M. Ponomarev, by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated January 29, 2008 No. 75, the Il-76MD aircraft of one of the aviation units of the internal troops was given the honorary name “Vladimir Ponomarev”.

The end of the 80s of the last century was marked in our history by the emergence of many interethnic conflicts in various regions of the USSR. Solving problems to localize them required the creation of military groups. The personnel of the internal troops with standard weapons and equipment had to be transferred over considerable distances. Previously, military transport aircraft of the Ministry of Defense were used for these purposes upon request, so the leadership of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs made a decision, supported by the Council of Ministers, to purchase heavy Il-76 transport aircraft and heavy Mi-26 helicopters for the internal troops.

The further collapse of the USSR and the associated long-term economic problems led to increased interdepartmental disunity among security forces in the course of carrying out missions. Under these conditions, the presence of its own fleet of heavy-duty aircraft and various types of helicopters allowed the internal troops to quickly transfer significant forces and assets to areas with complicated situations, as well as successfully carry out a wide range of special missions on the ground using helicopters.

The fight against illegal armed groups in the North Caucasus region of our country urgently required a change in existing tactics and operational formation of internal troops, including its aviation. In the early 90s, the Mi-24 and Mi-8MTV helicopters, capable of using the entire range of standard weapons installed on them, were put into service. Since 1995, an aerial reconnaissance and command complex based on the Mi-8MTV helicopter has been adopted, significantly expanding the range of tasks it can perform.

Aviation of the internal troops is a formation of state aviation capable of acting to solve service and combat missions assigned to the internal troops by Federal Law of February 6, 1997 No. 27-FZ “On the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation”: transportation of personnel, weapons , combat and special equipment of internal troops, other materiel; combat support for the actions of internal troops and internal affairs bodies when they perform tasks to ensure a state of emergency, combat organized crime, in armed conflicts, emergencies and other emergency circumstances.

Aviation of the internal troops is harmoniously integrated into the organizational structure of the internal troops, has its own developed regulatory framework regulating its activities, an established and proven system for the management and operation of aviation equipment over the years, it is capable of performing the entire range of tasks as intended.

Considering the change in the structure of threats to the country's internal security and the adjustment of the fundamentals of law enforcement, the role and place of internal troops aviation in the system of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs will only strengthen.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation is a special military formation whose troops are designed to ensure the internal security of the entire state, public safety, and the protection of freedoms and human and civil rights from unlawful attacks.

Today, law enforcement aviation consists of regiments and squadrons that transport personnel, weapons, special and military equipment, and other materiel. Ensure the mobility of actions of internal affairs bodies and troops when fulfilling their assigned tasks to ensure the regime of emergency situations and situations, combat organized crime and under other circumstances.

History of formation

On March 3, 1978, the Council of Ministers and the Central Committee of the CPSU issued a resolution to strengthen the security of structures on the Far Eastern and Transbaikal railways. From this resolution it turned out that new units of internal troops began to be formed in the territories of the eastern part of the country. The first separate aviation squadron of the explosives was formed in the city of Khabarovsk.

Nowadays

At the moment, the leadership of aviation has been entrusted to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for Aviation, Lieutenant General A.I. Afinogentov.

In the Kaluga region, at the Ermolino airfield, there is the 70th separate mixed aviation regiment of the Russian Interior Ministry. Colonel I.A. was appointed commander there. Ivanovich. It is interesting that the Il-76MD, one of the regiment’s aircraft, is named after the first chief of aviation of the VV V.M. Ponomareva.