6th Air Defence Army
| 6th Red Banner Leningrad Army of VVS and PVO (1998–2009; 2015–present) 6th Independent Army of PVO (1960? - 1998) 6th Air Army (1 June 1942-1944, 1946–1949) |
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|---|---|
| Active |
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| Country | Russian Federation |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Role | Air support and air defence |
| Headquarters | Sankt-Peterburg |
| Nickname(s) | Army of the "Road of Life" |
| Motto(s) | "Securely guarding the North-West sky of Russia" (Russian: “Надежно охраняем небо Северо-Запада России") |
| Equipment | Interceptors, S-300 SAM system |
| Engagements | Siege of Leningrad |
| Decorations | Order of the Red Banner |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber | Su-24 |
| Fighter | Su-27 |
| Helicopter | Mi-8, Mi-24 |
| Interceptor | MiG-31 |
| Reconnaissance | MiG-25RB/U, Su-24MR |
| Transport | An-12, An-26, Mi-8, Tu-134; |
The 6th Red Banner Leningrad Army of Air and Air Defence Forces (Russian: 6-я Краснознамённая Ленинградская армия Военно-воздушных сил и противовоздушной обороны) is an Air Army of the Russian Air Force.
The army was first active from 1998 to 2009, and was reformed in 2015. 6th Air Army itself was formed twice : in 1942 as part of the Red Army's Air Forces, and redesignated in 1944, and in 1946 and redesignated in 1949. After the war, the Soviet Air Defence Forces' main command in the Leningrad area from 1960 was the 6th Independent Army of the Air Defence Forces.
The 6th Air Army was first formed on 14 June 1942 from the Air Forces of the North-Western Front, and its first commander was Major General of Aviation Daniil Kondratyuk, who held command to January 1943. During its World War II service, the 6th Air Army included for a time the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, the all-female 'Night Witches'. It was assigned initially to the North-Western Front until February 1944, and after that to the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts. In the summer and early fall of 1944, the army provided air support for Operation Bagration, the Soviet recapture of Belarus and eastern Poland, and the Lublin–Brest Offensive, which brought the Red Army to the Vistula. On 8 September, the army was withdrawn to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. During the war, the army's units flew more than 120,000 sorties. On 31 October 1944, the army headquarters was transformed into the headquarters of the Air Force of the Polish Army.
In 1946, the 6th Air Army was reformed in Alma Ata to provide air support for the Turkestan Military District, under the command of Lieutenant General of Aviation Vladimir Izotov. In September 1947, Lieutenant General Mikhail Kosykh took command of the army. The 6th Air Army was redesignated the 73rd Air Army on 10 January 1949.
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Wikipedia