Russian Space Forces (VKS)

Russian Space Forces
Flag of the Russian Space Forces
Active	1992 – 1997 2001 – 2011 1 August 2015 – present
Country	Russia
Allegiance	Ministry of Defence
Type	Aerospace Defence
Size	150,000 personnel (2014)
Anniversaries	4 October (Space Forces Day)
Commanders
Current commander	Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Golovko

The Russian Space Forces (Russian: Космические войска России, tr. Kosmicheskie Voyska Rossii) are a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, having been reestablished following the 1 August 2015 merger between the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces after a 2011 dissolving of the branch. The Russian Space Forces were originally formed on the 10 August 1992 and the creation of the Russian Armed Forces. The organisation shared control of the Baikonur Cosmodrome with the Russian Federal Space Agency. It also operated the Plesetsk and the Svobodny Cosmodromes. However the Russian Space Forces were dissolved in July 1997 and incorporated into the Strategic Missile Troops.

The Russian Space Forces were once again reformed as an independent troop on the 1 June 2001 under a military reorganisation. However, by December 2011, it was dissolved once again and this time replaced by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.

On 1 August 2015, the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces were merged to form the Russian Aerospace Forces. The Russian Space Forces were reestablished as a result, and are now one of three sub-branches of the new armed force.

In 1967 the Troops of Anti-Missile and Anti-Space Defence was formed (Russian: войска противоракетной и противокосмической обороны [ПРО и ПКО], tr. Voyska Protivoraketnoy i Protivokosmicheskoy Oborony [PRO i PKO]) under General-Lieutenant of the Artillery Yu. Votintsev. They were reorganised as the Ministry of Defence Space Units in 1982. In 1991 the Soviet Union was broken up. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were established on May 7, 1992, enabling the creation of Russian Space Forces later that year on August 10.