MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. The role of air defense forces during the special military operation shouldn’t be underestimated, Air and Missile Defense Forces Commander Lieutenant General Andrey Semyonov said in an article.

Air defense forces effectively repel attacks by manned and unmanned enemy aircraft, parry attacks by air and ground-based operational-tactical and cruise missiles, including missiles produced by the US, UK and France, and destroy rockets of various classes, said Semyonov, who is also deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces. A unified air defense system has been deployed on the territory of the Russian Federation, including the zone of the special military operation, to counter the entire gamut of Ukrainian air attack capabilities. It can be said now that none of the world's other militaries has experience in creating air defense concentrations of this magnitude.

Since day one of the special military operation, it has been of particular importance to provide air defense to important government sites, large administrative and industrial centers, civilians and troops, both on the battlefield and deep inside Russian territory.

Significant support provided to Ukraine's armed forces by the US and other NATO countries, as well as the wide spatial scale of hostilities, determined unprecedented conditions for conducting air defense in the course of the special military operation. The most difficult class of targets is represented by foreign-made munitions: air- and ground-launched operational-tactical and cruise missiles, along with rockets of various classes.

US-supplied ATACMS operational-tactical missiles fly to the target at a high speed of more than 3,000 km/h along a complex ballistic trajectory and perform an anti-missile maneuver in the final stretch of the flight. They are equipped with cluster warheads and are used not only against troops, but also against civilian sites in order to intimidate the people of our country.

British and French air-launched cruise missiles, the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, are capable of stealthy, low-altitude flight to the target of attack, terrain envelopment and precise targeting due to trajectory adjustment through the satellite navigation systems of the US and its allies.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is the US weapons system that is most often used by Ukrainian forces. Its rockets are also equipped with cluster warheads and GPS-adjusted inertial navigation systems.

The use of factory-made and improvised unmanned aerial vehicles, which are made with special composite materials to reduce their visibility and are capable of flying at extremely low altitudes, has become unprecedented.

In order to counter the entire array of enemy air attack capabilities, a unified air defense system has been deployed on Russian territory, including the area of the special military operation, which covers all needs in protecting important civilian and military sites. It should be noted that none of the world's other militaries has experience in creating air defense concentrations of this magnitude.

In the conditions of ever increasing use by Ukrainian forces of modern missile weapons produced by NATO countries, air defense forces promptly develop methods and adapt air defense systems to counter enemy missile attacks.

Since day one of the special military operation, crews of radar stations and anti-aircraft missile systems have been constantly adapting to new threats, improving the existing ways of countering air-borne enemy capabilities and developing new ones.

Since the beginning of the special military operation, the air defense forces, along with the fighter aircraft of the Aerospace Forces, have significantly reduced Ukrainian strike capabilities.

At the foundation of the air defense system there are state-of-the-art and advanced air defense missile systems of the Aerospace Forces, such as the S-400, S-350 and Pantsir-S, and the battlefield air defense systems S-300V4, Buk-M3(M2) and Tor-M2.

Short-range anti-aircraft missile systems (Strela-10 MANPADS) have also proved their efficiency, as being in the forward echelons of our troops, they destroy dozens of the enemy’s reconnaissance and attack UAVs every day, as well as Ukrainian ground-assault and army aircraft operating at low and extremely low altitudes. In total, these systems account for a third of the destroyed Ukrainian manned aircraft.

In the course of the special military operation, it was confirmed that Russian air defense systems have the potential to repel strikes by all types of enemy air attack capabilities. That contrasts with the much-vaunted Patriot air defense systems, which were supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries and, as the experience of the special military operation showed, proved unable not only to protect the designated sites, but also to counter modern Russian means of destruction, that is, to protect themselves.

The effective use of high-tech air defense equipment and the efficiency of decision-making, given the high complexity of the processes of reconnaissance, strikes and control of air defense forces and capabilities in the zone of the special military operation in the conditions of the ever-present threat of coming under fire, are possible exclusively thanks to the professionalism and moral and psychological stability of the personnel, as well as the high interoperability of combat units of the air defense forces.

The battlefield and point air defense of the Russian military has shown itself to be up to the task during large-scale combat operations in the zone of the special military operation. Air defense crews courageously parry all sorts of threats from the air and destroy enemy air attack vehicles of various classes under the constant threat of enemy fire strikes aimed directly at air defense positions. In all cases, the Russian air defense demonstrates high results and also accumulates invaluable experience.

During the special military operation, air defense forces destroyed a total of more than 42,000 aerial targets.

This includes more than 550 jets, more than 180 helicopters and more than 27,000 UAVs.

More than 5,500 servicemen of the air defense forces were awarded government decorations for their fortitude and valiance, and seven of them were awarded the high title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

Ten air defense units and formations have been awarded the honorary title of Guards for massive heroism and bravery, fortitude and valiance that they displayed in combat operations to defend the Fatherland and the interests of the country.