page_title: Russian Air Force
section_title: Leadership
hierarchical_section_title: Russian Air Force / Leadership
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Командующий военно-воздушными силами — заместитель главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами генерал-лейтенант Дронов Сергей Владимирович
context_page_description: The Russian Air Force is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The modern Russian Air Force was originally established on 7 May 1992 following Boris Yeltsin's creation of the Ministry of Defence; however, the Russian Federation's air force can trace its lineage and traditions back to the Imperial Russian Air Service and the Soviet Air Forces.
  The Russian Navy has its own independent air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno-morskogo Flota, or AVMF.
context_section_description: Previously the highest military office until 1 August 2015.
  Since the merger between the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces on 1 August 2015, the commander of the Russian Air Force as part of the new Russian Aerospace Forces is titled Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Commander of the Russian Air Force. Lieutenant General Andrey Yudin became the first holder of the position until he was succeeded by Lieutenant General Sergey Dronov in August 2019.
caption: Commander of the Russian Air Force Lt. Gen. Sergey Dronov
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