4th Independent Air Defence Army

The 4th Independent Air Defence Army (Russian: 4-я отдельная армия ПВО) was an army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces. It was formed on 10 April 1960 from the Uralskaya Air Defence Army at Sverdlovsk, Sverdlovsk Oblast.[1]

The army originates from the 5th Air Defense Corps formed during the Second World War. On December 28, 1945, the 5th Air Defense Corps arrived in Moscow, where it began to carry out combat duty on the air defence of the capital. The structure of the corps at that time included 3 anti-aircraft artillery divisions (12 anti-aircraft artillery regiments), an anti-aircraft searchlight brigade (3 anti-aircraft searchlight units), a VNOS brigade (2nd regiment of VNOS), a communications regiment and a balloon barrage. On June 7, 1946, Major-General of artillery Nikolai Vasilkov (ru:Васильков, Николай Корнилович) joined the corps command.

On the basis of the Directive No. org / 3/397203 of the Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army of December 7, 1950 and the Directive of the Chief of the Main Headquarters of the Air Defense Forces of December 9, 1950 No. org / 1/655372 on January 1, 1951, the administration of the 5th Air Defence Corps was reorganized into the air defense commander of the Urals region of the II category. Hero of the Soviet Union Lieutenant-General Afanasy Fedorovich Shcheglov (ru:Щеглов, Афанасий Фёдорович) was appointed Commander, Colonel Lazarev Alexander Pavlovich, member of the Military Council, Chief of Staff - Colonel Grigoryev Mikhail Mikhailovich.

In 1960 it comprised the 19th Air Defence Corps (Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast), and the 20th Air Defence Corps (Perm, Perm Oblast). The 28th Air Defence Division joined the corps, now army, in 1963. It later included both the 681st (Danilovo) and 683rd (Bobrovka) Fighter Aviation Regiments. The 19th Air Defence Corps initially included the 385th and 412th (Dombarovsky) Fighter Aviation Regiments.

The 20th Air Defence Corps was formed on 10 April 1960 from the 49th Fighter Aviation Corps PVO. On formation, it included the 87th Fighter Aviation Division PVO and the 77th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division. But these two divisions were quickly broken up and brigades and regiments substituted by 1962. For nearly 30 years the 20th Air Defence Corps included the 763rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, the 764th Fighter Aviation Regiment, and the 765th Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO.[2] The 201st Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment at Izhevsk (Udmurt ASSR) active since 1959, was transferred to Dubrovka, Moscow Oblast in 1997 and amalgamated with the 566th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment. The 20th Air Defence Corps itself became the 91st Air Defence Division in 1988, and was disbanded in 1998.

In January 1974 the army was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

After the fall of the Soviet Union 4th Air Defence Army became the 5th Independent Air Defence Corps (in December 1994), and later was reorganised as the 5th Air and Air Defence Forces Army (5 A VVS i PVO) (in 1998).

References
  1. Michael Holm, http://www.ww2.dk/new/pvo/4oapvo.htm
  2. "20th Air Defence Corps". Ww2.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
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