Defense

Russia Merges AF With Missile Defense, Space Commands

In a bid to streamline Russia's air and space defenses in the face of what Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu characterized as “a shift in the combat 'center of gravity' toward the aerospace theater,” the Defense Ministry has merged several branches of the military into a new Aerospace Force. 

“Air forces, anti-air and anti-missile defenses, and space forces will now be under a unified command structure,” Shoigu was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying, two days after President Vladimir Putin authorized the merger of the three military branches Aug. 1.