Imperial Russian Air Service
| Imperial Russian Air Service | |
|---|---|
| Императорскій военно-воздушный флотъ | |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Disbanded | 1917 |
| Country | Russian Empire |
| Allegiance | Tsar Nicholas II |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Part of | Engineer Corps (until 1912) Stavka (from 1915) |
| Engagements | World War I |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel (one of several geometric variations) | |
| Fin flash | |
The Imperial Russian Air Service (Russian (pre-reform): Императорскій военно-воздушный флотъ, romanized: Imperatorskiy voyenno-vozdushnyy flot", lit. 'Emperor's Military Air Fleet') was an air force founded in 1912 for Imperial Russia. The Air Service operated for five years and only saw combat in World War I before being reorganized and renamed in 1917 following the Russian Revolution.
With the onset of the Russian Civil War, some former IRAS pilots joined Alexander Kolchak on the White Russian side, but the White movement never created an official air force. Most of what remained of the former Imperial Russian Air Service was reformed into the subsequent Soviet Air Forces.