How to get into the Airborne Forces and Special Forces: who will not be accepted into the elite troops (1 photo). Myths and truth about GRU and Airborne special forces. Interview What is the difference between special forces and airborne forces
Now they talk a lot in newspapers, on TV, on the Internet about GRU Spetsnaz and Airborne Special Forces. Since these two communities of military professionals are very similar, we will try to figure out how they differ for an inexperienced person who is far from all this.
Let's start with a historical excursion. Who came first? GRU special forces definitely in 1950. Since a lot of tactical preparations and other features were borrowed from the partisan actions of the Great Patriotic War, then it is still fair to designate its unofficial appearance as the second half of the thirties of the last century. First sabotage groups The Red Army operated successfully in the war in Spain. And if you look at an even earlier historical period, when the need to conduct sabotage operations forced many countries of the world (including Russian Empire) keep completely autonomous “infiltration” units in their armies, then the origins of the appearance of GRU special forces go back to the “mist of centuries.”
Airborne special forces appeared in 1930, along with the Airborne Forces. With the very first landing near Voronezh, when there was an obvious need to start our own reconnaissance. Paratroopers cannot simply land in the “paws of the enemy,” someone must shorten these “paws,” break off the “horns,” and file down the “hooves.”
Main goals. GRU special forces - conducting reconnaissance and sabotage (and some other, sometimes delicate) operations behind enemy lines at a distance of 1000 km. and further (how long the radio communication range is enough) to solve problems General Staff. Previously, communication was on short waves. Now on short and ultra-short satellite channels. The communication range is not limited by anything, but still in some parts of the planet there are " dead zones", there is no mobile, radio or satellite communication at all. That is, it is not for nothing that a stylized image of the globe is often found on GRU symbols.
Airborne Special Forces - essentially the “eyes and ears” of the Airborne Forces, are part of the Airborne Forces themselves. Reconnaissance and sabotage units operating behind enemy lines to prepare for the arrival and preparation of the landing (if there is such a need) of the main forces ("cavalry"). Capturing airfields, sites, small bridgeheads, solving related problems with the capture or destruction of communications, related infrastructure, and other things. They act strictly on orders from the headquarters of the Airborne Forces. The range is not as significant as that of the GRU, but it is also impressive. The main airborne aircraft IL-76 is capable of covering 4000 km. Those. round trip - about 2000 km. (we do not consider refueling, although the range in this case increases significantly). Therefore, airborne special forces operate behind enemy lines at a distance of up to 2000 km.
Let's continue the research. The issue with the uniform is interesting. At first glance everything is the same. Berts, camouflages, vests, blue berets. But this is only at first glance. Take, for example, the beret. This piece of clothing is of medieval origin. Pay attention to ancient paintings by artists. All beret owners wear them asymmetrically. Either right or left. It is unofficially customary for GRU special forces and airborne special forces to wear a beret curved to the right. If you suddenly see a special forces soldier in an airborne uniform and with a beret curved to the left, then he is just an ordinary paratrooper. The tradition began from the time of the first parades with the participation of the Airborne Forces, when it was necessary to open the face as much as possible to the podium, and this can only be done by bending the beret to the left side of the head. But there is no reason to reveal intelligence.
Let's move on to the signs. During the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces made many landings and airborne operations. Many awarded heroes. Including the Airborne Forces units themselves were awarded the title of Guards (almost all). During that war, the GRU special forces were already at the stage of formation as an independent branch of the military, but were outside the legal framework (and in general everything was secret). Therefore, if you see a paratrooper, but without the “Guard” badge, then with almost 100% certainty it is GRU special forces. Only a few GRU units bear the rank of Guards. For example, the 3rd Separate Guards Warsaw-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov III Art. GRU Special Operations Brigade.
About food. Those. about food. GRU special forces, if they are in the format (i.e. under the guise) of a unit of airborne troops, receive uniforms, clothing allowances, monetary allowances, and all due hardships and hardships, both in sickness and in health, and food, strictly in in accordance with Airborne Forces standards.
Airborne special forces - everything is clear here. This is the air itself landing troops.
But with the GRU the issue is more tricky, and this detail always creates confusion. A friend wrote to me after the Pechora training of GRU special forces in the eighties. "Everyone, ** ***, arrived at the place, in the company. We are sitting for the first day, ****, we are pairing blue shoulder straps, we were given fuel oil, everything is black, **** today is mourning (((((((. Berets , the vests were also taken away. Am I now in the signal forces or something, *****?" So, we arrived in Germany, in the Western Group of Forces, and changed clothes. We immediately became signalmen. And changed our shoes (laced boots were replaced with regular ones boots). But Germany is small, and our sworn “friends” there are not fools either. They are watching. There is a strange signal company. All signalmen are like signalmen, and these are stirring up something all day long. Either a march is a throw of 20 kilometers, or a ZOMP in full swing, then digging trenches (similar to a comfortable place to lie down in a forest belt behind the highway), then hand-to-hand combat, then shooting all day long, then at night something happens. And how varied and suspicious it all is. They went to jumps secretly in tented bodies to a distant airfield. “And for you, dear, there is a field post office. Forward! The trumpet is calling! Soldiers! On the march!” In short, there is no time for communications here (in the usual sense of signalmen).
In this way, GRU special forces can masquerade (at times successfully) as absolutely any branch of the military (as the Motherland orders, and to what quiet/rotten distance it sends).
Unmasking signs will be numerous badges with sports ranks, parachutist badges, the same vests (stubborn boys will still put them on under any pretext, but you can’t keep an eye on everyone, and it’s good that airborne vests are terribly popular in all branches of the military), tattoos based on the uniform No. 2 (naked torso) again with an airborne theme with an abundance of skulls, parachutes, bats and all sorts of living creatures, slightly weathered muzzles (from frequent running around fresh air), always an increased appetite and the ability to eat exotically, or completely artlessly.
An interesting question about another stealth. This touch will give away a special forces soldier who is used to getting to the place of “work” not on comfortable transport with invigorating music, but on his own two feet with all parts of his body worn into calluses. The style of running along gullies with a huge load on your shoulders forces your arms to straighten at the elbows. A longer arm lever means less effort in transporting trunks. Therefore, when one day we first arrived at a unit with a huge concentration of personnel, then on our first morning run we were shocked by the huge number of soldiers (soldiers and officers) who ran with their hands down, like robots. They thought it was some kind of joke. But it turned out not. Over time, my personal feelings about this appeared. Although everything here is strictly individual. Even if you pick your nose with your finger and flap your wings, do what you have to do.
And the most important thing is not this. Clothes are clothes, but what is absolutely identical in both the GRU special forces and the Airborne Special Forces is the eyes. This look is completely relaxed, friendly, with a healthy dose of indifference. But he looks straight at you. Or through you. You never know what to expect from such a subject (only a megaton of trouble, if anything happens). Complete mobilization and readiness, complete unpredictability of actions, logic that instantly turns into “inadequate.” And so in ordinary life quite positive and inconspicuous people. No narcissism. Only a tough and calm focus on the result, no matter how desperately hopeless it turns out to be. In short, for military intelligence this is a kind of philosophical salt of existence since time immemorial (a lifestyle, that is).
Let's talk about swimming. Airborne special forces must be able to overcome water obstacles. Will there be many obstacles along the way? All sorts of rivers, lakes, streams, swamps. The same goes for GRU special forces. But if we're talking about about the seas and oceans, then for the Airborne Forces the topic ends here, the diocese begins there Marine Corps. And if they have already begun to distinguish someone, then more precisely, a very specific area of activity of the reconnaissance units of the Marine Corps. But the GRU special forces have their own units of brave combat swimmers. Let's reveal a small military secret. The presence of such units in the GRU does not mean that every special forces soldier in the GRU has undergone diving training. Combat swimmers GRU special forces is a really closed topic. There are few of them, but they are the best of the best. Fact.
What can we say about physical training? There are no differences here at all. Both the GRU special forces and the Airborne Special Forces still undergo some kind of selection. And the requirements are not just high, but the highest. Nevertheless, in our country there are two of every creature (and there are many who want it). Therefore, it is not surprising that all sorts of random people end up there. Either they read books, watch videos from the Internet with show-offs, or watch enough films. They often have an abundance of sports diplomas, awards, ranks and other things. Then, with such a boiled mess in their heads, they arrive at the place of duty. From the very first forced march (named after the Big Special Forces), enlightenment sets in. Complete and inevitable. Oh, ***, where did I end up? Yes, you got it... For such excesses there is always a reserve of personnel recruited in advance, just for the subsequent and inevitable screening.
Why go far for examples? Finally introduced for the first time in Russian army six-week survival courses for contract soldiers, which end with an examination 50-kilometer field trip, with shooting, overnight stays, saboteurs, crawling, digging and others unexpected joys. First (!). Twenty-five thousand contract soldiers in three military districts were finally able to experience for themselves what the average special forces reconnaissance soldier has always lived with. Moreover, for them it is for “a week before the second”, and in special forces for every day and for the entire period of service. Even before the start (!) of the field deployment, every tenth member of our armed forces personnel turned out to be a calich, a slipper. Or even refused to participate in the safari show for personal reasons. Some parts of the body suddenly press-press.
Therefore, why talk for so long? Survival courses in the conventional army, i.e. something so unusual and stressful is equated to the average way of life of an unremarkable regular service in the GRU special forces, and in the airborne special forces. There doesn't seem to be anything new here. But special forces also have extreme pastimes. For example, horse racing has been traditionally held for many years. In ordinary language - competitions between reconnaissance and sabotage groups of different brigades, different military districts, and even different countries. The strongest fight the strongest. There is someone to follow by example. There are no longer any standards or limits of endurance. At full capacity human body(and far beyond these limits). It is precisely in the GRU special forces that these events are very common.
Let us sum up our story. In this article, we did not pursue the goal of dumping stacks of documents from staff briefcases on the reader, nor were we hunting for some “fried” events and rumors. There must be at least some secrets left in the army. However, it is already clear that in form and content the GRU special forces and the Airborne special forces are very, very similar. We were talking about the real Big Special Forces, which is ready to carry out the assigned tasks. And they do. (And any group of military special forces can be in “autonomous navigation” from several days to several months, occasionally making contact at a certain time.)
Recently, exercises took place in the USA (Fort Carson, Colorado). First. Representatives of special forces took part in them Russian Airborne Forces. They showed themselves and looked at their “friends”. Whether there were representatives of the GRU there, history, the military and the press are silent. Let's leave everything as it is. And it doesn't matter. One interesting point.
Despite all the differences in equipment, weapons and approaches to training, joint exercises with the Green Berets demonstrated an absolutely amazing similarity among the troops special purpose(the so-called forces special operations on the base parachute units) V different countries. But don’t go to a fortune teller; you even had to go overseas to get this long-unclassified information.
As is fashionable now, let’s give the floor to bloggers. Just a few quotes from the blog of a man who visited the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment during an open press tour. And this is a completely unbiased view. Here's what everyone found out:
“Before the press tour, I was afraid that I would have to communicate mainly with oak special forces soldiers who beat off the last of their brains by breaking bricks on their heads. This is where the collapse of the stereotype happened...”
“Immediately another parallel stamp dissipated - the special forces are not at all two-meter big men with bullish necks and pound fists. I think I won’t be lying too much if I say that our group of bloggers, on average, looked more powerful than the airborne special forces group...”
"...during the entire time I was in the unit, out of hundreds of military men there, I did not see a single big guy. That is, absolutely not a single one...".
"...I didn’t suspect that the obstacle course could be more than a kilometer long and complete walkthrough it can take an hour and a half..."
"...Although at times it really seems like they are cyborgs. I don’t understand how they carry such heaps of equipment for a long time. Not everything has been laid out here yet, there is no water, food and ammunition. The main cargo itself is missing!.. ".
In general, such drool does not need comments. They come, as they say, from the heart.
(From the editors of 1071g.ru we’ll add about the obstacle course. In 1975-1999, at the height of " cold war"USSR - USA and later, in the Pechora training of the GRU special forces there was an obstacle course. The officially accepted name throughout the GRU Special Forces is the "scout trail". The length is about 15 kilometers, the terrain was successfully used, ups and downs, there were impassable sections, forested areas, water barriers, partly in Estonia (before the collapse of the Union), partly in the Pskov region, mass engineering structures for classes. Two training battalions (9 companies, in others up to 4 platoons, this is about 700 people + a school for warrant officers of 50-70 people) could disappear there in small units (platoons and squads) for days at any time of the year and in any weather, day and night . Moreover, the units not only did not intersect, but may not have made visual contact at all. The cadets ran "to their heart's content" and now they are dreaming about it. Fact based on real events.)
Today in Russia there are only two, as we found out, exactly the same (with the exception of some cosmetic details) special forces. These are GRU special forces and airborne special forces. To carry out tasks without fear, without reproach, and anywhere on the planet (by order of the Motherland). No more, from those legally authorized by all kinds international conventions, there are no divisions. Forced marches - from 30 kilometers with calculation and more, push-ups - from 1000 times or more, jumping, shooting, tactical and special training, development of stress resistance, abnormal endurance (on the verge of pathology), narrow-profile training in many technical disciplines, running , running, and running again.
Complete unpredictability by opponents of the actions of reconnaissance groups (and each fighter individually, in accordance with the current situation). The skills to instantly assess a situation and also make decisions instantly. Well, act (guess how quickly)...
By the way, is the dear reader aware that the special forces of the Airborne Forces and the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense took on the burden of military intelligence during the entire war in Afghanistan? There the now famous abbreviation “SpN” was born.
In conclusion, let's add. Any law enforcement agencies and departments, from the FSB to small private security companies, are ready to accept the “graduates” of the harsh school of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces and the Special Forces of the GRU with open arms. This does not mean at all that the Big Spetsnaz is ready to accept employees of any law enforcement agencies, even with an impeccable track record and the most high level preparation. Welcome to the club of real men! (If you are accepted...).
This material was prepared based on the RU Airborne Forces forum, various open sources, the opinions of professional experts, the gosh100.livejournal.com blog (credit to the blogger from military intelligence officers), reflections (based on own experience) the author of the article himself. If you have read this far, thank you for your interest.
Have you ever asked yourself the question of how to get into the Airborne Forces? Have you often thought about serving in? Most people will answer these questions: “No, it’s not for me,” while many will come up with various kinds of excuses. And this is not at all surprising, because service in the Airborne Forces or in special forces requires special courage, and most importantly, special training.
The main task is to conduct various types of combat operations in the very rear of the enemy, far from the front line. These brave men operate in the most important areas of military operations. Often these are the most extraordinary places. The main task of special forces is sabotage and reconnaissance activities deep behind enemy lines.
Only the most strong men who have a sense of fearlessness and courage, being wondering how to get into the Airborne Forces, or how to get into special forces. It is thanks to such real men that our country can sleep peacefully.
Only the strongest, bravest and most self-possessed people are selected for this Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
In order to get into the Airborne Forces or special forces of the Russian army, you must be a citizen, not necessarily an adult, but have a secondary education.
The main factor for admission is to be in excellent health. Admission of those wishing to serve is carried out only on the basis of the results of entrance tests on physical and psychological preparedness, as well as on the basis of assessments in documents that characterize social, creative, and most importantly sports achivments future soldier.
The world does not stand still, humanity is developing, morals and traditions are constantly changing. There are more and more women striving to look at the world through the eyes of men. Girls also have questions about how to get into the Airborne Forces or special forces.
To enter the service, a girl must have good health and a stable psyche, have a secondary education, and also be a citizen of the Russian Federation.
For representatives of both sexes who wish to serve, it is necessary to submit a report to the military commissar.
While on assembly point military commissariat, meet the officers who arrived for reinforcements. Try to make the most positive impression on him.
As soon as you find yourself at your duty station, submit a report with a request to be sent to the special unit you need for further service. And find out in more detail how to get into the Airborne Forces.
Once you become a candidate for enrollment in the Airborne Forces or Special Forces, you will need to complete physical tasks. You must be able to do good pull-ups, perform two-arm exercises, and also have excellent cross-country training.
If you complete all the tasks assigned to you with high quality, you can count on enrollment in the Airborne Forces or Special Forces. After serving in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, the country will be able to count on you in the most dangerous and troubling moments.
Thanks to cinema and television, most Russians know about the existence of special forces units that are subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU special forces). However, these special units are far from the only ones in the Russian armed forces; it’s just that their “colleagues” are less known and not so “publicized.” At the same time, in their professionalism and combat experience they are hardly inferior to the famous GRU special forces. First of all, we are talking about special forces units of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation or special forces of the Airborne Forces.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared quite a long time ago, during the Great Patriotic War. In February 1994, on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions, an airborne special forces regiment was formed. Closer to our time, this unit took an active part in both campaigns in the North Caucasus, and was later involved in the war with Georgia in 2008. Its permanent location is Kubinka, near Moscow. At the end of 2014, the airborne regiment was deployed into a brigade.
Despite the fact that the tasks performed by the GRU special forces and the Airborne Special Forces are largely similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the airborne special forces, a few words should be said about the history of special forces in general.
History of special forces
Units for special operations were created in the USSR almost immediately after the Bolsheviks came to power. The units were engaged in reconnaissance and subversive work in hostile territory. Pro-Soviet organizations were created in neighboring countries partisan detachments, whose work was supervised military intelligence from Moscow. In 1921, the Red Army created special department, which was engaged in collecting intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.
Having survived several reorganizations, the intelligence department of the Red Army in 1940 was finally transferred to the subordination of the General Staff. The GRU special forces were created in 1950.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared in the 30s, immediately after the appearance of this type of troops in the USSR. First part of the Airborne Forces was formed in 1930 near Voronezh. Almost immediately, an obvious need arose to create our own airborne reconnaissance unit.
The fact is that Airborne troops designed to perform specific functions - operations behind enemy lines, destruction of particularly important enemy targets, disruption of enemy communications, seizure of bridgeheads and other operations of a predominantly offensive nature.
To conduct a successful landing operation, preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, the operation is in danger of failure - this happened many times during the Great Patriotic War, when poorly prepared landing operations cost the lives of thousands of paratroopers.
In 1994, on the basis of two separate special battalions appointments of the Airborne Forces, 901st and 218th, the 45th was formed separate regiment Airborne special forces. A few words should be said about the units that made up the regiment.
The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the airborne special forces regiment, it managed to take part in several peacekeeping missions: in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Transnistria.
The history of the 901st battalion is much longer and richer. It was formed in 1979 in the Transcaucasian Military District as a separate air assault battalion, then was transferred to Europe, to the site of the intended theater of operations. At the end of the 80s, the Baltic states became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed a separate parachute battalion and transferred to the subordination of the Airborne Forces headquarters.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the 901st battalion was located on the territory of Abkhazia, after which it was transferred to the Moscow region. In 1994 the division became separate battalion special forces and became part of the 45th Special Forces Regiment.
The regiment's military personnel took part in both Chechen campaigns and in the operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. In 2005, the 45th Special Forces Regiment received the honorary title “Guards,” and the unit was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009 he was awarded the St. George Banner.
In 2014, based on the 45th separate regiment An airborne special forces brigade was formed.
More than 40 servicemen from the unit were killed in various conflicts. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.
Why do you need airborne special forces?
The functions of the Airborne Forces special forces are very similar to those performed by their colleagues from the Main Command units. intelligence agency. However, there are still differences. And they are associated with specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must solve.
Of course, airborne special forces can conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all they must prepare the possibility of landing for the main airborne units. The concept of “prepare” in this case is interpreted very broadly. First of all, we are talking about reconnaissance of the landing area: management is obliged to have maximum information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.
In addition, scouts, if necessary, prepare a landing site. This could be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small bridgehead. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the area, infrastructure is destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. Airborne special forces can also conduct operations to capture and briefly hold important objects behind enemy lines. Most often, such work is carried out during offensive operations.
One more difference should be noted between the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. Units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere on the planet (it’s not for nothing that their emblem depicts Earth). Airborne special forces usually operate closer, within the flight range of airborne transport aircraft, usually no further than two thousand kilometers.
Airborne special forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the requirements for training and equipment of fighters are very strict. Not everyone is able to pass the selection process and become a fighter in this unit. An airborne special forces fighter must be resistant to stress, endurance, and have excellent command of all types of weapons. Special forces have to operate deep behind enemy lines, without any support from big land", carrying tens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment.
The unit's fighters are equipped the best views weapons, ammunition, equipment of Russian and foreign production. They don't spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) is a very expensive “pleasure”. Sniper rifle"Vintorez", Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100th series, large-caliber rifles of domestic production - this is not a complete list small arms, which is used by scouts.
A flag for a car with a suction cup "Special Forces of the GRU and Airborne Forces" will be an excellent gift for both paratroopers and intelligence officers. After all, their functions, goals and methods are so closely intertwined.
Flag for the car with a suction cup "GRU and Airborne Special Forces"
The special forces units of the GRU and the Airborne Forces have long been firmly entrenched in the public consciousness as a single whole; the boundary separating different, in general, departments is often extremely blurred. For special forces, both airborne troops and military intelligence are equally close. The second of August for special forces is the same “red day of the calendar” as the sixth of November; paratroopers and reconnaissance officers are united by the flag of the Airborne Forces, blue berets and vests, a truly special spirit in these branches of the military.
What do GRU special forces and the Airborne Forces have in common?
If strictly - in accordance with the existing charter, operating scheme armed forces, the existing combat regulations approved by the Ministry of Defense - consider the organization Special Forces troops, then the special forces of the GRU and Airborne Forces are units of different formats. Moreover, there is only one special forces unit in the airborne troops - the legendary 45th Guards Reconnaissance Regiment, here, as you can see, it is also possible to belong to military intelligence. Cuban paratroopers very often conduct joint operations with the troops of the GRU Special Forces, the last major combat operation special forces of the GRU and Airborne Forces - South Ossetia 2008, then 45 ORP worked in the conflict zone together with detachments 22, 10 and 16 OBRSpN.
Individual special forces brigades are subordinate to the leadership of the GRU and the military district to which they are assigned; organizationally they have no relation to the airborne troops, which is why the connection between the GRU special forces and the Airborne Forces does not become weaker. Back in the middle of the last century, when special forces were just beginning to be created in the country, some identification of the GRU special forces and the Airborne Forces appeared. Firstly, soldiers were drafted into the newly created formations of Special Forces troops conscript service, marked “fit for service in the Airborne Forces.” Secondly, new units were formed primarily on the basis of airborne regiments and individual battalions; airborne officers also took an active part. Finally, dress uniform the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces are initially almost identical.
Why do GRU special forces wear airborne uniforms?
For the Special Forces troops whose very existence at that time was a military secret, special shape was not developed, there were no insignia. Veterans say that during training exercises, servicemen of other types of troops even mistook mobile groups without identification marks for saboteurs, but as formal clothes GRU special forces fighters and selected Airborne uniform- they were most often mistaken for paratroopers.
Further, the kinship intensified more and more - preparation and combat missions Paratroopers and special forces are similar in many ways; in general, both are essentially saboteurs. Of course, the tasks of the GRU Special Forces troops directly behind enemy lines are completely different from those of the assault groups of the airborne troops. One way or another, the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces consist of formations of constant combat readiness, but the training of fighters is always higher than the standard in the troops. Well, of course, one cannot help but mention the mandatory airborne paratroopers - the sky makes the special forces of the GRU and the airborne forces more similar than all of the above, the jumping program in the ObrSpN and airborne formations is approximately the same, they often jump together.
Combat interaction between GRU special forces and the Airborne Forces
The joint use of GRU and Airborne special forces in real combat conditions is a practice that has brought more than one victory to the command of the Russian armed forces. It all started with the introduction of formations of Special Forces troops into Afghanistan, when a few special forces detachments of the GRU and Airborne Forces managed to carry out operations that seemed impossible. The story continued in Chechnya, GRU and Airborne special forces troops resolved issues in which motorized rifle formations were powerless. It’s scary to imagine how many people our generals would have killed in Grozny in 1995 if special forces had not taken part in the assault.
So, if you do not take into account the subtleties of subordination, the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces are in many ways related organizations to each other, primarily in spirit.
Thanks to cinema and television, most Russians know about the existence of special forces units that are subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU special forces). However, these special units are far from the only ones in the Russian armed forces; it’s just that their “colleagues” are less known and not so “publicized.” Although in their professionalism and combat experience they are hardly inferior to the famous GRU special forces. First of all, we are talking about special forces units of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation or special forces of the Airborne Forces.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared quite a long time ago, even during Soviet Union. In February 1994, on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions, an airborne special forces regiment was formed. This unit took an active part in both campaigns in the North Caucasus, and was later involved in the war with Georgia in 2008. Its location is Kubinka, near Moscow. At the end of 2014, the airborne regiment was deployed into a brigade.
Despite the fact that the tasks performed by the GRU special forces and the Airborne Special Forces are in many ways similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the airborne special forces and the tasks that they perform, a few words should be said about the history of special forces.
History of creation
Forces for special operations were created in the USSR almost immediately after the Bolsheviks came to power. They were engaged in reconnaissance and carrying out subversive work on the territory of neighboring states. Pro-Soviet partisan detachments were created in neighboring countries, the work of which was supervised by military intelligence from Moscow. In 1921, a special department was created in the Red Army, which was engaged in collecting intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.
Having survived several reorganizations, the intelligence department of the Red Army in 1940 was finally transferred to the subordination of the General Staff. The GRU special forces were created in 1950.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared in the 30s, immediately after the appearance of this type of troops in the USSR. The first part of the Airborne Forces was created in 1930 near Voronezh. Almost immediately after this, an obvious need arose to create our own airborne reconnaissance unit.
The fact is that the Airborne Forces are designed to perform specific functions - conducting various operations behind enemy lines, destroying particularly important enemy targets, disrupting their communications, seizing bridgeheads and other operations, mainly of an offensive nature. Delivery of paratroopers to the place of execution of the mission is carried out using air transport; landing can be carried out either by parachute or by landing.
To conduct a successful landing operation, preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, it faces failure - this happened many times during the Great Patriotic War, when poorly prepared landing operations cost the lives of thousands of paratroopers.
In 1994, on the basis of two separate airborne special forces battalions, the 901st and 218th, the 45th separate airborne special forces regiment was formed. A few words should be said about the units that made up the regiment.
The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the airborne special forces regiment, it managed to take part in several peacekeeping missions: in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Transnistria.
Information:The history of the 901st battalion is much longer and richer. It was formed in 1979 in the Transcaucasian Military District as a separate air assault battalion, then was transferred to Europe, to the site of the intended theater of operations. At the end of the 80s, the Baltic states became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed a separate parachute battalion and transferred to the subordination of the Airborne Forces headquarters.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the 901st battalion was located on the territory of Abkhazia, after which it was transferred to the Moscow region. In 1994, the unit became a separate special forces battalion and became part of the 45th Special Forces Regiment.
Soldiers of the regiment took part in both Chechen campaigns, in the war against Georgia in 2008. In 2005, the 45th Special Forces Regiment received the honorary title “Guards,” and the unit was also awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009 he was awarded the St. George Banner.
In 2014, an airborne special forces brigade was formed on the basis of the 45th separate regiment.
More than 40 servicemen from the unit were killed in various conflicts. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.
Why do you need airborne special forces?
The functions of the Airborne Special Forces are very similar to those performed by their colleagues from the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. However, there are still differences. And they are related to the specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must perform.
Of course, airborne special forces can conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all, they must prepare the possibility of landing for the main airborne units. The concept of “prepare” in this case is interpreted very broadly. First of all, we are talking about conducting reconnaissance of the future landing area: management must have a full amount of information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.
In addition to collecting information, reconnaissance officers, if necessary, prepare a landing site. This could be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small area or bridgehead. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the selected area, infrastructure is destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. Also, airborne special forces can carry out operations to capture and short-term hold important objects behind enemy lines. Most often, such work is carried out during offensive operations.
One more difference should be noted between the GRU special forces and the Airborne Forces. Units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere on the planet (it’s not for nothing that they have a globe on their emblem). Airborne special forces usually operate at more modest distances, which are determined by the flight range of transport aircraft used in the airborne forces. Usually this is no more than two thousand kilometers.
Airborne special forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the most stringent requirements for the training and equipment of fighters are put forward. Not everyone is able to pass the selection and become a fighter in this unit. An airborne special forces fighter must be absolutely “stress-resistant”, have enormous endurance, and have excellent command of all types of weapons. After all, special forces have to operate deep behind enemy lines, without any support “from the mainland,” carrying tens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment. Random people are eliminated at the initial stages of strict selection; only the best are taken into the airborne special forces. Psychologists work with candidates, finding out the characteristics of each fighter.
Interesting:The unit's fighters are equipped with the best types of weapons, ammunition, and equipment of Russian and foreign production. They don't spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) is not a cheap pleasure. The Vintorez sniper rifle, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100 series, large-caliber rifles of domestic production - this is not the entire list of small arms used by reconnaissance officers.
Soldiers of the 45th separate brigade drones are actively used for reconnaissance aircrafts, the brigade has a unit that deals with psychological warfare and demoralization of the enemy.
Russian airborne special forces are rightfully considered one of the best special units in the world.
In 2012, a platoon of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment participated in joint exercises with the American Green Berets, which were held at Fort Carson.