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 the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. Interview What is the difference between special forces and airborne forces
Now they are talking a lot in newspapers, on TV, on the Internet about the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Since these two communities of military professionals are very similar, we will try to figure out how they still differ for an inexperienced person who is far from all this.
Let's start with a historical excursion. Who came first? Spetsnaz GRU is definitely accurate in 1950. Since a lot of tactical blanks and other chips were borrowed from the partisan actions of the Great Patriotic War, it is still fair to designate its unofficial appearance in the second half of the thirties of the last century. The first sabotage groups of the Red Army successfully operated 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 the Russian Empire) to keep completely autonomous "scout" units in their armies, then the origins of the appearance of the GRU special forces go back to "the depths of centuries".
The special forces of the Airborne Forces appeared in 1930, along with the Airborne Troops. With the very first landing near Voronezh, when there was an obvious need to start our own intelligence. The paratroopers can't just land in "paws to the enemy", someone has to shorten these "paws", break off the "horns", and file the "hooves".
Main tasks. 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 the tasks of the General Staff. Previously, communication was on short waves. Now on short and ultra-short via satellite channel. The communication range is not limited by anything, but still in some corners of the planet there are "dead zones", there are no mobile, radio or satellite communications at all. Those. It is not for nothing that a stylized image of the globe is often found on the symbols of the GRU.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces - in fact 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 necessary) of the main forces ("cavalry"). Capturing airfields, sites, small bridgeheads, solving related tasks with the capture or destruction of communications, related infrastructure, and other things. They act strictly on the orders of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces. The range is not as significant as that of the GRU, but still impressive. The main aircraft of the Airborne Forces IL-76 is capable of overcoming 4000 km. Those. there and back - about 2000 km. (refueling is not considered, although the range in this case increases significantly). Therefore, the special forces of the Airborne Forces operate behind enemy lines at a distance of up to 2000 km.
Let's continue the research. An interesting question with the form of clothing. At first glance, everything is the same. Bertsy, camouflage, vests, blue berets. But this is only at first glance. Take, for example, takes. This piece of clothing is of medieval origin. Pay attention to the old paintings of artists. All beret wearers wear them asymmetrically. Either right or left. The special forces of the GRU and the special forces of the Airborne Forces are behind the scenes to wear a beret, bent to the right. If you suddenly see a commando in the form of the Airborne Forces and in a beret bent to the left, then this is just an ordinary paratrooper. The tradition has been carried on since 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 be done only by breaking the beret on the left side of the head. And there is no reason to shine intelligence.
Let's move on to signs. During the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Troops made many landings and landing operations. Many awarded heroes. Including the units of the Airborne Forces themselves were awarded the title of Guards (almost all). The GRU special forces for the period of that war were already in the process of formation as an independent branch of the armed forces, but were outside the legal framework (and in general everything was secret). Therefore, if you see a paratrooper, but without the "Guards" badge, then with almost 100% certainty - 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. SPN GRU brigade.
About food. Those. about satisfaction. GRU spetsnaz, if it is in the format (i.e. under the guise) of an airborne unit, receives uniforms, clothing allowance, monetary allowance, and all the hardships and deprivations that are due, both in sickness and in health, and food, strictly in in accordance with the standards of the Airborne Forces.
Special forces of the Airborne Forces - everything is clear here. This is the airborne troops themselves.
But with the GRU, the issue is more tricky, and this detail always brings confusion. A friend wrote to me after the Pechora training of the GRU special forces in the eighties. "Everyone, ** ***, arrived at the place, in the company. We sit for the first day, ****, rip off blue shoulder straps, gave out fuel oil, everything is black, **** today is mourning (((((((. Berets , vests were also taken away. Am I now in the signal troops or something, *****?". So, they arrived in Germany, in the Western Group of Forces, and changed clothes. They immediately became signalmen. And changed their shoes (boots with lacing were replaced with ordinary boots). But Germany is small, there our sworn "friends" are also not fools. They are watching. There is a strange signal company. All signalmen are like signalmen, and these stir up something all day long. in full swing, then digging trenches (similar to a comfortable bed in a forest belt behind the autobahn), then hand-to-hand combat, then shooting for the whole day, then something happens at night. to a distant airfield." And for you, dear, there is a field post. Forward! The trumpet is calling! Soldiers! On a campaign!". - signalmen).
In this way, the GRU special forces can disguise themselves (at times successfully) under absolutely any branch of the armed forces (as the Motherland orders, and to what quiet / rotten distance they send).
The unmasking signs will be numerous badges with sports ranks, badges of paratroopers, all the same vests (stubborn boychins will still be put on them under any pretext, but you can’t see everyone, and it’s good that paratrooper vests are terribly popular in all branches of the military), tattoos in the form of clothing No. 2 (naked torso) again airborne theme with an abundance of skulls, parachutes, bats and all sorts of different living creatures, slightly weathered muzzles of faces (from frequent running around in the fresh air), always increased appetite and the ability to eat exotic, or completely artless .
An interesting question about another invisibility. This stroke will give out a special forces soldier who is used to getting to the place of "work" not in comfortable transport to invigorating music, but on his own two with all parts of the body worn in calluses. The gulley style of running with a huge load on the shoulders forces the arms to straighten at the elbows. Longer arm lever - more economical effort in transporting trunks. Therefore, when one day they first arrived at a unit with a huge concentration of personnel, then on the very first morning run they were shocked by the huge number of fighters (soldiers and officers) who ran with their hands down, like robots. Thought it was some kind of joke. But it turned out not. Over time, my personal feelings about this appeared. Although everything is strictly individual. Though pick your finger in your nose and wave your wings, but do what you have to do.
And the most important thing is not this. Clothes are clothes, but what is inherent in absolutely the same as the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces is the eyes. The look is so completely relaxed, friendly, with a share of healthy indifference. But he looks right 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 self-admiration. 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 being from ever-memorable times (a lifestyle, that is).
Let's talk about swimming. The special forces of the Airborne Forces must be able to overcome water obstacles. Are there many obstacles along the way? All sorts of rivers, lakes, streams, swamps. The same goes for the GRU special forces. But if we are talking about the seas and oceans, then for the Airborne Forces the topic ends here, the diocese of the Marine Corps begins there. And if they have already begun to distinguish someone, then more precisely, a very specific area of \u200b\u200bactivity 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 little military secret. The presence of such units in the GRU does not at all mean that just the same, every special forces officer in the GRU has undergone diving training. The combat swimmers of the GRU special forces are a really closed topic. They are few, but they are the best of the best. Fact.
What can you say about physical training? There are no differences at all here. And in the special forces of the GRU, and in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, there is still some kind of selection. And the requirements are not that high, but the highest. Nevertheless, in our country there are a couple of every creature (and there are many who want to). Therefore, it is not surprising that all sorts of random people get there. Then they read books, from the Internet there are videos with window dressing, or they watch enough films. Often they have an abundance of sports diplomas, awards, categories and other things. Then, with such a hard-boiled porridge in their heads, they arrive at the duty station. From the very first forced march (named after the Great Special Forces), enlightenment sets in. Complete and inevitable. Oh fuck, where did I go? Yes, you got it ... For such excesses there is always a stock of personnel recruited in advance, just for the subsequent and inevitable screening.
Why go far for examples? Finally, for the first time in the Russian army, six-week survival courses for contract soldiers were introduced, which end with an examination 50-kilometer field trip, with shooting, overnight stays, saboteurs, crawling, digging and other unexpected joys. For the first time (!). Twenty-five thousand contract soldiers in three military districts were finally able to experience for themselves what the average soldier-special forces intelligence officer has always lived for. Moreover, they have it 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 exit, every tenth soldier of the personnel of our armed forces turned out to be a kalich, a slipper. Or even refused to participate in a safari show for personal motivation. Some parts of the body suddenly bench-press.
Therefore, why talk for a long time? Survival courses in the conventional army, ie. something so unusual and stressful, they are equated with the average way of unremarkable ordinary service in the GRU special forces, and in the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Nothing new seems to be here. But the special forces also have an extreme pastime. For example, "races" have been traditionally arranged for many years. In ordinary language - competitions of reconnaissance and sabotage groups of different brigades, different military districts, and even different countries. The strongest fight the strongest. There is someone to take an example from. There are no longer any standards or limits of endurance. At the full limit of the capabilities of the human body (and far beyond these limits). Just in the GRU special forces, these events are very common.
Let's sum up our story. In this article, we did not pursue the goal of dumping stacks of documents from staff briefcases on the reader, we did not hunt for some "fried" events and rumors. At least some secrets must remain in the army. Nevertheless, it is already clear that the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very, very similar in form and content. It was about the real Big Special Forces, which is ready to complete the assigned tasks. And they do it. (And any group of military special forces can be in "autonomous navigation" from several days to several months, occasionally getting in touch at a certain time.)
Recently, exercises took place in the USA (Fort Carson, Colorado). For the first time. Representatives of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces took part in them. And they showed themselves, and looked at "friends". Whether there were representatives of the GRU, history, the military and the press are silent. Let's leave everything as it is. Yes, and it doesn't matter. One point is interesting.
With all the differences in equipment, weapons and approaches to training, joint exercises with the "Green Berets" demonstrated an absolutely amazing similarity between representatives of the special forces (the so-called special operations forces based on parachute units) in different countries. And here you don’t go to a fortuneteller, you even had to go overseas to get this long unclassified information.
As it is now fashionable, let's give the floor to bloggers. Just a few quotes from the blog of a man who visited the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces 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 martinet special forces who beat off the remnants of their brains by breaking bricks on their heads. This is where the stereotype collapsed ...”.
“Immediately, another parallel cliché dissipated - the special forces turned out to be not at all two-meter ambals with bull necks and pood fists. I don’t think I’m lying much if I say that our group of bloggers, on average, looked more powerful than the special forces group of the Airborne Forces ... ".
"... for the entire time of my stay in the unit, out of hundreds of military men, I did not see a single ambal there. That is, absolutely not a single one ...".
"... I did not suspect that the obstacle course could be more than a kilometer long and that it could take an hour and a half to complete it...".
"... Although at times it really seems that they are cyborgs. How they carry such heaps of equipment on themselves for a long time, I do not understand. Far from everything has been laid out here, there is no water, food and cartridges. The main cargo itself is not there! .. .".
In general, such drooling does not need comments. They go, as they say, from the heart.
(From the editors of 1071g.ru, we will add about the obstacle course. In 1975-1999, at the height of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA and later, there was an obstacle course in the Pechora training of the GRU special forces. The officially common name for the entire GRU Special Forces is "trail reconnaissance officer". The length is about 15 kilometers, the terrain was successfully used, descents and ascents, there were impassable areas, forests, water barriers, some in Estonia (before the collapse of the Union), some in the Pskov region, a lot of engineering structures for classes. battalions (9 companies, in others up to 4 platoons, this is about 700 people + a school of ensigns 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. the units not only did not intersect, but could not enter into visual contact at all. The cadets ran "admittedly", now they are dreaming about it. A 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. This is the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces. To perform tasks without fear, without reproach, and anywhere in the world (by order of the Motherland). There are no more subdivisions legally authorized by various international conventions. Forced marches - from 30 kilometers with a calculation or more, push-ups - from 1000 times or more, jumps, shooting, tactical and special training, development of stress resistance, abnormal endurance (on the verge of pathology), narrow-profile training in many technical disciplines, running , run, and run again.
Complete unpredictability by opponents of the actions of reconnaissance groups (and each fighter separately, in accordance with the current situation). Skills to instantly assess the situation, and also instantly make decisions. So move on (guess how fast)...
Yes, by the way, does the dear reader know that the burden of hardships of military intelligence during the entire war in Afghanistan was assumed by 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? There, the now known abbreviation "SpN" was born.
Finally, let's add. "Graduates" of the harsh school of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces and Special Forces of the GRU are ready to accept with open arms any law enforcement agencies and departments, from the FSB to small private security companies. This does not mean at all that the Bolshoy Spetsnaz are ready to accept employees of any power structures, even with an impeccable track record and the highest level of training. Welcome to the club of real men! (If you are accepted...).
This material was prepared based on the forum of the Landing Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, various open sources, the opinions of professional experts, the blog gosh100.livejournal.com (credit to the blogger from military intelligence), reflections (based on personal experience) of the author of the article. If you have read this far, thank you for your interest.
Have you asked yourself the question of how to get into the Airborne Forces? How often have you thought about serving in The majority 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 kinds of military operations in the very rear of the enemy, away from the front line. These daredevils operate in the most important areas of military operations. Often these are the most extraordinary places. The main task of the special forces is sabotage and reconnaissance activities deep behind enemy lines.
Only the strongest men who have a sense of fearlessness and courage, being in, are wondering how to get into the Airborne Forces, or how to get into the special forces. It is thanks to such real men that our country can sleep peacefully.
Only the strongest, bravest and most seasoned people are selected for this armed forces of the Russian Federation.
In order to get into the Airborne Forces or the special forces of the Russian army, you must be a citizen, not necessarily an adult, but having a secondary education.
The main factor for admission is the possession of excellent health. Recruitment of those wishing to serve is carried out only on the basis of the results of entrance tests for physical and psychological fitness, as well as on the basis of assessments in documents that characterize the social, creative, and most importantly, sports achievements of the future soldier.
The world does not stand still, humanity is developing, customs and traditions are constantly changing. There are more and more women seeking to look at the world through the eyes of men. Girls also have a question about how to get into the Airborne Forces or into the special forces.
To enter the service, a girl must be the owner of 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.
Being at the assembly point of the military commissariat, get acquainted with the officers who arrived for replenishment. Try to make the most positive impression on him.
As soon as you find yourself at the duty station, submit a report with a request to send you to the special unit you need for further service. And find out in more detail how to get into the Airborne Forces.
Becoming a candidate for enrollment in the Airborne Forces or Special Forces, you will need to complete physical tasks. You must be able to pull up well, exercise with two hands, and also have excellent cross-country training.
With the qualitative performance of all the tasks assigned to you, 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 anxious 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 (Special Forces GRU). However, these special units are by no means the only ones in the Russian armed forces, it's just that their "colleagues" are less known and not so "promoted". At the same time, with their professionalism and combat experience, they are hardly inferior to the glorified GRU special forces. First of all, we are talking about special forces of the Airborne Troops 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 the Great Patriotic War. In February 1994, a special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions. 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. His place of permanent deployment is Kubinka near Moscow. At the end of 2014, the airborne regiment was deployed into a brigade.
Despite the fact that the tasks that the GRU special forces and the airborne special forces perform are largely similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the special forces of the Airborne Forces, a few words should be said about the history of the special forces in general.
Special forces history
Parts 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 unfriendly territory. In neighboring countries, pro-Soviet partisan detachments were created, 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 the collection of intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.
Having gone through 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 formed in 1930 near Voronezh. Almost immediately, there was an obvious need to create their own airborne intelligence.
The fact is that the Airborne Forces are designed to perform specific functions - operations behind enemy lines, destroying especially important enemy targets, disrupting its communications, seizing bridgeheads and other operations of a predominantly offensive nature.
For a successful landing operation, preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, the operation is threatened with failure - this happened more than once 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 forces battalions of the Airborne Forces, 901st and 218th, the 45th separate regiment of special forces of the Airborne Forces was formed. A few words should be said about the units that became part of the regiment.
The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces, he 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 proposed theater of operations. In the late 80s, the Baltic States became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed into a separate airborne assault battalion and transferred to the command of the Airborne Forces headquarters.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the 901st battalion was 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.
The servicemen of the regiment took part in both Chechen campaigns, in the operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. In 2005, the 45th Special Forces Regiment received the honorary title "Guards", the unit was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009, he was awarded the St. George Banner.
In 2014, on the basis of the 45th separate regiment, a special forces brigade of the Airborne Forces was formed.
More than 40 military personnel from the unit were killed in various conflicts. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.
Why do we need special forces of the Airborne Forces
The functions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very similar to those performed by their counterparts from the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. However, there are still differences. And they are associated with specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must solve.
Of course, the special forces of the Airborne Forces can conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all, they must prepare the possibility of landing for the main units of the Airborne Forces. The concept of "prepare" in this case is interpreted very broadly. First of all, we are talking about reconnaissance of the landing area: the leadership must have maximum information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.
In addition, scouts, if necessary, prepare a platform for landing. This may be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small foothold. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the area, infrastructure facilities are destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. The special forces of the Airborne Forces can also carry out operations to capture and short-term hold important objects behind enemy lines. Most often, such work is carried out during offensive operations.
It should be noted one more difference between the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. The units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere in the world (it's not for nothing that they have a globe on their emblem). The special forces of the Airborne Forces usually operate closer, within the range of the airborne transport aircraft, usually no further than two thousand kilometers.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the requirements for the training and equipment of fighters are very strict. Not everyone is able to pass the selection and become a fighter of this unit. A special forces fighter of the Airborne Forces must be distinguished by stress resistance, endurance, and be proficient in all types of weapons. Special forces have to operate deep behind enemy lines, without any support "from the mainland", carrying tens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment.
The fighters of the unit are equipped with the best types of weapons, ammunition, equipment of Russian and foreign production. They do not spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) are a very expensive "pleasure". The Vintorez sniper rifle, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100th series, domestic-made large-caliber rifles - this is far from a complete list of small arms used by scouts.
Flag in the car with a sucker "Spetsnaz GRU and Airborne Forces" will be a great gift for both paratroopers and scouts. After all, their functions, goals and methods are so closely intertwined.
Flag in the car with a sucker "Spetsnaz GRU and Airborne Forces"
The formations of the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces in the public mind have long been firmly established as a single entity, the border 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 the special forces is the same “red day of the calendar” as the sixth of November, the paratroopers and scouts are united by the flag of the Airborne Forces, blue berets and vests, a really special spirit in these military branches.
What do the GRU special forces and the Airborne Forces have in common?
If strictly - in accordance with the existing charter, the scheme of functioning of the armed forces, the existing combat order approved by the Ministry of Defense - to consider the organization of the Special Forces troops, then the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces include formations of different formats. Moreover, there is only one special-purpose unit in the airborne troops - this is the legendary 45th Guards Reconnaissance Regiment, here, as you can see, it could not have done without belonging to military intelligence. Cuban paratroopers very often conduct joint operations with the troops of the Special Forces of the GRU, the last major combat operation of the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces was South Ossetia 2008, then 45 ORP worked in the conflict zone together with detachments 22, 10 and 16 ObrSpN.
Separate special-purpose brigades are subordinate to the leadership of the GRU and the military district to which they are assigned; they have no organizational relationship 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 in the country were just beginning to be created, some identification of the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces appeared. Firstly, conscripts with the mark “fit for service in the Airborne Forces” were called up to the formations of the Special Forces troops that were being created. Secondly, new units were formed primarily on the basis of airborne regiments and separate battalions, airborne officers also took an active part. Finally, the dress uniforms of the GRU and Airborne Special Forces are initially almost identical.
Why does the GRU special forces wear the uniform of the Airborne Forces?
For the Special Forces troops, the very existence of which at that time was a military secret, a special form was not developed, there were no insignia either. Veterans say that military personnel of other types of troops during the exercises even mistook mobile groups without identification marks for saboteurs, but the uniform of the Airborne Forces was chosen as the dress code of the GRU special forces - they were most often mistaken for paratroopers.
Further, the kinship intensified more and more - the training and combat missions of paratroopers and special forces are in many ways similar, in general, both of them are essentially saboteurs. Of course, the tasks of the troops of the Special Forces of the GRU directly behind enemy lines are completely different than 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 units of constant combat readiness, but the training of fighters is always higher than the standard in the troops. Well, of course, one cannot fail to say about the mandatory VDP - the sky makes the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces more related than the above, the program of jumps in the ObrSpN and airborne formations is approximately the same, they often jump together.
Combat interaction between the GRU special forces and the Airborne Troops
The joint use of the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces in real combat conditions is a practice that has brought more than one victory to the command of the domestic armed forces. It all started with the introduction of formations of Special Forces troops into Afghanistan, when a few special forces units of the GRU and the Airborne Forces managed to carry out operations that seemed impossible. The story continued in Chechnya, the troops of the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces 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 respects organizations related 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 (Special Forces GRU). However, these special units are by no means the only ones in the Russian armed forces, their “colleagues” are simply less well-known and not so “promoted”. Although with their professionalism and combat experience they are hardly inferior to the glorified GRU special forces. First of all, we are talking about special forces of the Airborne Troops 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 Soviet Union. In February 1994, a special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions. This unit took an active part in both campaigns in the North Caucasus, and was later involved in the war with Georgia in 2008. His place of deployment 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 special forces of the Airborne Forces are in many ways similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the special forces of the Airborne Forces and the tasks that they perform, a few words should be said about the history of the 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 subversive work on the territory of neighboring states. In neighboring countries, pro-Soviet partisan detachments were created, 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 the collection of intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.
Having gone through 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 intelligence.
The fact is that the Airborne Forces are designed to perform specific functions - conducting various operations behind enemy lines, destroying especially important enemy targets, disrupting its communications, seizing bridgeheads and other operations, mainly of an offensive nature. Delivery of paratroopers to the place of the mission is carried out using air transport, landing can be carried out both by parachute and by landing.
For a successful landing operation, a preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, it is in danger of failure - this happened more than once 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 forces battalions of the Airborne Forces, 901st and 218th, the 45th separate regiment of special forces of the Airborne Forces was formed. A few words should be said about the units that became part of the regiment.
The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces, he 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 proposed theater of operations. In the late 80s, the Baltic States became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed into a separate airborne assault battalion and transferred to the command of the Airborne Forces headquarters.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the 901st battalion was 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.
The servicemen 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 of "Guards", and the unit was also awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009, he was awarded the St. George banner.
In 2014, on the basis of the 45th separate regiment, a special forces brigade of the Airborne Forces was formed.
More than 40 military personnel from the unit were killed in various conflicts. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.
Why do we need special forces of the Airborne Forces
The functions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very similar to those performed by their counterparts from the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. However, there are still differences. And they are connected with those specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must perform.
Of course, the special forces of the Airborne Forces can conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all, they must prepare the possibility of landing for the main units of the Airborne Forces. 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: the leadership must have full information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.
In addition to collecting information, scouts, if necessary, prepare a platform for landing. This may be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small platform, a bridgehead. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the selected area, infrastructure facilities are destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. Also, the special forces of the Airborne Forces can carry out operations to capture and short-term hold important objects behind enemy lines. Most often, such work is carried out during the conduct of offensive operations.
It should be noted one more difference between the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. The units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere in the world (it's not for nothing that they have a globe on their emblem). The special forces of the Airborne Forces usually operate at more modest distances, which are determined by the range of the transport aircraft used in the Airborne Forces. Usually it is no more than two thousand kilometers.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the requirements for the training and equipment of fighters are put forward the most stringent. Not everyone is able to pass the selection and become a fighter of this unit. A special forces fighter of the Airborne Forces must be distinguished by absolute “stress resistance”, enormous endurance, and 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 dozens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment. Random people are eliminated at the initial stages of a rigorous selection, only the best are taken to the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Psychologists work with candidates, finding out the characteristics of each fighter.
Interesting:The fighters of the unit are equipped with the best types of weapons, ammunition, equipment of Russian and foreign production. They do not spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) are not a very cheap pleasure. The Vintorez sniper rifle, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100th series, domestic-made large-caliber rifles - this is not the whole list of small arms that scouts use.
The fighters of the 45th separate brigade actively use unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance, the brigade has a unit that is engaged in psychological warfare and demoralization of the enemy.
The Russian special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered one of the best special forces in the world.
In 2012, a platoon of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces participated in a joint exercise with the American Green Berets, which were held in Fort Carson.