What elite troops are there in Russia and how to get there. Airborne Forces - elite troops, or the loud glory of the past? Which part of the Airborne Forces is the best?

In the elite branches of the military and special forces, the requirements for recruits - both physical and otherwise - are at the highest level. To get into special forces units, you need to have a certain set of qualities, which would be a good idea to cultivate in yourself even before you reach conscription age or the opportunity to join the army.

The Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation are one of those branches of the military where they know better than anyone about traditions, morality and physical strength. Vasily Filippovich Margelov - the legendary founder of the airborne troops, "BATYA" - as the paratroopers themselves call him - at the dawn of the winged infantry, he laid down the basic principles and standards for those who aspired to serve in an army capable of marching across Europe in a week.

In addition to general physical “strength,” a potential “Marine” must have: height from 175 cm, weight up to 80 kg, not be registered with psychiatric, drug treatment and other dispensaries both at the place of registration and at the place of residence, and it is also advisable to have one from sports categories. The rule of having sporting achievements also works in the Airborne Forces, however, according to established tradition, it is in the Marine Corps that conscript athletes are given increased attention and are assigned the most important tasks.

“The essence of this tactic is that the conscript athlete does not need to be inspired and instilled with a sense of responsibility and discipline. Athletes who have serious achievements, as a rule, are already disciplined people and they do not need additional motivation in this regard,” Viktor Kalanchin, deputy head of the draft commission of one of the capital’s military registration and enlistment offices, said in an interview with Zvezda.

Also, it is in the Marine Corps that special attention is paid to conscripts who have certain technical knowledge: radio engineering, electronics, computing devices. Such qualities help to prepare for a military specialty directly during military service and will subsequently provide serious assistance when entering service under a contract.

As for the physical requirements necessary for service in the Russian Marine Corps, everything is simple - excellent health according to category A, the ability to do at least 10-12 pull-ups and the absence of chronic diseases. The rest, according to the military, will be consistently and diligently taught to the conscript.

Special Forces

People performing special tasks are subject to special requirements. It should be remembered, however, that special forces, whatever they may be, are not combined arms training, but hard and daily work, which not everyone can cope with. However, it is with the offer to serve in special forces that conscripts are “approached” precisely after, or even during, service in the airborne forces or marine corps.

In any case, according to military commissars, the percentage of conscripts from these types of troops into special forces is the highest. The rules of standard training (both physical and psychological) do not work in special forces. Here, every fighter is made into a universal soldier, capable of doing everything and doing it well.

Running, pull-ups, grueling forced marches at distances three times greater than usual in the army - all this is present in abundance in the training of a special forces soldier. However, there are differences between special forces and special forces, and each special forces unit has its own specifics.

The special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff and the special forces of the FSB stand apart among special units: 20, or even all 30 pull-ups, 30 push-ups on uneven bars, running a distance of a thousand meters in three minutes - this is not a complete list of what needs to be done, to begin to be considered as a candidate for service in the best special forces units of Russia.

Andrei Vasiliev, an instructor of one of the Moscow rapid response units, in an interview with Zvezda, said that physical activity is the least important thing that people who want to serve in special forces will have to face:

“In reconnaissance, in addition to endurance and physical fitness, intelligence is also important. Therefore, analytical thinking, the ability to quickly make certain decisions that will allow you to effectively complete a task, is no less important than, for example, physical strength. The main attention in such things is paid to people who, before serving in the army, received a higher education in some technical specialty. I know for sure that such people have been and are being shown increased attention.

One of the most serious tests for those who want to test their physical and psychological abilities can be the exam for the right to wear a “maroon” beret. It is this insignia of the special forces of the internal troops that is the best proof of the “professional suitability” of a fighter. Not everyone passes the grueling test, which includes an almost marathon forced march, an obstacle course, and hand-to-hand combat with an instructor.

According to statistics, only 20-30% of examinees pass the test. Contrary to popular belief, the exam for the right to wear a “maroon” beret does not end with physical activity.

The basics of shooting skills against the background of severe fatigue, the basics of storming a building using special equipment, high-speed shooting - all this is included in the mandatory list of tests for those who want to devote their lives to special forces. The set of rules, both for army units and for special forces units, says one thing - service for the benefit of the Fatherland is not a vacation.

It's hard, difficult and for real men's work, requiring absolute physical health and serious mental abilities. It is the combination of these qualities that allows yesterday’s ordinary guys to fall into elite troops, and for those who have served or are serving - to improve their professional skills and move up the ladder of military service.

Dmitry Yurov

45th Separate Special Purpose Regiment of the Airborne Forces

Special forces units are separate units of troops that are designed to carry out special missions and operations. They can be part of the navy, ground and air forces, or part of the police and internal authorities. They use special tactics and means to carry out operations.

One type of special forces is the airborne special forces. This is a special forces unit that is part of the airborne forces. The Airborne Special Forces were formed in Russia in 1994. On the basis of two special purpose battalions - the 901st OBSpN and 218 OBSpN, a single 45th regiment was formed airborne special forces. By July 1994 it was fully equipped. Already in December, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment was sent to the war in Chechnya to destroy armed gangs.

Separate units of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment took part in hostilities until February 1995, and from March to June of the same year, a free detachment of the regiment continued to operate in Chechnya. The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is considered one of the most legendary in the military history of Russia - many of its soldiers and officers were awarded medals and orders, including the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

Airborne special forces weapons

Airborne special forces are equipped with higher quality equipment, technology, and weapons than other parts of the troops, and this requires a lot of funding. Airborne special forces use weapons that are rarely available to conventional troops. For example, the SVD rifle is often used, which is very powerful and reliable. There is a known case when a good shooter shot down a jet attack aircraft with an SVD rifle, hitting the pilot.

Very often the so-called “Vintorez” is used - a silent sniper rifle. With its help, a well-trained sniper can hit a target at great distances. The Vintorez rifle is so powerful that it can penetrate a steel helmet at a distance of up to 400 meters. The first use of Vintorez occurred during the First Chechen War. Vintorez is available only to special forces units; regular troops do not have access to this weapon.

Many countries use the Steyr AUG universal rifle to equip special forces. This weapon is designed for combat in urban environments and for performing lightning-fast combat missions. The rifle's magazine is made of translucent material, which even allows you to visually control the number of cartridges remaining in the magazine.

The Steyr rifle is automatic - it is also possible to install a grenade launcher, which makes it truly universal and indispensable for carrying out tasks by special units. It is not for nothing that at the end of the 19th century, Austria-Hungary adopted the very first sniper rifle of this company - the Steyr Mannlicher. This already indicated at that time that the weapon was reliable and effective. Since then, the rating of Stair's weapons has not decreased. Stair rifles entered service with the Airborne Special Forces quite recently, but they have already earned the respect of soldiers for their fighting qualities.

One of the types of weapons that are supplied to airborne special forces soldiers is the AS “Val”. This machine gun is a silent weapon, which is why it is used by special forces in sabotage operations. AS "Val" has the ability to attach night and sniper sights to it, which allows you to identify targets at a distance of up to 300 meters. AS "Val" is usually transported in a special case; its assembly takes from 30 to 60 seconds, depending on how prepared the shooter is.

Many countries purchase Russian export, so-called “hundredth” versions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. This list also includes the AK-103 assault rifle. This weapon is much more effective than a conventional Kalash, and is therefore used by the armies of many countries. Moreover, the AK-103 is also used by some special forces units.

Another interesting version of the modernization of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the AK-74M assault rifle. The AK-74M has the ability to mount an optical and night sight, and a stock that can be folded to the side. It is possible to use an attached grenade launcher, which is very important and convenient for special units. This is why the AK-74M is used by many special types of troops.

Also notable among the modifications is the AKS-74 model - a shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle. Moreover, the mobility and compactness of the machine gun does not make it worse in terms of characteristics in comparison with versions with a long barrel. The AKS-74 is complete in every sense, and is capable of hitting a target at a distance of more than 400 meters.

But of all the versions of Kalashnikov weapons, the most powerful, of course, remains the machine gun. Moreover, there are so many variations of the Kalashnikov Machine Gun that it is used from weapons of transport to infantrymen. The Kalashnikov machine gun was developed back in the 60s of the last century, but its popularity and the popularity of modified versions has not faded to this day. Many countries use the Kalashnikov machine gun, including for arming special units.

If in the arsenal of conventional troops all famous machine gun Kalashnikov, then the special forces use the PKM - a modernized Kalashnikov machine gun. The power of the PKM is significantly greater than that of a conventional machine gun and therefore the machine gun is used in special forces for assault operations.

Another popular weapon among all airborne special forces weapons is the Pecheneg machine gun. The Pecheneg machine gun is developed on the basis of the PKM and is suitable both for destroying enemy personnel and for hitting firing and transport positions and air targets. Widely used in many countries, Russia actively exports the “Pecheneg” machine gun.

In addition to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, a very similar weapon, the AN-94 Abakan, is widely used. This machine gun is created according to the classic design, with a clip in front, like the Kalash. The AN-94 Abakan is distinguished by its particular accuracy and accuracy of shots. For example, from a distance of one hundred meters, a good shooter can hit the same point on the target with two shots. This makes the AN-94 Abakan suitable for special combat operations, where the lives of many people depend on the accuracy of the shot.

In addition to all the rifles, machine guns and machine guns used by special troops and airborne troops, RPG-26 grenades are widely used. These grenades were developed back in the 80s of the last century and since that time have been in constant service with the army. This once again confirms the effectiveness of RPG-26 grenades both against manpower and equipment and various fortifications and positions. RPG-26 grenades generally play a big role in the conduct of any combat operations, which is why they are used so widely in any wars.

Features of special forces units

Airborne special forces troops have a special status due to their specific activities. Each special forces mission requires special weapons, equipment, and equipment. Consequently, funding for special forces units is significantly greater than funding for other troops. The preparatory level of soldiers has an enhanced training base and special training centers. The most powerful centers train special forces for the Airborne Forces.

Usually, they serve in the airborne special forces under a contract. The contract is due to the high cost of the exercise and preparatory tests. As a rule, a contract in the Airborne Forces is concluded for no less than three years. The special forces of the Airborne Forces have a very high level of moral, physical, ideological and psychological training, which is due to the need for future special forces soldiers to work in special conditions.

Airborne special forces require special weapons and equipment, as mentioned earlier. This is due to the specific operating conditions of the departments. Therefore, the equipment and weapons of the troops are of a very narrow profile. Reconnaissance companies, battalions and other special forces perform tasks autonomously and in extreme conditions. This type of unit is also engaged in reconnaissance. Usually special forces are thrown behind enemy lines, where the most important strategic points and centers are located.

Special forces of the Airborne Forces (Russian landing forces) travel very long distances on foot and carry all the equipment and equipment on themselves, which requires special training under a contract in the Airborne Forces. Our military store offers a wide selection of paratrooper symbols, which can be purchased at the best prices. Photo of a soldier of the 45th Separate Special Forces Special Forces:

A brief history of airborne special forces

There were no official special forces of the USSR Airborne Forces. Similar units in Russia date back to the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment in 1994. After the withdrawal of these troops from Chechnya in 1995, a monument was unveiled in Sokolniki in honor of those killed during military operations. In May of the same year, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment was awarded a diploma from the President of the Russian Federation, and the regiment took part in the parade on Poklonnaya Hill in honor of the victory over the Nazis 50 years ago.

From the winter to the spring of 1997, a detachment of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment took part in peacekeeping operations in Gudauta, the zone of separation of forces of Abkhazia and Georgia. In the summer of the same year, 45 Guards. OPSPN was awarded Battle Banner and a certificate of the Order of Kutuzov, 3rd degree. From the autumn of 1999 to the spring of 2006, a detachment of the regiment participated in operations against terrorists in the North Caucasus. In the summer of 2001, a memorial was opened in Kubinka in honor of the fallen soldiers of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment. Every year, Days of Remembrance for fallen soldiers take place within the regiment. The glory of the Airborne Forces comes precisely from such heroes, in whose honor the monument was erected.

In February 2008 it was renamed the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment of the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In the summer of the same year, individual units participated in operations to persuade Georgia to peace. Officer Anatoly Lebed was awarded the Order of St. George, IV degree. In the spring of 2010, a group of regiment soldiers carried out tasks for the security of Russian citizens on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. In 2012, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment participated in joint exercises with the Green Berets in America, at Fort Carson.

Creativity associated with airborne special forces

Many films have been made and many songs have been written about the heroic exploits and operations of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. Many materials are also presented in the Voenpro informational feed. Read about this in our numerous articles. Watch movies and listen to music - Voenpro has it all. The airborne special forces in Chechnya went through a lot and greatly influenced the course of the war. Therefore, war veterans deserve eternal memory and respect. Many documentaries tell about what it was like for soldiers in Chechnya. They talk about the horrors they saw and what they went through.

A huge number of songs are still written about veterans of the Chechen war and about those who died in it. Comrades sing songs in honor and memory of their fallen friends, in honor of those with whom they were in conditions of life and death. There are also many amateur films on the Internet, both of combat operations and other special operations. The special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are extremely popular among young people and many also want to serve in it.

The media have created a certain cult of airborne special forces, which is why it is so popular today. Young people are simply “dizzy” at the thought that they can freely use weapons and kill people. Computer games and television are filled with murder and violence, and people turn into animals ready to tear to pieces the enemy.

So, many films related to the actions of the airborne special forces in Chechnya can be found here. Videos of airborne special forces can be found, for example, this landing video:

An interesting clip was made about the special forces of the Airborne Forces “Leshy” - Vyacheslav Korneev. This clip can be viewed at the following link:

45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment - soldiers of the future

Oddly enough, in Chechnya the special forces are well remembered and known about it. Only the information that special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces would soon approach forced the militants to leave their positions and leave their place of stay. When the first Chechen war took place, the leadership of the Chechen militants promised a huge bonus to anyone who could bring at least one soldier of the 45th regiment into captivity. But no one received such a prize, because during those hostilities, not a single special forces soldier of the Russian Airborne Forces ended up with the Chechens, either dead or alive.

The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is, one might say, the youngest part of the Russian army. The regiment was created from two battalions in order to be ready to fight the Cold War. The units were supposed to conduct active reconnaissance and sabotage operations, mainly behind enemy lines. They also had to prepare a place for the landing of landing troops. Considering that the airborne special forces were created after the Cold War, they are still capable of solving similar problems and preventing such situations.

Ever since the Soviet troops were brought into Afghanistan, the Russian Armed Forces have been constantly involved in resolving various conflicts. Therefore, when the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment was formed, there was already enough experience to make the soldiers universal and truly prepared for war. In addition, many foreign developments and technologies were introduced, which only had a positive impact on the quality of the created special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. Therefore, the main goal and purpose of the special forces soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces is to resolve any military conflicts and problems of a local nature.

Consequently, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is a unique combat unit in Russia, which has all the necessary weapons, equipment, and devices to accomplish its missions. In addition to the battalions directly comprising the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment, it also has a detachment aircraft, which do not need pilots, a special purpose detachment for solving extremely important tasks, and a detachment for performing psychological operations.

The main task of the psychological detachment of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is to demoralize and disorientate the enemy troops - that is, to destroy his faith in victory, in the meaning of resistance. Moreover, the detachment can turn “for” neutral civilians who have not yet decided which side to defend. And this is especially important in our information era. Therefore, the psychological detachment of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment, among other things, also has a compact television station, which provides the opportunity to broadcast programs within a radius of ten kilometers. That is, the influence on the civilian population is thus intensified.

The capabilities of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are enormous. The core of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment are special units. These units did not arise, naturally, without reason - the battalions combined into one regiment already had accumulated experience under their feet. Battalion fighters fought during the Transnistrian conflict, and regimental fighters took part in operations during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Basically, during the Georgian-Abkhaz war, the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces ensured the safety of civilians and refugees.

But it was not only in the war that the fighters showed their worth. For several years, during international competitions of special units that take place in Bulgaria, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment has taken first place, beating the Green Berets and British special forces.

But the goal to achieve the status of a universal airborne special forces soldier is not so close. If previously ordinary conscripts entered the school, now there are few of them. Consequently, there is no one to choose soldiers from. Previously, almost all applicants had sports categories in several categories, but now there are only a few such conscripts.

Basically, people enter service under a contract in the Airborne Forces, and from these recruits it is practically impossible to choose anyone intelligent. A few only have higher or specialized education, while the majority have completed secondary education. And then there is joy - if it is completed. But even such applicants are turned into real Russian special forces. First of all, the applicant undergoes many psychological and physical tests to determine his readiness and ability to serve in these troops.

After they determine your personal characteristics, they tell you what military specialty you are heading to. For example, people of a very calm and balanced character are better suited than anyone else to work as a sniper or sapper of the airborne special forces. The remaining part of the recruits who were not distributed anywhere are transferred to support units or to other military units.

After this type of selection there is a quarantine, an oath, and then, naturally, they move on to the exercises. To say that it is very difficult to serve in the airborne special forces, for example, in military unit 33842, is the same as remaining silent. Constant training is replaced by forced marches and night shooting, facade mountaineering is replaced by tactical exercises or sapper training. And so constantly in a circle.

Naturally, not all potential special forces fighters of the Russian Airborne Forces can withstand such loads and pace. Therefore, after about six months, only about forty percent of those new students who entered are left. Moreover, the number of various reasons. Some people develop health problems from such stress, some cannot stand it physically, some are kicked out by commanders due to poor performance. Those places that remain from the departed airborne special forces are filled with the best paratroopers. As a result, after the first year of training, nobodies turn into real airborne elite fighters who are fluent in weapons and various devices.

But it should be noted that, despite the complexity of the training and workload, there are no fewer people willing to serve in the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. All this is because the service is very interesting and useful for guys. There is no hazing here, and service in the 45th Special Operations Division great start for work and service in other structures of the internal bodies of the state. After finishing your service, you will be gladly hired into any type of security, security and protection, or secret units. The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment offers excellent military and career prospects for a young man who can endure difficult service and workloads.

The result of your studies may be, if you wish, participation in hostilities. Although the experience accumulated by previous generations is little used as usual in our country, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment resolves many issues independently. The soldiers have manuals that are printed by some regiment officers, which leads to the correspondence of what is written with reality. Nowadays, when the main actions in Chechnya have ended, the role of the airborne special forces, which can very usefully carry out reconnaissance, search and all sorts of raid missions, is significantly increasing. Therefore, the complete withdrawal of special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces from Chechnya is not yet planned in the near future.

At this time, the airborne special forces in Chechnya operate as a free detachment near the village of Khatuni. The importance of this place is very great for the state, and therefore special forces have enormous tasks and responsibilities on their shoulders. The combined detachment also includes units of the FSB, special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and others. Everyone has their own tasks within the overall goal. Fire training of fighters in this operation is especially important, so the exercises train fighters as needed. The loads are enormous, because of this, fighters lose five or even eight kilograms in a couple of months, even taking into account the fact that the nutrition here is enhanced.

Moreover, the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB sometimes have to perform tasks that are not within their competence. Therefore, they work together with the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya, which specializes in this type of combat operations. All these parts of the squad are friends with each other and actively help and support each other in difficult situations in order to achieve a common goal. No one pays attention to departmental subordination in this situation.

Some part of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is stationed in Sokolniki. There they are in the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. And this unit is very actively fighting to be part of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, according to all official documents. And there are several reasons for this.

Historically, the Preobrazhensky Regiment is the first regiment of regular weapons in Russia. And the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is, one might say, the first regiment of the new Russian army, the regiment of the future. And the attitude towards fighters is completely new, compared to the old views. Now every airborne special forces soldier is a valuable asset into which a lot of finance and other resources have been invested. Previously, fighters were cannon fodder without much specific training, whom no one valued or counted in the war.

Now the fighters are highly professional and qualified. Now the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is the place where experienced and skilled special forces personnel are trained. Many of those who went through this school serve in internal organs, Alpha, Omega and many others promising places. But it is worth noting that after many years of service in the regiment, most officers do not want to be transferred to other places for a service that is more promising. All because long years The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment truly became a family and home for them, which they cannot and do not want to leave.

In the regiment itself, special psychological and moral principles, which make his officers friendly and brotherly. This can be seen from the fact that those officers who retired and settled well regularly sponsor those fighting in Chechnya. It is interesting to note that veterans of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment help not only with material means.

It happened that when we had to replace fighters in the Caucasus in 1999, there was no suitable replacement. Then the reserve officers decided to come to the aid of the regiment. They abandoned their lucrative official and career positions and formed their own detachment of veterans, which went to the Caucasus. Their very first task was to occupy an important height and ensure that they would repel enemy attacks for four hours. At this time, the regiment was able to train new special forces soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces to send them to the Caucasus.

Over all the years of existence of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment, its officers have not stopped fighting. All conflicts that occurred in Chechnya, Bosnia, Dagestan, Kosovo were resolved with the help of special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. During this period, there were awards from the minister and awards to five soldiers of the regiment as Heroes of Russia. And, oddly enough, various accusations were also present in the history of the regiment. But, be that as it may, the airborne special forces are still the real elite of the Russian army.

His warriors performed excellently during all conflicts and wars. A bunch of enemy weapons and drug warehouses were found, many civilian lives were saved, and many disasters were prevented. As a result, the officers have earned their proud existence with a strong and resilient body, and the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment is truly a regiment of the future.

News related to airborne special forces

There is news that the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces recently adopted a foreign Steyr Mannlicher rifle. Their total number that the soldiers received was more than thirty units. The representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense for the Airborne Forces, Alexander Kucherenko, spoke about this news. He says these are the first Mannlicher rifles of foreign origin to enter the regiment. In general, the purchase of Austrian weapons began in 2010.

Moreover, they say that the supply of Austrian sniper rifles will not end there, and the regiment will be provided with them regularly. The soldiers have already completed all the necessary training courses on the use of these weapons at the centers of the Ministry of Defense and are ready to use them. They do not specify which model of the Mannlicher rifle was adopted. Before this, the airborne special forces used the SVD sniper rifle.

They also say that the replenishment also affected equipment. The number of aircraft that do not require a pilot has increased significantly. Again, it does not say which devices were received. The Airborne Special Forces also received about two dozen reconnaissance location stations, more than three dozen other reconnaissance devices and several ground observation stations.

More about what's new

It was recently reported that an airborne special forces detachment destroyed a monument to the fallen SS soldiers in Lithuania. The state is trying by all possible means to prove that no such order was officially submitted from the headquarters. They're still trying to figure out what's going on.

According to the first information, it turns out that the commander of the airborne special forces detachment took all the blame upon himself. It seems that he, having gotten drunk, gave the order to his detachment, which at that moment was on training exercises in the Pskov region, to cross the border with Lithuania and destroy the SS monument there. The state confirms this version, citing the fact that there was no communication with the headquarters during the exercises, and therefore he could not give such an order for objective reasons. The airborne special forces commander himself is under guard and cannot comment on this matter.

The fact is that no one would probably have known that it was the special forces of the Airborne Forces who destroyed the monument, but surveillance cameras recorded the crime. But the detachment worked so quietly that not a single civilian and not a single policeman saw the action itself. In addition, microphones were installed on the cameras.

And the Lithuanian government heard everything that the Russian airborne special forces said about those who allowed the installation of the SS monument. In general, at first the Lithuanian government was at a loss, because it is not every day that a special forces detachment of the Russian Airborne Forces destroys a monument in the center of a Lithuanian city. It couldn't even believe it if it weren't for the video. The Russian government did not initially give any comments, but was forced to do so under the influence of photographic evidence provided to it. Now all the details of the circumstances are being clarified.

One day of training

The Airborne Special Forces detachment moved very secretly and quietly through the dense forest. On all sides the detachment had gun muzzles sticking out, ready to fire at any necessary moment. The soldiers walked, covering each other, constantly observing and analyzing the situation around them. It was necessary to constantly listen and sniff everything around.

It was already the third day of training, and the scouts of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment were actively preparing for the previous competitions. The main composition of the detachment is soldiers who are under contract in the Airborne Forces and young conscript soldiers. The instructor said that in order to fully train a full-fledged airborne special forces soldier, it takes at least three years. It turns out that the conscripts were of no use, and they do not support the group in any way. Although, the detachment commander said that the conscripts have shown themselves very well in recent days and they are not a burden.

In addition to the detachment commanders, the group also included snipers, demolitions and signalmen. Of course, each has his own type of activity, task and specialization, but in the case of a missing link, each of the fighters is able to replace the other in a full-fledged manner. The special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are, indeed, universal soldiers, capable of performing a wide variety of tasks.

The detachment's weapons were very diverse. Some fighters had SVD sniper rifles in their hands, others received Vintorez as their weapon. Some of the fighters were also armed with Kalashnikov machine guns. Of course, all fighters are trained to master bladed weapons in an excellent manner, so everyone must have a blade. In addition, everyone has pistols, and in some cases - with a silencer.

On this day of exercises, the tasks were very diverse and varied. At first, airborne special forces fighters had to carefully move through the forest, well camouflaged and preparing for a possible attack. After this, it was supposed to simulate the injury of one of the fighters and provide him with first aid. After this, it was necessary to capture the car, taking the enemy from it, and at the end it was necessary to overcome the water barrier.

The squad members had a wide variety of clothing and equipment, but mostly of high quality. In general, the airborne special forces soldiers wore what they didn’t mind and what was cheaper and better. This was explained primarily by the fact that the soldiers dressed entirely at their own expense. But, since the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment are universal soldiers, they are accustomed to working in the most diverse and specific conditions.

The shoes attracted particular attention. It was, oddly enough, non-standard, but, apparently, comfortable, high quality and expensive. What also aroused interest was what the airborne special forces soldiers use - socks or foot wraps. It turned out that there is no special law; you can wear both the first and the other. The only difference is which one is more convenient to use. Shoes are very important for airborne special forces, because they have to carry weight on themselves, sometimes reaching forty to fifty kilograms, but in this case they told me that the weight was about twenty to thirty kilograms.

After the detachment left the forest, the fighters crossed the road and successfully clashed with an unexpected enemy, as a result of which one of the special forces soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces was seriously wounded. The wound was in the lower limb, and another bullet hit the eye. Everything was complicated by the fact that there was active bleeding that needed to be stopped.

The injured Airborne Special Forces soldier had his leg tied with a tourniquet and his head heavily bandaged. After this, it was necessary to inject the drug into a vein. The injection was done for real, only instead of cardiac stimulants, ordinary harmless glucose was injected.

Before capturing the enemy, the airborne special forces detachment split up on different sides of the road. As the truck approached the required distance, bags of paint flew into the windshield.

Under real conditions, bullets would have flown, but since there were exercises, bags of paint were flying. After this, the detachment successfully captured the prisoner. This took about thirty seconds. The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment, as always, worked promptly and professionally. What aroused interest was what they do with the prisoner, because he can also remain silent, as we often see in films. But I was informed that such situations when a prisoner is silent practically never happen in history.

If a prisoner refuses to speak, such psychological and physical methods are applied to him by the airborne special forces that his will breaks and he gives out everything he needs. After interrogation, the fate of the captured person can be decided in two ways. The first is that he will be left alive if the Russian Airborne Forces special forces command still needs him. Then his will is limited, but he remains alive. If there is no longer any need for the prisoner, he can be destroyed.

When the time came to carry out the last task, that is, to cross the river, the soldiers were noticeably happy. The airborne special forces took off everything except their hats and T-shirts. In combat conditions, black fins are used for swimming, but during exercises - yellow ones, so that if they are lost they can be found. After completely collecting the things and packing them in special waterproof bags, the airborne special forces tied weapons to them. Next, a rope is tied from plastic bottles.

Two swimmers swim to the other side, and the rest prepare for swimming and defend themselves. When two special forces soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces crossed, the next two floated, using a rope made of bottles to facilitate movement. And so the swimming continues. After all the soldiers of the detachment moved to the other side, everyone was very tired and hungry. The commander said that the detachment had four to five hours to rest, and after that they could move on. If, of course, it is necessary.

The Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation are a separate branch of the Russian armed forces, located in the reserve of the Commander-in-Chief of the country and directly subordinate to the Commander of the Airborne Forces. This position is currently held (since October 2016) by Colonel General Serdyukov.

The purpose of the airborne troops is to operate behind enemy lines, carry out deep raids, capture important enemy targets, bridgeheads, disrupt enemy communications and control, and carry out sabotage behind enemy lines. The Airborne Forces were created primarily as an effective instrument of offensive warfare. To cover the enemy and operate in his rear, the Airborne Forces can use airborne landings - both parachute and landing.

The airborne troops are rightfully considered the elite of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. In order to get into this branch of the military, candidates must meet very high criteria. First of all, this concerns physical health and psychological stability. And this is natural: paratroopers carry out their tasks behind enemy lines, without the support of their main forces, the supply of ammunition and the evacuation of the wounded.

The Soviet Airborne Forces were created in the 30s, the further development of this type of troops was rapid: by the beginning of the war, five airborne corps were deployed in the USSR, with a strength of 10 thousand people each. The USSR Airborne Forces played an important role in the victory over the Nazi invaders. Paratroopers actively participated in the Afghan War. The Russian Airborne Forces were officially created on May 12, 1992, they went through both Chechen campaigns, and participated in the war with Georgia in 2008.

The flag of the Airborne Forces is a blue cloth with a green stripe at the bottom. In its center there is an image of a golden open parachute and two aircraft of the same color. The flag was officially approved in 2004.

In addition to the flag, there is also an emblem of this branch of the military. This is a golden-colored flaming grenade with two wings. There is also a medium and large Airborne Forces emblem. The middle emblem depicts a double-headed eagle with a crown on its head and a shield with St. George the Victorious in the center. In one paw the eagle holds a sword, and in the other - a flaming airborne grenade. In the large emblem, Grenada is placed on a blue heraldic shield framed by an oak wreath. At its top there is a double-headed eagle.

In addition to the emblem and flag of the Airborne Forces, there is also the motto of the Airborne Forces: “Nobody but us.” The paratroopers even have their own heavenly patron - Saint Elijah.

Professional holiday of paratroopers - Airborne Forces Day. It is celebrated on August 2. On this day in 1930, a unit was parachuted for the first time to carry out a combat mission. On August 2, Airborne Forces Day is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

The Russian airborne troops are armed with both common species military equipment, as well as samples developed specifically for this type of troops, taking into account the specifics of its tasks.

It is difficult to name the exact number of the Russian Airborne Forces; this information is secret. However, according to unofficial data obtained from Russian Ministry defense, it is about 45 thousand soldiers. Foreign estimates of the number of this type of troops are somewhat more modest - 36 thousand people.

History of the creation of the Airborne Forces

The homeland of the Airborne Forces is the Soviet Union. It was in the USSR that the first airborne unit was created, this happened in 1930. First, a small detachment appeared, which was part of a regular rifle division. On August 2, the first parachute landing was successfully carried out during exercises at the training ground near Voronezh.

However, the first use of parachute landing in military affairs occurred even earlier, in 1929. During the siege of the Tajik city of Garm by anti-Soviet rebels, a detachment of Red Army soldiers was dropped there by parachute, which allowed as soon as possible release the settlement.

Two years later, a special purpose brigade was formed on the basis of the detachment, and in 1938 it was renamed the 201st Airborne Brigade. In 1932, by decision of the Revolutionary Military Council, special-purpose aviation battalions were created; in 1933, their number reached 29. They were part of the Air Force, and their main task was to disorganize the enemy rear and carry out sabotage.

It should be noted that the development of airborne troops in the Soviet Union was very stormy and rapid. No expense was spared on them. In the 1930s, the country was experiencing a real parachute boom; parachute jumping towers stood at almost every stadium.

During the exercises of the Kyiv Military District in 1935, a mass parachute landing was practiced for the first time. The following year, an even more massive landing was carried out in the Belarusian Military District. Foreign military observers invited to the exercises were amazed by the scale of the landings and the skill of the Soviet paratroopers.

Before the start of the war, airborne corps were created in the USSR, each of them included up to 10 thousand soldiers. In April 1941, by order of the Soviet military leadership, five airborne corps were deployed in the western regions of the country; after the German attack (in August 1941), the formation of another five airborne corps began. A few days before the German invasion (June 12), the Directorate of Airborne Forces was created, and in September 1941, paratrooper units were removed from the subordination of front commanders. Each airborne corps was a very formidable force: in addition to well-trained personnel, it was armed with artillery and light amphibious tanks.

In addition to the landing corps, the Red Army also included mobile airborne brigades(five units), reserve airborne regiments (five units) and educational institutions that trained paratroopers.

The Airborne Forces made a significant contribution to the victory over the Nazi invaders. The airborne units played a particularly important role in the initial—the most difficult—period of the war. Despite the fact that airborne troops are designed to conduct offensive operations and have a minimum heavy weapons(compared to other branches of the military), at the beginning of the war, paratroopers were often used to “patch holes”: in defense, to eliminate sudden German breakthroughs, to relieve encircled Soviet troops. Because of this practice, paratroopers suffered unreasonably high losses, and the effectiveness of their use decreased. Often, the preparation of landing operations left much to be desired.

Airborne units took part in the defense of Moscow, as well as in the subsequent counter-offensive. The 4th Airborne Corps in the winter of 1942 was parachuted during the Vyazemskaya landing operation. In 1943, during the crossing of the Dnieper, two airborne brigades were thrown behind enemy lines. Another major landing operation was carried out in Manchuria in August 1945. During its course, 4 thousand soldiers were landed by landing.

In October 1944, the Soviet Airborne Forces were transformed into a separate Airborne Guards Army, and in December of the same year into the 9th Guards Army. Airborne divisions turned into ordinary rifle divisions. At the end of the war, paratroopers took part in the liberation of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. The 9th Guards Army ended its glorious military journey on the Elbe.

In 1946, airborne units were introduced into the Ground Forces and were subordinate to the country's Minister of Defense.

In 1956, Soviet paratroopers took part in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising, and in the mid-60s they played key role in the pacification of another country that wanted to leave the socialist camp - Czechoslovakia.

After the end of the war, the world entered an era of confrontation between two superpowers - the USSR and the USA. The plans of the Soviet leadership were by no means limited only to defense, so the airborne troops developed especially actively during this period. The emphasis was placed on increasing the firepower of the Airborne Forces. For this purpose, a whole range of airborne equipment was developed, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, and motor vehicles. The fleet of military transport aircraft was significantly increased. In the 70s, wide-body heavy-duty transport aircraft were created, making it possible to transport not only personnel, but also heavy military equipment. By the end of the 80s, the state of the USSR military transport aviation was such that it could ensure the parachute drop of almost 75% of the Airborne Forces personnel in one flight.

At the end of the 60s, a new type of divisions included in composition of the Airborne Forces, - air assault units (ASH). They were not much different from the rest of the Airborne Forces, but were subordinate to the command of groups of troops, armies or corps. The reason for the creation of the DShCh was a change in the tactical plans that Soviet strategists were preparing in the event of a full-scale war. After the start of the conflict, they planned to “break” the enemy’s defenses with the help of massive landings landed in the immediate rear of the enemy.

In the mid-80s, the USSR Ground Forces included 14 air assault brigades, 20 battalions and 22 separate air assault regiments.

In 1979, the war began in Afghanistan, and the Soviet Airborne Forces took an active part in it. During this conflict, the paratroopers had to engage in counter-guerrilla warfare; of course, there was no talk of any parachute landing. Personnel were delivered to the site of combat operations using armored vehicles or vehicles; landing from helicopters was used less frequently.

Paratroopers were often used to provide security at numerous outposts and checkpoints scattered throughout the country. Typically, airborne units performed tasks more suitable for motorized rifle units.

It should be noted that in Afghanistan, the paratroopers used military equipment of the ground forces, which was more suitable for the harsh conditions of this country than their own. Also, airborne units in Afghanistan were reinforced with additional artillery and tank units.

After the collapse of the USSR, the division of its armed forces began. These processes also affected the paratroopers. They were able to finally divide the Airborne Forces only in 1992, after which the Russian Airborne Forces were created. They included all the units that were located on the territory of the RSFSR, as well as part of the divisions and brigades that were previously located in other republics of the USSR.

In 1993, the Russian Airborne Forces included six divisions, six air assault brigades and two regiments. In 1994, in Kubinka near Moscow, on the basis of two battalions, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment (the so-called Airborne Special Forces) was created.

The 90s became a serious test for the Russian airborne troops (as well as for the entire army). The number of airborne forces was seriously reduced, some units were disbanded, and the paratroopers became subordinate to the Ground Forces. Army aviation was transferred to the air force, which significantly worsened the mobility of the airborne forces.

The Russian airborne troops took part in both Chechen campaigns; in 2008, paratroopers were involved in the Ossetian conflict. The Airborne Forces have repeatedly taken part in peacekeeping operations (for example, in the former Yugoslavia). Airborne units regularly participate in international exercises; they guard Russian military bases abroad (Kyrgyzstan).

Structure and composition of the airborne troops of the Russian Federation

Currently, the Russian Airborne Forces consist of command structures, combat units and units, as well as various institutions that provide them.

Structurally, the Airborne Forces have three main components:

• Airborne. It includes all airborne units.
• Air assault. Consists of air assault units.
• Mountain. It includes air assault units designed to operate in mountainous areas.

Currently, the Russian Airborne Forces include four divisions, as well as separate brigades and regiments. Airborne troops, composition:

• 76th Guards Air Assault Division, stationed in Pskov.
• 98th Guards Airborne Division, located in Ivanovo.
• 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division, stationed in Novorossiysk.
• 106th Guards Airborne Division - Tula.

Airborne regiments and brigades:

• 11th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade, headquartered in the city of Ulan-Ude.
• 45th separate guards brigade special purpose (Moscow).
• 56th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Place of deployment - the city of Kamyshin.
• 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Located in Ulyanovsk.
• 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Location: Ussuriysk.
• 38th Separate Guards Airborne Communications Regiment. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera.

In 2013, the creation of the 345th Air Assault Brigade in Voronezh was officially announced, but then the formation of the unit was postponed to more late date(2017 or 2019). There is information that in 2019 in the territory Crimean peninsula An air assault battalion will be deployed, and in the future, a regiment of the 7th Air Assault Division, which is currently stationed in Novorossiysk, will be formed on its base.

In addition to combat units, the composition Russian Airborne Forces It also includes educational institutions that train personnel for the Airborne Forces. The main and most famous of them is the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which also trains officers for the Russian Airborne Forces. The structure of this type of troops also includes two Suvorov schools (in Tula and Ulyanovsk), the Omsk Cadet Corps and the 242nd training center located in Omsk.

Armament and equipment of the Russian Airborne Forces

The airborne troops of the Russian Federation use both combined arms equipment and models that were created specifically for this type of troops. Most types of weapons and military equipment of the Airborne Forces were developed and manufactured during the Soviet period, but there are also more modern models created in modern times.

The most popular types of airborne armored vehicles are currently the BMD-1 (about 100 units) and BMD-2M (about 1 thousand units) airborne combat vehicles. Both of these vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union (BMD-1 in 1968, BMD-2 in 1985). They can be used for landing both by landing and by parachute. These are reliable vehicles that have been tested in many armed conflicts, but they are clearly outdated, both morally and physically. Even representatives of the top leadership of the Russian army, which was adopted into service in 2004, openly declare this. However, its production is slow; today there are 30 BMP-4 units and 12 BMP-4M units in service.

Airborne units also have a small number of armored personnel carriers BTR-82A and BTR-82AM (12 units), as well as the Soviet BTR-80. The most numerous armored personnel carrier currently used by the Russian Airborne Forces is the tracked BTR-D (more than 700 units). It was put into service in 1974 and is very outdated. It should be replaced by the BTR-MDM “Shell”, but so far its production is moving very slowly: today there are from 12 to 30 (according to various sources) “Shell” in combat units.

The anti-tank weapons of the Airborne Forces are represented by the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled anti-tank gun (36 units), the BTR-RD Robot self-propelled anti-tank systems (more than 100 units) and a wide range of different ATGMs: Metis, Fagot, Konkurs and "Cornet".

The Russian Airborne Forces also have self-propelled and towed artillery: the Nona self-propelled gun (250 units and several hundred more units in storage), the D-30 howitzer (150 units), and the Nona-M1 mortars (50 units) and "Tray" (150 units).

Facilities air defense Airborne forces consist of portable missile systems(various modifications of “Igla” and “Verba”), as well as the short-range air defense system “Strela”. Special attention should be paid to the newest Russian MANPADS “Verba”, which was only recently put into service and is now being put into trial operation in only a few units of the Russian Armed Forces, including the 98th Airborne Division.

The Airborne Forces also operate self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery mounts BTR-ZD "Skrezhet" (150 units) of Soviet production and towed anti-aircraft artillery mounts ZU-23-2.

IN last years The Airborne Forces began to receive new models of automotive equipment, of which the Tiger armored car, the A-1 all-terrain vehicle and the KAMAZ-43501 truck should be noted.

The airborne troops are sufficiently equipped with communication, control and electronic warfare systems. Among them, modern Russian developments should be noted: electronic warfare systems "Leer-2" and "Leer-3", "Infauna", the control system for air defense complexes "Barnaul", automated troop control systems "Andromeda-D" and "Polet-K".

The Airborne Forces are armed with a wide range of small arms, including both Soviet models and newer Russian developments. The latter include the Yarygin pistol, PMM and the PSS silent pistol. The main personal weapon of the fighters remains the Soviet AK-74 assault rifle, but deliveries to the troops of the more advanced AK-74M have already begun. To carry out sabotage missions, paratroopers can use the Russian-made Val Orlan-10 silent assault rifle. The exact number of Orlans in service with the Airborne Forces is unknown.

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Russian paratroopers are revered not only in their own country. The whole world respects them. One American general is known to have said that if he had a company of Russian paratroopers, he would have conquered the entire planet. Among the legendary formations of the Russian army is the 45th Airborne Regiment. It has an interesting history, the central part of which is occupied by heroic deeds.

We are proud of our paratroopers, we honor their courage, valor and willingness to defend the interests of the Motherland at any cost. Glorious pages of the military history of the USSR, and then Russia, appeared largely thanks to the heroic exploits of paratroopers. Soldiers serving in the Airborne Forces fearlessly carried out the most difficult tasks and special operations. The airborne troops are among the most prestigious formations of the Russian army. Soldiers strive to get there, wanting to feel involved in creating the glorious military history of their country.

45th Airborne Regiment: basic facts

The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment was formed in early 1994. Its base was separate battalions number 218 and 901. By the middle of the year, the regiment was equipped with weapons and soldiers. The 45th regiment began its first combat operation in December 1994 in Chechnya. The paratroopers participated in the battles until February 1995, and then returned to the Moscow region, to their base of deployment on a permanent basis. In 2005, the regiment received the Battle Banner guards regiment number 119

From that moment of its founding, the military formation became known as 45 reconnaissance regiment Airborne Forces But at the beginning of 2008 it was renamed a special purpose regiment. In August of the same year, it participated in a special operation to force Georgia to peace. In 2010, tactical group of regiment number 45 ensured the safety of Russian citizens during unrest in Kyrgyzstan.

Background

The basis for the formation of the 45th separate guards regiment was the 218th and 901st special forces battalions. By that time, the soldiers of the first battalion had taken part in three combat operations. In the summer of 1992, the battalion served in Transnistria, in September - in the territories where there was a conflict between Ossetian and Ingush militant groups, in December - in Abkhazia.

Since 1979, battalion number 901 was part of the Soviet troops on the territory of Czechoslovakia, in 1989 it was redeployed to Latvia and transferred to the structure of the Baltic Military District. In 1991, the 901st Special Forces Battalion was redeployed to the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992 it was renamed the parachute battalion. In 1993, the formation carried out tasks related to the protection of government and military facilities. In the fall of 1993, the battalion was redeployed to the Moscow region. Then the 45th Russian Airborne Regiment appeared.

Awards

In 1995, the 45th Airborne Regiment received a Certificate from the President of Russia for services to the country. In July 1997, the formation was awarded the Banner of Airborne Regiment No. 5, which took part in hostilities during the Great Patriotic War. In 2001, the regiment received a Pennant from the Russian Minister of Defense for courage, high combat training and real valor when participating in hostilities on the territory of Chechnya. The 45th Guards Airborne Regiment owns the Order of Kutuzov - the corresponding decree was signed by the President of Russia. Military formation was awarded this award for success in the heroic performance of combat operations, heroism and courage shown by soldiers and command. The regiment became the first carrier in modern history our country. In July 2009, the formation received the St. George Banner.

Ten soldiers whose place of service was the 45th Airborne Regiment received the title of Hero of Russia. 79 paratroopers were awarded the Order of Courage. The medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, second degree, was awarded to ten servicemen of the regiment. Seventeen and three paratroopers received the Orders “For Military Merit” and “For Services to the Fatherland,” respectively. 174 military personnel received medals “For Courage”, 166 received the Suvorov medal. Seven people were awarded the Zhukov medal.

Anniversary

Kubinka near Moscow - the 45th Airborne Regiment is based there - in July 2014 was the site of anniversary celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the formation. The event was held in an open door format - paratroopers showed the guests their combat skills, parachute units lowered the Airborne Forces flag from the sky, and famous pilots from the Russian Knights team showed the wonders of aerobatics in fighter jets.

Legendary regiment as part of the Airborne Forces

Which includes the 45th regiment - Airborne Forces (airborne troops) of Russia. Their history dates back to August 2, 1930. Then the first paratroopers of the Moscow District Air Force landed in our country by parachute. It was a kind of experiment that showed military theorists how promising the landing of parachute units could be from the point of view of combat operations. The first official unit of the USSR airborne troops appeared only the following year in the Leningrad Military District. The formation included 164 people, all military personnel of the airborne detachment. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were five airborne corps in the USSR, each of which served with 10 thousand soldiers.

Airborne Forces during the Great Patriotic War

With the beginning of the war, all Soviet airborne corps entered battles taking place on the territory of the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Lithuanian Republics. The largest operation involving paratroopers during the war is considered to be the battle with a group of Germans near Moscow at the beginning of 1942. Then 10 thousand paratroopers won the most important victory for the front. Airborne units also joined the battles at Stalingrad.

The paratroopers of the Soviet army honorably fulfilled their duty to defend the city. The Airborne Forces of the USSR Army also took part in the battles after the defeat of Nazi Germany - in August 1945 they fought in the Far East against the Imperial Armed Forces of Japan. More than 4 thousand paratroopers helped Soviet troops win important victories in this direction of the front.

After the war

According to military analysts, special attention was paid in the post-war development strategy of the USSR Airborne Forces to organizing combat operations behind enemy lines, increasing the combat effectiveness of soldiers, and interacting with army units, subject to the possible use of atomic weapons. The troops began to be equipped with new aircraft such as AN-12 and AN-22, which, thanks to their large payload capacity, could deliver vehicles, armored vehicles, artillery and other means of warfare behind enemy lines.

Every year, an increasing number of military exercises were conducted with the participation of Airborne Forces soldiers. Among the largest was the one that took place in the spring of 1970 in the Belarusian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. As part of the Dvina exercise, more than 7 thousand soldiers and more than 150 guns were landed. In 1971, the South exercises of comparable scale took place. In the late 1970s, the use of new Il-76 aircraft in landing operations was first tested. Until the collapse of the USSR, Airborne Forces soldiers repeatedly demonstrated the highest combat skills at each exercise.

Russian Airborne Forces today

Now the Airborne Forces are considered a structure that is called upon to independently (or as part of) carry out combat missions in conflicts of various scales - from local to global. About 95% of the Airborne Forces units are in a state of constant combat readiness. Airborne formations are considered one of the most mobile branches of the Russian military. They are also called upon to perform the functions of conducting combat operations behind enemy lines.

The Russian Airborne Forces include four divisions, its own training center, institute, as well as a large number of structures performing support, supply and maintenance work.

The motto of the Russian Airborne Forces is “Nobody but us!” The paratrooper service is considered by many to be one of the most prestigious and at the same time difficult. As of 2010, 4,000 officers, 7,000 contract soldiers, and 24,000 conscripts served in the Airborne Forces. Another 28,000 people are civilian personnel of the formation.

Paratroopers and the operation in Afghanistan

The largest participation of the Airborne Forces in combat operations after the Great Patriotic War took place in Afghanistan. The 103rd division, 345 airborne regiment, two battalions, motorized rifle brigades. A number of military analysts believe that the specifics of combat operations in Afghanistan did not imply the advisability of using parachute landing as a method of transfer combat personnel army. This, according to analysts, is due to the mountainous terrain of the country, as well as high level costs of carrying out such operations. Airborne personnel, as a rule, were transported using helicopters.

The largest operation of the USSR Airborne Forces in Afghanistan was the Battle of Panjer in 1982. More than 4 thousand paratroopers took part in it (with total number soldiers involved in the operation, 12 thousand people). as a result of the fighting, she was able to take control of the main part of the Panjer Gorge.

Combat operations of the Airborne Forces after the collapse of the USSR

The paratroopers, despite the difficult times that followed the collapse of the superpower, continued to defend the interests of their country. They were often peacekeepers in the territories of the former Soviet republics. Russian paratroopers made a name for themselves throughout the world during the conflict in Yugoslavia in 1999. Soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces made the famous rush to Pristina, managing to get ahead of the NATO military.

Throw on Pristina

On the night of June 11-12, 1999, Russian paratroopers appeared on the territory of Yugoslavia, starting their movement from neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. They managed to occupy an airfield located near the city of Pristina. There, a few hours later, NATO soldiers appeared. Some details of those events are known. In particular, US Army General Clark ordered his colleague from the British armed forces to prevent the Russians from taking possession of the airfield. He replied that he did not want to provoke a third world war. However, the main part of the information on the essence of the operation in Pristina is missing - all of it is classified.

Russian paratroopers in Chechnya

Russian Airborne Forces took part in both Chechen wars. Regarding the first, most of the data is still secret. It is known, for example, that among the most famous operations of the second campaign with the participation of the Airborne Forces was the Battle of Argun. The Russian army received the task of blocking a strategically significant section of transport highways passing through the Argun Gorge. Through it, the separatists received food, weapons and medicine. The paratroopers joined the operation in December as part of the 56th Airborne Regiment.

Famous heroic feat paratroopers participating in the battles for height 776 near the Chechen Ulus-Kert. In February 2000, the 6th Airborne Company from Pskov entered into battle with the group of Khattab and Basayev, ten times larger in number. Within 24 hours, the militants were blocked inside the Argun Gorge. Carrying out the task, soldiers of the Pskov airborne companies don't feel sorry for yourself. 6 fighters remained alive.

Russian paratroopers and the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict

In the 90s Airborne units The Russian Federation performed mainly peacekeeping functions in the territories where the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict took place. But in 2008, paratroopers took part in combat operations. When the Georgian army attacked South Ossetia, units of the Russian army were sent to the war area, including the 76th Russian Airborne Division from Pskov. According to a number of military analysts, there were no major airborne landings in this special operation. However, experts believe that the participation of Russian paratroopers had a psychological effect - first of all, on the political leadership of Georgia.

Forty-fifth Regiment: renaming

IN Lately There is information that the 45th Airborne Regiment may receive the honorary name of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. A military formation with this name was founded by Peter the Great and became legendary. There is a version that the initiative that the 45th Airborne Regiment of the Russian Federation should be renamed comes from a statement by the President of Russia, who expressed the opinion that the Russian Army should have formations named after famous regiments such as Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky. At one of the military councils of the Russian Airborne Forces, as indicated in some sources, the President’s proposal was considered, and as a result, responsible persons were tasked with preparing information on the beginning of work on the creation of historical army regiments. It is quite possible that the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces will receive the title of Preobrazhensky.

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Airborne troops
(Airborne Forces)

From the history of creation

The history of the Russian Airborne Forces is inextricably linked with the history of the creation and development of the Red Army. Marshal made a great contribution to the theory of the combat use of airborne assault forces Soviet Union M.N. Tukhachevsky. Back in the second half of the 20s, he was the first among Soviet military leaders to deeply study the role of airborne assaults in a future war and substantiate the prospects of the Airborne Forces.

In the work “New Issues of War” M.N. Tukhachevsky wrote: “If the country is prepared for the widespread production of airborne troops capable of capturing and stopping the activities railways enemy in decisive directions, paralyze the deployment and mobilization of his troops, etc., then such a country will be able to reverse the previous methods of operational actions and give the outcome of the war a much more decisive character.”

A significant place in this work is given to the role of airborne assaults in border battles. The author believed that airborne assaults during this period of battle would be more advantageous to use to disrupt mobilization, isolate and pin down border garrisons, defeat local enemy troops, capture airfields, landing sites, and solve other important tasks.

Much attention was paid to the development of the theory of the use of Airborne Forces by Ya.I. Alksnis, A.I. Egorov, A.I. Cork, I.P. Uborevich, I.E. Yakir and many other military leaders. They believed that the most trained soldiers should serve in the Airborne Forces, ready to carry out any task, while showing determination and perseverance. Airborne assaults must deliver surprise attacks on the enemy where no one is waiting for them.

Theoretical studies led to the conclusion that the combat activities of the Airborne Forces should be offensive in nature, bold to the point of insolence and extremely maneuverable in carrying out quick, concentrated strikes. Airborne landings, making maximum use of the surprise of their appearance, must rapidly strike at the most sensitive points, achieving success hourly, thereby increasing panic in the enemy’s ranks.

Simultaneously with the development of the theory of the combat use of airborne forces in the Red Army, bold experiments were carried out on airborne landings, an extensive program was carried out to create experienced airborne units, issues of their organization were studied, and a system of combat training was developed.

The first time airborne assault was used to carry out a combat mission was in 1929. On April 13, 1929, the Fuzaili gang made another raid from Afghanistan into the territory of Tajikistan. The Basmachi's plans included capturing the Garm district and subsequently ensuring the invasion of the Alai and Fergana valleys by larger Basmachi gangs. Cavalry detachments were sent to the Basmachi invasion area with the task of destroying the gang before it captured the Garm district. However, information received from the city indicated that they would not have time to block the path of the gang, which had already defeated a detachment of Garm volunteers in a counter battle and was threatening the city. In this critical situation, the commander of the Central Asian Military District P.E. Dybenko made a bold decision: to transport a detachment of fighters by air and destroy the enemy on the outskirts of the city with a sudden blow. The detachment consisted of 45 people armed with rifles and four machine guns. On the morning of April 23, two platoon commanders flew to the combat area on the first plane, followed by the commander of the cavalry brigade T.T. on the second plane. Shapkin, brigade commissar A.T. Fedin. Platoon commanders had to capture the landing site and ensure the landing of the main forces of the detachment. The brigade commander's task was to study the situation on the spot and then, returning back to Dushanbe, report the results to the commander. Commissioner Fedin was supposed to take command of the landing force and lead the actions to destroy the gang. An hour and a half after the first plane took off, the main landing force took off. However, the detachment’s previously planned plan of action was canceled immediately after the plane with the commander and commissar landed. Half of the city was already occupied by the Basmachi, so there was no time to hesitate. Having sent a plane with a report, the brigade commander decided to immediately attack the enemy with available forces, without waiting for the landing party to arrive. Having obtained horses from the nearest villages and splitting into two groups, the detachment moved to Garm. Having burst into the city, the detachment brought down powerful machine-gun and rifle fire on the Basmachi. The bandits were confused. They knew about the size of the city's garrison, but they were armed with rifles, and where did the machine guns come from? The bandits decided that a Red Army division had broken into the city, and, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated from the city, losing about 80 people. The approaching cavalry units completed the defeat of the Fuzaili gang. District Commander P.E. During the analysis, Dybenko highly appreciated the actions of the detachment.

The second experiment took place on July 26, 1930. On this day, under the leadership of military pilot L. Minov, the first training jumps were made in Voronezh. Leonid Grigorievich Minov himself later told how the events happened: “I didn’t think that one jump could change a lot in life. I loved flying with all my heart. Like all my comrades, at that time I treated parachutes with distrust. I simply didn’t think about them. In 1928, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the leadership of the Air Force, where I made my report on the results of work on “blind” flights at the Borisoglebsk school of military pilots.” After the meeting, Pyotr Ionovich Baranov, the head of the Air Force, called me over and asked: “In your report, you said that you must fly blindly with a parachute. Leonid Grigorievich, do you think parachutes are needed in military aviation? What could I say then! Of course, parachutes are needed. The best proof of this was the forced parachute jump of test pilot M. Gromov. Remembering this incident, I answered Pyotr Ionovich in the affirmative. Then he invited me to go to the USA and get to know how things are going with their aviation rescue service. To be honest, I agreed reluctantly. I returned from the United States of America “light”: with a “diploma” in my pocket and three jumps. Pyotr Ionovich Baranov put my memo in a skinny folder. When he closed it, on the cover I saw the inscription: “Parachute business.” I left Baranov’s office two hours later. There was a lot of work to be done to introduce parachutes into aviation, to organize various studies and experiments aimed at improving flight safety. It was decided to hold classes in Voronezh to familiarize the flight crew with parachutes and the organization of jumps. Baranov suggested thinking about the possibility of training 10-15 parachutists at the Voronezh training camp to perform a group jump. On July 26, 1930, participants in the training camp of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District gathered at the airfield near Voronezh. I had to perform a demonstration jump. Of course, everyone who was on the airfield considered me an ace in this matter. After all, I was the only person here who had already received air parachute baptism and jumped not once, not twice, but had as many as three jumps! And the prize-winning place I won at the competition of the strongest US parachutists, apparently, seemed to those present to be something unattainable. The pilot Moshkovsky, who was appointed my assistant at the training camp, was preparing for the jump with me. There were no more applicants yet. My jump was really a success. I landed easily, not far from the spectators, and even stayed on my feet. We were greeted with applause. A girl who appeared from somewhere handed me a bouquet of field daisies. - “And how is Moshkovsky?”... The plane is on course. His figure is clearly visible in the doorway. It's time to jump. It's time! But he still stands in the doorway, apparently not daring to rush down. Another second, two more. Finally! A white plume shot up above the falling man and immediately turned into a tight parachute canopy. - “Hurray!..” - was heard around. Many pilots, seeing Moshkovsky and me alive and unharmed, expressed a desire to jump too. On that day, squadron commander A. Stoilov, his assistant K. Zatonsky, pilots I. Povalyaev and I. Mukhin made jumps. And three days later there were 30 people in the ranks of paratroopers. After listening to my report on the progress of the classes over the phone, Baranov asked: “Tell me, is it possible to prepare, say, ten or fifteen people for a group jump in two or three days?” Having received a positive answer, Pyotr Ionovich explained his idea: “It would be very good if, during the Voronezh exercise, it were possible to demonstrate the drop of a group of armed paratroopers for sabotage actions on the territory of the “enemy.”

Needless to say, we accepted this original and interesting task with great enthusiasm. It was decided to carry out the landing from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. In those days it was the only aircraft we mastered for jumping. Its advantage over the TB-1 bombers available in the air brigade was that a person did not need to climb out onto the wing - the paratroopers jumped directly into the open door. Moreover, all the trainees were in the cockpit. The feeling of a comrade's elbow calmed everyone. In addition, the releaser could watch him and encourage him before the jump. Ten volunteers who had already completed training jumps were selected to participate in the landing. In addition to the landing of fighters, the landing operation plan included dropping weapons and ammunition (light machine guns, grenades, cartridges) from aircraft using special cargo parachutes. For this purpose, two soft mail bags and four semi-heavy boxes designed by K. Blagin were used. The landing group was divided into two detachments, since no more than seven parachutists could fit in the cockpit. After the first paratroopers landed, the plane returned to the airfield for the second group. During the break between jumps, it was planned to drop six cargo parachutes with weapons and ammunition from three R-1 aircraft. As a result of this experiment, I wanted to get an answer to a number of questions: to establish the degree of dispersion of a group of six people and the time of separation of all fighters from the plane; record the time it takes to lower the paratroopers to the ground, receive the dropped weapons and bring the landing force into full readiness for combat operations. In order to expand the experience, the first detachment was planned to drop from a height of 350 meters, the second - from 500 meters, and drop the load - from 150 meters. Preparations for the landing operation were completed on July 31. Each fighter knew his place on the plane and his task on the ground. The paratroopers' equipment, consisting of the main and reserve parachutes, was packed and carefully adjusted to the soldier's figure; weapons and ammunition were packed in hanging bags and cargo parachute boxes.

On August 2, 1930, at exactly 9 o’clock, a plane took off from the home airfield. On board is the first parachute landing detachment. The leader of the second group, J. Moszkowski, is also with us. He decided to see where our group was separating, so that he could then accurately parachute his guys. Following us, three R-1 aircraft took off, under the wings of which cargo parachutes were suspended from bomb racks.

Having made a circle, our plane turned to the landing site, located approximately two kilometers from the airfield. The landing site is a field free of crops measuring 600 by 800 meters. It was adjacent to a small farm. One of the buildings, located on the outskirts of the village, was designated as a landmark for the collection of paratroopers after landing and the starting point for the start of landing operations behind “enemy” lines. - “Get ready!” - I ordered, trying to shout over the roar of the engines. The guys immediately got up and stood one after another, squeezing right hand pull ring. Their faces are tense and concentrated. As soon as we crossed the platform, I gave the command: “Let’s go!”... - the fighters literally poured out of the plane, I dived last and immediately pulled the ring. I counted - all the domes opened normally. We landed almost in the center of the site, not far from each other. The soldiers quickly collected parachutes and ran up to me. Meanwhile, a flight of P-1s passed overhead and dropped six parachutes with weapons on the edge of the farm. We rushed there, unpacked the bags, took out machine guns and cartridges. And now our Farman appeared in the sky again with the second group. As planned, Moshkovsky’s group left the plane at an altitude of 500 meters. They landed next to us. It took only a few minutes, and 12 paratroopers, armed with two light machine guns, rifles, revolvers and grenades, were in full readiness for combat..."

This is how the world's first parachute landing was dropped.

In the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR dated October 24, 1930, People's Commissar K. Voroshilov noted: “As achievements, it is necessary to note successful experiments in organizing airborne assaults. Airborne operations must be comprehensively studied from technical and tactical side The headquarters of the Red Army and they were given appropriate instructions on the spot.”

It is this order that is the legal evidence of the birth of the “winged infantry” in the Land of the Soviets.

Organizational structure of the airborne troops

• Command of the Airborne Forces
• Airborne and air assault formations:
  • 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
  • 106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Airborne Division;
  • 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
  • 76th Guards Air Assault Chernigov Red Banner Division;
  • 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Brigade;
• Special purpose military unit:
  • 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Regiment;
• Military support units:
  • 38th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces;

Airborne troops- a branch of troops intended for combat operations behind enemy lines.

Designed for airborne landings behind enemy lines or for rapid deployment in geographically remote areas, they are often used as quick reaction forces.

The main method of delivering airborne forces is parachute landing; they can also be delivered by helicopter; During the Second World War, delivery by gliders was practiced.

Airborne Forces consist of:
• paratroopers
• tank
• artillery
• self-propelled artillery
• other units and divisions
• from units and units of special troops and rear services.

Airborne personnel are parachuted together with personal weapons.

Tanks, rocket launchers, artillery pieces, self-propelled units, ammunition and other materiel are dropped from aircraft using airborne equipment(parachutes, parachute and parachute-jet systems, cargo containers, platforms for installing and dropping weapons and equipment) or delivered by aircraft behind enemy lines to captured airfields.

The main combat properties of the Airborne Forces:
• ability to quickly reach remote areas
• strike suddenly
• successfully conduct a combined arms battle.

The Airborne Forces are armed with the ASU-85 airborne self-propelled guns; Sprut-SD self-propelled artillery guns; 122 mm howitzers D-30; airborne combat vehicles BMD-1/2/3/4; armored personnel carriers BTR-D.

Part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation may be part of the joint armed forces (for example, the CIS Allied Forces) or be under unified command in accordance with international treaties Russian Federation (for example, as part of peacekeeping forces UN or CIS collective peacekeeping forces in zones of local military conflicts).

Source: Website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Hierarchy of military formations

(Division, unit, formation,...What is it?)

In literature, military documents, in mass media, in conversations, in official documents When dealing with military issues, terms are constantly encountered - formation, regiment, unit, military unit, company, battalion, army, etc. For military people, everything here is clear, simple and unambiguous. They immediately understand what we mean we're talking about, what number of soldiers these names hide, what this or that formation can do on the battlefield. For civilians, all these names mean little. Very often they are confused about these terms. Moreover, if in civilian structures a “department” often means a large part of a company or plant, then in the army a “department” is the smallest formation of several people. And vice versa, a “brigade” at a factory is only a few dozen people or even a few people, but in the army a brigade is a large military formation numbering several thousand people. It is so that civilians can navigate the military hierarchy and this article was written.

To understand the general terms that group types of formations - subdivision, unit, formation, association, we will first understand the specific names.

Department. In the Soviet and Russian armies, a squad is the smallest military formation with a full-time commander. The squad is commanded by a junior sergeant or sergeant. Usually there are 9-13 people in a motorized rifle squad. In departments of other branches of the military, the number of personnel in the department ranges from 3 to 15 people. In some branches of the military the branch is called differently. In artillery there is a crew, in tank forces there is a crew. In some other armies, the squad is not the smallest formation. For example, in the US Army, the smallest formation is a group, and a squad consists of two groups. But basically, in most armies, the squad is the smallest formation. Typically, a squad is part of a platoon, but can exist outside of a platoon. For example, the reconnaissance diving section of an engineer battalion is not part of any of the battalion’s platoons, but is directly subordinate to the battalion chief of staff.

Platoon. Several squads make up a platoon. Usually there are from 2 to 4 squads in a platoon, but more are possible. The platoon is headed by a commander with the rank of officer. In the Soviet and Russian armies this is junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of platoon personnel ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all branches of the military the name is the same - platoon. Usually a platoon is part of a company, but can exist independently.

Company. Several platoons make up a company. In addition, a company may also include several independent squads not included in any of the platoons. For example, in a motorized rifle company there are three motorized rifle platoons, machine gun compartment, anti-tank squad. Typically a company consists of 2-4 platoons, sometimes more platoons. A company is the smallest formation of tactical importance, i.e. a formation capable of independently performing small tactical tasks on the battlefield. The company commander is a captain. On average, the size of a company can be from 18 to 200 people. Motorized rifle companies usually have about 130-150 people, tank companies 30-35 people. Usually a company is part of a battalion, but it is not uncommon for companies to exist as independent formations. In artillery, a formation of this type is called a battery; in cavalry, a squadron.

Battalion. Consists of several companies (usually 2-4) and several platoons that are not part of any of the companies. The battalion is one of the main tactical formations. A battalion, like a company, platoon, or squad, is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineer, communications). But the battalion already includes formations of other types of weapons. For example, in a motorized rifle battalion, in addition to motorized rifle companies, there is a mortar battery, a logistics platoon, and a communications platoon. Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel. The battalion already has its own headquarters. Usually, on average, a battalion, depending on the type of troops, can number from 250 to 950 people. However, there are battles of about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

Note1: Name of the formation - squad, platoon, company, etc. depends not on the number of personnel, but on the type of troops and the tactical tasks assigned to the formation of this type. Hence the dispersion in the number of personnel in formations that have the same name.

Regiment. In the Soviet and Russian armies, this is the main (I would say key) tactical formation and a completely autonomous formation in the economic sense. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. Although the regiments are named according to the types of troops (tank, motorized rifle, communications, pontoon-bridge, etc.), in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many types of troops, and the name is given according to the predominant type of troops.

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

For example, in motorized rifle regiment two three motorized rifle battalion, one tank battalion, one artillery battalion (read battalion), one anti-aircraft missile battalion, reconnaissance company, engineer company, communications company, anti-tank battery, chemical defense platoon, repair company, logistics company, orchestra, medical center. The number of personnel in the regiment ranges from 900 to 2000 people.

Brigade. Just like a regiment, it is the main tactical formation. Actually, the brigade occupies an intermediate position between a regiment and a division. The structure of a brigade is most often the same as a regiment, but there are significantly more battalions and other units in a brigade. So in a motorized rifle brigade there are one and a half to two times more motorized rifle and tank battalions than in a regiment. A brigade can consist of two regiments, plus battalions and companies auxiliary purpose. On average, a brigade has from 2 to 8 thousand people. The commander of a brigade, as well as a regiment, is a colonel.

Division. The main operational-tactical formation. Just like a regiment, it is named after the predominant branch of troops in it. However, the predominance of one or another type of troops is much less than in the regiment. A motorized rifle division and a tank division are identical in structure, with the only difference being that in a motorized rifle division there are two or three motorized rifle regiments and one tank, and in a tank division, on the contrary, there are two or three tank regiments and one motorized rifle. In addition to these main regiments, the division has one or two artillery regiments, one anti-aircraft missile regiment, a rocket battalion, a missile battalion, a helicopter squadron, an engineer battalion, a communications battalion, an automobile battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, an electronic warfare battalion, and a logistics battalion. a repair and restoration battalion, a medical battalion, a chemical defense company, and several different support companies and platoons. In the modern Russian Army, there are or may be divisions of tank, motorized rifle, artillery, airborne, missile and aviation divisions. In other branches of the military, as a rule, the highest formation is a regiment or brigade. On average, there are 12-24 thousand people in a division. Division commander, Major General.

Frame. Just as a brigade is an intermediate formation between a regiment and a division, so a corps is an intermediate formation between a division and an army.

The corps is already a combined arms formation, i.e. usually it is devoid of the characteristic of one type of military force, although tank or artillery corps may also exist, i.e. corps with a complete predominance of tank or artillery divisions. The combined arms corps is usually referred to as the "army corps". There is no single structure of buildings. Each time a corps is formed based on a specific military or military-political situation and may consist of two or three divisions and a varying number of formations of other branches of the military. Usually a corps is created where it is not practical to create an army. In peacetime, there were literally three to five corps in the Soviet Army. During the Great Patriotic War, corps were usually created either for an offensive in a secondary direction, an offensive in a zone where it was impossible to deploy an army, or, conversely, for concentrating forces in the main direction (tank corps). Very often then the corps existed for a few weeks or months and was disbanded upon completion of the task. It is impossible to talk about the structure and strength of the corps, because as many corps exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. Corps commander, Lieutenant General.

Army. This word is used in three main meanings: 1. Army - the armed forces of the state as a whole; 2. Army - ground forces of the armed forces of the state (as opposed to the fleet and military aviation); 3.Army - military formation. Here we are talking about the army as a military formation. The army is a large military formation for operational purposes. The army includes divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Armies are usually no longer divided by branch of service, although tank armies may exist where tank divisions predominate. An army may also include one or more corps. It is impossible to talk about the structure and size of the army, because as many armies exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. The soldier at the head of the army is no longer called “commander”, but “commander of the army.” Usually the regular rank of army commander is colonel general. In peacetime, armies are rarely organized as military formations. Usually divisions, regiments, and battalions are directly included in the district.

Front (district). This is the highest military formation strategic type. There are no larger formations. The name "front" is used only in wartime for a formation conducting combat operations. For such formations in peacetime, or located in the rear, the name “okrug” (military district) is used. The front includes several armies, corps, divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. The composition and strength of the front may vary. Fronts are never subdivided by types of troops (i.e. there cannot be a tank front, an artillery front, etc.). At the head of the front (district) is the commander of the front (district) with the rank of army general.

Note 2: Above in the text there are the concepts “tactical formation”, “operational-tactical formation”, “strategic..”, etc. These terms indicate the range of tasks solved by this formation in the light of military art.

The art of war is divided into three levels:
1. Tactics (the art of combat). A squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment solve tactical problems, i.e. are fighting.
2. Operational art (the art of fighting, battle). A division, corps, army solve operational problems, i.e. are fighting.
3. Strategy (the art of warfare in general). The front solves both operational and strategic tasks, i.e. leads major battles, as a result of which the strategic situation changes and the outcome of the war can be decided.

There is also a name such as "group of troops". In wartime, this is the name given to military formations that solve operational tasks inherent in the front, but operate in a narrower area or a secondary direction and, accordingly, are significantly smaller and weaker than such a formation as the front, but stronger than the army. In peacetime, this was the name in the Soviet Army for associations of formations stationed abroad (Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, Central Group of Forces, Northern Group of Forces, Southern Group of Forces). In Germany, this group of troops included several armies and divisions. In Czechoslovakia, the Central Group of Forces consisted of five divisions, three of which were combined into a corps. In Poland the group of troops consisted of two divisions, and in Hungary of three divisions.

In the literature and in military documents one also encounters such names as "team" And "squad". The term "team" has now fallen out of use. It was used to designate formations of special troops (sappers, signalmen, reconnaissance officers, etc.) that are part of general military formations. Usually, in terms of numbers and combat missions solved, it is something between a platoon and a company. The term "detachment" was used to designate similar formations in terms of tasks and numbers as the average between a company and a battalion. It is still occasionally used to designate a permanently existing formation. For example, a drilling team - engineering formation, designed for drilling wells for water extraction in areas where there are no surface water sources. The term “detachment” is also used to designate a group of units organized temporarily for the period of battle (advanced detachment, encircling detachment, covering detachment).

Above in the text, I specifically did not use the concepts - division, part, connection, association, replacing these words with the faceless “formation”. I did this in order to avoid confusion. Now that we have dealt with specific names, we can move on to unifying and grouping names.

Subdivision. This word refers to all military formations that are part of the unit. A squad, a platoon, a company, a battalion - they are all united by one word "unit". The word comes from the concept of division, to divide. Those. part is divided into divisions.

Part. It is the basic unit of the armed forces. The term “unit” most often means regiment and brigade. The external features of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, bank account, postal and telegraph address, its own official seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open (44 training tank division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers. That is, the part has sufficient autonomy. The presence of a Battle Banner is not necessary for a unit. In addition to the regiment and brigade, the units include division headquarters, corps headquarters, army headquarters, district headquarters, as well as other military organizations (voentorg, army hospital, garrison clinic, district food warehouse, district song and dance ensemble, garrison officers' house, garrison plant consumer services, Central School of Junior Specialists, military school, military institute, etc.). In a number of cases, the status of a unit with all its external signs may be the formations that we classified above as subdivisions. Units can be a battalion, a company, and sometimes even a platoon. Such formations are not included in regiments or brigades, but directly as an independent military unit with the rights of a regiment or brigade can be part of both a division and a corps, army, front (district) and even directly subordinate General Staff. Such formations also have their own open and closed numbers. For example, 650 separate transport - airborne battalion, 1257 separate company communications, 65 separate radio intelligence platoon. A characteristic feature of such parts is the word “separate” after the numbers before the name. However, a regiment can also have the word “separate” in its name.

This is the case if the regiment is not part of the division, but is directly part of the army (corps, district, front). For example, the 120th separate regiment of guards mortars.

Note 3: Please note that the terms military unit And Military Unit do not mean exactly the same thing. The term "military unit" is used as a general designation, without specifics. If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, etc., then the term “military unit” is used. Usually its number is also mentioned: “military unit 74292” (but you cannot use “military unit 74292”) or, in short, military unit 74292.

Compound. As a standard, only a division fits this term. The word “connection” itself means to connect parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). All together there is a division. However, in some cases, a brigade may also have the status of a connection. This happens if the brigade includes separate battalions and companies, each of which has the status of a unit in itself. In this case, the brigade headquarters, like the division headquarters, has the status of a unit, and battalions and companies, as independent units, are subordinate to the brigade headquarters. By the way, at the same time, battalions and companies can exist within the headquarters of a brigade (division). So at the same time, a formation can have battalions and companies as subunits, and battalions and companies as units.

An association. This term combines corps, army, army group and front (district). The headquarters of the association is also the part to which various formations and units are subordinated.

There are no other specific and grouping concepts in the military hierarchy. At least in the Ground Forces. In this article we did not touch upon the hierarchy of military formations of the aviation and navy. However, the attentive reader can now imagine the naval and aviation hierarchy quite simply and with minor errors. As far as the author knows: in aviation - a unit, a squadron, a regiment, a division, a corps, air force. In the fleet - ship (crew), division, brigade, division, flotilla, fleet. However, this is all inaccurate; aviation and naval experts will correct me.

Literature.

1.Combat Regulations of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR (Division - Brigade - Regiment). Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Moscow. 1985
2. Regulations on military service by officers of the Soviet Army and Navy. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 200-67.
3. Directory of an officer of the Soviet army and Navy. Moscow. Military publishing house 1970
4. Directory of an officer of the Soviet Army and Navy on legislation. Moscow. Military publishing house 1976
5. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 105-77 “Regulations on the military economy of the Armed Forces of the USSR.”
6. Charter of the internal service of the USSR Armed Forces. Moscow. Military publishing house 1965
7. Textbook. Operational art. Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Moscow. 1965
8. I.M.Andrusenko, R.G.Dunov, Yu.R.Fomin. Motorized rifle (tank) platoon in battle. Moscow. Military publishing house 1989

Airborne troops are the elite of the Russian army

Mukhametov Rinat Ramilevich: other works.

The big myth about the belonging of reconnaissance units of the ground forces to units of the Airborne Forces.

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A big myth about the belonging of reconnaissance units of the ground forces to units of the Airborne Forces. (Airborne Forces) This is not the first time that all Associations of Airborne Forces Veterans of the Russian Federation have raised this issue.

Structure of the Russian Airborne Forces

At first glance, it seems that there is nothing special here, but if you think deeply, it becomes clear that in the ranks of the Airborne Forces veterans there are real “mummers” (in disguise). 'Mummed paratroopers' are mainly assigned to units and subunits of the ground forces to regiments and divisions of the Airborne Forces. This in turn causes a huge controversy in our circle. Taking into account the fact that reconnaissance airborne companies (RDR), separate reconnaissance battalions (ORB) are part of motorized rifle divisions and brigades, they have nothing to do with the Airborne Forces. The Airborne Forces today are an independent branch of the military (Reserve Supreme High Command) and are not subordinate to the command of the ground forces. Therefore, various units of the ground forces were not and cannot be part of the Airborne Forces. A striking example It serves the fact that those who served (demobilization) in the 907th separate reconnaissance battalion ardently attribute themselves to the winged guard and shout at the top of their lungs that they served in the Airborne Forces. This cannot happen! The 907th separate reconnaissance battalion (ORB city of Totsk) is part of the 27th motorized rifle division (MSD) and is primarily a motorized rifle reconnaissance formation. Let me emphasize - motorized rifle! Since when are motorized rifles related to the Airborne Forces? If their training program includes parachute jumping, then this does not say anything. And the Marines make jumps from military transport aviation (MTA), but they do not consider themselves to be airborne forces. And it is not surprising that on the second of August the ‘masked paratroopers’ distort the moral image of the Airborne Forces.

The composition of the airborne troops of the Russian Armed Forces includes three main components: air assault; airborne; air assault mountain Divisions 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division (until January 2006 - airborne) (Novorossiysk) 76th Guards Air Assault Division (until January 2006 - airborne) (Pskov) 98- I Guards Airborne Division (Ivanovo) 106th Guards Airborne Division (Tula) Brigades 31st Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade (Ulyanovsk) (until May 1, 1998 - 328th and 337th Guards Parachute -airborne regiments of the 104th Guards Airborne Division) There are also air assault brigades of district subordination, which were not part of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces, but since the fall of 2013 they have been included in the Russian Airborne Forces. RF 11th separate airborne, 56th separate airborne, 83rd separate airborne, 100th guards separate airborne brigade, they are the equivalent of motorized rifle troops, part of the ground forces, not having The Airborne Forces have nothing to do with it, but the Airborne Forces command resolves issues of personnel and material support. There are also companies and reconnaissance battalions of tank units and motorized rifle troops (907 ORB in the city of Totsk). These units have airborne training in their training program, but they are also not part of the Airborne Forces. Reconnaissance and landing companies Marine Corps, tank and motorized rifle troops are not an integral part of the Airborne Forces. Regiments 38th separate communications regiment (Monino) 45th separate guards special purpose regiment (Kubinka) Educational institutions Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School (Ryazan) 242nd Airborne Training Center (Omsk) Ulyanovsk Guards Suvorov Military School (Ulyanovsk) Commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov The material was compiled by Airborne Forces veteran Karimov Ildus Akhmetkhanovich, Sibay city. Contact the site programmer.

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On July 22, 1941, the Gorky Military School of Radio Specialists was formed. The school trained qualified radio operators, telegraph operators and radio mechanics for the active army.

In March 1942, the Gorky Military School was reorganized into an advanced school for training radio specialists of at least 2nd grade.

August 6, 1944 to the school on behalf of the Presidium Supreme Council The USSR was awarded the Red Banner.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Gorky School of Radio Specialists provided the front with 13.5 thousand military communications specialists.

In August 1945, the school was reorganized into the Gorky School for the Training of Foreman Radio Specialists.

On March 12, 1948, the school was transformed into the Gorky Military School of Communications Technicians with a training period of 3 years.

In September 1960, the school was relocated to Ryazan and renamed the Ryazan Military School of Communications.

In 1969, the school was transformed into the Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications. Since the same year, it has been the only communications school training specialists for the Airborne Forces.

Since 1994, the school switched to a 5-year training program.

In August 1998, the school was renamed the Ryazan branch of the Military University of Communications.

In 2004, the Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications named after Marshal of the Soviet Union M.V. was re-established.

Always first: how the Russian Airborne Forces have developed over the past 25 years

Zakharova (military institute).

In 2009, in connection with the disbandment of the Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications, the Faculty of Communications was formed, which since December 2009 became part of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School named after Army General V.F. Margelova.

The company trains certified specialists in higher education specialties - “Infocommunication technologies and special communication systems.

The company is located on the territory of military camp No. 2 (Military Motorists St., no. 12)

The existing educational and material base provides:

• training in organizing the combat use of communication (control) and automation systems of the Airborne Forces in peacetime and wartime;
• implementation of a program for preparing and performing parachute jumps from all types of military aircraft (An-2, Mi-8, Il-76) from airfields to landing sites (splashdown).

Mastering the skills of deployment (collapse) and work in hardware rooms and stations as part of the elements of a field communications center occurs during field practice in the use of communications units, conducted on the basis of the training center RVVDKU (military camp No. 3). On the ground, the issues of moving field communication centers and the operation of equipment rooms and stations during the use of weapons of mass destruction by the enemy are worked out.

During fire training classes at the school's fire complex and at shooting ranges, graduates acquire skills in shooting from standard weapons of airborne airborne communications units.

During the training period, cadets are accommodated in barracks in the manner established by the Charter of the Internal Service of the RF Armed Forces.

This formation is led by a full-time commander with the rank of junior sergeant or sergeant. Among military personnel, the term “chest of drawers” ​​is used, which is short for “squad commander.” Depending on the type of troops, the units are called differently. For artillery the term “crew” is used, and for tank troops “crew”. Composition of the unit In this formation, 5 to 10 people serve. However, a motorized rifle squad consists of 10-13 soldiers. Unlike the Russian army, in the United States the smallest army formation is a group. The US division itself consists of two groups. Platoon In the Russian Armed Forces, a platoon consists of three to four sections. It is possible that there are more of them. The number of personnel is 45 people. The leadership of this military formation is carried out by a junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant.

Division

General principles for forming the number of units We studied the size of a division, regiment, company, battalion, division and smaller structural units of various types of troops, with an emphasis on artillery. As you can see, the number of military personnel in similar units in different troops can vary significantly.
This is due to the direct purpose of the various branches of the armed forces. The basis is the most optimal number of military personnel to perform specific tasks.

Company, division, battalion: strength

However, the attentive reader can now imagine the naval and aviation hierarchy quite simply and with minor errors. Now it will be easier for us to dialogue, friends! After all, every day we are getting closer to speaking the same language.

You are learning more and more military terms and meanings, and I am getting closer and closer to civilian life!)) I wish everyone to find in this article what they were looking for, the author of the blog Army: a view from the inside.
As a standard, only a division fits this term. The word “connection” itself means to connect parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters).

An association. This term combines corps, army, army group and front (district). The headquarters of the association is also the part to which various formations and units are subordinated.

Result There are no other specific and grouping concepts in the military hierarchy. At least in the Ground Forces. In this article we did not touch upon the hierarchy of military formations of the aviation and navy.

The number of military units in the Russian Federation

Attention

But they are additional only conditionally, since, for example, a medical company performs functions that are much more important, so to speak, than other units. After all, the lives of other soldiers depend on the soldiers of this structural unit.

A typical regiment has approximately this structure. You can see photos of the fighters of this formation above. Battalion Composition Typically, two to four battalions form a regiment.

We will now consider the number of servicemen in the battalion. The battalion is considered the main tactical unit of ground forces.

If we consider artillery, then the combat unit that corresponds to a battalion is called a division. As a rule, a battalion is commanded by a soldier with the rank of major.

How many people are in a company, battalion, platoon, etc.

Airborne troops are a separate branch of troops designed to operate behind enemy lines, destroy nuclear attack weapons, control points, capture and hold important areas and objects, disrupt the control system and work of the enemy rear, assist the Ground Forces in developing the offensive and crossing water barriers . Equipped with air transportable self-propelled artillery, missile, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, armored personnel carriers, combat vehicles, automatic small arms, communications and control equipment. The existing parachute landing equipment makes it possible to drop troops and cargo in any weather and terrain conditions, day and night from various heights. Organizationally, the airborne troops consist of (Fig.
1) airborne formations, airborne brigade, military units special troops. Rice. 1.

Airborne troops

If you don’t yet understand which rank is higher - senior lieutenant or major, then I advise you to first read this article. Platoon.

Airborne special forces: history, structure, main differences

A platoon includes from 3 to 6 sections, that is, it can reach from 15 to 60 people.

The platoon commander is in charge of the platoon. This is already an officer position. It is occupied by a minimum of a lieutenant and a maximum of a captain. Company. A company includes from 3 to 6 platoons, that is, it can consist of from 45 to 360 people. The company is commanded by the company commander. This is a major position. In fact, the commander is a senior lieutenant or captain (in the army, a company commander is affectionately and abbreviated as a company commander). Battalion. This is either 3 or 4 companies + headquarters and individual specialists (gunsmith, signalman, snipers, etc.), a mortar platoon (not always), sometimes air defense and tank destroyers (hereinafter referred to as PTB). The battalion includes from 145 to 500 people. The battalion commander (abbreviated as battalion commander) commands.

How many people are in a battalion, division, company, section?

One of the main structural units of the armed forces is the regiment. The size of its composition depends on the type of troops, and its full complement of personnel is one of the factors ensuring the combat effectiveness of the army.

The regiment consists of smaller structural units. Let's find out what a company, regiment, battalion is, the number of these units by main branches of the military. We will pay special attention to the equipment of the artillery regiment.

What is a regiment? First of all, let's find out what a regiment is. We will find out the number of personnel in the various branches of the military in this unit later. A regiment is a combat unit, often commanded by an officer with the rank of colonel, although there are exceptions. In the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a regiment is the main tactical unit on the basis of which a military unit is formed.

The numerical composition of the division of the Russian army

In this case, the company is not part of the battalion, but acts as a separate and autonomous formation.

In some branches of the military, the term “company” is not used, but is replaced by similar military formations.

For example, cavalry is equipped with squadrons of one hundred people each, artillery with batteries, border troops with outposts, and aviation with units. Battalion The size of this military formation depends on the type of troops.

Often the number of military personnel in this case ranges from 250 to a thousand soldiers. There are battalions of up to one hundred soldiers. Such a formation is equipped with 2-4 companies or platoons, operating independently. Due to their significant numbers, battalions are used as the main tactical formations. It is commanded by an officer of at least the rank of lieutenant colonel. The commander is also called “battalion commander”.

The strength of the Russian division

This will be my first blog post. It’s not a full-fledged article in terms of the number of words and information, but it’s a very important note, which can be read in one breath and has almost more benefits than many of my articles. So, what is a squad, platoon, company and other concepts known to us from books and films? And how many people do they contain? What is a platoon, company, battalion, etc. Contents

• 1 What is a platoon, company, battalion, etc.
• 2 How many people do they include?
• 3 What other similar tactical terms exist?
• 4 Summary

• Branch
• Platoon
• Battalion
• Brigade
• Division
• Frame
• Army
• Front (district)

These are all tactical units in the branches and types of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.