Designed to operate behind enemy lines, destroy nuclear attack weapons, command posts, capture and hold important areas and facilities, disrupt the enemy’s command and control system and work behind enemy lines, assist the Ground Forces in developing an offensive and forcing water barriers. They are equipped with air transportable self-propelled artillery, rocket, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, armored personnel carriers, combat vehicles, automatic small arms, communications and control equipment. The available 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, an airborne brigade, and military units of special troops.

Rice. 1. Structure of the Airborne Troops

The Airborne Forces are armed with airborne self-propelled guns ASU-85; self-propelled artillery guns "Octopus-SD"; 122-mm D-30 howitzers; 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 Joint Forces of the CIS) or be under joint command in accordance with the international treaties of the Russian Federation (for example, as part of the UN peacekeeping forces or the collective forces of the CIS to maintain peace in zones of local military conflicts ).

Branch

The smallest military formation in - department. The squad is commanded by a junior sergeant or sergeant. Usually in a motorized rifle department there are 9-13 people. In the departments of other branches of the armed forces, the number of personnel of the department is from 3 to 15 people. Typically, a squad is part of a platoon, but may also exist outside of a platoon.

Platoon

Several departments make up platoon. Usually there are 2 to 4 squads in a platoon, but more are possible. A platoon is led by a commander with an officer's rank - junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of personnel in a platoon ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all military branches the name is the same - a platoon. Usually a platoon is part of a company, but it can also exist independently.

Company

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

Battalion consists of several companies (usually 2-4) and several platoons that are not included in any of the companies. The battalion is one of the main tactical formations. A battalion, like a company, platoon, squad, is named according to its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, 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 material support platoon, and a communications platoon. Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel. The battalion already has its headquarters. Usually, on average, a battalion, depending on the type of troops, can number from 250 to 950 people. However, there are battalions of about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

Regiment

Regiment- this is the main 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 branches of service (tank, motorized rifle, communications, pontoon-bridge, etc.), but in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many branches of the military, and the name is given according to the predominant branch of service. For example, in a motorized rifle regiment there are two or three motorized rifle battalions, one tank battalion, one artillery battalion (read battalion), one anti-aircraft missile battalion, a reconnaissance company, an engineer company, a communications company, an anti-tank battery, a chemical defense platoon , repair company, material support company, orchestra, medical center. The number of personnel of the regiment is from 900 to 2000 people.

brigade

Just like the regiment brigade is the main tactical formation. Actually, the brigade occupies an intermediate position between the regiment and the division. The structure of the brigade is most often the same as that of the regiment, but there are much more battalions and other units in the 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 may also consist of two regiments, plus auxiliary battalions and companies. On average, there are from 2,000 to 8,000 people in a brigade. The brigade commander, as well as in the regiment, is a colonel.

Division

Division- the main operational-tactical formation. As well as the regiment is named after the type of troops prevailing 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 regiment, while in a tank division, on the contrary, there are two or three tank regiments, and one motorized rifle regiment. 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, a material support battalion, a repair - a recovery battalion, a medical battalion, a chemical protection company and several different support companies and platoons. Divisions can be tank, motorized rifle, artillery, airborne, missile and aviation. In other military branches, 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 frame is an intermediate formation between the division and the army. The corps is a combined-arms formation, that is, it usually lacks the sign of one type of troops, although there may also be tank or artillery corps, that is, corps with a complete predominance of tank or artillery divisions in them. The combined arms corps is usually referred to as the "army corps". There is no single corps structure. Each time the corps is formed on the basis of a specific military or military-political situation, and may consist of two or three divisions and a different number of formations of other military branches. Usually a corps is created where it is impractical to create an army. It is impossible to talk about the structure and size of the corps, because how many corps exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. Corps Commander Lieutenant General.

Army

Army- This is a large military formation of operational purpose. The army includes divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Usually, armies are no longer subdivided according to the types of troops, although there may be tank armies, 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 how many armies exist or have existed, so many structures existed. The soldier at the head of the army is no longer called "commander", but "commander of the army." Usually the staff rank of the army commander is Colonel General. In peacetime, armies are rarely organized as military formations. Usually divisions, regiments, battalions are directly part of the district.

Front

Front (district)- This is the highest military formation of a strategic type. Larger formations do not exist. The name "front" is used only in wartime for a formation conducting combat operations. For such formations in peacetime, or those located in the rear, the name "district" (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 be different. Fronts are never subdivided according to the 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.

Military art in Russia, as well as throughout the world, is divided into three levels:

• Tactics(the art of combat). Squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment solve tactical tasks, that is, they are fighting.
• operational art(the art of waging a battle, battle). A division, a corps, an army solve operational tasks, that is, they conduct a battle.
• Strategy(the art of commanding war in general). The front solves both operational and strategic tasks, i.e., it wages major battles, as a result of which the strategic situation changes and the outcome of the war can be decided.

The Russian airborne troops are designed to perform various combat missions behind enemy lines, destroy combat points, cover various units, and many other tasks. Airborne divisions in peacetime often play the role of rapid reaction forces in the event of emergency situations requiring military intervention. The Russian Airborne Forces carry out their tasks immediately after landing, for which helicopters or aircraft are used.

The history of the appearance of the airborne troops of Russia

The history of the Airborne Forces began at the end of 1930. It was then, on the basis of the 11th Infantry Division, that a detachment of a fundamentally new type was created - an airborne landing squadron. This detachment was the prototype of the first Soviet landing unit. In 1932, this detachment became known as the Special Purpose Aviation Brigade. With this name, the units of the Airborne Forces existed until 1938, in which they were renamed the 201st Airborne Brigade.

The first use of landing forces in the USSR in a combat operation took place in 1929 (after which it was decided to create such units). Then the Soviet Red Army soldiers were parachuted in the area of ​​the Tajik city of Garm, which was captured by a gang of Basmachi bandits who came to the territory of Tajikistan from abroad. Despite the superior numbers of the enemy, I act decisively and boldly, the Red Army completely defeated the gang.

Many argue whether this operation should be considered a full-fledged landing, since a detachment of Red Army soldiers was landed after the plane landed, and did not parachute. One way or another, the day of the Airborne Forces is not dedicated to this date, but is celebrated in honor of the first full-fledged landing of the group near the Klochkovo farm near Voronezh, which was carried out as part of military exercises.

In 1931, by special order number 18, an experienced airborne detachment was created, whose task was to find out the scope and purpose of the airborne troops. This freelance detachment consisted of 164 members of the personnel and included:

• One rifle company;
• Several separate platoons (communications, sapper and light vehicles platoon);
• Heavy bomber squadrons;
• One corps aviation detachment.

Already in 1932, all such detachments were deployed into special battalions, and by the end of 1933 there were 29 such battalions and brigades. The task of training aviation instructors and developing special standards was entrusted to the Leningrad military district.

In the pre-war period, the landing troops were used by the high command to strike at the rear of the enemy, to help soldiers who were surrounded, and so on. In the 1930s, the Red Army took the practical training of paratroopers very seriously. In 1935, during the maneuvers, a total of 2,500 people were landed along with military equipment. The following year, the number of paratroopers was more than tripled, which made a huge impression on the military delegations of foreign states that were invited to the maneuvers.

The first real battle involving Soviet paratroopers took place in 1939. Although this incident is described by Soviet historians as an ordinary military conflict, Japanese historians consider it to be a real local war. The 212 Airborne Brigade participated in the battles for Khalkhin Gol. Since the use of a fundamentally new paratrooper tactic turned out to be a complete surprise for the Japanese, the airborne troops brilliantly proved what they were capable of.

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Great Patriotic War

Before the start of World War II, all airborne brigades were deployed into corps. In each corps there were more than 10,000 people, whose weapons were the most advanced at that time. On September 4, 1941, all units of the Airborne Forces were transferred to the direct subordination of the commander of the airborne troops (the first commander of the Airborne Forces was Lieutenant General Glazunov, who remained in this position until 1943). After that, they were formed:

• 10 Airborne Corps;
• 5 maneuverable airborne brigades of the Airborne Forces;
• Spare regiments of the Airborne Forces;
• Airborne School.

Before the start of the Second World War, the airborne troops were an independent branch of the armed forces that were capable of solving a wide range of tasks.

The regiments of the Airborne Forces were widely involved in the counteroffensive, as well as various military operations, including assistance and support for other types of troops. Throughout the years of the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces proved their effectiveness.

In 1944, the Airborne Forces were reorganized into the Guards Airborne Army. She became part of the long-range aviation. On December 18 of the same year, this army was renamed the 9th Guards Army, it included all brigades, divisions and regiments of the Airborne Forces. At the same time, a separate department of the Airborne Forces was created, which was subordinate to the commander of the air force.

Airborne troops in the post-war period

In 1946, all brigades and divisions of the Airborne Forces were transferred to the ground forces. They were subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, being a reserve type of troops of the Supreme Commander.

In 1956, the Airborne Forces again had to take part in an armed skirmish. Together with other types of troops, the paratroopers were sent to suppress the Hungarian uprising against the pro-Soviet regime.

In 1968, two divisions of the Airborne Forces participated in the events in Czechoslovakia, where they provided full support to all formations and units of this operation.

After the war, all units and brigades of the airborne troops received the latest models of firearms and many pieces of military equipment made specifically for the airborne forces. Over the years, samples of airborne equipment have been created:

• Tracked armored vehicles BTR-D and BMD;
• Cars TPK and GAZ-66;
• Self-propelled guns ASU-57, ASU-85.

In addition, the most complex systems for parachute landing of all the listed equipment were created. Since the new technology needed large transport aircraft for landing, new models of large-body aircraft were created that could carry out parachute landing of armored vehicles and vehicles.

The airborne troops of the USSR were the first in the world to receive their own armored vehicles, which were developed specifically for them. At all major exercises, troops were airdropped along with armored vehicles, which constantly amazed the representatives of foreign states present at the exercises. The number of specialized transport aircraft capable of landing was so great that in just one sortie it was possible to land all the equipment and 75 percent of the personnel of an entire division.

In the fall of 1979, the 105th Airborne Division was disbanded. This division was trained to fight in the mountains and deserts, and was deployed in the Uzbek and Kirghiz SSR. In the same year, Soviet troops were introduced into the territory of Afghanistan. Since the 105th division was disbanded, the 103rd division was sent instead, the personnel of which did not have the slightest idea and training for combat operations in mountainous and desert regions. Numerous losses among the paratroopers showed what a huge mistake the command made, recklessly deciding to disband the 105th Airborne Division.

Airborne troops during the Afghan war

The following divisions and brigades of the Airborne Forces and air assault formations went through the Afghan war:

• Airborne Division 103 (which was sent to Afghanistan to replace the disbanded 103 Division);
• 56 OGRDSHBR (separate airborne assault brigade);
• Parachute Regiment;
• 2 battalions of the DSHB, which were part of the motorized rifle brigades.

In total, about 20 percent of the paratroopers participated in the Afghan war. Due to the peculiarity of the relief of Afghanistan, the use of parachute landing in the highlands was unjustified, so the delivery of paratroopers was carried out using the landing method. Deaf mountainous areas were often inaccessible to armored vehicles, so the entire blow of the Afghan militants had to be taken on by the personnel of the Airborne Forces.

Despite the division of the Airborne Forces into airborne assault and airborne units, all units had to act according to the same scheme, and it was necessary to fight in an unfamiliar area, with an enemy for whom these mountains were their home.

About half of the airborne troops were dispersed among various outposts and control points of the country, which other parts of the army were supposed to do. Although this hindered the movement of the enemy, it was unwise to misuse elite troops trained in a completely different manner of combat. The paratroopers had to perform the functions of ordinary motorized rifle units.

The largest operation involving Soviet airborne units (after the operation of the Second World War) is considered the 5th Panjshir Operation, which was carried out from May to June 1982. During this operation, about 4,000 paratroopers of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division were landed from helicopters. In three days, Soviet troops (of which there were about 12,000, including paratroopers) almost completely established control over the Panjshir Gorge, although the losses were huge.

Realizing that the special armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces are ineffective in Afghanistan, since most of the operations had to be carried out together with motorized rifle battalions, BMD-1 and BTR-D began to be systematically replaced with standard equipment of motorized rifle units. Light armor and a low resource of light vehicles did not bring any advantages in the Afghan war. This replacement took place from 1982 to 1986. At the same time, the landing units were reinforced with artillery and tank units.

Airborne assault formations, their differences from paratrooper units

Along with the parachute units, the air force also had air assault units, which were directly subordinate to the commanders of the military districts. Their difference was in the performance of various tasks, subordination and organizational structure. The uniform, armament, training of personnel did not differ in any way from paratrooper formations.

The main reason for the creation of air assault formations in the second half of the 60s of the 20th century was the development of a new strategy and tactics for waging a full-scale war with a prospective enemy.

This strategy was based on the use of massive landings behind enemy lines, with the aim of disorganizing the defense and causing panic in the ranks of the enemy. Since the army fleet was equipped by this time with a sufficient number of transport helicopters, it became possible to carry out large-scale operations using large groups of paratroopers.

In the 80s, 14 brigades, 2 regiments and 20 battalions of air assault battalions were deployed throughout the USSR. One DShB brigade accounted for one military district. The main difference between the parachute and air assault units was as follows:

• The parachute formations were provided with specialized airborne equipment by 100 percent, and the air assault formations had only 25 percent of the staffing of such armored vehicles. This can be explained by the various combat missions that these formations were supposed to perform;
• Parts of the parachute troops were subordinate only directly to the command of the Airborne Forces, in contrast to the air assault units, which were subordinate to the command of the military districts. This was done for greater mobility and efficiency in the event of a need for a sudden landing;
• The tasks of these formations also differed significantly from each other. The air assault units were to be used for operations in the immediate rear of the enemy or in the territory occupied by the enemy's front-line units, in order to cause panic and disrupt the enemy's plans with their actions, while the main parts of the army were to hit him. Parachute units were intended for landing deep behind enemy lines, and their landing was to be carried out non-stop. At the same time, the military training of both formations was practically no different, although the intended tasks of the paratrooper units were much more difficult;
• The parachute units of the Airborne Forces have always been deployed to the fullest extent and equipped with cars and armored vehicles by 100 percent. Many air assault brigades were incomplete and did not bear the title of "Guards". The only exceptions were three brigades, which were formed on the basis of parachute regiments and were called "Guards".

The difference between regiments and brigades was that there were only two battalions in the regiment. In addition, the composition of the regimental kit in the regiments was often reduced.

Until now, disputes have not subsided about whether there were special forces in the Soviet army, or whether this function was performed by the Airborne Forces. The fact is that in the USSR (as well as in modern Russia) there have never been separate special forces. Instead, they were part of the special purpose GRU of the General Staff.

Although these units have existed since 1950, their existence remained a secret until the late 80s. Since the uniform of the special forces units did not differ in any way from the uniform of other parts of the Airborne Forces, often not only the inhabitants did not know about their existence, but even conscripts found out about it only at the time they were accepted into the personnel.

Since the main tasks of the special forces were reconnaissance and sabotage activities, they were united with the Airborne Forces only by uniforms, airborne training of personnel and the possibility of using special forces for operations behind enemy lines.

Vasily Filippovich Margelov - "father" of the Airborne Forces

A huge role in the development of the airborne troops, the development of the theory of their use and the development of weapons belongs to the commander of the Airborne Forces from 1954 to 1979, Vasily Filippovich Margelov. It is in his honor that the Airborne Forces are jokingly called "Uncle Vasya's troops." Margelov laid the foundation for the positioning of the airborne troops as highly mobile units with high firepower and protected by reliable armor. It was this kind of troops that were supposed to deliver quick and unexpected strikes against the enemy in a nuclear war. At the same time, the task of the Airborne Forces should in no case include the long-term retention of captured objects or positions, since in this case the landing force would certainly be destroyed by the regular units of the enemy army.

Under the influence of Margelov, special models of small arms were developed for the Airborne Forces units, allowing them to effectively fire even at the time of landing, special models of cars and armored vehicles, and the creation of new transport aircraft designed for landing and armored vehicles.

It was on the initiative of Margelov that a special symbolism of the Airborne Forces was created, familiar to all modern Russians - a vest and a blue beret, which are the pride of every paratrooper.

In the history of the airborne troops, there are several interesting facts that few people know:

• Specialized airborne units, which were the predecessors of the Airborne Forces, appeared during the Second World War. At that time, no other army in the world had such units. The airborne army was supposed to carry out operations in the German rear. Seeing that the Soviet command created a fundamentally new branch of the military, the Anglo-American command also created its own airborne army in 1944. However, this army never managed to take part in the hostilities during the Second World War;
• During the Second World War, several tens of thousands of people who served in the airborne units received many orders and medals of various degrees, and 12 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union;
• After the end of the Second World War, the airborne troops of the USSR were the most numerous among such units in the whole world. Moreover, according to the official version, the airborne troops of the Russian Federation are the most numerous in the whole world, to this day;
• Soviet paratroopers are the only ones who managed to land in full combat gear at the North Pole, and this operation was carried out back in the late 40s;
• Only in the practice of Soviet paratroopers was landing from many kilometers in combat vehicles.

Airborne Forces Day - the main holiday of the airborne troops of Russia

August 2 is the day of the airborne troops of Russia, or as it is also called - the day of the Airborne Forces. This holiday is celebrated on the basis of a decree of the President of the Russian Federation and is very popular among all paratroopers who have served or are serving in the airborne troops. On the day of the Airborne Forces, demonstrations, processions, concerts, sporting events and festivities are held.

Unfortunately, Airborne Forces Day is considered the most unpredictable and scandalous holiday in Russia. Often paratroopers organize riots, pogroms and fights. As a rule, these are people who have served in the army for a long time, but they want to diversify their civilian life, therefore, on the day of the airborne troops, patrol squads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are traditionally strengthened, which keep order in public places in Russian cities. In recent years, there has been a steady downward trend in the number of fights and pogroms on the day of the Airborne Forces. The paratroopers learn to celebrate their holiday in a civilized way, because riots and pogroms dishonor the name of the defender of the Motherland.

Flag and emblem of the airborne troops

The flag of the airborne troops, along with the emblem, is a symbol of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation. The emblem of the Airborne Forces is of three types:

• The small emblem of the Airborne Forces is a golden fiery grenade with wings;
• The middle emblem of the Airborne Forces is a double-headed eagle with open wings. In one paw he has a sword, and in the other - a grenada with wings. The chest of the eagle covers the shield, with the image of George the Victorious, slaying the dragon;
• The large emblem of the Airborne Forces is a copy of the grenada on the small emblem, only it is in the heraldic shield, which is bordered by a round wreath of oak leaves, while the emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation adorns the upper part of the wreath.

The flag of the airborne troops of the Russian Federation was established on June 14, 2004 by order of the Ministry of Defense. The flag of the airborne troops is a rectangular blue panel. There is a green stripe at the bottom of it. The center of the flag of the airborne troops is decorated with the image of a golden parachute with a paratrooper. On both sides of the parachute are airplanes.

Despite all the difficulties that the Russian army experienced in the 90s, it managed to maintain the glorious traditions of the Airborne Forces, the structure of which today is an example for many armies in the world.

A Soviet airborne unit was created - an airborne assault detachment, in the 11th rifle division. In December, it was deployed to the 3rd Special Purpose Aviation Brigade, which became known as the 201st Airborne Brigade.

The first use of airborne assault in the history of military affairs took place in the spring of 1929. In the city of Garm besieged by the Basmachi, a group of armed Red Army soldiers was landed from the air, which, with the support of local residents, defeated a gang that had invaded the territory of Tajikistan from abroad. . However, the Day of the Airborne Forces in Russia and a number of other countries is August 2, in honor of the paratroopers at the military exercise of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh on August 2, 1930.

The paratroopers also gained experience in real battles. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the defeat of the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. For their courage and heroism, 352 paratroopers were awarded orders and medals. In 1939-1940, during the Soviet-Finnish war, the 201st, 202nd and 214th airborne brigade fought together with rifle units.

Based on the experience gained in 1940, new staffs of brigades were approved as part of three combat groups: parachute, glider and landing.

was sent to the Saratov bomber school. ... However, soon the People's Commissariat of Defense ordered the transfer of the Saratov School to the jurisdiction Airborne.

In the counteroffensive near Moscow, conditions were created for the widespread use Airborne. In the winter, the Vyazemsky airborne operation was carried out with the participation of the 4th airborne corps. In September, an airborne assault consisting of two brigades was used to assist the troops of the Voronezh Front in forcing the Dnieper River. In the Manchurian strategic operation in August 1945, more than 4 thousand people of the personnel of rifle units were landed for amphibious operations by landing method, who successfully completed the assigned tasks.

In 1956, two airborne divisions took part in the Hungarian events. In 1968, after the capture of two airfields near Prague and Bratislava, the 7th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions were landed, which ensured the successful completion of the task by formations and units of the United Armed Forces of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact during the Czechoslovak events.

In the post-war period in Airborne a lot of work was done to increase the firepower and mobility of personnel. Numerous samples of airborne armored vehicles (BMD, BTR-D), automotive equipment (TPK, GAZ-66), artillery systems (ASU-57, ASU-85, 2S9 Nona, 107-mm B-11 recoilless rifle) were created. Complex parachute systems were developed for landing all types of weapons - "Centaur", "Reaktaur" and others. The fleet of military transport aviation was also increased, called for the mass transfer of landing formations in the event of large-scale hostilities. Large-body transport aircraft were created capable of parachute landing of military equipment (An-12, An-22, Il-76).

In the USSR, for the first time in the world, airborne troops, which had their own armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery. At large army exercises (like Shield-82 or Druzhba-82), the landing of personnel with standard equipment of no more than two parachute regiments was practiced. The state of the military transport aviation of the USSR Armed Forces at the end of the 80s made it possible to parachute 75% of the personnel and standard military equipment of one airborne division in one general sortie.

Organizational structure of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, July 1979.

Organizational structure of the 351st Guards Airborne Regiment, 105th Guards Airborne Division as of July 1979.

The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, which followed the disbandment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division in 1979, showed the profound fallacy of the decision taken by the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces - the airborne formation, specially adapted for combat operations in mountainous desert areas, was ill-considered and hastily disbanded, and 103gv.vdd was eventually sent to Afghanistan, whose personnel had no training for combat operations in such a theater of operations:

“... in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, General of the Army Sukhorukov D.F., came, he then said what fools we were, having disbanded the 105th airborne division, because it was intended for combat operations in mountainous desert areas. And we had to spend huge amounts of money to deliver the 103rd airborne division to Kabul by air ... "

airborne troops The USSR Armed Forces had 7 airborne divisions and three separate regiments with the following names and locations:

Each of these divisions included: a command (headquarters), three airborne regiments, one self-propelled artillery regiment, and combat support and logistic support units.

In addition to paratrooper units and formations, in airborne troops there were also air assault units and formations, but they were subordinate to the commanders of the troops of military districts (groups of troops), armies or corps. They did not differ in anything, except for tasks, subordination and OShS. Methods of combat use, combat training programs for personnel, weapons and uniforms for military personnel - it was the same as for paratrooper units and formations Airborne(central subordination). Air assault formations were represented by separate air assault brigades (ODSHBR), separate air assault regiments (ODSHP) and separate air assault battalions (ODSHB).

The reason for the creation of air assault units in the late 60s was the revision of tactics in the fight against the enemy in the event of a full-scale war. The stake was placed on the concept of using massive landings in the enemy's near rear, capable of disorganizing the defense. The technical possibility for such a landing was provided by the fleet of transport helicopters in army aviation, which had significantly increased by this time.

By the mid-80s, the USSR Armed Forces included 14 separate brigades, two separate regiments and about 20 separate battalions. The brigades were deployed on the territory of the USSR according to the principle - one brigade per one military district, which has land access to the State Border of the USSR, one brigade in the inner Kiev Military District (23odshbr in Kremenchug, subordinate to the High Command of the southwestern direction) and two brigades for the group Soviet troops abroad (35odshbr in the GSVG in the city of Cottbus and 83odshbr in the SGV in the city of Bialogard). 56gv.odshbr in OKSVA, stationed in the city of Gardez of the Republic of Afghanistan, belonged to the Turkestan Military District, in which it was formed.

Separate air assault regiments were subordinate to the commanders of separate army corps.

The difference between parachute and air assault formations Airborne consisted of the following:

In the mid-80s, the following brigades and regiments were part of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces:

• 11odshbr in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Trans-Baikal Territory, the cities of Mogocha and Amazar),
• 13odshbr in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur Region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk),
• 21odshbr in the Transcaucasian Military District (Georgian SSR, Kutaisi),
• 23odshbr of the South-Western direction (on the territory of the Kiev Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
• 35gv.odshbr in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus),
• 36odshbr in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, town Garbolovo),
• 37odshbr in the Baltic VO (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk),
• 38gv.odshbr in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest),
• 39odshbr in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyriv),
• 40odshbr in the Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, village Bolshaya Korenikha (Nikolaev region),
• 56gv.odshbr in the Turkestan Military District (formed in the city of Chirchik, Uzbek SSR and introduced into Afghanistan),
• 57odshbr in the Central Asian Military District (Kazakh SSR, Aktogay township),
• 58odshbr in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
• 83odshbr in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard),
• 1318odshp in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5oak)
• 1319odshp in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48oak)

These brigades included a command, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery battalion and combat support and logistics support units. The personnel of the deployed brigades reached 2,500 military personnel. For example, the staffing strength of the 56gv.odshbr on December 1, 1986 was 2452 military personnel (261 officers, 109 ensigns, 416 sergeants, 1666 soldiers).

The regiments differed from the brigades in the presence of only two battalions: one paratrooper and one air assault (on the BMD), as well as a slightly reduced composition of the regimental set units

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

Also, in order to increase the firepower of the landing units, additional artillery and tank units will be introduced into their composition. For example, 345opdp, modeled on a motorized rifle regiment, will be supplemented with an artillery howitzer battalion and a tank company, in the 56th brigade the artillery battalion was deployed up to 5 fire batteries (instead of the prescribed 3 batteries), and the 103rd Guards Airborne Division will be given to reinforce the 62nd separate tank battalion, which was unusual for the organizational structure of the Airborne Forces units on the territory of the USSR.

Officer training for airborne troops

Officers were trained by the following military educational institutions in the following military specialties:

In addition to graduates of these educational institutions, in Airborne they were often appointed to the positions of platoon commanders, graduates of higher combined arms schools (VOKU) and military departments, who prepared for the commander of a motorized rifle platoon. This was due to the fact that the specialized Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which produced about 300 lieutenants every year on average, was not able to fully meet the needs Airborne(at the end of the 80s they numbered about 60,000 personnel) as platoon commanders. For example, the former commander of 247gv.pdp (7gv.vdd), Hero of the Russian Federation Em Yuri Pavlovichwho began his service in Airborne from platoon commander in 111gv.pdp 105gv.vdd, graduated from the Alma-Ata Higher Combined Arms Command School

For a long time, military units and units of the Special Forces (the so-called now army special forces) erroneously and intentionally called paratroopers. This is due to the fact that in the Soviet period, as now, there were no special forces in the Russian Armed Forces, but there were and are units and units Special Purpose (SpN) GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. The phrase “special forces” or “commandos” was mentioned in the press and in the media only in relation to the troops of a potential enemy (“Green Berets”, “Rangers”, “Commandos”).

Starting with the emergence of these units in the USSR Armed Forces in 1950 until the end of the 80s, the existence of such units and units was completely denied. Up to the point that conscripts learned about their existence only when they were accepted into the personnel of these units and units. Officially, in the Soviet press and on television, units and units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces were declared either units Airborne- as in the case of the GSVG (officially there were no special forces units in the GDR), or, as in the case of OKSVA, separate motorized rifle battalions (omsb). For example, the 173rd separate special forces detachment (173ooSpN), stationed near the city of Kandahar, was called the 3rd separate motorized rifle battalion (3omsb)

In everyday life, servicemen of subdivisions and units of the Special Forces wore full dress and field uniforms adopted in Airborne, although neither in terms of subordination nor in terms of the assigned tasks of reconnaissance and sabotage activities did they belong to Airborne. The only thing that united Airborne and units and units of the Special Forces - this is the majority of the officers - graduates of the RVVDKU, airborne training and possible combat use behind enemy lines.

Russian Federation - period after 1991

The average emblem of the Airborne Forces of Russia

In 1991, they were separated into an independent branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

• 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division (Novorossiysk)
• 76th Guards Air Assault Division Chernigov Red Banner Division (Pskov)
• 98th Guards Airborne Division (Ivanovo)
• 106th Guards Airborne Division (Tula)
• 242nd training center in Omsk and Ishim
• 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov, 2nd Class Brigade (Ulyanovsk)
• 38th Separate Communications Regiment (Bear Lakes)
• 45th Guards Separate Regiment of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces (Kubinka, Odintsovsky District, Moscow Region)

• 11th separate air assault brigade (Ulan-Ude
• 56th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade (Kamyshin) (As part of the Airborne Forces, but operationally subordinate to the Southern Military District)
• 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade (Ussuriysk) (As part of the Airborne Forces, but operationally subordinate to the Eastern Military District)
• 100th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade (Abakan) (As part of the Airborne Forces, but operationally subordinate to the Central Military District)

In other countries

Belarus

Special Operations Forces(belor. Forces of special operations). The command reports directly to the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Commanders: Major General Lucian Surint (2010); from July 2010 - Colonel (from February 2011 Major General) Oleg Belokonev. They include the 38th, 103rd Guards Mobile Brigades, the 5th Special Purpose Brigade, etc.

Kazakhstan

Patch of the Airmobile Troops of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan

United Kingdom

British paratroopers 1pb ,1(British) vdd are fighting. Holland. September 17, 1944

British airborne troops, the main airborne component is 16th Air Assault Brigade(English) 16th Air Assault Brigade). The brigade was created on September 1, 1999 by merging components of the disbanded 5th Airborne (eng. 5th Airborne Brigade) and the 24th Aeromobile (Eng. 24th Air Mobile Brigade) brigades. The headquarters and units of the brigade are stationed in the city of Colchester, Essex. The 16th Air Assault Brigade is part of the 5th Division of the British Army.

Germany

Airborne troops of the Wehrmacht

Badge of a paratrooper of the Wehrmacht airborne forces, Germany

Airborne forces of the Wehrmacht(German Fallschirmjager, from Fallschirm- "parachute" and Jager- "hunter, huntsman") - the German airborne forces of the Wehrmacht operational-tactical deployment in the enemy rear. Being a select branch of the troops, only the best of the best German soldiers were recruited into them. The formation of units began in 1936, after which during the Second World War, from 1940 to 1941, they were used in major airborne operations in Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece. In subsequent years, there were even larger-scale operations with their participation, but mostly only as regular infantry formations, to support the main forces. From the allies, they received the nickname "Green Devils". Throughout World War II, the permanent commander of the Fallschirmjäger was their founder Colonel-General Kurt Student.

Israel

The brigade was formed in 1954-1956 by the merger of several special forces units.

The Tsankhanim brigade belongs to the Central District and is part of the 98th Reserve Airborne Division, staffed by reservists who have completed active service in the brigade.

USA

Chevron 1 Allied ACA, 1944

Notes

1. Guderian G. Attention, tanks! The history of the creation of tank troops. - M.: Tsentropoligraf, 2005.
2. Field charter of the Red Army (PU-39), 1939.
3. The development of the strike power of air assault formations will occur by equipping transport and combat aircraft, Military Review website.
4. Military Encyclopedic Dictionary, Moscow, Military Publishing House, 1984, 863 pages with illustrations, 30 sheets
5. Highly mobile landing troops, Kommersant-Ukraine, have been created in the Ukrainian army.
6. The English word "commandos" was used both to refer to the military personnel of the special landing units, the landing units themselves and the entire service of S. S. ("Special Service", abbreviated "S. S.") as a whole.
7. Airborne in TSB.
8. The first parachute formations
9. Khukhrikov Yuri Mikhailovich, A. Drabkin, I fought on the IL-2 - M .: Yauza, Eksmo, 2005.
10. Unknown division. 105th Guards Airborne Red Banner Division (mountain and desert). - Desantura.ru - about landing without borders
11. This year marks forty-five years of 242 Airborne Training Center
12. Structure of the Airborne Forces - Bratishka Magazine
13. The combat charter of the airborne troops, put into effect by order of the commander of the airborne troops No. 40, dated July 20, 1983
14. Wars, stories, facts. Almanac

A branch of the Armed Forces, which is a reserve of the Supreme High Command and is specially designed to cover the enemy by air and perform tasks in his rear to disrupt command and control, capture and destroy ground elements of high-precision weapons, disrupt the advancement and deployment of reserves, disrupt the rear and communications, as well as covering (defending) certain areas, areas, open flanks, blocking and destroying airborne assault forces, enemy groupings that have broken through, and performing many other tasks.

In peacetime, the Airborne Forces perform the main tasks of maintaining combat and mobilization readiness at a level that ensures their successful use as intended.

In the Russian Armed Forces they are a separate branch of the military.

Also, the Airborne Forces are often used as rapid reaction forces.

The main method of delivery of the Airborne Forces is parachute landing, they can also be delivered by helicopter; during World War II, glider delivery was practiced.

Airborne Forces of the USSR

pre-war period

At the end of 1930, near Voronezh, in the 11th Infantry Division, a Soviet airborne unit was created - an airborne assault detachment. In December 1932, he was deployed to the 3rd Special Purpose Aviation Brigade (OsNaz), which since 1938 became known as the 201st Airborne Brigade.

The very first use of airborne assault in the history of military affairs took place in the spring of 1929. In the city of Garm besieged by the Basmachi, a group of armed Red Army soldiers was landed from the air, and with the support of local residents, they completely defeated the gang that had invaded the territory of Tajikistan from abroad. But still, the Day of the Airborne Forces in Russia and a number of other countries is considered to be August 2, in honor of the parachute landing at the military exercise of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh on August 2, 1930.

in 1931, on the basis of an order dated March 18, a non-standard, experienced aviation motorized landing detachment (airborne landing detachment) was formed in the Leningrad Military District. It was intended to study issues of operational-tactical use and the most advantageous organizational forms of airborne landing (airborne) units, units and formations. The detachment consisted of 164 personnel and consisted of:

One rifle company;
-individual platoons: sapper, communications and light vehicles;
- heavy bomber aviation squadron (air squadron) (12 aircraft - TB-1);
- one corps aviation detachment (air detachment) (10 aircraft - R-5).
The detachment was armed with:

Two 76-mm Kurchevsky dynamo-reactive cannons (DRP);
-two wedges - T-27;
-4 grenade launchers;
-3 light armored vehicles (armored vehicles);
-14 light and 4 heavy machine guns;
-10 trucks and 16 cars;
-4 motorcycles and one scooter
E. D. Lukin was appointed commander of the detachment. Subsequently, a non-standard paratrooper detachment was formed in the same air brigade.

In 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR issued a decree on the deployment of detachments into special aviation battalions (bOSNAZ). By the end of 1933, there were already 29 airborne battalions and brigades that were part of the Air Force. The LenVO (Leningrad Military District) was entrusted with the task of training airborne instructors and developing operational and tactical standards.

By the standards of that time, the airborne units were an effective means of disorganizing the control and rear of the enemy. They were to be used where other branches of the armed forces (infantry, artillery, cavalry, armored forces) could not solve this problem at the moment, and were also intended to be used by the high command in cooperation with troops advancing from the front, airborne assault forces were supposed to help encirclement and defeat of the enemy in this direction.

Staff No. 015/890 of 1936 of the "Airborne Brigade" (Adbr) of wartime and peacetime. Name of units, number of wartime personnel (number of peacetime personnel in parentheses):

Management, 49 (50);
- communication company, 56 (46);
-musician platoon, 11 (11);
-3 airborne battalions, each, 521 (381);
- school of junior officers, 0 (115);
-services, 144 (135);
Total: in the brigade, 1823 (1500); Personnel:

Command staff, 107 (118);
- Commanding staff, 69 (60);
- Junior command and command staff, 330 (264);
- Privates, 1317 (1058);
-Total: 1823 (1500);

Material part:

45 mm anti-tank gun, 18 (19);
-Light machine guns, 90 (69);
-Radio stations, 20 (20);
-Automatic carbines, 1286 (1005);
-Light mortars, 27 (20);
- Cars, 6 (6);
- Trucks, 63 (51);
-Special vehicles, 14 (14);
- Cars "Pickup", 9 (8);
-Motorcycles, 31 (31);
- Tractors ChTZ, 2 (2);
- Tractor trailers, 4 (4);
In the prewar years, a lot of forces and funds were allocated for the development of airborne troops, the development of the theory of their combat use, as well as practical training. In 1934, 600 paratroopers were involved in the exercises of the Red Army. In 1935, during the maneuvers of the Kiev Military District, 1,188 paratroopers were parachuted and a landing force consisting of 2,500 people landed along with military equipment.

In 1936, 3,000 paratroopers were parachuted into the Belarusian Military District, 8,200 people with artillery and other military equipment were landed by landing method. The invited foreign military delegations present at these exercises were amazed by the size of the landings and the skill of landing.

"31. Parachute units, as a new kind of air infantry, are a means of disorganizing the enemy's command and rear. They are used by the high command.
In cooperation with the troops advancing from the front, the air infantry helps encircle and defeat the enemy in a given direction.

The use of air infantry must be strictly in accordance with the conditions of the situation and requires reliable provision and observance of measures of secrecy and surprise.
- Chapter two "Organization of the troops of the Red Army" 1. Types of troops and their combat use, Field Charter of the Red Army (PU-39)

The paratroopers gained experience in real battles. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the defeat of the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. For their courage and heroism, 352 paratroopers were awarded orders and medals. In 1939-1940, during the Soviet-Finnish war, the 201st, 202nd and 214th airborne brigades fought together with rifle units.

Based on the experience gained in 1940, new brigades were approved as part of three combat groups: parachute, glider and landing.

In preparation for the operation to annex Bessarabia to the USSR, occupied by Romania, as well as Northern Bukovina, the command of the Red Army enlisted the 201st, 204th and 214th airborne brigades in the Southern Front. During the operation, combat missions were received by the 204th and 201st adbrs and landings were thrown into the area of ​​Bolgrad and Izmail, and after the state border was closed to organize Soviet governments in settlements.

The Great Patriotic War

By the beginning of 1941, on the basis of the existing airborne brigades, airborne corps were deployed, numbering more than 10 thousand people each.
On September 4, 1941, by order of the People's Commissar, the Directorate of the Airborne Forces was transformed into the Directorate of the Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Red Army, and the formations and units of the Airborne Forces were removed from the subordination of the commanders of the active fronts and transferred to the direct subordination of the commander of the Airborne Forces. In accordance with this order, ten airborne corps, five maneuverable airborne brigades, five reserve airborne regiments and an airborne school (Kuibyshev) were formed. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces were an independent branch of the forces (troops) of the Red Army Air Force.

In the counter-offensive near Moscow, conditions appeared for the widespread use of the Airborne Forces. In the winter of 1942, the Vyazemsky airborne operation was carried out with the participation of the 4th airborne corps. In September 1943, an airborne assault consisting of two brigades was used to help the troops of the Voronezh Front in forcing the Dnieper River. In the Manchurian strategic operation in August 1945, more than 4 thousand people of the personnel of rifle units were landed for landing operations by landing method, who quite successfully completed their tasks.

In October 1944, the Airborne Forces were transformed into a separate Guards Airborne Army, which became part of the long-range aviation. In December 1944, this army was, on the basis of the order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of December 18, 1944, transformed into the 9th Guards Army, on the basis of the command of the 7th Army and formations of a separate Guards Airborne Army with direct subordination to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. The airborne divisions were reorganized into rifle divisions.
At the same time, the Airborne Forces Directorate was created with direct subordination to the Air Force Commander. Three airborne brigades, a training airborne regiment, advanced training courses for officers and an aeronautical division remained in the Airborne Forces. At the end of the winter of 1945, the 9th Guards Army, consisting of the 37th, 38th, and 39th Guards Rifle Corps, was concentrated in Hungary southeast of Budapest; On February 27, she became part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, on March 9 she was reassigned to the 3rd Ukrainian Front. In March - April 1945, the army took part in the Vienna strategic operation (March 16 - April 15), advancing in the direction of the front's main attack. In early May 1945, the army, as part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, took part in the Prague operation (May 6-11). The 9th Guards Army ended its combat path with an exit to the Elbe. The army was disbanded on May 11, 1945. The army commander was Colonel General Glagolev VV (December 1944 - until the end of the war). On June 10, 1945, in accordance with the order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of May 29, 1945, the Central Group of Forces was formed, which included the 9th Guards Army. Later it was withdrawn to the Moscow District, where in 1946 its department was transformed into the Directorate of the Airborne Forces, and all its formations again became guards airborne - the 37th, 38th, 39th corps and 98, 99, 100, 103, 104 , 105, 106, 107, 114 airborne division (airborne division).

post-war period

Since 1946, they were transferred to the ground forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR, were directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense of the USSR, being the reserve of the Supreme Commander.
In 1956, two airborne divisions took part in the Hungarian events. In 1968, after the capture of two airfields near Prague and Bratislava, the 7th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions were landed, which ensured the successful completion of the task by formations and units of the United Armed Forces of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact during the Czechoslovak events.

In the post-war period, a lot of work was done in the Airborne Forces to increase the firepower and mobility of personnel. Numerous samples of airborne armored vehicles (BMD, BTR-D), automotive equipment (TPK, GAZ-66), artillery systems (ASU-57, ASU-85, 2S9 Nona, 107-mm B-11 recoilless rifle) were made. Complex parachute systems were created for landing all types of weapons - "Centaur", "Reaktaur" and others. The fleet of military transport aviation, called for the mass transfer of landing formations in the event of large-scale hostilities, was also greatly increased. Large-body transport aircraft were made capable of parachute landing of military equipment (An-12, An-22, Il-76).

In the USSR, for the first time in the world, airborne troops were created, which had their own armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery. At large army exercises (like Shield-82 or Druzhba-82), personnel were landed with standard equipment numbering no more than two parachute regiments. The state of the military transport aviation of the USSR Armed Forces at the end of the 1980s allowed 75% of the personnel and standard military equipment of one airborne division to be dropped by parachute in just one general sortie.

By the fall of 1979, the 105th Guards Vienna Red Banner Airborne Division was disbanded, specially designed for combat operations in mountainous desert areas. Parts of the 105th Guards Airborne Division were deployed in the cities of Ferghana, Namangan and Chirchik of the Uzbek SSR and in the city of Osh of the Kirghiz SSR. As a result of the disbandment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, the 4th separate airborne assault brigades (35th Guards, 38th Guards and 56th Guards), 40th (without the status of "Guards") and 345th Guards Separate Parachute Regiment.

The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, which followed the disbandment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division in 1979, showed the profound fallacy of the decision taken by the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces - an airborne formation specially adapted for combat operations in mountainous desert areas was thoughtlessly and rather hastily was disbanded, and the 103rd Guards Airborne Division was eventually sent to Afghanistan, the personnel of which had no training at all for combat operations in such a theater of operations:

105th Guards Airborne Vienna Red Banner Division (mountain and desert).:
“... in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General Sukhorukov D.F., arrived, he then said what fools we were, having disbanded the 105th airborne division, because it was specially designed for combat operations in mountainous desert areas. And we had to spend huge amounts of money to deliver the 103rd airborne division to Kabul by air ... "

By the mid-80s, the airborne troops of the USSR Armed Forces included 7 airborne divisions and three separate regiments with the following names and locations:

7th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division. Based in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Baltic Military District.
-76th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree Chernihiv Airborne Division. It was stationed in Pskov, RSFSR, Leningrad Military District.
-98th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree Svir airborne division. It was based in the city of Bolgrad, Ukrainian SSR, KOdVO and in the city of Chisinau, Moldavian SSR, KOdVO.
-103rd Guards Red Banner Order of Lenin Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division named after the 60th anniversary of the USSR. It was stationed in the city of Kabul (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979 and after February 1989, it was stationed in the city of Vitebsk, Byelorussian SSR, Belorussian Military District.
-104th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division, specially designed for combat operations in mountainous areas. It was stationed in the city of Kirovabad of the Azerbaijan SSR, Transcaucasian Military District.
-106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division. It was stationed in the city of Tula and in the city of Ryazan of the RSFSR, Moscow Military District.
-44th Training Red Banner Order of Suvorov II degree and Bogdan Khmelnitsky II degree Ovruch airborne division. Located in the village Gayzhyunay of the Lithuanian SSR, Baltic VO.
-345th Guards Vienna Red Banner Order of Suvorov III degree parachute regiment named after the 70th anniversary of the Lenin Komsomol. It was located in the city of Bagram (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979, it was based in the city of Fergana, Uzbek SSR, after February 1989 - in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR, Transcaucasian Military District.
-387th training separate parachute regiment (387th oopdp). Until 1982, he was part of the 104th Guards Airborne Division. In the period from 1982 to 1988, young recruits were trained in the 387th opdp to be sent to the airborne and airborne assault units as part of the OKSVA. In cinematography, in the film "9th Company", the training part means precisely the 387th opdp. Based in the city of Fergana, Uzbek SSR, Turkestan Military District.
-196th Separate Communications Regiment of the Airborne Troops. Settled in the village. Bear Lakes, Moscow Region, RSFSR.
Each of these divisions included: a directorate (headquarters), three airborne regiments, one self-propelled artillery regiment, and combat support and logistics support units.

In addition to parachute units and formations, the airborne troops also had air assault units and formations, but they were directly subordinate to the commanders of the troops of military districts (groups of troops), armies or corps. They practically did not differ in anything, except for tasks, subordination and OShS (organizational staff structure). Methods of combat use, combat training programs for personnel, weapons and uniforms for military personnel were the same as for paratrooper units and formations of the Airborne Forces (central subordination). Air assault formations were represented by separate air assault brigades (ODSHBR), separate air assault regiments (ODSHP) and separate air assault battalions (ODSHB).

The reason for the creation of air assault units in the late 60s was the revision of tactics in the fight against the enemy in the event of a full-scale war. The stake was placed on the concept of using massive landings in the near rear of the enemy, capable of disorganizing the defense. The technical possibility for such a landing was provided by the fleet of transport helicopters in army aviation, which had significantly increased by this time.

By the mid-80s, the USSR Armed Forces included 14 separate brigades, two separate regiments and about 20 separate battalions. The brigades were based on the territory of the USSR according to the principle - one brigade per one military district, which has land access to the State border of the USSR, one brigade in the inner Kiev Military District (23rd brigade in Kremenchug, subordinate to the High Command of the southwestern direction) and two brigades for the group Soviet troops abroad (35gv.odshbr in the GSVG in the city of Cottbus and 83odshbr in the SGV in the city of Bialogard). 56ogdshbr in OKSVA, located in the city of Gardez of the Republic of Afghanistan, belonged to the Turkestan Military District, in which it was created.

Individual air assault regiments were subordinate to the commanders of individual army corps.

The difference between the parachute and airborne assault formations of the Airborne Forces was as follows:

In the presence of standard airborne armored vehicles (BMD, BTR-D, self-propelled guns "Nona", etc.). In the airborne assault units, only a quarter of all units were equipped with it - in contrast to 100% of its staffing in the paratrooper units.
- In the subordination of the troops. Airborne assault units, operationally, were directly subordinate to the command of military districts (groups of troops), armies, and corps. The parachute units were subordinate only to the command of the Airborne Forces, whose headquarters was in Moscow.
- In assigned tasks. It was assumed that the air assault units, in the event of the start of large-scale hostilities, would be used to land in the near rear of the enemy, mainly by landing from helicopters. Parachute units were supposed to be used in a deeper rear of the enemy with a parachute landing from VTA aircraft (military transport aviation). At the same time, airborne training with planned training parachute landings of personnel and military equipment was mandatory for both types of airborne forces.
-Unlike the guards airborne units of the Airborne Forces deployed in full force, some airborne assault brigades were cadre (incomplete) and were not guards. The exception was three brigades that received the names of the Guards, created on the basis of the Guards parachute regiments, disbanded in 1979 by the 105th Vienna Red Banner Guards Airborne Division - the 35th, 38th and 56th. The 40th air assault brigade, created on the basis of the 612th separate airborne support battalion and the 100th separate reconnaissance company of the same division, did not receive the status of "guards".
In the mid-80s, the following brigades and regiments were part of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces:

11th separate airborne assault brigade in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Mogocha and Amazar),
-13th separate airborne assault brigade in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur Region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk),
-21st separate airborne assault brigade in the Transcaucasian Military District (Georgian SSR, Kutaisi),
-23rd separate air assault brigade of the South-Western direction (on the territory of the Kiev Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
-35th Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus),
-36th separate airborne assault brigade in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, Garbolovo township),
-37th separate airborne assault brigade in the Baltic Military District (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk),
-38th Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest),
-39th separate airborne assault brigade in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyriv),
-40th separate airborne assault brigade in the Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, village Bolshaya Korenikha, Nikolaev region),
-56th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade in the Turkestan Military District (created in the city of Chirchik, Uzbek SSR and introduced into Afghanistan),
-57th separate airborne assault brigade in the Central Asian Military District (Kazakh SSR, Aktogay township),
-58th separate airborne assault brigade in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
-83rd separate airborne assault brigade in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard),
-1318th separate airborne assault regiment in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5oak)
-1319th separate airborne assault regiment in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Buryat ASSR, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48oak)
These brigades had in their composition management, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery battalion and combat support and logistics support units. The personnel of fully deployed brigades ranged from 2,500 to 3,000 troops.
For example, the regular strength of the personnel of the 56th brigade on December 1, 1986 was 2452 military personnel (261 officers, 109 ensigns, 416 sergeants, 1666 soldiers).

The regiments differed from the brigades in the presence of only two battalions: one paratrooper and one air assault (on the BMD), as well as a slightly reduced composition of the regimental units.

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

In the Afghan war, from the airborne and airborne assault formations of the USSR Armed Forces, one airborne division (103 guards airborne division), one separate airborne assault brigade (56gdshbr), one separate parachute regiment (345gv.opdp) and two air assault battalions as part of separate motorized rifle brigades (in the 66th brigade and in the 70th brigade). In total, for 1987, these were 18 "linear" battalions (13 paratroopers and 5 airborne assaults), which accounted for a fifth of the total number of all OKSVA "linear" battalions (which included another 18 tank and 43 motorized rifle battalions).

In virtually the entire history of the Afghan war, not a single situation has arisen that would justify the use of parachute landing for the transfer of personnel. The main reasons here were the complexity of the mountainous terrain, as well as the unjustified material costs in using such methods in the counter-guerrilla war. The delivery of personnel of the parachute and airborne assault units to the mountainous areas of hostilities, impassable for armored vehicles, was carried out only by landing method using helicopters. Therefore, the division of the line battalions of the Airborne Forces in OKSVA into air assault and parachute assault should be considered conditional. Both types of battalions operated in the same way.

As in all motorized rifle, tank and artillery units as part of the OKSVA, up to half of all units of the airborne and airborne assault formations were assigned to guard outposts, which made it possible to control roads, mountain passes and the vast territory of the country, significantly restricting the the very actions of the enemy. For example, battalions of the 350th Guards RAP were often based in various parts of Afghanistan (in Kunar, Girishka, Surubi), controlling the situation in these areas. The 2nd Airborne Battalion from the 345th Guards Opdp was distributed to 20 outposts in the Panjshir Gorge near the village of Anava. By this very 2pdb 345opdp (together with the 682nd motorized rifle regiment of the 108th motorized rifle division stationed in the village of Rukha) completely blocked the western exit from the gorge, which was the main transport artery of the enemy from Pakistan to the strategically important Charikar Valley.

The most massive combat airborne operation in the USSR Armed Forces, in the period after the Great Patriotic War, must be considered the 5th Panjshir Operation in May-June 1982, during which the first mass landing of the 103rd Guards Airborne Forces in Afghanistan was carried out: only during the first three days, more than 4 thousand people were parachuted from helicopters. In total, about 12 thousand military personnel of various branches of the armed forces participated in this operation. The operation took place simultaneously for all 120 km deep into the gorge. As a result of the operation, most of the Panjshir Gorge was taken under control.

In the period from 1982 to 1986, in all airborne divisions of OKSVA, a systematic replacement of regular airborne armored vehicles (BMD-1, BTR-D) with armored vehicles, standard for motorized rifle units (BMP-2D, BTR-70) was carried out. First of all, this was due to the rather low security and low motor resource of the structurally lightweight armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces, as well as the nature of the hostilities, where combat missions performed by paratroopers will not differ much from the tasks assigned to motorized rifles.

Also, to increase the firepower of the landing units, additional artillery and tank units will be introduced into their composition. For example, 345opdp, modeled on a motorized rifle regiment, will be supplemented with an artillery howitzer battalion and a tank company, in the 56th brigade the artillery battalion was deployed up to 5 fire batteries (instead of the prescribed 3 batteries), and the 103rd Guards Airborne Division will be given to reinforce the 62nd separate tank battalion, which was unusual for the organizational and staff structure of the Airborne Forces units on the territory of the USSR.

Training of officers for the airborne troops

Officers were trained by the following military educational institutions in the following military specialties:

Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School - commander of an airborne (airborne assault) platoon, commander of a reconnaissance platoon.
- Landing Department of the Ryazan Military Automobile Institute - commander of an automobile / transport platoon.
- Landing Department of the Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications - commander of a communications platoon.
-Airborne faculty of the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School - deputy company commander for political affairs (educational work).
- Landing Department of the Kolomna Higher Artillery Command School - commander of an artillery platoon.
-Poltava Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command Red Banner School - commander of an anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft missile platoon.
- Landing department of the Kamenetz-Podolsky Higher Military Engineering Command School - commander of an engineering sapper platoon.
In addition to graduates of these educational institutions, the Airborne Forces often appointed platoon commanders, graduates of higher combined arms schools (VOKU) and military departments that trained motorized rifle platoon commanders. This was due to the fact that the specialized Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which produced an average of about 300 lieutenants every year, was simply not able to fully meet the needs of the Airborne Forces (at the end of the 80s they had about 60,000 personnel) in platoon leaders. For example, the former commander of 247gv.pdp (7gv.vdd), Hero of the Russian Federation Em Yuri Pavlovich, who began his service in the Airborne Forces as a platoon commander in 111gv.pdp 105gv.vdd, graduated from the Alma-Ata Higher Combined Arms Command School.

For quite a long time, military units and units of the Special Forces (the so-called now army special forces) were erroneously and / or deliberately called paratroopers. This circumstance is connected with the fact that in the Soviet period, as now, the Russian Armed Forces did not have and do not have special forces, but there were and are units and units of the Special Forces (SpN) of the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. The phrase “special forces” or “commandos” was mentioned in the press and in the media only in relation to the troops of a potential enemy (“Green Berets”, “Rangers”, “Commandos”).

Starting from the formation of these units in the USSR Armed Forces in 1950 until the end of the 80s, the existence of such units and units was completely denied. It got to the point that conscripts learned about their existence only when they were accepted into the personnel of these units and units. Officially, in the Soviet press and on television, units and units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces were announced either as parts of the Airborne Forces - as in the case of the GSVG (officially there were no Special Forces units in the GDR), or as in the case of OKSVA - separate motorized rifle battalions (omsb). For example, the 173rd separate special forces detachment (173ooSpN), based near the city of Kandahar, was called the 3rd separate motorized rifle battalion (3omsb)

In everyday life, servicemen of subdivisions and units of the Special Forces wore full dress and field uniforms adopted in the Airborne Forces, although they did not belong to the Airborne Forces either in terms of subordination or in terms of the assigned tasks of reconnaissance and sabotage activities. The only thing that united the Airborne Forces and units and units of the Special Forces was most of the officers - RVVDKU graduates, airborne training and possible combat use behind enemy lines.

Airborne Forces of Russia

The decisive role in the formation of the theory of combat use and the development of weapons of the airborne troops belongs to the Soviet military leader Vasily Filippovich Margelov, commander of the Airborne Forces from 1954 to 1979. The name of Margelov is also associated with the positioning of airborne formations as highly maneuverable, covered with armor and having sufficient fire efficiency units to participate in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. On his initiative, the technical re-equipment of the Airborne Forces was launched: serial production of landing equipment was launched at defense production enterprises, modifications of small arms designed specifically for paratroopers were made, new military equipment was modernized and created (including the first BMD-1 tracked combat vehicle), were taken to armament and new military transport aircraft entered the troops, and finally, their own symbols of the Airborne Forces were created - vests and blue berets. His personal contribution to the formation of the Airborne Forces in their modern form was formulated by General Pavel Fedoseevich Pavlenko:

"In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified a whole era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces, their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but and abroad...
…AT. F. Margelov realized that in modern operations, only highly mobile, capable of wide maneuver landing forces would be able to successfully operate deep behind enemy lines. He categorically rejected the installation of holding the area captured by the landing until the approach of the troops advancing from the front by the method of tough defense as detrimental, because in this case the landing would be quickly destroyed.

During the Second World War, the largest operational-tactical formations of the airborne troops (forces) - the army - were formed. The Airborne Army (VDA) was specially designed to carry out major operational and strategic tasks behind enemy lines. It was first created at the end of 1943 in Nazi Germany as part of several airborne divisions. In 1944, the Anglo-American command also created such an army, consisting of two airborne corps (a total of five airborne divisions) and several military transport aviation formations. These armies never took part in hostilities in full strength.
-During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, tens of thousands of soldiers, sergeants, officers of the airborne units of the Red Army Air Force were awarded orders and medals, and 126 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
-After the end of the Great Patriotic War and for several decades, the Airborne Forces of the USSR (Russia) were and probably remain the most massive airborne troops on Earth.
-Only Soviet paratroopers in full combat gear were able to land on the North Pole, back in the late 40s
- Only Soviet paratroopers dared to jump from many kilometers in airborne combat vehicles.
-The abbreviation of the Airborne Forces is sometimes deciphered as “Two hundred options are possible”, “Uncle Vasya’s troops”, “Your girls are widows”, “I’m unlikely to return home”, “The paratrooper will withstand everything”, “Everything for you”, “Troops for the war”, etc. d.

On the basis of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 31, 2006 "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" as a memorable day designed to promote the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increase the prestige of military service and established in recognition of the merits of military specialists in solving the problems of ensuring the defense and security of the state.

In 1994-1996 and 1999-2004, all formations and military units of the Airborne Forces participated in hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic, in August 2008, the military units of the Airborne Forces took part in the operation to force Georgia to peace, operating in the Ossetian and Abkhaz directions.
On the basis of the Airborne Forces, the first Russian battalion of UN peacekeeping forces in Yugoslavia (1992), peacekeeping contingents in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995), in Kosovo and Metohija (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1999) were formed.

Since 2005, according to their specialization, airborne units have been subdivided into airborne, airborne assault and mountain. The first includes the 98th Guards Airborne Division and the 106th Guards Airborne Division of two regiments, the second - the 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division of two regiments and the 31st Guards Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of three battalions, to the third is the 7th Guards Air Assault Division (mountain).
Two units of the Airborne Forces (98th Guards Airborne Division and 31st Guards Separate Airborne Assault Brigade) are part of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
At the end of 2009, in each division of the Airborne Forces, separate anti-aircraft missile regiments were formed on the basis of separate anti-aircraft missile artillery divisions. At the initial stage, the air defense systems of the Ground Forces entered service, which will later be replaced by airborne systems.
According to information for 2012, the total number of Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation is about 30 thousand people. The Airborne Forces include four divisions, the 31st separate airborne brigade, the 45th separate special-purpose regiment, the 242nd training center and other units.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources