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 of Guards Regiment No. 119
From that moment of its founding, the military formation became known as the 45th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment. 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. The military formation was awarded this award for its success in the heroic performance of combat operations, the heroism and courage shown by the soldiers and command. The regiment became the first carrier in the modern history of 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 independently (or as a part to 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, 345th airborne regiment, two battalions, and motorized rifle brigades took part in the battles. 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 transferring army combat personnel. This, according to analysts, is due to the mountainous terrain of the country, as well as the high level of costs for 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 a total number of soldiers involved in the operation of 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.
The heroic feat of the paratroopers participating in the battles for height 776 near the Chechen Ulus-Kert is known. 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. In carrying out the task, the soldiers of the Pskov airborne company did not spare themselves. 6 fighters remained alive.
Russian paratroopers and the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict
In the 90s, units of the Russian Airborne Forces 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
Recently, information has appeared 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.
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 conventional types of military equipment and models 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 received from the Russian Ministry of Defense, it is about 45 thousand fighters. 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 made it possible to release the settlement in the shortest possible time.
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 airborne 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 of 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 releasing the 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 was landed during the Vyazemsk landing operation in the winter of 1942. 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 a key role in pacifying 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 units included in the Airborne Forces was created - airborne 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 individual 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 special purpose brigade (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 a later date (2017 or 2019). There is information that in 2019, an airborne assault battalion will be deployed on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, and in the future, on its basis, a regiment of the 7th Airborne Assault Division, which is currently deployed in Novorossiysk, will be formed.
In addition to combat units, the Russian Airborne Forces also include 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).
Airborne air defense systems consist of man-portable missile systems (various modifications of “Igla” and “Verba”), as well as short-range air defense systems “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 recent years, the Airborne Forces have begun to receive new models of automotive equipment, of which the Tiger armored car, the A-1 Snowmobile 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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Airborne troops are one of the strongest components of the army of the Russian Federation. In recent years, due to the tense international situation, the importance of the Airborne Forces has been increasing. The size of the territory of the Russian Federation, its landscape diversity, as well as borders with almost all conflict states, indicate that it is necessary to have a large supply of special groups of troops that can provide the necessary protection in all directions, which is what the air force is.
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Because air force structure is vast, the question often arises of the Airborne Forces and the Airborne Battalion, are they the same troops? The article examines the differences between them, the history, goals and military training of both organizations, composition.
Differences between troops
The differences lie in the names themselves. The DSB is an air assault brigade, organized and specialized in attacks close to the enemy rear in the event of large-scale military operations. Air assault brigades subordinate to the Airborne Forces - airborne troops, as one of their units and specialize only in assault captures.
Airborne Forces are airborne troops, whose tasks are the capture of the enemy, as well as the capture and destruction of enemy weapons and other air operations. The functionality of the Airborne Forces is much broader - reconnaissance, sabotage, assault. For a better understanding of the differences, let's consider the history of the creation of the Airborne Forces and the Airborne Shock Battalion separately.
History of the Airborne Forces
The Airborne Forces began its history in 1930, when an operation was carried out near the city of Voronezh on August 2, where 12 people parachuted from the air as part of a special unit. This operation then opened the eyes of the leadership to new opportunities for paratroopers. Next year, at the base Leningrad Military District, a detachment is formed, which received a long name - airborne and numbered about 150 people.
The effectiveness of the paratroopers was obvious and the Revolutionary Military Council decided to expand it by creating airborne troops. The order was issued at the end of 1932. At the same time, in Leningrad, instructors were trained, and later they were distributed to districts according to special-purpose aviation battalions.
In 1935, the Kyiv military district demonstrated to foreign delegations the full power of the Airborne Forces by staging an impressive landing of 1,200 paratroopers, who quickly captured the airfield. Later, similar exercises were held in Belarus, as a result of which the German delegation, impressed by the landing of 1,800 people, decided to organize its own airborne detachment, and then a regiment. Thus, The Soviet Union is rightfully the birthplace of the Airborne Forces.
In 1939, our airborne troops there is an opportunity to show yourself in action. In Japan, the 212th brigade was landed on the Khalkin-Gol River, and a year later the 201, 204 and 214 brigades were involved in the war with Finland. Knowing that the Second World War would not pass us by, 5 air corps of 10 thousand people each were formed and the Airborne Forces acquired a new status - guards troops.
The year 1942 was marked by the largest airborne operation during the war, which took place near Moscow, where about 10 thousand paratroopers were dropped into the German rear. After the war, it was decided to annex the Airborne Forces to the Supreme High Command and appoint the commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Ground Forces, this honor falls to Colonel General V.V. Glagolev.
Big innovations in airborne the troops came with “Uncle Vasya”. In 1954 V.V. Glagolev is replaced by V.F. Margelov and held the position of commander of the Airborne Forces until 1979. Under Margelov, the Airborne Forces are supplied with new military equipment, including artillery installations, combat vehicles, and special attention is paid to working under conditions of a surprise attack with nuclear weapons.
Airborne troops took part in all the most significant conflicts - the events of Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Nagorno-Karabakh, North and South Ossetia. Several of our battalions carried out UN peacekeeping missions on the territory of Yugoslavia.
Nowadays, the ranks of the Airborne Forces include about 40 thousand fighters; during special operations, paratroopers form its basis, since the Airborne Forces are a highly qualified component of our army.
History of the formation of the DSB
Air assault brigades began their history after it was decided to rework the tactics of the Airborne Forces in the context of the outbreak of large-scale military operations. The purpose of such ASBs was to disorganize opponents through mass landings close to the enemy; such operations were most often carried out from helicopters in small groups.
Towards the end of the 60s in the Far East, it was decided to form 11 and 13 brigades with helicopter regiments. These regiments were deployed mainly in hard-to-reach areas; the first landing attempts took place in the northern cities of Magdacha and Zavitinsk. Therefore, in order to become a paratrooper of this brigade, strength and special endurance were needed, since the weather conditions were almost unpredictable, for example, in winter the temperature reached -40 degrees, and in the summer there was abnormal heat.
Place of deployment of the first airborne gunships The Far East was chosen for a reason. This was a time of difficult relations with China, which worsened further after a clash of interests on the island of Damascus. The brigades were ordered to prepare to repel an attack from China, which could attack at any time.
High level and importance of DSB was demonstrated during exercises in the late 80s on the island of Iturup, where 2 battalions and artillery landed on MI-6 and MI-8 helicopters. The garrison, due to weather conditions, was not warned about the exercise, as a result of which fire was opened on those who landed, but thanks to the highly qualified training of the paratroopers, none of the participants in the operation were injured.
In those same years, the DSB consisted of 2 regiments, 14 brigades, and about 20 battalions. One brigade at a time were attached to one military district, but only to those that had access to the border by land. Kyiv also had its own brigade, 2 more brigades were given to our units located abroad. Each brigade had an artillery division, logistics and combat units.
After the USSR ceased to exist, the country’s budget did not allow the massive maintenance of the army, so there was nothing else to do but disband some units of the Airborne Forces and Airborne Forces. The beginning of the 90s was marked by the removal of the DSB from the subordination of the Far East and its transfer to full subordination to Moscow. The air assault brigades are being transformed into separate airborne brigades - 13 Airborne Brigade. In the mid-90s, the airborne reduction plan disbanded the 13th Airborne Forces Brigade.
Thus, from the above it is clear that the DShB was created as one of the structural divisions of the Airborne Forces.
Composition of the Airborne Forces
The composition of the Airborne Forces includes the following units:
- airborne;
- air assault;
- mountain (which operate exclusively at mountainous heights).
These are the three main components of the Airborne Forces. In addition, they consist of a division (76.98, 7, 106 Guards Air Assault), brigade and regiment (45, 56, 31, 11, 83, 38 Guards Airborne). A brigade was created in Voronezh in 2013, receiving the number 345.
Airborne Forces personnel prepared in educational institutions of the military reserve of Ryazan, Novosibirsk, Kamenets-Podolsk, and Kolomenskoye. Training was carried out in the areas of parachute landing (air assault) platoon and commanders of reconnaissance platoons.
The school produced about three hundred graduates annually - this was not enough to satisfy the personnel requirements of the airborne troops. Consequently, it was possible to become a member of the Airborne Forces by graduating from airborne departments in special areas of schools such as general arms and military departments.
Preparation
The command staff of the airborne battalion was most often selected from the airborne forces, and battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, and company commanders were selected from the nearest military districts. In the 70s, due to the fact that the leadership decided to repeat their experience - to create and staff the DSB, planned enrollment in educational institutions is expanding, who trained future airborne officers. The mid-80s were marked by the fact that officers were released to serve in the Airborne Forces, having been trained under the educational program for the Airborne Forces. Also during these years, a complete reshuffle of officers was carried out; it was decided to replace almost all of them in the DShV. At the same time, excellent students went to serve mainly in the Airborne Forces.
To join the Airborne Forces, as in the DSB, it is necessary to meet specific criteria:
- height 173 and above;
- average physical development;
- secondary education;
- without medical restrictions.
If everything matches, then the future fighter begins training.
Particular attention is paid, of course, to the physical training of airborne paratroopers, which is carried out constantly, starting with a daily rise at 6 am, hand-to-hand combat (a special training program) and ending with long forced marches of 30–50 km. Therefore, every fighter has enormous endurance and endurance, besides, children who have been involved in any sport that develops that same endurance are selected into their ranks. To test it, they take an endurance test - in 12 minutes a fighter must run 2.4-2.8 km, otherwise there is no point in serving in the Airborne Forces.
It is worth noting that it is not for nothing that they are called universal fighters. These people can operate in various areas in any weather conditions absolutely silently, can camouflage themselves, own all types of weapons, both their own and the enemy’s, control any type of transport and means of communication. In addition to excellent physical preparation, psychological preparation is also required, since fighters have to overcome not only long distances, but also “work with their heads” to get ahead of the enemy throughout the entire operation.
Intellectual aptitude is determined using tests compiled by experts. Psychological compatibility in the team is necessarily taken into account; the guys are included in a certain detachment for 2-3 days, after which the senior officers evaluate their behavior.
Psychophysical preparation is carried out, which implies tasks with increased risk, where there is both physical and mental stress. Such tasks are aimed at overcoming fear. At the same time, if it turns out that the future paratrooper does not experience a feeling of fear at all, then he is not accepted for further training, since he is quite naturally taught to control this feeling, and is not completely eradicated. Airborne Forces training gives our country a huge advantage in terms of fighters over any enemy. Most VDVeshnikov already lead a familiar lifestyle even after retirement.
Armament of the Airborne Forces
As for technical equipment, the Airborne Forces use combined arms equipment and equipment specially designed for the nature of this type of troops. Some of the samples were created during the USSR, but the bulk were developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Soviet period cars include:
- amphibious combat vehicle - 1 (the number reaches 100 units);
- BMD-2M (approximately 1 thousand units), they are used in both ground and parachute landing methods.
These techniques have been tested for many years and took part in multiple armed conflicts that took place on the territory of our country and abroad. Nowadays, in conditions of rapid progress, these models are outdated both morally and physically. A little later, the BMD-3 model was released and today the number of such equipment is only 10 units, since production has ceased, they plan to gradually replace it with the BMD-4.
The Airborne Forces are also armed with armored personnel carriers BTR-82A, BTR-82AM and BTR-80 and the most numerous tracked armored personnel carrier - 700 units, and it is also the most outdated (mid-70s), it is gradually being replaced by an armored personnel carrier - MDM "Rakushka". There are also 2S25 Sprut-SD anti-tank guns, an armored personnel carrier - RD "Robot", and ATGMs: "Konkurs", "Metis", "Fagot", and "Cornet". Air defense represented by missile systems, but a special place is given to a new product that recently appeared in service with the Airborne Forces - the Verba MANPADS.
Not long ago new models of equipment appeared:
- armored car "Tiger";
- Snowmobile A-1;
- Kamaz truck - 43501.
As for communication systems, they are represented by locally developed electronic warfare systems “Leer-2 and 3”, Infauna, system control is represented by air defense “Barnaul”, “Andromeda” and “Polet-K” - automation of command and control.
Weapon represented by samples, for example, the Yarygin pistol, PMM and the PSS silent pistol. The Soviet Ak-74 assault rifle is still the personal weapon of paratroopers, but is gradually being replaced by the newest AK-74M, and the silent Val assault rifle is also used in special operations. There are parachute systems of both Soviet and post-Soviet types, which can parachute large quantities of soldiers and all the military equipment described above. Heavier equipment includes automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 “Plamya” and AGS-30, SPG-9.
Armament of the DShB
The DShB had transport and helicopter regiments, which numbered:
- about twenty mi-24, forty mi-8 and forty mi-6;
- the anti-tank battery was armed with a 9 MD mounted anti-tank grenade launcher;
- the mortar battery included eight 82-mm BM-37s;
- the anti-aircraft missile platoon had nine Strela-2M MANPADS;
- it also included several BMD-1s, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers for each airborne assault battalion.
The armament of the brigade artillery group consisted of GD-30 howitzers, PM-38 mortars, GP 2A2 cannons, the Malyutka anti-tank missile system, SPG-9MD, and ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun.
Heavier equipment includes automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 “Flame” and AGS-30, SPG-9 “Spear”. Aerial reconnaissance is carried out using the domestic Orlan-10 drone.
One interesting fact took place in the history of the Airborne Forces: for quite a long time, thanks to erroneous media information, special forces (Special Forces) soldiers were not rightfully called paratroopers. The thing is, what is in the Air Force of our country In the Soviet Union, as in the post-Soviet Union, there were and do not exist Special Forces troops, but there are divisions and units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the General Staff, which arose in the 50s. Until the 80s, the command was forced to completely deny their existence in our country. Therefore, those who were appointed to these troops learned about them only after being accepted into service. For the media they were disguised as motorized rifle battalions.
Airborne Forces Day
Paratroopers celebrate the birthday of the Airborne Forces, like the DShB since August 2, 2006. This kind of gratitude for the efficiency of air units, the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation was signed in May of the same year. Despite the fact that the holiday was declared by our government, the birthday is celebrated not only in our country, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and most CIS countries.
Every year, airborne veterans and active soldiers meet in the so-called “meeting place”, each city has its own, for example, in Astrakhan “Brotherly Garden”, in Kazan “Victory Square”, in Kiev “Hydropark”, in Moscow “Poklonnaya Gora”, Novosibirsk "Central Park". Demonstrations, concerts and fairs are held in large cities.
The branch of the Armed Forces, which is a reserve of the Supreme High Command and specifically designed to cover the enemy by air and carry out tasks in his rear to disrupt command and control, capture and destroy ground elements of high-precision weapons, disrupt the advance and deployment of reserves, disrupt the work of the rear and communications, as well as for covering (defense) of individual directions, areas, open flanks, blocking and destroying landed airborne troops, broken through enemy groups 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 for their intended purpose.
In the Russian Armed Forces they are a separate branch of the military.
Airborne forces are also quite often used as rapid reaction forces.
The main method of delivering airborne forces is parachute landing; they can also be delivered by helicopter; During World War II, delivery by gliders was practiced.
Airborne Forces of the USSR
Pre-war period
At the end of 1930, near Voronezh, a Soviet airborne unit was created in the 11th Infantry Division - an airborne detachment. In December 1932, he was deployed to the 3rd Special Purpose Aviation Brigade (OsNaz), which in 1938 became known as the 201st Airborne Brigade.
The very first use of airborne assault in the history of military affairs occurred in the spring of 1929. In the city of Garm, besieged by the Basmachi, a group of armed Red Army soldiers was dropped 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, Airborne Forces Day in Russia and a number of other countries is considered to be August 2, in honor of the parachute landing at a 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 (airborne) units, units and formations. The detachment consisted of 164 personnel and consisted of:
One rifle company;
-separate platoons: engineer, communications and light vehicles;
-heavy bomber aviation squadron (air squadron) (12 aircraft - TB-1);
-one corps aviation detachment (air squadron) (10 aircraft - R-5).
The detachment was armed with:
Two 76-mm Kurchevsky dynamo-reactive guns (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 parachute 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 purpose aviation battalions (BOSNAZ). By the end of 1933, there were already 29 airborne battalions and brigades that became part of the Air Force. The Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District) was entrusted with the task of training instructors in airborne operations and developing operational-tactical standards.
By the standards of that time, airborne units were an effective means of disrupting enemy command and control and rear areas. They were to be used where other types of troops (infantry, artillery, cavalry, armored forces) could not currently solve this problem, and were also intended to be used by the high command in cooperation with troops advancing from the front; airborne assaults were to help encircling and defeating the enemy in this direction.
Staff No. 015/890 1936 of the “airborne brigade” (adbr) in wartime and peacetime. Name of units, number of wartime personnel (number of peacetime personnel in brackets):
Management, 49(50);
-communications company, 56 (46);
-musician platoon, 11 (11);
-3 airborne battalions, each, 521 (381);
-school for 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);
-Private personnel, 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);
-ChTZ Tractors, 2 (2);
-Tractor trailers, 4 (4);
In the pre-war years, a lot of effort 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 Red Army exercises. In 1935, during the maneuvers of the Kyiv Military District, 1,188 paratroopers were parachuted and a landing force of 2,500 people was landed along with military equipment.
In 1936, 3,000 paratroopers were landed in the Belarusian Military District, and 8,200 people with artillery and other military equipment were landed. The invited foreign military delegations present at these exercises were amazed by the size of the landings and the skill of the landing.
“31. Parachute units, as a new type of air infantry, are a means of disrupting the enemy’s control and rear. They are used by the high command.
In cooperation with troops advancing from the front, air infantry helps encircle and defeat the enemy in a given direction.
The use of air infantry must be strictly consistent with the conditions of the situation and requires reliable support and compliance with measures of secrecy and surprise."
- Chapter two “Organization of the Red Army troops” 1. Types of troops and their combat use, Field Manual of the Red Army (PU-39)
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 brigades fought together with rifle units.
Based on the experience gained, in 1940 new brigade staffs were approved, consisting 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 Red Army command included the 201st, 204th and 214th airborne brigades in the Southern Front. During the operation, the 204th and 201st ADBRs received combat missions and troops were sent to the area of Bolgrad and Izmail, and after the closure of the state border to organize Soviet control bodies in populated areas.
The Great Patriotic War
By the beginning of 1941, on the basis of the existing airborne brigades, airborne corps were deployed, each numbering more than 10 thousand people.
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 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, the formation of ten airborne corps, five maneuverable airborne brigades, five reserve airborne regiments and an airborne school (Kuibyshev) was carried out. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces were an independent branch of the Red Army Air Force.
In the counter-offensive near Moscow, conditions appeared for the widespread use of airborne forces. In the winter of 1942, the Vyazma 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 assist the troops of the Voronezh Front in crossing the Dnieper River. In the Manchurian strategic operation in August 1945, more than 4 thousand personnel of rifle units were landed for landing operations, who quite successfully completed the assigned tasks.
In October 1944, the Airborne Forces were transformed into a separate Guards Airborne Army, which became part of long-range aviation. In December 1944, this army was, based on the order of the Supreme High Command Headquarters dated December 18, 1944, transformed into the 9th Guards Army, based on the command of the 7th Army and formations of a separate Guards Airborne Army with direct subordination to the Supreme High Command Headquarters. The airborne divisions were reorganized into rifle divisions.
At the same time, an Airborne Forces directorate was created with direct subordination to the Air Force commander. The Airborne Forces retained three airborne brigades, an airborne training regiment, advanced training courses for officers and an aeronautical division. At the end of the winter of 1945, the 9th Guards Army, consisting of the 37th, 38th, 39th Guards Rifle Corps, was concentrated in Hungary southeast of Budapest; On February 27, it became part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front; on March 9, it 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. At the beginning of May 1945, the army as part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front participated in the Prague operation (May 6-11). The 9th Guards Army ended its combat journey with access to the Elbe. The army was disbanded on May 11, 1945. The army commander is Colonel General V.V. Glagolev (December 1944 - until the end of the war). On June 10, 1945, in accordance with the order of the Supreme High Command Headquarters dated May 29, 1945, the Central Group of Forces was formed, which included the 9th Guards Army. Later it was transferred to the Moscow District, where in 1946 its directorate was transformed into the Airborne Forces Directorate, and all its formations again became guards airborne units - the 37th, 38th, 39th Corps and the 98th, 99th, 100th, 103rd, 104th , 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, and were directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense of the USSR, being the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
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 Joint Armed Forces of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact during the Czechoslovak events.
In the post-war period, the Airborne Forces carried out a lot of work to strengthen the firepower and mobility of personnel. Numerous samples of airborne armored vehicles (BMD, BTR-D), automotive vehicles (TPK, GAZ-66), artillery systems (ASU-57, ASU-85, 2S9 Nona, 107-mm recoilless rifle B-11) were made. Complex parachute systems were created for landing all types of weapons - “Centaur”, “Reaktavr” and others. The fleet of military transport aircraft, designed for the massive transfer of landing forces 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. During major army exercises (like Shield-82 or Friendship-82), personnel with standard equipment numbering no more than two parachute regiments were landed. The state of military transport aviation of the USSR Armed Forces at the end of the 1980s allowed for the parachute drop of 75% of the personnel and standard military equipment of one airborne division in just one general sortie.
By the fall of 1979, the 105th Guards Vienna Red Banner Airborne Division, specially designed for combat operations in mountainous desert areas, was disbanded. Units of the 105th Guards Airborne Division were stationed in the cities of Fergana, 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, 4 separate air assault brigades were created (35th Guards, 38th Guards and 56th Guards), 40th (without “Guards” status) and 345th guards separate parachute regiment.
The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979, which followed the disbandment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, showed the deep 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 in an ill-considered and rather hasty manner was disbanded, and the 103rd Guards Airborne Division was ultimately sent to Afghanistan, whose personnel had no training at all to conduct combat operations in such a theater of operations:
105th Guards Airborne Vienna Red Banner Division (mountain-desert):
“...in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General D.F. Sukhorukov, arrived, he said then what fools we were, disbanding the 105th Airborne Division, because it was specifically designed to conduct combat operations in mountainous desert areas. And we were forced to spend huge amounts of money to transport 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, Chernigov Airborne Division. She was stationed in Pskov, RSFSR, Leningrad Military District.
-98th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov, II degree, Svirskaya 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. She was stationed in Kabul (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979 and after February 1989, it was stationed in the city of Vitebsk, Belarusian SSR, Belorussian Military District.
-104th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division, specially designed for combat operations in mountainous areas. She was stationed in the city of Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR, Transcaucasian Military District.
-106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division. Stationed in Tula and Ryazan, 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. Gaizhunai, Lithuanian SSR, Baltic Military District.
-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 Bagram (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979, he was based in the city of Fergana, Uzbek SSR, after February 1989 - in the city of Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR, Transcaucasian Military District.
-387th separate training parachute regiment (387th airborne assault regiment). Until 1982, it was part of the 104th Guards Airborne Division. In the period from 1982 to 1988, the 387th OUPD trained young recruits to be sent to airborne and air assault units as part of OKSVA. In the cinema, in the film “9th Company”, the training unit refers to the 387th OUPD. Based in Fergana, Uzbek SSR, Turkestan Military District.
-196th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces. Located in the village. Bear Lakes, Moscow Region, RSFSR.
Each of these divisions included: a directorate (headquarters), three parachute 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 military districts (groups of forces), armies or corps. They were practically no different, except for tasks, subordination and OSH (organizational staffing structure). Methods of combat use, combat training programs for personnel, weapons and uniforms of military personnel were the same as in parachute units and formations of the Airborne Forces (central subordination). The 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 formations in the late 60s was the revision of tactics in the fight against the enemy in the event of a full-scale war. The emphasis was placed on the concept of using massive landings in the near rear of the enemy, capable of disorganizing the defense. The technical capability for such a landing was provided by the significantly increased fleet of transport helicopters in the army aviation 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 military district, which has land access to the State Border of the USSR, one brigade in the internal Kiev Military District (23rd brigade in Kremenchug, subordinate to the Main Command of the southwestern direction) and two brigades for the group Soviet troops abroad (35th Guards Brigade in the GSVG in Cottbus and 83rd Guards Brigade in the SGV in Bialogard). The 56th Army Brigade 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:
Standard airborne armored vehicles are available (BMD, BTR-D, self-propelled guns “Nona”, etc.). In the air assault units, only a quarter of all units were equipped with it - in contrast to 100% of its strength in the parachute 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 were located in Moscow.
-In the assigned tasks. It was assumed that the airborne assault units, in the event of the outbreak of large-scale hostilities, would be used to land near the enemy's rear, mainly by landing from helicopters. The parachute units were supposed to be used deeper behind enemy lines with parachute landing from MTA (military transport aviation) aircraft. At the same time, airborne training with planned training parachute landings of personnel and military equipment was mandatory for both types of airborne formations.
-Unlike the guards parachute units of the Airborne Forces deployed at full strength, some air assault brigades were squadroned (incomplete) and were not guards. The exception was three brigades that received the name Guards, created on the basis of the Guards parachute regiments, the 105th Vienna Red Banner Guards Airborne Division disbanded in 1979 - 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 “guards” status.
In the mid-80s, the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces included the following brigades and regiments:
11th separate air assault brigade in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Mogocha and Amazar),
-13th separate air assault brigade in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk),
-21st separate air 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 Kyiv Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
-35th separate guards air assault brigade in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus),
-36th separate air assault brigade in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, Garbolovo village),
-37th separate air assault brigade in the Baltic Military District (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk),
-38th separate guards air assault brigade in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest),
-39th separate air assault brigade in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyrov),
-40th separate air assault brigade in the Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Bolshaya Korenikha village, 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 air assault brigade in the Central Asian Military District (Kazakh SSR, Aktogay village),
-58th separate air assault brigade in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
-83rd separate air assault brigade in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard),
-1318th separate air assault regiment in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5oak)
-1319th separate air assault regiment in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48oak)
These brigades included a command, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery division 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 number of personnel of the 56th General Guards Brigade as of December 1, 1986 was 2,452 military personnel (261 officers, 109 warrant officers, 416 sergeants, 1,666 soldiers).
The regiments differed from the brigades by the presence of only two battalions: one parachute and one air assault (on BMD), as well as a slightly reduced composition of the units of the regimental set.
Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War
In the Afghan war, one airborne division (103rd Guards Airborne Division), one separate airborne assault brigade (56ogdshbr), one separate parachute regiment (345guards opdp) and two air assault battalions as part of separate motorized rifle brigades (in the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade and in the 70th Motorized Rifle Brigade). In total, in 1987 these were 18 “line” battalions (13 parachute and 5 air assault), which amounted to a fifth of the total number of all “line” OKSVA battalions (which included another 18 tank and 43rd motorized rifle battalions).
In almost the entire history of the Afghan war, not a single situation arose that would justify the use of parachute landing for the transfer of personnel. The main reasons for this were the complexity of the mountainous terrain, as well as the unjustification of the material costs of using such methods in counter-guerrilla warfare. The delivery of personnel of parachute and air assault units to mountainous combat areas impassable for armored vehicles was carried out only by landing using helicopters. Therefore, the division of line battalions of the Airborne Forces in OKSVA into air assault and parachute assault should be considered conditional. Both types of battalions operated according to the same pattern.
As in all motorized rifle, tank and artillery units within the OKSVA, up to half of all units of the airborne and air assault formations were assigned to guard duty at outposts, which made it possible to control roads, mountain passes and the vast territory of the country, significantly limiting the the very actions of the enemy. For example, battalions of the 350th Guards RPD were often based in various points of Afghanistan (in Kunar, Girishk, Surubi), monitoring the situation in these areas. The 2nd parachute battalion from the 345th Guards Special Operations Division was distributed among 20 outposts in the Panjshir Gorge near the village of Anava. With this 2ndb 345th opdp (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 enemy’s main transport artery 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 should be considered the 5th Panjshir Operation in May-June 1982, during which the first mass landing of troops of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division in Afghanistan was carried out: only During the first three days, over 4 thousand people were landed from helicopters. In total, about 12 thousand military personnel of various branches of the military took part in this operation. The operation took place simultaneously throughout the entire 120 km depth of the gorge. As a result of the operation, most of the Panjshir gorge was taken under control.
In the period from 1982 to 1986, all OKSVA airborne units systematically replaced standard airborne armored vehicles (BMD-1, BTR-D) with armored vehicles standard for motorized rifle units (BMP-2D, BTR-70). First of all, this was due to the rather low security and low motor life of structurally lightweight armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces, as well as the nature of combat operations, where combat missions performed by paratroopers will differ little from the tasks assigned to motorized riflemen.
Also, to increase the firepower of the airborne units, additional artillery and tank units will be added to their composition. For example, the 345th opdp, modeled on a motorized rifle regiment, will be supplemented with an artillery howitzer division and a tank company, in the 56th Odshbr the artillery division was deployed to 5 fire batteries (instead of the required 3 batteries), and the 103rd Guards Airborne Division will be given the 62nd separate tank battalion for reinforcement, which was unusual for the organizational structure of Airborne Forces units on the territory of the USSR.
Training of officers for 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) platoon, commander of a reconnaissance platoon.
-Airborne Faculty of the Ryazan Military Automotive Institute - commander of an automobile/transport platoon.
-Airborne Faculty 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).
-Airborne Faculty 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.
-Airborne Faculty of Kamenets-Podolsk Higher Military Engineering Command School - commander of an engineering platoon.
In addition to graduates of these educational institutions, graduates of higher combined arms schools (VOKU) and military departments that trained motorized rifle platoon commanders were often appointed to the positions of platoon commanders in the Airborne Forces. This was due to the fact that the specialized Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which graduated on average about 300 lieutenants every year, was simply not able to fully meet the needs of the Airborne Forces (at the end of the 80s there were about 60,000 personnel in them) as platoon commanders. For example, the former commander of the 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 the 111gv.pdp 105gv.vdd, graduated from the Alma-Ata Higher Combined Arms Command School.
For quite a long time, military personnel of units and units of the Special Forces (now called army special forces) were mistakenly and/or intentionally called paratroopers. This circumstance is connected with the fact that in the Soviet period, as now, there were and are no special forces in the Russian Armed Forces, but there were and are special forces units and units (SPT) of the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. The phrases “special forces” or “commandos” were 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 only learned about their existence when they were recruited into 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 of the Airborne Forces - as in the case of the GSVG (officially in the GDR there were no units of the Special Forces), 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, military personnel of units and units of the Special Forces wore dress and field uniforms adopted by the Airborne Forces, although they were in no way related to the Airborne Forces either in terms of subordination or assigned tasks of reconnaissance and sabotage activities. The only thing that united the Airborne Forces and the units and units of the Special Forces was the majority of the officers - graduates of the RVVDKU, airborne training and possible combat use behind enemy lines.
Russian Airborne Forces
The decisive role in the formation of the theory of combat use and the development of weapons of the airborne troops belonged 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, armored units with sufficient fire efficiency to participate in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. On his initiative, the technical re-equipment of the Airborne Forces began: serial production of landing equipment was launched at defense production enterprises, modifications of small arms were made specifically for paratroopers, new military equipment was modernized and created (including the first tracked combat vehicle BMD-1), which were adopted by weapons and new military transport aircraft entered the troops, and finally, the Airborne Forces’ own symbols 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 an entire 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...
…IN. F. Margelov realized that in modern operations only highly mobile landing forces capable of wide maneuver can operate successfully deep behind enemy lines. He categorically rejected the idea of holding the area captured by the landing forces until the approach of troops advancing from the front using the method of rigid defense as disastrous, because in this case the landing force would be quickly destroyed."
During the Second World War, the largest operational-tactical associations of airborne troops (forces) - the army - were formed. The Airborne Army (Airborne Army) was specifically designed to carry out major operational-strategic missions 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 force.
-During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, tens of thousands of soldiers, sergeants, and 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 USSR (Russian) Airborne Forces 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 height in airborne combat vehicles.
-The abbreviation VDV is sometimes deciphered as “Two hundred options are possible”, “Uncle Vasya’s troops”, “Your girls are widows”, “I’m unlikely to return home”, “A paratrooper will endure everything”, “Everything for you”, “Troops for war”, etc. d.
Probably every adult man and most women in the country know well that the 345th (Airborne) Regiment is legendary. Fame became widespread after the release of F. Bondarchuk’s cult feature film “The 9th Company,” which poignantly told about the battle near Khost, where the 9th Airborne Company of this regiment heroically died.
Start
The regiment was finally formed on New Year's Day, December thirtieth, when almost six months remained before the Great Victory. Forty-four, the town of Lapichi near Mogilev in liberated Belarus, tormented by the fascists. It was from here that Regiment 345 (Airborne Forces) took the roads of war. The regiment was first a rifle regiment - based on the Fourteenth Guards Airborne Brigade.
The final renaming took place in June 1946. From July of the same year until 1960, the 345th (Airborne) regiment was stationed in Kostroma, after which, until December 1979, in Fergana, joining the 105th Guards Airborne Division.
Continuation
Already in 1946, the regimental banner was carried with honor. Until the end of the victorious year, the regiment guarded the peace of Hungary. For the high level of military training, the USSR Minister of Defense awarded the pennant "For Courage and Military Valor" to Regiment 345 (Airborne Forces). This regiment practically did not see the world, constantly being in the hottest spots of the country and the planet.
In total, from 1979 to 1998, the regiment, without interruption for a single day, participated in various armed conflicts and wars, and so eighteen years and five months passed. Then, on December 14, 1979, no one knew about it yet. With the receipt of “separate” status, the 345th Airborne Regiment - Bagram also receives a new assignment.
Afghanistan
Soviet troops had not yet been introduced into this neighboring country, and the second battalion was already helping the One Hundred and Eleventh Guards Parachute Regiment guard the Bagram airfield. Our military transport helicopters and airplanes were based there. The ninth company, consisting of eighty people, had already stormed Amin’s palace (as part of the Fortieth Army) at the end of December 1979. In 1980, unparalleled heroism and courage earned another award - the Order of the Red Banner.
Re-equipment
In the spring of 1982, new equipment arrived at 3 Bagram. Afghanistan was never recaptured until our troops left the country. In 2002, thanks to powerful Soviet efforts, the Americans began to use the airfield built and our largest military base.
The new landing equipment of the early eighties was more suitable for guerrilla operations in the mountains. BMD landing gear) did not interfere with mine fragments, and standard BTR-70 and BMP-2 well protected the airborne troops sitting inside. The 345th Airborne Regiment in Afghanistan was happy with the new equipment, despite the fact that it really loved the old vehicle - powerful, maneuverable and fast.
No longer parachute
The staff structure of the unit also changed for the better: the regimental weapons received an effective means of firepower - a howitzer division (D-30) and a tank company (T-62). It was practically impossible to land with parachutes here - the mountainous terrain was too difficult, so the landing support in the form of airborne service units was removed as unnecessary.
The enemy did not have aviation or armored vehicles, so both the anti-aircraft missile and anti-tank batteries went where they were needed: to cover the columns on the marches from Bagram and to Bagram. The 345th Airborne Regiment thus became more similar to a motorized rifle regiment.
Revisiting the album
The missions during the fighting in Afghanistan were of a very different nature: fighters guarded roads and vehicle convoys en route, cleared mountainous areas, set up ambushes, went on raids, both individually and in support of Commandos and KHAD, and assisted units government police... What can you see in the photo albums of those years? Here in the photo is the 345th Airborne Regiment. Kunduz. The fighters smile, seemingly serenely, but their weapons, if not in their hands, are very close...
Looking at the photographs, you understand how much dangerous work that required full professionalism was carried out by the soldiers. Here's another page. Again the 345th Airborne Regiment. Bagram (Afghanistan). The photo does not convey even the smallest fraction of the dangers that awaited the soldiers every day every minute for nine long and bloody years. Nine years of daily losses. It’s good that the 345th Airborne Regiment managed to take photos and managed to save them. Amazing inner composure in poses that at first glance are calm, even relaxed. Years later, many want to figure out why victory did not come. Such strong people in the photographs. Confident and very, very beautiful. And high, dizzying mountains around.
Job
Any military operation in the highlands has a fifty-fifty chance of success. A frontal attack is possible only in certain directions. Artillery, no matter how hard it hits the nearby mountains, rarely justifies the effort. It is necessary to radically change both tactics and forms of maneuver. The main thing is to capture all the dominant heights. This is why helicopter landings exist where “bypassing” detachments are of little help, and most often do not reach their goal, because either steep cliffs or gaping insurmountable gorges stand in their way.
Finding detours and paths is long and dangerous. Mountaineer units would have helped, but there were none in the 345th Airborne Regiment. They tested the Soviet paratroopers in all respects: endurance, psychological stability, strength, endurance, mutual assistance - everything was in place. At altitudes of 3-4 thousand meters, reconnaissance was carried out for 2-3 weeks, on foot, with a load of 40 kilograms on each person’s back, with the situation completely unclear. When you don’t know at what moment and from where to expect an attack. Over the course of a week in the mountains, the paratroopers lost up to 10 kilograms of their own weight.
Whose war is this?
In April 1978, Afghanistan was rocked by a revolution that brought the PDPA party to power, which immediately proclaimed socialism in the Soviet version. The USA, naturally, did not like this. Mohammad Taraki was elected leader of the country, and what seemed to be his comrade-in-arms, even his closest one, who graduated from a university in the United States, became prime minister. Taraki asked L. Brezhnev to send troops. But the General Secretary of the CPSU was a kind, but cautious person. He refused.
Probably, we should have been more courageous in defending our interests in neighboring territories. The experience was gained - difficult and terrible. By order of Amin, Taraki, who was Brezhnev’s great friend, was first arrested and then strangled. By the way, immediately after he was arrested, the Secretary General of the USSR personally asked Amin to save Taraki’s life. But Amin had already secured the support of the United States by that time and was not going to follow the lead of his closest neighbor.
Chagrin
Brezhnev was deeply upset. Therefore, on December 12, 1979, at a meeting of the Politburo, the question of the situation in Afghanistan was raised. The decision to use Soviet armed forces in this war was supported by Gromyko, Ustinov and Andropov. Agarkov and Kosygin opposed. The war was started by a majority vote.
Here, as if in parentheses, that is, in a whisper, it must be admitted that already from July 1979, troops were quietly transferred to Afghanistan: special forces of the KGB and Airborne Forces, for example, including the Alpha, Zenit, and Thunder detachments. And even the “Muslim Battalion” began exploring Afghanistan by the fall.
The 345th Airborne Regiment was sent there as one of the first landing units. And on December 25, 1979, USSR troops had already openly crossed the state border into Afghanistan. Literally two days later, Amin’s residence was stormed, and he himself was killed. In these battles the regiment suffered its first losses. Eight guardsmen of the 345th Airborne Regiment will never hug their loved ones again. These losses were not the last...
Sanctions
Like the Olympics in our country, the war in our neighborhood is traditional. Already on January 2, 1980, the United States began sanctions regarding the war in Afghanistan. One of them was refusal to participate in the 1980 Olympics. One hundred and four UN member states supported the sanctions. Only eighteen - no.
And in Afghanistan a leader loyal to the USSR appeared - the USA, naturally, did not leave it that way. Already in February, uprisings against the PDPA broke out one after another across Afghanistan. Money (and more often promises) plus a crazy herd - and an uprising is ready. And then the massacre began. Bloody nine years and two months. Only on the eleventh of February 1989, the 345th (Airborne) regiment left Afghanistan.
Phoenix rising from the ashes
On April 13, 1998, by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, the 345th (Airborne Forces) regiment was disbanded. The combat banner and awards are kept in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces. Copies handed over to Nowhere and having never once lost the honor of the Soviet Army, observing all military traditions and faithfully, regardless of life and death, carrying out all combat missions, the 345th Airborne Regiment, covered in glory, was disbanded without even allowing it to set foot on its native soil. Sixty-four kilometers remained to Russia.
The memory will never fade. In many cities, airborne veterans have created organizations to prevent this from happening. The 345th Airborne Regiment is honored by Novosibirsk, Ryazan, Moscow, many cities of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and all territories of the former Soviet Union.
Most recently, V. Shamanov confirmed that the airborne troops will receive a newly formed separate assault brigade, numbered 345 - in honor of the legendary parachute regiment, which has more than seventy years of history. Formation will end in 2016 in Voronezh.