Airborne divisions

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Motto: “NO TASK IS IMPOSSIBLE!”

Emblem: it is based on the symbolism of the coat of arms of Tula, where the division is stationed, and ancient mythology, according to which the centaur combines power and intelligence, courage and cunning of man and animal.

For the first time in the world, this division practically tested a system for landing people inside combat vehicles, which was conventionally called “Centaur”. The division was formed in 1944. She fought in Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia. She carried out special peacekeeping operations in Sumgaiti, Baku and other regions of Azerbaijan, Tbilisi, Kyrgyzstan, Transnistria, North Ossetia and Ingushetia. In 1992, she ensured the rescue of employees of the Russian and foreign embassies, as well as the UN mission in Kabul.

Motto: “WE ARE EVERYWHERE WHERE VICTORY AWAITS!”

Emblem: based on the coat of arms of the city of Pskov, where the units and headquarters of the division are located. The symbol of the division is the northern leopard, personifying the specifics of the northernmost airborne division - strength, hardening, endurance. This is the oldest airborne formation, formed back in 1939.

The combat path of the Chernigov division during the Great Patriotic War is unique - it took part in the defense of cities that later became hero cities: Odessa, Sevastopol, Kerch, Stalingrad. Having passed through the Kursk Bulge, the crossing of the Dnieper, as well as battles in Belarus, the division ended the war in Germany. There are 50 Heroes of the Soviet Union in the division. In 1988, she actively participated in eliminating the consequences of the earthquake in Armenia. In July 1994, for the first time in history, the division's paratroopers conducted joint exercises with their French counterparts.

Motto: "HONOR AND HOMELAND ABOVE ALL!"

Emblem: reflects the ancient myth of divine punishment for violation of honor, dignity, independence, for pain caused; the punishing sword from behind the clouds reflects an attack on the independence and interests of the state.

The combat route of the division formed in 1944 ran through Karelia, Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. The division became famous for its exceptionally decisive actions during the crossing of the Svir River in the summer of 1944 and for surprising everyone with its courage and effectiveness in battles with selected SS tank units in the spring of 1945 in Hungary. The paratroopers sharpened their “transcendental sword” at the exercises “South”, “Spring-75”, “Shield-82”, “Summer-90”. The Svir division participated in special peacekeeping operations in Yerevan, Stepanokert, Baku, Tbilisi, Dushanbe, and Moldova.

Motto: "COURAGE, COURAGE, HONOR!"

Emblem: based on the mythology of the Western Slavs, who considered the bison to be the personification of power and nobility. But the bison is also a historical symbol of Kaunas, where the division was formed and stationed for more than 45 years.

During the war, the division fought through Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia. The paratroopers showed special fighting qualities when repelling the attack of superior forces of the SS divisions in the battle of Lake Balaton and during the capture of Vienna. Since 1956, the 7th Guards was the first to master the An-8, An-12, An-22, Il-76 aircraft, as well as new parachute systems, all generations of BMD and the Nona artillery system. The division carried out peacekeeping missions in Azerbaijan and Abkhazia, and is currently redeployed from Kaunas to Novorossiysk.

Motto: "HONOR TO YOURSELF - GLORY TO YOUR MOTHERLAND!"

Emblem: scorpion, personifying mortal danger and unpredictability of actions on his part; The scorpion is distinguished by the fact that at any moment it is capable of delivering an irresistible blow to the enemy, which is characteristic of the fighting style of this division. The emblem also reflects the specifics of the 104th Guards combat training for operations in mountainous desert areas, where the formation was stationed for more than 45 years.

During the war, the division fought with selected Nazi units in Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. In terms of the nature of its preparedness and psychological hardening, the 104th Guards is the most “unlike” from other airborne divisions. All exercises, training, experiments, and research were based on overcoming the impossible.

The one who has never left a plane in his life,
from where cities and villages seem like toys,
who has never experienced joy and fear
free fall, whistling in the ears, a stream of wind
beating in the chest, he will never understand
honor and pride of the paratrooper...
V.F. Margelov

Airborne troops (Airborne Forces), a highly mobile branch of the armed forces, designed to reach the enemy by air and conduct combat operations in his rear. The Russian Airborne Forces are a means of the Supreme Command and can form the basis of mobile forces. They report directly to the Airborne Forces commander and consist of airborne divisions, brigades, and departments. units and institutions.

CreationAirborne troops .

The history of the Airborne Forces dates back to August 2, 1930 - during an Air Force exercise of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, a paratrooper unit consisting of 12 people was parachuted. This experiment allowed military theorists to see the prospect of the advantages of parachute units, their enormous capabilities associated with the rapid coverage of the enemy by air.

The Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army determined one of the tasks for 1931: “... airborne landing operations must be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Red Army Headquarters in order to develop and distribute appropriate instructions to the localities.” Attention was drawn to the need for a thorough development of the organizational structure and theory of the combat use of airborne troops.

The first unit of the Airborne Forces was an airborne detachment formed in 1931 in the Leningrad Military District, numbering 164 people. E.D. Lukin was appointed commander of the detachment. The creation of mass airborne troops began with a resolution of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, adopted on December 11, 1932. In it, in particular, it was noted that the development of aviation technology, as well as the results achieved in the design and dropping of fighters, cargo and combat vehicles from aircraft, require the organization of new combat units and formations of the Red Army. In order to develop the airborne business in the Red Army, train the relevant personnel and units, the Revolutionary Military Council decided to deploy a brigade on the basis of the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District, entrusting it with training instructors in airborne training and working out operational-tactical standards. At the same time, it was planned to form by March 1933 one airborne detachment in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga military districts. A new stage in the development of airborne troops began. And already at the beginning of 1933, special-purpose aviation battalions were formed in these districts. By the summer of 1941, the manning of five airborne corps, each numbering 10 thousand people, had ended. The combat path of the Airborne Forces is marked by many memorable dates. Thus, the 212th Airborne Brigade (commander - Lieutenant Colonel N.I. Zatevakhin) took part in the armed conflict on Khalkhin Gol. During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940), the 201st, 204th and 214th Airborne Brigades fought together with the rifle units. The paratroopers carried out raids deep behind enemy lines, attacked garrisons, headquarters, communications centers, disrupted troop control, and attacked strongholds.

INFar EastVyears of the Great Patriotic War.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, all five airborne corps took part in fierce battles with invaders on the territory of Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine. During the counter-offensive near Moscow, to assist the troops of the Western and Kaliningrad fronts in encircling and defeating the Vyazma-Rzhev-Yukhnov group of Germans at the beginning of 1942, the Vyazma airborne operation was carried out with the landing of the 4th Airborne Command (commander - Major General A.F. Levashov, then Colonel A.F. Kazankin). This is the largest airborne operation during the war. In total, about 10 thousand paratroopers were thrown behind German lines. Units of the Airborne Corps in cooperation with the cavalrymen of General P.A. Belov, who broke through behind enemy lines, fought until June 1942. The paratroopers acted boldly, boldly and extremely persistently. In almost six months, the paratroopers marched through the rear of the Nazi troops for about 600 km, destroying up to 15 thousand enemy soldiers and officers. The military merits of the paratroopers during the Great Patriotic War were highly appreciated. All airborne formations were given the rank of guards. Thousands of soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Airborne Forces were awarded orders and medals, and 296 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union .

Airborne Forces in the post-war years.

During this period, the Airborne Forces began to be built on other organizational and technical principles, but always taking into account the experience of those who during the war created the airborne school of victory, glory and professionalism. In the 50s, during the exercises of airborne units, special attention was paid to new methods of defense behind enemy lines, the survivability of landing forces, interaction with advancing troops when crossing water obstacles, and landing operations in conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. Military transport aviation is equipped with An-12 and An-22 aircraft, which are capable of delivering armored vehicles, cars, artillery, and large supplies of materiel behind enemy lines. Every year the number of exercises involving airborne assaults increased. In March 1970, a major combined arms exercise "Dvina" was held in Belarus, in which the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division took part. In just 22 minutes, more than 7 thousand paratroopers and over 150 units of military equipment were landed. And from the mid-70s, the Airborne Forces began to intensively “cover themselves with armor.”

Russia also required the training and combat capability of paratroopers at a higher level - in the UN peacekeeping mission. Now there is no battalion of Russian paratroopers in the former Yugoslavia. “Rusbat 1” was located in the Serbian Krajina, on the border of Serbia and Croatia. "Rusbat 2" - in Bosnia, in the Sarajevo region. According to the UN, Russia's "blue berets" are an example of training, discipline and reliability.

For the glorious and difficult history of the Airborne Forces, the people and the army love and respect this courageous branch of the military. The Airborne Forces are troops of a harsh moral and ../fotos/foto-after_gpw-2.html physical climate, which taught the paratrooper the principle of “serve until the end”, “until accomplished”, “until victory”. History confirms that everything comes to its own time. Paratroopers of the 30s, 40s, and 80s contributed to the defense of the Fatherland and to increasing the country's defense capability. It will continue to be so

Paratrooper training.

One of the main tasks in organizing combat training for the Airborne Forces is to teach a paratrooper to shoot accurately. And from any position, on the go, from a short stop, day or night. Shoot like a sniper and use ammo sparingly. In a real battle, a paratrooper often fires single shots from a machine gun. Every cartridge he has is worth its weight in gold.

The military work of a paratrooper is not easy: with full combat gear, a forced march to a shooting range or training ground and there on the move - combat shooting as part of a platoon or company. And a battalion tactical exercise with landing and live fire is three days of tension, when you cannot relax for a minute. In the Airborne Forces, everything is as close as possible to a combat situation: a parachute jump from an airplane; gathering at the landing site - as in battle, especially at night; searching for your airborne combat vehicle (AFV) and bringing it into combat position - just like in war.

Particular attention in the Airborne Forces is paid to the moral, psychological and physical training of personnel. Every morning the paratroopers begin with intense physical exercises, intensive physical training classes are regularly held, and after two or three months the young soldier feels an unprecedented surge of strength, acquires resistance to motion sickness and great physical exertion. An indispensable part of every physical training lesson is hand-to-hand combat. Training battles are carried out in pairs, as well as with a superior “enemy” in numbers. Running and forced marches develop excellent endurance in a person. It’s not for nothing that they say in the Airborne Forces: “A paratrooper runs as long as he can, and after that, as long as necessary.”

personal fear of jumping, with insufficient psychological preparation to overcome fear. The Airborne Forces command considers the principle true: each paratrooper is obliged to personally stow his own parachute. This greatly increases responsibility, and after two or three training maneuvers, the warrior is able, under the supervision of an instructor, to prepare the parachute for the jump. The training program for ground training of a parachutist includes training the body, the vestibular system to resist motion sickness, will, and instilling courage, determination, and courage. Preparation for a jump lasts long hours, days, and sometimes weeks, but the jump itself is just a short moment in the life of a paratrooper.

Combat capabilities
airborne troops.

To carry out their assigned tasks, the Airborne Forces are equipped with combat vehicles, self-propelled artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, as well as control and communications equipment. The existing parachute landing equipment makes it possible to drop troops and cargo in any weather and terrain conditions, day and night from various heights. Before the collapse of the USSR, the Airborne Forces included 7 airborne divisions.

Today, airborne troops form the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces. In their composition four airborne divisions, one airborne brigade, Airborne training center, combat support units and Ryazan Institute of Airborne Forces.

Management training sessions are organized on the basis of forward formations. During them, demonstration regimental exercises are carried out with landing, crossing a water obstacle, marching 150 kilometers on new BMD-3 vehicles and live firing.

In addition to combat training missions, paratroopers perform important peacekeeping missions. Today, one and a half thousand paratroopers are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the same number of personnel are in Abkhazia. A maneuverable military group of 500 people has been formed in Dagestan. By the way, this group performed tasks near Bamut during the fighting in Chechnya. Nowadays the units are used to protect airfields, air defense radar stations and other important facilities.

The combat path of the 76th Airborne Division.

The creation day of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division is September 1, 1939.

The first commander of the division was Colonel Vasily Vasilyevich Glagolev. The base for the deployment of the 157th Rifle Division (its primary name) was the 221st Black Sea Rifle Regiment of the 74th Taman Rifle Division, created in 1925 on the basis of the 22nd Iron Krasnodar Rifle Division.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the division was part of the troops of the North Caucasus Military District and, with the outbreak of hostilities, received the task of preparing a defensive line along the Black Sea coast.

On September 15, 1941, the division was sent to help the heroic defenders of Odessa. On September 22, the formation's units replaced the defenders and by dawn took up their starting positions for the offensive. During this offensive, the division completed its task and captured the Ilyichevka state farm and the village of Gildendorf. The Military Council of the Odessa Defense Region highly appreciated the combat performance of the division in its first battle for the city. The commander of the defensive area expressed gratitude to the personnel of the formation for their courage and bravery. Thus the division's baptism of fire took place.

By November 20, 1941, the division returned to Novorossiysk and took part in the Feodosia landing operation, which the Transcaucasian Front carried out jointly with the Black Sea Fleet. As a result of this operation, the Kerch Peninsula was cleared of the enemy and great support was provided to besieged Sevastopol.

From July 25 to July 30, 1942, the division conducted active combat operations to destroy the Nazis who crossed to the left bank of the Don. For successful military operations and the liberation of the village of Krasnoyarsk, the commander of the North Caucasus Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny expressed gratitude to the personnel.

By August 4, 1942, the formation retreated to the northern bank of the Aksai River. From August 6 to 10, his units fought continuous battles, trying to knock the enemy off the bridgeheads they had captured and preventing them from developing the offensive. In these battles, machine gunner Private Ermakov distinguished himself. On his combat account there were over 300 exterminated Nazis. In the name of Afanasy Ivanovich Ermakov, a modest and fearless machine gunner, a glorious list of Heroes of the Soviet Union was opened in the division. This title was awarded to Ermakov by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on November 5, 1942.

Since September 1942, the division as part of the 64th Army occupied the defense at the Gornaya Polyana - Elkhi line.

On January 10, 1943, the formation of the troops of the Stalingrad Front launched a decisive offensive to destroy the encircled enemy.

Until July 3, 1943, units of the division were part of the Bryansk Front in the area of ​​​​the city of Belev, Tula Region.

On July 12, units of the formation began crossing the Oka using improvised means. By the end of the day, the guards captured the bridgeheads and destroyed more than 1,500 enemy soldiers and officers, 45 firing points, 2 tanks, and captured 35 Nazis. Among others, the personnel of the 76th Division were awarded the gratitude of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

On September 8, the division departs from the Orel region near Chernigov. Over three days of continuous offensive, it advanced 70 kilometers and at dawn on September 20 approached the village of Tovstoles, three kilometers northeast of Chernigov, and then, having captured the city, continued its attack to the west. By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of September 21, 1943 No. 20, the division was thanked and given the honorary name Chernigov.

As part of the 1st Belorussian Front, on July 17, 1944, the division began an offensive northwest of Kovel. On July 21, the vanguards of the formation began to advance north, towards Brest, with fierce fighting. On July 26, troops advancing from the north and south united 20 - 25 kilometers west of Brest. The enemy group was surrounded. The next day, the division began active operations to destroy the encircled enemy. For reaching the State Border of the USSR and liberating the city of Brest, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

On January 25, 1945, as part of the 2nd Belorussian Front, with a rapid march, division units blocked the exit from the city of Torun of an encircled 32,000-strong enemy group. The enemy group defending Toruń, a powerful stronghold on the Vistula, ceased to exist.

On March 23, the division stormed the city of Tsoppot, reached the Baltic Sea and turned its front to the south. By the morning of March 25, as part of the corps, the division captured the city of Oliva and rushed to Danzig. On March 30, the liquidation of the Danzig group was completed.

Having marched from Danzig to Germany, on April 24 the division concentrated in the Kortenhuten area, 20 kilometers south of Stettin. At dawn on April 26, the formation on a wide front crossed the Rondov Canal and, having broken through the enemy’s defensive line, cleared the city of Preclav from the Nazis by the end of the day.

On May 2, the division captured the city of Güstrow, and on May 3, having covered another 40 kilometers, it cleared the cities of Karov and Buttsov of the enemy. Advance detachments reached the Baltic Sea and, on the outskirts of the city of Wismar, met with units of the airborne division of the Allied Expeditionary Army. At this point, the 76th Division ended combat operations against the Nazi troops and began patrol duty on the coast.

During the war years, 50 soldiers in the division received the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and over 12 thousand were awarded orders and medals.

Immediately after the war, the 76th division was redeployed from Germany to the territory of the Soviet Union, and at the same time it was transformed into an airborne division.

In the spring of 1947, the division was redeployed to the city of Pskov. Thus began a new stage in the history of the connection.

Year after year the skill of paratroopers improved. If earlier the main task was training in parachute jumps, and actions on the battlefield were practiced without landing, then in 1948 company tactical exercises with practical landing began. In the summer of the same year, the first demonstration battalion tactical exercise with landing was held. It was led by the division commander, later the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces, General V.F. Margelov.

The division's personnel took part in the Dnepr exercise. The guards demonstrated high military skills, earning the gratitude of the command.

With each subsequent year, the division increased its combat skills. In March 1970, the division's personnel took part in the major combined arms exercise Dvina. The actions of the paratroopers were highly appreciated by the command.

The guards-paratroopers of the formation also demonstrated high skill during the Autumn-88 exercises.

In the period from 1988 to 1992, the division's paratroopers had to “extinguish” interethnic conflicts in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Baltic states, Transnistria, North and South Ossetia.

In 1991, the 104th and 234th Guards Parachute Regiments were awarded the USSR Ministry of Defense Pennant "For Courage and Military Valor". Previously, the USSR Ministry of Defense Pennant was awarded to the division as a whole and its artillery regiment.

The events in Chechnya in 1994-1995 are written like a black page in the history of the division. 120 soldiers, sergeants, warrant officers and officers died, having fulfilled their military duty to the end. For the courage and heroism shown during the special task of establishing constitutional order in the territory of Chechnya, many guardsmen-paratroopers were awarded orders and medals, and ten officers were awarded the high title of Hero of the Russian Federation. Two of them - the commander of the reconnaissance company of the guard, Captain Yuri Nikitich, and the commander of the guard battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Pyatnitskikh, were awarded this high rank posthumously.

On November 17, 1998, one of the oldest regiments of the division in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - the 1140th Twice Red Banner Artillery Regiment celebrated its 80th anniversary. Formed on the basis of the 22nd artillery battalion of the 22nd Iron Krasnodar Rifle Division, which traces its history back to 1918, the artillery regiment went through a glorious battle path, and 7 Heroes of the Soviet Union were trained in its ranks. The artillery soldiers celebrated their anniversary with high performance in combat training; the regiment was recognized as the best in the Airborne Forces.

Since August 18, 1999, the personnel of the formation took part in the liquidation of illegal armed gangs on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan and the Chechen Republic as part of a regimental tactical group. During this period of time, the paratroopers of the formation had to take part in many military operations, including the liberation of the settlements of Karamakhi, Gudermes, Argun, and the blocking of the Vedeno Gorge. In most operations, the personnel received high praise from the Joint Command of the group of forces in the North Caucasus, showing courage and heroism.

Their memory will forever remain in our hearts.

The history of the famous connection continues. It is carried out by young guardsmen, successors to the military glory of front-line soldiers. It is supplemented by their military deeds by soldiers, sergeants and officers who today carry out their honorable service under the combat order-bearing Banner of the division.

Currently, contract servicemen (contract soldiers) are serving in the division.

Modern airborne forces

The fundamental changes in the military-political situation in the world that have occurred in recent years have entailed a fundamental revision and clarification of views on ensuring the military security of the state, forms, methods and means of achieving it. Realistically assessing the position of Russia, the size of its territory, the length of its borders, the current
Given the state of the Armed Forces, one should proceed from the need to have deployed groups of troops that would be guaranteed to ensure the security of Russia in all strategic directions.

In this regard, the importance of mobile forces, capable of moving by air in the shortest possible time in a threatened period to any strategic direction within the borders of the Russian Federation, is sharply increasing, providing cover for sections of the state border and facilitating timely deployment
and the creation of a group of Ground Forces, to carry out tasks to suppress armed conflicts and stabilize the situation in remote regions of Russia. The Airborne Forces have a high degree of strategic and operational-tactical mobility. Their formations and units are completely air transportable, autonomous in combat, they can be used on any terrain, and parachuted into areas inaccessible to ground forces. The Supreme High Command and the General Staff, using the Airborne Forces, can respond in a timely and flexible manner in any operational or strategic direction.

Currently, the main tasks of the Air Force
airborne troops are:
In peacetime- holding peace independently
creative operations or participation in multilateral
actions to maintain (establish) peace in re-
according to the UN, CIS in accordance with international
obligations of the Russian Federation.
During the threatened period- strengthening of covering troops
state border, participation in ensuring
operational deployment of troop groups on
threatened directions, parachute drop
landings in hard-to-reach areas; strengthening of security
and defense of important government facilities; struggle
with special enemy troops; assistance
other troops and security agencies in the fight against
terrorism and other actions in order to ensure
national security of the Russian Federation.

During hostilities- landing of various
composition and purpose of airborne assault forces and
conducting combat operations behind enemy lines for
grasping and holding, incapacitating or destroying
destruction of important objects, participation in the destruction or blockade
attacking enemy groups that have broken through
operational depth of our troops, as well as in blockades
roving and destroying landing air
landings.

Airborne troops represent the basis on which universal mobile forces can be deployed in the future. In a number of documents and instructions, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief demanded that the Government and the Ministry of Defense, when developing plans for military reform, provide for the development of the Airborne Forces. In particular, to ensure that they are staffed with personnel, weapons and equipment, ready for immediate action, and to prevent Russia from losing its leading position in the development of weapons and military equipment for the Airborne Forces. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief confirmed that the Airborne Forces are his reserve, the basis of the forces for conducting peacekeeping operations.
The command and headquarters of the Airborne Forces have developed a plan for their further construction, which provides for the development of the Airborne Forces as an independent branch of the Russian Armed Forces, capable of quickly bringing its units and subunits into combat readiness to carry out tasks for their intended purpose. The main task of reforming the Airborne Forces is to optimize the organizational structure in accordance with the established strength. The main efforts are directed: firstly, to the modern training of future commanders of parachute units, the forge of which is the only Ryazan Airborne Institute in the world. Secondly: to increase the combat capabilities of formations, units and subunits, their air mobility, ability to conduct independent combat operations, both as airborne assault forces and as part of Ground Forces groups and peacekeeping contingents. Priority attention will be paid to parachute regiments and battalions, control systems, communications and reconnaissance, as well as equipping troops with new generation combat vehicles. In the future, it is planned to reform the Airborne Forces in two directions: to reduce the number of formations intended for parachute landing; to create, on the basis of some airborne formations and units, airborne assault formations and units for operating on helicopters, as well as special operations forces.

Now the Blue Berets form the combat basis of the present and future army of Russia. The Airborne Forces are part of the mobile forces and are always ready for battle. The history of the Airborne Forces continues.

Based on 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 memorial day designed to contribute to the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increasing the prestige of military service and established in recognition of the merits of military specialists in solving 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 took part in hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic; in August 2008, military units of the Airborne Forces took part in the operation to force Georgia to peace, operating in the Ossetian and Abkhazian directions.
On the basis of the Airborne Forces, the first Russian battalion of UN peacekeeping forces was formed in Yugoslavia (1992), peacekeeping contingents in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995), in Kosovo and Metohija (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1999).

Since 2005, according to their specialization, airborne units have been divided into airborne, air assault and mountain. The former includes the 98th Guards Airborne Division and the 106th Guards Airborne Division of two regiments, the latter - the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of two regiments and the 31st Guards Separate Airborne Brigade of three battalions, and The third is the 7th Guards Air Assault Division (Mountain).
Two airborne formations (98th Guards Airborne Division and 31st Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade) are part of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
At the end of 2009, in each airborne division, separate anti-aircraft missile regiments were formed on the basis of separate anti-aircraft missile artillery divisions. At the initial stage, 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 the Russian Airborne Forces is about 30 thousand people. The Airborne Forces include four divisions, the 31st separate airborne brigade, the 45th separate special forces regiment, the 242nd training center and other units.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

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 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 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 forces), 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 scheme.

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 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. In the press and in the media, the phrases “special forces” or “commandos” were mentioned 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.

The history of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) began in the late 1920s. last century. In April 1929, near the village of Garm (the territory of the present Republic of Tajikistan), a group of Red Army soldiers was landed on several planes, which, with the support of local residents, defeated a detachment of Basmachi.

On August 2, 1930, during an exercise of the Air Force (VVS) of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, a small unit of 12 people parachuted for the first time to perform a tactical mission. This date is officially considered the “birthday” of the Airborne Forces.

In 1931, in the Leningrad Military District (LenVO), as part of the 1st air brigade, an experienced airborne detachment of 164 people was created, intended for landing by landing method. Then, in the same air brigade, a non-standard parachute detachment was formed. In August and September 1931, during the exercises of the Leningrad and Ukrainian military districts, the detachment parachuted and carried out tactical tasks behind enemy lines. In 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR adopted a resolution on the deployment of detachments into special-purpose aviation battalions. By the end of 1933, there were already 29 airborne battalions and brigades that became part of the Air Force. The Leningrad Military District was entrusted with the task of training instructors in airborne operations and developing operational-tactical standards.

In 1934, 600 paratroopers were involved in Red Army exercises; in 1935, 1,188 paratroopers were parachuted during maneuvers in the Kyiv Military District. In 1936, 3 thousand paratroopers were landed in the Belarusian Military District, and 8,200 people with artillery and other military equipment were landed.

By improving their training during exercises, the paratroopers gained experience in real battles. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade (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. Since March 1941, airborne corps (airborne corps) of brigade composition (3 brigades per corps) began to be formed in the Airborne Forces. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the recruitment of five corps was completed, but only with personnel due to the insufficient amount of military equipment.

The main armament of airborne formations and units consisted mainly of light and heavy machine guns, 50- and 82-mm mortars, 45-mm anti-tank and 76-mm mountain guns, light tanks (T-40 and T-38), and flamethrowers. The personnel jumped using parachutes of the PD-6 and then PD-41 types.

Small-sized cargo was dropped in soft parachute bags. Heavy equipment was delivered to the landing force on special suspensions under the fuselages of aircraft. For landing, mainly TB-3, DB-3 bombers and the PS-84 passenger aircraft were used.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War found the airborne corps stationed in the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine at the stage of formation. The difficult situation that developed in the first days of the war forced the Soviet command to use these corps in combat operations as rifle formations.

On September 4, 1941, the Airborne Forces Directorate was transformed into the Directorate of the Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Red Army, and the airborne corps were withdrawn from active fronts and transferred directly to the command of the Airborne Forces Commander.

In the counteroffensive near Moscow, conditions were created 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 Division. 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 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 disbanded, and the Airborne Forces Directorate was created, reporting to the commander of the Air Force. The Airborne Forces retained three airborne brigades, an airborne training regiment, advanced training courses for officers and an aeronautical division.

For the massive heroism of paratroopers during the Great Patriotic War, all airborne formations were given the honorary title of “Guards.” Thousands of soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Airborne Forces were awarded orders and medals, 296 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In 1964, the Airborne Forces were transferred to the Ground Forces with direct subordination to the USSR Minister of Defense. After the war, along with organizational changes, the troops were rearmed: the number of automatic small arms, artillery, mortars, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons in the formations increased. The Airborne Forces now have tracked combat landing vehicles (BMD-1), airborne self-propelled artillery systems (ASU-57 and SU-85), 85- and 122-mm guns, rocket launchers and other weapons. Military transport aircraft An-12, An-22 and Il-76 were created for landing. At the same time, special airborne equipment was being developed.

In 1956, two airborne divisions (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 1979-1989 The Airborne Forces took part in combat operations as part of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. For courage and heroism, more than 30 thousand paratroopers were awarded orders and medals, and 16 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Beginning in 1979, in addition to the three air assault brigades, several air assault brigades and separate battalions were formed in the military districts, which entered the combat formation of the Airborne Forces by 1989.

Since 1988, formations and military units of the Airborne Forces have constantly carried out various special tasks to resolve interethnic conflicts on the territory of the USSR.

In 1992, the Airborne Forces ensured the evacuation of the Russian embassy from Kabul (Democratic Republic of Afghanistan). The first Russian battalion of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Yugoslavia was formed on the basis of the Airborne Forces. From 1992 to 1998, the PDP carried out peacekeeping tasks in the Republic of Abkhazia.

In 1994-1996 and 1999-2004. all formations and military units of the Airborne Forces took part in hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic. For courage and heroism, 89 paratroopers were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

In 1995, on the basis of airborne forces, peacekeeping contingents were formed in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in 1999 - in Kosovo and Metohija (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). The 10th anniversary of the unprecedented forced march of the parachute battalion was celebrated in 2009.

By the end of the 1990s. The Airborne Forces retained four airborne divisions, an airborne brigade, a training center and support units.

Since 2005, three components have been formed in the Airborne Forces:

• airborne (main) - 98th Guards. Airborne Division and 106th Guards Airborne Division of 2 regiments;
• air assault - 76th Guards. air assault division (airborne assault division) of 2 regiments and the 31st Guards separate airborne assault brigade (airborne assault brigade) of 3 battalions;
• mountain - 7th Guards. dshd (mountain).

Airborne units receive modern armored weapons and equipment (BMD-4, BTR-MD armored personnel carrier, KamAZ vehicles).

Since 2005, units of formations and military units of the Airborne Forces have been actively participating in joint exercises with units of the armed forces of Armenia, Belarus, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, China, and Uzbekistan.

In August 2008, military units of the Airborne Forces took part in an operation to force Georgia to peace, operating in the Ossetian and Abkhazian directions.

Two airborne formations (98th Guards Airborne Division and 31st Guards Airborne Brigade) are part of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO CRRF).

At the end of 2009, in each airborne division, separate anti-aircraft missile regiments were formed on the basis of separate anti-aircraft missile artillery divisions. At the initial stage, air defense systems of the Ground Forces entered service, which will later be replaced by airborne systems.

In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated October 11, 2013 No. 776, the Airborne Forces included three air assault brigades stationed in Ussuriysk, Ulan-Ude and Kamyshin, which were previously part of the Eastern and Southern Military Districts.

In 2015, the Verba man-portable anti-aircraft missile system (MANPADS) was adopted by the Airborne Forces. Deliveries of the latest air defense systems are carried out in kits that include Verba MANPADS and the Barnaul-T automated control system.

In April 2016, the BMD-4M Sadovnitsa airborne combat vehicle and the BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carrier were adopted by the Airborne Forces. The vehicles successfully passed tests and performed well during military operation. The 106th Airborne Division became the first unit in the Airborne Forces to receive new serial military equipment.

The commanders of the Airborne Forces over the years were:

• Lieutenant General V. A. Glazunov (1941-1943);
• Major General A. G. Kapitokhin (1943-1944);
• Lieutenant General I. I. Zatevakhin (1944-1946);
• Colonel General V.V. Glagolev (1946-1947);
• Lieutenant General A.F. Kazankin (1947-1948);
• Colonel General of Aviation S. I. Rudenko (1948-1950);
• Colonel General A.V. Gorbatov (1950-1954);
• Army General V.F. Margelov (1954-1959, 1961-1979);
• Colonel General I.V. Tutarinov (1959-1961);
• Army General D.S. Sukhorukov (1979-1987);
• Colonel General N.V. Kalinin (1987-1989);
• Colonel General V. A. Achalov (1989);
• Lieutenant General P. S. Grachev (1989-1991);
• Colonel General E. N. Podkolzin (1991-1996);
• Colonel General G.I. Shpak (1996-2003);
• Colonel General A.P. Kolmakov (2003-2007);
• Lieutenant General V. E. Evtukhovich (2007-2009);
• Colonel General V. A. Shamanov (2009-2016);
• Colonel General A. N. Serdyukov (since October 2016).