What is airborne in the army. Airborne troops of Russia: history, structure, armament of the Airborne Forces

Vests in the city - a million blue berets celebrate their professional holiday today. The highly mobile formidable force of the country, which has no equal! Airborne troops - 88 years. Throughout this time, the paratroopers performed their military duty with honor and wrote many glorious pages in the history of the country.

Today all over Russia there are festive concerts, commemorative events, folk festivals. An extensive program is also planned in Moscow. And it began with a prayer service in the temple of the prophet Elijah, whom the paratroopers consider their heavenly patron.

In the very center of the capital, final preparations are underway for the start of the celebration. Exactly at noon, demonstration performances of paratrooper parade crews will begin on Red Square. Traditionally, hundreds of people come here to the city center to see them. Final touch before performance. Right now, a company of cadets of the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne School is bringing their movements to the ideal. In addition to them, the youngest pupils of military-patriotic clubs and the combined orchestra of the Airborne Forces.

Very soon, military personnel, veterans, residents of Moscow and guests of the capital will pass the procession along Red Square to the place of execution, where there will be a solemn prayer service. It so happened historically: the day of the Airborne Forces coincides with the great Christian holiday - Elijah's Day. Early in the morning in the church of Elijah the Prophet, who is considered the heavenly patron of the Airborne Forces, a divine liturgy was held.

The history of the troops of the "winged infantry" began on August 2, 1930, when 12 people landed on parachutes of the landing unit for the first time at the exercises of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh. The Day of the Airborne Troops will be celebrated brightly, colorfully and cheerfully all over the country today. Moscow is just beginning to turn into a vest-blue color.

The paratroopers say that as they celebrate August 2, they do not celebrate a single holiday in the family, and even those who are retired claim that there are no “former paratroopers”. In the capital, on Vasilevsky Spusk, after the demonstration performance there will be a festive concert. But it will be possible to meet with your colleagues, celebrate the day of the Airborne Forces not only here. Festive events in almost all parks. It will be possible to go to the exhibition of military equipment in Gorky Park, and demonstration performances in hand-to-hand combat will also take place there.

The blue berets have been lucky with the weather for several years in a row - the same blue sky, which means swimming in the fountains cannot be avoided.

In Ryazan, which has the unofficial status of the capital of the Airborne Forces, this year they also celebrate the centenary of the legendary landing school named after Vasily Margelov - the famous Uncle Vasya, who is considered the founder of the "winged guard".

In honor of the centennial anniversary, balloonists raised a 100-meter St. George ribbon into the sky. It was attached to two balloons. The festivities are just getting started. The whole city will be walking today.

The holiday was also widely celebrated in Vladivostok. There was a rally "No one but us." The column with the flags of the Airborne Forces drove from Russky Island to Victory Park, where the paratroopers laid flowers at the monument to the Primorsky people who died during the war. Well, then - festivities and songs with a guitar.

Unique historical documents on the day of the Airborne Forces were published by the Ministry of Defense about the first pages of the glorious combat way"winged guard" and not only. Previously, the materials were classified, and now they are available to the general public.

So, already at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in the autumn of 1941, the airborne brigade, finding itself in the rear of the advancing Nazis, fought its way to its own, destroying a large formation of the enemy with artillery and tanks. The fighters acted boldly and decisively, instilling such fear in the Nazis that subsequently the Wehrmacht command even issued a special order - soldiers in blue caps and aviation uniforms should not be taken prisoner.

Among the declassified papers, there is also a characterization of the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov: he is disciplined, demanding of himself and his subordinates, pays a lot of attention to rallying personnel, knows how to lead a unit in a difficult combat situation - these are just some of the most striking features.

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

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

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

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

Airborne troops
(VDV)

From the history of creation

The history of the Russian Airborne Forces is inextricably linked with the history of the creation and development of the Red Army. Marshal made a great contribution to the theory of the combat use of airborne assault forces. Soviet Union M.N. Tukhachevsky. Back in the second half of the 1920s, he was the first among Soviet military figures to deeply study the role of airborne assault forces in a future war, and substantiated the prospects of the Airborne Forces.

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

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

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

Theoretical studies led to the fact that the combat activity of the Airborne Forces should be of an offensive nature, bold to the point of insolence and extremely maneuverable in carrying out quick, concentrated strikes. Airborne assault forces, making maximum use of the suddenness of their appearance, must swiftly strike at the most sensitive points, achieve hourly success, thereby increasing panic in the ranks of the enemy.

Simultaneously with the development of the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces in the Red Army, bold experiments were carried out on the landing of airborne assault forces, an extensive program was conducted to create experimental airborne units, questions of their organization were studied, and a system of combat training was developed.

For the first time, an airborne assault was used to perform a combat mission in 1929. On April 13, 1929, the Fuzaili gang made another raid from Afghanistan to the territory of Tajikistan. The plans of the Basmachi included capturing the Garm district and in the future to ensure the invasion of the Alai and Ferghana valleys of larger bands of the Basmachi. Cavalry detachments were sent to the Basmachi invasion area with the task of destroying the gang before it captured the Garm district. However, the information received from the city indicated that they would not have time to block the path of the gang, which had already defeated a detachment of Garm volunteers in a head-on battle and threatened the city. In this critical situation, the commander of the Central Asian military district P.E. Dybenko accepted bold decision: to transfer a detachment of fighters through the air and with a sudden blow to destroy the enemy on the outskirts of the city. The detachment consisted of 45 people armed with rifles and four machine guns. On the morning of April 23, two platoon commanders flew to the combat area on the first plane, followed by the commander of the cavalry brigade T.T. Shapkin, brigade commissar A.T. Fedin. The platoon commanders were supposed to capture the landing site and ensure the landing of the main forces of the detachment. The task of the brigade commander was to study the situation on the spot and then, returning back to Dushanbe, report the results to the commander. Commissar Fedin was supposed to take command of the landing force and lead the actions to destroy the gang. An hour and a half after the first plane took off, the main landing forces took off. However, the detachment's plan of action planned earlier was canceled immediately after the plane landed with the commander and commissar. Half of the city was already occupied by the Basmachi, so it was impossible to delay. Having sent a plane with a report, the brigade commander decided to immediately attack the enemy with available forces, without waiting for the landing force to arrive. Having obtained horses in the nearest villages and splitting into two groups, the detachment moved to Garm. Having burst into the city, the detachment unleashed powerful machine-gun and rifle fire on the Basmachi. The bandits were confused. They knew about the size of the city's garrison, but they were armed with rifles, and where did the machine guns come from? The bandits decided that a division of the Red Army had broken into the city, and, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated from the city, losing about 80 people in the process. The approaching cavalry units completed the defeat of the Fuzaili gang. District Commander P.E. Dybenko, during the analysis, highly appreciated the actions of the detachment.

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

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

On August 2, 1930, at exactly 9 o'clock, a plane took off from the base airfield. On board is the first detachment of paratroopers. Together with us and the head of the second group Ya. Moshkovsky. He decided to see where the place of separation of our group was, so that later he could accurately parachute his guys. We were followed by three R-1 planes, under the wings of which cargo parachutes were suspended on bomb racks.

Having made a circle, our plane turned to the landing site, located about two kilometers from the airfield. The landing area is a field free from crops measuring 600 by 800 meters. She adjoined a small farm. One of the buildings, located on the outskirts of the farm, was designated as a landmark for collecting paratroopers after landing and as a starting point for the start of military operations of the landing force in the rear of the "enemy". - "Get ready!" - trying to shout over the rumble of engines, I commanded. The guys immediately got up and stood one after another, squeezing in right hand pull ring. Faces are tense, focused. As soon as they crossed the site, I gave the command: "Go!" ... - the fighters literally poured out of the plane, I dived last and immediately pulled the ring. I counted - all the domes opened normally. We landed almost in the center of the site, not far from each other. The soldiers quickly gathered their parachutes and ran up to me. In the meantime, the R-1 link passed overhead and dropped six parachutes with weapons on the edge of the farm. We rushed there, unpacked the bags, took out machine guns, cartridges. And now our "Farman" with the second group reappeared in the sky. As planned, Moshkovsky's group left the plane at an altitude of 500 meters. They landed next to us. It took only a few minutes, and 12 paratroopers, armed with two light machine guns, rifles, revolvers and grenades, were in full readiness for combat operations ... "

So the world's first parachute landing was dropped.

In the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR dated October 24, 1930, People's Commissar K. Voroshilov noted: “Successful experiments in organizing airborne assaults should be noted as achievements. Airborne operations should be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Headquarters of the Red Army and they were given appropriate instructions on the spot.

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

Organizational structure of the airborne troops

Command of the Airborne Troops
- 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division
- 106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Airborne Division
- 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
- 76th Guards Air Assault Chernihiv Red Banner Division;
- 31st Separate Guards Airborne Assault Order of Kutuzov, 2nd Class Brigade;
- 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Regiment;
- 38th Separate Communications Regiment of the Airborne Troops;

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

Designed for airborne landings behind enemy lines or for rapid deployment in geographically remote areas, often used as a rapid reaction force.

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

The Airborne Forces consist of:

paratroopers
tank
artillery
self-propelled artillery
other units and divisions
from units and subunits of special troops and rear.

The personnel of the Airborne Forces are parachuted along with their personal weapons.

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

The main combat properties of the Airborne Forces:

ability to quickly reach remote areas
strike suddenly
successfully conduct combined arms combat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Airborne Forces of the USSR

pre-war period

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Material part:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Great Patriotic War

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

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

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

post-war period

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

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

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

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

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

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

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

Training of officers for the airborne troops

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

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

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

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

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

Airborne Forces of Russia

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

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

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

Airborne troops of the Russian Federation- This is a separate branch of the Russian Armed Forces, which is in the reserve of the Commander-in-Chief of the country and is directly subordinate to the Commander of the Airborne Forces. At the moment, this position is held (since October 2016) by Colonel General Serdyukov.

The purpose of the airborne troops- these are actions behind enemy lines, carrying out deep raids, capturing important enemy facilities, bridgeheads, disrupting enemy communications and enemy control, conducting sabotage in his rear. The Airborne Forces were created primarily as an effective tool for offensive warfare. To cover the enemy and operate in his rear, the Airborne Forces can use both parachute and landing landings.

The airborne troops of Russia are rightfully considered the elite of the armed forces, in order to get into this branch of the military, candidates must meet very high criteria. First of all, it concerns physical health and psychological stability. And this is natural: the 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. The paratroopers actively participated in the Afghan war. The Russian airborne troops were officially created on May 12, 1992, they went through both Chechen campaigns, participated in the war with Georgia in 2008.

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

In addition to the flag of the airborne troops, there is also the emblem of this type of troops. The emblem of the airborne troops is a flaming gold-colored grenada with two wings. There is also a medium and large airborne emblem. The middle emblem depicts a double-headed eagle with a crown on its head and a shield with George the Victorious in the center. In one paw, the eagle holds a sword, and in the other, a flaming grenada of the Airborne Forces. On the large emblem, grenada is placed on a blue heraldic shield framed by an oak wreath. In its upper part 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: "No one but us." The paratroopers even have their own heavenly patron - Saint Elijah.

The professional holiday of the paratroopers is the Day of the Airborne Forces. It is celebrated on August 2nd. On this day in 1930, the first parachute landing of a unit was made to perform a combat mission. On August 2, Airborne Forces Day is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

The airborne troops of Russia are armed with both conventional types of military equipment and models developed specifically for this type of troops, taking into account the specifics of the tasks that it performs.

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

The history of the creation of the Airborne Forces

The Soviet Union, without a doubt, is the birthplace of the Airborne Forces. It was in the USSR that the first airborne unit was created, this happened in 1930. At first it was a small detachment, which was part of an ordinary 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 paratroopers 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 parachuted there, which made it possible to unblock the settlement as soon as possible.

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 units. They were part of the Air Force, and their main task was to disorganize the rear of the enemy and carry out sabotage.

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

During the exercises of the Kyiv military district in 1935, a massive 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 who were invited to the exercises were amazed at the scale of the landings and the skill of Soviet paratroopers.

According to the Field Charter of the Red Army of 1939, the airborne units were at the disposal of the main command, they were planned to be used to deliver strikes behind enemy lines. At the same time, it was instructed to clearly coordinate such strikes with other branches of the armed forces, which at that moment were inflicting frontal strikes on the enemy.

In 1939, Soviet paratroopers managed to gain their first combat experience: the 212th airborne brigade also took part in the battles with the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. Hundreds of its fighters were awarded government awards. Several parts of the Airborne Forces participated in the Soviet-Finnish war. The paratroopers were also involved during the capture of Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia.

On the eve of the start of the war, airborne corps were created in the USSR, each of them included up to 10 thousand fighters. 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 five more airborne corps began. A few days before the German invasion (June 12), the Directorate of the Airborne Forces was created, and in September 1941, the paratrooper units were withdrawn from the command of the fronts. Each corps of the Airborne Forces was a very formidable force: in addition to well-trained personnel, it was armed with artillery and light amphibious tanks.

Information:In addition to the landing corps, the Red Army also included mobile landing brigades (five units), spare regiments of the Airborne Forces (five units) and educational institutions that trained paratroopers.

Airborne units 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 the airborne troops are intended for 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 “patching holes”: in defense, to eliminate sudden German breakthroughs, to release surrounded by Soviet troops. Due to this practice, the 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 counteroffensive. The 4th Corps of the Airborne Forces was parachuted in the winter of 1942 during the Vyazemsky landing operation. In 1943, during the crossing of the Dnieper, two airborne brigades were thrown behind enemy lines. Another major landing operation was carried out in Manchuria in August 1945. In its course, 4,000 fighters were parachuted by landing.

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

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

In 1956, Soviet paratroopers participated 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 the era of confrontation between the 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. Emphasis was placed on increasing the firepower of the Airborne Forces. For this, a whole range of airborne equipment was developed, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, and road transport. The fleet of military transport aircraft was significantly increased. In the 1970s, large-capacity wide-body transport aircraft were created, which made it possible to transport not only personnel, but also heavy military equipment. By the end of the 80s, the state of the military transport aviation of the USSR was such that it could ensure the parachute drop of almost 75% of the personnel of the Airborne Forces in one sortie.

At the end of the 60s, a new type of units that were part of the Airborne Forces was created - airborne assault units (DShCh). They were not much different from the rest of the Airborne Forces, but they 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 prepared by Soviet strategists in the event of a full-scale war. After the start of the conflict, it was planned to “break” the enemy defenses with the help of massive landings landed in the immediate rear of the enemy.

In the mid-1980s, the USSR Ground Forces included 14 air assault brigades, 20 battalions and 22 separate air assault regiments.

In 1979, the war in Afghanistan began, and the Soviet Airborne Forces took an active part in it. During this conflict, the paratroopers had to engage in counter-guerrilla struggle, of course, there was no talk of any parachute landing. The delivery of personnel to the place of combat operations took place with the help of armored vehicles or vehicles, landing by landing method from helicopters was less often used.

The paratroopers were often used to guard the numerous outposts and roadblocks 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, parts of the Airborne Forces in Afghanistan were reinforced with additional artillery and tank units.

Information: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 by 1992, after which the Russian Airborne Forces were created. They included all 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 Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces (the so-called special forces of the Airborne Forces) was created.

The 1990s became a serious test for the Russian landing troops (as well as for the entire army, by the way). The number of the Airborne Forces was seriously reduced, some of the units were disbanded, the paratroopers became subordinate to the Ground Forces. The army aviation of the SV was transferred to the air force, which significantly worsened the mobility of the airborne forces.

The airborne troops of the Russian Federation took part in both Chechen campaigns, in 2008 the 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).

The structure and composition of the troops

Currently, the Russian Airborne Forces consist of command and control 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.

At the moment, the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation include four divisions, as well as separate brigades and regiments. Airborne troops, composition:

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

Regiments and brigades of the Airborne Forces:

11th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade, stationed 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. Based in Ulyanovsk.
83rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Location - Ussuriysk.
38th Separate Guards Communications Regiment of the Airborne Forces. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera.

In 2013, the creation of the 345th Airborne Assault Brigade in Voronezh was officially announced, but then the formation of the unit was postponed to a later date (2017 or 2018). There is information that in 2017 an airborne assault battalion will be deployed on the territory of the Crimean peninsula, and in the future, a regiment of the 7th airborne assault division, which is currently deployed in Novorossiysk, will be formed on its basis.

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, among other things, trains officers for the Russian Airborne Forces. Also, the structure of this type of troops includes two Suvorov School(in Tula and Ulyanovsk), the Omsk Cadet Corps and the 242nd training center located in Omsk.

Armament and equipment of the Airborne Forces

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

The most popular models of airborne armored vehicles at present are the airborne combat vehicles BMD-1 (about 100 units) and BMD-2M (about 1 thousand units). Both of these vehicles were produced back 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. This is openly stated even by representatives of the top leadership of the Russian army.

More modern is the BMD-3, the operation of which began in 1990. Currently, 10 units of this combat vehicle are in service. Serial production has been discontinued. The BMD-3 is to replace the BMD-4, which was put into service in 2004. However, its production is slow, today there are 30 BMP-4s and 12 BMP-4Ms in service.

Also, the airborne units are armed with a small number of BTR-82A and BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers (12 pieces), 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 pieces). 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 in combat units there are from 12 to 30 (according to various sources) "Shells".

The anti-tank weapons of the Airborne Forces are represented by the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled anti-tank gun (36 units), 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 Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation are also armed with self-propelled and towed artillery: Nona self-propelled guns (250 pieces and several hundred more units in storage), D-30 howitzer (150 units), and Nona-M1 mortars (50 units) and "Tray" (150 units).

The air defense means of the Airborne Forces consist of portable missile systems (various modifications of the Needles and Willow), as well as the Strela short-range air defense system. Special attention should be paid to the newest Russian MANPADS "Verba", which was only recently put into service and now it has been put into trial operation in only a few units of the RF Armed Forces, including the 98th Airborne Division.

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

In recent years, the Airborne Forces began 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 systems "Barnaul", automated command and control systems "Andromeda-D" and "Flight-K".

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

The Airborne Forces are armed with machine guns "Pecheneg" (Russia) and NSV (USSR), as well as a heavy machine gun "Kord" (Russia).

Among the sniper systems, it should be noted SV-98 (Russia) and Vintorez (USSR), as well as the Austrian sniper rifle Steyr SSG 04, which was purchased for the needs of the special forces of the Airborne Forces. The paratroopers are armed with automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 "Flame" and AGS-30, as well as an easel grenade launcher SPG-9 "Spear". In addition, a range of manual anti-tank grenade launchers both Soviet and Russian production.

To conduct aerial reconnaissance and adjust artillery fire, the Airborne Forces use Russian-made Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles. The exact number of Orlans in service with the Airborne Forces is unknown.

The airborne troops of the Russian Federation use a large number of different parachute systems of Soviet and Russian production. With their help, landing of both personnel and military equipment is carried out.