Structure of the Russian Airborne Forces. Russian Airborne Forces: history, structure, weapons Russian Airborne Forces Command

Guards Air Assault Red Banner Regiment 104, Airborne Division, in other words, military unit 32515, is stationed in the village of Cherekha, not far from Pskov. The unit carries out combat missions, destroys and captures the enemy from the air, deprives him of ground weapons, cover, and destroys his defenses. This regiment also acts as a rapid reaction force.

Story

The regiment was formed in January 1948 as part of units of the 76th, 104th and 346th Guards Airborne Divisions. For excellent combat training in 1976, the regiment became Red Banner, and from 1979 to 1989 all personnel and officers fought in Afghanistan. In February 1978, the regiment mastered new weapons and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its valiant use. From 1994 to 1995, the Red Banner Regiment 104 (Airborne Division) was part of the 76th Division, and therefore actively participated in the First Chechen War, and in 1999 and 2009 it carried out an anti-terrorist mission in the North Caucasus.

At the beginning of 2003, the regiment was partially transferred to a contract basis, at the same time the reconstruction of military unit 32515 began. Regiment 104, Airborne Division, received reconstructed old and built new living quarters and facilities on its territory, thanks to this work the living and material conditions of service have become much better. The barracks took on a cubicle appearance with hallways, showers and closets for personal belongings, a gym and a rest room. Both officers and soldiers of Regiment 104 (Airborne Division) eat in a common canteen located separately. The food is the same for everyone, they eat together. Civilians work in the canteen, cleaning the territory and barracks.

Preparation

All fighters of such a famous unit as the Pskov Airborne Division, especially the 104th regiment, devote a lot of time to landing and general physical training at any time of the year. Mandatory activities for the landing force: improving camouflage skills, forcing fire and water obstacles and, of course, parachute jumping. First, training takes place using an airborne complex on the territory of a military unit, then it is the turn of a five-meter tower. If everything is learned correctly, then the fighters, in groups of ten people, make three jumps from airplanes: first from the AN, then from the IL.

Hazing and hazing have never occurred in this unit. Now this would not be possible, if only because recruits, old-timers and contract soldiers live separately and are each extremely busy with their own work. The Pskov Airborne Division, 104th Regiment, recruits take the oath on Saturdays at ten in the morning; rarely, due to circumstances beyond the control of the commanders, it can be moved back or forward an hour. After taking the oath, military personnel receive leave until 20.00. By the way, on holidays, fighters also receive leave. On the Monday following the taking of the oath, the command distributes new soldiers to companies.

Relatives

Of course, parents, relatives and friends miss and worry about the health and pastime of those who are just starting their military service. The command warns loved ones that their beloved sons, grandchildren, brothers and best friends, having enlisted in Regiment 104 (Pskov Airborne Division), cannot be constantly in touch.

Mobile phones are allowed to be used only one hour before lights out; the rest of the time, the commander keeps the gadgets with him and gives them to the soldier only as a last resort, and after he checks in a special log. Field exercises in the unit take place year-round, regardless of the weather, sometimes trips last up to two months. The fighters are famous for their military training, and without constant exercises the 104th Regiment of the 76th Airborne Division (Pskov) would not have gained such fame.

Helpful information

First of March

The whole country remembered the day of the great feat of the soldiers of the sixth company of the second battalion of the one hundred and fourth parachute regiment of the seventy-sixth Pskov Airborne Division. Year 2000. Since the beginning of February, the largest group of militants after the fall of Grozny retreated to the Shatoi region, where they were blocked. After air and artillery preparation, the battle for Shata followed. The militants nevertheless broke through in two large groups: Ruslan Gelayev to the northwest to the village of Komsomolskoye, and Khattab to the northeast through Ulus-Kert, where the main battle took place.

The federal troops consisted of one company of regiment 104 (Airborne Division) - the 6th company, which died heroically, commanded by Guard Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Evtyukhin, fifteen soldiers from the 4th company of the same regiment under the command of Guard Major Alexander Vasilyevich Dostavalov and the 1st company of the first battalion of that the same regiment under the command of Guard Major Sergei Ivanovich Baran. There were more than two and a half thousand militants: the groups of Idris, Abu Walid, Shamil Basayev and Khattab.

Mount Isty-Kord

On February 28, the commander of the 104th regiment, Colonel Sergei Yuryevich Melentyev, who briefly outlived his sixth company, ordered the occupation of the Isty-Kord heights, which dominated the area. The sixth company, led by Major Sergei Georgievich Molodov, moved out immediately and managed to occupy only height 776, four and a half kilometers from the designated mountain, where twelve reconnaissance paratroopers were sent.

The height designated by the commander was occupied by Chechen militants, with whom the reconnaissance team entered into battle, retreating to the main forces left behind. Commander Molodov entered the battle and was mortally wounded; on the same day, February 29, he died. Took command

The Brotherhood of War

But just four hours ago, Shatoy fell under the attack of federal troops. The militants furiously broke through the ring, not looking at the losses. Here they were met by the sixth company. Only the first and second platoons fought, since the third was destroyed by militants on the slope. By the end of the day, the company's losses amounted to a third of the total number of personnel. Thirty-one people - the number of paratroopers who died in the first hours of the battle when they were densely surrounded by the enemy.

By morning, soldiers from the fourth company, led by Alexander Vasilyevich Dostavalov, broke through to them. He violated the order, leaving well-fortified lines at a nearby height, took only fifteen soldiers with him and came to the rescue. Comrades from the first company of the first battalion also rushed to their aid. They crossed the Abazulgol River, were ambushed there and entrenched themselves on the bank. Only on March 3rd the first company was able to break through to the position. All this time the fighting continued everywhere.

Argun Gorge

The night of March 1, 2000 claimed the lives of eighty-four paratroopers who never missed the Chechen bandits. The death of the sixth company is the heaviest and largest in the Second Chechen War. In Cheryokha, at home, at the native checkpoint, this date is remembered by a stone on which is carved: “From here the sixth company went into immortality.” The last words of Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin were heard by the whole world: “I call fire on myself!” When the militants went to break through the avalanche, it was 6.50 in the morning. The bandits didn’t even shoot: why waste bullets on twenty-six wounded paratroopers if there were more than three hundred selected militants.

But hand-to-hand combat still broke out, although the forces were unequal. The guards did their duty. Everyone who could still hold a weapon, and even those who could not, entered the fray. There were twenty-seven dead enemies for each of the half-dead paratroopers who remained there. The bandits lost 457 of their best fighters, but were unable to break through either to Selmentauzen or further to Vedeno, after which the road to Dagestan was practically open. All roadblocks have been lifted by high order.

Khattab may not have been lying when he said on the radio that he bought the passage for five hundred thousand dollars, but it didn’t work out. They attacked the company in waves, like a dushman. Knowing the terrain well, the militants approached closely. And then bayonets, butts and just fists were used. For twenty hours the Pskov paratroopers held the heights.

Only six remained alive. The two were saved by the commander, who covered their jump from the cliff with machine gun fire. The bandits mistook the rest of the survivors for dead, but they were alive and after some time crawled out to the location of their troops. Company of heroes: twenty-two warriors posthumously became Heroes of Russia. Streets in many cities of the country, even in Grozny, were named after eighty-four paratroopers.

104th Airborne Division (Ulyanovsk)

This formation of the USSR Airborne Forces existed until 1998 as the 104th Guards Airborne Division, founded in 1944. In June 2015, the Russian Ministry of Defense decides to recreate the famous military unit. The composition of the 104th Airborne Division is three regiments based on the 31st Ulyanovsk Airborne Brigade, which are located in Orenburg, Engels and Ulyanovsk.

Glory to the Airborne Forces

Airborne troops date back to August 1930, and this is the only branch of the military in the country where every single division is guards. Each of them gained its own glory in battle. Ancient Pskov is rightfully proud of its oldest military unit - the 76th Guards Red Banner Airborne Division, which heroically proved itself in all the wars in which it participated. The tragic death of the brave, courageous, persistent sixth company of the 104th regiment will never be forgotten not only in the country, but also in the world.

Ulyanovsk has its own historical pride: the personnel of the 104th Guards Airborne Division stationed there took part in the battles in Chechnya and Abkhazia, and were part of the UN peacekeepers in Yugoslavia. And every resident of the city knows that the military equipment with the scorpion on board is the 104th Guards Airborne Division named after Kutuzov, converted from the Airborne Forces brigade.

Airborne troops are one of the strongest components of the army of the Russian Federation. In recent years, due to the tense international situation, the importance of the Airborne Forces has been increasing. The size of the territory of the Russian Federation, its landscape diversity, as well as borders with almost all conflict states, indicate that it is necessary to have a large supply of special groups of troops that can provide the necessary protection in all directions, which is what the air force is.

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Because air force structure is vast, the question often arises of the Airborne Forces and the Airborne Battalion, are they the same troops? The article examines the differences between them, the history, goals and military training of both organizations, composition.

Differences between troops

The differences lie in the names themselves. The DSB is an air assault brigade, organized and specialized in attacks close to the enemy rear in the event of large-scale military operations. Air assault brigades subordinate to the Airborne Forces - airborne troops, as one of their units and specialize only in assault captures.

Airborne Forces are airborne troops, whose tasks are the capture of the enemy, as well as the capture and destruction of enemy weapons and other air operations. The functionality of the Airborne Forces is much broader - reconnaissance, sabotage, assault. For a better understanding of the differences, let's consider the history of the creation of the Airborne Forces and the Airborne Shock Battalion separately.

History of the Airborne Forces

The Airborne Forces began its history in 1930, when an operation was carried out near the city of Voronezh on August 2, where 12 people parachuted from the air as part of a special unit. This operation then opened the eyes of the leadership to new opportunities for paratroopers. Next year, at the base Leningrad Military District, a detachment is formed, which received a long name - airborne and numbered about 150 people.

The effectiveness of the paratroopers was obvious and the Revolutionary Military Council decided to expand it by creating airborne troops. The order was issued at the end of 1932. At the same time, in Leningrad, instructors were trained, and later they were distributed to districts according to special-purpose aviation battalions.

In 1935, the Kyiv military district demonstrated to foreign delegations the full power of the Airborne Forces by staging an impressive landing of 1,200 paratroopers, who quickly captured the airfield. Later, similar exercises were held in Belarus, as a result of which the German delegation, impressed by the landing of 1,800 people, decided to organize its own airborne detachment, and then a regiment. Thus, The Soviet Union is rightfully the birthplace of the Airborne Forces.

In 1939, our airborne troops there is an opportunity to show yourself in action. In Japan, the 212th brigade was landed on the Khalkin-Gol River, and a year later the 201, 204 and 214 brigades were involved in the war with Finland. Knowing that the Second World War would not pass us by, 5 air corps of 10 thousand people each were formed and the Airborne Forces acquired a new status - guards troops.

The year 1942 was marked by the largest airborne operation during the war, which took place near Moscow, where about 10 thousand paratroopers were dropped into the German rear. After the war, it was decided to annex the Airborne Forces to the Supreme High Command and appoint the commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Ground Forces, this honor falls to Colonel General V.V. Glagolev.

Big innovations in airborne the troops came with “Uncle Vasya”. In 1954 V.V. Glagolev is replaced by V.F. Margelov and held the position of commander of the Airborne Forces until 1979. Under Margelov, the Airborne Forces are supplied with new military equipment, including artillery installations, combat vehicles, and special attention is paid to working under conditions of a surprise attack with nuclear weapons.

Airborne troops took part in all the most significant conflicts - the events of Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Nagorno-Karabakh, North and South Ossetia. Several of our battalions carried out UN peacekeeping missions on the territory of Yugoslavia.

Nowadays, the ranks of the Airborne Forces include about 40 thousand fighters; during special operations, paratroopers form its basis, since the Airborne Forces are a highly qualified component of our army.

History of the formation of the DSB

Air assault brigades began their history after it was decided to rework the tactics of the Airborne Forces in the context of the outbreak of large-scale military operations. The purpose of such ASBs was to disorganize opponents through mass landings close to the enemy; such operations were most often carried out from helicopters in small groups.

Towards the end of the 60s in the Far East, it was decided to form 11 and 13 brigades with helicopter regiments. These regiments were deployed mainly in hard-to-reach areas; the first landing attempts took place in the northern cities of Magdacha and Zavitinsk. Therefore, in order to become a paratrooper of this brigade, strength and special endurance were needed, since the weather conditions were almost unpredictable, for example, in winter the temperature reached -40 degrees, and in the summer there was abnormal heat.

Place of deployment of the first airborne gunships The Far East was chosen for a reason. This was a time of difficult relations with China, which worsened further after a clash of interests on the island of Damascus. The brigades were ordered to prepare to repel an attack from China, which could attack at any time.

High level and importance of DSB was demonstrated during exercises in the late 80s on the island of Iturup, where 2 battalions and artillery landed on MI-6 and MI-8 helicopters. The garrison, due to weather conditions, was not warned about the exercise, as a result of which fire was opened on those who landed, but thanks to the highly qualified training of the paratroopers, none of the participants in the operation were injured.

In those same years, the DSB consisted of 2 regiments, 14 brigades, and about 20 battalions. One brigade at a time were attached to one military district, but only to those that had access to the border by land. Kyiv also had its own brigade, 2 more brigades were given to our units located abroad. Each brigade had an artillery division, logistics and combat units.

After the USSR ceased to exist, the country’s budget did not allow the massive maintenance of the army, so there was nothing else to do but disband some units of the Airborne Forces and Airborne Forces. The beginning of the 90s was marked by the removal of the DSB from the subordination of the Far East and its transfer to full subordination to Moscow. The air assault brigades are being transformed into separate airborne brigades - 13 Airborne Brigade. In the mid-90s, the airborne reduction plan disbanded the 13th Airborne Forces Brigade.

Thus, from the above it is clear that the DShB was created as one of the structural divisions of the Airborne Forces.

Composition of the Airborne Forces

The composition of the Airborne Forces includes the following units:

• airborne;
• air assault;
• mountain (which operate exclusively at mountainous heights).

These are the three main components of the Airborne Forces. In addition, they consist of a division (76.98, 7, 106 Guards Air Assault), brigade and regiment (45, 56, 31, 11, 83, 38 Guards Airborne). A brigade was created in Voronezh in 2013, receiving the number 345.

Airborne Forces personnel prepared in educational institutions of the military reserve of Ryazan, Novosibirsk, Kamenets-Podolsk, and Kolomenskoye. Training was carried out in the areas of parachute landing (air assault) platoon and commanders of reconnaissance platoons.

The school produced about three hundred graduates annually - this was not enough to satisfy the personnel requirements of the airborne troops. Consequently, it was possible to become a member of the Airborne Forces by graduating from airborne departments in special areas of schools such as general arms and military departments.

Preparation

The command staff of the airborne battalion was most often selected from the airborne forces, and battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, and company commanders were selected from the nearest military districts. In the 70s, due to the fact that the leadership decided to repeat their experience - to create and staff the DSB, planned enrollment in educational institutions is expanding, who trained future airborne officers. The mid-80s were marked by the fact that officers were released to serve in the Airborne Forces, having been trained under the educational program for the Airborne Forces. Also during these years, a complete reshuffle of officers was carried out; it was decided to replace almost all of them in the DShV. At the same time, excellent students went to serve mainly in the Airborne Forces.

To join the Airborne Forces, as in the DSB, it is necessary to meet specific criteria:

• height 173 and above;
• average physical development;
• secondary education;
• without medical restrictions.

If everything matches, then the future fighter begins training.

Particular attention is paid, of course, to the physical training of airborne paratroopers, which is carried out constantly, starting with a daily rise at 6 am, hand-to-hand combat (a special training program) and ending with long forced marches of 30–50 km. Therefore, every fighter has enormous endurance and endurance, besides, children who have been involved in any sport that develops that same endurance are selected into their ranks. To test it, they take an endurance test - in 12 minutes a fighter must run 2.4-2.8 km, otherwise there is no point in serving in the Airborne Forces.

It is worth noting that it is not for nothing that they are called universal fighters. These people can operate in various areas in any weather conditions absolutely silently, can camouflage themselves, own all types of weapons, both their own and the enemy’s, control any type of transport and means of communication. In addition to excellent physical preparation, psychological preparation is also required, since fighters have to overcome not only long distances, but also “work with their heads” to get ahead of the enemy throughout the entire operation.

Intellectual aptitude is determined using tests compiled by experts. Psychological compatibility in the team is necessarily taken into account; the guys are included in a certain detachment for 2-3 days, after which the senior officers evaluate their behavior.

Psychophysical preparation is carried out, which implies tasks with increased risk, where there is both physical and mental stress. Such tasks are aimed at overcoming fear. At the same time, if it turns out that the future paratrooper does not experience a feeling of fear at all, then he is not accepted for further training, since he is quite naturally taught to control this feeling, and is not completely eradicated. Airborne Forces training gives our country a huge advantage in terms of fighters over any enemy. Most VDVeshnikov already lead a familiar lifestyle even after retirement.

Armament of the Airborne Forces

As for technical equipment, the Airborne Forces use combined arms equipment and equipment specially designed for the nature of this type of troops. Some of the samples were created during the USSR, but the bulk were developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Soviet period cars include:

• amphibious combat vehicle - 1 (the number reaches 100 units);
• BMD-2M (approximately 1 thousand units), they are used in both ground and parachute landing methods.

These techniques have been tested for many years and took part in multiple armed conflicts that took place on the territory of our country and abroad. Nowadays, in conditions of rapid progress, these models are outdated both morally and physically. A little later, the BMD-3 model was released and today the number of such equipment is only 10 units, since production has ceased, they plan to gradually replace it with the BMD-4.

The Airborne Forces are also armed with armored personnel carriers BTR-82A, BTR-82AM and BTR-80 and the most numerous tracked armored personnel carrier - 700 units, and it is also the most outdated (mid-70s), it is gradually being replaced by an armored personnel carrier - MDM "Rakushka". There are also anti-tank guns 2S25 "Sprut-SD", an armored personnel carrier - RD "Robot", and ATGMs: "Konkurs", "Metis", "Fagot", and "Cornet". Air defense represented by missile systems, but a special place is given to a new product that recently appeared in service with the Airborne Forces - the Verba MANPADS.

Not long ago new models of equipment appeared:

• armored car "Tiger";
• Snowmobile A-1;
• Kamaz truck - 43501.

As for communication systems, they are represented by locally developed electronic warfare systems "Leer-2 and 3", Infauna, system control is represented by air defense "Barnaul", "Andromeda" and "Polet-K" - automation of command and control.

Weapon represented by samples, for example, the Yarygin pistol, PMM and the PSS silent pistol. The Soviet Ak-74 assault rifle is still the personal weapon of paratroopers, but is gradually being replaced by the newest AK-74M, and the silent Val assault rifle is also used in special operations. There are parachute systems of both Soviet and post-Soviet types, which can parachute large quantities of soldiers and all the military equipment described above. Heavier equipment includes automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 “Plamya” and AGS-30, SPG-9.

Armament of the DShB

The DShB had transport and helicopter regiments, which numbered:

• about twenty mi-24, forty mi-8 and forty mi-6;
• the anti-tank battery was armed with a 9 MD mounted anti-tank grenade launcher;
• the mortar battery included eight 82-mm BM-37s;
• the anti-aircraft missile platoon had nine Strela-2M MANPADS;
• it also included several BMD-1s, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers for each airborne assault battalion.

The armament of the brigade artillery group consisted of GD-30 howitzers, PM-38 mortars, GP 2A2 cannons, the Malyutka anti-tank missile system, SPG-9MD, and ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun.

Heavier equipment includes automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 “Flame” and AGS-30, SPG-9 “Spear”. Aerial reconnaissance is carried out using the domestic Orlan-10 drone.

One interesting fact took place in the history of the Airborne Forces: for quite a long time, thanks to erroneous media information, special forces (Special Forces) soldiers were not rightfully called paratroopers. The thing is, what is in the Air Force of our country in the Soviet Union, as in the post-Soviet Union, there were and do not exist Special Forces troops, but there are divisions and units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the General Staff, which arose in the 50s. Until the 80s, the command was forced to completely deny their existence in our country. Therefore, those who were appointed to these troops learned about them only after being accepted into service. For the media they were disguised as motorized rifle battalions.

Airborne Forces Day

Paratroopers celebrate the birthday of the Airborne Forces, like the DShB since August 2, 2006. This kind of gratitude for the efficiency of air units, the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation was signed in May of the same year. Despite the fact that the holiday was declared by our government, the birthday is celebrated not only in our country, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and most CIS countries.

Every year, airborne veterans and active soldiers meet in the so-called “meeting place”, each city has its own, for example, in Astrakhan “Brotherly Garden”, in Kazan “Victory Square”, in Kiev “Hydropark”, in Moscow “Poklonnaya Gora”, Novosibirsk "Central Park". Demonstrations, concerts and fairs are held in large cities.

Hi all! Today we will touch upon such a topic as military service under contract in the Russian Airborne Forces. Namely, we will consider such issues as vacancies under contract in the Airborne Forces in 2019, those who serve under contract in the airborne forces, as well as the conditions for serving under contract in the Airborne Forces for military personnel and members of their families. The Airborne Forces will take a special place in our article.

Contract service in airborne regiments, divisions, military units, brigades

Contract service in the Airborne Forces is a job for real men!

Currently, the structural strength includes four full-fledged divisions, and there are also separate regiments, airborne and air assault brigades.

For those who have decided to connect their life, or at least part of it, with service in the Airborne Forces, I highly recommend studying the composition of the Airborne Forces and the locations of the units and subunits of the Russian Airborne Forces.

So, according to official information from the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense mil.ru, the Airborne Forces consists of:

• 76th Guards Air Assault Division, stationed in Pskov:

1. military unit 32515 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment
2. military unit 74268 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment
3. military unit 45377 1140 artillery regiment and others

• military unit 65451 98th Guards Airborne Division, located in Ivanovo:

1. military unit 62295 217 Guards Parachute Regiment
2. military unit 71211 331st Guards Parachute Regiment (location: Kostroma)
3. military unit 62297 1065th Guards Artillery Red Banner Regiment (location Kostroma)
4. military unit 65391 215th separate guards reconnaissance company and others

• 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division, location – Novorossiysk:

1. military unit 42091 108th air assault regiment
2. military unit 54801 247 air assault regiment (location: Stavropol)
3. military unit 40515 1141 artillery regiment (location in Anapa) and others

• 106th Guards Airborne Division - Tula:

1. military unit 41450 137th parachute regiment
2. military unit 33842 51st parachute regiment
3. military unit 93723 1182 artillery regiment (location: Naro-Fominsk) and others

Airborne regiments and brigades:

• military unit 32364 11th separate guards airborne brigade, stationed in the city of Ulan-Ude
• military unit 28337 45th separate guards special purpose brigade - Moscow
• 56th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Location: Kamyshin city
• military unit 73612 31st separate guards air assault brigade. Located in Ulyanovsk
• military unit 71289 83rd separate guards airborne brigade. Location – Ussuriysk
• military unit 54164 38th separate guards airborne communications regiment. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera

Cuban contract service in airborne special forces in the 45th special forces brigade

Let's start with the brigade, which, apparently, every second candidate aspires to join. Namely, in the 45th brigade (regiment) of the Airborne Forces. To avoid repetition, I’ll immediately give you a link to the material where we have already told you everything about this military unit in the article

Contract service in the Tula Airborne Forces

For many, the contract in the Airborne Forces became a successful springboard and a good lesson in life.

The next most popular is the 106th Guards Airborne Division, which is located in the hero city of Tula. Full name 106th Guards Airborne Tula Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division.

The division includes units:

• parachute regiments
• communications department,
• material support division (MS),
• medical squad,
• engineering unit

Accordingly, it’s quite a lot for contract service in the 106th Airborne Division.

Contract servicemen serving under contract in the Airborne Forces in the city of Tula, during their service, live in separate living quarters (cubbies) for 4-6 soldiers. Those who do not want to live on the territory of the unit, as well as family military personnel, have the right to rent housing in the city itself. In this case, they are paid monetary compensation for renting housing.

Also, every serviceman can use it to solve their housing problems.

Since the unit is located in the city itself, there are no problems with employment of members of military families.

Airborne Forces contract service Ryazan

Those who wish to serve in the Airborne Forces in Ryazan should contact the 137th Parachute Regiment, military unit 41450 Regimental address: Ryazan - 7 Oktyabrsky Gorodok

The conditions for entering a contract in an airborne regiment are the same as for other candidates for a contract.

In 137 PDP, in addition to regular units, for example, PDB, there is:

• special center,
• airborne training ground

Military unit 41450 has a club, a library, a museum of military glory, a stadium and a gym.

There is a garrison military hospital on the territory of the Ryazan garrison.

There are also no problems with employing family members of contract workers. The military unit is located within the city limits. Accordingly, the state fulfills them in full.

Contract service Pskov Airborne Forces

The next place for future contract soldiers to serve is the oldest unit of the Airborne Forces, namely the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, located in the city of military glory Pskov.

As part of the 76th Guards. The DSD has the following divisions:

• three air assault regiments
• Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
• separate reconnaissance battalion
• separate communications battalion
• repair and restoration battalion and others

The conditions of service and living conditions for contract servicemen are the same as in other military units of the Airborne Forces

Service under contract of the Airborne Forces Ulyanovsk

For those who have chosen to serve in the Airborne Forces and also live or are ready to move to the city of Ulyanovsk, they are lucky, because the 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade (31 Air Assault Brigade) is located here, military unit 73612 address Ulyanovsk, 3rd Engineering travel

The 31st Airborne Brigade includes:

• parachute and air assault battalions
• artillery battalion
• engineer company

Since 2005, all units of the brigade have been staffed exclusively by contract soldiers.

Contract in the Airborne Forces in Crimea

Back in 2016, the then commander of the Airborne Forces, Vladimir Shamanov, announced that during 2017, the 97th Airborne Assault Regiment would be recreated in Dzhankoy, Crimea. But there is no information about this yet.

Monetary allowances for military personnel under contract in the Airborne Forces

In addition to the basic payments that are due to every serviceman of the Russian Army, the Airborne Forces are entitled to, namely in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 2700 dated December 30, 2011, the salary of an Airborne Forces contract soldier is increased by 50 percent of the salary for a military position, provided that the serviceman has fulfilled the norm of parachute jumps established by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation for the past year.

For military personnel, for each complicated parachute jump, the allowance increases by 1 percent.

It is worth noting that in the 45th Airborne Brigade (Regiment), military personnel receive an additional 50% of their salary for military service in a special forces unit.

Airborne Forces contract service reviews

Our Airborne Forces are rapidly developing. More and more models of modern military equipment are coming into service. This means that the Airborne Forces will constantly require professional military personnel.

Regarding the reviews, I would like to say that it depends on the military unit where the service will take place, and sometimes on the military man himself. What can you say about this? How is your contract in the Airborne Forces?

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 troops), armies, and corps. The parachute units were subordinate only to the command of the Airborne Forces, whose headquarters were located in Moscow.
-In the assigned tasks. It was assumed that the airborne assault units, in the event of the outbreak of large-scale hostilities, would be used to land near the enemy's rear, mainly by landing from helicopters. The parachute units were supposed to be used deeper behind enemy lines with parachute landing from MTA (military transport aviation) aircraft. At the same time, airborne training with planned training parachute landings of personnel and military equipment was mandatory for both types of airborne formations.
-Unlike the guards parachute units of the Airborne Forces deployed at full strength, some air assault brigades were squadroned (incomplete) and were not guards. The exception was three brigades that received the name Guards, created on the basis of the Guards parachute regiments, the 105th Vienna Red Banner Guards Airborne Division disbanded in 1979 - the 35th, 38th and 56th. The 40th air assault brigade, created on the basis of the 612th separate airborne support battalion and the 100th separate reconnaissance company of the same division, did not receive “guards” status.
In the mid-80s, the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces included the following brigades and regiments:

11th separate air assault brigade in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Mogocha and Amazar),
-13th separate air assault brigade in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk),
-21st separate air assault brigade in the Transcaucasian Military District (Georgian SSR, Kutaisi),
-23rd separate air assault brigade of the South-Western direction (on the territory of the Kyiv Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
-35th separate guards air assault brigade in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus),
-36th separate air assault brigade in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, Garbolovo village),
-37th separate air assault brigade in the Baltic Military District (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk),
-38th separate guards air assault brigade in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest),
-39th separate air assault brigade in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyrov),
-40th separate air assault brigade in the Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Bolshaya Korenikha village, Nikolaev region),
-56th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade in the Turkestan Military District (created in the city of Chirchik, Uzbek SSR and introduced into Afghanistan),
-57th separate air assault brigade in the Central Asian Military District (Kazakh SSR, Aktogay village),
-58th separate air assault brigade in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
-83rd separate air assault brigade in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard),
-1318th separate air assault regiment in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5oak)
-1319th separate air assault regiment in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48oak)
These brigades included a command center, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery battalion, and combat support and logistics support units. The personnel of fully deployed brigades ranged from 2,500 to 3,000 troops.
For example, the regular number of personnel of the 56th General Guards Brigade as of December 1, 1986 was 2,452 military personnel (261 officers, 109 warrant officers, 416 sergeants, 1,666 soldiers).

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

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

In the Afghan war, one airborne division (103rd Guards Airborne Division), one separate airborne assault brigade (56ogdshbr), one separate parachute regiment (345guards opdp) and two air assault battalions as part of separate motorized rifle brigades (in the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade and in the 70th Motorized Rifle Brigade). In total, in 1987 these were 18 “line” battalions (13 parachute and 5 air assault), which amounted to a fifth of the total number of all “line” OKSVA battalions (which included another 18 tank and 43rd motorized rifle battalions).

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

As in all motorized rifle, tank and artillery units within the OKSVA, up to half of all units of the airborne and air assault formations were assigned to guard duty at outposts, which made it possible to control roads, mountain passes and the vast territory of the country, significantly limiting the the very actions of the enemy. For example, battalions of the 350th Guards RPD were often based in various points of Afghanistan (in Kunar, Girishk, Surubi), monitoring the situation in these areas. The 2nd parachute battalion from the 345th Guards Special Operations Division was distributed among 20 outposts in the Panjshir Gorge near the village of Anava. With this 2ndb 345th opdp (together with the 682nd motorized rifle regiment of the 108th motorized rifle division stationed in the village of Rukha) completely blocked the western exit from the gorge, which was the enemy’s main transport artery from Pakistan to the strategically important Charikar Valley.

The most massive combat airborne operation in the USSR Armed Forces in the period after the Great Patriotic War should be considered the 5th Panjshir Operation in May-June 1982, during which the first mass landing of troops of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division in Afghanistan was carried out: only During the first three days, over 4 thousand people were landed from helicopters. In total, about 12 thousand military personnel of various branches of the military took part in this operation. The operation took place simultaneously throughout the entire 120 km depth of the gorge. As a result of the operation, most of the Panjshir gorge was taken under control.

In the period from 1982 to 1986, all OKSVA airborne units systematically replaced standard airborne armored vehicles (BMD-1, BTR-D) with armored vehicles standard for motorized rifle units (BMP-2D, BTR-70). First of all, this was due to the rather low security and low motor life of structurally lightweight armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces, as well as the nature of combat operations, where combat missions performed by paratroopers will differ little from the tasks assigned to motorized riflemen.

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

Training of officers for airborne troops

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

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

For quite a long time, military personnel of units and units of the Special Forces (now called army special forces) were mistakenly and/or intentionally called paratroopers. This circumstance is connected with the fact that in the Soviet period, as now, there were and are no special forces in the Russian Armed Forces, but there were and are special forces units and units (SPT) of the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. The phrases “special forces” or “commandos” were mentioned in the press and in the media only in relation to the troops of a potential enemy (“Green Berets”, “Rangers”, “Commandos”).

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

In everyday life, military personnel of units and units of the Special Forces wore dress and field uniforms adopted by the Airborne Forces, although they were in no way related to the Airborne Forces either in terms of subordination or assigned tasks of reconnaissance and sabotage activities. The only thing that united the Airborne Forces and the units and units of the Special Forces was the majority of the officers - graduates of the RVVDKU, airborne training and possible combat use behind enemy lines.

Russian Airborne Forces

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

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

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

Structure of the Russian Airborne Forces

In this article we will start talking about the organizational structure of the Airborne Forces. On the occasion of the holiday of the airborne troops, it makes sense to talk about some components of the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces, where people who are most directly related to the airborne forces serve and work. Let’s try to clearly define where everything is located and who is doing what exactly.

Like any army structure, the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation has a clear, well-coordinated organized structure, consisting of the administrative apparatus of the airborne troops, two airborne assault (mountain) and two airborne divisions, separate airborne and airborne brigades.

Also, the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces includes a separate communications regiment, a separate guards regiment for special purposes, as well as some educational institutions - the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, the Ulyanovsk Guards Suvorov Military School, and the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet School. In short, this is approximately what the organizational structure of the Russian Airborne Forces looks like. Now let's explore this topic in more detail.

It is, of course, possible to say something in detail about the administrative apparatus of the structure of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation, but there is not much sense in this. Let us just note that in the ranks of the Airborne Forces there are approximately 4 thousand officers of various ranks, including sergeants. This figure can be considered quite optimal.

Personnel composition of the Russian Airborne Forces

In addition to the officers, in the ranks of the Russian Airborne Forces there are also contract servicemen, conscripts, as well as special civilian personnel. In total, the structure of the Airborne Forces in our country numbers approximately 35 thousand soldiers and officers, as well as about 30 thousand civilian personnel, workers and employees. Not so little, if you think about it, especially for elite troops and the training corresponding to the elite in all spheres of military life.

Now let's take a little more detail about the divisions that are part of the organizational structure of the Airborne Forces. As stated above, it consists of two airborne and two air assault divisions. More recently, until 2006, all divisions of the Russian Airborne Forces were airborne. However, subsequently the leadership decided that such a number of paratroopers was not required in the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces, so half of the existing divisions were reformatted into air assault divisions.

This is not a whim of the Russian command exclusively, but the spirit of the times, when it is often easier not to drop parachute troops, but to land an elite unit on special transport helicopters. All sorts of situations happen in war.

The famous 7th division, based in Novorossiysk since the 90s, and the 76th, the oldest among all airborne divisions, located in Pskov, were reformatted into air assault divisions. The 98th Ivanovskaya and 106th Tula remained airborne. It's about the same with individual brigades. The airborne brigades in Ulan-Ude and Ussuriysk remained airborne, but the Ulyanovsk and Kamyshinskaya became air assault. So the balance of both in the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces is approximately the same.

Well, among other things, individual tank and motorized rifle companies and reconnaissance battalions also undergo programmatic airborne training, although they are not listed in the organizational structure of the Russian Airborne Forces. But who knows, what if they suddenly have to act together and perform similar tasks?

Separate regiments in the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces

Now let's move on to individual regiments that are part of the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces. There are two of them: the 38th separate communications regiment and the 45th special purpose guards regiment. The 38th Signal Regiment was formed after the Great Patriotic War in Belarus. Specific tasks are to ensure communication between headquarters and subordinates on the front line.

In the most difficult conditions, signalmen certainly marched in combat landing formations, organizing and maintaining telephone and radio communications. Previously, the regiment was located in the Vitebsk region, but over time it was relocated to the Moscow region. The regiment's home base is the village of Medvezhye Ozera, which is explained by the fact that it is there that the huge Communications Satellite Control Center is located.

The 45th Guards Special Purpose Regiment, based in Kubinka near Moscow, is the youngest military unit of the Russian Airborne Forces structure. It was formed in 1994 on the basis of two other separate special forces battalions. At the same time, despite its youth, over the 20 years of its existence the regiment has already managed to be awarded the Orders of Alexander Nevsky and Kutuzov.

Educational institutions in the structure of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation

And finally, a few words should be said about educational institutions. As mentioned above, there are several of them in the organizational structure of the Russian Airborne Forces. The most famous, of course, is RVVDKU - Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which since 1996 has been named after Vasily Filippovich Margelov. I think it’s not worth explaining to the paratroopers what kind of person he is.

In the organizational structure of the Airborne Forces, the Ryazan School is the oldest - it has been operating since 1918, even when the concept of “airborne assault” did not yet exist in the ranks of the Red Army. But this did not stop the school from producing trained, qualified fighters, masters of their craft. Ryazan has become a forge for Airborne Forces personnel since about the 1950s.

Junior commanders and specialists in the Airborne Forces are trained at the 242nd training center. This center began to form back in the 1960s with the participation of Margelov himself, and received its modern place in the organizational structure of the Airborne Forces in 1987. In 1992, the 242nd training center was transferred from Lithuania to the city of Omsk. This training center trains junior commanders of all technical equipment adopted by the airborne troops, radiotelephonists, howitzer commanders and artillerymen, and gunners of airborne combat vehicles.

In the organizational structure of the Russian Airborne Forces there are other educational institutions that deserve attention, such as the 332nd warrant officer school or the Ulyanovsk Guards Suvorov Military School, and you can write and write a lot more about them, but there simply isn’t enough space on the entire site to mention all the most interesting moments and achievements of all components of the Airborne Forces structure.

Conclusion

Therefore, we will leave space for the future and, perhaps, a little later we will talk in more detail about each division, brigade, and educational institution in a separate article. We have no doubt - extremely worthy people serve and work there, the real elite of the Russian army, and sooner or later we will speak about them in as much detail as possible.

If we sum up all of the above, then studying the organizational structure of the Russian Airborne Forces does not represent any special work - it is extremely transparent and understandable to everyone. Perhaps some difficulties arise in connection with the study of movements and reorganizations immediately after the collapse of the USSR, but this already seems inevitable. Nevertheless, even now some changes are constantly taking place in the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces, albeit not too large-scale. But this has more to do with optimizing the work of the airborne troops as much as possible.