Based on the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 31, 2006 “On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” as a memorial day designed to contribute to the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increasing the prestige of military service and established in recognition of the merits of military specialists in solving problems of ensuring the defense and security of the state.
In 1994-1996 and 1999-2004, all formations and military units of the Airborne Forces took part in hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic; in August 2008, military units of the Airborne Forces took part in the operation to force Georgia to peace, operating in the Ossetian and Abkhazian directions.
On the basis of the Airborne Forces, the first Russian battalion of UN peacekeeping forces was formed in Yugoslavia (1992), peacekeeping contingents in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995), in Kosovo and Metohija (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1999).
Since 2005, according to their specialization, airborne units have been divided into airborne, air assault and mountain. The former includes the 98th Guards Airborne Division and the 106th Guards Airborne Division of two regiments, the latter - the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of two regiments and the 31st Guards Separate Airborne Brigade of three battalions, and The third is the 7th Guards Air Assault Division (Mountain).
Two airborne formations (the 98th Guards Airborne Division and the 31st Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade) are part of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
At the end of 2009, in each airborne division, separate anti-aircraft missile regiments were formed on the basis of separate anti-aircraft missile artillery divisions. At the initial stage, air defense systems of the Ground Forces entered service, which will later be replaced by airborne systems.
According to information for 2012, the total number of the Russian Airborne Forces is about 30 thousand people. The Airborne Forces include four divisions, the 31st separate airborne brigade, the 45th separate special forces regiment, the 242nd training center and other units.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Airborne troops (Airborne Forces) are a branch of troops intended for combat operations behind enemy lines. They are usually part of the ground forces, less often - part of the air force (navy), but can also be an independent branch of the armed forces.
Designed for air landing behind enemy lines or for rapid deployment in geographically remote areas. The main method of delivering airborne forces is parachute landing; they can also be delivered by helicopter; During the Second World War, delivery by gliders was practiced.
At the end of 1930, near Leningrad, a Soviet airborne unit was created - an airborne detachment. In December 1932, he was deployed to the 3rd Special Purpose Aviation Brigade, which in 1938 became known as the 201st Airborne Brigade.
The 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 landed from the air, which, with the support of local residents, defeated a gang that had invaded the territory of Tajikistan from abroad. However, Airborne Forces Day in Russia and a number of other countries is 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 a directive dated March 18, a non-standard, experienced aviation motorized landing detachment (airborne landing detachment) was formed in the 1st aviation brigade of 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 (apparently, they meant a bicycle).
E.D. Lukin was appointed commander of the detachment. Then, in the same air brigade, a non-standard parachute detachment was formed.
In 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR adopted a resolution 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 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 intended to be used by the high command in cooperation with troops advancing from the front; airborne assaults were to assist in the encirclement and defeat 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)
- Junior Command School, 0 (115)
- services, 144 (135)
Personnel:
- Total: 1823 (1500)
- Command staff, 107 (118)
- Commanding staff, 69 (60)
- Junior command and management personnel, 330 (264)
- Enlisted personnel, 1317 (1058)
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)
- Passenger 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 pre-war years, a lot of effort and money was allocated to the development of airborne troops, the development of the theory of their combat use and 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 with military equipment landed. 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 who attended 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 high command.
In cooperation with troops advancing from the front, air infantry helps to 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. Branches 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 command of the Red Army included the 201st, 204th and 214th airborne brigades in the Southern Front. During the operation, the 204th and 201st ADBR 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.
By the beginning of 1941, on the basis of the existing airborne brigades, airborne corps of over 10 thousand people each were deployed. 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 the same 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 constituted an independent branch of the Red Army Air Force.
In the counteroffensive near Moscow, conditions were created for the widespread use of airborne forces. In the winter of 1942, the Vyazma airborne operation was carried out with the participation of the 4th Airborne 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 successfully completed the assigned tasks.
In October 1944, the Airborne Forces were transformed into a separate Guards Airborne Army, which became part of long-range aviation. In December 1944, this army was disbanded, and the Airborne Forces Directorate was created, reporting to the commander of the Air Force. The Airborne Forces retained three airborne brigades, an airborne training regiment, advanced training courses for officers and an aeronautical division.
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 United Armed Forces of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact during the Czechoslovak events.
Paratroopers in the cargo compartment of the An-12.
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), and artillery systems (ASU-57, ASU-85, 2S9 Nona, 107-mm recoilless rifle B-11) were created. Complex parachute systems were developed for landing all types of weapons - “Centaur”, “Reaktaur” and others. The fleet of military transport aircraft was also increased, designed for the massive transfer of landing forces in the event of large-scale hostilities. Large-body transport aircraft were created capable of parachute landing of military equipment (An-12, An-22, Il-76).
In the USSR, for the first time in the world, airborne troops were created, which had their own armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery. At large army exercises (for example, "Shield-82" or "Friendship-82"), the landing of personnel with standard equipment of no more than two parachute regiments was practiced. The state of the military transport aviation of the USSR Armed Forces at the end of the 80s made it possible to parachute 75% of the personnel and standard military equipment of one airborne division in one general sortie.
Organizational and personnel structure of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, as of July 1979.
By the fall of 1979, the 105th Guards Vienna Red Banner Airborne Division, specialized for combat operations in mountainous desert areas, was disbanded. Units of the 105th Guards. The Airborne Forces were stationed in the cities of Fergana, Namangan and Chirchik of the Uzbek SSR and in the city of Osh of the Kyrgyz SSR. As a result of the disbandment of the 105th Guards. The Airborne Forces formed three separate air assault brigades (35th, 38th and 56th) and the 345th Guards Separate Parachute Regiment.
Following the disbandment of the 105th Guards. The Airborne Forces in 1979, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan showed the deep error of the decision taken by the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces - the airborne formation, specially adapted for combat operations in mountainous desert areas, was thoughtlessly and hastily disbanded, and was ultimately sent to Afghanistan 103 Guards Airborne Forces, whose personnel had no training to conduct combat operations in such a theater of operations:
“...in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General D.F. Sukhorukov, came and said then what fools we were, disbanding the 105th Airborne Division, because it was intended 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:
Organizational and staffing structure of the 351st Guards Parachute Regiment, 105th Guards Airborne Division as of July 1979.
- 7th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division. Stationed in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Baltic Military District.
- 76th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov, II degree, Chernigov Airborne Division. Stationed in Pskov, RSFSR, Leningrad Military District.
- 98th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree Svir Airborne Division. It was stationed 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, specialized for combat operations in mountainous areas. 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. Stationed 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. Stationed in Bagram (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979, he was stationed 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. Until 1982 it was part of the 104th Guards. VDD. In the 80s, the 387th training ODDP 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 means exactly 387 OUPDP. Stationed in Fergana, Uzbek SSR, Turkestan Military District.
- 196th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces. Stationed 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 subordinate to the commanders of military districts (groups of forces), armies or corps. They were no different in anything except their tasks, subordination and general education system. Methods of combat use, combat training programs for personnel, weapons and uniforms of military personnel were the same as those of parachute units and formations of the Airborne Forces (central subordination). Air assault formations were represented by separate air assault brigades (ADSB), separate air assault regiments (ADAS) and separate air assault battalions (ADSB).
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 enemy's near rear, 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 stationed 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 internal Kiev Military District (23 ADSB in the city of Kremenchug, subordinate to the Main Command of the southwestern direction) and two brigades for groups of Soviet troops abroad (35 ADShBR in the GSVG in Cottbus and 83 ADShBR in the SGV in Bialogard). 56th Guards The ODSBR in OKSVA, stationed in the city of Gardez of the Republic of Afghanistan, belonged to the Turkestan Military District in which it was formed.
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 the airborne units.
- Subordinate to the troops. Airborne assault units, operationally, were subordinate to the command of military districts (groups of troops), armies, and corps. The parachute units were subordinate to the command of the Airborne Forces, whose headquarters were 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 military air transport 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 (special staff) and were not guards. The exception was three brigades that received the name Guards, created on the basis of the 105th Vienna Red Banner Guards Airborne Division, disbanded in 1979 - the 35th, 38th and 56th.
In the mid-80s, the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces included the following brigades and regiments:
Organizational and staffing structure of the 56th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade, as of December 1986.
- 11 ODShBR in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Trans-Baikal Territory, Mogocha and Amazar)
- 13 Special Airborne Brigade in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur Region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk)
- 21 Special Airborne Brigade in the Transcaucasian Military District (Georgian SSR, Kutaisi)
- 23 ADSB of the South-Western direction (on the territory of the Kyiv Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug)
- 35th Guards ODSBR in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus)
- 36 ODShBR in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, Garbolovo village)
- 37 separate airborne assault brigade in the Baltic Military District (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk)
- 38th Guards ODShBR in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest)
- 39 ODShBR in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyrov)
- 40 ODShBR in Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Nikolaev)
- 56th Guards ODSBR in the Turkestan Military District (formed in the city of Chirchik, Uzbek SSR and introduced into Afghanistan)
- 57 Special Airborne Brigade in the Central Asian Military District (Kazakh SSR, Aktogay town)
- 58 ODShBR in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug)
- 83 ADSB in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard)
- 1318 ODShP in the Belorussian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5 UAC)
- 1319 ODShP in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48 UAC)
These brigades included a command and control unit, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery battalion, and combat support and logistics support units. The personnel of the deployed brigades reached 2,500 military personnel. For example, the regular number of personnel is 56 Guards. As of December 1, 1986, the ODSBR numbered 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
Organizational and staffing structure of the 345th Guards Separate Parachute Regiment, for the summer of 1988.
In the Afghan War, the airborne and air assault formations of the USSR Armed Forces included one airborne division (103rd Guards Airborne Division), one separate airborne assault brigade (56th Guards Special Airborne Brigade), one separate parachute regiment (345th Guards Airborne Regiment). 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 43 motorized rifle battalions) .
In almost the entire history of the Afghan war, no 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 and the unjustification of the material costs of using such methods in guerrilla warfare. The transfer of personnel of airborne and air assault units to mountainous combat areas impassable for armored vehicles was carried out exclusively by landing from helicopters. 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, thereby significantly constraining enemy actions. For example, the 2nd parachute battalion from the 345th Guards. The OPDP was dispersed among 20 outposts in the Panjshir Gorge near the village of Anava. With this, 2 PDB 345 OPDP (together with the 682nd motorized rifle regiment of the 108th MSD, stationed in the village of Rukha) 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 a mass landing of troops in Afghanistan was carried out for the first time: only during the first three days , over 4 thousand people were landed from helicopters. In total, about 12 thousand military personnel of various military branches took part in this operation. The operation took place simultaneously throughout the entire 120 km depth of the gorge. As a result, 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 low security and low motor life of structurally lightweight armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces, as well as the nature of combat operations, where the tasks performed by paratroopers were not much different from the tasks assigned to motorized riflemen.
Also, in order to increase the firepower of the airborne units, additional artillery and tank units were introduced into their composition. For example, the 345 ODDP, modeled on a motorized rifle regiment, was supplemented with an artillery howitzer division and a tank company, in the 56 ADSB the artillery battalion was deployed to 5 fire batteries (instead of the required 3 batteries), and the 103rd Guards. The airborne division will be reinforced with the 62nd separate tank battalion, which was unusual for the organizational structure of airborne 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 Higher Military Automotive Engineering School - 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-Political Combined Arms School - deputy company commander for political affairs (educational work).
- Airborne Faculty of the Kolomna Higher Artillery Command School - commander of an artillery platoon.
- Airborne Faculty of the Leningrad Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School - commander of an anti-aircraft missile platoon.
- Airborne Faculty of the Kamenets-Podolsk Higher Military Engineering Command School - commander of an engineering platoon.
In addition to graduates of these educational institutions, the Airborne Forces often appointed graduates of higher combined arms schools (VOKU) and military departments that trained to become motorized rifle platoon commanders to positions of platoon commanders. This was due to the fact that the specialized Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which graduated on average about 300 lieutenants every year, was 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) platoon commanders. For example, the former commander of the 247th Guards. PDP (7th Guards Airborne Forces), Hero of the Russian Federation Em Yuri Pavlovich, who began his service in the Airborne Forces as a platoon commander in the 111th Guards. PDP 105 Guards Airborne Forces, graduated from the Alma-Ata Higher Combined Arms Command School.
For a long time, military personnel of units and units of the Special Forces (now called army special forces) were mistakenly and deliberately called paratroopers. This is due to the fact that in the Soviet period, as now, in the Russian Armed Forces, there were and are no special forces, but there were and are special forces units and units 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 emergence of these units, the USSR Armed Forces in 1950 until the end of the 80s completely denied the existence of such units and units. 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 (173 OOSpN), stationed near the city of Kandahar, was called the 3rd separate motorized rifle battalion (3 OMSB).
In everyday life, military personnel of units and units of the Special Forces wore the dress and field uniforms adopted by the Airborne Forces, although neither in terms of subordination nor in terms of the assigned tasks of reconnaissance and sabotage activities they belonged to the Airborne Forces. 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.
Airborne troops
(Airborne Forces)
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. A great contribution to the theory of the combat use of airborne assault forces was made by Marshal of the Soviet Union M.N. Tukhachevsky. Back in the second half of the 20s, he was the first among Soviet military leaders to deeply study the role of airborne assaults in a future war and substantiate the prospects of the Airborne Forces.
In the work “New Issues of War” M.N. Tukhachevsky wrote: “If a country is prepared for the widespread production of airborne troops capable of seizing and stopping the activities of the enemy’s railways in decisive directions, paralyzing the deployment and mobilization of his troops, etc., then such a country will be able to overturn the previous methods of operational actions and make the outcome of the war much more more decisive character."
A significant place in this work is given to the role of airborne assaults in border battles. The author believed that airborne assaults during this period of battle would be more advantageous to use to disrupt mobilization, isolate and pin 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 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 carry out any task, while showing determination and perseverance. Airborne assaults must deliver surprise attacks on the enemy where no one is waiting for them.
Theoretical studies led to the conclusion that the combat activities of the Airborne Forces should be offensive in nature, bold to the point of insolence and extremely maneuverable in carrying out quick, concentrated strikes. Airborne landings, making maximum use of the surprise of their appearance, must rapidly strike at the most sensitive points, achieving success hourly, thereby increasing panic in the enemy’s ranks.
Simultaneously with the development of the theory of the combat use of airborne forces in the Red Army, bold experiments were carried out on airborne landings, an extensive program was carried out to create experienced airborne units, issues of their organization were studied, and a system of combat training was developed.
The first time airborne assault was used to carry out a combat mission was in 1929. On April 13, 1929, the Fuzaili gang made another raid from Afghanistan into the territory of Tajikistan. The Basmachi's plans included capturing the Garm district and subsequently ensuring the invasion of the Alai and Fergana valleys by larger Basmachi gangs. Cavalry detachments were sent to the Basmachi invasion area with the task of destroying the gang before it captured the Garm district. However, 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 counter battle and was threatening the city. In this critical situation, the commander of the Central Asian Military District P.E. Dybenko made a bold decision: to transport a detachment of fighters by air and with a sudden strike 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. on the second plane. Shapkin, brigade commissar A.T. Fedin. Platoon commanders had to capture the landing site and ensure the landing of the main forces of the detachment. The brigade commander's task was to study the situation on the spot and then, returning back to Dushanbe, report the results to the commander. Commissioner 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 force took off. However, the detachment’s previously planned plan of action was canceled immediately after the plane with the commander and commissar landed. Half of the city was already occupied by the Basmachi, so there was no time to hesitate. Having sent a plane with a report, the brigade commander decided to immediately attack the enemy with available forces, without waiting for the landing party to arrive. Having obtained horses from the nearest villages and splitting into two groups, the detachment moved to Garm. Having burst into the city, the detachment brought down 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 Red Army division had broken into the city, and, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated from the city, losing about 80 people. The approaching cavalry units completed the defeat of the Fuzaili gang. District Commander P.E. During the analysis, Dybenko 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 Grigoryevich Minov himself later told how the events took place: “I didn’t think that one jump could change a lot in life. I loved flying with all my heart. Like all my comrades, I was distrustful of parachutes at that time. Well, simply about them I didn’t even think about it. 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, the head of the Air Force, called me over and asked: “In your report, you said that you must fly blindly with a parachute. Leonid Grigorievich, in your opinion, 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. Remembering this incident, I answered Pyotr Ionovich in the affirmative. Then he invited me to go to the USA and get to know how things are going with their aviation rescue service. To be honest, I agreed reluctantly. I returned from the United States of America “light”: with a “diploma” in my pocket and three jumps. Pyotr Ionovich Baranov put my memo in a skinny folder. When he closed it, on the cover I saw the inscription: “Parachute business.” I left Baranov’s office two hours later. There was a lot of work to be done to introduce parachutes into aviation, to organize various studies and experiments aimed at improving flight safety. It was decided to hold classes in Voronezh to familiarize the flight crew with parachutes and the organization of jumps. Baranov suggested thinking about the possibility of training 10-15 parachutists 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 air parachute baptism and jumped not once, not twice, but had as many as three jumps! And the prize-winning place I won at the competition of the strongest US parachutists, apparently, seemed to those present to be something unattainable. The pilot Moshkovsky, who was appointed my assistant at the training camp, was preparing for the jump with me. There were no more applicants yet. My jump was really a success. I landed easily, not far from the spectators, and even stayed on my feet. We were greeted with applause. A girl who appeared from somewhere handed me a bouquet of field daisies. - “And how is Moshkovsky?”... The plane is on course. His figure is clearly visible in the doorway. It's time to jump. It's time! But he still stands in the doorway, apparently not daring to rush down. Another second, two. Finally! A white plume shot up above the falling man and immediately turned into a tight parachute canopy. - “Hurray!..” - was heard around. Many pilots, seeing Moshkovsky and me alive and unharmed, expressed a desire to jump too. On that day, 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 progress 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 response, Pyotr Ionovich explained his thought: “It would be very good if, during the Voronezh exercise, it were possible to demonstrate the drop of a group of armed paratroopers for sabotage actions on the territory of the “enemy.”
Needless to say, we accepted this original and interesting task with great enthusiasm. It was decided to carry out the landing from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. In those days it was the only aircraft we mastered for jumping. Its advantage over the TB-1 bombers available in the air brigade was that a person did not need to climb out onto the wing - the paratroopers jumped directly into the open door. Moreover, all the trainees were in the cockpit. The feeling of a comrade's elbow calmed everyone. In addition, the releaser could watch him and encourage him 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 landing operation plan included dropping weapons and ammunition (light machine guns, grenades, cartridges) from aircraft using special cargo parachutes. For this purpose, two soft mail bags and four semi-heavy boxes designed by K. Blagin were used. The landing group was divided into two detachments, since no more than seven parachutists could fit in the cockpit. After the first paratroopers landed, 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 R-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 of all fighters from the plane; record the time it takes to lower 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 first detachment was planned to drop from a height of 350 meters, the second - from 500 meters, and drop the cargo - from 150 meters. Preparations for the landing operation were completed on July 31. Each fighter knew his place on the plane and his task on the ground. The paratroopers' equipment, consisting of the main and reserve parachutes, was packed and carefully adjusted to the soldier's figure; weapons and ammunition were packed in hanging bags and cargo parachute boxes.
On August 2, 1930, at exactly 9 o’clock, a plane took off from the home airfield. On board is the first parachute detachment. The leader of the second group, J. Moszkowski, is also with us. He decided to see where our group was separating, so that he could then accurately parachute his guys. Following us, three R-1 aircraft took off, under the wings of which cargo parachutes were suspended from bomb racks.
Having made a circle, our plane turned to the landing site, located approximately two kilometers from the airfield. The landing site is a field free of crops measuring 600 by 800 meters. It was adjacent to a small farm. One of the buildings, located on the outskirts of the village, was designated as a landmark for the collection of paratroopers after landing and the starting point for the start of landing operations behind “enemy” lines. - "Get ready!" - I ordered, trying to shout over the roar of the engines. The guys immediately got up and stood one after another, clutching the pull ring in their right hands. Their faces are tense and concentrated. As soon as we crossed the platform, I gave the command: “Let’s 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 collected parachutes and ran up to me. Meanwhile, a flight of P-1s passed overhead and dropped six parachutes with weapons on the edge of the farm. We rushed there, unpacked the bags, took out machine guns and cartridges. And now our Farman with the second group appeared in the sky again. As planned, Moszkowski’s group left the plane at an altitude of 500 meters. They landed next to us. It only took a few minutes, and 12 paratroopers, armed with two light machine guns, rifles, revolvers and grenades, were fully ready for combat..."
This is how 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: “As achievements, it is necessary to note successful experiments in organizing airborne assaults. Airborne operations must be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Red Army Headquarters and 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 the Soviets.
Organizational structure of the airborne troops
- Command of the Airborne Forces
- Airborne and air assault formations:
- 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 Chernigov Red Banner Division;
- 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Brigade;
- Special purpose military unit:
- 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Regiment;
- Military support units:
- 38th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces;
Airborne troops- a branch of troops intended for combat operations behind enemy lines.
Designed for airborne landings behind enemy lines or for rapid deployment in geographically remote areas, they are often used as quick reaction forces.
The main method of delivering airborne forces is parachute landing; they can also be delivered by helicopter; During the Second World War, delivery by gliders was practiced.
- Airborne Forces consist of:
- paratroopers
- tank
- artillery
- self-propelled artillery
- other units and divisions
- from units and units of special troops and rear services.
Airborne personnel are parachuted together with 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-jet systems, cargo containers, platforms for installing and dropping weapons and equipment) or delivered by air behind enemy lines to captured airfields.
- The main combat properties of the Airborne Forces:
- ability to quickly reach remote areas
- strike suddenly
- successfully conduct a combined arms battle.
The Airborne Forces are armed with the ASU-85 airborne self-propelled guns; Sprut-SD self-propelled artillery guns; 122-mm howitzers D-30; 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 CIS Allied Forces) or be under a unified command in accordance with international treaties of the Russian Federation (for example, as part of the UN peacekeeping forces or collective CIS peacekeeping forces in zones of local military conflicts ).
Vasily Filippovich Margelov, the same “Uncle Vasya”, went down in the history of our Armed Forces as the founder and most prominent commander of the “winged infantry”. Leading the Airborne Forces for a total of 23 years, he made a huge contribution to the reconstruction, formation and development of the Airborne Forces - it is not for nothing that they are still called “Uncle Vasya’s troops”.
The fact is that until the 50s, the Airborne Forces were just infantry, parachuted, if necessary, behind enemy lines. The task of the paratroopers was to impose a battle behind enemy lines and hold the outpost until the main force arrived. Lacking good equipment and special equipment, they were ordinary “cannon fodder”. With the arrival of "Uncle Vasya" the situation changed radically.
Having gone through several wars and having been a commander of reconnaissance forces and even marines, Lieutenant Colonel Margelov knew exactly what the Airborne Forces needed and, despite pressure from his superiors, began to bring his ideas to life.
Here's what he said about the capabilities of airborne troops:
“To fulfill our role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units be highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, be well controlled, capable of landing at any time of the day and quickly proceed to active combat operations after landing. This, by and large, is the ideal to which we should strive."
By the end of the 50s, new An-8 and An-12 aircraft were adopted by the Airborne Forces, which had a greater payload capacity and flight range, which made it possible to land a larger number of personnel with standard equipment and weapons. Margelov established personal connections with design bureaus, designers, scientists, and he himself often traveled to design bureaus and research institutes. Often, when negotiating with designers to develop new equipment for the Airborne Forces, he encountered misunderstandings and obstacles from the Ministry of Defense and the “upper echelons of power.” He constantly had to prove the need to equip the Airborne Forces with modern models of equipment and weapons.
By constantly fighting airborne troops, he goes against the wishes of his superiors. For this, in 1959, Vasily Filippovich was removed from the post of commander of the Airborne Forces and appointed deputy. But already in 1961 he was restored to the post of commander of the airborne troops. Margelov gave twenty years to the command of the Airborne Forces. Over the years, thanks to the legendary “bat”, this branch of the military has become the most popular in the USSR; serving there has become a great honor and the dream of any teenager.
By the way, the vest was also given to the paratroopers by Margelov, wanting to pass on the Airborne Forces traditions of the Marine Corps, only it was decided to make the stripes blue - to match the color of the sky. At one of the meetings at the USSR Ministry of Defense, when approving new models of military uniforms, Admiral of the USSR Fleet A. A. Gorshkov muttered with displeasure :
- Is it conceivable, Comrade Minister (Marshal A. A. Grechko), the paratroopers are in vests.
The commander of the Airborne Forces, General Margelov, sharply objected:
- I fought in the Marine Corps and I know what paratroopers deserve and what they don’t!
In recognition of the special services of “paratrooper No. 1” to the Fatherland, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation established the medal “ARMY GENERAL MARGELOV” in 2005. It is awarded to military personnel, veterans and civilian personnel and the Airborne Forces for conscientious service and personal contribution to the strengthening and development of this branch of the military.