List of landing units in the Soviet Union. Airborne troops in the post-war period

On the basis of 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 memorable day designed to promote the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increase the prestige of military service and established in recognition of the merits of military specialists in solving the problems of ensuring the defense and security of the state.

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

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

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

On August 2, 1930, exercises of the Air Force (VVS) were held near Voronezh. A feature of the exercises was the parachute landing of a military unit in the amount of twelve people from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. This date became the day of the Red Army, which later became a separate branch of the army, commanded by the commander. The commanders of the Airborne Forces were appointed from among experienced combat officers.

New kind of troops

The first airborne unit was formed in the USSR in 1931. In December 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council, by its Decree, introduces airborne units. The mass deployment of units of a new kind of troops began, the motto of which in the future will be "No one but us."

Initially, the airborne units were part of the structure of the Red Army Air Force, but on June 3, 1946, by a decree of the USSR government, the Airborne Forces were transferred personally to the Minister of the Armed Forces (AF) of the USSR. In this regard, the staff unit of the commander of this type of troops was introduced.

The commanders of the Airborne Forces of the USSR and the Russian Federation, each in his time, made a contribution, some more, some less, to the development of their troops.

Commanders of the "winged infantry" of the USSR

During the existence of the Airborne Forces, the command of these special forces was entrusted to fifteen commanders.

Vasily Vasilievich Glagolev opens the list - in 1946 he headed a new branch of the armed forces in the USSR.

Since October 1947, after the sudden death of V.V. Glagolev, Alexander Fedorovich Kazankin is appointed commander.

Less than a year (late 1948 - September 1949) airborne troops were under the command of Rudenko Sergei Ignatievich, Air Marshal.

General Gorbatov A.V. commanded the Airborne Forces from 1950 to 1954.

The legendary man Margelov V.F. led the airborne paratroopers for more than 20 years (1954 - January 1979).

In subsequent years, the commanders of the USSR Airborne Forces held their posts for a maximum of a year or two, with the exception of D.S. Sukhorukov:

• Tutarinov I. V. (1959 - 1961);
• Sukhorukov D.S. (1979 - 1987);
• Kalinin N. V. (1987 - early 1989);
• Achalov V. A. (1989 - 1990);
• Grachev P. S. (January - August 1991);

Podkolzin E.N. became the last commander of the "winged infantry" of the USSR and the first - of Russia (August 1991 - November 1996).

Commanders of the "blue berets" of Russia

With the formation of the Russian Federation, there is a certain stability in the leadership of the Airborne Forces: the commanders hold their positions for a longer time, which indicates the seriousness of the selection of personnel in the Ministry of Defense of the country.

For the last quarter of a century, the Russian Airborne Forces have been under the command of generals:

• Podkolzin Evgeny Nikolaevich (September 1991 - December 1996);
• Shpak Georgy Ivanovich (December 1996 - September 2003);
• Evtukhovich Valery Evgenievich (November 2007 - May 2009);
• Shamanov Vladimir Anatolyevich (May 2009 - present);

First Commander

After the withdrawal from the subordination of the Air Force, the first commander of the Airborne Forces was appointed Minister of the USSR Armed Forces: General Vasily Vasilyevich Glagolev became him.

Born February 21, 1896. He received his primary education in elementary school and a real school in Kaluga.

With the beginning of the civil war (1918) he fought on the side of the Red Army in the cavalry. After the end of the fratricidal war, Glagolev takes the Third Baku courses for commanders and continues to serve in the 68th cavalry regiment.

In 1941, after the Higher Academic Courses at the Military Academy (VA) named after. Frunze receives the rank of colonel. During the war he proved to be a skilled commander. For actions in the battles on the Dnieper on October 27, 1943, Glagolev received the rank of lieutenant general, and soon the star of the Hero. In 1946, Glagolev was appointed commander of the USSR Airborne Forces.

For outstanding services he was awarded the Order of Lenin (twice), the Order of the Red Banner (twice), the Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov.

The exercises on September 21, 1947 were the last for the commander - he died during their conduct. The grave is located at the Novodevichy cemetery.

The streets of Moscow, Minsk, Kaluga bear his name.

Troops of Uncle Vasya

This is how the abbreviation of the Airborne Forces was deciphered during the period when Filippovich, the legendary man of the USSR Armed Forces, commanded the "winged infantry".

The commander of the USSR Airborne Forces Margelov VF was born on January 9, 1908 in Yekaterinoslavl (now Dnepropetrovsk). In 1928, on a Komsomol ticket, Margelov was sent to a military school in Minsk, from which he graduated with honors in 1931. In the Soviet-Finnish war, a young officer shows military prowess.

Margelov met the attack of Nazi Germany in the position of commander of a rifle regiment, and since 1944 he was entrusted with the 49th rifle division of the 28th army of the 3rd Ukrainian front.

For the skillful leadership of the entrusted units during the division commander, Margelov receives the star of the Hero.

After the Victory, he studies at the VA of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. Voroshilov, at the end he commands a division. Then there was the Far East, where Margelov was entrusted with the corps.

From 1954 to 1979 (with a break in 1959 - 1961) Margelov commanded the Airborne Forces. In this position, "Suvorov of the 20th century" proved to be a wonderful organizer: thanks to him, the "blue berets" became a formidable strike force that knew no equal.

The harsh nature of Margelov was organically combined with paternal warmth for his subordinates. Taking care of people was a priority for the commander. Theft was punished mercilessly. Combat training was combined with the arrangement of soldiers and officers. They called Margelov "batey".

It was during his tenure as commander of the Airborne Forces in 1973 that for the first time it became possible to land armored vehicles with a crew inside.

The Ryazan Higher Command School of the Airborne Forces was named after Margelov. In Ryazan, St. Petersburg, Pskov and many other cities, the memory of "Paratrooper No. 1" is immortalized in the names of streets, squares, and monuments.

Commander of the Airborne Forces of two states

The commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Podkolzin E.N., is a unique military leader to a certain extent: being the commander, with the collapse of the USSR, he continued to hold this position in the airborne troops of the Russian Federation.

He graduated from the Airborne Forces School of the city of Alma-Ata, then - VA them. Frunze. In 1973 he commanded an airborne regiment, and three years later - already the 106th division.

In 1982, after studying at the VA of the General Staff. Voroshilov, is appointed first deputy chief of staff of the Airborne Forces, then - chief of staff - first deputy commander of the Airborne Forces. In 1991, Podkolzin was appointed commander.

With the collapse of the Union, Evgeny Nikolaevich continues to serve as commander of the Airborne Forces, but now of a new state - Russia. In 1996, Podkolzin was transferred to the reserve.

Podkolzin's years of service were marked by orders, including the Red Star.

Commander Shpak G.I.

Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation Georgy Ivanovich Shpak is from the city of Osipovichi, which is located in the Mogilev region. Date of birth - September 8, 1943.

After the Ryazan Higher School of the Airborne Forces, he continued to serve in the training units of the school and the landing units.

In 1978, Shpak after the VA them. Frunze holds the posts of regimental commander, chief of staff of the 76th Airborne Division, and then commander of this division.

In December 1979, his regiment was the first to take part in the military conflict in Afghanistan.

After the VA of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces (1988), he held the positions of army commander, chief of staff of the Turkestan and Volga districts.

In December 1996 he was appointed commander of the Airborne Forces. Shpak stayed at this post until September 2003, after which he resigned upon reaching retirement age.

Georgy Ivanovich was awarded government awards, including the Order of the Red Banner.

Second Ermolov

The commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov, stands out from all his predecessors: in his “asset” there are two wars - the Chechen ones.

Born in Barnaul on February 15, 1957. In 1978, after the Ryazan School, on the recommendation of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Sukhorukov, he was appointed battalion commander. Extreme demands on himself and his subordinates made his career very swift.

In the 90s, Shamanov took part in the Karabakh conflict, commanded the grouping of the 7th Airborne Division in Chechnya. At the end of 1995, he became deputy commander of the grouping of the RF Armed Forces in Chechnya, and a year later - commander of this grouping.

Shamanov's rigidity in decision-making is compared by many with the well-known general Yermolov, who at one time "forced peace" in the Caucasus.

In May 2009, Vladimir Anatolyevich was appointed commander of the Russian Airborne Forces. He is in this position to the present. Serves hard and effectively.

The role of the commanders of the Airborne Forces

The commanders of the Airborne Forces undoubtedly played a decisive role in the formation and development of the airborne assault of our country. Each of them did everything to make the "winged infantry" a formidable force capable of solving any tasks anywhere in the world.

It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of such commanders as Glagolev, Margelov, Shamanov. They have earned the honor and respect of their colleagues and the civilian population, and the people pay tribute to them.

A Soviet airborne unit was created - an airborne assault detachment, in the 11th rifle division. In December, it was deployed to the 3rd Special Purpose Aviation Brigade, which became known as the 201st Airborne Brigade.

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

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 brigade fought together with rifle units.

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

was sent to the Saratov bomber school. ... However, soon the People's Commissariat of Defense ordered the transfer of the Saratov School to the jurisdiction Airborne.

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

In 1956, two airborne divisions took part in the Hungarian events. In 1968, after the capture of two airfields near Prague and Bratislava, the 7th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions were landed, which ensured the successful completion of the task by formations and units of the United Armed Forces of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact during the Czechoslovak events.

In the post-war period in Airborne a lot of work was done to increase the firepower and mobility of personnel. Numerous samples of airborne armored vehicles (BMD, BTR-D), automotive equipment (TPK, GAZ-66), artillery systems (ASU-57, ASU-85, 2S9 Nona, 107-mm B-11 recoilless rifle) were created. Complex parachute systems were developed for landing all types of weapons - "Centaur", "Reaktaur" and others. The fleet of military transport aviation was also increased, called for the mass transfer of landing formations 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, which had their own armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery. At large army exercises (like Shield-82 or Druzhba-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 structure of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, July 1979.

Organizational structure of the 351st Guards Airborne Regiment, 105th Guards Airborne Division as of July 1979.

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

“... in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General Sukhorukov D.F., came, he then said what fools we were, having disbanded the 105th airborne division, because it was intended for combat operations in mountainous desert areas. And we had to spend huge amounts of money to deliver the 103rd airborne division to Kabul by air ... "

airborne troops The USSR Armed Forces had 7 airborne divisions and three separate regiments with the following names and locations:

Each of these divisions included: a command (headquarters), three airborne regiments, one self-propelled artillery regiment, and combat support and logistic support units.

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

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

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

Separate air assault regiments were subordinate to the commanders of separate army corps.

The difference between parachute and air assault formations Airborne consisted of the following:

In the mid-80s, the following brigades and regiments were part of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces:

• 11odshbr in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Trans-Baikal Territory, the cities of Mogocha and Amazar),
• 13odshbr in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur Region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk),
• 21odshbr in the Transcaucasian Military District (Georgian SSR, Kutaisi),
• 23odshbr of the South-Western direction (on the territory of the Kyiv Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
• 35gv.odshbr in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus),
• 36odshbr in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, town Garbolovo),
• 37odshbr in the Baltic VO (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk),
• 38gv.odshbr in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest),
• 39odshbr in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyriv),
• 40odshbr in the Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, village Bolshaya Korenikha (Nikolaev region),
• 56gv.odshbr in the Turkestan Military District (formed in the city of Chirchik, Uzbek SSR and introduced into Afghanistan),
• 57odshbr in the Central Asian Military District (Kazakh SSR, Aktogay township),
• 58odshbr in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
• 83odshbr in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard),
• 1318odshp in the Belarusian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5oak)
• 1319odshp in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48oak)

These brigades had in their composition management, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery battalion and units of combat support and logistics. The personnel of the deployed brigades reached 2,500 military personnel. For example, the staffing strength of the 56gv.odshbr on December 1, 1986 was 2452 military personnel (261 officers, 109 ensigns, 416 sergeants, 1666 soldiers).

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

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

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

Officer training for airborne troops

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

In addition to graduates of these educational institutions, in Airborne they were often appointed to the positions of platoon commanders, graduates of higher combined arms schools (VOKU) and military departments, who prepared for the commander of a motorized rifle platoon. This was due to the fact that the profile Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which produced about 300 lieutenants every year on average, was not able to fully meet the needs Airborne(at the end of the 80s they numbered about 60,000 personnel) as platoon commanders. For example, the former commander of 247gv.pdp (7gv.vdd), Hero of the Russian Federation Em Yuri Pavlovichwho began his service in Airborne from platoon commander in 111gv.pdp 105gv.vdd, graduated from the Alma-Ata Higher Combined Arms Command School

For a long time, military units and units of the Special Forces (the so-called now army special forces) erroneously and intentionally called paratroopers. This is due to the fact that in the Soviet period, as now, there were no special forces in the Russian Armed Forces, but there were and are units and units Special Purpose (SpN) 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 with the emergence 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. Up to the point that conscripts learned about their existence only when they were accepted into the personnel of these units and units. Officially, in the Soviet press and on television, units and units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces were declared either units Airborne- as in the case of the GSVG (officially there were no special forces units in the GDR), or, as in the case of OKSVA, separate motorized rifle battalions (omsb). For example, the 173rd separate special forces detachment (173ooSpN), stationed near the city of Kandahar, was called the 3rd separate motorized rifle battalion (3omsb)

In everyday life, servicemen of subdivisions and units of the Special Forces wore full dress and field uniforms adopted in Airborne, although neither in terms of subordination nor in terms of the assigned tasks of reconnaissance and sabotage activities did they belong to Airborne. The only thing that united Airborne and units and units of the Special Forces - this is the majority of the officers - graduates of the RVVDKU, airborne training and possible combat use behind enemy lines.

Russian Federation - period after 1991

The average emblem of the Airborne Forces of Russia

In 1991, they were separated into an independent branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

• 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division (Novorossiysk)
• 76th Guards Air Assault Division Chernigov Red Banner Division (Pskov)
• 98th Guards Airborne Division (Ivanovo)
• 106th Guards Airborne Division (Tula)
• 242nd training center in Omsk and Ishim
• 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov, 2nd Class Brigade (Ulyanovsk)
• 38th Separate Communications Regiment (Bear Lakes)
• 45th Guards Separate Regiment of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces (Kubinka, Odintsovsky District, Moscow Region)

• 11th separate air assault brigade (Ulan-Ude
• 56th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade (Kamyshin) (As part of the Airborne Forces, but operationally subordinate to the Southern Military District)
• 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade (Ussuriysk) (As part of the Airborne Forces, but operationally subordinate to the Eastern Military District)
• 100th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade (Abakan) (As part of the Airborne Forces, but operationally subordinate to the Central Military District)

In other countries

Belarus

Special Operations Forces(belor. Forces of special operations). The command reports directly to the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Commanders: Major General Lucian Surint (2010); from July 2010 - Colonel (from February 2011 Major General) Oleg Belokonev. They include the 38th, 103rd Guards Mobile Brigades, the 5th Special Purpose Brigade, etc.

Kazakhstan

Patch of the Airmobile Troops of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan

United Kingdom

British paratroopers 1pb ,1(British) vdd are fighting. Holland. September 17, 1944

British airborne troops, the main airborne component is 16th Air Assault Brigade(English) 16th Air Assault Brigade). The brigade was created on September 1, 1999 by merging components of the disbanded 5th Airborne (eng. 5th Airborne Brigade) and the 24th Aeromobile (Eng. 24th Air Mobile Brigade) brigades. The headquarters and units of the brigade are stationed in the city of Colchester, Essex. The 16th Air Assault Brigade is part of the 5th Division of the British Army.

Germany

Airborne troops of the Wehrmacht

Badge of a paratrooper of the Wehrmacht airborne forces, Germany

Airborne forces of the Wehrmacht(German Fallschirmjager, from Fallschirm- "parachute" and Jager- "hunter, huntsman") - the German airborne forces of the Wehrmacht operational-tactical deployment in the enemy rear. Being a select branch of the troops, only the best of the best German soldiers were recruited into them. The formation of units began in 1936, after which during the Second World War, from 1940 to 1941, they were used in major airborne operations in Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece. In subsequent years, there were even larger-scale operations with their participation, but mostly only as regular infantry formations, to support the main forces. From the allies, they received the nickname "Green Devils". Throughout World War II, the permanent commander of the Fallschirmjäger was their founder Colonel-General Kurt Student.

Israel

The brigade was formed in 1954-1956 by the merger of several special forces units.

The Tsankhanim brigade belongs to the Central District and is part of the 98th Reserve Airborne Division, staffed by reservists who have completed active service in the brigade.

USA

Chevron 1 Allied ACA, 1944

Notes

1. Guderian G. Attention, tanks! The history of the creation of tank troops. - M.: Tsentropoligraf, 2005.
2. Field charter of the Red Army (PU-39), 1939.
3. The development of the strike power of air assault formations will occur by equipping transport and combat aircraft, Military Review website.
4. Military Encyclopedic Dictionary, Moscow, Military Publishing House, 1984, 863 pages with illustrations, 30 sheets
5. Highly mobile landing troops, Kommersant-Ukraine, have been created in the Ukrainian army.
6. The English word "commandos" was used both to refer to the military personnel of the special landing units, the landing units themselves and the entire service of S. S. ("Special Service", abbreviated "S. S.") as a whole.
7. Airborne in TSB.
8. The first parachute formations
9. Khukhrikov Yuri Mikhailovich, A. Drabkin, I fought on the IL-2 - M .: Yauza, Eksmo, 2005.
10. Unknown division. 105th Guards Airborne Red Banner Division (mountain and desert). - Desantura.ru - about landing without borders
11. This year marks forty-five years of 242 Airborne Training Center
12. Structure of the Airborne Forces - Bratishka Magazine
13. The combat charter of the airborne troops, put into effect by order of the commander of the airborne troops No. 40, dated July 20, 1983
14. Wars, stories, facts. Almanac

Today, Russian paratroopers and veterans of the Russian Airborne Forces celebrate their professional holiday.

The history of our Airborne Troops began on August 2, 1930. On this day, at the exercises of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District, which were held near Voronezh, 12 people were parachuted from the air as part of a special unit. The experiment showed the enormous possibilities and prospects of the parachute units.

From that moment on, the rapid development of new troops in the USSR, in its tasks for 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army determines: "... airborne operations must be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Headquarters of the Red Army in order to develop and send out appropriate instructions to the places." Which is what was done.

In 1931, an airborne landing detachment was formed in the Leningrad Military District, numbering 164 people. For landing, they use the TB-3& aircraft, which took on board 35 paratroopers, and on the external suspension - either a light tank, or an armored car, or two 76 mm cannons. The idea was verified by experiment.

On December 11, 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR adopted a resolution on the creation of mass Airborne Troops. On the basis of the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District, which has been landing all year, an entire brigade is being formed. The main task is the training of paratrooper instructors, plus the development of operational and tactical standards. By March 1933, the instructors were trained, the standards were calculated, and in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga military districts they began to form special-purpose aviation battalions.

For the first time, the release of a massive parachute landing in the presence of foreign delegations was carried out at maneuvers in the Kiev military district in September 1935. 1200 specially trained military personnel landed, who quickly captured the airfield. This impressed the observers. At the next major exercise in the Belarusian military district, 1,800 paratroopers were already dropped. This impressed the German military observers, including Göring. who was on topic. In the spring of that year, he gave the order to form the first German airborne regiment. The experience of the Soviet Airborne Forces was appreciated from the very beginning according to its merits abroad.

Soon, the troops, who first appeared in the composition of our armed forces, will have the opportunity to test their capabilities in real combat conditions. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the battles with Japanese troops on the Khalkhin Gol River. During the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940), the 201st, 204th and 214th airborne brigades fought.

By the summer of 1941, five airborne corps each numbering 10,000 people were being completed. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, all five airborne corps participate in fierce battles on the territory of Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine. During the counter-offensive near Moscow in early 1942, the Vyazemsky airborne operation took place with the landing of the 4th airborne corps. This is the largest operation of the Airborne Forces during the war years. In total, about 10 thousand paratroopers were dropped behind German lines.

During the war years, all airborne formations receive the rank of guards. 296 paratroopers - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Based on the experience of the war in 1946, the Airborne Forces are withdrawn from the Air Force and included in the reserve troops of the Supreme High Command and directly subordinate to the Minister of the USSR Armed Forces. At the same time, the post of commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces was established.

The first commander of the Airborne Forces is Colonel General V.V. Glagolev.

In 1954, V.F. became the commander of the Airborne Forces. Margelov (1909-1990), who remains in this position with a short break until 1979. An entire epoch in the history of Russian airborne troops is associated with the name of Margelov; it is not for nothing that the Airborne Forces received the unofficial name "Uncle Vasya's Troops".

In the 1950s, during the exercises of airborne units, special attention was paid to new methods of defense behind enemy lines, to airborne operations in the conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. Parts of the Airborne Forces begin to receive heavy weapons - artillery installations (ASU-76, ASU-57, ASU-85), tracked airborne combat vehicles (BMD-1, BMD-2). Military transport aviation is equipped with An-12, An-22 aircraft, which were able to deliver armored vehicles, vehicles, artillery, and ammunition behind enemy lines. On January 5, 1973, for the first time in history, a caterpillar BMD-1 with two crew members on board was parachuted from the An-12B military transport aircraft on parachute-platform means in the Centaur complex. The crew commander is the son of Vasily Filippovich Margelov, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Margelov, the driver is Lieutenant Colonel Zuev Leonid Gavrilovich.

The Airborne Forces take part in the Czechoslovak events of 1968. Parts of the 7th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions captured and blocked the airfields of Ruzin (near Prague) and the city of Brno, paratroopers prepared them to receive military transport aircraft. Two hours later, paratroopers capture four bridges across the Vltava, the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, publishing houses, the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the main post office, the television center, banks and other important objects in Prague. This happens without firing a shot.

In the future, units of the Airborne Forces participate in the war in Afghanistan, military conflicts in the territory of the former USSR - Chechnya, Karabakh, South and North Ossetia, in Osh, Transnistria and in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz confrontation. Two airborne battalions perform tasks

UN Peacekeeping Forces in Yugoslavia.

Now the Airborne Forces are one of the most combat-ready units of the Russian Army. They form the backbone of the Special Operations Forces. The ranks of the Airborne Forces number about 35 thousand soldiers and officers.

World experience

The US Airborne Forces have a rich tradition and great combat experience. Unlike Russia, the Airborne Forces in the United States are not a separate branch of the military; the Americans consider the Airborne Forces as a special component of the ground forces. Organizationally, the US Airborne Forces are united in the 18th Airborne Corps, which also includes tank, motorized infantry, and aviation units. The corps was formed in 1944 in the British Isles and took part in the fighting in Western Europe. Formations and units from its composition participated in the hostilities in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf, Haiti, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The corps currently consists of four divisions and a variety of support units and units. The total number of personnel is 88 thousand people. Corps Headquarters is at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

UK Airborne Forces

In the British Army, the Airborne Forces also do not form a separate branch of the military, but are part of the Ground Forces.

To date, the British Armed Forces have one - the 16th Air Assault Brigade as part of the 5th Division of the British Army. It was formed on September 1, 1999, including units of the 5th Airborne Brigade and the 24th Airborne Brigade. It consists of airborne, infantry, artillery, medical and engineering units.

The main emphasis in the British military doctrine of the use of the Airborne Forces is on airborne assault with the support of helicopter units.

The brigade inherited its name from the 1st and 6th airborne divisions, during the Second World War. The Attack Eagle emblem was borrowed from the Special Training Center located in Lohilot, Scotland.

The 16th brigade is the main strike unit of the British Army, so it takes part in all military operations conducted by the UK: Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan.

The brigade has a strength of 8,000 personnel, making it the largest of all British Army brigades.

Airborne Forces of France

The French Airborne Forces are part of the Ground Forces and are represented by the 11th Parachute Division. The division is divided into two brigades and consists of seven units, corresponding to the size of the battalion: the 1st Parachute Regiment of the Marine Corps, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment of the Foreign Legion, the 1st and 9th Regiments of Parachute Commandos (light infantry) , 3rd, 6th, and 8th Marine Parachute Regiments.

The division headquarters is located in Tarbes, in the province of Hautes-Pyrenees. The personnel consists of about 11,000 people.

French paratroopers participated in all recent French military conflicts from the war in Indochina to the peacekeeping operation in Mali.

Airborne Forces of Germany

German paratroopers form the basis of the special operations forces of the Bundeswehr. Organizationally, the airborne troops are represented in the form of a Special Operations Division with headquarters in Regensburg. The Division includes: a special-purpose detachment of the KSK (“Kommando Spezialkrafte”), formed on the basis of the former 25th paratrooper brigade; 26th Airborne Brigade; 31st Airborne Brigade; and the 4th command and communications regiment; anti-aircraft missile battery; 310th separate reconnaissance company; 200th reconnaissance and sabotage company. The staff consists of 8 thousand people.

The paratroopers of the Bundeswehr take an active part in all peacekeeping and military operations of the UN and NATO, conducted recently.

Airborne Forces of China

In China, the airborne troops are part of the Air Force. They are consolidated into the 15th Airborne Corps (headquarters in Xiaogan, Hubei Province), which consists of three airborne divisions - the 43rd (Kaifeng, Hubei Province), the 44th (Inshan, Hubei Province) and 45th (Huangpi, Hubei Province).

At present, according to various estimates, the airborne troops of the PLA Air Force number from 24,000 to 30,000 personnel.

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

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

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

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

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

Airborne Forces of the USSR

pre-war period

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Material part:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Great Patriotic War

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

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

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

post-war period

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

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

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

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

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

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

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

Training of officers for the airborne troops

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

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

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

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

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

Airborne Forces of Russia

The decisive role in the formation of the theory of combat use and the development of weapons of the airborne troops belongs to the Soviet military leader Vasily Filippovich Margelov, commander of the Airborne Forces from 1954 to 1979. The name of Margelov is also associated with the positioning of airborne formations as highly maneuverable, covered with armor and having sufficient fire efficiency units to participate in modern strategic operations in various theaters of military operations. On his initiative, the technical re-equipment of the Airborne Forces was launched: serial production of landing equipment was launched at defense production enterprises, modifications of small arms designed specifically for paratroopers were made, new military equipment was modernized and created (including the first BMD-1 tracked combat vehicle), were taken to armament and new military transport aircraft entered the troops, and finally, their own symbols of the Airborne Forces were created - vests and blue berets. His personal contribution to the formation of the Airborne Forces in their modern form 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 a whole era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces, their authority and popularity are associated with his name not only in our country, but and abroad...
…AT. F. Margelov realized that in modern operations, only highly mobile, capable of wide maneuver landing forces would be able to successfully operate deep behind enemy lines. He categorically rejected the installation of holding the area captured by the landing until the approach of the troops advancing from the front by the method of tough defense as disastrous, because in this case the landing would be quickly destroyed.

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