Structure of the Russian Airborne Forces

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

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

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

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

Personnel composition of the Russian Airborne Forces

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

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

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

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

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

Separate regiments in the structure of the Russian Airborne Forces

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

The branch of the Armed Forces, which is a reserve of the Supreme High Command and specifically designed to cover the enemy by air and carry out tasks in his rear to disrupt command and control, capture and destroy ground elements of high-precision weapons, disrupt the advance and deployment of reserves, disrupt the work of the rear and communications, as well as for covering (defense) of individual directions, areas, open flanks, blocking and destroying landed airborne troops, broken through enemy groups and performing many other tasks.

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

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

Airborne forces are also quite often used as rapid reaction forces.

The main method of delivering airborne forces is parachute landing; they can also be delivered by helicopter; During World War II, delivery by gliders was practiced.

Airborne Forces of the USSR

Pre-war period

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

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

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

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

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

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

By the standards of that time, airborne units were an effective means of disrupting enemy command and control and rear areas. They were to be used where other types of troops (infantry, artillery, cavalry, armored forces) could not currently solve this problem, and were also intended to be used by the high command in cooperation with troops advancing from the front; airborne assaults were to help encircling and defeating the enemy in this direction.

Staff No. 015/890 1936 of the “airborne brigade” (adbr) in wartime and peacetime. Name of units, number of wartime personnel (number of peacetime personnel in brackets):

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

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

Material part:

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

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

“31. Parachute units, as a new type of air infantry, are a means of disrupting the enemy’s control and rear. They are used by the high command.
In cooperation with troops advancing from the front, air infantry helps encircle and defeat the enemy in a given direction.

The use of air infantry must be strictly consistent with the conditions of the situation and requires reliable support and compliance with measures of secrecy and surprise."
- Chapter two “Organization of the Red Army troops” 1. Types of troops and their combat use, Field Manual of the Red Army (PU-39)

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

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

In preparation for the operation to annex Bessarabia to the USSR, occupied by Romania, as well as Northern Bukovina, the Red Army command included the 201st, 204th and 214th airborne brigades in the Southern Front. During the operation, the 204th and 201st ADBRs received combat missions and troops were sent to the area of ​​Bolgrad and Izmail, and after the closure of the state border to organize Soviet control bodies in populated areas.

The Great Patriotic War

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

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

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

Post-war period

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

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

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

By the fall of 1979, the 105th Guards Vienna Red Banner Airborne Division, specially designed for combat operations in mountainous desert areas, was disbanded. Units of the 105th Guards Airborne Division were stationed in the cities of Fergana, Namangan and Chirchik of the Uzbek SSR and in the city of Osh of the Kyrgyz SSR. As a result of the disbandment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, 4 separate air assault brigades were created (35th Guards, 38th Guards and 56th Guards), 40th (without “Guards” status) and 345th guards separate parachute regiment.

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

105th Guards Airborne Vienna Red Banner Division (mountain-desert):
“...in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General D.F. Sukhorukov, arrived, he said then what fools we were, disbanding the 105th Airborne Division, because it was specifically designed to conduct combat operations in mountainous desert areas. And we were forced to spend huge amounts of money to transport the 103rd Airborne Division to Kabul by air..."

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

7th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division. Based in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Baltic Military District.
-76th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov, II degree, Chernigov Airborne Division. She was stationed in Pskov, RSFSR, Leningrad Military District.
-98th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov, II degree, Svirskaya Airborne Division. It was based in the city of Bolgrad, Ukrainian SSR, Kodvo, and in the city of Chisinau, Moldavian SSR, KodVO.
-103rd Guards Red Banner Order of Lenin Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division named after the 60th anniversary of the USSR. She was stationed in Kabul (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979 and after February 1989, it was stationed in the city of Vitebsk, Belarusian SSR, Belorussian Military District.
-104th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division, specially designed for combat operations in mountainous areas. She was stationed in the city of Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR, Transcaucasian Military District.
-106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree airborne division. Stationed in Tula and Ryazan, RSFSR, Moscow Military District.
-44th training Red Banner Order of Suvorov II degree and Bogdan Khmelnitsky II degree Ovruch airborne division. Located in the village. Gaizhunai, Lithuanian SSR, Baltic Military District.
-345th Guards Vienna Red Banner Order of Suvorov III degree parachute regiment named after the 70th anniversary of the Lenin Komsomol. It was located in Bagram (Afghanistan) as part of OKSVA. Until December 1979, he was based in the city of Fergana, Uzbek SSR, after February 1989 - in the city of Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR, Transcaucasian Military District.
-387th separate training parachute regiment (387th airborne assault regiment). Until 1982, it was part of the 104th Guards Airborne Division. In the period from 1982 to 1988, the 387th OUPD trained young recruits to be sent to airborne and air assault units as part of OKSVA. In the cinema, in the film “9th Company”, the training unit refers to the 387th OUPD. Based in Fergana, Uzbek SSR, Turkestan Military District.
-196th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces. Located in the village. Bear Lakes, Moscow Region, RSFSR.
Each of these divisions included: a directorate (headquarters), three parachute regiments, one self-propelled artillery regiment, and combat support and logistics support units.

In addition to parachute units and formations, the airborne troops also had air assault units and formations, but they were directly subordinate to the commanders of military districts (groups of forces), armies or corps. They were practically no different, except for tasks, subordination and OSH (organizational staffing structure). Methods of combat use, combat training programs for personnel, weapons and uniforms of military personnel were the same as in parachute units and formations of the Airborne Forces (central subordination). The air assault formations were represented by separate air assault brigades (odshbr), separate air assault regiments (odshp) and separate air assault battalions (odshb).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Afghan War

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

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

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

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

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

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

Training of officers for airborne troops

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

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

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

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

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

Russian Airborne Forces

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

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

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

The airborne troops can rightfully be considered a model of valor and strength of the Russian army. It is difficult to imagine a soldier who dreams of serving in the army who would not want to try himself as a paratrooper.

Service in this branch of the military has several characteristic features, among which intense physical activity is key. Because of this, the current legislation provides for a number of mandatory requirements that a conscript who wishes to serve in the ranks of the elite troops must meet.

How to get into the Airborne Forces by conscription is a question many conscripts ask themselves before visiting a medical commission. The answer is simple: it is important to meet all selection criteria and express your desire to the distribution committee to get into this particular branch of the military.

What is important to do

According to current legal norms, namely in accordance with paragraph “D” of the regulation “On Military Duty”, recommendations on the distribution of conscript soldiers are provided by the head of the territorial military registration and enlistment office. As a rule, persons of military age are asked about their intentions regarding military service even during their initial registration. After passing the medical commission, the conscript goes to a meeting of the draft commission, where a preliminary decision will be made on which troops the young man will serve in (in the absence of contraindications for health reasons). Here it is important not to be shy and clearly indicate your desire to serve in the Airborne Forces.

It is very important to understand that airborne troops are not just romance, it is a very difficult and dangerous service. This branch of the military is not only considered the elite of the entire Russian army, it is practically the main reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, therefore the requirements for enrollment in this branch of the military are much more serious than anywhere else. Good health and impressive endurance are especially important if you want to serve in a special forces unit.

Find out: How and what to clean a soldier’s belt badge, old and new methods

Key criteria for selecting recruits

For ease of understanding, these requirements for conscript soldiers should be divided into several categories.

Physical health status

The intense stress to which an ordinary airborne force is exposed requires impeccable health. There should be no congenital or acquired pathologies. Based on the results of the examination, the medical commission at the military registration and enlistment office must determine the fitness category A1, which must be recorded in the relevant documentation.

In addition, a conscript applying for service in the Airborne Forces should not have any predisposition to chronic inflammatory processes. The medical record from the clinic at the place of permanent registration should not contain evidence of surgical interventions as a result of injuries or the development of internal pathology. Every day, paratroopers are exposed to heavy loads, which include:

• grueling training to develop endurance;
• constant parachute jumps;
• regular exhaustion of the body as a result of long flights;
• unbalanced nutrition during survival courses, etc.

All this can leave an indelible mark on a weakened body, so you should sensibly assess your health. If you have a deliberate desire to enter conscript service in the Airborne Forces, it is recommended to begin training as early as possible. Indeed, in addition to physically good health and the absence of pathological processes in the body, these are not all the requirements.

Mental health and emotional stability are also essential requirements for a soldier entering military service as a paratrooper. The conscript will have to undergo a series of specialized tests, which cannot be deliberately cheated. They are developed by military psychologists and are quite successfully used in practice, weeding out unreliable applicants.

Physical data

There are certain anthropometric parameters that must be met in order to enlist in the Airborne Forces. The indicators are reasonable. Even a slight deviation from the specified height and weight requirements can be the main reason for refusal.

The height of a potential paratrooper should not be less than 175 cm and no more than 195 cm. Body weight can vary from 75 to 85 kg.

These indicators are natural in a physiological sense. Deviation from these parameters is indirect evidence of hidden health problems. In addition, non-compliance with these requirements may hinder the fulfillment of the combat mission assigned to the elite troops of the Russian Federation.

Find out: 336 Bialystok Marine Brigade, based in the city of Baltiysk

The growth indicators were also not assigned by chance. Short people definitely won’t be able to cope with strength training and other delights of blue beret life for long, but people who are too tall have a different problem. A long stay in the air, which is the norm for a paratrooper, is associated with intense atmospheric stress, which affects blood pressure. Tall people are more susceptible to hypotension (low blood pressure syndrome), which can also leave an imprint on a soldier’s health even after military service.

If height discrepancy is almost impossible to correct, then with weight things are different. You can gain muscle mass, or vice versa, get rid of excess weight in a relatively short time; it is important to take care of yourself in time.

Physical form

A conscript who wishes to serve in the Airborne Forces must meet physical fitness requirements. In the absence of medical and physiological contraindications, the soldier will be asked to pass the following physical standards:

• 20 push-ups;
• 20 pull-ups;
• cross 3 km with equipment weighing 15 kg.

This will have to be demonstrated to the draft commission, otherwise the conscript’s request to enlist in the ranks of the Airborne Forces will be denied. It is important to understand that these requirements may not seem so complicated, but in reality this is far from the case. It will not be possible to meet these standards without targeted and lengthy preparation. In addition, to achieve such indicators, it is recommended to refrain from consuming alcohol and tobacco products.

Education

A potential paratrooper must not only meet all the previously mentioned requirements. An equally important factor is the availability of education. The general average will be quite enough. A good advantage would be the absence of C grades in the certificate.

Additional factors

There are several factors that can significantly increase a young man's chances of successfully enlisting in the Airborne Forces. These include:

Serve in the Airborne Forces prestigious and honorable, and the desire of the guys to get into these elite troops is becoming more and more apparent. How to get into service in the Airborne Forces, what is needed for this, we will analyze in detail.

Airborne Troops

Airborne Forces motto: “Nobody but us”

March of the paratroopers. Watch the video... Parade on Victory Day 2014. Paratroopers are walking along Red Square, airborne special forces are marching. Landing of 1,500 people with D-10 parachutes from Il-76 aircraft. Landing of equipment. The parade pace is 120 steps per minute. Look! This is the Airborne Forces!

Many people are breathtaking when the paratroopers walk across Red Square. The faces of the guys, in whose eyes every step they take reflects pride in the troops, whose representatives they are walking along the Main Square of the Motherland. They visited the Sky under the canopies of parachutes, underwent exercises, many of them participated in combat operations, protecting the interests and security of the Motherland. Serving Russia, serving one’s Motherland is worthy of everyone’s honor, because behind this stands security and a peaceful Sky above the heads of family and friends.

Airborne troops consist of formations, units and units of paratroopers, tanks, artillery... engineering troops, communications... squadron... Everything is in the Airborne Forces. The Airborne Forces are the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces and the basis of mobile rapid reaction forces. And there are no impossible tasks where there are Airborne Troops.

I want to serve in the Airborne Forces

More and more often we hear from guys: “I want to serve in the Airborne Forces. What is needed for this? How to get into service in the Airborne Forces." Good desire and good questions.

You need to prepare for service in the Airborne Forces.

Preference is given not only to the strong, but also to the smart.

1. Study, get an education. If you, having received a higher education, are conscripted, then the military registration and enlistment office will offer you either to serve a year under conscription, or two years under a contract. What do you think the guys choose? Yes! Mostly they go to serve under a contract.

2. Sports development. The main thing is running 3-5 km in the morning. The crossbar is a pull-up with a normal grip, not a reverse grip. The snatch pull-up is all about speed, while the power pull-up is all about the need and work on the inversion bar. Hang on the bar with a normal grip and work your feet up to the bar. Push-ups from the floor on your hands, on your fists and on your fingers. Push-ups on parallel bars.

Swim, play volleyball, basketball, football. This is all physical development.

3. At all commissions at the military registration and enlistment office, declare your desire. And if you didn’t have time to declare at the medical commissions, go to the military registration and enlistment office in the conscription department and say that you want to serve in the Airborne Forces. Talk and convince until they put a mark on your record card.

If there is an airborne unit in the city, go to the commander, be able to prove to him your desire to serve in the Airborne Forces. Be brave from the very beginning, and if you get an attitude (this is the basis for the military registration and enlistment office for conscription into a certain unit), it will be just great.

4. If you serve in the Airborne Forces, you need to be ready for landing. Go skydiving. Three independent parachute jumps is the third sports category, it is assigned to everyone after the third jump.

During the period of service in the Airborne Forces, according to the mandatory program, all paratroopers make 12 parachute jumps. Now there are parachute systems in all airborne formations and units.

5. Health. Train your heart by running and swimming. Height 175 - 190 cm, weight 75 - 90 kg... These are the standards for admission to skydiving. Those with low weight are not accepted into the Airborne Forces.

Service in the Airborne Forces is interesting, and if you have physical training, it will be easier to get involved... And after serving military service, many guys continue to serve under a contract. 70% contract workers, 30% conscripts. According to the contract, after training, sergeants are placed in positions that officers previously held. So, guys, study, get an education, try military service, and if you want to stay in the Airborne Forces, then there are two ways - contract service or the Airborne School in Ryazan.

They say that you become real paratroopers after

People are not born paratroopers, they become paratroopers.

How to get into service in the Airborne Forces

There is a desire to serve in the Airborne Forces. How to get into service in the Airborne Forces...?

The very first thing you need to do is express your desire to the Military Registration Office. Now many guys themselves come to the Military Commissariat, to the conscription department, and ask to be drafted into the Airborne Forces. They put a mark in their personal file: desire to serve in the Airborne Forces.

Throughout Russia there are Regional branches of the Union of Russian Paratroopers. You need to find your department and show up there, indicating your desires and intentions. The Union of Paratroopers works jointly with military registration and enlistment offices with pre-conscription youth, and there is an opportunity to attend military sports training camps. From here, too, a direct entry into service in the Airborne Forces, maybe even in a certain military unit.

I give information on the regional branches of the Union of Paratroopers of Russia. I took it from the website of the Union of Russian Paratroopers.

Do you want to serve in the Airborne Forces? Look for ways, show character. You are men!

File in PDF format. Spin the wheel and watch.

Where do they serve in the Airborne Forces?

To the question where they serve in the Airborne Forces, I’ll answer briefly.

The Airborne Forces include:

4 divisions - 7th in Novorossiysk, 76th in Pskov, 98th in Ivanovo, 106th in Tula;

31st Air Assault Brigade in Ulyanovsk

The 45th separate special-purpose regiment was formed in February 1994 on the basis of 218 and 901 separate special-purpose battalions. Location: Kubinka, Moscow region.

By the end of 2015, the 345th Separate Airborne Brigade will be formed in Voronezh. This

The Airborne Forces Training Center is located in Omsk.

7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division- airborne connection Soviet Army and Russian Armed Forces. Formed October 15, 1948.

Divisions:

• 108th Guards Air Assault Kuban Cossack Order of the Red Star Regiment (Novorossiysk)
• 247th Guards Air Assault Caucasian Cossack Regiment. (Stavropol)
• 1141st Guards Artillery Regiment (Anapa)
• 3rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
• 743rd Separate Guards Signal Battalion
• 629th separate engineer battalion (Starotitarovskaya station, Krasnodar Territory)
• 1681st separate logistics battalion (Novorossiysk)
• 32nd separate medical detachment

76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Assault Division (76 guards dshd, before March 1, 1943 157th Rifle Division)- the oldest existing airborne formation of the Russian Armed Forces.

Formed on September 1, 1939. Stationed in the city of Pskov, hence the nickname “Pskovskaya”, one of the air assault regiments is located in the suburban village of Cherekha.

• management (headquarters)
• 104th Guards Air Assault Red Banner Regiment of the Order of Peter the Great
• 234th Guards Air Assault Black Sea Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree Regiment named after Alexander Nevsky
• 237th Guards Parachute Landing Torun Red Banner Regiment (disbanded in 2001). The regiment can be deployed after receiving an order, replenished with assigned personnel.
• 1140th Guards Artillery Twice Red Banner Regiment
• 4th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (formerly 165th Separate Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Division)
• 656th Guards Separate Engineer-Sapper Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky 3rd Class Battalion
• 728th Guards Separate Signal Battalion
• 7th Guards Separate Repair and Reconstruction Battalion
• 3996th military hospital (airmobile). All personnel have parachute training, from 3 jumps.
• 242nd separate military transport aviation squadron (An-2, An-3). Serves for direct airborne training of unit personnel without the involvement of the Russian Air Force VTA
• 1682nd Guards Separate Material Support Battalion
• 175th Guards Separate Reconnaissance Company
• 968th Guards Separate Airborne Support Company
• separate RCBZ company
• commandant company

98th Guards Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Airborne Division- airborne formation consisting of Armed forces of the USSR and Russia.

Composition in 2012

• 98th Guards Airborne Division (Ivanovo) 217th Guards Parachute Regiment (Ivanovo)
• 331st Guards Parachute Regiment (Kostroma)
• 1065th Guards Red Banner Artillery Regiment (Kostroma)
• 5th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (formerly 318th Separate Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Division; Ivanovo)
• 243rd separate military transport aviation squadron (Ivanovo)
• 36th separate medical detachment (airmobile) (Ivanovo)
• 674th Separate Guards Signal Battalion (Ivanovo)
• 661st separate engineer battalion (Ivanovo)
• 15th separate repair and restoration battalion (Ivanovo)
• 1683rd separate logistics battalion (Ivanovo)
• 969th separate airborne support company (Ivanovo)
• 215th separate guards reconnaissance company (Ivanovo)
• 728th courier-postal communication station (Ivanovo)
• educational and training complex (Pesochnoe, Yaroslavl region).

106th Guards Airborne Order of Kutuzov Red Banner Division- formation of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR, and then of the Russian Federation. Units of the division are stationed in Tula, Ryazan and Naro-Fominsk, the division headquarters is in Tula.

Composition of the division in 2009:

• 51st Guards Parachute Landing Red Banner Order of Suvorov Regiment named after Dmitry Donskoy
• 137th Guards Parachute Landing Order of the Red Star Regiment
• 1182nd Guards Artillery Novgorod Red Banner Order of Suvorov 3rd degree, Kutuzov 3rd degree, Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree and Alexander Nevsky Regiment (Naro-Fominsk, Moscow region)
• 173rd Guards Separate Reconnaissance Company
• 388th separate guards engineer battalion
• 731st Separate Guards Signal Battalion
• 970th separate airborne support company
• 43rd Guards Separate Repair and Reconstruction Battalion
• 1060th separate logistics battalion
• 39th separate medical detachment (airmobile)
• 1883rd courier-postal communication station
• 1st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (formerly 107th Separate Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Division (military unit 71298, Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Region)

Information on airborne divisions - source Wikipedia

Serve in the Airborne Forces

Serve in the Airborne Forces prestigious and honorable, and the desire of the guys to get into these elite troops is becoming more and more apparent. How to get into service in the Airborne Forces, what is needed for this, we will analyze in detail.

Airborne Troops

Airborne Forces motto: “Nobody but us”

Many people are breathtaking when the paratroopers walk across Red Square. The faces of the guys, in whose eyes every step they take reflects pride in the troops, whose representatives they are walking along the Main Square of the Motherland. They visited the Sky under the canopies of parachutes, underwent exercises, many of them participated in combat operations, protecting the interests and security of the Motherland. Serving Russia, serving one’s Motherland is worthy of everyone’s honor, because behind this stands security and a peaceful Sky above the heads of relatives and friends.

Airborne troops consist of formations, units and units of paratroopers, tanks, artillery... engineering troops, communications... squadron... Everything is in the Airborne Forces. The Airborne Forces are the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces and the basis of the mobile rapid reaction forces. And there are no impossible tasks where there are Airborne Troops.

I want to serve in the Airborne Forces

More and more often we hear from guys: “I want to serve in the Airborne Forces. What is needed for this? How to get into service in the Airborne Forces." Good desire and good questions.

You need to prepare for service in the Airborne Forces.

Preference is given not only to the strong, but also to the smart.

1. Study, get an education.

2. Sports development. The main thing is running 3-5 km in the morning. The crossbar is a pull-up with a normal grip, not a reverse one. The snatch pull-up is for speed, and the power pull-up is a necessity and works on the inversion bar. Hang on the bar with a normal grip and work your feet up to the bar. Push-ups from the floor on your hands, on your fists and on your fingers. Push-ups on parallel bars.

Swim, play volleyball, basketball, football. This is all physical development.

3. At all commissions at the military registration and enlistment office, declare your desire. And if you didn’t have time to declare at the medical commissions, go to the military registration and enlistment office in the conscription department and say that you want to serve in the Airborne Forces. Talk and convince until they put a mark on your record card.

If there is an airborne unit in the city, go to the commander, be able to prove to him your desire to serve in the Airborne Forces. Be brave from the very beginning, and if you get an attitude (this is the basis for the military registration and enlistment office for conscription into a certain unit), it will be just great.

4. If you serve in the Airborne Forces, you need to be ready to land. Go skydiving. Three independent parachute jumps is the third sports category, it is assigned to everyone after the third jump.

During the period of service in the Airborne Forces, according to the mandatory program, all paratroopers make 12 parachute jumps. Now D-10 parachute systems are in all airborne formations and units.

5. Health. Train your heart by running and swimming. Height 175 - 190 cm, weight 75 - 90 kg... These are the standards for admission to skydiving. Those with low weight are not accepted into the Airborne Forces.

Service in the Airborne Forces is interesting, and if you have physical training, it will be easier to get involved... And after serving military service, many guys continue to serve under a contract. 70% contract workers, 30% conscripts. According to the contract, after training, sergeants are placed in positions that officers previously held. So, guys, study, get an education, try military service, and if you want to stay in the Airborne Forces, then there are two ways - contract service or the Airborne School in Ryazan.

They say that you become a real paratrooper after the first jump from an Il-76.

People are not born paratroopers, they become paratroopers.

Where do they serve in the Airborne Forces?

To the question where they serve in the Airborne Forces, I’ll answer briefly.

The Airborne Forces include:

4 divisions - 7th in Novorossiysk, 76th in Pskov, 98th in Ivanovo, 106th in Tula;

31st Air Assault Brigade in Ulyanovsk

The 45th separate special-purpose regiment was formed in February 1994 on the basis of 218 and 901 separate special-purpose battalions. Location: Kubinka, Moscow region.

By the end of 2015, the 345th Separate Airborne Brigade will be formed in Voronezh. This is the revival of the 345th Guards OPDP.

The Airborne Forces Training Center is located in Omsk.

7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division- airborne connection Soviet Army and Russian Armed Forces. Formed October 15, 1948.

Divisions:

• 108th Guards Air Assault Kuban Cossack Order of the Red Star Regiment (Novorossiysk)
• 247th Guards Air Assault Caucasian Cossack Regiment. (Stavropol)
• 1141st Guards Artillery Regiment (Anapa)
• 3rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
• 743rd Separate Guards Signal Battalion
• 629th separate engineer battalion (Starotitarovskaya station, Krasnodar Territory)
• 1681st separate logistics battalion (Novorossiysk)
• 32nd separate medical detachment

76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Assault Division (76 guards dshd, before March 1, 1943 157th Rifle Division)- the oldest existing airborne formation of the Russian Armed Forces.

Formed on September 1, 1939. Stationed in the city of Pskov, hence the nickname “Pskovskaya”, one of the air assault regiments is located in the suburban village of Cherekha.

Compound

• management (headquarters)
• 104th Guards Air Assault Red Banner Regiment of the Order of Peter the Great
• 234th Guards Air Assault Black Sea Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree Regiment named after Alexander Nevsky
• 237th Guards Parachute Landing Torun Red Banner Regiment (disbanded in 2001). The regiment can be deployed after receiving an order, replenished with assigned personnel.
• 1140th Guards Artillery Twice Red Banner Regiment
• 4th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (formerly 165th Separate Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Division)
• 656th Guards Separate Engineer-Sapper Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky 3rd Class Battalion
• 728th Guards Separate Signal Battalion
• 7th Guards Separate Repair and Reconstruction Battalion
• 3996th military hospital (airmobile). All personnel have parachute training, from 3 jumps.
• 242nd separate military transport aviation squadron (An-2, An-3). Serves for direct airborne training of unit personnel without the involvement of the Russian Air Force VTA
• 1682nd Guards Separate Material Support Battalion
• 175th Guards Separate Reconnaissance Company
• 968th Guards Separate Airborne Support Company
• separate RCBZ company
• commandant company

98th Guards Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Airborne Division- airborne formation consisting of Armed forces of the USSR and Russia.

Composition in 2012

• 98th Guards Airborne Division (Ivanovo) 217th Guards Parachute Regiment (Ivanovo)
• 331st Guards Parachute Regiment (Kostroma)
• 1065th Guards Red Banner Artillery Regiment (Kostroma)
• 5th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (formerly 318th Separate Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Division; Ivanovo)
• 243rd separate military transport aviation squadron (Ivanovo)
• 36th separate medical detachment (airmobile) (Ivanovo)
• 674th Separate Guards Signal Battalion (Ivanovo)
• 661st separate engineer battalion (Ivanovo)
• 15th separate repair and restoration battalion (Ivanovo)
• 1683rd separate logistics battalion (Ivanovo)
• 969th separate airborne support company (Ivanovo)
• 215th separate guards reconnaissance company (Ivanovo)
• 728th courier-postal communication station (Ivanovo)
• educational and training complex (Pesochnoe, Yaroslavl region).

106th Guards Airborne Order of Kutuzov Red Banner Division- formation of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR, and then of the Russian Federation. Units of the division are stationed in Tula, Ryazan and Naro-Fominsk, the division headquarters is in Tula.

Composition of the division in 2009:

• 51st Guards Parachute Landing Red Banner Order of Suvorov Regiment named after Dmitry Donskoy
• 137th Guards Parachute Landing Order of the Red Star Regiment
• 1182nd Guards Artillery Novgorod Red Banner Order of Suvorov 3rd degree, Kutuzov 3rd degree, Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree and Alexander Nevsky Regiment (Naro-Fominsk, Moscow region)
• 173rd Guards Separate Reconnaissance Company
• 388th separate guards engineer battalion
• 731st Separate Guards Signal Battalion
• 970th separate airborne support company
• 43rd Guards Separate Repair and Reconstruction Battalion
• 1060th separate logistics battalion
• 39th separate medical detachment (airmobile)
• 1883rd courier-postal communication station
• 1st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (formerly 107th Separate Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Division (military unit 71298, Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Region)

Information on airborne divisions - source Wikipedia

Reconnaissance in the Airborne Forces has wings - the Crossbow parachute. A unique system was developed for intelligence officers; there are no analogues in the world.