Year of foundation of the Airborne Forces. Airborne Forces Day: history and traditions of the holiday. Physical health status

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 evident. 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

In the 11th Infantry Division. In December, he 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 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, which, with the support of local residents, defeated a gang that had invaded the territory of Tajikistan from abroad. . However, Airborne Forces Day in Russia and a number of other countries is August 2, in honor of the parachute landing at a military exercise of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh on August 2, 1930.

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.

was sent to the Saratov Bomber School. ... However, soon an order came from the People's Commissariat of Defense to transfer the Saratov School to the jurisdiction of Airborne Forces.

In the counteroffensive near Moscow, conditions were created for widespread use Airborne Forces. In the winter of the city, the Vyazma 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 crossing the Dnieper River. In the Manchurian strategic operation in August 1945, more than 4 thousand personnel of rifle units were landed for landing operations, who successfully completed the assigned tasks.

In 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 Warsaw Pact countries during the Czechoslovak events.

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

The USSR was the first in the world to create airborne troops, which had their own armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery. At large army exercises (like Shield-82 or Friendship-82), the landing of personnel with standard equipment of no more than two parachute regiments was practiced. The state of the military transport aviation of the USSR Armed Forces at the end of the 80s made it possible to parachute 75% of the personnel and standard military equipment of one airborne division in one general sortie.

Organizational and personnel structure of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, as of July 1979.

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

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 - the airborne formation, specially adapted for combat operations in mountainous desert areas, was thoughtlessly and hastily disbanded, and The 103rd Guards Airborne Division was ultimately sent to Afghanistan, whose personnel had no training to conduct combat operations in such a theater of operations:

“...in 1986, the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General D.F. Sukhorukov, came and said then what fools we were, disbanding the 105th Airborne Division, because it was intended to conduct combat operations in mountainous desert areas. And we were forced to spend huge amounts of money to transport the 103rd Airborne Division to Kabul by air..."

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 directorate (headquarters), three parachute regiments, one self-propelled artillery regiment, and combat support and logistics support units.

In addition to parachute units and formations, in airborne troops There were also air assault units and formations, but they were subordinate to the commanders of military districts (groups of forces), armies or corps. They were no different in anything except their tasks, subordination and general education system. Methods of combat use, combat training programs for personnel, weapons and uniforms of military personnel were the same as for parachute units and formations 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 enemy's near rear, capable of disorganizing the defense. The technical capability for such a landing was provided by the significantly increased fleet of transport helicopters in the army aviation by this time.

By the mid-80s, the USSR Armed Forces included 14 separate brigades, two separate regiments and about 20 separate battalions. The brigades were stationed on the territory of the USSR according to the principle - one brigade per 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 High Command of the southwestern direction) and two brigades for the group Soviet troops abroad (35dshbr in the GSVG in Cottbus and 83dshbr in the SGV in Bialogard). The 56th Guards Brigade in OKSVA, stationed in the city of Gardez, Republic of Afghanistan, belonged to the Turkestan Military District in which it was formed.

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

Difference between parachute and air assault formations Airborne Forces was as follows:

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

• 11odshbr in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Trans-Baikal Territory, Mogocha and Amazar),
• 13dshbr in the Far Eastern Military District (Amur region, Magdagachi and Zavitinsk),
• 21st brigade in the Transcaucasian Military District (Georgian SSR, Kutaisi),
• 23dshbr of the South-Western direction (on the territory of the Kyiv Military District), (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
• 35th Guards Brigade in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (German Democratic Republic, Cottbus),
• 36odshbr in the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad region, Garbolovo village),
• 37dshbr in the Baltic Military District (Kaliningrad region, Chernyakhovsk),
• 38th Guards Brigade in the Belorussian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Brest),
• 39odshbr in the Carpathian Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Khyrov),
• 40odshbr in the Odessa Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Bolshaya Korenikha village (Nikolaev region),
• 56th Guards Brigade 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 town),
• 58dshbr in the Kiev Military District (Ukrainian SSR, Kremenchug),
• 83dshbr in the Northern Group of Forces, (Polish People's Republic, Bialogard),
• 1318odshp in the Belorussian Military District (Belarusian SSR, Polotsk) subordinate to the 5th separate army corps (5oak)
• 1319adshp in the Trans-Baikal Military District (Chita region, Kyakhta) subordinate to the 48th separate army corps (48oak)

These brigades included a command and control unit, 3 or 4 air assault battalions, one artillery battalion, and combat support and logistics support units. The personnel of the deployed brigades reached 2,500 military personnel. For example, the regular number of personnel of the 56th Guards Division 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

Also, in order to increase the firepower of the airborne units, additional artillery and tank units will be introduced into their composition. For example, the 345th opdp, based on the model of a motorized rifle regiment, will be supplemented with an artillery howitzer division and a tank company, in the 56th airborne assault brigade 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 for reinforcement battalion, which was unusual for the organizational structure of airborne 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, Airborne Forces They were often appointed to the positions of platoon commanders, graduates of higher combined arms schools (VOKU) and military departments that trained to become motorized rifle platoon commanders. This was due to the fact that the specialized Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which graduated on average about 300 lieutenants every year, was not able to fully meet the needs 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 Airborne Forces from platoon commander in the 111th Guards Division of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, graduated from the Alma-Ata Higher Combined Arms Command School

For a long time, military personnel of special forces units and units (now called army special forces) wrong And intentionally called paratroopers. This is due to 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 subunits and units Special purpose (SP) GRU of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. The phrases “special forces” or “commandos” were mentioned in the press and in the media only in relation to the troops of a potential enemy (“Green Berets”, “Rangers”, “Commandos”).

Starting from the emergence of these units in the USSR Armed Forces in 1950 until the end of the 80s, the existence of such units and units was completely denied. 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 announced either as units 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), stationed 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 accepted in Airborne Forces, although neither in terms of subordination, nor in terms of assigned tasks, reconnaissance and sabotage activities were classified as Airborne Forces. The only thing that united Airborne Forces 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

Medium emblem of the Russian Airborne Forces

In 1991, they were allocated to 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 Omsk and Ishim
• 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov II Class Brigade (Ulyanovsk)
• 38th Separate Signal Regiment (Bear Lakes)
• 45th Guards Separate Regiment of Special Forces Airborne Forces (Kubinka, Odintsovo 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); since July 2010 - Colonel (since February 2011 Major General) Oleg Belokonev. Includes the 38th, 103rd Guards Mobile Brigades, 5th Special Purpose Brigade, etc.

Kazakhstan

Sleeve insignia of the airmobile troops of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Great Britain

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

British Airborne Forces, 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. 5th Airborne Brigade) and 24th Aeromobile (eng. 24th Air Mobile Brigade) brigades. The brigade's headquarters and units are based in Colchester, Essex. The 16th Air Assault Brigade is part of the 5th British Army Division.

Germany

Wehrmacht airborne troops

Breastplate of a paratrooper of the Wehrmacht airborne forces, Germany

Wehrmacht Airborne Forces(German) Fallschirmjäger, from Fallschirm- “parachute” and Jäger- “hunter, huntsman”) - German airborne forces of the Wehrmacht for operational-tactical deployment in the enemy rear. Being a selective branch of the army, only the best of the best soldiers in Germany were recruited into them. The formation of units began in 1936, after which during the Second World War, in the period from 1940 to 1941, they were used in large 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. They received the nickname "Green Devils" from the Allies. Throughout the Second World War, 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 Tsanhanim brigade belongs to the Central District and is part of the 98th Reserve Airborne Division, staffed by reservists who served on active duty in the brigade.

USA

Chevron 1 Allied Air Force, 1944

Notes

1. Guderian G. Attention, tanks! History of the creation of tank forces. - M.: Tsentropoligraf, 2005.
2. Field manual of the Red Army (PU-39), 1939.
3. The development of the striking power of air assault formations will occur by equipping them with transport and combat aircraft, Military Review website.
4. Military encyclopedic dictionary, Moscow, Military Publishing House, 1984, 863 pp. with illustrations, 30 sheets
5. The Ukrainian army has created highly mobile airborne troops, Kommersant-Ukraine.
6. The English word “commandos” was used to designate military personnel of special airborne detachments, the airborne detachments themselves, and the entire S.S. service (“Special Service”, abbreviated as “S.S.”) as a whole.
7. Airborne Forces in TSB.
8. The first parachute formations
9. Khukhrikov Yuri Mikhailovich, A. Drabkin, I fought on the Il-2 - M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2005.
10. This year marks the forty-five anniversary of the 242nd Airborne Training Center
11. Structure of the Airborne Forces - Bratishka Magazine
12. The combat regulations of the airborne troops, put into effect by order of the commander of the airborne troops No. 40, dated July 20, 1983
13. Banner - Use of air assault troops. Practical examples
14. Unknown division. 105th Guards Airborne Red Banner Division (mountain-desert). - Desantura.ru - about landing without borders
15. Wars, stories, facts. Almanac
16. History of the part

Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) are a branch of the Armed Forces, which is a means of the Supreme High Command and is intended 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 rear and communications work, as well as covering (defense) individual directions, areas, open flanks, blocking and destroying landed airborne troops, broken through enemy groups and performing 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.

3.3 Structure of the Airborne Forces

The structure of the airborne troops includes:

Central governing body (headquarters)

Connections

Divisions

Institutions

Since pre-war times, since 1939, a lot of funds have been allocated for the development of airborne troops. Time was devoted to developing theories of their use in combat and improving technical means. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the paratroopers already had some combat experience. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the victory over the Japanese. In 1940, during the Soviet-Finnish War, three more airborne brigades were in action. As a result of these battles, by 1940, new states were created, consisting of parachute, glider and landing groups.

By 1941, airborne squads had been created, numbering more than 10,000 people per corps.

On September 14, 1941, according to the order of the Commissioner, the General Directorate of the Airborne Forces was transformed into the Directorate of the Command of the Airborne Forces of the Red Army. The Airborne Forces themselves were no longer subordinate to the front-line commanders, but were directly subordinate to the Airborne Forces commander.

Numerous military operations were carried out in counter-offensives near Moscow, in which airborne forces played a leading role. Among these operations, the Vyazma airborne operation and the Manchurian strategic operation should be highlighted.

In 1944, the structure of the airborne troops underwent changes. Having been transformed into a separate Guards Airborne Army, the Airborne Forces entered the long-range aviation departments. A year later, this army was reorganized, and on its basis a new airborne forces department was created, which was subordinate to the chief commander of the Air Force.

In 1946, the Airborne Forces were transferred to the USSR ground forces. They were directly subordinate to the USSR Minister of Defense.

In 1956, several airborne units took part in military events in Hungary, as well as near Prague and Bratislava.

In the post-war period, in improving the Airborne Forces, the greatest attention was paid to increasing the efficiency of firepower and maneuverability of personnel. A lot of aircraft models were created with the help of which the delivery and landing of troops was carried out. These were: armored vehicles (BMD, BTR-D), artillery systems (ASU - 57 and so on), automotive equipment (GAZ - 66). New parachute delivery systems were created for different types of weapons. It should be noted that in the USSR, for the first time in the world, airborne forces appeared that had their own armored vehicles.

In 1979, the squads, adapted for combat in mountainous desert areas, were hastily disbanded. This was a miscalculation, since a brigade was sent to Afghanistan, whose representatives did not have the experience to conduct combat operations in these geographical conditions.

Closer to the mid-80s, the USSR Airborne Forces included 7 airborne squads, plus three additional separate regiments.

In addition to the parachute units, there were also air assault units. They were subordinate to the commanders of the military districts. The impetus for their creation was to rethink the tactics of fighting the enemy in the event of a large-scale war. The main emphasis was on carrying out mass landings behind enemy lines and, as a result, disorganizing the enemy’s defense.

One airborne division, one air assault division, two air assault battalions and one parachute regiment took part in the war in Afghanistan from the USSR. But the results of the use of airborne forces cannot be called successful. The mountainous terrain turned out to be very difficult. And the large investment was not entirely justified.

The most significant event in the period after World War II for the USSR Airborne Forces was the landing in Afghanistan as part of the Panjshir operation in 1982. In just the first 3 days, almost 4,000 people were landed and the territory was quickly taken under control.

After 1982, over the course of 4 years, all standard aircraft armored vehicles were replaced with armored vehicles for motorized rifle brigades. This is justified, first of all, by the relative commonality of tasks for paratroopers and motorized rifle divisions. To increase firepower, additional tank and artillery formations were introduced into the Airborne Forces.

CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AIR LANDING FORCES OF THE RED ARMY (1930 - 1940)

1930

During the Air Force exercises of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, for the first time in the world, a unit of 12 people was parachuted under the leadership of military pilots L.G. Minova and Ya.D. Mogakovsky. The landing was carried out from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. August 2 went down in history as the birthday of the airborne troops of the Red Army.

The Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR approved the Law “On Compulsory Military Service” (new edition).

The country's first parachute manufacturing factory came into operation (April).

The first domestically produced parachutes were PL-1 (pilot’s parachute), PT-1 (training parachute). The designer of the first Soviet parachutes and the organizer of the domestic parachute industry was Mikhail Alekseevich Savitsky.

1931

The Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR approved an updated calendar plan for the construction of the Red Army for 1931 -1933.

By directive of the Red Army Headquarters, a non-standard experienced airborne detachment of 164 people was created in the Leningrad Military District. E.D. was appointed commander of the detachment. Lukin.

June

At the direction of the commander of the Leningrad Military District, a non-standard parachute detachment was formed under the 1st Aviation Brigade. It organizationally complemented the experienced airborne assault detachment. The new detachment was staffed only by volunteers. Parachute training of personnel was led by Air Force parachute inspector L.G. Minov. The detachment consisted of 46 commanders and Red Army soldiers.

Aug. Sept

The release of paratroopers during tactical exercises of the Leningrad Military District in the areas of Krasnoe Selo and Krasnogvardeysk.

September

Landing of airborne and parachute detachments during exercises of the Ukrainian Military District in the Mogilevka area.

Ten P-5 aircraft were transferred to the first experimental airborne detachment.

1932

The Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR discussed the issue “On the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District.” A decision was made to create in 1932 one full-time airborne detachment in the Leningrad, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Moscow military districts.

In the Leningrad Military District (Detskoe Selo), on the basis of the previously existing two airborne detachments, an airborne detachment was formed, which received the name Separate Detachment No. 3. Its strength is 144 people. M.V. was appointed commander. Boytsov, chief of staff - I.P. Chernov. The detachment consisted of three machine gun companies, three air squadrons and an aviation regiment. The detachment was armed with 76-mm guns, light machine guns, automatic pistols, motorcycles with sidecars, scooters, and trucks.

An experimental plant for the production of prototypes of airborne equipment was put into operation.

The Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR adopted a resolution on the deployment of a brigade on the basis of the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District, entrusting it with training instructors in airborne training and working out operational-tactical standards. At the same time, it was planned to form by March 1933 one airborne detachment in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga districts. This decree marked the beginning of the deployment of airborne troops of the Red Army.

The military aviation was replenished with the TB-3 aircraft. It was the world's first four-engine monoplane, which had good performance characteristics and was equipped with modern equipment for that time. The plane had great capabilities. Its take-off weight is 17200 -18000 kg. All mass landings of the pre-war and fiery years of the Great Patriotic War were carried out with the TB-3. The plane could carry up to 20 - 25 paratroopers.

1933

January

The Central Council of Osoaviakhim, together with the Central Committee of the Komsomol, decided to include parachute jumping in the complex of educational and sports activities of the defense society.

By directive of the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District will be deployed into the 3rd Special Purpose Airborne Brigade. Unlike previous airborne formations, the 3rd Airborne Brigade became a new type of airborne formation. It was built on the principle of a combined arms formation and included: parachute and mechanized battalions, an artillery division, aviation squadrons and special forces units. M.V. was appointed brigade commander. Fighters. Later (in 1935), the brigade became known as the 3rd Special Purpose Aviation Brigade named after S.M. Kirov.

1934

By resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established.

By resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR was abolished and the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs was renamed into the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR.

The PL-3 parachute was created (designer Nikolai Aleksandrovich Lobanov). In terms of its qualities, the PL-3 was superior to the best examples of foreign parachutes. ON THE. Lobanov was awarded the USSR State Prize.

The honorary sports title “Master of Parachuting of the USSR” was established.

1935

Reception by the country's leadership of a large group of paratroopers.

September

Major maneuvers of Soviet troops were carried out in the Kiev Military District (I.E. Yakir). During the maneuvers, a landing party of 1,200 people with weapons and full ammunition was dropped.

By resolution of the Council of People's Commissars the headquarters of the Red Army was transformed into the General Staff of the Red Army.

By decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union and personal military ranks were introduced to the command and control personnel of the Red Army (for the RKKF - December 30, 1936).

There were 140 airfields, 400 parachute towers, 315 parachute stations and schools, and thousands of parachute clubs in the country.

More than 100 thousand parachute jumps were performed in the Red Army. A student of the Military Academy named after. performed a parachute jump. M.V. Frunze S.M. Budyonny.

1936

September

During the maneuvers of the Belarusian Military District (headed by I.P. Uborevich), a combined airborne assault was used. First, the 47th Special Purpose Aviation Brigade landed. Then, tanks, artillery pieces and other military and transport equipment were delivered to the airfields. According to the management of the maneuvers, the commanders and staffs of the airborne units successfully coped with preparing troops for landing, controlling them during the battle, and after landing. Foreign observers (from England, France and Czechoslovakia) praised the actions of the paratroopers.

During the maneuvers of the Moscow Military District, the 84th Rifle Division was transported over long distances by aircraft. A total of 5,272 people were landed.

On the basis of regular and non-standard airborne units, special-purpose airborne brigades were created in the Kiev and Belarusian military districts. In the Far East, three airborne regiments were formed as part of the OKDVA:

1st (commander M.I. Denisenko),

2nd (commander I.I. Zatevakhin),

5th (commander N.E. Tarasov).

A significant amount of airborne equipment has been created to transport artillery pieces, vehicles and other types of military and transport equipment by air under the fuselage of the aircraft.

By order of the People's Commissar of Defense, the Temporary Field Manual of the Red Army (PU-36) was put into effect.

1937

Formation of military councils in districts, fronts and armies.

1938

March

The Military Council of the Red Army Air Force discussed the issue “On the state of experimental construction of parachute landing equipment for 1934-1937.” It was decided to entrust the issues of providing troops with airborne equipment to the Air Force Logistics Directorate, and to the research institute to leave the issues of developing new types of equipment and conducting state and military tests.

Six airborne brigades were formed on the basis of airborne units:

201st (commander Colonel I.S. Bezugly);

202nd - (commander Major M.I. Denisenko);

204th - (commander Major I.I. Gubarevich);

211th - (commander Major V.A. Glazkov);

212th - (commander Major I.I. Zatevakhin);

214th - (commander Colonel A.F. Levashov).

All airborne formations were organizationally the same and were transferred from the Air Force to the Ground Forces.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, medals “For Courage” and “For Military Merit” were established.

1939

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved the new text of the military oath and the Regulations on the procedure for its adoption.

The fighting of the Red Army on the Khalkhin Gol River to defeat the Japanese militarists. The 212th Airborne Brigade (commander Major I.I. Zatevakhin) took part in combat operations.

The Doronin brothers - Nikolai, Vladimir and Anatoly - created a semi-automatic device PPD-1 for deploying a parachute after the paratrooper separated from the plane. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded: Nikolai Doronin with the Order of the Badge of Honor, Vladimir and Anatoly with the medal “For Labor Distinction”.

The “Hero of the Soviet Union” medal was established, which, according to the Ukach of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 16, 1940, became known as the “Gold Star” medal.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a new Law on universal conscription.

1940

End of the Soviet-Finnish War (started on November 30, 1939). Signing of a peace treaty between the USSR and Finland. The 201st, 204th and 214th airborne brigades took part in combat operations against the Finns.

Entry of the Red Army into Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Reunification of Bessarabia with the Soviet Union. The 201st and 204th airborne brigades took part in the Red Army's campaign. The 214th was in reserve.

By resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, a pilot production base for airborne transport facilities was created (4th quarter).

Engineer Savichev designed an automatic parachute deployment device (PAS-1).

New staffs of airborne brigades have been approved, their numbers have been doubled.

AIR LANDING FORCES DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR (1941-1945)

1941

March, April

Deployment of five airborne corps on the basis of airborne brigades (the number of which was tripled):

1st Airborne Forces (1st, 204th, 211th brigades) - commander Major General M.A. Usenko;

2nd Airborne Forces (2nd, 3rd, 4th brigades) - commander Major General F.M. Kharitonov;

3rd Airborne Forces (5th, 6th, 212th brigades) - commander Major General V.A. Glazunov;

4th Airborne Division (7th, 8th, 214th brigades) - commander Major General A.S. Zhadov;

5th Airborne Division (9th, 10th, 201st brigades) - commander Major General I.S. Bezugly.

Attack of Nazi Germany and its allies on the USSR. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

June

The 10th Brigade of the 5th Airborne Corps (commander Major General I.S. Bezugly) entered into battle with the Nazi invaders south of Daugavpils.

Fierce battles of the 5th Airborne Forces with Nazi troops near Dvinsk - Liberation of the city.

End of June

Entering into battle with the enemy in the Borisov area of ​​the 4th Airborne Forces (commander Major General A.S. Zhadov); 214th brigade (commander Colonel A.F. Levashov) - near Minsk.

The release of more than nine airborne troops (from the 204th Airborne Brigade of the 1st Airborne Forces) to the rear of the advancing Nazi troops in the area of ​​​​the settlements of Mozyr, Kalinkovichi, Dovzhak, Rava-Russkaya, Yavorov and other places. Occupation of the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Ostropol fortified area. You are moving the main forces of the 1st Airborne Forces to the area south of Novograd-Volynsky with the task of occupying and firmly holding the lines.

Early July

Transfer of the 2nd and 3rd Airborne Forces to the Kyiv area to protect the city.

July-September

Participation in the defense of Kiev of the 5th, 6th and 212th airborne brigades of the 3rd Airborne Forces (corps commander Major General V.A. Glazunov), as well as units of the 2nd Airborne Forces (commander Major General F. M. Kharitonov).

Airborne and amphibious landing near Odessa to conduct a combined operation against the enemy. The operation ended with the defeat of the 13th and 15th German infantry divisions.

September

Continuous battles against the Nazi troops of the 1st and 2nd Airborne Forces as part of the Southwestern Front.

A special school for training airborne commanders was opened in Kuibyshev. Colonel P.I. Vysokov was appointed its first chief. Later, in 1942, the school was transferred to Moscow.

Retraining courses for military commanders, as well as an air gliding school, have been opened in Saratov. In December 1941, the courses were transferred to Nakhabino, Moscow region.

Landing of the 10th and 201st airborne brigades of the 5th Airborne Command (commander Colonel S.S. Guryev) at the airfields of Orel and northeast of Orel-Optukhe (over 6,000 paratroopers with two sets of ammunition and weapons, military equipment ). The task of the paratroopers: together with border guards, tank crews and soldiers of the 1st Guards. rifle corps to delay the advance of German troops in the Tula region, to enable the completion of the withdrawal of units of the 50th Army of the Bryansk Front, to regroup the Red Army on the left wing of the Western Front in order to cover the Bryansk-Moscow direction. The Nazis' plans in this direction were thwarted. By the decision of the Supreme Command Headquarters on October 17, the 5th Airborne Command was withdrawn from the battle and transferred to Podolsk.

October

Battles near Yukhnov. The parachute detachment of Captain I.G. fought against the advancing enemy, along with other units. Starchak (a detachment formed in August 1941, which included several dozen well-trained paratroopers from the 214 Airborne Battalion of the 4th Airborne Forces), the detachment consisted of more than 400 paratroopers.

The 6th Airborne Forces was formed. The personnel is staffed mainly by volunteers from the regions of the Urals and Siberia. Major General A.I. was appointed commander of the corps. Pastrevich.

November

The 3rd Airborne Forces was reorganized into the 87th Infantry Division. Colonel A.I. was appointed division commander. Rodimtsev. In January 1942, the 87th Infantry Division was reorganized into the 13th Infantry Division. Colonel A.I. was appointed division commander. Rodimtsev.

December

Stubborn battles of the 5th Airborne Division with the enemy near Maloyaroslavets. On January 2, 1942, the city was liberated from the Germans. On January 13, the 5th Airborne Forces with units of the 53rd Infantry Division liberated the city of Medyn.

1942

Vyazma airborne operation. The 4th Airborne Forces took part in it (commander Major General A.F. Levashov, after his death - Colonel A.F. Kazankin).

Body composition:

8th Airborne Division (commander: Colonel A.A. Onufriev. Died in 1943)

9th Airborne Brigade (commander: Major General I.I. Kuryshev)

214th Airborne Brigade (commander Kolobovnikov).

Other units took part in the operation.

The purpose of the airborne assault: to prevent the enemy from retreating from Vyazma to the west, to assist the troops of the Western and Kalinin Fronts in encircling and destroying the enemy Army Group Center.

In almost six months of intense fighting behind enemy lines, paratroopers liberated about 200 settlements, marched over 600 km behind the rear of the Nazi troops, destroyed up to 15 thousand enemy soldiers and officers and a lot of military equipment. For participation in the Vyazma airborne operations, 2 thousand paratroopers of the 4th Airborne Forces were awarded orders and medals.

Summer

The airborne corps were reorganized into guards rifle divisions, of which nine divisions were sent to the Stalingrad and one to the North Caucasus fronts... In addition, the 13th Guards was sent to the Stalingrad Front. rifle division (commander Major General A.I. Rodimtsev). Five maneuver airborne battalions and one airborne battalion battalion were sent to the North Caucasus Front from the airborne troops.

The 6th Airborne Forces was reorganized into the 40th Infantry Division. Birthday of the connection. The division was sent to Stalingrad.

A group of paratroopers of the 40th division, led by junior lieutenant V.D. Kochetkov entered into battle with the Nazis near the Dubovaya farmstead, not far from the village of Sirotinskaya. For two days the guards repelled the enemy's fierce attacks, preventing them from occupying a commanding height. When the ammunition ran out, the paratroopers with bundles of grenades rushed under the fascist tanks. None of Kochetkov’s platoon abandoned their positions.

The release of a detachment of volunteer paratroopers consisting of 42 people (commander captain M. Orlov) to the airfield of the city of Maykop with the aim of destroying German aviation. Of the 54 enemy aircraft located at the Maykop airfield, the paratroopers destroyed 22 and damaged more than 20.

Early December

Based on the previously formed eight (1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th) airborne corps and five (1st-5th ) maneuverable airborne brigades, ten (1-10th) airborne divisions were created.

1943

Airborne drop in the Novorossiysk area. The detachment consisted of 80 people, divided into four platoons. The task of the paratroopers: to destroy the headquarters of the 10th German Infantry Division in Vasilievsk and systematically disrupt troop control and commit sabotage. In three days, the paratroopers liquidated a small German garrison (there was no infantry division headquarters in Vasilievsk), destroyed more than 100 enemy soldiers and officers, disrupted communications in a number of places and destroyed several firing points. Together with the naval paratroopers (also landed on February 4), they captured a bridgehead called Malaya Zemlya and held it until the liberation of Novorossiysk.

February

All ten airborne divisions were sent to the Northwestern Front and were included in the 1st Shock Army (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 9th), 68th Army (1st I, 5th and 8th). The 6th Airborne Division became part of the group of General M.S. Khozin, and the 10th - to the front reserve. Heavy and stubborn battles were fought here for more than two months. The airborne divisions had to break through well-organized enemy defenses, advance in wooded and swampy terrain, with a limited number of roads, which made maneuver, supply of supplies and evacuation difficult.

April May

The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th airborne divisions were transferred to the Livny, Kastornoye, Stary Oskol area. All divisions were included in the Steppe Front, most of them took part in the Battle of Kursk. The 13th and 36th Guards Divisions, which were previously formed on the basis of the airborne corps and took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, also took part in this battle.

August-early September

1st, 7th and 10th Guards. airborne divisions were transferred to the Kharkov area and included: the 1st and 10th divisions in the 37th Army, and the 7th in the 52nd Army.

Dnieper airborne operation. The purpose of the operation: to assist the troops of the Voronezh Front in crossing the Dnieper. To carry out the operation, the 1st, 3rd and 5th separate airborne brigades, united into an airborne corps (commander of the deputy commander of the Airborne Forces, Major General I.I. Zatevakhin), were involved. The corps consisted of about 10 thousand paratroopers. For the landing, 180 Li-2 aircraft and 35 A-7 and G-11 gliders were allocated from long-range aviation. The 3rd and 5th Guards landed directly. airborne brigades. In total, on the night of September 25, 298 sorties were carried out from all airfields instead of 500 planned and 4,575 paratroopers and 666 packages of ammunition were dropped. Due to the incorrect distribution of communications equipment and radio operators among the aircraft, by the morning of September 25 there was no communication with the airborne troops. There was no communication in the following days, until October 6. For this reason, further landings had to be stopped and the remaining unlanded 1st Airborne Division and units of the 5th Airborne Division were returned to their permanent base areas.

The paratroopers, with their active actions, distracted part of the enemy forces, thereby assisting our troops in crossing the Dnieper. However, the main goal of the landing was to capture the line west and north-west of Velikiy Bukrin and prevent the enemy from approaching the bridgeheads occupied by our troops and the Bukrin bend of the Dnieper.

1944

Participation of the 6th, 9th Guards. airborne and 13th Guards. rifle divisions in the liberation of Kirovograd.

January

Participation of the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th Guards. airborne and 41st Guards. rifle divisions in the Korsun-Shevchenko operation. For the courage, perseverance and heroism shown in the battles of Korsun-Shevchenko, hundreds of paratroopers were awarded orders and medals, and the most distinguished were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 1st and 5th Guards The airborne divisions received the honorary name of Zvenigorod, and the 41st Guards Division - Korsun.

5th, 6th, 7th Guards. airborne and 41st Guards. The rifle division as part of the 4th Army fought about 300 km, successfully crossed the rivers Gorny Tikach, Southern Bug, Savrinka, and by March 30 reached the Dniester and crossed it on the move. In the battles, the paratroopers captured 70 damaged and abandoned tanks, about 1 thousand vehicles, many military warehouses and various weapons. For successful military operations, the airborne divisions were awarded military orders.

3rd Guards The airborne division received the honorary name Uman for successful military operations.

9th Guards The airborne division, having crossed the Southern Bug in the Ivanovka region, on March 22, together with other formations, captured the city of Pervomaisk by storm, and on the night of April 13, they reached the Dniester, crossed it and liberated the city of Grigoriopol. For the courage shown during the liberation of Pervomaisk, the 9th Guards Airborne Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The 8th Guards also took part in the liberation of Pervomaisk. airborne division.

2nd Guards airborne division after the completion of the Korsun-Shevchenko operation as part of the 1st Guards. army participated in the liberation of Proskurov. For its distinction in this battle, the division was given the honorary name Proskurovskaya.

Svirsk-Petrozavodsk operation. As part of the Karelian Front, the 37th Guards Corps (commanded by Lieutenant General P.V. Mironov), which included the 98th, 99th and 100th Guards, took part in the operation. rifle divisions. In the battles on the Svir River, paratroopers showed massive heroism. The Motherland highly appreciated the military feat of the heroes of Svir. On June 24, Moscow saluted the valiant troops of the Karelian Front, including paratroopers. By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the 98th, 99th and 100th Guards. The divisions were given the honorary name Svirsky.

By order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of the 37th Guards. The rifle corps was withdrawn from the Karelian Front and sent to the Mogilev region.

August

Iasi-Kishinev operation. The 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts included the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 10th Guards. airborne divisions, as well as the 34th, 40th and 41st Guards. rifle divisions previously created on the basis of airborne corps. For courage and heroism, many paratroopers were awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union. The 1st regiment of the 5th Guards Airborne Division was given the honorary name of Yassky, the 11th regiment of this division was given the Kishinevsky name, and the 16th regiment was awarded the Order of Kutuzov.

From the units and formations of the active army, as well as from the newly formed ones, three guards airborne corps were created as part of the Airborne Forces:

37th (commander Lieutenant General P.V. Mironov);

38th (commander Lieutenant General A.I. Utvenko);

39th (commander Lieutenant General M.F. Tikhonov).

In October, the corps were consolidated into the Separate Guards. airborne army (commander: Major General I.I. Zatevakhin).

The 37th Corps included the 13th, 98th and 99th Guards. airborne divisions; 38th Corps - 11th, 12th and 16th Guards. airborne divisions; 39th - 8th, 14th and 100th Airborne Divisions.

End of November

3rd, 5th and 7th Guards. airborne divisions, as well as the 34th, 40th and 41st Guards. rifle divisions that are part of the 4th Guards. armies were transferred to the banks of the Danube on the border of Hungary and Yugoslavia. Units of the divisions, together with other army formations, began combat operations on Hungarian territory.

Units of the 1st Guards. The airborne division as part of the 53rd Army crossed the Tissa River in the Tisaseles area. Developing an offensive in the northwestern direction, the paratroopers, interacting with other units of the 33rd Army, broke through the enemy’s defenses between the Tisza and Danube rivers, cutting off the escape routes for the Budapest enemy group.

December

Separate guards the airborne army was renamed the 9th Guards. army (commander Colonel General V.V. Glagolev). The corps and divisions began to be called rifle, some divisions received new numbers: the 37th Guards Corps consisted of the 98th, 99th and 103rd Guards. rifle divisions; 38th - 104th, 105th and 106th Guards. rifle divisions; 39th – 100th, 107th and 114th Guards. rifle divisions.

1945

February

9th Guards The army was brought into the active army and concentrated southeast of the city of Budapest, being in the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command.

Directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters before the 9th Guards. The army has set the task: in cooperation with the 7th Guards. army and the left wing of the 53rd Army to strike north of the Danube River, occupy the cities of Bratislava, Brno, Znojmo and, in cooperation with the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, capture the capital of Austria - Vienna.

Units of the 9th Guards. The armies, waging continuous battles on the territory of Czechoslovakia, entered Austria.

Fights to liberate the capital of Austria - Vienna. They were attended by formations of the 9th Guards. army as part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. For the massive heroism shown in the Vienna offensive operation, among other formations of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, formations staffed with paratroopers were also awarded orders: the 100th, 106th and 107th Guards. rifle divisions, and the 38th and 39th Guards. The rifle corps were given the honorary name Vienna. Thousands of soldiers, sergeants and paratrooper officers were awarded orders and medals, and the most distinguished of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Prague operation. Units of the 9th Guards Army participated in it as part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

Signing in Karlshorst by representatives of the German High Command the Act of Unconditional Surrender of the German Armed Forces.

Victory Day over Nazi Germany.

Victory Parade in Moscow on Red Square. Many paratroopers who fought on different fronts took part in the Victory Parade.

Troops of three fronts - the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern and Transbaikal - went on the offensive against the Japanese Kwantung Army. The 1st Airborne Division operated as part of the Transbaikal Front.

More than 20 airborne troops, numbering 17 thousand people, were landed in the central cities of Manchuria, on the Liaodong Peninsula and in North Korea, on South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Most airborne assaults were landings. Li-2 transport aircraft were used to transport them.

Signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan. The end of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War.

AIR LANDING FORCES OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE USSR (1946-1991)

Modernization of airborne troops in the post-war period

1946

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR was transformed into the People's Commissariat of the Armed Forces of the USSR (from March 15 - the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR).

The first post-war Disciplinary Charter of the USSR Armed Forces was put into effect.

June

By a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated June 3, the airborne troops were withdrawn from the Air Force, included in the reserve troops of the Supreme High Command and subordinated directly to the Minister of the USSR Armed Forces. The position of commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces was established and its responsibilities were defined. Colonel General V.V. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Glagolev (he held this position from April 1946 to October 1947).

The 8th, 15th, 38th, 39th Guards were sent to form the Airborne Forces. rifle corps consisting of the 76th, 98th, 99th, 100th, 103rd, 104th, 105th, 106th, 107th and 114th Guards. rifle divisions. Reformed units and formations retained honorary titles and awards for military distinction received on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The 5th, 8th, 24th airborne brigades and special units were transferred to supplement the troops. The Airborne Forces included the 1st and 12th air transport divisions (a.t.d.), as well as the 3rd, 6th, and 281st airborne divisions additionally formed for the troops. etc. After carrying out organizational measures, formations and units of the Airborne Forces were deployed: Directorate and special units of the 8th Guards. airborne Neman Red Banner Corps and the 103rd Guards. airborne Red Banner, Order of Kutuzov division - Polotsk (BVO); 114th Guards airborne Vienna Red Banner Division - Art. Borovukha. Management and special units of the 15th Guards. VDK - Rakvere, Krechevitsa, Novoselitsa (LenVO); 104th Guards airborne order of Kutuzov division - g.g. Narva, Kingesepp; 76th Guards airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division - Novgorod; Directorate and special units of the 37th Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps - Monastyrische (PrimVO); 98th Airborne Svir Red Banner Division - p. Pokrovka; 99th Guards airborne Svir order of Kutuzov division - Art. Manzovka, st. Flour; Directorate of the 38th Vienna Airborne Corps and the 106th Guards. airborne Red Banner, Order of Kutuzov division of Tula (MVO); 105th Guards airborne Vienna Red Banner Division - Kostroma; Directorate and special units of the 39th Vienna Airborne Corps and the 100th Guards. airborne Svir Red Banner Division - Belaya Tserkov (KVO); 107th Guards airborne Pervomayskaya Red Banner, Order of Suvorov division - Kyiv.

The majority of military personnel (70%) of the reformed formations and units were paratroopers.

The first post-war Charter of the internal service of the USSR Armed Forces was put into effect.

The airborne troops moved on to planned combat training.

The airborne transport and landing aviation was replenished with a new Il-12 aircraft designed by S.V. Ilyushin. It was a monoplane with two engines that could take off and land at field airfields and fly on one engine. Paratroopers began to master it.

1947

The first post-war combat regulations of the USSR Armed Forces were put into effect.

A decision was made to begin mass production of the M.T. Kalashnikov AK-47 (the development of a fundamentally new type of small arms began in 1943). In 1949, the AK-47 entered service with the Soviet Army. 7.62 mm cartridge, model 1943, weight with loaded magazine (30 rounds) - 4.3 kg, rate of fire - 600 rounds/minute; combat rate of fire: in short bursts - up to 100 rounds/minutes, single bursts - up to 40 rounds/minutes, “The AK-47 assault rifle and its numerous variants are the most common and best-known military small arms after the Second World War,” the American notes in his book expert Edward Clinton.

The decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved the text of the military oath and the Regulations on the procedure for taking the military oath.

October

Lieutenant General A.F. was appointed commander of the Airborne Forces. Kazankin. He held this position until December 1948.

The Air Force received a new Tu-4 aircraft designed by A.N. Tupolev. It was a heavy bomber with four engines. It could cover a distance of 5100 km. Experts began to adapt the vehicle for paratroopers.

1948

Additionally, five airborne divisions (7th, 11th, 13th, 21st, 31st) and two air transport divisions have been deployed. All existing and newly created formations are united into the Airborne Army (Airborne Army). The 37th Airborne Forces and the 1st Air Transport Division were transferred to the direct subordination of the Commander-in-Chief of the Far East.

The PD-47 parachute (designers N.A. Lobanov, M.A. Alekseev, A.I. Zigaev) was accepted for supply to the Airborne Forces. The dome, made of percale, had a square shape with an area of ​​71.8 square meters. m, parachute weight 16 kg.

December

Colonel General S.I. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Rudenko. He held this position until March 1950.

1949

The Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb.

Design team S.V. Ilyushin, based on the Il-12 aircraft, created the Il-14 with the best characteristics.

The airborne self-propelled gun ASU-76 has been adopted by the Airborne Forces.

1950

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR was divided into the Military Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR and the Naval Ministry of the USSR.

The Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution “On the creation of a reliably operating landing parachute.” The Research Institute of the Airborne Service and Plant No. 9 of the Ministry of Light Industry were tasked with developing new human landing parachute systems for use at flight speeds of up to 500 km/h and on the creation of a main landing parachute made of artificial fiber fabric for use at flight speeds of up to 350 km/h.

March

Colonel General A.V. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Gorbatov. He held this position until May 1954.

1951

The Airborne Forces received a lighter self-propelled artillery unit, the ASU-57, compared to the ASU-76.

1953

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Military Ministry of the USSR and the Naval Ministry of the USSR were merged into the Ministry of Defense of the USSR.

April

By the decision of the Council of Ministers and the USSR Ministry of Defense, the Airborne Forces Directorate was reorganized into the Airborne Forces Directorate, and the airborne divisions (with the exception of the 103rd and 114th) were transferred to three-regiment staff. In 1955-56, the Airborne Forces controlled the 11th, 21st, 100th, 114th, and in 1959 - the 107th, and in 1959 - the 31st Guards. The airborne divisions were disbanded.

The USSR tested a hydrogen bomb.

1954

The modified amphibious ASU-57 P with a waterproof hull, an improved 4-51 M gun, equipped with a more technologically advanced active muzzle brake and boosted to 60 hp, was tested. With. engine. However, it did not enter service with the Airborne Forces - there were enough ASU-57s produced and the development of more powerful equipment had already begun.

June

Lieutenant General V.F. was appointed commander of the Airborne Forces. Margelov. He held this position from June 1954 to March 1959; from July 1961 to December 1978 (from October 1967 - Army General).

1955

April

Transport and landing aviation was withdrawn from the Airborne Forces and on its basis the military transport aviation (MTA) of the Air Force was created.

The D-1 naval landing parachute, small 16.5 kg, made of percale “B”, was accepted for supply to the Airborne Forces. The parachute made it possible to jump from airplanes at speeds of up to 350 km/h, ensured a stable descent of the parachutist and a landing speed at the ground of up to 5 m/s.

Military parachute aviation received the first An-8 aircraft from the Anov family (general designer O.K. Antonov). Due to its external similarity, this plane was called the “flying whale”.

1956

April

The airborne troops are subordinated to the General Staff of the Ground Forces (in 1964, after its abolition, the Airborne Forces were again subordinated directly to the USSR Minister of Defense).

At an experimental exercise where the possibilities of military action in a nuclear war were studied, after a real nuclear explosion with a power of 40 kilotons, the 2nd infantry battalion and the 345th airborne division landed in the area 500-600 meters from the epicenter of the explosion 40 minutes later on Mi-4 helicopters. A total of 272 people with light weapons were landed. After landing, the paratroopers quickly captured and held the object and carried out live fire while repelling an enemy counterattack. The exercise confirmed, as experts of that time believed, the growing role of the Airborne Forces in the quick and effective defeat of the enemy using nuclear strikes.

Participation of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces in the Hungarian events. To carry out combat missions, units of the 7th (80th and 108th Infantry Division) and 31st (114th and 381st Infantry Division) Guards were involved. airborne divisions. After successfully completing the mission, the Airborne Forces units returned from Hungary to their deployment points. Distinguished paratroopers were awarded orders and medals of the USSR.

1957

The Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter was launched. The helicopter's carrying capacity is 61 paratroopers or up to 12 tons of cargo, including 8 tons on an external sling. At a maximum speed of 300 km/h, the helicopter is capable of climbing up to 4500 meters; the flight range, depending on the load, ranged from 300 to 900 km. Armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun.

The An-12 entered the airborne troops. It was a versatile medium military transport aircraft. He had everything he needed to land troops and equipment. The aircraft's flight ceiling was 10 thousand meters.

An-8 and An-12 were replaced by the end of the 50s. transport aircraft Li-2 and Il-14.

1958

Parachute Regiment of the 106th Guards. The Airborne Forces parachuted in experimental tactical exercises in the difficult climatic conditions of the Arctic. The tasks of capturing and holding an important area were practiced. The paratroopers showed examples of high combat skills, courage and hardening.

The SU-85 self-propelled artillery mount was put into service. It was created simultaneously for ground and airborne forces, but the vast majority of installations were supplied to the Airborne Forces.

1959

By order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR, the Combat Regulations of the Armed Forces of the USSR were put into effect.

March

Lieutenant General (since May 1961 - Colonel General) I.V. was appointed commander of the Airborne Forces. Tugarinov. He held this position until July 1961.

At the end of the 50s, the PP-127 parachute platform appeared in service with the airborne troops. It was intended for parachute landing of cargo weighing more than 4.6 thousand kg. On this platform it was possible to land all types of artillery in service with the Airborne Forces, vehicles, radio stations, equipment of engineering units and chemical defense units. Later, the PP-127 was replaced by the PP-128 platform, which made it possible to drop various cargo and military equipment weighing up to 6.7 thousand kg by parachute.

The modernized D-1-8 parachute has been adopted for supply to the Airborne Forces. The authors of the qualitatively new parachute were the paratrooper brothers Nikolai, Vladimir and Anatoly Doronin.

May

The Alma-Ata Airborne School was relocated to Ryazan and merged with the Ryazan Higher Combined Arms Command Red Banner School into one - the Ryazan Higher Combined Arms Red Banner Command School. He was entrusted with training personnel for the Airborne Forces.

1960

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved the Internal Service Charter and the Disciplinary Charter of the USSR Armed Forces, as well as the text of the new Military Oath.

1962

The Mi-8T (TV) helicopter for general purpose was created. Later, it underwent many modifications, retaining all its capabilities that were successfully combined. It could carry up to 24 paratroopers or 4 tons of cargo (of which up to 3 tons on an external sling). Maximum flight speed is up to 250 km/h, flight altitude is up to 5000 meters, flight range is 500-800 km, depending on the load and the presence of additional fuel tanks.

1963

By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the USSR Armed Forces, a sports parachute team was formed at the Ryazan Higher Combined Arms Command Red Banner School. On August 1, 1966, it was transformed into the Central Sports and Parachute Club (CSPC) of the Airborne Forces.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Charter of the garrison and guard service of the USSR Armed Forces was approved.

1964

Competitions for the USSR Armed Forces Parachute Championship were held in Odessa. At these competitions, the Airborne Forces team took first place for the first time, winning 22 medals out of 30 awarded.

1965

February

The first flight was made by the giant aircraft An-22 Antey. Its take-off weight is 250 tons. In the year of its creation, it was the largest transport aircraft in the world. The aircraft had a long range and flight duration. Its cargo compartment (33.4x4x5 meters) could accommodate the main types of equipment of the Ground Forces of the USSR Armed Forces. In May, the aircraft was awarded a prize at the XXV International Aeronautics and Space Salon in Paris.

1967

Combined-arms maneuvers of the troops of the BVO, PrikVO and some other military districts in Ukraine took place under the code name “Dnepr”. The 76th Guards took part in them. Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division. The paratroopers demonstrated high military skills and earned the gratitude of the command.

1968

TASS statement on the entry of military units of the USSR, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany and Poland into the territory of Czechoslovakia. On instructions from the Soviet government, the 7th and 103rd Guards took part in the operation to stabilize the political situation in Czechoslovakia (there was a threat that the Czechoslovak leadership would abandon the communist orientation and withdraw from the Warsaw Pact). airborne divisions. The operation went “lightning fast.” The personnel showed an example of perseverance and iron endurance, not succumbing to provocations from certain groups of the local population.

1969

The BMD-1 airborne combat vehicle has entered service with the Airborne Forces. Weight -7.6 tons. Crew - 7 people. Armament: 1 73 mm cannon, 3 7.62 mm machine guns. The maximum speed on land is 61 km, afloat - 9-10 km. Based on the BMD-1 vehicle, the following were later developed:

Armored personnel carrier BTR-D;

Armored personnel carrier for anti-tank complexes "Fagot" BTR-RD (code name "Robot");

BTR-ZD "Skrezhet" - for transporting crews of anti-aircraft missile systems;

Special ones - for communication equipment, for transporting the wounded and repair and evacuation.

Units and subdivisions of the 98th Guards. The airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov II degree division was redeployed from the Far Eastern Military District (Belogorsk, Amur Region) to the Odessa Military District (Bolgrad).

At the end of the 60s. The main parachute D-1-8 with a percale canopy replaced the nylon D-5, which was noticeably smaller and lighter than its predecessor and much easier to stow. Over time, it was improved (several series of it were released). The main parachute was the D-6. Its weight is 11.6 kg, the dome area is 83 square meters. m, maximum rate of descent near the ground is up to 5 m/sec.

1970

March

Combined-arms maneuvers of the troops of the Leningrad Military District, Moscow Military District, North Caucasian Military District, BVO, PribVO took place in Belarus under the code name “Dvina”. The 76th Guards took part in them. Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division. In just 22 minutes, more than 7 thousand paratroopers and more than 150 units of military equipment landed. The aircraft used were An-22 Antey. The actions of the paratroopers were highly praised by the command.

1971

Major military exercises took place in Crimea under the code name “South”. The 98th Guards took part in them. Svir Airborne Red Banner Division. The paratroopers showed examples of high combat skills, courage and dedication.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the institute of warrant officers and midshipmen was established.

1972

February

Veteran paratroopers and airborne troops celebrated the 30th anniversary of the landing in the rear of the Nazi troops of the 4th Airborne Forces. On February 21, a group of athletes from the TsSPK Airborne Forces, led by captain V.Ya. Kudrevatykh made a parachute jump onto a square in the center of the village of Ugra, Smolensk region.

International competitions in parachuting were held in Fontainebleau (France). Teams from England, Belgium, Italy, France (two teams), Czechoslovakia, Germany, USA, Poland and the USSR took part in them. The Soviet team included athletes from the TsSPK Airborne Forces V.Ya. Kudrevatykh, O.N. Kazakov, G.F. Yurko, Yu.I. Baranov. Soviet paratroopers took first place and won the cup (located in the Ryazan Museum of the History of the Airborne Forces).

1973

For the first time in the world, a crew consisting of Major L. Zuev and Lieutenant A. Margelov, the youngest son of Airborne Forces commander V.F., was landed inside the LMD-1 on parachute-platform vehicles. Margelova. The combat vehicle was dropped from the An-12 and descended on five domes. This system for landing the BMD-1 together with the crew was called “Centaur”.

1974

Based on the 104th Guards. airborne division under the command of Army General V.F. Margelov, a meeting of the Airborne Forces leadership took place with an experimental tactical exercise, during which 108 heavy equipment objects were landed for the first time, including 122 mm D-30 howitzers with two crew members in the joint landing cabin. The first in the airborne forces to land together with their equipment were the paratroopers of the artillery regiment of the Guards Division. Sergeant S.M. Koltsov and Guards. Corporal G.V. Kozmin.

Military transport aviation received a new Il-76 aircraft (general designer G.V. Novozhilov). This is an all-weather aircraft. Equipment is installed on board to ensure precise parachute landing of people and cargo in difficult weather conditions, day and night, from high and low altitudes. Il-76 is an aircraft of a fundamentally new design. There are four jet engines on pylons under the wing. It has a high-mounted tail unit and a low-set bogie-type chassis with twelve pairs of wheels. The takeoff run is short and the landing run is short.

1975

All-Army Meeting of Excellent Combat and Political Training.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, new regulations of the Armed Forces of the USSR (Internal Service, Disciplinary, Garrison and Guard Service) were approved.

By order of the USSR Minister of Defense, the new Combat Regulations of the USSR Armed Forces were put into effect.

1976

The parachute-jet system "Reactavr" (jet centaur) was successfully tested. Instead of the five domes of the Centaur, one dome was installed on the Reactaur. The landing speed of the new system is four times higher. This greatly reduced the vulnerability of military equipment in flight. The new equipment was tested by L. Shcherbakov and A. Margelov. In February 1997, they were awarded the title of Hero of Russia for this feat.

1977

A new Constitution of the USSR was adopted, which introduced a chapter on the defense of the socialist Fatherland.

Soviet paratroopers, together with Cuban and Ethiopian units, carried out a successful operation in the Horn of Africa, during which Somali troops were defeated in the Ogaden Desert.

1978

February

The parachute regiment of the 103rd Guards took part in the combined arms exercise "Berezina" (Belarus). airborne division. For the first time, a full-strength airborne unit with equipment and weapons parachuted from Il-76 aircraft. The exercises were a retraining school for the mass development of new aircraft by the Airborne Forces.

1979

January

Colonel General (Army General since December 1982) D.S. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Sukhorukov. He held this position until July 1987.

February

106th Guards The airborne division took part in exercises in Mongolia. The exercises took place in difficult conditions: a bare, rocky desert with a temperature difference between day and night of 20-30°C. On the day of landing, wind gusts reached 40 m/s.

1980

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, changes and additions were made to the USSR Law “On Universal Military Duty”.

1981

Exercises of troops and fleet forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR on the territory of the Belarusian and Baltic military districts and in the Baltic Sea under the code name “West-81”. The 106th Guards took part in them. airborne division.

The 120 mm self-propelled gun 2S9 (Nona-S) entered service with the artillery units of the Airborne Forces. Its development was led by A.G. Novozhilov (Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering) and Yu.N. Kalachnikov (Perm Machine-Building Plant) - The gun was placed on the chassis of an armored personnel carrier BTR-D.

1983

At the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the RSFSR, held in Moscow, the women's and men's teams of the TsSPK won team first places, and warrant officer S. Shkuropat and Art. Sergeant L. Zinchenko.

1984

The honorary title of Honored Test Parachutist of the USSR was established.

Serial production of the BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle has begun, which differs from the BMD-1 in its weapon systems (73 mm 2A28 “Grom” gun on the BMD-1 and 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon on the BMD-2).

The World Parachuting Championships took place. Paratrooper athletes also performed as part of the Soviet Union national team: captain V. Kolesnik and warrant officer S. Shkuropat. The USSR national team won gold medals for group jumps for landing accuracy and for first place as a team.

1987

August

Colonel General N.V. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Kalinin. He held this position until January 1989.

1988

137th airborne division (commander Lieutenant Colonel V. Khatskevich) 106th Guards. airborne division landed at an airfield near Baku. Having marched to Sumgayit, he immediately began to complete the task. He restored the state border, took control of government institutions, stopped violence, and neutralized gangster groups. At the beginning of April, the regiment returned to its permanent location - Ryazan.

July

Units of the 76th and 98th Guards were transferred to Yerevan. airborne divisions to prevent robberies and murders of the Azerbaijani population living around Yerevan and on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and create normal conditions for the peaceful resolution of problems.

Units of the 104th Guards arrived in Stepanakert and Baku. airborne division in order to stabilize the situation in the cities.

The 106th Guards landed in Baku. airborne division and 119th airborne division of the 7th Guards. airborne division, and in Kirovabad - the 234th airborne division of the 76th Guards. airborne division. The Airborne Forces group in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagarno-Karabakh, through coordinated actions, stopped the bloody clashes in the city of Kirovabad, on the border with Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Artillery Regiment 98th Guards. The airborne division arrived in Spitak, and the 21st Airborne Brigade arrived in Leninakan to provide assistance to the population affected by the earthquake on December 7. To prevent robberies, violence and create favorable conditions for organizing rescue operations, the 234th airborne division of the 76th Guards was transferred to Leninakan. airborne division. The 299th airborne division of the 98th airborne division took control of Yerevan Zvartnots airport and the main roads leading to the disaster area.

The 44th Airborne Training Division (its birthday is September 17, 1960) was renamed the Training Center for the Training of Junior Airborne Specialists.

1989

January

Colonel General V.A. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Achalov. He held this position until December 1990.

328th airborne division of the 104th guards. The airborne division, having completed a many-kilometer march, entered Tbilisi and took government institutions under guard. During April 8-9, the grouping of airborne units was increased. After the situation stabilized, airborne units left the city.

Il-76, on board which was the 8th parachute company of the 217th airborne division of the 98th Guards. The VDD, not having time to gain altitude, caught fire and fell into the Caspian Sea. 48 paratroopers who successfully completed tasks to stabilize the situation in Baku were killed. The crew of the Il-76 also died.

1990

A group of airborne troops (units of the 106th, 76th and 98th Guards Airborne Divisions, 56th and 38th Airborne Brigades) took control of the situation in Baku, Yerevan and Nagorno-Karabakh. State administrations were restored in Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the state border of the USSR.

Airborne units began operations to restore order in other regions of Azerbaijan.

299th airborne division of the 98th guards. airborne division was airlifted from Yerevan (where he maintained order) to Dushanbe. At the beginning of February, the situation in Dushanbe and some regions of Tajikistan worsened, and riots began. The paratroopers immediately began to carry out the task. They took under protection the airport, food industry facilities, water intake, energy facilities and oil depots, isolated formation sites and routes of movement of the rioters, and took control of the transport routes leading to the city.

June

A group of airborne troops (units of the 76th, 106th Guards Airborne Divisions, 56th Airborne Brigade, 387th Separate Parachute Regiment took control of the situation in Fergana, Osh, Andijan, Jalal-Abad, occupied Kara-Suu, mountain roads and passes throughout the conflict, prevented massacres, arson, destruction, and robbery.

December

Lieutenant General P.S. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Grachev. He held this position until August 1991.

The airborne combat vehicle BMD-3 (general designer A. Shabalin) entered service with the Airborne Forces. This is a qualitatively different combat vehicle: it is landed both by landing and by parachute with a combat crew located inside. The vehicle is equipped with an AG-17 course automatic grenade launcher (installed in the left autonomous installation), a 30 mm stabilized automatic cannon and ATGMs.

1991

August

Colonel General E.N. was appointed Commander of the Airborne Forces. Podkolzin. He held this position until November 1996.

The signing of the Treaty on the Commonwealth of Independent States in “Belovezhskaya Pushcha” near Minsk by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and the abolition (dissolution) of the USSR.

The Soviet Union officially ceased to exist. And unfortunately, the USSR Airborne Forces too...

PARTICIPATION OF PARBORINES IN COMBAT OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

1979

The CPSU Central Committee decided to send Soviet troops into Afghanistan. It was justified by the request of the Afghan leadership and the situation in and around Afghanistan.

USSR Minister of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union D.F. Ustinov held a meeting with the participation of his deputies, commanders-in-chief of the Ground Forces, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, and the commander of the Airborne Forces. At the meeting, the Minister announced the decision taken by the country's leadership to send troops to Afghanistan and signed the corresponding directive.

Military transport aircraft carrying personnel and military equipment of the 103rd Guards. airborne division crossed the Soviet-Afghan border and landed at the Kabul airfield.

The transfer of the main forces of the 103rd Guards has been completed. airborne division and the 345th separate parachute regiment by air with landing at airfields in Kabul and Bagram.

1980

January

The concentration of the Airborne Forces group within the Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan has been completed. It included: 103rd Guards. airborne division consisting of the 317th, 350th, 357th Airborne Division (division commander Major General I.F. Ryabchenko), 345th separate parachute regiment (commander Lieutenant Colonel N.I. Serdyukov), 56 -th separate airborne assault brigade of the Airborne Forces (commander Lieutenant Colonel A.P. Plokhikh).

February

Participation of paratroopers in the suppression of anti-government protests in Kabul.

The first Panjshir operation against Ahmad Shah Massoud. The 56th airborne battalion and the 345th airborne infantry regiment took part in it. The factor of surprise and unpreparedness of the Mujahideen for an open clash, as well as the bold and decisive actions of the battalion commander, Captain L. Khabarov, played a large role in the success of this operation.

1981

July

Participation of the 103rd Guards. airborne division in the operation to destroy the Mujahideen base in the Lurkoh mountain range.

1982

Summer

Participation of the 103rd Guards. airborne division in the operation in Panjshir against the armed forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud. The operation was led by Major General N.G. Ter-Grigoryants. The group of Soviet and Afghan government troops amounted to 12 thousand people. A feature of this operation was the massive use of paratroopers (more than 4 thousand people), which predetermined the success of the entire operation.

1983

April

Participation of paratroopers of the 103rd Guards. airborne division and the 345th separate parachute regiment in a combat operation in the Nijrab gorge (Kanisa province). The operation was led by the deputy commander of the 40th Army, Major General L.E. Generals. 21 battalions were involved in the operation, including 5 airborne battalions.

1984

The beginning of a military operation in the Panjshir gorge against a large group of field commander Ahmad Shah Massoud. The fighting began for the first time with the landing of a large assault force, which cut off the Mujahideen's retreat into the mountains.

March-June

Participation of the 103rd Guards. airborne and 56th airborne battalion in fierce battles in the Pechdar gorge.

October

Participation of the 345th Separate Regiment and the 56th Separate Reconnaissance Brigade in the operation to seize and destroy Mujahideen bases and warehouses in the area of ​​the district center of Urgezi (Paktia province). A large number of weapons and ammunition were captured. The operation took place without losses for the Soviet troops.

1985

Participation of the 103rd Guards. airborne division in operations in Kunar province. The fighting was distinguished by its scope and ferocity throughout the gorge from Jalalabad to Barikota (170 km).

July

Large-scale operation codenamed “Desert”. The military operations were led by the commander of the 40th separate army, Lieutenant General I.N. Rodionov. According to the operation plan, on July 16, units of the 345th detachment division, unexpectedly for the enemy, landed by helicopter in the Mikini gorge, located in the northeastern part of Panjshir. Having initially shown stubborn resistance to the paratroopers, the Mujahideen, under the threat of encirclement, fled. On the battlefield they left weapons, ammunition, equipment, food and equipment. At the Mujahideen base, paratroopers discovered an underground prison.

1986

April

Participation of paratroopers in the operation in the Zhavar area (10 km from the city of Khosta). During the fighting, 252 fortified Mujahideen firing positions were destroyed, 6 thousand anti-tank and 12 thousand anti-personnel mines were neutralized and destroyed, hundreds of missiles and missile launchers, thousands of rockets and artillery shells were captured. Over 2 thousand Mujahideen were killed.

1987

Participation of the 56th and 38th separate air assault brigades in Operation Thunderstorm (Ghazni province).

Participation of the 103rd Guards. airborne division (three battalions) in Operation Circle (Kabul, Logar provinces).

Participation of the 103rd Guards. airborne division (three battalions) in Operation Spring (Kabul province).

Operation Salvo (Logar, Paktia, Kabul provinces). The 103rd Guards took part in it. Airborne Division (three battalions), 56th Separate Airborne Brigade (two battalions), 345th Separate Division (two battalions).

Start of Operation South 87 (Kandahar Province). The 38th Special Airborne Brigade (two battalions) took part in it.

1988

January

Operation Highway (begun November 1987). The 103rd Guards took part in it. airborne division, 56th battalion brigade and 345th airborne division. Thanks to skillful and decisive actions, the paratroopers captured the Satykandov pass and destroyed a large Mujahideen base south of the pass. This played a decisive role in the defeat of the enemy and the capture of the city of Khost.

Fulfillment of the 345th separate detachment division (commander Colonel V.A. Vostrotin) of the combat mission of escorting columns of the 40th separate army to Kandahar. During the operation, 5 columns were carried out, 8 thousand tons of cargo were transported. The paratroopers inflicted significant damage on the Mujahideen, killed about 100 people, and captured a large number of small arms.

Signing of the Geneva Agreements between the USSR, USA and Pakistan on Afghanistan. The USSR committed itself to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan starting May 15, 1988.

Participation of the 345th Regiment Regiment in the fighting in the Fayzabad area. The regiment's column, having overcome the Salang pass, made an 850-kilometer march and ensured the successful start of the combat operation. The operation took place with minimal losses of personnel and military equipment of the regiment. The enemy lost more than 180 people and a significant part of their military equipment.

Participation of the 345th Special Operations Division in combing and special mining of the area (Kabul province) to disrupt the actions of the Mujahideen.

1989

Withdrawal from Afghanistan of the 103rd Guards. airborne division.

Units of the 345th Regiment Division liberated from the Mujahideen part of the territory adjacent to the strategic Kabul-Hairaton highway along which Soviet troops returned to the Union and took control of it.

The 345th Reconnaissance Regiment crossed the border of the USSR and returned to the Union.

Designed to operate behind enemy lines, destroy nuclear attack weapons, command posts, capture and hold important areas and objects, disrupt the control system and operation of the enemy rear, assist the Ground Forces in developing the offensive and crossing water barriers. Equipped with air transportable self-propelled artillery, missile, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, armored personnel carriers, combat vehicles, automatic small arms, communications and control equipment. The existing parachute landing equipment makes it possible to drop troops and cargo in any weather and terrain conditions, day and night from various heights. Organizationally, the airborne troops consist of (Fig. 1) airborne formations, an airborne brigade, and military units of special forces.

Rice. 1. Structure of the Airborne Forces

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

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

Branch

The smallest military formation in - department. The squad is commanded by a junior sergeant or sergeant. Usually there are 9-13 people in a motorized rifle squad. In departments of other branches of the military, the number of personnel in the department ranges from 3 to 15 people. Typically, a squad is part of a platoon, but can exist outside of a platoon.

Platoon

Several branches make up platoon. Usually there are from 2 to 4 squads in a platoon, but more are possible. The platoon is headed by a commander with the rank of officer - junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of platoon personnel ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all branches of the military the name is the same - platoon. Usually a platoon is part of a company, but can exist independently.

Company

Several platoons make up company In addition, a company may also include several independent squads not included in any of the platoons. For example, a motorized rifle company has three motorized rifle platoons, a machine gun squad, and an anti-tank squad. Typically a company consists of 2-4 platoons, sometimes more platoons. A company is the smallest formation that has tactical significance, i.e. a formation capable of independently performing small tactical tasks on the battlefield. Company commander captain. On average, the size of a company can be from 18 to 200 people. Motorized rifle companies usually have about 130-150 people, tank companies 30-35 people. Usually a company is part of a battalion, but it is not uncommon for companies to exist as independent formations. In artillery, a formation of this type is called a battery; in cavalry, a squadron.

Battalion consists of several companies (usually 2-4) and several platoons that are not part of any of the companies. The battalion is one of the main tactical formations. A battalion, like a company, platoon, or squad, is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineer, communications). But the battalion already includes formations of other types of weapons. For example, in a motorized rifle battalion, in addition to motorized rifle companies, there is a mortar battery, a logistics platoon, and a communications platoon. Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel. The battalion already has its own headquarters. Usually, on average, a battalion, depending on the type of troops, can number from 250 to 950 people. However, there are battalions of about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

Regiment

Regiment- This is the main tactical formation and a completely autonomous formation in the economic sense. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. Although regiments are named according to the types of troops (tank, motorized rifle, communications, pontoon-bridge, etc.), in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many types of troops, and the name is given according to the predominant type of troops. For example, in a motorized rifle regiment there are two or three motorized rifle battalions, one tank battalion, one artillery division (read battalion), one anti-aircraft missile division, a reconnaissance company, an engineering company, a communications company, an anti-tank battery, a chemical protection platoon , repair company, material support company, orchestra, medical center. The number of personnel in the regiment ranges from 900 to 2000 people.

Brigade

Just like the regiment, brigade is the main tactical formation. Actually, the brigade occupies an intermediate position between a regiment and a division. The structure of a brigade is most often the same as a regiment, but there are significantly more battalions and other units in a brigade. So in a motorized rifle brigade there are one and a half to two times more motorized rifle and tank battalions than in a regiment. A brigade can also consist of two regiments, plus battalions and auxiliary companies. On average, the brigade has from 2 to 8 thousand people. The brigade commander, as well as the regiment, is a colonel.

Division

Division- the main operational-tactical formation. Just like a regiment, it is named after the predominant branch of troops in it. However, the predominance of one or another type of troops is much less than in the regiment. A motorized rifle division and a tank division are identical in structure, with the only difference being that in a motorized rifle division there are two or three motorized rifle regiments and one tank, and in a tank division, on the contrary, there are two or three tank regiments and one motorized rifle. In addition to these main regiments, the division has one or two artillery regiments, one anti-aircraft missile regiment, a rocket battalion, a missile battalion, a helicopter squadron, an engineer battalion, a communications battalion, an automobile battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, an electronic warfare battalion, a logistics battalion, and a repair battalion. - a recovery battalion, a medical battalion, a chemical defense company and several different auxiliary companies and platoons. Divisions can be tank, motorized rifle, artillery, airborne, missile and aviation. In other branches of the military, as a rule, the highest formation is a regiment or brigade. On average, there are 12-24 thousand people in a division. Division commander, Major General.

Frame

Just as a brigade is an intermediate formation between a regiment and a division, so frame is an intermediate formation between the division and the army. The corps is a combined arms formation, that is, it usually lacks the characteristic of one type of force, although there may also be tank or artillery corps, that is, corps with a complete predominance of tank or artillery divisions in them. The combined arms corps is usually referred to as the "army corps". There is no single structure of buildings. Each time a corps is formed based on a specific military or military-political situation, and may consist of two or three divisions and a varying number of formations of other branches of the military. Usually a corps is created where it is not practical to create an army. It is impossible to talk about the structure and strength of the corps, because as many corps exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. Corps commander, Lieutenant General.

Army

Army is a large military formation for operational purposes. The army includes divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Armies are usually no longer divided by branch of service, although tank armies may exist where tank divisions predominate. An army may also include one or more corps. It is impossible to talk about the structure and size of the army, because as many armies exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. The soldier at the head of the army is no longer called “commander”, but “commander of the army.” Usually the regular rank of army commander is colonel general. In peacetime, armies are rarely organized as military formations. Usually divisions, regiments, and battalions are directly included in the district.

Front

Front (district)- This is the highest military formation of the strategic type. There are no larger formations. The name “front” is used only in wartime for a formation conducting combat operations. For such formations in peacetime, or located in the rear, the name “okrug” (military district) is used. The front includes several armies, corps, divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. The composition and strength of the front may vary. Fronts are never subdivided by types of troops (i.e. there cannot be a tank front, an artillery front, etc.). At the head of the front (district) is the commander of the front (district) with the rank of army general.

The art of war in Russia, as throughout the world, is divided into three levels:

• Tactics(the art of combat). A squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment solve tactical problems, i.e., fight.
• Operational art(the art of fighting, fighting). A division, a corps, an army solve operational problems, that is, they wage a battle.
• Strategy(the art of waging war in general). The front solves both operational and strategic tasks, that is, it wages major battles, as a result of which the strategic situation changes and the outcome of the war can be decided.