New staff of the airborne regiment. Service in the Airborne Forces by conscription, key selection criteria. 1st Airborne Regiment: basic facts

Russian paratroopers are revered not only in their own country. The whole world respects them. One American general is known to have said that if he had a company of Russian paratroopers, he would have conquered the entire planet. Among the legendary formations of the Russian army is the 45th Airborne Regiment. It has an interesting history, the central part of which is occupied by heroic deeds.

We are proud of our paratroopers, we honor their courage, valor and willingness to defend the interests of the Motherland at any cost. Glorious pages of the military history of the USSR, and then Russia, appeared largely thanks to the heroic exploits of paratroopers. Soldiers serving in the Airborne Forces fearlessly carried out the most difficult tasks and special operations. The airborne troops are among the most prestigious formations of the Russian army. Soldiers strive to get there, wanting to feel involved in creating the glorious military history of their country.

45th Airborne Regiment: basic facts

The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment was formed in early 1994. Its base was separate battalions number 218 and 901. By the middle of the year, the regiment was equipped with weapons and soldiers. The 45th regiment began its first combat operation in December 1994 in Chechnya. The paratroopers participated in the battles until February 1995, and then returned to the Moscow region, to their base of deployment on a permanent basis. In 2005, the regiment received the Battle Banner of Guards Regiment No. 119

From that moment of its founding, the military formation became known as the 45th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment. But at the beginning of 2008 it was renamed a special purpose regiment. In August of the same year, it participated in a special operation to force Georgia to peace. In 2010, tactical group of regiment number 45 ensured the safety of Russian citizens during unrest in Kyrgyzstan.

Background

The basis for the formation of the 45th separate guards regiment was the 218th and 901st special forces battalions. By that time, the soldiers of the first battalion had taken part in three combat operations. In the summer of 1992, the battalion served in Transnistria, in September - in the territories where there was a conflict between Ossetian and Ingush militant groups, in December - in Abkhazia.

Since 1979, battalion number 901 was part of the Soviet troops on the territory of Czechoslovakia, in 1989 it was redeployed to Latvia and transferred to the structure of the Baltic Military District. In 1991, the 901st Special Forces Battalion was redeployed to the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992 it was renamed the parachute battalion. In 1993, the formation carried out tasks related to the protection of government and military facilities. In the fall of 1993, the battalion was redeployed to the Moscow region. Then the 45th Russian Airborne Regiment appeared.

Awards

In 1995, the 45th Airborne Regiment received a Certificate from the President of Russia for services to the country. In July 1997, the formation was awarded the Banner of Airborne Regiment No. 5, which took part in hostilities during the Great Patriotic War. In 2001, the regiment received a Pennant from the Russian Minister of Defense for courage, high combat training and real valor when participating in hostilities on the territory of Chechnya. The 45th Guards Airborne Regiment owns the Order of Kutuzov - the corresponding decree was signed by the President of Russia. The military formation was awarded this award for its success in the heroic performance of combat operations, the heroism and courage shown by the soldiers and command. The regiment became the first carrier in the modern history of our country. In July 2009, the formation received the St. George Banner.

Ten soldiers whose place of service was the 45th Airborne Regiment received the title of Hero of Russia. 79 paratroopers were awarded the Order of Courage. The medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, second degree, was awarded to ten servicemen of the regiment. Seventeen and three paratroopers received the Orders “For Military Merit” and “For Services to the Fatherland,” respectively. 174 military personnel received medals “For Courage”, 166 received the Suvorov medal. Seven people were awarded the Zhukov medal.

Anniversary

Kubinka near Moscow - the 45th Airborne Regiment is based there - in July 2014 was the site of anniversary celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the formation. The event was held in an open door format - paratroopers showed the guests their combat skills, parachute units lowered the Airborne Forces flag from the sky, and famous pilots from the Russian Knights team showed the wonders of aerobatics in fighter jets.

Legendary regiment as part of the Airborne Forces

Which includes the 45th regiment - Airborne Forces (airborne troops) of Russia. Their history dates back to August 2, 1930. Then the first paratroopers of the Moscow District Air Force landed in our country by parachute. It was a kind of experiment that showed military theorists how promising the landing of parachute units could be from the point of view of combat operations. The first official unit of the USSR airborne troops appeared only the following year in the Leningrad Military District. The formation included 164 people, all military personnel of the airborne detachment. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were five airborne corps in the USSR, each of which served with 10 thousand soldiers.

Airborne Forces during the Great Patriotic War

With the beginning of the war, all Soviet airborne corps entered battles taking place on the territory of the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Lithuanian Republics. The largest operation involving paratroopers during the war is considered to be the battle with a group of Germans near Moscow at the beginning of 1942. Then 10 thousand paratroopers won the most important victory for the front. Airborne units also joined the battles at Stalingrad.

The paratroopers of the Soviet army honorably fulfilled their duty to defend the city. The Airborne Forces of the USSR Army also took part in the battles after the defeat of Nazi Germany - in August 1945 they fought in the Far East against the Imperial Armed Forces of Japan. More than 4 thousand paratroopers helped Soviet troops win important victories in this direction of the front.

After the war

According to military analysts, special attention was paid in the post-war development strategy of the USSR Airborne Forces to organizing combat operations behind enemy lines, increasing the combat effectiveness of soldiers, and interacting with army units, subject to the possible use of atomic weapons. The troops began to be equipped with new aircraft such as AN-12 and AN-22, which, thanks to their large payload capacity, could deliver vehicles, armored vehicles, artillery and other means of warfare behind enemy lines.

Every year, an increasing number of military exercises were conducted with the participation of Airborne Forces soldiers. Among the largest was the one that took place in the spring of 1970 in the Belarusian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. As part of the Dvina exercise, more than 7 thousand soldiers and more than 150 guns were landed. In 1971, the South exercises of comparable scale took place. In the late 1970s, the use of new Il-76 aircraft in landing operations was first tested. Until the collapse of the USSR, Airborne Forces soldiers repeatedly demonstrated the highest combat skills at each exercise.

Russian Airborne Forces today

Now the Airborne Forces are considered a structure that is called upon independently (or as a part to carry out combat missions in conflicts of various scales - from local to global. About 95% of the Airborne Forces units are in a state of constant combat readiness. Airborne formations are considered one of the most mobile branches of the Russian military. They are also called upon to perform the functions of conducting combat operations behind enemy lines.

The Russian Airborne Forces include four divisions, its own training center, institute, as well as a large number of structures performing support, supply and maintenance work.

The motto of the Russian Airborne Forces is “Nobody but us!” The paratrooper service is considered by many to be one of the most prestigious and at the same time difficult. As of 2010, 4,000 officers, 7,000 contract soldiers, and 24,000 conscripts served in the Airborne Forces. Another 28,000 people are civilian personnel of the formation.

Paratroopers and the operation in Afghanistan

The largest participation of the Airborne Forces in combat operations after the Great Patriotic War took place in Afghanistan. The 103rd division, 345th airborne regiment, two battalions, and motorized rifle brigades took part in the battles. A number of military analysts believe that the specifics of combat operations in Afghanistan did not imply the advisability of using parachute landing as a method of transferring army combat personnel. This, according to analysts, is due to the mountainous terrain of the country, as well as the high level of costs for carrying out such operations. Airborne personnel, as a rule, were transported using helicopters.

The largest operation of the USSR Airborne Forces in Afghanistan was the Battle of Panjer in 1982. More than 4 thousand paratroopers took part in it (with a total number of soldiers involved in the operation of 12 thousand people). as a result of the fighting, she was able to take control of the main part of the Panjer Gorge.

Combat operations of the Airborne Forces after the collapse of the USSR

The paratroopers, despite the difficult times that followed the collapse of the superpower, continued to defend the interests of their country. They were often peacekeepers in the territories of the former Soviet republics. Russian paratroopers made a name for themselves throughout the world during the conflict in Yugoslavia in 1999. Soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces made the famous rush to Pristina, managing to get ahead of the NATO military.

Throw on Pristina

On the night of June 11-12, 1999, Russian paratroopers appeared on the territory of Yugoslavia, starting their movement from neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. They managed to occupy an airfield located near the city of Pristina. There, a few hours later, NATO soldiers appeared. Some details of those events are known. In particular, US Army General Clark ordered his colleague from the British armed forces to prevent the Russians from taking possession of the airfield. He replied that he did not want to provoke a third world war. However, the main part of the information on the essence of the operation in Pristina is missing - all of it is classified.

Russian paratroopers in Chechnya

Russian Airborne Forces took part in both Chechen wars. Regarding the first, most of the data is still secret. It is known, for example, that among the most famous operations of the second campaign with the participation of the Airborne Forces was the Battle of Argun. The Russian army received the task of blocking a strategically significant section of transport highways passing through the Argun Gorge. Through it, the separatists received food, weapons and medicine. The paratroopers joined the operation in December as part of the 56th Airborne Regiment.

The heroic feat of paratroopers participating in the battles for height 776 near the Chechen Ulus-Kert is known. In February 2000, the 6th Airborne Company from Pskov entered into battle with the group of Khattab and Basayev, ten times larger in number. Within 24 hours, the militants were blocked inside the Argun Gorge. In carrying out the task, the soldiers of the Pskov airborne company did not spare themselves. 6 fighters remained alive.

Russian paratroopers and the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict

In the 90s, units of the Russian Airborne Forces performed mainly peacekeeping functions in the territories where the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict took place. But in 2008, paratroopers took part in combat operations. When the Georgian army attacked South Ossetia, units of the Russian army were sent to the war area, including the 76th Russian Airborne Division from Pskov. According to a number of military analysts, there were no major airborne landings in this special operation. However, experts believe that the participation of Russian paratroopers had a psychological effect - first of all, on the political leadership of Georgia.

Forty-fifth Regiment: renaming

Recently, information has appeared that the 45th Airborne Regiment may receive the honorary name of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. A military formation with this name was founded by Peter the Great and became legendary. There is a version that the initiative that the 45th Airborne Regiment of the Russian Federation should be renamed comes from a statement by the President of Russia, who expressed the opinion that the Russian Army should have formations named after famous regiments such as Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky. At one of the military councils of the Russian Airborne Forces, as indicated in some sources, the President’s proposal was considered, and as a result, responsible persons were tasked with preparing information on the beginning of work on the creation of historical army regiments. It is quite possible that the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces will receive the title of Preobrazhensky.

Russian Airborne Forces is a separate branch of the Russian Armed Forces, which is in the reserve of the country’s Commander-in-Chief and is directly subordinate to the Commander of the Airborne Forces. This position is currently held (since October 2016) by Colonel General Serdyukov.

The purpose of the airborne troops- these are actions behind enemy lines, carrying out deep raids, capturing important enemy objects, bridgeheads, disrupting the work of enemy communications and enemy control, and carrying out sabotage in his rear. The Airborne Forces were created primarily as an effective instrument of offensive warfare. To cover the enemy and operate in his rear, the Airborne Forces can use both parachute and landing landings.

The Russian Airborne Forces are rightfully considered the elite of the armed forces; in order to get into this branch of the military, candidates must meet very high criteria. First of all, this concerns physical health and psychological stability. And this is natural: paratroopers carry out their tasks behind enemy lines, without the support of their main forces, the supply of ammunition and the evacuation of the wounded.

The Soviet Airborne Forces were created in the 30s, the further development of this type of troops was rapid: by the beginning of the war, five airborne corps were deployed in the USSR, with a strength of 10 thousand people each. The USSR Airborne Forces played an important role in the victory over the Nazi invaders. Paratroopers actively participated in the Afghan War. The Russian Airborne Forces were officially created on May 12, 1992, they went through both Chechen campaigns, and participated in the war with Georgia in 2008.

The flag of the Airborne Forces is a blue cloth with a green stripe at the bottom. In its center there is an image of a golden open parachute and two aircraft of the same color. The flag of the Airborne Forces was officially approved in 2004.

In addition to the flag of the airborne troops, there is also an emblem of this type of troops. The emblem of the airborne troops is a golden flaming grenade with two wings. There is also a medium and large airborne emblem. The middle emblem depicts a double-headed eagle with a crown on its head and a shield with St. George the Victorious in the center. In one paw the eagle holds a sword, and in the other - a flaming airborne grenade. In the large emblem, Grenada is placed on a blue heraldic shield framed by an oak wreath. At its top there is a double-headed eagle.

In addition to the emblem and flag of the Airborne Forces, there is also the motto of the Airborne Forces: “Nobody but us.” The paratroopers even have their own heavenly patron - Saint Elijah.

Professional holiday of paratroopers - Airborne Forces Day. It is celebrated on August 2. On this day in 1930, a unit was parachuted for the first time to carry out a combat mission. On August 2, Airborne Forces Day is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

The Russian airborne troops are armed with both conventional types of military equipment and models developed specifically for this type of troops, taking into account the specifics of the tasks it performs.

It is difficult to name the exact number of the Russian Airborne Forces; this information is secret. However, according to unofficial data received from the Russian Ministry of Defense, it is about 45 thousand fighters. Foreign estimates of the number of this type of troops are somewhat more modest - 36 thousand people.

History of the creation of the Airborne Forces

The Soviet Union is, without a doubt, the birthplace of the Airborne Forces. It was in the USSR that the first airborne unit was created, this happened in 1930. At first it was a small detachment that was part of a regular rifle division. On August 2, the first parachute landing was successfully carried out during exercises at the training ground near Voronezh.

However, the first use of parachute landing in military affairs occurred even earlier, in 1929. During the siege of the Tajik city of Garm by anti-Soviet rebels, a detachment of Red Army soldiers was dropped there by parachute, which made it possible to release the settlement in the shortest possible time.

Two years later, a special purpose brigade was formed on the basis of the detachment, and in 1938 it was renamed the 201st Airborne Brigade. In 1932, by decision of the Revolutionary Military Council, special-purpose aviation battalions were created; in 1933, their number reached 29. They were part of the Air Force, and their main task was to disorganize the enemy rear and carry out sabotage.

It should be noted that the development of airborne troops in the Soviet Union was very stormy and rapid. No expense was spared on them. In the 30s, the country was experiencing a real “parachute” boom; parachute towers stood at almost every stadium.

During the exercises of the Kyiv Military District in 1935, a mass parachute landing was practiced for the first time. The following year, an even more massive landing was carried out in the Belarusian Military District. Foreign military observers who were invited to the exercises were amazed at the scale of the landings and the skill of the Soviet paratroopers.

According to the Field Manual of the Red Army of 1939, airborne units were at the disposal of the main command, they were planned to be used to strike behind enemy lines. At the same time, it was prescribed to clearly coordinate such attacks with other branches of the military, which at that moment were delivering frontal attacks on the enemy.

In 1939, Soviet paratroopers managed to gain their first combat experience: the 212th Airborne Brigade also took part in the battles with the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. Hundreds of its fighters were awarded government awards. Several units of the Airborne Forces took part in the Soviet-Finnish War. Paratroopers were also involved during the capture of Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia.

On the eve of the start of the war, airborne corps were created in the USSR, each of which included up to 10 thousand soldiers. In April 1941, by order of the Soviet military leadership, five airborne corps were deployed in the western regions of the country; after the German attack (in August 1941), the formation of another five airborne corps began. A few days before the German invasion (June 12), the Directorate of Airborne Forces was created, and in September 1941, paratrooper units were removed from the subordination of front commanders. Each airborne corps was a very formidable force: in addition to well-trained personnel, it was armed with artillery and light amphibious tanks.

Information:In addition to the airborne corps, the Red Army also included mobile airborne brigades (five units), reserve airborne regiments (five units) and educational institutions that trained paratroopers.

Airborne units made a significant contribution to the victory over the Nazi invaders. The airborne units played a particularly important role in the initial—the most difficult—period of the war. Despite the fact that airborne troops are designed to conduct offensive operations and have a minimum of heavy weapons (compared to other branches of the military), at the beginning of the war, paratroopers were often used to “patch holes”: in defense, to eliminate sudden German breakthroughs, to relieve blockades surrounded by Soviet troops. Because of this practice, the paratroopers suffered unreasonably high losses, and the effectiveness of their use decreased. Often, the preparation of landing operations left much to be desired.

Airborne units took part in the defense of Moscow, as well as in the subsequent counter-offensive. The 4th Airborne Corps was landed during the Vyazemsk landing operation in the winter of 1942. In 1943, during the crossing of the Dnieper, two airborne brigades were thrown behind enemy lines. Another major landing operation was carried out in Manchuria in August 1945. During its course, 4 thousand soldiers were landed by landing.

In October 1944, the Soviet Airborne Forces were transformed into a separate Airborne Guards Army, and in December of the same year into the 9th Guards Army. Airborne divisions turned into ordinary rifle divisions. At the end of the war, paratroopers took part in the liberation of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. The 9th Guards Army ended its glorious military journey on the Elbe.

In 1946, airborne units were introduced into the Ground Forces and were subordinate to the country's Minister of Defense.

In 1956, Soviet paratroopers took part in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising, and in the mid-60s they played a key role in pacifying another country that wanted to leave the socialist camp - Czechoslovakia.

After the end of the war, the world entered an era of confrontation between two superpowers - the USSR and the USA. The plans of the Soviet leadership were by no means limited only to defense, so the airborne troops developed especially actively during this period. The emphasis was placed on increasing the firepower of the Airborne Forces. For this purpose, a whole range of airborne equipment was developed, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, and motor vehicles. The fleet of military transport aircraft was significantly increased. In the 70s, wide-body heavy-duty transport aircraft were created, making it possible to transport not only personnel, but also heavy military equipment. By the end of the 80s, the state of the USSR military transport aviation was such that it could ensure the parachute drop of almost 75% of the Airborne Forces personnel in one flight.

At the end of the 60s, a new type of units included in the Airborne Forces was created - airborne assault units (ASH). They were not much different from the rest of the Airborne Forces, but were subordinate to the command of groups of troops, armies or corps. The reason for the creation of the DShCh was a change in the tactical plans that Soviet strategists were preparing in the event of a full-scale war. After the start of the conflict, they planned to “break” the enemy’s defenses with the help of massive landings landed in the immediate rear of the enemy.

In the mid-80s, the USSR Ground Forces included 14 air assault brigades, 20 battalions and 22 separate air assault regiments.

In 1979, the war began in Afghanistan, and the Soviet Airborne Forces took an active part in it. During this conflict, the paratroopers had to engage in counter-guerrilla warfare; of course, there was no talk of any parachute landing. Personnel were delivered to the site of combat operations using armored vehicles or vehicles; landing from helicopters was used less frequently.

Paratroopers were often used to provide security at numerous outposts and checkpoints scattered throughout the country. Typically, airborne units performed tasks more suitable for motorized rifle units.

It should be noted that in Afghanistan, the paratroopers used military equipment of the ground forces, which was more suitable for the harsh conditions of this country than their own. Also, airborne units in Afghanistan were reinforced with additional artillery and tank units.

Information:After the collapse of the USSR, the division of its armed forces began. These processes also affected the paratroopers. They were able to finally divide the Airborne Forces only in 1992, after which the Russian Airborne Forces were created. They included all the units that were located on the territory of the RSFSR, as well as part of the divisions and brigades that were previously located in other republics of the USSR.

In 1993, the Russian Airborne Forces included six divisions, six air assault brigades and two regiments. In 1994, in Kubinka near Moscow, on the basis of two battalions, the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment (the so-called Airborne Special Forces) was created.

The 90s became a serious test for the Russian airborne troops (as well as for the entire army). The number of airborne forces was seriously reduced, some units were disbanded, and the paratroopers became subordinate to the Ground Forces. Army aviation of the ground forces was transferred to the air force, which significantly worsened the mobility of the airborne forces.

The Russian airborne troops took part in both Chechen campaigns; in 2008, paratroopers were involved in the Ossetian conflict. The Airborne Forces have repeatedly taken part in peacekeeping operations (for example, in the former Yugoslavia). Airborne units regularly participate in international exercises; they guard Russian military bases abroad (Kyrgyzstan).

Structure and composition of troops

Currently, the Russian Airborne Forces consist of command structures, combat units and units, as well as various institutions that provide them.

Structurally, the Airborne Forces have three main components:
Airborne. It includes all airborne units.
Air assault. Consists of air assault units.
Mountain. It includes air assault units designed to operate in mountainous areas.

Currently, the Russian Airborne Forces include four divisions, as well as separate brigades and regiments. Airborne troops, composition:

76th Guards Air Assault Division, stationed in Pskov.
98th Guards Airborne Division, located in Ivanovo.
7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division, stationed in Novorossiysk.
106th Guards Airborne Division - Tula.

Airborne regiments and brigades:

11th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade, headquartered in the city of Ulan-Ude.
45th separate guards special purpose brigade (Moscow).
56th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Place of deployment - the city of Kamyshin.
31st Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Located in Ulyanovsk.
83rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Location: Ussuriysk.
38th Separate Guards Airborne Communications Regiment. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera.

In 2013, the creation of the 345th Air Assault Brigade in Voronezh was officially announced, but then the formation of the unit was postponed to a later date (2017 or 2018). There is information that in 2017, an airborne assault battalion will be deployed on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, and in the future, on its basis, a regiment of the 7th Airborne Assault Division, which is currently deployed in Novorossiysk, will be formed.

In addition to combat units, the Russian Airborne Forces also include educational institutions that train personnel for the Airborne Forces. The main and most famous of them is the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which also trains officers for the Russian Airborne Forces. The structure of this type of troops also includes two Suvorov schools (in Tula and Ulyanovsk), the Omsk Cadet Corps and the 242nd training center located in Omsk.

Armament and equipment of the Airborne Forces

The airborne troops of the Russian Federation use both combined arms equipment and models that were created specifically for this type of troops. Most types of weapons and military equipment of the Airborne Forces were developed and manufactured during the Soviet period, but there are also more modern models created in modern times.

The most popular types of airborne armored vehicles are currently the BMD-1 (about 100 units) and BMD-2M (about 1 thousand units) airborne combat vehicles. Both of these vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union (BMD-1 in 1968, BMD-2 in 1985). They can be used for landing both by landing and by parachute. These are reliable vehicles that have been tested in many armed conflicts, but they are clearly outdated, both morally and physically. Even representatives of the top leadership of the Russian army openly declare this.

More modern is the BMD-3, which began operation in 1990. Currently, 10 units of this combat vehicle are in service. Serial production has been discontinued. The BMD-3 should replace the BMD-4, which was put into service in 2004. However, its production is slow; today there are 30 BMP-4 units and 12 BMP-4M units in service.

Airborne units also have a small number of armored personnel carriers BTR-82A and BTR-82AM (12 units), as well as the Soviet BTR-80. The most numerous armored personnel carrier currently used by the Russian Airborne Forces is the tracked BTR-D (more than 700 units). It was put into service in 1974 and is very outdated. It should be replaced by the BTR-MDM “Rakushka”, but so far its production is moving very slowly: today there are from 12 to 30 (according to various sources) “Rakushka” in combat units.

The anti-tank weapons of the Airborne Forces are represented by the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled anti-tank gun (36 units), BTR-RD Robot self-propelled anti-tank systems (more than 100 units) and a wide range of different ATGMs: Metis, Fagot, Konkurs and "Cornet".

The Russian Airborne Forces also have self-propelled and towed artillery: the Nona self-propelled gun (250 units and several hundred more units in storage), the D-30 howitzer (150 units), and the Nona-M1 mortars (50 units) and "Tray" (150 units).

Airborne air defense systems consist of man-portable missile systems (various modifications of Igla and Verba), as well as short-range air defense systems Strela. Special attention should be paid to the newest Russian MANPADS “Verba”, which was only recently put into service and is now being put into trial operation in only a few units of the Russian Armed Forces, including the 98th Airborne Division.

Information:The Airborne Forces also operate self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery mounts BTR-ZD "Skrezhet" (150 units) of Soviet production and towed anti-aircraft artillery mounts ZU-23-2.

In recent years, the Airborne Forces have begun to receive new models of automotive equipment, of which the Tiger armored car, the A-1 Snowmobile all-terrain vehicle and the KAMAZ-43501 truck should be noted.

The airborne troops are sufficiently equipped with communication, control and electronic warfare systems. Among them, modern Russian developments should be noted: electronic warfare systems "Leer-2" and "Leer-3", "Infauna", the control system for air defense complexes "Barnaul", automated troop control systems "Andromeda-D" and "Polet-K".

The Airborne Forces are armed with a wide range of small arms, including both Soviet models and newer Russian developments. The latter include the Yarygin pistol, PMM and the PSS silent pistol. The main personal weapon of the fighters remains the Soviet AK-74 assault rifle, but deliveries to the troops of the more advanced AK-74M have already begun. To carry out sabotage missions, paratroopers can use the silent “Val” assault rifle.

The Airborne Forces are armed with the Pecheneg (Russia) and NSV (USSR) machine guns, as well as the Kord heavy machine gun (Russia).

Among the sniper systems, it is worth noting the SV-98 (Russia) and Vintorez (USSR), as well as the Austrian sniper rifle Steyr SSG 04, which was purchased for the needs of special forces of the Airborne Forces. The paratroopers are armed with the AGS-17 “Flame” and AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers, as well as the SPG-9 “Spear” mounted grenade launcher. In addition, a number of hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers of both Soviet and Russian production are used.

To conduct aerial reconnaissance and adjust artillery fire, the Airborne Forces use Russian-made Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles. The exact number of Orlans in service with the Airborne Forces is unknown.

The Russian Airborne Forces use a large number of different parachute systems of Soviet and Russian production. With their help, both personnel and military equipment are landed.

Airborne troops
(Airborne Forces)

From the history of creation

The history of the Russian Airborne Forces is inextricably linked with the history of the creation and development of the Red Army. A great contribution to the theory of the combat use of airborne assault forces was made by Marshal of the Soviet Union M.N. Tukhachevsky. Back in the second half of the 20s, he was the first among Soviet military leaders to deeply study the role of airborne assaults in a future war and substantiate the prospects of the Airborne Forces.

In the work “New Issues of War” M.N. Tukhachevsky wrote: “If a country is prepared for the widespread production of airborne troops capable of seizing and stopping the activities of the enemy’s railways in decisive directions, paralyzing the deployment and mobilization of his troops, etc., then such a country will be able to overturn the previous methods of operational actions and make the outcome of the war much more more decisive character."

A significant place in this work is given to the role of airborne assaults in border battles. The author believed that airborne assaults during this period of battle would be more advantageous to use to disrupt mobilization, isolate and pin down border garrisons, defeat local enemy troops, capture airfields, landing sites, and solve other important tasks.

Much attention was paid to the development of the theory of the use of Airborne Forces by Ya.I. Alksnis, A.I. Egorov, A.I. Cork, I.P. Uborevich, I.E. Yakir and many other military leaders. They believed that the most trained soldiers should serve in the Airborne Forces, ready to carry out any task, while showing determination and perseverance. Airborne assaults must deliver surprise attacks on the enemy where no one is waiting for them.

Theoretical studies led to the conclusion that the combat activities of the Airborne Forces should be offensive in nature, bold to the point of insolence and extremely maneuverable in carrying out quick, concentrated strikes. Airborne landings, making maximum use of the surprise of their appearance, must rapidly strike at the most sensitive points, achieving success hourly, thereby increasing panic in the enemy’s ranks.

Simultaneously with the development of the theory of the combat use of airborne forces in the Red Army, bold experiments were carried out on airborne landings, an extensive program was carried out to create experienced airborne units, issues of their organization were studied, and a system of combat training was developed.

The first time airborne assault was used to carry out a combat mission was in 1929. On April 13, 1929, the Fuzaili gang made another raid from Afghanistan into the territory of Tajikistan. The Basmachi's plans included capturing the Garm district and subsequently ensuring the invasion of the Alai and Fergana valleys by larger Basmachi gangs. Cavalry detachments were sent to the Basmachi invasion area with the task of destroying the gang before it captured the Garm district. However, information received from the city indicated that they would not have time to block the path of the gang, which had already defeated a detachment of Garm volunteers in a counter battle and was threatening the city. In this critical situation, the commander of the Central Asian Military District P.E. Dybenko made a bold decision: to transport a detachment of fighters by air and destroy the enemy on the outskirts of the city with a sudden blow. The detachment consisted of 45 people armed with rifles and four machine guns. On the morning of April 23, two platoon commanders flew to the combat area on the first plane, followed by the commander of the cavalry brigade T.T. on the second plane. Shapkin, brigade commissar A.T. Fedin. Platoon commanders had to capture the landing site and ensure the landing of the main forces of the detachment. The brigade commander's task was to study the situation on the spot and then, returning back to Dushanbe, report the results to the commander. Commissioner Fedin was supposed to take command of the landing force and lead the actions to destroy the gang. An hour and a half after the first plane took off, the main landing force took off. However, the detachment’s previously planned plan of action was canceled immediately after the plane with the commander and commissar landed. Half of the city was already occupied by the Basmachi, so there was no time to hesitate. Having sent a plane with a report, the brigade commander decided to immediately attack the enemy with available forces, without waiting for the landing party to arrive. Having obtained horses from the nearest villages and splitting into two groups, the detachment moved to Garm. Having burst into the city, the detachment brought down powerful machine-gun and rifle fire on the Basmachi. The bandits were confused. They knew about the size of the city's garrison, but they were armed with rifles, and where did the machine guns come from? The bandits decided that a Red Army division had broken into the city, and, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated from the city, losing about 80 people. The approaching cavalry units completed the defeat of the Fuzaili gang. District Commander P.E. During the analysis, Dybenko highly appreciated the actions of the detachment.

The second experiment took place on July 26, 1930. On this day, under the leadership of military pilot L. Minov, the first training jumps were made in Voronezh. Leonid Grigoryevich Minov himself later told how the events took place: “I didn’t think that one jump could change a lot in life. I loved flying with all my heart. Like all my comrades, I was distrustful of parachutes at that time. Well, simply about them and didn’t think so. In 1928, I happened to be at a meeting of the leadership of the Air Force, where I made my report on the results of work on “blind” flights at the Borisoglebsk school of military pilots." After the meeting, Pyotr Ionovich Baranov, the head of the Air Force, called me over and asked: “In your report, you said that you must fly blindly with a parachute. Leonid Grigorievich, in your opinion, are parachutes needed in military aviation?” What could I say then! Of course, parachutes are needed. The best proof of this was the forced parachute jump of test pilot M. Gromov. Remembering this incident, I answered Pyotr Ionovich in the affirmative. Then he invited me to go to the USA and get to know how things are going with their aviation rescue service. To be honest, I agreed reluctantly. I returned from the United States of America “light”: with a “diploma” in my pocket and three jumps. Pyotr Ionovich Baranov put my memo in a skinny folder. When he closed it, on the cover I saw the inscription: “Parachute business.” I left Baranov’s office two hours later. There was a lot of work to be done to introduce parachutes into aviation, to organize various studies and experiments aimed at improving flight safety. It was decided to hold classes in Voronezh to familiarize the flight crew with parachutes and the organization of jumps. Baranov suggested thinking about the possibility of training 10-15 parachutists at the Voronezh training camp to perform a group jump. On July 26, 1930, participants in the training camp of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District gathered at the airfield near Voronezh. I had to perform a demonstration jump. Of course, everyone who was on the airfield considered me an ace in this matter. After all, I was the only person here who had already received air parachute baptism and jumped not once, not twice, but had as many as three jumps! And the prize-winning place I won at the competition of the strongest US parachutists, apparently, seemed to those present to be something unattainable. The pilot Moshkovsky, who was appointed my assistant at the training camp, was preparing for the jump with me. There were no more applicants yet. My jump was really a success. I landed easily, not far from the spectators, and even stayed on my feet. We were greeted with applause. A girl who appeared from somewhere handed me a bouquet of field daisies. - “And how is Moshkovsky?”... The plane is on course. His figure is clearly visible in the doorway. It's time to jump. It's time! But he still stands in the doorway, apparently not daring to rush down. Another second, two more. Finally! A white plume shot up above the falling man and immediately turned into a tight parachute canopy. - “Hurray!..” - was heard around. Many pilots, seeing Moshkovsky and me alive and unharmed, expressed a desire to jump too. On that day, squadron commander A. Stoilov, his assistant K. Zatonsky, pilots I. Povalyaev and I. Mukhin made jumps. And three days later there were 30 people in the ranks of paratroopers. After listening to my report on the progress of the classes over the phone, Baranov asked: “Tell me, is it possible to prepare, say, ten or fifteen people for a group jump in two or three days?” Having received a positive response, Pyotr Ionovich explained his thought: “It would be very good if, during the Voronezh exercise, it were possible to demonstrate the drop of a group of armed paratroopers for sabotage actions on the territory of the “enemy.”

Needless to say, we accepted this original and interesting task with great enthusiasm. It was decided to carry out the landing from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. In those days it was the only aircraft we mastered for jumping. Its advantage over the TB-1 bombers available in the air brigade was that a person did not need to climb out onto the wing - the paratroopers jumped directly into the open door. Moreover, all the trainees were in the cockpit. The feeling of a comrade's elbow calmed everyone. In addition, the releaser could watch him and encourage him before the jump. Ten volunteers who had already completed training jumps were selected to participate in the landing. In addition to the landing of fighters, the landing operation plan included dropping weapons and ammunition (light machine guns, grenades, cartridges) from aircraft using special cargo parachutes. For this purpose, two soft mail bags and four semi-heavy boxes designed by K. Blagin were used. The landing group was divided into two detachments, since no more than seven parachutists could fit in the cockpit. After the first paratroopers landed, the plane returned to the airfield for the second group. During the break between jumps, it was planned to drop six cargo parachutes with weapons and ammunition from three R-1 aircraft. As a result of this experiment, I wanted to get an answer to a number of questions: to establish the degree of dispersion of a group of six people and the time of separation of all fighters from the plane; record the time it takes to lower the paratroopers to the ground, receive the dropped weapons and bring the landing force into full readiness for combat operations. In order to expand the experience, the first detachment was planned to drop from a height of 350 meters, the second - from 500 meters, and drop the load - from 150 meters. Preparations for the landing operation were completed on July 31. Each fighter knew his place on the plane and his task on the ground. The paratroopers' equipment, consisting of the main and reserve parachutes, was packed and carefully adjusted to the soldier's figure; weapons and ammunition were packed in hanging bags and cargo parachute boxes.

On August 2, 1930, at exactly 9 o’clock, a plane took off from the home airfield. On board is the first parachute landing detachment. The leader of the second group, J. Moszkowski, is also with us. He decided to see where our group was separating, so that he could then accurately parachute his guys. Following us, three R-1 aircraft took off, under the wings of which cargo parachutes were suspended from bomb racks.

Having made a circle, our plane turned to the landing site, located approximately two kilometers from the airfield. The landing site is a field free of crops measuring 600 by 800 meters. It was adjacent to a small farm. One of the buildings, located on the outskirts of the village, was designated as a landmark for the collection of paratroopers after landing and the starting point for the start of landing operations behind “enemy” lines. - "Get ready!" - I ordered, trying to shout over the roar of the engines. The guys immediately got up and stood one after another, clutching the pull ring in their right hands. Their faces are tense and concentrated. As soon as we crossed the platform, I gave the command: “Let’s go!”... - the fighters literally poured out of the plane, I dived last and immediately pulled the ring. I counted - all the domes opened normally. We landed almost in the center of the site, not far from each other. The soldiers quickly collected parachutes and ran up to me. Meanwhile, a flight of P-1s passed overhead and dropped six parachutes with weapons on the edge of the farm. We rushed there, unpacked the bags, took out machine guns and cartridges. And now our Farman appeared in the sky again with the second group. As planned, Moshkovsky’s group left the plane at an altitude of 500 meters. They landed next to us. It only took a few minutes, and 12 paratroopers, armed with two light machine guns, rifles, revolvers and grenades, were fully ready for combat..."

This is how the world's first parachute landing was dropped.

In the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR dated October 24, 1930, People's Commissar K. Voroshilov noted: “As achievements, it is necessary to note successful experiments in organizing airborne assaults. Airborne operations must be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Red Army Headquarters and given appropriate instructions on the spot.”

It is this order that is the legal evidence of the birth of the “winged infantry” in the Land of the Soviets.

Organizational structure of the airborne troops

Command of the Airborne Forces
- 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
- 106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Airborne Division;
- 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
- 76th Guards Air Assault Chernigov Red Banner Division;
- 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Brigade;
- 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Regiment;
- 38th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces;

Airborne troops- a branch of troops intended for combat operations behind enemy lines.

Designed for airborne landings behind enemy lines or for rapid deployment in geographically remote areas, they are often used as quick reaction forces.

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

Airborne Forces consist of:

paratroopers
tank
artillery
self-propelled artillery
other units and divisions
from units and units of special troops and rear services.

Airborne personnel are parachuted together with personal weapons.

Tanks, rocket launchers, artillery guns, self-propelled guns, ammunition and other materiel are dropped from aircraft using airborne equipment (parachutes, parachute and parachute-jet systems, cargo containers, platforms for installing and dropping weapons and equipment) or delivered by air behind enemy lines to captured airfields.

The main combat properties of the Airborne Forces:

ability to quickly reach remote areas
strike suddenly
successfully conduct a combined arms battle.

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

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

Airborne Forces Day is a memorable date established in May 2006 by decree of the President of Russia - the holiday is intended to contribute to the revival and development of domestic military traditions.

Paratroopers, also called “winged infantry”, “blue berets” and so on, are a symbol of courage, reliability and strength. The principle of the airborne troops: “Nobody but us!”

History of airborne troops

The birthday of the Airborne Forces is considered to be August 2, 1930. On this day, the first parachute landing was carried out in the USSR. Only 12 Red Army soldiers took part in the landing, which took place during the exercises of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh.

The experiment was considered successful and in 1933 special-purpose aviation battalions were formed in the Moscow, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Volga military districts. Subsequently, modern Airborne Forces grew out of them.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, five Airborne Corps were fully formed in the USSR - each numbering up to ten thousand people. From the first days of the war, they fought defensive battles in the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine in cooperation with other ground forces.

The famous Prokhorovka near Kursk was defended for more than a day by the 9th Guards Airborne Division - in this battle the paratroopers destroyed about 500 Nazi soldiers.

The “winged infantry” fought in Moldova, on the Karelian Front, in Hungary, and they liberated Vienna, the capital of Austria.

It was thanks to the airborne forces that landed in Port Arthur, Harbin, Mukden, Pyongyang and South Sakhalin that Japan’s actions in the Far East were completely paralyzed.

The feat of the paratroopers, who fought with unparalleled courage and heroism, is reflected in Soviet military prose, poetry, and cinema. Bulat Okudzhava’s favorite song, “We need one victory,” is dedicated to the airborne troops.

The song “Our Tenth Airborne Battalion” was first heard in Andrei Smirnov’s film “Belorussky Station” and unconditionally entered our lives.

Airborne units continued to perform feats in the post-war period. The famous 9th company in January 1988, despite the tenfold numerical superiority of the enemy, was able to hold height 3234, repelling more than 12 Mujahideen attacks before the arrival of the reconnaissance platoon. At that time, the 9th company had only five people left in the ranks.

Since 2005, airborne units, according to their specialization, have been divided into airborne, air assault and mountain - the 98th and 106th Guards Airborne Divisions are part of the former.

The second includes the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of two regiments and the 31st Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade of three battalions, and the 7th Guards Air Assault Division (Mountain) belongs to the third.

Uncle Vasya's troops

The abbreviation VDV, as everyone knows, means Airborne Troops. The paratroopers themselves decipher the Airborne Forces as Uncle Vasya's Troops. This is how they lovingly call the famous commander of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov - he headed this branch of the military from 1954 to 1959 and from 1961 to 1979.

The airborne troops acquired blue berets and vests thanks to “Uncle Vasya.” Before this, airborne troops wore crimson berets. The landing of people directly in combat vehicles also began thanks to “Uncle Vasya”.

This historical fact happened on January 5, 1973 - Margelov put his son in the first BMD, which was supposed to be thrown out of the plane, and personally closed the hatch behind him.

With paratroopers inside, the military equipment, when lowered, could immediately go into battle without waiting for the crews to descend with their parachutes. So the Airborne Forces acquired their irresistible mobility under “Uncle Vasya”.

Margelov was able to create in the airborne troops that special spirit, thanks to which service in the Airborne Forces began to be considered especially prestigious.

Airborne Forces Day

The Day of the Airborne Forces is celebrated by soldiers of the Airborne Forces of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other CIS countries. Current and former airborne troops will gather, according to tradition, in different cities of Russia, remembering the years of their service.

Festive and commemorative events take place on Airborne Forces Day throughout Russia - demonstrations of paratroopers and paratroopers are organized, demonstrations of military equipment that are in service with the airborne troops, and so on.

On this day, Airborne Forces veterans are honored - charity events and festive concerts are held. On the holiday, they don’t forget the fallen heroes - on Airborne Forces Day they lay flowers at the monument to paratroopers and their burial places, and also hold funeral services.

Airborne troops are never former - they remain them for life, so a huge army of paratroopers on Airborne Forces Day takes to the streets of Russian cities and celebrates their professional holiday on a grand scale, from the heart, like no other.

At the same time, the “blue berets” will selflessly and heroically defend their homeland, since they are always where it is most dangerous - in the thick of it.

The airborne troops have their own patron - the prophet Elijah, whose memorial day the Orthodox Church also celebrates on August 2.

The material was prepared based on open sources

Airborne troops. History of the Russian landing Alekhin Roman Viktorovich

SOVIET AIRBOARDS IN 1961–1991

By April 27, 1962, based on the directive of the General Staff of the Ground Forces dated March 22, 1962, the artillery battalions of the airborne divisions were deployed into artillery regiments:

816th Guards Airborne Division, 7th Guards Airborne Division - to the 1141st Guards Artillery Regiment;

819th Guards Airborne Division, 76th Guards Airborne Division - to the 1140th Guards Artillery Regiment;

812th Guards Airborne Division 98th Guards Airborne Division - to the 1065th Guards Artillery Regiment;

844th Guards Airborne Division 103rd Guards Airborne Division - to the 1179th Guards Artillery Regiment;

846th Guards Airborne Division 104th Guards Airborne Division - to the 1180th Guards Artillery Regiment;

847th Guards Airborne Division 105th Guards Airborne Division - to the 1181st Guards Artillery Regiment;

845th Guards Airborne Division 106th Guards Airborne Division - to the 1182nd Guards Artillery Regiment.

This entailed a change in the structure of the artillery units of the airborne division - towards increasing the number of combat batteries. The artillery was given the same tasks: fire defeat of the enemy during artillery preparation and counter-preparation for an attack, artillery support for the offensive of troops, prohibition of the advance and deployment of enemy troops, repelling an enemy attack, support for defending troops. The field guns in service with the Soviet Airborne Forces could well cope with the tasks assigned to them, however, it seems to me that 85-mm guns could not ensure guaranteed destruction of the main tanks of a potential enemy, since they could not penetrate their frontal armor.

At this time, a fundamentally new type of weapon - anti-tank guided missiles - began to enter service with the Airborne Forces. This high-precision weapon made it possible to hit enemy armored targets with a high degree of confidence, including in motion. The warhead of the Phalanx and Malyutka rockets made it possible to penetrate the frontal armor of German Leopard tanks, British Chieftains and American M-48s.

In special forces brigades, anti-tank guided missiles were planned to be used to destroy enemy missile systems, radar stations and communications centers. The flight range of such a missile allowed the special forces not to enter the near defense zone of enemy special facilities. One of the typical tasks of the GRU special forces was to destroy, with the help of anti-tank missiles, the motorcade of the leader of the country that dared to become an enemy of the Soviet Union.

By order of the USSR Minister of Defense dated March 7, 1964, the Main Command of the Ground Forces was disbanded. The functions of the General Staff of the Ground Forces were again transferred to the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. The airborne troops were again subordinated directly to the USSR Minister of Defense.

By a directive of the General Staff of December 24, 1965, the 337th Guards Airborne Regiment of the 104th Guards Airborne Order of Kutuzov Division was transferred by succession to the Order of Alexander Nevsky, which previously belonged to the disbanded 346th Guards Landing Parachute Regiment.

By December 1, 1968, the 337th Guards Parachute Regiment of the Order of Alexander Nevsky of the 104th Guards Airborne Division was redeployed from the city of Kutaisi, Georgian SSR, to Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR.

On June 22, 1968, one of the largest aviation disasters occurred in the Airborne Forces, which resulted in a large number of casualties: three An-12 aircraft took off from the Kaunas airfield, on board which were then new equipment - BMD-1 and trained crews from the 108th Guards PDP 7th Guards Airborne Division. They had to fly to Ryazan, where the Airborne Forces command planned to show the new combat vehicles in action to the Minister of Defense. But in the Kaluga area, the third plane collided in the air with a civil passenger plane Il-14 and crashed down from a height of 4000 meters. As a result of the tragedy, five crew members, 91 paratroopers and the four-year-old son of one of the officers, whom his father decided to take to relatives in Ryazan, died. A year later, a monument was erected at the site of the fall, money for which was collected in all parts of the Airborne Forces.

In 1968, a crimson beret was introduced into the uniform of airborne troops, but it lasted less than a year, after which it was replaced by a blue beret. The red band on the beret symbolized belonging to the guard.

In 1968, Soviet military paratroopers performed a number of outstanding jumps. Thus, on March 1, 1968, a grand experiment was carried out on the low-altitude landing of a group of paratroopers in the amount of 50 people from a height of 100 meters from An-2 aircraft. In total, this jump took 23 seconds to complete. The landing of people was carried out using D-1-8 parachutes without the use of reserve parachutes. On July 27, 1968, the group of paratroopers who parachuted into the Pamirs in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Komsomol included soldiers of the 104th Guards Airborne Division of the Guard, privates Asaenok, Zizyulin and Kulpinov. They showed great skill and courage, for which they were included in the Book of Glorious Deeds of the Transcaucasian Military District.

By a directive of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces dated July 14, 1969, in connection with the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East, the 98th Guards Airborne Division was redeployed from the city of Belogorsk, Amur Region, to the city of Bolgrad, Odessa Region (217th and 299th Guards Airborne Division), the village of Vesely Kut (1065th Guards AP), and the 300th Guards PDP - to the city of Chisinau, Moldavian SSR. Units of the division were located at the military camps of the 48th Motorized Rifle Ropshinskaya Red Banner Division named after M.I. Kalinin, which went to Czechoslovakia back in 1968. Already in June 1971, the 98th Guards Airborne Division participated in the “South” exercises and parachuted into one of the regions of Crimea.

In August 1972, on the basis of the 691st separate communications battalion of the Airborne Forces (Borovukha-1) and the mobile communications center of the 879th communications center of the Airborne Forces in the village of Medvezhye Ozera, Shchelkovo district, Moscow region, the 196th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed. On December 20, 1972, after the departure of the 691st obs, the 8th separate tank repair battalion of the Airborne Forces was formed in the village of Borovukha-1.

Since 1969, the airborne combat vehicle, which became literally revolutionary, began to enter service with the Airborne Forces - the BMD-1. The vehicle was parachuted, which made it possible to give the landing force its armor in any place where troops could be dropped. The vehicle had a sealed aluminum bulletproof body, a filter-ventilation unit, a 240-horsepower engine and a weapon system that corresponded to what the infantrymen received on their BMP-1 vehicle. The armament of the airborne combat vehicle included a 73-mm Grom gun, which fired shots similar to those used on the SPG-9 mounted anti-tank grenade launcher and could pose a serious threat to enemy medium tanks at medium combat distances. The vehicle was also equipped with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank missile system, with which the BMD-1 crews could confidently fight enemy heavy equipment and hit the most important targets from long distances: missile launchers, radar stations, communication centers and control posts. In addition, the vehicle had a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun coaxial with the gun. For two more machine guns, there were special hatches in the bow of the vehicle, through which the landing forces could fire from PK or RPK machine guns. The landing force exited the vehicle through the upper aft hatch, as well as the upper bow hatches. In total, the car could accommodate 7 people. The vehicle's thrust-to-weight ratio (ratio of engine power to weight) was about 33, which gave the paratroopers a vehicle capable of overcoming steep climbs, difficult rough terrain and various other obstacles. This was facilitated by the high ground clearance - 450 mm, which could be reduced to 100 mm (when landing the vehicle by parachute or if necessary, “lay down” in an ambush), as well as the ability to swim at a speed of 10 km/h. On land, the BMD-1 could reach speeds of up to 65 km/h. The power reserve was 300 km (it should have been quite enough to complete the main and secondary tasks behind enemy lines).

For this (and a number of others) vehicles, the Centaur landing system was developed, which made it possible to land part of the crew inside combat vehicles. For this purpose, upgraded space chairs of the Kazbek-D type were installed inside the machines prepared for testing, developed in the design bureau of the Zvezda plant by chief designer Guy Ilyich Severin for spacecraft and adapted for use in the new project. The system had five domes with an area of 760 square meters. m each.

The parachute-platform vehicles, on which it was planned to land a combat vehicle with part of the crew, were well mastered by the troops, had a fairly high reliability confirmed by a large number of landings - 0.98 (the calculated reliability of the system had a coefficient of 0.995). For comparison: the reliability of a parachute intended for people is 0.99999, i.e., per 100 thousand deployments there is one technical failure.

The experiment of landing a crew inside a vehicle was planned to be carried out for the first time not only in the history of the Soviet airborne forces, but throughout the world. Preparations for the first landing of people inside military equipment in world and domestic practice were carried out by the scientific and technical committee of the Airborne Forces in close contact with the design bureau of the Moscow aggregate plant "Universal", a long-term lead developer of landing equipment for airborne forces, led by the chief designer, Hero of Socialist Labor, Lenin laureate and State Prize of the USSR Alexey Ivanovich Privalov. At the same time, the State Research Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine (GNIIAKM) carried out physiological tests (hammer drops) on the tolerance of shock overloads acting on a person during landing. The head of the institute, Major General of the Medical Service Nikolai Mikhailovich Rudny, personally supervised this work.

The difficulty of such an experiment lay primarily in the fact that the paratroopers, who had to “jump” inside the combat vehicle, did not have personal means of salvation if the main system failed in the air. In this regard, the Chkalov Institute did not accept the complex for testing. The commander of the Airborne Forces had to explain for a long time to the Minister of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union A. A. Grechko and the Chief of the General Staff Marshal of the Soviet Union V. G. Kulikov the need to conduct an experiment in the interests of the airborne troops. At the same time, he insisted on the participation of officers in the experiment, who would be able to subsequently pass on their experience to the troops. When Marshal Grechko asked who would be landing, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General V.F. Margelov, took a step forward and simply said: “I...” Of course, he was refused. Then the general proposed the candidacy of one of his sons - Alexander Margelov and an experienced paratrooper officer, master of sports in parachute jumping, Major Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev. In October 1971, everything was ready for the experiment, preliminary tests were completed. In a joint decision dated October 28, 1971, approved by the heads of the research institute, the command of the GNIIAKM, military transport aviation and, finally, the commander of the Airborne Forces, the successful completion of piledriver and full-scale drops of the BMD-1 with mock-ups and dummies was noted and it was proposed to conduct an experimental drop with people.

In mid-1972, due to a delay in obtaining permission to conduct the experiment, it was decided to parachute dogs into the Centaur complex. Three dogs in one car were successfully parachuted. A decision was made to land people on January 5, 1973 at the Tula airfield. By this time, the experiment participants had moved to the barracks of the 106th Division.

At 14:00 on January 5, an An-126 aircraft took off from the airfield with an airborne combat vehicle on board, in which there were testers. The airborne commanders were given a tough task: after landing, unmoor the vehicle and start moving in no more than 2 minutes, during which they would drive the vehicle along the intended route, firing at targets from a cannon and a coaxial machine gun. The crew had to prove that they not only withstood all stages of the landing, including shock overloads during landing, but also retained their physical and mental abilities and could successfully conduct combat operations.

This is how Alexander Margelov himself describes the experimental landing: “ At the command of the navigator, the pilot chute fell out, straightened out, gained strength and, as if reluctantly, began to slowly pull out the Centaur. Like a giant pendulum with a swing center around a pilot chute, the iron machine first fell 135 degrees from the horizontal, then began to swing with a gradually decreasing amplitude of oscillations. And then the brake and then the main parachutes opened. Having turned upside down at the first moment, in a split second we experienced a state close to weightlessness. This was confirmed by the junk that came from nowhere in the car. What seemed especially unnecessary in this situation was the rather decent-sized nut that “floated up” right between the heads. The next moment, everything slammed to the floor and then rolled there for some time, while the machine “pretended” to be a pendulum. We calmly, as it seemed to us, transferred all our sensations to the earth. Only we didn’t hear anything from the ground after the car left the plane - we had to navigate the operation of the system based on personal feelings and instrument readings - the altimeter, after opening the multi-dome system, evenly “brought us closer” to the ground, and the variometer “frozen” at a descent speed of about six meters per second.

And then came a sharp, rolling blow. The heads in the headsets instantly “knocked out the Morse code” from the headrests, and everything froze. An unexpected silence fell. But this lasted for a moment - without saying a word, we began to free ourselves from the restraint systems.

It was decided not to install automatic unmooring from inside the vehicle using pyrotechnic devices for the first landing, so without stopping, we jumped out of the BMD. Having freed it from the parachute system and platform, we took our places inside: Leonid - behind the levers, I - in the tower. While the mechanic started the engine, the gunner-operator looked for targets to fire by turning the turret. Eat! And just as the movement began, the Thunder gun boomed. Of course, this was an imitation, and subsequent firing from the machine gun was carried out blanks, but in the first experiment this was not the main thing. The main thing is that at all stages of landing, landing, movement, and firing, we maintained full combat readiness and proved that, if necessary, paratroopers can fight with the greatest combat effect, hit the enemy without leaving the vehicle, providing other crew members with the opportunity to join with the least losses to them to jointly carry out a combat mission.

Leonid Zuev dashingly, at high speed, drove up to the podium, on the way smashed into pieces the car of the division chief of staff (who, by the way, had been warned about this possibility), stopped exactly opposite the commander and clearly reported on the successful completion of the combat mission. The commander hugged and kissed us one by one, thanked us on behalf of the service and, quickly wiping his eyes, in a friendly tone began to ask about the sensations during the experiment. Other test participants joined him».

L. I. Shcherbakov and A. V. Margelov after performing the jump.

After the first successful experiment, the commander of the Airborne Forces gave the order to conduct similar experimental landings in all airborne divisions, during each training period. A.V. Margelov was appointed responsible for the training of regular crews. The leaders of further tests were Lieutenant General I. I. Lisov, later - his successor as deputy commander, General N. N. Guskov, and, finally, the chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Airborne Forces, Colonel L. Z. Kozlenko. To date, the Airborne Forces have carried out dozens of crew landings in the Centaur, KSD, Reaktavr and other systems developed by Soviet designers.

According to the order of the Airborne Forces commander, landings of equipment with crews inside combat vehicles were carried out in all airborne divisions:

On November 13, 1973, in the 98th Guards Airborne Division, sergeant major A.I. Savchenko and senior sergeant V.V. Kotlo landed inside a BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft;

On May 30, 1974, in the 7th Guards Airborne Division, foreman M. E. Savitsky and senior sergeant A. I. Silinsky parachuted inside the BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft;

On June 20, 1974, in the 76th Guards Airborne Division, sergeant major G.I. Solovyov and corporal G.G. Martynyuk landed inside a BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft;

On July 11, 1974, in the 7th Guards Airborne Division, sergeant major A.V. Titov and senior sergeant A.A. Merzlyakov landed inside a BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft;

On July 22, 1974, at the RVVDKU, Lieutenant N. G. Shevelev and Lieutenant V. I. Alymov landed inside a BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft;

On August 15, 1974, in the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, Corporal V.P. Lopukhov and Corporal A.V. Zhagulo landed inside a BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft;

On September 3, 1974, in the 104th Guards Airborne Division, senior sergeant G.V. Kozmin and sergeant S.M. Koltsov landed inside a BMD-1 on a P-7 parachute platform from an An-126 aircraft.

All landings with people were successful. Even when, during the landing of Centaur-5 in July 1974, due to strong winds in the ground layer (gusts up to 12–15 meters per second), the domes did not detach from the vehicle: the BMD-1 turned upside down and was dragged, but brave young paratroopers A. Titov and A. Merzlyakov did not fall into a state of shock, maintained radio contact with the landing leader, and calmly reported on the condition of the vehicle. Having received the command to unmoor from the inside, without leaving the car, they strictly followed the command. After stopping the vehicle, they got out of it on their own and continued to carry out the “combat mission” during regimental exercises.

Subsequently, the landing of military equipment with crews inside the vehicles became commonplace for the Soviet Airborne Forces.

On January 23, 1976, for the first time in world practice, the Reactavr parachute-rocket system was tested with people inside the machine. This system, unlike the Centaur, had only one dome with an area of 540 square meters. m, causing the load to fly to the ground at deadly speed. And only just before the ground did the jet braking devices come into play - three soft landing engines, which in a few seconds significantly reduced the speed of the fall, and the landing took place at quite acceptable speeds. The platform was also equipped with two shock-absorbing foam bars. A year and a half before the landing of people, one of the Reactaurs with a dog named Buran crashed. After exiting the plane and opening the canopy, the parachute tore and the plane fell down. The soft landing engines did not fire. The dog died. The commission found that the dome had exceeded the limit of its strength due to the depletion of its resource.

The Reaktaur was landed by the same An-12b aircraft with the same crew that dropped the Centaur. Major A.V. Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel L.I. Shcherbakov landed inside the BMD. To conduct the experiment, a landing site was specially chosen where there was a lot of snow. However, the complex was applied to the compacted ice road so that the paratroopers felt a significant shock overload. After landing, Shcherbakov and Margelov brought the vehicle into combat readiness, started the engine, performed a driving and shooting routine, and then drove up to the podium where the Airborne Forces commander was for congratulations.

For the successful testing of the Centaur and Reaktavr systems, as well as the courage and heroism shown during these most complex and dangerous experiments, Major A. V. Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel L. I. Shcherbakov were nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Taking into account the positive results during testing of the newest landing systems “Centaur” and “Reaktavr”, in order to consolidate this success, the commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General V.F. Margelov, ordered the landing of regular crews inside the BMD in all divisions. Such exercises were carried out as quickly as possible.

Since 1976, the Reaktavr parachute-rocket systems have been adopted by the Airborne Forces. They made it possible to reduce the time required to assemble personnel and equipment at the landing site after landing. Thus, during experimental exercises in 1983, eight objects with Reaktavr systems were landed. From the moment the first vehicle left the plane until all eight vehicles were collected at a distance of 1.5 km from the landing site, only 12–15 minutes passed, whereas with separate landing of crews and equipment, this would have taken 35–45 minutes. Try to imagine this: silence, calm, an open field... and twelve minutes later on this field, out of nowhere, a company of Soviet paratroopers in their combat vehicles!

In addition to these systems, the Airborne Forces used a joint landing complex - KSD, on which it was possible to throw out guns and mortars along with a crew of four people. KSD were used in the Airborne Forces until military artillery switched completely to artillery systems created on the basis of BTRD. These CSDs can be considered a continuation of Grokhovsky’s thought - remember the awkward “airbuses”? Only here can we talk about a higher technological level.

In terms of technical equipment, by the mid-80s, the Soviet Airborne Forces were the strongest in the world. The Airborne Forces were armed with BMD-1 airborne combat vehicles (with the Malyutka ATGM), BMD-1P (with the Konkurs or Fagot ATGM), BMD-2, BTR-D armored personnel carriers, and Rokot BTR-ZD armored personnel carriers (with MANPADS "Strela-2"), BTR-RD "Skrezhet" (with ATGM "Konkurs" or "Fagot"), ASU-85 artillery mounts, BM-21V "Grad-V" multiple launch rocket systems, D-48 guns, D-30 howitzers, 2S9 “Nona-S” self-propelled guns, 82-mm “Podnos” mortars, 120-mm “Nona-B” and 2S12 “Sani” mortars on GAZ-66 vehicles, ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns on GAZ- 66 and BTR-D.

On May 15, 1972, with the aim of training specialists from regimental services, the 332nd School of Airborne Warrant Officers was formed in the Lithuanian village of Gaizhunai. This school trained warehouse managers, technical specialists, and airborne service specialists.

In the same year, 1972, the 778th separate special-purpose radio company of 85 people was formed as part of the Airborne Forces. The main task of the newly formed unit was to drive the landing aircraft to the drop point, for which groups of this company had to land behind enemy lines ahead of time and deploy the drive equipment there. In 1975, the company was reorganized into the 778th OR REP, and in February 1980 - into the 899th separate special forces company with a strength of 117 people - thus, the Airborne Forces received their own “special forces”. In 1988, the 899th Special Forces Regiment was reorganized into the 899th Special Forces Company (with a staff of 105 people) as part of the 196th Airborne Forces. Later, the company was deployed to the 218th separate special-purpose detachment of the Airborne Forces, which in 1994, together with the 901st separate airborne assault battalion, was consolidated into its own special reconnaissance body created within the structure of the Airborne Forces - the 45th separate reconnaissance special-purpose airborne regiment. This regiment fully justified the hopes of its creators - subsequently, during the Chechen campaigns, detachments of the 45th regiment carried out the most difficult combat missions with a minimum level of combat losses. Now this highly professional combat unit is capable of performing a wide range of special reconnaissance tasks anywhere in the world.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for great merits in the armed defense of the Soviet Motherland, success in combat and political training, development of new equipment and in connection with the 60th anniversary of the SA and the Navy, the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division on February 21, 1978 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

On May 4, 1985, for success in combat and political training and in connection with the 40th anniversary of the Victory, the 7th Guards Airborne Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Based on the directive of the General Staff of February 5, 1980, by December 1, 1980, the 387th Parachute Regiment was formed as part of the 104th Guards Airborne Division. The place of deployment was the city of Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR. Based on the directive of the General Staff of May 13, 1982, the regiment was withdrawn from the 104th Guards Airborne Division, redeployed to Fergana of the Uzbek SSR (TurkVO) and reorganized into the 387th separate parachute regiment (training young recruits for the airborne and airborne -assault units and formations operating in Afghanistan). Based on the directive of the General Staff of October 9, 1985, it was reorganized into the 387th separate training parachute regiment.

Based on the directive of the Minister of Defense of April 28, 1988 and the directive of the General Staff of October 4, 1988, by December 30, 1988, the regiment was reorganized into the 387th separate parachute regiment.

In 1990, in connection with the aggravation of interethnic conflicts on the territory of the USSR and for a rapid response to them, it was decided to re-form the 105th Guards Airborne Division. It was decided to include the 387th Special Operations Division, the 345th Guards Division, the 57th Airborne Brigade and other units into the division.

By directive of the Minister of Defense of August 18, 1990, the 387th separate regiment was to be transferred to the staff of a parachute regiment and included in the 105th Guards Airborne Division. Based on the directive of the USSR Ministry of Defense of March 21, 1991, by October 1, 1991, he was transferred to the staff of the parachute regiment (mountain desert). After which it was transferred to the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan.

Without communication there is no control - this does not require any proof, for life itself has repeatedly proven this statement. That is why I would like to dwell on the formation of communications bodies of the Airborne Forces, without which there can be no command and control of troops. The experience of the Great Patriotic War showed that the loss of contact with airborne units landed behind enemy lines clearly led to the failure of the assigned mission, lack of interaction and, as a consequence, large landing losses. Therefore, in the post-war period, with the qualitative development of communications, special attention was also paid to the creation of communications bodies that could provide reliable communications in the most difficult combat conditions.

One of these communications bodies was the Airborne Forces Communications Center. The formation of the unit began on August 13, 1947 in the city of Polotsk, Belarusian SSR. The location of the unit was the military town of Zadvinye. The basis for the formation was the communications center of the 8th Guards Airborne Neman Red Banner Corps, as well as the 13th Guards Separate Communications Company of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division. The formation was carried out by the commander of the guard battalion, Major Nikolai Klimentievich Sidorenko.

On September 4, 1947, the new formation was given the name 191st separate communications battalion, which became part of the 8th Guards Airborne Neman Red Banner Corps. On April 21, 1956, a communications battalion of airborne troops began to form. Formation ended on June 22, 1956. After its formation, the battalion was given the name 691st Separate Signal Battalion of the Airborne Forces.

In August 1972, the formation of the Airborne Forces communications regiment began. The basis for the formation of the regiment was the 691st separate communications battalion of the airborne troops and the mobile communications center of the 879th communications center. Formation ended on December 20, 1972. The regiment was given the name 196th Separate Signal Regiment of the Airborne Forces.

In 1983, by order of the commander of the Airborne Forces, the unit was awarded the Challenge Red Banner of the Airborne Forces. In 1988, for the successes achieved in socialist competition among units of the airborne troops and high military discipline, the regiment was awarded a certificate from the commander of the Airborne Forces. On December 30, 1990, the 196th separate communications regiment of the airborne troops was reorganized into the 171st separate communications brigade of the airborne troops.

By that time, the brigade organization of the Airborne Forces communications unit better met the requirements for military communications. The brigade consisted of separate units that could operate independently in isolation from the brigade support units. The brigade included mobile communications centers, a battalion and a communications center for the Airborne Forces commander, and a separate special-purpose company. Subsequently, during the Russian period, in conditions of severe reduction of the Airborne Forces, the 171st Signal Brigade will again be reorganized into a regiment, and the unit will receive the name 38th Airborne Signal Regiment.

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (SB) by the author TSB

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Airborne Forces during the Great Patriotic War

After the war

Russian Airborne Forces today

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