Guards Air Assault Red Banner Regiment 104, Airborne Division, in other words, military unit 32515, is stationed in the village of Cherekha, not far from Pskov. The unit carries out combat missions, destroys and captures the enemy from the air, deprives him of ground weapons, cover, and destroys his defenses. This regiment also acts as a rapid reaction unit.

Story

The regiment was formed in January 1948 as part of units of the 76th, 104th and 346th Guards Airborne Divisions. For excellent combat training in 1976, the regiment became Red Banner, and from 1979 to 1989 all personnel and officers fought in Afghanistan. In February 1978, the regiment mastered new weapons and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its valiant use. From 1994 to 1995, the Red Banner Regiment 104 (Airborne Division) was part of the 76th Division, and therefore actively participated in the First Chechen War, and in 1999 and 2009 it carried out an anti-terrorist mission in the North Caucasus.

At the beginning of 2003, the regiment was partially transferred to a contract basis, at the same time the reconstruction of military unit 32515 began. Regiment 104, Airborne Division, received reconstructed old and built new living quarters and facilities on its territory, thanks to this work the living and material conditions of service have become much better. The barracks took on a cubicle appearance with hallways, showers and closets for personal belongings, a gym and a rest room. Both officers and soldiers of Regiment 104 (Airborne Division) eat in a common canteen located separately. The food is the same for everyone, they eat together. Civilians work in the canteen, cleaning the territory and barracks.

Preparation

All fighters of such a famous unit as the Pskov Airborne Division, especially the 104th regiment, devote a lot of time to landing and general physical training at any time of the year. Mandatory activities for the landing force: improving camouflage skills, forcing fire and water obstacles and, of course, parachute jumping. First, training takes place using an airborne complex on the territory of a military unit, then it is the turn of a five-meter tower. If everything is learned correctly, then the fighters, in groups of ten people, make three jumps from airplanes: first from the AN, then from the IL.

Hazing and hazing have never occurred in this unit. Now this would not be possible, if only because recruits, old-timers and contract soldiers live separately and are each extremely busy with their own work. The Pskov Airborne Division, 104th Regiment, recruits take the oath on Saturdays at ten in the morning; rarely, due to circumstances beyond the control of the commanders, it can be moved back or forth an hour. After taking the oath, military personnel receive leave until 20.00. By the way, on holidays, fighters also receive leave. On the Monday following the taking of the oath, the command distributes new soldiers to companies.

Relatives

Of course, parents, relatives and friends miss and worry about the health and pastime of those who are just starting their military service. The command warns loved ones that their beloved sons, grandchildren, brothers and best friends, having enlisted in Regiment 104 (Pskov Airborne Division), cannot be constantly in touch.

Mobile phones are allowed to be used only one hour before lights out; the rest of the time, the commander keeps the gadgets with him and gives them to the soldier only as a last resort, and after he checks in a special log. Field exercises in the unit take place all year round, regardless of the weather, sometimes trips last up to two months. The fighters are famous for their military training, and without constant exercises the 104th Regiment of the 76th Airborne Division (Pskov) would not have gained such fame.

Useful information

First of March

The whole country remembered the day of the great feat of the soldiers of the sixth company of the second battalion of the one hundred and fourth parachute regiment of the seventy-sixth Pskov Airborne Division. Year 2000. Since the beginning of February, the largest group of militants after the fall of Grozny retreated to the Shatoi region, where they were blocked. After air and artillery preparation, the battle for Shata followed. The militants nevertheless broke through in two large groups: Ruslan Gelayev to the northwest to the village of Komsomolskoye, and Khattab to the northeast through Ulus-Kert, where the main battle took place.

The federal troops consisted of one company of regiment 104 (Airborne Division) - the 6th company, which died heroically, commanded by Guard Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Evtyukhin, fifteen soldiers from the 4th company of the same regiment under the command of Guard Major Alexander Vasilyevich Dostavalov and the 1st company of the first battalion of that the same regiment under the command of Guard Major Sergei Ivanovich Baran. There were more than two and a half thousand militants: the groups of Idris, Abu Walid, Shamil Basayev and Khattab.

Mount Isty-Kord

On February 28, the commander of the 104th regiment, Colonel Sergei Yuryevich Melentyev, who briefly outlived his sixth company, ordered the occupation of the Isty-Kord heights, which dominated the area. The sixth company, led by Major Sergei Georgievich Molodov, moved out immediately and managed to occupy only height 776, four and a half kilometers from the designated mountain, where twelve reconnaissance paratroopers were sent.

The height designated by the commander was occupied by Chechen militants, with whom the reconnaissance team entered into battle, retreating to the main forces left behind. Commander Molodov entered the battle and was mortally wounded; on the same day, February 29, he died. Took command

Combat brotherhood

But just four hours ago, Shatoy fell under the attack of federal troops. The militants furiously broke through the ring, not looking at the losses. Here they were met by the sixth company. Only the first and second platoons fought, since the third was destroyed by militants on the slope. By the end of the day, the company's losses amounted to a third of the total number of personnel. Thirty-one people - the number of paratroopers killed in the first hours of the battle when densely surrounded by the enemy.

By morning, soldiers from the fourth company, led by Alexander Vasilyevich Dostavalov, broke through to them. He violated the order, leaving well-fortified lines at a nearby height, took only fifteen soldiers with him and came to the rescue. Comrades from the first company of the first battalion also rushed to their aid. They crossed the Abazulgol River, were ambushed there and entrenched themselves on the bank. Only on March 3rd the first company was able to break through to the position. All this time the fighting continued everywhere.

Argun Gorge

The night of March 1, 2000 claimed the lives of eighty-four paratroopers who did not let the Chechen bandits pass. The death of the sixth company is the heaviest and largest in the Second Chechen War. In Cheryokha, at home, at the native checkpoint, this date is remembered by a stone on which is carved: “From here the sixth company went into immortality.” The last words of Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin were heard by the whole world: “I call fire on myself!” When the militants went to break through the avalanche, it was 6.50 in the morning. The bandits didn’t even shoot: why waste bullets on twenty-six wounded paratroopers if there were more than three hundred selected militants.

But hand-to-hand combat still broke out, although the forces were unequal. The guards did their duty. Everyone who could still hold a weapon, and even those who could not, entered the fray. Twenty-seven dead enemies fell for each of the half-dead paratroopers who remained there. The bandits lost 457 of their best fighters, but were unable to break through either to Selmentauzen or further to Vedeno, after which the road to Dagestan was practically open. All roadblocks have been lifted by high order.

Khattab may not have been lying when he said on the radio that he bought the passage for five hundred thousand dollars, but it didn’t work out. They attacked the company in waves, dushman style. Knowing the terrain well, the militants approached closely. And then bayonets, butts and just fists were used. For twenty hours the Pskov paratroopers held the heights.

Only six remained alive. The two were saved by the commander, who covered their jump from the cliff with machine gun fire. The bandits mistook the rest of the survivors for dead, but they were alive and after some time crawled out to the location of their troops. Company of heroes: twenty-two warriors posthumously became Heroes of Russia. Streets in many cities of the country, even in Grozny, were named after eighty-four paratroopers.

104th Airborne Division (Ulyanovsk)

This formation of the USSR Airborne Forces existed until 1998 as the 104th Guards Airborne Division, founded in 1944. In June 2015, the Russian Ministry of Defense decides to recreate the famous military unit. The composition of the 104th Airborne Division is three regiments based on the 31st Ulyanovsk Airborne Brigade, which are located in Orenburg, Engels and Ulyanovsk.

Glory to the Airborne Forces

Airborne troops date back to August 1930, and this is the only branch of the military in the country where every single division is guards. Each of them gained its own glory in battle. Ancient Pskov is rightfully proud of its oldest military unit - the 76th Guards Red Banner Airborne Division, which heroically proved itself in all the wars in which it participated. The tragic death of the brave, courageous, persistent sixth company of the 104th regiment will never be forgotten not only in the country, but also in the world.

Ulyanovsk has its own historical pride: the personnel of the 104th Guards Airborne Division stationed there took part in the battles in Chechnya and Abkhazia, and were part of the UN peacekeepers in Yugoslavia. And every resident of the city knows that the military equipment with the scorpion on board is the 104th Guards Airborne Division named after Kutuzov, converted from the Airborne Forces brigade.

The Russian airborne troops are designed to perform various combat missions behind enemy lines, destroy combat points, cover various units and many other tasks. In peacetime, airborne divisions often play the role of rapid reaction forces in the event of emergency situations requiring military intervention. The Russian Airborne Forces carry out their tasks immediately after landing, for which helicopters or airplanes are used.

The history of the emergence of Russian airborne troops

The history of the Airborne Forces began at the end of 1930. It was then, on the basis of the 11th Infantry Division, that a fundamentally new type of detachment was created - the airborne assault force. This detachment was the prototype of the first Soviet airborne unit. In 1932, this detachment became known as the Special Purpose Aviation Brigade. Airborne units existed with this name until 1938, when they were renamed the 201st Airborne Brigade.

The first use of landing forces in a combat operation in the USSR took place in 1929 (after which the decision was made to create such units). Then the Soviet Red Army soldiers were parachuted in the area of the Tajik city of Garm, which was captured by a gang of Basmachi bandits who came to the territory of Tajikistan from abroad. Despite the superior numbers of the enemy, acting decisively and boldly, the Red Army soldiers completely defeated the gang.

Many argue whether this operation should be considered a full-fledged landing, since the Red Army detachment was disembarked after the plane landed, and did not parachute. One way or another, Airborne Forces Day is not dedicated to this date, but is celebrated in honor of the group’s first full-fledged landing near the Klochkovo farmstead near Voronezh, which was carried out as part of military exercises.

In 1931, by special order number 18, an experienced airborne detachment was created, whose task was to clarify the scope and purpose of the airborne troops. This freelance detachment consisted of 164 personnel and included:

One rifle company;
Several separate platoons (communications, engineer and light vehicle platoon);
Heavy Bomber Squadrons;
One corps aviation detachment.

Already in 1932, all such detachments were deployed into special battalions, and by the end of 1933 there were 29 such battalions and brigades. The task of training aviation instructors and developing special standards was entrusted to the Leningrad Military District.

In pre-war times, airborne troops were used by the high command to strike at enemy rear lines, to help soldiers who were surrounded, and so on. In the 1930s, the Red Army took the practical training of paratroopers very seriously. In 1935, a total of 2,500 troops were landed during the maneuvers, along with military equipment. The very next year, the number of landing troops was increased more than threefold, which made a huge impression on the military delegations of foreign countries that were invited to the maneuvers.

The first real battle involving Soviet paratroopers took place in 1939. Although this incident is described by Soviet historians as an ordinary military conflict, Japanese historians consider it a real local war. The 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the battles for Khalkhin Gol. Since the use of fundamentally new paratrooper tactics came as a complete surprise to the Japanese, the Airborne Forces brilliantly proved what they were capable of.

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Great Patriotic War

Before the start of World War II, all airborne brigades were deployed into corps. Each corps had more than 10,000 people, whose weapons were the most advanced at that time. On September 4, 1941, all units of the Airborne Forces were transferred to the direct subordination of the commander of the airborne forces (the first commander of the Airborne Forces was Lieutenant General Glazunov, who served in this position until 1943). After this the following were formed:

10 Airborne Corps;
5 maneuverable airborne brigades of the Airborne Forces;
Spare airborne regiments;
Airborne School.

Before the start of the Second World War, airborne troops were an independent branch of the military that were capable of solving a wide range of tasks.

Airborne regiments were widely involved in the counteroffensive, as well as various combat operations, including assistance and support for other types of troops. Throughout all the years of the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces proved their effectiveness.

In 1944, the Airborne Forces were reorganized into the Guards Airborne Army. It became part of the long-range aviation. On December 18 of the same year, this army was renamed the 9th Guards Army, which included all brigades, divisions and regiments of the Airborne Forces. At the same time, a separate Airborne Forces directorate was created, which was subordinate to the commander of the air force.

Airborne troops in the post-war period

In 1946, all brigades and divisions of the Airborne Forces were transferred to the ground forces. They were subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, being the reserve type of troops of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

In 1956, the Airborne Forces again had to take part in an armed skirmish. Together with other types of troops, the paratroopers were sent to suppress the Hungarian uprising against the pro-Soviet regime.

In 1968, two airborne divisions participated in the events in Czechoslovakia, where they provided full support to all formations and units of this operation.

After the war, all units and brigades of the airborne troops received the latest types of firearms and many pieces of military equipment made specifically for the Airborne Forces. Over the years, samples of airborne equipment have been created:

Tracked armored vehicles BTR-D and BMD;
TPK and GAZ-66 cars;
Self-propelled guns ASU-57, ASU-85.

In addition, complex systems were created for parachute landing of all of the listed equipment. Since the new technology needed large transport aircraft for landing, new models of large-fuselage aircraft were created that could carry out parachute landing of armored vehicles and cars.

The USSR Airborne Forces were the first in the world to receive their own armored vehicles, which were developed specifically for them. At all major exercises, troops were dropped along with armored vehicles, which constantly amazed the representatives of foreign countries present at the exercises. The number of specialized transport aircraft capable of landing was so great that in just one sortie it was possible to land all the equipment and 75 percent of the personnel of an entire division.

In the fall of 1979, the 105th Airborne Division was disbanded. This division was trained to fight in the mountains and deserts, and was stationed in the Uzbek and Kyrgyz SSR. In the same year, Soviet troops were introduced into Afghanistan. Since the 105th division was disbanded, the 103rd division was sent in its place, whose personnel did not have the slightest idea or training for conducting combat operations in mountainous and desert areas. Numerous losses among the paratroopers showed what a huge mistake the command made by recklessly deciding to disband the 105th Airborne Division.

Airborne troops during the Afghan War

The following divisions and brigades of the Airborne Forces and airborne assault formations fought in the Afghan war:

Airborne Division 103 (which was sent to Afghanistan to replace the disbanded 103rd Division);
56 OGRDSHBR (separate air assault brigade);
Parachute Regiment;
2 DSB battalions, which were part of motorized rifle brigades.

In total, about 20 percent of the paratroopers participated in the Afghan war. Due to the unique terrain of Afghanistan, the use of parachute landing in mountainous areas was unjustified, so the delivery of paratroopers was carried out using the landing method. Remote mountainous areas were often inaccessible to armored vehicles, so the entire blow of the Afghan militants had to be borne by the personnel of the Airborne Forces units.

Despite the division of the Airborne Forces into air assault and airborne units, all units had to operate according to the same scheme, and they had to fight in unfamiliar terrain, with an enemy for whom these mountains were their home.

About half of the airborne troops were dispersed among various outposts and control points of the country, which was what other parts of the army had to do. Although this hampered the enemy's movements, it was unwise to misuse elite troops trained in a completely different style of combat. The paratroopers had to perform the functions of ordinary motorized rifle units.

The largest operation involving Soviet airborne units (after the operation of the Second World War) is considered the 5th Panjshir Operation, which was carried out from May to June 1982. During this operation, about 4,000 paratroopers of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division were landed from helicopters. In three days, Soviet troops (of which there were about 12,000, including paratroopers) almost completely established control over the Panjshir Gorge, although the losses were enormous.

Realizing that the special armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces were ineffective in Afghanistan, since most operations had to be carried out together with motorized rifle battalions, the BMD-1 and BTR-D began to be systematically replaced with standard equipment of motorized rifle units. Light armor and the low service life of lightweight equipment did not bring any advantages in the Afghan War. This replacement took place from 1982 to 1986. At the same time, the airborne units were reinforced with artillery and tank units.

Air assault formations, their differences from parachute units

Along with the parachute units, the air force also had air assault units, which were directly subordinate to the commanders of the military districts. Their differences consisted in the performance of various tasks, subordination and organizational structure. The uniform, weapons, and training of personnel were no different from parachute units.

The main reason for the creation of air assault formations in the second half of the 60s of the 20th century was the development of a new strategy and tactics for waging a full-scale war with the intended enemy.

This strategy was based on the use of massive landings behind enemy lines, with the aim of disorganizing the defense and causing panic in the enemy ranks. Since the army air fleet was equipped by this time with a sufficient number of transport helicopters, it became possible to conduct large-scale operations using large groups of paratroopers.

In the 80s, 14 brigades, 2 regiments and 20 air assault battalions were stationed throughout the USSR. One DSB brigade was assigned to one military district. The main difference between the parachute and air assault units was the following:

The parachute formations were 100 percent provided with specialized airborne equipment, while the air assault formations had only 25 percent of such armored vehicles. This can be explained by the various combat missions that these formations were supposed to carry out;
Units of the parachute troops were subordinate only directly to the command of the Airborne Forces, in contrast to the air assault units, which were subordinate to the command of the military districts. This was done for greater mobility and efficiency in case of need for a sudden landing;
The assigned tasks of these formations also differed significantly from each other. Air assault units were to be used for operations in the immediate rear of the enemy or in territory occupied by the enemy's front-line units, in order to cause panic and disrupt the enemy's plans with their actions, while the main parts of the army were to strike at him. Parachute units were intended to land deep behind enemy lines, and their landing was to be carried out non-stop. At the same time, the military training of both formations was practically no different, although the intended tasks of the paratrooper units were much more complex;
The parachute units of the Airborne Forces have always been deployed at full strength and are 100 percent equipped with vehicles and armored vehicles. Many air assault brigades were understaffed and did not bear the title “Guards”. The only exceptions were three brigades, which were formed on the basis of parachute regiments and bore the name “Guards”.

The difference between regiments and brigades was the presence of only two battalions in a regiment. In addition, the composition of the regimental kit in the regiments was often reduced.

There are still ongoing debates about whether there were special forces units in the Soviet army, or whether this function was performed by airborne forces. The fact is that in the USSR (as in modern Russia) there have never been separate special forces. Instead, there were special forces units of the GRU General Staff.

Although these units had existed since 1950, their existence remained secret until the late 1980s. Since the uniform of special forces units was no different from the uniform of other units of the Airborne Forces, often not only ordinary people did not know about their existence, but even conscript soldiers learned about it only at the time of their recruitment.

Since the main tasks of special forces units were reconnaissance and sabotage activities, they were united with the Airborne Forces only by uniforms, airborne training of personnel and the ability to use special forces units for operations behind enemy lines.

Vasily Filippovich Margelov - “father” of the Airborne Forces

A huge role in the development of airborne troops, the development of the theory of their use and the development of weapons belongs to the commander of the Airborne Forces from 1954 to 1979, Vasily Filippovich Margelov. It is in his honor that the Airborne Forces are jokingly called “Uncle Vasya’s troops.” Margelov laid the foundation for positioning the airborne troops as highly mobile units with high firepower and covered with reliable armor. It was precisely this kind of troops that were supposed to deliver quick and unexpected strikes against the enemy in a nuclear war. At the same time, the task of the Airborne Forces in no case should have included long-term retention of captured objects or positions, since in this case the landing party would certainly be destroyed by regular units of the enemy army.

Under the influence of Margelov, special models of small arms were developed for airborne units, allowing them to fire effectively even during landing, special models of cars and armored vehicles, and the creation of new transport aircraft intended for landing and armored vehicles.

It was on Margelov’s initiative that the special symbols of the Airborne Forces were created, familiar to all modern Russians - the vest and blue beret, which are the pride of every paratrooper.

In the history of the airborne troops, there are several interesting facts that few people know:

Specialized airborne units, which were the predecessors of the Airborne Forces, appeared during the Second World War. At that time, no army in the world had such units. The airborne army was supposed to carry out operations behind German lines. Seeing that the Soviet command had created a fundamentally new type of military, the Anglo-American command also created its own airborne army in 1944. However, this army never saw action during World War II;
During the Second World War, several tens of thousands of people who served in the airborne units received many orders and medals of various degrees, and 12 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union;
After the end of the Second World War, the airborne troops of the USSR were the most numerous among similar units in the whole world. Moreover, according to the official version, the airborne troops of the Russian Federation are the most numerous in the whole world, to this day;
Soviet paratroopers were the only ones who managed to land in full combat gear at the North Pole, and this operation was carried out back in the late 40s;
Only in the practice of Soviet paratroopers was landing from a height of many kilometers in combat vehicles.

Airborne Forces Day is the main holiday of the Russian airborne troops

August 2 is celebrated as the Day of the Russian Airborne Forces, or as it is also called – Airborne Forces Day. This holiday is celebrated on the basis of a decree of the President of the Russian Federation and is very popular among all paratroopers who served or are serving in the airborne forces. On Airborne Forces Day, demonstrations, processions, concerts, sporting events and festivities take place.

Unfortunately, Airborne Forces Day is considered the most unpredictable and scandalous holiday in Russia. Often paratroopers organize riots, pogroms and fights. As a rule, these are people who have served in the army for a long time, but they want to diversify their civilian life, so on the day of the airborne troops, the Ministry of Internal Affairs traditionally reinforces patrol units that keep order in public places in Russian cities. In recent years, there has been a steady downward trend in the number of fights and pogroms on Airborne Forces Day. The paratroopers learn to celebrate their holiday in a civilized manner, because riots and pogroms disgrace the name of the defender of the Motherland.

Flag and emblem of the Airborne Forces

The flag of the airborne troops, along with the emblem, is a symbol of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation. The Airborne Forces emblem comes in three types:

The small emblem of the Airborne Forces is a golden flaming grenade with wings;
The middle emblem of the Airborne Forces is a double-headed eagle with open wings. In one paw he has a sword, and in the other - a grenade with wings. The eagle's chest is covered by a shield with the image of St. George the Victorious slaying a dragon;
The large emblem of the Airborne Forces is a copy of the grenada on the small emblem, only it is located in a heraldic shield, which is bordered by a round wreath of oak leaves, while the upper part of the wreath is decorated with the emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The flag of the Russian Airborne Forces was established on June 14, 2004 by order of the Ministry of Defense. The flag of the airborne troops is a rectangular blue panel. At its bottom there is a green stripe. The center of the airborne troops flag is decorated with an image of a golden parachute with a parachutist. There are airplanes on both sides of the parachute.

Despite all the difficulties that the Russian army experienced in the 90s, it managed to preserve the glorious traditions of the Airborne Forces, the structure of which is currently an example for many armies of the world.

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 Grigorievich Minov himself later told how the events took place: “I didn’t think that one jump could change a lot in life. I loved flying with all my heart. Like all my comrades, I was distrustful of parachutes at that time. Well, simply about them I didn’t even think about it. In 1928, I happened to be at a meeting of the leadership of the Air Force, where I made my report on the results of work on “blind” flights at the Borisoglebsk school of military pilots." After the meeting, Pyotr Ionovich Baranov, the head of the Air Force, called me over and asked: “In your report, you said that you must fly blindly with a parachute. Leonid Grigorievich, in your opinion, are parachutes needed in military aviation?” What could I say then! Of course, parachutes are needed. The best proof of this was the forced parachute jump of test pilot M. Gromov. Remembering this incident, I answered Pyotr Ionovich in the affirmative. Then he invited me to go to the USA and get to know how things are going with their aviation rescue service. To be honest, I agreed reluctantly. I returned from the United States of America “light”: with a “diploma” in my pocket and three jumps. Pyotr Ionovich Baranov put my memo in a skinny folder. When he closed it, on the cover I saw the inscription: “Parachute business.” I left Baranov’s office two hours later. There was a lot of work to be done to introduce parachutes into aviation, to organize various studies and experiments aimed at improving flight safety. It was decided to hold classes in Voronezh to familiarize the flight crew with parachutes and the organization of jumps. Baranov suggested thinking about the possibility of training 10-15 parachutists at the Voronezh training camp to perform a group jump. On July 26, 1930, participants in the training camp of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District gathered at the airfield near Voronezh. I had to perform a demonstration jump. Of course, everyone who was on the airfield considered me an ace in this matter. After all, I was the only person here who had already received air parachute baptism and jumped not once, not twice, but had as many as three jumps! And the prize-winning place I won at the competition of the strongest US parachutists, apparently, seemed to those present to be something unattainable. The pilot Moshkovsky, who was appointed my assistant at the training camp, was preparing for the jump with me. There were no more applicants yet. My jump was really a success. I landed easily, not far from the spectators, and even stayed on my feet. We were greeted with applause. A girl who appeared from somewhere handed me a bouquet of field daisies. - “And how is Moshkovsky?”... The plane is on course. His figure is clearly visible in the doorway. It's time to jump. It's time! But he still stands in the doorway, apparently not daring to rush down. Another second, two 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 are held 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

STORM TROOPERS

In the mid-60s, due to the active development of helicopters (with their amazing ability to land and take off almost anywhere), a completely appropriate idea arose of creating special military units that could be dropped by helicopter into the tactical rear of the enemy in order to assist advancing ground forces. Unlike the Airborne Forces, these new units were supposed to be landed only by landing, and unlike the GRU Special Forces, they were supposed to operate in fairly large forces, including the use of armored vehicles and other heavy weapons.

To confirm (or refute) the theoretical conclusions, it was necessary to conduct large-scale practical exercises that would put everything in its place.

In 1967, during the strategic exercises “Dnepr-67” on the basis of the 51st Guards PDP, the experimental 1st Air Assault Brigade was formed. The brigade was led by the head of the combat training department of the Airborne Forces Directorate, Major General Kobzar. The brigade landed in helicopters on the bridgehead on the Dnieper and completed its assigned task. Based on the results of the exercises, appropriate conclusions were drawn, and starting in 1968, the formation of the first air assault brigades in the Far Eastern and Trans-Baikal military districts began within the ground forces.

Based on the directive of the General Staff of May 22, 1968, by August 1970, the 13th air assault brigade was formed in the settlements of Nikolaevna and Zavitinsk, Amur Region, and the 11th Air Assault Brigade in the village of Mogocha, Chita Region.

Again, as in the very first airborne unit (the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District), the “land” unit received aviation under its control - two helicopter regiments with an air base each were transferred to the brigade control, which included an airfield support battalion and a separate communications and radio engineering division.

The structure of the air assault brigades of the first formation was as follows:

Brigade management;

Three air assault battalions;

Artillery Division;

Anti-aircraft artillery division;

Combat helicopter regiment with an air base;

Transport helicopter regiment with an aviation base;

Rear of the brigade.

Air assault units mounted on helicopters were able to land in the form of a landing force on any part of the operational-tactical theater of military operations and solve assigned tasks on their own with fire support from combat helicopters. Experimental exercises were conducted with these brigades to develop tactics for using air assault units. Based on the experience gained, the General Staff made recommendations for improving the organizational and staffing structure of such units.

It was assumed that the air assault brigades would operate in the enemy's tactical defense zone. The range at which battalions of air assault brigades were supposed to land did not exceed 70-100 km. In particular, as confirmation, this is evidenced by the operating range of communications equipment that entered service with air assault formations. However, if we consider the specific theater of operations in which the brigades were stationed, it can be assumed that the purpose of the 11th and 13th Brigades was to quickly close the poorly guarded section of the border with China in the event of a Chinese military invasion. By helicopter, brigade units could be landed anywhere, while the motorized rifle regiments of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division located in that area (from Mogocha to Magdagachi) could only move under their own power along the only rock road, which was very slow. Even after the helicopter regiments were withdrawn from the brigades (at the end of the 80s), the mission of the brigades did not change, and the helicopter regiments were always stationed in close proximity.

In the early 70s, a new name for the brigades was adopted. From now on they began to be called “airborne assault”.

On November 5, 1972, by directive of the General Staff, and on November 16, 1972, and by order of the commander of the Transcaucasian Military District, by February 19, 1973, it was decided to form an airborne assault brigade in the Caucasian operational direction. The 21st separate air assault brigade was formed in the city of Kutaisi.

Thus, by the mid-70s, the so-called Airborne Forces of the ground forces included three brigades:

11th airborne brigade (military unit 21460), ZabVO (Mogocha settlement, Chita region), consisting of: 617th, 618th, 619th airborne brigade, 329th and 307th airborne battalion;

13th airborne brigade (military unit 21463), Far Eastern Military District (n. Magdagachi, Amur region), consisting of: 620th, 621st (Amazar), 622nd airborne battalion, 825th and 398th airborne battalion ;

21st Specialized Brigade (military unit 31571), ZakVO (Kutaisi, Georgia), consisting of: 802nd (military unit 36685, Tsulukidze), 803rd (military unit 55055), 804th (in /h 57351) odshb, 1059th oadn, 325th and 292nd airborne forces, 1863rd one sirto, 303rd obao.

An interesting fact was that the battalions in these formations were separate units, whereas in the Airborne Forces only a regiment was a separate unit. From the moment of their formation until 1983, parachute training was not provided for in these brigades and was not included in the combat training plans, and therefore the personnel of the air assault brigades wore the uniform of motorized rifle troops with the appropriate insignia. Airborne assault units received the Airborne Forces uniform only with the introduction of parachute jumping into their combat training.

In 1973, the air assault brigades included:

Management (staff 326 people);

Three separate air assault battalions (each battalion has 349 people);

Separate artillery division (staff 171 people);

Aviation group (only 805 people on staff);

Separate division of communications and radio technical support (190 people on staff);

Separate battalion of airfield technical support (410 people on staff).

New formations began active combat training. There were accidents and disasters. In 1976, during a major exercise in the 21st brigade, a tragedy occurred: two Mi-8 helicopters collided in the air and crashed to the ground. As a result of the disaster, 36 people died. Similar tragedies occurred from time to time in all brigades - probably this was the terrible tribute that had to be paid for the possession of such highly mobile military units.

The experience accumulated by the new brigades turned out to be positive, and therefore, by the end of the 70s, the General Staff decided to form several more air assault brigades of front-line (district) subordination, as well as several separate air assault battalions of army subordination. Since the number of newly formed units and formations was quite large, the General Staff decided to disband one airborne division to complete them.

Based on the General Staff Directive of August 3, 1979 No. 314/3/00746, by December 1, 1979, the 105th Guards Airborne Vienna Red Banner Division (111th, 345th, 351st, 383rd Guards PDP) , stationed in Fergana, Uzbek SSR, was disbanded. The 345th Regiment was reorganized into a separate parachute regiment and left in the southern operational direction. The personnel of the disbanded regiments and individual units went to form air assault units and formations.

On the basis of the 111th Guards Infantry Division in the city of Osh, Kyrgyz SSR, the 14th Guards Airborne Brigade of the Western Group of Forces was formed with redeployment to the city of Cottbus of the German Democratic Republic. In December 1979, the brigade was renamed the 35th Guards Airborne Brigade. From 1979 to November 1982, the brigade's personnel wore the uniform of motorized rifle troops. In 1982, the brigade was awarded the Battle Banner. Before this, the brigade had the Battle Banner of the 111th Guards Infantry Division.

On the basis of the 351st Guards PDP, the 56th Guards Airborne Brigade of the TurkVO was formed with a deployment in the village of Azadbash (district of the city of Chirchik) of the Uzbek SSR. On the basis of the officers of the 105th Guards Airborne Division, the 38th Separate Guards Vienna Red Banner Airborne Assault Brigade was formed in the Belarusian Military District in the city of Brest. The brigade was given the Battle Banner of the disbanded 105th Guards Vienna Red Banner Airborne Division.

On the basis of the 383rd Guards RPD in the village of Aktogay, Taldy-Kurgan region of the Kazakh SSR, the 57th separate air assault brigade was formed for the Central Asian Military District, and the 58th brigade was formed for the Kyiv Military District in Kremenchug (however, it was decided to leave it in the form of a framed part).

For the Leningrad Military District in the village of Garbolovo, Vsevolozhsk district, Leningrad region, with the participation of personnel of the 234th and 237th Guards Parachute Regiments of the 76th Guards Airborne Division, the 36th separate air assault brigade was formed, and for the Baltic military district in the city of Chernyakhovsk, Kaliningrad region, the 37th separate air assault brigade was formed.

On August 3, 1979, the 80th Parachute Regiment of the Order of the Red Star of the 104th Guards Airborne Division in the city of Baku was disbanded. The released personnel were turned to the formation of new brigades - in the city of Khyrov, Staro-Sambir district of the Lviv region, the 39th separate Order of the Red Star airborne assault brigade was formed for the Carpathian Military District, and in the city of Nikolaev for the Odessa Military District the 40th was formed separate air assault brigade.

Thus, in total, in 1979, nine separate air assault brigades were formed, which became part of the Western and Asian military districts. By 1980, there were a total of twelve air assault brigades in the ground forces:

11th airborne brigade (military unit 32364), ZabVO, Mogocha;

13th airborne brigade (military unit 21463), Far Eastern Military District, Magdagachi, Amazar;

21st airborne brigade (military unit 31571), ZakVO, Kutaisi;

35th airborne brigade (military unit 16407), GSVG, Cottbus;

36th airborne brigade (military unit 74980), Leningrad Military District, Garbolovo;

37th Airborne Brigade (military unit 75193), PribVO, Chernyakhovsk;

38th airborne brigade (military unit 92616), BelVO, Brest;

39th Airborne Brigade (military unit 32351), PrikVO, Khyrov;

40th Specialized Brigade (military unit 32461), OdVO, Nikolaev;

56th airborne brigade (military unit 74507), TurkVO, Azadbash, Chirchik;

57th Airborne Brigade (military unit 92618), SAVO, Aktogay, Kazakhstan;

58th airborne brigade of the KVO cadre, Kremenchug.

The new brigades were formed as lightweight ones, with 3 battalions, without helicopter regiments. Now these were ordinary “infantry” units that did not have their own aviation. In fact, these were tactical units, whereas until that time the first three brigades (11th, 13th and 21st airborne brigades) were tactical formations. Since the beginning of the 80s, the battalions of the 11th, 13th and 21st brigades ceased to be separate and lost their numbers - the brigades from formations became units. However, the helicopter regiments remained subordinate to these brigades until 1988, after which they were transferred from the subordination of the brigade management to the subordination of the districts.

The structure of the new brigades was as follows:

Brigade management (headquarters);

Two parachute battalions;

One air assault battalion;

Howitzer artillery battalion;

Anti-tank battery;

Anti-aircraft artillery battery;

Communications Company;

Reconnaissance and landing company;

RKhBZ company;

Engineer company;

Material support company;

Medical Company;

Airborne support company.

The number of personnel in the brigades was about 2800 people.

Starting from 1982–1983, airborne training began in the air assault brigades, and therefore some organizational changes took place in the structure of the formations.

In addition to the brigades, in December 1979, separate air assault battalions were formed, which were supposed to act in the interests of the armies and solve tactical problems close behind enemy lines. In the mid-80s, several more battalions were additionally formed. In total, more than twenty such battalions were formed, a complete list of which I have not yet been able to establish - there were several squadroned battalions, the numbers of which are not found in the open press. By the mid-80s, the combined arms and tank armies of the USSR Armed Forces included:

899th separate battalion (military unit 61139), 20th Guards OA, GSVG, Burg;

900th separate battalion (military unit 60370), 8th Guards OA, GSVG, Leipzig;

901st separate battalion (military unit 49138), Central Military District, Riečki, then PribVO, Aluksne;

902nd airborne battalion (military unit 61607), South Georgian Military District, Hungary, Kecskemét;

903rd separate battalion, 28th OA, BelVO, Brest (until 1986), then to Grodno;

904th separate battalion (military unit 32352), 13th OA, PrikVO, Vladimir-Volynsky;

905th separate battalion (military unit 92617), 14th OA, OdVO, Bendery;

906th airborne battalion (military unit 75194), 36th OA, ZabVO, Borzya, Khada-Bulak;

907th airborne battalion (military unit 74981), 43rd AK, Far Eastern Military District, Birobidzhan;

908th infantry battalion, 1st Guards OA, KVO, Konotop, since 1984 Chernigov, Goncharovskoe village;

1011th separate battalion, 5th Guards TA, BelVO, Maryina Gorka;

1039th infantry battalion, 11th Guards OA, PribVO, Kaliningrad;

1044th separate battalion (military unit 47596), 1st Guards TA, GSVG, Koenigsbrück, after 1989 - PribVO, Taurage;

1048th airborne battalion (military unit 45476), 40th OA, TurkVO, Termez;

1145th separate battalion, 5th OA, Far Eastern Military District, Sergeevna;

1151st airborne battalion, 7th TA, BelVO, Polotsk;

1154th infantry battalion of the 86th AK, ZabVO, Shelekhov;

1156th separate battalion 8th TA, PrikVO, Novograd-Volynsky;

1179th separate battalion (military unit 73665), 6th OA, Leningrad Military District, Petrozavodsk;

1185th separate battalion (military unit 55342), 2nd Guards TA, GSVG, Ravensbrück, then PribVO, Võru;

1603rd separate battalion of the 38th OA, PrikVO, Nadvirnaya;

1604th separate battalion, 29th OA, ZabVO, Ulan-Ude;

1605th separate battalion, 5th OA, Far Eastern Military District, Spassk-Dalniy;

1609th separate battalion, 39th OA, ZabVO, Kyakhta.

Also in 1982, their own air assault battalions were created in the Marine Corps of the USSR Navy. In particular, in the Pacific Fleet such a battalion was created on the basis of the 1st Marine Battalion of the 165th Marine Regiment of the 55th Division. Then similar battalions were created in other regiments of the division and separate brigades in other fleets. These Marine air assault battalions received airborne training and performed parachute jumps. That's why I included them in this story. The air assault battalions that were part of the 55th division did not have their own numbers and were named only by continuous numbering within their regiment. Battalions in brigades, as separate units, received their own names:

876th airborne battalion (military unit 81285) 61st infantry brigade, Northern Fleet, Sputnik settlement;

879th separate battalion (military unit 81280) 336th guards infantry regiment, Baltic Fleet, Baltiysk;

881st airborne infantry battalion, 810th brigade infantry regiment, Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol;

1st infantry battalion, 165th infantry infantry regiment, 55th airborne infantry regiment, Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok;

1st infantry battalion, 390th infantry fighting infantry regiment, 55th infantry infantry regiment, Pacific Fleet, Slavyanka.

Based on the composition of their weapons, individual air assault battalions were divided into “light”, which did not have armored vehicles, and “heavy”, which were armed with up to 30 infantry or airborne combat vehicles. Both types of battalions were also armed with 6 mortars of 120 mm caliber, six AGS-17 and several ATGMs.

The brigades each included three parachute battalions on infantry fighting vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, or GAZ-66 vehicles, an artillery battalion (18 D-30 howitzers), an anti-tank battery, an anti-aircraft missile battery, a mortar battery (six 120-mm mortars), and a reconnaissance battery. company, communications company, engineer company, airborne support company, chemical defense company, material support company, repair company, automobile company and medical center. A separate parachute battalion of the brigade consisted of three parachute companies, a mortar battery (4–6 82-mm mortars), a grenade launcher platoon (6 AGS-17 grenade launchers), a communications platoon, an anti-tank platoon (4 SPG-9 and 6 ATGMs) and a support platoon.

When undergoing airborne training, the parachute service of air assault battalions and brigades was guided by the documents of the Airborne Forces PDS.

In addition to brigades and battalions, the General Staff also tried another organization of air assault units. By the mid-80s, two army corps of a new organization were formed in the USSR. These corps were created for the purpose of their use in expanding an operational breakthrough (if something happened to break through). The new corps had a brigade structure and consisted of mechanized and tank brigades, and in addition, the corps included two-battalion air assault regiments. The regiments were intended to be a tool for “vertical coverage”, and in the corps they were used in conjunction with a helicopter regiment.

In the Belarusian Military District, on the basis of the 120th Guards Motorized Rifle Division, the 5th Guards Combined Arms Army Corps was formed, and in the Transbaikal Military District in Kyakhta, on the basis of the 5th Guards Tank Division, the 48th Guards Combined Arms Army Corps was formed.

The 5th Guards AK received the 1318th Air Assault Regiment (military unit 33508) and the 276th Helicopter Regiment, and the 48th Guards AK received the 1319th Air Assault Regiment (military unit 33518) and the 373rd Helicopter Regiment. However, these parts did not last long. Already in 1989, the guards army corps were again folded into divisions, and the air assault regiments were disbanded.

In 1986, in connection with the creation of the Headquarters of the Main Directional Commands, another wave of formations of air assault brigades took place. In addition to the existing formations, four more brigades were formed - according to the number of directions. Thus, by the end of 1986, subordinate to the reserve Headquarters of operational directions, the following were formed:

23rd airborne brigade (military unit 51170), Civil Command of the South-Western direction, Kremenchug;

83rd airborne brigade (military unit 54009), Civil Command of the Western direction, Byalogard;

128th Specialized Brigade of the Civil Code of the Southern Direction, Stavropol;

130th Specialized Brigade of the Personnel (military unit 79715), Civil Command of the Far Eastern Direction, Abakan.

In total, by the end of the 1980s, the USSR Armed Forces had sixteen air assault brigades, of which three (58th, 128th and 130th airborne brigades) were kept at a reduced staff or were staffed. In any case, this was a strong addition to the existing airborne forces and special forces of the GRU. No one in the world had such a number of airborne troops.

In 1986, large-scale air assault exercises were held in the Far East, in which personnel of the 13th Air Assault Brigade were involved. In August, on 32 Mi-8 and Mi-6 helicopters, an air assault battalion with reinforcements was landed at the Burevestnik airfield on Iturup island in the Kuril ridge. There, the brigade's reconnaissance company was also parachuted from An-12 aircraft. The landed units fully completed the tasks assigned to them. Supporters of the Kuril Islands joining the USSR could sleep peacefully.

In 1989, the General Staff decided to disband separate air assault battalions of combined arms and tank armies, and separate air assault brigades of district subordination were reorganized into separate airborne brigades and transferred to the command of the Airborne Forces commander.

By the end of 1991, all separate air assault battalions (with the exception of the 901st airborne battalion) were disbanded.

During the same period, due to the collapse of the USSR, major changes affected the existing air assault formations. Some of the brigades were transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Kazakhstan, and some were simply disbanded.

The 39th airborne assault brigade (by this time already called the 224th airborne training center), the 58th airborne assault brigade and the 40th airborne assault brigade were transferred to Ukraine, the 35th airborne assault brigade was withdrawn from Germany to Kazakhstan, where it became part of the armed forces of the republic . The 38th brigade was transferred to Belarus.

The 83rd brigade was withdrawn from Poland, which was transferred across the country to a new point of permanent deployment - the city of Ussuriysk, Primorsky Territory. At the same time, the 13th Brigade, which was part of the Far Eastern Military District, was transferred to Orenburg - again almost across the entire country, only in the opposite direction (a purely economic question - why?).

The 21st brigade was transferred to Stavropol, and the 128th brigade located there was disbanded. The 57th and 130th brigades were also disbanded.

Looking ahead a little, I will say that in “Russian times” by the end of 1994 the Russian Armed Forces included the following units:

11th Airborne Brigade of the Transbaikal Military District (Ulan-Ude);

13th Airborne Brigade of the Ural Military District (Orenburg);

21st Airborne Brigade of the North Caucasus Military District (Stavropol);

36th Airborne Brigade of the Leningrad Military District (Garbolovo);

37th Airborne Brigade of the North-Western Group of Forces (Chernyakhovsk);

From the book 100 Great Aviation and Astronautics Records author Zigunenko Stanislav Nikolaevich

The first paratroopers Since 1929, parachutes have become mandatory equipment for pilots and aeronauts. It was necessary to organize a parachute service in the country, train paratroopers, and break the wall of disbelief in the silk dome. One of the first to start this work in our country

From the book Encyclopedia of Misconceptions. Third Reich author Likhacheva Larisa Borisovna

SA. Were stormtroopers real men? Well, what can I tell you, my friend? There are still contrasts in life: There are so many girls around, And you and I are homosexuals. The harsh truth of life as presented by Joseph Raskin - Comrade commander, appeared in our company