Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Commanders of the Airborne Forces of the USSR and the Russian Federation

The Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation is a separate branch of the Russian armed forces, located in the reserve of the Commander-in-Chief of the country and directly subordinate to the Commander of the Airborne Forces. AT this moment this position has been occupied (since October 2016) by Colonel General Serdyukov.

The purpose of the airborne troops is operations behind enemy lines, carrying out deep raids, capturing important enemy facilities, bridgeheads, disrupting enemy communications and enemy control, and conducting sabotage in his rear. The Airborne Forces were created primarily as effective tool offensive war. To cover the enemy and operate in his rear, the Airborne Forces can use landing - both parachute and landing.

The airborne troops are rightfully considered the elite of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, in order to get into this branch of the troops, candidates must meet very high criteria. First of all, it concerns physical health and psychological stability. And this is natural: the 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. The paratroopers actively participated in the Afghan war. The Russian airborne troops were officially created on May 12, 1992, they went through both Chechen campaigns, participated in the war with Georgia in 2008.

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

In addition to the flag, there is also the emblem of this type of troops. This is a flaming golden-colored grenada with two wings. There is also a medium and large airborne emblem. The middle badge shows double-headed eagle with a crown on his head and a shield with George the Victorious in the center. In one paw, the eagle holds a sword, and in the other, a flaming grenada of the Airborne Forces. On the large emblem, grenada is placed on a blue heraldic shield framed by an oak wreath. In its upper part 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: "No one but us." The paratroopers even have their own heavenly patron- Saint Elijah.

The professional holiday of the paratroopers is the Day of the Airborne Forces. It is celebrated on August 2nd. On this day in 1930, the first parachute landing of a unit was made to perform a combat mission. On August 2, Airborne Forces Day is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

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

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

The history of the creation of the Airborne Forces

The birthplace of the Airborne Forces is the Soviet Union. It was in the USSR that the first airborne unit was created, this happened in 1930. First, a small detachment appeared, which was part of an ordinary 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 paratroopers 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 parachuted there, which made it possible to unblock the settlement as soon as possible.

Two years later, a brigade was formed on the basis of the detachment. special purpose, 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 units. They were part of the Air Force, and their main task was to disorganize the rear of the enemy and carry out sabotage.

It should be noted that the development of the landing troops in the Soviet Union was very rapid and rapid. No expense was spared on them. In the 30s, the country experienced a real parachute boom, skydiving towers were in almost every stadium.

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

Before the start of the war, airborne corps were created in the USSR, each of them included up to 10 thousand fighters. 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 five more airborne corps began. A few days before the German invasion (June 12), the Directorate of the Airborne Forces was created, and in September 1941, the paratrooper units were withdrawn from the command of the fronts. Each corps of the Airborne Forces was a very formidable force: in addition to well-trained personnel, it was armed with artillery and light amphibious tanks.

In addition to the landing corps, the Red Army also included mobile landing brigades (five units), spare regiments of the Airborne Forces (five units) and educational establishments who trained paratroopers.

The Airborne Forces 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 the airborne troops are intended for 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 “patching holes”: in defense, to eliminate sudden German breakthroughs, to release of the encircled 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 counteroffensive. The 4th Corps of the Airborne Forces was parachuted in the winter of 1942 during the Vyazemsky landing operation. 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. In its course, 4,000 fighters were parachuted by landing.

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

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

In 1956, Soviet paratroopers participated 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 the era of confrontation between the 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. Emphasis was placed on increasing the firepower of the Airborne Forces. For this, a whole range of airborne equipment was developed, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, and road transport. The fleet of military transport aircraft was significantly increased. In the 1970s, large-capacity wide-body transport aircraft were created, which made it possible to transport not only personnel, but also heavy military equipment. By the end of the 80s, the state of the military transport aviation of the USSR was such that it could ensure the parachute drop of almost 75% of the personnel of the Airborne Forces in one sortie.

At the end of the 60s, a new type of units that were part of the Airborne Forces was created - airborne assault units (DShCH). They were not much different from the rest of the Airborne Forces, but they 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 prepared by Soviet strategists in the event of a full-scale war. After the start of the conflict, it was planned to “break” the enemy defenses with the help of massive landings landed in the immediate rear of the enemy.

In the mid-1980s, the USSR Ground Forces included 14 air assault brigades, 20 battalions and 22 separate air assault regiments.

In 1979, the war in Afghanistan began, and the Soviet Airborne Forces took an active part in it. During this conflict, the paratroopers had to engage in counter-guerrilla struggle, of course, there was no talk of any parachute landing. The delivery of personnel to the place of combat operations took place with the help of armored vehicles or vehicles, landing by landing method from helicopters was less often used.

The paratroopers were often used to guard the numerous outposts and roadblocks scattered throughout the country. Typically, airborne units performed missions more suited to 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, parts of the Airborne Forces in Afghanistan were reinforced with additional artillery and tank units.

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 by 1992, after which the Russian Airborne Forces were created. They included all 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 Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces (the so-called special forces of the Airborne Forces) was created.

The 1990s became a serious test for the Russian landing troops (as well as for the entire army, by the way). The number of the Airborne Forces was seriously reduced, some of the units were disbanded, the paratroopers became subordinate to the Ground Forces. Army aviation was transferred to the Air Force, which significantly worsened the mobility of the Airborne Forces.

The airborne troops of the Russian Federation took part in both Chechen campaigns, in 2008 the 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).

The structure and composition of the airborne troops of the Russian Federation

At present airborne time The Russian Federation consists of command and control 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.

At the moment, the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation 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.

Regiments and brigades of the Airborne Forces:

11th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade, stationed 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. Based in Ulyanovsk.
83rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Location - Ussuriysk.
38th Separate Guards Communications Regiment of the Airborne Forces. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera.

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

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, among other things, trains officers for the Russian Airborne Forces. Also, the structure of this type of troops includes two Suvorov schools (in Tula and Ulyanovsk), Omsk cadet corps and the 242nd training center located in Omsk.

Armament and equipment of the Russian Airborne Forces

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

The most popular models of airborne armored vehicles at present are the airborne combat vehicles BMD-1 (about 100 units) and BMD-2M (about 1 thousand units). Both of these vehicles were produced back 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. This is openly stated even by representatives of the top leadership of the Russian army, which was put into service in 2004. However, its production is slow, today there are 30 BMP-4s and 12 BMP-4Ms in service.

Also, the airborne units are armed with a small number of BTR-82A and BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers (12 pieces), 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 pieces). It was put into service in 1974 and is very outdated. It should be replaced by the BTR-MDM "Shell", but so far its production is moving very slowly: today in combat units from 12 to 30 (according to different sources) "Shells".

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 anti-tank systems: Metis, Fagot, Konkurs and "Cornet".

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

The air defense means of the Airborne Forces consist of portable missile systems (various modifications of the Needles and Willow), as well as the Strela short-range air defense system. Special attention should be paid to the newest Russian MANPADS "Verba", which was only recently put into service and now it has been put into trial operation in only a few units of the RF Armed Forces, including the 98th Airborne Division.

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

AT last years The Airborne Forces began 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 systems "Barnaul", automated systems command and control troops "Andromeda-D" and "Flight-K".

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

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

Among the sniper systems, it should be noted SV-98 (Russia) and Vintorez (USSR), as well as the Austrian Steyr SSG 04 sniper rifle, which was purchased for the needs of special forces of the Airborne Forces. The paratroopers are armed with automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 "Flame" and AGS-30, as well as an easel grenade launcher SPG-9 "Spear". 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.

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In the 1930s, the Soviet Union became a pioneer in the creation of airborne troops. A group jump of 2,500 paratroopers in 1935 during maneuvers near Kyiv shook the imagination of military observers around the world. And despite a series of bloody Stalinist purges in the ranks of the Red Army, by 1939 it included three full-fledged airborne brigades, which were dropped on Finland in November of that year.
During the Second World War, the USSR conducted only two airborne operations, and both ended in failure. As a result, until the very victory, the Soviet landing units fought as elite infantry.
The new defense doctrine adopted by the Soviet Union in the 1950s provided for the revival of the airborne troops. In the 70s, an airborne combat vehicle (BMD) intended for airborne landing entered service, which significantly increased the firepower of the Airborne Forces.
The invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 marked the beginning of the most successful period in the history of the Soviet Airborne Forces. At the very beginning of the operation, soldiers of the 103rd Guards Division and the GRU (army intelligence) landed at the Prague airport and captured it. Two hours later, the ASU-85 (self-propelled artillery) of the paratroopers took up positions in front of the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in the very center of the Czechoslovak capital.
In 1977, Soviet paratroopers, together with Cuban and Ethiopian units, conducted a successful operation in the Horn of Africa, during which Somali troops were defeated in the Ogaden Desert.
In 1979, the 105th Airborne Division, in the forefront of the Soviet Army, stormed Kabul. The Afghan capital at that time was divided between warring factions, and Soviet paratroopers fought under heavy crossfire and ruthlessly destroyed enemy strongholds with the support of tanks and heavy artillery.
Somewhat earlier, during the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, the 103rd Airborne Division had been put on alert and awaiting orders to deploy to the Middle East and fight on the side of the Arabs.
Russian airborne divisions, which have practically not changed their organization and structure since the collapse of the USSR, today number about 700 officers and 6,500 privates and are armed with 300 infantry fighting vehicles (some units have been given ASU-87 self-propelled artillery mounts). As a rule, the Airborne Forces are used as a tactical reserve or operate as part of the rapid reaction forces. The airborne assault division consists of three airborne regiments, an air defense battalion, an artillery regiment, an engineer battalion, a communications battalion, a reconnaissance company, a radiation protection company, a transport battalion, a support battalion and a medical battalion.
The training is very tough, and for all two years of compulsory service, a paratrooper may not receive a single dismissal, but as soon as he signs an agreement to extend his service life, his living conditions immediately change for the better. The personal weapon of the airborne fighter is a 5.45-mm AKS-74 assault rifle with a folding butt. The airborne units are also armed with RPK-74 light machine guns and RG1G-16, RPG-18 and SPG-9 anti-tank grenade launchers.
Automatic grenade launcher 30-mm AGS-17 "Flame" is designed to destroy enemy manpower. For air defense, twin 23-mm ZU-33 anti-aircraft guns and SA-7/16 anti-aircraft missiles are used.

Russian airborne troops are designed to perform various combat missions behind enemy lines, destroy combat points, cover various parts and many other tasks. Airborne divisions in peacetime 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 aircraft are used.

The history of the appearance of the airborne troops of Russia

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 detachment of a fundamentally new type was created - an airborne landing squadron. This detachment was the prototype of the first Soviet landing unit. In 1932, this detachment became known as the Special Purpose Aviation Brigade. With this name, the units of the Airborne Forces existed until 1938, in which they were renamed the 201st Airborne Brigade.

The first use of landing forces in the USSR in a combat operation took place in 1929 (after which it was decided 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, I act decisively and boldly, the Red Army completely defeated the gang.

Many argue whether this operation should be considered a full-fledged landing, since a detachment of Red Army soldiers was landed after the plane landed, and did not parachute. One way or another, the day of the Airborne Forces is not dedicated to this date, but is celebrated in honor of the first full-fledged landing of the group near the Klochkovo farm 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 find out the scope and purpose of the airborne troops. This freelance detachment consisted of 164 members of the personnel and included:

One rifle company;
Several separate platoons (communications, sapper and light vehicles 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 the pre-war period, the landing troops were used by the high command to strike at the rear of the enemy, 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, during the maneuvers, a total of 2,500 people were landed along with military equipment. The following year, the number of paratroopers was more than tripled, which made a huge impression on the military delegations of foreign states 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 to be a real local war. The 212 Airborne Brigade participated in the battles for Khalkhin Gol. Since the use of a fundamentally new paratrooper tactic turned out to be a complete surprise for the Japanese, the airborne troops 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. In each corps there were 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 troops (the first commander of the Airborne Forces was Lieutenant General Glazunov, who remained in this position until 1943). After that, they were formed:

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

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

The regiments of the Airborne Forces were widely involved in the counteroffensive, as well as various military operations, including assistance and support for other types of troops. Throughout 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. She became part of the long-range aviation. On December 18 of the same year, this army was renamed the 9th Guards Army, it included all brigades, divisions and regiments of the Airborne Forces. At the same time, a separate department of the Airborne Forces 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 ground forces. They were subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, being a reserve type of troops of the Supreme Commander.

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 divisions of the Airborne Forces 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 models 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;
Cars TPK and GAZ-66;
Self-propelled guns ASU-57, ASU-85.

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

The airborne troops of the USSR were the first in the world to receive their own armored vehicles, which were developed specifically for them. At all major exercises, troops were parachuted along with armored vehicles, which constantly amazed the representatives of foreign states 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 deployed in the Uzbek and Kirghiz SSR. In the same year, Soviet troops were introduced into the territory of Afghanistan. Since the 105th division was disbanded, the 103rd division was sent instead, the personnel of which did not have the slightest idea and training for combat operations in mountainous and desert regions. Numerous losses among the paratroopers showed what a huge mistake the command made, recklessly deciding to disband the 105th Airborne Division.

Airborne troops during the Afghan war

The following divisions and brigades of the Airborne Forces and air assault formations went through the Afghan war:

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

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

Despite the division of the Airborne Forces into airborne assault and airborne units, all units had to act according to the same scheme, and it was necessary to fight in an unfamiliar area, 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 other parts of the army were supposed to do. Although this hindered the movement of the enemy, it was unwise to misuse elite troops trained in a completely different manner 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 huge.

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

Airborne assault formations, their differences from paratrooper units

Along with the parachute units, the air forces also had air assault units, which were directly subordinate to the commanders of the military districts. Their difference was in the performance of various tasks, subordination and organizational structure. The uniform, armament, training of personnel did not differ in any way from paratrooper formations.

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 a prospective 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 ranks of the enemy. Since the army fleet was equipped by this time with a sufficient number of transport helicopters, it became possible to carry out large-scale operations using large groups of paratroopers.

In the 80s, 14 brigades, 2 regiments and 20 battalions of air assault battalions were deployed throughout the USSR. One DShB brigade accounted for one military district. The main difference between the parachute and air assault units was as follows:

The parachute formations were provided with specialized airborne equipment by 100 percent, and the air assault formations had only 25 percent of the staffing of such armored vehicles. This can be explained by the various combat missions that these formations were supposed to perform;
Parts 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 the event of a need for a sudden landing;
The tasks of these formations also differed significantly from each other. The air assault units were to be used for operations in the immediate rear of the enemy or in the 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 hit him. Parachute units were intended for landing 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 parachute units were much more difficult;
The parachute units of the Airborne Forces have always been deployed to the fullest extent and equipped with cars and armored vehicles by 100 percent. Many air assault brigades were incomplete and did not bear the title of "Guards". The only exceptions were three brigades, which were formed on the basis of parachute regiments and were called "Guards".

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

Until now, disputes have not subsided about whether there were special forces in the Soviet army, or whether this function was performed by the Airborne Forces. The fact is that in the USSR (as in modern Russia) there have never been separate special forces. Instead, they were part of the special purpose GRU of the General Staff.

Although these units have existed since 1950, their existence remained a secret until the late 80s. Since the shape of the special forces units was no different from the shape of other units of the Airborne Forces, often not only the townsfolk did not know about their existence, but even the soldiers military service learned about it only at the time of admission to the personnel.

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

Vasily Filippovich Margelov - "father" of the Airborne Forces

A huge role in the development of the 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 the positioning of the airborne troops as highly mobile units with high firepower and protected by reliable armor. It was 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 been to hold the captured objects or positions for a long time, since in this case the landing force would certainly be destroyed by the regular units of the enemy army.

Under the influence of Margelov, special samples of small arms were developed for the Airborne Forces units, allowing them to effectively fire even at the time of landing, special models of cars and armored vehicles, and the creation of new transport aircraft designed for landing and armored vehicles.

It was on the initiative of Margelov that a special symbolism of the Airborne Forces was created, familiar to all modern Russians - a vest and a 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 other army in the world had such units. The airborne army was supposed to carry out operations in the German rear. Seeing that the Soviet command created a fundamentally new branch of the military, the Anglo-American command also created its own airborne army in 1944. However, this army never managed to take part in the hostilities during the Second World War;
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 such units in the whole world. Moreover, by official version, the airborne troops of the Russian Federation are the most numerous in the whole world, to this day;
Soviet paratroopers are 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 many kilometers in combat vehicles.

Airborne Forces Day - the main holiday of the airborne troops of Russia

August 2 is the day of the airborne troops of Russia, or as it is also called - the day of the Airborne Forces. This holiday It is celebrated on the basis of a decree of the President of the Russian Federation and is very popular among all paratroopers who have served or are serving in the airborne troops. On the day of the Airborne Forces, demonstrations, processions, concerts, sporting events and festivities are held.

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, therefore, on the day of the airborne troops, patrol units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are traditionally strengthened, which 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 the day of the Airborne Forces. The paratroopers learn to celebrate their holiday in a civilized way, because riots and pogroms dishonor the name of the defender of the Motherland.

Flag and emblem of the airborne troops

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

The small emblem of the Airborne Forces is a golden fiery 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 grenada with wings. The chest of the eagle covers the shield, with the image of George the Victorious, slaying the dragon;
The large emblem of the Airborne Forces is a copy of the grenada on the small emblem, only it is in the heraldic shield, which is bordered by a round wreath of oak leaves, while the emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation adorns the upper part of the wreath.

The flag of the airborne troops of the Russian Federation was established on June 14, 2004 by order of the Ministry of Defense. The flag of the airborne troops is a rectangular blue panel. There is a green stripe at the bottom of it. The center of the flag of the airborne troops is decorated with the image of a golden parachute with a paratrooper. On both sides of the parachute are airplanes.

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

Airborne troops are one of the strongest components of the army of the Russian Federation. In recent years, due to the tense international situation, the importance of the Airborne Forces has been growing. The size of the territory of the Russian Federation, its landscape diversity, as well as the borders with almost all conflict states, indicate that it is necessary to have large stock special groupings of troops that will be able to provide the necessary protection in all directions, which is the air force.

As air force structure extensive, the question often arises of the Airborne Forces and the DSB are the same troops? The article analyzes the differences between them, the history, goals and military training of both organizations, the composition.

Differences between troops

The differences lie in the names themselves. The DShB is an air assault brigade organized and specializing in attacks on the enemy's close rear in the event of large-scale military operations. Air assault brigades subordinate to the Airborne Forces - airborne troops, as one of their divisions and specialize only in assault seizures.

Airborne Forces are landing troops, whose tasks are the capture of the enemy, as well as the capture and destruction of enemy weapons and other air operations. The functionality of the Airborne Forces is much wider - reconnaissance, sabotage, assault. For a better understanding of the differences, consider the history of the creation of the Airborne Forces and the Airborne Forces separately.

History of the Airborne Forces

The Airborne Forces began its history in 1930, when an operation was carried out near the city of Voronezh on August 2, where 12 people parachuted from the air as part of a special unit. This operation then opened the eyes of the leadership to new opportunities for paratroopers. The following year, based Leningrad Military District, a detachment is being formed, which received a long name - airborne and consisted of about 150 people.

The effectiveness of the paratroopers was obvious and the Revolutionary Military Council decides to expand it by creating airborne troops. The order saw the light at the end of 1932. In parallel, in Leningrad, instructors were trained, and later they were distributed to the districts by special-purpose aviation battalions.

In 1935, the military district of Kyiv demonstrated to foreign delegations the full power of the Airborne Forces, arranging an impressive landing of 1200 paratroopers, who quickly captured the airfield. Later, similar exercises were held in Belarus, as a result of which the German delegation, impressed by the landing of 1,800 people, decided to organize their own airborne detachment, and then a regiment. Thus, The Soviet Union is rightfully the birthplace of the Airborne Forces.

In 1939, our landing troops there is an opportunity to show themselves in practice. In Japan, the 212th brigade was landed on the Khalkin Gol River, and a year later the 201st, 204th and 214th brigades will be involved in the war with Finland. Knowing that the Second World War would no longer pass us by, 5 air corps of 10 thousand people each were formed and the Airborne Forces acquired a new status - guards troops.

The year 1942 was marked by the largest airborne operation during the war years, which took place near Moscow, where about 10 thousand paratroopers were dropped into the German rear. After the war, it was decided to attach the Airborne Forces to the Supreme High Command and appoint the commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR SV, this honor falls to Colonel General V.V. Glagolev.

Big innovations in airborne troops came with "Uncle Vasya". In 1954 V.V. Glagolev is replaced by V.F. Margelov and holds the post of commander of the Airborne Forces until 1979. Under Margelov, the Airborne Forces are supplied with new military equipment, including artillery mounts, combat vehicles, and special attention is paid to working under conditions of a surprise attack. nuclear weapons.

Airborne units took part in all the most significant conflicts - the events of Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Nagorno-Karabakh, North and South Ossetia. Several of our battalions carried out UN peacekeeping missions in Yugoslavia.

In our time, the ranks of the Airborne Forces include about 40 thousand fighters, when conducting special operations - paratroopers form its basis, since the Airborne Forces are a highly qualified component of our army.

The history of the formation of the DShB

Air assault brigades began their history after it was decided to rework the tactics of the Airborne Forces in the context of the unleashing of large-scale hostilities. The purpose of such air defenses was to disorganize opponents by mass landings close to the enemy, such operations were most often carried out from helicopters in small groups.

Toward the end of the 60s in the Far East, it was decided to form the 11th and 13th brigades with helicopter regiments. These regiments were involved mainly in hard-to-reach areas, the first attempts at landings took place in the northern cities of Magdachi and Zavitinsk. Therefore, in order to become a paratrooper of this brigade, strength and special endurance were needed, since the weather conditions were almost unpredictable, for example, in winter the temperature reached -40 degrees, and in summer there was abnormal heat.

The location of the first DShB not just because the Far East was chosen. It was a time of difficult relations with China, which became even more aggravated after the clash of interests on the island of Damascus. The brigades were ordered to prepare to repel an attack from China, which could attack at any time.

The high level and significance of the DSB was demonstrated during exercises in the late 80s on the island of Iturup, where 2 battalions and artillery landed on MI-6 and MI-8 helicopters. The garrison, due to weather conditions, was not warned about the exercises, as a result of which they opened fire on the landers, but thanks to the highly qualified training of the paratroopers, none of the participants in the operation was injured.

In the same years, the DSB consisted of 2 regiments, 14 brigades, about 20 battalions. One brigade attached to one military district, but only to those who had access to the border by land. Kyiv also had its own brigade, 2 more brigades were given to our units located abroad. Each brigade had an artillery battalion, rear and combat units.

After the USSR ceased to exist, the country's budget did not allow the mass maintenance of the army, so there was nothing left to do but to disband some parts of the DSHB and the Airborne Forces. The beginning of the 90s was marked by the removal of the DSB from subordination Far East and transfer to full subordination to Moscow. Air assault brigades are being transformed into separate airborne brigades - 13 OVDbr. In the mid-90s, the plan to reduce the Airborne Forces disbanded the composition of the 13th Airborne Brigade.

Thus, from the foregoing, it can be seen that the DSB was created as one of the structural divisions of the Airborne Forces.

Composition of the Airborne Forces

The composition of the Airborne Forces includes the following units:

airborne;
air assault;
mountain (which operate exclusively on mountain hills).

These are the three main components of the Airborne Forces. In addition, they consist of a division (76.98, 7, 106 Guards Air Assault), brigades and regiments (45, 56, 31, 11, 83, 38 Guards Airborne). In Voronezh, a brigade was created in 2013, which received the number 345.

Personnel of the Airborne Forces prepared in educational institutions of the military reserve of Ryazan, Novosibirsk, Kamenetz-Podolsk, in Kolomenskoye. The training was conducted in the areas of paratrooper (airborne assault) platoon, commanders of reconnaissance platoons.

The school produced about three hundred graduates annually - this was not enough to satisfy the personnel requirements of the airborne troops. Consequently, it was possible to get into the military personnel of the Airborne Forces by graduating from the landing faculties in special areas of such schools as combined arms and military departments.

Training

The commanders of the DShB were most often selected from the Airborne Forces, and the battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, company commanders from the nearest military districts. In the 70s, due to the fact that the leadership decided to repeat their experience - to create and staff the DShB, the planned enrollment in educational institutions is expanding who trained future officers of the Airborne Forces. The mid-80s were marked by the fact that officers were issued for service in the Airborne Troops, having been trained according to the educational program for the Airborne Forces. Also in these years, a complete rearrangement of officers was underway, it was decided to replace almost all of them in the DShV. At the same time, excellent students went to serve mainly in the Airborne Forces.

To get into the service in the Airborne Forces, as in the DSB, you must meet specific criteria:

height 173 and above;
average physical development;
secondary education;
without medical restrictions.

If everything matches, then the future fighter begins training.

Particular attention is paid, of course, to the physical training of airborne paratroopers, which is carried out constantly, begins with a daily rise at 6 in the morning, hand-to-hand combat (a special training program) and ends with long forced marches of 30–50 km. Therefore, each fighter has a huge endurance and endurance, besides, guys who were engaged in any kind of sport that develops that very endurance are selected into their ranks. To check it, they pass an endurance test - in 12 minutes a fighter must run 2.4-2.8 km, otherwise there is no point in the Airborne Forces service.

It is worth noting that it is not for nothing that they are called universal fighters. These people can operate on various terrains in any weather conditions absolutely silently, can disguise themselves, own all types of weapons of both their own and the enemy, manage any type of transport, means of communication. In addition to excellent physical fitness, psychological training is also required, since the fighters have to overcome not only long distances, but also “work with their heads” to get ahead of the enemy throughout the entire operation.

Intellectual fitness is determined using tests compiled by experts. AT without fail psychological compatibility in the team is taken into account, the guys are included in a certain detachment for 2-3 days, after which the old-timers evaluate their behavior.

Psychophysical training is being carried out, which implies tasks with increased risk where there is both physical and mental stress. Such tasks are aimed at overcoming fear. At the same time, if it turns out that the future paratrooper does not experience, in general, a feeling of fear, then he is not accepted for further training, since this feeling is quite naturally taught to control him, and not completely eradicated. The training of the Airborne Forces gives our country a huge advantage in the face of fighters over any enemy. Most of the VDVeshnikov lead an already familiar lifestyle even after retirement.

Armament of the Airborne Forces

As for the technical equipment, combined arms equipment and specially designed for the nature of this type of troops are involved in the Airborne Forces. Some of the samples were created during the USSR, but the bulk was developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The machines of the Soviet period include:

landing combat vehicle - 1 (the number reaches - 100 units);
BMD-2M (about 1 thousand units), they are used both in ground and in parachute landing methods.

These techniques were tested over many years and took part in multiple armed conflicts that took place on the territory of our country and abroad. In our time, in conditions of rapid progress, these models are outdated both morally and physically. A little later, the BMD-3 model came out, and today the number of such equipment is only 10 units, since production has been discontinued, they plan to gradually replace it with the BMD-4.

The Airborne Forces are also armed with armored personnel carriers BTR-82A, BTR-82AM and BTR-80 and the most numerous tracked armored personnel carrier - 700 units, and it is also the most outdated (mid-70s), it is gradually being replaced by an armored personnel carrier - MDM "Rakushka". There are also anti-tank guns 2S25 "Sprut-SD", an armored personnel carrier - RD "Robot", and anti-tank systems: "Competition", "Metis", "Fagot", and "Cornet". air defense represented by missile systems, but a special place is given to the novelty, which not so long ago appeared in service with the Airborne Forces - the Verba MANPADS.

Not so long ago, new models of technology appeared:

armored car "Tiger";
Snowmobile A-1;
truck KAMAZ - 43501.

As for communication systems, they are represented by locally developed Leer-2 and 3 electronic warfare systems, Infauna, system management is represented by air defense"Barnaul", "Andromeda" and "Flight-K" - automation of command and control.

Weapon represented by samples, for example, the Yarygin pistol, the PMM and the PSS silent pistol. The Soviet Ak-74 assault rifle is still the personal weapon of the paratroopers, but is gradually being replaced by the latest AK-74M, and the silent Val assault rifle is also used in special operations. There are both Soviet and post-Soviet parachute systems that can parachute large batches of soldiers and all the military equipment described above. Heavier equipment includes automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 "Flame" and AGS-30, SPG-9.

Armament DShB

DShB had transport and helicopter regiments which included:

about twenty mi-24s, forty mi-8s and forty mi-6s;
the anti-tank battery was armed with a mounted anti-tank grenade launcher 9 MD;
the mortar battery included eight 82mm BM-37s;
in the anti-aircraft missile platoon, there were nine Strela-2M MANPADS;
also included several BMD-1s, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers for each airborne assault battalion.

The armament of the brigade-artillery group consisted of GD-30 howitzers, PM-38 mortars, GP 2A2 cannons, the Malyutka anti-tank missile system, SPG-9MD, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun.

Heavier equipment includes automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 "Flame" and AGS-30, SPG-9 "Spear". Aerial reconnaissance is carried out using the domestic Orlan-10 drone.

One interesting fact took place in the history of the Airborne Forces, for quite a long time, thanks to erroneous information from the media, special forces soldiers (SpN) were not rightfully called paratroopers. The fact, what in Air Force our country in the Soviet Union, as well as in the post-Soviet Union, there were no special forces troops and there are no special forces, but there are units and units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the General Staff, which arose in the 50s. Until the 1980s, the command was forced to completely deny their existence in our country. Therefore, those who were appointed to these troops learned about them only after they were accepted into service. For the media, they were disguised as motorized rifle battalions.

Airborne Forces Day

Paratroopers celebrate the birthday of the Airborne Forces, like the DSB since August 2, 2006. This kind of gratitude for the effectiveness of the air units, the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation was signed in May of the same year. Despite the fact that the holiday was declared by our government, the birthday is celebrated not only in our country, but also in Belarus, Ukraine and most of the CIS countries.

Every year, veterans of the Airborne Forces and active soldiers meet in the so-called "meeting place", in each city it has its own, for example, in Astrakhan "Brotherly Garden", in Kazan "Victory Square", in Kyiv "Hydropark", in Moscow "Poklonnaya Gora", Novosibirsk Central Park. Demonstrations, concerts and fairs are organized in large cities.

Airborne troops
(VDV)

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 combat use of airborne assaults was made by Marshal of the Soviet Union M.N. Tukhachevsky. Back in the second half of the 1920s, he was the first among Soviet military leaders to deeply study the role of airborne assault forces in a future war, and substantiated the prospects of the Airborne Forces.

In the work "New Questions of War" M.N. Tukhachevsky wrote: “If a country is prepared for the widespread production of airborne assault forces capable of capturing and stopping the operation 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 reverse the previous methods of operational operations and give the outcome of the war much more decisive character.

A significant place in this work is given to the role of airborne assault forces in border battles. The author believed that during this period of the battle it would be more profitable to use airborne assault forces to disrupt mobilization, isolate and tie 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 the 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 complete any task, while showing determination and stamina. Airborne assault forces must deliver sudden attacks on the enemy where no one is waiting for them.

Theoretical studies led to the fact that the combat activity of the Airborne Forces should be of an offensive nature, bold to the point of insolence and extremely maneuverable in carrying out quick, concentrated strikes. Airborne assault forces, making maximum use of the suddenness of their appearance, must swiftly strike at the most sensitive points, achieve hourly success, thereby increasing panic in the ranks of the enemy.

Simultaneously with the development of the theory of the combat use of the Airborne Forces in the Red Army, bold experiments were carried out on the landing of airborne assault forces, an extensive program was conducted to create experimental airborne units, questions of their organization were studied, and a system of combat training was developed.

For the first time, an airborne assault was used to perform a combat mission in 1929. On April 13, 1929, the Fuzaili gang made another raid from Afghanistan to the territory of Tajikistan. The plans of the Basmachi included capturing the Garm district and in the future to ensure the invasion of the Alai and Ferghana valleys of larger bands of the Basmachi. Cavalry detachments were sent to the Basmachi invasion area with the task of destroying the gang before it captured the Garm district. However, the information received from the city testified that they would not have time to block the path of the gang, which had already defeated a detachment of Garm volunteers in the oncoming battle and threatened the city. In this critical situation, the commander of the Central Asian military district P.E. Dybenko made a bold decision: to transfer a detachment of fighters through the air and with a sudden blow to destroy the enemy on the outskirts of the city. 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. Shapkin, brigade commissar A.T. Fedin. The platoon commanders were supposed to capture the landing site and ensure the landing of the main forces of the detachment. The task of the brigade commander was to study the situation on the spot and then, returning back to Dushanbe, report the results to the commander. Commissar 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 forces took off. However, the detachment's plan of action planned earlier was canceled immediately after the plane landed with the commander and commissar. Half of the city was already occupied by the Basmachi, so it was impossible to delay. Having sent a plane with a report, the brigade commander decided to immediately attack the enemy with available forces, without waiting for the landing force to arrive. Having obtained horses in the nearest villages and splitting into two groups, the detachment moved to Garm. Having burst into the city, the detachment unleashed 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 division of the Red Army had broken into the city, and, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated from the city, losing about 80 people in the process. The approaching cavalry units completed the defeat of the Fuzaili gang. District Commander P.E. Dybenko, during the analysis, 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 unfolded: “I didn’t think that one jump could change a lot in life. I loved flying with all my heart. Like all my comrades, at that time I was distrustful of parachutes. and did not think. 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, head of the Air Force, called me and asked: "In your report, you said that you must fly blind without fail with a parachute. Leonid Grigorievich, what do you think, 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. Recalling this incident, I answered Pyotr Ionovich in the affirmative. Then he suggested that I go to the USA and get to know how they are doing with the rescue service in aviation. Frankly, I reluctantly agreed. I returned from the United States of America "small": with a "diploma" in my pocket and three jumps. Pyotr Ionovich Baranov put my memorandum in a skinny folder. When he closed it, on the cover I saw the inscription: "Parachuting business." I left Baranov's office two hours later. There was a lot of work to be done on the introduction of parachutes in aviation, on the organization of various studies and experiments aimed at improving flight safety. It was decided to hold classes in Voronezh in order to familiarize the flight crew with parachutes and the organization of jumps. Baranov suggested thinking about the possibility of training 10-15 paratroopers 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. 'Cause I've been here the only person who has already received an air parachute baptism and jumped more than once, not two, but had as many as three jumps! And the prize-winning place I took at the competitions of the strongest skydivers in the USA, apparently, seemed to be something inaccessible to those present. Together with me, the pilot Moshkovsky, who was appointed my assistant at the training camp, was preparing to jump. There were no more applicants. My jump was really successful. I landed lightly, not far from the audience, I even stood on my feet. Met with applause. A girl who came from somewhere handed me a bouquet of field daisies. - "And how is Moshkovsky?"... The plane enters the course. His figure is clearly visible in the doorway. It's time to jump. It's time! But he is still standing in the doorway, apparently not daring to rush down. Another second, second. Finally! A white plume shot up over the falling man and immediately turned into a tight canopy of a parachute. - "Hurrah-ah-ah! .." - there was a sound around. Many pilots, seeing Moshkovsky and me alive and unharmed, expressed a desire to jump too. On that day, the 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 course of the training by 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 answer, Pyotr Ionovich explained his thought: "It would be very good if it were possible during the Voronezh exercise to demonstrate the release of a group of armed paratroopers for sabotage operations on the territory of the" enemy "."

Needless to say, this is original and interesting task we accepted with great enthusiasm. It was decided to launch the landing from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. In those days it was the only aircraft we had mastered for jumping. Its advantage over the TB-1 bombers available in the air brigade was that a person did not need to get out on the wing - paratroopers jumped directly into open door. Moreover, all trainees were in the cockpit. The feeling of a comrade's elbow reassured everyone. In addition, the releaser could watch him, cheer him up 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 plan of the landing operation included the dropping of weapons and ammunition (light machine guns, grenades, cartridges) from aircraft on special cargo parachutes. For this purpose, two soft mail bags and four light-heavy boxes designed by K. Blagin were used. The landing group was divided into two detachments, since no more than seven paratroopers fit in the cockpit. After the landing of the first paratroopers, 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 P-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 from the aircraft of all fighters; fix the time it will take to descend 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 drop of the first detachment was planned from a height of 350 meters, the second - from 500 meters, dropping cargo - from 150 meters. Preparations for the landing operation were completed on 31 July. Each fighter knew his place on the plane and his task on the ground. The equipment of the paratroopers, consisting of the main and reserve parachutes, was stowed and carefully adjusted to the figure of the fighter, weapons and ammunition were packed in hanging bags and boxes of cargo parachutes.

On August 2, 1930, at exactly 9 o'clock, a plane took off from the base airfield. On board is the first detachment of paratroopers. Together with us and the head of the second group Ya. Moshkovsky. He decided to see where the place of separation of our group was, so that later he could accurately parachute his guys. Following us, three R-1 aircraft took off, under the wings of which cargo parachutes were suspended on bomb racks.

Having made a circle, our plane turned to the landing site, located about two kilometers from the airfield. The landing area is a field free from crops measuring 600 by 800 meters. She adjoined a small farm. One of the buildings, located on the outskirts of the farm, was designated as a landmark for collecting paratroopers after landing and as a starting point for the start of military operations of the landing force in the rear of the "enemy". - "Get ready!" - trying to shout over the rumble of engines, I commanded. The guys immediately got up and stood one after another, squeezing in right hand pull ring. Faces are tense, focused. As soon as they crossed the site, I gave the command: "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 gathered their parachutes and ran up to me. In the meantime, the R-1 link passed overhead and dropped six parachutes with weapons on the edge of the farm. We rushed there, unpacked the bags, took out machine guns, cartridges. And now our "Farman" with the second group reappeared in the sky. As planned, Moshkovsky's group left the plane at an altitude of 500 meters. They landed next to us. It took only a few minutes, and 12 paratroopers, armed with two light machine guns, rifles, revolvers and grenades, were in fully prepared to combat..."

So 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: “Successful experiments in organizing airborne assaults should be noted as achievements. Airborne operations should be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Headquarters of the Red Army and they were 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 Soviets.

Organizational structure of the airborne troops

Command of the Airborne Troops
- 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 Chernihiv Red Banner Division;
- 31st Separate Guards Airborne 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 Troops;

Airborne Troops- a type of troops intended for military operations behind enemy lines.

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

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

The Airborne Forces consist of:

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

The personnel of the Airborne Forces are parachuted along with their 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-rocket systems, cargo containers, platforms for installing and dropping weapons and equipment) or delivered by aircraft behind enemy lines to captured airfields.

The main combat properties of the Airborne Forces:

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

The Airborne Forces are armed with airborne self-propelled guns ASU-85; self-propelled artillery guns "Octopus-SD"; 122-mm D-30 howitzers; 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 Joint Forces of the CIS) or be under joint command in accordance with the international treaties of the Russian Federation (for example, as part of the UN peacekeeping forces or the collective forces of the CIS to maintain peace in zones of local military conflicts ).