Vests in the city - a million blue berets are celebrating their professional holiday today. A highly mobile formidable force of the country that has no equal! The airborne troops are 88 years old. Throughout this time, the paratroopers fulfilled their military duty with honor and wrote many glorious pages in the history of the country.

Today throughout Russia there are festive concerts, memorial events, and folk festivals. An extensive program is also planned in Moscow. It began with a prayer service in the temple of the prophet Elijah, whom the paratroopers consider their heavenly patron.

In the very center of the capital, final preparations are underway for the start of the celebration. Exactly at noon, demonstration performances of airborne parade units will begin on Red Square. Traditionally, hundreds of people come and come here to the city center to see them. The final touch before the performance. Now a company of cadets of the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne School are perfecting their movements. In addition to them, there are the youngest students of military-patriotic clubs and the combined orchestra of the Airborne Forces.

Very soon, military personnel, veterans, residents of Moscow and guests of the capital will march along Red Square to the Execution Place, where there will be a solemn prayer service. This is how it happened historically: Airborne Forces Day coincides with the great Christian holiday - Elijah's Day. Early in the morning, a divine liturgy was held in the Church of Elijah the Prophet, who is considered the heavenly patron of the Airborne Forces.

The history of the “winged infantry” troops began on August 2, 1930, when 12 people parachuted for the first time from an airborne unit during exercises in the Moscow Military District near Voronezh. Airborne Forces Day will be celebrated brightly, colorfully and cheerfully throughout the country today. Moscow is just beginning to take on the color of vest blue.

The paratroopers say that the way they celebrate August 2, they do not celebrate any holiday in the family, and even those who are retired claim: there are no “former paratroopers.” In the capital, on Vasilievsky Spusk, after the demonstration performance there will be a festive concert. But it will be possible to meet your colleagues and celebrate Airborne Forces Day not only here. Festive events in almost all parks. In Gorky Park you can go to an exhibition of military equipment, and there will also be demonstration performances in hand-to-hand combat.

Blue Berets have been lucky with the weather for several years in a row - the same blue sky, which means swimming in the fountains cannot be avoided.

In Ryazan, which has the unofficial status of the capital of the Airborne Forces, this year they are also celebrating the centenary of the legendary airborne school named after Vasily Margelov - the famous Uncle Vasya, who is considered the founder of the “winged guard”.

In honor of the centenary anniversary, balloonists raised a 100-meter St. George's ribbon into the sky. It was attached to two balloons. The festivities are just beginning. The whole city will be out for a walk today.

The holiday was widely celebrated in Vladivostok. The “Nobody But Us” motor rally took place there. A column with Airborne Forces flags drove from Russky Island to Victory Park, where paratroopers laid flowers at the monument to Primorye residents who died during the war. Well, then - festivities and songs with a guitar.

The Ministry of Defense published unique historical documents for Airborne Forces Day about the first pages of the glorious military path of the “winged guard” and more. Previously, the materials were classified, but are now available to the general public.

Thus, already at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in the fall of 1941, the airborne brigade, finding itself in the rear of the advancing Nazis, fought its way to its own, destroying a large enemy formation with artillery and tanks. The soldiers acted boldly and decisively, instilling such fear in the Nazis that subsequently the Wehrmacht command even issued a special order - soldiers in blue caps and aviation uniforms should not be taken prisoner.

Among the declassified papers there is also a description of the legendary Airborne Forces commander Vasily Margelov: Disciplined, demanding of himself and his subordinates, pays a lot of attention to uniting personnel, knows how to lead a formation in a difficult combat situation - these are just some of the most striking features.

On Thursday, August 2, Russia traditionally celebrates Airborne Forces Day. the site tells what kind of holiday it is and what traditions it has.

What are airborne troops?

Airborne troops (Airborne Forces) are a highly mobile branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces), designed to reach the enemy by air and conduct combat operations in his rear. The Airborne Forces report directly to the Airborne Forces commander and consist of airborne divisions, brigades, individual units and institutions.

When did the Airborne Forces appear?

The first mentions of the Airborne Forces date back to the times of the USSR. On December 11, 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR decided to deploy a brigade on the basis of the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District, entrusting it with training instructors in airborne training and working out operational-tactical standards.

Already at the beginning of 1933, special-purpose aviation battalions were formed in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga military districts. And by the summer of 1941, the manning of five airborne corps, each numbering 10 thousand people, had ended. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, five airborne corps took part in battles with invaders on the territory of Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

In 1994-1996 and 1999-2004, all formations and military units of the Airborne Forces took part in hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic; in August 2008, military units of the Airborne Forces took part in the operation to force Georgia to peace, operating in the Ossetian and Abkhazian directions.

Why is Airborne Forces Day celebrated on August 2?

On this day, in 1930, during exercises of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, for the first time, an airborne unit of 12 people was parachuted from a TB-3 bomber. This experiment allowed military theorists to see the prospects and advantages of parachute units and their ability to quickly reach the enemy by air.

Holiday traditions

Many people know about the tradition of the “winged landing” to put on their blue berets and vests on August 2 and meet with comrades in city parks. In addition, on August 2, Airborne Forces travel around their cities in cars with symbols and flags of the Airborne Forces.

It is also customary to swim in fountains on Airborne Forces Day. It is unknown where the love for swimming in fountains came from. There are many versions. According to the “blue berets” themselves, in this way they want to be closer to the sky, the reflection of which they see in the water of the fountains.

On August 2, the main heroes of the occasion often stage demonstrations and demonstrate the weapons and equipment in their arsenal. In addition, on August 2, festive concerts, master classes in hand-to-hand combat and parades are organized.

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

Airborne Troops

Airborne Forces motto: “Nobody but us”

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

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

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

I want to serve in the Airborne Forces

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

You need to prepare for service in the Airborne Forces.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They say that you become real paratroopers after

People are not born paratroopers, they become paratroopers.

How to get into service in the Airborne Forces

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

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

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

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

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

File in PDF format. Spin the wheel and watch.

Where do they serve in the Airborne Forces?

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

The Airborne Forces include:

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

31st Air Assault Brigade in Ulyanovsk

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

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

The Airborne Forces Training Center is located in Omsk.

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

Divisions:

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

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

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

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

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

Composition in 2012

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

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

Composition of the division in 2009:

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

Information on airborne divisions - source Wikipedia

Today, Russian paratroopers and veterans of the Russian Airborne Forces celebrate their professional holiday.

The history of our Airborne Forces began on August 2, 1930. On this day, during the Air Force exercises of the Moscow Military District, which were held near Voronezh, 12 people were dropped from the air as part of a special unit. The experiment showed the enormous capabilities and prospects of parachute units.

In 1931, an airborne detachment consisting of 164 people was formed in the Leningrad Military District. For landing, they use the TB-3& aircraft, which carried 35 paratroopers on board, and on the external sling - either a light tank, or an armored car, or two 76 mm caliber guns. The idea was verified by experiment.

On December 11, 1932, a resolution was adopted by the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR on the creation of massive Airborne Forces. An entire brigade is being formed on the basis of the airborne detachment of the Leningrad Military District, which has been landing all year. The main task is the training of paratrooper instructors plus the development of operational-tactical standards. By March 1933, instructors were trained, standards were calculated, and special-purpose aviation battalions began to be formed in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga military districts.

For the first time, a massive parachute landing was carried out in the presence of foreign delegations during maneuvers in the Kiev Military District in September 1935. 1,200 specially trained military personnel landed and quickly captured the airfield. This impressed observers. At the next major exercise in the Belarusian Military District, 1,800 paratroopers were dropped. This impressed German military observers, including Goering. who was “in the know.” In the spring of that year, he gave the order to form the first German airborne regiment. The experience of the Soviet Airborne Forces was deservedly appreciated abroad from the very beginning.

Soon the troops new to our armed forces will have the opportunity to test their capabilities in real combat conditions. In 1939, the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the battles of Japanese troops on the Khalkhin Gol River. During the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940), the 201st, 204th and 214th Airborne Brigades fought.

By the summer of 1941, five airborne corps were formed, each numbering 10 thousand people. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, all five airborne corps took part in fierce battles on the territory of Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine. During the counteroffensive near Moscow at the beginning of 1942, the Vyazma airborne operation took place with the landing of the 4th Airborne Corps. This is the largest airborne operation during the war. In total, about 10 thousand paratroopers were dropped behind German lines.

During the war, all airborne units receive the rank of guards. 296 paratroopers - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Based on the experience of the war in 1946, the Airborne Forces were withdrawn from the Air Force and included in the reserve troops of the Supreme High Command and directly subordinate to the Minister of the USSR Armed Forces. At the same time, the position of commander of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces was established.

The first commander of the Airborne Forces was Colonel General V.V. Glagolev.

In 1954, V.F. became commander of the Airborne Forces. Margelov (1909-1990), who remained in this position with a short break until 1979. An entire era in the history of the Russian airborne troops is associated with the name of Margelov; it is not without reason that the Airborne Forces received the unofficial name “Uncle Vasya’s Troops.”

In the 1950s, during the exercises of airborne units, special attention began to be paid to new methods of defense behind enemy lines, and to the actions of landing troops in conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. Airborne units begin to receive heavy weapons - artillery mounts (ASU-76, ASU-57, ASU-85), tracked airborne combat vehicles (BMD-1, BMD-2). Military transport aviation is equipped with An-12 and An-22 aircraft, which were capable of delivering armored vehicles, cars, artillery, and ammunition behind enemy lines. On January 5, 1973, for the first time in history, a tracked BMD-1 with two crew members on board landed from an An-12B military transport aircraft using parachute-platform vehicles in the Centaur complex. The crew commander is the son of Vasily Filippovich Margelov, senior lieutenant Alexander Margelov, the driver is lieutenant colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev.

The Airborne Forces take part in the Czechoslovak events of 1968. Units of the 7th and 103rd Guards Airborne Divisions captured and blocked the airfields of Ruzina (near Prague) and Brno; paratroopers prepared them to receive military transport aircraft. Two hours later, the paratroopers captured four bridges across the Vltava, the buildings of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, publishing houses, the buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the main post office, the television center, banks and other important objects in Prague. This happens without a single shot being fired.

Subsequently, airborne units participate in the war in Afghanistan, military conflicts in the territory of the former USSR - Chechnya, Karabakh, South and North Ossetia, Osh, Transnistria and in the zone of Georgian-Abkhaz confrontation. Two airborne battalions carry out missions

UN Peacekeeping Forces in Yugoslavia.

Now the Airborne Forces are one of the most combat-ready units of the Russian Army. They form the backbone of the Special Operations Forces. The ranks of the Airborne Forces number about 35 thousand soldiers and officers.

World experience

The US Airborne Forces have a rich tradition and extensive combat experience. Unlike Russia, in the United States the Airborne Forces are not a separate branch of the military; Americans consider the Airborne Forces as a special component of the ground forces. Organizationally, the US Airborne Forces are united in the 18th Airborne Corps, which also includes tank, motorized infantry, and aviation units. The corps was formed in 1944 in the British Isles and took part in hostilities in Western Europe. Formations and units from its composition participated in combat operations in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf zone, Haiti, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The corps currently includes four divisions and a variety of units and support units. The total number of personnel is 88 thousand people. The corps headquarters is located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

British Airborne Forces

In the British Army, the Airborne Forces also do not form a separate branch of the military, but are part of the Ground Forces.

Today, the British Armed Forces have one - the 16th Air Assault Brigade as part of the 5th Division of the British Army. It was formed on September 1, 1999, incorporating units of the 5th Airborne Brigade and the 24th Airborne Brigade. It consists of airborne, infantry, artillery, medical and engineering units.

The main emphasis in the British military doctrine of the use of airborne forces is on airborne assault with the support of helicopter units.

The brigade received its name as an inheritance from the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions during the Second World War. The "Attacking Eagle" emblem was borrowed from the Special Training Center, which was located in Lochilot, Scotland.

The 16th Brigade is the main strike unit of the British Army, so it takes part in all military operations conducted by the UK: Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan.

The brigade has 8,000 personnel, making it the largest brigade in the British Army.

French Airborne Forces

The French Airborne Forces are part of the Ground Forces and are represented by the 11th Parachute Division. The division is divided into two brigades and consists of seven units corresponding in strength to the battalion: 1st Marine Parachute Regiment, 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment of the Foreign Legion, 1st and 9th Parachute Commando Regiments (light infantry) , 3rd, 6th and 8th Marine Parachute Regiments.

The division's headquarters is located in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrenees province. The personnel numbers about 11,000 people.

French paratroopers participated in all recent military conflicts in France, from the war in Indochina to the peacekeeping operation in Mali.

German Airborne Forces

German paratroopers form the backbone of the Bundeswehr's special operations forces. Organizationally, the airborne troops are represented in the form of the Special Operations Division with headquarters in Regensburg. The Division includes: the KSK special forces detachment (“Kommando Spezialkrafte”), formed on the basis of the former 25th Parachute Brigade; 26th Parachute Brigade; 31st Parachute Brigade; and the 4th control and communications regiment; anti-aircraft missile battery; 310th separate reconnaissance company; 200th reconnaissance and sabotage company. The personnel numbers 8 thousand people.

Bundeswehr paratroopers take an active part in all UN and NATO peacekeeping and military operations carried out recently.

Airborne Forces of China

In China, airborne troops are part of the Air Force. They are consolidated into the 15th Airborne Corps (headquarters in Xiaogan, Hubei Province), which consists of three airborne divisions - the 43rd (Kaifeng, Hubei Province), the 44th (Yingshan, Hubei Province) and 45th (Huangpi, Hubei Province).

Currently, the airborne forces of the PLA Air Force number, according to various estimates, from 24 to 30 thousand personnel.

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

Rice. 1. Structure of the Airborne Forces

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

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

Branch

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

Platoon

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

Company

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

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

Regiment

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

Brigade

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

Division

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

Frame

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

Army

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

Front

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

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

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