Control room at Ruzyne International Airport, Prague. The usual night shift turns into a nightmare: an armada of aircraft is approaching on the radar screens. Who are they? What's happening? Commands in Czech roar over the radio: "Stop issuing and receiving planes, immediately vacate the runway."
Behind the dispatchers' backs, a door crunches and rolls over, armed people without insignia rush into the room. The Czechs finally understand what is happening - some of them manage to break the radio equipment. The control tower is out of action, but the GRU special forces are already rampaging on the airfield, having landed a couple of hours before the main forces disembarked aboard the "Trojan horse" - a civilian aircraft that requested an emergency landing.
A small scuffle occurs near the building of the airport fire brigade - warned from the control point, firefighters are trying to block the runway with cars and special equipment. But, having come face to face with the armed Soviet special forces, they hastily retreat. The terminal building was blocked, all exits to the field and approaches to the runway were blocked. Have time!
And in the sky over Prague the landing lights of An-12 are already swinging. The first big-bellied transporter comes in for landing, unloads, in a matter of minutes - and the plane, roaring with four engines, leaves for reinforcements. Piles of unused parachutes remain at the edges of the airfield. In total, over the next day, 450 aircraft with units of the 7th Guards landed at the Ruzine airport. airborne division …
If we were thrown out at night, then half of the division … Do you know how many people were at the airfields, how many planes, how many people would I have killed?
- General Lev Gorelov, at that time the commander of the 7th Guards. airborne
In the Combat Regulations of the Airborne Forces, the word "parachute" is practically not found. And in each paragraph of the charter, dedicated to the landing, there are always prudently specified clarifications: "airborne assault (landing)" or "landing site (airfield)".
The charter was written by smart people who knew very well the military history and practice of using airborne assault forces in various military conflicts.
The largest operation in the history of the Russian Airborne Forces was the Vyazemsk airborne operation, carried out by the forces of four airborne brigades and the 250th rifle regiment of the Red Army in January-February 1942. And many tragic and instructive moments were associated with this event.
The first group of paratroopers was landed in the rear of the German troops south of Vyazma on January 18-22, 1942. It is noteworthy that the 250th rifle regiment landed (attention!) By landing method. Thanks to the successful actions of the paratroopers, a few days later the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps of the Red Army broke through to their location. The possibility of encircling part of the German forces of Army Group Center was indicated.
To strengthen the Soviet grouping behind enemy lines, a second group of paratroopers was urgently landed. By February 1, 2,497 people and 34 tons of cargo were parachuted into the indicated areas. The result was discouraging - the cargo was lost, and only 1,300 paratroopers left for the gathering place.
No less alarming results were obtained during the Dnieper airborne operation - strong anti-aircraft fire forced the planes to rise above the clouds, as a result, dropped from a two-kilometer height, 4,500 paratroopers were scattered over an area of tens of square kilometers. As a result of the operation, a directive was issued with the following content:
The release of a mass landing at night testifies to the illiteracy of the organizers of this business, because, as experience shows, the release of a massive night landing, even on its own territory, is fraught with great dangers.
I order the remaining one and a half airborne brigades to be removed from the subordination of the Voronezh Front and to consider them a reserve of the Headquarters.
I. STALIN
It is no coincidence that most of the airborne units of the Red Army were reorganized into rifle units during the war.
Massive airborne assault forces in the Western European theater of operations had similar consequences. In May 1941, 16 thousand German paratroopers, displaying exceptional heroism, were able to capture the island of Crete (Operation Mercury), but suffered such heavy losses that the Wehrmacht air force was permanently out of the game. And the German command had to part with plans to capture the Suez Canal with the help of paratroopers.
In the summer of 1943, American paratroopers found themselves in no less difficult conditions: during the landing in Sicily, due to strong winds, they were 80 kilometers from their intended target. The British were even less fortunate that day - a quarter of the British paratroopers drowned in the sea.
Well, the Second World War ended long ago - since then, the means of landing, communications and control systems have radically changed for the better. Let's take a look at a couple of more recent examples:
For example, the Israeli elite paratrooper brigade "Tsanhanim". On the account of this unit there is one successful parachute landing: the capture of the strategically important Mitla Pass (1956). However, here there are a number of contradictory moments: firstly, the landing was point-like - only a couple of hundred paratroopers. Secondly, the landing took place in a desert area, initially without any opposition from the enemy.
In subsequent years, the Tsanhaiim paratrooper brigade was never used for its intended purpose: the fighters deftly jumped with a parachute during exercises, but in the conditions of real hostilities (the Six Day War or the Yom Kippur War) they preferred to move on the ground under the cover of heavy armored vehicles, or carried out pinpoint sabotage operations using helicopters.
The Airborne Forces are a highly mobile arm of the Ground Forces and are designed to perform missions behind enemy lines as airborne assault forces.
- Combat regulations of the Airborne Forces, clause 1
Soviet paratroopers repeatedly took part in military operations outside the USSR, took part in suppressing mutinies in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, fought in Afghanistan and were the recognized elite of the Armed Forces. However, the real combat use of the Airborne Forces was very different from that romantic image of a parachutist descending from heaven on parachute lines, as it was widely represented in popular culture.
Suppression of the uprising in Hungary (November 1956):
- the soldiers of the 108th Guards Parachute Regiment were delivered to the Hungarian airfields Tekel and Veszprem, and immediately captured strategically important objects. Now, having seized the air gates, it was easy to receive help and reinforcements and develop an offensive deep into enemy territory.
- The 80th Guards Parachute Regiment arrived at the border with Hungary by rail (Beregovo station), from there, in a marching column, made a 400-km march to Budapest;
Suppression of the uprising in Czechoslovakia (1968):
During Operation Danube, Soviet troops, with the support of Bulgarian, Polish, Hungarian and German units, established control over Czechoslovakia in 36 hours, carrying out a quick and bloodless occupation of the country. It was the events of August 21, 1968, associated with the brilliant seizure of the Ruzine international airport, that became the prologue to this article.
In addition to the capital's airport, the Soviet troops captured the Turani and Namesti airfields, turning them into impregnable fortified points, where more and more forces arrived from the USSR in an endless stream.
The introduction of troops into Afghanistan (1979):
The Soviet landing in a matter of hours captured all the most important airfields of this Central Asian country: Kabul, Bagram and Shindad (Kandahar was captured later). Within a few days, large forces of the Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops arrived there, and the airfields themselves turned into the most important transport portals for the delivery of weapons, equipment, fuel, food and equipment for the 40th Army.
The defense of the airfield is organized by separate company (platoon) strongpoints with anti-tank and air defense weapons located in them in the directions of the enemy's probable advance. Removing the front edge of the strongholds should exclude the defeat of aircraft on the runway by direct fire from enemy tanks and guns. The gaps between the strong points are covered with mine-explosive obstacles. The routes for the advancement and the lines for the deployment of the reserve are being prepared. Some of the subunits are allocated for ambush operations on the enemy's approach routes.
- Combat regulations of the Airborne Forces, p. 206
Damn it! This is even spelled out in the Charter.
It is much easier and more efficient to land at the capital's airport on enemy territory, dig in, and transfer a division of "Pskov thugs" there in one night than to get out on the seashore covered with thorns or jump from sky-high heights into the unknown. Prompt delivery of heavy armored vehicles and other bulky equipment becomes possible. The paratroopers receive timely assistance and reinforcements, the evacuation of the wounded and prisoners is simplified, and convenient transport routes connecting the capital's airport with the center of the country make this facility truly invaluable in any local war.
The only risk is that the enemy may guess about the plans and at the last moment block the runway with bulldozers. But, as practice shows, with the proper approach to ensuring secrecy, no serious problems arise. Finally, for insurance, you can use an advanced detachment disguised as a "peaceful Soviet tractor", which will put things in order on the airfield a few minutes before the arrival of the main forces (there is a wide scope for improvisation: "emergency" landing, a group of "athletes" with black bags "Adibas", etc.)
Preparation of the captured airfield (landing site) for the reception of troops and materiel consists in clearing the runway and taxiways for landing aircraft (helicopters), unloading equipment and cargo from them, and equipping access roads for vehicles.
- Combat regulations of the Airborne Forces, p. 258
Actually, there is nothing new here - ingenious tactics with the capture of the airport appeared half a century ago. Budapest, Prague and Bagram are vivid examples of this scheme. According to the same scenario, the Americans landed at the Mogadishu airport (the Somali civil war, 1993). The peacekeeping forces in Bosnia acted according to the same scenario (taking control of Tuzla airport, early 90s), which was later turned into the main base of the “blue helmets”.
The main task of the "Throw on Pristina" - the famous raid of Russian paratroopers in June 1999 was … who would have thought! … the seizure of the airport "Slatina", where the arrival of replenishment was expected - up to two regiments of the Airborne Forces. The operation itself was carried out brilliantly (its inglorious finale is no longer relevant to the topic of this article, since it bears a clear political, not a military color).
Of course, the "capture of the capital's airport" technique is only suitable for local wars with an obviously weak and unprepared enemy.
It was already unrealistic to repeat such a trick in Iraq - the wars in the Persian Gulf proceeded in the spirit of old traditions: aircraft bombed, tank and motorized columns rushed forward, if necessary, pinpoint groups of assault forces would land in the enemy's rear: special forces, saboteurs, aircraft correctors. However, there was never any talk of any massive drops of parachutists. First, there was no need for it.
Secondly, a massive parachute landing in our time is an unjustifiably risky and meaningless event: just remember the quote from General Lev Gorelov, who honestly admitted that if he was parachuted, half of his division could die. But the Czechs in 1968 had neither the S-300, nor the Patriot air defense system, nor the portable Stingers …
The use of parachute assault forces in World War III seems to be even more dubious. In conditions when even supersonic fighters are at mortal risk in the zone of fire of modern anti-aircraft missile systems, it is hoped that a huge transport Il-76 will be able to fly and land troops near Washington …
Popular rumor ascribes to Reagan the phrase: "I would not be surprised if on the second day of the war I see guys in vests and blue berets on the threshold of the White House." I don’t know if the President of the United States said such words, but he will receive a thermonuclear weapon in half an hour after the start of the war.
Based on historical experience, the paratroopers showed themselves excellently in the air assault brigades - in the late 60s, the rapid development of helicopter technology made it possible to develop a concept for the use of landing forces in the enemy's close rear. Point helicopter landing played a significant role in the Afghan war.
The paratrooper first runs as long as he can, and then as much as necessary
- Army humor
Over the past 30 years, a peculiar image of a paratrooper has formed in Russian society: for some unclear reasons, the landing force does not "hang on the slings", but sits on the armor of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in all hot spots.
That's right - the Airborne Forces, the beauty and pride of the Armed Forces, being one of the most trained and efficient combat arms, are regularly involved in tasks in local conflicts. At the same time, the landing is used as motorized infantry, together with units of motorized riflemen, special forces, riot police and even the marines! (It's no secret that the Russian marines took part in the storming of Grozny).
Hence, a reasonable philistine question arises: if over the past 70 years the Airborne Forces have never, under any circumstances, been used for their intended purpose (namely, a massive landing of parachutists), then why are there talks about the need for specific systems suitable for landing under a parachute canopy: combat BMD-4M landing vehicle or 2S25 "Sprut" anti-tank self-propelled gun?
If the assault force is always used as an elite motorized infantry in local wars, then wouldn't it be better to arm the guys with conventional tanks, heavy self-propelled guns and infantry fighting vehicles? To act on the front lines without heavy armored vehicles is a betrayal in relation to the soldiers.
Take a look at the US Marine Corps - the US Marines have forgotten the smell of the sea. The Marine Corps has become an expeditionary force - a kind of "special forces" trained for operations outside the United States, with its tanks, helicopters and aircraft. The main armored vehicles of the Marine Corps are the 65-ton Abrams tank, a pile of iron with negative buoyancy.
It is worth noting that the domestic airborne forces also play the role of a rapid reaction force capable of arriving anywhere in the world and engaging in battle immediately upon arrival. It is clear that the paratroopers in this case need a special vehicle, but why do they need an aluminum BMP-4M at the price of three T-90 tanks? Which, in the end, is struck by the most primitive means: DShK and RPG-7 shots.
Of course, there is no need to go to the point of absurdity - in 1968, due to a shortage of vehicles, the paratroopers stole all cars from the parking lot of the Ruzyně airport. And they did it right:
… explaining to the personnel the need for rational use of ammunition and other material resources, skillful use of weapons and military equipment captured from the enemy;
- Combat regulations of the Airborne Forces, p. 57
I would like to know the opinion of the airborne assault, why their conventional armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles do not satisfy, in comparison with the BMD-4M "supermachine"?
