On August 2, the Day of the Airborne Forces is traditionally celebrated throughout Russia. The birthday of the Airborne Forces is considered August 2, 1930. On this day, near Voronezh, during the exercises of the Moscow Military District, a parachute landing of an entire unit of 12 people was carried out for the first time. They landed from the Farman F.62 Goliath aircraft, these heavy bombers were acquired by the Soviet Union from France in the early 1920s, in our country these aircraft were used as transport and training aircraft. The landing force successfully landed at a given place and completed the tactical task assigned to it.
Already in 1931, an experienced airborne detachment of 164 people was formed as part of the 1st air brigade in the Leningrad Military District. This detachment was intended for landing by landing method. Later, in the same air brigade, a contingency paratrooper detachment was created. In August-September of the same year, at the exercises of the Leningrad and Ukrainian military districts, the detachment landed and solved tactical tasks in the rear of the mock enemy. In 1932, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR adopted a resolution on the deployment of detachments in special aviation battalions. By the end of 1933, there were already 29 airborne battalions and brigades, which became part of the Air Force. At the same time, the Leningrad Military District was entrusted with the task of training instructors in airborne affairs and developing operational and tactical standards for paratroopers.
In 1934, during the exercises of the Red Army, 600 paratroopers were already involved, in 1935, 1188 paratroopers were parachuted with parachutes at the exercises of the Kiev Military District, and already the next year about three thousand paratroopers were dropped in the Belarusian Military District, and the landing method was transferred 8200 people with artillery and various military equipment.
The paratroopers received their first combat experience in 1939. Fighters of the 212th Airborne Brigade took part in the defeat of the Japanese forces at Khalkhin Gol. Then 352 paratroopers were awarded various orders and medals for the heroism and courage shown in battles. During the years of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, three airborne brigades fought shoulder to shoulder with the rifle units of the Red Army: 201st, 202nd and 214th.
On the basis of the combat experience gained in 1940, new brigade staffs were approved in the Soviet Union, consisting of three combat groups: parachute, glider and landing-landing groups. And already in March 1941, the creation of airborne brigade corps began in the Airborne Forces (three brigades in each corps). By the time the Great Patriotic War began, the staffing of five airborne corps (airborne corps) was completed, but they had an insufficient number of military equipment. At that time, the main armament of the Airborne Forces were light and heavy machine guns, 45-mm anti-tank and 76-mm mountain guns, 50-mm and 82-mm mortars, as well as light tanks T-38, T-40 and flamethrowers. The beginning of the war found the airborne corps in the stage of their formation. The difficult situation at the front already in the first months of the war forced the Soviet command to use these corps understaffed with equipment and weapons in hostilities, the paratroopers were used as rifle units.
On September 4, 1941, the Directorate of the Airborne Forces was transformed into the Directorate of the Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Red Army, and the airborne corps were withdrawn from the active fronts, they were transferred to the direct subordination of the commander of the Airborne Forces. The widespread use of airborne troops with the landing of assault forces was undertaken in the winter of 1942 as part of the counteroffensive near Moscow. The Vyazemsk airborne operation was carried out with the participation of the 4th Airborne Forces. In September 1943, the Soviet command used an airborne assault force consisting of two brigades to assist units of the Voronezh Front in crossing the Dnieper. In August 1945, as part of the Manchurian strategic operation, more than four thousand personnel of rifle units were allocated for landing operations by landing method, who successfully coped with the tasks assigned to them. For the massive heroism shown by the Soviet paratroopers during the Great Patriotic War, all airborne formations were given the honorary title of "guards". Thousands of privates, sergeants and officers of the Airborne Forces were awarded various orders and medals, and 296 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union.
In 1964, the Airborne Forces were transferred to the Land Forces with direct subordination to the country's Minister of Defense. At the same time, along with organizational changes, there was a process of rearmament of the landing troops, which included an increase in the number of artillery, mortars, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, as well as automatic small arms. In the post-war years, airborne units were used during the Hungarian events of 1956 and in 1968 in Czechoslovakia. After the capture of two airfields near Bratislava and Prague, the 103rd and 7th Guards Airborne Divisions were landed here.
From 1979 to 1989, Airborne Forces units took part in hostilities in Afghanistan as part of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops in this country. For the courage and heroism shown by the paratroopers, more than 30 thousand people were awarded orders and medals, another 16 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Since 1988, units of the Airborne Forces were regularly involved in various special operations to resolve interethnic conflicts that arose in the USSR, and in 1992 they ensured the evacuation of the Russian embassy from Kabul.
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. For the courage and heroism shown during the hostilities in the Caucasus, 89 Russian paratroopers were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. At the same time, Russian paratroopers took part in various peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN, including in the Balkans.
Today, the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) are a highly mobile branch of the Armed Forces, which is a means of the Supreme Command and is designed to cover the enemy by air and perform combat missions in its rear: destruction of ground targets of high-precision weapons; violation of command and control of troops; disruption of the work of the rear and communications; disruption of the deployment and advancement of reserves; as well as cover (defense) of certain areas, areas, open flanks, blocking and destruction of enemy airborne assault forces, as well as breakthrough groups of his troops. In peacetime, the Airborne Forces perform the main tasks of maintaining mobilization and combat readiness at a level that ensures the successful use of these units for their intended purpose.
On August 1, 2018, on the eve of the Airborne Forces Day, a monument to General of the Army Vasily Margelov was unveiled in Moscow; the monument was erected on Polikarpov Street. The opening of the monument to the famous general was attended by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu.“Today, opening the monument to General of the Army Vasily Filippovich Margelov, we pay tribute to the memory and deep respect of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces, a true patriot and a wonderful person,” Sergei Shoigu said.
According to the Minister of Defense, Margelov personifies an entire era in the formation and development of the Airborne Forces. According to Shoigu, Margelov's perseverance, dedication and high level of professionalism not only managed to preserve the “winged guard” as an independent branch of the military, but also made the troops subordinate to him truly unique. Thanks to Vasily Margelov, the paratroopers were equipped with the most modern military equipment, tested new methods of its combat use. Organizational talent and front-line training allowed Margelov to form the invincible spirit of the "blue berets", turning them into a formidable mobile force, Shoigu noted.
Currently, the commander of the Airborne Forces is Colonel-General Andrei Nikolaevich Serdyukov. The Airborne Forces currently have 4 divisions: two airborne and two air assault, 4 separate air assault brigades, a separate special purpose brigade, a separate communications regiment, as well as other military support units and educational institutions and training centers. According to data for 2018, conscripts make up about 40 percent of the personnel of the existing airborne forces, but their recruitment into the winged infantry is gradually decreasing. It is planned that by 2030 all units of the Airborne Forces can be fully staffed with contract soldiers.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation pays much attention to strengthening the military power of the Airborne Forces, which are the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. In March 2018, in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda journalists, Colonel-General Andrei Serdyukov said that since 2012 the share of modern weapons in the Airborne Forces has increased 3.5 times. "The formations and military units have already received more than 42 thousand units of weapons, military and special equipment, which made it possible to significantly increase the capabilities of fire destruction - by 16%, to increase the level of survivability - by 20%, and the maneuverability has increased by 1, 3 times", - said the general. According to the commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, the number of modern landing equipment (helicopters, airplanes, parachute systems) has grown by 1, 4 times, the number of armored vehicles - by 2, 4 times, air defense systems - by 3, 5 times.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the winged infantry is being rearmed with the latest models of military equipment - BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles and BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carriers, Tiger armored vehicles, new self-propelled artillery installations - modernized 2S9-1M Nona-S self-propelled guns, radar complexes Sobolyatnik and Aistenok, as well as automated fire control systems. In 2017 alone, the Airborne Forces received about 150 new BMD-4M and BTR-MDM - three full battalion sets.
Recently, the main battle tanks have appeared in service with the Airborne Forces. In 2016, in all six airborne assault formations available in the Airborne Forces - four separate brigades and two divisions - tank companies were formed (one per formation). By the end of 2018, three such tank companies will be reorganized into tank battalions in two air assault divisions and one separate air assault brigade. The armored battalions of the Airborne Forces will receive modernized T-72B3 tanks.
Also in 2018, state tests of the new Bakhcha-UPDS parachute system, which is designed to drop BMD-4M and other equipment from military transport aircraft, should be completed. This system allows you to drop a BMD-4M with seven paratroopers inside each vehicle. "Bakhcha-UPDS" will begin to enter, first of all, airborne units and units of constant combat readiness, noted Andrei Serdyukov. Immediately after landing using this system, the BMD-4M will be able, together with the landing party, to perform the assigned combat missions, and its ability to quickly leave the landing zone after landing significantly increases its survivability. All of these changes reflect the importance and relevance of the Airborne Forces. Equipping units and subunits of the Airborne Forces with modern weapons and military equipment significantly increases their combat capabilities.
On August 2, Voennoye Obozreniye congratulates the entire personnel and all veterans of the Airborne Forces on their professional holiday!
