The issue of the number of tanks in the ranks of the Ground Forces of the RF Armed Forces is periodically discussed on the Internet or in the press, and now there are tanks in the Airborne Forces, and they are also in the Navy's Marine Corps (in the Coastal Forces of the Navy there were, in fact, these are ordinary motorized rifle brigades, but listed for the Navy due to the geography of their permanent deployment). No, everyone knows that, together with long-term storage, the tank stock of Russia is such that it will be sufficient numerically for us, and our friends-allies, and our potential adversaries. But as for tanks in linear units, there are many different options for assessing, and very often they refer to different estimates of the early 2010s, when the formations and parts of the cadre were eliminated, divisions were transformed into brigades. But since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge both in the rivers and from the stands. The RF Armed Forces gradually completed the formation of the brigades, then proceeded to the formation of divisions.
Let's try to estimate how many cars we should have in units, based on the approximate states and their total number. The exact organizational and staff structures for each unit or formation in our country are secret, we have not been de facto members of the CFE Treaty for a long time, so there is no exact information on this. But typical OShS are more or less known, so you can roughly estimate what we will do.
To get started, we will open the Military Balance 2018 handbook published by the Stockholm-based SIPRI. To be honest, this guide, even in describing NATO armies, suffers from mistakes and oddities, but when it comes to Russia, there is a feeling that, although the Vikings have become history, like berserkers, the art of consuming fly agarics in Sweden is not forgotten. Although the endless search by the Swedes of either submarines of the Russian Navy, or underwater vehicles for the movement of saboteurs, or even some kind of bottom tracked vehicles (there was such a thing in the Swedish media at one time) also leads to these thoughts - it is clearly not possible to do without fly agaric.
According to this guide, the RF Armed Forces have 2,780 tanks in combat, but the fact that there is inaccurate information can be seen from which tanks and how many. For example, the T-90 and T-90A have 350 vehicles, but in fact, their troops, let's say, are much smaller, and the T-90, in addition to the few vehicles in combat training groups of formations and training exercises, are mainly located on the central reserve bases (SIPRI noted this, but the total figure of 550 vehicles does not correspond to the truth). T-72B3 and T-72B3 UBKh - only 880 vehicles, in their opinion, although this modernization has been coming out of UVZ in large quantities since 2011, in some years it reached 300 vehicles, and they handed over 200 a year, and all in any way in their reference book it will at least fall short of 1000, although there have long been more than 1000 in fact. However, even a year or two ago, everything was even worse in the reference book, there both T-55 and T-62 were in reserve, for example. Which have long been removed from service (although, of course, the reserve bases are still available, from where the same T-62 and T-62M end up in Syria).
Recently, the American Insitute for the Study of War (ISW), the Institute for the Study of War, released Russia's Military Posture - Ground Forces Order of Battle. From there, we will take information about the number (for about the second half of last year) and the deployment of formations of the Ground Forces of the RF Armed Forces. We are not particularly interested in dislocation, but the connections themselves are. At the same time, you need to understand that this guide is inaccurate, for example, in a number of divisions the fourth combat (combined arms - tank and motorized rifle) regiments have already been formed, but they are not indicated there, something is not there at all, but this, in general, is not so and important. When calculating, we will take as a basis that in separate motorized rifle brigades, a tank battalion has 41 tanks - 4 companies of 3 platoons of 3 tanks plus a company commander's tank in each and plus a battalion commander's tank. And in tank battalions of tank regiments of divisions and individual tank brigades - 31 tanks, in tank battalions of motorized rifle regiments of divisions we will take 41 tank staff as a basis (although options are possible) Although there is information that they switched to 42 tank and 32 tank states are another tank in the battalion's command. In a tank brigade of tank battalions 3, motorized rifle -1, in a motorized rifle brigade, on the contrary, in a tank regiment there are also 3 tank and motorized rifle battalions, in a motorized rifle brigade, on the contrary. A motorized rifle division has 3 motorized rifle and a tank regiment (we are only talking about combined arms regiments, artillery and anti-aircraft missile regiments and the rest of the economy is not of interest to us now), a tank division - on the contrary. Of course, we are talking about ordinary states, there are also so-called difficult ones. Accordingly, there are 41 (42?) Tanks in a motorized rifle brigade or regiment, 94 (97?) In a tank regiment, as well as in a tank regiment, in a motorized rifle division - 217 (223?) Tanks, in a tank 323 (333) tanks. It is clear that the division command also has tanks, but we will not count them. Of course, this is in a full-blooded division that has been fully formed until the end, but in reality somewhere there are 3 regiments, somewhere 3 regiments and a tank battalion, but in the process of formation there is already a regiment, and somewhere, maybe even 2 more regiments. But this is, of course, a temporary moment, and we do not take it into account.
So, according to the aforementioned report, the RF Armed Forces Ground Forces and the Coastal Forces of the Navy now have 12 armies (1 of them tank) and 4 army corps. In the Western Military District (ZVO), out of this number, 3 armies (1 GVTA, 20 Guards. OA, 6 OA) and 1 corps (11 Guards. fleet) includes 14 AK on the Kola Peninsula, in the Southern Military District (YuVO) - 3 armies (8 Guards OA, 58 OA, 49 OA) and 1 corps (22 AK in Crimea), in the Central Military District (TsVO) - 2 army (2 Guards OA, 41 OA), in the Eastern Military District (VVO) - 4 armies (29 OA, 35 OA, 36 OA, 5 OA) and 1 corps (68 AK on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands). As part of the 1st Guards Tank Army, the 4th Guards Tank and 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Divisions, the 6th Separate Tank Brigade, the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade (various formations and units of army and corps kits do not count), a total of 675 (695) tanks, subject to the formation of the fourth regiments in the 4th Guards TD and 2 Guards Msd, but so far they are only being formed. In the 20 Guards Combined Arms Army - 144 Guards. mfd and 3 mdd, as a result, 434 (446) tanks come out, subject to the formation of the divisions to the end, but it is known that so far the fourth pair of regiments is only being formed there in both divisions. However, it is possible that 144 Guards. The mechanized infantry division will have not one tank regiment, but two - a tank regiment is being formed on the basis of a separate tank battalion, and meanwhile, the division already has the 228th tank regiment. That is, the division will be something like the 150th mechanized infantry division.
In the northern and northwestern part of the Western Military District with tanks, it is much worse, in 6 OA there are only 2 motorized rifle brigades (138 and 25 Omsb Brigades), so there are only 82 tanks (84) for the army, and the army, in in general, small. On the other hand, potential adversaries there are only the Baltic nanosuperpowers with three NATO combined battalions inside and Finland. True, to all appearances, the RF Armed Forces, when forming divisions, are re-approaching the issue in such a way that, obviously, in the end, each army will have at least one mechanized infantry division, so it is possible that in the coming years some similar decision is possible in this case as well. In the Kaliningrad 11th Guards AK, there are only two motorized rifle brigades (Omsbr), 7th Guards and 79th Guards, a total of 82 (84) tanks. No tanks have yet appeared in the nearby 336th Guards Marine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet, but for sure in the next couple of years, first a company will appear, and then a battalion - a similar process is already underway in the Pacific Fleet. So far, no one is forming any divisions there, but such a decision, it seems, suggests itself in the future. However, soon only the tale from the podium tells itself, and the matter is usually done much more slowly. In total, the ZVO includes 1275 (1305) tanks in the ranks of linear formations, although in reality there are still fewer of them. If we add the 14th AK from the OSK Sever, then as long as there is definitely a tank battalion of 200 omsbr, it may or will be in the 80th Arctic Omsb Brigade, there are no tanks in the 61st Marine Brigade, but they will definitely appear soon. So far we are counting 82 (84 tanks).
In the Central Military District, according to the same report, as part of the 2 Guards. OA now has 3 motorized rifle brigades, numbered 21, 15 and 30. But they are all different. The 21st brigade from Totskoye seems to be the only one in the RF Armed Forces (perhaps not), formed according to the so-called. "heavy staff" with 2 tank and 2 motorized rifle battalions, 82 (84) tanks come out in it, but the 15th Omsb Brigade is peacekeeping, there seems to be no tank battalion in it, which is up to 30 Omsb Brigade, newly formed to replace those withdrawn after the start of the war for Ukraine from this army of units and formations (which became the basis for the formation of the 144th Mechanized Infantry Division) - there is no information on its composition, except that the reconnaissance battalion in it, following the Syrian tracks, seemed to be put on various light vehicles, starting with the "Tigers-M" and ending with "Patriots". There is probably a tank battalion there. In general, we will conventionally write 123 (124) tanks for the army. According to the same document, the recently formed 90th Guards Tank Division is part of the 41st OA (previously there was information that it remained under district subordination, it is not known who is right here), along with 74th Guards. Omsb brigade, 35 guards. Omsb brigade and the 55th mountain brigade from Kyzyl in Tuva. The Tuvan "mountaineers" do not have tanks, they do not need them, but everyone else has them. It also includes 201 military bases in Tajikistan, which now have three motorized rifle regiments, it seems, there are tanks everywhere. In total, a fairly strong fist comes out in 534 (543) tanks, if everything is correct, of course. In total, 657 (667) cars are obtained for the CVO.
In the VVO, despite 4 armies and a corps, divisions, namely, they are the most "rich" in heavy armored vehicles, has not yet been formed, but only so far. Not all armies themselves can be considered deployed, in a number of them, God forbid, 1-2 combined-arms brigades and with deployed brigades and regiments of an army kit. On the whole, this situation is understandable - China is currently not an enemy to us, but a friend and ally, and we have more and more potential enemies in Europe, in NATO. In total, all these 4 armies and 1 corps have 10 motorized rifle brigades, 1 tank brigade and 18 machine-gun and artillery divisions in the Kuril Islands (fortified area, but there are tank units in it, where without them), that is, about 600 tanks. In addition, there are no tanks in the Pacific Fleet, as part of the 155th Marine Brigade, but soon there will be, in the 40th Marine Brigade a company is now deployed, but it will be reorganized into a battalion, we will also count it.
In the Southern Military District, the 58th OA now has 42 Guards. mstd, 19 and 136 omsbr, 4th guards military base in South Ossetia. The 42nd Evpatoria division is now fully deployed, but if US researchers are to be believed, there is no tank regiment in it, or it is deploying. The total is 340 (350) cars. In 49 OA there are as many as 2 combined arms brigades, 205 and 34 mountain brigades, in which there are no tanks. Much more interesting is the newly formed 8th Guards. OA, formed with the clear sight of the possible compulsion to peace of various broad Cossacks from the territory neighboring the Donbass republics, who love to talk about how they "restrain Russian fascism", not forgetting, of course, to shout out Nazi slogans and "greet the Sun" with a characteristic gesture. It has 150 Idritsko-Berlin mechanized infantry division, which includes 2 tank and 2 motorized rifle regiments, formed according to, as they say, heavy states. That is, there are much more tanks and artillery in it, not only the usual mechanized infantry division, but even in the TD. If we assume (and this is most likely the case) that the states of this division repeat the OShS of the so-called "Ogarkov" heavy mechanized infantry divisions, which were successfully dispersed under Gorbachev, then the tanks there as a result, upon completion of the formation, may be under 400. In those divisions, the battalions had 4 companies each (in the ISB 3 MSR and 1 Tr, in the TB, on the contrary), and all the tank companies were 13 tank companies, and the battalions even in the tank regiments had 40 tanks each. Moreover, at the battalion level there were 122-mm 2S1 self-propelled guns and a lot of other useful things, and 152mm 2S3s, which in ordinary divisions were in an artillery regiment, served as artillery in the regiments. Also, the same army includes 20 Guards. Omsb brigade from Volgograd (if the Americans are not mistaken). In the Crimean 22 AK there is only one combined-arms brigade with tanks - number 126 from Perevalnoye, called the coastal defense brigade, but in fact it is a motorized rifle brigade, just naval, like everything else in the Crimea, subordination. That's 41 more (42 tanks). In total, 860-876 tanks are released in the Southern Military District, if all units are completed, and the estimates for 150 divisions more or less coincide with reality.
In total, 3475-3530 vehicles are in service in all districts. In reality, there are fewer of them, for the above reasons - not all formations have been completed, on the other hand, training centers and military schools, where there are more than one hundred tanks, we also do not count, like much else. And, of course, tanks at the bases for storage and repair of military equipment (BHiRVT), that is, the bases for the formation of regiments and brigades of the first stage of mobilization, are not taken into account (everything else is formed on the basis of equipment from the central reserve bases). These BHiRVTs are now being reorganized into the so-called CMRs (centers for ensuring the deployment), in fact, this is the same base, but with a training and other base to ensure the activities of the permanent reserve reservists, which was recently officially legalized, and this is a very good and long-overdue decision. We do not take into account the bases of the dual-based system, where sets of equipment are stored for the formations that are transferred lightly from the depths of the country, and the central reserve bases themselves - after all, we counted combat vehicles. So in total there would be about 15 thousand cars, perhaps less, 12-13 thousand.
At the same time, it must be said that the formation of divisions will continue in the near future. So, according to media reports, in the Southern Military District, the formation of three mechanized infantry divisions will begin at once (perhaps less, nevertheless) on the basis of 19, 20 and 136 motorized rifle brigades. There were reports about the creation of a "coastal defense" division in the North, perhaps even two - on the Kola Peninsula and Chukotka. The formation of divisions begins and beyond the Urals, so, in the 5th Red Banner OA in Primorye, the 127th Red Banner Mechanized Infantry Division is being formed. Each mechanized infantry division means an increase of about 176 or more tanks (this is if it is formed on the basis of one motorized rifle brigade, but if two, then the increase will be less significant). It is clear that with such a deployment of units, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was ready to abandon the previously declared thesis about getting rid of the assortment of tanks and strenuously return the T-80BV tanks to service with repair and minimal modernization, at the same time launching a program to modernize their fleet in the T-80BVM. We need a lot of tanks, and we still need a lot of personnel, especially officers. And there are problems with the graduation of young officers - a truly normal graduation is only expected in terms of numbers, before that, officers are graduated who entered schools with a small recruitment. Of course, this is not the situation before the Great Patriotic War, when 30 mechanized corps were formed, and the shortage before the war in them reached tens of thousands of positions. But we are not in the same situation as before the war. Although it is unambiguous that the RF Armed Forces are gradually deploying, this is not of a mobilization nature. The situation in the world has simply changed - the priorities, goals, objectives, and requirements for the structure and size, including the tank fleet, have changed.
In addition, we forgot about the Airborne Forces, and after all, 6 tank companies were formed there (in each of 2 airborne assault divisions and 4 airborne assault brigades), companies in divisions are deployed into battalions, in brigades, it seems, while they remain companies or then they will also become battalions. This is more than a hundred tanks.
Is this a lot or a little - more than three thousand tanks in the ranks of linear units? This is a lot, considering that even the United States has only 10 tank brigades in the army with 87 tanks each, 3 of the same brigades in the National Guard and several hundred (maximum) tanks in the ILC. And there is nothing to say about the various European "great powers": with the exception of the Poles, as well as the Greeks and Turks (whose almost completely outdated tank parks are mainly directed at each other), the European powers are fortunate enough to have two hundred vehicles in service. France has 200 vehicles, Germany has 225 (there is a plan to deploy up to 328), Britain has less than 200, and so on. And there are also parks of 32-40 cars, the absolute majority of such NATO members. This is if you do not touch on the real combat readiness of these units, formations and armies in these countries. As well as comparisons of the technical level of all vehicles in service with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or NATO countries. But this is no longer the topic of this material.
