Russian Airborne Troops (VDV) News:

Reform of the Airborne Forces in the light of the experience of fighting in Ukraine and previous wars. Tasks, vehicles, weapons

After a short essay on the combat path of various parachute formations , making sure that the parachute landing of troops as a means of engaging in battle is still in demand, and also that parachute landings do not lead to any such extraordinary losses if everything is planned and executed correctly and taking into account the situation, let's move on to determining the appearance of the Airborne Forces in the future Russian army.

Let's start not with the technical feasibility of the parachute landings themselves in the war, and not with whether it is possible to solve some problems with their help - these issues were discussed in the last part. In accordance with the methodology outlined earlier, let's start by answering the question:

1. Is there any point in parachute landing at all? What forces? What is the composition of the landing troops? Where, why and under what circumstances? Is it possible to abandon it in favor of landing from helicopters?

It is this question that is decisive.

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Reform of the Airborne Forces in the light of the experience of fighting in Ukraine and previous wars. staff structure

Having briefly reviewed the previous experience of using parachute troops in wars, including modern ones ( the first part of the essay ), as well as roughly estimating the tasks that may require parachute landing in modern times, making the first approach to the state of troops and the ratio of their numbers to the strength of military transport aviation ( second part of the essay ), let's take a quick look at how the air defense of the airborne units should be provided, and then more or less finally decide on the states and structure.

But first, a fundamental question must be answered. Are airborne divisions needed?

Why should the issue of the divisional link be resolved first of all? Because it is fundamental for the states of future troops, since the integration of the military branches there is implemented to a large extent at the divisional level.

Let us recall from the last part the composition of the Airborne Forces, where it is listed in full.

1. Command of the Airborne Forces
2. 38th Guards Control Brigade
3. 45th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade (2 OSP)
4. 7th Guards Air Assault Division (9 air assault division, orb and detachment)
5. 76th Guards air assault division (9 dshb, orb and otb)
6. 98th guards airborne division (6 airborne assault division and orb)
7. 106th guards airborne division (6 airborne assault brigade and orb)
8. 11th separate guards air assault brigade (2 air assault brigade, air assault brigade and orb)
9. 31st separate guards air assault brigade (2 air assault brigade, air assault brigade and orb)
10. 83rd separate guards air assault brigade (2 air assault brigade, air assault brigade and orb )
11. 150th Separate Repair and Rehabilitation Battalion
12. 35th Separate Medical Detachment of the Airborne Forces
13. Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School
14. 242nd Training Center of the Airborne Forces
15. 309th Center for Special Parachute Training of the Airborne Forces.

In the last part, it was indicated that the Airborne Forces can be left as expeditionary troops under separate command, so as not to lose the morale they have, which, of course, is worth a lot.

It was also justified there that under no circumstances could Russia need more than nine landing regiments of the Airborne Forces.

At the same time, nine is in some way “adjusting a task to an answer”: the maximum theoretically possible number in the presence of both tasks (also limiting), and the ability of the BTA to parachute them all in turn with acceptable losses in aircraft.

Nine regiments is about three divisions. If we deploy regiments into brigades, adding certain units there, then in any case no more than three divisions. We have 4 of them, and in addition to them 3 air assault brigades and a special forces brigade.

And now what does air defense have to do with it?

For example, consider the composition of the 76th Guards Airborne Division.

Directorate (headquarters)
104th Guards Airborne Assault Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment
234th Guards Airborne Assault Black Sea Order of Kutuzov Regiment named after the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky
237th Guards Airborne Assault Torun Red Banner Regiment
1140th Guards Artillery Red Banner Regiment regiment
4th Guards (from July 22, 2015) anti-aircraft missile regiment (former 165th separate anti-aircraft missile division)
656th separate engineer-sapper order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky battalion
124th separate tank battalion
728th separate communications battalion
3996th military hospital (airmobile). All personnel have parachute training , from 3
jumps .

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Airborne troops center trained 10,000 junior specialists in 2022 — Defense Ministry

MOSCOW, January 6. /TASS/. The junior specialists training center of the Russian airborne troops prepared more than 10,000 servicemen and mobilized individuals for participation in the special military operation, the Ministry of Defense told reporters.

"In 2022, the junior specialists training center of airborne troops trained up more than 10,000 servicemen from 62 regions of the Russian Federation in interests of formations and military units. Following successful passing of qualification examinations, conscript personnel departed to troops for the service and mobilized servicemen - to the zone of the special military operation," the Ministry said.

The tenure of training is 3.5 months for conscript servicemen and up to two months for mobilized personnel, the Ministry added

NOTE: this is around 3-4 times the normal annual amounts

https://tass.com/defense/1559217

High-Precision Complexes Holding, part of Rostec, has completed the development of the Ptitselov anti-aircraft missile system on the landing vehicle chassis (BMD-4M) for the Airborne Forces. This was reported on May 15 by RIA Novosti with reference to the corporation.

The short-range anti-aircraft missile system with the Sosna combat module, created on the basis of the BMP-3, still continues to be tested, Rostec recalled.

"A similar vehicle was developed in the interests of the Airborne Forces on the basis of the BMD-4M," the corporation noted.

The main difference between "Ptitselov" and "Sosna" is the possibility of parachuting from military transport aircraft.

The Sosna combat module is equipped with two launchers for 12 Sosna-R missiles, which can hit targets at a range of up to ten kilometers and an altitude of up to five kilometers and reach speeds of up to 900 meters per second. Guided missile "Sosna-R" can be aimed at the target in a laser beam, which is accompanied by the target from the SAM combat module.

Earlier, on February 4, it was reported that the Ptitselov anti-aircraft missile systems will enter service with the Russian paratrooper divisions. It was noted that the new complex will have to protect paratroopers from air strikes when they land behind enemy lines.

https://translated.turbopages.org/proxy_u/ru-en.en.d0e5c6d2-64620a5a-db110d1f-74722d776562/https/iz.ru/1512860/2023-05-15/v-rostekhe-zaiavili-o-zavershenii-razrabotki-kompleksa-ptitcelov-dlia-vdv

Russian troops received the first batch of new Drok self-propelled mortars based on the Typhoon-VDV armored car. This was reported by the press service of the state corporation Rostec in its TG channel.


The first batch of 2S41 "Drok" complexes was handed over to the Russian military, how many units of new equipment the Ministry of Defense received was not reported. It is noted that the complex was developed by the Central Research Institute "Petrel" as part of the development work "Sketch" together with self-propelled artillery guns (SAO) "Phlox" and "Magnolia". With a high probability, the entire batch of new mortars will go to the special operation zone. As the military themselves say, mortars have proven their effectiveness, everyone was waiting for the appearance of self-propelled.

The self-propelled mortar "Drok" was developed primarily for the units of the Airborne Forces, the complex is an 82-mm breech-loading mortar 2S41 with manual loading, mounted on an armored car "Typhoon-VDV". Shooting is carried out from the fighting compartment of an armored car with both conventional ammunition and new mines with increased firing range and power. The maximum rate of fire is up to 15 rounds per minute at a range of 100 to 6000 meters.

There is an opportunity for shooting from the ground; for this, a separate 2B24 mortar is included in the kit. The total transportable ammunition load is 40 mines stored in the fighting compartment. Crew 4 people. Armored car "Typhoon" retained its dimensions, but increased the combat weight to 14 tons.

In addition to the mortar, the armored car is armed with a remote-controlled combat module with a heavy machine gun, located above the driver's seat, and equipment blocks of the optical-electronic countermeasures complex are also located on the roof.

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Today is the 93rd anniversary of the formation of the VDV

The Airborne Forces will become even stronger: the Commander of the VDV congratulated on the 93rd anniversary of the formation of the Airborne Forces

“I am proud that more than 5,000 wounded paratroopers returned to the front after treatment.

By the end of the year, we will form two new airborne regiments and revive the 104th VDV division, ”said Mikhail Teplinskiy, commander of the Airborne Forces.

https://twitter.com/Cyberspec1/status/1686684435012583424

The legendary 104th Guards Division will be recreated as part of the Airborne Forces (VDV) by December 1, 2023. On August 14, Izvestia's sources in the Russian Defense Ministry told about this.

According to them, according to the approved plan, by December 1, the formation of the administration and two regiments of the 104th Airborne Assault Division will be completed. The new military units will be deployed on the basis of the 31st Airborne Assault Brigade of the Airborne Forces.

As follows from the plans of the Ministry of Defense, next year additional military units and subunits, including a tank battalion, will be formed as part of the 104th division, the sources added.

In early August, the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, congratulated the Russian paratroopers on their professional holiday and announced the creation of new units in the troops entrusted to him.

He stressed that by the end of the year two airborne regiments would be formed in the Airborne Forces and the glorified 104th division would be revived.

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MOSCOW, September 26 - RIA Novosti. The combat potential of the Russian Airborne Forces will increase by 1.3 times by the end of this year, and fire capabilities will increase by 20%, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting on Tuesday .
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“In general, the implementation of the measures planned in the Airborne Forces will allow by the end of the year to increase their combat potential by 1.3 times, while the fire capabilities of the Airborne Forces units will increase by 20%,” he said during a meeting of the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to Shoigu, since the beginning of the year, more than 2 thousand units of equipment and 5.5 thousand sets of landing equipment and parachute systems have been received by airborne formations and military units.
The minister noted that the potential of the Airborne Forces is growing due to the creation of new formations, increasing their reconnaissance, strike and fire capabilities.
Thus, Shoigu recalled that in 2023 the parachute regiment in the Tula division began to carry out combat missions, the formation of the 104th air assault division and the parachute regiment of the Ivanovo formation is being completed.
In addition, by the end of the year, a logistics brigade and repair and restoration battalions will be formed in all airborne divisions, and the artillery brigade will be completed to full strength.


https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20230926/vdv-1898705267.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

The capabilities of the Russian military-industrial complex (DIC) have reached an unprecedented level and are developing faster than expected. This was stated on November 9 by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev at the Alabino training ground, where he met with servicemen of the 337th Air Assault Regiment of the 104th Guards Air Assault Division.

“As for weapons... we will build up. The capabilities of our military-industrial complex have reached a level unprecedented since the end of the Great Patriotic War. I must admit, frankly, even faster than I expected,” he noted.

As the politician added, Russia has “improved” its defense industry capabilities significantly in just a year. And the enemy, represented by Ukraine , cannot but take into account the multiple increase in the production of Russian weapons and military equipment.

Earlier, on September 29, during a visit to the Kapustin Yar training ground in the Astrakhan region, Medvedev said that Russia would modernize its military equipment taking into account the latest models of Western weapons until victory in a special military operation to protect Donbass. He also noted that Ukraine is stocked with modern types of weapons, and the new weapons of the Russian Armed Forces must be resistant to the enemy’s air defense (air defense) and electronic warfare (EW) systems.

Before this, on May 31, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the defense industry had repeatedly increased production for the needs of the special operation. According to him, there is a continuous improvement of weapons and equipment .

On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the production of the Russian military-industrial complex is expanding rapidly, and the Russian Federation produces three times more ammunition compared to Western countries' supplies to Ukraine.

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NOTE: New Airborne Regiment for the new Airborne Division being formed

In post #389 it is mentioned about the 31st Airborne brigade reverting back to 104th Airborne division (reversing the down grade of about 20 years back). In post #392 it is mentioned about a new regiment (337th) of the division being trained in Alabino. Have seen mention from Ukrainian sources of them facing the 328th regiment of the 104th Airborne division. Not sure if this is the new designation of the old 31st brigade battalions or another new regiment formed.

Ukrainian sources saying the 337th Airborne regiment along with the newly formed 1180th Airborne Artillery regiment are in the Rostov region preparing to enter the SVO and join up with the 328th Airborne regiment. This would make the revised 104th Guards Airborne division combat operational. The 3rd Airborne regiment and other supporting units are scheduled to deploy in 2024.

franco wrote:Ukrainian sources saying the 337th Airborne regiment along with the newly formed 1180th Airborne Artillery regiment are in the Rostov region preparing to enter the SVO and join up with the 328th Airborne regiment. This would make the revised 104th Guards Airborne division combat operational. The 3rd Airborne regiment and other supporting units are scheduled to deploy in 2024.

In addition, the new tank battalion for the 104th Guards Airborne division has been identified as the 134th Tank bn and the new Engineer Sapper bn as the 132nd. From Ukrainian sources.

LUGANSK, January 1 - RIA Novosti. More than 2.5 thousand units of weapons, military and special equipment entered the Russian Airborne Forces in 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense told reporters.
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"In 2023, formations and military units of the Airborne Forces received more than 780 of the latest and modern models (VVST). Among the newest models of heavy weapons received by the troops, it is worth noting the most modern tank - the T-90M Proryv, as well as those that have proven themselves during carrying out a special military operation, BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles, BTR-MDM "Rakushka" and BTR-82A armored personnel carriers... In total, in 2023, the Airborne Forces were replenished with over 2.5 thousand units of military and special equipment (weapons, military and special equipment)," the defense ministry said department.
It is clarified that to strengthen combat capabilities, units of the Airborne Forces are receiving MLRS "Uragan", "Grad", heavy flamethrower systems "Solntsepyok", T-72 B3M tanks, modernized self-propelled guns "Nona-S" and "Vena" and improved 120-mm mortar systems "Sani".
“To combat enemy air targets, paratroopers successfully use the Verba portable anti-aircraft missile system,” the military department added.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20240101/spetsoperatsiya-1919310418.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

NOTE: earlier reported that the formations in 2023 of 1 Airborne Division, 1 Artillery brigade and 7 regiments (5 Air Assault, 1 Artillery and not sure of the last one)

The Russian Ministry of Defense is strengthening the newly recreated airborne units within the Ground Forces. Thus, the newly formed 49th separate air assault brigade, operating as part of the 58th combined arms army, will receive BMP-3 combat vehicles , Izvestia sources in the military department told Izvestia. This equipment will provide good protection and firepower; previously it was not in service with paratroopers. The very appearance of such formations within the Ground Forces is dictated by the experience of a special military operation, experts note.

Stormtrooper armor

The fleet of the 49th separate air assault brigade will be replenished with BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, Izvestia sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense told Izvestia. Such equipment can provide serious support in overcoming the enemy’s fortified defenses, they emphasized. Structurally, the 49th Brigade is part of the 58th Combined Arms Army. Its task is to storm the fortifications on the front line, as well as to land by helicopter behind enemy lines.

The experience of a special military operation leads to various structural changes in the Russian army. One of the most significant is the creation of specialized assault units. There were no such people in the Russian troops before. This innovation was dictated by the fact that from the first weeks of fighting, Russian troops were faced with powerful Ukrainian fortifications , especially in the Donbass, where they had been built since 2014. In addition, the troops faced another problem - an offensive in the classical way, with groups of armored vehicles supported by infantry, is fraught with large losses due to the presence of a large number of anti-tank weapons and attack drones by the enemy.

In Soviet times, in addition to the airborne divisions subordinate to the command of the Airborne Forces, there were also airborne assault brigades that were part of the Ground Forces. They were supposed to operate in the offensive zone of motorized rifle and tank units. Among other things, this made it possible to keep airborne units in the group of Soviet forces in Germany: according to existing agreements, units of the USSR Airborne Forces were not stationed there. Air assault brigades were part of the Ground Forces, and their servicemen wore combined arms insignia. In post-Soviet times, such formations were disbanded or transferred to the Airborne Forces.

— A return to Soviet methods proves that they are not at all outdated , and moreover, they are increasingly proving their viability and effectiveness, even in the current conditions. This is precisely what the special military operation proved,” Colonel Alexander Perendzhiev, associate professor of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia. — An assault is not only an attack head-on or bypassing the enemy. An assault is also a landing of troops in the rear by any means.

“Until we begin to land behind enemy lines during a special military operation, it will proceed with difficulty, ” Alexander Perendzhiev is sure. — The slow progress is due precisely to the fact that we did not have these air assault brigades as part of the Ground Forces. I believe that this will significantly increase the effectiveness of our military operations.

He noted that helicopter landings can be used not only in the offensive, but also in active defense.

At the beginning of this year, the American Institute for the Study of War reported that the Russian command was preparing several air assault formations to be deployed to the rear of Ukrainian formations during the planned offensive. It was also reported that one such brigade - the 49th separate - is already operating in the Zaporozhye direction as part of the 58th Army.

Best in class

The BMP-3, which will enter service with the 49th Brigade, is the most powerful and protected infantry fighting vehicle to date. Previously, it was not in service with paratroopers. In terms of its characteristics, it is closer to light tanks. The vehicle carries an impressive arsenal on board: a 100-mm 2A40 cannon, which also serves as an ATGM launcher, a 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannon, as well as three 7.62-mm machine guns - two frontal and one coaxial. In addition, the vehicle has good armor that protects against bullets and shrapnel. Its predecessor, the BMP-2, is armed only with a 30 mm automatic cannon and a machine gun.
its

“Now this is our main workhorse on the battlefield, which has proven itself very well,” military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — The BMP-3 is a fairly heavy vehicle, and by the way, it floats. Has two weapons. One is 100 mm, which can work against tanks, armored vehicles, and fortified areas. And the second is a 30-mm automatic cannon, which can work against infantry. And there are also machine guns. This is one of the best infantry fighting vehicles in the world. This is a suitable option for air assault units.

The expert emphasized that the BMP-3 can provide serious fire support to the actions of assault groups. In addition, the vehicle practically combines the elements of a tank; it can transport troops, turn around and provide cover.

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GarryB wrote:The BMP-3 is interesting in that it combines the direct fire HE power of a tank gun (100mm)  with the features and performance of an auto cannon (30mm) which allows it to engage a range of ground and air targets effectively and efficiently.

Technically speaking, combines the power of an assault gun with BMP.
If you take a look at the ranges, it becomes clear that 100m gun was there to outrange the existing NATO ATGM's of the era. And that was it's job.

The BMP-3 is currently cheaper to produce than the BMD-4M and it can carry more crew. Given the current emphasis on heavy ground combat this is more necessary than the capability to be air transported.