The Great Bear at War by Chris McNab

Author:Chris McNab
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472836526
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

A unit of VDV paratroopers conduct a dramatic field exercise. Note their signature blue-and-white striped T-shirts just visible, an item of clothing long associated with the Soviet special forces community. (Cody/AirSeaLand)

The introduction of the BMD in 1970 marked the shift of the VDV from a force depending primarily on light, air-landed infantry to a mechanized air assault force with considerably more firepower. The BMD was a unique type of vehicle; no other army fielded an armoured vehicle specifically designed for airborne infantry squad action. Initially, the BMDs were used to equip only one of the three regiments in each division. However, as production continued, this gradually expanded to the point where all three regiments in most divisions were fully BMD equipped; there were about 320 BMDs in each division. As the BMD became available, the ASU-57 was gradually withdrawn from service.

The second important change in the VDV came in 1967, when the Soviet Army began experimenting with the tactical use of helicopters. The VDV had always been envisioned as a paratroop or air-landing force. However, air-landing by aircraft implied the ability to seize an airfield in advance of the arrival of the main force. This proved practical in certain peacetime operations against erstwhile allies, like the seizure of Prague airport in the 1968 Czechoslovak invasion and Kabul airport in the 1979 Afghanistan invasion. In wartime, against a mobilized foe, the prospects for such an action were more dubious. In the 1960s, the US Army demonstrated a suitable alternative in the form of the tactical employment of helicopters in this role, notably in Vietnam. While helicopters were hardly new to the military scene, the arrival of new models powered by the more reliable turbine engine made them more practical for this demanding role. In the Soviet Union the Mi-8 began to replace the older, bulkier Mi-4, and this permitted the formation of the first airmobile brigades in the early 1970s. The airmobile brigades were light infantry formations that did not use the BMD; but in the late 1970s air assault brigades were formed – a heavier counterpart, in which two of the four infantry battalions were equipped with BMDs. The BMDs could be carried by the Mi-6 helicopter, but units began to receive the improved Mi-26.

The VDV, from its 1964 subordination to the Ministry of Defence, was used primarily as a strategic strike force for use in sensitive and demanding missions. In the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia the 103rd Air Assault Division was air-landed at Prague airport after it had been seized by a special operations team, a Spetsnaz GRU group. In 1979 the 105th Air Assault Division, supported by elements of the 103rd Air Assault Division, was air-landed at Kabul airport.

By the mid 1980s, the VDV, under the command of Army General Dmitri Sukhorukov, fielded seven air assault divisions, of which one, the 106th Guards Air Assault Division in the Tula-Ryazan area, was usually earmarked for training purposes. It would also appear that the 44th Guards Airborne Division at Jonava

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.