Posted on 04/04/2018 9:47:16 PM PDT by ameribbean expat
The Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska—VDV) have been much less affected by the military reforms initiated in 2008 than any of the other services in the Russian Armed Forces. Unlike the Ground Forces, the VDV has pointedly retained its divisional structure, despite plans to move toward a brigade-centric model in both 2009 and 2012 (Vzglyad, May 27, 2009; April 9, 2012). That said, however, the VDV’s units have undergone certain notable changes regarding their number and organization, as well as concerning the provision of new equipment. For instance, in 2013, three air-assault brigades were resubordinated to the VDV (The 11th, 56th and the 83rd); and in 2014, the former 45th Spetsnaz (special forces) regiment and the 38th Signals regiment were reorganized into brigades under the airborne forces (Mil.ru, October 21, 2013; TASS, January 1, 2015; Vpk-news.ru, June 4, 2015). Additionally, the VDV’s reconnaissance companies are being reorganized into intelligence battalions, with the introduction of electronic warfare (EW) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) companies. Originally meant to be completed by 2014, the deadline for this had since been pushed back to sometime in 2018 (Vpk-news.ru, August 6, 2013; Krasnaya Zvezda, March 7, 2018).
Also of interest has been the introduction of new equipment to VDV units: first and foremost the BMD-4M amphibious infantry fighting vehicle and the BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carrier, both of which began arriving in 2015. So far, five battalion sets, 31 BMD-4Ms and 16 BTR-MDMs, have been delivered (Mil.ru, February 2). In 2016, the 106th Airborne Division received two sets, followed by two sets to the 31st Air Assault Brigade in 2017, and one set for the 76th Air Assault Division in February 2018 (Bmpd.livejournal.com, February 7).
Additionally, the Russian defense ministry is introducing T-72B3 tanks to six airborne companies. In July 2015, the then-commander of the VDV, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, said the equipping process would be complete before the end of that year (RT, July 29, 2015). And indeed, his statement appeared to be supported by an Estonian source from early 2016, which claimed that the Russian 76th Air Assault Division had received 10–12 T-72s. (Postimees.ee, February 2, 2016). The six VDV tank companies will reportedly be expanded into battalions by the end of 2018 (Vzglyad, May 24, 2016; Vesti.ru, August 1, 2016). Since that announcement in 2016, however, the further expansion of the tank companies into battalions has obviously met with financial difficulties (Krasnaya Zvezda, August 1, 2017; Desantura.ru, July 31, 2017; TASS, May 24, 2016). So far, only three such battalions have been filled out, and all in 2018: one tank battalion each in the 7th and 76th air-assault divisions, respectively, and one within one of the VDV’s air-assault brigades (TASS, July 31, 2017).
The grave yard of Russian military equipment was impressive to see out in the Kuwaiti desert.
That was usually the *export* versions of Russian equipment - they didn’t come with APS as one example of how crippled they were.
If there is anything the Russians know better than most, it is armored warfare.
What the Iraqis had in Desert Storm was the crap Russian car salesmen sell. What their front line troops drive is a bit better.
The last tank battle the Russians fought was in 1945. The last major tank vs tank battle the US Army fought was in 1991. The deserts of Kuwait are still littered with the hulks of Russian armor destroyed by US tank battalions.
Whatever you think of Putin and his Generals, they are developing every offensive and defensive military capability they can develop or steal, just like the Red Chinese.
We are not! And people who don’t know who their enemy is and recognize the threat, lose!
..and how to create scrape iron by dropping heavy armor out of an airplane from altitude.
and then have the success of form and function like their new mail delivery drone? Big press todo with all the cameras running as it takes off and then flies into the side of a building.
Used to be all the Russian front line troops and best equipment was on the Chinese border. The European border were mostly guard and shock armies (expendables, with dated equipment). That was because their were no actual shooting conflicts on the European border, unlike the Chinese border over which were full scale battles for over a year.
Your information is out of date. The Russians have had several tank on tank engagements far more recently than the US has. Starting with First Grozny in the first Chechen war (1994), which was a battle that utterly shook up assumptions of armor usage at the time. Second Grozny ended up going worse for the Russians in some ways. The second Chechen war (1999-2000) went a lot better for Russia.
Russia’s latest tank on tank fights have taken place in Ukraine, against peer-level armor (Ukraine is a tank production center of the area) and in Syria against ex-Russian export models in recent years. The Russians have been in more recent tank fights than we have.
Not just one year either. The Sino-Soviet border wars went on and off for decades.
Actually, I would say that Ivan’s specialty is urban warfare with armored combat a distinct second.
Attempting to take a city away from Ivan when he’s had time to prepare? Really, really, really, really bad idea. Ivan is a past master of urban warfare and does it like nobody else. Something they’ve had real problems with after the breakup of the Soviet empire and having to deal with Chechen separatists and the Ukrainians who basically all play by the same rules as Ivan proper does - and it’s come back to bite them.
The big question is "How MUCH better?"
Remember that the USSR fell shortly after Desert Storm showed their military what they might expect if they went against us in conventional war.
“Whatever you think of Putin and his Generals, they are developing every offensive and defensive military capability they can develop or steal, just like the Red Chinese.”
Ummm, haven’t seen anything about their heavy lift capability. The ability to project power requires a large and logistics system. The U.S. excells at this. No other country comes even close, not Russia, not China, nada, nada.....
Maybe people should be in favor of Global Warming to take the edge off the winter so troops invading won’t die in the cold like the Germans did in World War 2.
Ugh, how discriminatory.
We tried that in WWII. Sherman tank, Naval variant:
Yeah i forgot just how long it lasted, however, I was TECHNICALLY correct: “over one year” :)
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