Right now there is a lot of talk in the newspapers, on TV, on the Internet about the Special Forces of the GRU and the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces. Since these two communities of military professionals are very similar, we will try to figure out how they still differ for an inexperienced person who is far from all this.

Let's start with a historical perspective. Who came first? Spetsnaz GRU definitely in 1950. Since a lot of tactical preparations and other chips were borrowed from the partisan actions of the Great Patriotic War, it is still fair to designate its unofficial appearance in the second half of the thirties of the last century. The first sabotage groups of the Red Army successfully operated in the war in Spain. And if you look at an even earlier historical period, when the need to carry out sabotage operations forced many countries of the world (including the Russian Empire) to keep completely autonomous "spy" units in their armies, then the origins of the GRU special forces go back to the "depth of centuries."

Special Forces of the Airborne Forces appeared in 1930, together with the Airborne Troops. With the very first landing near Voronezh, when there was an obvious need to start their own reconnaissance. The paratroopers cannot land simply in the "paws of the enemy", someone has to shorten these "paws", break off the "horns", sawed off the "hooves".

Main tasks. Spetsnaz GRU - conducting reconnaissance and sabotage (and some other, sometimes delicate) operations behind enemy lines at a distance of 1000 km. and further (as long as the radio communication range is enough) to solve the tasks of the General Staff. Previously, communication was on short wavelengths. Now on short and ultra-short on the satellite channel. The communication range is not limited by anything, but still there are "dead zones" in some corners of the planet, there is no mobile, radio or satellite communication at all. Those. it is not for nothing that a stylized image of the globe is often found on the symbols of the GRU.

Special Forces of the Airborne Forces - in fact, the "eyes and ears" of the Airborne Forces, are part of the Airborne Forces themselves. Reconnaissance and sabotage units operating behind enemy lines to prepare for the arrival and prepare the landing (if there is such a need) of the main forces ("cavalry"). The seizure of airfields, sites, small bridgeheads, the solution of related tasks with the capture or destruction of communications, related infrastructure and other things. They act strictly by order of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces. The range is not as great as that of the GRU, but it is also impressive. The main airborne aircraft IL-76 is capable of covering 4000 km. Those. there and back - about 2000 km. (Refueling is not considered, although the range in this case increases significantly). Therefore, the special forces of the Airborne Forces operate behind enemy lines at a distance of up to 2000 km.

Let's continue our research. An interesting question is with the form of clothing. At first glance, everything is the same. Ankle boots, camouflages, vests, blue berets. But this is only at first glance. Take beret, for example. This piece of clothing is of medieval origin. Pay attention to the old paintings of the artists. All beret wearers wear them asymmetrically. Either right or left. The special forces of the GRU and the special forces of the Airborne Forces secretly wear a beret bent to the right. If you suddenly see a special forces soldier in the form of an airborne forces and in a beret bent to the left, then this is just an ordinary paratrooper. The tradition began from the time of the first parades with the participation of the Airborne Forces, when it was necessary to open the face as much as possible to the podium, and this can be done only by bending the beret on the left side of the head. And there is no reason to shine intelligence.

Moving on to the signs. During the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces made many landings and landing operations. Many awarded heroes. Including the airborne forces themselves were awarded the rank of guards (almost all). The GRU spetsnaz for the period of that war was already at the stage of formation as an independent branch of the military, but was outside the legal framework (and in general everything was secret). Therefore, if you see a paratrooper, but without the "Guard" badge, then it is almost 100% certain - the GRU special forces. Only a few units of the GRU carry the rank of guards. For example, 3 separate guards Warsaw-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov III Art. brigade of the special forces of the GRU.

About food. Those. about the contentment. Special forces of the GRU, if it is in the format (i.e., under the guise) of an airborne unit, receives uniforms, clothing allowance, monetary allowance, and all the burdens and hardships that come with it, both in illness and in health, and food, strictly in in accordance with the norms of the Airborne Forces.
Special Forces of the Airborne Forces - everything is clear here. This is the airborne troops themselves.

But with the GRU, the question is more intricate, and this detail always brings confusion. A friend wrote to me after the Pechora GRU special forces training in the eighties. "All, ** ***, arrived at the place, in the company. We sit for the first day, ****, we pair off the blue shoulder straps, they gave out fuel oil, everything is black, **** today is mourning ((((((. Berets , the vests were also taken away. I'm now in the signal troops or what, *****? "So, we arrived in Germany, in the Western Group of Forces, and changed their clothes. They immediately became signalmen. And changed their shoes (boots with lacing were replaced with ordinary boots). But Germany is small, in the same place our sworn "friends" are also not fools. They are watching. Here is a strange communications company. All signalmen are like signalmen, but these people are stirring up something all day. at full speed, then digging trenches (similar to a comfortable lying in a forest belt behind the autobahn), then hand-to-hand fighting, then shooting for the whole day, then something happens at night. to a distant airfield. "And for you, dear, there is a field mail. Forward! The pipe is calling! Soldiers! On the march!" - communication workers).

In this way, the GRU special forces can disguise themselves (at times successfully) absolutely under any branch of the army (as the Motherland orders, and in what quiet / rotten distance it will send).
Disguising signs will be numerous badges with sports categories, parachutist badges, all the same vests (stubborn boychikas will still wear them under any pretext, but you can't see them all, and it's good that paratrooper vests are terribly popular in all branches of the military), tattoos in the form of clothing No. 2 (naked torso) again airborne theme with an abundance of skulls, parachutes, bats and all sorts of different animals, slightly weathered muzzles (from frequent running in the fresh air), always increased appetite and skills to eat exotic, or completely artless ...

An interesting question is about one more stealth. This stroke will give out the commandos, who is used to getting to the place of "work" not by comfortable transport accompanied by invigorating music, but on foot with all parts of the body worn out in calluses. The gully running style with a huge load on the shoulders forces the arms to straighten at the elbows. Longer arm lever - more economical than effort in transporting trunks. Therefore, when one day they first arrived at a unit with a huge concentration of personnel, at the very first morning run they were shocked by the huge number of fighters (soldiers and officers) who ran with their hands down like robots. We thought it was some kind of joke. But it turned out not. Over time, my own personal feelings about this appeared. Although everything here is strictly individual. Even if you pick your nose with your finger and flap your wings, do what you have to do.

And the most important thing is not this. Clothes are clothes, but what is exactly the same inherent in both the special forces of the GRU and the special forces of the Airborne Forces is the eyes. Look like this, completely relaxed, benevolent, with a share of healthy indifference. But he looks straight into you. Or through you. You never know what to expect from such a subject (only a megaton of trouble, if that suddenly). Complete mobilization and readiness, complete unpredictability of actions, logic that instantly turns into "inadequate". And so in ordinary life they are quite positive and inconspicuous people. No self-admiration. Only a tough and calm focus on the result, no matter how desperately hopeless it turns out to be. In short, for military intelligence, this is a kind of philosophical salt of being from time immemorial (lifestyle, that is).

Let's talk about swimming. The special forces of the Airborne Forces must be able to overcome water obstacles. Are there not enough obstacles along the way? All sorts of rivers, lakes, streams, swamps. The same is true for the GRU special forces. But if we are talking about the seas and oceans, then for the Airborne Forces the topic ends here, the diocese of the Marine Corps begins there. And if they have already begun to distinguish someone, then more precisely, a very specific area of ​​activity of the reconnaissance units of the Marine Corps. But the GRU special forces have their own units of brave combat swimmers. Let's reveal a little military secret. The presence of such units in the GRU does not at all mean that just the same every special forces in the GRU underwent diving training. The combat swimmers of the GRU special forces are a really closed topic. There are not many of them, but they are the best of the best. Fact.

What about physical fitness? There are no differences at all. And in the special forces of the GRU, and in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, there is still some kind of selection. And the requirements are not that high, but the highest. Nevertheless, in our country there is a pair of every creature (and there are many who wish). Therefore, it is not surprising that all sorts of random people get there. Either they read a lot of books, show-off videos from the Internet, or have seen enough of films. Often they have an abundance of sports diplomas, awards, categories and other things. Then, with such a steeply cooked porridge in their heads, they arrive at the duty station. From the very first march (named after the Great Special Forces) enlightenment comes. Complete and inevitable. Oh ***, where did I go? Yes, you got it ... For such excesses there is always a pre-recruited supply of personnel, just for the subsequent and inevitable screening out.

Why go far for examples? Finally, for the first time in the Russian army, they introduced six-week survival courses for contract soldiers, which end with an examination 50-kilometer field exit, with shooting, spending the night, saboteurs, crawling, digging and other unexpected joys. For the first time (!). Twenty-five thousand contract soldiers in three military districts were finally able to experience what the average spetsnaz soldier-intelligence officer has always lived with. And they have it for "a week until the second", and in the special forces for every day and for the entire period of service. Even before the start (!) Of the field exit, every tenth soldier of the personnel of our armed forces turned out to be a kalich, a slipper. Or even refused to participate in the safari show for personal motivation. Some parts of the body suddenly press-bench.

Therefore, why talk for a long time? Survival courses in a conventional army, i.e. something so unusual and stressful, equated to the average way of unremarkable ordinary service in the GRU special forces, and in the special forces of the Airborne Forces. There was nothing new here. But the special forces also have extreme pastime. For example, "horse races" have traditionally been organized for many years. In ordinary language - competition of reconnaissance and sabotage groups of different brigades, different military districts, and even different countries. The strongest fight the strongest. There is someone to take an example from. There are no longer any standards or limits of endurance. At the full limit of the capabilities of the human body (and far beyond these limits). It is in the special forces of the GRU that these measures are very common.

Let's summarize our story. In this article, we did not pursue the goal of dumping at the reader packs of documents from staff portfolios, we did not hunt for some "fried" events and rumors. There should be at least some secrets in the army. Nevertheless, it is already clear that the GRU special forces and the Airborne special forces are very, very similar in form and content. It was about the very real Big Special Forces, which is ready to fulfill the assigned tasks. And they do it. (And any group of military special forces can be in "autonomous voyage" from several days to several months, occasionally communicating at a certain time.)

An exercise recently took place in the United States (Fort Carson, Colorado). For the first time. They were attended by representatives of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. And they showed themselves, and looked at the "friends". Whether there were representatives of the GRU, history, the military and the press are silent. Let's leave everything as it is. And it doesn't matter. One point is interesting.
With all the difference in equipment, weapons and training approaches, joint exercises with "green berets" demonstrated an absolutely amazing similarity between representatives of special forces (the so-called special operations forces based on parachute units) in different countries. And then don't go to the fortune-teller, you even had to get out overseas to get this long-unclassified information.

As it is fashionable now, let's give the floor to bloggers. Just a few quotes from the blog of a person who, during an open press tour, visited the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces. And this is a completely unbiased view. Here's what everyone learned:
“Before the press tour I was afraid that I would have to communicate mainly with the oak special forces soldiers, who beat off the remnants of their brains by breaking bricks on their heads. This is where the stereotype collapsed ...”.
“Immediately another parallel cliche was dispelled - the special forces were not at all two-meter long hulks with bull necks and pood fists.
"... for the entire time of my stay in the unit, out of hundreds of military men there I have not seen a single bully. That is, absolutely not a single one ...".
"... I did not suspect that the obstacle course can be more than a kilometer long and that it can take an hour and a half to complete it ...".
"... Although at times it really seems that they are cyborgs. How they carry such heaps of equipment for a long time, I do not understand. Not everything has been laid out here yet, there is no water, food and ammunition. The main load is not there! .. . ".

In general, such drooling does not need comments. They go, as they say, from the very heart.

(From the 1071g.ru editors, let's add about the obstacle course. In 1975-1999, at the height of the Cold War between the USSR and the United States and later, there was an obstacle course in the Pechora GRU special forces training course. scout ". The length of about 15 kilometers, successfully used terrain, descents and ascents, there were impassable areas, forests, water obstacles, part - in Estonia (before the collapse of the Union), part in the Pskov region, a lot of engineering structures for classes. battalion (9 companies, in some up to 4 platoons, this is about 700 people + a school of ensigns of 50-70 people) could disappear there in small units (platoons and squads) for days at any time of the year and in any weather, day or night. the units not only did not intersect, but could not make eye contact at all. The cadets ran over to their hearts' content, now they dream about it. Fact based on real events.)

Today in Russia there are only two, as we have found out, exactly the same (with the exception of some cosmetic details) special forces. These are the special forces of the GRU and the special forces of the Airborne Forces. To perform tasks without fear, without reproach, and anywhere on the planet (by order of the Motherland). There are no other divisions legally authorized by all kinds of international conventions. March-throws - from 30 kilometers with laying or more, push-ups - from 1000 times or more, jumping, shooting, tactical and special training, the development of stress resistance, abnormal endurance (on the verge of pathology), narrow-profile training in many technical disciplines, running , running, and running again.
Complete unpredictability by opponents of the actions of reconnaissance groups (and each soldier individually, in accordance with the current situation). Skills to instantly assess the situation, and also make decisions instantly. Well and act (guess how fast) ...

By the way, is the dear reader aware that the burden of the military intelligence during the entire war in Afghanistan was borne by the special forces of the Airborne Troops and the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense? It was there that the now-known abbreviation "SPN" was born.

In conclusion, let's add. "Graduates" of the harsh school of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces and the Special Forces of the GRU are ready to accept with open arms any power structures and departments, from the FSB to small private security companies. This does not mean at all that the Big Spetsnaz is ready to accept employees of any power structures, even with an impeccable track record and the highest level of training. Welcome to the real men club! (If you are accepted ...).

This material was prepared based on the RU Desantura forum, various open sources, the opinions of professional experts, the gosh100.livejournal.com blog (credit for the blogger from military intelligence officers), the reflections (based on his own experience) of the author of the article himself. If you have read this far, thank you for your interest.

Almost every army has special forces or units. The Russian special forces of the Airborne Forces is a special regiment of the Airborne Forces, designed to perform various specific operations, which is part of the Russian airborne forces. The 45th airborne special forces regiment in 2015 was renamed the 45th separate airborne special forces brigade.

The history of the appearance of the special forces of the Airborne Forces

In the days of the USSR, there were not only special forces, but also no specialized detachments. The first Russian special forces unit appeared only in 1994. Although there were many legends about special forces in Soviet times, in fact, dangerous missions were carried out by airborne troops, and secret missions were mainly scouts and secret agents.

The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed in February 1994, specifically to eliminate bandit formations in Chechnya. In 1995, when the entire regiment was withdrawn from Chechnya, it had already managed to show its effectiveness in battles.

In 1997, the 45th spetsnaz regiment took an active part in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, for which it received the Battle Banner and a certificate of the Order of Kutuzov. With the resumption of hostilities in Chechnya from 1999 to 2006, the regiment's detachments took an active part in numerous military operations against terrorists and bandits.

Although the history of the airborne special forces regiment begins in 1994, it has already managed to cover itself with glory, since many of its fighters and officers are Heroes of the Russian Federation.

Airborne special forces weapons and equipment

Since the special forces of the Airborne Forces solves very specific and complex tasks, its weapons and equipment are of higher quality and variety than the standard armament of the Airborne Forces (which is already one of the best in the Russian army). Such weapons require huge funding. Airborne special forces fighters often use such types of weapons that are practically inaccessible to other types of infantry troops.

The weapons that are most often used by airborne special forces fighters:

  • SVD is the famous sniper rifle. Although this weapon is not something outstanding, many veterans of the Airborne Special Forces are used to using this particular model of a sniper rifle. With this rifle, some skilled snipers even managed to shoot down planes, hitting their pilot;
  • Currently, the SVD rifle is being replaced by the Vintorez, which is a silent model of a sniper rifle. A powerful "sniper" not only allows you to hit targets that are at considerable distances from the shooter, but is also capable of penetrating a modern steel helmet at a distance of up to 400 meters. The first combat use of the Vintorez sniper rifle was recorded in the first Chechen company. This weapon is in service only with special forces units of the Airborne Forces, other types of troops do not have access to this weapon;
  • The Steyr automatic rifle is also used by the Airborne Special Forces. Although this weapon is very expensive, the scope of its application is quite wide. Rifle "Steyr" has the ability to install and use a grenade launcher, which is often a necessity when performing special tasks. The use of such a combined weapon makes it possible to do without a standard grenade launcher, which can significantly reduce the mobility of a special forces group of the Airborne Forces performing a special mission. Although the Steyr rifle has only recently appeared among the standard armament of the Airborne Special Forces, the fighters rightfully appreciated its reliability and versatility;
  • Silent automatic machine AS "Val" entered service in the days of the USSR. In the late 80s, they were recommended for use by special forces when performing various sabotage missions that require noiselessness and stealth. AS "Val" is equipped with a sniper and night sight, and its transportation is usually carried out in a compact case. The assembly time and preparation of the AS "Val" for firing takes no more than 1 minute;
  • The main machine gun of the Russian army, AK, is also used by the special forces of the Airborne Forces. True, these are not ordinary modifications that are used in the Russian army, but export models of the hundredth series. Most often, the special forces of the Airborne Forces use the AK-103, which, in addition to being distinguished by a better assembly, uses a caliber of 7.62 × 39 mm;
  • For surprise operations, for which it is impossible to take dimensional models of weapons, most often they take the AK-74M, which have a folding stock, the ability to use a sight and an under-barrel grenade launcher. In some cases, special forces soldiers use a shortened model from the Kalashnikov line of small arms - AKS-74. At close range, this model is practically not inferior in characteristics to standard Kalashnikov assault rifles;
  • Naturally, the most popular machine gun, both for the entire Russian army and for the special forces of the Airborne Forces, is the Kalashnikov machine gun. Developed back in the 60s of the 20th century, it still has not lost its popularity. There are many PC variants that are used both for infantry and for installation on combat vehicles. The Special Forces of the Airborne Forces uses the latest modification of the Kalashnikov machine gun - PKM, which is characterized by lower weight and ease of use. There is also a "night" version of the modernized Kalashnikov machine gun, which is called PKMN;
  • A more modern model of the machine gun, which is in service with the special forces of the Airborne Forces, is the Pecheneg machine gun. This model is not just a modification of the PKM, but a really new model based on the PKM. This machine gun is suitable not only for firing at enemy manpower, but also for destroying transport and even air targets. The Pecheneg machine gun is exported to the CIS countries and the East;
  • For operations to free hostages, the AN-95 "Abdukan" assault rifle is used, which outwardly resembles a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Its main difference from the "Kalash" is the incredible accuracy and accuracy of shots. At a distance of 100 meters, an experienced sniper is able to hit the same point with two shots. In hostage rescue operations, people's lives often depend on the accuracy of the fighters who are involved in rescuing them. The AN-95 "Abdukan" assault rifle is able to significantly reduce the mortality of hostages in such operations, since several accurate shots can quickly eliminate terrorists;
  • In addition to small arms, special forces of the Airborne Forces often use grenades. The most common is the RPG-26. This type of rocket-propelled grenade, which was developed back in the mid-80s, has not yet lost its relevance and is an effective means of destroying enemy equipment and fortifications. Since the range of applications for these grenades is very wide, they are used by different types of troops of the Russian Federation.

In addition to the above weapon models, the Airborne Special Forces also receive the latest equipment, which are developed taking into account the specifics of the special forces' combat missions.

Specificity of special forces

Since the implementation of special tasks that are assigned to the special forces of the Airborne Forces requires specialized weapons, equipment and equipment, the funding that is allocated for the needs of the special forces is significantly different. The training of personnel is particularly thorough, and specialists are trained only in the best training centers, under the guidance of veteran instructors. In addition, joint international exercises are being carried out, in which special forces from different countries exchange combat experience.

Service in the special forces of the Airborne Forces is carried out, as a rule, under a contract, which is concluded for at least 3 years. This is due to the fact that almost every special forces soldier is a highly qualified specialist in any field, and a huge amount is invested in him during training, and the departure of such a fighter can disrupt the entire structured structure in the detachment, where each fighter clearly performs his tasks. For example, having lost a mining specialist, the squad will spend significantly more time penetrating the militants' hideout, which can cost the life of the entire squad, as it will give the bandits the opportunity to prepare for an attack.

Tasks that the special forces of the Airborne Forces must solve

The main task of the spetsnaz is the complete demoralization of the enemy. Suddenly appearing behind enemy lines, experienced fighters who have excellent training are capable of causing significant damage to the enemy in a matter of minutes. Seeing how a small detachment can easily cope with many times superior forces, the enemy loses faith in victory and easily turns into panic. The task of the regular troops at this moment is to support the special forces and take the captured positions.

In addition, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are able to carry out sabotage activities behind enemy lines, organize resistance units and "lure" the civilian population to their side. For this purpose, the airborne special forces units not only undergo special psychological training, but also have mobile television stations capable of broadcasting within a radius of about 10 kilometers.

In peacetime, there is also a lot of work for the special forces of the Airborne Forces. In addition, Russian special forces annually take part in competitions that take place among the special forces of the leading countries of the world. Russian special forces constantly occupy the first place, bypassing both the famous "Green Berets" and British special forces.

The training of airborne special forces is still at its best, but every year it becomes more difficult to recruit new recruits. There are enough willing people, but among them it is quite difficult to choose worthy ones. If earlier each applicant had a sports category (often even in several sports), now such conscripts are rarely encountered.

How to get into the special forces of the Airborne Forces

Those applicants who want to get into the special forces of the Airborne Forces must have already served urgent service in the army and have high health indicators that are required for future special forces. After passing the medical examination, applicants undergo a variety of tests that should determine their mental health and readiness to serve in special forces.

The most calm and balanced candidates are taken as snipers or sappers, the rest are assigned to military professions according to temperament and psychological stability. Those applicants who did not pass the tests are offered service in other parts of the Russian army.

After the selection, the exercises begin, which are passed by no more than 40 percent of the applicants. If there are too few people left after the exercises, the vacant seats are filled with the best airborne troops who have shown themselves excellently during their military service. Such a strict selection leads to the fact that after a year of training, the fighters are already experts in the use of various types of weapons and special devices. The best soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are real universal soldiers, although almost each of them owns any military profession better than others.

During the short time that the special forces of the Airborne Forces exist, its officers and fighters managed to take part in all the military conflicts in which Russia was drawn. Until now, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are the most elite soldiers of the army of the Russian Federation. Numerous medals and orders, which were awarded to the soldiers and officers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, serve as vivid proof of this.

Have you asked yourself a question about how to get into the Airborne Forces? How often have you thought about serving in? Most of these questions will answer: “No, this is not for me,” while many will invent various kinds of excuses. And this is not at all surprising, because service in the Airborne Forces or in special forces requires special courage, and most importantly, special training.

The main task is to conduct various types of military operations in the very rear of the enemy, far from the front line. These daredevils operate in the most important areas of hostilities. These are often the most extraordinary places. The main task of the spetsnaz is sabotage and reconnaissance activities deep behind enemy lines.

Only the most powerful men, who have a sense of fearlessness and courage, wondering how to get into the Airborne Forces, or how to get into special forces. It is thanks to such real men that our country can sleep peacefully.

Only the strongest, courageous and self-possessed people are selected for this armed forces of the Russian Federation.

In order to get into the Airborne Forces or the special forces of the Russian army, you must be a citizen, not necessarily an adult, but with a secondary education.

The main factor for admission is to have excellent health. The recruitment of those wishing to serve is carried out only on the basis of the results of entrance examinations in physical and psychological readiness, as well as on the basis of assessments in documents that characterize the social, creative, and most importantly sporting achievements of the future serviceman.

The world does not stand still, humanity is developing, customs and traditions are constantly changing. There are more and more women seeking to look at the world through the eyes of men. The girls also have a question about how to get into the Airborne Forces or special forces.

To enter the service, a girl must be the owner of good health and a stable psyche, have a secondary education, and also be a citizen of the Russian Federation.

For both sexes wishing to serve, it is necessary to submit a report to the military commissar.

While at the assembly point of the military commissariat, meet the officers who arrived for replenishment. Try to make the most positive impression on him.

As soon as you find yourself at the duty station, submit a report with a request to send you to the special unit you need for further service. And find out in more detail how to get into the Airborne Forces.

Becoming a candidate for enrollment in the Airborne Forces or special forces, you will need to complete physical tasks. You must be able to pull up well, exercise on two arms, and also have excellent cross training.

With the quality performance of all the tasks assigned to you, you can count on enrollment in the Airborne Forces or special forces. After serving in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, the country will be able to count on you in the most dangerous and alarming moments.

Special forces of the GRU and special forces of the Airborne Forces: a comparative analysis

NOTE:
Special-purpose units are units designed to penetrate and carry out power operations deep behind enemy lines.
The meaning of their use: in the seizure and destruction of strategically important objects and representatives of the enemy states on his (or temporarily seized by him) territory.

Spetsnaz GRU

This is a sabotage type special forces (sabotage - literally acting in an ambiguous way and making its final decisions regarding anything and anyone at the very last moment) and the antipode of the Airborne Forces special forces.
Its most successful application can be in the conditions of the Russian army's defensive and positional actions.

Special Forces of the Airborne Forces

This is the amphibious-type special forces (amphibious - literally acting like a light beam: swiftly and easily making its way through any revealed cracks and immediately bouncing back in cases of their overlap) and the antipode of the GRU special forces.
Its most successful application can be in the conditions of active offensive operations by the Russian army.

(GRU)
GRU special forces units can be used with the greatest success in the most crisis situations for their army - to create turning points in the course of unsuccessfully waged wars (that is, when opponents, proud of the victories initially achieved, begin to prematurely show rather frivolous and a dismissive attitude).
Saboteurs, taking on the tasks assigned to them, usually cross the front line in their separate groups, located at certain intervals and begin to move parallel to each other towards the targets indicated by them in the rear of the enemy. At the same time, they bypass any settlements in order not to catch the eye of anyone. In cases where some of them are discovered and come under fire from ambushes and deployed orders of enemy barrage subunits, other sabotage groups bypass the places of occurrence of such skirmishes and rush on. In turn, the detected groups of saboteurs are taken to conduct intensive shooting in order to point others to the locations of ambushes and barrage lines and at the same time divert as many enemy forces as possible to themselves and thereby increase the other groups' chances for unhindered penetration into the depths of the enemy rear ...
Sending their individual fighters to make attempts to break through the enemy's defensive formations, the main squads of sabotage groups immediately rush after them in cases of groping by those of any weak points, or rush to the right or left, if the next attempts of such groping turn out to be unsuccessful. In situations where the enemy begins to chase them backwards, the saboteurs scatter into small groups and one by one in order to confuse him and force him to either spray his forces or continue the pursuit of someone separate. In turn, those saboteurs who cannot quickly break away from their pursuers, rush forward sharply in such a way that only the most trained opponents can keep up with them. In situations where the leading pursuers break away from their main groups, the saboteurs completely unexpectedly turn to face them. Using explosive ammunition and other special equipment that are capable of inflicting huge lacerated wounds and turning out the guts, the saboteur warriors thus incapacitate the most decisive of their opponents and frighten them with disfigured species of all the rest so that in a rush of chases they do not break away from the main their groups. And since the speed of movement of the main groups of pursuers always turns out to be lower than that of their best representatives, well-trained and enduring saboteurs in many cases manage to get away from them quickly enough. In situations where individual saboteurs are seriously injured, their comrades finish off them for reasons that they would cease to be a burden for them and could not give out anything to the enemy if they fell into his hands. After the same as one or another saboteurs and their small groups manage to get away from the chases, they concentrate in pre-determined places by a predetermined control time and continue their advance with larger forces, and all those who did not have time to go further in an independent way so that catch up with those who have gone ahead in the process of the further journey.
In situations where sabotage groups manage to detect ambushes and other defensive formations of the enemy deployed in their path, without being detected from his side, they begin to split into parts and follow such obstacles in order to look for weak spots in them, through which one could slip by unnoticed or easily break through in an unexpected and impetuous dash.
After collecting all the surviving sabotage groups in the places of implementation of the planned actions, their commanders contact the agents that the GRU has in various places and with its help, and often with its direct assistance, determine the specific direction of all their further steps. Fundamentally rejecting the possibilities of achieving their goals in the easiest possible ways, saboteurs give preference to penetration of objects specified by them from those sides from which they are least expected. Making their way through the existing underground communications and through the existing natural and engineering barriers, they strive to find themselves inside objects and concentrate near key structures and firing points of the enemy in order to attack them at once upon a prearranged signal, deprive him of all advantages and take control of the situation. Having carried out the seizure of everything planned at such objects and the preparation of their explosions, the saboteurs, having done their job, quickly split into separate groups and retreat in order to get away from the pursuits and recover on their way back.
But as soon as the sabotage practice brings the first successes, the enemy begins to grow wiser very quickly. Paying attention to random reports and organizing observer networks in his rear, he begins to collect information about armed groups of unknown people seen anywhere. Marking on the maps the places from which such signals come and arranging them in chronological order, the enemy headquarters very quickly delve into the essence of what is happening. By making some comparisons, the enemy in these situations quite easily understands for himself in which direction, with what speed, how many groups and the approximate composition of the diversionary special forces, and at what time it should be expected in certain places on the looming routes of advance. Marking on the maps all strategic objects that are on the route lines of such advances and taking into account the knowledge of the current situation both on the front line and on the other side, the enemy headquarters determine lists of probable targets for the destruction of which the GRU special forces are sent. By concentrating in advance around such objects its barrage units, assembled from other places, he in many cases manages to nullify the efforts of groups of saboteurs directed there.
In turn, in situations where sabotage special forces begins to incur significant losses and does not fulfill the tasks assigned to it, the GRU is taken to carry out more serious operational developments. The essence of such developments is as follows. A number of sabotage groups are sent from the front line deep into the enemy rear, which are given false orders to destroy any enemy objects and which are doomed to almost complete destruction. Moving as steadily as possible along the routes indicated by them, such sabotage groups divert significant enemy forces onto themselves and lead them away in one direction. Some time after the first was sent, other groups of the GRU special forces were sent in, which turned out to be aimed at completely different enemy targets. Such a drop is usually carried out deep into the rear of the enemy in such a way that sabotage groups move towards their targets not from the front line, but towards it, so that if they are detected they could be mistaken for anyone, but not for saboteurs. ... In order to reduce the risk of being detected, such sabotage groups make their routes through the most desolate and wilder places, move almost exclusively at night, do not make fire and kill all strangers who accidentally collide with them. And so that saboteurs can carry on themselves a maximum of useful equipment and a minimum of what they do not need to use in business, they are taught how to survive and get food for themselves in any conditions, as well as the combat use of various types of weapons, ammunition and improvised means from the arsenals of all the armies of the world (thereby turning them into universal soldiers). Using the above tactics, the GRU special forces units are called upon in any emerging circumstances and at any cost to somehow solve the tasks assigned to them and in the overwhelming majority of cases justify the hopes placed on them.

(Airborne forces)
Airborne special forces units with the greatest success can be used to create an environment of chaos and discord in the rear of the retreating enemy forces, as well as to solve the problems of actively assisting the capture and holding of important strategic objects until the moment the main attacking units of their army approach. In the course of hostilities, such objects most often turn out to be strategically important bridges, airfields, transport hubs and other structures. Due to the fact that the capture and rather long-term retention of such large and important objects turns out to be unbearable for the relatively small groups of special forces of the Airborne Forces, its purpose is different - to create a favorable environment for this to be done by the forces of the airborne assault units of the Airborne Forces, which in the structure of the Russian Army are nothing more than special forces.
In order to provide practical support for ongoing offensive operations, individual special forces groups of the Airborne Forces are thrown into predetermined areas in the enemy rear, indicating each of them the approximate zones of their combat deployment. Once there, the special forces paratroopers begin to carry out incessant attacks on one or the other places of concentration of enemy forces. The essence of such attacks is as follows. Making unexpected raids and causing the maximum possible destructive effects and damage in the course of them, the commandos paratroopers rush in their attacking impulses only as long as they notice panic in their enemy. As soon as the resistance of the enemy who has come to his senses begins to acquire organized features and acquire weapons power, the special forces of the Airborne Forces, not wanting to allow unnecessary casualties on their part, immediately turn around and rush in the opposite direction in order to immediately hide from sight and come in for a strike from any the other side. In cases of pursuit of them, such special forces get lost in dense heaps and begin to retreat, hiding in the folds of the surrounding terrain and now and then changing the direction of their movements. In situations where the special forces groups of the Airborne Forces cannot quickly break away from their pursuers, they begin to install stretch mines behind them right on the move. After undermining some of the pursuers, the rest of them, for reasons of their own safety, find themselves forced to slow down their run and instead of directing their gazes forward, they begin to look mostly at their feet. This is exactly what the special forces paratroopers use and quickly dissolve in the surrounding distances in order to carry out new attacks on other bases of enemy forces after a short enough time.
For the simple reason that the tactics of the actions carried out by the special forces of the Airborne Forces, on the one hand, are based on ensuring swiftness and high maneuverability, and on the other, on the need to possess sufficient and universal firepower, its groups are created from considerations that they are not too large and not quite small - i.e. had an optimally matched number, and the special forces that make up them - well-aimed weapons and in a certain way combining military specializations. Due to the fact that there are no additional and spare people in the sentry groups of special forces of the Airborne Forces, it is customary in them to show concern for ensuring the safety of each soldier. Based on these considerations, the radio operators of such groups, in cases of persistent pursuit by enemy forces, receive instructions to send alarm signals to other special forces groups who might accidentally be nearby. Those special forces groups who pick up such signals or hear the noises of the battle, according to their instructions, immediately rush in the indicated directions. Accustomed to quickly navigate in the surrounding environment, they immediately delve into the essence of what is happening and strive to take positions on any heights with such a calculation that they miss the groups of pursued colleagues and unexpectedly hit the flank of their pursuers with all available firepower. While the dwindling enemy forces are forced to stop in their advances and take up defenses, the groups of the pursued special forces paratroopers, having rounded the circle, return to this place with such a calculation that, together with their saviors, they subject the forces of the defending enemy to crossfire and provide numerous losses to him.
The enemy, being busy with an unsuccessful struggle with cleverly escaping special forces groups of the Airborne Forces, very soon comes to the conclusion that they are up to something against him. But no matter how much his staff analysts bowed over the cards in such cases, clear pictures of the development of events never arise in their heads. Airborne special forces groups, thrown into the enemy's rear, with their thoughtfully haphazard actions, make on their adversary the impression that they have no meaning in them. In order to protect themselves from major failures, the enemy headquarters in such situations has no choice but to evenly distribute the available military forces between all more or less important objects and thereby disperse them at considerable distances from each other. On the other hand, the twitchy military formations of the enemy, realizing all the futility of attempts to persecute the special forces who bother them, very soon begin to choose for themselves the tactics of staying out of the way in their places of base. In order to finally discourage the enemy from showing any kind of initiative, special forces groups of the Airborne Forces are taken to intensify their activities in relation to those enemy bases from which any forces are being sent to provide reinforcements to their neighbors in order to induce them to failure to leave their bases under any circumstances.
Concentrating on ensuring at least some security measures at the facilities entrusted to them, the rear forces of the enemy in the emerging conditions are forced to leave many transport routes unattended. The main (airborne assault) forces of the Airborne Forces, taking advantage of the atmosphere of disorder and confusion inevitably arising in such conditions, at certain moments for themselves, set off in impetuous marches in the directions of their intended targets. Relying on the current radio messages of their special forces groups, they easily select and timely change the routes of their advances in such a way as to meet as few obstacles as possible and to reach the objects indicated by them in the shortest possible time.
Acting in their usual demonstrative manner, the airborne assault units of the Airborne Forces approach the intended targets in marching columns simultaneously from several directions. While the enemy's observers are trying to figure out who it was on the horizon - their own or others - they immediately strike from small-caliber guns and rockets at various places of enemy fortifications in order to give the impression of the plurality of their forces and not letting him come to his senses, swiftly rush inside ... In situations where the retaliatory resistance in some particular directions turns out to be strong enough, the airborne assault subunits leave their small groups directed against them and rapidly transfer the main part of their forces to deliver additional strikes from those sides from which such advances can be carried out with the greatest ease. Having easily hacked into the enemy's defenses from either side, the airborne assault forces of the Airborne Forces create a threatening position for the defenders in a more successful way and by squeezing those on both sides, prompting them to retreat and hastily withdraw from positions and protected objects.
In cases of approaches to already captured objects of additional enemy forces, the paratroopers begin to act in their usual counter-attacking manner. The essence of these actions is to disperse mobile groups of their special forces around captured objects, which, when threatening situations arise, are taken to strike in the back of the attacking enemy and, together with the main forces, conduct counter battles against him, behaving in this way until the moments of approach of the main forces of their advancing armies ...

(GRU)
Acting autonomously from anyone and quite deliberately making certain losses, the GRU spetsnaz thus turns out to be aimed at solving the assigned tasks in an independent and separate way. But at the same time, the risk of significant losses in the process of advancing along the enemy's rear and the failure of its individual groups to keep pace with the established advancement schedules makes it necessary to initially send sabotage forces several times superior in quantitative terms to those required for the direct implementation of the planned actions.
(Airborne forces)
Acting in close relationship with each other and other units of their troops and striving to prevent any losses, the Airborne Special Forces thus turns out to be aimed at solving any tasks assigned to it by joint and coordinated efforts. But at the same time, the focus on ensuring a low degree of risk makes it possible to send the minimum allowable numbers of its combat groups to ensure operational solutions to current offensive missions and achieve the set goals with minimal losses.

Thanks to cinema and television, most Russians are aware of the existence of special-purpose units that are subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (special forces of the GRU). However, these special units are far from the only ones in the Russian armed forces, their “colleagues” are simply less known and not so “publicized”. Although, with their professionalism and combat experience, they are hardly inferior to the renowned special forces of the GRU. First of all, we are talking about special-purpose units of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation or special forces of the Airborne Forces.

Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared quite a long time ago, even during the Soviet Union. In February 1994, a special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions. This unit took an active part in both campaigns in the North Caucasus, and was later involved in the war with Georgia in 2008. Its place of deployment is Kubinka near Moscow. At the end of 2014, the airborne regiment was deployed into a brigade.

Despite the fact that the tasks performed by the GRU special forces and the airborne special forces are in many respects similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the special forces of the Airborne Forces and the tasks that it performs, a few words should be said about the history of the special forces.

History of creation

Forces for conducting special operations were created in the USSR almost immediately after the Bolsheviks came to power. They were engaged in intelligence and subversive work on the territory of neighboring states. In neighboring countries, pro-Soviet partisan detachments were created, the work of which was supervised by military intelligence from Moscow. In 1921, a special department was created in the Red Army, which was engaged in collecting intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.

Having gone through several reorganizations, the intelligence department of the Red Army in 1940 was finally transferred to the subordination of the General Staff. The GRU Spetsnaz was created in 1950.

Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared in the 30s, immediately after the appearance of this type of troops in the USSR. The first part of the Airborne Forces was created in 1930 near Voronezh. Almost immediately after this, there was an obvious need to create its own airborne reconnaissance.

The fact is that the Airborne Forces are designed to perform specific functions - to carry out various operations behind enemy lines, destroy especially important enemy targets, disrupt enemy communications, capture bridgeheads and other operations, mainly of an offensive nature. The delivery of the paratroopers to the place of the assignment is carried out using air transport, the landing can be carried out both by parachute and landing.

For a successful amphibious operation, preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, it is in danger of failure - this happened more than once during the Great Patriotic War, when ill-prepared amphibious operations cost the lives of thousands of paratroopers.

In 1994, on the basis of two separate airborne special forces battalions, the 901st and 218th, the 45th separate airborne special forces regiment was formed. A few words should be said about the units that were included in the regiment.

The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the airborne special forces regiment, he managed to take part in several peacekeeping missions: in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Transnistria.

Information:The history of the 901st Battalion is much longer and richer. It was formed in 1979 in the Transcaucasian Military District as a separate air assault battalion, then was transferred to Europe, to the site of the alleged theater of military operations. At the end of the 80s, the Baltic States became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed into a separate airborne battalion and transferred to the subordination of the Airborne Forces headquarters.

In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the 901st battalion was in the territory of Abkhazia, after which it was transferred to the Moscow region. In 1994, the unit became a separate special forces battalion and became part of the 45th special forces regiment.

The regiment's servicemen took part in both Chechen campaigns, in the war against Georgia in 2008. In 2005, the 45th spetsnaz regiment received the honorary title of "Guards", and the unit was also awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009 he was presented with the St. George Banner.

In 2014, on the basis of the 45th separate regiment, a special forces brigade of the Airborne Forces was formed.

In various conflicts, more than 40 servicemen from the unit were killed. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.

What is the special forces of the Airborne Forces for?

The functions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very similar to those performed by their colleagues from the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. However, there are still differences. And they are associated with those specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must perform.

Of course, the special forces of the Airborne Forces can carry out sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all, it must prepare the possibility of landing for the main units of the Airborne Forces. The concept of "prepare" in this case is interpreted very broadly. First of all, we are talking about conducting reconnaissance of the future landing area: the leadership must have a full amount of information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.

In addition to collecting information, the scouts, if necessary, prepare the landing site. This can be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small area, a bridgehead. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the selected area, infrastructure facilities are destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. Also, special forces of the Airborne Forces can conduct operations to capture and short-term retention of important objects in the rear of the enemy. Most often, such work is carried out during the conduct of offensive operations.

One more difference should be noted between the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. Units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere on the planet (it is not for nothing that they have a globe on their emblem). Airborne special forces usually operate at more modest distances, which are determined by the flight range of transport aircraft used in the Airborne Forces. Usually it is no more than two thousand kilometers.

The special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the requirements for the training and equipment of fighters are the most stringent. Not everyone is able to qualify and become a fighter of this unit. A special forces soldier of the Airborne Forces must be distinguished by absolute "stress resistance", great endurance, excellent wielding of all types of weapons. After all, the special forces have to operate deep behind enemy lines, without any support "from the mainland", carrying tens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment. Random people are eliminated even at the initial stages of tough selection, only the best are taken to the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Psychologists work with candidates, finding out the characteristics of each fighter.

Interesting:The unit fighters are equipped with the best types of weapons, ammunition, equipment of Russian and foreign production. They do not spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) are not a very cheap pleasure. The Vintorez sniper rifle, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100th series, large-caliber rifles of domestic production - this is not the whole list of small arms used by scouts.

The fighters of the 45th separate brigade are actively using unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance, the brigade has a unit that deals with psychological warfare and demoralization of the enemy.

Russian special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered one of the best special units in the world.

In 2012, a platoon of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment participated in a joint exercise with the US Green Berets at Fort Carson.