Skydiving is popular in modern world. Some people engage in this sport professionally, for others, skydiving is a way to tickle their nerves and get a dose of adrenaline. Has anyone ever wondered how many lines a parachute has?
What is a parachute?
The parachute is an ingenious and simple invention by an engineer from St. Petersburg, Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov. He was the first to create a backpack device and received a patent for his invention in nineteen hundred and twelve.
A parachute is a hemisphere made of fabric, to which a load or suspension system is attached using straps. It is designed to slow down and soften a fall from a height. Used for the safe landing of a person or cargo, it has several varieties.
How many lines do parachutes have?
This is of course very interest Ask. There are several types of parachutes, all of them with different quantities sling There is a main parachute and a reserve, landing, army and cargo. There are main and additional slings, they are all made from high-quality durable fiber and can withstand a load (each) of up to two hundred kilograms. To answer the question of how many lines a parachute has, you need to consider each instance separately.
Army parachute
The armed forces have been using parachutes of the same series for many years. From the sixties to the present day these are D-5 and D-6 parachutes. They differ in size, weight and number of lines.
How many lines does the D-5 army parachute have? There are twenty-eight of them, nine meters each. The parachute itself is dome-shaped and cannot be controlled. Land with it however and wherever you are lucky. This is the only but serious minus of this series.
Next, the D-6 parachute was released. It has thirty lines. Twenty-eight are normal, and two are designed to control the dome. They are located in the side slits of the parachute. If you pull these lines, you can rotate and deploy the canopy in in the right direction. This is very useful quality, if the landing does not take place at the training ground, but in mountain conditions, forested areas or in places where there are bodies of water.
Paratrooper's parachute
In order for paratroopers to feel calm during a jump, they are provided with D-10 series parachutes. This is an improved version of the D-6. It has the shape of a squash, the dome size is one hundred square meters! Even a novice skydiver can easily control this parachute. The ease of control depends on how many lines are in the landing parachute: the more there are, the easier it is to control.
The D-10 has twenty-six main lines: twenty-two four-meter lines and two seven-meter lines attached to loops in the canopy slits. There are also twenty-two additional slings located on the outside, their length is three meters, made of durable ShKP-150 cord.
There are also twenty-four additional internal lines. They are attached to additional slings. Two additional ones are attached to the second and fourteenth at once. This is the answer to the question of how many lines are in an airborne parachute. The D-10 is considered one of the safest parachutes in history.
Why do you need a reserve parachute?
The reserve parachute must be mandatory be with the parachutist during the jump. It is designed for emergency deployment when the main one does not open or if it is twisted. In such a situation, it no longer matters whether the canopy is controlled or not, or how many lines the parachutes have - none of the additional ones will help. Of course, an experienced skydiver will try to straighten the main one first, which will waste additional time. If it was not possible to straighten, then a reserve parachute will save the situation. It opens quickly and easily.
To learn how to use a spare tire, you don’t need to go through a lot of training; even a child can handle this task.
How many lines does a reserve parachute have? Typically, such parachutes are the same for all major types. These are series 3 and 4. The spare lines are arranged in four groups. Each has six lines. The total is twenty-four. Of course, a reserve parachute is not designed for control; its main task is to quickly open and save a person’s life.
What do you need to know when making a parachute jump for the first time?
If you are not a member and a parachute jump is just a dream, and not a military duty, then you should start by taking training courses. Even if you decide to jump with an instructor in tandem, training is necessary in order not to harm either yourself or the instructor. He’s already scared to jump with a person, and even be responsible for someone’s life. Such courses cost from three thousand rubles - it depends on the company providing these services.
Before going to the club, make sure to obtain a medical certificate: a heart attack during a jump is a serious and dangerous thing. And it can happen, because when you jump into the abyss, so much adrenaline splashes out that it will last for a year. And the fear of jumping can also lead to sad consequences if your heart is naughty. The pressure should also be the same as when joining the space forces. If there excess weight, then you should also consult a doctor whether you should jump or not.
If you are under eighteen years of age, written permission from your parents to jump will be useful. Don’t forget to warn them what you are going to do; the instructor will not allow you within a kilometer of the parachute without their written consent. People with mental disorders, after recent operations, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, or with respiratory diseases are not allowed to jump.
If your weight is more than one hundred and twenty kilograms, then you will be denied a tandem jump. Weight less than forty-five kilograms is a contraindication for a single jump. Pregnant women are also not allowed. First, calmly carry the child out, do not hide your position from the instructor in order to make the jump.
Skydiving is a dream for many. Do not drink alcohol before it under any circumstances. It is clear that the joy is off the charts, but it is better to celebrate this event after the fact, especially since you will not be allowed to jump with the smell of alcohol. And if you decide to drink so as not to be scared, then it is better to abstain from this idea altogether. And good luck to everyone who passed the medical examination!
Airborne troops perform a huge range of combat missions. And airborne jumps are one of the main trump cards used by paratroopers. Specially prepared airplanes and helicopters are used for this purpose. The Airborne Forces are equipped with a large number of modern effective weapons, special equipment, and military equipment that allow them to cope with the tasks assigned to them with high efficiency.
The task of the airborne forces is to capture strategic industrial facilities, administrative and political centers, areas of concentration of potential enemy forces, capture and retention of infrastructure nodes, mountain passes, crossings, communication lines; destruction of weapons of mass destruction, power plants, runways and airfields, and other key facilities; disruption of the enemy's work in the deep and near rear and coordination of his forces, disruption of the movement of enemy reserves.
One of the main tasks of the Airborne Forces is related to the implementation of operational-tactical landings in particularly important areas of potential local conflicts.
Completing such a task is impossible without airborne parachute jumps. The Airborne Forces train their personnel especially scrupulously. Therefore, paratroopers carefully become familiar with the theoretical foundation of parachute jumping, landing techniques, modern systems parachute-jet and parachute type, landing containers, platforms and systems with the help of which the installation and landing of weapons and military equipment is carried out. Special attention is devoted to the study of current military transport aviation.
Airborne jumps at the stage of emergence and development of the military branch
The first jump into the Airborne Forces took place in the thirties of the last century. It was then that a new branch of troops appeared in the Red Army - the Airborne Forces. The first paratroopers had to complete a completely accessible task - to land in a given area, where they were delivered by aircraft. At first, paratroopers with parachutes were transported on any aircraft available in service: TB-1 strategic heavy bombers or U-2 training bombers, which were not the best solution for the young branch of the military. The choice of aircraft depended on the number of paratroopers transported.
Resolving the issue of transporting cars, armored vehicles or guns turned out to be more difficult. We decided to opt for the TB-1 bomber. To create specialized systems with the help of which equipment would be successfully landed, an OKB was created. Among the very first types of weapons adapted for air transport and landing, one should name the 76 mm mountain cannon, invented in 1909, chosen because suitable weights and dimensions. The gun crew was transported along with the gun and had the opportunity to parachute from an airplane, slightly reducing the bomber's flight performance. Then the first parachute jump in the Airborne Forces took place, and since then the paratroopers have come a long way.
Airborne parachute jumps in modern army Russia
Fast forward to modern life soldiers of the Airborne Forces. In 2012, servicemen of this type of troops stationed at military service, in just one week, more than 11 thousand parachute jumps were performed! Including the airborne jumps from Ila-76 amounted to more than four hundred. Nowadays, jumps during long daylight hours are performed at an intensity of two parachute jumps per minute, and even more often.
There was a message about how many jumps they do in the Airborne Forces, for example, in the unit stationed in Ivanovo. As it turned out, 2800 jumps per division. In the mountain, air assault formation stationed in Novorossiysk, and the Tula airborne division, paratroopers make 2,000 jumps each. The cadets of the Ryazan School manage to make more than one and a half thousand jumps within one week.
Airborne jumps were more regular in the Soviet Army. Let's say, in the 80s, an ordinary paratrooper made about 30 airborne jumps from an Il-76 per conscript service. In the 90s, their number sharply decreased, but today one can once again observe a gradual increase in the role of combat training of paratroopers, which means an increase in the number of airborne parachute jumps for cadets and conscripts.
Training airborne recruits in the art of landing
Representatives of the young recruits arriving in the Airborne Forces make many jumps. Young soldiers have to do a lot of airborne training. They are given the proud title of paratroopers after they make their first parachute jumps.
In addition, technicians specializing in parachute instruments are constantly trained and trained in Ryazan. Seminars on retraining for commanders of parachute units are also held there. They are studying issues of landing and preparing military equipment. IN summer period, which is characterized by favorable weather conditions, Russian paratroopers plan to perform more than 35 thousand airborne parachute jumps.
It is absolutely forbidden to force people who do not know how to control themselves in the sky to skydive. To prevent an erratic fall, parachutes D-5 and D-6 include a stabilizing exhaust canopy. Thanks to the presence of the canopy, the parachutist cannot be carried away in a disorderly fall. To an inexperienced person, it seems that the earth is everywhere from him. The function of the stabilizing canopy is that the lines do not interfere with the skydiver's ability to take to the sky. The dome comes out first, after which the PPK-u device is triggered within five seconds, opening the backpack. The backpack is equipped with a double-cone lock, which can be opened either with a ring or with a device. A parachutist can pull the ring without waiting for five seconds of free fall to expire. With the help of a stabilizing parachute, the canopy is completely extended from the parachute pack.
Airborne jumps from Il-76
Speaking about the training of paratroopers, one cannot fail to mention the role of military transport aviation. Airborne jumps from the Il-76 can be called the most effective today. The main military transport aircraft Il-76 easily copes with the following tasks:
- parachute landing of military units;
- parachute landing of standard military equipment and cargo;
- landing of l/s units of the Airborne Forces;
- landing of military equipment and cargo of established dimensions;
- transportation and evacuation of the wounded to the rear.
Each of the above options requires the use of specialized equipment.
When landing from an IL-76 they use:
- two streams into the side doors, to minimize the possibility of parachutists converging in the air;
- three streams, one of which goes into the ramp, and the other two into the side doors;
- four streams - two each into the ramp and side doors (subject to combat conditions).
During the landing of personnel, the speed of the aircraft reaches 300 km/h. Let us note the tightness of the cargo compartment of the IL-76. If necessary, make long-distance flights by high altitude The pressure in the aircraft cabin is equal to the pressure at an altitude of 2.5 km. Airborne jumps from the Il-76 have been considered one of the safest and safest for many years. effective types landing. IN in case of emergency All seats are equipped with oxygen masks, so all paratroopers have the opportunity to individually receive oxygen nutrition.
Pre-jump training in the Airborne Forces
Before you can train a real paratrooper, you need to undergo serious combat training. Pre-jump training in the Airborne Forces is carried out at the most modern level. Not a single paratrooper is allowed to make real parachute jumps without thorough special training.
The IL-76 is an aircraft that fully corresponds to the tasks assigned to paratroopers. The aircraft cabin provides all the nuances that ensure the safety of parachute jumps. Traffic lights are installed at all exits from the aircraft. There are traffic lights on both sides of the ramp. The green light lights up with the inscription “Go”, yellow - with the command “Get Ready”, red - with the command “Hang Up”. When a yellow traffic light is turned on, a short siren is simultaneously turned on, and when a green traffic light is turned on, a long, blaring siren is turned on. She continues to roar until there is not a single parachutist left on the plane.
Every paratrooper who performed parachute jumps in the Airborne Forces will never be able to forget this siren. During a long-distance flight, the engine hums smoothly and calmly, which is conducive to sleep, but because of the sound of the siren, there is nothing left of sleep. After the command “Get ready” and a short warning siren, each paratrooper jumps up, waiting for the command to jump into the Sky.
Photos and videos of airborne jumps
Photos of airborne jumps are especially spectacular. You can admire parachutists flying in the sky, the second suspended deck of the Il-76MD transport, and the cargo cabin of the Il-76. Thanks to the increased capacity, the cargo compartment of the IL-76 transport can accommodate three BMD-1s, and can be dropped by parachute or landing.
The aircraft's capabilities include landing four cargoes weighing 10 tons each, or two cargoes weighing 21 tons each. The IL-76MD is produced in a double-deck version and is capable of transporting up to 225 fighters, and not as in a single-deck version - no more than 145 fighters.
Watching equipment landing from an Il-76 aircraft is always amazing. Today everyone can watch airborne jumping videos, thanks to the Internet. Interesting fact is the establishment of high-altitude world records by Soviet paratroopers. These jumps by our skydivers were made in 1975 and then in 1977. Girls were jumping with parachutes from an Il-76 plane flying at an altitude of over fifteen thousand meters. And no one has yet been able to break the records set then.
A video of airborne parachute jumping can convey the external impression of this unique and exciting process. And the parachutists themselves consider these the most exciting moments of their lives. Each jump is different from the previous one. The first jump is especially emotional.
For a D-5 parachute jump, an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters is required. At minimum height throws 600 meters. The period from the moment you exit the plane to the moment when the parachute should open is 200 meters. The parachutist has to fly about six hundred meters under the canopy.
Today, instead of parachutes of old systems, they use landing parachute D-10, with a dome area of 100 sq.m., improved parameters and a shape reminiscent of squash. The D-12, Listik, which was recognized as an excellent parachute system that has no analogues in the world, also entered service with the Airborne Forces.
German parachute troops were used in the Second World War to solve independent operational tasks and tactical tasks within the framework of operations of larger formations ground army. Operation Freudenthal. which was planned to be carried out during the Sudetenland crisis, was that German paratroopers were to “open” the Czechoslovak fortification line from the rear. It was conceived as a completely independent operation. It was followed by other independent operations of rifle paratroopers: the only partially successful capture of the “Fortress Holland” in May 1940, the capture of the island of Crete in May 1941 - the largest and truly independently carried out airborne operation, as well as a number of smaller operations carried out in eastern Mediterranean in the fall of 1943, after Italy broke its alliance with Germany. The landing of German paratroopers in Northern Ireland planned as a major diversionary maneuver in the late autumn of 1940, as well as the unrealized plan to capture the island of Malta in the summer of 1942, were supposed to be independent operations parachute troops. Units of the army, navy and aviation assigned to interact with parachute landings were supposed to carry out tactical tasks as part of the operations of the parachute troops.
All the largest of these airborne operations were based on almost the same idea: first attack in several places from the air and create several strong points in order to break into the enemy’s defense system from the inside, preventing him from concentrating his forces on any one area and cut off communications necessary for defense; then select one of the created strongholds, concentrate all existing and newly arriving forces on it, so that they then spread out, like an inkblot, until the main stronghold merges with the others and absorbs them. This tactic - I would call it "tactic ink blot“- the Germans gave preference in all airborne operations as opposed to the “carpet” tactics used by the Allies and consisted in the fact that paratroopers were scattered evenly on the terrain to be captured from the very beginning. The “ink spot” tactic paid off both in Holland and in Crete.
Along with the use of German parachute troops to solve operational problems, the German high command during the war increasingly began to assign tactical tasks to paratroopers as part of the combat operations of large front-line formations. At the same time, parachute troops were used for the most part as forward detachments or as rearguards, that is, to some extent they were likened to modernized cavalry. The actions of parachute troops in Norway - in the Dombos area and at Oslo airfield in April 1940 - and the attack by an engineer platoon of parachute troops on Fort Eben-Emael, the capture and provision of crossings across the Albert Canal and the capture of crossings across the Lower Rhine on May 10, 1940 can be considered as actions parachute troops in the role of advanced detachments. When advancing on Alexandria, Rommel also initially planned to use forward detachment four battle groups of the Ramcke brigade for the surprise capture and destruction of British anti-tank barriers. The planned use of one of the parachute force formations to suddenly capture the oil region northwest of Baku before the retreating enemy destroyed it also placed the parachute troops in the role of an advance detachment. Finally, Kampfgruppe von Heydte, dropped during the last major German paratroop action in December 1944 in the Eifel mountain region to secure the northern flank of the attackers and to capture mountain passes and roads, was also the vanguard.
It goes without saying that in a major airborne operation, a small number of parachute riflemen, dropped by parachute or landing on gliders, perform the tasks of the vanguard. For example, during the fighting in Crete, companies of the assault regiment landed in the area of Malemes and eastern Kania on cargo gliders before the paratroopers; when planning the operation to capture the island of Malta, the above-mentioned battalion was supposed to, using diving cargo gliders, disable the anti-aircraft artillery of the island. Much less often it was planned to use parachute and parachute-glider landings as a rearguard. Thus, in August 1943, units of the 2nd Parachute Division landed in Sicily on the western and southern slopes of Etna with the task of establishing a cut-off position between the retreating and partially defeated Italian troops and the enemy units pursuing them and ensuring the creation of a powerful bridgehead near the Strait of Messina even before , when the troops were evacuated from Sicily, were a kind of rearguard. The use of paratroopers in the role of a rearguard is to some extent approached by another type of their combat use. In soldier's jargon it is called "firefighting." It consists of throwing parachutist riflemen into the gap that has arisen in order to restore a continuous front line. No matter how great the number of cases when paratroopers replaced infantry units, I do not know of a single example when such “firefighting” was carried out from the air by parachute and parachute-glider landings. True, once the high command planned a similar enterprise (to establish contact with the encircled German group in the Kholm area in the spring of 1942), but it was not carried out.
If one follows the progress of the major German airborne operations and the few cases of tactical use of parachute troops, one inevitably gets the impression that the German High Command did not know how to use parachute troops in accordance with their characteristics. It hesitantly and reluctantly accepted proposals that came from representatives of the parachute troops themselves, and in particular from General Student. All this led to the fact that such a valuable unit for the army, which consisted entirely of selected volunteer soldiers and had excellent equipment, weapons and expensive equipment, turned into a regular infantry unit.
The actions of the German parachute and parachute-glider landings indicate that the command's fear of large landing losses was completely unfounded. True, the losses of parachute troops in such operations were undoubtedly heavy, since the actions of any large landing force represented a fierce, difficult struggle. However, the use of a parachute landing always gives the command the opportunity to achieve an operational or tactical goal with the expenditure of much less force than in a ground operation of ground forces, where much larger forces must be used to achieve a similar goal. Even if we assume that the goals set for the parachute landings in Holland (1940) and Crete (1941) could have been achieved without the use of airborne assaults, only through the actions of ground forces, then this would have taken much more time and much more forces, while the absolute numbers of losses would, of course, be no less. In any case, the use of paratrooper shooters always justifies itself, but for this, parachute troops must be brought into battle in the direction of the main attack. They should not be used dispersedly and perform various secondary tactical tasks. It is very doubtful whether the command of the 6th Panzer Army “SO” observed this principle during the last landing of German parachute troops in December 1944.
When performing tactical missions, a separate group of paratroopers must be given greater freedom of action. Nowhere is a stamp and stencil more harmful than when attacking from the air, be it a jump or actions from a glider. Despite this, we must admit that during the Second World War, German paratroopers and glider landings used three main types of air attack: drop or landing directly on an object, drop or landing near an object, and drop or landing away from an object.
Direct release onto an object is possible only if the object is small in size. In this case, this form of attack is even necessary. A typical example of this is the landing on Fort Eben-Emael on May 10, 1940. The fort was captured only by landing directly on the site. In the same way, when planning the operation to capture the island of Malta, it was envisaged to land troops from diving gliders directly at the anti-aircraft artillery positions. Rommel also thought about landing troops on anti-tank barriers when he wanted to carry out an attack on Alexandria. The first English parachute landing, dropped in February 1942 north of Le Havre, was also a drop on the site. His task was to eliminate the German Wurzburg radar installation and remove from it the parts necessary for the British. The bridgehead can be captured from the air only if the landing is carried out directly on the bridge, as was done, for example, by German paratroopers in 1940 on the Lower Rhine and in 1941 on the Isthmus of Corinth. The British ignoring this elementary rule parachute tactics at Arnhem in September 1944 cost them the loss of one of their best parachute divisions. Capturing a bridge requires unloading or landing on both bridgeheads, and this is an indisputable rule.
A typical case of a drop or landing near an object may be the capture of an airfield. Landing directly on an object using gliders or parachutes would cause completely unnecessary losses here, in open terrain.
Dropping or landing away from an objective lacks the advantage of a surprise air attack directly on or near an objective. If a drop or landing directly on or near an object can be compared to an attack on the move, then a landing away from an object is essentially occupying the starting position for the attack. IN in this case after occupying the starting position, the landing force begins an attack, guided by general principles infantry actions. An example of such a landing away from the objective is the actions of the 3rd Parachute Rifle Regiment in Crete. This regiment had the task of capturing the capital of the island - the city of Cania. To complete the task, the regiment parachuted onto the Kania - Alikianu road, approximately 3 km southwest of the outskirts of Kania. Then, from the landing area cleared of the enemy, the regiment began to systematically develop an offensive in the northeast direction, towards the main city of the island.
The commander of a separate parachute unit will decide to drop troops far from the target only if the target has a large extent (area) and the enemy’s situation is completely unclear. As part of a major landing operation, the command of the parachute troops will use separate part under certain circumstances, far from the object also because, if necessary, she can change the task by ordering her to participate in ground combat in other areas. In the example above, the 3rd Parachute Regiment had all of the above prerequisites.
It would be a mistake to assume that at the moment when paratroopers find themselves on the ground - be it when landing directly on an object, next to it or far from it - the actions of the paratrooper shooter lose their specific features, and everything that happens then takes on the character of an ordinary infantry battle, conducted according to old, proven rules. Even after unloading or disembarking, the combat of paratroopers retains its special features. Combat under landing conditions, in contrast to combat in normal infantry units, is characterized mainly by three points: the need to defend from all sides, that is, to conduct an all-round defense; the absence of close-in reconnaissance and reconnaissance in force preceding the battle and, not in last resort, lack of artillery. The old truth that the essence of an offensive lies in the harmonious interaction of fire and movement loses its meaning in the conditions of an airborne assault. In this case, the fire recedes into the background, making way for movement. Its overwhelming and paralyzing effect is not as effective as the stunning surprise, deliberate order and overturning force of movement that characterize the airborne attack. After landing, the commander of the parachute regiment is no longer the conductor of a large “fire orchestra”, but to a certain extent an “ammunition conservation commissioner” who seeks to compensate for insufficient firepower with skillful and unexpected fire maneuvers of his heavy weapons. Where this art of fire maneuver was replaced by bombing and strafing from aircraft, for example on the island of Crete and in South Holland (September 1944), instead of a clear, complementary and successful interaction of fire and movement, only clumsy and rather useless “assistance” was obtained. "
During the last landing of German paratroopers in the Eifel mountain region in December 1944, the battle group included forward observers - long-range artillery divisions (batteries) and an artillery communications team, who controlled fire from deep behind enemy lines. The results of their actions showed that such use of observers is fully justified.
Airborne troops
(Airborne Forces)
From the history of creation
The history of the Russian Airborne Forces is inextricably linked with the history of the creation and development of the Red Army. Marshal made a great contribution to the theory of the combat use of airborne assault forces Soviet Union M.N. Tukhachevsky. Back in the second half of the 20s, he was the first among Soviet military leaders to deeply study the role of airborne assaults in a future war and substantiate the prospects of the Airborne Forces.
In the work “New Issues of War” M.N. Tukhachevsky wrote: “If a country is prepared for the widespread production of airborne troops capable of seizing and stopping the activities of the enemy’s railways in decisive directions, paralyzing the deployment and mobilization of his troops, etc., then such a country will be able to overturn the previous methods of operational actions and make the outcome of the war much more more decisive character."
A significant place in this work is given to the role of airborne assaults in border battles. The author believed that airborne assaults during this period of battle would be more advantageous to use to disrupt mobilization, isolate and pin down border garrisons, defeat local enemy troops, capture airfields, landing sites, and solve other important tasks.
Much attention was paid to the development of the theory of the use of Airborne Forces by Ya.I. Alksnis, A.I. Egorov, A.I. Cork, I.P. Uborevich, I.E. Yakir and many other military leaders. They believed that the most trained soldiers should serve in the Airborne Forces, ready to carry out any task, while showing determination and perseverance. Airborne assaults must deliver surprise attacks on the enemy where no one is waiting for them.
Theoretical studies led to the conclusion that the combat activities of the Airborne Forces should be offensive in nature, bold to the point of insolence and extremely maneuverable in carrying out quick, concentrated strikes. Airborne landings, making maximum use of the surprise of their appearance, must rapidly strike at the most sensitive points, achieving success hourly, thereby increasing panic in the enemy’s ranks.
Simultaneously with the development of the theory of the combat use of airborne forces in the Red Army, bold experiments were carried out on airborne landings, an extensive program was carried out to create experienced airborne units, issues of their organization were studied, and a system of combat training was developed.
The first time airborne assault was used to carry out a combat mission was in 1929. On April 13, 1929, the Fuzaili gang made another raid from Afghanistan into the territory of Tajikistan. The Basmachi's plans included capturing the Garm district and subsequently ensuring an invasion of Alai and Fergana Valley larger Basmachi gangs. Cavalry detachments were sent to the Basmachi invasion area with the task of destroying the gang before it captured the Garm district. However, information received from the city indicated that they would not have time to block the path of the gang, which had already defeated a detachment of Garm volunteers in a counter battle and was threatening the city. In this critical situation, the commander of the Central Asian Military District P.E. Dybenko made a bold decision: to transport a detachment of fighters by air and destroy the enemy on the outskirts of the city with a sudden blow. The detachment consisted of 45 people armed with rifles and four machine guns. On the morning of April 23, two platoon commanders flew to the combat area on the first plane, followed by the commander of the cavalry brigade T.T. on the second plane. Shapkin, brigade commissar A.T. Fedin. Platoon commanders had to capture the landing site and ensure the landing of the main forces of the detachment. The brigade commander's task was to study the situation on the spot and then, returning back to Dushanbe, report the results to the commander. Commissioner Fedin was supposed to take command of the landing force and lead the actions to destroy the gang. An hour and a half after the first plane took off, the main landing force took off. However, the detachment’s previously planned plan of action was canceled immediately after the plane with the commander and commissar landed. Half of the city was already occupied by the Basmachi, so there was no time to hesitate. Having sent a plane with a report, the brigade commander decided to immediately attack the enemy with available forces, without waiting for the landing party to arrive. Having obtained horses from the nearest villages and splitting into two groups, the detachment moved to Garm. Having burst into the city, the detachment brought down powerful machine-gun and rifle fire on the Basmachi. The bandits were confused. They knew about the size of the city's garrison, but they were armed with rifles, and where did the machine guns come from? The bandits decided that a Red Army division had broken into the city, and, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated from the city, losing about 80 people. The approaching cavalry units completed the defeat of the Fuzaili gang. District Commander P.E. During the analysis, Dybenko highly appreciated the actions of the detachment.
The second experiment took place on July 26, 1930. On this day, under the leadership of military pilot L. Minov, the first training jumps were made in Voronezh. Leonid Grigoryevich Minov himself later told how the events took place: “I didn’t think that one jump could change a lot in life. I loved flying with all my heart. Like all my comrades, I was distrustful of parachutes at that time. Well, simply about them and didn’t think so. In 1928, I happened to be at a meeting of the leadership of the Air Force, where I made my report on the results of work on “blind” flights at the Borisoglebsk school of military pilots." After the meeting, Pyotr Ionovich Baranov, the head of the Air Force, called me over and asked: “In your report, you said that you must fly blindly with a parachute. Leonid Grigorievich, in your opinion, are parachutes needed in military aviation?” What could I say then! Of course, parachutes are needed. The best proof of this was the forced parachute jump of test pilot M. Gromov. Remembering this incident, I answered Pyotr Ionovich in the affirmative. Then he invited me to go to the USA and get to know how things are going with their aviation rescue service. To be honest, I agreed reluctantly. I returned from the United States of America “light”: with a “diploma” in my pocket and three jumps. Pyotr Ionovich Baranov put my memo in a skinny folder. When he closed it, on the cover I saw the inscription: “Parachute business.” I left Baranov’s office two hours later. was coming big job on the introduction of parachutes in aviation, on the organization of various studies and experiments aimed at improving flight safety. It was decided to hold classes in Voronezh to familiarize the flight crew with parachutes and the organization of jumps. Baranov suggested thinking about the possibility of training 10-15 parachutists at the Voronezh training camp to perform a group jump. On July 26, 1930, participants in the training camp of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District gathered at the airfield near Voronezh. I had to perform a demonstration jump. Of course, everyone who was on the airfield considered me an ace in this matter. After all, I was the only person here who had already received air parachute baptism and jumped not once, not twice, but had as many as three jumps! And the prize-winning place I won at the competition of the strongest US parachutists, apparently, seemed to those present to be something unattainable. The pilot Moshkovsky, who was appointed my assistant at the training camp, was preparing for the jump with me. There were no more applicants yet. My jump was really a success. I landed easily, not far from the spectators, and even stayed on my feet. We were greeted with applause. A girl who appeared from somewhere handed me a bouquet of field daisies. - “And how is Moshkovsky?”... The plane is on course. His figure is clearly visible in the doorway. It's time to jump. It's time! But he still stands in the doorway, apparently not daring to rush down. Another second, two more. Finally! A white plume shot up above the falling man and immediately turned into a tight parachute canopy. - “Hurray!..” - was heard around. Many pilots, seeing Moshkovsky and me alive and unharmed, expressed a desire to jump too. On that day, squadron commander A. Stoilov, his assistant K. Zatonsky, pilots I. Povalyaev and I. Mukhin made jumps. And three days later there were 30 people in the ranks of paratroopers. After listening to my report on the progress of the classes over the phone, Baranov asked: “Tell me, is it possible to prepare, say, ten or fifteen people for a group jump in two or three days?” Having received a positive response, Pyotr Ionovich explained his thought: “It would be very good if, during the Voronezh exercise, it were possible to demonstrate the drop of a group of armed paratroopers for sabotage actions on the territory of the “enemy.”
Needless to say, we accepted this original and interesting task with great enthusiasm. It was decided to carry out the landing from the Farman-Goliath aircraft. In those days it was the only aircraft we mastered for jumping. Its advantage over the TB-1 bombers available in the air brigade was that a person did not need to climb out onto the wing - the paratroopers jumped directly into open door. Moreover, all the trainees were in the cockpit. The feeling of a comrade's elbow calmed everyone. In addition, the releaser could watch him and encourage him before the jump. Ten volunteers who had already completed training jumps were selected to participate in the landing. In addition to the landing of fighters, the landing operation plan included dropping weapons and ammunition (light machine guns, grenades, cartridges) from aircraft using special cargo parachutes. For this purpose, two soft mail bags and four semi-heavy boxes designed by K. Blagin were used. The landing group was divided into two detachments, since no more than seven parachutists could fit in the cockpit. After the first paratroopers landed, the plane returned to the airfield for the second group. During the break between jumps, it was planned to drop six cargo parachutes with weapons and ammunition from three R-1 aircraft. As a result of this experiment, I wanted to get an answer to a number of questions: to establish the degree of dispersion of a group of six people and the time of separation of all fighters from the plane; record the time it takes to lower the paratroopers to the ground, receive the dropped weapons and bring the landing force into full readiness for combat operations. In order to expand the experience, the first detachment was planned to drop from a height of 350 meters, the second - from 500 meters, and drop the load - from 150 meters. Preparations for the landing operation were completed on July 31. Each fighter knew his place on the plane and his task on the ground. The paratroopers' equipment, consisting of the main and reserve parachutes, was packed and carefully adjusted to the soldier's figure; weapons and ammunition were packed in hanging bags and cargo parachute boxes.
On August 2, 1930, at exactly 9 o’clock, a plane took off from the home airfield. On board is the first parachute landing detachment. The leader of the second group, J. Moszkowski, is also with us. He decided to see where our group was separating, so that he could then accurately parachute his guys. Following us, three R-1 aircraft took off, under the wings of which cargo parachutes were suspended from bomb racks.
Having made a circle, our plane turned to the landing site, located approximately two kilometers from the airfield. The landing site is a field free of crops measuring 600 by 800 meters. It was adjacent to a small farm. One of the buildings, located on the outskirts of the village, was designated as a landmark for the collection of paratroopers after landing and the starting point for the start of landing operations behind “enemy” lines. - "Get ready!" - I ordered, trying to shout over the roar of the engines. The guys immediately got up and stood one after another, squeezing right hand pull ring. Their faces are tense and concentrated. As soon as we crossed the platform, I gave the command: “Let’s go!”... - the fighters literally poured out of the plane, I dived last and immediately pulled the ring. I counted - all the domes opened normally. We landed almost in the center of the site, not far from each other. The soldiers quickly collected parachutes and ran up to me. Meanwhile, a flight of P-1s passed overhead and dropped six parachutes with weapons on the edge of the farm. We rushed there, unpacked the bags, took out machine guns and cartridges. And now our Farman appeared in the sky again with the second group. As planned, Moshkovsky’s group left the plane at an altitude of 500 meters. They landed next to us. It only took a few minutes, and 12 paratroopers, armed with two light machine guns, rifles, revolvers and grenades, were fully ready for combat..."
This is how the world's first parachute landing was dropped.
In the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR dated October 24, 1930, People's Commissar K. Voroshilov noted: “As achievements, it is necessary to note successful experiments in organizing airborne assaults. Airborne operations must be comprehensively studied from the technical and tactical side by the Red Army Headquarters and given appropriate instructions on the spot.”
It is this order that is the legal evidence of the birth of the “winged infantry” in the Land of the Soviets.
Organizational structure of the airborne troops
- Command of the Airborne Forces
- Airborne and air assault formations:
- 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
- 106th Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Airborne Division;
- 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Division;
- 76th Guards Air Assault Chernigov Red Banner Division;
- 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Brigade;
- Special purpose military unit:
- 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Regiment;
- Military support units:
- 38th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces;
Airborne troops- a branch of troops intended for combat operations behind enemy lines.
Designed for airborne landings behind enemy lines or for rapid deployment in geographically remote areas, they are often used as quick reaction forces.
The main method of delivering airborne forces is parachute landing; they can also be delivered by helicopter; During the Second World War, delivery by gliders was practiced.
- Airborne Forces consist of:
- paratroopers
- tank
- artillery
- self-propelled artillery
- other units and divisions
- from units and units of special troops and rear services.
Airborne personnel are parachuted together with personal weapons.
Tanks, rocket launchers, artillery guns, self-propelled guns, ammunition and other materiel are dropped from aircraft using airborne equipment (parachutes, parachute and parachute-jet systems, cargo containers, platforms for installing and dropping weapons and equipment) or delivered by air behind enemy lines to captured airfields.
- The main combat properties of the Airborne Forces:
- ability to quickly reach remote areas
- strike suddenly
- successfully conduct a combined arms battle.
The Airborne Forces are armed with the ASU-85 airborne self-propelled guns; Sprut-SD self-propelled artillery guns; 122-mm howitzers D-30; airborne combat vehicles BMD-1/2/3/4; armored personnel carriers BTR-D.
Part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation may be part of the joint armed forces (for example, the CIS Allied Forces) or be under a unified command in accordance with international treaties of the Russian Federation (for example, as part of the UN peacekeeping forces or collective CIS peacekeeping forces in zones of local military conflicts ).
Units similar to the Russian airborne troops exist in many countries around the world. But they are called differently: air infantry, winged infantry, airmobile troops, highly mobile airborne troops and even commandos.
At the beginning of 1936, the British leadership was shown a documentary film about the world's first airborne assault created in the USSR. Following the viewing, General Alfred Knox casually remarked on the sidelines of parliament: “I have always been convinced that the Russians are a nation of dreamers.” In vain, already during the Great Patriotic War, Russian paratroopers proved that they were capable of the impossible.
Moscow is in danger. Parachutes - not needed
From the first days of its existence, Soviet airborne troops were used to carry out the most complex military operations. However, the feat they accomplished in the winter of 1941 can hardly be called anything other than science fiction.
During the most dramatic days of the Great Patriotic War, a pilot of the Soviet Army, making a reconnaissance flight, unexpectedly and with horror discovered a column of fascist armored vehicles moving towards Moscow, with no Soviet troops on its way. Moscow was naked. There was no time left to think. The High Command ordered to stop the fascists rapidly advancing towards the capital with airborne troops. In this case, it was assumed that they would have to jump from planes flying at low level, without parachutes, into the snow and immediately engage in battle. When the command announced the conditions of the operation to the airborne company of Siberians, emphasizing that participation in it was not an order, but a request, no one refused.
It is not difficult to imagine the feelings of the Wehrmacht soldiers when the wedges of Soviet aircraft appeared in front of them, flying at an extremely low altitude. When tall heroes without parachutes fell from the air vehicles into the snow, the Germans were completely seized by panic. The first planes were followed by the next. There was no end in sight for them. This episode is most vividly described in the book by Yu.V. Sergeev "Prince's Island". The battle was fierce. Both sides suffered heavy losses. But as soon as the Germans, significantly superior in numbers and weapons, began to gain the upper hand, new Soviet landing planes appeared from behind the forest and the battle flared up again. Victory remained with the Soviet paratroopers. German mechanized columns were destroyed. Moscow was saved. Moreover, as it was later calculated, about 12% of the landing party died when jumping without a parachute into the snow. It is noteworthy that this was not the only case of such a landing during the defense of Moscow. A story about a similar operation can be found in the autobiographical book “From Heaven to Battle,” written by Soviet intelligence officer Ivan Starchak, one of the record holders in parachute jumping.
Paratroopers were the first to take the North Pole
For a long time, a feat of Soviet paratroopers worthy of the Guinness Book of Records was hidden under the heading “Top Secret”. As you know, after the end of World War II, the heavy shadow of the Cold War hung over the world. Moreover, the countries participating in it did not have equal conditions in the event of the outbreak of hostilities. The United States had bases in European countries where its bombers were located. And the USSR could launch a nuclear strike on the United States only through the territory of the Arctic Ocean. But in the late 1940s and early 1950s, this was a long journey for heavy bombers, and the country needed jump-off airfields in the Arctic, which needed to be protected. For this purpose, the military command decided to organize the world's first landing of Soviet military personnel in full combat gear to the North Pole. Vitaly Volovich and Andrei Medvedev were entrusted with such an important mission.
They were supposed to land on the pole on the iconic day of May 9, 1949. The parachute jump was successful. The Soviet paratroopers landed exactly at the predetermined point. They planted the USSR flag and took pictures, although this was a violation of the instructions. When the mission was successfully completed, the paratroopers were picked up by a Li-2 aircraft that landed nearby on an ice floe. For setting a record, the paratroopers received the Order of the Red Banner. The most amazing thing is that the Americans were able to repeat their jump only 32 years later in 1981. Of course, it was they who got into the Guinness Book of Records: Jack Wheeler and Rocky Parsons, although the first parachute jump to the North Pole was made by Soviet paratroopers.
“9th Company”: in the cinema from life
One of the most famous domestic films about the Russian airborne troops is Fyodor Bondarchuk’s film “9th Company”. As you know, the plot of a blockbuster, striking in its drama, is built on real events, which took place during the infamous war in Afghanistan. The film is based on the story of the battle for the dominant height 3234 in the Afghan city of Khost, which was supposed to be held by the 9th company of the 345th Guards Separate Parachute Regiment. The battle took place on January 7, 1988. Several hundred Mujahideen opposed 39 Soviet paratroopers. Their task was to capture the dominant heights in order to then gain control of the Gardez-Khost road. Using terraces and hidden approaches, the Mujahideen were able to approach the positions of the Soviet paratroopers at a distance of 200 meters. The battle lasted for 12 hours, but unlike the film, it did not have such a dramatic ending. The Mujahideen fired mercilessly at the paratroopers' positions using mortars, machine guns and grenade launchers. During the night, the attackers stormed the heights nine times and were thrown back the same number of times. True, the last attack almost brought them to their goal. Fortunately, at that moment a reconnaissance platoon of the 3rd Parachute Regiment arrived to help the paratroopers. This decided the outcome of the battle. The Mujahideen, having suffered significant losses and not having achieved what they wanted, retreated. The most surprising thing is that our losses were not as great as was shown in the film. Six people were killed and 28 were injured of varying severity.
Russian response to NATO
It is noteworthy that it was the airborne troops that brought Russia’s first military-political victory after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the tragic 1990s for the country, when the United States stopped taking Russian interests into account, the last straw that broke the cup of patience was the bombing of Serbia. NATO did not take into account the protests of Russia, which demanded an exclusively peaceful resolution of the conflict.
As a result, over the course of several months, more than 2,000 civilians alone died in Serbia. Moreover, during the preparations for Operation Allied Force in 1999, Russia was not only not mentioned as a possible participant in resolving the conflict, its opinion was not taken into account at all. In this situation, the military leadership decided to conduct its own proactive operation and occupy the only large airport in Kosovo, forcing them to reckon with themselves. The Russian peacekeeping battalion was ordered to move out of Bosnia and Herzegovina and make a forced march of 600 km. The paratroopers of the combined airborne battalion were to be the first, before the British, to occupy the Pristina Slatina airport, the main strategic facility of the country. The fact is that it was the only airport in the region capable of receiving any type of aircraft, including military transport ones. It was here that it was planned to transfer the main NATO forces for ground combat.
The order was carried out on the night of June 11-12, 1999, on the eve of the start of the NATO ground operation. The Russians were greeted with flowers. As soon as NATO realized what had happened, a column of British tanks hastily advanced to the Slatina airfield. The forces, as usual, were unequal. Russia wanted to additionally transfer an airborne division to the airport, but Hungary and Bulgaria refused the air corridor. Meanwhile, British General Michael Jackson gave the order to the tank crews to liberate the airport from the Russians. In response, Russian military personnel took aim at NATO military equipment, showing the seriousness of their intentions. They did not allow British helicopters to land at the airport. NATO sharply demanded that Jackson kick the Russians out of Slatina. But the general said that he was not going to start the Third world war and retreated. As a result, during the daring and successful operation of the paratroopers, Russia gained zones of influence, including control over the Slatina airport.
Nowadays, Russian airborne troops, as before, continue to defend the military-political interests of Russia. The main tasks of the Airborne Forces during combat operations include covering the enemy from the air and carrying out combat operations in his rear. The priority is to disorient enemy troops by disrupting their control, as well as destroying ground elements of precision weapons. In addition, airborne troops are used as rapid reaction forces.