Generals have always found it difficult to control large military units. To facilitate management, it was decided to create subunits commanded by junior commanders. Below is a list of these subunits. Of course, each army has its own style of management, but subunits are often similar in different armies. After all, managing military units of the army is an extremely responsible matter, and the smaller the unit commanded by an officer, the easier it is for him to understand the situation. This reduces responsibility.
In this article we will also consider the organization and armament of units of foreign armies. This is a very serious topic that is of interest to many. Large units of foreign armies are divided into their own small units. The first such part is a link.
Flight or fire group
A flight is a small military infantry unit and is designed to optimize fire, movement, and tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or fewer members:
- machine gunner;
- machine gunner's assistant;
- shooter;
- designated team leader.
The role of each fire team leader is to ensure that everyone operates as a unit. Two or three fireteams are organized into a squad or section in coordinated operations led by a squad leader.
Military theorists consider effective fireteams to be critical to the modern professional military because they serve as the primary force. Psychological research conducted by the United States Army has shown that soldiers' survivability and readiness for combat is influenced more by the desire to both protect and support other fireteam members than by abstract concepts or ideologies. Historically, countries with effective fireteam organization have had significantly better performance from their infantry units in combat than those that have limited themselves to traditional operations with larger units.
The fire group is the primary link on which the organization of modern infantry is based in the British Army, Royal Air Force regiments, Royal Marines, and US Army. The fireteam concept is based on the need for tactical flexibility in infantry operations. The link is capable of operating autonomously as part of a larger unit. Successful work in fireteams depends on the quality of training of small unit personnel, the experience of working together among fireteam members, the availability of sufficient communications infrastructure, and quality non-commissioned officers to provide tactical leadership to the team.
These requirements have led to the successful use of the fireteam concept by more professional militaries. Military conscription makes it difficult for teams to develop because team members are less effective as they gain experience over time by working together and building personal connections. The tactics of action of army units within a flight are quite diverse.
In combat, when attacking or maneuvering, the fireteam typically extends out to a distance of 50 meters (160 ft), while in defensive positions the team may cover the range of their weapons or their visual limits, whichever is less. In open terrain, an effective team can travel up to 500 meters (1,600 ft), although detection range limits effectiveness beyond 100 meters (330 ft) or so without specialized equipment. A team is effective as long as its main weapon remains operational. The unit, as part of an army unit, is currently a very effective combat unit.
The next division consists of several units. This large unit of the army is called a detachment.
Squad
In military terminology, a detachment, or squadron, is a unit led by a non-commissioned officer who reports to an infantry platoon. In countries following the traditions of the British army (Australian Army, Canadian Army, etc.), this organization is called a section. In most armies, a squad consists of eight to fourteen soldiers and can be divided into fire teams.
During World War II, the German Wehrmacht infantry unit (or Gruppe) was built around a general purpose machine gun. The advantage of the general purpose machine gun concept was that it greatly increased the total volume of fire that could be given to a squad. MG-34 or MG-42 were actively used as such a machine gun.
The infantry group consisted of ten people: a non-commissioned officer, a second-in-command, a group of three (machine gunner, assistant gunner and ammunition carrier) and five riflemen. As a personal small arms, the detachment commander was issued a rifle or, from about 1941, a submachine gun, the machine gunner and his assistant were issued pistols, and the deputy detachment commander, ammunition carrier and riflemen were issued rifles.
The riflemen carried additional ammunition, hand grenades, explosives or a machine gun tripod, as needed. They provided security and covering fire for the machine gun group. Two of the standard issue 98k Carbine rifles could be replaced with Gewehr-43 semi-automatic rifles, and sometimes the StG-44 assault rifles could be used to rearm the entire squad except the machine gun.
In U.S. Army units, historically, a squad was a unit of a section consisting of two soldiers up to 12 men, and was originally used primarily for training and administrative purposes.
Platoon
A platoon is a combat unit of an army, usually consisting of two or more squads/sections/patrols. Platoon organization varies by country, but generally, according to official organization tables published in US military documents, a full US Infantry rifle platoon consists of 39 Soldiers or 43 Marines (US Army or US Marine Corps respectively) . There are other types of rifle platoons (e.g., anti-tank, lightly armored reconnaissance, mortar, reconnaissance, sniper), depending on the service and the type of infantry company/battalion to which the platoon is assigned, and these platoons can range from 18 men (Marine Corps USA - sniper platoon) up to 69 people (USMC - mortar platoon).
The platoon was originally a firing squad, not an organization. The system was invented by the Swedish Gustavus Adolphus in 1618. In the French army in the 1670s, a battalion was divided into 18 platoons, which were grouped into three "firings". Each platoon in the range either actually fired or reloaded. The system was also used by the British, Austrian, Russian and Dutch armies. The platoon leader is usually a junior officer: a junior or senior lieutenant, or a soldier of equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant. A platoon is usually the smallest military unit led by an officer.
Rifle platoons typically consist of a small platoon and three or four sections (commonwealth) or squadrons (USA). In some armies, a platoon is used in all branches of the army. In several armies, such as the French Army, a platoon is specifically a cavalry unit, and infantry uses a "section" as its equivalent unit. A unit consisting of several platoons is called a company/battery/detachment.
From October 1913, under General Sir Ivor Maxx's scheme, the British Army's regular battalions were reorganized from the previous eight companies into four company structures, with each company having four platoons as separate units, each commanded by a lieutenant with a platoon sergeant as his deputy. Each platoon was divided into four units under the command of a corporal. Due to a shortage of officers in 1938-1940. For experienced non-commissioned officers who commanded platoons, the non-commissioned officer rank of platoon sergeant major was introduced. In modern units of the Russian army, a platoon is one of the main army units.
Company
A company is a military unit, usually consisting of 80-150 soldiers, commanded by a major or captain. Most companies are formed from three to six platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type and structure.
Usually several companies are grouped into a battalion or regiment, the latter of which is sometimes formed by several battalions. Sometimes independent or separate companies are organized for special purposes, such as the 1st Air Force Signal Company or the 3rd Reconnaissance Company. These companies are not organic to the battalion or regiment, but rather report directly to a higher level organization, such as Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters (i.e., corps-level command).
Companies in units of the Russian army:
- Motorized rifle company. The Soviet motorized rifle company can be mounted with any armored personnel carrier, armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle, which were more numerous in the late 1980s. The rifle company's armored personnel carrier consisted of a company headquarters, three motorized rifle platoons, and a machine gun/anti-tank platoon. A rifle company with an infantry fighting vehicle had the same number of personnel and carriers, and consisted of a company headquarters, three motorized rifle platoons and a machine gun platoon equipped with six RPK-74s. Despite the perceived lower firepower, American commanders were advised to include the heavier IFV weapons in their calculations.
- Tank company. Until the end of the 1980s, a Soviet tank company consisted of a company headquarters and three tank platoons with T-64, T-72 or T-80 tanks for a total of 39 men and 13 tanks; companies using the old T-54, T-55 or T-62 tanks had 10 or 13 additional troops. However, forces in Eastern Europe began to standardize tank companies into 10 tanks, with three tanks in each platoon instead of four.
- Scientific company. Research companies were created in 2013 to allow college-educated conscripts to serve in scientific research missions. There are 7 research companies:
- 2nd and 3rd Exploration Companies (Aerospace Forces);
- 5th Research Company (Army);
- 6th Research Company (General Staff);
- 7th Research Company (Communications);
- 8th Research Company (Medical);
- 9th Research Company (RKhBZ).
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit. The use of the term "battalion" depends on nationality and type of service. Typically a battalion consists of 300-800 soldiers and is divided into several companies. The battalion is usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. In some countries the word "battalion" is associated with infantry.
The term was first used in Italian as battaglione (no later than the 16th century). It comes from the Italian word battaglia. The first use of battalion in English was in the 1580s, and the first use to mean "part of a regiment" was from 1708.
Independent Operations
A battalion is the smallest military organization capable of "limited independent operations" as a battalion is the lowest level organizational unit containing organic coordinating or executive personnel and a support and maintenance group (such as headquarters and company headquarters). The battalion must have a source of reinforcement so that it can continue operations for a long time. This is because the battalion's main load of ammunition, expendable weapons (such as hand grenades and expendable rocket launchers), water, rations, fuel, lubricants, spare parts, batteries and medical supplies usually consists of only what can be carried battalion soldiers and battalion organic vehicles.
In addition to sufficient personnel and equipment (usually at least two main mission companies and one mission support company) to carry out significant operations, as well as limited autonomous administrative and logistical capacity, the commander is provided with a staff member whose function is to coordinate ongoing operations and plan future operations. The battalion's subordinate units (companies and their organic platoons) depend on the battalion headquarters for command, control, communications, and intelligence, as well as the battalion's service and support organizational structure to accomplish their mission. A battalion is usually part of a regiment, brigade, or group, depending on the organizational model used by that service.
Motorized rifle battalion in Russian army units
A motorized rifle battalion could be mounted on either APCs or BMP infantry fighting vehicles, with the former being more numerous in the late 1980s. The battalion headquarters includes 12 personnel and three motorized rifle companies (110 people each). The APC battalion also had an anti-tank platoon with four AT-3 or AT-4 launchers and two 73 mm SPG-9 recoilless cannons. Armored personnel carrier units, which were on high alert, sometimes had six rocket launchers and three recoilless rifles.
Tank battalion
Until the late 1980s, Soviet tank battalions consisted of three tank companies of 13 T-64, T-72 or T-80 tanks each, along with a battalion headquarters, for a total of 165 personnel and 40 tanks. Battalions, using the old T-54, T-55 or T-62, had 31 or 40 additional enlisted soldiers. However, forces in Eastern Europe began to standardize towards less education.
Artillery division
A Soviet artillery battalion in the late 1980s consisted of a battalion headquarters, a platoon headquarters, a maintenance and supply platoon and three fire batteries, each of six artillery units, either self-propelled 2S1 "Gvozdika" or towed D-30 howitzers, and numbered 260 people or 240 people respectively. The artillery rocket battalions consisted of a headquarters platoon, a service battery and three firing batteries equipped with BM-21 (Grads), with a total strength of 255 people.
Brigade
A brigade is the primary tactical military formation, which typically consists of three to six battalions plus supporting elements. This is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced shelf. Two or more brigades may form a division.
Brigades formed into divisions are usually infantry or armored (sometimes called combined arms brigades). In addition to combat units, they may include combat support units or units, such as artillery and engineers, and logistics support units or units. Historically, such brigades were sometimes called brigade groups. In terms of operations, a brigade may include both organic elements and attached elements, including some temporarily attached to perform a specific task.
Brigades can also be specialized and consist of battalions of one unit, such as cavalry, mechanized, armored, artillery, anti-aircraft, aviation, engineering, signal or logistics. Some brigades are classified as independent or detached and operate independently of the traditional division structure. A typical standard NATO brigade consists of approximately 3,200-5,500 troops. However, in Switzerland and Austria their number may reach 11,000 troops. The Soviet Union, its predecessors and successors, generally use "regiment" instead of brigade, and this was common in much of Europe before World War II.
The brigade commander is usually a major general, brigadier general, brigadier or colonel. In some armies the commander is rated as a general officer. The brigade commander has an autonomous headquarters and personnel. A chief staff officer, usually a lieutenant colonel or colonel, may be appointed chief of staff, although until the late 20th century the British and similar armies referred to the position as "brigade major". Some brigades may also have a deputy commander. The headquarters has a core of staff officers and support staff (secretaries, assistants and drivers), which can vary depending on the type of brigade. Headquarters will typically have its own communications team.
Division
A division is a large military unit, or formation, usually consisting of 10,000-20,000 soldiers. Infantry divisions during the world wars had a nominal strength of between 8,000 and 30,000 men.
In most armies, a division consists of several regiments or brigades. In turn, several units, as a rule, make up a corps. Historically, the division has been the default combined arms unit, capable of independent operations. Smaller combination weapons units, such as the American Regimental Combat Team (RCT) during World War II, were used when conditions favored them. Recently, modern Western militaries have begun to use the smaller brigade combat team (similar to the RCT) as the default combined arms unit. However, the division to which they belonged was less important.
Although the focus of the article is on army units, in naval use a division has a completely different meaning. Refers to either the administrative/functional division of a department (e.g., fire department, weapons department) aboard Navy and Coast Guard ships, shore commands, and naval aviation units (including Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force), in a subgroup of several ships in a flotilla or squadron, or two or three aircraft sections, operating under a designated unit leader.
Within an administrative/functional branch, unit size varies widely, although generally the size of a unit in the Army is less than 100 men and is roughly equivalent in function and organizational hierarchy/command relationship to a platoon.
Frame
An operational formation, sometimes known as a field corps, that consists of two or more divisions. Another variety is the administrative corps - a specialized branch of a military service (such as an artillery corps, a medical corps, or a military police unit) or in some cases a separate service within a national military (such as the United States Marine Corps). These customs often overlap. For example, during the Korean War, the United States Tenth Corps: Field Corps included infantry units of the United States Marine Corps and smaller units from various administrative corps of the United States Army.
Corps can also be a general term for a non-military organization such as the US Peace Corps.
Field Army
A field army (numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, consisting of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent to formations in some air forces. The field army consists of 100-150 thousand military personnel.
Specific field armies are usually named or numbered to distinguish them from an "army" in the sense of the entire national land military force. In English, it is common to use numbers such as "First Army" to name field armies. While corps are usually distinguished by Roman numerals (for example, I Corps) and subordinate formations - by serial numbers (for example, 1st Division). A field army may be given a geographical name in addition to or as an alternative to a numerical name, such as the British Army of the Rhine, Army of the Niemen or Army of the Aegean (also known as the Fourth Army).
The Roman army is one of the first official field armies, in the sense of a very large combined arms formation, namely the sacer comitatus, which can be translated literally as "sacred escort". The term comes from the fact that they were commanded by Roman emperors (considered sacred) when they acted as warlords.
In some militaries, the army is or was equivalent to a corps-level unit. In Red Army units, the field army was subordinate to the front in wartime (the equivalent of an army group). It contained at least three to five divisions along with artillery, air defense, reconnaissance and other support units. It can be classified as a combined army or a tank army. Although both were combined arms formations, the former contained a larger number of motorized rifle divisions, and the latter a larger number of tank divisions. In peacetime, the Soviet army was usually subordinate to the military district.
Modern field armies are large formations that differ significantly in size, composition and area of responsibility. For example, in NATO, a field army consists of a headquarters and usually controls at least two corps, under which are located a varying number of divisions. The level of the field army is affected by the movement of divisions and reinforcements from one corps to another to increase pressure on the enemy at a critical point. NATO troops are controlled by a general or lieutenant general.
Army group, army group
An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies that is self-sufficient indefinitely. She is usually responsible for a specific geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization, commanded by a single commander—usually a general or field marshal—and includes between 400,000 and 1,000,000 soldiers.
In the Polish Armed Forces and the former Soviet Red Army, an army group was known as a front.
Army groups can be multinational formations. For example, during World War II, the Southern Army Group (also known as the 6th US Army Group) included the US Seventh Army and the French First Army; The 21st Army Group included the British Second Army, the First Canadian Army and the US Ninth Army.
In both the Commonwealth and the United States, the number of an army group is expressed in Arabic numerals (eg 12th Army Group), while the number of a field army is spelled out (eg "Third Army").
Theater of war, front
A theater of operations is a sub-area in a theater of war. The theater boundary is determined by the commander who organizes or provides support for specific combat operations within the TO.
The theater of operations is divided into strategic directions or military regions depending on whether we are talking about war or peacetime. The United States Armed Forces are divided into Unified Fighting Commands (regions), which are assigned to a specific theater of war. A strategic direction is an army group, also known as target (field) forces or battle groups. A strategic command or direction would essentially unify a number of tactical military formations or operational commands. In modern militaries, strategic command is more commonly known as combatant command, which may be a combination of groups.
In Russian Army units
The large geographic division used by the Soviet and Russian Armed Forces to classify continental geographic areas is classified as "theater". The separation of major continental and maritime areas helps in determining the limits within which plans for action by strategic military force groups are developed. This allows military operations to be carried out on specific important strategic directions, known as fronts, which were named according to their "theater" of war, such as the Southwestern Front (Russian Empire), 1st Ukrainian Front and Northern Front (Soviet Union) . In peacetime, due to the loss of strategic direction, the fronts were transformed into military districts (districts) responsible for the designated area of operations.
Conclusion
This article examined the military structure of units, as well as the number of units in the army. The history of such optimization of troop control goes back to antiquity. Even in the military units of the Roman army, the legion was divided into small units. These units were centuries and cohorts. Military units in the army of the Roman Empire were very successful. Therefore, the commanders adopted this tactic.
The topic is interesting. But complicated. Especially for those who did not serve in the army and armchair analysts. Yes Yes! Information about the structure, hierarchy and number of military units of the army in peacetime - information classified as “OO” is top secret! It is available only to district military commissars and more senior commanders.
Why is it secret?
The explanation for this is extremely simple. Knowing the numbers of the units, their deployment and the number of soldiers in the structural unit, which a drunken demobilizer can tell a fellow traveler on the train, agent “007” can easily calculate what kind of “horror in bearskins” can fall on the peacefully grazing Dutch, Danish or French warriors protecting democracy in Europe.
In 1941, history taught Adi G. a cruel lesson! The vaunted “Abwehr” & Canaris were unable to accurately determine the number of Red Army soldiers and were confused about the names and numbers of units. As a result, the 4 weeks allotted for the “blitzkrieg” stretched out to 6 months. And the error in assessment was commemorated in the 45th with a victorious salute over the Reichstag.
Jokes aside. Let's consider the traditional structure, which to one degree or another remains in the hierarchy of the Russian armed forces, without mentioning the number of soldiers serving in a squad, regiment or division.
Tradition and modernity
Traditionally, two number systems have developed: classical formations and separate ones.
Classic structures is a military formation, the basis and name of which was laid in the ancient times of the formation of the Russian army during the Romanov dynasty: 1613-1917. The hierarchy of subordination was almost completely adopted by the Red Army by 1941.
Separate military formation - evolved based on the conditions of development and transformation of the troop structure. The cavalry disappeared into oblivion, the Strategic Missile Forces and the Submarine Fleet developed and took dominant positions. The army did not stand aside from these changes. Being a labile (inactive) structure, within the framework of existing units (divisions) it enlarged or reduced them. Depending on the tasks solved by the unit. Thus, intermediate links appeared, which began to be called “individual”: companies, battalions, regiments, divisions.
In the modern army, military formations include:
1) divisions;
2) military units;
3) connections;
4) associations.
- Any military formation has the status of a legal entity. Military formations conclude and execute civil contracts and agreements.
- Each military formation has a name: real or conditional.
- The conventional name consists of the inscription “military formation” and a combination of numbers. Also, a “No” sign is placed. As a result, the entire conventional name looks like this: “military unit No. NNNN.”
- The official name includes a peacetime combined arms number, a staff name, an honorary name (if any) and the name of state awards (if the military formation is awarded orders). For example: 1234 Guards Arkharinsky Order of Lenin Red Banner separate tank regiment.
- In order to ensure their activities, military formations, starting with a separate company, are assigned buildings, structures, premises, equipment, machinery, weapons, inventory and the material resources necessary for carrying out their activities.
HIERARCHY of the 1945-1991 model
The main hierarchical structures of troops that have retained their historical names:
Branch
In the Soviet and Russian armies, a squad is the smallest military formation with a full-time commander. The squad is commanded by a junior sergeant or sergeant. Usually there are 9-13 people in a motorized rifle squad. In departments of other branches of the military, the number of personnel in the department ranges from 3 to 15 people. In some branches of the military the branch is called differently. In artillery - crew, in tank forces - crew.
Platoon
Several squads make up a platoon. Usually there are from 2 to 4 squads in a platoon, but more are possible. The platoon is headed by a commander with the rank of officer. In the Soviet and Russian armies this is a junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of platoon personnel ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all companies of troops the name is the same - platoon. Usually a platoon is part of a company, but can exist independently.
Company
Several platoons make up a company. In addition, a company may also include several independent squads not included in any of the platoons. For example, a motorized rifle company has three motorized rifle platoons, a machine gun squad, and an anti-tank squad. Typically a company consists of 2-4 platoons, sometimes more platoons. A company is the smallest formation of tactical importance, that is, a formation capable of independently performing small tactical tasks on the battlefield. Company commander captain. On average, the size of a company can be from 18 to 200 people.
Motorized rifle companies usually have about 130-150 people, tank companies 30-35 people. Usually a company is part of a battalion, but it is not uncommon for companies to exist as independent formations. In artillery, a formation of this type is called a battery; in cavalry, a squadron.
Companies began to be created for the first time in Western Europe at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. The number of companies in peacetime reached 100-150, and in wartime - 200-250 people.
Battalion
Consists of several companies (usually 2-4) and several platoons that are not part of any of the companies. The battalion is one of the main tactical formations. A battalion, like a company, platoon, or squad, is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineer, communications). But the battalion already includes formations of other types of weapons. For example, in a motorized rifle battalion, in addition to motorized rifle companies, there is a mortar battery, a logistics platoon, and a communications platoon. Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel. The battalion already has its own headquarters. Typically, an average battalion, depending on the type of troops, can number from 250 to 950 people. However, there are battalions of about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.
Initially, the term “battalion” meant “order of battle,” but then began to be used as the name of a military unit. In the Russian army, battalions were first created by Peter I. They consisted of four companies of the same type and were part of a regiment. The battalion's strength is up to 500 people.
Regiment
In the Soviet and Russian armies, this is the main tactical formation and a completely autonomous formation in the economic sense. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. Although regiments are named according to the branches of the military, in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many branches of the military, and the name is given according to the predominant branch of the military. The number of personnel in the regiment ranges from 900 to 2000 people.
Brigade
Just like a regiment, it is the main tactical formation. Actually, the brigade occupies an intermediate position between a regiment and a division. A brigade can also consist of two regiments, plus battalions and auxiliary companies. On average, the brigade has from 2 to 8 thousand people. The brigade commander, just like in the regiment, is a colonel.
Division
A division is the main tactical unit in various branches of the armed forces. Divisions are designed to conduct combat as part of larger formations: an army, a corps, a squadron. A division usually consists of several regiments or brigades, units or units. Divisions first appeared in the sailing fleets of a number of states in the 17th century, as an integral part of a squadron of ships.
According to the staff - major general, in reality - usually colonel.
Frame
The corps is an intermediate formation between the division and the army. The corps is already a combined arms formation, that is, it is usually deprived of the characteristic of one type of military force. It is impossible to talk about the structure and size of the corps. As many buildings existed or exist, so many of their structures exist. Corps commander, Lieutenant General.
Army
This term is used in three main meanings:
A. Army - the armed forces of the state as a whole;
b. Army - ground forces of the state's armed forces (as opposed to the navy and military aviation);
V. Army is a military formation.
In this article we are talking about the army as a military formation. The army is a large-scale military formation for operational purposes. The army includes divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Armies are usually no longer divided by branch of service, although tank armies may exist where tank divisions predominate. An army may also include one or more corps. It is impossible to talk about the structure and size of the army, because as many armies exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. The soldier at the head of the army is no longer called “commander”, but “commander of the army.” Usually the regular rank of army commander is colonel general. In peacetime, armies, as military formations, are rarely organized. Usually divisions, regiments, and battalions are directly included in the district.
Front (district)
This is the highest military formation of a strategic type in wartime. There are no larger formations. The name "front" is used only in wartime for a formation conducting combat operations. For such formations in peacetime, or located in the rear, the name “okrug” (military district) is used. The front includes several armies, corps, divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. The composition and strength of the front may vary. Fronts are never subdivided by types of troops (i.e. there cannot be a tank front, an artillery front, etc.). At the head of the front (district) is the commander of the front (district) with the rank of army general.
Group of troops
In wartime, this is the name given to military formations that solve operational tasks inherent in the front, but operate in a narrower area or a secondary direction and, accordingly, are significantly smaller in number and weaker than such a formation as the front, but stronger than the army. In peacetime, this was the name in the Soviet Army for associations of formations stationed abroad (Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, Central Group of Forces, Northern Group of Forces, Southern Group of Forces). In Germany, this group of troops included several armies and divisions. In Czechoslovakia, the Central Group of Forces consisted of five divisions, three of which were combined into a corps. In Poland the group of troops consisted of two divisions, and in Hungary of three divisions.
As part of the above units, the Russian army is ready to repel any attack and solve any tactical and strategic problems. No one doubts this!
The word platoon comes from the Russian word "platoon", used in the command "to cock a weapon", and replaced the foreign word plutong (derived from the French peloton,) used as a designation for a small detachment of soldiers, introduced by Peter the Great.
Initially, the word platoon meant only a small infantry rifle detachment, indicating the type of unit and how many people there were in it, and not an army staffing and organizational unit as it is currently.
How many people are in a platoon of soldiers?
A platoon is a military unit, most often consisting of 2-4 sections, part of a company or battalion (in some cases it exists independently). Usually there are from 9-12 to 45-50 people in a platoon, depending on the type of troops, country or purpose of the platoon. Platoon commanders are sergeants, warrant officers, junior lieutenants, lieutenants or senior lieutenants, that is, they can be either an officer or a non-commissioned officer.
How many people were in a platoon in Tsarist Russia?
At the beginning of the 20th century, assault platoons began to appear in all infantry and grenadier regiments of the army of the Russian Empire. The platoon consisted of 48 privates, divided into four sections, and command was exercised by four sergeants and one officer, who was the platoon commander. The assault platoons were armed with carbines (officers had revolvers), bebut daggers and grenades. The equipment also included steel shields and “Hadrian’s helmets.” There were two bomb launchers per platoon.
Motorized rifles
Motorized rifle units were divided according to the type of equipment used. For example, in platoons on the BTR-50 there were three sections of 12 people, the total number was 37 (including the commander). The BMP-2 platoon consisted of 28 people. In addition to the riflemen, each squad usually had one machine gunner and a grenade launcher. The entire platoon was assigned one orderly and 1-2 snipers. The armament consisted of AKM assault rifles, PM pistols (for the officer), RPK machine guns, RPG-7 grenade launchers, SVD rifles and hand grenades.
Paratroopers and Marines
The platoon of parachute troops on the BMD-1 and the platoon of marines on the BTR-70 had 28 people, but when carrying out reconnaissance missions, the number was reduced to 15-18 people. The weapons used were AKMS, RPG-7D, PM pistols, RPKS machine guns, SVD-S sniper rifles and hand grenades.
Tank forces
A tank platoon could be part of a tank battalion that was part of a tank regiment and then it had three tanks, or it could be part of a tank battalion that was part of a motorized rifle regiment and then it had 4 tanks. Since a section of a tank platoon is the tank crew, depending on the type of tank it could have 3 people (T-72) or 4 people (T-54). The total number of personnel ranged from 9 to 16 people, depending on the type of troops and type of tanks.
Special Forces Units
In Special Forces units, a military unit equivalent to a platoon was called a group, which also included 3 squads, with a total number of 9 to 18 people. Due to the specific nature of reconnaissance and sabotage missions, requiring increased mobility and secrecy, squads of 3-4 people could act completely independently. There are often cases when special forces groups are staffed exclusively by officers and warrant officers, which once again emphasizes the elitism of these units. They were armed with a wide range of infantry weapons of various types, from AKS-U assault rifles and Stechkin pistols with a silencer, to ATGMs, MANPADS or long-range sniper rifles, depending on the nature of the mission.
Artillery units
The number of sections (crews) in an artillery platoon and its total strength varied depending on the type of guns. Most often, mortar (2S4) platoons had 2 fire crews of 5 people each, and howitzer platoons (2A36) had 3 fire crews of 8 people each. The total number ranged from 10-12 to 25-27 people. The exception was the anti-tank platoon, whose total strength reached 42 people. The standard equipment was 6 9K11 ATGMs, 3 SPG-9M grenade launchers, 5 armored personnel carriers.
How many people are in a platoon in the army of modern Russia?
The organizational and staffing structure of platoons in the Russian Army has practically not undergone significant changes in relation to the Soviet period after the 60s. The weapons used have changed somewhat, generally corresponding to the late Soviet period. In modern platoons, a section near the board has begun to stand out in terms of size and composition.
The motorized rifle platoon now has 32 soldiers on the BTR-80, and 30 soldiers on the BMP-2. More attention has been paid to sniper fire, with a sniper often present in every squad. Now soldiers are equipped with individual communications equipment, and the range of automatic grenade launchers has been expanded.
The organization of Special Forces platoons (groups) has undergone virtually no changes. Tank platoons have a strength of 9-12 people (depending on the type of troops), all tank crews now have 3 people each.
The equipment of soldiers of the Russian Army began to include the promising Ratnik equipment. It includes special frost- and heat-resistant clothing, armor protection covering up to 80-90% of the surface of the soldier’s body (including 6B47 body armor, which provides protection from bullets of modern assault and sniper rifles with a caliber of 5.56 and 7.62 mm), communications equipment and positioning, physical state sensors, sighting systems with optical and thermal imaging channels, night vision devices, eye monitors (allowing shooting from behind cover while transmitting a television image from the sight), friend-or-foe sensors, wearable field computers (field tablets) to exchange tactical information and orders.
According to its characteristics, Ratnik equipment meets the most modern requirements and is similar to the uniform of soldiers in the most advanced armies of NATO countries.
How many people are in a Marine platoon in the US Army?
A US Marine platoon consists of three rifle squads and a headquarters. The headquarters consists of 3 people, a platoon commander (usually a first lieutenant or second lieutenant), a platoon sergeant and a medic. Each rifle squad includes 3 fire groups of 4 people (a group commander with the rank of corporal, armed with M4/M16, one machine gunner with M249 and 2 machine gunners with M4\M16). Squads are commanded by sergeants or staff sergeants. The total strength of the platoon is 39-48 soldiers (with additional staffing of the platoon headquarters with snipers, machine gunners and machine gunners).
The main weapon is the M4\M16 assault rifle, the main machine gun used is the M249, various sniper rifles (including foreign ones), M72 LAW grenade launchers, and TOW ATGMs are used. HMMWV, MRAP armored vehicles and LAV-25 armored personnel carriers are used as transportation and support vehicles.
Hierarchy and number of military formations.
Finally, the Battle Regulations of the Ground Forces are coming into force. You can more or less decide on the hierarchy, although I have only become familiar with two parts.
In general, I am very often asked questions like “how many people are in the division”, “how many people are in the brigade”. Well, it's impossible to answer this question. Because I can give an answer, say, about a tank regiment, but they were generally interested in cavalry, and even in the 40th year. The fact is that the very name “squad”, “platoon”, “company” depends not on the numerical strength, but, firstly, on the type of troops, and, secondly, on the tactical tasks assigned to the formation of this type.
And so, the smallest formation:
“Squad” (crew for artillery, Crew for tankers).
The squad is commanded by a sergeant (junior sergeant), armed with an AK74
A motorized rifle squad consists of 9...13 people (in addition to the squad commander: a grenade launcher, a private with an RPG-7, PM; a grenade launcher assistant gunner, a private with an AK74; a machine gunner, a private with an RPK74; a senior gunner, a corporal with an AK74; 3...5 riflemen, privates with AK74; mechanic driver of an infantry fighting vehicle and gunner-operator/machine gunner of an infantry fighting vehicle/infantry fighting vehicle).
The squad is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineering, communications)
Motorized rifle squad:
Defense up to 100m,
Advance up to 50m
"Platoon"
Several squads make up a platoon (from 2 to 4).
The platoon is commanded by an officer - lieutenant, Art. lieutenant.
Number of people: 9...45 people.
The platoon is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineer, communications)
Motorized rifle platoon:
Defense 400 m along the front, 300 m in depth.
Advance up to 200...300 meters
"Company" (battery for artillery and squadron for cavalry)
Several platoons make up a company (from 2 to 4). In addition to platoons, a company may include squads that are not part of a platoon.
A company is a formation that can perform independent tasks on the battlefield.
The company commander is a captain.
Number of people from 18 to 200 (motorized rifle companies 130...150 people; tank companies 30...35 people)
The company is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineering, communications)
Motorized rifle company:
Defense 1…1.5 km along the front up to 1 km in depth
Advance: 0.5…1 km
Battalion. (Division for artillery.)
Several companies make up a battalion (from 2 to 4); the battalion also includes platoons that are not part of the companies.
The battalion is named after its branch of service (tank, motorized rifle, engineering, communications). But the battalion includes formations of other types of weapons (For example, in a motorized rifle battalion, in addition to motorized rifle companies, there is a mortar battery, a logistics platoon, and a communications platoon.)
The battalion commander is a lieutenant colonel.
The battalion has its own headquarters.
The number is from 250...950 people (theoretically, the size of the battalion is possible and less).
Motorized rifle battalion:
Defense 3…5 km along the front and 2…2.5 km in depth
Advance 1…2 km
Regiment.
The regiment is named after the branch of service, but includes units from many branches of the military. Consists of at least 3...4 battalions. (2...3 battalions of the military branch)
The regiment commander is a colonel.
(For example, in a motorized rifle regiment there are 2...3 motorized rifle battalions, one tank battalion, one artillery division (battalion), one anti-aircraft missile division, reconnaissance company, engineer company, communications company, anti-tank battery, chemical defense platoon, repair company, logistics company, orchestra, medical center)
The number of personnel in the regiment ranges from 900...2000 people.
Brigade.
An intermediate element (so to speak) from regiment to division.
The main difference from a regiment is the larger number of both battalions and other units. (Let's say there are two tank battalions in the MTB) A brigade can also consist of 2 regiments.
Brigade Commander - Colonel
Number of people: 2000...8000 people
Division.
Although it is named according to the type of predominant troops, in fact the predominance can differ only by one regiment (say, in a motorized rifle division there are two motorized rifle regiments, in a tank division, on the contrary, there is one motorized rifle regiment for two tank regiments)
Division commander - Major General
Number of personnel from 12,000...24,000 people
Frame.
Intermediate military formation from division to army.
The corps is a combined arms formation.
The corps was usually created in cases where the formation of an army was impractical.
After completing the combat mission, the corps was disbanded.
Corps commander: Lieutenant General
Now there are 7 Corps in Russia (data on commanders may be out of date):
- 57th Army Corps (Ulan-Ude) (Major General Alexander Maslov)
- 68th Army Corps (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) (Lieutenant General Vladimir Varennikov)
- 1st Air Defense Corps (Balashikha, Moscow region) (Lieutenant General Nikolai Dubovikov)
- 23rd Air Defense Corps (Vladivostok, Primorsky Territory) (Major General Viktor Ostashko)
- 21st Air Defense Corps (Severomorsk, Murmansk region) (Lieutenant General Sergei Razygraev)
- 16th operational submarine squadron (Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka region) (Vice Admiral Alexander Neshcheret)
- 7th operational squadron of surface ships (Severomorsk, Murmansk region) (Vice Admiral Gennady Radzevsky)
Army.
In this case, the army is a military formation.
The army is a large military formation for operational purposes. The army includes divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops.
An army may also include one or more corps.
Staff rank com. army - colonel general.
Armies are usually not formed in peacetime and regiments, divisions and battalions are part of the District.
Now in Russia there are 30 Armies:
- 37th Air Army (strategic) of the Supreme High Command (Moscow).
Lieutenant General Mikhail Oparin
- 61st Air Army (military transport aviation) of the Supreme High Command (Moscow),
Lieutenant General Viktor Denisov
27th Guards Rocket Army (Vladimir),
Lieutenant General Viktor Alekseev
- 31st Missile Army (Orenburg),
Lieutenant General Anatoly Borzenkov
- 33rd Guards Rocket Army (Omsk)
Lieutenant General Alexander Konarev
- 53rd Missile Army (Chita).
Lieutenant General Leonid Sinyakovich
3rd separate army of rocket and space defense (Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region).
Major General Sergei Kurushkin
2nd Guards Combined Arms Army (Samara).
Major General Alexey Verbitsky
- 5th Combined Arms Army (Ussuriysk, Primorsky Territory).
Major General Alexander Stolyarov
- 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (Voronezh).
Lieutenant General Sergei Makarov
- 22nd Guards Combined Arms Army (Nizhny Novgorod).
Lieutenant General Alexey Merkuryev
- 35th Combined Arms Army (Belogorsk, Amur Region).
Lieutenant General Alexander Kutikov
- 41st Combined Arms Army (Borzya, Chita region).
Lieutenant General Hakim Mirzazyanov
- 41st Combined Arms Army (Novosibirsk).
Major General Vladimir Kovrov
- 58th Combined Arms Army (Vladikavkaz).
Lieutenant General Valery Gerasimov
A group of Russian troops in Transcaucasia.
Lieutenant General Nikolai Zolotov
- Operational group of Russian troops in Transnistria (Tiraspol).
Major General Boris Sergeev
4th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Rostov-on-Don).
Lieutenant General Alexander Zelin
5th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Ekaterinburg).
Lieutenant General Evgeny Yuryev
- 6th Air Force and Air Defense Army (St. Petersburg).
Lieutenant General Evgeny Torbov
- 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Khabarovsk).
Lieutenant General Igor Sadofiev
- 14th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Novosibirsk).
Lieutenant General Nikolai Danilov
16th Air Army (Kubinka, Moscow region).
Lieutenant General Valery Retunsky
1st submarine flotilla (Zaozersk, Murmansk region)
Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev
- 3rd submarine flotilla (Gadzhievo, Murmansk region).
Vice Admiral Sergei Simonenko
Kola flotilla of heterogeneous forces (Polyarny, Murmansk region).
Vice Admiral Nikolai Osokin
- Primorsky flotilla of heterogeneous forces (Fokino, Primorsky Krai).
Vice Admiral Evgeny Litvinenko
- Kamchatka flotilla of heterogeneous forces (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky).
Vice Admiral Yuri Shumanin
Caspian Flotilla (Astrakhan).
Rear Admiral Viktor Petrovich Kravchuk (since 2005)
Troops and forces of the North-Eastern Direction of the Pacific Fleet (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky).
Rear Admiral Viktor Chirkov (?)
District (during wartime Front)
The highest military formation.
The front includes several armies, corps, divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Fronts are never divided by types of troops
The front (district) is headed by the commander of the front (district) with the rank of army general
Russia now has 6 military districts, 4 military fleets (data as of May 2007).
-Moscow Military District
Army General Vladimir Yurievich Bakin
- Leningrad Military District
Army General Puzanov Igor Evgenievich
- Volga-Ural Military District
General of the Army Boldyrev Vladimir Anatolyevich
- North Caucasus Military District
Army General Baranov Alexander Ivanovich
- Siberian Military District
Colonel General POSTNIKOV Alexander Nikolaevich
- Far Eastern Military District
Colonel General Bulgakov Vladimir Vasilievich
Northern Fleet
Admiral Vysotsky Vladimir Sergeevich
- Pacific Fleet
Admiral Fedorov Viktor Dmitrievich
- Black Sea Fleet
Admiral Tatarinov Alexander
- Baltic Fleet
Vice Admiral Sidenko Konstantin Semenovich
In addition to this there is:
Subdivision.
These are all military formations that are part of the unit. A squad, platoon, company, battalion - they are all united by one word "unit". The word comes from the concept of division, to divide. Those. part is divided into divisions.
Part.
The main unit of the Armed Forces. Most often, a unit is understood as a regiment or brigade.
Characteristic for the part:
- having your own office work,
- military economy,
- having a bank account,
- postal and telegraph addresses,
- having your own official seal,
- the commander’s right to give written orders,
- the presence of open (for example, 44 training tank division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers.
The presence of a Battle Banner is not necessary for a unit.
In addition to the regiment and brigade, the units include division headquarters, corps headquarters, army headquarters, district headquarters, as well as other military organizations (voentorg, army hospital, garrison clinic, district food warehouse, district song and dance ensemble, garrison officers' house, garrison household goods services, central school for junior specialists, military school, military institute, etc.)
In some cases, a unit may be a unit other than a regiment or brigade. Battalion, Company and even platoon. Such parts are called the word “separate” before the name
Compound.
United units: Division. Less often, Brigade.
An association.
Unification is a term that unites a corps, an army, an army group and a front (district).
I'm still working on the text.