At that point, a typical “New Look” independent motorized rifle brigade
included:
• The brigade’s command and HQ;
• Three motorized rifle battalions;
• One tank battalion;
• Two self-propelled howitzer artillery battalions;
• One anti-tank battalion;
• One SAM battalion;
• One air-defense battalion;
• One rocket artillery battalion;
• One engineers battalion;
• One repair and maintenance battalion;
• One communications battalion;
• One logistics battalion;
• One reconnaissance company;
• One command and artillery reconnaissance battery;
• One NBC company;
• One radio-electronic warfare company.
In terms of its strength such a motorized rifle brigade was somewhere below
a division but above a motorized rifle regiment. The MoD had also drawn up
an equipment table for an independent tank brigade. Its main difference from a
motorized rifle brigade was that it had three tank battalions instead of one, and
only one motorized rifle battalion instead of three. It also lacked the motor rifle
brigade’s single self-propelled howitzer artillery battalion.
The MoD had two conflicting requirements to take into account when
drawing up the new equipment tables. On the one hand, a brigade must be
independent and capable of achieving the objectives set before it without relying
on external support. But on the other, it must also be “light”, so as to be on
the march within an hour of receiving orders. That is why the new brigades
now have a rocket artillery battalion (armed with 122mm BM-21 Grad MRL
systems) and a command battery, but their logistics battalion and the individual
logistics companies of the fighting battalions have shrunk very substantially.
Before the transition to the “New Look”, motorized rifle regiments had
about 2,200-2,500 servicemen; motorized rifle brigades had 3,200-3,400. The
“New Look” motorized rifle brigades have 4,200-4,300 servicemen at their full
strength, while tank brigades have 2,200-2,300.
Airborne Troops structure in 2010
The composition of the Airborne Troops in 2010 (down to regimental level for
divisions and to battalion level for brigades) was as follows:
7th Guard Airborne Assault Division (Mountain) – Novorossiysk:
• 108th Guard Airborne Assault Regiment;
• 247th Airborne Assault Regiment;
• 1141st Guard Artillery Regiment;
• 3rd Guard SAM Regiment.
76th Guard Airborne Assault Division – Pskov:
• 104th Guard Airborne Assault Regiment;
• 234th Guard Airborne Assault Regiment;
• 1140th Guard Artillery Regiment;
• 4th Guard SAM Regiment.
98th Guard Airborne Division – Ivanovo:
• 217th Guard Airborne Parachute Regiment;
• 331st Guard Airborne Parachute Regiment;
• 1065th Guard Artillery Regiment;
• 5th Guard SAM Regiment.
106th Guard Airborne Division – Tula:
• 51st Guard Airborne Parachute Regiment;
• 137th Guard Airborne Parachute Regiment;
• 1182nd Guard Artillery Regiment;
• 1st Guard SAM Regiment.
31st Guard Airborne Assault Brigade – Ulyanovsk:
• 54th Independent Guard Airborne Assault Battalion;
• 91st Independent Guard Airborne Assault Battalion;
• 116th Independent Guard Airborne Assault Battalion.
45th Independent Guard Special Task Force Regiment – Kubinka.
All VDV units now have a standard composition and have been brought up
to their full wartime strength.
A typical “New Look” VDV division consists of:
• Two regiments (airborne parachute or airborne assault regiments,
depending on the type of the division) consisting of three battalions each;
• Artillery regiment;
• SAM regiment;
• Engineers battalion;
• Communications battalion;
• Repair and maintenance battalion;
• Logistics battalion;
• Reconnaissance company;
• Medics.
In order to improve the VDV divisions’ and the single VDV brigade’s rapid
reaction capability, each has been given a rapid reaction battalion.24 Up to
70 per cent of these battalions’ servicemen are professional soldiers25; many of
them have real combat experience. The VDV Command is clearly aware of the
shortcomings of the current system, whereby the rest of the units are manned
predominantly by conscripts.
As a result, the current structure of the VDV troops is the product of a
compromise. The entire VDV branch of the armed forces now has 35,000 servicemen.
Out of that number, 4,000 are officers, including the 400 serving in
positions normally filled by sergeants because there are not enough professional
sergeants available. About 7,000 are professional soldiers serving under contract.
The rest are conscripts.
Lähde: Russian new army
