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The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization, and Equipment

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The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization, and Equipment "FM 100-2-3 Field Manual No. 100-2-3 Headquarters Department of the Army Washington. DC, 6 June 1991 The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization, and Equipment Preface This field manual is part of FM series 100-2,The Soviet Army. The other volumes in this series are FM 100-2-1, The Soviet Army: Operations and Tactics, and FM 100-2-2, The Soviet Army: Specialized Warfare and Rear Area Support. The three volumes complement each other. Used together, they provide a thorough reference on the Soviet Army. These manuals are the US Army's definitive source of unclassified informa- tion on Soviet ground forces and on their interaction with other services in combined arms warfare. The Threats Directorate, Combined Arms Command, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, updates these manuals periodically to provide the most current unclassified information available. The proponent of this publication is HQ TRADOC. Users are encouraged to recommend changes improving this manual to Commander, US Army Combined Arms Command, ATTN: ATZL-SWW-L,Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-6900, using DA Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms). Unless otherwise stated, whenever the masculine gender is used, both men and women are included. This publication contains photographs from copyrighted sources. The citations for these materials accompany the individual photographs. DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. *This publication supersedes FM 100-2-3, 16 July 1984. Contents Preface ............................................................i. Chapter 1. Soviet Ground Forces Administrative Control ............................... 1-1 Troop Categories ..................................... 1-2 Force Structure ...................................... 1-4 Chapter 2. Personnel Manpower Procurement .............................. 2-0 Conditions of Service ................................ 2-3 Ranks ............................................... 2-6 Reserve System ..................................... 2-8 Chapter 3. Training Premilitary Programs ................................. 3-1 Military Educational Institutions ...................... 3-4 Individuals and Units ................................. 3-6 Chapter 4. Organization Motorized Rifle Regiment Structure (BTR) ............. 4-3 Motorized Rifle Regiment Structure (BMP) ............4-26 Motorized Rifle Division ..............................4-37 Tank Regiment Structure ........................... 4-107 Tank Division ...................................... 4-1 12 Combined Arms Army .............................. 4-1 16 Tank Army ........................................ 4-1 18 Front .............................................. 4-130 Airborne Regiment Structure (BMD) ................ 4-144 Airborne Division .................................. 4-149 Naval Infantry Regiment/Brigade Structure .......... 4-1 55 Naval Infantry Division ............................. 4-157 Chapter 5. Equipment Small Arms ........................................ 5-2 Armored Fighting Vehicles .......................... 5-21 Artillery ............................................ 5-60 Antitank Weapons .................................. 5-94 Air Defense ....................................... 5-1 14 Engineer Equipment ............................... 5-139 NBC Equipment .................................... 5-186 Logistic Equipment ................................. 5-206 Helicopters ........................................ 5-21 1 Fixed-Wing Aircraft ................................ 5-225 Radios ............................................ 5-234 Glossary ..................................................... Glossary-1 References ................................................ References-1 Index General ............................................... General Index-1 Equipment ......................................... Equipment Index-l CHAPTER 1 Soviet Ground Forces CONTENTS ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL ............ 1-1 Veterinary ......................... 1-3 TROOP CATEGORIES .................. 1-2 Military Topographic ................. 1-3 Combat Arms Branches ................ 1-2 Finance ........................... 1-3 Motorized Rifle ..................... 1-2 Justice ............................ 1-4 Tank ............................. 1- 2 Military Band .......................1-4 Missile Troops and Artillery ............ 1-2 lntendance ......................... 1-4 Air Defense Troops (VoyskaPVO) ....... 1-2 Administrative ...................... 1-4 Airborne .......................... 1-2 FORCE STRUCTURE ................... 1-4 Special Troops ....................... 1-2 Major Geographical and Force Groupings ... 1-4 Engineer .......................... 1-3 TV ...............................1-4 Signal ............................ 1-3 TVD ............................. 1-4 Chemical .......................... 1-3 Military Districts and Groups of Forces .. 1-5 Motor Transport ..................... 1-3 Front ............................ 1-5 Railroad ........................... 1-3 Army ............................ 1-5 Road ............................. 1-3 Maneuver Divisions .................. 1-5 Services ............................ 1-3 Reorganization and Modernization ....... 1-5 Medical ........................... 1-3 The Soviet armed forces include five separate components, the Soviet ground forces. Highly components: the strategic rocket forces, the ground modernized organization and equipment combine forces, the air forces, the air defense forces, and to make the present Soviet ground forces the most the naval forces. The generic term "Soviet Army" powerful land army in the world, with unprece- normally includes all but the naval forces. This dented flexibility, mobility, and firepower. manual concentrates on the largest of these ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL The Commander in Chief (CINC) of the Ground Defense (MOD) General Staff on ground forces Forces is a Deputy Minister of Defense. He is matters. It also acts as a consolidation point for equal in status to the CINCs of the other com- the work of the ground forces directorates. Among ponents. His duties include supervision of technical the principal directorates of the Ground Forces affairs and research and development, direct Headquarters are the Political Directorate, the control of nonoperational training, and supervision Combat Training Directorate, and the Military of ground forces administrative organs. He does Educational Institutions Directorate, all of which not have direct operational control over the troops. have counterparts at MOD level. This lack of operational control is not imme Large technical directorates exist for those troop diately apparent from the composition of the branches peculiar to the ground forces. Each troop Ground Forces Headquarters. Its composition branch directorate acts as a branch or service includes the Main Staff and several technical headquarters which prescribes the organization, directorates. The Main Staff, however, apparently equipment, tactics, and training for its branch and fills a traditional role of coordinating, planning, operates the career management program for its and maintaining liaison with the Ministry of leading personnel. TROOP CATEGORIES For administrative purposes, the Soviet ground become important to other components, the MOD forces comprise three categories: combat arms generally oversees missile equipment development. branches (troops), special troops, and services. However, a Chief of Missile Troops and Artillery These are administrative categories pertaining to is present in Ground Forces Headquarters. His personnel, not organization categories pertaining supporting administrative agency is large and to units. Thus, troops of one combat arms branch, contains a coordinating staff. Also, chiefs of such as artillery, may organizationally be in missile troops and artillery appear in the special support units subordinate to a unit made up of staffs of combined arms units down to, and troops of another combat arms branch (for including, regiments. At regimental level, this example,. motorized rifle or tank). These support official is simply.. called the chief. of artillery. units may also include special troops and services. Air Defense Troops (Voyska PVO) COMBAT ARMS BRANCHES This branch recentlv became a separatecom­ The firing elements of the ground forces com­ ponent combining air defense elements formerly prise combat arms branches (troops). They differ under the National Air Defense Troops (PVO from one another in organization, armament, Strany) and the Air Defense Troops of the Ground tactics, and role in combat. Directorates of Ground Forces (PVO Sukhoputnykh Voysk). Although Forces Headquarters administer the troop branches MOD headquarters now administers them, the peculiar to the ground forces. troops may serve under combined arms command in the field during wartime. They coordinate Motorized Rifle closely with aviation and radiotechnical elements Motorized rifle troops generally parallel the in operational matters. Air defense schools pre- infantry and mechanized infantry of other armies. viously under the ground forces now belong to the These troops constitute the basic arm of the Air Defense Troops. ground forces; therefore, various agencies under the Ground Forces CINC, rather than one special Airborne organization, administer their affairs. These Airborne troops form a reserve force of the agencies prescribe motorized rifle and combined Supreme High Command (VGK) or the wartime arms
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