Further Reading

Russian Army Order of Battle

In 2008 reforms were initiated by Russian Defense Minister Anatolii Serdyukov to fundamentally change the personnel composition and structure within the Ground Forces, to be finished by 2012. The new management system was borrowed from the NATO / US experience. In practice, however, these plans proved to be “unbaked” and required online corrections and removal of deficiencies.

The main change was a move from the current vertical chain of command of the Armed Forces, a military district - army - division - regiment structure, to a united strategic commands (USC) - operative command [Armies] - brigade regime, in order to increase efficiency by abolishing redundant elements. Except for some postwar changes, the Russian army's structure had remained virtually the same since 1945-1946. Four-regiment divisions were the main tactical units, while the recruitment system aimed to swell troop strength in wartime. But any local conflict can be won without resorting to mobilization.

The previous system comprising military districts, armies, divisions and regiments is giving way to another system that will consist of military districts, tactical commands and brigades. The brigade structure seemed to be more flexible and better suited for local conflicts because divisions are too cumbersome and regiments lack the required weaponry and equipment for conducting independent operations. Army brigades are supposed to be used as mobile permanent-readiness units capable of fighting independently with the support of highly mobile task forces or together with other brigades under joint command.

Mobile permanent readiness brigades, consisting of battalions, will be capable of operating tactical maneuver groups, either independently or together with other brigades under joint command. In addition, each military district established rapid response brigades, which will most likely be formed out of airborne units. The non-combat (‘cadre-strength’) units with a minimal / reduced manpower were eliminated, and all army units were ‘troops of permanent readiness’ (combat units). In 2009, the structure of the Armed Forces changed from division-regiment based to the brigade-based one (except the Airborne Landing Forces and Strategic Missile Forces). The mumber of Military Units in Russian Ground Forces went from 1,890 in 2008 to 172 by 2012.

Changes in the personnel composition of the Armed Forces include reducing the commissioned officers' (CO) numbers from more than 400,000 in 2008 (over 30% of the current 1,200,000 servicemen) to around 150,000 (15% of the future 1,000,000). The cutback would mostly affect Logistics and staff COs and Generals, while the number of First and Second Lieutenants will increase from 50,000 to 60,000. A reduction in CO numbers will be accompanied by a boost in the size of the sergeant corps. The sergeant corps will play a much larger role in the future Russian Army. Well-trained and experienced professional sergeants will ensure fast and effective training of privates, both contract soldiers and conscripts.

Many of the specialized support [non-manuever] "brigades" have staff headcounts of only a thousand troops or fewer. The 70th Separate Signal Brigade at Naro-Fominsk had fewer than 400 troops on hand when it was disbanded. Others appear to be no more than small command staffs - as of the year 2011 the 119th Logistics Brigade at Orlovskie Dvoriki had only 24 persons on staff. A number of the units designated as "regiments" in fact had only a few dozen troops on hand.

While it might be tempting to think of this as indicative of under-manned units, it would be more helpful to think of these small units as over-officered. The post-Soviet Russian Army had a massive over-supply of officers. While drafted privates and sergeants could painlessly melt away, a too-rapid down-sizing of the officer corps could have produced political problems for Russia's rulers. Even too much constraint on promotion opportunities could have produced problems. So the answer, much like the army of Myanmar, was to over-officer small units.

Span of command rationales are not entirely apparent. In the Eastern Military District the 5th Army, 35th Army and 36th Army are generally similar in organization, and are really divisions, rather than armies, while 29th Army has far more units than could be conveniently commanded from a single headquarters. The persistence of Machinegun Artillery formations is peculiar. In the Central Military District, the lopsided allocation of units between 2nd Army, a small formation which lacks maneuver brigades, and 41st Army, which has them in abundance, requires some explanation.

Denis Mokrushin’s blog reported in early 2014 on the establishment of an independent motorized rifle brigade (mountain), which may stand up in Tuva in 2015. The new 55th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade (Mountain) will be based in Kyzyl, capital of the ethnic Tuvan republic. It would be located at the geographic center of Asia, close to Central Asian states where it might deploy in a crisis.

A multi-service force is being created to protect Russia's national interests in the Arctic. The combined arms element of the force will incorporate two Arctic motorized infantry brigades, Ground Forces Commander Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov told reporters on 01 October 2014. "A separate [Arctic] motorized infantry brigade has almost been formed in the Murmansk region. The second Arctic brigade will be formed in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous region during the year 2016," Salyukov said. The brigades will accomplish coast patrolling missions, protect sites and territories on the coast of the northern seas and the Arctic Ocean, support and escort ships sailing along the Northern Sea Route, and demonstrate the military presence in the Arctic, he said. "The Arctic formations will be equipped with off-highway vehicles: two-section transporters, snowmobiles and hovercraft," Salyukov added. The armaments and special-purpose gear will help the successful accomplishment of missions in northern latitudes, he said. "Combat training will be organized with due account of climatic conditions," the commander stated.

By October 2014 Russia's Defense Ministry was drafting amendments to the federal Law On Defense that would allow for the creation of several reservist armies. These forces would consist of men who have performed their compulsory military service or enlisted as contract servicemen. They would report for training on a monthly basis while continuing to work at their civilian jobs. Initial reports did not cite any figure either for the number of such armies or of their optimum strength.

Advocates predicted that this innovation would enhance the combat readiness of the Russian armed forces as a whole and ensure that in the event of unanticipated hostilities, conscripts would not be used as "cannon fodder" (as was the case during the initial advance on Grozny during the 1994-96 Chechen war).

Skeptics warned that in the long term, the creation of a network of regional armies not directly subordinate to the federal Defense Ministry could create more problems than it solved. The Bolshevik victory in 1917 was largely thanks to the extensive network of such reservist battalions.

Nor is it yet clear in which Russian regions these planned new forces would be based. The one regional leader who was most likely to embrace this idea wholeheartedly is Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov. But the stipulation that only men who had performed their military service would be eligible to serve in the reservist armies automatically disqualified most Chechen men in their 20s and 30s, given that since the early 2000s no young men from Chechnya, and only a few from other North Caucasus republics, had been drafted.

The Russian Defense Ministry planned to create a new tank army in the Western Military District by December 2015 and another, combined army, will in fact be formed anew. "According to a directive of the chief of the General Staff, the 1st Guards Tank Army and 20th Guards Combined Army are to be formed within the western military district by December 1, 2015," a senior source at Russia’s General Staff said.

The 1st Tank Army will incorporate the Tamanskaya Mechanized Infantry Division and the Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, as well as the 27th Sevastopolskaya Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the 6th Tank Brigade. Major-General Alexander Chaiko had been appointed commander of the 1st Tank Army. Before, he was in charge of the 20th Army. The latter’s new commander is Major-General Sergey Kuzovlyov (previously chief of staff of the 58th Combined Army).

The existing 20th army will in fact be formed anew. A large share of its units - notably the Tamanskaya Mechanized Infantry Division and the Kantemirovskaya Tank Division - would be transferred to the yet-to-be formed tank army. New ones will be formed in their place.

There will be no great difference in the make-up of the 1st and 20th armies. Each will have one reconnaissance and one air missile brigade, as well as a logistics brigade, missile and artillery units a helicopter regiment and other units, including reconnaissance and attack drone units. The tank army will have more tanks and the combined army, mechanized infantry combat vehicles.

The 1st Guards Tank Army, which Russia is establishing, and the newly-formed 20th Combined Arms Army will be the first to receive the newest Armata tanks and Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles. During 2016-2017, work will begin to rearm the 1st Guards Tank Army and the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army with the newest armor. In particular, the operational tanks will be replaced with Armata tanks. These armies will also be the first to receive the Kurganets IFVs.

Three new army divisions will be formed in 2016 to reinforce the Russian military in the western part of the country, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said 12 January 2016. The new units will be formed amid NATO’s continuing build-up across Eastern and Central Europe. "I cannot but mention such a critical task which is the formation of three divisions in the western theater. The task is extremely important," TASS reported Shoigu as telling journalists.

Shoigu also added that alongside the creation of the new divisions, the army will have to set up proper infrastructure including barracks, firing ranges and military hardware depots. While details of the new formations are unknown, the minister’s announcement came amid a US and NATO military build-up in Central and Eastern Europe – against what Washington and its allies call “Russian aggression.”

A senior source in the General Staff told TASS the 20th general purpose army in the district had to be created from scratch, as most of its original forces had been handed over to the 1st tank army. The 20th army is to be stationed in five regions in the west of Russia. Its headquarters are Voronezh.

The Ministry of Defence announced the re-establishment of the Western military district (ZVO) "celebrated the First Guards Tank Army." Also in 2016, as reported by "NG" a source in the department, will be formed the new armored divisions - the Voronezh and near Chelyabinsk. At the same time held the optimization of military units and infrastructure at military bases stationed abroad.

This is due not only to the economy of the funds allocated for defense, but also a change in the geopolitical situation in the post-Soviet space. Previously, the creation of tank units in the compounds of the Airborne Troops Commander of the Airborne Forces, said Col. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov.

This issue as part of rapid response forces (FBG) was discussed at the board meeting of the military department under the leadership of the Minister of Defence, Army General Sergei Shoigu. On the formation of the Chelyabinsk region Armored Division the commander of the Central Military District (CVO) Colonel-General Vladimir Zarudnitsky commented. He drew attention to the fact that the basis of weapons of this unit will be modern tanks. That is, apparently, developed at Uralvagonzavod war machines on the platform "Armata" will be directly driven around in this division (Chelyabinsk Tank Division will be placed close to the company).

As for the tank connection in the Voronezh region, in 2015 there had already been deployed (in Boguchar) the First Tank Brigade. Now, on this basis, it seems, it was already formed into a division. Veterans' movement advocated for that division was awarded the honorary title of the 10th Guards Ural volunteer tank division, which in 1995 brought from Germany is in Boguchar. In 2009, the division was disbanded. And based on it created the 262 th base of the storage of weapons and military equipment.

What caused the need for the creation of such a mass army tank units and formations, the Defense Ministry has not yet spoken. However, reports of their dislocation leads to the conclusion that, firstly, greater insecurity in the south-western borders of Russia requires further increase the combat power of the troops stationed in the region. Secondly, to reflect the increase in threats of possible military troops heavy armor is necessary not only in the West but also in the Central Asian direction. As is known, the area of responsibility CVO applies directly to Central Asia and Siberia. Thus in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are functioning Russian military bases, which, together with the allied forces for collective defense cover the southern flank of the CIS and the most turbulent of its components - the border with Afghanistan, where the possible expansion of terrorist groups in the post-Soviet space.

As the "NG" military expert, Lieutenant-General Yuri Netkachev in Russia at the moment formed rapid reaction forces. They must be ready to act anywhere in the country and the near abroad, where Russia has geopolitical and other interests. "But be that as FBG or grown on a given theater of operations possible in the case of a long-term military conflict will need more powerful forces - namely, tank units and formations. Some of them can be flown through the air, and the main unit, of course, will be relocated by rail, - the Netkachev. - And train troops, too, apparently, will be part of the FBG."

It is noteworthy that at the time when the Russian Federation are actively forming new military units and formations, some facilities Defense Ministry posted abroad, in particular in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, will be reduced. The State Duma ratified the package of agreements to waive rent the military department of the military ranges Zhaman Tau, Saryshagan Taisoigan and a total area of 1.6 million hectares. State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said that it will save the budget of about $ 4 million annually.

Apparently, in order to save the state,the 201st Russian military base (RMB), stationed in Tajikistan will again be reduced to brigade-size in 2016. This was recently said the commander of the CVO. Note that in December 2015, Russia had already withdrawn from Kulyab (Khatlon region) in the republic's capital Dushanbe, the 149th Motorized Rifle Regiment (SMEs). This year, he and the other regiments of the 201st base, will be reduced to a battalion (ie three times). Planned and "optimization of the Russian military base in Kant in Kyrgyzstan.

General Netkachev said it related not only to the economy of the budget, but also to the fact that "with the help of Russia significantly increased the combat capabilities of the armies of the countries, Russia's allies in the CSTO." For example, in a place derived from Kulyab Russian SMEs "where the garrison was deployed in the same regiment Tajik army." The expert was confident that in the case of aggravation of the situation in the Central Asian region to quickly be deployed FBG not only Russia, but also units of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) of the CSTO states, as has happened during large-scale exercises RRF on the Tajik-Afghan border May 2015.

1st Guards Tank Division Army and the 20th Western Military District combined arms armies will be composed of six regiments. Already deployed as part of the 1st Panzer Army compound (Taman Motorized Rifle and Kantemirovskaya Panzer Division), and the two formed for the 20th Army infantry division, received six regimental orgasnization [shestipolkovuyu orgshtatnuyu] structure that existed in the Soviet Army, and was liquidated during the period of Anatoly Serdyukov in office Minister of defense. When the division was reduced to brigades, the main combat units which were battalions.

As it was in Soviet times, each tank division will have three tank regiments, a motorized infantry regiment, a self-propelled artillery regiment and an anti-aircraft missile regiment, and each infantry division woudl have three motorized infantry regiments, a tank regiment, a self-propelled artillery regiment and an anti-aircraft missile regiment. In addition, each division will receive intelligence units, communications, logistics, electronic warfare, radiological, chemical and biological protection, and so on.

Two infantry divisions, which will form the basis of the 20th Army, will be created before the end of 2015 in the Smolensk and Voronezh regions. Their headquarters will be located in Yelnya and Boguchar respectively. The number of personnel of each of these compounds will be about 10 thousand people.

In January 2016, the head of the Defense Ministry Sergei Shoigu said that the western direction planned to create three new divisions. Later, a source in the headquarters of the Southern Military District, told Tass that the end of the year a Motorized Rifle Division numbering about 10,000 people will be in the Rostov region. The creation of the 1st Tank Army in the Western Military District was officially announced at the beginning of 2016. The commander was appointed Major-General Alexander Chayko. The Army was armed with tanks T-72B3 and T-80 and BMP-3. A source in the General Staff Tass reported earlier that the new association will be the first in Russia to receive the new generation of armored vehicles - tanks on the "Armata" platform and combat vehicles "Kurganets".

show more ????????? ?? ????: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ru&u=http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/3169104&usg=ALkJrhgWL8vIxsGrrnA0SPfG3WC4pCBtkg By November 2008 the Russian Defense Ministry was said to be moving to convert army divisions into brigades. Unfortunately, brigade level tables of organization, as well as the organization of their battalions, companies and platoons, are not yet known. Moreover, it is unclear whether the new brigades will have infantry-heavy or tank-heavy battalions with light infantry regiment status, as some analysts predict. No plans for dividing divisional artillery and air defense units, for subordinating the brigades to tactical commands and for facilitating their cooperation with military district commanders have been published to date. The high command of the Russian armed forces said the newly established brigades would retain their honorary names and banners. By early 2016 little seemed to have come from this initiative.