What comes after a company in the army. How many people are in a platoon of soldiers? Previous historical stagesedit

In 2009, during the reform of the Russian army, the main ideologists of the reforms informed the military personnel, and all citizens of the country, that the military doctrine had undergone major changes, and that the army needed significant internal restructuring. At the same time, the main threat to Russia was identified, to counter which it was supposedly not necessary to conduct large-scale military operations, but could be limited to solving local combat missions. They say that we should no longer expect major external aggression against Russia, but we should expect attacks by bearded men with grenade launchers and Kalash guns.

Due to the metamorphosis of military doctrine, it was decided to switch to the use of brigades, almost completely abandoning the concept of a division. The main argument in favor of switching to a brigade composition of the army was as follows: a brigade has a smaller staff and, therefore, may be better organized than a division. This was supposed to give the entire Russian army greater mobility and flexibility, which would meet new challenges from a security point of view.

However, after the divisions in urgently began to be cut down and shrunk, it turned out that the brigade version of the formation had its own significant drawbacks. One of these disadvantages can be considered that it was not always possible to achieve full interaction between individual components of the same brigade. Considering that the brigade was conceived as a kind of middle line between the regiment and the division, which was supposed to absorb all the best from both sides: the power of the division and the mobility of the regiment, then the result of such an idea was clearly blurred. Numerous exercises in which updated military formations took part showed that the brigades did not absorb divisional power and, at the same time, were unable to accumulate regimental coherence and mobility. It turned out that the brigades were organizationally stuck between the regiment and the division, not realizing all the positive things that they actually wanted from them.

Another undoubted disadvantage of brigades is that, unlike the same divisions, if they were forced to take part in combat (combat training) operations, then in full force. A situation emerged in which a brigade, consisting of a couple of regiments, several separate battalions, including a logistics battalion (company), was removed from its location to carry out combat missions, leaving this very place virtually empty and completely unprotected. In the divisional version, for conducting active combat operations there was always special group military personnel, which was determined to solve military-practical problems of countering the attacking side. This group could be larger or smaller depending on the conditions and scale of hostilities. In any case, the rear remained covered. In the case of a brigade, to strengthen the rear, you need to use either another brigade (and this is nonsense), or somehow isolate separate units from it, which in itself is a contradiction in using the brigade as a single and mobile whole.

An additional headache was (is) added by the fact that a hypothetically probable military confrontation may not always fit into the framework of local counteraction, where it would be appropriate to use a brigade. After all, on the same Far East We cannot exclude the possibility of a clash between the Russian army and the armies of its neighbors (with all due respect to China, Japan and other states in the region). If, God forbid, such a military clash occurs, then it is hardly worth harboring the illusion that it will be limited to a certain limited area (very small) territory... There have been a sufficient number of examples in the country of how even the most seemingly insignificant border conflict, resulted in a large-scale military confrontation. And it is precisely in the case of large-scale confrontations that brigades can hardly be considered effective.

Despite this, all segments of the Russian Armed Forces switched to the brigade system with the exception of the Strategic Missile Forces and the Airborne Forces. At the same time, none of the major military powers decided to make such a large-scale transition to the brigade principle of forming the Armed Forces. In particular, the armies of the United States, Germany, China and other countries use brigades only as additions to existing divisions, which form the basis of the army. Moreover, in the United States, brigades are generally parts of divisions in the vast majority of cases. It turns out that only Russia, among the countries with a significant military power relies exclusively on brigades and takes into account the option of military conflicts only at the level of local skirmishes. Potential adversaries do not discount the scenario of a full-scale war using solid formations.

Numerous military experts, who increasingly began to raise the issue of the inexpediency of almost 100% transfer of the RF Armed Forces to the brigade version, seem to have been heard by the new leaders of the Ministry of Defense. Despite the fact that not so long ago President Putin announced that the reform was almost completed and that it was time to give up “shying around” from side to side, information has appeared that in the near future several divisions that were lost could be recreated in Russia at once this status was about 3-4 years ago. In particular, information has appeared that in less than a couple of months, namely at the Victory Parade (May 9, 2013), soldiers of the Taman and Kantemirovskaya divisions will march along Red Square. Namely divisions, since this status will be returned by the famous military formation of the Moscow region, along with the red banners with which the divisions were once awarded for the military exploits of soldiers and officers.

In addition to restoring the Taman and Kantemirovskaya divisions, the Ministry of Defense plans to begin creating several divisions in the Far East at once, which indirectly confirms the concerns shared by military experts regarding the need to cover Russia’s distant borders. It is possible that the division may be revived again in Tajikistan - on the basis of the 201st military base RF. Indeed, in this region, after the withdrawal of the NATO contingent from Afghanistan, another large-scale armed conflict, which, no matter the hour, is capable of spreading throughout Central Asia.

But if the Ministry of Defense decided to again turn to the divisional option of manning the army, then what will happen to the created brigades? There is no clear answer to this question yet, but most likely, brigades will be left as the main combat units where their use is truly more effective than the use of divisions. Regions where brigades may remain in their current form include, for example, the North Caucasus. Using large divisions here to conduct counter-terrorist operations is simply pointless. This district needs mobile groups that could fight gangs with maximum efficiency.

It turns out that the leadership of the Ministry of Defense is revising its military doctrine, pointing out that local wars are certainly dangerous for Russia, but it is necessary to insure against more significant external aggression. It is naive to hope that we have no major enemies, just as it is naive to believe that if big enemies and yes, they will not provoke Russia into an armed conflict. Reasonable restoration of divisions is a good insurance policy.

The company depends on the type of troops, so in a motorized rifle company there are 60-101 people; builders up to 250 people; Airborne forces up to 80 people; tank crews from 31 to 41 people. Motorized rifle company:

Defense: 1…1.5 km along the front up to 1 km in depth
Advance: 0.5…1 km

Battalion. This is either 3 or 4 companies + headquarters and individual specialists (gunsmith, signalman, snipers, etc.), a mortar platoon (not always), sometimes air defense and tank destroyers (hereinafter referred to as PTB). The battalion includes from 145 to 500 people. The commander is the battalion commander (abbreviated as battalion commander). This is the position of lieutenant colonel. But in our country both captains and majors command, who in the future may become lieutenant colonels, provided they retain this position.

How many people are in a company, battalion, platoon, etc.

Platoon. A platoon includes from 3 to 6 sections, that is, it can reach from 15 to 60 people. The platoon commander is in charge of the platoon. This is already an officer position. It is occupied by a minimum of a lieutenant and a maximum of a captain. Company.

A company includes from 3 to 6 platoons, that is, it can consist of from 45 to 360 people. The company is commanded by the company commander. This is a major position. In fact, the commander is a senior lieutenant or captain (in the army, a company commander is affectionately and abbreviated as a company commander).

Battalion. This is either 3 or 4 companies + headquarters and individual specialists (gunsmith, signalman, snipers, etc.), a mortar platoon (not always), sometimes air defense and tank destroyers (hereinafter referred to as PTB). The battalion includes from 145 to 500 people. The battalion commander (abbreviated as battalion commander) commands. This is the position of lieutenant colonel.

Structure of the armed forces

From two to ten divisions of different types of troops + rear units + repair shops and so on. The number can be very different. On average from 200,000 to 1,000,000 people and above. The army is commanded by a major general or lieutenant general.

Front. IN peacetime- military district. It’s difficult to give exact numbers here. They vary by region, military doctrine, political environment and the like. The front is already a self-sufficient structure with reserves, warehouses, training units, military schools, and so on.

The front commander commands the front. This is a lieutenant general or army general. The composition of the front depends on the assigned tasks and the situation.

Company, division, battalion: strength

Brigades are a separate unit. In terms of their position, brigades stand between a regiment (the regiment commander is a colonel) and a division (the division commander is a major general). In most armies of the world, between the ranks of colonel and major general, there is an intermediate rank of “brigadier general”, corresponding to the brigade commander (and during the Second World War, the Waffen-SS had the rank of “Oberführer”). In Russia, traditionally there is no such title. In the modern Russian army, the Soviet division military district - corps - division - regiment - battalion, as a rule, is replaced by the abbreviated military district - brigade - battalion.

armed forces

Military ranks of the Russian Federation

From the brigade and above (in number of people) during the 11 months of service, we didn’t even say. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I do not serve in a military unit, but in educational institution. How many people do they include? Department. Depending on the type of troops, there are from 5 to 10 people.
The squad is commanded by the squad leader. A squad leader is a sergeant's position, so commode (short for squad leader) is often a junior sergeant or sergeant. The squad is named after its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineering, communications) In a motorized rifle squad, there are approximately 9 to 13 people (in addition to the squad commander: grenade launcher, private with RPG-7, PM; gunner-assistant grenade launcher, private with AK74; machine gunner, private with RPK74; senior gunner, corporal with AK74; 3…5 riflemen, privates with AK74; mechanic, BMP driver and gunner/BMP machine gunner).

The number of military units in the Russian Federation

Attention

Accordingly, separate battalions can be allocated, each of which is an independent military unit, or even separate companies. Also, each regiment can be part of a division, or (at a higher level) directly subordinate to the command of the corps (“corps subordination regiment”), or, at an even higher level, the regiment can subordinate directly to the command of a military district (“district subordination regiment”);

IN infantry regiment basic units - infantry battalions- report directly to the regiment commander. All auxiliary units are subordinate to his deputies.

The same system is repeated at all levels. For example, for an artillery regiment of district subordination, the chief will not be the commander of the district troops, but the chief of the district artillery.

Hierarchy of military formations

There are different battalions, so it is impossible to say exactly how many there are, for example, the SME on the BTR-80 has 530 people, and on the BMP-2 - 498 people; PDB - 360-400 people, and for DShB - 450-530 people; OBMP and ODSB approximately 650-700 people; TB on the T-72 - 174 people, and motorized rifle - 213 people; OBS - 200-250 people; reconnaissance battalion about 600 people; OISB - about 300 people; doctors - 157 people; chemists, repairmen, builders, commandants, as well as airfield maintenance workers have no staffing table and are formed depending on the need. Motorized rifle battalion:

Defense: 3…5 km along the front and 2…2.5 km in depth
Advance: 1…2 km

Regiment. From 3 to 6 battalions, that is, from 500 to 2500+ people + headquarters + regimental artillery + air defense + fire-fighting tanks. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. But maybe also a lieutenant colonel.

The term “unit” most often means regiment and brigade. The external features of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, bank account, postal and telegraph address, its own official seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open (44 tank training division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers. That is, the part has sufficient autonomy. IMPORTANT! Please note that the terms military unit and military unit do not mean exactly the same thing.

The term "military unit" is used as general designation, outside of specifics. If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, etc., then the term “military unit” is used. Usually its number is also mentioned: “military unit 74292” (but you cannot use “military unit 74292”) or, for short, military unit 74292.

Compound.
This is the case if the regiment is not part of the division, but is directly part of the army (corps, district, front). For example, 120 separate regiment guards mortars. Note 3: Please note that the terms military unit and military unit do not mean exactly the same thing. The term “military unit” is used as a general designation, without specifics.

Info

If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, etc., then the term “military unit” is used. Usually its number is also mentioned: “military unit 74292” (but you cannot use “military unit 74292”) or, in short, military unit 74292. Connection. As a standard, only a division fits this term.

The word “connection” itself means to connect parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). All together there is a division. However, in some cases, a brigade may also have the status of a connection.
This formation is led by a full-time commander with the rank of junior sergeant or sergeant. Among military personnel, the term “chest of drawers” is used, which is short for “squad commander.” Depending on the type of troops, the units are called differently. For artillery the term “crew” is used, and for tank troops “crew”. Composition of the unit In this formation, 5 to 10 people serve. However, a motorized rifle squad consists of 10-13 soldiers.

Unlike the Russian army, in the United States the smallest army formation is a group. The US division itself consists of two groups. Platoon In the Russian Armed Forces, a platoon consists of three to four sections. It is possible that there are more of them. The number of personnel is 45 people.

The leadership of this military formation is carried out by a junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant.

The Leningrad Front adopted Resolution No. 00274 “On strengthening the fight against desertion and penetration of enemy elements into the territory of Leningrad,” according to which the head of the Front’s Military Rear Security was instructed to organize four barrage detachments “to concentrate and check all military personnel detained without documents.” October 12, 1941 Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Marshal Soviet Union G.I. Kulik sent I.V. Stalin received a note in which he proposed to “organize a command group along each highway going north, west and south from Moscow” to organize the repulsion of enemy tanks, which would be given a “barrage detachment to stop the fleeing.”

How many people are in a company, battalion, platoon, etc.

The punishment period was calculated from a month to three; a wound received even on the first day of stay in a penal unit automatically returned the soldier to the unit to the same position, in the same military rank, so service in the penal cells when fighting was going on was considered not even a day, but hours, so it was deadly and dangerous.

Penal battalions were under the authority of the military councils of the fronts, and penal companies were under the authority of the military councils of the armies.
For the direct conduct of military operations, penal units were assigned rifle divisions, brigades, regiments.

Info

Military personnel were sent to penal battalions by order of the division (corps, army, front - in relation to units of the corresponding subordination), and to penal companies - by order of the regiment (individual unit) for a period of 1 to 3 months.

Penal military units

Attention

I.I. Maslennikov, who demanded that military personnel who showed cowardice on the battlefield be sent to a penal battalion or tried by a military tribunal.

Published literature and memoirs of front-line soldiers contain information that commanders and superiors did not always adhere to the rules established in orders and directives.
This, as the study showed, concerned approximately 10 categories of fines: 1. Those convicted unjustly, who were slandered and slandered in order to settle scores with them.
2. The so-called “surrounded people” who managed to escape from the “cauldrons” and reach their troops, as well as those who fought as part of partisan detachments.
3. Military personnel who have lost combat and secret documents.
4.

Commanders and superiors guilty of “criminally careless organization of the combat security and reconnaissance service.”

5. Persons who, due to their beliefs, refused to take up arms.
6.

Military ranks of the Russian Federation

However, the attentive reader can now imagine the naval and aviation hierarchy quite simply and with minor errors. Now it will be easier for us to dialogue, friends! After all, every day we are getting closer to speaking the same language.
You are learning more and more military terms and meanings, and I am increasingly approaching civil life!)) I wish everyone to find in this article what they were looking for, the author of the blog Army: a view from the inside.

Penal battalions and barrage detachments of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War

A company includes from 3 to 6 platoons, that is, it can consist of from 45 to 360 people.

The company is commanded by the company commander. This is a major position. In fact, the commander is a senior lieutenant or captain (in the army, a company commander is affectionately and abbreviated as a company commander). Battalion. This is either 3 or 4 companies + headquarters and individual specialists (gunsmith, signalman, snipers, etc.), a mortar platoon (not always), sometimes air defense and tank destroyers (hereinafter referred to as PTB).

The battalion includes from 145 to 500 people. The battalion commander (abbreviated as battalion commander) commands.

This is the position of lieutenant colonel.

Mistervik

Practice has shown that when implementing this order, significant violations were committed, the elimination of which was directed by Order No. 0244, signed on August 6, 1944 by Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky. Approximately the same kind of order No. 0935, concerning officers of fleets and flotillas, was signed on December 28, 1944 by the People's Commissar

Navy Admiral of the Fleet N.G. Kuznetsov. Military units were also transferred to the category of penalties.

On November 23, 1944, People's Commissar of Defense Stalin signed order No. 0380 on the transfer of the 214th Cavalry Regiment of the 63rd Cavalry Korsun Red Banner Division (commander of the guard regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Danilevich) to the category of penalties for the loss of the Battle Banner. The formation of penal battalions and companies was not always carried out successfully, as required by the leadership of the People's Commissariat of Defense and General Staff. In this regard, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K.

Since penal officers were entrusted with the most difficult combat missions, their losses among both permanent and variable penal units were quite high.

Thus, in 1944, the average monthly casualty of variable casualties in killed, deceased, wounded and sick reached 10,506 people, and permanent casualties - 3,685 people.

This is 3-6 times more than the level of casualties among conventional troops in the same offensive operations. Penalties who were wounded in battle were considered to have served their sentences, were restored to rank and all rights and, upon recovery, were sent for further service in regular units, and disabled people were given pensions from the salary of the last position before enlistment in the penal battalion.
Assault battalions were intended for use in the most active sectors of the front. The duration of stay of personnel in individual assault rifle battalions was established to be two months of participation in battles, either until they were awarded an order for valor in battle or until the first wound, after which the personnel, if they had good certifications, could be assigned to the field troops for the corresponding command positions. commanding staff."

Subsequently, the formation of assault battalions was continued.

Their combat use in principle, did not differ from penal battalions, although there were significant features. Thus, unlike penal battalions, those who were sent to assault battalions were not convicted and deprived of their officer ranks.

Division, regiment, company, brigade, battalion - all these designations of units are something unknown for people far from military service. It will take a lot of time to describe their main features. Let's talk about the difference between a division and a brigade, because these military formations have many common features.

Definition

Division- a tactical or operational-tactical formation in various branches of the military and branches of the armed forces of the world, consisting of units, subunits and headquarters.

Brigade- a tactical military formation in all branches of the armed forces and branches of the armed forces, which is an intermediate link between a division and a regiment.

Comparison

In some countries, a brigade, along with a regiment, is classified as the main tactical formation. Serves as a kind of intermediate link between the regiment and the division. It has a structure similar to a regiment, but has a larger number of battalions and other units. It may well include two regiments, as well as auxiliary companies and battalions. The number of people in a brigade varies from two to eight thousand, and its commander, like a regiment, is a colonel.

A division is a larger military formation consisting of a headquarters, subunits and units. It includes large number regiments, divisions, battalions, companies and platoons. The division's strength averages from twelve to twenty-four thousand men, and its commander bears the rank of major general.

Simplified organizational structure and a smaller staff makes a brigade a much more flexible formation than a division. However, the structure of the rear and combat support, unlike a brigade, is duplicated in a division, which gives the latter an advantage in the reliability of the functioning of units in combat conditions. It is logical that the maintenance of divisions, characterized by a more complex staff, implies much larger investments than the maintenance of brigade structures. This is precisely what caused the Russian Armed Forces to abandon divisions and switch to a more mobile and flexible brigade structure. The only exceptions are Rocket Forces strategic purpose And Airborne troops. In NATO countries, divisions still remain one of the main types of military formations.

Conclusions website

The brigade serves as an intermediate link between the regiment and the division.
The division is a larger military formation, its strength on average ranges from twelve to twenty-four thousand people. The brigade's personnel range from two to eight thousand people.
The division commander bears the rank of major general, the brigade commander - colonel.
A brigade is considered a much more flexible and mobile unit than a division.
The division has an advantage in the reliability of the functioning of units in combat conditions.
The maintenance of divisions implies much larger investments than the maintenance of brigade structures.
To date, the Russian Armed Forces (unlike NATO countries) have abandoned divisions, with the only exceptions being the Strategic Missile Forces and the Airborne Forces.

Hierarchy of military formations

(Division, unit, formation,...What is it?)

In literature, military documents, in mass media, in conversations, in official documents When dealing with military issues, terms are constantly encountered - formation, regiment, unit, military unit, company, battalion, army, etc. For military people, everything here is clear, simple and unambiguous. They immediately understand what we are talking about, what number of soldiers these names hide, what this or that formation can do on the battlefield. For civilians, all these names mean little. Very often they are confused about these terms. Moreover, if in civilian structures a “department” often means a large part of a company or plant, then in the army a “department” is the smallest formation of several people. And vice versa, a “brigade” at a factory is only a few dozen people or even a few people, but in the army a brigade is a large military formation numbering several thousand people. It is so that civilians can navigate the military hierarchy and this article was written.

To understand the general terms that group types of formations - subdivision, unit, formation, association, we will first understand the specific names.

Department. 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. In some other armies, the squad is not the smallest formation. For example, in the US Army, the smallest formation is a group, and a squad consists of two groups. But basically, in most armies, the squad is the smallest formation. Typically, a squad is part of a platoon, but can exist outside of a platoon. For example, the reconnaissance diving section of an engineer battalion is not part of any of the battalion’s platoons, but is directly subordinate to the battalion chief of staff.

Platoon. Several squads make up a platoon. Usually there are from 2 to 4 sections in a platoon, but it is possible more. The platoon is headed by a commander with the rank of officer. In the Soviet and Russian armies this is junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of platoon personnel ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all branches of the military 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. Usually a company consists of 2-4 platoons, sometimes more platoons. A company is the smallest formation of tactical importance, i.e. formation capable of independent execution small tactical tasks on the battlefield. The company commander is a 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.

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, except motorized rifle company There is a mortar battery, a logistics platoon, and a communications platoon. Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel. The battalion already has its own headquarters. Usually, on average, a battalion, depending on the type of troops, can number from 250 to 950 people. However, there are battles of about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

Note1: Name of formation - squad, platoon, company, etc. depends not on the number of personnel, but on the type of troops and the tactical tasks assigned to the formation of this type. Hence the dispersion in the number of personnel in formations that have the same name.

Regiment. In the Soviet and Russian armies, this is the main (I would say key) tactical formation and a completely autonomous formation in the economic sense. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. Although the regiments are named according to the types of troops (tank, motorized rifle, communications, pontoon-bridge, etc.), in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many types of troops, and the name is given according to the predominant type of troops. For example, in a motorized rifle regiment there are two or three motorized rifle battalions, one tank battalion, one artillery battalion (read battalion), one anti-aircraft missile battalion, a reconnaissance company, an engineer company, a communications company, an anti-tank battery, a chemical defense platoon, a repair company, logistics company, orchestra, medical center. 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. The structure of a brigade is most often the same as a regiment, but there are significantly more battalions and other units in a brigade. So in a motorized rifle brigade there are one and a half to two times more motorized rifle and tank battalions than in a regiment. A brigade may consist of two regiments, plus battalions and auxiliary companies. On average, a brigade has from 2 to 8 thousand people. The commander of a brigade, as well as a regiment, is a colonel.

Division. The main operational-tactical formation. Just like a regiment, it is named after the predominant branch of troops in it. However, the predominance of one or another type of troops is much less than in the regiment. The motorized rifle and tank divisions are identical in structure with the only difference being that motorized rifle division two or three motorized rifle regiments and one tank, and in a tank division, on the contrary, there are two or three tank regiments, and one motorized rifle. In addition to these main regiments, the division has one or two artillery regiments, one anti-aircraft missile regiment, a jet division, a missile division, a helicopter squadron, an engineer battalion, communications battalion, automobile battalion, reconnaissance battalion, electronic warfare battalion, logistics battalion. a repair and restoration battalion, a medical battalion, a chemical defense company, and several different support companies and platoons. In modern Russian Army divisions are or may be tank, motorized rifle, artillery, airborne, missile and aviation divisions. In other branches of the military, as a rule, the highest formation is a regiment or brigade. On average, there are 12-24 thousand people in a division. Division commander, Major General.

Frame. Just as a brigade is an intermediate formation between a regiment and a division, so a corps is an intermediate formation between a division and an army. The corps is already a combined arms formation, i.e. usually it is devoid of the characteristic of one type of military force, although tank or artillery corps may also exist, i.e. corps with a complete predominance of tank or artillery divisions. The combined arms corps is usually referred to as the "army corps". There is no single structure of buildings. Each time a corps is formed based on a specific military or military-political situation and can consist of two or three divisions and various quantities formations of other military branches. Usually a corps is created where it is not practical to create an army. In peacetime, there were literally three to five corps in the Soviet Army. During the Great Patriotic War Corps were usually created either for an offensive in a secondary direction, an offensive in a zone where it is impossible to deploy an army, or, conversely, for concentrating forces in the main direction ( tank corps). Very often then the corps existed for a few weeks or months and was disbanded upon completion of the task. It is impossible to talk about the structure and strength of the corps, because as many corps exist or existed, so many of their structures existed. Corps commander, Lieutenant General.

Army. This word is used in three main meanings: 1. Army - the armed forces of the state as a whole; 2.Army - ground forces of the armed forces of the state (as opposed to the fleet and military aviation); 3.Army - military formation. Here we are talking about the army as a military formation. The army is a large 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 are rarely organized as military formations. Usually divisions, regiments, and battalions are directly included in the district.

Front (district). This is the highest military formation strategic type. 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.

Note 2: Above in the text there are the concepts “tactical formation”, “operational-tactical formation”, “strategic..”, etc. These terms indicate the range of tasks solved by this formation in the light of military art. The art of war is divided into three levels:
1. Tactics (the art of combat). A squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment solve tactical problems, i.e. are fighting.
2. Operational art (the art of fighting, battle). A division, corps, army solve operational problems, i.e. are fighting.
3. Strategy (the art of warfare in general). The front solves both operational and strategic tasks, i.e. leads major battles, as a result of which the strategic situation changes and the outcome of the war can be decided.

There is also a name such as "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 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.

In the literature and in military documents one also encounters such names as "team" And "squad". The term "team" has now fallen out of use. It was used to designate formations of special troops (sappers, signalmen, reconnaissance officers, etc.) that are part of general military formations. Usually, in terms of numbers and combat missions solved, it is something between a platoon and a company. The term "detachment" was used to designate similar formations in terms of tasks and numbers as the average between a company and a battalion. It is still occasionally used to designate a permanently existing formation. For example, a drilling squad is an engineering formation designed to drill wells for water extraction in areas where there are no surface water sources. The term “detachment” is also used to designate a group of units organized temporarily for the period of battle (advanced detachment, encircling detachment, covering detachment).

Above in the text, I specifically did not use the concepts - division, part, connection, association, replacing these words with the faceless “formation”. I did this in order to avoid confusion. Now that we have dealt with specific names, we can move on to unifying and grouping names.

Subdivision. This word refers to 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. It is the basic unit of the armed forces. The term “unit” most often means regiment and brigade. The external features of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, bank account, postal and telegraph address, its own official seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open (44 tank training division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers. That is, the part has sufficient autonomy. 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 of junior specialists, military school, military institute, etc.). In some cases, the status of a part with all its external signs may have formations that we classified above as divisions. Units can be a battalion, a company, and sometimes even a platoon. Such formations are not part of regiments or brigades, but directly as an independent military unit with the rights of a regiment or brigade can be part of both a division and a corps, army, front (district) and even directly subordinate to the General Staff. Such formations also have their own open and closed numbers. For example, the 650th separate airborne transport battalion, the 1257th separate communications company, the 65th separate radio reconnaissance platoon. A characteristic feature such parts is the word “separate”, which appears after the numbers before the name. However, a regiment can also have the word “separate” in its name. This is the case if the regiment is not part of the division, but is directly part of the army (corps, district, front). For example, the 120th separate regiment of guards mortars.

Note 3: Please note that the terms military unit And military unit do not mean exactly the same thing. The term "military unit" is used as a general designation, without specifics. If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, etc., then the term “military unit” is used. Usually its number is also mentioned: “military unit 74292” (but you cannot use “military unit 74292”) or, in short, military unit 74292.

Compound. As a standard, only a division fits this term. The word “connection” itself means to connect parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). All together there is a division. However, in some cases, a brigade may also have the status of a connection. This happens if the brigade includes separate battalions and companies, each of which has the status of a unit in itself. In this case, the brigade headquarters, like the division headquarters, has the status of a unit, and battalions and companies, as independent units, are subordinate to the brigade headquarters. By the way, at the same time, battalions and companies can exist within the headquarters of a brigade (division). So at the same time a formation can have battalions and companies as subunits, and battalions and companies as units.

Association. This term combines corps, army, army group and front (district). The headquarters of the association is also a part to which various formations and units are subordinated.

There are no other specific and grouping concepts in the military hierarchy. In any case, in Ground Forces Oh. In this article we did not touch upon the hierarchy of military formations of the aviation and navy. However, the attentive reader can now imagine the naval and aviation hierarchy quite simply and with minor errors. As far as the author knows: in aviation - flight, squadron, regiment, division, corps, air force. In the fleet - ship (crew), division, brigade, division, flotilla, fleet. However, this is all inaccurate; aviation and naval experts will correct me.

Literature.

1.Combat Regulations of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR (Division - Brigade - Regiment). Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Moscow. 1985
2. Regulations on passage military service officers of the Soviet Army and Navy. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 200-67.
3. Officer's Handbook Soviet army And Navy. Moscow. Military publishing house 1970
4. Directory of an officer of the Soviet Army and Navy on legislation. Moscow. Military publishing house 1976
5. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 105-77 “Regulations on the military economy of the Armed Forces of the USSR.”
6. Charter of the internal service of the USSR Armed Forces. Moscow. Military publishing house 1965
7. Textbook. Operational art. Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Moscow. 1965
8. I.M.Andrusenko, R.G.Dunov, Yu.R.Fomin. Motorized rifle (tank) platoon in battle. Moscow. Military publishing house 1989