Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces
| Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces | |
|---|---|
| Сухопутные силы самообороны России | |
 Emblem of the RGSDF | |
| Founded |
Original: 1 October 1550 Current: 1 February 1954 |
| Country |
 Russia |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | 170,000 active personnel |
| Garrison/HQ | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Motto(s) |
Вперёд, пехота! "Forward, infantry!" |
| Red Yellow | |
| March |
Марш Преображенского полка "Preobrazhensky Regiment March" |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | File:Standard of the President of the Russian Federation Fixed.svg President Roman Kosmynin |
| Minister of Defense |
 Yaroslav Krylov |
| Chief of the Defense Staff |
 Colonel General Viktor Zolnikov |
| Chief of Ground Forces Staff |
 General Vladimir Melnikov |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |
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| Sleeve patch |
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The Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces (Russian: Сухопутные силы самообороны России, RGSDF), also referred to as the Russian Army, is the land component of the Russian Self-Defense Forces. It is the largest branch of the Self-Defense Forces with 170,000 active personnel as of 2022. The RGSDF is the de facto army of Russia.
The modern Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces were established in 1954 in the aftermath of the defeat of Russia by the Allied powers in the Great War. As the postwar constitution officially renounces the use of offensive war by the state, it also prohibits a standing military force. However the vulnerability of Russia's long borders and Cold War geopolitical considerations by the Allies, namely preventing the influence of Communist China over postwar Russia and the states of the former Russian Empire, led to the creation of the Russian Self-Defense Forces in 1954. The new force was developed in the 1960s and 1970s under the supervision of the countries that formed the Northern Treaty Organization (NTO) – primarily Sierra, Germany, and Britain. Throughout the Cold War the bulk of the Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces were deployed along the militarized southern border, near Central Asia and China. At the height of China-West tensions in the 1980s the Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces became one of the largest (de facto) armies in the world, and participated in training the armies of Ussuria, the Altai Republic, Tuva, and other former Russian Empire states. Since the 1990s it has provided peacekeepers for League of Nations humanitarian missions around the world.
The RGSDF is tasked with defending the nation's land borders and the President of Russia is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Self-Defense Forces (Верховный главнокомандующий Сил самообороны), but he delegates command authority to the Chief of the Defense Staff (Начальник штаба обороны) as the highest-ranking officer of the SDF, and to the Chief of the Ground Self-Defense Forces Staff (Начальник штаба Сухопутных сил самообороны), the head of the branch. Conscription in Russia has been abolished since the creation of the Self-Defense Forces and it is fully volunteer along with the other branches.
Mission
The main mission of the Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces is to defend the land borders and territory of the Russian Democratic Republic, assist in maintaining internal security, protect the bases of all of the branches of the SDF, to respond to and provide assistance in emergency humanitarian situations, and fulfill international peacekeeping missions within the framework of the League of Nations.
There have been political discussions since the early 2000s of lifting the ban on the participation of Russian troops in military operations outside of the country's territory, such as to support the Syrian intervention by the NTO countries after 2004. Between 2004 and 2022 Russia has not participated in the International Security Assistance Force in Syria with combat forces, but provided logistical assistance, such as with mine-clearing operations, from 2015 to 2018. The deployment of sappers to Syria was the first Russian deployment in an active combat zone since Great War II. Russia has also deployed combat troops in several LN peacekeeping missions.
History
Imperial Army
First half of the 20th century
Cold War
Modern RGSDF
Structure
The Main Headquarters of the Ground Self-Defense Forces, led by the Chief of Staff, is the leadership of the RGSDF that provides operational command in wartime as well as the administration of logistical and organizational aspects of the branch in peacetime. The Chief of Staff is the highest ranking officer and is assisted by several Deputy Chiefs of Staff, which oversee a number of special staffs and departments at the headquarters. Those include the Main Ground Operations Staff, and the Departments for Personnel, Logistical Services, Armaments, and Military Training.
Arms of service within the Ground Forces include the motorized rifles, tanks, artillery and rocket forces, troop air defense, special corps (reconnaissance, signals, radio electronic warfare, engineering, nuclear, biological and chemical protection, logistical support, automobile, and the protection of the rear), special forces, and logistical establishments.
The RGSDF currently has an army–corps–brigade structure as the main formations. Armies mostly exist as administrative units to handle the logistical aspects of organizing corps and brigades. Between 1993 and 2003, most remaining divisions were reorganized into brigade tactical groups. In 2010 the 1st and 2nd Guards Tank Corps were increased in size, with two tank brigades being once again reformed to divisions. Currently the there are only two active divisions – the 4th and 90th Guards Tank Divisions. Brigades are the primary level of command in operations, while corps would be the highest command level in a hypothetical larger offensive operation. Armies would function as theater commands. This structure replaced the previous military district–army–division–brigade structure during the Cold War because it is considered to be more flexible and adaptable. There are also three specialized corps – the 1st and 2nd Guards Tank, and the 7th Airborne.
As of 2022 there are 26 brigades and two divisions, along with several independent regiments and battalions, organized into 13 corps in four regional armies.
Tactical organization
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Ground Self-Defense Forces Headquarters (Saint Petersburg)
Combined Arms Academy of the Ground Self-Defense Forces (Saint Petersburg)
Defense Academy of the Self-Defense Forces of Russia (Moscow)
Logistical Support Forces Command (Moscow)
Railway Troops Directorate
Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Troops Directorate
Army Aviation and Air Defense Directorate
Special Operations Forces Command (Kubinka-2, Moscow Oblast)
2nd Special Purpose Regiment
22nd Special Purpose Regiment
24th Special Purpose Regiment
45th Special Purpose Regiment
Main Intelligence Directorate
3rd Special Purpose Regiment
Main Military Police Directorate
Northern Army (Arkhangelsk)
5th Army Corps
74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
205th Motor Rifle Brigade
35th Army Corps
18th Motor Rifle Brigade
21st Motor Rifle Brigade
41st Army Corps
11th Engineer Brigade
200th Motor Rifle Brigade
Western Army (Saint Petersburg)
1st Guards Tank Corps
4th Guards Tank Division
20th Guards Rocket Brigade
6th Army Corps
27th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
64th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
305th Artillery Brigade
20th Army Corps
- 9th Guards Artillery Brigade
25th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
Eastern Army (Novosibirsk)
2nd Guards Tank Corps
90th Guards Tank Division
232nd Rocket Artillery Brigade
7th Airborne Corps
76th Guards Airborne Brigade
98th Guards Airborne Brigade
106th Guards Airborne Brigade
29th Army Corps
5th Tank Brigade
19th Motor Rifle Brigade
36th Army Corps
8th Motor Rifle Brigade
17th Motor Rifle Brigade
Southern Army (Rostov-on-Don)
8th Army Corps
6th Tank Brigade
15th Motor Rifle Brigade
28th Motor Rifle Brigade
49th Army Corps
35th Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade
57th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
58th Army Corps
38th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
55th Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade
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Personnel
At their peak during the Cold War the RGSDF was estimated to have 670,000 budgeted personnel in 1988. As of 2022 there are 170,000 active personnel. Recruitment is carried out by thousands of military commissariat offices throughout Russia, as the force is fully volunteer and conscription has been abolished since the end of Great War II. Contract soldiers, or enlisted soldiers, form the majority of personnel, along with non-commissioned officer (NCOs) and commissioned officers that have graduated from the Combined Arms Academy.
The officer corps is trained at the Combined Arms Academy of the RGSDF, the officer commissioning school for lieutenants, and the Defense Academy of the Self-Defense Forces of Russia for senior officers ranked colonel and above.
Ranks
- Officers
| Pay grade |
General officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Cadet | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-11 | O-10 | O-9 | O-8 | O-7 | O-6 | O-5 | O-4 | O-3 | O-2 | O-1 | Special grade | ||
 Russian GSDF (Edit) |
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| Ма́ршал России Marshal of Russia |
Генера́л-полко́вник Colonel general |
Генера́л General |
Генера́л-лейтена́нт Lieutenant general |
Генера́л-майо́р Major general |
Полко́вник Colonel |
Подполко́вник Lieutenant colonel |
Майо́р Major |
Kапита́н Captain |
Старший лейтена́нт Senior lieutenant |
Лейтенант Lieutenant |
Mла́дший лейтена́нт Junior lieutenant |
Курсант Cadet | |
- Enlisted
| Pay grade |
Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |
Russian GSDF (Edit) |
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| No equivalent | Ста́рший пра́порщик Senior warrant officer |
Пра́порщик Warrant officer |
Старшина́ Sergeant Major |
Ста́рший сержа́нт Senior sergeant |
Сержа́нт Sergeant |
Мла́дший сержа́нт Junior sergeant |
Ефре́йтор Corporal |
Рядово́й Private | |
Equipment
During the Cold War the RGSDF received large quantities of equipment, making it one of the largest military forces in the world at that time, that have since been put into reserve status by the early 2000s.
| Type | Active | Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Main battle tanks | 2,800 | ≈16,500 |
| Infantry fighting vehicles | 5,160 | ≈19,500 |
| Armoured personnel carriers | 6,100 | ≈18,000+ |
| Towed artillery | 150 | ≈12,415 |
| Self-propelled artillery | 1,610 | ≈4,260 |
| Rocket artillery | 1,352 | |
| SAM systems | 2,531 |
2K12 Kub (400 units)
ZSU-23-4 Shilka (350 units)
- Tornado (multiple rocket launcher) (250 units)
- BM-21 Grad (100 units)
BM-30 Smerch (100 units)
- T-72 (7,000 units)
S-300 Antey-300/S-300V4 (2,000 units)
K-612-O/KDKhR-1N (nuclear)
9S932T-1 Barnaul-T (air defense)
BMO-T
9P149 Shturm-S/SM (900 units)
RPM-2 (Armoured chemical)
BRM-3K "Rys" (1500 units)
T-90 (370 units)
BMP-3 (620 units)
BMP-2 (4,500 units)
TOS-1 (30 units)
2S7M Malka (60 units)
BTR-90 (6,000 units)
MT-LB (4,000 units)
BPM-97 (5,500 units)
Iskander-M Missile (302 units)
BTR-82A (Over 1,000 units)
T-80 (450 units)
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Traditions
The Russian Ground Self-Defense Forces continue many Imperial Russian Army traditions from the pre-1923 Russian Empire, such as the use of regimental banners of old regiments, military marches, and using the "Guards" honorific title for units as a reference to the former Imperial Guard. On May 31, 1987, a presidential decree made Ground Self-Defense Forces day a national holiday on October 1. The date chosen for the holiday commemorates the edict made by Tsar Ivan IV of Russia on October 1, 1550, on the placement in Moscow and surrounding districts of a thousand servicemen forming a local brigade of Streltsy, which essentially became a key document in the further formation and development of the Imperial Russian Army. Since then additional holidays have been created about individual arms of the RGSDF: the Day of Tankmen, Day of Rocket Forces and Artillery, Day of Air Defense.
See also
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This page uses material from the Wikipedia page Russian Ground Forces, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (view authors).
