Already announced that in the near future "blue berets" will the formation of another airborne assault brigade – in Voronezh. To full-fledged combat training, she is expected to start in 2016. "This connection will get the number 345 in honor of the legendary 345-th guards Bagram parachute regiment", – said the commander of airborne troops Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov.

In short, updating is more than serious. Especially when you consider the fact that all four cash airborne division – 7th guards air assault (mountain, dislocation Novorossiysk), 76th guards air assault Chernigov red banner division (Pskov), 98th guards airborne division (Ivanovo) and 106th guards airborne division (Tula) – with a division consisting of the composition by 2018 will go to trehvaltsovoj.

At the same time in all of these divisions and the 31st separate guards air assault brigade (Ulyanovsk) the reconnaissance will be converted into reconnaissance battalions. And each regiment of paratroopers in the coming years will get the company of army aviation (combat and transport helicopters) and the division of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Note that recently anti-aircraft missile battalions of our airborne and air assault divisions have been deployed to anti-aircraft missile regiments. That dramatically increased their ability to repel enemy attacks from the air.

But that's not all. According to Shamanov, have a reformation of the 45th special forces regiment in Kubinka near Moscow, in a brigade of spetsnaz. A regiment close to the capital of Bear lake in the brigade.

Is about to begin and massive rearmament of the "blue berets". Commander VDV has recently reported that in the first half of next year to the troops for testing new military vehicles are ten of the BMP-4M and ten multi-purpose armored vehicles "Shell".

In short, amid the more than feeble, truncated beyond any reasonable limits of the Russian Ground troops, Airborne troops just really thriving. It is clear that they obviously got lucky with the commander. Colonel General Shamanov managed to keep its subordinate units and formations from the Orgy of "reform" Anatoly Serdyukov. Unlike Land forces, he was a big scandal failed to prevent the elimination of their divisions and turning them into thin brigade.

Even clear how and why the commander of the airborne troops could stand against extravagant Serdyukov – Shamanov special relationship with President Vladimir Putin for anybody in the military is no secret. Commander VDV is one of those generals who pulled on his shoulders the second Chechen war. The same Putin started to gain the strong image of the "gatherer of the Russian lands". And one in which for this reason at stake was the political reputation of the current leader of the country. What's that, and this kind of merit Putin, apparently, has not forgotten.

And with the advent of the defense Ministry Sergei Shoigu has become possible to go further. At the February Board of the Ministry of defense had promulgated the decision on the basis of the Airborne troops in Russia will be created a rapid reaction Force (RRF). Those that were once described by Pavel Grachev to the post of defence Minister in the early 90's. But since then the conversations so the conversations. Now it looks like it's gone.

But if your own rapid response Force, it took the country today, then what? Mentioned at the February Board defense Minister Shoigu on the subject were expressed more than vaguely: "to Organize work on implementation of the plan of defense of the Russian Federation. Provide for the use of Airborne troops as rapid reaction Forces in case of expediting the execution of tasks to prevent crises."

Russian rapid reaction Forces are created in a big hurry, consequently, the possibility of military-political crisis (at least one), apparently not far off. Where and what is the crisis?

Here's a look at the problem from abroad. The influential American political journal Foreign Policy believes that feverish military preparations Moscow is forced to contrive due to the fact that NATO troops leave Afghanistan.

In particular, the magazine writes: "Many people are worried about how withdrawal of U.S. and NATO from Afghanistan will affect this country and how few Russian experts believe that the Pro-Western government will hold on in Kabul any long time, and most fear that the government re-capture of the Taliban.

The main concern is that the ever-changing situation in Afghanistan destabilizes the situation in Central Asia. Given the fact that between Russia and the countries of the region, there are almost no boundaries, is easy to understand Moscow's concern".

According to Foreign Policy, reflecting the point of view of the main part of the American establishment, a key Central Asian countries in the short term, expect a serious test. In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, "where it is still ruled by the elderly "founding fathers", they must be a change of government. The internal crisis continues unabated in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, in the region and without the influence of the "Afghan factor" occur regularly conflicts with Islamists and riot by using weapons and police instruments. So, in Uzbekistan in 1999 there were clashes with militants in the Ferghana valley. And after six years of mass disorders in Andijan.

In 2010, the bloody ethnic clashes have destabilized the situation in the Kyrgyz city of Osh.

In Kazakhstan, which has positioned itself as an example of social and ethnic stability, in 2011 in Zhanaozen were mass strikes of oil workers, which escalated into clashes with the internal troops. In addition, he believes Foreign Policy in recent years in the country significantly increased the influence of Islamists.

To believe that terrible events brewing somewhere far away and won't affect us, would be for Moscow an unforgivable political naivety. Especially when you consider that thousands of kilometres of Russian borders with Kazakhstan, and thus from the entire Central Asia, is almost not controlled. And if you want a donkey from somewhere in Tashkent can be reached, for example, to Ryazan. Stood for donkey, other obstacles, most likely, will not.

American journal believes that the task of the Russian rapid reaction Forces will inevitably be interference in armed conflicts in Central Asia at the early stages. Goal is to prevent their spread, destroy the armed groups before they take over settlements, elimination of terrorist camps, the elimination of infrastructure associated with the production and transportation of drugs.

What is the purpose of the rapid reaction Force will be looking at Russia? This "Free press" talked to the Deputy Director of the Institute for political and military analysis Alexander Hramchihin. Here is his opinion:

- It is clear that after the departure of the Americans to power in Kabul will come under the Taliban regime. They will immediately begin religious expansion into Central Asia. And then you can move in a northerly direction. But at least Afghanistan have no common border. To reach us, the Taliban must first capture the ex-Soviet Central Asian republics. Do it easy, especially in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which are extremely weak in military and economic terms.

Our 201st military base in Tajikistan, I think, just flee. Since almost the whole crew there – Tajiks received the contract service. Only officers from Russia. These garrisons will be immediately blocked by the Taliban and local gangs. To help them would be nothing.

At the same time in the region with a new force will inflame ethnic conflicts. Will shoot from all sides. The terrible situation. If the events in the foreseeable future will go in this direction, for us will remain the only hope is to keep Kazakhstan, the rest seem to have to throw on an arbitrariness of destiny. While in Kazakhstan isn't very strong Islamic factor, a lot of Russians, quite a strong army. So there is hope, that although we hold. If we lose and Kazakhstan – a complete disaster. Then we get from Astrakhan to Barnaul continuous leaky border, which is almost impossible to defend. Kazakhstan must hold in any case. Moreover, he is not yet ready to somehow resist.

If in the event of such developments, we someone still to Central Asia, send, it, most likely, will be the Airborne troops, who today, as we know, constitute the reserve of the Supreme commander. They have accumulated a lot of experience fighting in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Mobile, have mostly light weapons, which is easy to throw long distances. VDV and report directly to Moscow. The Marines is to collect and send in the combat area from all over Russia.

Here is a comprehensive answer to the question: "Why does Russia need so urgently needed rapid reaction Force"? Afgan-2 - here, most likely, what awaits Russia in coming years is bleak.

Sergey Ishchenko

Source: http://svpressa.ru/war21/article/76362/

Tags: assessment , Russia , armed forces