Russia to celebrate Day of Airborne Troops.

MOSCOW, August 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will celebrate the 79th
anniversary of the Airborne Troops - a mobile reserve of the Supreme
Commander-in-Chief. More than a million Russian citizens, who used to wear
blue berets and striped vests and serve in "the National Air Guard" now,
will celebrate their professional holiday on Sunday.
The Russian Airborne Troops dated back to August 2, 1930, when during
the exercises of the Moscow military district near Voronezh a unit of 12
paratroopers were parachuted for the first time. In 1932 the first
airborne units were formed that laid down the foundation to a massive
deployment of this arm of service. In 1941 corps with the numerical
strength of over 10,000 paratroopers each were formed on the basis of
airborne brigades. During the Great Patriotic War paratroopers
demonstrated mass heroism. The paratroopers called themselves jokingly
"Uncle Vasya's troops" named after General of Army Vasily Margelov, who is
one of the founders of modern Airborne Troops in Russia.
The Guards of the Airborne Troops performed combat tasks with honour
in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan and the Northern Caucasus. They
put up heroic resistance repeatedly in the interethnic conflicts in the
Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Yugoslavia. They proved that they could
perform any missions.
On the eve of the holiday Commander of the Airborne Troops and Hero of
Russia, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov in a message of
congratulation to the staff and veterans of the Airborne Troops noted "a
special high morale of paratroopers, their striving for the final result
with victory and nothing else." The general told reporters that when
shaping a new image the Airborne Troops would be not only preserved, but
would be brought to a higher qualitative level. He noted that 18
structures were abolished and 20 structures were reshaped in the Airborne
Troops, but the numerical strength of the troops will remain the same -
35,000 servicemen. Meanwhile, the command is planning to deploy an air
defence regiment armed with Strela-10 surface-to-air missile systems for
the antiaircraft shield of airborne units on strategic directions. Since
2010 full-fledged reconnaissance battalions equipped with unmanned spy
planes for coordination, observation and targeting will be formed in
divisions instead of separate reconnaissance companies. The Airborne
Troops are also planning to design, produce and put into service attack
unmanned systems, which can deliver a strike on the enemy at a distance of
25 kilometres without bringing into action airborne units.
Shamanov noted the troops would be equipped with a battery of
self-propelled artillery mounts already at the end of August. These are
ten artillery systems Nona and two weapons control vehicles. The Airborne
Troops are also planning to upgrade and purchase armoured vehicles Tigr
for reconnaissance units. The troops are testing two types of new radios
to secure the control of the troops at a distance of ten kilometres. The
ammunition of a paratrooper will be streamlined with the weight not
exceeding 25-30 kilograms in order to enable the warrior to perform his
mission after up to six kilometres of the battle march in any terrain.
Presently the Airborne Troops are manned by 37% with contract
servicemen and in some units up to 50%. During the spring draft campaign
the Airborne Troops transferred to the reserve and drafted about 12,000
young men. In this quite difficult period of time ten fully battle worthy
battalions provided for the combat readiness of the Airborne Troops. These
battalions can move to the designated frontlines within 12-24 hours and
fulfill all missions.
Before the professional holiday the Airborne Troops recruited 600
lieutenants. They are mainly the graduates of the Ryazan Airborne Academy,
the Ryazan Communications Academy and the Omsk Tank Academy. A platoon of
marines and a special reconnaissance group are graduated from airborne
academies every year. The commander assured that all lieutenants recruited
in the Airborne Troops would speak fluently a foreign language in five
years.
In 2009 the paratroopers will participate in the strategic
command-and-staff exercises "West-2009" (in the Kaliningrad region), the
war games codenamed "Ladoga-2009" and "Shchit-2009" (the exercises of the
collective rapid reaction forces of the member-countries of the Collective
Security Treaty Organisation in Kazakhstan). In the jubilee year of 2010
during the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the landing of Soviet
parachutists on the North Pole, the Russian paratroopers intend to
parachute on the Arctic station "Barneo".
On Sunday, the paratroopers will traditionally celebrate their
professional holiday on the Red Square, which will be a venue of the
festivities on occasion of the Day of Elijah the Prophet. Elijah the
Prophet is considered a celestial patron of the paratroopers. At the
Lobnoye place of execution on the Red Square in the medieval times festive
prayers in honour of the divine patron of the paratroopers will be
chanted, and airborne guards will show their professional performance. The
Moscow Park of Culture and Leisure is also a traditional venue for the
paratroopers. On Saturday, the commander of the Airborne Troops
recommended journalists not to provoke paratroopers with excessive
attention. "No TV cameras, no paratroopers in the fountains," he noted.
Shamanov asked people "not to pass on the other side of the street at the
appearance of "the blue berets." "It is better to just give them a smile
and congratulate them on their holiday," he underlined.
-0-baz