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; tankers from 31 to 41 people. Motor rifle company:

• Defense: 1 ... 1.5 km along the front to 1 km in depth
• Offensive: 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. Commanded by the battalion commander (abbreviated as battalion commander). This is a lieutenant colonel. But in our country both captains and majors command, who in the future can become lieutenant colonels, provided that this position is retained.

How many people are in a company, battalion, platoon and so on

Platoon. A platoon includes from 3 to 6 squads, that is, it can reach from 15 to 60 people. The platoon leader is in command. This is an officer position. It is occupied by a minimum of a lieutenant, a maximum of a captain. Company.

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

The 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. AT Peaceful time- military district. It's hard 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 is in command. 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. According to their position, the brigades stand between the regiment (the regiment commander is a colonel) and the 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 title of “oberführer”). Traditionally, there is no such title in Russia. In the modern Russian army, the Soviet division military district - corps - division - regiment - battalion, as a rule, is replaced by an abbreviated military district - brigade - battalion.
Different levels[edit | edit code] In the armed forces of Russia, the units specified in this article are divided into subdivisions (from a squad to a battalion), units (from a separate company to a regiment), formations (brigade, division, corps) and associations (army, district, group of troops, front ).

Military ranks of the Russian Federation

From the brigade and above (in terms of the number of people) for 11 months of service, we did not 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? Branch. Depending on the type of troops, it has from 5 to 10 people.
The squad leader is in charge. A squad leader is a sergeant's position, so a chest of drawers (short for squad leader) is often a junior sergeant or sergeant. The department is named after its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, communications) motorized rifle department, approximately, from 9 to 13 people (in addition to the squad leader: grenade launcher, private with RPG-7, PM; assistant grenade launcher, private with AK74; machine gunner, private with RPK74; senior shooter, corporal with AK74; 3 ... 5 shooters, privates with AK74; BMP driver mechanic and gunner-operator \ BMP machine gunner \ BMP).

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) immediately report to the command of the corps (“regiment of corps subordination”), or, at an even higher level, the regiment can report directly to the command of the military district (“regiment of district subordination”);

• In an infantry regiment, the main units - infantry battalions - report directly to the regiment commander. All auxiliary units are already 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 troops of the district, but the chief of artillery of the district.

Hierarchy of military formations

The battalions are different, so it is impossible to answer 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 ODSHB approximately 650-700 people; TB on the T-72 - 174 people, and motorized rifle - 213 people; OBS - 200-250 people; reconnaissance battalion of about 600 people; OISB - about 300 people; doctors - 157 people; chemists, repairmen, builders, commandants, as well as airfield maintenance do not have a staffing table at all and are formed depending on the need Motorized rifle battalion:

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

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

The concept of "part" most often refers to the regiment and brigade. The external features of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, a bank account, a postal and telegraph address, its own stamp seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open (44 training tank 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 a general designation, without specifics. If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, and so on, then the term "military unit" is used. Usually, its number is also mentioned next: “military unit 74292” (but you can’t use “military unit 74292”) or in 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 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.

Info

If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, etc., then the term "military unit" is used. Usually, its number is also mentioned next: “military unit 74292” (but you can’t use “military unit 74292”) or in short - military unit 74292. Connection. By default, only a division is suitable for this term.

The very word "connection" means - to connect the parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). That's all together and there is a division. However, in some cases, the brigade can 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 the military, the term "dresser" is used, which means "squad leader" for short. Depending on the type of troops, units are called differently. For artillery, the term "crew" is used, and for tank troops, "crew". The composition of the unit As part of this formation, the service is from 5 to 10 people. However, a motorized rifle squad consists of 10-13 soldiers.

Unlike the Russian army, in the United States, a group is considered the smallest army formation. The unit itself in the US consists of two groups. Platoon In the Russian Armed Forces, a platoon consists of three to four squads. 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.

Armed Forces (AF) of the state- government-supplied defense and combat organizations used in the interests of the state. In some countries paramilitary organizations are included in the structure of the Armed Forces.

In a number of countries, especially in the West, the armed forces are linked to the government through a civilian agency. It may be called the Ministry of Defense, the Department of Defense, the Military Department, and otherwise.

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Aircraft types

Aircraft are usually divided into different types; usually they are the army (Ground Forces), aviation (Air Force) and the navy (Navy / naval forces). The Coast Guard may also be part of the Armed Forces (although in many countries it is part of the police or is a civilian agency). The French structure, copied by many countries, includes three traditional views, and, as a fourth, the Gendarmerie.

The term consolidated forces is often used, meaning military units made up of two or more branches of the Armed Forces.

Organizational hierarchy of the Armed Forces

The minimum unit of the aircraft is a subdivision (English unit). The unit usually acts as a single unit, and is homogeneous in composition (for example, only infantry, only cavalry, etc.).

In the Soviet and Russian armies, the main unit is considered to be a platoon, company or battalion. These are the types of formations that are elements of the next level of the hierarchy - the military unit.

Larger units of the Russian Armed Forces are called, depending on the size, parts, formations and associations (English formations). The most common (but not the only) type of military units of the Soviet army were regiments, and in the Russian army - brigades. An example of connections (formations) are separate brigades, divisions, wings, etc. Associations are represented in the Soviet and Russian armies by corps and armies.

Hierarchy of modern armies

Symbol	Army unit name (subdivisions, connections, associations)	Number of soldiers	Number of subordinate units	Army unit command
XXXXXXX	theater of operations or armed forces	300000+	2+ fronts	supreme commander
XXXXXX	front, county	150000+	2+ army groups	army general, marshal
XXXXX	army group	80000+	2+ armies	army general, marshal
XXXX	army	40000+	2+ cases	lieutenant general, colonel general
XXX	frame	20000-50000	2-6 divisions	major general, lieutenant general
XX	division	5000-20000	2-6 brigades	colonel, major general
X	brigade	1300-8000	2-6 regiments	Colonel, Major General, Brigadier General, Brigadier
III	regiment	700-3000	2-6 battalions, divisions	major, lieutenant colonel, colonel
II	battalion, division	150-1000	2-12 mouth	senior lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel
I	company, battery, squadron	30-250	2-8 platoons, 6-10 squads	lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain, major
	platoon, squad	10-50	2-6 branches	warrant officer, senior warrant officer, junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain
Ø	department, crew, calculation	2-10	2 groups, links	junior sergeant, sergeant, senior sergeant, foreman, ensign
Ø	link, group, team	2-10	0	corporal, junior sergeant

Steps in this ladder can be skipped: for example, in NATO forces there is usually a battalion-brigade organization (in Russia such an organization is also used, it is an alternative to the battalion-regiment-division division). At the same time, in the Soviet army there were so-called separate brigades, the main difference of which was that, unlike modern brigades, they included separate military units (for example, two motorized rifle regiments).

The army, army group, region and theater of operations are the largest associations (eng. formations), which can be very different from each other in size and composition. At the division level, support forces are usually added (field artillery, medical service, logistics service, etc.), which may not be at the level of regiments (English regiments) and battalions. In the US, a regiment with support units is called a regimental combat team (eng. regimental combat team), in the UK and other countries - a combat group.

In some countries, traditional names may be used, creating confusion. Yes, British and Canadian tank battalions are divided into squadrons (companies, eng. companies) and troops, eng. troops (corresponding to platoons, eng. platoons), while in the American cavalry the squadron does not correspond to a company, but to a battalion, and is divided into troops ( troops, resp. companies) and platoons.

The fronts of the Red Army during World War II corresponded, according to this classification, to army groups.

Add-ons

1. The names of the listed units may vary depending on the type of troops. For example:
   1. In the Soviet army (and, accordingly, in the Russian one), a squad may be called a crew. Functionally corresponds to the crew of one combat vehicle;
   2. AT rocket troops and artillery, air defense forces, a squad can be called a calculation. Functionally corresponds to the calculation that serves one gun or combat vehicle;
   3. In the missile and artillery forces, the air defense forces, a company is called a battery, and a battalion is called a division;
   4. In cavalry, a company was called a squadron, and a battalion was called a division (but often in cavalry regiments this link was excluded and the regiment consisted of only a few squadrons). At present, in the armies of the Anglo-Saxon countries (Britain, USA) there are so-called. armored cavalry troops in which such a name is retained;
   5. In the Russian Cossack troops, there are other names - regiments of six hundred or four hundred, hundreds, fifty, squads (tens), separate artillery units. The Cossack troops also have their own system of military ranks;
2. The specified number refers to the infantry (motorized infantry, motorized rifle) troops. In other branches of the military, the number of units with the same names may be significantly smaller. For example, an infantry regiment consists of 3-4 thousand people, an artillery regiment - of 1 thousand.
3. Any military unit in the army has not one, but two states - peacetime and wartime. In the wartime staff, new positions are added in existing units, new units and new units. The missing military personnel are called up by general mobilization in war time. In the Soviet (and Russian) army, there are:
   1. Deployed wartime staff;
   2. Reduced staff;
   3. Staffed units (in which the staff consists only of officers at the level of platoon commanders, company commanders, or battalion commanders and above).

In the modern Russian army, about 85% of military units have a reduced staff, the remaining 15% are so-called. "parts of constant readiness", which are deployed in full state. In peacetime Armed forces in Russia they are divided into military districts, each of which is headed by the commander of the district troops with the rank of general of the army. In wartime, fronts are deployed on the basis of military districts;

1. In all modern armies a "ternary" (sometimes "quaternary") composition was adopted. This means that an infantry regiment consists of three infantry battalions (“three-battalions”). In addition to them, it includes other units - for example, a tank battalion, artillery and anti-aircraft divisions, repair, reconnaissance company, commandant platoon, etc. In turn, each infantry battalion of the regiment consists of three infantry companies and other units - for example, a mortar battery, a communications platoon.
2. Hierarchy, therefore, may not go directly, for example, a mortar battery in an infantry regiment is not part of any battalion (division). 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) immediately report to the command of the corps (“regiment of corps subordination”), or, at an even higher level, the regiment can report directly to the command of the military district (“regiment of district subordination”);
3. In an infantry regiment, the main units - infantry battalions - report directly to the regiment commander. All auxiliary units are already 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 troops of the district, but the chief of artillery of the district. The communications platoon of an infantry battalion reports not to the battalion commander, but to his first deputy - the chief of staff.
4. Brigades are a separate unit. According to their position, the brigades stand between the regiment (the regiment commander is a colonel) and the division (the division commander is a major general). In most armies of the world, there is an intermediate rank between the ranks of colonel and major general. "Brigadier General", corresponding to the brigade commander (and during the Second World War, the Waffen-SS had the title of "Oberführer"). Traditionally, there is no such title in Russia. In the modern Russian army, the Soviet division military district-corps-division-regiment-battalion, as a rule, is replaced by an abbreviated military district - brigade - battalion. operational-tactical [i.e. 2-7]. - M. : Military Publishing House  M-va defense USSR, 1976-1980.
5. Combat Charter ground forces Armed Forces of the USSR (Division - brigade - regiment). Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Moscow. 1985
6. Regulations on the passage of military service by officers of the Soviet Army and Navy. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 200-67.
7. Reference book of an officer of the Soviet Army and Navy. Moscow. Military publishing house 1970
8. Reference book of an officer of the Soviet army and Navy on legislation. Moscow. Military publishing house 1976
9. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 105-77 "Regulations on the military economy of the Armed Forces of the USSR".
10. Charter of the Internal Service of the USSR Armed Forces. Moscow. Military publishing house 1965
11. Textbook. Operational art. Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Moscow. 1965
12. I. M. Andrusenko, R. G. Dunov, Yu. R. Fomin. Motorized rifle (tank) platoon in battle. Moscow. Military publishing house 1989

AT company Russian armies maybe enter from 18 before 360 human. An important role is played by the type of troops, for example:

• AT tank company amount soldier rarely exceeds 35 human;
• AT motorized rifle companies maybe be 60-110 soldier;
• AT nautical infantrye – about 130 human;
• AT air— landing troops – before 80 soldier and t. d.

A company consists of several platoons, which, in turn, consist of squads. The average department may have from 3 before 15 human, in platoon – from 9 before 45 human. More often Total in company included 2-6 platoons.

A company is the smallest formation that has tactical value. Those. on the battlefield, the company is capable of performing small tactical tasks. In cavalry, companies are called squadrons, in artillery - a battery, in border troops - outposts, in aviation - aviation units. Most often, companies are part of battalions and regiments, but there are also separate formations that are not tied to larger structures.

A company is led by a commander, who is often called a company commander by soldiers. This person must have a major's position, ie. is in the rank of lieutenant or captain.

As a rule, the presented data refer not only to Russian, but also to foreign armies. For example, motorized infantry companies USA have number 100-120 human, such same companies in Germany – 120-130 human.

The army, like any other phenomenon, has many interesting facts that interest even ordinary people who have nothing to do with the army.

1. Some are interested in why the buttons on soldier's uniforms are on the front side, and not as it should be on the side. This design was invented by Peter. This was due to the fact that many soldiers of that time were simple peasants who did not know the norms and rules of etiquette. Therefore, Peter 1 placed the buttons on the front side, so that it would be inconvenient for the soldiers to wipe their mouths with a sleeve from their uniform.
2. Are there gay guys among the soldiers? Now a lot of people are joking about it. Like, if you don’t want to serve in the army, pretend that you are gay. More and more young people are resorting to this trick. In our country, such persons are not allowed to serve in the army. However, history says that the ancient Greek commanders, on the contrary, created separate detachments from representatives of non-traditional orientation. Moreover, such units were considered invincible. And the thing is that men were simply afraid to sink in the eyes of their beloved, which made them give all their best on the battlefield.
3. Now it is far from news that there are women's groups. Today the feminist movement of women is very popular. They are trying to prove their strength and independence from men. The creation of women's squads is partly a way to achieve this goal. But still, one of the main tasks of a woman is to illuminate others with her beauty. Therefore, a vote was taken on the most attractive and sexy female army. So, Romania took first place, and Russia third.

Hierarchy of military formations

(Subdivision, unit, connection, ... What is it?)

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

To understand the terms of general, grouping types of formations - subdivision, part, connection, association, first we will understand the specific names.

Branch. In the Soviet and Russian armies, a branch is the smallest military formation with a full-time commander. The squad is commanded by a junior sergeant or sergeant. Usually in a motorized rifle department there are 9-13 people. In the departments of other branches of the armed forces, the number of personnel of the department is from 3 to 15 people. In some military branches, the branch is called differently. In artillery - crew, in tank troops - crew. In some other armies, a 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 in general, in most armies, a squad is the smallest formation. Typically, a squad is part of a platoon, but may also exist outside of a platoon. For example, the reconnaissance and diving section of the engineering battalion is not included in any of the platoons of the battalion, but is directly subordinate to the battalion chief of staff.

Platoon. Several squads make up a platoon. Usually there are 2 to 4 squads in a platoon, but more are possible. The platoon is led by a commander with an officer's rank. In the Soviet and Russian army, this is a junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of personnel in a platoon ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all branches of the military the name is the same - a platoon. Usually a platoon is part of a company, but it can also exist independently.

Company. Several platoons make up a company. In addition, a company may include several independent squads that are not included in any of the platoons. For example, in a motorized rifle company there are three motorized rifle platoons, a machine-gun squad, and an anti-tank squad. Usually a company consists of 2-4 platoons, sometimes even more platoons. Rota is smallest formation having tactical significance, i.e. a formation capable of independently performing 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 are usually about 130-150 people, tank companies 30-35 people. Usually the company is included in battalion composition, but often the existence of companies as independent formations. In artillery, this type of formation is called a battery; in cavalry, a squadron.

Battalion. It consists of several companies (usually 2-4) and several platoons that are not included in any of the companies. The battalion is one of the main tactical formations. A battalion, like a company, platoon, squad, is named according to its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, communications). But the battalion already includes formations of other types of weapons. For example, in a motorized rifle battalion, in addition to motorized rifle companies, there is a mortar battery, a material support platoon, and a communications platoon. Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel. The battalion already has its headquarters. Usually, on average, a battalion, depending on the type of troops, can number from 250 to 950 people. However, there are battles numbering about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

Note1: Formation name - squad, platoon, company, etc. depends not on the number of personnel, but on the type of troops and those tactical tasks that are assigned to the formation of this type. Hence such a spread 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 - the 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.), but in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many branches of the military, and the name is given according to the predominant type of troops. For example, in motorized rifle regiment two or three motorized rifle battalions, one tank battalion, one artillery battalion (read battalion), one anti-aircraft missile division, reconnaissance company, engineering company, communications company, anti-tank battery, chemical protection platoon, repair company, material support company, orchestra, medical center. The number of personnel of the regiment is from 900 to 2000 people.

Brigade. As well as the regiment is the main tactical formation. Actually, the brigade occupies an intermediate position between the regiment and the division. The structure of the brigade is most often the same as that of the regiment, however, there are much more battalions and other units in the 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 also consist of two regiments, plus auxiliary battalions and companies. On average, there are from 2 to 8 thousand people in a brigade. The brigade commander, as well as in the regiment, is a colonel.

Division. The main operational-tactical formation. As well as the regiment is named after the type of troops prevailing in it. However, the predominance of one or another type of troops is much less than in the regiment. A motorized rifle division and a tank division are identical in structure, with the only difference being that in a motorized rifle division there are two or three motorized rifle regiments and one tank regiment, while in a tank division, on the contrary, there are two or three tank regiments, and one motorized rifle regiment. In addition to these main regiments, the division has one or two artillery regiments, one anti-aircraft missile regiment, a rocket battalion, a missile battalion, a helicopter squadron, an engineer battalion, a communications battalion, an automobile battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, a battalion electronic warfare, logistics battalion. a repair and restoration battalion, a medical battalion, a chemical protection company, and several different support companies and platoons. In the modern Russian Army, there are or may be tank, motorized rifle, artillery, airborne, missile and aviation divisions. In other military branches, 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 deprived of the sign of one type of troops, although tank or artillery corps may also exist, i.e. corps with a complete predominance of tank or artillery divisions in them. The combined arms corps is usually referred to as the "army corps". There is no single corps structure. Each time a corps is formed on the basis of a specific military or military-political situation and may consist of two or three divisions and a different number of formations of other military branches. Usually a corps is created where it is impractical to create an army. In peacetime, there were literally three to five corps in the Soviet Army. During the years of the Great Patriotic War corps were usually created either for an offensive in a secondary direction, an offensive in a zone where it was impossible to deploy an army, or vice versa, to concentrate 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 size of the corps, because how 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 (unlike 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 of operational purpose. The army includes divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Usually, armies are no longer subdivided according to the types of troops, although there may be tank armies, 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 how many armies exist or have existed, so many structures existed. The soldier at the head of the army is no longer called "commander", but "army commander". Usually the staff rank of the army commander is Colonel General. In peacetime, armies are rarely organized as military formations. Usually divisions, regiments, battalions are directly part of the district.

Front (district). This is the highest military formation of a strategic type. Larger formations do not exist. The name "front" is used only in wartime for a formation conducting combat operations. For such formations in peacetime, or those 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 be different. Fronts are never subdivided according to the types of troops (that is, 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 of "tactical formation", "operational-tactical formation", "strategic ..", etc. These terms indicate the range of tasks solved by this formation in the light of military art. Military art is divided into three levels:
1. Tactics (the art of combat). Squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment solve tactical tasks, i.e. are fighting.
2. Operational art (the art of conducting battles, battles). The division, corps, army solve operational tasks, i.e. are fighting.
3. Strategy (the art of warfare in general). The front solves both operational and strategic tasks, i.e. conducts major battles, as a result of which the strategic situation changes and the outcome of the war can be decided.

There is also such a name 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 sector or a secondary direction and, accordingly, are much smaller and weaker than such a formation as the front, but stronger than the army. In peacetime, this was the name in the Soviet Army 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, in military documents, there are also such names as "team" and "squad". The term "team" is now out of use. It was used to designate formations of special troops (sappers, signalmen, intelligence officers, etc.) that are part of general military formations. Usually, in terms of numbers and combat missions, something in between a platoon and a company. The term "detachment" was used to designate such formations in terms of tasks and numbers as an average between a company and a battalion. Occasionally, as a designation for a permanently existing formation, it is also used now. For example, a drilling team is an engineering formation designed to drill wells for water production in areas where there are no surface water sources. The term "detachment" is also used to designate, temporarily for the period of a battle, an organized grouping of subunits (forward detachment, outflanking detachment, cover 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 to avoid confusion. Now that we have dealt with specific names, we can move on to unifying, grouping names.

Subdivision. This word denotes all the military formations that make up the unit. Squad, platoon, company, battalion - they are all combined in one word "unit". The word comes from the concept of division, divide. Those. part is divided into divisions.

Part. This is the main unit of the armed forces. The term "unit" most often refers to a regiment and a brigade. The external features of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, a bank account, a postal and telegraph address, its own stamp seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open (44 training tank division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers. That is, the part has sufficient autonomy. The presence of the Battle Banner for the part is optional. In addition to the regiment and brigade, division headquarters, corps headquarters, army headquarters, district headquarters, as well as other military organizations (military department, army hospital, garrison clinic, district food depot, district song and dance ensemble, garrison house of officers, garrison household complex services, central school of junior specialists, military school, military institute, etc.). In a number of cases, the status of a unit with all its external features may have formations that we have referred to as subdivisions above. Parts can be a battalion, a company, and even occasionally a platoon. Such formations are not part of regiments or brigades, but directly as an independent military unit on the rights of a regiment or brigade can be part of both a division and a corps, an army, a front (district) and even directly report to the General Staff. Such formations also have their open and closed numbers. For example, 650 separate airborne battalion, 1257 separate communications company, 65 separate electronic intelligence platoon. A characteristic feature of such parts is the word "separate" after the numbers before the name. However, the regiment may 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, 120 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 next: "military unit 74292" (but you can not use "military unit 74292") or abbreviated - military unit 74292.

Compound. By default, only a division is suitable for this term. The very word "connection" means - to connect the parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). That's all together and there is a division. However, in some cases, the brigade can also have the status of a connection. This happens if the brigade includes separate battalions and companies, each of which in itself has the status of a unit. The brigade headquarters in this case, 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 as part of the headquarters of a brigade (division). So at the same time there can be battalions and companies as subdivisions, and battalions and companies as units in the formation.

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

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

Literature.

1. Combat Charter 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 the passage of military service by officers of the Soviet Army and Navy. Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 200-67.
3. Reference book of an officer of the Soviet Army and Navy. Moscow. Military publishing house 1970
4. Reference book 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

Generals have always found it difficult to manage large military units. To facilitate management, it was decided to create subunits commanded by junior commanders. Below is a list of these subunits. Of course, each army has its own manner of command, but the sub-units are often similar in different armies. After all, the management of military units of the army is an extremely responsible matter, and the smaller the unit commanded by an officer, the easier it is for him to understand the situation. This reduces liability.

In this article we will also consider the organization and armament of units foreign armies. This is a very serious topic, which is of interest to many. Large units of foreign armies are divided into their small parts. The first such part is a link.

Link, or fire group

A wing is a small military unit of the infantry and is designed to optimize fire, movement, tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or fewer members:

• submachine gunner;
• assistant machine gunner;
• shooter;
• designated team leader.

The role of each fireteam leader is to ensure that everyone acts as a unit. Two or three fireteams are organized into a squad or section in coordinated operations led by the squad leader.

Military theorists regard effective fireteams as essential to the modern professional military as they serve as the core team. Psychological research conducted by the United States Army has shown that the survivability and readiness of soldiers to fight is more influenced by the desire to both protect and support other members of the fireteam than by abstract concepts or ideologies. Historically, nations with effective fireteam organization have had significant best performance from their infantry units in combat than those who were limited to traditional operations: with larger units.

The fireteam is the primary link on which the organization of modern infantry in the British Army is based, regiments Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, US Army. The concept of fireteams is based on the need for tactical flexibility in infantry operations. The link is able to act autonomously as part of a larger unit. Successful operation as part of fireteams depends on the quality training of military personnel in small units, the experience of working together among members of fireteams, the existence of sufficient communications infrastructure and quality NCOs to provide tactical leadership of the group.

These requirements led to the successful use of the fireteam concept by the more professional military. Conscription makes squad development difficult as team members are less effective as they gain experience over time by working together and building personal connections. The tactics of actions of army units as part of a link are quite diverse.

In combat, when attacking or maneuvering, a fireteam typically spreads out to 50 meters (160 ft), while in defensive positions a team may cover their weapon range or line of sight, whichever is less. In open country, an effective group can travel up to 500 meters (1,600 ft), although detection range limits effectiveness beyond 100 meters (330 ft) or so without special equipment. A team is effective as long as its main weapon remains operational. Link as part of an army unit on this moment very effective combat unit.

The next division consists of several links. This large unit of the army is called a detachment.

Detachment

In military terminology, a detachment, or squadron, is a unit led by a non-commissioned officer who is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries that adhere to the traditions of the British army (Australian army, Canadian army, etc.), this organization is called a section. In most armies, a squad consists of eight to fourteen soldiers and can be divided into fireteams.

During World War II, the infantry unit of the German Wehrmacht (or Gruppe) was built around a machine gun general purpose. The advantage of the general purpose machine gun concept was that it greatly increased the total amount of fire that could be given by the squad. MG-34 or MG-42 were actively used as such a machine gun.

The infantry group consisted of ten people: a non-commissioned officer, a deputy commander, a group of three people (a machine gunner, an assistant gunner and an ammunition carrier) and five shooters. As personal small arms, the detachment commander was issued a rifle or, since about 1941, a submachine gun, pistols were issued to the machine gunner and his assistant, and rifles were issued to the deputy detachment commander, ammunition carrier and shooters.

Riflemen carried additional ammunition, hand grenades, explosives or machine gun tripod, as needed. They provided security and covering fire for the machine gun group. Two of the standard issue 98k Carbine rifles could be replaced with Gewehr-43 semi-automatic rifles, and sometimes assault rifles StG-44s could be used to rearm the entire detachment, except for the machine gun.

In U.S. Army units, historically, a troop was a division of a section consisting of two soldiers up to 12 men, and was originally used primarily for training and administrative purposes.

Platoon

Platoon is combat unit army, usually consisting of two or more squads/sections/patrols. Platoon organization varies by country, but generally according to official organization charts published in U.S. military records, a full U.S. Infantry Rifle Platoon consists of 39 soldiers or 43 Marines (U.S. Army or Corps). marines USA, respectively). There are other types of rifle platoons (e.g. anti-tank, lightly armored recon, mortar, recon, sniper), depending on the service and the type of infantry company/battalion to which the platoon is assigned, and these platoons can range from 18 men (marine corps USA - sniper platoon) up to 69 people (USMC - mortar platoon).

The platoon was originally a firing unit, not an organization. The system was invented by Swedish Gustav Adolf in 1618. In the French army in the 1670s, the battalion was divided into 18 platoons, which were grouped into three "shoots". Each firing platoon either actually fired or reloaded. The system was also used by the British, Austrian, Russian and Dutch armies. The platoon leader is usually a junior officer: junior or senior lieutenant or a soldier of equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant. A platoon is usually the smallest military unit led by an officer.

Rifle platoons usually consist of a small platoon and three or four sections (commonwealths) or squadrons (USA). In some armies, the platoon is used in all divisions of the army. In several armies, such as the French army, the platoon is specifically a cavalry unit, and the infantry uses "section" as the equivalent unit. A unit consisting of several platoons is called a company/battery/detachment.

From October 1913, under the scheme of General Sir Ivor Maxs, the regular battalions of the British Army were reorganized from the previous eight companies into four company structures, with each company having four platoons as individual divisions, each commanded by a lieutenant with a platoon sergeant as his second-in-command. Each platoon was divided into four parts under the command of a corporal. Due to the lack of officers in 1938-1940. for experienced non-commissioned officers who commanded platoons, the non-commissioned officer rank of platoon sergeant major was introduced. In modern units of the Russian army, a platoon is one of the main army units.

Company

A company is a military unit, usually consisting of 80-150 soldiers, commanded by a major or captain. Most companies are formed from three to six platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure.

Usually several companies are grouped into a battalion or regiment, the latter of which is sometimes formed by several battalions. Sometimes independent or separate companies are organized for special purposes, such as the 1st Airborne Communications Company or the 3rd Reconnaissance Company. These companies are not organic to a battalion or regiment, but rather report directly to a higher level organization such as a Marine Expeditionary Force HQ (i.e. corps level command).

Companies in the units of the Russian army:

1. Motorized Rifle Company. Soviet motorized rifle company can be mounted with any armored personnel carrier, armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle, which were more numerous in the late 1980s. The armored personnel carrier of a rifle company consisted of a company headquarters, three motorized rifle platoons and a machine gun/anti-tank platoon. A rifle company with an infantry fighting vehicle had the same number of personnel and carriers, and consisted of a company headquarters, three motorized rifle platoons and a machine gun platoon equipped with six RPK-74s. Despite the seemingly smaller firepower, American commanders were advised to include more than heavy weapons BMP.
2. Tank company. Until the end of the 1980s, a Soviet tank company consisted of a company headquarters and three tank platoons with T-64, T-72 or T-80 tanks, totaling 39 men and 13 tanks; companies using the old T-54, T-55 or T-62 tanks had 10 or 13 additional troops. However, the forces in Eastern Europe began to standardize tank companies for 10 tanks, with three tanks in each platoon instead of four.
3. Scientific company. Science companies were created in 2013 to allow college-educated conscripts to serve on scientific research assignments. There are 7 research companies:

• 2nd and 3rd Research Companies (Aerospace Force);
• 5th Research Company (Army);
• 6th Research Company (General Staff);
• 7th research company (communications);
• 8th research company (medical);
• 9th research company (RHBZ).

Battalion

A battalion is a military unit. The use of the term "battalion" depends on the nationality and type of service. Usually a battalion consists of 300-800 soldiers and is divided into several companies. A battalion is usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. In some countries, the word "battalion" is associated with infantry.

The term was first used in Italian as battaglione (no later than the 16th century). It comes from the Italian word battaglia. The first use of battalion in English was in the 1580s, and the first use for "part of a regiment" is from 1708.

Independent Operations

The battalion is the smallest military organization capable of "limited independent operations" as the battalion is the lowest level organizational unit containing organic coordinating or executive personnel and a support and maintenance group (e.g. company headquarters and headquarters). The battalion must have a source of reinforcements so that it can continue operations for a long time. This is because the bulk of a battalion's load of ammunition, expendable weapons (such as hand grenades and expendable rocket launchers), water, rations, fuel, lubricants, spare parts, batteries, and medical supplies usually consists of only what can be carried. battalion soldiers and organic vehicles battalion.

In addition to sufficient personnel and equipment (typically at least two main mission companies and one mission support company) to carry out significant operations, as well as limited autonomous administrative and logistical capacity, a staff member is provided to the commander, whose function is to coordinate ongoing operations and plan future operations. The subordinate units of the battalion (companies and their organic platoons) are dependent on the battalion headquarters for command, control, communications and intelligence, as well as organizational structure service and support of the battalion to fulfill its mission. A battalion is usually part of a regiment, brigade, or group, depending on the organizational model used by that service.

Motorized rifle battalion in the units of the Russian army

A motorized rifle battalion could be mounted either on APCs or BMP infantry fighting vehicles, with the former being more numerous in the late 1980s. The battalion headquarters includes 12 personnel and three motorized rifle companies(110 people in each). The APC battalion also had an anti-tank platoon with four launchers AT-3 or AT-4 and two 73mm SPG-9 recoilless guns. APC units on high alert sometimes had six rocket launchers and three recoilless rifles.

tank battalion

Until the end of the 1980s, Soviet tank battalions included three tank companies of 13 T-64, T-72 or T-80 tanks each, together with the battalion headquarters, for a total of 165 personnel and 40 tanks. The battalions, using the old T-54, T-55 or T-62, had 31 or 40 additional enlisted men. However, forces in Eastern Europe began to standardize towards lesser education.

Art division

The Soviet artillery battalion in the late 1980s consisted of a battalion headquarters, a platoon headquarters, a platoon Maintenance and supply and three firing batteries, each of six artillery units, whether self-propelled 2s1 "Gvozdika" or towed howitzers d-30, and consisted of 260 people or 240 people, respectively. Artillery rocket battalions consisted of a headquarters platoon, a service battery and three fire batteries equipped with BM-21 ("Grads"), with a total strength of 255 people.

brigade

The brigade is the main tactical military formation, which, as a rule, consists of three to six battalions plus auxiliary elements. This is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades can make up a division.

Brigades formed within a division are usually infantry or armored (sometimes called combined arms brigades). In addition to combat units, they may include combat support units or units such as artillery and engineers, as well as logistics units or units. Historically, such brigades were sometimes referred to as brigade groups. In terms of operations, a brigade may include both organic elements and attached elements, including some temporarily attached for a specific task.

Brigades can also be specialized and consist of battalions of the same unit, such as cavalry, mechanized, armored, artillery, anti-aircraft, aviation, engineering, signal or rear. Some brigades are classified as independent or detached and operate independently of traditional structure divisions. A typical standard NATO brigade consists of approximately 3,200-5,500 troops. However, in Switzerland and Austria, their number can reach 11,000 troops. Soviet Union, its predecessors and successors, mostly use "regiment" instead of brigade, and this was common in much of Europe before World War II.

The brigade commander is usually a major general, brigadier general, brigadier, or colonel. In some armies, the commander is rated as a general officer. The brigade commander has an autonomous headquarters and personnel. The chief staff officer, usually a lieutenant colonel or colonel, may be appointed chief of staff, although until the late 20th century the British and similar armies referred to the position as "brigade major". Some brigades may also have a second in command. The headquarters has a core of staff officers and support staff (secretaries, assistants and drivers) which can vary depending on the type of brigade. Headquarters will usually have its own liaison team.

Division

A division is a large military unit, or formation, usually consisting of 10,000-20,000 soldiers. Infantry divisions during the World Wars had a nominal strength of 8,000 to 30,000 men.

In most armies, a division consists of several regiments or brigades. In turn, several divisions, as a rule, make up a corps. Historically, the division has been a default combined arms unit capable of independent operations. Smaller combination weapons, such as the US Regimental Combat Team (RCT), during World War II were used when conditions favored them. AT recent times modern Western militaries have begun to use the smaller brigade combat team (similar to the RCT) as the default combined arms unit. At the same time, the division to which they belong was less important.

Although the focus of the article is on army units, in naval usage the division has a completely different meaning. Refers to either an administrative/functional division of a department (e.g., fire department, weapons department) aboard the naval and coast guard, ships, coastal teams, and in naval aviation units (including navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Aviation), in a subgroup of several ships in a flotilla or squadron, or two or three aircraft sections, operating under the authority of a designated unit leader.

Within an administrative/functional unit, unit size varies widely, although typically unit strength in the army is less than 100 and is roughly equivalent in function and organizational hierarchy/command relation to a platoon.

Frame

An operational formation, sometimes known as a field corps, that consists of two or more divisions. Another variety - the administrative building - a specialized unit military service(for example, an artillery corps, medical corps, or military police unit) or, in some cases, a separate service in the national army (for example, the US Marine Corps). These practices often overlap. For example, during the Korean War, the United States Tenth Corps: Field Corps included infantry units from the US Marine Corps and smaller units from the various administrative corps of the US Army.

Corps can also be a general term for a non-military organization such as the United States Peace Corps.

field army

A field army (numbered army or simply an army) is a military formation in many militaries consisting of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent to formations in some air forces. The field army consists of 100-150 thousand servicemen.

Specific field armies are usually named or numbered to distinguish them from "army" in the sense of the entire national land force. military force. In English, numbers such as "First Army" are commonly used to name field armies. While the corps, as a rule, are distinguished by Roman numerals (for example, I Corps) and subordinate formations - by serial numbers (for example, the 1st division). A field army may be given a geographical name in addition to or as an alternative to a numerical name, such as the British Army of the Rhine, the Army of the Neman, or the Army of the Aegean (also known as the Fourth Army).

The Roman army is one of the first official field armies, in the sense of a very large combined arms formation, namely the sacer comitatus, which can literally be translated as "sacred escort". The term comes from the fact that they were commanded by Roman emperors (considered sacred) when they acted as field commanders.

In some militaries, an army is or was equivalent to a corps-level unit. In the units of the Red Army, the field army in wartime was subordinate to the front (the equivalent of an army group). It contained at least three to five divisions along with artillery, air defense, intelligence and other support units. It can be classified as a combined army or a tank army. Although both were combined arms formations, the former contained more motorized rifle divisions, and the second - a larger number of tank divisions. In peacetime Soviet army usually subordinated to the military district.

Modern field armies are large formations that differ significantly in numbers, composition and areas of responsibility. For example, in NATO, a field army consists of a headquarters and usually controls at least two corps, under which are located a different number of divisions. The level of the field army is affected by the movement of divisions and reinforcements from one corps to another in order to increase pressure on the enemy at a critical point. NATO troops are controlled by a general or lieutenant general.

army group, army group

Army group - military organization, consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient indefinitely. It is usually responsible for a specific geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization, run by a single commander - usually a general or field marshal - and includes between 400,000 and 1,000,000 soldiers.

In the Polish Armed Forces and the former Soviet Red Army, the army group was known as the front.

Army groups can be multinational formations. For example, during World War II, the Southern Army Group (also known as the US 6th Army Group) included the US Seventh Army and the French First Army; The 21st Army Group included the British Second Army, the Canadian First Army and the US Ninth Army.

In both the Commonwealth and the United States, the army group number is expressed in Arabic numerals (eg 12th Army Group), while the field army number is spelled out (eg "Third Army").

Theater of operations, front

The theater of war is a sub-area on the theater of war. The theater boundary is determined by the commander, who organizes or provides support for specific combat operations within the TO.

The theater of operations is divided into strategic areas or military regions, depending on whether it is a war or peacetime. The United States military is divided into Joint Combat Teams (Regions), which are assigned to a specific theater of operations. The strategic direction is the army group, also known as target (field) forces or battle groups. A strategic command or direction would essentially comprise a number of tactical military formations or an operational command. In modern militaries, strategic command is more commonly known as combat command, which may be a combination of groups.

In the units of the Russian army

The large geographic division used by the Soviet and Russian Armed Forces to classify continental geographic areas is classified as a "theater". The separation of large continental and maritime areas helps to determine the limits within which action plans are developed for strategic military groupings of forces. This allows military operations to be carried out in specific, important strategic directions, known as fronts, which were named according to their "theatre" of warfare, such as the Southwestern Front ( Russian empire), 1st Ukrainian Front and Northern Front (Soviet Union). In peacetime, due to the loss of the strategic direction, the fronts were transformed into military regions (districts) responsible for the allotted sector of operations.

Conclusion

This article examined the military structure of units, as well as the number of units in the army. The history of such optimization of command and control goes back to antiquity. Even in the military units of the Roman army, there was a division of the legion into small formations. These formations were centuriae and cohorts. Military units in the army of the Roman Empire were very successful. Therefore, the commanders adopted this tactic.