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

Aircraft types

WOS are usually divided into different kinds; usually they are the army ( ground troops), aviation (air force), and navy (navy/navies). A number of countries organize part of their Armed Forces as separate corps - the Marine Corps (USA), etc. The Coast Guard may also be part of the Armed Forces (although in many countries it belongs to the police, or is a civilian institution). 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 an aircraft is a unit. The unit usually acts as a single unit, and is homogeneous in composition (for example, only infantry, only cavalry, etc.). In turn, divisions can be divided into smaller units.

In the Soviet and Russian armies, the main unit is the battalion, or company. They represent tactical level .

Larger units of the Russian Armed Forces are called, depending on the size, parts, formations and associations (English formations). An example of formations are brigades, divisions, wings, etc. They form strategic level , in a number of countries, for example, in Russia, there is operational level , the main operational unit was the division.

In different states (and even in different types aircraft of one State) the same unit name may be used in different meanings, for example, squadron (English squadron). It can be used in the navy as a designation for a formation of several ships; can be used in aviation as the name of a unit (squadron); in a number of armies, including the American and Red Army - the name of the cavalry unit corresponding to the battalion; in the armies of the British Commonwealth, a squadron often denotes a tank company.

Command (English command) are units, units and formations that together form a single whole, and are under the command of one officer. This is usually a high-level organizational unit responsible directly to the government or national headquarters. In a number of countries, commands are combined by type armed forces, for example, the Command of the Ground Forces.

In the Russian Army, the term "command" roughly corresponds to the term "association".

Hierarchy of modern armies

Symbol	Army unit name (divisions; connections)	Number of soldiers	Number of subordinate units	Army unit command (divisions; connections)
XXXXXXX	region or theater of war	300 000 +	2+ fronts	marshal or commander in chief
XXXXXX	front, district	200 000 +	2+ army groups	army general, marshal
XXXXX	army group	100 000 +	2+ armies	army general, marshal
XXXX	army	50 000 - 60 000+	2+ buildings	general, colonel general
XXX	frame	30 000 - 50 000	2-4 divisions	lieutenant general
XX	division	10 000 - 20 000	2-4 brigades	major general
X	brigade	3000-5000	2+ regiments	colonel, major general
III	regiment	2000-3000	2-3 battalions	lieutenant colonel, colonel
II	battalion, division	300-1000	2-6 mouth	major, lieutenant colonel
I	company, battery, squadron	70-250	2-8 platoons	senior lieutenant or captain
	platoon, squad	25-60	3-4 branches	second lieutenant, lieutenant or first lieutenant
?	department, crew, calculation	8-16	2 groups, links	junior sergeant, sergeant, senior sergeant
?	unit, group, team	4-8	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, units of higher levels can exist only in large armed forces.

An army, an army group, a region, and a theater of operations are the largest formations, which can vary greatly 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, in England and other countries it is called a combat team.

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

A). IN Soviet army(and, accordingly, in Russian) a squad may be called a crew. Functionally corresponds to the crew of one combat vehicle;
b). In the rocket and artillery troops, the air defense troops, a squad may be called a crew. Functionally corresponds to the calculation that serves one tool or combat vehicle; V). In the missile and artillery forces, the air defense forces, a company is called a battery, and a battalion is called a division; G). In cavalry, a battalion was called a squadron. 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; e). In cavalry, a company was called a half-squadron. At present, in the armies of the Anglo-Saxon countries (Britain, USA) there are so-called. armored cavalry troops in which such a title or "trups" is retained; e). Other names also exist in the Russian Cossack troops;

1. 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.
2. 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:

A). Deployed wartime staff; b). Reduced staff; V). Staffed units (in which the staff consists only of officers at the level of platoon commanders or company commanders and above);

In the modern Russian Army, about 85% of military units have a reduced staff, the remaining 15% are the so-called. "parts constant readiness”, which are deployed to the full state. In peacetime, the Armed Forces in Russia are divided into military districts, each of which is headed by the commander of the district troops with the rank of colonel general. 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 smaller auxiliary units - for example, a mortar battery, a repair company, etc. In turn, each infantry battalion of the regiment consists of three infantry companies, and smaller auxiliary units, for example, 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 individual 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. 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.

The transition to a "new image of the armed forces" is currently underway. Russian Federation corresponding to the corps-brigade-battalion structure. This transition leads to a reduction in the number of officers, which presents certain difficulties for the Ministry of Defense, the need to provide housing or housing certificates for discharged officers. As well as the redistribution of personnel and weapons of the disbanded units.

different levels

In the Russian Army, the units indicated in this article are divided into divisions(squad - battalion), parts(separate battalion - regiment), connections(brigade, division) and associations(corps, army, front). Accordingly, they distinguish, the lowest, tactical the level at which the basic unit is the division, operational level (army-front), the largest - strategic(group of fronts).

Detailed description

Branch

In the Soviet and Russian army 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. A company is the smallest formation of tactical importance, that is, 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 70 to 200 people. Motorized rifle companies are usually about 101-150 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, 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 platoon material support, communications platoon. The battalion commander is a major or 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 battalions of about 150 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

• Note1: The name of the formation - squad, platoon, company, etc., does not depend 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 (one might 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 branches of the military (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 branch of the military. 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, reconnaissance company, engineer 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 2,000 to 8,000 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 jet battalion, a missile battalion, a helicopter squadron, an engineer battalion, a communications battalion, an automobile battalion, reconnaissance battalion, electronic warfare battalion, material support 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, that is, it usually lacks the sign of one type of troops, although there may also be tank or artillery corps, that is, 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 (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 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 "commander of the army." 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.

Military District (Front)

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 "district" (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, that is, they are fighting. 2. Operational art (the art of conducting battles, battles). The division, corps, army solve operational tasks, that is, they conduct a battle. 3. Strategy (the art of warfare in general). The front solves both operational and strategic tasks, that is, it 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 associations of formations stationed abroad (Group Soviet troops 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 “detachment”. 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 battle an organized grouping of subunits (forward detachment, bypass 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. That is, the part is divided into divisions.

Part (V.ch.)

This is the main unit of the armed forces. The concept of "part" most often refers to the regiment and brigade. The external signs of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, bank account, postal and telegraph address, its own stamp seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open ( V/Ch 08728) and closed ( 44 training tank division) names. 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 service, central school of junior specialists, military school, military institute, etc.). In a number of cases, the status of a part, with all its outward signs may have formations, which 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, army, front (district) and even directly subordinate to General Staff. Such formations also have their open and closed names. For example, 650 separate crossing - landing battalion, 1257 separate communications company, 65 separate platoon of electronic intelligence. A characteristic feature of such parts is the word "separate", standing after the numbers before the name. However, the regiment may have the word "separate" in the 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 (V.ch.) and military unit (V/Ch No.) do not mean 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’t use “military unit 74292”) or abbreviated - military unit 74292.

Compound

Usually this term refers to a division. Here the word "connection" means the connection of parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). All together and forms a connection - a division. However, in some cases, the brigade can also have the status of a connection. This happens when the brigade includes separate battalions and companies, which in themselves have the status of a unit. The brigade headquarters in this case, like the division headquarters, has the status of a unit, and the 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 concept includes the corps, the army, the troops of the district (front), and army groups. The headquarters of the association is a department (part) to which various formations and military units are subordinate.

For many civilians, such words as squad, platoon, company, regiment and others are known. However, most of them never thought about the difference, for example, between a squad and a regiment, and a platoon from a company. In fact, the structure of military units is formed based on the number of military personnel. In this article, we will look at the size of each military unit and deal with the structure of military formations in detail.

Brief description of units and number of troops

In order to clearly control the personnel of military personnel, military units have a certain structure, each link of which has its own commander or chief. Each unit has a different number of military personnel, and is part of a larger unit (a squad is part of a platoon, a platoon is part of a company, etc.). smallest unit is a branch, it includes from four to ten people, and the largest formation is the front (district), the number of which is difficult to name, since it depends on a number of factors. To have a clearer idea of ​​the size of a military unit, it is necessary to consider each of them, which we will do next.

What is a branch and how many people are in it

As noted above, the smallest military unit is the squad, which is directly part of the platoon. The squad leader is the direct head of the squad's personnel. On army jargon it is abbreviated as "Komod". Most often, the squad leader has the rank of junior sergeant or sergeant, and the squad itself may consist of ordinary soldiers and corporals. Depending on the type of troops, a different number of people can be in the department. Interestingly, the equivalent of a squad in tank divisions is the tank crew, and in artillery divisions - crew. The picture below shows a few examples of the differences between squad, crew and calculation

The picture shows a motorized rifle squad, but in fact there are various squads in the battalions, for example: the control squad of the battalion commander (4 people), the reconnaissance squad of the control platoon (4 people), the weapons repair squad of the repair platoon (3 people), the communications squad (8 people) and others.

What is a platoon and how many people are in it

The next largest number of personnel is a platoon. Most often it includes from three to six departments, respectively, its number varies from fifteen to sixty people. As a rule, a platoon is commanded by a junior officer - a junior lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant.
On the infographic you can see examples of motorized rifle and tank platoons, as well as a firing platoon of a mortar battery


Thus, we see that a motorized rifle platoon consists of a platoon control (platoon commander and deputy) and 3 squads (we considered the composition of the squads above in the picture). That is, only 29 people.
A tank platoon consists of 3 tank crews. It is important that the commander of a tank platoon is also the commander of the first tank, so there are only 9 people in a tank platoon.
A fire platoon consists of 3-4 crews, each squad consists of 7 people, so the number of platoons is 21-28 people.

Also, in addition to the units presented in the example, there are many more different platoons in various brigades and regiments. Here are just a few of them as an example:

• Control Platoon
• communications platoon
• Reconnaissance Platoon
• Engineer Platoon
• grenade launcher platoon
• logistics platoon
• medical platoon
• Anti-aircraft missile platoon
• Repair platoon, etc.

Company and the number of people in it

Third largest military formation is a company. Depending on the type of troops, the size of a company can be from 30 to 150 soldiers, who are part of 2-4 platoons. Thus, the strength of a tank company is 31-40 people, and the number of servicemen of a motorized rifle company ranges from 150 people. A company is also a formation of tactical importance, which means that the military personnel who are part of the company, in the event of combat operations, can perform tactical tasks on their own, without being part of the battalion. Often a company is commanded by an officer with the rank of captain, and only in some units this position is occupied by a major. Also, depending on the type of troops, the company may have a different name. For example, an artillery company is called a battery, an aviation company is called an aviation unit, and there was also a cavalry company, which was called a squadron.

In the example, we have a tank and motorized rifle company, as well as a mortar battery

Battalion and the number of soldiers in it

As in other military units, the size of the battalion depends on the type of troops. The battalion consists of 2 - 4 companies, and has from 250 to 1000 people. As you can see, this military unit already has a fairly impressive number, and therefore it is considered the main tactical formation capable of acting independently.

Many have heard the song of the Lyube group called "Combat", but not everyone knows what it means. So, the battalion is commanded by the battalion commander, which is abbreviated as "battalion commander", in whose honor this composition of the same name was written. The battalion commander is the position of a lieutenant colonel, but most often the battalion commanders are captains and majors, who have the opportunity to curry favor in their rank and receive the stars of a lieutenant colonel.

The activities of the battalion are coordinated at the battalion headquarters. Just like a company, a battalion, depending on the type of troops, may be called differently. For example, in the artillery and anti-aircraft missile forces they are called divisions (artillery division, air defense division).

In battalions and divisions, there are many more specific units that were mentioned above. Therefore, we will present the structure in the form of separate infographics

The regiment and its composition

The regiment consists of three to six battalions. The number of the regiment does not exceed two thousand people. By itself, the regiment is directly a key tactical formation, which is completely autonomous. To command such a formation, one must have the rank of colonel, but in practice lieutenant colonels are more often placed as regimental commanders. A regiment may contain several different units. For example, if there are three tank battalions and one motorized rifle battalion in the regiment, then the regiment will have the name tank. Also, depending on the type of troops, the regiment can perform different tasks: combined arms, anti-aircraft, rear.

There are also more numerous units that were heard by civilians much less often than the above formations. We will try to briefly talk about them in the next part of the article.

Brigade, division, corps, army, front

After the regiment, the brigade is next in size, which usually has from two to eight thousand military personnel. The brigade includes several battalions (divisions), several auxiliary companies, and sometimes two or even three regiments. The brigade commander (abbreviated as brigade commander) is an officer with the rank of colonel.

The main operational-tactical formation is a division. It includes several regiments, as well as many auxiliary units of various types of troops. The command of the division is allowed to the highest officers with the rank of major general and above, since the number of the division is an impressive 12-24 thousand people.

Another military formation is the army corps. It is formed from several divisions, which can reach one hundred thousand people. There is no predominance of any kind of military service in the creation of an army corps, since it is a combined arms formation. A corps commander may be a senior military officer - a major general and above.

The army as a military unit consists of several corps. The exact number of military personnel can range from two hundred thousand to a million, depending on the structure. The army is commanded by a major general or a lieutenant general.

The front, and in peacetime the military district, is the largest unit of all existing in the armed forces. It is very difficult to name its number, since it can vary depending on the political situation, military doctrine, region, etc. The position of front commander can be occupied by a lieutenant general or an army general.

General principles for the formation of the number of units

From the above, you can build a kind of chain that will help to finally clarify general principles formation of the number of units:

• 5 - 10 people form a branch;
• 3 - 6 squads form a platoon;
• 3 - 6 platoons create a company;
• 3 - 4 companies form a battalion;
• 3 - 6 battalions create a regiment;
• 2 - 3 battalions form a brigade;
• several brigades and support units form a division;
• 3 - 4 divisions create an army corps;
• 2 – 10 divisions are capable of forming an army

You also need to remember that the number of military units may depend directly on the type of troops. For example, tank units are always significantly inferior in number to motorized rifle units.

Other tactical terms

In addition to the above terms of the number of military units, the following concepts can also be distinguished:

1. Subdivision - all military formations that are part of the unit. In other words, such military terms as squad, platoon, company, etc., can be expressed by the word "unit".
2. The military unit is the main independent unit of the Armed Forces. Most often, the unit is a regiment or brigade. Also, individual companies and battalions can be military units. The main features of the part are:

• availability of open and closed combined arms numbers;
• military economy;
• bank account;
• postal and telegraphic address;
• own office work;
• official seal of the part;
• the right of the commander to issue written orders.

All these signs indicate that the part has the autonomy it needs.

1. Compound. In fact, this term can only describe a division. The very word "connection" implies the union of several parts. If the composition of the brigade is formed from separate battalions and companies that have the status of units, then in this case the brigade can also be called a formation.
2. An association. It unites such units as a corps, army, front or district.

After analyzing all the above concepts, one can understand on what principles the numerical class of military units is built. Now, when watching military-themed films, or talking to a soldier, having heard most of the military terms, you will have a clear idea about them. It should be noted that this article does not pay due attention to the structure of aviation and naval formations, since they do not differ significantly from military ones.

Hierarchy and number of military formations.
Finally, the Combat Charter of the Ground Forces comes into force. You can more or less decide on the hierarchy, although I only got acquainted with two parts.
In general, I am often asked questions like “how many people are in the division”, “how many people are in the brigade”. Well, it's impossible to answer this question. Because I can give an answer, say, about a tank regiment, but they were interested in cavalry in general, and even in the 40th year. The fact is that the very name “squad”, “platoon”, “company” does not depend on the strength, but, firstly, on the type of troops, and, secondly, on the tactical tasks that are assigned to the formation of this type.

And so, the smallest formation:
"Squad" (calculation for artillery, Crew for tankers).
The squad is commanded by a sergeant (junior sergeant) armed with an AK74
The motorized rifle squad consists of 9 ... 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 department is named after its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, communications)
Motorized rifle department:
Defense up to 100m,
Advance up to 50m

"Platoon"
Several squads make up a platoon (from 2 to 4).
The platoon is commanded by an officer - lieutenant, Art. lieutenant.
The number of 9 ... 45 people.
The platoon is named after its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, communications)
Motorized rifle platoon:
Defense 400 m along the front, 300 m in depth.
Offensive up to 200 ... 300 meters

"Company" (battery for artillery and squadron for cavalry)
Several platoons make up a company (from 2 to 4). In addition to platoons, squads that are not part of platoons can enter a company.
A company is a formation that can perform independent tasks on the battlefield.
The company commander is a captain.
Number from 18 to 200 people (motorized rifle companies 130 ... 150 people; tank companies 30 ... 35 people)
The company is named after its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, communications)
Motor rifle company:
Defense 1 ... 1.5 km along the front to 1 km in depth
Offensive: 0.5 ... 1 km

Battalion. (Division for artillery.)
Several companies make up a battalion (from 2 to 4), the battalion also includes platoons that are not part of the company.
The battalion is named after its type of troops (tank, motorized rifle, engineer-sapper, communications). But the battalion 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.)
The battalion commander is a lieutenant colonel.
The battalion has its own headquarters.
The number of 250 ... 950 people (theoretically, the number of the battalion is possible and less).
Motorized rifle battalion:
Defense 3 ... 5 km along the front and 2 ... 2.5 km in depth
Offensive 1…2 km

Regiment.
The regiment is named after the type of troops, but has units from many branches of the military. Consists of at least 3…4 battalions. (2 ... 3 battalions of the armed forces)
The regimental commander is a colonel.
(For example, in a motorized rifle regiment there are 2 ... 3 motorized rifle battalions, one tank battalion, one artillery battalion (battalion), one anti-aircraft missile battalion, reconnaissance company, engineer company, communications company, anti-tank battery, chemical protection platoon, repair company, logistics company, orchestra, medical center)
The number of personnel of the regiment is from 900 ... 2000 people.

Brigade.
Intermediate element (so to speak) from the regiment to the division.
The main difference from the regiment is a larger number of both battalions and other units. (Let's say there are two tank battalions in the MTB) A brigade can also consist of 2 regiments.
Brigade Commander - Colonel
Number of 2000…8000 people

Division.
Although it is named after the type of predominant troops, in fact, the predominance can differ by only one regiment (say, in a motorized rifle division, two motorized rifle regiments, in a tank division, on the contrary, one motorized rifle regiment for two tank regiments)
Division Commander - Major General
Number of staff from 12000…24000 people

Frame.
Intermediate military formation from division to army.
The corps is a combined arms formation.
The corps was usually created in those cases when the formation of an army was impractical.
After completing the combat mission, the corps was disbanded.
Corps Commander: Lieutenant General
Now there are 7 Corps in Russia (data on commanders could be outdated):
- 57th Army Corps (Ulan-Ude) (Major General Alexander Maslov)
- 68th Army Corps (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) (Lieutenant General Vladimir Varennikov)
- 1st Air Defense Corps (Balashikha, Moscow region) (Lieutenant General Nikolai Dubovikov)
- 23rd Air Defense Corps (Vladivostok, Primorsky Territory) (Major General Viktor Ostashko)
- 21st Air Defense Corps (Severomorsk, Murmansk region) (Lieutenant General Sergey Razygraev)
- 16th operational squadron submarines(Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka region) (Vice Admiral Alexander Nescheret)
- 7th operational squadron of surface ships (Severomorsk, Murmansk region) (Vice Admiral Gennady Radzevsky)

Army.
In this case, 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.
An army may also include one or more corps.
Staff rank com. Army - Colonel General.
Armies are usually not formed in peacetime and regiments, divisions and battalions are part of the District.
Now there are 30 armies in Russia:
- 37th Air Army (strategic) of the Supreme High Command (Moscow).
Lieutenant General Mikhail Oparin
- 61st Air Army (military transport aviation) of the Supreme High Command (Moscow),
Lieutenant General Viktor Denisov

27th Guards Rocket Army (Vladimir),
Lieutenant General Viktor Alekseev
- 31st Rocket Army (Orenburg),
Lieutenant General Anatoly Borzenkov
- 33rd Guards Rocket Army (Omsk)
Lieutenant General Alexander Konarev
- 53rd Rocket Army (Chita).
Lieutenant General Leonid Sinyakovich

3rd separate army of rocket and space defense (Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region).
Major General Sergei Kurushkin

2nd Guards Combined Arms Army (Samara).
Major General Alexei Verbitsky
- 5th Combined Arms Army (Ussuriysk, Primorsky Territory).
Major General Alexander Stolyarov
- 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (Voronezh).
Lieutenant General Sergei Makarov
- 22nd Guards Combined Arms Army (Nizhny Novgorod).
Lieutenant General Alexei Merkuriev
- 35th Combined Arms Army (Belogorsk, Amur Region).
Lieutenant General Alexander Kutikov
- 41st combined arms army (Borzya, Chita region).
Lieutenant General Khakim Mirzazyanov
- 41st Combined Arms Army (Novosibirsk).
Major General Vladimir Kovrov
- 58th Combined Arms Army (Vladikavkaz).
Lieutenant General Valery Gerasimov

Group of Russian troops in Transcaucasia.
Lieutenant General Nikolai Zolotov
- Operational group of Russian troops in Transnistria (Tiraspol).
Major General Boris Sergeev

4th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Rostov-on-Don).
Lieutenant General Alexander Zelin

5th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Yekaterinburg).
Lieutenant General Evgeny Yuriev
- 6th Air Force and Air Defense Army (St. Petersburg).
Lieutenant General Evgeny Torbov
- 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Khabarovsk).
Lieutenant General Igor Sadofiev
- 14th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Novosibirsk).
Lieutenant General Nikolai Danilov

16th Air Army (Kubinka, Moscow region).
Lieutenant General Valery Retunsky

1st submarine flotilla (Zaozersk, Murmansk region)
Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev
- 3rd submarine flotilla (Gadzhiyevo, Murmansk region).
Vice Admiral Sergei Simonenko

Kola flotilla of heterogeneous forces (Polyarny, Murmansk region).
Vice Admiral Nikolai Osokin
- Primorsky flotilla of diverse forces (Fokino, Primorsky Krai).
Vice Admiral Yevgeny Litvinenko
- Kamchatka flotilla of diverse forces (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky).
Vice Admiral Yuri Shumanin

Caspian flotilla (Astrakhan).
Rear Admiral Kravchuk Viktor Petrovich (since 2005)

Troops and forces of the North-Eastern Direction of the Pacific Fleet (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky).
Rear Admiral Viktor Chirkov (?)

County (in wartime Front)
The highest military formation.
The front includes several armies, corps, divisions, regiments, battalions of all types of troops. Fronts are never subdivided according to the types of troops
At the head of the front (district) is the commander of the front (district) with the rank of army general
Russia now has 6 military districts, 4 military fleets (data as of May 2007).
-Moscow Military District
Army General Bakin Vladimir Yurievich
- Leningrad Military District
Army General Puzanov Igor Evgenievich
- Volga-Urals Military District
Army General Boldyrev Vladimir Anatolyevich
- North Caucasian Military District
Army General Baranov Alexander Ivanovich
- Siberian Military District
Colonel General POSTNIKOV Alexander Nikolaevich
- Far Eastern Military District
Colonel General Vladimir Bulgakov

Northern Fleet
Admiral Vysotsky Vladimir Sergeevich
- Pacific Fleet
Admiral Fedorov Victor Dmitrievich
- Black Sea Fleet
Admiral Tatarinov Alexander
- Baltic Fleet
Vice Admiral Sidenko Konstantin Semenovich

In addition, there is:
Subdivision.
These are all military formations that are part of 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.
The main unit of the Armed Forces. Most often, a unit is understood as a regiment or brigade.
For part characteristic:
- own office work,
- military economy,
- having a bank account,
- postal and telegraphic address,
- the presence of its own official seal,
- Commander's right to issue written orders,
- the presence of open (for example, 44 training tank division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers.
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 some cases, a Unit may be a unit other than a regiment or brigade. Battalion, Company and even a platoon. Such parts are referred to by the word "separate" before the name.

Compound.
United units: Division. Less often, Brigade.

An association.
Unification is a term that unites a corps, an army, an army group and a front (district).

I'm still working on the text.

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.

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 ml. lieutenant, lieutenant or senior lieutenant. On average, the number of personnel in a platoon ranges from 9 to 45 people. Usually in all military branches 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. A company is the smallest formation of tactical importance, i.e. a formation capable of independently performing small tactical tasks on the battlefield. Company commander Capt. 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 part of the battalion, 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 after 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 battalions of about 100 people. In artillery, this type of formation is called a division.

Regiment

In the Soviet and Russian armies, this is the main tactical formation and a completely autonomous formation in the economic sense. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. Although the regiments are named after the branches of the military, in fact this is a formation consisting of units of many branches of the military, and the name is given according to the predominant branch of the military. 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. A brigade may also consist of two regiments, plus auxiliary battalions and companies. On average, there are from 2,000 to 8,000 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. 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, that is, it usually lacks the sign of one type of troops. 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.

Overall rating of the material: 5

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Division, regiment, company, brigade, battalion - all these unit designations are something unknown to people who are far from military service. It will take a long 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- tactical or operational-tactical formation in various branches of the armed forces and types of armed forces of the world, consisting of units, subunits and headquarters.

brigade- tactical military formation in all types of troops and types of armed forces, which is an intermediate link between a division and a regiment.

Comparison

In some states, the brigade, along with the regiment, belongs to the category of the main tactical formations. Serves as a kind of intermediate link between the regiment and the division. It has a structure similar to a regiment, but at the same time it 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 the brigade varies from two to eight thousand, and its commander, as well as in the regiment, is a colonel.

A division is a larger military formation, consisting of a headquarters, subdivisions and units. It includes a large number of regiments, divisions, battalions, companies and platoons. The size of the division is on average from twelve to twenty-four thousand people, and its commander bears the rank of major general.

A simplified organizational structure and a smaller staff make a brigade a much more flexible unit than a division. However, the structure of logistic and combat support, in contrast to the brigade, is duplicated in the 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, which are distinguished by a more complex staff, implies a much larger investment than the maintenance of brigade structures. This was the reason for the refusal of the Russian Armed Forces from divisions and the transition to a more mobile and flexible brigade structure. The only exceptions are the Strategic Missile Forces and Airborne Troops. In NATO states, divisions are still one of the main types of military formations.

Findings site

1. The brigade serves as an intermediate link between the regiment and the division.
2. The division is a larger military formation, its average strength is from twelve to twenty-four thousand people. The personnel of the brigade consists of two to eight thousand people.
3. The division commander has the rank of major general, the brigade commander - colonel.
4. The brigade is considered to be much more flexible and mobile than the division.
5. The division has an advantage in the reliability of the functioning of units in combat conditions.
6. The maintenance of divisions implies a much larger investment than the maintenance of brigade structures.
7. To date, the Russian Armed Forces (unlike the NATO countries) have abandoned divisions, the only exceptions being the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Airborne Forces.