Tayfun-K armored vehicle
December 22, 2018 4:06 pm
Tayfun-K armored vehicle
On December 19, a Mil.ru press-release reported that a special designation (Spetsnaz) sub-unit has joined one of the Western MD’s two combined arms armies. It’s easy to guess the unnamed army is the 20th CAA pointed at Ukraine in Russia’s south-west strategic direction.
Russian armies lost their independent Spetsnaz battalions/companies at some point after 1992. They were a luxury no longer affordable in the 1990s and 2000s. But Soviet combined arms and tank armies always had one or the other, but most often a company.
The independent company of special designation (orSpN or орСпН) was typically formed and trained in a Spetsnaz brigade (four battalion-sized units called special detachments) before assignment to a large formation. The independent Spetsnaz company had over 100 personnel organized in a command element, four Spetsnaz groups (grSpN or грСпН), and communications group (group effectively being a platoon). The commanding officer was a major (O-4) or promotable captain (O-3).
The mission of the orSpN, in support of the army commander’s objectives, is long-range reconnaissance and operations behind enemy lines to destroy or disable his tactical nuclear weapons and precision strike systems, and disrupt his C3 and logistics.
Independent Spetsnaz brigades (obrSpN or обрСпН) are assigned an echelon above armies, i.e. districts/fronts.
Here’s what Mil.ru said:
“An independent special designation sub-unit has entered the order-of-battle of a combined arms army of the Western Military District.”
“The servicemen are going through additional training with the brigade of special designation in Tambov oblast. The reconnaissance men need to complete an enhanced course of combat, fire, special, engineer, medical and other training.”
“The groups are being armed with AK-74M assault and VSS ‘Vintorez’ sniper rifles, Stechkin and Shpagin pistols, and ASVK ‘Kord’ sniper rifles.”
“The sub-unit is also outfitted with specialized ‘Tayfun-K’ and ‘Tigr’ armored vehicles, unmanned aircraft to conduct aerial reconnaissance, and also steerable ‘Malva’ and ‘Arbalet’ parachute systems.”
Obviously, this isn’t one-off. Look for Spetsnaz companies to appear in the TO&E of other Russian armies if they aren’t there already.
Posted by Russian Defense Policy
Categories: Force Structure, Ground Troops, Order-of-Battle
Tags: орСпН, orSpN, Reconnaissance, Sabotage, Special Designation, Special Operations, Spetsnaz
Mobile Site | Full Site
Get a free blog at WordPress.com Theme: WordPress Mobile Edition by Alex King.
[…] By Russian Defense Policy […]
By Return of Independent Spetsnaz Companies | DFNS.net Policy on December 22, 2018 at 4:13 pm
[…] “Return of Independent Spetsnaz Companies” (Russian Defense Policy blog) […]
By MILNEWS.ca Highlights – December 29, 2018 | MILNEWS.ca Blog on December 29, 2018 at 1:19 pm
Gen-Col Aleksandr Lapin says Russia’s Central MD to form two independent Spetsnaz companies in Samara and Novosibirsk during 2020. Obviously one each for its 2nd and 41st CAAs. http://bit.ly/2TnaLhG
By Russian Defense Policy on February 27, 2020 at 10:37 pm
[…] But on May 29, the MOD site posted doubly rare news — a brief mention of a tactical sabotage exercise by a Spetsnaz group subordinate to the 20th CAA. […]
By Army-Level Spetsnaz Training | Russian Defense Policy on May 30, 2020 at 2:26 pm
[…] But on May 29, the MOD site posted doubly rare news — a brief mention of a tactical sabotage exercise by a Spetsnaz group subordinate to the 20th CAA. […]
By Army-Level Spetsnaz Training - DFNS.net Policy on May 30, 2020 at 2:47 pm
The independent Spetsnaz company in the 41st CAA has appeared. https://bit.ly/3qN3FmC
By Russian Defense Policy on December 10, 2020 at 11:21 am
The 29th CAA in Zabaykalye is the latest to have an army-level independent Spetsnaz company. https://bit.ly/2MN6AvH
By Russian Defense Policy on February 1, 2021 at 8:34 pm
41st CAA’s Spetsnaz company has gotten four Tayfun-K vehicles. https://bit.ly/36ANeB7
By Russian Defense Policy on February 2, 2021 at 10:24 am