2. V. M. Bogdashkin served in the Republic of Afghanistan from June 1983 through June 1985 as a platoon leader and a company commander in a motorized rifle battalion. He was awarded the “Order of the Red Star”. [return]

3. Field post numbers (FPN) were postal numbers assigned to division and higher headquarters, regiments and separate battalions and companies. A compilation of field post numbers was considered classified. The field post numbers referred to here are probably of the 12th, 101st and 371st Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 5th Motorized Rifle Division (ed.). [return]

4. The mountain motorized rifle battalions retained most of their regular MRB TO&E equipment, but had special training, and additional equipment for mountain warfare (ed.). [return]

5. The BMP-2 is an upgrade of the BMP-1 (Boevaya mashina pekhoty) which first appeared in 1967. Both BMPs are tracked infantry fighting vehicles that carry a three-man crew and a squad of eight soldiers. The BMP-1 mounted a 73mm cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun and an anti-tank missile. The BMP-2 substituted a 30mm automatic gun for the 73mm cannon as well as a different anti-tank missile and launcher. The BMP-2, introduced in 1981, has a greatly enhanced elevation and depression capability over the 73mm cannon (ed.). [return]

6. SU-25 FROGFOOT (ed.). [return]

7. S. A. Nikitin served in the OKSVA as a company commander in a separate security battalion in 1985. [return]

8. Probably the 201st MRD (ed.). [return]

9. The launch bomb was a 122mm rocket designed to fire from the BM-21 MRLS. Although the resistance had access to some RPU-14 launchers, most launch bombs were simply rockets fired from a tripod or even a pair of crossed sticks. It is not an accurate weapon, but can do an effective job when fired against a city, military base or other area target (ed.). [return]

10. The BRDM is a four-wheeled armored car which is used primarily for reconnaissance. It has two auxiliary wheels for extra mobility. In its various configurations, it carries either a 12.7mm machine gun, a 7.62mm machine gun or both. This amphibious vehicle protects the crew against small arms fire and shrapnel, so the fuel tank was probably penetrated by heavy machine gun fire (ed.). [return]

11. S. Yu. Pyatakov served in the Republic of Afghanistan from March 1984 through June 1985 as the deputy commander of a motorized rifle battalion. He was decorated with the “Order of the Red Star.” [return]

12. The SPETSNAZ battalion garrisoned at Kandahar airfield (ed.). [return]

13. Battalions of the 70th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade garrisoned in Kandahar (ed.). [return]

14. Each SPETSNAZ group consisted of 16 men armed with the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher, two PK machine guns, an SVD sniper rifle and various other small arms. [return]

15. A. N. Shishkov served in the Republic of Afghanistan from February 1986 through June 1988 as the Senior Assistant to the Chief of the Operations Section of an airborne division. He was awarded the “Order of the Red Banner”, the “Order of the Red Star”, and the order “For Service to the Fatherland in the Armed Forces”, Third degree. [return]

16. Either the 860th or 191st Separate Motorized Rifle Regiment, most probably the 191st. General Gromov doesn’t list this unit by number, probably because of its abysmal performance (ed.). [return]

17. The 345th Separate Airborne Regiment part of the 105th Guards Airborne Division invaded Afghanistan and, through attrition, eventually shrunk to the 345th Separate Airborne Regiment (ed.). [return]

18. In the Soviet Army, maintenance, guard, work details and special projects always detracted from the time available for training. The army used to train only those people who were not on detail, but eventually realized that this was producing a very uneven quality in the readiness of the force. Therefore, they developed a program whereby regiments and battalions would pull guard and details for the division on a rotating basis and then have 12 days for training when they would not be involved in post, camp and station details. This cycle continued even in the combat zone (ed.). [return]

19. V. D. Vlasyan served in the Republic of Afghanistan from October 1986 through June 1988 first as a deputy commander and then as the commander of a motorized rifle battalion. He was decorated with the “Order of the Red Banner” and the “Order of the Red Star”. [return]

20. Afghan 2nd Army Corps headquarted in Kandahar (ed.). [return]

21. 70th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (ed.). [return]

22. The battalion could be from the 5th MRD if it came from western Afghanistan (Shindand area) or from the 108th MRD if it came from eastern Afghanistan (Kabul area) (ed.). [return]

23. The Afghan Army had both a brigade and a regiment force structure. This regiment was from either the Afghan 7th MRD or 15th MRD stationed in Kandahar (ed.). [return]

24. According to his map, the 7th Infantry Regiment (ed.). [return]

25. V. G. Tarasyuk served in the OKSVA from April 1986 through April 1988 as the Chief of Staff of a motorized rifle battalion. He was awarded the “Order of the Red Star”. [return]

26. Either the 122nd, 149th or 395th MRR from the 201st MRD (ed.). [return]

27. Actually, both the 201st and 108th Motorized Rifle Divisions participated in the operation, but since neither could move their entire division and temporarily abandon their base camps and the LOCs that they guarded, they formed a composite division under the 201st headquarters. The airborne division was the 103rd Airborne Division. General Gromov, in an article in Krasnaya zvezda (Red Star) on 30 December 1993, listed the following Soviet units participating in Magistral’: the 108th and the 201st MRD, 103rd Airborne Division, 56th Separate Air Assault Brigade, the 345th Separate Airborne Regiment and other units and subunits. He also lists the following Afghan government units: 8th, 11th, 12th, 14th, and 25th Infantry divisions, 15th Tank Brigade and several special forces subunits (ed.).[return]

Chapter 3:

The Application of Tactical Air Assaults

The study of combat experience in Afghanistan allows us to perfect the theory and practice of tactical air assaults. Afghanistan practice demonstrated that tactical air assaults were successfully employed for independent, surprise attacks against guerrilla forces and base camps in remote locales or difficult terrain. Air assaults were also employed in joint actions involving other subunits and regiments, advancing along the front.

Air assaults were normally conducted to seize dominant terrain and road junctions. They would land directly on the target or adjacent to it. As a rule, prior to landing the first lift and the main body, we would use air, artillery and even small-arms fire to suppress the enemy.

20. Tactical air assaults in Nangarhar and Laghman Provinces

by Major S. A. Urban¹

In February 1983, the brigade intelligence section reported that approximately 150 enemy were functioning in groups in the brigade area of responsibility (AOR).² They were shelling security outposts and civilian facilities with 81mm mortar fire and were mining roads.

The brigade commander decided to eradicate these groups in our AOR. He planned to attack the enemy in the village of Kama (located in Nangarhar Province about 12 kilometers from our base camp) and the village of Ghaziabad. He would air-land two companies, one into the area near Kama and would later follow this landing with one against Ghaziabad. The bronegruppa of the participating motorized rifle battalion and airborne company would move out from Jalalabad to Ghaziabad in support. The air landing would be preceded with a 10-minute artillery preparation. Captain Kostenko, the acting battalion commander, would command the air landing. Major Ermolaev, the deputy commander for technical support, would command the bronegruppa. The first lift would consist of an air assault platoon, an engineer squad and a flamethrower squad.