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  • Soviet Troops in Afghanistan

    I've managed to find very little reliable information on the subject manner. Does anyone know the division numbers of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, as well as what tanks, APCs, and IFVs they were using.

    i was able to find out that there was one Airborne division, the 105th Vitebsk Airborne, and between 2-4 MR divisions. The main tank appears to be the T-62 though i recall reading somewhere that initially the T-72 was used and was later withdrawn due to mechanical problems. Anyone have a reliable source?

  • #2
    This book has some information.

    Afghanistan: the Soviet Union's Last War: The Soviet Union's Last War

    Amazon.com: Afghanistan: the Soviet Union's Last War: The Soviet Union's Last War: Books: Mark Galeotti


    This website:
    Soviet war in Afghanistan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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    • #3
      The BMP-1 was used, and found to be heavily underarmored. Soviet troops hung their bulletproof wests on the armor for additional protection.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by entropy View Post
        The BMP-1 was used, and found to be heavily underarmored. Soviet troops hung their bulletproof wests on the armor for additional protection.
        same thing they did with trucks, and transport helis.
        "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

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        • #5
          Was the BMP-2 not employed on a notable scale?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by entropy View Post
            The BMP-1 was used, and found to be heavily underarmored. Soviet troops hung their bulletproof wests on the armor for additional protection.
            How bulletproof were their vests?
            In Iran people belive pepsi stands for pay each penny save israel. -urmomma158
            The Russian Navy is still a threat, but only to those unlucky enough to be Russian sailors.-highsea

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            • #7
              Also, elements of Lebed's Tula Airborne Guards (106th) took prominent part in the Afghan campaign. The Vitebsk Guards were the 103rd I believe.
              In Iran people belive pepsi stands for pay each penny save israel. -urmomma158
              The Russian Navy is still a threat, but only to those unlucky enough to be Russian sailors.-highsea

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              • #8
                Amazon.com: The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost: Books: Michael A. Gress,Lester W. Grau,Russia

                Amazon.com: Bear Went over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan: Books: Lester W. Grau

                You can check these two books for detailed OOBs and unit tactics of the Red Army in Afghanistan.

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                • #9
                  To the best of my knowledge T-72 was never deployed to Afghanistan. Initially the Soviets deployed a heavily mechanised force but later most of the armour was withdrawn in favour of more light infantry.
                  When I get home from work I will post more details on actual units deployed.

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                  • #10
                    40th Army Order of Battle
                    1980-1981

                    Army Troops

                    40th Army HQ
                    1074 Artillery Rgt
                    28th Seperate MRL Rgt
                    1839 Seperate AD Rgt
                    45th Engineer (sapper) Rgt
                    Engineer Road Construction Bde
                    103rd Seperate Signal Rgt
                    247th Seperate Repair & Maint Bn
                    258th Seperate Repair & Maint Bn


                    Ground Troops

                    5th Motorized Rifle Division
                    101st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                    371st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                    24th Tank Rgt
                    1060th Artillery Rgt
                    1122 AD Rgt

                    108th Motorized Rifle Division
                    177th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                    180th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                    181st Motorized Rifle Rgt (-)
                    285th Tank Rgt (-)
                    479th Artillery Rgt
                    1049th AD Rgt

                    201st Motorized Rifle Division
                    122nd Motorized Rifle Rgt (-)
                    149th Motorized Rifle Rgt (-)
                    395th Motorized Rifle Rgt (-)
                    ? Tank Rgt
                    998th Artillery Rgt
                    990th AD Rgt

                    103rd Airborne Division
                    317th Parachute Rgt (-)
                    350th Parachute Rgt (-)
                    357th Parachute Rgt (-)

                    66th Seperate Motorized Rifle Bde (-)

                    70th Seperate Motorized Rifle Bde

                    56th Air Assault Bde (-)

                    191st Seperate Motorized Rifle Rgt (-)

                    860th Seperate Motorized Rifle Rgt

                    345th Parachute Rgt (-)


                    Air Forces

                    115th Fighter Rgt
                    136th Fighter-Bomber Rgt
                    50th Composite Air Rgt
                    181st Seperate Helicopter Rgt (-)
                    280th Seperate Helicopter Rgt
                    292nd Seperate Helicopter Rgt
                    146th Seperate Helicopter Detachment
                    4th Sqn of 335th Seperate Helicopter Rgt
                    254th Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                    263rd Seperate Tactical Recon Sqn
                    262nd Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                    302nd Seperate Helicopter Sqn


                    Ministry of Defence Forces

                    59th Brigade
                    10003rd Seperate Bn


                    Many of the units did not deploy their full paper strength and this is denoted by the (-) symbol.
                    All information is from 'The Soviet-Afghan War' as translated by Lester W. Grau and Michael A. Gress.


                    Later I will copy the 40th Army OOB from early 1988 (peak strength) and from halfway through the withdrawal in late 1988, this info also from the above book which I cannot recommend enough.

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                    • #11
                      Thank you. This is good info.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        40th Army Order of Battle
                        Early 1988

                        Army Troops

                        40th Army HQ
                        15th Spetnaz Bde
                        22nd Spetnaz Bde
                        1074 Artillery Rgt
                        28th Seperate MRL Rgt
                        1839 Seperate AD Rgt
                        Seperate MRB (Kabul Security)
                        45th Engineer (sapper) Rgt
                        Engineer Road Construction Bde
                        103rd Seperate Signal Rgt
                        247th Seperate Repair & Maint Bn
                        258th Seperate Repair & Maint Bn
                        650th Central Military Hospital (500 beds)
                        Infectious Disease Hospital x4 (1350 beds total)
                        Field Hospital x3 (675 beds total)


                        Ground Troops

                        5th Motorized Rifle Division
                        • 12th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 101st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 371st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 1060th Artillery Rgt


                        108th Motorized Rifle Division
                        • 177th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 180th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 181st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 682nd Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 479th Artillery Rgt


                        201st Motorized Rifle Division
                        • 122nd Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 149th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 395th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                        • 998th Artillery Rgt
                        • Seperate MRB


                        103rd Airborne Division
                        • 317th Parachute Rgt (-)
                        • 350th Parachute Rgt (-)
                        • 357th Parachute Rgt (-)
                        • Seperate MRB


                        66th Seperate Motorized Rifle Bde (-)

                        70th Seperate Motorized Rifle Bde

                        56th Air Assault Bde (-)

                        191st Seperate Motorized Rifle Rgt

                        860th Seperate Motorized Rifle Rgt

                        345th Parachute Rgt


                        Air Forces

                        120th Fighter Rgt
                        134th Fighter-Bomber Rgt
                        378th Ground Attack Rgt
                        50th Composite Air Rgt
                        339th Seperate Composite Air Sqn
                        181st Seperate Helicopter Rgt
                        280th Seperate Helicopter Rgt
                        292nd Seperate Helicopter Rgt
                        146th Seperate Helicopter Detachment
                        335th Attack Helicopter Rgt
                        263rd Sep Tactical Recon Sqn
                        205th Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                        239th Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                        262nd Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                        302nd Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                        320th Seperate Helicopter Sqn


                        Total personnel approximately 100,000.
                        This was the peak strength the Soviets reached in Afghanistan.

                        What is very interesting here is the number of hospital beds devoted to infectious disease (over 50% of total hospital beds). The Soviet Army in Afghanistan had a very poor standard of hygiene.
                        Last edited by Speedy; 20 Aug 07,, 14:32.

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                        • #13
                          40th Army Order of Battle
                          15th October 1988


                          Army Troops

                          40th Army HQ
                          1074 Artillery Rgt
                          45th Engineer (Sapper) Rgt
                          Engineer Road Construction Bde
                          103rd Seperate Signal Rgt
                          247th Seperate Repair & Maint Bn
                          258th Seperate Repair & Maint Bn


                          Ground Troops

                          5th Motorized Rifle Division
                          • 101st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 371st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 1060th Artillery Rgt


                          108th Motorized Rifle Division
                          • 177th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 180th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 181st Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 682nd Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 479th Artillery Rgt


                          201st Motorized Rifle Division
                          • 122nd Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 395th Motorized Rifle Rgt
                          • 998th Artillery Rgt


                          103rd Airborne Division
                          • 317th Parachute Rgt (-)
                          • 350th Parachute Rgt (-)
                          • 357th Parachute Rgt (-)


                          345th Parachute Rgt


                          Air Forces

                          120th Fighter Rgt
                          134th Fighter-Bomber Rgt
                          378th Ground Attack Rgt
                          263rd Sep Tactical Recon Sqn
                          262nd Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                          302nd Seperate Helicopter Sqn
                          254th Helicopter Sqn



                          This is halfway through the withdrawal, approximately 50,000 troops total.

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                          • #14
                            http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/lan...rpg-7-a-8.html

                            In this thread when they discuss the RPG-7 they get a lot into its employment in Afghanistan. The posters seem to speak as if the T-72B was the main soviet tank deployed. This contradicts what I have heard in this thread.

                            Also another source, the new Russian movie "9-ya Rota" (9th company in english) shows a tank that looks a lot like a T-72 variant. The movie is supposedly historically accurate with it's equipment. The BTRs and BMPs are certainly recognizable enough. I know it's not a very good source but still the fact that both match makes me wonder. Were T-72s deployed there?

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                            • #15
                              G'day Feanor
                              I have just spent the last couple of hours going through my Soviet-Afghan War documents trying to find where I had read that the T-72 did not see service in Afghanistan and have finally found it ( I'm not going senile after all ).
                              My source is a FMSO document "The Soviet War In Afghanistan: History And Harbringer Of Future War?" by General (ret) Mohammad Yahya Nawroz, Army of Afghanistan and Mr Lester W Grau.

                              The document can be found here Foreign Military Studies Office Publications - THE SOVIET WAR IN AFGHANISTAN: HISTORY AND HARBINGER OF FUTURE WAR?.
                              The reference too the tanks can be found in the first paragraph of the Soviet Equipment heading and simply states that "...the newest tanks did not fight in Afghanistan and the T-64 was the most modern tank tested there."
                              Although the T-64 was a better tank than the T-72 it is my understanding that the T-72 did not enter production until a few years after the T-64.

                              There are actually quite a few very good FMSO publications regarding the Soviet-Afghan War that are well worth a read.
                              Last edited by Speedy; 01 Sep 07,, 03:48.

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