At least 20 Separate Air Assault Battalions were formed in the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

between 1979 and 1981. These units provided airmobile capability to

field armies A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and withi ...

groups of forces A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

and military districts. Five mobilization air assault battalions were also created, the first in 1981 and the remainder in 1987. Almost all of these units were disbanded between 1989 and 1991. The battalions of the first three separate air assault brigades to be formed (the 11th, 13th and 21st) were designated as separate air assault battalions. The 11th and 13th Brigades formed in 1968 and the 21st in 1972. The 617th, 618th and 619th Battalions were with the 11th Brigade, the 620th, 621st and 622nd were with the 13th, and the 802nd, 803rd and 804th were with the 21st Brigade. This article aims to provide a history of the independent air assault battalions not part of air assault brigades.

Separate Air Assault Battalions

* 48th Air Assault Battalion – Activated January 1980 in

Khyriv Khyriv (, ) is a town in Sambir Raion, Lviv Oblast (oblast, region) of Ukraine with a population of around It hosts the administration of Khyriv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It became known principally for the celebrated Epo ...

as the 39th Air Assault Brigade's 1st Airborne Battalion. On 31 January, it moved to

Termez Termez ( uz, Termiz/Термиз; fa, ترمذ ''Termez, Tirmiz''; ar, ترمذ ''Tirmidh''; russian: Термез; Ancient Greek: ''Tàrmita'', ''Thàrmis'', ) is the capital of Surxondaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. Administratively, it is ...

, without weapons or equipment and was redesignated as the 48th Air Assault Battalion. After spending a month reequipping it deployed over the Afghan border on 25 February 1980 and arrived in Kabul by 24 March 1980. It was subordinated to the

40th Army The 40th Army (, ''40-ya obshchevoyskovaya armiya'', "40th Combined Arms Army") of the Soviet Ground Forces was an army-level command that participated in World War II from 1941 to 1945 and was reformed specifically for the Soviet–Afghan War fro ...

until 1 March, when it became part of the 66th Motor Rifle Brigade. From March onwards, the battalion fought in operations of the

Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Soviet ...

. It was absorbed by the brigade on 1 May at

Jalalabad Jalalabad (; Dari/ ps, جلال‌آباد, ) is the fifth-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 356,274, and serves as the capital of Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country, about from the capital Kabul. Jala ...

. * 65th Air Assault Battalion – Activated November 1985 in

Białogard Białogard (pronounced , german: Belgard, ; Pomeranian: ''Biôłogard'') is a historic town in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 23,614 inhabitants as of December 2021. The capital of Białogard County in the West Pomeranian Voivodes ...

with the

Northern Group of Forces The Northern Group of Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in People's Republic of Poland, Poland from the end of World War II, Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fal ...

from the 126th Guards Reconnaissance Battalion. The battalion was enlarged between May and November 1986 to become the 83rd Air Assault Brigade. * 899th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1979 from 1st Airborne Battalion ( 351st Guards Airborne Regiment,

105th Guards Airborne Division The 105th Guards Airborne Division () was an airborne division of the Soviet Airborne Troops. The division was originally formed as the 12th Guards Airborne Division as part of the 38th Guards Airborne Corps in December 1943. In December 1944, i ...

) in

Burg The German word Burg means castle. Burg or Bürg may refer to: Places Placename element * '' -burg'', a combining form in Dutch, German and English placenames * Burg, a variant of burh, the fortified towns of Saxon England Settlements * Burg, Aa ...

with

3rd Red Banner Army Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...

. The battalion moved to

Tambov Tambov (, ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna and ...

in the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military Di ...

in March 1989. It was disbanded in February and March 1991, still at Tambov. * 900th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1979 from 1st Airborne Battalion ( 351st Guards Airborne Regiment,

) in Schönau,

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

with

8th Guards Army The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army (abbreviated 8th CAA) is an army of the Russian Ground Forces, headquartered in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, within Russia′s Southern Military District, that was reinstated in 2017 as a success ...

. The battalion transferred to Zaslonovo in the

Belorussian Military District , image = Soviet Union Belorussian Military District.svg , image_size = 300px , caption = The territory of the Byelorussian Military District in 1991. , dates = 28 November 1918 – 6 May 1992 , country = (1918–1920) (1920–1991) (1922� ...

in March 1989. In October 1989, the battalion was transferred to the

Internal Troops The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...

. It was disbanded in November 1989. * 901st Air Assault Battalion – Activated October 1979 in

Kirovabad Ganja (; az, Gəncə ) is Azerbaijan's third largest city, with a population of around 335,600.Azərbaycan Respublikası. — 2. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və inzibati rayonları. — 2.4. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və ...

with the

Transcaucasian Military District The Transcaucasian Military District, a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, traces its history to May 1921 and the incorporation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia into the Soviet Union. It was disbanded by being redesignated as a Grou ...

. In November 1979, the battalion was moved to Oremov Laz, Czechoslovakia with the

Central Group of Forces The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...

. In March 1989, it was sent to Aluksne in the

Baltic Military District The Baltic Military District () was a military district of the Soviet armed forces in the Baltic states, formed briefly before the Operation Barbarossa, German invasion during the World War II. After end of the war the Kaliningrad Oblast was added ...

.Feskov et al 2013, p. 444 The battalion moved to

Sukhumi Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...

in May 1991, becoming part of the Transcaucasian Military District once again. In August 1992, it became part of the

7th Guards Airborne Division , image = Great emblem of the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division.svg , image_size = 200 , caption = 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division great emblem , dates ...

. During 1993, it fought in

Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...

. The battalion moved to

Kubinka Kubinka (russian: Ку́бинка) is a town in Odintsovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Setun River, west of Moscow. Population: __TOC__ History Kubinka, founded in the 15th century, may have been named after Prince , a ...

with the division in October 1993. In February 1994, it became part of the 45th Spetsnaz Regiment as the 901st Spetsnaz Battalion and was disbanded in May 1998. * 902nd Air Assault Battalion – Activated November 1979 in

Chirchiq Chirchiq, also spelled as Chirchik, ( uz, Chirchiq / Чирчиқ; russian: Чирчик) is a district-level city in Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan. It is about 32 km northeast of Tashkent, along the river Chirchiq (river), Chirchiq. Chirchiq ...

from the 3rd Airborne Battalion (351st Guards Airborne Regiment, 105th Guards Airborne Division). The battalion was moved to

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( , sk, Kečkemét) is a city with county rights central part Hungary. It is the eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third ...

with the

Southern Group of Forces Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

in December 1979. It moved to

Malaryta Malaryta () or Malorita (Russian: Малори́та, pl, Małoryta) is a city in the southwest part of Brest Region, Belarus. It is the administrative centre of Malaryta District. The name of the city comes from the Ryta river. History Withi ...

in the

during April and May 1989. The battalion was disbanded in 1992. * 903rd Air Assault Battalion – Activated 10 November 1979 in

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...

from the 3rd Airborne Battalion (80th Guards Airborne Regiment,

104th Guards Airborne Division The 104th Guards Airborne Division () was a division of the Soviet Airborne Troops during the Cold War that briefly became part of the Russian Airborne Forces after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It was originally formed as the 11th Guards Ai ...

) with 28th Army. It moved to

Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...

in 1986. The battalion was disbanded on 31 December 1989. * 904th Air Assault Battalion – Activated 1982 in

Volodymyr-Volynskyi Volodymyr ( uk, Володи́мир, from 1944 to 2021 Volodymyr-Volynskyi ( uk, Володи́мир-Воли́нський)) is a small city located in Volyn Oblast, in north-western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Volodymyr R ...

with 13th Army, disbanded December 1989. * 905th Air Assault Battalion – Activated November 1979 in

Fergana Fergana ( uz, Fargʻona/Фарғона, ), or Ferghana, is a district-level city and the capital of Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan. Fergana is about 420 km east of Tashkent, about 75 km west of Andijan, and less than 20 km fr ...

, apparently from elements of the 345th Guards Airborne Regiment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division. The battalion moved to Bender soon after and became part of the

14th Guards Army The 14th Guards Army () was a field army of the Red Army, the Soviet Ground Forces, and the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1956 to 1995. According to sources within the 14th Army, the majority of its troops came from the Pridnestrovian Moldavia ...

. It was disbanded in December 1989. * 906th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1979 in Durbachi with 36th Army. Moved to Khada Bulak in 1984 and to Mirny in 1986.Feskov et al 2013, p. 245 It was disbanded in December 1989. * 907th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1979 in

Birobidzhan Birobidzhan ( rus, Биробиджа́н, p=bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan; yi, ביראָבידזשאַן, ''Birobidzhan'') is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, near th ...

with 43rd Army Corps , disbanded December 1989. * 908th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1979 in

Konotop Konotop ( uk, Конотоп ) is a city in Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine. Konotop serves as the administrative center of Konotop Raion. Konotop is located about 129 km from Sumy, the oblast administrative center. It is host to Ko ...

with 1st Guards Army. It moved to

Honcharivske Honcharivske () is an urban-type settlement in Chernihiv Raion of Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine. 1st Armored Brigade and 12th Tank Battalion is stationed in the settlement. It hosts the administration of Honcharivske settlement hromada Honcharivs ...

in 1984, becoming part of the 1st Guards Army, and was disbanded in December 1989. * 1011th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1979 in

Maryina Horka Marjina Horka or Maryina Gorka ( be, Мар'іна Горка; russian: Марьина Горка; pl, Maryjna Górka) is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus, and the administrative center of Pukhavichy District. As of 2009 its population was 22,500 ...

with the

5th Guards Tank Army The 5th Guards Tank Army (Russian: 5-я гварде́йская та́нковая а́рмия) was a Soviet Guards armored formation which fought in many notable actions during World War II. The army was formed in February 1943. Until the aft ...

, disbanded in December 1989. * 1044th Air Assault Battalion – Activated 1 June 1980 in Forst Zinna from 1st and 8th Airborne Companies of the

35th Guards Air Assault Brigade The 35th Guards Air Assault Brigade is an airmobile brigade of the Kazakh Air Assault Forces. It is currently based in Kapchagay. The brigade traces its history back to the Soviet Union as the 111th Guards Airborne Regiment, formed in 1948 as part ...

. The battalion was part of the 1st Guards Tank Army. In November 1981, it moved to Neues Lager near Juterbog and transferred to

Tauragė Tauragė (; see other names) is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of Tauragė County. In 2020, its population was 21,520. Tauragė is situated on the Jūra River, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast, and not far from th ...

in the

during February and March 1989. In December 1989, it became part of the

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

. The battalion transferred to the 107th Motor Rifle Division in June 1991 and was disbanded in October 1991. * 1139th Air Assault Battalion – Activated November 1979 in

Chernyakhovsk Chernyakhovsk (russian: Черняхо́вск) – known prior to 1946 by its German name of (Old Prussian: Instrāpils, lt, Įsrutis; pl, Wystruć) – is a town in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, where it is the administrative center of ...

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

(sources differ) with

11th Guards Army The 11th Guards Army () was a field army of the Red Army, the Soviet Ground Forces, and the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1943 to 1997. History World War II For its prowess in battle, the second formation of the 16th Army was redesignat ...

,Alyohin 2009, p. 407 disbanded December 1989. * 1145th Air Assault Battalion – Activated November 1979 in

Sergeyevka Sergeyevka ( kk, Сергеев, ''Sergeev'') is a town and the administrative center of Shal akyn District in North Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located m ...

Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of the ...

with

5th Red Banner Army The 5th Combined Arms Red Banner Army (5-я общевойсковая армия) is a Russian Ground Forces formation in the Eastern Military District. It was formed in 1939, served during the Soviet invasion of Poland that year, and was deplo ...

, disbanded December 1989. * 1151st Air Assault Battalion – Activated 1980 with

7th Tank Army 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...

, disbanded December 1989. * 1156th Air Assault Battalion – Activated 1980 in

Novohrad-Volynskyi Zviahel (, ; translit. ''Zvil'') is a city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Originally known as ''Zviahel'', the city was renamed to ''Novohrad-Volynskyi'' () in 1795 after annexation of territories of Polish–Lithuanian ...

with

8th Tank Army The 8th Tank Army was one of ten Soviet tank armies. It was formed from the 52nd Army after the end of World War II. It was stationed around the city of Zhytomyr, in the western Ukrainian SSR, part of the Carpathian Military District. During the Co ...

, disbanded December 1989. * 1179th Air Assault Battalion – Activated 1980 in

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (russian: Петрозаводск, p=pʲɪtrəzɐˈvotsk; Karelian, Vepsian and fi, Petroskoi) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population ...

with 6th Army, disbanded December 1989. * 1185th Air Assault Battalion – Activated January 1981 in Ravensbrück with

2nd Tank Army The 2nd Guards Tank Army () was a large military formation of the Red Army and later the Soviet Army, now part of the Russian Ground Forces of the Russian Federation. The army was originally formed in early 1943 as the 2nd Tank Army. It was the ...

. The battalion moved to

Võru Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish. History Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Cather ...

in March 1989, becoming part of the

. It was disbanded in October 1991. * 1635th Air Assault Battalion – With 15th Army at

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( rus, Хабaровск, a=Хабаровск.ogg, r=Habárovsk, p=xɐˈbarəfsk) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China ...

-41 (Krasnaya Rechka) in the late 1980s.

Separate Air Assault Battalions (Mobilization)

* 1154th Air Assault Battalion – Activated 1981 in

Shelekhov Shelekhov ( rus, Шелехов, p=ˈʂelʲɪxəf) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Shelekhovsky District in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Irkutsk, the administrative center of th ...

with 29th Army, disbanded December 1989. * 1603rd Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1987 in

Nadvirna Nadvírna, also referred to as ''Nadwirna'' or ''Nadvorna'' ( uk, Надві́рна, pl, Nadwórna, yi, נאַדוואָרנאַ, ''Nadvorna'') is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative cent ...

with 38th Army, disbanded December 1989. * 1604th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1987 in

Sosnovy Bor Sosnovy Bor (russian: Сосно́вый Бор; lit. ''pine forest (copse)'') is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Amur Oblast As of 2010, one rural locality in Amur Oblast bears this name: * Sosnovy Bor, Amur Oblast, a '' sel ...

(

Ulan-Ude Ulan-Ude (; bua, Улаан-Үдэ, , ; russian: Улан-Удэ, p=ʊˈlan ʊˈdɛ; mn, Улаан-Үд, , ) is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence wi ...

) with 29th Army,Alyohin 2009, p. 408 disbanded December 1989. * 1605th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1987 in

Spassk-Dalny Spassk-Dalny (russian: Спасск-Да́льний), sometimes called simply Spassk, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated on the Prikhankayskaya Flatland on the coast of Khanka Lake. Geography T ...

with

, disbanded December 1989. * 1609th Air Assault Battalion – Activated December 1987 in

Mandalgovi Mandalgovi ( mn, Мандалговь; ; also Mandalgov' or Mandalgobi) is the capital of the Dundgovi Province of Mongolia, about 300 km south of Ulaanbaatar on the border of the Gobi Desert. It has 10,506 inhabitants (2005), 10,299 (2007). ...

Kyakhta Kyakhta (russian: Кя́хта, ; bua, Хяагта, Khiaagta, ; mn, Хиагт, Hiagt, ) is a town and the administrative center of Kyakhtinsky District in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located on the Kyakhta River near the Mongolia–Russi ...

(sources differ) with 39th Army, disbanded December 1989.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Cite book, title=Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской, last=Feskov, first=V.I., last2=Golikov, first2=V.I., last3=Kalashnikov, first3=K.A., last4=Slugin, first4=S.A., publisher=Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing, year=2013, isbn=9785895035306, location=Tomsk, language=Russian, trans-title=The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces Airborne units and formations of the Soviet Union Air Assault Battalions Airborne infantry battalions