How many people are in the company in the Russian and Western armies?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

A civilian knows about the army only in general terms. It is difficult for him to navigate in questions that any serviceman remembers the answers to. Here, for example: how many people are in the company? This is where a lot of people think. In the article we will analyze the following issues: the number of companies, battalions, units both in the Russian army and in the armies of other countries. Consider what a company is, what the number was typical for the divisions of the USSR.

Tactical units in the army

So how many people are in the company? First, let's deal with the existing tactical units. Here is their order from largest to smallest:

• Front (or district).
• Army.
• Case.
• Division.
• Brigada.
• Col.
• Battalion.
• Rota.
• Platoon.
• Department.

Such tactical units are typical for the national army. Let's deal with their numbers now.

Number of troops

Find out how many people are in the company, andwe will also deal with the number of tactical units of the armed forces.

• Department: 5-10 people. The head here is the squad leader. In short, it is called "chest". This is a sergeant position, so the squad leader can be either a sergeant or a junior sergeant.
• Platoon. Includes 3-6 branches. Therefore, a platoon can have from 15 to 60 people. They are led by the platoon leader. This is already an officer's military position. It is occupied by a soldier in the rank from lieutenant to captain.
• Rota. Includes 3-6 platoons. How many people are in the company? From 45 to 360. The chief here is the company commander. Informally, it can be called a company commander. This is a major. However, both a senior lieutenant and a captain can often command a company.
• Battalion. These are 3-4 companies, as well as headquarters, individual military specialists (signalman, sniper, gunsmith). In some cases, a mortar platoon, air defense (air defense) and PTB (anti-tank fighters) are added. In total, the battalion has from 145 to 500 people. At its head is the battalion commander (battalion commander). Considered a lieutenant colonel. However, in fact, it can be occupied by both a captain and a major, who in the near future will have the opportunity to become lieutenant colonels while maintaining this position.
• Col. Includes 3-6 battalions. That is, from 500 to 2500 people. Headquarters, air defense, regimental artillery, PTB are also added to their number. The regimental commander is a colonel. In some cases, this position may also include a lieutenant colonel.
• Brigade. It may contain severalbattalions. Or 2-3 regiments. On average, there are 1,000-4,000 people in a brigade. The brigade commander is only a colonel. The position is abbreviated as "brigade commander".
• Division. Combines several regiments at once. Among them there are necessarily artillery, aviation. Perhaps the rear services and tank regiments. The size of the division can be very different - from 4,500 to 22,000 people. The division commander has a rank from colonel to major general.
• Case. Combines several divisions. The total number of the corps can reach 100,000 people. The commander here is in the rank of Major General.
• Army. Includes 2-10 divisions of various types of troops. Rear units, repair specialists and so on must be added to them. The size of the army varies. On average, from 200,000 thousand to 1 million people (and more). Army commander - lieutenant general or major general.

Front (military district)

We figured out how many people (soldiers) in the company. Now we should focus the reader's attention on the last and largest tactical unit in the Armed Forces. This is a front (in peacetime - a military district). The main feature is that even the average figures are difficult to name here. The size of the front depends on several factors at once: the region, the political situation, the military doctrine, and so on.

The Front is a self-sufficient structure with its own reserves, training units, warehouses, military schools, and so on. Its head is the front commander. In the Russian army, this position is held by Generallieutenant or army general.

Accordingly, the composition of the front depends on the environment and the tasks performed. It usually includes the following:

• Management.
• Rocket Army (1-2).
• Tank army (1-2).
• Air Force (1-2).
• Land Army.
• Air Defense Forces.
• Individual units, formations of specific types of troops, special forces of frontal subordination.
• Compounds, institutions and units of the operational rear.

In the Russian Federation, the front can be reinforced by formations and units of other fronts of the Armed Forces, as well as from the reserve of the Supreme High Command.

Other tactical terms

How many people are in a company in Russia? As a rule, 45-360 military personnel. Now let's look at other tactical terms that may not be clear to a civilian:

• Department.
• Part.
• Connection.
• Merge.

Let's consider them in detail.

Department

This term refers to all military formations that are part of a military unit. What can be called a division? Battalion, company, platoon, squad. The term comes from "share". That is, the division of the part into separate formations.

Part

In the Russian Armed Forces, this is the main tactical unit. Most often, a unit is called a brigade or regiment. It also has distinctive features, such as: its own office work, military economy, an account in a banking organization,postal code, official seal, open and closed combined arms numbers, the right of the commander to give written orders. Part is almost completely autonomous.

It is important to distinguish between the following:

• Military unit. The most general definition that has no specifics.
• Military unit. More specific union. Usually something specific is meant: brigade, regiment. Be sure to use her number. For example: "military unit 12345" or "military unit 12345". In army circles, the phrase "military unit 12345" is considered a mistake.

Connection and union

How many people in the company and the army, we found out. Now let's get acquainted with two more army terms:

• Connection. By default, only a division is called this definition. The word itself means "to combine into one part." The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Such a unit (headquarters) will be subordinate to other units (in this case, regiments). All of them together will make up the division. In some cases, a brigade can also receive the status of a unit, but only if it includes separate companies and battalions, each of which has its own unit status.
• Unification. This term refers to such tactical units as a corps, an army (or army groups), a front (military district). The headquarters of the association acts as a separate part, to which all components are subordinate.

What is a company?

How mucha man in a company of the Russian army, we sorted it out. Now let's take a closer look at the term itself. It comes from the German Rotte, which translates as "detachment", "crowd". This is the name of tactical units not only in Russia, but also in many other countries of the world.

Can be part of a regiment, battalion, or be an independent unit. A separate company is already an organizationally autonomous administrative, economic and tactical unit. It can act as an independent military unit.

Depending on the mission, the following companies are distinguished:

• Shooter (or motorized).
• Tank.
• Mortars.
• Infantry (or motorized infantry).
• Engineering and combat engineers.
• Marines.
• Radio engineering.
• Automotive.
• Staff, guards, etc.

Rota in the USSR

We know how many people are in 1 company in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. But what was the situation in the USSR?

The size of the company was also not the same for all units. It was influenced by the number of squads and platoons. Also the type of troops. Here are the following examples for comparison (USSR army in the 1980s):

• Motorized rifle company. Could include from 110 to 160 people. We moved on infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers.
• Air assault company. About 75 people. Moved on BMD.
• A tank company belonging to a tank regiment. Consists of 30 people.
• A tank company belonging to a motorized rifle regiment. Number - 40 people.
• Reconnaissance company - 55 people.
• Sapper-engineering company. It consists of 60 people.
• Material support company. About 90 troops.
• Repair company - 65 people.
• Company of signalmen - 50 people.

Companies in other countries

How many people (soldiers) in a company in Russia? We repeat that on average it is 45-360 people. Let's compare this figure with the aircraft of other countries.

First consider the US Army:

• Motorized infantry company. Consists of management (11 military personnel) and three motorized infantry platoons. Management has a clear division: 3 people in the section of the company commander, 3 people in the section of the deputy company commander, 5 people in the section of the foreman. A motorized infantry platoon consists of three directorates and three motorized infantry squads. Thus, the composition of the motorized infantry company is 116 people. It also has 14 infantry fighting vehicles, 9 anti-tank guided missiles and small arms.
• Tank company. Management here already has 14 people. In addition to him, the company necessarily contains three tank platoons, each of which has four tank crews. Hence the composition of the tank company in the United States - 64 people.
• Fire support company. It consists of platoons: mortar, anti-tank, reconnaissance. As well as three sections - control, MANPADS, radar. The personnel of the company - 45 people. In addition, it has at its disposal 12 ATGMs, 13 APCs, 5 MANPADS, 4 self-propelled mortars and 4 radars.

Next, let's take the example of the Bundeswehr(name of the German Armed Forces):

• Motorized infantry company. It consists of two parts: management (16 military personnel) and 4 platoons (each with 27 people). In turn, each platoon has one control section and two motorized infantry squads. Hence the full composition of the motorized infantry company - 124 people. They have the following equipment at their disposal: 13 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 anti-tank systems, 13 anti-tank grenade launchers, and other small arms.
• Tank company. It also consists of a control team (12 servicemen) and three tank platoons. In each of the platoons there are two squads (in the squad there are four tank crews). There are 60 people in the tank company in total.

Now it is clear how many people are in a company in Russia. We also looked at the number of military personnel for other tactical units and compared these figures with those that are available in the armies of other countries.