The VDV (Russian: ВДВ) is a Shock-level Soviet paratrooper infantry that first appears in Wargame: European Escalation.
History[]
VDV stands for "Vozdushno-Desantnye Vojska", or "Воздушно-десантные войска", meaning "Airborne troops". It has developed an airmobile variant known as DShB.
Soviet Union was one of the earliest countries to use airborne troops, and the first parachute jump was dated to August 2, 1930. After WW2 in 1964, the Airborne Forces were directly subordinated to the Soviet Ministry of Defence. During the Cold War, and even in contemporary times, the VDV was the largest airborne infantry force in the world.
The role of the VDV divisions is to provide the Soviet General Staff with a deep operations force for special missions. A typical operation might involve seizing a bridgehead in advance of a mechanized column. The Soviet study of WW2 operations suggested that airborne units are valuable only when used against enemy forces that are already broken, or in peripheral operations. Though they are an elite force that is more reliable than the rest of the army rabble in the eyes of many Soviet leaders. Like most NATO leaders, the Soviets do not think that a war in Europe is particularly likely. More likely are wars outside of Europe. It is for these wars, not a confrontation with NATO, that the VDV is most useful.
Soviet air assault divisions are smaller than tank or motorized rifle divisions but are more heavily mechanized than American or British airborne units. The Soviets use the airmobile BMD armored infantry vehicle as the basis for these formations. However, the Soviets have significant shortages of large transport aircraft to carry so much equipment in a single sortie. So the VDV troops are trained for operations with little mechanized equipment. They are a light infantry force first and foremost, capable of using mechanized equipment if available.[1]
Guards Air Assault Division has three Air Assault Regiments of VDV of three battalions mounted on BMD series vehicles. The first type of Independent Air Assault Brigade has three Parachute Battalions with organic helicopter capability. The second type of Independent Air Assault Brigade has a BMD-mounted Air Assault Battalion along with two to three Parachute Battalions without organic helicopter support. Soviet Independent Air Mobile Brigade consists of pure parachute infantry battalions. Independent Air Assault Infantry Battalion is an army-level asset, it has an Air Assault company equipped with BMD along with parachute companies.
A VDV can be identified through its iconic blue beret, although it is not a mandatory equipment in combat. The VDV are classic examples of cold war soldiers. Their training is the best traditional sort - tough, demanding exercises with a focus on the basics of light infantry as VDV is the Soviet shock force for low-intensity wars.
The RPG-16D anti-tank grenade launcher has been developed in 1968 especially for Soviet airborne troops to replace RPG-7D (both have the ability to separate into two sections). Compared to the contemporary RPG-7, RPG-16D provided greater effective range and better accuracy, thanks to the smaller caliber warhead and more powerful rocket booster. RPG-16D fires only one type of grenade, the 58mm PG-16V that has a stated penetration capability of 300mm RHA, which cannot deal with modern tanks and eventually led to its withdrawal in the late 1980s.[2][3]
Overview[]
Red Dragon[]
Use the 25-point '90 variant. RPG-29 is the best LAW in the game.
Available transports[]
Airland Battle[]
Red Dragon[]
Weapons[]
European Escalation[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | LAW | Grenade |
| Name | AK-74 | RPG-16 | RGO |
| Caliber | 5,45mm | 82mm HEAT | Frag |
| Ammo | x 1920 | x 6 rocket | x 8 |
| Range | Ground = N/A m Helicopters = N/A m  Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 7 | 10 | 8 |
| AP Power | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| HE Power | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Rate of fire | 685 r/min | 7 r/min | 5 r/min |
AirLand Battle[]
| Weapons | 
|
File:WAB Icon RPG-16D.png | 
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | LAW | SAW |
| Name | AK-74 | RPG-16D | PKM |
| Caliber | 5.45mm | 58mm HEAT [HEAT] [STAT] |
7.62mm [STAT] |
| Ammo | x 1920 | x 6 | x 1000 |
| Range | Ground = 525 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 525 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 875 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 9 | 12 | 8 |
| AP Power | N/A | 15 | N/A |
| HE Power | 1 | N/A | 0.5 |
| Suppression | 39 | 268 | 54 |
| Rate of fire | 240 r/min | 10 r/min | 461 r/min |
Red Dragon[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | LAW | SAW |
| Name | AK-74 | RPG-16D | RPK-74 |
| Caliber | 5.45mm | 58mm HEAT [HEAT] [STAT] |
5.45mm [CQC] |
| Ammo | x 1200 | x 6 | x 1800 |
| Range | Ground = 525 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 875 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 770 m Helicopters = 595 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 45% | 60% | 40% |
| Stabilizer | 23% | N/A | 20% |
| AP Power | N/A | 15 | N/A |
| HE Power | 1 | N/A | .5 |
| Suppression | 40 | 232 | 40 |
| Rate of fire | 232 r/min | 10 r/min | 519 r/min |
Gallery[]
See also[]
