In 2012, paratroopers made more than 150 thousand parachute jumps
With the end of the calendar year in the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces), the final results of the annual plan for landing personnel and military equipment from airplanes and helicopters of military transport aviation have been summed up.
In 2012, over 150 thousand parachute jumps were made by airborne personnel. Of these, about 115.5 thousand paratroopers performed from An-2 aircraft and military transport helicopters, and almost 38 thousand jumps from heavy military transport aircraft Il-76.
Leadership in the implementation of the parachute jumping program is held by paratroopers of the Ulyanovsk airborne formation. So, in 2012, the personnel of the airborne assault brigade made more than 13 thousand parachute jumps from An-2 aircraft and military transport helicopters and about 6 thousand jumps from Il-76 aircraft.
The landing of personnel was carried out during the year in various conditions, both day and night. So, at night the paratroopers made over 2.5 thousand jumps, including about 400 during exercises. The paratroopers completed 75 experimental jumps for testing and research purposes using experimental parachute systems.
The plan of the Airborne Forces to drop weapons, aircraft for various purposes and heavy military equipment from airplanes was fully implemented. So, in 2012, over 115 objects were prepared and successfully landing. Of these, about 90% are armored (assault landing vehicles, self-propelled artillery mounts) and vehicles that are desanted using multi-dome multi-dome systems, and more than 10% are various types of weapons and cargo parachuted on parachute platforms.
Tula and Ivanovo airborne formations are the leaders in terms of the number of military equipment landing in the airborne forces; here this year, 29 and 26 objects of military and special equipment were prepared and carried out landing, respectively.
They did not interfere with the implementation of the program of parachute jumps and frosts, which were established in December in most regions of Russia. So, only in the last month of 2012, paratroopers managed to make more than 33.5 thousand parachute jumps from airplanes and helicopters of military transport aviation, including more than 1300 jumps from large military transport aircraft Il-76 and more than 17, 2 thousand – from An-2 aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters.
When organizing parachute jumps in winter, the Airborne Forces take enhanced measures to preserve the life and health of military personnel, and to prevent frostbite and colds of paratroopers.
For this purpose, personnel heating stations equipped with heating stoves are deployed at airfields and landing sites, in which hot tea, sandwiches, honey, and additional food are provided to servicemen. In the same place, field medical stations are established, in which medical service specialists are on constant alert.
The forces of commanders and military physicians are instructing personnel to prevent hypothermia and frostbite. A prerequisite for all military personnel when making parachute jumps in winter is wearing boots
