Osprey Elite 5 : Soviet Bloc Elite Forces

The elite forces of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies in the mid-1980s were undoubtedly the largest in the world, and among the least known. The Soviet elite formations alone had a total strength comparable to that of the entire British armed forces. Besides the conventional military elite formations such as airborne and marine forces, most Warsaw Pact armies also possessed special, 'political' elite, which were used for internal security. Backed by numerous photographs and illustrations, this book uncovers the history, organization and equipment of both the conventional Soviet elite formations and the often ignored security units. Text by Steven J Zaloga and James Loop with illustrations by Ron Volstad.

Contents

• Introduction
• Soviet Elite Forces
• The VDV Airborne Forces
• The VDV Today
• The Soviet Naval Infantry
• Other Soviet Specialised Troops
• Elite Forces of the Warsaw Pact
• The Plates