63rd Paratroop Battalion

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=72nd Reconnaissance-commando Battalion


caption=
colors=blue, and white
type=Paratroop
branch=Special Brigade
dates= Since 14th October 1944
country=Serbia
current_commander= Major.Nenad Bulatović
garrison=Nis

The 63rd Paratroop Battalion (Serbian: 63. Падобрански батаљон or 63. Padobranski bataljon) is one of the battalions constituting the Special Brigade of the Serbian Army. It used to be of brigade-size, but it has the status of a battalion within the restructured Serbian Army. It is intended for special, reconnaissance and diversionary operations deep behind enemy lines.

Competences

When the competences of the 63rd Paratroop Battalion members are analyzed, the point to underscore is the safety coefficient of parachutist training, a parameter which, in spite of several tens of thousands of dives made in the last 15 years, is by far better than the comparable safety indicates for parachute units of the world's most powerful armies. This speaks for the high training standards and competence of the parachutists and a high degree of safety in training. In turn this suggests that strong work discipline, excellent abilities of officers and parachute instructors, highest-quality psycho-physical and expert coaching of the men, thorough checkups and perfect condition of parachute accessories, together with high morale of individual and units, reduce risk.

Weaponry and equipment

The Battalion carries out an average of about 6,000 parachute dives and trains three generations of troops annually. It participates in tactical corps- and army-level live-ammunition drills. The 63rd Paratroop Battalion members have the best infantry material and weapons in the Army of Serbia. They are armed with the Serbian-made 7.62-mm and 5.56-mm caliber rifles, submachine guns, 5.56-mm South African automatic rifles, 7.62-mm, 7.9-mm and 12.7-mm caliber sniper rifles, 7.62-mm machine guns and various types of pistols and revolvers of their own choice. Of the heavier weapons, the 63rd Paratroop Battalion has at its disposal Serbian-made grenade-launchers, bazookas, hand rocket-launchers also of domestic make, the "Wasp" armour-piercing rocket system, the 60-mm and 82-mm light mortars, and optic-electronic devices for night operations. The Serbian parachutists are basically an infantry unit, but can, in case of need, use jeeps carried from place to place by the Mi-8 helicopters or the An-26 aircraft. When necessary, they can also use 76-mm B-1 hill canons, also transportable by air. Otherwise, the 63rd Paratroop Battalion uses standard, Serbian-made military parachutes, but its strike units also have the "wing"- type parachutes used for silent gliding and approach to target. Quite a number of unit members are excellent civilian sports parachutists.

The unit distinguishes itself by a high degree of loyalty to it by its former and present members.

External links

* [http://www.vojska.mod.gov.yu/eng/jedinice/kov/specijalna_brigada.htm Special Brigade]
* [http://www.63padobranska.org/phpBB3/ Forum]