Vympel

Vympel

::"See NPO Vympel for the Russian air-to-air missiles designer"Vympel ( _ru. Вымпел, meaning "Pennant", also known as Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V) is a Russian special forces unit.

The exact lineage is not known but the unit was formed in 1981 by the KGB Gen. Drozdov within the First Chief Directorate of the KGB as a dedicated OSNAZ unit specialised in deep penetration, sabotage, universal direct and covert action, embassy protection and espionage cell activation in case of war. Most of the Vympel operatives mastered two or three foreign languages, for they were supposed to act in foreign countries, deep behind enemy lines.

Vympel quickly gained the reputation of being the best Soviet special forces unit ever,Fact|date=June 2008 surpassing its GRU and MVD counterparts. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Vympel was decimated by endless re-organisation and re-definition: it passed under the aegis of the Security Ministry before being receded to the GUO (both institutions were short-lived offspring of the ex-KGB during the Boris Yeltsin era) and finally passed to the MVD. The "militsiya" had no use for such a unit. The bulk of the Vympel operatives could not stand the humiliation of being subordinated to the police, and duly resigned (of 278 officers, only 57 accepted to remain within the MVD). The unit was re-named Vega. [ [http://www.psan.org/document518.html The Early Yeltsin Years] by Jonathan Littell]

In 1995, the FSB Special Operations Center (TsSN FSB) was logically granted control over Vympel. Vympel regained its original name and was re-integrated in the Intelligence Service structures. The emphasis shifted from covert and clandestine sabotage operations to counter-terrorism and nuclear safety enforcement. Vympel operatives undergo special training related to improvised or special explosive devices, permitting them to use 'terrorist-like' tactics to carry out their operations. Physical training includes close hand combat, parachute training, diving, underwater combat techniques, climbing, ropetech alpinism. Regional groups of Vympel were deployed in cities with especially important nuclear objects.

Vympel (i.e. the Directorate "V" of the TsSN FSB) is still a classified and secretive unit. Little is known about its current operations and activities, the exception being the capture of the Chechen terrorist and rebel leader Salman Raduyev in March 2000 and the assault on the school in Beslan in September 2004.

See also

* Alpha Group, a sister KGB/FSB unit specialised in counter-terrorism

References

External links

* Boris Volodarsky, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116658415633355185.html License to Kill] , "Wall Street Journal," 20 December 2006


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Vympel R-27 — Vympel R 27R Un Mig 29 disparando un R 27 Tipo Misil aire aire de medio alcance País de origen …   Wikipedia Español

  • Vympel r-73 — R 73 / AA 11 Archer Mission Missile air air à courte portée Constructeur Vympel …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Vympel R-33 — Un Vympel R 33 en un MiG 31 Tipo Misil aire aire de largo alcance País de origen …   Wikipedia Español

  • Vympel R-33 — / AA 9 Amos Présentation Fonction Missile air air à longue portée Constructeur Vympel Déploiement …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Vympel r-77 — R 77 / AA 12 Adder Mission Missile air air à longue portée Constructeur …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Vympel — est une société Russe de recherche et de conception militaire basée près de Moscou, connue pour sa production de missiles air air. D autres projets travaillent sur des missiles air sol et antiballistiques. La société démarra sous l ère Soviétique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Vympel R-3 — Un misil Vympel R 3 en un MiG 23 Tipo missil aire aire de corto alcance País de origen Unión Soviética …   Wikipedia Español

  • Vympel R-73 — R 73 / AA 11 Archer Présentation Fonction Missile air air à courte porté Constructeur Vympel Cara …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Vympel R-37 — Esta página o sección está siendo traducida del idioma inglés a partir del artículo Vympel R 37, razón por la cual puede haber lagunas de contenidos, errores sintácticos o escritos sin traducir. Puedes colaborar con Wikipedia conti …   Wikipedia Español

  • Vympel R-73 — Infobox Weapon is missile=yes name=Vympel R 73 caption= origin= type=Short range Air to Air Missile used by= manufacturer=Vympel NPO unit cost= propellant= production date= service=1985 engine=solid fuel rocket engine engine power= weight=105 kg… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”