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Soviet Union [USSR] Chemical Troops, Engineer Troops, and Signal Troops
The Chemical Troops, Engineer Troops, and Signal Troops were
independent branches that provided support to all the military
services, but principally to the Ground Forces. The chiefs of these
services reported directly to the minister of defense. Units of the
Chemical Troops, Engineer Troops, and Signal Troops responded to
the in-branch chief regarding administrative and technical matters
but were operationally subordinate to the commander of the
formation to which they were attached. Chemical Troops, Engineer
Troops, and Signal Troops were organized into battalions and
companies within armies and divisions.
The general mission of the supporting troops was to facilitate
the advance of the Ground Forces and to eliminate obstacles
blocking their path. The Signal Troops operated tactical radio and
wire communications networks and intercepted enemy signals for
combat intelligence purposes. They also operated strategic
underground cable, microwave, and satellite communications systems.
The Engineer Troops were principally combat engineers. They
operated the self-propelled bridging vehicles and amphibious
ferries that tanks and armored vehicles depend on to cross deep
rivers. In wartime the Engineer Troops would also clear mines,
antivehicle obstacles, and battlefield debris for the Ground
Forces.
The mission of the Chemical Troops was to defend the armed
forces against the effects of "weapons of mass destruction"--
nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons. With 50,000
soldiers in 1989, the Chemical Troops constituted the world's
largest NBC defense force. The Chemical Troops would perform NBC
reconnaissance; mark contaminated areas; and decontaminate
personnel, weapons, and terrain during wartime. They operated
30,000 armored combat vehicles equipped for NBC reconnaissance and
truck-mounted systems equipped to spray decontaminating solutions
on the surface areas of tanks, combat vehicles, and aircraft. The
Chemical Troops demonstrated the use of helicopters for NBC defense
during the large-scale radiation cleanup operation after the
Chernobyl' nuclear reactor accident in April 1986. In 1989 the
Chemical Troops did not operate offensive delivery systems. Yet the
strength of Soviet chemical defense provided an offensive potential
by enhancing the ability of Soviet forces to fight on contaminated
battlefields. Thus, supported by the Chemical Troops, Soviet forces
were better prepared than any other in the world for NBC
operations.
Data as of May 1989
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