History, Politics And Current Affairs

Soviet Army Readiness System


NATO Category A

Full Strength Divisions (A)
- Full strength
- 95% or more of authorized equipment

NATO Category B

Ready Division - Reduced Strength I (B)
- 70-85% strength
- 95% or more of authorized equipment
- Fully mobilized within 48-72 hours

Reduced Strength Ready II (C)
- 55-70% strength
- 95% or more of authorized equipment
- Fully mobilized within 48-72 hours

NATO Category C

Not Ready - High Strength Cadre Divisions (D)
- 25-40% strength
- 6 days to mobilize + training time to be combat ready

Not Ready - Low Strength Cadre Divisions (E)
- 5-25% strength
- 6 days to mobilize + training time to be combat ready

Training Divisions (F)

Mobilization Divisions (G)
- Unmanned in peacetime
- Draw officer cadre from active divisions
- At least one month to be combat ready

Other Formations

Artillery Divisions & Brigades
- Forward Deployed: 95%
- Otherwise, 10-20% strength

Rocket Artillery & Heavy Artillery Brigades
- 20-50% strength

Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigades and Missile Brigades
- At or near full strength


Author Notes
The Soviet Army readiness system has a greater number of categories than the A, B, C / I, II, III system used by NATO.
The Soviets use A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Does this include the "second formations" that Viktor Suvarov described in "Inside the Soviet Army?"
http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/04.html

That should be Cat G.

This should explain it a little bit-with the "second formation":

http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/readiness.htm


Mobilisation Divisions

Division configured equipment sets maintained in storage. Unmanned in peacetime, except for pre-assigned officers serving in active divisions. No regular training program - substantial equipment shortfalls (tanks, artillery and engineering equipment predominating) - often co-located with active divisions. Would take at least a month to be ready for action, including a shortened training program. Also called 2nd level divisions. Some were upgraded to Low-Strength Cadre during the 1980's.

Several mobilisation divisions were only "paper" divisions, with no equipment or personnel available. These divisions would be activated in wartime, and would receive equipment from schools and ordnance depots.