I was reading this article today, and ran across this snippet (italics original):
So the italics mean “desant” is a foreign word, correct? It’s definitely not in the dictionary I have. And if it just means “airborne assault”, why even bother having a term for it?
So, I’m wondering what language it originally derives from, and if anyone has an actual definition for the term in this context.
Don’t know if this helps, but…
From this cached Google page:
“Desant units These are basically paratrooper units, which constitute the bulk of the Russian Military’s elite forces. These units were intended to be parachuted in the course a wide-scale offensive. They are for the Russian Army what the Marines are for the US Army. However, these units have been plagued by the same problems as the rest of the Russian military- low pay, commissioned officer shortage, low morale and discipline, especially among the conscript soldiers. Nevertheless, these troops remain relatively combat-ready, as evidenced by their continued deployment in some of the most difficult operations in the Chechen mountains.”
Hello SmackFu,
The following has a short article about the evolution of Russian military tactics http://www.rickard.karoo.net/weaponslong.html and indicates that “desant” is Russian for “assault.” The Russian paratroops also have a site at http://www.desant.ru/about/about-eng.html
My guess that it was used in the article as a synonym for airborne assault because the Russians already have done this before in Afghanistan, or more likely the writer thought that the name of the specific type of troops used, ‘Desant,’ was generic military jargon for any airborne drop.
45ACP