Now the world is at war, I’m talking about the war in Ukraine. Therefore, I decided to create a series of articles where we will deal with the structure of the army, types of weapons and ammunition, and the nuances of combat. Today’s material is devoted to an overview of the types of troops in the army of most countries.

Read about International Humanitarian Law

What is a branch of the military?

You need to know that the composition of the army in different countries and regions can vary significantly. First of all, this is due to the geographical location, climate, relief features, etc. But in general, the classic layout is characteristic of most armies in the world.

Types of troops are parts of the military forces of states that have their own structure and weapons (as well as tactics of warfare). In some cases, individual branches of the military may not be part of the official armed forces of the country.

Types of armed forces

Let’s look at the traditional types of troops that make up the armies of many states.

Ground troops

• infantry;
• artillery;
• tank forces;
• air defense troops;
• cavalry (in some countries).

Naval Forces

• surface forces (fleet);
• Marines;
• submarine forces;
• naval aviation;
• coastal rocket and artillery troops.

Air Force

• attack aircraft;
• bomber aircraft;
• fighter aviation;
• reconnaissance aviation;
• military transport aviation;
• landing operation (may have a different status);
• special aviation (fire, etc.).

Special Troops

• engineering;
• Signal Corps;
• road troops;
• railway troops;
• chemical troops;
• automobile troops.

I have listed the classic types of troops, but, in addition, depending on the state, there may be other specific types: air defense, anti-aircraft, strategic (missile, nuclear) and others.

Finally, I note that each type of troops has its own insignia, ranks, emblems, shoulder straps. In the following articles, we will consider the structure, quantity, types of weapons of specific military formations.