Colonel Nikolai Choban. The landing force learns to win. Towards a unified methodology
A special battalion appeared as part of the Ulyanovsk separate airborne assault brigade. Scouts in blue berets will carry out special assignments of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and will also receive new promising weapons that are superior to their foreign counterparts.
A new military intelligence unit appeared in Ulyanovsk at the base of the 31st airborne brigade. It is entirely made up of contract soldiers and belongs to the troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The airborne brigade itself has been a peacekeeping force since last year. More than 300 of its employees were transferred to contract work. The leadership of the 31st brigade does not say exactly how many people were included in the separate reconnaissance battalion.
SmartNews Help
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a military-political union created by several Eurasian states (in different time the organization united from 6 to 9 states) on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty (CST), signed on May 15, 1992.
The CSTO protects the territorial and economic space of the countries participating in the treaty through the joint efforts of armies and auxiliary units from any external military-political aggressors, international terrorists, as well as natural disasters large scale.
In accordance with the plan for the construction of airborne troops, a reconnaissance battalion was formed in the 31st separate air assault brigade. It is formed and fully equipped personnel. Its armament is currently underway. The equipment arrives in accordance with the state. The personnel began carrying out combat training activities and mastering incoming military equipment.
The other day, the scouts completed their first training camp. tactical training behind enemy lines, group exercises at control points using new unmanned aerial vehicles, reconnaissance group actions special purpose others are in ambush. A special commission of the Ministry of Defense came to evaluate the knowledge and skills of the “blue berets”, on the task of the commander of the airborne forces. Russian Federation.
Today, the battalion command, personnel, and unit commanders are showing a reasonable initiative to develop new technology. Training program for at this stage they learned well. The equipment of units and subunits of the airborne troops, and especially reconnaissance units, will be carried out with new and promising models military equipment. Those that are not inferior to, and perhaps in many ways superior to, their foreign counterparts.
Nikolai Choban, head of combat training of the Russian airborne troops, SmartNews
In the near future, the 31st Brigade will receive modern weapons - heavy equipment, and the new Arbalet-2 parachute systems have already arrived. According to the plan, in 2014, scouts will be equipped with new Russian rifles ORSIS T-5000. According to the director of the local ammunition factory, Alexander Votyakov, they begin producing ammunition for it in February.
The enterprise has specially installed Italian equipment from Wasini. These are special automatic lines for assembling cartridges. Thanks to this, we begin production of high-precision 338Lapua Mag cartridges. and 308Win. They are designed for the ORSIS T-5000 rifle and its foreign analogues. The new equipment will allow for high-precision assembly: pressing the primer into the cartridge case, dispensing gunpowder, centering the bullet in the cartridge case, ensuring that the barrel of the cartridge case with the inserted bullet is compressed with the same force, and performing 100% automatic control of the main design parameters of the cartridge. The machine is also very comfortable to work with.
Alexander Votyakov, head of Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant OJSC, SmartNews
The composition of the new Ulyanovsk reconnaissance battalion is already 100% formed. All of them are contract soldiers, selected by a strict medical and military commission.
If any of the Ulyanovsk residents wish to serve under a contract in the 31st assault separate airborne brigade, you need to either come to the military registration and enlistment office at your place of residence, or to the Ulyanovsk selection point for military service by contract. The latter is located on Volnaya Street, 1. There the young man must indicate his desire. Specialists will tell you whether there are vacancies in the team on the day of your application, and if so, they will help you collect the necessary documents and advise you on the timing of their appointment.
Oleg Filatov, head of the department for preparation of conscription and recruitment of citizens for military service under the contract of the military commissariat Ulyanovsk region,SmartNews,
The idea of creating joint forces within the CSTO was first voiced in December 2012.
Video
Joint troops will be created within the CSTO
Video: VestiKavkaza/YouTube
Nikolai Choban, a graduate of a tank school, made his first parachute jump as a lieutenant. It so happened that his documents were not sent to the Ryazan landing on time. But the visa imposed on them by one of the military registration and enlistment officers - “we recommend him to the Ulyanovsk Tank, he will still have time to become a paratrooper” - turned out to be prophetic. Just like the words of the battalion commander before the first jump: “Once you jump, you won’t want to serve in other troops.”
However, Nikolai never dreamed of others. And, having received the desired appointment to the airborne division that had just left Kirovabad for Ulyanovsk, he was simply happy. The very first months of service convinced me that I had made the right choice. There were no difficulties with adaptation. Firstly, he himself was obsessed with difficult service." winged infantry"And also, probably, because, having finished third at the very first cross-country of battalion officers, he somehow immediately became one of his own. In general, soon no one remembered his non-landing origins. True, Nikolai himself truly understood what is a landing, only having received a baptism of fire in January 1995?
The regiment marched in a marching column in the direction of Argun. When reconnaissance reported that the enemy had prepared a defense, the regiment commander decided to attack on the move. Meanwhile, the militants, who then had a whole arsenal Soviet weapons, built a defense according to all the rules of military science, “burying” more than a dozen artillery pieces at an advantageous position. Not only is the strength and firepower the attackers and defenders were approximately equal, the paratroopers to withdraw combat vehicles for direct fire, it was necessary to overcome an impressive size railway embankment.
It was a brutal night battle: roaring engines, combat vehicles crawling along the plasticine of a plowed clay field soaked from rain, explosions all around, there are dead and wounded... “If only I could get over this embankment,” the thought flashed in Nikolai’s head like lightning, and then At the same moment, the BMD in front was literally torn apart by a direct hit. And his “penny,” as the paratroopers call the old BMD-1 in their slang, suddenly gets stuck between the rails right in the middle of the embankment. There's probably no better feeling...
Rushing from car to car, he tried to slow someone down so that they would catch the rope, but in the heat of battle everyone was in a hurry to cross the embankment, trying to keep up with their own. The next BMD that Nikolai stopped turned out to be the regiment commander’s vehicle: “What, lieutenant, are you stuck, lagging behind your troops? Take up defensive positions here!” Having finally moved down the embankment with the help of the tank assigned to the regiment, Nikolai carried out the order of the regiment commander. The militants, abandoning their positions and guns, fled to Argun before dawn.
And the most striking episode happened in the Argun Gorge. An engineering vehicle based on a tank, together with its crew, skidded towards the cliff... Nikolai and his paratroopers were sent to get the guys. They went down and saw: right next to mountain river lies a soldier wounded by a sniper. He moves slightly, unconscious, in his hand is a grenade with the ring pulled out... And twenty meters above him, stuck in the trees, this very tank hangs. And, shuddering from the explosions of aerial bombs, it is about to fall down. Having approached the wounded man, Nikolai carefully took the grenade out of his hand, unscrewed the fuse and pulled out the soldier who had been lying there for a day from under the multi-ton colossus, which then nevertheless slid down. Having removed a machine gun and documents from the car, the paratroopers safely reached their own.
The Ulyanovsk paratroopers also advanced through the Argun Gorge during the second Chechen campaign. Just not from north to south, but vice versa - from south to north. The militants, avoiding open clashes, increasingly acted from ambushes. However, Nikolai, who was already the deputy commander of the parachute battalion, had an easier time fighting in the second campaign than in the first. And when in April 2000 he went with an armored group to save the rear column of Tula paratroopers that was ambushed on the way out of Serzhen-Yurt, and when in July he removed the air force special forces from the mountains, surrounded by militants without water and food... Experience is a great thing, especially at war.
A special battalion appeared as part of the Ulyanovsk separate airborne assault brigade. Scouts in blue berets will carry out special assignments of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and will also receive new promising weapons that are superior to their foreign counterparts.
New military A reconnaissance unit appeared in Ulyanovsk on the basis of the 31st Airborne Brigade. It is entirely made up of contract soldiers and belongs to the troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The airborne brigade itself has been a peacekeeping force since last year. More than 300 of its employees were transferred to contract work. The leadership of the 31st brigade does not say exactly how many people were included in the separate reconnaissance battalion.
SmartNews Help
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a military-political union created by several Eurasian states (at different times the organization united from 6 to 9 states) on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty (CSTO), signed on May 15, 1992.
The CSTO protects territorial and economic This space of the countries participating in the treaty through the joint efforts of armies and auxiliary units from any external military-political aggressors, international terrorists, as well as from large-scale natural disasters.
In accordance with the plan for the construction of airborne troops, a reconnaissance battalion was formed in the 31st separate air assault brigade. It is formed and fully staffed. Its armament is currently underway. The equipment arrives in accordance with the state. The personnel began carrying out combat training activities and mastering incoming military equipment.
The other day, the reconnaissance officers completed their first training camp. They practiced tactical training behind enemy lines, group exercises at control points using new unmanned aerial vehicles, the actions of a special-purpose reconnaissance group in an ambush, and others. A special commission of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation came to evaluate the knowledge and skills of the “blue berets”, on the task of the commander of the airborne troops.
Today, the battalion command, personnel, and unit commanders are showing reasonable initiative to master new equipment. At this stage they have mastered the training program well. The equipment of units and subunits of the airborne troops, and especially reconnaissance units, will be carried out with new and promising models of military equipment. Those that are not inferior to, and perhaps in many ways superior to, their foreign counterparts.
Nikolai Choban, head of combat training of the Russian airborne troops, SmartNews
In the near future, the 31st Brigade will receive modern weapons - heavy equipment, and new Arbalet-2 parachute systems have already arrived. According to the plan, in 2014, scouts will be equipped with new Russian ORSIS T-5000 rifles. According to the director of the local ammunition factory, Alexander Votyakov, they begin producing ammunition for it in February.
The enterprise has specially installed Italian equipment from Wasini. These are special automatic lines for assembling cartridges. Thanks to this, we begin production of high-precision 338Lapua Mag cartridges. and 308Win. They are designed for the ORSIS T-5000 rifle and its foreign analogues. The new equipment will allow for high-precision assembly: pressing the primer into the cartridge case, dispensing gunpowder, centering the bullet in the cartridge case, ensuring that the barrel of the cartridge case with the inserted bullet is compressed with the same force, and performing 100% automatic control of the main design parameters of the cartridge. The machine is also very comfortable to work with.
Alexander Votyakov, head of Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant OJSC, SmartNews
The composition of the new Ulyanovsk reconnaissance battalion is already 100% formed. All of them are contract soldiers, selected by a strict medical and military commission.
If any of the Ulyanovsk residents wish to serve under a contract in the 31st Assault Separate Airborne Brigade, they must either come to the military registration and enlistment office at their place of residence, or to the Ulyanovsk selection point for military service under a contract. The latter is located on Volnaya Street, 1. There the young man must indicate his desire. Specialists will tell you whether there are vacancies in the team on the day of your application, and if so, they will help you collect the necessary documents and advise you on the timing of their appointment.
Oleg Filatov, head of the department for preparation of conscription and recruitment of citizens for military service under contract of the military commissariat of the Ulyanovsk region, SmartNews,
The idea of creating joint forces within the CSTO was first voiced in December 2012.
We are accustomed to seeing our always combat-ready Airborne Troops in action: parachuting out together with combat vehicles, dashing on marches “astride” BMDs, and immediately entering the battle after landing. “Blue Berets” flash in smoke and flames in numerous reports about the combat training of paratroopers, they are watered by rains and blown by training ground winds, we see them in documentary footage from the Chechen war, not a single major one from other “hot spots” combat operation can't do without paratroopers!
But airborne combat training is not all romance, shooting and parachute jumping, as it might seem to an outsider. back side medals mean grueling daily work, repeated training in any weather, in day and night conditions. Combat standards, like the actions when packing a parachute and when making a jump, are practiced many times until automaticity is achieved, and this is an everyday matter, at times even routine. But it is here, on this side invisible to the prying eye, remaining behind the scenes of television reports, that future victories of the landing force are born. Because learning to win is a long, very difficult and, let us emphasize, not always an exciting thing.
But the main thing is the training of commanders. For the simple reason that they are the ones entrusted with commanding people, leading them into battle and being responsible for them. And among the main events in the organization of combat training, a separate dominant position in its importance is occupied by regularly held training and methodological gatherings of the leadership of the Airborne Forces. The entire process of combat training, the entire methodology throughout the year, originates precisely from such “commander’s” training, as officers often call them among themselves.
This year, a meeting of the leadership of the Airborne Forces was held in Pskov under the leadership of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, at the base of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division. The author of these lines visited there. And despite the fact that some time has passed since the training camp, this topic is always relevant. We invite the reader to see how the commanders of airborne formations study, how this kind of training is conducted, on which a lot depends in the combat training of paratroopers.
TO A UNIFIED METHOD
...The training ground of the Airborne Forces Strugi Krasnye is more than a hundred kilometers from the ancient beauty of Pskov. A little to the side of the obstacle course, along which driver mechanics learn to drive airborne combat vehicles, stands an inconspicuous “camouflage” formation of people, blending with the terrain. However, coming closer, you see that this structure is unusual. It consists entirely of senior officers, mostly colonels, most of them commanders of units and formations. And now, imagine, all these respectable people are carefully watching how, before their eyes, only two BMDs drive over obstacles for demonstrative purposes. If you don’t know that they have seen such a picture thousands of times, and in their units they are senior commanders who organize all classes, including driving, and each of them has driven BMD professionally since their lieutenant days, then you might think that the officers discovered something new. Moreover, they do not just look, but carefully observe, exchanging comments with each other. And here you already begin to understand that for all of them this event is by no means ordinary or everyday, and they all really discover some elements of novelty that are visible only to a professional eye. In this case, the participants of the training camp were shown a methodologically correct, verified (scientifically and practically) methodology for conducting a lesson in driving combat vehicles.
In the same way, very carefully, if not meticulously (in the sense that the commander’s eye notices any inaccuracy), these officers had already observed at another training point how the BMD crews were shooting weapons, loading, and then, having gone to the directorate , fired at targets on the move. Again, the organizers of the gathering showed a single proven method of conducting shooting.
From the supervisor's tower it was clearly visible how the tracers accurately pierced the targets. The leader of the lesson tirelessly commented on the actions of the crews, focusing on every detail. Participants in the gathering wrote down something in their notebooks, some took photographs of their study areas, shared observations, and asked questions to the leader of the session. In a word, it was clear that there were no outside observers here; the commanders took everything that was said during the demonstration exercises very seriously.
And there are good reasons for this. I remember one short but succinct phrase said to the participants of the gathering by the commander of the Airborne Forces Vladimir Shamanov: “We do not have the right to leave here until each of you has mastered everything thoroughly, down to the smallest detail...” And he said “we have no right.” Why so categorically, the question arises? There is a simple answer: because the experience presented here comes at a very high price. This is the price of people's lives on the battlefield. The highest meaning of the commander's burden is to complete the task and save people as much as possible. Every year at such training camps, commanders are given a methodology in which there is nothing superfluous. This is the result of constant analysis of the latest, most modern trends in combat training and, above all, combat experience, paid for in blood.
Speaking about how the advanced unified methodology was developed, V. Shamanov, in particular, said: “For example, on one of the main, most pressing problems of training related to aspects of shooting from BMD, full-fledged research papers. We were attracted by the scientific potential of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, where there is a strong department on this topic. Many practical provisions were developed in the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, where the training is held. Why on its basis? Last year, it was the Pskov division that passed the inspection test, so they were very seriously studying the methodology, in particular, they carried out a scrupulous analysis in all areas of improving fire training. As a result, they showed stable good result. Methodological developments formed the basis of the advanced, unified, carefully verified methodology that we demonstrate here at these training camps...”
Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov brought specific example, characterizing the developed fire training methodology. It turns out that an experiment was carried out in the Pskov compound. We formed two crews from recently conscripted contract servicemen who had never fired from an infantry fighting vehicle and had nothing to do with this equipment (usually the crews of combat vehicles are staffed by specialists who came from the Airborne Forces training center in Omsk). With them in shortest time carried out a set of measures to prepare for shooting based on the fire training methodology developed in the division. Then they gave us the opportunity to perform a firing exercise using BMD weapons. The first race is one five and two fours. The second race is two fives and one four.
This is what advanced technology and experienced commanders mean. IN minimum time The maximum result was obtained, and it speaks for itself.
The Airborne Forces commander expressed gratitude to the deputy commander of the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Guard, Colonel Nikolai Choban, who did a lot to develop a unified fire training methodology. By the way, at the meeting of the management team, Nikolai Petrovich directly conducted classes at training points. In particular, he told his colleagues how he came to understand that it was necessary to improve the methods of training in shooting from BMD. There was a period in the division when, despite the achievement of solid, stable skills in operations when arming the crews of combat vehicles, the results of hitting targets at test firing remained unstable: sometimes good, sometimes suddenly low. At first they could not understand what the reasons were. Outwardly, everything seems to be fine, all the questions have been worked out, and the results are “dancing.” And then they began to conduct a detailed analysis of the entire training of gunners-operators and BMD commanders at every stage, down to the smallest detail. And then they showed up real reasons unstable results in fire training. It turned out that the measures to prepare for firing and bring weapons to normal combat were not fully carried out, and deficiencies in the seasonal maintenance of weapons and equipment also affected.
Based on the analysis of the identified deficiencies, the necessary changes were made to the fire training methodology. As a result, crew training in shooting has now become much more effective. And during the gathering, the experience of the Pskov division was adopted by the commanders of other formations and units. And not only airborne paratroopers, but also Marine Corps.
The black berets of the Marine commanders stood out among the senior airborne officers. This year, for the first time in practice, commanders of formations and units of coastal marine forces were invited to the meeting of the leadership of the Airborne Forces. This is explained by the fact that the tasks of airborne and naval paratroopers are similar in nature and have much in common. Marines and landing forces often interact during exercises, not to mention “hot spots”: for example, during the first and second Chechen wars They often fought side by side, many knew each other personally from military operations. And one more significant point: many marine officers graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School. So both types of landing, one might say, are related structures. And they have some of the same combat experience.
At the end of the meeting, Marine commanders praised what they saw. For example, the commander of the “black beret” formation of the Northern Fleet, a participant in the combat operations of the guard, Colonel Alexey Maslov, in his commentary said that the unified methodology for conducting classes was shown very effectively, and he took a lot of useful things for himself. At the same time, the combat training programs for marines and paratroopers are fundamentally similar in many ways and have a single methodological basis.
His colleague from the Airborne Forces, the commander of the 31st separate air assault brigade, is a legendary personality: Hero of the Russian Federation, Guard Colonel Gennady Anashkin, assessing the event, emphasized that “the gathering was prepared for the highest level, and the experience gained here will help improve the process of training paratroopers.” Such an assessment from the lips of a participant in the first and second Chechen campaigns, who, during the operation to force Georgia to peace, commanded a tactical group of paratroopers in the vanguard and stormed a Georgian military base with forces superior in number and equipment, is worth a lot. For the courage and heroism shown during the operation, he was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
Each individual from this star formation of senior officers of the Airborne Forces and Marine Corps is a person, awarded military awards, and wise with command experience. Everyone has a story to tell. But, as often happens, they did not strive to become heroes of journalistic essays and sketches. People are truly deserved, they are usually very modest. And the atmosphere of the gathering itself was not conducive to communication; all participants were constantly busy with business. But at the same time, none of the experienced officers refused to comment on the substance of the matter.
Thus, the head of the combat training department of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Eremin, briefly explained the value of such annual training sessions. By the way, as a “chief boy,” he prepared combat training classes for the participants of the training camp. I think the highest assessment for him, as for all the officers involved in this important matter, was the kind reviews addressed to the organizers of the classes.
Let’s say, a certain amount of time has passed, occupied by continuous combat training, problems have emerged in some disciplines, Sergei Viktorovich expresses his view. It turned out more low grade than planned. And this problem is analyzed in great detail at such an educational and methodological gathering. All management personnel from different units are examining what is the cause of this particular problem. Then, as demonstration classes are carried out, they show ways to eliminate these shortcomings. And so on literally every issue, including combat readiness, driving, tactics, questions logistics support, in a word, everything in a complex. All problems are analyzed very carefully, everyone expresses their thoughts. Everything new in the methodology and organization of classes is communicated to everyone.
At a meeting of the management team, not only any individual problems are considered, but all issues as a whole. That is, this is not a simple demonstration of the organization of classes, and what has already been covered a hundred times is not repeated. No, here it is precisely novelty, relevance, search effective solutions. Analyzed as a whole existing system organization of combat training, its methodological basis, ways to improve it are being jointly sought. Taking into account the specifics, of course. So, the artillerymen at the training ground trained at separate training points, they had their own program. To this it must be added that the topic of the training camp was largely predetermined by the results of surprise inspections of the combat readiness of units and formations. All the main shortcomings were subjected to thorough analysis, and conclusions were drawn for the future.
We asked Guard Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Eremin to clarify the issue regarding combat training in the Airborne Forces. Not everyone remembers, but there was a time when there were no air assault units, there were only parachute units. Later, air assault units appeared, which were more technically equipped. So what is the difference in the combat training of an airborne formation and an air assault unit like the 76th Guards Division?
The tasks, essentially, are the same, but the difference is significant, the officer replied. An airborne assault landing by parachute, as a rule, is aimed at deep behind enemy lines to carry out various actions there, for example, of a raid or supporting nature. Air assault units are already carrying out massive landings by landing method; this is a group with considerable firepower, with much big amount armored vehicles, artillery pieces, etc. A kind of function, let's say, of a striking fist. Of course, the airborne assault formation no longer carries out tasks at such a great distance as the airborne forces, that is, closer to the front line, but accordingly combat capabilities much higher. For example, the first to be dropped is an airborne assault force, which has the task of capturing and holding an enemy airfield, and then air assault units with equipment land there...
True, as one of the paratrooper officers who graduated from the Air Defense Academy later told us, modern means Oh air defense an airborne force may have little chance of landing. Nevertheless, the Airborne Forces were, are and remain the most mobile and combat-ready troops, and there is no alternative to them as a kind of rapid reaction force. This was clearly demonstrated by everyone local conflicts past years. Including an operation to force Georgia to peace, where the paratroopers again went first, stunning the enemy with their pressure and the frantic pace of the offensive.
COMBAT CHECK
I remember one of the culminating moments of the training camp, a demonstration exercise with live firing of the airborne assault battalion held at the training ground.
...It has been raining continuously all day. On command post monitor, a bird's-eye view of the area vibrates slightly. This is a “report” from an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft circling over the positions of a mock enemy. Minor disturbances due to bad weather. But the drone “sees” all targets clearly, their coordinates are immediately established and immediately transmitted for suppression by artillery. Without delay, the battery of self-propelled guns worked on the identified targets. The targets are precisely covered, the signal is given to advance to the attack. The air assault battalion entered the battle. The paratroopers acted coherently, in cooperation with all the reinforcements provided.
Unmanned aircraft Throughout the entire battle he continued to patrol the scene of events, providing a picture online. This helped to quickly call for help from artillery during a counterattack, suppress the most dangerous targets, and maneuver.
New technologies are increasingly entering the practice of the Airborne Forces, and the process is gaining momentum. For example, the most modern parameters correspond to the automated troop control system (ACS) “Andromeda” and its subsystem for the division division regiment “Polyot-K”, the capabilities of which were also discussed Special attention at the gathering. The paratroopers have already repeatedly tested the new automated control systems during exercises and are convinced that they raise the level by an order of magnitude combat control. At this gathering, communications specialists taught commanders how to work on automated control systems at the tactical level.
Another small but significant touch. During the demonstration exercise, the training camp participants did not hide under a canopy, but took the most advantageous place from where full picture what's happening. And this advantageous place was at the very top, in the pouring rain. It was noticeable that the officers were trying not to miss a single detail. The commanders of formations and units threw their cloaks over themselves like soldiers, listened and listened. Even from this episode, it was clear that the commanders of the paratroopers and marines were accustomed to training grounds, and not to warm offices...
Watching the progress training battle, the participants in the training camp prepared their observations and comments to later express them during the discussion. Joint search for the most powerful tactics, analysis of the most modern methods conducting combat operations is one of strengths such annual events where commanders learn.
WE NEED TRUEPROFESSIONALS
It was interesting to hear an opinion about the effectiveness of commander training from the deputy commander of the Airborne Forces, Major General Andrei Kholzakov, who very carefully watched the battle during the battalion exercise and was generally pleased with the actions of the paratroopers.
We have been conducting such demonstration exercises for two years now, in which we demonstrate the most advanced tactics, said Andrey Vladimirovich. They were shown in different places where formations of the Airborne Forces are stationed. All this is very effective in terms of training commanders. On the battlefield, a situation is created that is close to a real combat one, and the commander must take action in the shortest possible time. right decisions in different situations. Using the example of such demonstration exercises, commanders are taught how to properly organize a battle, and using modern means, such as an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. Anyone who sees the battlefield from above online can quickly and correctly find the right solution.
Generally in Lately a lot has changed, and new methods in combat training are a logical continuation of improving troops, bringing them to a new qualitative level, he continued, answering a question about the relevance of commander training. Acquisition forms are changing, soon, towards the end this year, we will have mostly professionals serving us, which means that approaches to training will change. Conscript soldiers will remain, but in positions that do not determine the combat effectiveness of the units. All crews in the formations will be formed according to a mixed principle, where the main positions of combat specialists will be occupied by professional warriors. Accordingly, it is necessary to improve the preparation methodology. A contract worker needs to be taught thoroughly once, and then he will only practice and improve.
I asked how much a contract soldier in the Airborne Forces earns on average today? Major General A. Kholzakov replied that contract soldiers get paid differently: during service under the first contract, less, then the salary increases progressively. When fulfilling the norm for parachute jumping, there is an increase of 50%, the so-called increase with the risk of life, if it fits into the standards for physical training, fulfills the standard for class qualifications, there are also corresponding allowances, it all adds up. On average, an experienced contract worker earns about 35 thousand. The salary is quite competitive compared to civilian salaries. Although here not everything depends on money. Not everyone will agree to do the hard labor of a soldier, no matter how much you pay.
Now we still have people who really want to serve, Andrei Vladimirovich summed up. The process of recruiting contract soldiers is not easy; we try to recruit only worthy, well-motivated people who represent all the difficulties of the service. We don't need random people. In addition, not everyone is suitable for service in the Airborne Forces; there is a strict selection based on health. As for the number of contract soldiers today, the situation is different in different parts. The Airborne Forces unit in Ulyanovsk, commanded by Hero of the Russian Guard, Colonel Gennady Anashkin, is most staffed with professionals. First of all, due to the fact that the process of carefully selecting worthy candidates there and before proceeded continuously, systematically and efficiently. Therefore, it naturally led to the result. In general, the task of creating professional units is quite feasible, you just need to approach the matter wisely, as in the same Ulyanovsk brigade.
YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW DAY WALK IN A PAIR
The Airborne Forces are being qualitatively updated, and this process cannot but rejoice. The same is true with the rearmament of troops: it has begun, but is still, one might say, in an early stage. In this regard, I remember one small, but characteristic today moment during a demonstration exercise. When one of the BMD2s stalled and “took off its shoes” during the deployment of the battalion into battle formation, they immediately began to pull it out with another vehicle. Things were difficult; the equipment started up with a creaking sound. The officers standing nearby noticed that these combat vehicles went through both the first and second Chechen campaigns. They are already thirty years old, but still on the move! But maintaining such equipment in “walking” condition is becoming more and more difficult every year. Sometimes, they told me, cars have to change almost all the stuffing, looking for spare parts wherever possible. One of the officers remarked with sad irony: “Even iron has its own limit of resistance...”
You involuntarily begin to compare. Here it is, a 21st century modern drone over the battlefield, latest systems combat control, advanced combat equipment, other know-how. And nearby are the old BMD2 combat vehicles, which have exhausted their service life and are kept on the move only by the selfless (without the slightest exaggeration) efforts of the paratroopers. Not long ago, a battalion from the Pskov division, raised by a sudden alarm, in the shortest possible time reached the specified area on its worn-out BMD2s, marching at the highest possible speeds for rough terrain. Indeed, there are no impossible tasks for the landing force, as the motto of the “blue berets” says.
But this, we emphasize, is already the limit. The equipment in the troops needs to be changed, which is what the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, is persistently striving for. The conversation about rearmament arose at the end of the training camp, after the military council of the Airborne Forces. Vladimir Anatolyevich said that rearmament no longer tolerates delay, especially considering the fact that everything last years this process was delayed in every possible way. Now, finally, the first samples of the Rakushka armored personnel carrier will arrive at the Ulyanovsk formation Airborne Forces already in September, and the first samples of BMD4M in December of this year. Within several months, the equipment will undergo state tests. That is, the paratroopers will in every possible way test the survivability of the few samples that arrive to them, testing all their combat qualities, and along the way developing their own proposals for improvement.
But there are many significant nuances regarding repairing equipment and maintaining it in working condition. So, repair companies have been recreated in the troops, which is, of course, good. But the bad thing is that acute shortage spare parts for equipment. Factories no longer produce many spare parts for BMD, just those that are desperately needed by the troops to revive old vehicles. Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov recalled that the vast majority of equipment has been in operation for 30 to 40 years, many combat vehicles have already undergone 34 major overhauls. Lack of spare parts hinders the repairability of parts. In addition, the issue is being resolved with the Oboronservis structures regarding work on current repairs, interseasonal transfer of equipment. The commander of the Airborne Forces sees the advisability of returning the function of transferring equipment to the troops, and carrying out such work using the crews of combat vehicles, as was the case before. It is encouraging that many problematic issues collections were discussed in a constructive spirit with representatives of Oboronservis. We agreed that each side would put forward its proposals for its own vision of solving the problem.
THERE WILL BE POLYGONSRE-EQUIPPED
One of the most pressing problems in providing combat training is the training and material base of the ranges, which is aging over the years. Today they are maintained by all means in working order, but what will happen tomorrow? Combat training in the Airborne Forces is carried out with maximum intensity, the existing testing equipment has been in operation for many decades and needs to be improved in accordance with the new technologies of today. And there is no need to prove the fact that the quality of combat training of paratroopers will directly depend on the condition of the training grounds. It was not without reason that this issue was raised at a meeting of the management team, during training at the training ground.
Participants in the gathering were shown modern testing equipment developed by domestic manufacturers. This is primarily a modular set of shooting range equipment based on the principle of radio control. It can be deployed in the field, almost anywhere, to create any target environment. The complex is autonomous and, when assembled, is placed on a vehicle base.
The attention of officers was also attracted by modern targets made of a material reminiscent of plastic: lightweight, comfortable, withstand hundreds of hits (bullet holes are partially closed spontaneously), with an electronic sensor signaling that the target has been hit.
The Strugi Krasnye training ground, where the collection took place, is one of the main training grounds of the Airborne Forces, and enormous infrastructure work was carried out on it over the course of several months. Literally all the facilities have been updated: the director's office, the shooting range, the track for driving BMD, tactical fields, the field camp where the units are located, all this was done not for show, but in good faith. AND main value the training ground is not that on the eve of the demonstration training everything was “polished” on it. This goes without saying and is completely understandable. Still, the level of management fees requires a lot. No, the most important thing is that all this equipment, which has been in use for decades, is in good order and works, providing combat training. And the main merit for this is true professionals in their field.
I admit I was surprised to learn that the range maintenance unit is one hundred percent military personnel contract service. Most of them are serving on their third or fourth contract; there are also real veterans. For example, the head of the military shooting range, senior sergeant of the contract service, Alexander Goncharenko, has been serving in the Airborne Forces for decades, and recently, as an exception, his contract was extended for another three years. Such a specialist top class. As I was told, he is one of those people who can detect any problem even by sound. Or, for example, the director’s chief, sergeant major Igor Balobolov, has been serving in the Airborne Forces under a contract for his fifth term; he once began as a paratrooper. An irreplaceable specialist. And there are plenty of similar examples. We can only add that these are precisely the contract soldiers we need.
Now about the future of the Strugi Krasnye landfill. Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, answering this question, said that “within two years it is planned to carry out a major reconstruction here, which will increase the capabilities of the test site by an order of magnitude.” At the same time, he noted that the reconstruction of this training ground and others will be associated with great difficulties due to the fact that in the past three years, funding for combat training was meager, and in some areas there was no funding at all. Starting this year, this process has only begun to recover, and encouraging prospects have emerged.
I asked Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov about today’s prospects for the development of the Airborne Forces training ground base as a whole, and what ways will they be improved?
“Two main routes have been chosen,” answered Vladimir Anatolyevich. The first is the introduction of new technologies, both domestic and our West German colleagues. As you know, a combat training center based on the most modern electronic technologies is being created at the combined arms training ground near Mulino. These are tactical training complexes (we published material about state tests of one of them in Orientir). Note ed.), laser attachments for the armament of combat vehicles, providing complete objectivity in monitoring the training of crews, including within units, and many other know-how. Following this path, we will also introduce new technologies into our troops. This will take into account Foreign experience. For example, France, where we were given the opportunity to get acquainted with an army training ground, or Canada, where there is a very good training ground for practicing actions in mountainous desert areas, we will visit there too.
The second way is, of course, the use of new target equipment on radio-controlled remote controls. It allows you to create a wide variety of target situations with an unexpected display of targets in unfamiliar terrain, essentially “in a sketch.” After all, one of the main problems of our landfills is that the entire infrastructure is connected to a huge number of cable lines. They are bulky and consume a large number of electricity. New equipment does not require cable lines.
However, there are also significant problems here. Unfortunately, our industry cannot provide battery with increased capacity. This problem, purely technological, has not yet been resolved, although it has been around for the past five years. However, as can be seen from the testing equipment shown here, a step forward has been taken. But not enough. Future prospects will largely depend not only on funding, but primarily on the conduct of research work. I told my colleagues that we shouldn’t stop there. We need to move in the direction of searching for new power sources, new opportunities for creating a target environment, the material of the targets themselves, and so on. There are many promising options for solving problems..."
According to the Airborne Forces commander, work in this direction is underway, which means there will be results. The problem of improving testing equipment is also fundamentally important, because even with the best technology you won’t last long on old hardware. Today, equipment is being reanimated by the golden hands of specialists (like worn-out military equipment), but everything has its limits, and we need to look to the future. Which, in fact, was what the meeting of the management team was dedicated to.
I would like to say in conclusion that the impressions from the collection are very contrasting. As already mentioned, the day past and the day tomorrow go hand in hand. Old and new side by side. A lot of problems have accumulated, which no one hides, starting with the commander. As we see, these problems are beginning to be resolved, albeit not immediately. But the most powerful impression from what I saw at the training ground was the people. There were, are and will be difficulties, but for the paratroopers and their fighting spirit there really are no barriers. This, perhaps, is the most important thing.
Oleg KOBYLETSKY.
Photo by Alexey VERPEKA