By: Roger McDermott
Several statements together with interviews from Russia’s state of war machine altitude brass, specially marker the 5th anniversary of the solar daytime of the month of Sergei Shoigu every bit government minister of defence inwards Nov 2012, banker's complaint the endeavour to reintroduce a disclose of divisions to the monastic tell of battle (OOB). These structural-level changes look to grade a difference from Anatoly Serdyukov’s (defense government minister inwards 2007–2012) reforms to displace the OOB to a brigade-based model. The reappearance of divisions inwards the Ground Forces has too been interpreted every bit a sign that the General Staff is preparing to comport “large-scale” warfare against a conventional enemy. This interpretation seems to fit amongst the thought that the Russian state of war machine is preoccupied amongst confronting a threat from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, some of the details to a greater extent than or less the displace to reintroduce divisions to the OOB, every bit good every bit the locations of these formations, betoken to Moscow preparing for long-term conflict inwards Ukraine, replete amongst a hit of escalation options (see EDM, March 6, 2018; TASS, Dec 22, 2017).
In an interview amongst Krasnaya Zvezda, the commander-in-chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, touched on the underlying thinking involved inwards these changes. He noted that during Shoigu’s leadership, a disclose of combined-arms brigades were reorganized into divisions. Salyukov referred to 7 divisions across 3 state of war machine districts, earlier noting that these tin increment firepower together with smasher over a broader front. Salyukov denied whatsoever intention to displace alone away from a mainly brigade-based OOB (Krasnaya Zvezda, March 7).
Among these 7 recreated divisions, 4 are located inwards the Western Military District (MD): the sec (Taman) Motorized Rifle Division—Kalininets, the quaternary (Kantemir) Tank Division—Naro-Fominsk, the tertiary Motorized Rifle Division—Valyuki, together with the 144th Motorized Rifle Division—Klintsy. Two are inwards the Southern Dr. together with ane inwards the Central MD: the 150th Motorized Rifle Division—Kadamovskiy together with the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division—Khankala (Southern MD), every bit good every bit the 90th Tank Division—Chebarkul (Central MD). Two to a greater extent than divisions are nether construction inwards the Southern MD, scheduled for completion past times the destination of 2018; therefore, the overall programme for the reformed divisions is 4 deployed inwards each of the Western together with Southern MDs, amongst ane inwards the Central Dr. (see EDM, January 9, 2018; April 25, 2017).
Salyukov explained that the divisions render of import sense for commanders inwards controlling larger formations, piece the brigades afford a grade of mobility. Although he made no refer of the battalion tactical groups that at in ane lawsuit characteristic every bit a permanent laid upwards of structures inwards the Ground Forces’ OOB, Salyukov described this mix of divisions together with brigades every bit a “balanced groups of forces” (sbalansirovannyye gruppirovki voysk). This concept appears to encapsulate a to a greater extent than balanced approach to forcefulness construction than the defence ministry building pursued during the reforms of 2008–2012. While in that location was much dispute inwards the General Staff concerning the utility of “heavy” combined-arms brigades, amongst efforts to remodel the organic brigade structures to allow for to a greater extent than firepower, the reintroduction of a small-scale disclose of divisions seems to address this perceived deficiency. It too facilitates improved command together with command of large forcefulness groupings, drawing upon lessons from the periods of the forcefulness buildup of troops closed to Ukraine (Krasnaya Zvezda, March 7).
Salyukov consistently places these changes inwards the context of defence modernization together with stresses an increasing reliance upon high-precision weaponry together with other advanced systems. Like his altitude brass colleagues, Salyukov is impressed past times the results of testing such systems inwards Syria, together with the political leadership supports the wider introduction of such systems inwards the future. Indeed, the senior leadership of Russia’s Armed Forces expresses growing confidence inwards the state of war machine manpower, amongst sufficient numbers of contract personnel entering service together with beingness retained, coupled amongst modernizing the inventory together with increased involvement inwards the high-precision dimension of rearmament (TASS, Dec 22, 2017; Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Nov 7, 2017).
The wider introduction of high-precision weapons, such every bit cruise missile systems, demonstrated together with tested inwards Syria, transcends the Ground Forces, representing a deeper policy to boost the book of such assets throughout the state of war machine every bit role of the integration of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance together with reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. Rooted inwards the sense of the operations inwards Syria, it is certainly that the Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno Kosmicheskikh Sil—VKS) volition greatly benefit. Unsurprisingly, therefore, next President Vladimir Putin’s speech communication on March 1, asset out the hope of hereafter “super weapons,” the VKS of late trialed a novel advanced hypersonic missile—the Kinzhal (“Dagger”). Although no official designation has been provided for the missile, it is referred to every bit the KH-47M2 Kinzhal, amongst the defence ministry building releasing footage of its firing from a MiG-31DZ; the missile organization is beingness tested inwards the Southern MD. The Kinzhal is a hypersonic missile traveling at Mach-10 together with above, amongst depression radar visibility, high maneuverability together with built-in evasive measures, together with a hit of upwards to 2,000 kilometers. It is promoted every bit having no counterpart anywhere inwards the world, amongst the boast that it tin overcome whatsoever adversary’s missile defence (Tvzvezda.ru, Aif.ru, March 11; Izvestia, March 10).
While these are offered every bit examples of tremendous breakthroughs inwards technology, the evolution of such systems oft lies inwards Soviet state of war machine theory together with procurement plans. The history of the Kinzhal organization draws on developments occurring inwards the USA Air Force inwards the 1950s together with the Soviet involvement inwards matching or countering such capabilities. What has changed is that Moscow is at in ane lawsuit actively investing inwards such projects together with thus, fifty-fifty if the approaches are “old,” their procurement inwards the hereafter fits amongst the displace toward greater hit together with high-precision conventional smasher capability (Voyenno Promyshlennyy Kuryer, March 13).
While the altitude brass volition welcome the introduction of a broader together with to a greater extent than various hit of high-precision smasher systems, it is the to a greater extent than prosaic changes inwards the forcefulness structure, coupled amongst nuanced concepts inwards the application of scrap power, that assistance boost Russian state of war machine capability. Thus, Salyukov’s phrase “balanced groups of forces” (sbalansirovannyye gruppirovki voysk), should endure noted, every bit good every bit how Russian state of war machine thinkers envisage the deployment of such forces across a wider “front.” These structural changes were drawn from the require to address weaknesses inwards the OOB, resulting from the hurried reforms of 2008 every bit good every bit lessons from the sense of assembling larger forcefulness groupings closed to the edge amongst Ukraine. Beyond the Ukraine conflict, such developments, complimented past times modernization together with shifts inwards operational tactics, volition house a wider laid upwards of state of war machine options at the Kremlin’s disposal, making recourse to state of war machine might to a greater extent than palatable inwards a multifariousness of situations, non to the lowest degree for coercive purposes.
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