In the Eastern Military District (BBO), training camps for company commanders for training in working with UAVs and other latest equipment have been launched, according to the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In particular, military personnel must gain the skills to operate the Orlan-10 multi-functional unmanned aerial systems and the Borisoglebsk-2 and Pole-21M electronic warfare systems.
“The commanders will study the capabilities of technology and gain the practice of using these systems in the interests of subordinate units. Part of the classes will take place at night, which is typical of modern wars and armed conflicts, ”the press service of the BBO says.
Over 1,500 commanders take part in the training camp. Training activities should be completed at the end of the week. At the final stage, the military will carry out control firing from small arms and military vehicles, as well as pass tests in all the main subjects of combat training.
“Act not according to the pattern”
The Russian Defense Ministry pays great attention to the training of company commanders, which, as a rule, are junior officers. This category of military personnel is on guard duty directly on the line of contact with the enemy and is responsible for the fulfillment of the tasks set by the higher authorities.
“As you know, a certain number of platoons enter the company. Depending on the type and type of company troops - this is about no more than a hundred people. In combined arms units, a company is usually led by a captain, less often a senior lieutenant. In any case, these are young junior officers aged 30 or less, ”Dmitry Kornev, founder of the Military Russia portal, explained in an interview with RT.
- Russian soldiers in the classroom
- © mod.mil.rus
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation notes that the company in modern conditions is a key tactical unit on the battlefield. The junior officer must confidently navigate in a rapidly changing environment and timely use the basic and attached forces and means.
The importance of such skills has been eloquently demonstrated by the Syrian campaign. This was in a last year’s interview with the Red Star, said Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District (SEE) Hero of Russia, Major General (Lieutenant General since February 2020) Rustam Muradov. According to him, earlier in the Russian army an emphasis was placed on the effectiveness of live firing, now the ability to act beyond the standards adopted by the troops is coming to the fore.
“The main efforts are focused on conducting tactical exercises, including bilateral ones. The latter became the most instructive and active, and when playing tactical actions of company commanders, they were forced to act not according to the pattern: to think how to deceive the enemy, maneuver with fire and units, use the given forces and means, ”Muradov said.
According to the materials of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, bilateral tactical exercises involve a conditional confrontation between two companies with live firing, including at night. They are necessary to assess the ability of commanders to unravel the enemy’s plan, conduct maneuverable defense and make rapid attacks.
As experts emphasized, today, training activities for junior officers are often held without approved scenarios. The company commanders are given a fairly broad autonomy of actions and ready-made template solutions are not imposed. This approach allows the military to more effectively hone the skills of managing subordinates and develop the ability to "calculate" the enemy, analysts point out.
“The skill of extraordinary actions is very important for the commander. This is talent, although some elements of military cunning can be instilled in officers. In any case, the junior commander must understand that the company rarely acts alone on the battlefield. If we are talking about the most numerous motorized rifle troops, the company commander should be able to interact with units equipped with UAVs, aircraft, helicopters, tanks and artillery , ” said Kornev.
In turn, Muradov, commenting on the role of the company unit in the theater of war, said that this unit was included in the reconnaissance and fire (strike) circuit, where the junior commander "is a kind of conductor managing the battle symphony."
“He (the company commander. - RT ) needs to conduct reconnaissance, open the enemy’s positions, inflict fire damage, and perform anti-fire maneuvers. It is important that the solution to the tasks go with small losses and with the combat effectiveness of the unit remaining, ”the Major General said.
Intelligence and defense
From the point of view of experts, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation makes adequate requirements for the professionalism of junior officers. According to analysts, the combined-arms company unit can be involved in a variety of armed conflicts, therefore, at the training camps, commanders are introduced to the latest technology that goes to army units.
“The training camp, which is now taking place in the Eastern Military District, allows companies to explore the capabilities of arming specialized units, with which it is likely to have to interact in exercises or in battle. The fact is that separate units are usually engaged in the operation of UAVs and electronic warfare systems, so the junior combined-arms commanders should have an idea how to interact with them or, if necessary, manage them, ”said Dmitry Kornev.
- Mobile electronic warfare systems of the RF Armed Forces
- © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Military expert Yuri Lyamin, in a RT commentary, noted that unmanned aerial vehicles in the Russian army have become the main tactical reconnaissance vehicle, which allows them to reveal enemy positions in the immediate rear. According to him, "Orlan-10", which was involved in the training and methodological training camps of the BBO, was widely used in the troops.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, this drone is designed for optoelectronic surveillance, target designation and radio intelligence of “mobile subscriber terminals, blocking GSM cellular communications, distorting the GPS navigation field”. The UAV was successfully used in the Syrian operation.
Orlan-10, Borisoglebsk-2, and Pole-21M are used mainly for reconnaissance purposes. They allow commanders to get a holistic picture of the enemy, to identify enemy communications, and then suppress them so that the enemy becomes blind and deaf, ”Lyamin explained.
The expert emphasized that in modern conditions the quality of unmanned aircraft and electronic warfare equipment can be crucial, as it allows commanders to make decisions appropriate to the situation. Moreover, electronic warfare systems are capable of protecting objects from the attack of cruise and ballistic missiles.
For example, Pole-21M is one of the latest Russian electronic warfare equipment. Parts of the combined arms army of the BBO received a batch of these systems in April 2020. The Pole-21M is adapted to extreme temperature conditions and is capable of covering strategically important objects from cruise missiles guided by air bombs and UAVs "by means of radio suppression of binding equipment to global satellite and radio navigation systems."
In turn, Borisoglebsk-2 can affect sources of electronic radiation in all frequency ranges, including spare ones, thereby completely disrupting the enemy command and control system. Also, this electronic warfare system suppresses the control channels of drones and data transmission of combat aircraft.
Dmitry Kornev believes that the Russian army is gaining a serious advantage by honing the combat coordination of units equipped with electronic warfare, UAVs and fire systems. According to him, the use of these types of weapons in a single circuit allows you to open targets, deliver accurate strikes and mask your own maneuvers.
“The main guarantee of success in the theater of operations is, first of all, combat coordination, and here the company’s unit plays almost a key role. Younger commanders should have a broad outlook and adequately respond to changing situations, sometimes making non-standard decisions. Only then will dissimilar forces act as a single mechanism, ”Kornev concluded.