Moscow is preparing special forces for the Arctic
The further, the sharper the struggle for resources in the world becomes. And, as this struggle intensifies, the significance of the Russian North is changing. From the "icy desert" it turns into a "pantry of the world." Already today, the Arctic produces 80% of Russian natural gas, oil, phosphorus, nickel, gold, and antimony ... The North gives Russia 12 – 15% of GDP and about 25% of exports. And this is despite the fact that the potential of the Arctic is used at best on 10%. There are enough candidates for such a tasty morsel, and after the collapse of the USSR they became more active.
In particular, the NATO countries are actively increasing their military presence in the Arctic. And recently, ground forces have also been added to traditional naval bases, tracking stations, air defense and missile defense systems - and this is not only defense, but also offensive means. The US Army has announced a competition for the creation of equipment and equipment for high latitudes, actively training marines war skills in the north. In Norway, in the immediate vicinity of the Russian border, a modern NATO testing ground has been created. Canada reinforces patrols, traditionally recruited from the Eskimos.
Speaking at the VI Moscow Conference on International Security, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that Russia views NATO’s actions in the Arctic as a demonstration of forceful advancement in their own interests. Such a demonstration did not remain unanswered, and, according to a presidential decree, 1 of December 2014 of the year created the joint strategic command "North", or otherwise the Arctic troops of Russia.
Began active work on the construction and modernization of airfields. At the last Victory Parade, foreign observers saw the Tor-M2DT anti-aircraft missile systems and the Pantsir-SA rocket-cannon based on the DT-30 two-link tracked carrier specially designed for the Arctic. But if the polar sky is covered securely, then there were problems with the ground forces.
JACK LONDON AND DON'T DECLINE
The length of the Arctic coast of Russia - 22 600 km. For the most part, there are no roads or people. This is a huge territory, not even clearly marked on the map. In winter, severe frosts, polar night, winds, snowstorms. In the summer - the abyss of thawed permafrost, and how much of it, that summer? If military units are placed here in the usual manner, the Arctic troops will swallow the entire military budget, like a pie, and they will not even notice the taste.
True, the enemy also did not let down a serious military contingent - Russia controls both the Northern Sea Route and airspace. However, we are not talking about any land war in the usual sense of the word (except for the Kola Peninsula), since the soldiers without special training have ordered the way to the Arctic. But actions by small groups of well-trained special forces are promising. Not necessarily under the NATO flag - it is much more convenient to act with the help of mercenaries from private military companies (PMCs), and even under the "roof" of environmental movements.
The adversary is simple: he slowly unloaded the group on the right section of the Northern Sea Route from a passing ship or threw it off the plane - and it's done. What should we do? How to drive the uninvited guests to the colossal, completely deserted expanses? Either keep military units and outposts all along the coast, or ... or solve logistics problems.
Suppose something has penetrated our territory. This is something that must be identified and neutralized. And for that, it would be nice to get to it. And absolutely everything - not only weapon and equipment, but also fuel, food, a tent and a stove - you need to carry with you. And at the same time to act quickly, otherwise the enemy will complete the task and leave, and the arctic troops arriving in time will be left with only empty cans.
And there are no roads here. That is, no. There are some well-groomed trails - but they depend on the season, the routes of the reindeer herders, and many other factors. On the other hand, it is full of gaps and cliffs that are not applied to any maps, plus such nice surprises of the landscape, as hummocks and polynyas, which are in principle unpredictable. And there are no people either, except for local reindeer herders and inhabitants of rare settlements and polar stations.
The deer and dog rifling raged by journalists is an attraction for the press. The deer runs slowly, needs feed and rest, carries little. During one of the trips, our paratroopers checked the capabilities of the hoofed horned in practice: three deer with a horse and two equipped paratroopers (that is, about 300 kg on a sleigh) went through as many 150 meters, after which one of the balls just fell. This question is closed.
A car or all-terrain vehicle is another opposite. It is big, it pulls a lot on itself, it is warm to ride in it, but there is a drawback - poor permeability. For him, you have to specifically choose the route, and in a blizzard or at zero visibility, stand and drink tea until it gets warm.
What to do? And here came to the aid of extreme tourists. There are few serious travelers in the North - too dangerous attraction. But in this case, one necessary group exists.
"NORTHERN DESIGN" COMES TO HELP
Alexander Peterman, an entrepreneur from Nizhnevartovsk, has been going to the tundra for nine years. His expeditions have long overgrown extreme campaigns, becoming a whole project called “Northern landing” (Peterman himself and most of his men were former Airborne Forces troops and special forces).
The team made its first trip in 2008, in 2009, it almost died, after which its members got down to business seriously. First of all, they began to look for and modernize vehicles - snowmobiles. Basic requirements for transport: the machine must be reliable, maintainable and preferably light.
Snowmobile - a kind of "Arctic motorcycle": two tracks and a ski guide. The model used by the expedition weighs a little more than 350 kg, the speed is up to 50 km / h, the permeability is remarkable: you can simply go in azimuth. Rough terrain, hummocks, even the scourge of the North — an ice-breaking trail — is not an obstacle for it. Can pull a sleigh weighing up to a ton. It would seem ideal, but for some reason, Canadian special units on snowmobiles go into the raid for just a day or two. Maybe they have enough, but for our distances is not a conversation.
The fact is that to go to the tundra even on a very good factory snowmobile and with factory equipment is a lottery. Each of a multitude of small factors that cannot be identified in any one test can be fatal. Understanding of the direction in which to upgrade the equipment gives only long-term experience.
“For example, the legs on a snowmobile are open,” says group mechanic Dmitry Fadeev. - With a minus of 40 degrees, the side wind penetrates into any gap, even into an unbound lace (the result is frostbite. - EP). We do the side protection from the wind, we put a sheet of cold-resistant high-molecular plastic, because ordinary plastic will break. Raise the windshield to the eye level - in the standard package the glass is rather low, and no matter how good the hat is, the headwind still blows. We put additional tanks so that it takes less time to refuel, with a pump - on the move, we simply pump fuel. Additional ski extenders, additional headlights in front and behind. In a blizzard, in a blizzard, visibility is less than 2 m, and behind earlier there were only parking lights.
On the trailer sleigh Dmitry told the whole saga. We remind you: in the Arctic, you have to take absolutely everything with you (in practice, you get up to a ton of cargo on a snowmobile). If the sleigh collapses beyond 500 km from housing, this is a disruption of the expedition. If 3000 is death again. In the last hike for the experiment, the group took with them one sleigh from aviation aluminum. The manufacturer guaranteed 3000 km with a load of 600 kg. They held out for 800 (with a load of 400 kg), and then just fell apart.
With the sleigh group suffered a very long time. What only they did not do. Neither metal nor plastic in the cold live - they become brittle, like crackers, and break. Lives, oddly enough, a tree. Therefore, runners make glued karagach, ash and stone birch. Connection with a snowmobile - from a conveyor belt, which also does not lose flexibility in the cold. In the last campaign, this small piece of ribbon saved the life of one of the participants. In a blizzard, with zero visibility, the driver did not notice a four-meter cliff. The man fell down, and the snowmobile hung on the sled mount. Do not stand the mount, he would fall on the driver: 350 kg from a height of 4 m - guaranteed death.
The group is experimenting not only with equipment, but with everything that is possible with clothes, food, equipment. And everywhere search, everywhere some of their original work. Plus the skills of walking at night, in a blizzard, along the hummocks, on the icebreaking trail, the ability not to lose each other in any situation ... On the day, they can go up to 600 km, the experience of autonomous walking on the tundra is up to a month, and if necessary they can hold out three times longer. Now in its tourism sector Peterman's group is the best in the world. And they are ready - moreover, they want and strive to transfer all their experience to the Ministry of Defense.
Usually in such cases it is said with sadness: “However, the ministry does not need this unique experience.” But not in this case!
Alexander Peterman is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Union of Paratroopers of Russia, which makes the task easier, because he can speak the same language with the military. In addition, he is a full member of the Russian Geographical Society, chaired by Sergey Shoigu. So contact with the Ministry of Defense was successful. In February, 2016 of the year, “Northern landing” held a week-long seminar for special forces soldiers on survival in the conditions of the Far North. One of the participants of the seminar passed the route with the group.
This year, six Special Forces officers and airborne troops were already marching with the Landing Force. Their tasks were great and diverse. Firstly, everyone will be able to become an instructor in his part upon his return. Not a master, but they received considerable experience in two weeks, there is something to transmit. Secondly, samples of weapons, instruments and equipment intended for operations in high latitudes were tested. Not forgotten and the study area, working out tactical tasks ...
Not only relatives, friends and journalists met the “paratroopers” who returned from the tundra. A member of the Military Industrial Commission, the first commander of the Special Operations Forces, Oleg Martyanov, who always paid special attention to specialized units, came to meet with them. Especially Arctic troops are created in Russia for the first time.
Oleg Martyanov praised the results of the campaign. The basic training received by the officers allowed them to adapt to the most difficult northern conditions, no one dropped out. Most of the weapons and equipment have also been tested more or less successfully. In any case, the obstacles that need to be overcome by the developers have become visible. By the way, the pace of work is very dashing, comparable with the prewar. For example, a year ago, an officer participating in a hike estimated the relationship to be two plus or three negative, and this year she received a solid four.
The plans of the Ministry of Defense are very serious, one might even say ambitious. Now, at the first stage, the main task is to pass through the expedition those officers who can work as instructors in their units. And further it is supposed to test regular combat units, the number of 15 – 20 people.
The Military Industrial Commission has its own tasks. First of all, to involve manufacturers of weapons and equipment. A representative of the Kalashnikov concern has already visited Nizhnevartovsk. The next step is to create a special drone solar-powered (conventional cold storage batteries do not withstand). And, of course, we need to somehow solve the problem of snowmobiles - extreme people can afford to ride on Canadian cars, but the Russian army cannot.
But for all the intended purposes, the "Northern landing" is clearly not enough. And in the end, the military has its own tasks, and the travelers have their own routes and plans. But Alexander Peterman has one idea that will solve these problems. He dreams of creating an arctic training center in Nizhnevartovsk. And why, actually, no? Nizhnevartovsk is convenient from the point of view of the same logistics: there is an airfield, a highway and a railway. The climate in Siberia is quite severe. And when it comes to field trials, you can dive into trailers: several hundred kilometers - and you're in the tundra. It is much cheaper than building a center in the High North.
The project was supported by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and, judging by the text of the letter sent to Nizhnevartovsk, the Ministry of Defense also expressed “interest in creating the specified center.” It is hoped that in the near future a decision will be made on its construction, but already now the “Northern landing force” has saved Russia not only big money, but also the most important thing - time. As acknowledged by Oleg Martyanov, without Nizhnevartovtsev, special forces training would be delayed for at least five to six years.
In particular, the NATO countries are actively increasing their military presence in the Arctic. And recently, ground forces have also been added to traditional naval bases, tracking stations, air defense and missile defense systems - and this is not only defense, but also offensive means. The US Army has announced a competition for the creation of equipment and equipment for high latitudes, actively training marines war skills in the north. In Norway, in the immediate vicinity of the Russian border, a modern NATO testing ground has been created. Canada reinforces patrols, traditionally recruited from the Eskimos.
Speaking at the VI Moscow Conference on International Security, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that Russia views NATO’s actions in the Arctic as a demonstration of forceful advancement in their own interests. Such a demonstration did not remain unanswered, and, according to a presidential decree, 1 of December 2014 of the year created the joint strategic command "North", or otherwise the Arctic troops of Russia.
Began active work on the construction and modernization of airfields. At the last Victory Parade, foreign observers saw the Tor-M2DT anti-aircraft missile systems and the Pantsir-SA rocket-cannon based on the DT-30 two-link tracked carrier specially designed for the Arctic. But if the polar sky is covered securely, then there were problems with the ground forces.
JACK LONDON AND DON'T DECLINE
The length of the Arctic coast of Russia - 22 600 km. For the most part, there are no roads or people. This is a huge territory, not even clearly marked on the map. In winter, severe frosts, polar night, winds, snowstorms. In the summer - the abyss of thawed permafrost, and how much of it, that summer? If military units are placed here in the usual manner, the Arctic troops will swallow the entire military budget, like a pie, and they will not even notice the taste.
True, the enemy also did not let down a serious military contingent - Russia controls both the Northern Sea Route and airspace. However, we are not talking about any land war in the usual sense of the word (except for the Kola Peninsula), since the soldiers without special training have ordered the way to the Arctic. But actions by small groups of well-trained special forces are promising. Not necessarily under the NATO flag - it is much more convenient to act with the help of mercenaries from private military companies (PMCs), and even under the "roof" of environmental movements.
The adversary is simple: he slowly unloaded the group on the right section of the Northern Sea Route from a passing ship or threw it off the plane - and it's done. What should we do? How to drive the uninvited guests to the colossal, completely deserted expanses? Either keep military units and outposts all along the coast, or ... or solve logistics problems.
Suppose something has penetrated our territory. This is something that must be identified and neutralized. And for that, it would be nice to get to it. And absolutely everything - not only weapon and equipment, but also fuel, food, a tent and a stove - you need to carry with you. And at the same time to act quickly, otherwise the enemy will complete the task and leave, and the arctic troops arriving in time will be left with only empty cans.
And there are no roads here. That is, no. There are some well-groomed trails - but they depend on the season, the routes of the reindeer herders, and many other factors. On the other hand, it is full of gaps and cliffs that are not applied to any maps, plus such nice surprises of the landscape, as hummocks and polynyas, which are in principle unpredictable. And there are no people either, except for local reindeer herders and inhabitants of rare settlements and polar stations.
The deer and dog rifling raged by journalists is an attraction for the press. The deer runs slowly, needs feed and rest, carries little. During one of the trips, our paratroopers checked the capabilities of the hoofed horned in practice: three deer with a horse and two equipped paratroopers (that is, about 300 kg on a sleigh) went through as many 150 meters, after which one of the balls just fell. This question is closed.
A car or all-terrain vehicle is another opposite. It is big, it pulls a lot on itself, it is warm to ride in it, but there is a drawback - poor permeability. For him, you have to specifically choose the route, and in a blizzard or at zero visibility, stand and drink tea until it gets warm.
What to do? And here came to the aid of extreme tourists. There are few serious travelers in the North - too dangerous attraction. But in this case, one necessary group exists.
"NORTHERN DESIGN" COMES TO HELP
Alexander Peterman, an entrepreneur from Nizhnevartovsk, has been going to the tundra for nine years. His expeditions have long overgrown extreme campaigns, becoming a whole project called “Northern landing” (Peterman himself and most of his men were former Airborne Forces troops and special forces).
The team made its first trip in 2008, in 2009, it almost died, after which its members got down to business seriously. First of all, they began to look for and modernize vehicles - snowmobiles. Basic requirements for transport: the machine must be reliable, maintainable and preferably light.
Snowmobile - a kind of "Arctic motorcycle": two tracks and a ski guide. The model used by the expedition weighs a little more than 350 kg, the speed is up to 50 km / h, the permeability is remarkable: you can simply go in azimuth. Rough terrain, hummocks, even the scourge of the North — an ice-breaking trail — is not an obstacle for it. Can pull a sleigh weighing up to a ton. It would seem ideal, but for some reason, Canadian special units on snowmobiles go into the raid for just a day or two. Maybe they have enough, but for our distances is not a conversation.
The fact is that to go to the tundra even on a very good factory snowmobile and with factory equipment is a lottery. Each of a multitude of small factors that cannot be identified in any one test can be fatal. Understanding of the direction in which to upgrade the equipment gives only long-term experience.
“For example, the legs on a snowmobile are open,” says group mechanic Dmitry Fadeev. - With a minus of 40 degrees, the side wind penetrates into any gap, even into an unbound lace (the result is frostbite. - EP). We do the side protection from the wind, we put a sheet of cold-resistant high-molecular plastic, because ordinary plastic will break. Raise the windshield to the eye level - in the standard package the glass is rather low, and no matter how good the hat is, the headwind still blows. We put additional tanks so that it takes less time to refuel, with a pump - on the move, we simply pump fuel. Additional ski extenders, additional headlights in front and behind. In a blizzard, in a blizzard, visibility is less than 2 m, and behind earlier there were only parking lights.
On the trailer sleigh Dmitry told the whole saga. We remind you: in the Arctic, you have to take absolutely everything with you (in practice, you get up to a ton of cargo on a snowmobile). If the sleigh collapses beyond 500 km from housing, this is a disruption of the expedition. If 3000 is death again. In the last hike for the experiment, the group took with them one sleigh from aviation aluminum. The manufacturer guaranteed 3000 km with a load of 600 kg. They held out for 800 (with a load of 400 kg), and then just fell apart.
With the sleigh group suffered a very long time. What only they did not do. Neither metal nor plastic in the cold live - they become brittle, like crackers, and break. Lives, oddly enough, a tree. Therefore, runners make glued karagach, ash and stone birch. Connection with a snowmobile - from a conveyor belt, which also does not lose flexibility in the cold. In the last campaign, this small piece of ribbon saved the life of one of the participants. In a blizzard, with zero visibility, the driver did not notice a four-meter cliff. The man fell down, and the snowmobile hung on the sled mount. Do not stand the mount, he would fall on the driver: 350 kg from a height of 4 m - guaranteed death.
The group is experimenting not only with equipment, but with everything that is possible with clothes, food, equipment. And everywhere search, everywhere some of their original work. Plus the skills of walking at night, in a blizzard, along the hummocks, on the icebreaking trail, the ability not to lose each other in any situation ... On the day, they can go up to 600 km, the experience of autonomous walking on the tundra is up to a month, and if necessary they can hold out three times longer. Now in its tourism sector Peterman's group is the best in the world. And they are ready - moreover, they want and strive to transfer all their experience to the Ministry of Defense.
Usually in such cases it is said with sadness: “However, the ministry does not need this unique experience.” But not in this case!
Alexander Peterman is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Union of Paratroopers of Russia, which makes the task easier, because he can speak the same language with the military. In addition, he is a full member of the Russian Geographical Society, chaired by Sergey Shoigu. So contact with the Ministry of Defense was successful. In February, 2016 of the year, “Northern landing” held a week-long seminar for special forces soldiers on survival in the conditions of the Far North. One of the participants of the seminar passed the route with the group.
This year, six Special Forces officers and airborne troops were already marching with the Landing Force. Their tasks were great and diverse. Firstly, everyone will be able to become an instructor in his part upon his return. Not a master, but they received considerable experience in two weeks, there is something to transmit. Secondly, samples of weapons, instruments and equipment intended for operations in high latitudes were tested. Not forgotten and the study area, working out tactical tasks ...
Not only relatives, friends and journalists met the “paratroopers” who returned from the tundra. A member of the Military Industrial Commission, the first commander of the Special Operations Forces, Oleg Martyanov, who always paid special attention to specialized units, came to meet with them. Especially Arctic troops are created in Russia for the first time.
Oleg Martyanov praised the results of the campaign. The basic training received by the officers allowed them to adapt to the most difficult northern conditions, no one dropped out. Most of the weapons and equipment have also been tested more or less successfully. In any case, the obstacles that need to be overcome by the developers have become visible. By the way, the pace of work is very dashing, comparable with the prewar. For example, a year ago, an officer participating in a hike estimated the relationship to be two plus or three negative, and this year she received a solid four.
The plans of the Ministry of Defense are very serious, one might even say ambitious. Now, at the first stage, the main task is to pass through the expedition those officers who can work as instructors in their units. And further it is supposed to test regular combat units, the number of 15 – 20 people.
The Military Industrial Commission has its own tasks. First of all, to involve manufacturers of weapons and equipment. A representative of the Kalashnikov concern has already visited Nizhnevartovsk. The next step is to create a special drone solar-powered (conventional cold storage batteries do not withstand). And, of course, we need to somehow solve the problem of snowmobiles - extreme people can afford to ride on Canadian cars, but the Russian army cannot.
But for all the intended purposes, the "Northern landing" is clearly not enough. And in the end, the military has its own tasks, and the travelers have their own routes and plans. But Alexander Peterman has one idea that will solve these problems. He dreams of creating an arctic training center in Nizhnevartovsk. And why, actually, no? Nizhnevartovsk is convenient from the point of view of the same logistics: there is an airfield, a highway and a railway. The climate in Siberia is quite severe. And when it comes to field trials, you can dive into trailers: several hundred kilometers - and you're in the tundra. It is much cheaper than building a center in the High North.
The project was supported by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and, judging by the text of the letter sent to Nizhnevartovsk, the Ministry of Defense also expressed “interest in creating the specified center.” It is hoped that in the near future a decision will be made on its construction, but already now the “Northern landing force” has saved Russia not only big money, but also the most important thing - time. As acknowledged by Oleg Martyanov, without Nizhnevartovtsev, special forces training would be delayed for at least five to six years.
Information