Syrian combat check
“Red Star” continues to publish speeches of participants of the round table “Experience in accomplishing tasks by groups of troops (forces) in the Syrian Arab Republic”, which was held in the framework of the International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2017”. In this issue, readers will be able to familiarize themselves with the content of two reports: on the peculiarities of combat operations in urban conditions and on the results of testing new types of weapons, military and special equipment.
Lieutenant-General Alexander Romanchuk, Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District, told about the specifics of military operations in the city, who, as the moderator of the round table was told by Acting Chief of the Military Academy of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Sergei Chvarkov, during the liberation of Aleppo, was the chief military adviser to the Syrian Arab army.
Noting that the establishment of control over urbanized areas is one of the key conditions for achieving success during modern wars, Lieutenant General Alexander Romanchuk listed the main features of the conduct of hostilities in the city. Among them, first of all, the absence of a clear line of combat contact and its vertical extension (from underground communications to the upper floors of buildings) and in depth. Secondly, these are difficulties in the implementation of maneuver by forces and means, as well as in the use of armored vehicles due to the significant number of obstacles. Another feature is the advantage of the defending side in the knowledge of the terrain.
The fourth feature is that hostilities take place in residential areas. From a humanitarian point of view, this is the most important issue of concern. Obviously, a significant number of civilians creates significant difficulties for the actions of troops and requires the attraction of additional forces and funds to ensure their withdrawal from the combat zone, organization of deployment, and measures to identify militants among them. In addition, the presence of civilians in the city at least complicates, and in some cases completely eliminates the possibility of the use of heavy weapons, including artillery and aviation.
“The use of civilians as human shields was widely used by militants in Afghanistan, Syria,” the speaker noted. “Having driven people onto the streets of the city, illegal armed groups create conditions under which the movement of the equipment of the assault units is difficult, government troops cannot fire, fearing great losses among local residents.
All this was confirmed by the events in Aleppo, where government forces had to solve humanitarian tasks. With the liberation of the eastern quarters of this provincial city, more than 136 people were taken out of the combat zone. Information support was provided, measures were taken to identify militants among civilians.
As a powerful means of destruction when performing fire missions, the TOS-1A heavy flame-throwing system proved itself.
Lieutenant General Alexander Romanchuk drew the attention of the roundtable participants to the dissimilarity of events during operations in Aleppo and the Iraqi Mosul, which was freed from igilovtsev forces of the American-led coalition. The leadership of the international coalition promised to conduct the operation as soon as possible and with minimal use of heavy weapons. But after blocking the city, humanitarian corridors were not organized. The civilian population left the city spontaneously, as a result, people died not only at the hands of militants, but also during air strikes and artillery. The city was virtually wiped out, according to some information, about 40 thousands of civilians were killed in it.
“When acting in urban conditions, the main thing is to find ways to accomplish the task of mastering a populated area with minimal use of military force,” the speaker continued. - In this regard, complex actions of the troops come to the fore. Therefore, the organization of the operation will take significantly more time than in normal conditions.
At the same time, no non-military measures will give a positive result without relying on military force, said Lieutenant-General Alexander Romanchuk. The enemy needs to prove that the opposing grouping of troops has all the necessary forces to capture the city.
First of all, the city should be blocked in order to block the path of supplying the enemy with reserves, ammunition and other materiel. The blockade should not be passive. Short, “needle” offensive actions should be carried out along the entire contact line.
“Let the task be to capture one building in each direction, but this will not allow the enemy to identify the direction of the main attacks and concentrate the main forces on them,” explained the speaker.
In determining the intention, it is important to assess the situation inside the city - the economy, living conditions and the mood of the population, food supplies, the possibilities for replenishing them.
“All this is necessary in order to find those vulnerable points or critical points, the impact on which will create conditions for the enemy to abandon the defense of the city,” said Lieutenant General Romanchuk and gave an example of how the defense of militants considerably weakened during the capture of the eastern regions of Aleppo. when their coordination headquarters were destroyed.
A special feature in the preparation and conduct of hostilities for the liberation of Aleppo was the extensive use of 3D-cards with the possibility of detailing settlements to a separate house. This, according to the deputy commander of the Southern Military District troops, made it possible to most effectively determine the combat missions of the units that were assigned in the city according to clearly defined structures, quarters and districts.
- The experience of Aleppo showed that the most effective way to take a city is a combination of two methods: local actions of small forces along the line of contact of the parties and the onset of reinforced assault detachments in converging directions with a view to dissecting the city into separate parts, violation of the stability of the defense and subsequent destruction of scattered militant groups in parts, the speaker continued, stressing the need to pay special attention to the direct preparation of assault detachments.
In this regard, the experience of the assault units of the Syrian Arab Army in the preparation and conduct of hostilities to liberate the complex of military schools in the south-western suburb of Aleppo is indicative.
“Even despite the lack of time, the assault units were not brought into battle until they completed the entire combat training cycle, which ended with tactical exercises on the subject of the forthcoming hostilities under the guidance of the unit commander,” the speaker noted.
In addition, when preparing for action, the Syrian units were fully provided with necessary equipment, stockpiles of weapons and ammunition. Thus, the commander of the unit concentrated on the direction of the attack all the smoke stocks in his troops.
Thirdly, as a result of the reconnaissance of the area of forthcoming actions, the command chose the most advantageous direction for the attack - from where the enemy did not expect it.
“And the last thing is suddenness and swiftness of action,” noted Lieutenant General Alexander Romanchuk. - Transition to attack at nightfall. Throw on the technique to the leading edge of the enemy defense. The attack of the front edge from three directions and the seizure of a profitable turn - an earthen bank, passing along the southern border of the complex of military schools.
“As a result of such training, the assault detachments managed to complete the task in two days, which other units could not accomplish within a month,” stated the speaker.
It is necessary to prepare thoroughly for conducting combat operations in urban conditions, using all the space and features of urban development, to develop new forms and methods of conducting combat operations in megalopolises, the deputy commander of the Southern Military District summed up. Particular attention should be paid to determining the optimal organizational structure of the units and tactical methods of combat operations.
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Chairman of the Military Scientific Committee of the Armed Forces - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant-General Igor Makushev at a round table reported on the results of testing new weapons, military and special equipment (VVST) in Syria. He noted that the VVST check in combat conditions, the evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of new systems and complexes is carried out on a regular basis with the involvement of representatives of interested military authorities, research organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense and enterprises of the military-industrial complex. More than 200 weapons models have already been tested, which showed high efficiency based on the results of combat use and proved their ability to perform the assigned tasks.
Long-range aircraft Tu-160 and Tu-95MS in a real combat situation for the first time used a new air-launched missile X-101
According to the plan of the General Staff, for the first time combat use of high-precision air and sea-based weapons was carried out, the option of using air and sea components in a single strike was worked out. Long-range aircraft Tu-160 and Tu-95MS in a real combat situation for the first time used a new air-based missile X-101. Accuracy of hit, fixed by means of objective control, meets the requirements, stated the speaker. At the same time, flights of strategic bombers were carried out from the territory of Russia along routes that run over Iran and Iraq, as well as over the northern seas and the eastern part of the Atlantic. In the latter case, the aircraft crossed 11 thousand. Km, having made two refueling in the air. They performed missile launches over the Mediterranean and returned to the home airfield.
For the first time in the practice of the Russian Navy under combat conditions, a massive launch of Caliber cruise missiles was carried out, including from a submarine that was underwater. High precision application weapons sea-based allowed to ensure the destruction of targets at a distance of 1,5 thousand. Kms with the required accuracy.
- Thus, the testing of high-precision long-range weapons confirmed the ability of the Navy fleet ensure the presence in remote areas of the oceans on a long-term basis in readiness for delivering single, group and joint attacks, ”the speaker concluded.
The Caliber missile has an export version designed to equip submarines, surface ships, aircraft-based missile systems, mobile ground-based missile systems, including those placed in a standard 40-foot sea container.
As for the participation in the special operation of Tu-22М3 bombers, the speaker noted that more than 250 sorties were made. At the same time, Tu-22М3, which have undergone modernization, were used: specialized computing subsystems SVP-24-22 were installed on them, which made it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of bombing.
The SVP-24 “Hephaestus” system by analyzing GLONASS data on the relative position of the aircraft and the target, taking into account the magnitude of the atmospheric pressure, air humidity, wind speed, flight speed and a number of other factors, calculates the course, speed and altitude of the aircraft’s destruction weapons, followed by bombing carried out in automatic mode.
“The main contribution to the solution of the tasks of defeating the objects of illegal armed formations was made by airplanes of operational-tactical aviation of the VKS, as well as by naval aviation of the Navy,” said Lieutenant-General Igor Makushev. - Aviation combat voltage averaged 3-4 aircraft departure per day, and in some cases reached 6.
At the same time, the speaker said, 50 percent of the main tasks for the aviation destruction of enemy targets were carried out by Su-24M bombers and Su-25CM attack aircraft. The upgraded Su-25CM aircraft provided the opportunity for bombing using a satellite navigation system. In turn, the use of Su-24М bombers, equipped with the Hephaestus SVP-24 subsystem, made it possible to ensure the effectiveness of the destruction of enemy targets by unmanaged bombs, comparable to the accuracy of using adjustable bombs.
“The fourth-generation Su-34 fighter-bomber ensured accurate strikes both in the tactical and operational depth of the enemy’s territory,” continued the speaker, listing the advantages of this aircraft and noting the effective use of KAB-34 bombs and X- missiles by Su-500 crews. 29L with laser-guided.
For the first time in real combat conditions, the Su-35С multifunctional fighter was used.
“In the course of testing, the Su-35С aircraft used corrected aerial bombs and air-to-surface guided missiles,” said Lt. Gen. Makushev. - High accuracy characteristics showed corrected aerial bomb with a passive homing head KAB-500KR. The X-29TD air-to-surface guided missile was launched, as well as the X-35U anti-ship missile modified for combat use by ground targets. The maximum bomb load of the aircraft for one flight was 8 tons.
In addition, taking into account the equipment of the Su-35S Khibiny electronic countermeasures complex, as well as large-range air-to-air guided missiles, the aircraft performed tasks to cover aviation strike groups with patrol escorts and air defenses in the area of the combat mission.
A significant contribution to the solution of combat missions in Syria is made by combat helicopters Ka-52 and Mi-28N. They are widely used both to destroy tanks, armored vehicles and manpower of the enemy, and for conducting air reconnaissance, ensuring the safe take-off and landing of aircraft at the Khmeimim airfield.
“During testing, helicopters were used in simple and complex weather conditions, during the day and at night, including using night-vision goggles,” said Lieutenant-General Makushev. “At the same time, effective combat use of anti-tank Ataka-1, Vortex-1 and Igla guided missiles was ensured.
He also stressed that the airborne defense systems installed on the Mi-28H and Ka-52 helicopters provide a warning about the exposure of the radar stations to ground, ship and airborne weapons detection and control complexes, objects with laser radiation, as well as effective countermeasures to portable anti-aircraft missile systems with infrared homing heads.
For the destruction of ground targets used Su-33 and MiG-29K from the composition of the naval air group. In turn, the ship-based helicopters performed the tasks of air cover, aerial reconnaissance and search for enemy submarines, as well as cargo delivery and personnel transportation.
“The daily contribution to the destruction of enemy targets during the life of the naval aviation group averaged at least 20 percent,” the speaker said.
Russian artillery systems have proven themselves well in Syria. In total, the volume of fire missions solved by the missile forces and artillery in the operation exceeded 45 percent of the total number of designated targets.
“High accuracy and efficiency of strikes was confirmed during the use of the Tochka and Tochka-U tactical missile systems by the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic,” the speaker said.
The high effectiveness of combat use was confirmed by the MLRS Smerch, Uragan and Grad. For the destruction of armored objects, artillery and mortar calculations of the enemy are used 152-mm howitzer "Msta-B" and 122-mm howitzer "D-30". There is also a high reliability of the armament of the rocket troops and artillery.
“As a powerful means of destruction when performing fire missions, the TOS-1A heavy flame-throwing system has proved itself,” said Lieutenant-General Igor Makushev. - The nature of the targets hit - areas where illegal armed groups are located, command posts, fire positions.
He noted the high efficiency of thermobaric ammunition of heavy flame-throwing systems TOC-1А with their massive use, including during the attack on the militants' prepared defense.
Summing up, Lieutenant-General Igor Makushev said that weapons samples tested in Syria under real conditions of armed conflict correspond to the declared characteristics.
“The identified shortcomings and individual malfunctions did not affect the performance of combat missions,” said the speaker. - At the same time, for each problematic issue, the most thorough analysis was carried out, including with the involvement of representatives of the military-industrial complex, and exhaustive measures were developed to eliminate the causes of abnormal operation of weapons and military equipment.
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