Interview with V.Shamanov
Recently, a lot of rumors have been circulating around the landing forces. It is reported that on their base will allegedly create a national guard. That winged infantry thrown at the cover of Russian military facilities abroad. What awaits the blue berets, what tasks they perform, in an exclusive interview with the RG correspondent told the commander of the Airborne Forces Hero of Russia Vladimir Shamanov.Vladimir Anatolyevich, where did the hype around the landing come from? As far as I know, these rumors have touched you personally.
Vladimir Shamanov: I consider this an information provocation. The media reported that they even called me to the Kremlin, ostensibly to discuss new tasks of the Airborne Forces.
I declare responsibly: there was nothing like this. I did not talk to anyone about this topic.
The main purpose of the Airborne Forces is a reflection of external aggression, and not the performance of police functions.
Generally speaking, the landing was and remains the reserve of the commander in chief.
That is, submits only to the president of the country?
Vladimir Shamanov: Not exactly. We also submit to the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff.
You can not break the concept of peace and military life. With the beginning of any, including local, war, the general leadership of military operations passes to the Supreme Commander. Both the Armed Forces and the Minister of Defense with the Chief of the General Staff are subordinate to him. And the man in charge of the army must have a reserve. By applying it, you can drastically change the situation on the battlefield. Therefore, everything is logical here.
Why the role of the main reserve was taken exactly airborne?
Vladimir Shamanov: I think that the unique capabilities of the Airborne Forces affected it. It is now accepted to look at how in one way or another they enter the United States and NATO. Americans are constantly developing the airmobile component of their army. But if we compare it with the Airborne Forces, then in many respects the Americans are inferior to us. They, for example, do not have armored vehicles landed, they are limited in the release of cargo.
At the same time, the Russian landing force is currently the only branch of the military where the battalions are ready to operate in full surroundings. As a former chief of the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Armed Forces, I can responsibly say: no one in the General-Purpose Forces has yet worked on such tasks. And the paratroopers have already mastered them.
Let's deal with other information - that the airborne division still reorganized into brigades?
Vladimir Shamanov: There is a Plan for the Construction of the Armed Forces up to 2016 approved by the President of the country. According to him, the Airborne Forces, at least in the next four years, will retain the divisional structure. But in the future we can also consider the brigade version of the construction of the Airborne Forces.
My predecessors on the post of commander of the landing troops — generals Alexander Kolmakov and Valery Evtukhovich — developed, in my opinion, an absolutely correct ideology. If you are reforming the three global types of the Armed Forces, for now leave the Airborne Forces in their current form. And when you “break in” structural changes in practice, life will tell you what to do next.
The war with Georgia in August 2008 testifies in favor of this approach. The 19th North Caucasus Military District brigade, as well as the 58th army as a whole, which I once commanded, sadly to admit, were not able to independently solve the problem of localizing the aggressor in South Ossetia. But this was done by the Airborne Troops deployed to the Caucasus by rail and aviation by transport.
Relying on foreign experience, for some reason everyone talks about the brigade structure of the American army, but they forget that they have divisions. This does not interfere at all; on the contrary, it even helps the formation of a sustainable management system. We are creating such a system in the Russian army. In my opinion, the divisional structure of the Airborne Forces from the point of view of control is the most optimal today.
But one brigade in the landing troops already exists.
Vladimir Shamanov: Yes, in Ulyanovsk. I served in this compound when it was deployed back in Azerbaijan. Then it was called 104-th Guards Airborne Division. Her "reformatting" in the brigade was associated with a decrease in the number of airborne forces. After all the calculations it turned out - there are not enough people for the divisional staff. Then they decided to stop at the brigade.
I sometimes meet veterans of the compound. They say: our division fought in the Great Patriotic War, it would be necessary to return it to its former status.
It's real?
Vladimir Shamanov: Today there are no conditions for this. I hope someday they will appear.
Mobile reserve
The military districts have their own amphibious brigades. Who directs them?
Vladimir Shamanov: Such connections - two in the East of the country and one in the South - are subordinate to the commander of the districts. As far as I know, it is planned to deploy a brigade in the Western Military District. As for the Central, the General Staff believes, and we support it in this - there is enough 31 of the separate airborne assault brigade of the Airborne Forces.
Operational and strategic commands, especially in the Eastern direction, of course, must have an airmobile reserve. He will be the first to respond to the nascent conflict. The emergence of a new "hot spot" is easier to prevent by demonstrating the flag than "extinguishing" it then with the whole world. Often it turns out.
What then does airborne?
Vladimir Shamanov: If we talk about airborne assault formations, then they are necessary for a quick response to external threats, especially when it comes to covering the state border. The second function is the performance of anti-landing and anti-sabotage tasks in the interests of the operational-strategic commands. And the third is that a mobilization resource is being prepared for military districts on the basis of our divisions.
It is no secret that the call is now trying to organize on a territorial basis. In many cases, military enlistment offices send recruits to serve closer to home. And when the soldiers are retired to the reserve, it is not necessary to wrestle with where to get the fighters in case of war. I think this is a reasonable ideology from all points of view.
In your opinion, four airborne divisions and one airborne brigade is not enough for a country as large as Russia?
Vladimir Shamanov: We constantly analyze the events that occur in recent years in the countries of the Arab world, in Afghanistan, in Iraq. And we see that there are no longer any major clashes between large masses of people that were in World War II. Considering that Russia has such a sovereignty guarantor, like nuclear weapon, for localization of conflicts of the scale of a five-day war with Georgia, the Airborne Forces in their current form is quite sufficient. The Supreme Commander set before the Armed Forces the task of being able to simultaneously localize one small and one conflict of medium intensity. We will cope with this task.
Even though the divisions of the Airborne Forces, it can be said, of reduced strength, there are only two regiments.
Vladimir Shamanov: There is a classic ternary Russian system. Three platoons make up a company, three companies - a battalion, three battalions - a regiment. And three regiments - a division. But now there are two regiments in the airborne units. I do not rule out that after 2030, when the attractiveness of military service under contract will be seriously increased and the ratio of professionals to draftees will become 70 to 30, the situation will change. Perhaps, then it would be appropriate to raise the question of the additional deployment of the airborne or airborne assault regiment in each airborne division.
In other words, now for this there is neither the necessary amount of equipment, nor specialists?
Vladimir Shamanov: Exactly. Why should an untrained fighter trust in expensive military equipment? Here we must proceed from the principle of reasonable sufficiency. Today she is.
Control shot
A few years ago you watched new Russian-made sniper rifles and were not very pleased with them. Has anything changed since then?
Vladimir Shamanov: First, the re-equipment of the machine park began at the plants in Izhevsk and in Tula, with which we work. Now we are waiting for their products to significantly improve their fighting qualities, which will make it possible to begin replacing old Dragunov sniper rifles.
In addition, after our snipers received special training, foreign air force sniper rifles were handed over to 20 for testing by the Airborne Forces. We tried them in all climatic conditions. Along with the advantages over our weapons, we revealed significant shortcomings in imported samples. Foreign rifles in the cold froze, stop shooting in the sand. In general, we were once again convinced that unpretentiousness is the traditional dignity of Russian weapons, which must be cherished. But, of course, not at the expense of quality.
There are great advances in the creation of devices that increase the effectiveness of automatic weapons. For example, the thermal imager "Shahin" appeared, the properties of collimator sights, the entire spectrum of optics improved. Together with the main command of the Ground Forces, we are working to determine the optimal combat equipment. Separately, I want to say about the introduction of automation tools that make up the elements of the system "Flight-K" It will significantly reduce the time for exploration, search and transmission of target indications. What ultimately will increase the accuracy and effectiveness of the fire of the enemy.
The infantry is winged, but the Airborne Troops do not have their own wings. Is it normal?
Vladimir Shamanov: The capabilities of the aviation industry are now limited, so all funds are concentrated under the wing of the Air Force. This is the logic of an integrated approach. At the same time, the questions that we put on interaction with aviation are getting better and better every year. For example, last year’s exercises near Novorossiysk and Ulyanovsk went not only with the use of military transport and front-line aviation, but also with the massive use of helicopters. Five years ago, one could only dream of such a thing. Even heavy Mi-26 helicopters worked with the Airborne Forces. There were no problems in interspecific interaction.
At the same time, given the gradual saturation of the troops with new helicopters, we are considering the possibility of the appearance of our own army aviation in the assault landing formations. That is the helicopter units.
By the way, why do you have some divisions called airborne, and others - airborne assault?
Vladimir Shamanov: First of all, people and equipment are thrown out with X-NUMX parachutes. Secondly, only one battalion from each regiment is parachuted with equipment. The rest are landed on already captured enemy airfields.
By the way, in the future, such a division will make it possible to have heavier weapons in air assault battalions. A promising BMD-4M combat vehicle, for example, has two armor protection options. Basic - when throwing the car with a parachute. And reinforced - when, instead of landing means, which is almost two tons, additional armor plates are attached to the "four". In the second option, security, of course, will be higher. To solve problems that do not involve parachuting, we will mainly use heavier and, in the long term, more armed assault assault formations. They are also supposed to provide their own aircraft.
In local conflicts, judging by the experience of the Chechen campaigns, airborne units are most often used as helicopter assault forces. And ideally, probably, the Airborne Forces should have one or two full-fledged army aviation brigades - 20 attack and 40 transport and special helicopters. Plus division drones. After all, with their help, you can solve many problems - from reconnaissance to shock.
But why such brigades do not leave the Air Force? Suppose you need helicopters. Apply and get everything you need.
Vladimir Shamanov: I am in favor of returning army aircraft to those in whose interests it works. And then the helicopter pilots will definitely not be in the role of stepchildren. Let's call a spade a spade. It is necessary, for example, to make a reduction in the Air Force. Who are the first and most cut? Army Aviation.
Regular military transport aircraft Airborne do not need?
Vladimir Shamanov: It is completely different. Military transport aviation operates not only in the interests of the Airborne Forces. It is also intended to carry cargo, evacuate the wounded, etc. Therefore, transport aircraft can only be part of the Air Force.
What fly, on that and fight
Clarify the situation with BMD-4. Before 2015, it was planned to purchase more than a thousand of such vehicles for the landing. But the Ministry of Defense, as I heard, refuses the contract. "Four" Airborne is no longer needed?
Vladimir Shamanov: We need a car like air. I will say more - I consider rearmament my priority task. Our technical backwardness is already going wild. 95 percent of armored vehicles have been in operation for 35–40 years. And the discrepancy between BMD-1 and BMD-2 to the tasks being solved was shown by both more campaigns in the North Caucasus. There, units of the airborne forces had to be reinforced with artillery and tanks motorized rifle divisions. Even in the fight against gangs, we lacked firepower. And if the enemy is more serious, if you have to act without fire support of the infantry? With a 30-mm cannon and one anti-tank missile fired at a time on the tower today you won’t get much. During the five-day war in the town of Podgorye, a Russian company was ambushed. A column of Georgian tanks walked past her. Our guides have four ATGMs, and launchers have officers. But not one pressed the trigger. Remembering how four of the five installations didn’t work at the training ground, they simply did not dare to attack.
The idea of arming the Airborne Forces with a tank combat vehicle arose during the Afghan war. We received the result only now, and not immediately. The first version of the BMD-4 had a raw, unreliable base. But the modernized version of the Quartet, made in Kurgan - BMD-4M absolutely suits us. The Bakhcha-U combat module with a digital fire control system, an 100-mm gun and guided projectiles fired through the barrel allows it, like artillery, to shoot from a closed firing position and destroy any tanks without entering their weapons. Five such vehicles, were they in that ambush, would have burned down the Georgian tank battalion.
Why then BMD-4M does not go to series?
Vladimir Shamanov: It is not clear. And this is our biggest problem today. In 2009, the Ministry of Defense agreed with the industry on the complete re-equipment of the Airborne Forces to the Quartet - provided that Kurganmashzavod at its own expense will bring it to the necessary conditions. Industrialists fulfilled their obligations, BMD-4М were included in the State Armaments Program until 2020 of the year, approved by the President of Russia. In the spring of 2011, the General Staff proposed to strengthen the armored protection of the Bakhchi, after which its deliveries were to begin. The chief designer made a revision. Tests have shown that the parameters that have been laid in the new tactical and technical mission have been achieved. But there is still no supply. As there is no logical explanation for the decision to abandon them.
Do you offer something in return? After all, the topic of a single vehicle for airborne troops and infantry is rising again ...
Vladimir Shamanov: They offer nothing. And there is nothing to choose from. Armored cars "Lynx" and "Tiger" are armed worse than BMD-2. Armored personnel carriers, which are made in Arzamas, are not landed, have weak engines, weapons and armor. Well, you cannot create a single vehicle for the Airborne Forces and infantry because of the weight restrictions during the landing. Why limit the armor of infantry in our framework? Moreover, the concept of combat use of the airborne is different. We need a landed, floating, maneuverable and serious firepower machine. Because in the rear of the enemy no one will support us with tanks or artillery. With what we fly, we fight on that. And today we have nothing to fly to the task, even the level of a five-day war.
Of course, once the car appears better than the Quartet. But in the coming 7-10 years the industry will not offer it. A BMD-4M today is more than satisfactory. Landing on her to fight, and no one knows better than us what should be such a machine. Without rearmament, the Airborne Forces have no future. Without a new BMD assault force in modern warfare, the role of saboteurs-partisans was prepared. Therefore, we will fight for it. I think the time has come to take on this issue not only a military, but also a political decision. Moreover, there is a parameter approved by the President of Russia - to have 2015 percent modern technology in the Armed Forces by 30.
Universal Soldier
The next question is about the Kalashnikov. Are you satisfied with his landing option? After all, the Ministry of Defense, as you know, refuses to purchase it.
Vladimir Shamanov: I believe that the need to have a Kalashnikov assault rifle in an infantry chain has not disappeared. After a series of improvements, he has and will have his niche on the battlefield. Another question is that a large stock of such weapons has been accumulated in the army, and more machine guns are not yet needed. Rather, it is necessary to modernize the available samples.
Now they talk a lot about the equipment of the soldier of the future. In your opinion, should it have its own type of each kind and kind of troops, or does it require a single sample unified under all Armed Forces?
Vladimir Shamanov: We agreed with the ground workers in the opinion that by 80 percent this should be a single module. And on 20 percent, the equipment needs to be adapted to the characteristics of the intelligence service, special forces, marines, paratroopers, representatives of other military professions. Simply put, everything that makes a soldier a soldier must be one. And what makes a specialist a specialist is individual. The general is a helmet, shoes, body armor, a belt, a cartridge pouch, a bayonet-knife ...
And what about 20 landing percent?
Vladimir Shamanov: There will also be a difference here - for the airborne commando one thing, for our intelligence officer - another. If you take an ordinary paratrooper - a soldier or an officer of a parachute company, - first of all you need to equip their equipment with a good optical device and an electronic tablet, where the soldier will at least see his comrades.
In this new equipment should be what is called lifting. Weight over 25 kilograms not every person can take. And when he is offered to carry 40 kilograms on himself, this is unrealistic. After all, the equipment must not just be lifted, you will have to move with it - often in an accelerated step. Proceeding from this, I always say: it is impossible to load everything that he might need on a soldier. But to strive for this is necessary. By the way, in recent years our industry has made a big step in the quality and properties of materials. And not only uniforms, but also helmets, body armor, etc.
New form of paratroopers like?
Vladimir Shamanov: After the fabric was criticized, its improvement was noticeable. The quality of underwear, including vests and thermal underwear, is also quite satisfactory. With regards to the field uniform, there are special features of the 98 airborne division and the 31 separate airborne brigade. These compounds are part of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces, for which a uniform field standard is defined. She has a different cut and color is special.
The 7 Airborne Division has the necessary equipment for action in the mountains. I will say more: we even equipped our own mountain range in Rajewski - this is near Novorossiysk. All that is necessary, the paratroopers receive. Ten years ago it was only possible to dream about such provision with means of communication, automation, equipment and other necessary things for combat. Generally speaking, the Airborne Forces have two needs today: in the future, we need our own helicopters and as soon as possible a new airborne assault vehicle.
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55-year-old Lieutenant-General Vladimir Shamanov has been in command of the Airborne Force since May 2009. He began his service in the Airborne Forces as a cadet of the Ryazan Airborne Command School. Passed almost all the "hot spots" in the former Soviet Union. For courage he was awarded four military orders. The title of Hero of the Russian Federation was assigned to Shamanov for special merits in the destruction of bandits in Dagestan in August-September of 1999.
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