You can get an idea of the course of the Caucasus-2012 exercises using the example of the events of the first day, September 17. The first episode of the training battles took place at the Raevskoy training ground near Novorossiysk. Head of the General Staff N. Makarov, President V. Putin, Minister of Defense A. Serdyukov, commanders of combat arms, as well as journalists and foreign observers attended the command post of the exercise.
Capturing the beachhead marines
According to the scenario of the first day of training, the conditional adversary - "South" - landed its landing in the area of Cape Maly Utrish. Two of his brigades should break into the defensive order of the "Northern" (if we may say so, ours), separate them and destroy them. The ultimate goal of this landing is to block the forces of the Black Sea fleet. The defense of the coast is carried out by the land 58th army and aviation 4th command of the Air Force and Air Defense. To deter the enemy, they were also given the 19th separate motorized rifle brigade. Immediately before the approach of the Yuzhny forces, the 19th separate brigade manages to create a forward position. Thanks to this step, the advancing enemy will not be able to immediately correctly determine the construction of the defense of the "Northern" and, as a result, maintain the further pace of the offensive. The main task of the 19th brigade is to link the "South" battle and the subsequent retreat in order to lure the enemy to the main defensive positions of the "North". Further, the defending side will be able to pinch the enemy from the flanks and close the return path by landing in its rear.
Without waiting for the enemy to approach the advance group, the air forces of the Nordic forces deal a first strike with a mixed aviation group consisting of Su-24M bombers and Su-25 attack aircraft, including the latest modification of Su-25M. Aviation makes a raid on the mobile control points of the Yuzhny, as well as on two mechanized columns, moving to the defensive positions of the Severny. Thanks to the first air strike, an assault landing lowers the tempo - reconnaissance of the “Nordic” reports about the destruction of at least a dozen units of military equipment. After an aviation attack, self-propelled artillery, the Msta-S installations, joins the "meeting" of the enemy. Soon after the South artillery fire, the motorized rifle units that had advanced to the front came under fire. This development forces the assault force to change its tactics as a matter of urgency.
Air phase of the exercise "Caucasus-2012"
The "Northern", in turn, also take certain tactical measures. An advanced group under the cover of artillery begins to retreat deep into the coast. Shortly after this, the Msta-S self-propelled guns also leave their positions in order to avoid the enemy’s retaliatory strike. This tactical decision has a positive result - the South are trying to catch up with the front group, but are hit by helicopters from the flank. While the advancing forces are forced to disperse and escape from the attack, the Severny advanced group and artillery manages to break away from the pursuit and return to the position of the main line of defense. Upon returning, the advance team joins tank and motorized rifle companies, with which they are preparing for the imminent approach of the enemy. At the same time, the Msta-S self-propelled guns unit is constantly moving from one position to another and firing at an advancing enemy. This technique allows you to simultaneously damage the columns of the "South" and at the same time not to risk falling under counter-battery fire.
At this moment, the aviation of the "South" enters the battle. Unfortunately for their ground units, most of the strike aircraft are shot down on the approach to the positions of the "Northern". The defense of the ground forces against air attack is carried out by anti-aircraft gunners working on the Tunguska and Pantsir-C1 complexes. Thanks to their actions, the aviation of the “Yuzhny” could not approach the defensive orders of the “Nordic” at a sufficient distance. As for the advancing ground forces, they move on to controlled explosive barriers, which also affects the quantitative and qualitative state of the compounds. Understanding the plight of its advancing units, which, moreover, is constantly deteriorating, the command of the Yuzhnye sends reinforcements to the company of the landing force. Since its disembarkation is carried out at a relatively short distance from the direct collision line, the aircraft and the paratroopers themselves fall under the fire of anti-aircraft machine guns and machine guns of motorized rifle subunits. All reinforcement is destroyed in the air.
Combat firing of the Caliber-NK missile system from the ship "Dagestan"
Around this time, the battle takes a positional character. The forces of the "Northern" keep the defense and try to prevent a breakthrough of the "Southern" in the intervals between the positions of individual units. The "South", in turn, again call aviation and deploy an artillery battery. The second attempt to strike from the air ends with the destruction of several helicopters and airplanes, and the artillery of the “Nordic” manages to destroy the enemy guns before they can inflict significant damage. At this stage, a command comes from the control point of the exercises: cease fire, weapon discharge. The combat training program of the first day of the command-staff exercise Kavkaz-2012 has been completed. The end of Monday’s events was the awarding of soldiers and officers who distinguished themselves during the maneuvers by the President of Russia V. Putin.
The Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla took part in further training battles as part of the Kavkaz-2012 maneuvers. In addition, on September 18 and 19, three large amphibious assault ships from the Northern Fleet participated in the landing operation to land infantry on the unprepared coast. September 20 at Kapustin Yar is another stage of the exercise, during which ground units worked to block and destroy illegal armed groups in the conditions of the settlement.
Work swimmers
Doctrines of this scale are not often held in our country, therefore they always attract particular attention. The latter, one has to admit, does not always give rise to objective statements. For some strange reason, the majority of opinions about the exercises are “polar” judgments: some shout about the omnipotent and invincible army that Russia has, while others rest on the uselessness of all such events, because everything has long disappeared and the exercises are no more than dusting eyes. In addition, in the discussion of the Kavkaz-2012 event, the topic of politics and potential goals for the trained forces often emerges. Similar statements, questions and opinions are heard both abroad and within the country. Let us consider a few examples, let's say, of a specific reaction to the maneuvers of the troops of the Southern Military District.
Let's start with the "internal" opinions. September 20 in the newspaper "Arguments of the Week" published an article with the bold title "Potemkin teachings for the Main Command". From the title it is clear what this publication is about. The author believes that training battles, aircraft flights and missile launches, as well as naval landing and cunning plans with luring a conditional opponent into the future cauldron is a real window dressing (this is the term used in the article), intended only for the supreme commander. As proof of this, the strategic status of the exercises does not correspond to the real state of affairs. According to the author of the publication, as many people and equipment are involved in the Kavkaz-2012 maneuvers as they should be employed in the divisional level exercises. Accordingly, the general of the army can command the measures, and not the chief of the general staff. The article also cites the words of the former chief of intelligence of the Siberian military district, Major General S. Kanchukov. He believes that the Kavkaz-2012 exercises are conducted in a highly simplified form and are more like demonstration performances. In addition, he criticizes the absence of any involvement of the command of other military districts and rear services. The latter, it is worth noting, trained a little earlier.
From the ship "Dagestan" rocket complex "Caliber-NK" produces launch on the specified targets
As we see, there are dissatisfied with the course of the teachings and even the peculiarities of their conduct. However, much more interesting is the reaction of foreign politicians. Work makes them think wider, because of what sometimes appear the most interesting thoughts. The first "noted" Georgia. The foreign minister of this country, G. Vashadze, accused the Kavkaz-2012 exercises of creating a threat to both Georgia and peace in the entire Caucasus region. In support of his words, he recalled similar events that took place in the summer of 2008. According to the official position of Tbilisi, it was the exercises of the Russian army that became one of the reasons for the war in South Ossetia. Such statements look, at least, strange. However, the Georgian foreign minister is not alone in this opinion. The head of the Estonian Defense Ministry, U. Reinsalu, fully agrees with the potential danger of Russian maneuvers for a Caucasian country and even considers them an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia. Concerning attempts to interfere in the internal politics of Tbilisi, there is a rather interesting and relatively popular opinion in certain circles connected with the upcoming parliamentary elections. Ostensibly, the exercises are designed primarily to demonstrate the strength of Russia to the Georgian population and thus hint at the need to select candidates loyal to Moscow. Perhaps these abstracts can not even comment.
The topic of relations between Russia and Georgia is raised in one more statement, this time they are authored by K. Neretnieks, an analyst at the Royal Swedish Academy of Military Sciences. From his interview with the Latvian newspaper Latvijas Avize, it follows that the Baltic states should not worry and be nervous about the exercises in southern Russia. At least for now. The analyst believes that in the near future Moscow’s opinion on the Baltic countries may change, and then the Russian army will train on the borders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. T.N. The war of three eights in this context appears as an example of Russian “aggression” against independent countries. In general, some politicians of countries bordering Russia are at least afraid of the Caucasus-2012 exercises, if they are not afraid of them.
Landing military assault
More distant countries, as well as the leadership of international organizations, are looking at Russian maneuvers much more calmly. For example, NATO Secretary General A.F. Rasmussen openly says that the Alliance is not against the teachings. The only complaint is the openness of information. Since Russia has suspended its participation in the CFE Treaty, data on the quantitative and qualitative composition of the troops participating in the exercises is limited only to official press releases. For example, according to official information, about two thousand personnel, two hundred units of various equipment and about a hundred artillery pieces participated in the training battles of the first day of the “Caucasus-2012”. More specific numbers have not yet been announced. In addition, as is clear from the statements of Georgian and Baltic politicians, some of Russia's neighbors are not satisfied with the official information on the objectives of the exercises. As a matter of fact, the reaction of the NATO Secretary General does not only look normal and balanced, but also is quite reasonable. The North Atlantic Alliance regularly conducts international exercises at a small distance from the Russian borders. Indignation at the Kavkaz-2012 maneuvers in this case would look like another example of double standards.
Regardless of the reaction of foreign officials, experts or journalists, the exercise continues. The latest training battles will take place this Sunday. The next few weeks will be spent on analyzing the information gathered and making various recommendations, the purpose of which is to increase the defense capability of individual units and the entire military district as a whole.
Preparing for aerial shooting
In the cabin of the rocket ship "Tatarstan"
The crew member of the missile ship "Tatarstan"
Missile cruiser "Moscow"
On the materials of the sites:
http://mil.ru/
http://tv-zvezda.ru/
http://argumenti.ru/army/n357/203224
http://peacekeeper.ru/
http://rosbalt.ru/
http://bbc.co.uk/