Russian special operation in Ukraine: small arms
Earlier in the article "Russian special operation in Ukraine: to dispel the fog of war", we talked about a systematic increase in the effectiveness of combat operations by monitoring the airspace and territory of Ukraine in real time. Now it's time to come down from heaven to earth - let's talk about shooting weapons and additional devices that can significantly increase the effectiveness of ground units.
Let's make a reservation right away, these are just assumptions - the data on the weapons and military equipment used during the special operation in Ukraine are not disclosed by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (MO RF), so we can only judge this based on information that is publicly available on the Internet , photos and videos from the battlefields.
So, based on the available information, sometimes one gets the impression that in the course of a special operation in Ukraine, the latest weapons and equipment available to the armed forces (AF) of the Russian Federation are not always used.
Why is this happening, maybe the country's leadership saves the best in case of an invasion by NATO countries?
If so, then, according to the author, it is absolutely meaningless. In the conditions of the actual war with Ukraine and severe economic sanctions, we will not be physically able to resist the united NATO bloc. The only response to a NATO air-ground operation of any intensity is to launch tactical nuclear strikes against US/NATO troop concentrations and bases in Eastern Europe, and possibly Western Europe as well.
On the other hand, the operation in Ukraine is already underway, and our enemies (it’s impossible to call them “partners” even in quotation marks) are looking at it very carefully. The longer the war goes on, the more losses on our side, the more it will seem to them that Russia is weak and You can also try. Especially considering the anti-Russian propaganda, which its creators themselves may ultimately believe.
In other words, in this situation, the more we prepare for a future war, saving for it the best and most effective weapons, instead of using them in the current conflict, the more likely that this war will begin.
But the opposite is also true. We need the fastest and most decisive victory, which will not allow us to doubt the effectiveness of the Russian armed forces. The most valuable resource is time, and it works against us. The faster and more decisive the victory, the less likely that someone will want to repeat the experience of Ukrainian nationalists.
In order to minimize the time until our victory, it is necessary to use the most effective weapons of those that the RF Armed Forces have or can be quickly acquired.
Of course, in the context of the ongoing war, it makes no sense to talk about promising weapons systems that will be developed and purchased sometime in the future - only about what we have now.
Automatic
As the author has repeatedly stated on the pages of the Military Review, no matter what high-tech weapons are used, still from thirty to sixty or more percent of enemy soldiers are hit by small arms. What can be done to further improve the effectiveness of small arms?
Statistics of those killed and wounded in military conflicts
Firstly, if the new AK-12 assault rifles provide 50% better accuracy and accuracy of fire than the AK-74M, as stated in some sources (according to other sources - 20%), then all of them should be in the hands of military personnel participating in a special operation conducted by the RF Armed Forces in Ukraine. Not at the parade, not in warehouses, but exactly there, in battle. One thing you definitely shouldn’t skimp on is small arms – we can produce tens of thousands of them a year under any sanctions.
Automatic AK-12. Image by wikipedia.org
Secondly, optical sights of variable magnification x1-4 / x1-6 / x1-8, constant magnification from x2 to x4 and collimator sights, as already mentioned on the pages of the "Military Review" - their presence significantly increases the effectiveness of the firing of fighters, in including those with poor shooting training. What is also extremely important - optical sights simplify the identification of targets, that is, the ability to distinguish a military man from a civilian, a commander from a private, a looter with a weapon from a soldier at a greater range.
If there is a shortage of collimator and optical sights in the warehouses of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, then it is necessary to quickly, according to simplified procurement procedures, purchase everything that is available from the quality on the civilian market in Russia and Belarus, which can effectively keep the recoil of 5,45x39 mm / 7,62x39 mm assault rifles , and send all this to the troops taking part in the special operation in Ukraine. Of course, you must not forget about the installed side rails (not all machines have them initially), brackets, rings, batteries and other devices and components necessary for installing sights on weapons and ensuring their operation.
Thirdly, muzzle brakes-compensators of the closed (DTK) type and / or silencers designed to work with supersonic cartridges. This direction is only becoming mainstream so far, but they are already popular with fighters of special operations forces (SOF) and private military companies (PMCs). The use of closed-type DTK / silencers on machine guns allows you to almost completely remove the muzzle flash, which is especially important when conducting combat operations at night.
Tactical silencer on the M-4 assault rifle. Defense Force image
The sound of the shot is also significantly reduced - in the carbine of caliber 308 Win. with a barrel length of 350–415 mm, the sound of a shot is similar to a shot from a howitzer - a person can experience pain in the hearing organs even in an open area (it’s better not to talk about a room at all), while the sound of a shot of the same weapon with a closed type DTK is comparable to the sound of a shot from "little". For a 5,45x39 mm assault rifle, the result will be even better.
This not only reduces the unmasking of the shooter's position, but also increases the efficiency of controlling fighters on the battlefield. Besides, anyone who has even fired a military pistol indoors knows how a shot hits the ears. Without active or passive headphones, the assault on buildings leads to massive light contusions of fighters, a decrease in attention, and loss of controllability by assault. A closed-type DTC or a silencer significantly reduces the severity of the problem. By the way, active headphones are also vital, of course, complete with a supply of batteries for them, especially if they can be connected to radio communications.
Of course, it is doubtful that closed-type DTCs or silencers will be able to be quickly purchased in sufficient quantities. At the same time, there is nothing prohibitively complicated in their design; practically at any industrial enterprise, their production can be established in a couple of weeks. At the same time, everything that is available in warehouses and on the market must be chosen cleanly, it is possible that a couple of thousand can be found / purchased relatively quickly, and then act as the situation develops.
Sniper weapon
It can be assumed that, as in many other military conflicts taking place in different parts of the world, anti-material sniper rifles of 12,7x108 mm caliber will play an important role. The author has no information on how many of these rifles are in service with the RF Armed Forces and how many of them are now in the hands of the soldiers fighting in Ukraine, but the more the better.
Large-caliber sniper rifles allow you to destroy enemy fighters located behind shelters, hit the crews of machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, mortars and anti-tank guided missile systems (ATGM), hit lightly armored vehicles, conduct counter-sniper combat, and so on. Like automatic weapons, Russia will be able to produce such weapons under any sanctions, so Russian troops in Ukraine should be as saturated as possible with these weapons.
Russian self-loading large-caliber sniper rifle OSV-96. Image by wikipedia.org
Of course, such weapons can only be used with an optical sight. It can be assumed that large-caliber sniper rifles purchased for the RF Armed Forces are initially equipped with optical sights, but this is only half the story. It is much more important to equip the maximum number of large-caliber sniper rifles with thermal imaging sights - they will make these weapons around the clock, which will ensure a continuous debilitating effect on the enemy. And during the day, a thermal imager can provide a sniper with increased capabilities for detecting thermally contrasting targets.
Thermal cameras for large-caliber sniper rifles are extremely important. Even if there are few of them in the warehouses of the RF Armed Forces, it is necessary to use most of them in Ukraine, as well as promptly purchase all models available on the civilian market that can withstand the recoil of a 12,7x108 mm cartridge. And those that cannot hold 12,7x108 mm, but can withstand the recoil of 7,62x54R or 5,45x39 mm cartridges, must be purchased for installation on SVD rifles, light machine guns and machine guns. In general, there are not many thermal imagers on the battlefield.
As in the case of assault rifles, sniper rifles of all classes should be equipped to the maximum with silencers designed to work with supersonic cartridges or closed type DTK - the effect of their use will be immediately noticeable.
Shooting from a 12,7x108 mm rifle with a closed-type DTK during the day
Shooting from a rifle of caliber 12,7x108 mm with a closed-type DTK at night
Conclusions
Of course, much more can be said about other types of small arms - heavy machine guns, special sniper rifles for subsonic ammunition of 9x39 mm caliber, and much more, but in this case, only two samples of small arms are specifically focused on - machine guns and large-caliber sniper rifles.
Equipping assault rifles and large-caliber sniper rifles with optical and thermal imaging sights, as well as silencers or closed-type DTK, will significantly increase the effectiveness of ground combat operations during a special operation in Ukraine.
Information