Off-Season Maneuvering Warfare: Two-Segment All-terrain Armored Combat Vehicles
The SVO in Ukraine showed how strongly seasonality affects the course of hostilities. Much of the time, the armed forces of both sides do not have the ability to conduct active maneuverable combat operations at all, since any ground equipment simply gets stuck in the mud, even tracked, even Tanks.
The problem is that in some regions, including Ukraine, the “off-season” can take up most of the year. A little earlier, the rains began in autumn - and now the off-season began in September. Autumn thaw smoothly flows into warm winter - there will be no frost, the soil will not seize, therefore, any offensive has a high risk of getting stuck in the mud. Spring has begun, and a series of snow, rains, thaws and frosts can provide equipment with “mud baths” until May. Thus, our off-season could potentially last nine months of the year, out of the available twelve.
At different times, on different continents
As a result, maneuvering combat operations almost completely stop, positional clashes, similar to the fighting during the First World War.
There is one more problem. Knowing the limitations of the existing ground equipment for movement on muddy soils, the enemy carries out mining of all routes that are more or less suitable for movement. Due to the need to move along predictable paths, a significant part of ground combat equipment is lost on minefields.
Is there any possibility to change this situation?
Two-link all-terrain vehicles
The vast territory of the Russian Federation includes a significant amount of complex, hard-to-reach terrain that requires special equipment to move around it. One of the answers to this challenge was the appearance of two-link all-terrain vehicles on caterpillar tracks, such as DT-10 and DT-30 Vityaz, with a carrying capacity of 10 and 30 tons, respectively, produced by the Ishimbay Transport Engineering Plant.
Two-link caterpillar conveyor DT-10P
These vehicles are designed to transport goods in difficult climatic conditions of the Far North, Siberia, the Far East, the Arctic and Antarctic on soils with low bearing capacity (swamp, virgin snow, off-road, rugged woodland) at an ambient temperature of minus 50 to plus 40 degrees Celsius. Machines with the designation "P" in the name can overcome water obstacles. The range of all-terrain vehicles "Vityaz" reaches 500 kilometers, the maximum speed is 37 kilometers per hour.
The average specific pressure on the ground of the Vityaz all-terrain vehicles is 0,3 kilograms per square centimeter. For comparison, the average ground pressure for the T-72 tank is 0,83-0,87 kilograms per square centimeter, for the T-80 tank - 0,84 kilograms per square centimeter, for the T-90 / T-90M tank - 0,97–0,98 kilograms per square centimeter, that is, 2,5–3 times more.
Two-link caterpillar conveyor DT-30P
For the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces), modifications have been created in the amphibious armored version DT-10PM and DT-30PM. Also, on the instructions of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (MO RF), the DT-3PB all-terrain vehicle was developed, which has a payload capacity of 3 tons and a speed of up to 55 kilometers per hour.
Two-link all-terrain vehicle DT-3PB
The high cross-country ability and carrying capacity of two-link tracked transporters makes it possible to create on their basis a line of combat vehicles designed for operations in the off-season, when enemy mobile forces are not capable of active operations.
Presumably, the optimal solution could be the creation of battalion tactical groups (BTGs), consisting of two-link armored combat vehicles (DBMs) for various purposes based on DT-30PM tracked carriers.
Of course, BTGs, built on the basis of two-link armored fighting vehicles, will not be able to fight on equal terms with full-fledged heavy enemy ground units, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), with the support of artillery and infantry.
The actions of the BTG, designed to work in the off-season, should be based on the principle of "hit and run".
Advance behind enemy lines along routes impassable for other types of equipment, strike at a railway junction, ammunition or fuel depots, artillery positions, hunt HIMARS, disrupt enemy supply routes, and so on. In some cases, the BTG of the off-season can attack the advancing enemy from the rear or undercut the base of the enemy grouping, which advanced deep into our positions during its offensive.
What DBBM should be included in the BTG, designed for conducting maneuverable combat operations in the off-season?
DBBM air defense (air defense)
With this direction, everything is relatively simple, as we said above, as part of the creation of the Russian Arctic group, anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Tor-M2DT" and "Pantsir-SA" were developed.
SAM "Tor-M2DT" (left) and "Pantsir-SA" (right)
Having abandoned those components that are vital in the conditions of the Far North, but not particularly in demand in the middle lane, the released mass reserve can be used to increase the security of the former Arctic two-link BM.
In the context of the active use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the enemy, effective means are needed to counter both reconnaissance UAVs and kamikaze UAVs, therefore it is desirable to add highly effective DBBM electronic intelligence (RTR) and electronic warfare (EW) to the above air defense systems.
DBBM - self-propelled artillery installations (ACS) and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS)
Unlike air defense systems, there is much less information about self-propelled guns and MLRS placed on two-link tracked carriers. Presumably, the Russian Defense Ministry has a fairly well-developed project of the Magnolia self-propelled guns of 120 mm caliber with a firing range of up to 10 kilometers.
SAU "Magnolia"
There is also a concept for placing a Grad-type MLRS with a caliber of 122 mm based on a two-link tracked conveyor.
Image of the Grad-type MLRS, caliber 122 mm, based on a two-link tracked conveyor
What is missing? There is not enough full-fledged self-propelled guns of 152 mm caliber, for example, with a tower from self-propelled guns 2S19 "Msta-S". As we said above, the carrying capacity of the two-link tracked transporter DT-30PM is 30 tons, and the combat weight of the 2S19 Msta-S is 42 tons, of which a significant part is the mass of the undercarriage, as unified as possible with the T-80 tank, that is, the reserve in terms of weight, for installing a turret from self-propelled guns 2S19 "Msta-S" on a two-link tracked transporter DT-30PM should be very significant.
At the same time, the firing range of the 2S19 Msta-S is 2,5–3 times greater than the firing range of 120 mm caliber guns, and this is what mobile ground groups operating in the off-season deep in enemy territory need.
Given the maneuverable nature of the war and the difficulty of replenishing ammunition, all ammunition for the above DBBMs must be guided. At the very least, most of them. For MLRS, thermobaric munitions similar to those used in the TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" can be created, designed to destroy the enemy in buildings and structures.
DBBM UAV
The DBBM, designed for a massive launch, can expand the capabilities of the off-season BTG to defeat enemy targets. UAV-kamikaze. For example, something like an analogue of the Chinese "MLRS-UAV", capable of launching dozens of kamikaze UAVs.
Chinese approach to the use of kamikaze UAVs
Potentially, on the basis of the DT-30PM, a DBBM of the MLRS-UAV type can be created, firing something like a kamikaze UAV of the Lancet type in a variant with folding wings. As the experience of the SVO shows, Lancet-type kamikaze UAVs are very effectively used by the RF Armed Forces to destroy the latest Western armored vehicles, for example, from the latter, the German PZ-2000 self-propelled guns, transferred by former Nazis to the current ones, were destroyed.
DBBM melee
It is unlikely that the BTG based on the DBBM, designed for conducting maneuverable combat operations in the off-season, will be able to fight on equal terms with enemy armored vehicles, including tanks, in direct combat. However, sometimes such situations can arise unexpectedly. Thus, for a direct collision with the enemy, a certain number of two-link combat vehicles with weapons designed for this are necessary.
There are several working options to consider. The first is a DBBM with a turret from the 2S25 Sprut-SD light tank. The 125-mm cannon mounted on it can hit the entire range of enemy armored vehicles in close combat, including main battle tanks (MBTs).
Light tank 2S25 "Sprut-SD"
The second option is to use the turret from the tank support combat vehicle (BMPT) "Terminator".
BMPT "Terminator"
In the above combination of DBBM with a turret, the BMPT should be assigned the task of hitting enemy armored vehicles at long range using anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), as well as destroying enemy tank-dangerous manpower with fire from 30-mm automatic cannons, while DBBM with 125-mm cannon must fight at close range.
DBBM-BTR (armored personnel carrier)
Given the maneuverable nature of the combat operations of the promising off-season BTG, its interaction with a large number of infantry is hardly possible, however, it will not be possible to abandon it. It can be assumed that the off-season BTG landing will include fighters of sabotage and reconnaissance groups (DRGs), aircraft controllers, crews of anti-tank missile systems (ATGM), sappers, doctors and a certain number of motorized riflemen as a priority.
There is another important point. The off-season BTG survivability largely depends on its mobility - the less time the BTG spends motionless, the higher the chances that it will not be attacked by MLRS, artillery, kamikaze UAVs or enemy mobile units.
The option of having interchangeable crews for the DBBM can be considered, which will allow the BTG to practically not stop in the process of conducting hostilities.
DBM-BTR should not be equipped with large-sized combat modules, compact remote-controlled weapon modules (DUMV) are quite enough, including a 12,7 mm machine gun and a 30 mm grenade launcher, or compact module with rapid-fire 30 mm automatic cannon. The saved mass is better spent on strengthening armor protection, and the released volumes will allow the fighters to accommodate comfortably.
DUMVs with 30 mm automatic cannons can be quite compact - the M230LF 30 mm automatic cannon on a ground-based remote-controlled robotic complex and on a stationary, manually controlled turret
Conclusions
Of course, this material does not consider all samples of DBBM, which should be used as part of the off-season BTG. Auxiliary vehicles should be added to them - trucks, repair vehicles, demining vehicles and much more.
Does it even make sense to bother with the creation of such specific types of military equipment?
Definitely yes. And the point here is not only in the SVO, although this operation, like a litmus test, highlights the advantages and disadvantages of existing concepts - after all, what's the point in powerful armored shock fists if after a couple of kilometers they stupidly get stuck in the mud or blow up on mines if you risk driving along roads? The climate is changing, winters are getting milder, the soil does not freeze, which means that the need for armored vehicles capable of operating on muddy soils will only increase. At the same time, paved roads quickly fail, in addition, they can be mined and targeted by enemy artillery.
In real reality, when confronting approximately equal opponents with modern high-tech armed forces, there will not be many chances for a maneuver war - aviation, artillery, MLRS and reconnaissance and strike UAVs together are capable of disrupting almost any full-scale ground offensive - of course, we are talking about opponents of approximately equal capabilities.
Thus, only ground units of a limited size will have chances for maneuver warfare, presumably, they could be battalion tactical groups operating in the “hit and run” format - a kind of mechanized sabotage and reconnaissance units of the XNUMXst century.
Information