Let's return to 2018. On the issue of river flotillas or divisions in the Russian Navy
Sometimes a topic that needs to be discussed appears suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere. It’s just that someone somewhere, perhaps even by accident, said something, voiced a question about which we, VO, once already wrote, discussed, argued, spoke out for and against. Five (!) years passed and suddenly...
The year 2018 is already far away. Discussion about the need for river flotillas! Experienced readers, I think, remember her. They also remember how the issue was simply “not noticed” “at the top”, in the Ministry of Defense, in the leadership of the Navy and other bodies on which the country’s defense capability depends.
It’s clear, money for the army and fleet there's never enough. And in any state. And the scale of the problem is too small for such a large country as ours. A river is not a sea; you cannot get to Africa or even to any island by river. And this boat costs a penny. Not a cruiser, not an aircraft carrier. A simple “railway” based boat...
Even what is already happening today in the Kherson direction of the Northern Military District, for a long time did not raise the issue of river flotillas. Many still believe that the AFU DRGs are transported to the left bank in rubber boats, and are sincerely surprised by the fact that our fighters do not destroy this gang on boats and rafts right on the water.
For those who are surprised, I will tell you a “terrible secret.” The reservoir is no more! There is a river bed 500 meters wide or more. And the “boats and rafts” used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are made in the USA and reach speeds of up to 42–45 knots... For example, 34-foot (10,36 meters) aluminum small patrol boats of the Sea Ark Dauntless type (“Neustrashimy”) and 35-foot (10,6 meters) small river boats of the SURC (Small Unit Riverine Craft) type.
For arithmetic lovers, I’ll ask a simple question that will answer the previous one, about why we don’t drown them right in the middle of the Dnieper, like we once did those birds that Gogol wrote about. These same boats “arrive” quite quickly. And not to the middle, but straight to the shore or island...
By the way, these “birds” have very serious “claws” and “beaks” in the form of heavy machine guns...
Essential like air...
I'll start with a banality.
Modern warfare is different. On the ground, in the air, on the water... Different in terms of armament, in tactics and strategy for maintaining a database, in terms of the goals and objectives of operations. Only one thing remains unchanged. The army must win. Obliged to destroy the enemy by any means, using any forces and means.
Hence the change in the tasks of commanders and staffs: it is now difficult to fight “according to the manual”. The enemy knows our combat manuals as well as we do. To win, you need to pose unexpected challenges to your opponent. This has already been demonstrated by many of our units and formations.
How many times have we been attacked by sea drones? A lot of! And the worst thing is that it’s effective. We are making enormous efforts to protect Crimean ports and ships. We are defending ourselves. But we don't attack. I'm not talking about bombings. Talk about the sea.
A marine drone is, first and foremost, a high-speed boat. Who should fight enemy boats? Cruisers, frigates, submarines or other ships?
No, well-armed speedboats must fight drones! Modern reconnaissance means make it possible to detect the enemy far enough away. And then it’s a matter of technology. Interception and destruction...
Is this something new in naval affairs? Well, don't make me laugh. The American boats I have already mentioned. Patrol boats of the Mark VI type, which have been produced since 2014. A high-speed (up to 45 knots), highly maneuverable boat, capable of secretly transporting 8 or even more paratroopers. But what’s more important for us, to solve the problem of fighting sea drones, is weapons.
Those boats that were delivered to Ukraine are equipped with two 30-mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II automatic cannons and 6 (!) M2 machine guns with a caliber of 12,7 mm. This is with a crew of 8 people!
By the way, the Americans are also talking about the possibility of replacing weapons with more powerful ones without any problems. Like six-barreled 7,62 mm M134 machine guns or 40 mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers.
So how is it? If such a boat catches up or encounters a drone at sea, is there a chance that the drone will continue to carry out its combat mission? Or this: if several of these boats land troops on some island on the Dnieper, while supporting the paratroopers with fire, what is the chance of breaking through the coastal defense of the island? Can you imagine the density of fire that such boats will provide?
Where are our boats? Where are our divisions of our patrol boats? Where are the landing craft for the Marine assault units? Where are the boats capable of driving Ukrainian boats into the coastal reeds on the Dnieper?
The boats deservedly became famous during the Great Patriotic War...
In September 2019, VO published a good article about torpedo boats during World War II in the USSR. Already in 1933, the Soviet Union began producing “small ships” - G-5 torpedo boats. Speed (without weapons) up to 65 (!) knots. These boats have a combat record of sending quite a lot of serious enemy ships to the bottom.
By the way, in addition to torpedoes, the boat had decent “teeth” from two DShK machine guns...
So the ice has broken or...
Reportedly news agencies, a few days ago, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev announced at a meeting on the formation of the Armed Forces about the creation of a new association - a new independent flotilla within the Navy.
It is clear that such an “information leak” was not accidental. Dmitry Anatolyevich is an experienced politician, and it’s hard to believe that he would say something “for the sake of words.” Therefore, apart from the statement about the creation of the flotilla, there is no information. Medvedev did not name the location of the flotilla, nor the tasks it will perform, nor the composition of the flotilla.
Let's try to connect the facts that we know from open sources.
Not many people know that the Navy is strengthening its Marine Corps units. There have never been marine divisions in the Navy. Brigades - yes, but there were no divisions. And now the decision has been made. Within a year, divisions must be created from brigades!
Currently, the Russian Federation knows about five brigades of marines. Two brigades are in the Pacific Ocean, one in the North, one in the Baltic and one in Sevastopol. Well, the regiment is in Kaspiysk. Although I would classify the Guards (congratulations again) coastal defense brigade in Sevastopol as marines. This is critically low!
Above, I already wrote about the difference between modern war and all previous ones. Although, as far as the Marine Corps or Airborne Forces are concerned, these changes occurred quite a long time ago. Even during the Chechen campaign. Alas, neither air nor sea landings have been engaged in large air or sea landings for a long time. Now these are rather the most prepared assault units and formations.
And this is where the problem of means of delivering Marines to the sites of operations arises. In the brigade, this applies to both the Marines and the DSB, such funds are not provided. The fleet is using its capabilities. Their landing ships.
I think the formation of MP divisions will be adjusted, and the composition of such formations will be similar to airborne ones. Division commanders will receive units or units of landing boats under their command. Or, in order to improve the repair base and supply, the boats will be under a single command, but in matters of conducting landing operations they will come under the command of the division commanders.
According to my information, the issue of creating river flotillas or divisions is currently being studied in the Russian Defense Ministry. According to rumors, the first such division has already been created and has begun to operate in the Northern Military District zone. Moreover, river is the conventional name of the unit. The division can work not only on rivers, but also on lakes, reservoirs and even in the coastal sea zone.
I’m not sure, but I think a final decision on these divisions has not yet been made. Messages from the NWO area must be carefully monitored. The experiment is carried out to find out the real effectiveness of the new unit.
Instead of conclusions
I understand that readers will be interested in learning about the composition, weapons, and equipment that river flotillas or divisions may use. Alas, this is not my diocese. We have specialists who, if necessary, can tell you much more about this than I can. So I didn’t touch on these issues here.
But the fact that they finally began to analyze, disassemble and try to implement the experience of the Northern Military District is good. This is worth talking and writing about. The war poses more and more new questions almost every day. And we need to look for answers to them.
What I wrote about is so far just conclusions from the facts that are known today. This is an analysis, not an informational report. And the material should be perceived precisely as an analysis of the situation. While there is no official information from the Russian Defense Ministry, it is premature to talk about the creation of flotillas or divisions. But the fact that they are necessary is a must.
I have written many times that the army is a very complex structure due to its diversity and heterogeneity of tasks performed. And an army participating in hostilities is doubly complex. What is obvious to someone looking from the couch is seen completely differently to someone sitting in a trench. And what a fighter sees at the LBS does not always coincide with what the commander sees from the dugout or the general from headquarters.
But this is so, thoughts about some readers...
Information