The experience of the SVO has outlined the vector of development of the RF Armed Forces

The Special Military Operation (SMO) has shown once again and very clearly that a non-combatant army degrades and turns into a serious burden for the state. On the contrary, the Armed Forces, constantly participating in combat operations: improve, harden and gain invaluable combat experience. The Ukrainian war has become a tough, but vital school for the RF Armed Forces. Many mistakes were made. It is gratifying that they were not fatal, and it is also worth noting that the tough circumstances forced the political and military leadership to be flexible.
The beginning of the SVO showed that in many ways the actions of the Russian Armed Forces were carried out as if by touch, without meticulous reconnaissance, but at high speed. The first stage of the SVO was a maneuver war, which yielded significant results in the capture of territories. However, this stage was quickly curtailed. They abandoned the actions of battalion tactical groups. The advancing columns of Russian troops, having penetrated great distances, got bogged down in battles. The enemy's large number of anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems, rocket and barrel artillery, including mortars, led to positional warfare. But a return to maneuver warfare is inevitable.
The unexpected and decisive
Let's take into account the fact that the Russian Armed Forces are fighting not so much against Ukraine as against the United States. Initially, there is a mutual underestimation by the Pentagon - by us and by us - of the forces and means that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to deploy on the battlefield at the instigation of the United States and its allies.
The most significant thing is that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have modern reconnaissance, communications, weapons and troop control systems. Almost all technical equipment was provided to Kyiv by the United States. Back in 2015, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine began to receive the first modern communications systems from America. Of course, their use was taught by instructors from the so-called "signal" formations of the US Armed Forces, whose task is to provide forces/troops with high-quality secure communications and organize a troop and weapons control network, as well as maintaining all this in working order and, of course, fighting similar enemy networks.
The presence of American communications units in the structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a proven fact. The most successful discovery occurred during the military operations in the Kursk region. The relevant service documentation fell into the hands of the Russian Armed Forces. It is clear that the regular communications units of the US Armed Forces are still working in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other Ukrainian security agencies. The US Armed Forces provided Kyiv with Falcon II radio stations or their analogues, IFATDS field artillery control systems. The Americans developed the Delta automated troop and weapons control system specifically for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Another unpleasant surprise for the Russians was the well-established military intelligence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, both technical and intelligence. Of course, the development of Ukrainian special services was carried out under the strict guidance of the American intelligence community, and the British also took an active part in this. Ukrainian military headquarters are literally teeming with American and NATO officers. Western military advisers are sometimes part of the brigade command. Under such circumstances, of course, the Ukrainian Armed Forces receive the latest satellite information about the position and condition of our troops. Apparently, military planning for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is mainly carried out by the American command, it is possible that Ukrainian generals are allowed to show initiative only within the framework of the plan developed by the Pentagon. It turns out that not only the Russian Armed Forces are gaining combat experience, but also our enemies from overseas. The latter do not limit themselves to anything in their training and sacrifice the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers for it.
The Pentagon has a long history of using commercial contractors to obtain intelligence information. In this case, Elon Musk's Starlink internet project is actively exploited. By early spring 2023, it included more than 3000 satellites located in low orbits of various orientations. The Ukrainian Armed Forces and other Ukrainian security forces received thousands of Starlink terminals, which allowed them to conduct reconnaissance and provide communications between different branches of the armed forces throughout the theater of operations.
But that's not all
News, which broke much of what was previously unshakable in the idea of war, became flying drones. The US has been using these toys for military purposes for several decades, both reconnaissance and strike, quite effectively. Just ten years ago, the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces did not consider them as serious weapons capable of dramatically affecting the situation on the battlefield. Now they have to pay for it. And it would seem that there is nothing special about it - a simple commercial FPV drone. But it turned out to be formidable weapons. Yes, undoubtedly, a fat point on the use of such combat formations as: a rifle chain, a combat line of vehicles - was put by other means of destruction: high-precision ATGMs, small automatic weapons equipped with modern optics, including those capable of calculating the lead for the aiming point depending on the movement of the target, air conditions, direction and speed of the wind. But, it was the drone that finally buried the old combat formation. Small in size, cheap and easy to operate, it became a powerful addition to field artillery. Drones can carry dropped ammunition or have a warhead themselves and be ammunition. The new weapon also forced us to reconsider the attitude to the protection of armored vehicles. Funny, when viewed from the outside, designs appeared, supplemented with a net and a standard mask. But without them, armored vehicles with their high-tech protection would have to be sent to the dump stories.
We will talk about new combat formations of infantry and armored vehicles separately. Now we are talking about drones. A new stage of their combat use was not long in coming - these are swarming drones, in the control of which artificial intelligence takes part. On the basis of flying drones or UAVs, loitering munitions were created, capable of covering distances from several kilometers to 2000 km or more. In combat aviation Heavy drones of operational and strategic levels have become firmly established. The air forces of leading military powers have already created formations of heavy unmanned aircraft for both reconnaissance and strike. Reconnaissance has become more accurate. The fog of war has now been virtually dispelled and remains, as a force majeure factor, only occasionally.
Further development of swarming loitering munitions systems included, for example, the Chinese COEG and CH-901, which, with further development, are capable of replacing TOS, ATGMs, tactical MLRS and field tube artillery, including mortars. We have not yet mentioned wheeled, tracked and walking drones, which have been widely used and rapidly developed recently. This equipment is definitely in demand on the battlefield. At present, its use is more proactive.
It is necessary to clearly integrate these devices into the new structure of the ground forces, which will ensure their most effective use.

Coming changes
Drones and the modern theater of operations are transforming aviation and the military fleet, but this is a topic for a separate article. As has already been said earlier, the realities of the battlefield have significantly influenced the construction of the combat formations of the ground forces. This fact cannot be ignored in their structure. A clear segmentation of light and heavy motorized infantry is overdue. A clear definition of the place is also necessary tanks in modern combat. Definitely, "barbecues" are a temporary solution to protect equipment from drones, they will have to be disposed of. The solution to the problem will most likely not be the means EW, and swarms of drones are designed to protect battle formations from enemy UAVs.
Heavy infantry will have to be placed on heavy infantry fighting vehicles/armored personnel carriers with armor close to that of tanks. Each such vehicle, when moving across the battlefield, must be accompanied by air cover from swarms of drones performing reconnaissance tasks, engaging the enemy, and protecting their own forces. To ensure safety from antitank mines, each combat unit will have to be equipped with additional appropriate equipment.
The crews of the infantry fighting vehicles/armored personnel carriers will have to include a drone operator and the vehicles will have to be equipped with appropriate equipment for controlling both air and ground forces. dronesOther options are also possible: to organize drone operators into regular units and allocate them separate equipment and their own place in the combat formation.
Light infantry should be made maneuverable and provided with buggies, ATVs and motorcycles as means of transportation. This, however, has already been partly done, but not as a rule, but as an exception and was not reflected in the BUSV. It remains to solve a not very difficult problem, how to fire at the enemy and control a motorcycle or ATV at the same time. Small arms can be placed on an adapted mount for manipulation next to the steering wheel, and their control can be displayed on the windshield of the fighter's helmet, like a military pilot. Maneuverable launch systems of loitering munitions such as the Chinese CH-901 are more suitable for fire support of light infantry. Also, the attack of light infantry should definitely be covered by swarming drones.
That is, its units will have to have regular UAV formations. Of course, the workload in organizing and managing the battle on company and battalion commanders will increase significantly. Therefore, there is already an urgent need to ensure this tactical level of automated control systems. Companies will have to be enlarged to five platoons, but it is worth it. The structure of these units must include a UAV platoon and a medical and material support platoon, again equipped with controlled ground equipment, air and wheeled, and tracked unmanned vehicles. This rear platoon is designed to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield and provide comprehensive support to personnel on the front line. To carry everything needed to support the battle to the front line, and the wounded to the rear. The presence of such a unit will significantly reduce losses. Separate UAV units must already be available in battalions, regiments, brigades and divisions.
Current combat formations, in which infantry operates in a highly dispersed, small group, are cemented by aerial drones. Providing reconnaissance of the enemy and the terrain, communications and fire support, including protection from enemy UAVs. The era of swarming drones and high-precision loitering munitions capable of searching for and destroying targets in real time is coming. And these swarms will become a good protective umbrella for infantry on the battlefield in the wars of the future.
Tanks and field artillery
Tanks have lost their main function as a striking force, have turned into slow-moving "sheds on tracks" and perform the role of self-propelled field artillery. But the opportunity to return tanks to their former combat power has not been missed. It is time to implement the "digital tank" concept. The same applies to self-propelled artillery. Most likely, we will have to abandon transportable and towed guns.
Digital tanks, MLRS and SPGs will not need these awkward homemade structures for protection against drones. The role of a protective umbrella will be performed by swarms of UAVs accompanying these vehicles on the battlefield. In addition, not all tanks and SPGs will be piloted, most of them will be unmanned. The concept of using BMPT tanks in combat formations is excellent, it just requires some refinement. Also, on the battlefield, full-size combat vehicles will be accompanied by smaller robotic systems that are not affected by anti-tank mines. This will speed up the movement of the tank fist and ensure its greater effectiveness.
It would be reasonable to place the operators of unmanned vehicles in some BMPTs, and UAVs would provide signal retransmission. All vehicles would have to be equipped with antitank missile defense systems, which would increase the combat effectiveness of each unit. In such conditions, the workload of technical personnel would increase significantly and they would have to be included in the staff of tank companies and artillery divisions, which would be provided with additional transport for moving ammunition and fuel to refueling and reloading points.
To ensure the protection of armored vehicles, infantry, self-propelled tube and rocket artillery, many, many swarming drones controlled by artificial intelligence and equipped with a friend-or-foe recognition system (FOR) will be needed, which is extremely important. In combat conditions, cases of mixing of our and the enemy's combat formations are not excluded - this is where the FOR will play its key role as a means of reconnaissance and defeat of the enemy.
As for walking drones: those that closely resemble dogs have already found combat use; they can be armed in the same way as drone-copters: with machine guns, sniper rifles, and anti-tank weapons. Drone-dogs can be good assistants for military reconnaissance units.
Android robots are on the way. But their appearance on the battlefield is not a matter of such a near future. They are too expensive to produce, a living human soldier is still much cheaper for the military budget, no matter how cynical it may sound.
It is quite obvious that commercial drones are not very suitable for military use. Specific equipment is needed and, as was said earlier, the production volumes must be quite large. In the realities of the SVO, the consumption of drones per year exceeds 1 million units. A war with an enemy better equipped than the Armed Forces of Ukraine will require large resources. In addition, drones are the kind of equipment that requires constant updating and development. It turns out that it will be necessary to create appropriate troops and an industry for the development and production of drones and protective equipment. And most importantly, this should have been taken care of yesterday.
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