Need a barrier in the sector of threats
The Kavkaz-2016 strategic command and staff exercise is scheduled for September of the beginning of the year. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the upcoming maneuvers should be one of the key measures aimed at strengthening the country's defense system in the south-western (SWS) and southern (SW) strategic directions. To this end, a new military infrastructure will be deployed in the Black Sea-Caucasus region, as well as a significant amount of new weapons. And the main task of the troops and forces in 2016 will be to master the expanding combat capabilities during the preparation and conduct of the SKSHU. Meanwhile, according to our information, even before the exercises, it is planned to use land forces and warships not only to solve training, but also specific combat tasks, as was the case during the Russian operation in Syria last fall.
Whether new combat targets will be defined for this, and in what theaters of military operations, military sources do not report. Although, if you remember history, the preparation itself for the Caucasus School "Caucasus" already had a similar scenario. In 2008, similar strategic maneuvers took place literally a month before the start of Georgia’s military aggression against South Ossetia. Then the training tasks that were fulfilled at the SKSHU, the troops continued to work out already in the immediate combat situation during the operation to force the Georgian aggressors to peace. Now, attending the final board of the Ministry of Defense in December 2015, President Vladimir Putin also set the task to act in a similar vein. “The upcoming strategic exercise“ Kavkaz-2016 ”should focus on preparing personnel for operations in difficult conditions, including in mountainous areas,” the Supreme Commander said then.
The same tasks were set on January 12, 2016 at a conference call with the leadership of the Armed Forces by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. “Against the background of a difficult international military-political situation during the exercise, it is important to assess our capabilities to protect national interests in the southwestern strategic direction. Troops and forces must work out the issues of combat interaction and effective actions in mountainous areas, taking into account the growth of terrorist threats in the region, ”he stressed. The Ministry of Defense is now clarifying that the actions of the Russian army in the preparation of this command and control squadron on the SWS and JUS directions will be carried out "with the participation of aviation, naval and land units and formations ", that is, it is planned to use troops between services not only in the spurs of the Main Caucasian Ridge (GKH), but also in the waters of the Black and Caspian Seas.
FLOTILLAAIMED AT OUR BEACH
Such large-scale tasks are apparently connected with the strengthening of the military power of NATO, as well as the aggressive plans of Ukraine in these regions. Last year, in the Black Sea, the ships of the USA, Canada, France and other countries of the alliance, as is known, were present on a rotational basis almost constantly.
At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg repeatedly stressed that "the strengthening of the operational response forces and their increased presence on the ground is a reaction caused by the actions of Russia in Ukraine and Georgia." Recently, a document appeared on the website of the Romanian government, which says that the country's military department is starting a dialogue with NATO partners on the creation of an allied flotilla in the Black Sea. Discussion of this issue will begin in February this year during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. A positive decision on this issue is very likely.
This idea is already being actively discussed in the media, and predictions are being made that, allegedly, the naval forces of the United States, Turkey, Germany and Italy can enter into the composition of NATO's flotilla. Military expert captain of the first rank Oleg Shvedkov thinks somewhat differently. He agrees with the opinion that the NATO flotilla in the Black Sea "can very easily be created." But he notes that “its composition will be mainly represented by warships of the Black Sea states - Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, and also, possibly, in the future, by the forces of the Georgian and Ukrainian Navy, which are not members of the alliance. The ships of the United States, France and other NATO countries will operate as part of this flotilla only on a rotational basis, ”the expert said. He emphasizes that “the stay in the Black Sea of ships of non-coastal states is regulated by international law and the Montreux Convention. The last document allows foreign ships to be in the Black Sea area no more than 21 of the day. ”
One way or another, the maritime confrontation on the Black Sea may intensify. And according to Shvedkov’s calculations, the total martial power of the NATO countries, which will form the flotilla, will greatly exceed the capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet in its capabilities. “But the tragedy of this is not necessary. Russia has enough forces and means on land and at sea (aviation, rocket, etc.) to counter these threats. And they are constantly increasing, ”he said.
The words of the expert are confirmed by the data of the Russian military department. According to the head of the Black Sea Fleet's information department for captain 1, rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev, last year the Black Sea Fleet added more than 15 with the latest combat ships. Including for the Black Sea Fleet there are already two small Serpukhov and Green Dale rocket ships, which are armed with Caliber-NK cruise missiles. Similar weapons New diesel submarines of the Novorossiysk and Rostov-on-Don Black Sea Fleets, which also carry out combat missions off the coast of Russia, are also equipped. "Calibers", as you know, have a range of destruction to 3 thousand. Km. And this is a very formidable weapon, which our Navy demonstrated, covering rockets with militant positions in Syria.
Note that the effectiveness of "Calibrov" has already been evaluated at the Pentagon. A report by the United States Naval Intelligence Agency (Office of Naval Intelligence, ONI), which Bloomberg published on the last day of 2015, states that Russia's course on deploying long-range missiles on small platforms “adds to the problems of the US Navy and its allies ". It is also said that the threat to the ground infrastructure of NATO will significantly increase. “Missiles against ground targets allow all the platforms on which they are deployed to have the important ability to keep a fixed ground target at a distance under the threat of using conventional weapons against it,” the document notes.
Russian naval units located on the Black Sea coast already have experience in performing combat missions in Syria. Photos from the official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
WHAT RUSSIA WILL RESPOND
Add to the problems for NATO and our military aircraft. According to the press service of the Southern Military District (South Military District), quite recently in Rostov-on-Don, a new commander of the 4 Army of the Air Force and Air Defense and Air Defense (Lieutenant-General) Viktor Sevostyanov, appointed for this position by decree of the President of the Russian Federation. Note that before that he commanded the same army in the Central Military District. But the Southern Military District is a combat district, and therefore an experienced commander should be standing there. Victor M. Sevostyanov graduated from Armavir Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, Military Command Academy of Air Defense. Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He served as an instructor pilot, squadron commander, regiment commander, division commander in the North Caucasus, Far Eastern, Trans-Baikal, Volga-Urals military districts. From 2010 to 2015 year - the commander of the association of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Central Military District.
It is under his leadership that the aviation group in the region will be improved. Currently, aviation regiments deployed in the Rostov region and Kuban are being equipped with modern combat aircraft (fighters and fighter-bomber) Su-30SM, Su-24M, Su-34, as well as attack aircraft Su-25SM and helicopters of the Army-II-I-I-I-I-8, and attack aircraft of the Su-28SM and helicopters of the Army MI-I-I-35, as well as attack aircraft of the Su-500M and helicopters of the Army MI-I-I-XNUMX. "Terminator", attack helicopters Mi-XNUMXH "Night Hunter" and Mi-XNUMX "Crocodile". The combat radius of their actions allows you to control the entire water area of the Black Sea. Similar opportunities are available for two brigades of the operational-tactical missile complex (OTRK) "Iskander-M", formed in the Southern Military District. According to official data, these OTRKs are capable of hitting any targets at a distance of up to XNUMX km, that is, they can control the entire coastal infrastructure of the naval bases of a potential enemy in the Black Sea theater of operations.
Earlier, the media reported that the regiment of fighter aviation in the Crimea will also be modernized, and in Dzhankoy, near the border with Ukraine, helicopter units will appear to support the airborne assault regiment stationed there. In November 2015, the Security Council of Ukraine already expressed concern when about a thousand "polite" soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces were deployed from Ivanovo there.
What new can appear in the Russian Federation on the SWS and US directions in 2016? The governor of Sevastopol Sergey Menaylo allows the deployment of a new naval base in the Crimea in the waters of Lake Donuzlav. Meymailo, as you know, previously served on the Black Sea Fleet (he was the deputy commander of the fleet) and has an idea of the goals and tasks of the fleet for the future. If you recall, the naval base in Donuzlav was founded in 1976, and until 2014, it was run by the Ukrainian Navy. Ukrainian assault ships, boats and auxiliary vessels were stationed there. After the Crimea was part of the Russian Federation, Donuzlav was mothballed. But, apparently, not for long. Increasing the combat power of the Black Sea Fleet will require the expansion of military infrastructure.
“It’s still difficult to say whether Lake Donuzlav will again be home to the Crimean Navy. At present, the task is to create a grouping of troops capable of performing the tasks as intended. With the development of this grouping, a question on Donuzlav Lake may arise, ”RIA quotes. News statement by Sergey Menyaylo. He also told that at present, work is underway on the arrangement of the already formed subdivisions, and modernization of the fleet bases is also being carried out. All this is done by joint efforts of the Black Sea Fleet and the Southern Military District. According to Sergey Menyaylo, while the Crimea was part of Ukraine, no development of military infrastructure took place on the territory of the peninsula. After the Crimea returned to the Russian Federation, the military camps began to actively rebuild, and the Black Sea Fleet expanded its influence.
The press service of the Black Sea Fleet informs that, according to the re-equipment program up to 2020, starting from 2016, the Black Sea Fleet will receive sentry ships of the 11356 project “Admiral Grigorovich”, “Admiral Essen” and “Admiral Makarov”, two diesel submarines “Old Oskol” and "Krasnodar", as well as several support vessels and floating cranes. Apparently, some of them will be located in Donuzlav. According to Spetsstroy of Russia, in Novorossiysk, construction of berths and other facilities for the deployment of submarines of the Black Sea Fleet is being completed. Here, on the northern coast of the Tsemessky bay, the construction of the headquarters of the Novorossiysk naval base is being completed.
Thus, Russia, despite economic problems, continues to improve its troops and fleet forces in the Black Sea-Caucasus region. These preparations, of course, require considerable resources. But Moscow is ready to provide them in order to guarantee its security.
Information