Russian Military Reform

In the Ground Forces, they thoroughly approach the organization and conduct of combat training activities

All of us are witnessing how the means of armed struggle and the tactics of military operations develop over time. All this, undoubtedly, requires improving the training of servicemen and military formations of the Ground Forces. Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of the Russian Federation

At the heart of the activities of the Main Command of the Ground Forces is a set of interrelated tasks to guide the construction and training of troops, territorial defense and peacekeeping activities in the Ground Forces. In addition, many other problems are being solved. The main ones are the general management of the combat training of the Ground Forces, the organization of training specialists for our most numerous type of Armed Forces, the development of statutory, program and planning documents.
The main command of the Land Forces, based on the analysis of the state of combat training in units and military units, develops and organizes organizational and methodological instructions on the organization of operational, mobilization and combat training, inspections of military command and control agencies and ground forces, which are the starting Point for further planning the training of troops (forces) military districts.
This document determines the main areas for training troops, the results that must be achieved to ensure the fulfillment of tasks assigned to the merger and association, as well as the forms and ways to achieve the required level of training.
The complex of measures for managing combat training includes also monitoring its progress and rendering assistance to the relevant commanders and management bodies in carrying it out. To this end, the officers of the Main Command of the Land Forces go to military districts, organizations and military units, where they conduct classes on the subjects of instruction, study, analyze and generalize best practices.

Training of specialists for the Army is one of the most important functions of the High Command

Based on the materials of the work in the troops, as well as the experience gained by formations, military units and units of the Ground Forces during the exercises, sudden checks of combat readiness, performance of tasks during combat training, the proposals and requirements are developed and promptly submitted to the troops in the Main Command of the Ground Forces On the improvement of combat training, including taking into account the receipt of new models of military equipment.
Everybody understands perfectly well that without the trained specialists it is impossible to fulfill the tasks assigned to the troops qualitatively. The sudden military readiness checks conducted over the past few years, joint strategic exercises in various theaters of military operations, a comparative analysis of the preparedness of servicemen based on the results of joint exercises conducted with the divisions of the armies of foreign states show the high level of training of our junior specialists. However, solid theoretical knowledge and practical skills of personnel do not appear on their own, but are achieved by the intense and painstaking work of many and many officials and management bodies.
Training of specialists for the Army is one of the most important functions of the High Command.
Based on the concept of the construction and development of the Ground Forces, the plan for the formation of new formations in the military districts, as well as the analysis of the need for troops in junior specialists, a list of military specialties is determined, according to which specialists are trained in the district training centers and training military units. So, in the period from 2013 to 2016, more than 157,000 junior specialists for the Army were trained in these training units.
It should also be noted that all the uniform statutory documents of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, used in daily activities and training of troops, have been developed in the Main Command of the Ground Forces or with the direct participation of its specialists.
Literally over the last few years, the Military Committees of the Land Force, the Battle Manuals of the Special Forces of the Ground Forces, the Manual on the organization of work of the command and control agencies of the units, the organization of comprehensive support for the operations of formations, military units and units of the Ground Forces have been revised by the officers of the Main Command. Programs of combat training for units carrying out tasks in arctic conditions, mountainous and highlands are also developed.
In 2016, the research work on the military-scientific justification for new approaches to the formation of combat training programs for the units of the Land Forces, staffed by military men under military service under the contract, was completed. Based on the developed approaches, a new training program has been developed for this category of servicemen, which is currently being tested in military district formations.
With the arrival in the troops of modern and modernized models of military equipment and weapon systems, corrections and necessary changes are made to the conditions for the performance of shooting and driving exercises, collections of standards. For retraining for new models of military equipment, as early as 2017, two programs have been developed and sent to the troops.
Analysis and generalization of advanced experience in the preparation of the units of the Ground Forces are carried out by special structural units of the Main Command of the Ground Forces. The result of their work are methodical guides and recommendations on the order of conducting classes on combat training subjects, methods of conducting classes on the most complex topics. In 2016, the military sent 15 methodological recommendations for combat training. Taking into account the experience of military operations in the Syrian Arab Republic, strategic command and staff exercises in 2017, it is planned to send to the troops no less methodological material than in the past. In total, starting in 2013, in the Main Command of the Ground Forces, 93 statutory, program and methodological documents were developed and sent to the military districts for the daily management and training of troops (forces) in the military districts.
It should be noted that the role of the Main Command of the Land Forces in the organization of the activities of the troops (forces) of the military districts does not end there. In the process of fulfilling the tasks assigned by the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to the Ground Forces, the Main Command carries out other functions in the interests of organizing and carrying out measures for the construction and development of the Ground Forces.

Russia is planning on completing the eliminate of it's chemical WMD by October of this year. It has been a long and extensive project. Interesting side benefit is the transfer of regular army units into the modern facilities built to house the personnel used in this disposal work. The Central Region's S-300V brigade moved to the Kirov facility, the 2nd Army's BUK brigade went to the Penza site and the artillery regiment for the new 144th Division will base out of the old Bryansk facility.

EDIT: the Central Military MRL brigade is occupying the Shchuchye, Kurgan Region site along with an Artillery Storage Base by the look of SAT images.

New HET (heavy equipment transports) units being formed. First 3 battalions formed in Chita, Khabarovsk and Chebarkul.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2686499.html

Next two new Army Aviation brigades to start forming. The 18th will be in Khabarovsk and the 17th in Novosibirsk. Army Aviation units are comprised of helicopters and UAV's. A brigade has 4 squadrons and supports the Military District. Each of the Armies have an Army Aviation Regiment in support with 3 squadrons. The first 2 brigades were formed in Ostrov and Zeronograd.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2696482.html

Appointments to the commanding staff of the new 8th Combined Arms Army being formed in the Southern Military Command. This unit covers the Southern part of the Ukrainian / Donbas border;

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2719803.html

Basically another Airbase unit reverting to it's old Air Force name;

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2727162.html

Restored the 45th Separate Engineering and Masking Regiment

Separate camouflage unit reporting to General Staff

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2861999.html

Some interesting data from the military reporting it's winter readiness status:

6457 military towns (Russian military parlance) - compound or location would be a better term with a base or garrison having multiple locations within a City or town. A compound or military town could have 1-2 buildings or a 100.
82,700 buildings - of which 8,000 + are housing or barracks (10%). This would average out at 110 servicemen per barrack or housing unit and 13 buildings per compound or military town. Around 4,000 buildings (5%) are power or boiler plants providing independent heating and power to the compound or military town. Not sure what would constitute a "building" here but suspect anything that is heated.

EDIT: a couple of years back it was announced organizationally there were to be 535 military bases (or garrisons). So a military base incorporates several military towns (compounds). I'm a little dubious of the 4,000 buildings for boilers. Sounds like a translation issue and probably means just 4,000+ boilers in total of which the larger locations would indeed have them in a separate building.

Updated Ground Forces Command Structure

Western Command - St Petersburg

1st Guards Tank Army - Bakovka - commands the Ground Forces in the Moscow Region and eastern side of the old Central MR.
6th Combined Arms Army - St Petersburg - commands the Ground Forces in the old Leningrad MR
20th Guards Combined Arms Army - Voronezh - commands the Ground Forces in the old Central MR along the border regions with Belarus and Ukraine
11th Army Corps - Kaliningrad - commands the Ground Forces, Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense forces in the Kaliningrad Region

Southern Command - Rostov

8th Combined Arms Army - Novocherkassk - commands the Ground Forces in the northern side of the old North Caucasus MR
49th Combined Arms Army - Stavropol - commands the Ground Forces in the western side of the old North Caucasus MR
58th Combined Arms Army - Vladikavkaz - commands the Ground Forces in the eastern side of the old North Caucasus MR
22nd (32nd?) Army Corps - Sevastopol - commands the Ground Forces, Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense forces in Crimea

Central Command - Yekaterinburg

2nd Guards Combined Arms Army - Samara - commands the Ground Forces in the old Volga-Ural MR
41st Combined Arms Army - Novosibirsk - commands the Ground Forces in the old Siberian MR

Eastern Command - Khabarovsk

5th Combined Arms Army - Ussuryysk - commands the Ground Forces in the southern side of the old Far East MR
35th Combined Arms Army - Belogorsk - commands the Ground Forces in the northern side of the old Far East MR
29th Combined Arms Army - Chita - commands the Ground Forces in the eastern side of the old Transbaykal MR
36th Combined Arms Army - Ulan Ude - commands the Ground Forces in the western side of the old Transbaykal MR
68th Army Corps - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - commands the Ground Forces and Coastal Defense Forces on Sakhalinsk and the Kuriles

Arctic Command - Severomorsk (Arkhangelsk?)

14th Army Corps - Severomorsk - commands the Ground Forces, Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense forces in the Northern Fleet
North East Pacific Military Zone - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky ( North East Pacific and Arctic area under the control of the Pacific Fleet) Presently has a Naval Infantry brigade and a Coastal Rocket Artillery brigade with announced plans to increase military forces in this area.

In the Moscow suburb of Kolomna, a new artillery brigade was deployed

The report says that on December 1 the school year begins in this new artillery compound of the Western Military District.

"On December 1, the first general construction of the brigade units will take place, the reception of the commander of the combined arms army commander Major General Alexander Peryazev with a report on the completion of the formation of a new connection with the location - Kolomna," the Defense Ministry said.

The fact that a new artillery unit is being formed in the composition of the 20th Army Combined Arms Army, the press service of the ZVO reported back in October.

"The communications units that are part of newly formed motorized rifle divisions and the formed artillery compound of the combined arms army of the ZVO will complete the equipping with the latest equipment by the end of 2017," the press service said.

As Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has repeatedly stressed, the formation of two new divisions in the Western Military District is a response to the strengthening of NATO's military capabilities in close proximity to Russian borders.

In addition, as in May 2016, the "RG" reported , another new motorized rifle division in the Western strategic direction became part of the Southern Military District.

NOTE: will post unit name when I locate but the formation was expected. There is also a Logistic and Chemical units being formed for the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army.

The 18th Military Transport Aviation Division was restored in the Russian Military.

As reported by VGTRK GTRK "Orenburg",. the management of the 18th military transport aviation division was finally formed. On Thursday, November 30, a ceremonial meeting dedicated to this event was held on the parade ground of the headquarters [of Orenburg].

The regiments of the division, except for Orenburg, are also stationed in Ulyanovsk and Taganrog. The location of its headquarters in our region will allow to effectively solve the problems of the transfer of troops and cargo in the eastern and Asian directions. The solemn meeting was attended by the commander of military transport aviation, Vladimir Benediktov, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Andrei Kazakevich, and the General Director of PJSC "IL" Alexei Rogozin. They congratulated the military on the significant event, took in the ranks of the young soldiers 29 boys and girls, and also awarded the next military ranks.

"Today, when the Russian Federation, its armed forces, VKS occupy a proper place in history, BTA also does not stand aside. The historic moment - again on this beautiful land formed the management of the illustrious union. I wish you success, implementation of plans, accident-free flight work! ", Said Lieutenant-General Vladimir Benediktov, commander of the military transport aviation of the Russian Air Force.


The bmpd comment. The 18th Guards Airborne Transport Airborne Red Banner Taganrog Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov, the Air Force Division of the USSR and Russia conducted its history from the 49th Bomber Air Division, formed in 1941. Since September 1941 - the 4th reserve air group of mixed composition, since June 1942 - the 270th Bomber Division, in October 1943 the reformed 6th Guards bomber aviation Taganrog division. In April 1944 was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In 1946, the 6th Guards Bomber Air Division was deployed in the Baltic Military District, the administration in Siauliai, and then in Panevezys (Lithuania), where the division's units were for the next 46 years. In 1951, the division was rearmed from the Pe-2 bombers to the Il-28 jet bombers. In February 1964, the division was transferred to the Military Transport Aviation and reorganized into the 11th Guards Military Transport Aviation Division, with the rearmament of the An-12 military transport aircraft. In 1966, it was renamed the 18th Guards Military Transport Aviation Division, in the 1970s and early 1980s it was rearmed on IL-76 and Il-76M military transport aircraft.

The regiments of the division (the 128th Guards, the 196th Guards, the 600th military transport regiments, the 117th Airborne Regiment of the REB) were deployed in the Baltic region. In 1992, all the regiments of the division were withdrawn from the Baltic, the management of the 18th Division was redeployed to Orenburg (along with the 117th and 128th regiments, the 196th Regiment was redeployed to Tver, having become part of the 12th Military Transport Aviation division, and the 600th regiment - in Shadrinsk). In 1998, the administration of the 18th Guards Military Aviation Aviation Division was disbanded.

Judging by the above information, the 117th Military Transport Aviation Regiment (Orenburg, which was previously part of the division, was reorganized from the EW regiment into the military transport regiment in 1994), the 708th military transport regiment (Taganrog-Central, during the Soviet and post-Soviet period was a separate regiment of BTA) and the 235th Military Transport Aviation Regiment being restored in Ulyanovsk, which will first receive a squadron of Il-76MD aircraft, and then should be equipped with The new Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft.

Until recently, there was only the 12th Mginskaya Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Division in the Military Transport Aviation, restored in 2015 (after disbanding in 2009), with control in Migalovo (Tver).

Today the Russian Armed Forces are 26 years old... and baby this is not your fathers army nor even his fathers. IMHO there is no doubt the Russian army has never been as well organized and trained let alone well armed. And it's only going to get more so. Peter the Great would have been proud.


https://ria.ru/defense_safety/20180507/1519924649.html

Four joints, ten military units and eight units have been deployed to the military district of the Central Military District in the last two years, three formations, two military units and 25 units have been fully rearmed, Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu said on Friday at the military collegium .
Shoigu spoke about improving the combat strength of the VVO troops
"Over the past two years, the troops of the district received more than 2.5 thousand new and modernized models of weapons and military equipment, which allowed to completely re-equip the three formations, two military units and 25 subunits.Organized four formations, ten military units and eight units, "Shoigu said.
According to him, during this time the number of servicemen serving under the contract increased from 45 to 60%.

Threats to the emergence of hotbeds of tension in the Asia-Pacific region remain, and in this connection, the military composition of troops is being improved in the Eastern Military District, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"In the face of continuing threats to the emergence of potential hotbeds of tension in the Asia-Pacific region, the military district continues to address the task of improving the combat strength of troops," Shoigu said at a meeting of the Defense Ministry's board.
According to him, in 2018, 52 organizational events will be held, the most important of which will be the formation of the Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the Fifth Army.

NOTE: another new division being formed.

George1 wrote:In the Kaliningrad region a new tank regiment is being formed

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3270580.html

From this article "Almost everything is ready for the revival of the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Proletarian Moscow-Minsk Order of Lenin, twice the Red Banner Order, the orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Division. The centenary of the Red Army should be noted somehow."

This has been rumored for some time. It would include the units from the 79th Motor Rifle brigade and 7th Guards Motor Rifle regiment which are already active in the Kaliningrad region.

Great ppt about the structure and equipment of the Russian Army:



https://ppt-online.org/434412

In the Central Military District, a new compound appeared - the 21st Mixed Aviation Division, which included high-altitude interceptors MiG-31 and Su-34 bombers, according to Izvestia .

Parts of the air division deployed in the Perm and Krasnoyarsk Territories and the Chelyabinsk Region. Organizationally, the unit enters the 14th Army of the VKS. Its task is to cover Russia in the southern and southeastern directions. In this case, the aircraft can be quickly transferred to other regions of the country. The two regiments include interceptors MiG-31, the fleet of the third regiment consists of Su-34 bombers. Thanks to this combination, the division is able not only to control the airspace, but also to strike ground targets.

Recall supersonic all-weather interceptor MiG-31 was developed by Soviet designers. However, it still remains unsurpassed aircraft in its class. Today, cars are in service in the version of the MiG-31BM. Its modified version can carry the latest hypersonic Dagger missiles capable of hitting land and sea targets at a distance of up to 2 thousand km. According to the test hero Igor Malikov, Hero of Russia, in its effectiveness the MiG-31 is comparable to the S-400 system, “only in the air.” “This is a very serious car,” covering the front on a wide width, he noted. Malikov added that he would not have risked flying where these interceptors fly.

Interesting article, but I didn't wholy agree with his conclusions...

Russia really has no need for power projection, so that deficiency would be a critical issue for the US or UK or France who have colonies to protect and foreign countries to bully, Russia really does not need anything of the sort for the moment.

Equally I would suggest his comments about their upgraded armour being not good enough compared with NATO is also amusing... after recent exercises it seems that the German military is more a paper tiger than anything else, and while an upgraded T-72 is hardly something to brag about, it is supported by a range of effective and powerful equipment... I would back Russian ATGMs and anti armour weapons like RPGs over anything the west currently operates and more important they are very widely deployed and available. More importantly Russian air defence capacity exceeds any air power advantage any western force might have and therefore would totally negate it in a real conflict.

Also the comment about China having a better navy is amusing... I really can't see China managing to do what Russia is currently doing in Syria let alone a full scale opposed invasion... like the one they anticipate against Taiwan.

It is not that I don't think they have enough ships etc, it is the ability to plan and execute such a task effectively.

Ironically 5 years ago I would have said their actions in Syria would have been beyond the Russians too... but obviously I am wrong there.

I do hope we don't find out whether I am right or wrong regarding Chinese forces.