In the article Multi-Domain Forces - A New Level of Integration of the Armed Forces, we examined promising supra-service concepts of command and control of the armed forces (AF) of the future.
Currently, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are subdivided into types of troops - ground forces (SV), navy (Navy), aerospace forces (VKS), and branches of the military - strategic missile forces (Strategic Rocket Forces) and airborne troops (Airborne Forces). As you can see, the main criterion for separation is the environment in which armed opposition is carried out (surface, airspace, seas and oceans) and / or the specifics of the equipment and weapons used (in relation to the Strategic Missile Forces and Airborne Forces).
Even if we talk about carrying out multi-domain operations, then in each type / branch of the armed forces, some weapons will be effective within the framework of solving certain tasks, some will not.
In this regard, it is proposed to additionally classify the armed forces of the Russian Federation "by purpose", that is, by the functionality they implement, into the following types:
- Strategic Nuclear Forces (SNF);
- Strategic conventional forces (SCS);
- General Purpose Forces (SON);
- Expeditionary Force (ES).
Classification by purpose is necessary to determine the type and ratio of combat units of different types and their supra-specific unification within the framework of the tasks being solved. It will also make it possible to more clearly understand what place this or that combat unit will occupy in the armed forces even at the stage of forming the technical task. The supra-service control will make it possible to more effectively use the armed forces in the framework of multi-domain operations.
Let's clarify the functionality of SNF, SKS, SON and ES.
The types of military conflicts in which Strategic Nuclear Forces, Strategic Conventional Forces, General Purpose Forces and Expeditionary Forces can be used were discussed in the articles What Can It Be? Nuclear War Scenarios and What Can It Be? Conventional war scenarios.
Strategic nuclear forces
The functionality of this element of the armed forces is quite understandable, its main task is nuclear deterrence, which provides both protection against a nuclear strike by the enemy and protection against a large-scale air-ground invasion by a strong adversary such as the United States or China, or a coalition of any countries. This does not exclude the possibility of a limited nuclear war.
The proposed optimal structure and composition of the promising strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation is considered by the author in the article Nuclear Mathematics: How many nuclear charges does the United States need to destroy Russian strategic nuclear forces?
Since the publication of the above article, information has emerged that China is building a new positioning area, including another 110 silo launchers (silos) for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Taking into account the previously published information, the number of silos under construction will be 227 (!) Units (whoever said that building silos in hundreds is unrealistic).
If the construction of silos continues at such a pace, then China will be the first to create strategic nuclear forces that are maximally protected from the enemy's surprise disarming strike, in accordance with the concept outlined in the above article.
In addition to solving the problems of nuclear deterrence, the strategic nuclear forces can be used as an element of information warfare to put pressure on the leading actors of international politics and economics, whose actions are directed against the interests of the Russian Federation. This possibility and the way to implement it were discussed in the article Power Conversion.
The supra-specific unification of nuclear deterrent forces will help minimize the appearance of distortions that may arise in favor of one or another nuclear deterrent weapon due to the desire of this type of armed forces to "pull" funding over to itself. Within the framework of over-service control, the structure of the strategic nuclear forces should be determined by the over-service command of the strategic nuclear forces, based on the advantages and capabilities obtained, and not the wishes of the branches of the armed forces, which will include elements of the strategic nuclear forces
Strategic conventional forces
Strategic conventional forces as an element of the armed forces are currently absent - their tasks are "blurred" by type of armed forces. At the same time, SCS can become the most effective tool for deterring regional powers that have modern armed forces.
The concept and composition of the Strategic Conventional Forces were discussed in the Strategic Conventional Weapons Articles. Damage and Strategic Conventional Forces: Carriers and Weapons.
The essence of the Strategic Conventional Forces is inflicting damage on the enemy, significantly reducing its organizational, industrial and military capabilities, from a distance that minimizes or excludes the likelihood of a direct combat clash with the enemy's armed forces
It is necessary to understand that when we talk about such opponents as the United States or China, the role of the SCS can only be auxiliary - in a full-scale conflict with these countries, one cannot do without strategic nuclear forces. However, against countries such as Japan or Turkey, in situations where the use of strategic nuclear forces would be clearly excessive, the SCS can become the main deterrent.
Conducting long-term hostilities with conventional weapons against these countries can be difficult, while the massive use of SCS will paralyze their economy, destroy the energy supply system, or even stop the war by destroying the enemy's leadership - this possibility was considered in the article VIP Terror as a way to stop the war … Weapons to destroy the leaders of hostile states.
One of the most effective tools for destroying the leaders of hostile states can be planning hypersonic warheads launched from various carriers, including, possibly, from reusable launch vehicles, a kind of "vertical bombers".
If it is not possible to stop the war with an SCS strike, then they should weaken the enemy's armed forces as much as possible, simplifying the conduct of hostilities by the General Purpose Forces. For example, during the first strike, aircraft at airfields, military bases, most of the surface ships and submarines stationed at the base can be destroyed.
A supra-service formation of the Strategic Conventional Forces is necessary to ensure the possibility of delivering the most intense and effective strike in a minimum period of time from ground, surface, submarine and air platforms
General purpose forces
In fact, this is a large part of the existing armed forces, focused on direct confrontation with a strong enemy - ships, tanks, aircraft. Their number and efficiency will directly depend on the financial and technological capabilities of the state.
What does it mean?
During the Cold War, the general-purpose forces of the USSR could well conduct combat operations with the NATO bloc on an equal footing. At present, the general-purpose forces of the Russian Federation are unlikely to be able to repel a full-scale invasion by the combined forces of the North Atlantic Alliance or even the PRC.
It can be argued with a certain degree of confidence that the Russian SED can conduct defensive military operations against countries such as Japan or Turkey, but the possibility of defeating these countries without the use of Strategic Conventional Forces is in question. It can also be recognized that the Russian General Purpose Forces are capable of defeating the armed forces of any European power individually.
This situation is likely to continue in the foreseeable future. It can be broken by the development of advanced weapon systems, whose capabilities will qualitatively surpass the characteristics of military equipment used by eventual opponents.
According to the author, in the 21st century, one of the most important elements of military equipment will be the ability to provide active defense against attacking enemy ammunition - these are active defense systems for armored vehicles, laser self-defense systems and air-to-air missiles for combat aircraft and helicopters, anti-torpedo self-defense systems for surface ships and submarines.
This will lead to the fact that the appearance of promising armored combat vehicles, combat aircraft, surface ships and submarines, as well as the tactics of their use, will undergo significant changes.
For the General Purpose Forces, supra-service interaction will become the most important way to gain an advantage on the battlefield. Such interaction will require not only appropriate technical support, but also command structures capable of ensuring the priority of “horizontal” interspecific interaction over the “vertical” one operating within the framework of a specific type of Armed Forces
Expeditionary Force
For Russia, expeditionary forces are a new concept and much less understandable than even Strategic Conventional Forces. It would seem, why do we need an Expeditionary Force if there is a General Purpose Force?
What, in general, are their tasks?
The Expeditionary Force is a supra-service association of the armed forces designed to defend the political and economic interests of the state outside its own territory.
In the article “Relations between Russia and other countries:“to be friends”or to colonize,” the author concluded that the most pragmatic approach to relations with other countries is necessary.
Help Venezuela? Great, but the payment should be - a permit for mining for 100 years or the transfer of part of the territory, for example, we would not hurt a small island to create a fleet base. And the armed forces must ensure that the "partner" fulfills its obligations, regardless of revolutions, coups, change of political regime, and so on.
What is the difference between the Expeditionary Force and the General Purpose Forces?
It is logical that an active policy of economic expansion will not work in countries like Turkey or Israel, which have powerful armed forces. That is, it can be third world countries such as Syria, Libya, Venezuela, Afghanistan and the like - countries in which military conflicts will take place mostly as counter-terrorism operations, and the main enemy will be scattered armed formations or relatively weak armies of third world countries. …
Combat operations, which are conducted with modern armed forces and with scattered armed formations, require completely different weapons and tactics of its use. For example, the use of the general purpose forces of the USSR in Afghanistan led to huge losses in equipment and manpower, gigantic image and financial losses.
For example, to confront countries like Turkey or Japan, multifunctional fighters, high-precision weapons, anti-ship missiles are required, capable of hitting highly protected targets that should be present in the General Purpose Forces.
In the current realities, military conflicts between strong high-tech opponents are likely to be very limited in time. At the same time, expeditionary operations in hot spots can last for many years, which is confirmed by the hostilities in Syria, respectively, the weapons used by the Expeditionary Forces should have a reduced cost of operation - stealth technologies, altitude and range records are not needed.
Thus, the Expeditionary Force should be professionally trained units designed to conduct hostilities outside their own territory against irregular armed formations and the armed forces of developing countries. Expeditionary forces must have high mobility, transport and landing ships, specific military equipment that can effectively conduct combat operations in urban areas and on rough terrain. ES fighters must be trained for warfare in a desert and tropical climate, learn foreign languages (at least at a basic level), etc.
Examples of weapons that can effectively use ES were considered in the articles T-18 tank support combat vehicle based on the Armata platform, Tiger sniper vehicle: remotely controlled precision weapon modules for ground combat equipment. Also, the Expeditionary Forces can benefit from such specific types of weapons as light propeller-driven attack aircraft, the expediency of using which in the General Purpose Forces, in general, is absent.
In many ways, the actions of the Expeditionary Force should rely on the actions of the Special Operations Forces, and they should closely cooperate with private military companies (PMCs), whose role in expeditionary operations will only grow. A promising format for using PMCs was discussed in the article Outsourcing War.
Within the framework of the supra-service "division of labor", the General Purpose Forces can implement direct cover for the Expeditionary Forces (ensuring the defense of the bases), the Nuclear Deterrence Forces and the Strategic Conventional Forces organize the containment of a strong enemy by the threat of a retaliatory strike, the Expeditionary Forces themselves carry out direct hostilities with the enemy, and PMCs operate in "gray zones" when the direct participation of our armed forces is undesirable for one reason or another.
Output
The introduction of a superspecific classification and control of the armed forces of the Russian Federation "according to purpose", that is, according to the functionality they implement, will optimize the structure of the Strategic nuclear forces without unreasonable bias in favor of any type of armed forces, form Strategic conventional forces that can optimally distribute and concentrate the efforts of the types armed forces when delivering massive strikes with conventional long-range weapons, to ensure multi-domain conduct of hostilities by the General Purpose Forces, making the most of the advantages and leveling the disadvantages of a particular type of armed forces, to build an Expeditionary Force capable of effectively defending the economic interests of the Russian Federation abroad.
