In recent decades, the most developed and powerful states have been modernizing their armed forces, taking into account the specifics of the international situation and the development of technologies. The United States, Russia, China and other countries use similar solutions and methods, the creation and formation of which is often associated with the name of one of the Soviet military leaders. At one time, similar ideas were proposed and promoted by the chief of the USSR General Staff, Marshal of the Soviet Union Nikolai Vasilyevich Ogarkov (October 17 [30], 1917, Molokovo, Tver province - January 23, 1994, Moscow).
Hero of his era
The future Marshal and Chief of the General Staff was born in 1917 into a peasant family. From the age of 14 he worked in different organizations and studied in parallel. In the late thirties, he entered the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, and in 1938 he joined the army, where he was sent to the Military Engineering Academy. In 1941, Ogarkov completed his studies with the rank of military engineer of the 3rd rank.
During the attack of Nazi Germany, the military engineer Ogarkov was engaged in the construction of fortified areas in the western direction. During the war years, he held various positions in engineering units and units. Subordinates of the future marshal were engaged in the construction and repair of infrastructure, mine clearance and other engineering tasks.
In the post-war period N. V. Ogarkov served in the Carpathian and Primorsky military districts. In the late fifties, after being awarded the rank of major general and training at the Military Academy of the General Staff, he was sent to the GSVG. Later, the general changed several positions in the command of the military districts, and in 1968 he got into the General Staff.
On January 8, 1977, General of the Army N. V. Ogarkov was appointed chief of the General Staff; soon he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The position of the Chief of the General Staff made it possible to propose and implement the most daring ideas, but because of them, disputes often arose with the country's top military and political leadership. In 1984, the post of Chief of the General Staff was transferred to Marshal S. F. Akhromeev, and Ogarkov was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Western Direction.
Later, Marshal Ogarkov held various positions in the Ministry of Defense, civil and public organizations. After the collapse of the USSR, he consulted the new military leadership of independent Russia. Marshal passed away on January 23, 1994.
Ogarkov Doctrine
Climbing the career ladder, N. V. Ogarkov carefully studied the scope of work entrusted to him and formed certain proposals. Since 1968, he served in the General Staff, which made it possible to propose, promote and implement various ideas related to the modernization of the armed forces. The posts of the Chairman of the State Technical Commission (1974-77) and Chief of the General Staff (1977-84) simplified this to a certain extent.
During the years of service in the General Staff, Marshal Ogarkov proposed and implemented a number of rather bold ideas in the field of troop development. Such ideas covered all major issues, from weapons to the organization of the army, which, it was argued, was supposed to increase combat effectiveness in various conditions and situations.
The ideas of the Soviet General Staff, implemented since the seventies, did not go unnoticed by foreign strategists. In foreign materials, all these concepts appear under the general name "Ogarkov Doctrine". At one time, the data from the USSR attracted the attention of foreign experts and underwent a thorough analysis. According to some sources, certain provisions of the doctrine were finalized and adopted by foreign countries.
Main ideas
One of the foundations of the Ogarkov Doctrine was the idea of a parallel balanced development of nuclear and conventional forces. Nuclear missile arsenals were of great importance for the country's defense, but in a number of situations advanced and modern conventional means of warfare were required. It was assumed that a modern army would be able to create conditions for ending the conflict before its transition to the full-scale use of nuclear weapons.
One of the main directions of improving the troops was considered the development of communications and command and control facilities. In the seventies, the industry created and implemented a strategic command system of combat control (KSBU) and an automated command and control system (ACCS) with the code "Maneuver". Also, various related means of communication and control were created, which made it possible to speed up and simplify the transfer of data and orders. Not without the participation of N. V. Ogarkov, the Unified Field Automated Command and Control System (EPASUV), unified for the USSR and the ATS countries, was formed and developed.
New ACCS and KSBU were tested during tests and during exercises, incl. large ones - such as "West-81". It was found that these systems do provide an increase in troop efficiency. In particular, there was a multiple increase in the effectiveness of air and artillery strikes.
The Ogarkov Doctrine provided for the creation of new units and subunits. In the context of a non-nuclear conflict, not all combat missions could be solved by the forces of the existing formations. As a result, smaller structures were required with better equipment and high mobility. These ideas were implemented through the formation of special-purpose units in a number of military branches.
Not without the influence of the conventional doctrine in the seventies and eighties, the development of new weapons and military equipment was carried out. New samples were supposed to show higher characteristics and correspond to the general course of development of the army. Also, the development of fundamentally new areas, such as precision weapons, began. With the help of such developments, it was possible to implement the concept of non-nuclear strategic deterrence.
It should be noted that the implementation of the ideas of N. V. Ogarkov and his colleagues were quite complicated, lengthy and expensive. In the late seventies and early eighties, the defense budget had to be increased, which was associated with the need to develop and produce a mass of modern samples, the formation of new units, etc.
Past and present
From a certain time, information about the reform of the Soviet Army and the "Ogarkov Doctrine" began to get to foreign specialists. It was analyzed in the NATO countries and, probably, in the PRC. The concepts that have been proposed have generally received high marks. Moreover, publications of frightening content appeared regularly. Their authors argued that the USSR, having completed the implementation of the entire doctrine, would have easily dealt with NATO.
In the seventies and eighties, leading foreign countries were also engaged in improving their armies. A significant part of their plans resembled the Soviet "Ogarkov Doctrine" - most likely, this was the result of the parallel development of concepts in similar conditions, although direct borrowing of ideas cannot be ruled out.
Unlike the USSR, foreign countries did not try to do "perestroika" and did not disintegrate. As a result, their example can be used to observe what results the timely and full-fledged implementation of new ideas could lead to. For example, the modern US Army relies on advanced information and control systems, precision weapons and other means to improve the efficiency of troops. The results of such modernization can be seen from the results of recent local conflicts with the participation of the American army.
Since 2015, China has been renewing its armed forces. According to known data, the current reform provides for a certain reduction in the number of troops while increasing their effectiveness. In parallel, the PRC is creating new electronic systems, controls and modern weapons. All these processes bring to mind both Soviet developments and American programs.
Finally, in recent years, the Russian army has received the necessary financial and organizational capabilities, which allowed it to start reforming and rearmament in accordance with current threats and challenges. Strategic nuclear forces are being seriously updated, and at the same time the modernization of non-nuclear forces is underway. The modernized troops have already shown their capabilities in the Syrian operation.
Assessments and events
General, and then Marshal N. V. Ogarkov began work on new concepts about half a century ago and promoted them until the mid-eighties. Some of his proposals were successfully implemented, while others were not implemented. In addition, similar reforms have been and continue to be carried out abroad.
N. V. Ogarkov in senior positions in the Ministry of Defense and his ideas are still controversial, and diametrically opposite opinions are expressed. The emergence of a generally accepted balanced opinion on this topic is not to be expected. Nevertheless, the observed events seem to sum up at least some of these disputes.
A number of provisions of the "Ogarkov Doctrine" at one time was really able to ensure the growth of the army's combat capability. In addition, a number of concepts remain relevant to this day, despite the change in the military-political situation in the world, the end of some "cold" conflicts and the beginning of others. The doctrinal ideas implemented in our country and abroad have already found confirmation in practice in the course of real modern wars.
