On September 15, at the training grounds of Russia and foreign countries, the opening ceremonies of the Center-2019 strategic command and staff exercise took place. The next day, soldiers and officers of several countries began to solve the assigned combat training tasks. Until the end of the week, the contingents of a number of states will work out interaction within the framework of the fight against a conditional adversary.
The scale of the maneuvers
The events of the SCSU "Center-2019" started on September 16; the completion of the maneuvers is scheduled for September 21. Servicemen from eight countries, mainly from Central Asia, are taking part in the exercise. Through joint efforts, the eight armies have created several large groupings, which will have to work at different training grounds, both in Russia and abroad.
Russia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are participating in the SCS. Their army is represented by 128 thousand military personnel. More than 20 thousand units of land weapons and military equipment, 600 aircraft and 15 ships are involved.
The main episodes of Center-2019 are held at Russian land and sea ranges. These are the combined-arms training grounds Adanak, Aleisky, Donguz, Totsky, Chebarkulsky and Yurginsky, as well as the Air Force and Air Defense training grounds Ashuluk and Safakulevo. The offshore part of the exercise will take place in the designated waters of the Caspian Sea. Several foreign sites are also involved.
The Russian army plays the main role in the current exercise. It is represented by parts of the Eastern and Central Military Districts, the Caspian Flotilla, as well as aerospace forces and airborne troops. So, almost 13 thousand servicemen should work at training grounds in the European part of Russia, of which 10,700 are Russians. The same applies to the equipment used in the SKSHU.
Exercise plan
According to the legend of the exercises, a threat appeared in the Central Asian direction in the form of international terrorist organizations of the Islamist persuasion, which formed an extremist quasi-state. Such a potential adversary is trying to enlist the support of other terrorist organizations and poses a threat to several countries in the region. Russia and friendly states are taking active measures.
The active phase of the Center-2019 command and control squad is divided into two stages of the same duration. During the first three days, September 16-18, the military authorities of the participating countries will work out the issues of joint actions in the fight against the terrorist threat. In a given military-political situation, it is planned to conduct defensive and reconnaissance actions, as well as repel attacks from the air.
The second stage of the maneuvers, also designed for three days, provides for the conduct of active operations to defeat the conditional enemy. Headquarters and units will work out the application of a massive fire strike against the enemy, followed by an offensive on his position.
The overall goal of Center-2019 is to check the training of the command and control bodies of the Russian army and foreign armed forces, as well as to work out the issues of their interaction in real conditions. The eight countries participating in the exercise should jointly demonstrate and prove their ability to maintain peace and ensure stability in Central Asia. It also demonstrates the ability of the states of the region to help each other in security matters.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also indicates that Center-2019 is the final stage of a set of measures for the operational training of our army this year.
The course of the maneuvers
The Ministry of Defense regularly reports on the progress of the command and control squadron and the actions of various units. Similar news comes from all exercise sites and reveals their main details.
On the first day of the maneuvers, almost all news related to the transfer and deployment of troops in the indicated areas. Some units already on September 16 managed to reach positions and carry out deployment, after which they began to solve training and combat missions. We are talking about both combat units and support units.
Communication units were among the first to complete preparations for work. Communications officers of the Central Military District are responsible for providing communications and command and control of troops at six Russian training grounds. Communication units are represented by 1,500 military personnel and use about 600 units of various equipment and equipment. They have already established the work of secure communication channels and continue to work in the face of active opposition from the imaginary enemy. Russian signalmen also work at foreign training grounds.
The transfer of ground units is underway. During Monday, hundreds of servicemen with dozens of pieces of equipment arrived at the Donguz training ground alone. The transfer of tank units of one of the divisions of the Central Military District was carried out, self-propelled artillery units were also sent by rail. On Monday morning, an artillery brigade, reinforced by divisions of increased power, set off on its own to the training ground. To reach Donguz, the junction had to overcome 500 km of rough terrain.
In the Caspian Sea, the first episodes of a command and control squadron with the participation of a ship group took place. Missile and artillery ships of various types, landing and anti-sabotage boats, minesweepers and support vessels went to sea ranges. To ensure the safe passage of ships, a group of minesweepers performed trawling in the fairway of the port of Makhachkala. During the exit to the sea, the ships of the Caspian Flotilla worked out the passage along the swept fairway, and also performed firing practice at simulators of sea mines.
The advance of troops to the training grounds continues, and a number of units have already begun to carry out training and combat missions. The Center-2019 command and control squad will run until the end of the week, and the troops will have to do a good job over the next few days.
Need for exercise
The main task of the Center-2019 strategic command and staff exercise is to practice joint actions of several armies in the framework of the fight against international terrorism. Over the past decades, it is Central Asia that has been one of the main sources of such threats, and therefore the nearest states need to take measures.
The main threat in the region is posed by terrorist groups that continue to operate on the territory of Afghanistan. In addition to local bandit formations, representative offices of organizations from other countries appear in the region. In addition, some of the militants have real combat experience gained during the conflicts in the Middle East.
The events of recent years in Iraq and Syria clearly demonstrate the potential threat of terrorist organizations. At the same time, they demonstrate that such formations can and should be fought. Moreover, the greatest efficiency of such a struggle is achieved with the coordinated joint work of several countries with common interests.
This is the scenario that is being implemented within the framework of the Center-2019 command and control school. Conditional terrorists have formed a quasi-state that threatens neighboring countries. Those, in turn, take measures and jointly begin the fight against terrorists. According to the legend of the exercises, the fight against an extremely dangerous enemy is being practiced. This requires the involvement of a large group of heterogeneous forces.
Based on the results of the current exercises, the Russian and foreign commanders will be able to determine the real capabilities of their troops in the context of a joint fight against the terrorist threat. In addition, the analysis of the results of the SPSS will show the weaknesses in the preparation, which should be paid attention to in the future.
At the moment, the troops are performing the tasks of the first stage of the Center-2019 command and control squadron. In the coming days, the second stage will begin, the result of which will be the final defeat of the conditional enemy. There are several days left until the end of the maneuvers, but their goals, objectives and positive effect are already clear. The countries of the region understand the current threats and are doing everything possible to counter them.
