Currently, the Russian army is rebuilding the evacuation and repair system for damaged equipment. The appearance of such plans became known a few years ago, and then the first steps were taken to implement them. Recently, there were new messages about the progress of work, recent successes and plans for the future.
In every county
The reform of the repair and recovery units of the ground forces was announced in August 2016. Then a new 10th separate repair and evacuation regiment was formed with a base in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban (Krasnodar Territory). Soon he had to take part in command post exercises and show his capabilities.
At the same time it was reported that by the end of 2016 another repair and evacuation regiment would appear in the troops. The formation of four new battalions, equipped with heavy equipment, was also carried out. Over the next few years, the Ministry of Defense was going to create new repair and evacuation regiments as part of all military districts.
On July 25, 2019, new messages appeared on the progress of the restructuring of the evacuation and repair system. Izvestia, citing sources in the Ministry of Defense, writes that at the end of last year a new repair and evacuation regiment appeared in the Central Military District and is based in the Urals. Now the regiment is being formed in the city of Yugra. The plans for the formation of regiments in all districts remain relevant.
The shelves receive modern special equipment for solving a wide range of tasks. Depending on the situation and conditions, they will have to search and evacuate damaged army equipment. The regiments will take over the repair and refurbishment of machines for returning to service. In conditions of an armed conflict, they will have to work both near the front line and in the rear.
Structure and equipment
According to Izvestia, the new regiments include two battalions with different missions and appropriate equipment. The first battalion of the regiment is an evacuation battalion, the second is a repair and restoration battalion. The creation of reconnaissance companies is planned. Also, to solve specific problems, it is possible to create small groups capable of performing certain work in a real conflict.
The main model of equipment for the new regiments is the REM-KS repair and recovery vehicle on a four-axle wheeled chassis of the Bryansk Automobile Plant. This product is capable of towing a damaged vehicle weighing up to 30-38 tons at a speed of 50 km / h. There is a crane with a lifting capacity of 8, 4 tons. REM-KS provides removal and delivery of damaged equipment to the place of repair. It is capable of working with a wide range of military, automotive and special equipment of the armed forces. The main place of service for REM-KS will be evacuation battalions.
For repair and recovery battalions, it is envisaged to operate multifunctional mobile repair shops of various types. The use of a modular architecture is proposed, which allows the formation of repair groups of the required composition, capable of servicing one or another technique. Such a mobile workshop must carry out the repair of any sample, from light vehicles to main tanks.
The issues of manning the new regiments have not yet been disclosed. Probably, they will serve as soldiers and officers of the relevant specialties, who can be supplemented by civilian specialists and representatives of defense enterprises.
During hostilities, repair and evacuation regiments will have to switch to a special mode of service. It proposes the formation of repair and recovery centers in the rear, and also provides for the creation of several mobile flying groups. The latter must work close to the front and carry out minor repairs. Equipment with serious damage will be taken over by the rear centers.
In the future, technical reconnaissance companies will appear in the repair and evacuation regiments. Their task will be to monitor the situation on the battlefield, detect damaged equipment and issue data to evacuation units. A specialized machine MTR-K was created for the scouts. This sample is based on the Typhoon-VDV chassis and receives a set of special equipment for observation and search - both its own optics and an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Expected consequences
The current formation of repair and evacuation regiments should have several positive consequences associated with the operation and maintenance of army equipment in peacetime and wartime. First of all, through such measures, it is planned to get rid of the typical problems of the existing system of maintenance and repair, which can limit the capabilities of the troops.
Now the evacuation of equipment and carrying out some types of repairs are assigned to the appropriate units from the first line formations. Other work is carried out by repair enterprises or equipment manufacturers. In such a system, military workshops may face problems in solving certain tasks, while others are beyond their strength. The transfer of products for industrial repairs is acceptable in peacetime, but in times of war it can be difficult.
The new system with repair and evacuation regiments in each military district should have advantages over the existing one. The recovery battalions of such regiments, at the expense of the corresponding material part, will be able to carry out various repairs of military equipment, which are inaccessible to the current smaller units.
Apparently, the new regiments will have to operate the entire range of existing armored and unprotected recovery vehicles. Thanks to this, they will be able to bring any samples of equipment in service to the collection sites. Sending to the rear of seriously damaged samples in need of factory repair will also be provided. All this will speed up and simplify the recovery of combat and special vehicles, as well as exclude the accumulation of faulty equipment in units or at assembly sites.
An interesting innovation is the MTP-K technical reconnaissance vehicle. This sample will allow you to more effectively monitor the work of combat and auxiliary vehicles and identify those in need of assistance. MTP-K will not be able to independently carry out evacuation or repairs, but due to its help, the efficiency of the work of other samples will increase.
To date, new repair and evacuation regiments have been created in several military districts. They have already received some of the necessary equipment, and in the future they will be given all other new samples. Some of this technology is still being tested, but will soon enter service. The formation of regiments continues, and in the foreseeable future, several such units will serve in all districts.
As previously reported, the new regiments were already involved in the exercises and were able to show their capabilities in an environment as close as possible to combat. Good results were demonstrated, confirming the correctness of the chosen development path. As they are formed, new repair and evacuation units will also be involved in the exercises. During such events, personnel will test and improve their skills, and the command of the ground forces will have the opportunity to identify remaining problems and adjust their plans.
However, we should expect certain problems for now. The formation of fundamentally new structures for solving special problems can be associated with difficulties of various kinds. Difficulties are also possible in the development and delivery of new specialized models of equipment and equipment. However, these problems are usually temporary and can be dealt with.
A complex approach
According to the latest reports, the process of forming new repair and evacuation regiments has not only been launched, but also gained the necessary pace. At the same time, there is a serious and comprehensive approach to solving urgent problems. The ongoing transformations include not only the formation of new parts. New equipment is created especially for them and new methods of work are being worked out. New ideas and designs have already been tested during the exercise and have proven their potential.
Thus, at the moment, the situation around the repair and evacuation regiments allows us to look to the future with optimism. The formation of all the required units has not yet been completed, but the existing ones show the necessary results and give the troops the required capabilities. The entire repair and evacuation system based on the new shelves will be operational in the foreseeable future.
