In the near future, new aviation formations will appear in the Russian armed forces, the task of which will be to ensure the combat work of special-purpose structures. It is planned to form new helicopter squadrons designed to work with special forces in certain conditions. The pilots and equipment of these units will have to carry out the transportation of special forces fighters and, if necessary, support them with air fire.
The creation of new aviation units on October 5 was reported by Izvestia, which received new information from unnamed sources in the military department. A representative of the Ministry of Defense, familiar with the current situation, but wishing to remain anonymous, announced some details of the existing plans and current work. He said that new squadrons designed to support the work of special forces will appear in each military district. The formation of such units has already begun. In addition to the allocation of personnel and equipment to separate squadrons, it is planned to take measures aimed at increasing the efficiency of their work in certain conditions.
Units to support special forces, according to an unnamed source, are formed on the basis of brigade and regimental squadrons, equipped with Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-8MTV-5 transport and combat helicopters. Technique of the latest types fully complies with existing requirements and does not need to be replaced to perform new special tasks.
Due to the specifics of the proposed tasks, the pilots of the new squadrons will have to undergo additional training. During the required additional training of flight personnel, special attention will be paid to piloting helicopters in difficult weather conditions, as well as in the dark. In-depth training will also be carried out for flying around the terrain. In addition, the training program will include some maneuvers that will allow you to bypass the enemy and land troops in his rear. After completing the required training, helicopter pilots will be able to effectively perform any tasks associated with the delivery of special forces to the place of subsequent combat work.
It is also proposed to increase the effectiveness of the work of pilots in a combat situation with the help of an intensified study of the methods of using airborne weapons of all available classes and types. In particular, they will be trained to use guided and unguided missile weapons in poor visibility conditions. Thanks to this, helicopter crews will be able to provide support to ground units in different conditions and in different circumstances.
According to the announced plans, it is proposed to attract heavy transport helicopters Mi-26 to help the special forces. Their main task will be the transportation of various equipment, etc. cargoes that cannot be handled by the Mi-8 family machines. For obvious reasons, the military department does not plan to create a special squadron equipped only with Mi-26 helicopters. To complete the existing tasks, it is planned to send several crews serving in existing regiments or brigades for additional training. If necessary, they will be able to provide the necessary support to special forces.
The combined use of helicopters of the Mi-8 and Mi-26 families will make it possible to deliver to a given area both the personnel of special units and this or that equipment. First of all, armored vehicles of several models that are currently in service are considered as payloads for heavy transport helicopters. Soldiers, in turn, will be able to move on helicopters of all available types.
In the creation of new squadrons, a new program of special training for pilots plays an important role. An unnamed representative of the Aerospace Forces, quoted by Izvestia, said that when creating this program, the extensive experience of specialists from the 344th center for combat use and retraining of army aviation flight personnel (Torzhok) was used. Over the past decades, instructors of this organization have been engaged not only in the creation of new techniques for the use of aviation and in training personnel, but also personally took part in various operations.
Having collected and combined the existing experience, the specialists of the Aerospace Forces, including the employees of the 344th center, formed a new pilot training program, after which they will be able to fully work with special units.
It should be noted that the creation of special helicopter units designed to participate in operations of particular importance is a worldwide trend and is becoming more widespread. In addition, our army also has a similar experience in operating helicopter technology. In the course of local conflicts in recent decades, domestic special forces have repeatedly used the help of helicopters, which transported fighters, supported them with fire, and were also used as reconnaissance and command vehicles.
However, in the case of the wars in Afghanistan or Chechnya, there were certain problems. First of all, such work was seriously hampered by the structure of the armed forces, in which special forces and squadrons were subordinate to different commands. This, to a certain extent, made it difficult to interact, communicate and organize operations. In addition, some of the tasks that arose required special skills from the pilots, the lack of which could negatively affect the results of joint work.
The latest plans of the military department, which became known the other day, indicate the emergence of a fundamental decision that can change the situation in the field of interaction of special units and formations responsible for the transportation and support of personnel. As part of all four military districts, special squadrons will have to appear, the task of which will be to work with special forces in the course of certain operations.
It is obvious that the allocation of a certain number of helicopters and pilots to separate units should have certain positive consequences. First of all, only pilots who have undergone additional training and are able to fully solve all complex tasks will now work with special forces. It should also simplify the interaction of structures during the preparation and conduct of operations. It will be possible to more effectively use various special equipment mounted on equipment. Finally, the joint work of pilots and special forces will greatly simplify the analysis of experience and the development of new methods of using aviation.
In our country, squadrons are only being created to interact with special forces. At the same time, in some foreign armed forces, such units already exist and are participating in various operations. For example, the US Air Force alone has several special operations air wings, which are armed with several types of military transport aircraft and helicopters, as well as CV-22 convertiplanes. These compounds have been actively involved in various operations over the past several decades, providing solutions for special problems.
Now the analogue of foreign units will appear in our army. According to the latest data, while the new squadrons will use the Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters as standard equipment. In addition, in some cases it will be possible to attract heavy Mi-26s with specially trained crews. The new squadrons will be able to carry out transportation and fire support, which will positively affect the overall effectiveness of the combat work of many special forces of the Russian armed forces.
