MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS-DEFENSE/. The Ground Forces continue to play a major role in modern conflicts although the Aerospace Forces have considerably developed, Russian Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.
A rapid development of technologies and the important role of the aerospace forces in modern combat do not reject the saying that a territory cannot be considered liberated until a foot soldier steps on it. It is confirmed by the military operation in Ukraine.
The partial mobilization announced in Russia has to mobilize reservists also for the Ground Forces. They are riflemen, tankmen and artillerists, drivers and mechanics. "The infantry will always play the decisive role in keeping the liberate territories," Salyukov said.
Hardware
The Ground Forces are mostly armed with modern weapons that are superior to foreign analogues or are unprecedented in the world. Salyukov cited Iskander-M launcher as an example and called it the best in its class. The mobile and stealth complex can fire ballistic and cruise missiles to a distance of 500 km. Due to the modernization potential Iskander-M will be superior to foreign weapons for many years and will be the main weapon of the Ground Forces.
Rocket artillery is armed with modern multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) with high-power projectiles and increased tactical and technical characteristics. They include 300 mm Tornado-S and 122 mm Tornado-G. Barrel artillery is armed with Msta-S self-propelled guns that produce a firewall when several projectiles are fired after each other at various angles and reach the target simultaneously thus increasing fire density and kill probability.
The Ground Forces engage all-weather antitank Khrisantema-SP missile complex and Kornet portable antitank launchers to pierce the armor of modern tanks and destroy targets at night and in poor visibility. Khrisantema-SP can destroy low-flying slow-speed targets, which are often engaged in Ukraine.
The Ground Forces are protected against air attacks by an echeloned air defense system. It includes S-300V long-range launchers, Buk medium-range complexes, Tor short-range weapons, and Igla and Verba manpads.
T-72, T-80 and T-90 are the main battle tanks of the Ground Forces. Most of them have been upgraded. T-72B3M, T-80BVM, T-90M have thermal sights with a target tracker, modern fire controls to launch modern munitions and guided missiles with a 5-km range, modern reactive armor and jam-resistant communications.
Motorized rifles operate BMP-1, BMP-2 and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-80 and BTR-82A(M) armored personnel carriers. They are all armed with 30 mm automatic guns. "The caliber provides sufficient fire density due to a high rate of fire and a big round of munitions. BMP-3 is also armed with a 100 mm gun and is thus superior to foreign analogues in the firing range and firepower. It can also fire afloat," Salyukov said.
The upgraded BMP-2 has unprecedented Berezhok combat module with Kornet antitank complex of four missiles ready for launch. They destroy targets at a distance of 10 km.
Salyukov said all the weapons had been tested in real combat in Syria and are currently engaged in Ukraine. They confirm their high tactical and technical characteristics.
Air defense
Army air defense is also effective in Ukraine. The echeloned system confirmed effectiveness due to a combination of air defense weapons that destroy all air weapons ranging from small drones to MLRS projectiles. S-300V4, Buk-M2 (M3) and Tor-M2 (M2U) displayed the best results.
"The engagement of the army air defense confirmed that medium and short-range weapons bear the main load in protecting the troops," Salyukov said.
S-300V (V4), Buk-M3 (M2), and Tor-M2 (M2U, M2DT) are effective against drones and MLRS projectiles. Igla and Verba manpads have downed a third of all destroyed Ukrainian airplanes and helicopters at low altitudes.
The air defense control system is effective and provides real time control. It uses Polyana-D4M1 and Barnaul-T automatic arms controls.
The Ground Forces actively engage small and medium reconnaissance drones. Salyukov said Orlan-10, Orlan-30 and Eleron-3 unmanned aerial vehicles properly perform in Ukraine.
The armor also confirmed effectiveness in Ukraine. T-90M Proryv tank was for the first time engaged in combat there. It has a panoramic sight for the commander, which provides the same picture as the gunner sees. The sight is combined with a submachinegun and the commander can remotely fire it.
Combat tank support vehicles (BMPT) are actively engaged and support tanks in the battlefield. They have the same armored protection as the tanks and are armed with 30 mm automatic guns, Ataka antitank missiles, two automatic grenade launchers that create a high fire density and destroy infantry and light armor that threaten tanks.
Protected Typhoon-K vehicles display a high effectiveness, as well as Linza sanitary vehicles that have evacuated a lot of wounded officers and men and thus saved their lives.
"I would like to stress the engagement results of Ratnik new-generation combat outfit, which is supplied to the Ground Forces and saves the lives and health of the personnel," Salyukov said. Ratnik is superior in protection to foreign analogues. It is 1.25 times lighter and protects 1.3 times bigger space of vital organs.
Work is ongoing with defense enterprises to upgrade arms and hardware. Mars-2000 PRP-5 mobile reconnaissance post is produced for artillery and missile forces. It has improved characteristics and can engage in reconnaissance day and night. It operates a drone for air reconnaissance.
Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) enterprise reinforced the protection of T-72B3M and T-80BVM tanks against western antitank weapons, such as Javelin or NLAW. The Research Institute of Steel has designed and produces anti-cumulative bar screens.
Defense enterprises demonstrated at Army-2022 forum a lot of innovations in military robotics, unmanned aviation and counter-UAV weapons, which use unique digital solutions and software.
"The new weapons have to undergo all trials and tests before they may be included into the arms procurement order. However, the abovementioned designs for the Ground Forces are a priority in the long term," Salyukov said.