the development of russian military policy and finland

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Annex 4 · 99 Russian Military Exercises Kavkaz-2012 The September 2012 war games, dubbed Kavkaz-2012, were to focus on “polishing” the armed forces’ command and control units, which have received a lot of criticism over the past few years. Kavkaz-2012 was the largest Russian military exercise conducted in 2012. It was held in the area of the Southern Military Command. 358 This time the size of the military exercise contingent involved about eight thousand personnel, was aided by up to 200 armoured vehicles, less than a hundred artillery systems, a group of ten warships and boats, as well as an unidentified number of frontline combat aircraft, helicopters, and drones. In fact, as a gesture of goodwill the contingents in the Russian bases in Armenia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia were not involved in the exercise. According to Deputy Chief of the General Staff Alexander Postnikov, this decision was taken in order not to heighten tension in the region. Moreover, the exercise was to be held far away from the Georgian border. 359 Ladoga-2012 Pilots from the Western Military District flew on MiG-29SMT, MiG-31 and different modifications of Su-27 fighter aircraft during “Ladoga-2012” air force exercise on 9-15 April, 2012. Military airbases in north-western Russia (Karelian Republic, Kursk, Tver and Kaliningrad oblasts) were used in the exercise. About 50 aircraft and 100 pilots participated. Live firing (gun, rocket and missile) took place above Lake Ladoga and its shore area. 360 Air Force and Air Defence Exercise The Western Military District conducted also another tactical exercise on air defence brigade level in area of the Karelian republic, Murmansk, Leningrad and Tver regions in June 2012. The aircraft (Sukhoi Su-27 fighters and Sukhoi Su-24 fighter bombers) taking part in the exercise came from Khotilovo (Tver Region), Besovets (Karelian Republic) and Monchegorsk (Murmansk Region) airbases. In addition to flying units, the air defence missile brigades (S-300), radar and radio units formed the interception zone. 361 358 The Journal of Turkish Weekly, 15 September 2012, “Russian Military Exercises Frighten Georgia” [http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/142005/russian-military-exerci-ses-frighten-georgia.html]. 359 Kramnik, 2012. 360 Voennoe Obozrenie (Военное Обозрение), 20 April 2012, “Учения ВВС и ПВО – “Ладога-2012” (Air Force and Air Defence Exercise “Ladoga-2012”) [http://topwar.ru/13623-ucheniya-vvs-i-pvo-ladoga-2012.html]; RosBalt, 13 April 2012, “Военные летчики уничтожили более 200 "НЛО" в небе над Ладогой” (Military Pilots Shot More Than 200 “UFOs” above Ladoga) [http://www.rosbalt.ru/piter/2012/ 04/13/969335.html]. 361 Andreev, 2012.
100 · The Development of Russian Military Policy and Finland Command Post Exercise (CPX) in Kola Peninsula On 25 October 2012, as part of a Command Post Exercise in the Western Military District, the coastal forces of the Northern Fleet made Russia’s first ever sea-borne landing on the shores of the uninhabited Kotelny Island. That was a part of a wide-ranging exercise which included all the Russian armed forces’ units deployed in the Kola Peninsula area. This was the first time that combat training of this kind focused on protecting civilian facilities – research stations, drilling facilities and energy-industry installations located in the Arctic region. These were the reasons why the large destroyer “Vice-Admiral Kulakov” and the heavy nuclear-powered battle cruiser “Pyotr Veliky” were stationed in coastal Arctic waters of the Northern Sea Route. More than 7000 military personnel and 150 objects of military equipment were involved in the CPX. Training exercises conducted in the military testing zones of the Barents Sea, the sub-Arctic areas of the Northern Sea Route, the coastal regions of the Pechenga Area in Murmansk Region, and on the Sredniy and Rybachiy Peninsulas. 362 138. Guard Detached Motor Rifle Brigade’s Exercise Under the command of the Western Military District the 138. Guard Detached Motor Rifle Brigade conducted in mid October a large exercise on local firing range area on the Karelian Isthmus at Kamenka (in Finnish Perkjärvi). More than 3000 troops, 150 military vehicles, army air force (incl. Mi-24 attack helicopters and Su-24 bombers) took part in the exercise. More than one hundred generals and other high ranking officers of the Western Military District staffs and other formations also visited the exercise. The most important training objects were to demonstrate strong heavy weapon fire and action against enemy’s reconnaissance groups. 363 Conclusion To sum up, there have been at least five exercises of medium or larger scale in the near vicinity of Finland in 2012, held by the Russian military. The Western Military District did not conduct any strategic level large-scale exercise in 2012. The exercise intensity has in the last year, however, grown essentially because of the diversity of several medium-size local exercises (ground force, air force, navy, mobilization, inter-arms etc). Although Russia has, on the one hand, carried out constantly growing number of different types of military exercises on a yearly basis, it has, on the other hand, strongly criticized some neighbours which have held their own manoeuvres. 364 362 Kislyakov, 2012. 363 Pochinyuk, 2012. 364 Pettersen, 2012; Blank, 2012.
Page 1 and 2:
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIAN MILITARY
Page 3 and 4:
Stefan Forss, Lauri Kiianlinna, Per
Page 6 and 7:
CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1 INTR
Page 8 and 9:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The powerful revi
Page 10 and 11:
The current ground forces east and
Page 12:
v Comparisons in which Finland’s
Page 15 and 16:
2 · The Development of Russian Mil
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
10 · The Development of Russian Mi
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62: 48 · The Development of Russian Mi
Page 111: 98 · The Development of Russian Mi
Page 115 and 116: 102 · The Development of Russian M
Page 145 and 146: 132 The Development of Russian Mil
Page 147 and 148: 134 The Development of Russian Mil
Page 149 and 150: Previously published in this series
Page 151 and 152: No 25, 2004 Joonas Sipilä, Erko Mi
Page 153 and 154: Strategian laitos Maanpuolustuskork
show all

the development of russian military policy and finland

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?