Page 74 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

Exercise
Report

mission. As well as the 2,000
paratroopers, these Candid
transports delivered some 50 BMD
armoured vehicles, in what was the
biggest Russian parachute drop
since the end of the Cold War.
According to official sources,
the troops who took part in the
exercises completed all their Above: Su-34 RF-81864/‘26 Red’ takes off from Chelyabinsk with a load of OFAB-250 freefall bombs. During

the final phase of the exercise, this airfield was active with two squadrons of Su-34s, one from the resident
assigned tasks, demonstrating 2nd Composite Aviation Regiment plus visitors from the 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Morozovsk. Dmitriy
a high degree of training and Pichugin Below: Su-24M RF-95088/‘95 White’ with smoke-generating stores underwing. These are examples of the
organisation, and earning the highest rarely seen AAP-500 (Aviatsionnyi Aerozolnyi Pribor, airborne aerosol device) pods, which can be used to create a

praise of the Russian president. battlefield smokescreen. Dmitriy Pichugin
High-tech warfare
It’s noteworthy that a number
of new tactics and technologies
were employed during the
exercises, including continuous
monitoring of the battlefield by
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
– types used comprised the
Forpost, Orlan-10 and Grusha.
Meanwhile, the accuracy of the
air strikes was ensured by the
SVP-24 high-precision targeting
system (used in the Su-24M
and Tu-22M3), as well as the
Strelets tactical reconnaissance,
command and communication military operations in Syria. In this modern conditions and improve Tsentr-19 “was more suited
system for management of troops. way, combat know-how gained by the interoperability of the military to testing military capabilities
Other interesting equipment Russian units on the front line was command and control units against a high-technology
included the Uran-6 and Uran- disseminated and consolidated of the armed forces of Russia adversary”. In particular, he
9 robotic mine-clearing systems. across the wider armed forces. and the allied states.” However, pointed to the extensive use of
Particular emphasis was placed Colonel General Fomin stressed Western analysts were quick to UAVs, experimentation with new
on the use of small, highly mobile that Tsentr-2019 was purely point out that the manoeuvres concepts for the use of airborne
groups of air assault units. defensive in nature while the sent a powerful message to the forces, and the presence of high-
It is also significant that all phases defence ministry explained: “Its West, while Roger N McDermott precision strike systems, including
of the exercise incorporated main purpose is to train troops of The Jamestown Foundation, cruise missiles and Iskander-M
experience gained in Russia’s to conduct military operations in Washington DC, argued that short-range ballistic missiles. AFM

A pair of Mi-8MTV-5s escorted by a Mi-24P gunship. The nearest ‘Hip’, RF-04436/‘01 Yellow’, is fitted with turrets for the L370 Vitebsk self-protection equipment. The

Mi-8s are assigned to the 17th Br AA at Kamensk Uralsky and Uprun while the Mi-24P is likely from the 112th Independent Helicopter Regiment at Chita. Dmitri Sribnyi

72 // December 2019 #381 www.Key.Aero

70-72 Tsentr AFM Dec2019.indd 72 08/11/2019 12:38:23