Breaking news
New infantry division to be formed in Russia’ south by the end of the year TASS 52503161.
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Defence & Security News - Russia
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| New infantry division to be formed in Russia’ south by the end of the year | |||
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A new infantry division will have been activated in Russia’s Southern Military District by year-end by order of the General Staff chief and the district’s commander. Military experts are unanimous about the need for new large units in the southwest. Moreover, they reckon that at least a numbered army comprising five to six infantry and armored divisions, the army-size set of units, and adequate reinforcements should be formed in the area crucial in terms of national security.
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 The new division will be about 10,000 men strong (Photo Russian Army) |
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As is known, the army set of units includes a tactical ballistic missile brigade, one or two field artillery brigades, a multiple-launch rocket system regiment and an antitank artillery regiment as far as field artillery alone is concerned.
According to the Defense Ministry, the new division will be about 10,000 men strong, and the ministry deems it a full-fledged unit. However, experts believe the division is short of something. In particular, the Soviet infantry divisions consisted of six regiments - three infantry ones and an armored, self-propelled artillery and air defense artillery regiments. In addition, they included separate reconnaissance, electronic intelligence/warfare, signal, combat engineer, CBRN, medical, logistic, maintenance and antitank artillery battalions - overall, almost 14,500 troops. If the division’s personnel strength is 10,000, it is one regiment short at the least - an infantry one, most probably - or its units are not manned to capacity, which is hardly permissible in the southwestern strategic area, given the current military-political situation. As is known, the personnel strength of an infantry regiment in time of war is 2,500-2,700 depending on what the regiment operates - armored personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles. The division’s headquarters is to be in the vicinity of Rostov-on-Don. Three bases are to be built in the Rostov Region to accommodate the large unit. Certainly, more of them would be better: one regiment - one post. Probably, the decision was made on the premise that there has been virtually no vacant land left to spare in the Rostov Region. No doubt, the military and the region’s authorities have had to make quite an effort to find the sites for only three military installations. The division’s primary infrastructure - the headquarters, barracks, etc. - is planned for construction in 2016, with the rest to be built next year. Official statements have not mentioned training centers and firing, gunnery and driving ranges. It is extremely difficult to conduct effective combat training and, hence, prepare the division for fighting, unless these facilities are available. Finally, while a 10,000-man-strong division will be enough to cool the ardor of the Ukrainian military, NATO’s infantry divisions seem to be much stronger, numbering 16,000-18,000 troops, while even the Soviet infantry divisions were only 0.65 of their US counterparts in terms of combat capabilities. |
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