Russian Battalion Tactical Groups and the past 8 years of experience, Part 1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23713/HT.57.5.01Keywords:
Russo-Urainian war, battalion, tactical group, order of battle, military reformAbstract
The BTG, or Battalion Tactical Group, is a combined-armed formation. The organizational structure of the BTGs was developed in line with the experience of the past decades, adapting to the manpower shortage in the Russian army in the 2010s. The purpose of this study is to outline the general picture of the organizational structure of the BTGs based on the events between 2015 and August 2022, and to provide supplements for the evaluation of subsequent operations. The BTGs successfully conducted offensive operations due to their significant firepower and mobility in the conflicts in Eastern Ukraine and in the early days of the 2022 war. However, certain shortcomings also surfaced. Therefore, while the concept behind the tactical formation appears sound, it needs further development.
References
Angevine, R., Warden, J. K., Keller, R., Frye, C.: „Learning Lessons from the Ukraine Conflict, Tech. Rep. NS D-10367”, Institute for Defense Analyses, 2019, https://nsiteam.com/social/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/NS-D-10367-Learning-Lessonsfrom-
Ukraine-Conflict-Final.pdf (Letöltve: 2023.2.3.);
Barabanov, M.: „Changing the Force and Moving Forward After Georgia.” In: Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine, ed: Howard, C. – Ruslan Pukhov, R. (Minneapolis: East View Press, 2015) pp. 91–123. ISBN: 9781879944657;
Fox, A. C.: „Reflections on Russia’s 2022 Invasion of Ukraine. Land warfare paper 149.” The association of the united states army. 2022 p. 11, https://www.ausa.org/publications/reflectionsrussias-2022-invasion-ukraine-combined-armswarfare-
battalion-tactical (Letöltve: 2023.2.3.);
Bartles, C. K.: „Russia’s Indirect and Asymmetric Methods as a Response to the New Western Way of War”, Special Operations Journal, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1080/23296151.2016.1134964
Fiore, N. J.: „Defeating the Russian Battalion Tactical Group”. Armor, 2017. pp. 9–17, https://www.benning.army.mil/armor/eARMOR/content/issues/2017/Spring/2Fiore17.pdf (Letöltve: 2023.2.7.);
Chernyak. I.: „Юрий Балуевский раскрыл военные тайны” RG.ru 2005, http://www.rg.ru/2005/11/01/baluevsky.html (Letöltve: 2023.2.10.);
Fox, A. C.: „Russian Hybrid Warfare and the Re-emergence of Conventional Armored Warfare: Implications for the U.S. Army’s Armored Force”. Armor, 2016, https://www.benning.army.mil/armor/eARMOR/content/issues/2016/JUL_SEP/3Fox-
Russia16.pdf (Letöltve: 2023.3.2.);
McDermott, R. N. „The Reform Of Russia’s Conventional Armed Forces: Problems, Challenges, & Policy Implications”, (Washington: Jamestown Fo. 2011) ISBN: 9780983084228;
Giles, K.: „Russia’s ‘New’ Tools for Confronting the West: Continuity and Innovation in Moscow’s Exercise of Power”, (London: Chatham House, 2016), https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/2016-03-russia-new-tools-giles.pdf (Letöltve: 2023.2.13.);
Grau, L. W. Bartles, C. K.: „The Russian Way of War”, (Fort Leavenworth: Foreign Military Studies Office, 2018). https://www.armyupress.army.mil/portals/7/hot%20spots/documents/russia/2017-07-therussian-way-of-war-grau-bartles.pdf
(Letöltve: 2023.2.13.);
Mitrovic, M., Bojanic, D.: „Battalion tactical groups of the russian armed forces in the altered physiognomy of modern conflicts”. Vojno Delo. 2021, https://doi.org/10.5937/vojdelo2102124M
Grau, L. W., Bartles, C. K.: „Getting to Know the Russian Battalion Tactical Group.”, RUSI, 2022, https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/getting-know-russian-battalion-tacticalgroup (Letöltve: 2023.2.9.);