Large-scale combat-readiness inspection highlights number of unresolved issues - Shoigu
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Sept 23 (Interfax-AVN) - The surprise combat-readiness inspection conducted among army troops in Russia's Eastern and Central Military Districts (EMD and CMD, respectively) as well as the Airborne Troops, the Long-Range and Military-Transport Aviation, has demonstrated the increased level of readiness of the command, while highlighting a number of unresolved issues, Russian Defense Minister Army Gen. Sergei Shoigu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
"We have seen an increased level of the training process of the military operations staff, marching drills of army units and formations and improved liaising with the authorities and constituent regions of the Russian Federation over mobilization issues of the command staff and military commissariats," Shoigu said during a video conference from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
At the same time, "the inspection shows that the system of supporting troop operations in remote regions needs to be improved," the minister said.
"Particular emphasis should be made on prior stocking up on material supplies and further development of the military infrastructure in the country's Eastern region," the minister said.
The inspection involved EMD troops, a number of control and command bodies, CMD army units and formations, the Airborne troops, and the command of the Long-Range and Military-Transport Aviation, Shoigu said..
"After being put on alert and regrouped, the troops were dispatched to the training grounds for performing combat-training missions. Two army units and formations were mobilized and deployed. The inspection drills involved 6,500 reserved officers. About 450 weapons and pieces of military hardware were taken out from warehouses and made ready for use," the minister said.
During the Vostok (East) 2014 exercise, Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile systems destroyed two targets at a range of 200 kilometers, Shoigu said. Two Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers launched cruise missiles against a mock enemy's assets at the Kura testing range (Kamchatka). Concurrently, two Mikoyan MiG-31 fighter aircraft of the Pacific Fleet's naval aviation 'intercepted' hostile bombers and destroyed them in the air.
The inspection results "showed that not all supervisors took into account the outcomes of the Zapad (West) 2013 exercise which saw ministries and government departments carrying out missions for the Armed Forces for the first time," the minister said.
"Certain shortcomings re-emerged during the current inspection. In particular, as a result of ill-preparedness of the Sakhalin regional administration (. . .), the work of mobilizing and drafting citizens from the reserve for military drills failed to meet the set target. It was met at the expense of other constituent regions of the Russian Federation," the defense minister said.
The Defense Ministry, jointly with the Main Directorate for Special Programs and other concerned ministries and government departments, are now analyzing the results of the inspection and preparing proposals on how to address the existing problems, Shoigu said.
A surprise inspection of troops in the Western Military District (WMD) saw two battalion tactical groups mobilized and redeployed to the Khabarovsk Territory and to Sakhalin, where they received military hardware and joined the EMD contingent, the minister said. The troops travelled up to 1,500 kilometers by train and by sea, about 10,000 kilometers by air and marched a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers.
Two district and two army command stations were flown to Sakhalin and Kamchatka by military-transport aircraft.
The inspection conducted by ministries and government departments saw the mobilization base deployed in the Transbaikal, Primorsky, Khabarovsk and Kamchatka Territories, as well as the Amur and Sakhalin regions.
"Overall, the organizations involved in the inspection have met the set targets," the minister said.
Both the Transport and Communications Ministries practiced aspects of training for special emergency teams. The Federal Road Agency and the Federal Railroad Transport Agency provided technical maintenance for railways and roads used by the army. The Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport was responsible for handover of civilian vessels and port infrastructure to the Navy.
"I want to note in particular the concerted efforts of the governments of the Transbaikal and Khabarovsk Territories and senior officials from the Russian Transport Ministry and its subordinate organizations," the minister said.
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