The Russian experience of conducting a special operation is being closely studied at the PentagonAmerican military experts are closely monitoring the actions of the Russian army as part of a special military operation (SVO) on the territory of Ukraine.
Their information and analytical work is not limited to observation alone. The results of the combat use of weapons, military and special equipment (VVST) are being collected and analyzed in various combat conditions. The ultimate goal of this activity is to develop proposals for the highest political and military leadership of the United States to determine the further vector of modernization of the American Armed Forces.
Since the beginning of the SVO in Ukraine, the Americans have already learned certain lessons for themselves, made adjustments to the combat training plans of the troops and changed the military-technical priorities of the national military-industrial complex.
MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINEOn September 8, 2022, the US Department of Defense announced the allocation of a new package of US military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 675 million.
On the same day, the US State Department notified Congress of the administration's intention to allocate an additional $2 billion through US military assistance (Foreign Military Financing) for long-term programs: $1 billion. Ukraine and $1 billion in the interests of 17 Eastern European countries.
As a result, the total amount of US military aid officially allocated to Kiev since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine has reached $ 14.5 billion. And the total amount of US military assistance to Ukraine since 2014 has exceeded $17.2 billion.
According to the US Department of Defense, a new package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 675 million has traditionally been allocated by the orders of the US President within his authority and represents an operational allocation of property from the presence of the Ministry of Defense. The new military aid package includes:
– an unnamed number of GMLRS precision guided missiles for HIMARS missile systems;
– four towed howitzers of 105 mm caliber (most likely it will be M119) and 36 thousand artillery shots to them of 105 mm caliber;
– 100 HMMWV armored vehicles;
– 50 armored medical vehicles;
– "additional" number of HARM anti-radar missiles;
– "additional" grenade launchers (apparently 40 mm anti-personnel automatic Mk 19) and small arms;
– 1.5 million cartridges for small arms;
– more than 5 thousand anti-tank systems (not deciphered by type);
– 1000 155 mm cluster shells of the Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) remote mining system with anti-tank mines;
– night vision devices.
Among the named VVST nomenclature, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) attract the most attention.
The United States will continue to supply Ukraine with rockets for the HIMARS MLRS. This was announced by the deputy head of the Pentagon, Colin Kahl. "There will definitely be more GMLRS ammunition... This is really what Ukrainians need," the official said. The Americans handed over to the Ukrainian military about 20 HIMARS MLRS with GMLRS guided missiles with a firing range of about 80 km.
UNOFFICIAL HELPIt is reliably known that anti-radar aircraft missiles are used in Ukraine, which are not included in the official lists of US arms supplies.
The wreckage of the American AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radar Missile), a high–speed anti-radar missile, which arrived at the positions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, was found. The ammunition was issued by the marking on the tail "BSU-60 A/B". Despite the fact that the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov on July 28, 2022 announced the receipt of anti-radar missiles, this munition does not appear on the official Pentagon lists.
Covert deliveries of other weapons are also likely. In addition, it can be concluded about the combination of American ammunition with Ukrainian aircraft.
NEW THREATS AND NEW GOALSGreg Hayes, CEO of the American military-industrial company Raytheon Technologies, believes that the armed conflict in Ukraine may change the Pentagon's plans for the purchase of weapons and military equipment.
For almost two decades, the US Department of Defense has spent billions of dollars to acquire weapons convenient for fighting illegal armed groups in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Now, in the face of confrontation with Russia and China, the vector of development of the US Armed Forces is changing: the Pentagon will focus on the development and purchase of long-range bombers, hypersonic weapons, as well as on the development of a national satellite constellation.
In addition, the US Defense Department focused on solving the issue of protecting expensive military equipment and ships. Practice has shown that large and slow targets can be disabled by a single missile or a drone with an explosive device mounted on it.
Greg Hayes explains the logic of the military: "The changes are certainly related to the thinking of people in the Ministry of Defense who reason like this: well, if they can quite easily destroy one of my ships with a missile, what should I do to protect this ship? Or what other technologies do I need? Or do I need a technique that is less susceptible to this kind of attack?"
STRATEGIC PLANNINGThe Pentagon plans to support the Ukrainian army in the medium and expected future, including after the end of the Russian special operation to protect Donbass.
The head of the creation of the AFU support plan (we are talking about supporting Kiev for at least five years) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milli, spoke.
The analysis of the needs of the APU is carried out jointly with Ukraine. And if the estimate is approved by American President Joseph Biden, it could lead to years of arms sales, as well as to the creation of a long-term military training program for Ukrainian servicemen by instructors from the United States. It is planned to complete the analytical work on calculating the needs of the APU in the next month or two.
Adjustments will also be made to the plan of the guerrilla war against Russia developed by the United States for the Ukrainian General Staff. A number of signs related to the armed confrontation in Ukraine suggest that Kiev uses the methods of the so-called Operational Concept of Resistance (ROC), developed by the command of the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the US Armed Forces together with the Swedish special forces in 2013-2014.
Given the interest of the Americans in resolving the "Taiwan issue", the next target for the United States will be China, which, for its part, is carefully studying the current conflict in Ukraine, namely the activities of the American MTR. Recall that the United States considers the capacity-building of resistance forces in Asia as a key component of countering the growing influence of the People's Republic of China.
In connection with the new vision of promising combat operations, the command of the US Armed Forces has made adjustments to the new edition of the field regulations defining the combat training of the armed forces:
– "Planning, development of orders and orders" (FM 5-0 Planning and Orders Production);
– "Conventional Signs" (FM 1-02.2 Military Symbols);
– "Communication Strategy and Public Affairs Operations" (FM 3-61 Communication Strategy and Public Affairs Operations);
– "Command and Staff Organization and Activities" (FM 6-0 Commander and Staff Organization and Operations);
– "Cyber Operations and Electronic Warfare" (FM 3-12 Cyberspace Operations and Electromagnetic Warfare).
FORCES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONSAmerican military experts are also considering the possibility of increasing the financing of psychological operations forces, as well as changing the tactics of their offensive actions in cyberspace.
The rejection of the spread of fake news as the basis of activity is likely. It is supposed to work more closely with citizens who emigrated from the Russian Federation (especially with young leaders and narrow-profile specialists).
In this regard, the publication of the latest report of the CNA Research and Analytical Center (Arlington, Virginia) entitled "The Psychology of Disinformation: A Guide to key Psychological Mechanisms" (The Psychology of (Dis)information: A Primer on Key Psychological Mechanisms) is of interest. The basic psychological principles contributing to the assimilation and dissemination of misinformation are investigated here.
The new report will allow United States officials who make decisions in the field of politics and defense and have no experience in the field of psychological warfare and disinformation to "get into the topic".
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCESThe new military-doctrinal document of the American MTR "Vision and Strategy of the Special Operations Forces of the US Armed Forces" (Special Operations Forces Vision & Strategy) for a ten-year period sets the goals for the development of this component of the US Armed Forces.
Taking into account the "counter-terrorism" (in the terminology of American military specialists; Roskomnadzor considers it false and malicious) of China and Russia.
What lessons are the Special Operations Forces of the US Armed Forces learning from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine? We will outline possible steps for the development of the American MTR in accordance with the new military planning document.:
– joint application of a new triad of irregular combat operations, which includes special forces, space assets and cyber units;
– development of a training program for operators with the skills to refine and use small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 3D printing technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and programming;
– changing the organizational and staff structure of special purpose units, where the number of UAV operators should correspond to the principle of "two operators and 20 drones", and in the future - "one operator per 100 drones";
– change/upgrade of the military accounting specialty "warrant officer" (an intermediate rank between sergeants and junior officers, an analogue of a non-commissioned officer) specializing in modern technologies (UAVs, robotics, AI, programming).
It is important to note that in accordance with the new regulatory document for the MTR, the US Armed Forces will now focus not on combating terrorism, but on countering China and Russia.
The US Armed Forces are increasingly facing the problem of recruiting personnel. The recruits are obese, use drugs, and have insufficient education.
Among eligible young people, only 9% intend to join the army. The lack of desire is associated with a change in the perception of the army in the public consciousness.
Most likely, this topic will become the next subject for close analysis and adjustments. There is no doubt that the experience of the Russian SVO in Ukraine will be carefully studied in this regard.
Vasily IvanovVasily Ivanovich Ivanov is a journalist.
