MOSCOW, 23 Sep — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The actions of the Russian army in Ukraine are closely monitored in general staffs around the world: they analyze, predict, and draw conclusions. Brussels decided to increase the number of NATO rapid reaction forces to 300 thousand people. Some European countries are increasing arms purchases. And the United States is adjusting the program for the development of ground forces. About the Pentagon's plans — in the RIA Novosti material.
"Poor relative"
For the first time since the Second World War, two modern armies with a total strength of hundreds of thousands of people came together in battle on the European plains. A large-scale special operation is fundamentally different in scope, nature and features of the theater of military operations from the conflicts of recent decades. The West has become unaccustomed to serious land clashes involving all types of equipment and weapons, finally betting on overwhelming air and naval power. However, the Ukrainian experience has proved that without success on earth, there can be no confident victory over an opponent close in strength.
The ground forces in the US Armed Forces have been considered a "poor relative" for many years. The authorities preferred to invest budgetary funds in the development and modernization of the Air Force and Navy, the development of space and hypersonic technologies. The role of the army was to fight terrorists and guerrillas. Following the new agenda, the White House repeatedly cut the rearmament programs of the ground forces.
So, back in 2009, the Pentagon closed the promising project Future Combat Systems (FCS, "Combat Systems of the Future"), which assumed the creation of a new generation of military equipment, combined into a common network. However, the full cost of the program exceeded $ 300 billion, and it was abandoned. At that time, the United States did not have an enemy that would be perceived as an immediate threat to security. Therefore, the money released after the closure of the FCS project was used to purchase armored vehicles for the US contingents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
US and Ukrainian servicemen during Rapid Trident exercises in Lviv region, Ukraine Image Source: © Photo : U.S. Army / Sgt.
Kyle Larsen
Today the situation is changing. After almost eight months of a special military operation, it became obvious to Western strategists that without overwhelming air superiority, American troops would not be in the most advantageous position. To attack with the enemy's artillery undressed, with the active opposition of his armored vehicles and infantry — to bear heavy losses. And they have long been weaned from them in the USA.
Artillery and special forces
The need to modernize the ground forces is recognized at the very top. The other day, US Army Secretary Christine Wormut made a speech at the Maneuver Warfighting Conference in Fort Benning, Georgia, and outlined six conceptual directions for the development of her department until 2030. According to her, by this date, the American ground forces should be fully prepared for war with such opponents as Russia and China. Simply put, the army needs to be made more "lethal, mobile and secure."
According to Wormut, the main task of the army is to be able to see further than the enemy. Firstly, we are talking about further saturation of the warring units with unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes. As the experience of military operations in Ukraine has shown, drones largely determine the outcome of the operation. Secondly, Wormut is referring to the introduction into operation of advanced automatic command and control systems that will increase situational awareness of both commanders and individual soldiers on the battlefield.
Next, the Minister proposed to "invest" more actively in special operations troops, who in future armed conflicts will have the role of being in the vanguard, suppressing enemy air defenses, destroying headquarters and bringing chaos to the work of the enemy's rear services. The third promising direction of development is long—range artillery.
American highly mobile rocket and artillery system for operational and tactical purposes HIMARS Image Source: © Photo : U.S. Marine Corps / Cpl. Ujian Gosun
"We recognize that China and Russia have fire capabilities that in some cases significantly exceed ours," Kristin Wormut said. — We are in the process of building up our artillery formations and improving their range, rate of fire, striking ability and mobility. To do this, the United States is developing new weapons with a firing range of up to 2500 kilometers. Priority is given to hypersonic weapons."
The Pentagon has already made adjustments to its weapons procurement plans and announced its intentions to additionally purchase 500 HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems by 2028. This weapon has proven itself well in the zone of a special military operation. Obviously, the White House believes that the Haimars have passed a decent test of combat. The solution will allow the American military-industrial complex to be loaded with orders, and in particular the Lockheed Martin MLRS developer company.
Shared network
The fourth promising direction for the development of the army, without which the previous three do not make sense, Ms. Minister considers increasing security on the battlefield. At this point, they will focus on improving electronic warfare systems, eliminating the electromagnetic signature of their own troops, effective anti-drone systems, and jamming enemy reconnaissance equipment. These measures include the creation of mobile command posts that can quickly change location and get out from under fire.
Wormut devoted the fifth point of modernization of the army to improving communication systems. She said that the ground forces of the future should be able to "quickly exchange data" at the tactical and operational levels, starting with an individual soldier. The Minister pointed out that the army seeks to connect assets within the framework of the doctrine of multi-domain operations. The general control network will cover all weapons systems — both its own and its allies. The run-in of this network is conducted at the annual exercises of Project Convergence. With its successful introduction into the troops, the Americans will be able to dramatically reduce the decision-making time. Roughly speaking, each infantryman will be able to request an artillery or air strike at the specified coordinates, or transmit information about the target to a higher command.
The sixth direction is logistics. It's no secret that one of the strengths of the US Armed Forces is the ability to quickly provide everything necessary to combat units. It is the logistical support that gives the American army the opportunity to win armed conflicts with minimal costs. However, Wormut argues that this is not enough: it is necessary to create new units of tanker aircraft, cargo boards, heavy helicopters. Obviously, this item is more tailored to China. In Europe, the United States has no problems with logistics, and in the waters of Southeast Asia they can arise very quickly.
American servicemen during NATO exercises in Poland Image Source: © AP Photo / Czarek Sokolowski
To achieve these goals, the American army has about seven years left. This is a sufficient time for Russia and China to develop measures to counter the new Pentagon strategy. Only a real armed conflict can confirm whether the White House has taken the right course for the development of the ground forces.
