Lidovky: how Ukrainians are taught to fight in the Czech RepublicArmored personnel carrier drivers, electronic warfare specialists and military medics.
These are professions in which the Czech army is ready to train Ukrainian soldiers, writes Lidovka. During 2023, more than four thousand fighters will undergo military training.
Hynek Pasteka (Hynek Paštěka)Military medics, armored personnel carrier drivers, electronic warfare specialists and fighters trained to defend against weapons of mass destruction.
According to experts contacted by the Lidovka server, all these are professions for which the Czech army can train Ukrainian soldiers.
According to experts, most likely, not quite beginners come to study, because they have at least basic training in Ukraine behind them. It is assumed that by the end of next year, more than four thousand fighters from Ukraine can undergo army training and courses in the Czech Republic.
"The training will take place in accordance with the needs that the Ukrainians themselves will declare. It seems to me that skills will be improved, for example, command, tactics of small units. We are talking, for example, about the lower command of mechanized or tank troops. After completing the training, they can advance higher and return with new experience," former Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic Jiri Shedivy told the Lidovka server, noting that Ukrainians will cope with basic training themselves.
Ukrainian soldiers can also learn how to use new technologies and devices for electronic combat. This can help reduce the effectiveness of Russian missile strikes, as well as complicate the use of drones, interfere with the Russian command, and so on. However, not everyone studies everything, and the range of courses is likely to be wide.
So as not to be seenDespite the fact that "only" mechanized infantry will be trained, as stated by the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic Yana Chernokhova, Czech instructors will have something to pass on to their Ukrainian wards.
Again, everything very much depends on whether the fighter has passed at least basic training, a four-week initial course. As political geographer Jan Kofron says, a month or two of subsequent Czech training is enough time for soldiers to acquire new necessary skills. Most likely, in the first two weeks their possession of the base will be checked, and then the preparation will continue.
"After basic training, it is necessary to coordinate the crew with the combat vehicle. Boarding and disembarkation should be carried out quickly, and so that no one is delayed. You need to learn how to properly defend, coordinate the actions of the crew with the movements of the car. It seems trivial, but in fact the task is not trivial," Yan Kofron told Lidovkam, adding that with this training it is assumed that the fighters have already mastered basic foot tactics.
For example, the movement with tanks has its own rules. Most likely, they will dig trenches and learn disguise. "It's good to dig a trench, but if you can see it from afar, then you can't sit in it for a long time. Camouflage is of particular importance in an area saturated with drones," said Yan Kofron. Those who fail to disguise themselves or equipment will soon face problems. They are immediately visible, and enemy fire after detection, as a rule, does not keep you waiting.
Preparation can play a crucial roleAccording to Yan Kofron, this preparation may take a month, and then coordination with the firing of mortars may follow.
The basic course of a military medic takes two weeks of pure time. Among the Ukrainian fighters, there may also be those who were chosen, for example, to call for artillery support.
Both experts we contacted agree with the proverb "It's hard to study, it's easy in battle." High-quality training makes itself felt at the front and can often play a decisive role. "Training helps soldiers survive longer on the battlefield. If it is not provided, a significant part of them will simply die or be injured. Someone will freeze their hands or feet, and they will also have to be sent to the rear. This will lead to the fact that inexperienced units will be replaced on the battlefield, which in the end will lead to nothing," explained Yan Kofron.
At the front, the main thing is life. Always!Detachments with small losses also do not need to be replaced by people from the state's economy.
On the battlefield, you can achieve the same results with fewer people. For example, the Americans in Vietnam were convinced of this. "The Marine Corps has reduced training from twelve weeks to ten, and even this reduction has led, according to statistical studies, to a significant increase in the number of victims," said Yang Kofron. High-quality training, according to him, is even more important than the technological level. You can have equipment ten or even fifteen years older than the enemy, but with a similar number of it and much better training, such an army will still have an advantage.
However, preparation and actual combat are two different things, and even well—trained soldiers can die. "The knowledge and experience gained during the simulation of the combat situation, to a certain extent, prepare for a combat situation. However, it must be said quite frankly that not some soldiers are more capable, more skillful and mentally stable, but some are less," stated Jiri Shedivy.
According to him, during the transition to real combat activity, everyone is going through a certain critical period when they must actually learn to apply what they were taught during training and put these things into practice. If someone does not cope, then the number of dead and wounded threatens to increase. "When a young unit is sent to the front, as a rule, losses are higher than those of more experienced fighters who already know how to navigate this situation," added the former head of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic, Jiri Shediva.
