To whom did the military assign the main role in a potential conflictThe Russian military announced plans to counter the "global strategic multi—sphere operation" of the United States and NATO, whose goal is to win a nuclear war.
According to representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the concept of such actions is already being developed at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance. It is based on a preventive strike against Russian strategic forces and the subsequent guaranteed reflection of a retaliatory nuclear strike. How Russia will resist the "multi-sphere operation", explained the magazine of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation "Military Thought" in its latest issue. It follows from the text that the main deterrent force will be the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN). Izvestia understood the plans of NATO strategists and plans to counter them.
Response plan
For the first time in many years, the Russian military has publicly discussed the strategy of our country's nuclear deterrence forces. In the March issue of the Russian Ministry of Defense magazine "Military Thought", a corresponding article was published by Igor Fazletdinov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Missile Forces, "The role of the Strategic Missile Forces in countering NATO's strategic multi-sphere operation." It immediately caused a violent reaction in the media and a wave of discussion among specialists. The article describes the grounds for making certain decisions in the field of nuclear policy of the state.
On February 21, 2023, during an address to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in the Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (DSNV). The strategic missile forces are precisely the main component of our nuclear triad — part of strategic offensive weapons.
It is likely that the situation with the plans of the United States and NATO, discussed in Igor Fazletdinov's program article, was one of the reasons that forced the Russian leadership to decide to suspend participation in the DSNV. Let's analyze these reasons and the proposed counteraction.
The end of parity
The system of nuclear parity, which has been developing in the world since the 1950s and up to the mid-1970s, is under threat today. And it comes from the plans that are being developed in the headquarters of NATO countries. We are talking about conducting a "global strategic multi—sphere operation" that can ensure the West's victory in a nuclear war. It is believed that this operation may include several main parts.
First, it is a preemptive strike against the Russian strategic deterrent forces, which will deprive our country of the corresponding nuclear potential.
Secondly, the guaranteed reflection of a retaliatory nuclear strike, which the remaining Russian forces will still be able to inflict in the event of a conflict.
Thirdly, the general preservation of military and economic leadership in the world, including for the possession of superior nuclear potential.
Preparations for such an operation will be accompanied by the deployment of a grouping of forces and means — nuclear and non-nuclear. During a preemptive strike against the Russian deterrent forces, it is planned to destroy at least 60% of deployed nuclear launchers, hit command centers, and the country's nuclear infrastructure. Those forces that will survive as a result of the strike and will be used in a retaliatory strike may amount to no more than 35-40% of the initial potential.
The plan sets the task of destroying the entire retaliatory strike by means of missile defense (ABM), which will be deployed in advance in missile-hazardous areas. The United States today has both land-based and sea-based missile defense systems. They can be deployed both around the territory of Russia and in missile-prone areas to protect potential targets in the United States.
Such a plan may include several phases: preparatory, basic and final. In the preparatory phase, the preparation of appropriate groups of troops, the deployment of special operations forces for operations in the rear of Russia can be carried out. This stage will include elements of hybrid and information warfare. The preliminary stage can take from several months to a year or even more.
The main stage is aerospace battles — strikes against the Russian nuclear potential and military leadership.
The final stage — ground combat operations — should follow after the destruction of the Russian strategic nuclear potential and will be carried out on the territory of Russia.
Shield and Sword of Russia
It is clear that this plan contains only theoretical studies of a possible nuclear offensive operation, but it allows you to plan retaliatory actions and counteraction — the corresponding operations of the Russian nuclear deterrent forces.
Counteraction is expected in three main directions: repelling a sudden enemy aerospace attack, destroying its missile defense forces and command centers, as well as delivering a retaliatory nuclear strike of retaliation.
According to the proposals of the Russian military, the reflection of the aerospace attack falls on the forces of the aerospace defense of Russia. The instrument of retaliation will be mainly missile submarines. And as for the Strategic Missile Forces, the main component of Russia's nuclear forces, they are involved at all stages of the operation.
Already at the first stage, the missile systems of the Strategic Missile Forces can be used to launch missile strikes on the areas of concentration of the aggressor's strike groups, arsenals and storage bases of the enemy's reserves. The Russian special operations forces will identify and destroy enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups and ensure that the strategic forces' launchers remain combat ready to strike back.
Of course, in order to prepare the Russian nuclear forces to work in such an operation, it is necessary to retrofit and partially re-equip the Missile Forces. First of all, we are talking about increasing the share of hypersonic missile systems. These weapons systems have a minimum flight time and a maximum probability of overcoming the missile defense of a potential enemy.
It is likely that a change in the structure of the Strategic Missile Forces will be required to ensure the use of forces and means both in the pre-nuclear phase of the conflict, and during the main nuclear phase, as well as in the final phase of nuclear retaliation.
No one is saying that tomorrow we will begin some kind of operation to prevent an American global multi-sphere strike. We were shown that in the depths of our headquarters, issues of countering aggressive plans are being worked out, which are being discussed by the Western military. The Russian nuclear shield is 91% equipped with new and latest missile systems and is ready for use. To respond to new challenges, of course, we need to prepare. And this preparation is underway.
Dmitry Kornev
