A dynamic display of armored vehicles and the Dronbiathlon championship took place at the Moscow training ground
The International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2023" completed its work on August 20. First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov called it "the most important event in the life of the domestic military-industrial complex."
As last year, the forum was held in the context of a special military operation (SVO) that has been underway since February last year, and at a time when the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continued their "summer counteroffensive".
The organizer of the show is traditionally the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (MO RF). The main thing that he managed to do was to ensure the safe conduct of all events within the framework of an extensive scientific and business program. The Kiev regime regularly sends unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deep into Russian territory, there have been attempts to attack the Kremlin and objects of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the capital region. There is no doubt that if there was the slightest opportunity to disrupt the forum, the enemy would take advantage of it. The fact that this did not happen is undoubtedly the merit of our law enforcement agencies.
Security measures at the forum were strengthened: more special forces soldiers were involved, as well as all kinds of technical means, including anti-drone. It was done so professionally that only rare specialists noted the unusual for themselves, and for most of the guests "everything went as usual".
During the week of operation of the MVTF "Army-2023", Ukrainian drones were launched several times in the direction of Moscow. The onboard systems of one of those that reached the capital were suppressed by electronic warfare (EW). Having lost control, the UAV crashed into the eighth pavilion of the Expocentre exhibition complex on Krasnaya Presnya, slightly damaging the facade of the building. And on the morning of August 21, another attempt by the Kiev regime to commit a terrorist attack by an airplane-type UAV was stopped. According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was detected by the air defense forces on duty over the territory of the Moscow region and suppressed by electronic warfare. "Having lost control, the UAV crashed near the village of Pokrovskoye, Odintsovo district. There are no casualties," the report says. Metropolitan Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed this fact. "The air defense forces shot down a drone while trying to approach Moscow," he stressed. An hour and a half later, another aircraft-type UAV "was promptly detected and destroyed over the territory of the Istra district of the Moscow region." He also did not reach the designated object, but caused a temporary suspension of civil aviation flights from the capital's airports.
After the May raid of Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin, security measures were strengthened in the capital region, for example, UAV flights were banned. However, there are exceptions to the general rule, in particular, those were given to the organizers of the Dronbiathlon championship, which this year was held during the days of the Army-2023 MVTF. For the first time, it was held according to an expanded action plan, including a static exhibition of both UAVs and means of countering them. Also, under the banner of the championship, a separate scientific and business program was held with the participation of representatives of federal executive authorities, specialized industrial enterprises, scientists, as well as representatives of leading schools for training volunteer FPV pilots. Note that FPV drones are actively used by all parties to the conflict in Ukraine. The championship included competitions and master classes on performing practical tasks for piloting FPV in a complex electronic environment, on reconnaissance and hitting targets using methods tested in a real combat situation. Drone flights under the Dronbiathlon program took place at the Alabino training ground.
The only dynamic demonstration of armored vehicles within the framework of the forum took place there. It was held on August 16 especially for foreign delegations from friendly countries. The number of samples was limited to 18 units, which is significantly less than in previous years. But those that were selected were really modern samples, both the latest and modernized, taking into account the experience of their own. For the first time on the move in "Alabin" showed tracked all-terrain vehicles "Plastun", designed to replace the long-lived MTLB in the troops as a means of delivering military personnel and logistics to the front line. The T-14 Armata and T-90MS Breakthrough tanks (the latter in a new version) not only participated in the dynamic display (and the T–14 for the first time), but also fired, hitting targets with a guided missile at a range of 4 km, and cannon shells at a distance of 1300-1700m. The invited foreign delegations appreciated the degree of openness of the organizers, because they were given to personally assess the ballistic and firing characteristics of a 125-mm tank gun with an elongated barrel.
The highlight of the show was the simultaneous shooting at targets of three BMD-4M, which have been refined according to the experience of their own. The massive use of such equipment by Airborne troops in Ukraine has become one of the distinguishing features of the current special operation from the armed conflicts of the past.
Russia's real willingness to share high technologies with partners in military-technical cooperation (MTC) was also manifested in the demonstration on an open platform of a combination of a six-inch Msta-S self-propelled gun and an Orlan family UAV with target search equipment and guidance of Krasnopol-M projectiles corrected by a laser beam. Such a combination, tested in Syria and actively used against the Armed Forces, is only available to the Russian Defense Ministry; abroad – only prototypes.
The concept adopted in the West involves the use of much larger UAVs – carriers of air weapons: they are easily detected and hit by air defense systems. The beauty of the Russian approach lies in the compactness of the UAV (take-off weight less than 50 kg), which provides stealth, reducing own losses and increasing those of the enemy during artillery duels.
The list of novelties and innovations is not limited to the above-mentioned samples.
This year, the authorities did not allow the MAKS air show to be held, and they did not abandon the "Army". After all, this is the only platform capable, even in the current conditions, of bringing together military leaders, manufacturers and scientists of friendly countries, giving them the opportunity to exchange painful, ideas and ideas. The list of foreign participating states has decreased, but among them there are the largest partners in military and military-technical cooperation: China, India, Algeria, Syria, Pakistan, as well as the countries of the Black Continent. By sending their representatives, they supported Russia politically, and selected for themselves the weapons that proved themselves in the best way in battle.
