Kavkaz 2020 – September 21 (Day 1)

The thrust of the opening day consisted of deploying to training ranges, conducting demining operations for ships leaving port, air defense against a presumed aerospace assault, and fixing internal lines of communications – bridges, pontoons, etc. assuming they had been blown. This phase is a contested deployment, focusing on logistics, marching, and air lift. Engineers and combat service support units get much of the work since their component of these exercises starts right at the beginning and never lets up. These summaries are typically a day behind, since it is difficult to summarize events that have not happened.

General comments: The latest overview indicated that special attention will be paid to countering cruise missiles, UAS, conducting electronic-fire operations against the depth of the adversary’s lines, quick transitions from one type of operation to another, and establishing a complex/dynamic situation in terms of training conditions.

Strela-M10 firing at Prudboi

Military transport aviation belonging to Russian Aerospace Forces rebased to forward operating airfields. A total of 60 IL-76 transports are involved. Undoubtedly there will be VDV Airborne operations as part of the exercise, which has already been announced. Expect sizable drops.

Around 3,500 Airborne (VDV) soldiers will be involved in Kavkaz-2020, pulled from three participating airborne units. They will parachute and be airlifted in via other means, usually these combine air drops, helicopter air lifts, repelling and the like. Airborne assault detachments will parachute in from units belonging to Novorossiysk and Kamishin, while rotary aviation will bring in units from Ulianovsk . They will continue experimenting with the concept of ‘new type’ airborne. I first observed these force structure experiments during Vostok-2018 and have written about them in 2018. The main VDV range will be Kaputsin Yar, secondary is Prudboi (Volgograd) where more than 1000 airborne units will deploy from more than 50 aircraft, together with their equipment. There will be drops in two zones, in parallel, from altitudes ranging 600-900 meters. They will be dropping BMD-4Ms along with other variants using new parachute systems that include PBS-950U and MKS-350.

Also, there will be an airlift operation early on with Mi-26 and Mi-8AMTSh bringing in D-30 howitzers, utility vehicles like Niva Kotenok, Eskadron, Pikap and Pecheneg. Air assault units from Novorossiysk will repel a simulated amphibious assault by enemy marines at Raevski training range.

Western MD

Leningrad Oblast – 5,000 troops and 200 pieces of equipment belonging to the CAA based in the area (presumably 6^th) have begun qualification checks in core competencies, knowledge of new equipment, readiness, and begin live fire exercises.

Mulino training range – a tactical-battalion training began with armor and motor rifle detachments belonging to the Kantemirovskaya division. These include T-80U, MSTA-S, BMP-2, BTR-82A and MTLB (standard kit assigned to the regiments of this division). They plan to execute about 30 different scenarios from repelling an enemy offensive, to destroying fortified positions. This B-T training includes about 800 soldiers with 200 pieces of equipment.

Baltic Fleet – Minesweepers Alexander Obukhov (Alexandrit-class) and Pavel Khenov conducted mine clearing exercises with other ships of the BF, and concluded a ship assistance exercise with one of the oceanographic research vessels. Meanwhile other units assigned to the Leningrad naval base conducted counter-diversionary operations, hunting divers and the like. The bulk of early activity seems to concentrate on minesweeping, counter-diversionary actions, and deployment of naval infantry.

Southern MD

VDV loading

Motor rifle units belonging to the 58^th CAA, together with South Ossetian units, were raised on alert and deployed to Dzartsemi training range. This battalion tactical group will train using drones, short range ISR kit like SBR-3, plus Strelets reconnaissance and communication system. This exercise seems to consist of three company sized tactical groups, backed by South Ossetian forces. The adversary forces will be simulated in later phases by detachments from a Russian military base. Emphasis is being placed on organizing a reserve to defeat VIEDs and using sniper teams (seems to be gleaned from Syria). In total South Ossetia will host 1500 soldiers, and 300 pieces of equipment.

Prudboi range near Volgograd – maneuver formations including T-90A, BMP-3, BMP-2, MSTA-S, and supporting helicopters have begun to deploy to the training range. The march included BMDs belonging to VDV units. There was an interesting deployment combining a detachment of EW troops, communications unit from a motor rifle regiment, and an airborne VDV unit (presumably force protection), which put in place an encrypted communications system and EW defense against enemy drones. EW units used Borisoglebsk-2 to jamm supposed enemy unmanned systems.

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Ashuluk training range: 30+ helicopters shifted to Kaputsin Yar and Ashuluk in Astrakhan, including Mi-35, Ka-52 and Mi-26. They will be moving VDV and airlifting units later on in the exercise. Combined arms elements of the 49^th will deploy there to practice combat in desert conditions. These will include T-72B3M, BTR-82A, and MSTA-S artillery. Air power and combat aviation will support the live fire exercises taking place there, operating for an airbase at considerable distance from the range.

Kaputsin Yar – Roughly 10 Battalions of S-400, S-300PM, Pantsir-S1s belonging to the 4^th AAD deployed for exercises. PVO-SV was represented by Buk-M2/M3 and Tor-M. Also a new mine clearing device demonstrated at the range, UR-15 based on a BMP-3 chassis. This is a rocket propelled mine clearing system.

Air Defense units preparing to depart

Air defense units, together with an airborne detachment based in Volgograd region, conducted an air defense exercise countering single and multiple targets. These seemed to consist of Verba MANPADS, Tunguska-M1, and Strela-10. The exercise consisted of striking objects at 6km altitude, and up to 8 simultaneous aerodynamic targets at a time. A total of 48 targets were hit.

Engineer troops supporting 49^th CAA in Kuban region restored 10 bridges which were destroyed by a hypothetical adversary. There is a video of one such exercise where it does look like they use something to blow the center of the bridge. Engineers employ the TMM-3M2 mechanized bridge laying system, while being covered by airpower belonging to the 4^th AAD. Military transport aviation also lifted an engineer regiment from Kuban to Astrakhan, where they deployed electricity generators, camouflage for command and control points, and conducted a demining exercise. In a different exercise engineers from what was probably the 11^th Engineering Brigade setup a pontoon bridge 500m in length across a river, repaired a railroad bridge, while working with air defense units to counter an adversary air attack.

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Russian units claimed to have established a multi-level system of reconnaissance, integrating drones (Orlan-10, Tachion, Forpost), with the tactical-operational Strelets system, and GLONASS satellite enabled navigation (well GLONASS-GPS from what I saw written inside the vehicle systems). Drones mark targets for fires and strike systems (recon strike-recon fire loops), while Strelets enables mobile reconnaissance units to employ both new and legacy reconnaissance systems. Ironia, a tactical level EO complex deployed among Spetz units in the Southern MD, supposedly permits all weather reconnaissance.

Armenia – About 20 helicopter crews worked jointly with units from Armenia, using Mi-8MTV and Mi-24P helicopters. Their exercise component is being held under the leadership of MG Tigran Parvanyan. Seems the Armenians have the lead on this part of the exercise, with about 1,500 troops and 300 pieces of equipment.

Abkhazia – Units from Southern MD, total of 1,500 soldiers and 500 pieces of equipment, were raised on alert and marched to the training ranges Tsabal & Nagvaloy. They were provided air cover by helicopters from 4^th AAD aviation, who helped transport some of the forces, and air defense units from Abkhazia. Their exercise plan for the week includes coastal defense, tank and artillery live fire exercises, and countering diversionary groups. Repelling an amphibious assault appears to be one of their main exercises.

Units in Abkhazia moving out

Black Sea Fleet

BSF boiler plate announcement is that they have about 20 ships participating, including Slava-class guided missile cruiser Moskva, the frigate Pytlivy (1135M), two Buyan-M corvettes, three LSTs, four missile boats (Tarantul-class), and a specialized Bora-class missile corvette (air cushion). Coastal defense detachments have moved to training ranges, including Bal, Bastion, and Bereg specialized artillery units. Naval aviation will also have a significant role. Much of the fleet seems to be busy with demining operations, seems minesweepers in several fleets are engaged in the first phase of the exercise, assuming the adversary has conducted offensive mining. Their focus is contact and non-contact mines, imagining a large mine field. These exercises also mention leading several ships, and a submarine through the supposed mine field.

BSF Corvette

Other ships formed a naval search and strike group (they’re using корабельная поисково-ударная группа (КПУГ) for this description, consisting of four small ASW corvettes (Grischa III class), engaged in anti-submarine warfare. Ka-27PL and Be-12 naval aviation assisted in the hunt, while the 636.3 Kilo ‘Koplino’ served as their opponent.  

BSF units include: Vladimir Emelyanov and Ivan Antonov Project 12700, Valentin Pikul Project 266ME, and Vice Admiral Zakharyin Project 02668 minesweepers. Additional assets: Moskva Project 1164, Pytlivyy Project 1135M, Orekhovo-Zuyevo and Vyshniy Volochyok Project 21631, Tsezar Kunikov, Azov, Novocherkassk Project 775, Naberezhnye Chelny, Ivanovets, Shuya, and R-60 Project 1241, and Samum Project 1239 will take part.

Naval infantry units have been raised on alert, deploying to board three LSTs (Azov, Novocherkassk, and Cesar Kynikov). Phase two will include amphibious landing on the coast of one of the training ranges assigned to the fleet, located in the Taman peninsula.

Caspian Flotilla – Units also departed port while conducting a demining exercise. Their challenge is getting the surface action group to deploy from its naval base under the assumption that it is being subjected to offensive mining. Meanwhile detachments of the Naval infantry regiment assigned to the flotilla, based in Dagestan, have begun marching to their planned training ranges of Turali and Adanak. They will deploy command and reconnaissance points, take up firing positions with BM-21 Grads and D-30 howitzers. Their task is coastal defense and artillery support, while the naval infantry units practice deploying along the coast – total includes 400 pieces of equipment, along with 40 ships (combat and support), and 3000 troops. Ship count seems excessive, Caspian Flotilla is not exactly that big of a force.

Coastal defense units preparing to defend a beach

Central MD

Artillery units belonging to the 2^nd CAA conducted live fire exercises with MSTA-S self-propelled artillery in Orenburg oblast. Orlan-10 drones provided reconnaissance and target identification. Fires were conducted up to 24km range. The units trained both using automated systems for targeting, and manual correction of fire, accounting for wind, pressure, etc. 500 troops in total and 50 pieces of equipment. Meanwhile air defense units belonging to the same army conducted training with Verba MANPADS.

Units belonging to an aviation regiment within the 14^th Air and Air Defense Army executed night ops training. Included ten helicopters of Mi-8AMTSh-V and Mi-24 variants. Meanwhile support units belonging to the specialized mountain units of the 41^st CAA, mounted on horseback, provided 2 tons of supplies to motor rifle detachments at training ranges (using 80 horses).

Armored regiments, belonging to the 90^th Guards tank division, conducted a two-sided tactical exercise. Units from two regiments battle each other, looking to work out “non-standard” solutions, deception, maneuver, ambush, flanking, etc. Exercise consisted of 500 troops – sizable for an armored wargame. There were also artillery and ATGM exercises taking place. It seems the units of the 90^th have been involved in a host of exercises, unclear if they well were underway or if this counts as being part of Kavkaz 2020, but difficult to ignore.

Odds and ends:

• 350 soldiers from the Transnistria contingent (a motor rifle battalion) deployed to establish a field camp
• Su-25SM belonging to the Russian military base ‘Kant’ in Kyrgyz Republic conducted strikes against a simulated adversary command post
• Eastern MD drone operators conducted recon exercises, spotting targets for MSTA-S artillery at 15km range

Nobody managed to crash or shoot anything down on day 1, that comes on day 2. There is a dogfight, and someone forgets to unload the ammunition from a Su-35.

Special thanks to Konrad Muzyka, who helped me compile some of the info. There’s a lot of news, data, press releases etc. and it is difficult to get through alone.

Here is the UR-15 mine clearing system

However, what was really exciting is this concert, that foreign participants had to sit through.