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IMPORTANT MANEUVERS
by Sergei Konovalov
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 18, 2012 Wednesday
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 16, 2012, p. 3
CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN AMERICAN-ISRAELI STRIKE AT IRAN,
THE GENERAL STAFF COMPOSES THE LEGEND OF A FUTURE STRATEGIC EXERCISE;
Strategic exercise Caucasus'2012 will take place in southern Russia,
Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Armenia in September.
The Defense Ministry initiated preparations for strategic command post
exercise Caucasus'2012. Unlike the previous exercise of the series,
Caucasus'2012 will be organized on a larger scope. The latest global
military-political developments will be accounted for in its legend.
The exercise will take place in southern Russia, Abkhazia, South
Ossetia, and Armenia in September. Caucasus'2012 will become the
central event of the year for the Russian Armed Forces. Experts expect
the legend of the exercise to allow for the possibility of a joint
American-Israeli strike at Iran and for conflicts in the Caspian
region and the southern part of the Caucasus.
The first exercise Caucasus took place near the South Ossetian and
Abkhazian borders between July 16 and August 2, 2008. It was mostly
due to Caucasus'2008 that Russia managed to defeat Georgia after its
sneak attack in August that year. Exercises Caucasus became traditional
then, carried out on a yearly basis.
Exercise Caucasus'2012 will be strategic rather than tactical. It
means involvement of all branches of the military and participation
of other security structures (Interior Ministry, Federal Security
Service, Federal Service of Protection, Ministry of Emergencies,
and so on). All of the military organization of the country will
be involved, in other words. Also importantly, net-centric warfare
methods will be tested in the course of Caucasus'2012.
Official sources within the Southern Military District already
reported the appearance of nearly two dozens sophisticated command
vehicles with GLONASS facilities. It ought to be added that all new
helicopters and aircraft of the Southern Military District (not to
mention artillery and battle area missile defense) feature GLONASS
as well. Units of the Southern Military District wield Barnaul-T,
a new automatic system of antiaircraft defense control. This system
controls the skies above Russia and the southern part of the Caucasus
which is important since the 102nd Military Base in Armenia is isolated
from the rest of the Southern Military District.
Colonel Anatoly Tsyganok of the Center for Military Forecasts said,
"The impression is that preparations for Caucasus'2012 were launched
at this point on account of the tension escalating in the Persian Gulf
area... Some post-Soviet counties of the southern part of the Caucasus
might find themselves drawn, willingly or not, into a war on Iran. How
will we ensure combat capacity of the Russian troops stationed abroad,
say, in Armenia, in this case? The General Staff will probably plan
something to this effect... some elements of the forthcoming exercise
might involve getting supplies to the troops in emergencies."
Tsyganok referred to the statement made by Igor Gorbul, chief of the
Southern Military District press service, to the effect that military
pipelayers were already practicing "construction of pipelines" within
the framework of preparations for Caucasus'2012. The Russian army is
the only one in the world that includes units of pipelayers. During a
tactical exercise in June 2011, for example, they built a 75-kilometer
long pipeline from Ardon in North Ossetia to the South Ossetian border.
Colonel General Leonid Ivashov of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems
said, "Sure, Caucasus'2012 and preparations for it were planned in
advance. Planned or not, its legend is going to be harmonized with
the military-political situation in the Caucasus, a region of Russian
geopolitical interests. It is in order to defend these interests that
military exercises are organized in the first place."
The situation along the southern borders of Russia and particularly
likeliness of an American-Israeli strike at Iran must worry the
Russian leadership.
[tranlsated from Russian]
by Sergei Konovalov
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 18, 2012 Wednesday
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 16, 2012, p. 3
CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN AMERICAN-ISRAELI STRIKE AT IRAN,
THE GENERAL STAFF COMPOSES THE LEGEND OF A FUTURE STRATEGIC EXERCISE;
Strategic exercise Caucasus'2012 will take place in southern Russia,
Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Armenia in September.
The Defense Ministry initiated preparations for strategic command post
exercise Caucasus'2012. Unlike the previous exercise of the series,
Caucasus'2012 will be organized on a larger scope. The latest global
military-political developments will be accounted for in its legend.
The exercise will take place in southern Russia, Abkhazia, South
Ossetia, and Armenia in September. Caucasus'2012 will become the
central event of the year for the Russian Armed Forces. Experts expect
the legend of the exercise to allow for the possibility of a joint
American-Israeli strike at Iran and for conflicts in the Caspian
region and the southern part of the Caucasus.
The first exercise Caucasus took place near the South Ossetian and
Abkhazian borders between July 16 and August 2, 2008. It was mostly
due to Caucasus'2008 that Russia managed to defeat Georgia after its
sneak attack in August that year. Exercises Caucasus became traditional
then, carried out on a yearly basis.
Exercise Caucasus'2012 will be strategic rather than tactical. It
means involvement of all branches of the military and participation
of other security structures (Interior Ministry, Federal Security
Service, Federal Service of Protection, Ministry of Emergencies,
and so on). All of the military organization of the country will
be involved, in other words. Also importantly, net-centric warfare
methods will be tested in the course of Caucasus'2012.
Official sources within the Southern Military District already
reported the appearance of nearly two dozens sophisticated command
vehicles with GLONASS facilities. It ought to be added that all new
helicopters and aircraft of the Southern Military District (not to
mention artillery and battle area missile defense) feature GLONASS
as well. Units of the Southern Military District wield Barnaul-T,
a new automatic system of antiaircraft defense control. This system
controls the skies above Russia and the southern part of the Caucasus
which is important since the 102nd Military Base in Armenia is isolated
from the rest of the Southern Military District.
Colonel Anatoly Tsyganok of the Center for Military Forecasts said,
"The impression is that preparations for Caucasus'2012 were launched
at this point on account of the tension escalating in the Persian Gulf
area... Some post-Soviet counties of the southern part of the Caucasus
might find themselves drawn, willingly or not, into a war on Iran. How
will we ensure combat capacity of the Russian troops stationed abroad,
say, in Armenia, in this case? The General Staff will probably plan
something to this effect... some elements of the forthcoming exercise
might involve getting supplies to the troops in emergencies."
Tsyganok referred to the statement made by Igor Gorbul, chief of the
Southern Military District press service, to the effect that military
pipelayers were already practicing "construction of pipelines" within
the framework of preparations for Caucasus'2012. The Russian army is
the only one in the world that includes units of pipelayers. During a
tactical exercise in June 2011, for example, they built a 75-kilometer
long pipeline from Ardon in North Ossetia to the South Ossetian border.
Colonel General Leonid Ivashov of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems
said, "Sure, Caucasus'2012 and preparations for it were planned in
advance. Planned or not, its legend is going to be harmonized with
the military-political situation in the Caucasus, a region of Russian
geopolitical interests. It is in order to defend these interests that
military exercises are organized in the first place."
The situation along the southern borders of Russia and particularly
likeliness of an American-Israeli strike at Iran must worry the
Russian leadership.
[tranlsated from Russian]