cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) (09/18/90)
From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) > From: yngla@ida.liu.se (Yngve Larsson) > > Is this "Frontal aviation" subordinated to the army at any level (Division, > Army or Front), thus giving ground commanders more control of air support? > >From Baxter, _Soviet Air-Land Battle Tactics_ (Presidio, 1986): Soviet frontal aviation is the largest of the three branches of the Soviet Air Force. Its mission is to provide close air support, air defense, and tactical airlift for ground forces. Its current inventory includes more than 9000 aircraft, of which 2600 are fighter-bombers specifically designed for the ground attack role. 1700 are fighters for the air defense role, and 3500 are helicopters (inc. 1000 HIND). [There has been a] shift in emphasis from air defense to ground attack. Frontal aviation is employed as an operational tactical asset, at _front_ level and below. While it has multiple roles, ... the specific role ... is that of ground support. In that role, frontal aviation performs three functions: * Adds depth to the battlefiled by striking targets beyond range of field artillery * Increases the tempo of the battle by air-delivered ordnance to direct and indirect fires * Adds flexibility by quick response to fluid tactical situations Since it is an operational-tactical asset, control of frontal aviation assets is always vested in the ground forces combined arms (obshchevoiskovoi) commander. Since WWII, aircraft assets have been centralized in Tactical Air Armies (TAA), subordinate to Soviet fronts. [In 1986] there are 16 TAA, one in each group of forces and in each military district. Each TAA is tailored to its mission, so there is no standard organization. As a general rule, a TAA can be described as com- prising two or more divisions and one or more independent regiments. Divisions and regiments are mission-specific with a single class of aircraft. Exception is made for helicopter units, which have recon, attack, transport missions. General pattern: flight of 4 aircraft, 3 flights per squadron, 3 squadrons per regiment, 3 regiments per division. COMMAND & CONTROL At each command post, from front to regiment and occasionally batallion, there is a collocated frontal aviation coordinating element that provides communication directly to the aviation coordinating element at higher headquarters, and to the corresponding aviation unit. Tasking is through the TAA chain, and for ground units, through the front chain. When an aviation unit is assigned a mission, it is coordinated directly at the aviation liason group with the supported ground unit. The commander of the TAA (usually an AF colonel general) is subordinate to the general of the front. His only link with the AF is through admin and logistics channels. Located at the front HQ. The AF people at the regiment work for the regimental commander. This is the lowest level at which there is a dedicated air staff. First echelon regiments have a rated pilot assigned as "forward air guide" (avianavodchik). There have been moves to decentralize, giving first echelon army commanders their own air assets. This duplicates the front organization and command setup (aviatsiia po divisii). However, control of tactical air assets remains firmly in the hands of the _front_ commander. Pat Kauffold AT&T Bell Labs Naperville (708) 713-4726