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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| On the Role of Russian Forward Air Controllers |
| 2022-05-23 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. The is really a fascinating overview of the role of the forward air controller in the Russian military. Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin in italics. [ColonelCassad] Interesting material about the work of aviation gunners, whose work usually remains in the shadows. On cooperation with aviation The widespread use of aviation in modern armed conflicts necessitates commanders of all levels to ensure continuous interaction between infantry units and crews of aircraft and helicopters. To do this, a forward aviation gunner (hereinafter PAN) from the VKS can be attached to units (groups), and in his absence, an emergency PAN from among the personnel can be assigned. This review article will not describe the method of work of this specialist, but only indicate some of the nuances that must be understood and taken into account before starting to work together with aviation. VKS is Russian acronym for aerospace forces. Thanks to SteveS for the reminder First, a little theory. There is the concept of "guidance", and there is the concept of "target designation." Usually, when it comes to air guidance, non-core experts confuse them with each other. Guidance is the work of the combat crew of the aviation control center to bring the aircraft to a tactically advantageous position relative to the target for the most efficient use of aviation weapons (hereinafter ASP), or other tasks (for example, landing groups from helicopters by landing method). Target designation (hereinafter referred to as TA) is the provision of information to the crew about the location and nature of the target. The guidance process implies a control center, but is not limited to it. I will not give the guidance method itself here. In this review article, only some important nuances of visual control of an aircraft (hereinafter aircraft) when pointing at a ground target (hereinafter NC) will be voiced, as the most accessible and does not require any special technical means, in addition to a radio station. An automated control center of the KRUS type, as well as guidance based on air situation indicators, will not be considered here. KRUS So, we figured out what is the difference between guidance and CC. When guiding an aircraft (hereinafter referred to as AC) to a ground target (hereinafter referred to as NC), PAN must first of all take into account: – aircraft maneuverability (in terms of maneuvers available to this type of aircraft, as well as in terms of speed characteristics); – type of applied ASP; - the nature of the target (single / area, armored / unarmored, etc.); - terrain, vegetation, characteristic landmarks; - availability of air defense systems; – weather conditions, azimuth of the Sun. Having assessed all these conditions in the aggregate, the PAN develops a decision on the order of guidance of the aircraft. First of all, it includes the course and height of reaching the target, the maneuver for the attack and the side of the withdrawal from the attack. All this is reported to the crew by radio. At the same time, the radio exchange in air radio networks differs from the ground. The main requirement is brevity and unambiguity. You can not clog the air with unnecessary phrases, parasitic words, curses; units of measurement are not mentioned, as is the word "reception". There is only one reason - the situation can change very quickly, there can be not only one crew on this channel, but the whole squadron, and the extra "clogging" of the air will only interfere with the task. For example: “703rd, the target is a group of infantry, from the 1st landmark with a heading of 200, 2 minutes, to 100, work from the horizon with artillery, after work exit to the right.” The author used the word Gvozda (which translated into nail (used in the dative case)), which is the name of a mobile artillery gun, 152mm. Tangents is the main weapon of the PAN. It is very important to understand that the decision of the PAN is not an unrelenting dogma for the crew; based on their level of training, remaining fuel and the availability of ASP, the crew may deviate from the originally planned guidance. Forcing the crew to comply is strictly prohibited! Here we directly approach the first important point - the level of crew training. Many do not understand that the combat use of aviation is not “arrived and dropped a bomb”, but serious work in which many factors must be taken into account - and which are strictly regulated by aviation documents. First, the weather conditions. There are different application conditions for different types of ASP: drop/fire speed, exit height, etc. The Su-25SM will not be fired by NARs in a dive if the height of the continuous cloud base is 100 m, not to mention the fact that not every crew is capable of performing tasks in such weather. It is important to understand that these are not the "whims" of the aviators, but serious moments, the failure to comply with which may be fraught with the loss of the aircraft, or the use of ASP on their own troops. During the Chechen wars, there were frequent cases when the command forced to bomb the positions of militants with uncontrolled FABs from behind the clouds, out of sight of the earth. Of course, the effectiveness of such an application was minimal, and cases of arrivals on their own are not uncommon. The same applies to the performance of auxiliary tasks, for example, the transport of troops and cargo. The weather can worsen to such conditions that the crew simply cannot cope with, and stick into the ground along with the passengers. Therefore, before work, it is necessary to give the crew information about the weather in the target area. If the weather conditions are not suitable for the work of the crew, he will tell you about it. A common misconception is the "all-weather" aviation. Just because it's all-weather doesn't mean it can fly through thunderstorms, hail and fog. An example of issuing information about the weather: "703rd, I am a KIT, over the target 3-5 points of medium cloudiness, the lower limit is 600, visibility is 5, a slight haze." The most important meteorological elements in this case are: cloud base and flight visibility; for a helicopter landing approach, it is also necessary to give the direction and speed of the wind. Visibility is determined visually by ground references, the lower boundary of the clouds - visually or according to reports of other crews, meteorological data; direction and speed of the wind - visually according to landmarks, or smoke from the checker. You should be aware that flight visibility may slightly differ from ground visibility in the direction of deterioration, and also that the direction of the wind is given out from where it blows, in degrees and with gusts (desirable). For example: “703rd, landing clear, wind 240, 3 meters, gusts up to 7." Helicopters usually land against the wind. If the approach against the wind is not provided, it is necessary to take into account its maximum allowable values for this type of aircraft. For example, for the Mi-8AMTSH tailwind should be no more than 5 m/s, side wind no more than 10 m/s; side wind is better on the right. Forcing the crew to enter into the wind more than allowed threatens to get into the left rotation, or even to cut the tail boom with their own main rotor. An equally important point is with the azimuth of the Sun. It can be calculated using the simple formula (t-2)*15, where t is the local time. For example, at 12 o'clock the azimuth of the Sun will be (12-2) * 15 = 150 degrees. You need to know this in order to build a direction for an attack: if the enemy has a MANPADS, the exit from the attack should be done towards the Sun in order to bring down the GOS control center. Of course, information about the presence of air defense systems in the enemy is brought to the crew in advance, as well as the facts of launches against him. As for the maneuverability and speed characteristics of the aircraft, the PAN also needs to have some minimal knowledge of aerodynamics and piloting features in order to build a competent guidance scheme. The nature of the available ASP determines the nature of the maneuvers performed over the target, because different ASPs have different conditions in terms of altitudes, speeds and patterns of use. Also, the flight weight of the aircraft can impose restrictions on maneuvers: the Su-34, loaded with bombs, will not be able to hit the target from the loop (if this is necessary for some reason, of course), and helicopters will not fire NARs from the hover mode, because. their trajectory will be unstable due to the low initial speed. Therefore, the nature of the performed figures from the PAN can only be advisory in nature, and the crew, based on the information received, can make their own adjustments. What is important for PAN to know is the turning radii, the distance traveled per unit of time and fuel consumption in order to quickly assess the flight time and time for work. Especially perverted radii and distances can be calculated on the NL-10m, but you can also use navigation calculators, which are many on the net. Fuel and tactical radius specifications, as well as acceptable wind strengths for helicopter landings, are specified in the aircraft type flight manuals, and these figures must be known and recorded in advance. Here we smoothly move on to equipment. I will not encourage anyone to take this or that platen, or this or that radio station; everyone defines their equipment based on the task, and enumerating a list of everything will take a lot of space and time. I will dwell on only two things for now: these are reference data, and a headset for a radio station. The second is highly desirable in the format of active headphones. On the one hand, the work of the PAN on the air is very attractive to the mortars. On the other hand, not a single crew report should go unheeded, each request can be of critical importance, as well as each given command. Often, an executive team late for 2-3 seconds can disrupt successful guidance. PAN must be the eyes of the crews on the ground, and in order to work quickly and accurately, it is necessary to have a minimum supply of reference material on hand. It should include: - a notepad for notes (a reusable plastic panel is also convenient, on which you can write with a pencil and erase) - the main weapon of the PAN, in addition to the radio communication button. In the working records, it is necessary to indicate the call signs of the crews, their place, altitudes, the remains of the TSA and fuel, and other operational information. Don't count on memory, write it down! – tables: turning radii depending on speed; distance traveled per minute from speed; minimum and emergency fuel balances by aircraft types; tactical radii; allowable wind forces for takeoff and landing, etc.; - a map (diagram) of the combat area with marked reference points and a protractor. Other data such as coding tables, password numbers, control room callsigns, etc, it is desirable to have such an option that in which case they can be quickly destroyed. The placement of all reference waste paper is optimal in the administrative pouch on the chest; a wrist tablet is also very convenient. When separating equipment, it is important to understand that the main weapons of the PAN are his PTT and his working records. You should not shove them into the far corner of the crackers, and their placement should provide constant access on the one hand, and ease of use on the other. An informed crew is focused on combat use. An informed PAN, on the other hand, is able to make quick decisions about how to use the crew. Option to place an administrative pouch with reference documentation Of course, these are far from all the nuances regarding interaction with aviation. You can talk a lot and for a long time, but the format of this article is an overview, if necessary, you can continue it in the future on more specific issues. What should be understood after reading it is to understand the role of the PAN, to understand that this is not just a “shoot there”, but a tool for maximizing the capabilities of your aviation. If necessary, anyone can contact the crew, you just need to know the call sign and frequency. But the point is not to give out the CC - the point is to point. It should be built in such a way that the target is destroyed from the very first approach, and this is the main point of the work of the PAN as a specialist. It's easy to learn radio communication. It is difficult to analyze the situation and work out the most competent decision on the order in which the crew will be used. And for this you need to have a large layer of knowledge, from flight laws, and ending with aerodynamics and piloting techniques. Only by developing and improving, you can win. And we have always won. (c) The author wishes to remain anonymous. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #7 You're not going to jump into the old SU-25 and go on a free hunt, as the Russian call it. The costs of ignoring aerial battlespace security is too high, especially now for the Russians. If you'll remember, the Russians lost about eight aircraft in the War in Georgia, with all but three due to friendly ground fire. |
| Posted by: badanov 2022-05-23 14:00 |
| #6 badanov, many thanks for the informative article. 'Deconflicting' a battlespace filled with planes, artillery shells and unmanned weapons be hard. Still, what I found interesting was the tone of the article of the article that 'pilots needed to be walked through everything by the hand' by higher command... |
| Posted by: magpie 2022-05-23 12:47 |
| #5 You're right. Thanks for the reminder. Corrected. |
| Posted by: badanov 2022-05-23 11:35 |
| #4 I believe VKS is the Aero-Space Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily) |
| Posted by: SteveS 2022-05-23 11:14 |
| #3 I don't see using FACs for cruise missiles. We don't. Of course, the Russians do everything the Russian way, so I could be totally wrong. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2022-05-23 08:10 |
| #2 ..most of those strike, especially "precision" strikes are with air controllers with a laser designators. ..or they're using GPS (theirs or ours) and info derived from lousy security and comsec. I'd make a reasonable assumption that Russian satellite assets are focused on the theater now rather than the usual long term surveillance elsewhere. That allows them to focus their attention and exploitations. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2022-05-23 08:08 |
| #1 Going from what I have read in the past about the Soviets, I'd say the author is a rated pilot. Only a pilot would lay claim to the type of knowledge necessary to carry out an air strike. That said, and given the large number of cruise missile strikes, I suspect that the Russian successes with the ongoing bombardment they are delivering the Ukrainians, most of those strike, especially "precision" strikes are with air controllers with a laser designators. That means two things. Those long range missiles have a selectable switch that enables them to go to a point, then either follow a preplanned flight path, then seek a laser spot to hit its target, or simply follow the path if a laser spot is not detected. |
| Posted by: badanov 2022-05-23 03:47 |