MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The concept of in-depth reconnaissance is introduced in the combat practice of the Russian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Vladimir Marusin, the head of reconnaissance and deputy head of the Main Command of the Russian Ground Forces, said.
"We will now introduce the concept of in-depth reconnaissance. It will be between combat reconnaissance and special reconnaissance in terms of depth," Marusin said in an interview published in the Friday edition of the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.
Military intelligence has three levels: strategic intelligence, operational reconnaissance or district (front) reconnaissance, and tactical reconnaissance (division, brigade level), he said.
"Tactical reconnaissance is combat reconnaissance, frontline reconnaissance, which works with the enemy directly. Special reconnaissance, a special task force, works at a depth of 400 kilometers and more. It is primarily responsible for disabling strategic deterrence. These people are also reconnaissance officers, it's just each of them has their own tasks and operation depth, their area of responsibility. By the way, we use special task forces in missions conducted at a tactical depth. It's normal practice," Marusin said.
Speaking about reconnaissance officers' priorities on the combat field, he said they are "work on quality and reduction of the amount of time needed to open fire on a target."
"There is one task: to detect a target, transmit [information] and inflict fire damage. The algorithm is such: reconnaissance sends information to weapons and a strike is delivered. We have done a lot of experiments in this sphere, it's working well. Now this cycle (reconnaissance - fire damage) is literally a dozen of seconds. We have achieved it," the general said.
That made it possible to promptly determine the coordinates of targets, the altitude of targets, "and then this information is instantly transmitted to weapons."
Responding to a question as to air observers and fire navigators, belong to reconnaissance, the general said: "There are no frontline air observers and fire navigators in artillery. Sitting in one place and indicating targets is suicide. It's redundant. That's why we have KRUS [reconnaissance, command and communication system] Strelets. Reconnaissance officials for aviation navigation undergo special training. But we don't train air observers."
Specialists for combat reconnaissance are trained in the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School. The contest to enter it is 4.5 people per place. "The selection is very thorough, and it takes place long before the documents are filed," Marusin said.