ANALYSIS OF THE EXPERIENCE OF FORMATION AND USE OF COMBAT BATTALION TACTICAL GROUPS IN THE COURSE OF MODERN WARS AND ARMED CONFLICTS

Abstract

The article, based on the analysis of the experience of using battalion tactical groups during modern wars and armed conflicts, summarizes and systematizes information about examples of the creation and use of battalion tactical groups, presents the structure of a battalion tactical group, which, with the support of attached (interacting) units, ensures the effective conduct of highly maneuverable and autonomous combat operations (fulfillment of assigned tasks) and gives some of its features, clarifies the list of main tasks for battalion tactical groups in modern conditions, the advantages and disadvantages of the actions of units composed of battalion (company) tactical groups during participation in operations (combat missions).

In this article, a battalion tactical group should be understood as a temporary military formation made up of regular units of a brigade (regiment), which can perform tactical tasks both as part of a group of troops (forces) and independently, acting in a separate direction. The battalion is used as a base with the means of strengthening attached (supporting) units, including army and tactical aviation.

Based on experience, it is better to have less numerous temporary formations than large regiments and brigades, but such that can quickly fulfill assigned defensive and offensive combat tasks, while participating in stabilization, raiding and specific actions. The advantages in the actions of the BTG forces in such a case will be their ability to: quickly adapt to changes in the situation and perform various tasks; act autonomously for a long period of time and separately from each other; inflict damage on the enemy with artillery fire of attached units from long-range positions. Instead, among the shortcomings, it should be highlighted: the dependence of the duration of the battle (fulfillment of tasks), the presence of a developed network of logistical routes and the ability of the BTG to replenish ammunition stocks and other material and technical means in a timely manner;   a relatively small radius of their tactical (operational) actions; low effectiveness of BTG during conducting combat actions in the urban areas.

Since there is no typical structure of the BTG, they can be either a simplified version or quite numerous, due to the additional staffing of the attached (supporting) units with human and material and technical resources, depending on the conditions of the situation and the nature of the future tasks, which even with the same volume of tasks does not guarantee the formation and filling of BTG with the same number of forces and means.