MAINTAINING THE COMBAT CAPABILITY OF FORMATIONS (MILITARY UNITS) OF THE NATIONAL GUARD OF UKRAINE DURING PARTICIPATION IN JOINT OPERATIONS, HOSTILITIES

Abstract

According to the results of scientific research and analysis of guiding documents, according to the authors of the article, the concept of maintaining the combat capability of formations (military units) of the NSU should be understood as the activities of commanders, headquarters, management bodies, moral and psychological support structures regarding their ability to put on alert, conduct hostilities, perform combat missions by maintaining the quality of management to ensure the readiness of units (military units) to perform tasks for  purpose, provision of their weapons and military equipment, material means, maintenance of personnel, available forces and means of the MPZ of the moral and psychological state, its mental stability and psychological readiness for an equal level that ensures the fulfillment of the tasks.

The improvement of the means of armed struggle and the complication of hostilities led to an increase in combat losses. All this exacerbated the problem of maintaining the combat capability of the troops because the combat capability of formations (military units) should first of all be maintained when put on alert, training and conducting combat operations, and secondly, if necessary, quickly recover to a level that ensures the successful completion of tasks.

The experience gained in past wars to maintain the combat capability of troops basically retains value in modern conditions. But at the same time, many new circumstances have arisen that greatly complicate the solution of this problem. This is primarily due to the emergence and widespread development of the means of mass destruction, as well as systems of high-precision weapons, which can be used suddenly on a massive scale both during training and during combat, to simultaneously hit all elements of the combat order ‒ not only the first, but also the second echelons, reserves, rear units and units, regardless of their distance from the front line. Today, the likelihood of instant destruction of certain elements of the combat order of a unit and a unit, violation of the control and communication system, combat, technical, logistics support, as shown by the experience of war in the Persian Gulf, other conflicts, wars in the Middle East, Yugoslavia and especially combat operations in Ukraine, is becoming a reality.

Of course, these circumstances make it extremely difficult to implement support measures, and if necessary, restore the combat capability of units, in many respects change their nature and methods of conduct.

In the practice of combat activities, they are divided into tactical and special. They are reflected in the decision of the commander to battle, in setting up combat missions for units, organizing interaction and comprehensive support.

When maintaining the moral and psychological state of the personnel, their mental stability and psychological readiness at the level that ensures the fulfillment of the tasks set, it is necessary to take into account the fact that in addition to losses from the influence of the enemy, the loss of combat capability is also affected by physical and nervous exhaustion, hunger, cold, etc. For this purpose, if necessary, the rotation of units (military units) should be carried out.

At the same time, as the experience of the Israeli army's participation in hostilities shows, it should be borne in mind that the maximum period before the onset of nervous exhaustion for an experienced and motivated unit is about 30 days, and sleep should be no later than 48 hours.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that most of all it demotivates and frightens such stress factors as: light ‒ tracers, flashes of explosions, fire; smells – the smell of burning and burnt meat; noise – explosions, whistles, roars; shouts – commanders, wounded, dying.

Therefore, when maintaining combat capability, during preparation for combat operations, it is important for commanders and their deputies to work with personnel to at least partially prepare servicemen for these stress factors (light, smells, noise, screams) so that they are not distracted from their combat missions and work, despite the unnatural and dangerous environment.