Briefing by the Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, Anatoly Sidorov, on the readiness of the governing bodies and forces and means of the CSTO collective security system to conduct a joint operational-strategic exercise "Combat Brotherhood-2018"

A briefing by Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Headquarters, Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, was held on September 20, 2018 at 11:00 am at the International Press Center of the MIA "Russia Today" with the video connection of sites in Astana, Bishkek, Yerevan, Minsk on the theme: "Readiness of the authorities management and formations of the forces and means of the CSTO collective security system to conduct a joint operational-strategic exercise "Combat Brotherhood-2018".



He said: “One of the most important areas of cooperation in the format of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is joint operational and combat training of forces and means of the collective security system. Conducting joint exercises and trainings of various scale and direction each year, covering the entire CSTO responsibility area, involving various levels of state and military control, as well as the working bodies of the Organization, we consistently and systematically solve a wide range of tasks to maintain contingent readiness for joint actions. assigned to the CSTO Forces (Collective Forces). We are improving the Organization’s response mechanisms to crisis situations of various nature, and developing military and military-technical cooperation. Joint operational and combat training of the Troops (Collective Forces) of the CSTO is a dynamic process that is constantly being improved and developed in accordance with the target installations, the format of the events and the composition of the forces and assets involved. The joint operational and combat training of the forces and means of the CSTO collective security system began in 2004. At that time, the first joint exercise “Frontier” was held with the collective forces of the rapid deployment of the Central Asian region of collective security.



Subsequently, since 2009, joint exercises “Interaction” with the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces began to be held on a systematic basis in the format of the Organization. In 2010, joint exercises with the formations of special forces of the Collective Rapid Response Forces of the CSTO were singled out as an independent direction of training: joint exercises “Cobalt” with special units of internal troops and police; joint exercises "Thunder", to participate in which units are involved in combating illicit drug trafficking. Since 2012, the peacekeeping contingents from the CSTO peacekeeping forces have begun joint training in the form of a joint exercise “The Unbreakable Brotherhood”.



Since 2015, work on the creation of joint (joint systems) has been intensified in the Organization format. Since 2016, joint search exercises “Search” have begun to be held with the forces and means of intelligence services and units of the CSTO member states. This year, for the first time, the command and staff exercise “Air Bridge - 2018” is held with collective aviation forces. In 2019, we will conduct a joint exercise for the first time with the forces and means of material and technical support of the CSTO Echelon - 2019 member states. Every year, joint training in the CSTO format becomes more intense, and the number of tasks developed during joint exercises is growing. At the same time, a number of them, especially concerning bringing the contingents of states into readiness for their intended use, delivering them to the areas of joint exercises, organizing the management of forces and means along the entire vertical, starting from the organization’s statutory bodies, provide comprehensive and constantly intersecting, despite The fact that the exercises are held in various regions of collective security.



The next step in the development of the joint operational and combat training system, which was made by the Joint Headquarters in cooperation with the defense departments of the CSTO member states, was its withdrawal to the operational-strategic level. Thus, the transition to a joint operational-strategic exercise under the name “Combat Brotherhood” was carried out, which today is the highest form of joint training in the format of the Organization. When holding this event within the framework of a single operational and strategic task, during the year, all elements of the CSTO collective security system in different regions of collective security are simultaneously or sequentially involved. This year, the joint operational-strategic doctrine “Combat Brotherhood-2018” is aimed at a comprehensive study of the response mechanisms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to threats arising from the activities of international terrorist and extremist organizations in Central Asia.

  

As part of the operational-strategic doctrine “Combat Brotherhood-2018”, joint exercises are being conducted with the development of the use of the CSTO troops (collective forces) to protect collectively the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the States members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The main objectives of joint exercises in 2018 within the CSTO are to develop and master new forms, ways to accomplish tasks for purpose, increase the level of field training and coherence of forces and collective security forces, as well as conducting research on the most pressing issues during joint operational activities. and combat training. Joint exercises will take place on the territory of four Central Asian states - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The exercise is conducted in three stages: The first stage is the prevention or containment of an armed conflict. It was worked out at the beginning of September in the form of a strategic command and staff training with the participation of officers from the Joint Staff, the Secretariat of the OKDB and the operational groups of the Organization's member states. The event was held at the Joint Headquarters, on the basis of the CSTO Crisis Response Center.



In the course of the training, on the example of the created educational environment, the probable threats from terrorist and extremist organizations in Central Asia were analyzed in detail, and a set of political and diplomatic measures to prevent military conflict was determined. Only when it is impossible to prevent it by political methods, by means of negotiations, are options for a military response aimed at localizing these threats. During the second and third stages of the operational-strategic exercise “Combat Brotherhood-2018”, the tasks of applying the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) during the resolution of an armed conflict, as well as conducting a peacekeeping operation, will be worked out. For the second and third stages, joint exercises are defined in which contingents of the CSTO member states will take part: at the second stage, a complex of exercises with various combat components of the Troops (Collective Forces) of the Organization will take place: “Poisk - 2018” - with the forces and means of reconnaissance; "Air Bridge - 2018" - with the Collective Aviation Forces; "Interaction - 2018" - with the collective rapid reaction forces; "Frontier - 2018" - with the collective forces of the rapid deployment of the Central Asian region; at the third stage, an exercise with the Peacekeeping Forces of the Organization - “The Indestructible Brotherhood-2018” will take place. Topics of events, dates and state. The contingents from the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan will take part in the exercises. For each of the exercises, the composition of the forces and assets involved is determined. In total, excluding supporting structures that are not directly involved in solving combat training tasks, more than 10,000 personnel will be involved and more than 1,500 units will be involved. weapons and military equipment, including a significant resource of aviation. In the course of the “Search-2018” exercise, the main attention will be paid to improving the effectiveness of the interaction of intelligence units with fire weapons, in the interests of which a significant amount of artillery and aviation was planned to be used in the exercise. The use of units and subunits of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces during the exercise with “Interaction-2018” will be based on the experience gained by Russian troops in the Syrian Arab Republic. In the course of the joint exercise “Frontier-2018”, the collective forces of the rapid deployment of the Central Asian region will have to conduct counter-terrorist actions in difficult conditions of mountainous terrain. According to the conditions of the “Indestructible Brotherhood-2018” exercise, the peacekeeping contingents of the CSTO member states will work to facilitate the restoration of civilian life in the territories affected by the attacks of international terrorist organizations.

  

Despite the fact that joint exercises and trainings are held in the territories of several states, all of them are united by a single situation and are designed in such a way as to consistently work out actions to prevent armed conflict, localize it and resolve it, and later participate in the post-conflict settlement non-CSTO member states. As I have already said, this year for the first time we are conducting a command and staff exercise with the Collective Aviation Forces of the CSTO, whose main goal is to work out the questions of coordinating the use of aviation to ensure the transfer of military contingents of the Organization's member states to the crisis response area. The idea of the “Air Bridge-2018” assumes, under a single command, to carry out a set of tasks for transporting the CSTO military contingents to the exercise area with practical organization of interaction, covering aircraft and providing all-round air transportation. Conducting this exercise should also contribute to the improvement of the mechanism of interstate interaction. For reference. The new format of engaging the Collective Air Force of the CSTO implies the creation of a joint management body within the exercise, which in practice will work out transport planning issues, implement interaction at the interstate level, organize work on the tasks of collective aviation forces in the interests of ensuring the security of the Central Asian region. Taking into account the peculiarities of the composition and use of the forces and assets involved, a wide range of issues of organizing the management of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) will be tested. In particular, the recruitment of the organizational core of the Command of the Collective Operational Deployment Forces and the Joint Command of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces will be carried out by the officers of the Joint Staff of the Organization. The operational-strategic doctrine "Combat Brotherhood-2018" cannot be compared in scale with the recent exercise "Vostok-2018". But it fully corresponds to the degree of response to the existing challenges and threats in the Central Asian region, in particular in the Tajik-Afghan direction. The CSTO is a recognized international regional security organization with a capable and powerful force that is ready to immediately respond to any challenge and security threat in the CSTO area of responsibility. The activity of the Organization and its military component is carried out in an open. Representatives of international organizations, in particular, the UN, the ICRC, military observers are invited to the exercises as observers. The joint fulfillment of training and combat tasks, the holding of national days, sports competitions and concerts will further strengthen friendship and mutual respect among the military personnel of multinational contingents. In conclusion, I want to express my confidence that the Collective Security Treaty Organization will be able to continue to successfully ensure the military security and sovereignty of the CSTO member states. ”

* * * CSTO Press secretary Vladimir Zaynetdinov +7495-795-27-10 +7495-621-33-23-tel/fax odkb-pressa@gov.ru