MILITARY THOUGHT (USSR): HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS MUST BE CONSIDERED DURING OPERATIONAL TRAINING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10-00105R000201220001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 29, 1975
• Content Type: MEMO

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Hydrometeorological Conditions Must Be Considered
During Operational Training
by
Engineer Lieutenant Colonel V. Shmakov
The comprehensive consideration of hydrometeorological data is, as is
known, an indispensable factor in the conduct of successful combat
operations. Therefore, in the training of generals and officers, proper
attention must be devoted to the study and forecasting of
hydrometeorological conditions and to the ability to analyze and use the
resulting data. Unfortunately, during the training of some combined-arms
staffs, this is not always done.
To confirm this, I would like to cite a few facts observed while
participating in many command-staff exercises, war games on maps and group
exercises. In a number of cases, for example, when conducting war games
and group exercises on maps, the actual conditions of terrain negotiability
resulting from hydrometeorological factors are not considered: the pace of
the offensive and the march speed for troops are determined equally for all
times of the year, including periods of muddy roads, snowdrifts, or other
inclement weather conditions.
During the conduct of group exercises and when solving "short
problems" there are cases in which much thought is given to preparing maps
and not to the real essence of the matter. And there are instances in
which beautiful designating arrows are used to mark the troop offensive
axes across marshes and other places which are difficult to cross, while
disregarding the existing hydrographic system and its hydrometeorological
conditions.
Actual hydrometeorological conditions, and the forecasting of them,
are not given proper consideration when conducting command-staff exercises
and exercises with troops in the field. For example, in February 1966, an
exercise with two tank large units conducted in the Ukraine. A
300-kilometer march and extensive use of aviation and airborne landings
were planned as part of the exercise. On the second day, some warm, moist
air from the Atlantic moved into the exercise area. Due to advection*
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* Advection -- a horizontal transfer of air; it affects the distribution of
heat and moisture in the air. The development of weather conditions is
essentially governed by advection.
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in the surface layer, a dense fog set in which did not dissipate even
during the day. The snow began to melt and roads became impassable. Air
operations were ruled out altogether (during the exercise not a single
helicopter or plane took to the air). The troop march rates were severely
reduced. Even individual light vehicles traveled along asphalt roads at
night at no more than 15 to 20 kilometers per hour. All of this had an
adverse effect on the conduct of the exercise.
The prediction of hydrometeorological conditions for some long time
period, for example, from the moment of the preparation of the exercise
right up to its completion, is unquestionably difficult. Even daily
weather forecasts and those in the transitional time of the year and in
areas with changeable weather conditions sometimes prove to be inaccurate.
This makes it all the more necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of
actual hydrometeorological conditions and possible changes thereof when
formulating exercises, and to be prepared, during the exercise, to refine
its plan with minimal impairment to the working out of training problems.
It is also possible to cite examples in which mild hydrometeorological
conditions are specifically chosen for troop exercises. Several other
oversimplifications are also permitted.
Thus, in working out problems of moving troops to our western borders,
the average wind direction is often taken as from 315 to 45 degrees (the
northern quadrant). This oversimplifies the situation regarding radiation,
facilitates the calculation and forecasting thereof, and does not have much
effect on the advancing troops. But calculations of the average monthly
and yearly values for average wind vector and velocity show that they will
differ for each month. The characteristic yearly wind vector for Central
Europe and adjacent areas as a whole is 270 to 280 degrees. However, in
the formulation and conduct of war games, such a vector is not used as a
rule, since it greatly complicates the situation. In this case, the
radioactive fallout pattern will be practically parallel to the troop
movement routes. But if the fallout pattern of the cloud coincides with
the march route, then troops will receive inadmissible doses of radiation.
In order to avoid this, previously marked out, reconnoitered and prepared
routes must be changed and others then found, reconnoitered and prepared.
To permit such simulations to be made will naturally have a negative
effect on the training of staffs and will lead to an incorrect
understanding of the role and place of hydrometeorological support to
troops in modern armed combat. The simulated hydrometeorological data
which are used during war games and map exercises are taken as the real
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conditions by the participants, who remember them and are thus left with a
false conception of the real nature of these conditions in a particular
theater of military operations. And this at a time when a combined-arms
staff, which prepares all calculations and proposals necessary for making
decisions and for planning and supporting the organization and conduct of
combat operations, is primarily interested in the most complete, timely and
high quality hydrometeorological support.
On the basis of what has been said, the conclusion suggests itself
that no hydrometeorological simulations can be tolerated in operational
training. Exercises with troops, command-staff exercises, war games and
other training methods on maps must be conducted under real conditions of
terrain and weather, and must use actual hydrometeorological data or else
give theaverage hydrometeorological characteristics for a given area and
time of year.
It should be noted in conclusion that the sanctioning of such
simulations is explained, in our opinion, by the fact that combined-arms
staff officers are insufficiently trained in these matters. In no higher
military educational institution program, other than those dealing with
aviation and missiles, is proper attention given to explaining the essence
and content of hydrometeorological support. In academic formulations which
are original standards for combined-arms staffs, the questions of
hydrometeorological support are either totally ignored or are examined
superficially and do not meet the requirements of modern methods for
conducting armed combat.
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