The Military Doctrine of Deep Operation, also known as Soviet Deep Battle, was a military theory developed by the Soviet Union for its armed forces during the decade of 1920-1930.
It was a tenet that emphasized destroying, suppressing, or disorganizing enemy forces not only at the line of contact (battle frontier), but throughout the depth of the battlefield, enabling multiple systems to put against enemy Command-Control Centers without having to go through entire layers of numerous troops.
One of the tactical purposes of the doctrine of “Deep Battle” was to create a rift in the center of the enemy network (either defensive or offensive), within which Special Forces through intense maneuvers performed penetration by cutting off the cohesion of the enemy zone and cutting it in two.
It was the control of the geographical area within the enemy zone that inactivated a large part of the enemy army, which in the end was much more vulnerable and spatially manageable than the aggressor (who at first defended himself).
Photo by the website https://en.wikipedia.org
Chart Explanation: The Deep Operation in Chart indicates the corp’s forces breach the tactical front defences (in blue) and the fresh record echelon (mechanized operational exploitation forces) follows through the gap. Air strikes hit enemy reserves before the second echelon engages them. Other corps launch delaying and diversion assaults on either flank of the enemy tactical defence.
Deep Operation and Modern Artillery
Multiple rocket launchers and ground-to-ground missiles (used for either land or coastal defense respectively) emerge as the most useful weapon for the implementation of the Deep Battle doctrine, having the ability to be used in a variety of geographical areas/territories, regardless of climatic conditions.
The U.S. Air Force’s Low-Cost Guided Imaging Rockets program aims to turn a plethora of simple rockets of all kinds into a cheap reserve substitute for smart rockets.
These eventually “smart rockets” have an intermediate-stage flight direction system, and their conversion has provided them with an infrared target researcher on the rocket’s head.
These rockets will be used by U.S. UAVs to attack enemy speedboats (see Iran-Persian Gulf) moving in the form of swarms. They can also be used to hibernate terminal air defense naval platforms and to destroy swarms of low-altitude enemy aerial drones.
The “Deep Battle” in Action
The main feature of the doctrine of the “Deep Battle” is the transformation of the apparent defensive structure of the army into an aggressive, through a rift in the offensive device, combined with maneuvering forces either through armored movements or through motorized forces.
Multiple rocket launchers are capable of escorting tank convoys and through a volley of fire to destroy anything in an enemy’s significant geographical zone with the aim of creating a field of infiltrating maneuvering forces within the enemy rift.
Unmanned UAV vehicles, UCAV which will operate under advanced reconnaissance units, to achieve aerial control of the area until the friendly motor units arrive.
To achieve the above objectives, air cover of the ground is required to achieve the denial of access of the enemy (see Chart above).
The aim is to create a “Death Zone” (according to the original initiator of this doctrine-Vladimir Triantafyllof) within the area of the rift, where the enemy army in the attempt to take control of this geographical area will spend numerous forces, will be forced to adapt to a new volatile reality.
In the modern battlefield, to create in practice a “Death Zone” it is necessary to create a flexible system-system network that will operate under the control of a local Command-Control Center, with the aim of continuously evaluating changes in the battlefield by undertaking exclusively all operations in this geographical area.
Weapons systems are therefore required to provide a succession of fire in the geographical area until the ability of enemy troops to manage the territory in question is eliminated, so that the crack can be seized by friendly Special Forces.
The Doctrine of Deep Battle has as its main theatre of operations the minds of the participants of the war process.
The creation of a “Death Zone” – a crack within the opposing military structure is achieved through
- Sequence of fires
- From friendly consumable unmanned vehicles mainly for ISR functions, C4ISR.
- The creation of an electrostatic “cloud” through electronic warfare systems.
- Administration-control of the volatile course of modern warfare on the ground by local leaders.
