ANALYSIS | Doctrine of "Land Forces in Operations" in Relation to the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps

The main aim of an article is to provide information about tasks of the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps which are determinate with military doctrine Land forces in operations with consequences to the problems of all-arms fight.

By Pavel Otrisal

Abstract:

Provided information are bound in connection with operational activities of the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps and presented in connections with operational activities of military forces, respectively task forces crested on their base. The main aim of an article is to provide information about tasks of the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps which are determinate with military doctrine Land forces in operations with consequences to the problems of all-arms fight.

Keywords:

Chemical support; CBRN defence; Chemical corps; Land forces; Operation

Introduction:

Units and formations of the Czech Armed Forces (CAF) Chemical Corps (CCs) play a very important role in military operations. They are designated to fulfillment of specific and the most complicated tasks of the chemical support (CS) and they take part on the force protection mainly with solving the most complicated questions of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protection [1]. The CAF CCs have to keep doctrines, military regulations and other military instruments which determine a skilled framework of their professional activities [2].

Main Characteristics of the Doctrine of "Land Forces in Operations"

The doctrine of the Land forces in operations is divided into 4 chapters. Chapter one named employment of the land forces in operations contents 5 parts and altogether 17 subchapters. A crucial assignation touches of a characteristic of military operations. There is established that in accordance of usage and amount of the manpower and equipment employed in a particular operation the multinational military operations can have a character of the operation of high or low intensity and in accordance with used equipment they can be differentiated on operations conducted with or without weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

This assignation is taken from the first issue of the Doctrine of the CAF published in 2004 [3]. In the framework of a definition of a general frame of specific operations they are also mentioned a humanitarian and supported operation within those is established that: “These operations can react on natural calamities for instance earthquake, floods and so on and anthropogenic disasters cause in consequences of human-being activities such as CBR contamination and so on.” In the framework of humanitarian operations it is assumed the solution of problems of natural calamities consequences for instance earthquake, floods and so on and disasters caused by humanbeing activities such as CBR contamination. The purpose of the help is providing devices for the survivance of inhabitants.

In the part touches of “Permanent aspects of current fight” there is the part devoted to “symmetry and asymmetry” of current operations. This perception of asymmetry does not turn aside from the perception of general meaning of terms. It is very important to mention that among contemporary examples of possible reactions on deployment belongs the employment of nonconventional forces, devices unpretentious on technologies (domestic production) or on the contrary WMD. This all is comprehensively named “asymmetric fight activities”.

In the chapter of “Parts and types of land forces” are defined “Parts of land forces” among them “Units of combat support” and “Units of combat service support” are incorporated. Parts of combat support incorporate the corps which destroys the enemy and they cannot be immediately in contacts with the land enemy. Parts of combat support are among others the chemical units (CBRN Defence). As far as the units of combat support are concerned there is established that: “Parts of Combat Service Support include those corps and services which by their activities create support and other material conditions to combat units. Among them belong firstly units of logistics, health and veterinary, geographical, hydro meteorological services and other skilled services. Units of the CAF CCs are not mentioned.

The second chapter which has been named by the authors as “Tasks of corps and services in operations” is interlocking 5 subchapters.

In the subchapter “Land forces” is introduced: “Land forces form a main part of armed forces and establish crucial forces for defense of NATO interests. The task of land forces in operation is keeping an area, destroying enemy´s forces, engagement of a territory, re-gaining lost territories and providing stabilization on these territories. They have to be able to lead activities in a full spectrum of contemporary operations, to reach crucial successes and create conditions for subsequent operation. The integral part of land forces is army aviation (helicopters)”. From the text mentioned above in quotation marks is perceptible the effort related to including aspects of forces´ support of troops operations, however about their protection the information misses. This is possible to consider as very crucial just from the reason that the CAF CCs profits on the problems of CBRN Defence.

In the subchapter seven named “Tasks of the CAF´s corps and services in operations” the land forces are defined. Among them the CAF CCs is mentioned. It is mentioned on the fourth position from eight ones. As discussable can be consider the CAF CCs definition which is introduced in a little different way as it is done in military regulation NN 30 0101 [4].

The chapter named as “Combat support” contents 9 subchapters. In these subchapters there are 28 relatively separate texts.

In chapter eight characteristics of targets and combat support are describes. Combat Support presents a summary of the activities of armed service´s units, which are directly involved in the interaction with combat units in order to destroy the enemy and to fulfill the mission. Combat support includes fire support artillery, combat aircraft and helicopters, air defense, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance and electronic warfare (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), engineer support, police security, CBRN defense and support of civil and military cooperation respectively psychological operations (information operations). Parts of combat support capabilities dispose lethal and non-lethal capacities, especially with a selective effect on the enemy, its objects and systems, and possibly on other entities located in the area of operations. In favor of the commanders´ decision-making process of and guidance resources for the benefit of the action acquires the necessary information about the enemy, the other actors in the theater of operations, the environment and the activities of their own troops. Another task of these forces is to create the necessary conditions for the activities of their own troops and impede the activities of the enemy forces. Part of the combat support units (formations) fire support (ground and naval artillery, troop and tactical air), air defense, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, engineer troops, air force, military police, chemical units (CBRNDefence, respectively CBRNDef Combat Support - see above), civil and military cooperation / psychological operations possibly some additional forces and resources. In the text “(CBRNDef Combat Support)” it is stated: “It is understood participation units and formations of chemical troops to support the implementation of measures sorties CBRN and chemical security-related direct support of ongoing and upcoming operations. Support the fight involves the implementation of complex measures CCs troops to the activities associated with maintaining forces during all phases of operation. Chemical Corps units are deployed outside the territory of the Czech part of the combat support in operations.” This text clarifies tasks fulfilled with the CAF CCs in the framework of the combat support, however, without information that this note was not clear. Partially mostly illogical and impractical is that tasks of the CAF CCs are not in the individual chapters. Although one would assume that their specifications with respect to those most specific tasks of the CAF CCs within CS and CBRN Defence mentioned could be. All tasks of the CAF CCs falling within the chemical support and CBRN Defence (regardless of having specialization) are included.

Conclusion:

Contents of operational doctrine “Land forces in operations” constitutes a theoretical basis for follow-up and related tactical doctrine and military ground rules of the CAF. As well as it creates a basis for tactical military doctrines and regulations of the other arms and services. Despite these minor comments it is very important to note that throughout the document are military chemists seen in a very important role as a very important corps for the defense of professional soldiers´ activities.

About The Author:

Pavel Otrisal, LTC Dipl. Eng. NBC Defence Institute of the University of Defence BRNO, Czech Republic.

References

1. Kazanský, Rastislav AI(2011) The aspects of contemporary problems of weapons of mass destruction proliferation. In:Bezpeka žitija i dijalnosti ljudini - osvita, nauka, praktika “BŽDL 2011” : zbornik naukovych prac 10-oj mižnarodnoj naukovometodiceskoj konferenciji. Kyjev: Nacionalnyjaviacijnyj universitet, Institut ekologicnoj bezpeki, 2011, s. 11-15.
2. Kazanský, R, Adašková D (2010)Selected approaches to the classification of conflicts (in Slovak). In Bezpecnostné fórum 2010.Banská Bystrica: Fakulta politických vied a medzinárodných vztahov Univerzita Mateja Bela, 2010. ISBN 978-80-8083-980-2, s. 53-59.
3. Doctrine of the Czech Armed Forces(in Czech)(2004)Vyškov : Správa doktrín ReVD, 147 s.
4. NN 30 0101. Chemical Corps: Terminology norm (in Czech)(2009)3. vyd. Praha : Ministerstvo obrany, 222 s. s. 129.            

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Publication Details:

Otrisal P (2015) Doctrine of “Land Forces in Operations” in Relation to the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps. J Def Manag 5:e124. doi: 10.4172/2167-0374.1000e124

 © 2015 Otrisal P. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.