The Air Defense Forces have begun practical fire training for its mobilized troops, with tank crews undergoing instruction at the Sergeevsky training ground. This facility, part of the Eastern Military District’s combined arms army, serves as a pivotal site for honing armored warfare skills under the current training cycle. The emphasis is on real-world readiness, ensuring crews can operate with precision in conditions that mirror modern combat scenarios.
The partial mobilization exercises feature soldiers firing from a position, from a stationary tank, and while on the move. This progression builds core competencies in marksmanship, target acquisition, and the seamless integration of control inputs with various firing modes. Trainees experience transitions between different firing stances and vehicle configurations to better understand how maneuvering and line-of-sight influence accuracy on diverse terrains.
A notable element in the training lies in the targets themselves. They are crafted to reproduce the manpower and equipment of a plausible adversary, providing a realistic simulation of the kind of opposition the forces may encounter. The design takes into account the realities of contemporary operations, shaping exercise scenarios that reflect the specific demands of today’s battlefield environment and the operational profile of the ongoing special military operation.
Beyond the main-caliber firing drills, soldiers also practice with additional weapon systems. In particular, tank machine guns are used to refine rapid succession reductions in target engagement time, ammunition management, and the coordination between main armament and secondary weapons. These sessions help crews develop a holistic understanding of how different weapon systems complement each other during combined arms engagements.
In addition to live-fire activity, the training includes a range of supplementary exercises. The Russian Defense Ministry describes sessions that cover operational handling of ammunition, precise aiming, and fire adjustment procedures. Such components are designed to simulate the complexities of logistics, targeting corrections, and the iterative process of refining fire according to feedback from observers and on-ground conditions. The overall program aims to cultivate disciplined, responsive crews capable of maintaining accuracy under varying levels of stress and movement.
A photo credit accompanies the report: Yuri Smithyuk/TASS