Military Exercise Druzhba-85 Plan to conduct a one-sided, multi-stage combined-arms army exercise codenamed "Druzhba-85"

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[Polish declassification stamps]

PLAN TO CONDUCT A ONE-SIDED, MULTI-STAGE COMBINED-ARMS ARMY EXERCISE CODENAMED "DRUZHBA-85" INVOLVING ALLIED TROOPS FROM THE SOVIET ARMY, THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S ARMY OF THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, AND THE POLISH ARMY

WARSAW - SEPTEMBER 1985

SUBJECT: THE PLANNING, ORGANIZATION, AND WAGING OF AN OFFENSIVE OPERATION BY A COALITION OF ARMIES IN THE MAIN SECTOR OF A FRONT'S ATTACK WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS FORCING OF WATER BARRIERS AND WAGING OF HIGHLY-MANEUVERABLE OPERATIONS WITH THE USE OF AN OPERATIONAL MANEUVER GROUP, FORWARD DETACHMENTS, AND TACTICAL AIR ASSAULT GROUPS".

TRAINING GOALS:

1. Improve commands and staffs in:

- making decisions to conduct an army offensive operation in the course of combat operations;

- planning and organizing an army offensive operation and offensive combat operations taking into consideration the possible strong influence of enemy reconnaissance/strike complexes and his precision-guided weapons;

- conducting fast-moving combat operations using an operational maneuver group, a forward detachment, and tactical air assault groups;

- organizing and forcing water barriers with regular and irregular banks.

2. Search for qualitatively new, more effective methods of organizing and waging offensive combat operations; protecting troops from enemy reconnaissance/strike complexes, his precision-guided weapons, and electronic warfare equipment; and combating them.

3. Coordinate:

- allied commands, staffs, and troops in organizing and carrying out joint missions in the coalition army;

- the fire system of the army.

4. Develop forms and methods of Party political work regarding the mobilization of coalition army personnel to carry out combat missions, international training, and the strengthening of friendship and brotherhood in arms.

5. Investigate:

- methods of dual planning of army offensive and defensive operations in the time dedicated to this goal;

- the means and methods to control army reconnaissance/strike and reconnaissance/fire groups;

- a method for organizing coordination.

THE PERIOD OF THE EXERCISE: 3 to 10 September 1985.

THE TROOPS INVOLVED: from the Polish Army: the command (Maritime Military District): 8^th md, pdb, and a support group from the 6^th vdd, the 2^nd abr, 55^th zrp; the 16^th td in full strength; the 1^st TsBU [Combat Control Center], selected men and equipment: 6^th aabr [Army Artillery Brigade], the 44^th ordn, the 5^th isbr, the 4^th pkhz [Chemical Defense Regiment], the 3^rd ibad [Fighter-Bomber Division], the 4^th iad, the 32^nd rap, the 7^th brap [Coastal Missile Artillery Regiment], the 49^th and 56^th obvp [Independent Combat Helicopter Regiment], the 2^nd brs [Signal Brigade], the 15^th rrkbrs [Radiorelay/Cable Signal Brigade], the 4^th and 6^th ps [Communications Post], the 12^th rrkps [Radiorelay/Cable Signal Regiment], the 8^th prp [?Radio Intercept Post?], and the 14^th aiptap. One division and one full-strength regiment each from the Soviet Army's Northern Group of Forces and the GDR People's Army.

STAGES OF THE EXERCISE

FIRST STAGE

Subject: THE PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION OF AN ARMY OFFENSIVE OPERATION. TROOP CONTROL DURING THEIR REGROUPING TO THE FORMING-UP AREA FOR THE OPERATION.

Training issues:

1. The planning and organization of an army offensive operation:

- decisionmaking, the preparation of documents for an army offensive operation;

- the assignment of combat missions to subordinate troops;

- conducting reconnaissance in the sector in which army troops are to be committed to battle;

- organizing coordination between coalition troops.

2. Troop control during their regrouping to the forming-up area for an operation under conditions of the strong influence of enemy air attack, radioelectronic warfare, and reconnaissance/strike complexes.

3. Repulsion of enemy aggression. Containing an offensive of his troops.

4. Occupation of the forming-up area by the troops. Restoration of combat effectiveness. Immediate preparation of the troops to wage combat operations.

Length: 31 hours (from 1500 4 September to 2200 5 September 1985)

General nature of enemy operations

At the end of August and beginning of September, using events in the Near East and in Central America, the NATO countries sharply strained their relations with the Soviet Union and the other socialist countries. They unilaterally halted talks concerning disarmament issues and accelerated work associated with the stationing of Euro-strategic [SIC] CRUISE and PERSHING-2 missiles in Europe. Part of their forces were mobilized and brought into full combat readiness under the guise of the AUTUMN and FORGE-85 exercises [Translator's note: the correct name is "Autumn Forge-85"]. At the same time the US moved their troops and weapons to the European continent within the framework of the REFORGER exercise.

After declaring a GENERAL ALERT at 0520 5 September, they went to an electronic warfare offensive at 0530 5 September, and under its cover they unleashed combat operations against the socialist countries at 0540 5 September. They launched strikes on command and control systems, airfields, troops on the march and in areas of concentration, communications centers, and also on the rear facilities of the troops of the "Easterners" with air forces, AKSE [SIC, ?AXE?] systems, and also PERSHING and CRUISE missiles with conventional warheads.

As a consequence of the superiority in men and equipment which had been achieved, by 1400 5 September they had broken through the defensive protection of the formations of the "Easterners" to a depth of 5-20 km.

The operations of ground forces are supported by the aircraft of the 2^nd OTAK, the OTAK DP and ZB [expansion unknown, possibly Pershing battalions and SAM batteries], launching strikes in groups of 4, 8, and 16 aircraft on means of nuclear attack, command posts, artillery firing positions, and approaching reserves.

The movement of successive formations and supplies from the United States, Great Britain, and Canada continues.

Formations of the 1^st AK (FRG), which have the 1^st and 3^rd td's in the first echelon and whose second echelon is regrouping in the area of combat operations of the 11^th md and 17^th td, are waging combat operations in the zone of the 6^th Army.

The offensive of first echelon formations of the corps was halted at 1400 5 September at the line SZCZECINEK, ZAKRZEWO, MARGONIN, W?GROWIEC as a result of the vigorous defensive operations of the 80^th and 83^rd msd's (Soviet Army) in the border zone and also the lack of an opportunity to commit reserves.

The enemy is beginning his engineer preparation at the line seized with the intention of regrouping reserves, creating a strike grouping, and in the second half of 6 September committing them to battle and continuing the offensive in the planned directions.

In the event the troops of the 1^st Front go over to the offensive beginning on the morning of 6 September contain their offensive by stubborn defensive operations of the first echelon formations of the 1^st AK (FRG) [SIC] and create favorable conditions to continue the offensive of friendly [svoi] troops.

Procedure for conducting the first stage:

[Translator's note: the first part of the dates in column 1 was not reproduced]