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November 12, 1979

Military Exercise Plan for Operational Assembly of the Baltic Sea Command (January 1980)

This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation

Secret

Copy Nº 1

 

[Original Polish receipt and

declassification stamps]

APPROVED

MARSHAL OF THE SOVIET
UNION V. KULIKOV

November 1979

 

PLAN

to hold an operational assembly of the command personnel of the allied fleets in the Baltic Sea (January 1980)

 

Theme:

 

The use of the troops of the front and the forces of the Combined Fleet in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation conducted during a strategic operation in the continental Theater of Military Operations.

 

Training goals:

 

1. To deepen the knowledge of the command personnel of the allied fleets and a common understanding of the principles of the use of the troops of the front and the forces of the Combined Fleet in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation.

 

2. To improve the joint work style of the command and staffs of the front and the allied fleets when planning combat operations, and [when] organizing the command and control and coordination between the OBF and the combined ground forces, air forces, and air defense forces in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation.

 

3. To share the experience of military indoctrination of personnel and to strengthen the international friendship and combat collaboration of allied armies and fleets in connection with the 25th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact Organization.

 

Leader:

 

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact for the Navy, Admiral V. V. MIKHAYLIN.

 

Participants:

 

The commanders and command personnel of the GDR Peoples Navy, the Polish Navy, and the USSR Baltic Fleet - eight men from each fleet; an operations group from the staff of the Maritime Military District of the Polish Army - six men; from the staff of the OVS - four men; from the Naval Directorate of the GK OVS - eight men; and from the USSR Main Naval Staff - four men.

 

Location: Gdynia, Poland. [A handwritten question mark follows "Gdynia"]

 

Date: 22-26 January.  Participants are to arrive on 21 January and depart on 26 January.

 


Time

Events


0900-0930

 

 

 

0930-1010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1010-1100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1100-1140

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1140-1220

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1220-1300

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1300-1400]

 

1400-1440

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1440-1520

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1520-1600

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1600-1640

 

 

 

 

 

1640-1710

Opening of the operational assembly. Opening remarks by the leader.

 

Report of the Commanding General of the Maritime Military District of the Polish Army:

"The role and place of the front in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation conducted during a strategic operation in the Western TVD"

 

Report of the Commander of the USSR Baltic Fleet:

"The use of the OBF in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation in the Western TVD; the organization of the command and control of the forces of the Combined Baltic Fleet and OBF coordination with large formations of other branches of the armed forces".

 

Report of the Commander of the GDR Peoples Navy:

"The preparation for and the landing of tactical amphibious assault groups to seize individual islands of the Baltic Approaches during an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation".

 

Report of the Commander of the Polish Navy:

"Ways to overwhelm enemy amphibious landing defenses; the procedure for the coordination of fleet forces and the formations of other branches of the armed forces in a battle to land and support amphibious assault operations on shore".

 

Report of the Commanding General of the Baltic Fleet Air Forces:

"Features of the use of the air forces of the Combined Baltic Fleet in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation and the organization of coordination with frontal aviation and air defense forces".

 

[handwritten:] lunch

 

Report of the Chief of the Air Defense Directorate of the OVS Staff:

"The organization and management of air defense in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation conducted during a strategic operation in the Western TVD".

 

Report of the Chief of Staff of the USSR Baltic Fleet:

"The organization of the planning of the use of the OBF in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation and the creation of groups of forces from different countries and their operational deployment".

 

Report of the Chief of Staff of the GDR Peoples Navy:

"The organization of current intelligence, deception, and RehB in preparing for and waging combat operations in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation with the forces of the OBF".

 

Report of the Chief of Staff of the Polish Navy:

"Mine countermeasures support to the operations of the forces at sea in an amphibious operation".

 

Report of the Chief of the Rear of the USSR Baltic Fleet:

"The organization of rear support to the forces of the OBF in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation".

 

 

 

 

23-25 JANUARY

THE COMMAND-STAFF MAP EXERCISE

 

Theme: "The use of the troops of the front and the forces of the Combined Baltic Fleet in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation conducted during a strategic offensive operation in the Western Theater of Military Operations".

 

Exercise participants:

 

- an operations group of the GK OVS command organizations in the role of the corresponding GK OVS command organizations in the Western TVD;

 

- the Commanding General and an operations group of the HQ of the Polish Army Maritime Military District in the role of the HQ of the Maritime Front;

 

- the Commander and operations group of the USSR Baltic Fleet HQ in the role of the commander and HQ of the Combined Baltic Fleet;

 

- commanders and operations groups of the HQ of the Polish Navy and GDR Peoples Navy in the role of the commanders and the HQ of the 2nd and 3rd Fleets respectively.

 

The KShU [Command-Staff Exercise] Procedure

 


Time

Measures performed


10 January

 

 

 

1800 22 January

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0900-1800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0900-1100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1100-1300

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1300-1400]

 

1400-1800

 

 

 

 

 

1800-2300

 

 

 

 

 

 

0900-1100

 

 

 

 

1100-1300

 

 

 

 

 

1300

 

1300-2200

 

 

 

 

1400-1500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1500-1700

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1700-1900

 

 

 

 

 

 

0900-1200

 

 

 

1300-1400

Delivery to the participants of the assembly of the tasks for the command-staff exercise

 

Start of the command-staff exercise

 

Delivery of the operational directive of the Commander-in-Chief of the OVS in the Western TVD to the Commanding General of the Maritime Military District and the Commander of the Combined Baltic Fleet to conduct an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation.

 

Explanation to the KShU participants of the missions, the assessment of the situation, and the delivery of preliminary combat instructions.

 

2nd day  - 23 January (Wednesday)

 

Joint work of the Commanding General of the Maritime Front and the Commander of the Combined Baltic Fleet to work out decisions for the use of the troops of the Front and the forces of the OBF in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation. The assignment of missions to subordinate large formations and formations.

 

3rd day - 24 January (Thursday)

 

Briefing of the exercise leader of the decision of the Commanding General of the Maritime Front to perform the Front's missions in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation to seize the islands of the Baltic Approaches.

 

Briefing of the exercise leader of the decision of the Commander of the Combined Baltic Fleet to use the forces of the OBF in an airborne-amphibious assault landing operation.

 

[handwritten:] lunch

 

Briefing of the Commander of the OBF of the decisions of the commanders of the GDR Peoples Navy and the Polish Navy about the assigned missions.

 

Delivery of scenario Nº 1 to the exercise participants [obuchaemye]. Assessment of the situation and decisionmaking.

 

4th day - 25 January (Friday)

 

Briefing of the exercise leader of the decisions of the Commanding General of the Maritime Front concerning scenario Nº 1.

 

Briefing of the Commander of the OBF of the decisions of the commanders of the GDR Peoples Navy and the Polish Navy about scenario Nº 1.

 

End of the command-staff exercise.

 

Preparation of materials for the critique of the command-staff exercise on maps and an operational assembly.

 

Report of the Chief of the Political Directorate of the USSR Baltic Fleet "Strengthening the combat collaboration of the navies of allied countries is the most important condition for increasing combat readiness".

 

Speeches by the chiefs of the political organizations of the GDR Peoples Navy and the Polish Navy about sharing the experience of the military indoctrination of personnel, and the strengthening of international friendship and combat collaboration of the allied fleets in connection with the 25th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact.

 

Discussion of measures to prepare the fleets to participate in the Brothers in Arms command-staff exercise.

 

5th Day - 26 January (Saturday)

 

Critique of the command-staff exercise on maps. Summarization of the results of the assembly.

 

Comradely lunch.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

1.  The organizational support of the assembly and the social measures of the participants are in accordance with a Polish Navy plan.

 

2. The expenses associated with the provision of housing and welfare are from the budget of the Combined Command. The cost of the assembly participants' food is paid in cash.

 

GENERAL OF THE ARMY

 

/signature/

 

A. GRIBKOV

 

ADMIRAL

/signature/

V. MIKHAYLIN

 

[1]2 November 1979

 

 



This document describes a pending joint military exercise between Warsaw Pact members. The exercise has three stated purposes: to gain experience in conducting airborne-amphibious assaults; to improve techniques of collaboration between allied commanders; and to foster friendship and cohesion among the allied troops. Included in the document are tables detailing the exercise event schedule.


Document Information

Source

Institute of National Remembrance (IPNBU). Translated for CWIHP by Gary Goldberg.

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Original Uploaded Date

2012-05-29

Type

Meeting Minutes Report Directive

Language

Record ID

114262

Original Classification

Secret

Donors

Leon Levy Foundation