PREPARATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA TO REPEL AGGRESSION

1. THE PREPARATION OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE RA TO REPEL AGGRESSION

1. 1.1. Mobilization and combat training of the Armed Forces
2. 1.2. The Armed Forces logistic support preparation
3. 1.3. Preparation of the territory of the RA as a theater of military operations
4. 1.4. Strategic intelligence

2. PREPARING THE ECONOMY OF THE RA TO RESIST AGGRESSION

1. 2.1. Organization of measures to ensure the stability of the functioning of the economy
2. 2.2. State policy in the field of increasing the stability of the economy functioning

3. PREPARATION OF THE POPULATION OF THE RA TO RESIST AGGRESSION

1. 3.1. The preparation of the population in moral and psychological terms
2. 3.2. Preparation of the population in terms of civil defence
3. 3.3. Military training of the population

1. 
   1.3. Preparation of the territory of the Republic of Armenia as a theater of military operations (operational equipment of the territory)
   
   Preparation of the territory of the Republic of Armenia as a theater of military operations (or operational equipment of the territory) is one of the prerequisites for countering aggression.
   
   Theater of military operations ((XVII century Latin term theatrum belli), abbreviated Theater of Operations (TO), is defined in the American field manuals as the land and sea areas to be invaded or defended, including areas necessary for administrative activities incident to the military operations. In Russian terms it means the territory of land, the ocean and the airspace above them, within which states (coalitions) can conduct or are conducting military operations of a strategic scale.¹
   
   The equipment of the theater of military operations is a system of organizational, technical, engineering and other measures aimed to ensure the organized entry of the state or military units into the war, the successful conduct of hostilities, as well as the daily activities of troops (forces) in peacetime. It is an integral part of a complex of national measures aimed to prepare the defence of the country's territory: that is, some of the activities are carried out by the armed forces, the other part is carried out by civilian ministries and departments. The preparation of the TO is carried out in peacetime and continues during the war. The content and scope of the preparatory activities of the TO are conditioned by the development of economic resources, military equipment and weapons of the state, changes in the nature and methods of warfare.²
   
   In military terms, the basis for the preparation of the country's territory is the creation of a military infrastructure³ that provides the necessary conditions for conducting combat operations and possibly full realization of the combat capabilities of troops (forces, weapons).
   
   In its turn, the infrastructure of any country, including the Republic of Armenia, can be divided into military, civilian and dual-use infrastructure
   
   Military infrastructure is a set of military facilities and individual structures designed to ensure that troops perform strategic, operational-strategic, operational-tactical and combat tasks of armed warfare, as well as to ensure the daily training of troops and military production in peacetime. In this context, the military infrastructure is divided into stationary objects, which include the locations of troops, military-educational institutions, control points, missile and aviation bases, air defence systems and communication centers, missile positions, airfields, bridges, warehouses, landfills, automobile and railway tracks, pipelines, inland waterways, terrain engineering equipment, etc. Non-stationary objects include mobile (aerial) control points and communication facilities, temporarily equipped runways, unloading (loading) points, checkpoints, etc.⁵
   
   Civil infrastructure is a system of local self-governance bodies, institutions, organizations and facilities under the jurisdiction of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, which are used for the sociial-economic development of the country.⁶
   
   Dual-use infrastructure is a system of facilities under the jurisdiction of executive authorities, local governments, organizations and citizens used (or intended for use) both for social-economic development and for the protection of the country.
   
   ЧWe will apply the concept of "defence infrastructure", which combines military infrastructure and dual-use infrastructure. In modern conditions, the successful deployment of any group of troops (forces) is impossible without the creation and development of defence infrastructure. Without the preliminary preparation of these measures, it is difficult to talk about the effective use of military force during a conflict, since military actions involve, first of all, the destruction of the military-economic potential of the state (including infrastructure), without which the use of armed forces is impossible. Consequently, the problem of operational equipment on the territory of the country presents a vital task.
   
   The experience of the wars in the Persian Gulf, Yugoslavia, during 2020 in Artsakh and nowadays in Ukraine shows that the actions of the Armed Forces, first of all, were aimed to destroy defence infrastructure facilities. Further actions of the troops of the defending side were mainly limited to an insufficiently developed network of infrastructure facilities and their slow recovery during the warfare, which limited the combat capabilities and maneuver of the troops. Consequently, it is the quality of the preparation of the defence infrastructure that largely determines the effectiveness of the use of military force and determines the success of the war.
   
   Only the availability of the appropriate defence infrastructure can ensure the necessary effectiveness of the combat use of modern weapons it includes, in particular, control points, the creation of fortified areas in particularly important areas, the creation of a new road network, equipping combat positions, maintenance points, meteorological work, patrol routes, communication centers, power lines, etc.
   
   Given the difficult geopolitical situation in Armenia and the increasing probability of a potential enemy’s strikes at vital targets, it is necessary to look for new approaches to the development and further improvement of the country's defence infrastructure. At the same time, the creation of infrastructure should proceed systematically, realistically assessing military threats to the state, which will help save modest funds allocated for defence.
   
   Based on the interests of possible military conflicts, it is possible to identify a number of priority areas for the development of defence infrastructure that can serve as a joint basis to plan operational equipment of the territory of the Republic of Armenia:
   • to ensure uninterrupted operation of defence infrastructure facilities;
   • to create of a secure command and control system;
   • to create of an air defence anti-missile and system;
   • to create of an airfield (especially helicopter) network;
   • to create of a joint information and intelligence center operating in real time;
   • to select, decentralize and camouflage bases, warehouses and arsenals in the regions of possible military operations;
   • to create of stocks of fuel, food and other military equipment within the established norms of a unified joint logistics system;
   • to create weapons and military equipment repair bases.⁷
   
   Assessing the possibilities and conditions of the current situation, it is necessary to assume that this problem can be solved only by thorough scientific study of all issues of defence infrastructure development, that is, by developing a concept of operational equipment for the territory of the Republic of Armenia based on scientifically sound principles. This includes:
   • unified national planning of operational equipment of the country's territory;
   • priority of carrying out measures on operational equipment of the territory of the country;
   • timely and purposeful of the activities of the operational equipment of the Territory of the Republic of Armenia;
   • compliance of the defence infrastructure system with the operational and strategic tasks of the troops and the conditions of their engagement;
   • integrated and coordinated nature of the development and use of defence infrastructure;
   • coordinated nature of centralization and decentralization in the organization and conduct of operational equipment activities in the territory of the Republic of Armenia;
   • scientific nature of defence infrastructure development, reasonable choice of methods and directions;
   • forehand preparatory and research work for operational equipment of the territory.
   
   It should be noted that the development of the state's defence infrastructure is not an end in itself and involves the interests of not only the Ministry of Defence, but also other departments. The RA Law "On Defence" states that "defence is a combination of application and implementation of measures of a political, military, economic, informational, social, legal and other nature in peacetime and during the war aimed to ensure the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, inviolability of borders and security, including protection of citizens from military threats". Therefore, when planning the operational equipment of the territory of the republic, in addition to measures for the development of the infrastructure of the Armed Forces, it is necessary to include in it the activities of other ministries and departments, thus making the plan nationwide.
   
   Thus, based on the importance of preparing the protection of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, it is necessary to create a governing body, as well as an application mechanism, which at the government level will consider issues of planning, financing, logistics, as well as control over the development of the republic's infrastructure in the interests of defence. It also must be strictly legislated.
   
   It should be noted that sufficient practical experience in the development of planning documents on operational equipment of the territory of the Republic of Armenia has not yet been accumulated. The work is also complicated by the difficulties of the transition of the economy to a market system, the presence of various forms of ownership, violation of planning/financial support and reduction of the list of construction of dual-use military infrastructure facilities, extremely slow development of the regulatory framework for the organization of operational equipment on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and other circumstances.
   
   In our view, the solution of the above-mentioned problems depends on the establishment of a regulatory framework and monitoring of planned activities to create and improve the defence infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia in these areas.
   
   One of the most important issues is also the problem of the defence infrastructure of the cities (settlements) of the RA.
   
   There are three types of defensive structures in Armenia: shelters, anti-radiation shelters and the simplest shelters. The simplest shelters are basement floors, underground parking lots, underground passages and underground spaces. Shelters and anti-radiation shelters are special civil defence structures designed to shelter employees of important organizations that continue their activities during the war⁸.
   
   According to the law, the ground floors, basements and semi-basements of residential and public buildings related to the housing stock can serve as shelters of various types. However, due to various reasons, some buildings don’t have basements, or they can be used as pipelines’ routes, and in some cases are simply littered for years. Some basements have been privatized or rented out, and the question arises, how to solve the problems of the residents of these buildings. According to part 2 of Article 19 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On Protection of the Population in Emergency Situations", "ownership and temporary use of citizens' property in emergency situations for the needs of society and the state may be carried out with subsequent equivalent compensation... in accordance with the procedure established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia"⁹. However, this area still remains legally unregulated. Moreover, in post-Soviet years construction companies don’t have specialists to ensure control over the design of shelters. Underground parking lots – both existing and those under construction - are facing similar problems.
   
   Most of the underground passages present in cities are in satisfactory condition and can serve as short-term shelters for population. As for metro stations and tunnels, it should be borne in mind that they are able to shelter a fairly limited number of people. In addition, in the post-Soviet years shelters for the population were not built, and some of the existing ones were privatized.
   
   However, by order of the Committee for Urban Planning, an agreement has been signed with design organizations on the development of building standards for defence structures. Let's hope that these initiatives will receive a final decision.

Conclusion

The state is able to solve the problems arising from the essence of the preparation of the territory of the Republic of Armenia as a TO by implementing following:

1. the questions were originally formulated accurately and fully;
2. the issues are developed in military-scientific and economic terms and with account of successful local and foreign experience;
3. the issues are reflected in special legal acts and economic development plans;
4. the issues are reflected in the curricula of the system of professional higher education for military servicemen and civil employees;
5. adopted formal system of documents, ready for immediate implementation and worked out during operational and strategic exercises;
6. formal system of documents is an integral part of the duties and responsibility of the officials of the Republic of Armenia.

Continuation: 1.4. Strategic intelligence

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Published: 20/10/22