As the Ukrainian/Russian War continues with no end in sight, the skills, will, and expertise of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has clearly surpassed most expectations. Leveraging organic capabilities such as utilizing anti-tank guided missiles and loitering munitions while preventing Russia from achieving air superiority in the first days of the conflict, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to isolate and prevent Russian ground units from receiving much needed resupply. Early Ukrainian successes coupled with weapon systems, medical supplies, and financial contributions from around the globe have resulted in holding back further Russian invasion.Most noteworthy has been the Ukrainian military’s ability to disrupt Russian convoys resulting in Russian troops being left in front with no logistics, and making it nearly impossible for the invaders to seize ground. Their continued ability to adapt quickly to utilize new equipment, such as the U.S. sent NASAMS and Patriot missile defense systems only further demonstrates their zeal.
Within the weeks following the invasion, thousands of U.S. and NATO troops were activated to Europe in response. 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-4), and 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-7) are the SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) and Patriot units permanently stationed in Europe and were the first U.S. forces to be mobilized for a NATO response. Since the invasion, both Battalions’ mission set and AOs have increased significantly. Soldiers from 5-4 BN and 5-7 BN were deployed rapidly to several countries in 2022 including Poland, Romania, Latvia, and Slovakia to enforce NATO’s Eastern flank.
5-4 and 5-7 ADA Battalions which are composed of Air Defense Artillery, maintenance support companies, and headquarters batteries have been conducting joint and multinational exercises with NATO allies and European partners for decades to rehearse for and support the defense of a large-scale invasion from Russia. such as what we have seen in Ukraine. The U.S. and European-led Saber series exercises (Strike and Junction) have focused on joint and multinational combined arms operations, rotating annually between Poland and the Baltics, and Black Sea Region (Strike). It is a multinational multilateral exercise that began in 2010 and continued into this year. Initially, to enhance the cooperative training of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan in the defense of air bases, forward operating bases, and other defended allied locations in Afghanistan. In later iterations, the exercise transitioned to focus on Russian aggression starting in 2015, following the outbreak of the war in the Donbass (War) region after the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
During Saber Strike 22, 5-4 ADA BN integrated with soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team,1st Cavalry Division, to direct support short range air defense in support of maneuver operations. In doing so, the ADA Battalion was able to demonstrate the clear, fundamental needs of SHORAD defensive fires of maneuver units by engaging and destroying two practice drones utilizing the Avenger platform (Avenger) in Grafenwoehr, Germany. This exercise demonstrated continued improvement and capability on the already well-established platform. In cooperation with Latvian forces, American Soldiers gained familiarity with the RBS-70 Latvian (Latvia) Missile Launcher in order to enhance interoperability to provide greater understanding of system capabilities and recognize opportunities to mix and mass SHORAD weapons during multinational operations.
5-4 and 5-7 ADA Battalions are dynamic units with Batteries able to rapidly integrate to locations throughout Eastern Europe with a much greater lethality, maneuverability, and sustainability than traditional SHOARD. 5-4 ADA BN was the first to receive the new M-SHORAD or Maneuver Short Range Air Defense system (M-SHORAD) modified Stryker vehicles in 2021. During Saber Strike 23, 5-4 the new M-Shorads were brought to the Gulf of Finland to conduct interoperability training with Estonia, Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.
In cooperation with the Slovak Air Force, Slovakian fighter jets were used to simulate hostile aircraft during 5-7 ADA BN’S Batteries’ certification tables in August 2022. Upon completion of these gunnery certification tables (Tables), a portion of the Battalion was transferred to NATO to form a multinational Patriot Battalion and defend Slovakia as the nation contributed its S300 ADA systems to Ukraine.
Shortly after the Russian invasion came the activation of the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade and the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment to aid troop mobilization. Both 52nd ADA BDE and 1-57th ADA BN will be subordinate to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (10th AAMDC). 1-57th and will provide the tactical level command and control for all U.S. Army Air and Missile Defense forces within the U.S. European command area of responsibility and will report directly to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (52nd BDE).
This reorganization of 10th AAMDC will end years of rotational National Guard Brigades deploying to Europe every nine months. 5-4 ADA BN, 5-7 ADA BN, 11th Missile Defense Battery in Turkey, and 13th Missile Defense Battery in Israel will all fall under 52nd ADA BDE. The streamlined U.S. Army Europe Forward Assigned ADA chain of command will significantly increase the U.S.’s contribution to the alliance by reducing personnel and equipment turnover cutting down barriers related to the near-constant deployment and redeployment of Guard Units.
Facing a continued need for air and missile defense capacity and capability in Europe, adversaries have demonstrated no sign of slowing down when it comes to drone and long range, maneuverable missile threats. As hostile UAS and UAV capabilities only continue to improve it is essential that the U.S. continues to adapt to the threat. Modified Stryker platforms with a variety of kinetic, non kinetic and directed energy capabilities are only the beginning of what needs to become to join and support a fully integrated C2 architecture in Europe.
Mobile and Fixed Army Missile Defense (ADA) have to be joined with their brethren Army Field Artillery. Defensive Fires must integrate with Offensive Fires. The US Army’s Fires Center of Excellence in Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Fires School) combines each of these requirements in training, but they still remain separate in combat application. The full integration as the Army had in the 70s and 80s with DIVARTY (Division Artillery) is no longer the case.
Today, and in the future fight against Russia, fully integrated missile defense with U.S. Army’s HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) and its new LRPF (Long Range Precision Fires) will have to be absolute in winning the fight. Integration of both offensive and defensive fires, coupled with a number of other warfighting functions and specially skilled formations (e.g., cyber, special forces) is a must in order to defeat near-peer and peer adversaries.
Russia, our near-peer opponent, already has in place a system that has both offensive and defensive capabilities in their Iskander Missile System. The U.S. also has this capability on our Naval ships in the VLS (Vertical Launcher System) in offensive fires, and the SM6 with anti-ship and surface defensive fires, whereas the U.S. Army does not have this capability deployed.
5-4 and 5-7 ADA BNs with their zeal and zest are leading the way as they move for full integration with the Brigade Combat Teams as the first step to true joint fires.
