Ukraine 2021(?)

MarkSheppard · #9 February 14th, 2022, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shahadi

I know this scenario is a what/if, and we know MarkSheppard has given us thoughtful scenarios; please allow me to say, I can't see Russian Naval Infantry (marines) taking on Ukrainian army units; Marines are light forces with "beer and ammo" for maybe 72 hours max.

Russian Naval Infantry isn't your normal naval infantry.

I created this scenario based off a twitter thread that identified vehicles of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade on trains:

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1481968626701934592

T-80BV
MT-LB
BMP-3

Some further work identified the main OOB of the 155th NIB as being:

155th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade
---59th Separate Naval Infantry Battalion
---84th Naval Infantry Separate tank battalion -- 4 companies of tanks plus 1 or 2 tanks for BN HQ.
---263rd Separate Artillery Battery (6 x 2S9 Nona?)
---1484th Separate Communications Battalion

A Naval Infantry Battalion is:

HHC Supply/Medical/Maint/Comms units
3 x Naval Infantry Companies
1 x Mortar Platoon
1 x AT Platoon

I didn't have precise numbers on how the 155th's 59th NIB was equipped, so I gave them 1 x BMP-3 Co and 2 x MT-LB Co; because even in 2022; Russia has only 700 x BMP-3 in service; and a single BMP-3 company has 13 of them; ergo, Russia can only deploy about 50 companies of BMP-3s.

EDIT: Looking at Wiki, my guess was right:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Naval_Infantry

Quote:

The Russian Naval Infantry have been gradually phasing out PT-76 amphibious tanks, and started to receive a number of T-80s and upgraded BMP-2Ms.[26][27] A full-strength Naval Infantry Brigade may have up to 70-80 Tanks. The Russian Naval Infantry has 50 T-72B, 150 T-72B3, 30 T-72B3 mod. 2016, 50 T-80BV and 50 T-80BVM as of 2021. The APCs used by the Naval Infantry are either wheeled BTR-80s (in Assault Landing Battalions) or tracked MT-LBs (in Marine Battalions). Naval Infantry units are receiving BMP-3 IFVs and about 40 have been delivered in 2021.[28] BMP-3s may equip one company per Marine battalion.