Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000

The Defence Region and its tasks By Ants Laaneots, of the

According to the “Main directions of Estonian defence policy” ratified by the ised command is lost or if the enemy Parliament on May 7, 1996, the defence conception of the country is based on the breaks through in the deep of the terri- principle of territorial defence. In Chapter III of that document the following is tory. stated: “To organise national defence the territory of the country is divided into - division of wartime units into two defence regions. / / Every defence region is divided into defence districts” (RT parts – general-purpose forces and terri- torial (national defence) units. I 1996, 33, pg. 890). - wide use of dispersed combat tac- The purpose of Estonian territorial The distinctiveness of territorial de- tics and guerrilla activities. By establish- defence is to wear down the intruding fence is: ing locations for combat activities instead enemy in every way, to slow down enemy - decentralisation of the defence of fronts and by guerrilla activities in the advance by every kind of combat activ- forces by establishing districts. Form- rear area of the aggressor the latter is given ity, to fiercely protect strategically impor- ing and preparing wartime units, mobili- no opportunity to benefit from his ad- tant objects to keep them under own con- sation and implementing in wartime are vantage in firepower. The enemy is tied trol until other states in the international done in specific areas of responsibility. in constant combat that has no fixed front security system could react with political, Such military-territorial units are inde- line or rear. economical and military help. And after pendent in their preparation and conduct The territorial defence system consists that to free the territory of the country of combat activities. They are based on of defence regions, defence districts, navy- either independently or with the help of the availability of local reserves and sup- and air force units and units and estab- others. plies and can operate also when central- lishments under central command.

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In its order no 198-k “Creating defence mand subordinate units and raise a de- them with preparation for and conduct regions and forming their staffs” dated gree of combat readiness; of civil defence and rescue activities; March 13, 1998, the Government of the - to plan and prepare to raise combat In time of crisis: Republic of tasked the Defence readiness and carry out mobilisation; - planned and orderly to raise defence Forces to establish defence regions. The - to plan and prepare for defensive mili- readiness of the defence region and to Defence Minister attempted in his order tary activities through specific action plans form and prepare wartime units for de- from July 22, 1998 “Forming the staffs of and through checking their feasibility by fence activities; defence regions” to implement the order. conducting training and exercises; - in co-operation with border guards However, this implementation has been - to plan, prepare and constantly con- to counter border violations; delayed for several reasons. trol the availability in quantity and qual- - to wear down the invading enemy The defence region (DR) is a military- ity of the necessary reserves (reservists, and slow down the enemy advance start- territorial operative body of troops ca- vehicles) and supplies for carrying out ing from the borders of own area of re- pable of independent operations. It con- defence tasks; sponsibility with combat activities of sists of different defence districts (DD) - to organise peacetime training and border guards and general-purpose as well and units from different arms. activities of general-purpose forces’ units as territorial defence units that can be as well as territorial defence units and to formed immediately; to block enemy as- Tasks of a defence region provide regular supplies according to the saults and tie him up in combat opera- orders of the Chief of Defence; tions thus creating the conditions for The tasks, structure and composition - to organise the guarding and protection forming main defence forces and for us- of a defence region are usually determined of objects at the defence forces’ disposal; ing them in an organised way; in accordance with the operative tasks - to ensure that border guards units - to hold strategically important areas given to it and with its location. In its and rescue board units in the area of re- objects; area of responsibility a DR may have the sponsibility of the defence region are pre- - to tie enemy forces with active de- following tasks: pared and ready; fence, gaining time and creating condi- In peacetime: - to prepare the area of responsibility tions for outside forces to arrive and take - to observe the situation on land, sea for defence activities; the initiative; and in air space; - to establish the necessary co-opera- - to destroy the enemy by constant at- - to maintain constant readiness to com- tion with civilian authorities, helping tacks with own forces and together with

88 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 helping forces eventually to free all Esto- received complete military training and To guarantee effectiveness the DD nian territory; who will have the best weapons, equip- headquarters must be formed already in - to organise guerrilla war and counter ment and vehicles of the defence forces. peacetime integrated with the headquar- activities in the areas conquered by the The battalion or a unit equal to it (artil- ters of Defence League units. enemy; lery battalion, air defence division etc.) is It is recommendable to form rescue - to assist civilian authorities in their the base unit for the general-purpose units as specialised units within the defence conduct of rescue and civil defence ac- forces. In wartime it is practical to form regions based on rescue board peacetime tivities. brigades that operate according to the companies. Being in the special purpose A wartime defence region consists of: principles of Task Forces, i.e. brigades with- reserve of the commander of the defence a) units of general-purpose forces; out a permanent structure. Their composi- region these units carry out the most im- b) territorial units, incl. defence districts, tion is determined by the commander of a portant tasks of rescue and civil defence, and rescue units and border guard districts. DR according to the tasks given to them. if needed also engineer tasks in wartime. The units with the best weapons and Defence districts (DD) are formed In wartime border guard districts con- the best training status are designated to on the basis of units from the Estonian tinue observation, guarding and protect- the general-purpose forces. These include Defence League as tactical units de- ing the border in their area of responsi- mechanised, infantry, coastguard, artillery, signed to complete territorial defence bility operating under the command of air defence and engineer units. General- tasks within a certain area of responsi- the commander of the defence region. In purpose forces are formed on the basis bility. In order to form defence districts sectors attacked by the enemy they organ- of defence forces’ peacetime units or by it is practical to use reservists between the ise fierce resistance on the border with defence districts. They are not associated age of 20-55 who have completed conscript the purpose of gaining time necessary for with any specific area of responsibility service or have received the necessary the mobilising the defence region. When and they are used, under command of military training in some other way. They the aggressors forces break through the the Chief (supreme Commander) of De- will be given weapons, equipment and sub-units of the border guard district fence, to complete the most important vehicles of the Defence Forces and the remain in the enemy rear and begin guer- combat tasks in any area of the country. Defence League not designated for De- rilla activities in designated areas. When In order to form general-purpose forces, fence Force wartime units. Also older fe- the territory of the country is freed they those reservists are used, who are between male and male volunteers may be included assume the border guarding duties with- the age of 19-35, who are healthy and have in the DD to carry out lighter duties. out waiting for special orders.

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To guarantee the success of the com- bat activities the Chief (Supreme Com- mander) of the Defence Forces may rein- force a defence region with additional land-, air- and/or navy units.

Principles of territorial defence activities

Taking into account that combat will often take place against an enemy supe- rior in size and firepower as well as mo- bile and fire power, the following recom- mendations may be given for conduct- ing combat activities: - since we are not able to considerably improve our firepower, we must prevent the enemy from using his fire in a con- centrated way. Defensive battles must be conducted not in the pre-planned defence sectors or positions but in deep areas, - mines and other obstacles must be persed manner and thus avoiding his us- creating combat sectors and using so called widely used. Since we are not able to re- ing his forces in a concentrated way; “dispersed combat tactics”; markably improve our units’ mobility - it is important to protect large in- - the technical weakness of own weap- in the near future, we must try to slow habited locations because combat in built- onry and inferior mobility must be com- the enemy mobility down to our level; up areas allows tying and defeating nu- pensated by a multitude of forces and prac- - to gain local superiority the enemy merous enemy forces with small forces (as tical arrangement of territorial defence; forces must be tied in combat in a dis- the Chechnya war example proves);

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- in the areas conquered by the enemy Supplementing the units of a defence mobilisation in a secret manner, regulated guerrilla war must begin immediately. region with materials necessary for every- with orders, thus guaranteeing a flexible day and combat activities takes place on increase of forces corresponding to the Logistic service of a defence region the account of both the resources of the greatness of the danger. defence forces and local resources follow- The speed of conducting it is vitally The rear of the defence forces operates ing the principle of “from up downwards” important for the national defence. on three levels. First, the rear of the Gen- as follows. The defence region provides To conduct mobilisation formation eral Staff of the Defence Forces; second, supplies for all its units, in wartime also centres are established in the garrisons the rear of a defence region and third, the border guard and rescue board units, and the defence districts, one for each rear of a battalion or a unit that is its equal. guaranteeing material transportation to battalion or a unit equal to its size. For- In a small and relatively poor country units based on the units’ commanders’ mation centres form sub-units in the for- it is impossible to gather and keep all requests either with rear area vehicles or mation points that are established, one materials necessary to wage war in the with vehicles of the designated defence for each company or a unit equal to it. defence forces. That is why the supplies districts. If the transportation means are The personnel of formation points and for the units in wartime come from two inadequate and if the situation demands centres are designated from the Defence sources. Military materials that cannot be it, also the units’ vehicles are used to trans- League and from the personnel of the obtained from civilian society (weapons, port materials. defence forces not used in wartime forces ammunition, mines, explosives, helmets, and from conscripts. It is practical to have combat order) are obtained and distrib- Principles of mobilisation a defence region 2IC to run mobilisation uted to the units by the logistical system in the defence region, his work organ be- of the defence forces. All the materials Mobilisation of a defence region is ing a regional national defence department. necessary for military activities that are its organised and planned transition available in civilian society (food, fuel, from peacetime staff into wartime staff Commanding a defence region vehicles, spare parts, certain clothing items within the set timeframe. etc.) are purchased or obtained by imple- DR mobilisation may be total or par- The commander of a defence region is menting the obligatory duty law of the tial. It is prepared as territorial and dis- under the direct command of the Chief national defence. persed. It must be possible to conduct (Supreme Commander) of Defence and

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is fully responsible for completing the preparing the area of responsibility for bat activities the ACP may be used when peacetime and wartime tasks given to his combat activities, are the region com- necessary to command the tactical group defence region as well as for co-operation mander’s direct responsibility. In addi- operating in the main direction of the with the representatives of different serv- tion Defence League, border guard and activities. Depending on the operational ices and civilian authorities. rescue board armed units and national situation the command posts change their The commander of a defence region defence departments are directly subor- locations on the average 1-3 times in 24 leads subordinated units, organisations dinated to the regional commander in case hours. It will be disallowed to relocate the and establishments either directly or a crisis endangering the national safety of main command post and alternative com- through his headquarters of the defence the country breaks out. mand post at the same time. region. The headquarters of the defence To command the defence region in During the time prior to combat ac- region is commanded by the chief of staff, wartime at least three command posts are tivities and also in a war situation where who carries out his duties being the act- established: main command post (MCP), there is no direct danger, the peacetime DR ing 2IC of the commander of the defence alternative command post (ACP) and headquarter building and its communica- region. It is practical to appoint another rear command post (RCP). Command- tion systems may be used as a permanent 2IC of the commander of the defence re- ing of all activities of the defence region command post of the defence region. gion in addition to the chief of staff. takes place from the main command post “A general conscription duty, a dis- All the defence forces’ land-, navy- and where the commander and main person- persed command system that is always air force units are placed under the com- nel of the headquarters of the defence re- ready to operate, a territorial system of mand of the defence region commander gion are situated. The alternative com- mobilisation and people’s great desire to by the Chief (Supreme Commander) of mand post with the necessary operational defend the country are the preconditions Defence. Establishments and organisations personnel, commanded by the 2IC of the for the success of the territorial system of that are situated within the area of re- commander of DR, is situated in a hid- national defence.” ( Ermei sponsibility of the defence region are to- den and protected terrain. It monitors Kanninen “About our system of territorial de- tally subordinate to the commander of combat activities and the orders of the fence”, report in the Finnish Military Science the defence regions. In peacetime opera- commander of DR, being ready to take Society, March 1, 1971). tional issues, i.e. combat readiness, rais- over commanding the forces of the de- ing defence readiness and mobilisation, fence region. During the course of com-

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