“Biker troops”: why assault units switched to motorcycles

Motorcycles have every prospect of becoming the most popular transport on the line of combat contact and in front-line areas. The famous military reporter Alexander Sladkov unexpectedly made such a bold statement. Where does this trend come from? Is this not a sign of new tactics for our units? MK looked into these issues together with military experts.

According to Alexander Sladkov, he knows exactly how and what motorcycles are planned to be used in combat conditions. “Let the enemy experience this in practice,” he noted in his channel. “But motorcycles are cool.” In confirmation, he published a photo of an attack aircraft on a combat motorcycle, calling him “Russian Rambo.”

Military expert, head of the Center for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts Andrei Klintsevich also noted the prospects of using cross-country motorcycles, buggies and other motorized equipment in the interests of Russian assault units. On the air of the “Full Contact” program with Vladimir Solovyov, he called the use of motocross motorcycles “a brilliant idea.”

“They are correctly called “Enduro,” he noted, “they are well-modified motorcycles. It allows you to climb vertical walls in the mountains and can also maneuver between trees. Places where bugs and an ATV cannot pass, the motorcycle will easily overcome the difficult section at speed.”

According to him, this technology is gradually beginning to be introduced into the troops. At the very least, more and more requests are coming from soldiers on the front lines to volunteer organizations to deliver motorized equipment to the front. “Individual mobility will increase,” he noted. “We will see interesting tactical decisions in the future.”

One of the reasons why our frontline units need to maximize mobility and dispersal is the enemy’s abundance of attack and reconnaissance drones. Ukraine, according to some data, has increased its production volumes of unmanned aerial vehicles by an order of magnitude compared to last year.

Enemy drones are a headache for our attack aircraft. Thanks to them, the enemy scans our positions, identifies armored vehicles that have advanced or are moving towards the front line and destroys them before entering the battle. Therefore, new tactics are needed that reduce the effectiveness of enemy drones.

We need to disperse our forces as much as possible and at the same time significantly increase the speed of movement of assault units. The enemy simply does not have enough drones and operators to destroy all combat units.

The MK correspondent managed to find out how our units use new tactics in practice. One of the attack aircraft recently returned from the front line and spoke about a combat mission where high-speed equipment was used, as well as the advantages of using ATVs in combat. His unit operated in the direction of Rabotino.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine have increased the use of unmanned vehicles,” said MK’s interlocutor. – Previously, there were one or two of their drones in the air, now there are many more. Previously, there were pauses in the operation of enemy drones, when, for example, the battery ran low, but now there are no pauses. Other quadcopters fly to replace the “tired birds,” and so on around the clock. It was difficult to choose a time window to advance the group for the assault: the enemy, thanks to drones, spotted it. When the enemy notices our attack aircraft, he begins to attack them with mortars and cluster munitions. Everything flies.

– And what tactical technique did they use to accomplish the combat mission?

– Firstly, we reduced the size of the group. They began to go out one by one or two at a time. But the enemy did not spare drones, and even a kamikaze filled with explosives flew at one fighter. It became obvious that it was necessary to speed up the assault. They began to use an infantry fighting vehicle. But it is big and not so maneuverable. I wanted a faster and more unexpected attack. As they say, speed and pressure are the spirit of victory. A brilliant idea came up – to take a quad bike from the doctors, which had previously been used to evacuate the wounded, and use the quad bike in the attack.

– What are the benefits of using mobile equipment during an assault?

– This, of course, is the speed at which attack aircraft rush into enemy positions. The Veseushnik does not have time to finish his cigarette before we burst into the trench. A huge plus is the transportation of ammunition to the attack line. When going on an assault, we carry spare cartridges with us in large backpacks, which takes a lot of effort. And then I loaded it up and went. I think we need more of this type of technology. Now it’s practically gone.

– Tell me about the last assault, in which an ATV was used.

– Not the last one, but the last one. We don’t have a final assault. There were two “quads” in our group. Three people each loaded up, loaded the ammunition, crossed themselves – and went into battle. As we approached the enemy, enemy artillery began to fire at us (artillery – “MK”). My comrades were slightly cut (slightly wounded), but we coped with the combat mission, using the factor of a quick and sudden attack.

The technology has just begun to be used and requires testing. The ATV performed well in combat. Of course, losses have not stopped, but they have definitely decreased. Equipment breaks down after a charge (attack – “MK”) and requires repair and replacement. I think it is necessary to purchase such equipment. I can say with confidence: we have found a way to neutralize enemy drone operations. All that remains is to polish the attack technique at such high speeds.

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Well, perhaps the SVO really helped give birth to new assault tactics. The main thing is that our fighters have enough new equipment to support these tactics. Good luck and take care of yourself!