Ukraine Extends Basic Training Time By 50%, Teaching Drones, EW, Trench War

Ukraine is extending basic recruit combat arms training duration by 50% in order to add skills that will make its troops more effective in the field.

Adding drone and EW warfare, trench war and cold weather fighting techniques address key capabilities and reveal the increasing importance of these as basic skills on the modern battlefield. JL

Militarnyi reports:

The duration of basic combined arms training (BCAT) has been increased from 30 days to 1.5 months. The new program will teach the basics of using drones and trench-based electronic warfare and reconnaissance equipment. It will also strengthen tactical and marksmanship training and improve the acquisition of survival skills at the front. Especially survival in the cold seasons of the year

As part of an experiment, the duration of basic combined arms training (BCAT) has been increased from 30 days to 1.5 months at four training centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is reported by Ukraiinska Pravda with reference to a briefing by Yevhen Mezhevikin, Deputy Chief of the Main Doctrine and Training Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“One of the important steps taken to increase training and improve the quality of training of servicemen in the training centers is to increase the duration of basic general military training. To this end, a 1.5-month Basic Combat Training program has been developed and approved,” Mezhevikin stated in a press release.

 

The extension of the duration of the Basic Combat Training is a pilot project, which, according to the decision of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, is already being implemented on the basis of four key training centers of the Armed Forces. Currently, about 500 servicemen are involved in this experiment.

Illustrative photo of basic training. Photo from open sources.

The new program will teach the basics of using drones and trench-based electronic warfare and reconnaissance equipment. It will also strengthen tactical and marksmanship training and improve the acquisition of survival skills at the front. Especially survival in the cold seasons of the year.

The results of the pilot project will be analyzed in December this year. After that, the Commander-in-Chief will decide whether to expand this practice to other training centers.

Increasing the duration of training

The plans to increase the duration and quality of training became known in mid-September 2024. This was announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.

 

“High-quality training is one of the main factors in saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. We are making every effort to do so,” the Commander-in-Chief said in a statement.

Ukrainian soldiers at one of the training bases. June 2023. Ukraine. Photo: Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Syrskyi held a working meeting on this issue with the participation of heads of military command and control bodies responsible for military training, as well as the combat brigade commanders and heads of training centers.

During the meeting, the participants discussed issues affecting the quality of training, developed ways to solve them, and considered ways to improve the training programs.

“Instructors play a key role in the quality of training. Therefore, we pay maximum attention to attracting motivated instructors with combat experience,” the post states.

It is reported that the possibility of creating a School of Instructors is being considered, which will be the main and only source of well-trained instructors.