Countering enemy strategic airborne landings is a crucial task in strategic defensive operations. As the primary ground-based firepower participating in the fight against strategic airborne landings, the scientific and rational organisation of artillery firepower, aimed at maximising the power and effectiveness of artillery, is a vital issue that must be thoroughly studied in both theory and practice.

In the event of a war to defend the Fatherland, should it occur, the enemy may conduct strategic airborne landings either at the onset or during the course of their invasion, with the intent of swiftly seizing strategic objectives.

The scale of enemy forces involved in such landings could range from several brigades to a full division or more, depending on the specific combat situation and the chosen landing area. To defeat these enemy forces, our strategy involves using mobile strategic units in combination with local forces to launch various types of campaigns and battles, in which artillery serves as the main ground-based firepower for both direct combat and combat support. 

Training of Ben Hai Artilerry Brigade (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Forces participating in countering strategic airborne landings include reserve strategic artillery-missile brigades, artillery brigades and regiments of military regions, army corps, and divisions, naval artillery-missile units, and provincial, municipal artillery within defensive zones. Given the high demand for firepower and our limited capacity, besides proper organisation, allocation, and utilisation of forces as well as the promotion of the overall power of artillery at all levels, it is essential to scientifically and efficiently organise artillery firepower. This is a critical aspect of the art of employing artillery. 

The organisation of artillery firepower to counter strategic airborne landings can be executed either independently or in coordination with combined arms operations, based on the strategic intent and operational decisions, and typically includes fire support against enemy forces at their air embarkation points, fire support at the landing areas, fire support against enemy forces maneuvering to attack post-landing, fire support for situational responses, and fire support for the final phase of countering airborne landings. However, due to the large scale of enemy forces, the vast operational space, the complexity of developments, and the urgency of time, artillery firepower organisation must be highly flexible and responsive. This paper focuses on organising artillery firepower to combat the enemy at the landing area, during their advance toward objectives, and to respond to contingencies during the airborne assault.

1. Fire support to counter the enemy at the landing area

The enemy conducts strategic airborne landings to achieve their strategic objectives. Therefore, enemy-selected landing zones are usually deep within our rear areas, which are terrain of strategic or operational significance, providing convenient access to key targets. Given their modern equipment, the enemy can choose the time, location, and method of airborne insertion flexibly and proactively, creating a degree of surprise. Nevertheless, to conduct such operations requires the enemy to scout for suitable landing zones, clear the area with firepower, and carry out the landing. Regarding our side, strategic defensive operations are conducted within the framework of a well-prepared people’s war posture, developed since peacetime. This gives us the capability to anticipate and timely detect strategic airborne landings. Therefore, in all scenarios, once the enemy begins landing, our local forces will immediately respond with attacks, encirclement, containment, or posture-shaping operations to drive the enemy into pre-designated areas for containment and destruction.

Supporting fire at the landing zone involves numerous missions and targets while our artillery firepower is limited. Thus, to maximise destructive effect and provide effective support require artillery commanders and staff to have unified plans for firepower deployment and ensure timely assignment of tasks, target prioritisation, and proper timing of fire. Pre-emptive artillery strikes are especially critical, exploiting the ability of mobile firepower to launch sudden, intense barrages on the landing zone, aiming to cause massive damage to enemy forces and equipment before they can establish formations. The optimal moment for these strikes is when approximately two-thirds of the enemy force has landed, or immediately after complete landing but they have not regrouped or established fortifications. For maximum effect, commanders must seize the moment, fully utilise locally based artillery within defensive zones, and incorporate self-propelled artillery units and units equipped with multiple rocket launcher systems to deliver rapid, concentrated barrages on the enemy landing areas, ensuring leveraging strength of each weapon while avoiding early exposure of our intent and minimising losses from enemy firepower.

Following initial pre-emptive strikes, artillery must quickly transition to supporting fire for the maneuvering and deployment of forces to attack the enemy at the landing zone. This is the most difficult and decisive phase in countering airborne landings. Therefore, a combination of strategic-level artillery and local artillery is required to suppress enemy fire positions and inflict maximum casualties during the maneuver phase. Units must employ a combination of rapid and sustained fire techniques to neutralise the enemy. During firing, coordination with infantry and armoured units is crucial to adjust fire accordingly. After deployment, a short fire preparation phase, normally lasting for less than 5 minutes, is executed to destroy fortifications, suppress command posts, and support the infantry and armour assault. Then, artillery must immediately shift fire deeper and toward the flanks to support continued offensive action. When infantrymen and tanks charge forward, new targets emerge. The artillery must quickly suppress and annihilate them. Consequently, it is necessary to focus artillery firepower on enemy fire positions, brigade- and division-level headquarters, enemy troops, and concentrated weapon systems. The operational, tactical artillery is used to support infantrymen’s advance to annihilate the enemy at the landing area.

2. Fire support to counter enemy maneuver to objectives

If the enemy conducts successful landing, they will rapidly regroup and stabilise their formation to advance toward critical objectives. Engaging the enemy at this stage is highly complex due to limited preparation time and strong enemy support from air, missile, and artillery firepower, along with extensive electronic warfare. Consequently, commanders and artillery staff must thoroughly assess the situation, our capabilities, and the terrain and base on various levels’ operational plans to organise artillery firepower in each direction, phase, and mission. The artillery staff must instruct local artillery units in defensive zones and field units to wage battles to immediately support operations to shape the battlefield, delay enemy advances, and force them to halt in unfavourable terrain. Strategic artillery units may be deployed if needed to support combined arms forces. Key targets include enemy personnel and vehicles at the front and rear of their formation to disrupt cohesion, causing disorganisation and creating isolated target clusters. Artillery should employ a variety of fire methods such as interdiction and concentrated barrages with intense, rapid strikes to suppress fire positions, destroy command posts, and eliminate enemy armour and transport vehicles.

Once combined arms forces are in position to attack, artillery must organise a short preparation fire phase, lasting from 5 to 7 minutes, to inflict maximum damage on enemy forces in the directions of attack. The support fire for assaults is carried out after short preparation fire phase to cause further great losses to enemy units in front and on the flanks of directions of attack, enabling infantry and armour to advance. In this phase, it is possible to use the majority of affiliated artillery to suppress and destroy fire positions, brigade- and division-level headquarters, and related targets. Operational artillery and artillery going along with units in directions of attack provide fire support as requested in each direction. The main targets are enemy temporary defensive positions, counterattacks, artillery sites, and command nodes. Fire methods must be adapted to target both fixed and mobile elements, intercept enemy retreats, and disrupt enemy regrouping.

3. Fire support in contingency situations

Given their high mobility and advanced airborne capability, the enemy may land outside our anticipated areas. In such cases, we must rapidly adjust operational plans and direct forces to adapt accordingly. Due to its firepower and flexibility, artillery plays a key role in addressing such unexpected landings. To complete their tasks requires commanders and artillery staff to creatively adjust their fire plans and deployments. Effective responses include utilising local artillery units and available strategic artillery within firing range to launch pre-emptive strikes on newly identified landing zones. Concurrently, relevant units must redeploy to support combined arms forces in repelling these unexpected incursions.

If enemy airborne forces suffer heavy losses and face the threat of destruction, they may cluster together and attempt evacuation. At this moment, we must escalate our offensive, prevent enemy formation of defensive lines, and utilise artillery fire to pursue and annihilate retreating forces. If retreat is via helicopter, we must immediately suppress pickup zones. If retreat is by land, artillery must rapidly fire into the retreating formations and suppress enemy fire positions. Since the window of opportunity to strike retreating enemy forces is brief, artillery at all levels must act decisively with intense, concentrated fire to maximise impact.

Organising artillery firepower scientifically, rationally, creatively, and effectively plays a decisive role in successfully defeating enemy strategic airborne landings in strategic defensive operations. This is a continuously evolving aspect of operational art that requires further study and refinement in terms of both theory and practice.

Senior Colonel BUI NGOC TUYEN, the Artillery Corps