Threat Countries Continue to Integrate the Subterranean Environment into their National Planning by LTC Bryce Frederickson
In the current operational environment (OE), threat forces apply sanctuary strategies to enhance their success against U.S. and coalition forces. One sanctuary strategy employed by both Russia and China is the use of the subterranean environment as a means of mitigating combined arms maneuver and intelligence collection assets, and to increase the survivability of their strategic and operational capabilities. Military-purposed underground facilities (UGFs) is just one section of the subterranean environment that these countries continue to design and develop into their strategy to be successful on the battlefield. Additionally, both Russia and China have the capabilities and resources to put forth well-trained engineers and employ modern construction techniques as UGFs are continuing to be built and upgraded in both these countries.
The use of the subterranean environment runs deep in warfare history. There are many examples which have been researched and well documented, such as WW2 Okinawa island defense, Viet Cong tunnels, Taliban caves in Afghanistan, and Hamas tunnels. These historical examples show the effectiveness of using the subterranean environment to mitigate a superior force, provide maneuver, and to inflict large amounts of causalities with a smaller force.
Russia and China continue to dedicate resources into design, construction, and improvement of UGFs, so it is important to understand the complexities of operating in the subterranean environment. This increases the potential for the U.S. and its allies to come into contact with a UGF on the battlefield. This is a brief overview how underground facilities are being used and integrated in Russia and China.
Russian Subterranean Facilities
The Soviet Union prepared to survive the Cold War by building UGFs to survive a nuclear conflict, and those remain to this day. The Russian UGF architecture consists of command posts, large rural facilities, and urban bunkers along with city infrastructure (subway and sewer system). Russia continues to show, through its actions and use of its resources, that it continues to complete ongoing UGF projects, upgrade current facilities, and plans to build new UGFs.
The Russian UGFs in and around its major population centers consist of population bunker holdovers from the Soviet Union, modern military command posts, and the city’s infrastructure such as the subway and sewer system. The city’s underground infrastructure can be quickly converted and used to potentially support military forces that are defending the city. Additionally, military forces that enter Moscow, the capital, would come into contact with military command posts. Fewer than 10 years ago, Russia reportedly began constructing a fortified national defense facility in Moscow that included UGF and emergency evacuation transport routes.[1] The use of UGFs in population centers helps demonstrate part of the Russian strategy.
In rural areas, the most notable UGF is the Yamantau Mountain in the Ural mountain range. This project began construction 25 years ago and is located about 850 miles east of Moscow.[2] The Ural mountain range and especially the Yamantau Mountain can easily be found on Google Earth and shows the isolation and its sheer size. Building UGF structures in a mountain range enables the country to take advantage of the terrestrial opportunities provided by mountains and dense rock. Additionally, Russia continues to upgrade this mountain facility, which shows its strategic importance. The Kosvinsky mountain complex and the Yamantau mountain complex are two major command and control centers that were scheduled for upgrade in 2017.”[3]
Figure 1, Google Earth Image of Yamantau Mountain
This allocation of resources demonstrates Russia’s commitment to have UGF near its population centers; how these may interact with civilian bunkers is to be determined, however forces entering this city will encounter this military UGF.
China Subterranean Facilities
China has also built its military UGFs to maximize use of the country’s terrain. China has a natural barrier with the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea creating an ideal location for UGFs to provide sanctuary against attacking forces. China views their rocket forces and strategic air force as critical and has constructed UGFs to provide sanctuary from attack on these forces.
A recent report from India provides an idea of what one of the rocket force missile launch facilities looks like. Construction at one such location for which construction began fewer than 5 years ago, which allegedly has the potential to hold a brigade-size ballistic missile formation.[4] The image, viewable at the link above, shows two UGFs that most likely would be for a mobile ICBM system. Additionally, looking at this rocket force’s garrison, the argument could be made that the UGFs are a critical capability. Any attacking force would have both surface and subsurface engagements as any soldiers above ground would protect the UGFs.
China has also exported their technologies and started building an underground bunker in Djibouti, accomplishing both force projection and sanctuary for their personnel. “A portion of the underground part of the base likely includes hardened bunker areas for a command post and other sensitive operations spaces.”[5] This type of base provides China’s military a strategic advantage in the region, and also demonstrates their intent of having a long-term base. It remains important to monitor any further construction by China in the future to shape the picture of where China spends its resources on these expensive facilities, and its potential motives.
The use of the subterranean environment in warfare has existed for centuries and always provided the defense a military advantage over the attacking force. With the continued planning, dedication of resources, and construction of military purpose Underground Facilities in both Russia and China to maximize the terrain and provide sanctuary for their capabilities, the subterranean environment will be a factor in any future conflict. During any large scale combat operation, if the attacking force has not planned and prepared for operations in the subterranean environment the military advantage would stay with the defender and create more complexities for the attackers. The US Army ATP 3-21.51, Subterranean Operations provides a foundation for units that are planning on training for the Subterranean Environment. Future commanders need to understand the complexity future conflicts will present in managing both surface and subsurface engagements, potentially at the same time.
References
Images
[1] Michael Snyder “Russia has constructed massive underground shelters in anticipation of nuclear war”, 25 March 2015
[2] Introduction : “Underground Facilities: Intelligence and Targeting Issues”, By Jeffrey T. Richelson
[3] Bill Gertz “Russia sharply expanding nuclear arsenal, upgrading underground facilities”, 13 December 2017
[4] Colonel (retired) Vinayak Bhat “China’s New Secret Missile Garrison in Sichuan can Target All of India and Beyond”
[5] Joseph Trevithick, 2017 “China’s Base in the Horn of African has a Huge Underground Bunker”