The usage of thermo- and night visionors during the night fight with an opponent utilizing irregular activities, shooting training utilizing night vision, working with drones during action after dark – these are the main elements of training "North" with the participation of territorials from the 3 brigades, organized by the 5th Mazovian OT Brigade in the vicinity of Zegrzyński Basin.
– Night activities utilizing night imagination goggles and thermovision goggles are highly crucial in the modern battlefield, as shown by the Ukrainian conflict. Hence the thought of specified training. We wanted to organize comprehensive classes with the usage of optoelectronics both during shootings and night activities in the field, so that soldiers who joined this course would pass on the acquired cognition further – explains plut. Michael of the 54th Light Infantry Battalion in Zegrzu. He adds that the name of the task derives from Slavic mythology. The North in the beliefs of the old Slavs was a night demon haunting people in their sleep or appearing to them just after midnight.
Several soldiers from 3 OT brigades took part in the nine-day training: Mazowiecka, Capital and Podkarpacka. The territorials trained close Zegrzyński Dam, and 80% of the classes took place after dark. – It was truly demanding training, which consisted of long, even 20 km long night marches, in winter conditions, after a woody, swampy terrain. We played a situation where soldiers had to respond to irregular enemy actions, i.e. organize ambushes, supply medical assistance to injured people, and cooperate with optoelectronic drones equipped with optoelectronics. It was not patrolling the area with night vision, but active activities specified as flanking, frontal attack or reconnaissance – says spit. Michael.
As the soldier explains, a very crucial issue in conditions of limited visibility is the appropriate usage of both night imagination goggles and thermovision goggles. The erstwhile enhance visible light, the second respond to temperature, detecting objects and opponents in the environment. The skillful usage of both types of devices allows you to detect enemy forces in night conditions. Unmanned aircraft besides played a crucial function in the exercise. – We had both reconnaissance drones and impact FPVs. We wanted to show not only how to work with a drone equipped with optoelectronic devices, but besides how to defend ourselves from it: explain what it “sees”, how it detects soldiers – it describes the spit. Michael.
During night training, the territorialists acted in a decentralised way, moving around threes, which is already a request for modern battlefield combat due to the threat from drones. respective groups of soldiers are more hard to attack by drones. Participants besides practiced shooting utilizing optoelectronic devices in unlit container shooting ranges. It was both active shooting training, utilizing lasers and passive – utilizing collimators on weapons. – In this first case, a laser beam is fired, which illuminates the target, but if the opponent besides uses night vision, he sees this beam, is aware of the danger and can counteract. Therefore, it is besides aimed passively, that is only by a collimator, which is invisible to the opponent with night imagination – the plutonium translator.
The course ended with an exam whereby participants had to cover over 20 km by night, to arrange an ambush. Later, after receiving information from drone operators that the opponent was in another location, they were tasked with moving to the enemy's area of action, preparing a fresh ambush and conducting an attack. Finally, they had to give medical assistance to the injured and transport him to the evacuation point.
The training “North” took place for the first time. The organizers are already announcing further editions.
