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Originally Posted by mpipes
When was the BTG concept adopted?
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The first Battalion Tactical Groups were formed in 2013. With just 1,000 men, they are on the "light" side in manning and I would compare their function with the US Calvary (both the Air Cav & Armored Cav) in that they reduce manning in the hope of increasing tactical maneuverability and flexibility. However, it now appears that BGTs do NOT have the tactical flexibility that we thought due to their inability to "shoot, move, and communicate" effectively. They also lack the troop density (Infantry) for urban warfare... just like US Cav units which "do more with less" by leveraging airpower and artillery to break up enemy troop concentrations.
I believe the BTG was adopted due to "manning issues" in the Russian Army. Because of their structure (no NCO corps to control the enlisted) they can only control units of a certain size effectively. In theory, by having a "combined arms unit" of 1,000 men, junior officers can just "dispatch" BTGs towards objectives without having to "micromanage" them in combat. In practice, the lack of training in the Russian Army makes the BTG ineffective.