CRT Forum – special series
Maj Gen (ret.) Gary Deakin, Former Chief of Staff, Nato Joint Forces Command and Chairman of the Soucy CRT Forum explores the strategic value of CRT in contemporary and future operating contexts. In his chairman’s letter he provides insights from a military planning perspective, highlighting lessons learned from the Ukraine war and why attending the Soucy CRT Forum is crucial opportunity for the tracked armour community to align mobility solutions with evolving warfare dynamics.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was a defining moment in modern military history. Beyond its immediate geopolitical consequences, the conflict has served as a laboratory for understanding the enduring principles and the changing character of warfare in the 21st century. Among the most critical insights to emerge is the centrality of mobility and manoeuvre, not only at the tactical level but the implications through the operational level to the strategic. The war has underscored that success in modern conflict depends not just on firepower and mass, but on the ability to move, adapt, and outmanoeuvre the adversary in complex and contested environments.
Russia’s initial campaign plan in February 2022 was built on the assumption that speed and deception could deliver a swift victory. The objective was to seize Kyiv within ten days and complete the occupation of Ukraine by August 2022. In the early stages, this approach appeared to work. Russian forces achieved a significant force ratio advantage north of Kyiv, and Ukrainian defenders were initially misdirected by Russian deception. However, the very operational security that enabled this deception also left Russian units tactically unprepared. The plan lacked flexibility and failed to account for the possibility that the initial thrust might falter either because of the conditions on the ground or the strength of Ukrainian defence.
When Ukrainian resistance proved more resilient than anticipated, Russian forces had no viable alternatives. Their manoeuvre became increasingly vulnerable as Ukraine mobilised and began to receive Western support. Mobility quickly emerged as a critical limiting factor for Russian operations. The spring thaw, known as the Rasputitsa, transformed much of Ukraine’s terrain into a quagmire. Wheeled and tracked vehicles struggled in the mud, with tracked vehicles suffering significant mechanical failure. Russian convoys were forced to use paved roads, making them predictable and highly susceptible to ambushes and artillery strikes. These mistakes, and other force employment errors (for example, emphasising speed over proper route clearance) led to heavy losses of equipment and personnel in the opening weeks of the war. Infrastructure and the ground became a battlefield in their own right, with Ukrainian forces targeting bridges, choke points, major arterial routes and bridging units to further restrict Russian manoeuvre.
In contrast, Ukraine’s defence was marked by agility, decentralisation, and innovation. The Ukrainian Armed Forces leveraged a professional non-commissioned officer corps employing mission command empowered decentralised hit and run tactics enabling flexible, independent operations. Striking deep from in woods and forests and the skillful use urban terrain became central to their strategy. Western-supplied precision weapons, real-time intelligence via Starlink, and the integration of drones and electronic warfare tools allowed Ukrainian forces to strike with precision and adapt rapidly to battlefield conditions. The asymmetry adopted by the Ukrainian’s was classic manoeuvre warfare with mobility at its heart. The Russian critical vulnerability was an inability to manoeuvre at speed over difficult terrain, the Ukrainian’s exploited this and attacked weakness with strength.
The war has demonstrated how war fighting advantage goes to the side that learns the fastest, the side that can surprise an adversary the most. Surprise is not simply a psychological effect it can come in the form of new combat platforms or with new methods and ways of fighting. The German operational concept of Blitzkrieg and the Japanese use of kamikazes in World War II offer prime examples of these types of surprise. New doctrine can achieve surprise and force an enemy into a new cycle of learning, placing a force in a position of advantage. New technology also offers opportunity for surprise demonstrated by the rapid evolution of UAS, described many professional observers of the conflict as the new IED.
The Ukrainian’s out surprised the Russians and the contrast in mobility and adaptability highlights the operational and strategic value of technologies that enhance mobility at the tactical level, manoeuvre at the operational level, and decision making at the strategic. The Ukrainian’s got inside the Russian decision-making cycle and as a result blunted the attack.
Composite Rubber Track (CRT) systems offer such and asymmetric opportunity
If Russian tracked vehicles had been equipped with rubber tracks the outcome of their initial assault on Ukraine would have been very different. CRT systems, particularly those developed by Soucy defence, offer a compelling solution to adapt and achieve the tempo and surprise to win. CRT-equipped vehicles benefit from lower ground pressure, enabling them to traverse soft or urban terrain with reduced risk of bogging down or damaging infrastructure.
At the operational (joint and theatre) the combat effectiveness of joint force equipped with CRT would be significant. They offer competitive advantage to the whole of force from the teeth to the tail offering manoeuvre advantage across the theatre in which ever domain. CRT equipped vehicles are especially effective in littoral operations, including the critical transition from ship to shore, where reduced ground pressure and enhanced traction are essential. Similarly, reconnaissance missions ahead of the main force benefit from CRT’s low acoustic signature, reduced visual profile, and minimal sustainment requirements—characteristics that enhance stealth and survivability.
Additionally, CRT-equipped logistics vehicles can operate off-road, supporting dispersed operations and reducing reliance on vulnerable road networks. With a lifespan of up to 5,000 kilometers without maintenance, CRT-equipped platforms require fewer resupply and repair missions—an advantage that directly supports operational tempo and sustainability. The reduction in noise and vibration improves stealth and crew endurance, while weight savings of up to 50% enhance fuel efficiency and mobility. These attributes are particularly valuable in a battlespace saturated with drones and precision fires, where survivability increasingly depends on speed, dispersion, and the ability to disrupt the enemy’s kill chain.
The operational level force multiplier advantages offered by a Joint Force equipped with CRT offer decisive advantage at the strategic level. The massive reduction in the logistical burden means forces can move into position rapidly over long distances, at speed, with much reduced lines of communication. It will enable strategic deployment at speed giving decision makers advantage.
The Russian build up to invade Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 was identified months before under the cover of exercises. Their key constraint the logistics that required massing to support the invasion force. CRT offers part of solution to reduce the strategic footprint massively.
However, it is not without its challenges at the strategic level. Ukraine has demonstrated how important a Nations defence industrial base is, how supply chains are critical to the fight. One of the key lessons is that the joint force must have sufficient capacity at the onset of a conflict. The adoption of CRT introduces new considerations around cost and supply chain resilience. CRTs are more expensive upfront but offer long-term savings through reduced fuel consumption, maintenance, and downtime. In a long war, these efficiencies translate into strategic endurance.
The strategic implications of CRT extend beyond the battlefield
Its compatibility with robotic and autonomous systems supports NATO’s shift toward manned-unmanned teaming and modular force structures. Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCVs) and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) equipped with CRT can perform high-risk missions—reconnaissance, logistics, casualty evacuation, and direct fire support—without endangering personnel. Their low acoustic and thermal signatures make them harder to detect, while their expendability allows them to operate in roles too dangerous for manned systems. In Ukraine’s high-threat environment, such platforms would enhance force protection, extend situational awareness, and enable more agile, dispersed operations.
Looking ahead, the operational and strategic demands of modern land warfare will continue to evolve. The future battlefield will be defined by persistent surveillance, precision fires, and contested logistics. In this environment, mobility is not just a tactical enabler—it is a form of protection, a means of deception, and a foundation for operational success. CRT technology offers a coherent response to these challenges. It enhances the mobility, survivability, and sustainability of both manned and unmanned systems, aligning with NATO’s evolving doctrine and the realities of multi-domain operations.
CRT is not merely a mobility solution—it is a strategic opportunity. Its adoption will enable a broader shift towards forces that are more agile, more resilient, and more capable of sustaining operations in complex, high-threat environments. For NATO and its partners, investing in CRT is not simply a matter of upgrading platforms; it is a commitment to building a force that is fit for the future fight.
Soucy Defense will host the first-ever 𝐂𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐔𝐌 — an exclusive event under the theme “Composite Rubber Track: Mobility by Design”.
This exclusive event will be held in London, UK, ahead of DSEI 2025 and will welcome a select group of high-profile guests. Scheduled for Monday, 8th September 2025 at the Army & Navy Club, London.
🔒 The 𝐂𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐔𝐌 is an invite-only event. Contact us to express your interest: [email protected] (limited places available).
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“Strategy Without Tactics Is The Slowest Route To Victory. Tactics Without Strategy Is The Noise Before Defeat’
-Sun Tzu
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- Strategy
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ABLO and Soucy Defense partnered to organize the first CRT Forum.
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