Demobilization. Why the army may ban smartphones. The Russian army may abandon cell phones with navigation and cameras. Which phone is better to take into the army

As it became known to Kommersant, the Russian Defense Ministry is considering the option of limiting the operation of modern cellular communications in the central office, government agencies and troops (up to subdivisions). Instead of smartphones, all military personnel - including senior officials - were asked to use the simplest models of push-button phones that do not have the function of taking photos and videos and do not track geolocation, but they can send SMS and are equipped with a built-in flashlight. According to Kommersant, the leadership of the department decided in this way to deal with information leaks, including in the media. The new measures may come into effect as early as March 1.

Two sources close to the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces told Kommersant about innovations in the use of personal cellular communications in the armed forces, and also confirmed the interlocutor in the leadership of the department. According to one of them, over the past months the issue has been worked out jointly with the special services responsible for protecting state secrets. And recently, the head of the Eighth Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces (responsible for ensuring information security, is engaged in encryption), Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov compiled a list of mobile devices “permitted for use” in central and military authorities, units of the RF Ministry of Defense, formations, military units and organizations RF Armed Forces.

The list includes only 11 phone models from four different manufacturers (Nokia, TeXet, Alcatel and Samsung). These are the simplest push-button devices costing from 688 (for an Alcatel One Touch 1020D handset) to 2,313 rubles. (for the "clamshell" Samsung GT-E1272). They meet several main requirements: they use GSM 900/1800 standards (900/1800/1900 for some models), are equipped with a polycarbonate cover, have an SMS function, a built-in alarm clock, a calculator, a calendar, a headphone jack, and some also have a flashlight or even a compartment for a second SIM card. The phone models recommended by the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces do not have GPS/GLONASS navigation and do not have a built-in photo or video camera.

Kommersant's military sources explain the innovation, which should take effect as early as March 1, as "secrecy considerations." In recent years, the agency has experienced many problems due to information leaks: for example, during the operation to annex Crimea to Russia in 2014, its participants took commemorative photographs at former facilities of the Ukrainian armed forces, which were then leaked onto the Internet and used in the West to make allegations about "Russian aggression". Photographs taken by Russian citizens in the south-east of Ukraine during the battles with the regular army served as the basis for accusations against the Russian Defense Ministry.

The last time the department was concerned about the fact of the publication on social networks of photographs taken at the Khmeimim air base in Syria after a mortar attack on militants: the pictures that were distributed on the network showed serious damage to equipment that was taken on a smartphone by one of the servicemen.

In addition, according to Kommersant, the military expects that the rejection of smartphones will help get rid of unauthorized access of documents (including those marked “For official use”) to the media.

It should be noted that this restrictive measure fits into the policy of working with military personnel pursued by the Ministry of Defense. So, on February 13, the Izvestia newspaper, referring to the rules for using the Internet, developed by the department at the end of 2017, reported that military personnel and civilian employees of the Russian Defense Ministry were recommended to stop using social networks. In the future, the Ministry of Defense intends to amend the laws to make them mandatory. True, according to several employees of the central office of the department, it is easy to circumvent these rules: it is enough to create an account under a fictitious name.

With phones, the situation is more complicated, says one of Kommersant's interlocutors: many employees of the department, including those related to management, are used to using multifunctional devices that allow you to install instant messengers and make calls over the Internet, and "no one is going to give up their accessories." But even this ban is easily manageable, an officer of one of the departments of the Ministry of Defense believes: “You buy a simple“ dialer ”, which you always carry with you and, if necessary, you can present to your superiors. A normal phone on silent mode remains in your pocket.

Kommersant sent a request to the Department of Information and Mass Communications with a request to comment on the department's plans.

On March 1, 2018, a law came into force prohibiting military personnel from using mobile devices and gadgets equipped with a wide range of functions and options. These include, for example, the presence of a camera, Internet access, the ability to download various gaming applications. However, on certain days and hours, soldiers are allowed to use the simplest mobile models. After calling home or friends, the soldier is obliged to hand over the phone to the unit commander until the next issue. This requirement must be strictly observed.

Which mobile phone model to choose

In the army, employees can only use simple models of phones. Moreover, the time of use is strictly regulated. In case of disobedience or an attempt to hide the device and its subsequent discovery, the soldier will be reprimanded, and the gadget itself will be confiscated. In some military units, it comes to the point that the unit commanders nail the found mobile phones to the thematic wall with a nail.
When asked which phone to choose for the army, the answer is obvious - a budget model with a minimum of options. The phone should be such that it would not be a pity to lose or break it. And, of course, it must comply with the requirements established by the state - it must be only push-button and only from certain manufacturers (the most popular are Nokia, Samsung, Alcatel).
Preference for such models is given for a reason. They have the following benefits:

hold a charge for a long time - on average, the battery does not discharge from 2 weeks to a month;
do not distract a soldier from service;
in case of loss, theft or damage, they do not cause serious material damage to the owner.

When choosing a phone, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the charging connector is standard. This will allow you to charge the battery from comrades' chargers. This is relevant in case personal charging is lost or damaged.

Is it allowed to use the phone in the army

In the army, it is allowed to call on mobile phones only at specifically designated times - by day and hour. As a rule, this is a day off, most often Sunday. Employees are given telephones, which are kept by the unit commander in a special safe on all other days of the week. Calls are allocated about an hour. After this time, the soldier must return the mobile device to the safe. As for the punishment for breaking the rule, it is described above.

Should you even take your cell phone with you to the army?

When recruiting young people for the army, relatives ask themselves the question - should young men be given mobile phones at all, if they are not particularly allowed to use them, and which phone to choose for the duration of military service?
It should be said unequivocally that it is not worth giving out an expensive gadget model to a newly minted soldier. Since expensive phones often have prohibited functionality: photo / video, voice recorder and others. Such models will be confiscated and, as a result, the young man will face material and moral damage, so it is better to leave all valuable devices at home until the end of the service.
But a budget model needs to be purchased, and even two or three are better. So in case of loss, breakage, withdrawal due to disobedience, the soldier will be able to use another phone. Communication with relatives and friends in any case must be maintained, and a mobile phone is the best way for such communication. Of course, you can write letters, but they take from several days to a month, so this option cannot be called fast and convenient.

Phone ban in the army

The ban on the use of technologically advanced and advanced mobile devices in the army is not just a whim of the Department of Defense. This is a logical step. First of all, we are talking about the preservation of restricted access information and, as a result, the protection of the State. If phones are allowed in the army, and every employee has free access to a gadget with a high-quality camera, a voice recorder and fast Internet access, this is fraught with the disclosure of secret data or simply the creation of compromising content that can create the wrong impression of the Russian army among the civilian population.
The ban does not only apply to mobile phones. The following gadgets also fall under this rule:

photo/video camera
notebook
tablet
video recorder
smart watch
modem
communicator
fitness bracelet;
Dictaphone

If a soldier is found to have any of the devices listed in the list, they will be immediately seized and possibly even destroyed.

Allowed phones in the army in 2019

In order to be sure that the mobile meets the requirements of the Ministry of Defense before being sent to the army, it is recommended to study the list of allowed models in advance. They are all push-button and are equipped with only basic functions, the main of which is the ability to make a call.
Allowed phone models for the army for 2019:

Alcatel OT-1009
AlcatelOne Touch 1016D
AlcatelOne Touch 1020D
Alcatel One Touch 208

Alcatel phones allowed in the military

Nokia 105
Nokia 1280
Nokia 3310

Approved Nokia phones

Samsung GT-E1080i
Samsung GT-E1200
Samsung GT-E1200M
Samsung GT-E1272

Samsung phones in the army

Beeline A105

Phone Beeline A105

Separately, it is worth mentioning such a device as Telephone-H2. It can be used in open negotiations, as well as brought into rooms up to the second category, inclusive. This also includes the premises of state authorities of the Russian Federation, related to the area of responsibility of the FSB of Russia.
Thanks to Phone-H2 you can:

conduct open negotiations;
write and send SMS (limited text volume);
store phone numbers of other subscribers on your mobile.

But most importantly, the device provides complete protection of information and eliminates its leakage.

Thus, for 2019, phones and gadgets with a wide range of options are prohibited in the army. But push-button models from certain manufacturers are allowed for use at strictly regulated times and with subsequent mandatory surrender to the unit commander. These rules must be taken into account by all soldiers so that there is no dispute about which phone can be used in the army and which models are prohibited.

Also, many parents do not understand that phones are an indulgence on the part of the army, and not a prerequisite. After all, a soldier should be focused on performing tasks in the service and combat training, and not thinking about how to call more often and talk to a girl or parents. Therefore, a big request to all parents is treated with understanding if the soldier does not call for a week or two. There could be a thousand reasons for this. And for comparison, remember how 10-20 years ago, when there were no telephones and served for 2-3 years, everyone wrote letters that took a month, or might not reach at all. Therefore, your children are now in fairly good conditions regarding the use of mobile phones and the rapid transfer of information.

The campaign to ensure the information security of the Russian military continues, which is perceived with frank sarcasm by the "progressive public".

It is worth noting that earlier at the end of last year, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation issued a list of recommendations on the behavior of military personnel on the Web. In particular, the military is invited to minimize information about themselves on social networks, turn off geolocation data, not talk about the place of deployment and not post photos while serving.

Now it has come to phones, and in general, as international experience shows, this was a completely logical step. Naturally, the liberal community writes about the new initiative of the Russian military, as about the fact that "now the soldiers will be left with push-button phones." However, the danger of modern smartphones in the hands of regular military personnel is still there. The authors of the Doctor Prescribed channel talk about it in detail: “Everything is much more complicated and scary for the military of any country.

Firstly, a smartphone can not only transmit GPS coordinates to the enemy (that’s how everyone knows where which parts are and what kind of equipment is there - but this will burn the redeployment or combat exit). He can listen to what is happening around (even in the off mode), shoot what is happening (even off), can build a three-dimensional map of the premises and the building (and if it is a bunker-ZKP?). And he can, being connected "just charge via USB" (despite the prohibitions) to the computer, access the file system, etc.

And it’s also easy to catch metadata in smartphones - anyway, a person can’t resist writing letters, using instant messengers, updating social networks, etc.

Well, and, of course, a psychological moment - when you have a phone without a camera and a vazap-viber-skype, there is less chance that you will start sending selfies to someone, talk for nothing and accidentally hand over a state secret. And if you give out a state secret over an open connection - well, you yourself signed the admission form and took the oath, comrade counterintelligence officer will hear you and come.

Someone will say "but who needs Vasya-company or drunk Colonel Ivanov in his smoky division headquarters"? Laugh-laugh. After you read Wikileaks about the tools of the CIA and the NSA - and how they worked in all military units, right down to the shabby guardhouse in the North Caucasus Federal District or the Baltic Fleet's car depot.

It is also interesting what they wrote in another telegram channel: “Speaking of smartphones in the RF Armed Forces. Our sources say that even a list of acceptable mobile phones has appeared, approved at the highest levels.

Most of the valid phones are old Alcatel and Samsung. It is noteworthy that all without GPRS modules. Recall that recently the US Armed Forces allowed surveillance by Chinese intelligence agencies through Huawei. Everything is as it is."

As a matter of fact, deliberately moving away from top-end equipment to obsolete models is one of the standard methods of the Russian, and not only the army, in terms of providing additional security. Well, since we are talking about smartphones as a private means of communication, then from the point of view of geopolitical interests, this is the least of the evils.

On the other hand, we have indeed entered the era of electronic surveillance of everyone. And there really are opportunities for such tracking now. Moreover, for the most part, these opportunities are concentrated in the hands of the United States. Well, yes, even China. These are states on whose territory there are companies producing "iron" and "software", which are used by billions of people, not only the military, but in general.

But as far as the military is concerned, measures must be taken as quickly as possible. And the transition to "push-button nichephones" in this case is the most painless and easy option for mass and operational execution. It just so happened that we live in the era of a global cyberpunk dystopia, and we have to respond to it with such non-standard methods.

In addition, the good old Nokia of the first models can not only provide communication, but also quite pass for a throwing weapon. At the same time, for lethal and reusable weapons.

Image copyright Dmitry Feoktistov/TASS Image caption Smartphones with cameras may soon be banned for the Russian military

The Russian Defense Ministry may impose restrictions on the use of smartphones for military personnel as part of the fight against information leaks, the Kommersant newspaper writes. Experts interviewed by the BBC have doubts about the effectiveness of this measure.

According to Kommersant, instead of smartphones with geolocation and a camera, military personnel may be offered to use the simplest models of push-button mobile phones.

According to the publication, Lieutenant General of the Russian General Staff Yuri Kuznetsov compiled a list of mobile devices allowed for use in the units of the Ministry of Defense.

The list includes 11 inexpensive push-button devices costing from 688 to 2313 rubles. All of them have the function of sending SMS, built-in alarm clock, calculator and calendar, but they do not have GPS / GLONASS navigation, and there is no built-in photo or video camera.

The Ministry of Defense hopes that such a measure will help combat information leaks - photographs and videos taken by military personnel, as well as their posts on social networks and geotags, are increasingly featured in journalistic publications and in the materials of investigative groups.

The BBC Russian service asked experts how appropriate it is to introduce such restrictions and whether anything will change if they are adopted.

Ruslan Leviev, founder of the Conflict Intelligence Team project

I think that the soldiers will continue to act as they did before: give one phone to the chief for storage, hide the second under the pillow, and update their social networks from it.

There are infinitely many such instructions, and in our memory since the beginning of the Ukrainian war, this kind of initiative has been put forward for the fourth or fifth time.

But the main thing is not instructions (according to the law, soldiers are already forbidden to publish information about military service, because they are a state secret), but control. Controlling a huge army is hard.

But in the much smaller Wagner group, such control is much easier to exercise. Therefore, we have noticed many times that as soon as a person signs a contract with the Wagner PMC, all his online activity immediately stops completely.

So, as regards the Russian servicemen, I think this will in no way affect our work.

Denis Mokrushin, blogger, military observer

It is possible to refuse [from using smartphones], but how will all this be controlled? Now, for example, military personnel are already prohibited from using mobile phones on the territory of the unit.

But nevertheless, at least officers and contractors wear them freely. Because otherwise it is difficult to keep in touch with each other. If the commander wants to assign a task to a subordinate, and he is not next to him, then he simply calls him on the phone.

Officially, this is prohibited, but in fact the ban applies only to conscripts who actually hand over their phones. But, again, they can rent one phone, and have a second one for communication. From it they will go to Vkontakte and other social networks.

BBC: And when are soldiers given telephones in units?

D.M.: For example, at a certain time in the evening, when all classes are over. It depends on the part, on the regime of its secrecy. Somewhere it can only be on weekends, also at a certain time. They are certainly allowed to make calls to their relatives, but this is necessarily regulated in each specific unit by the decision of the commander.

And if participation in hostilities is possible, then they may even demand to hand over all phones.

For example, military personnel sent to Syria do not hand over all phones, but they are forbidden to have smartphones, laptops, smart watches, fitness trackers and the like. It is clear that it can be carried illegally, but officially it is prohibited.

When collecting a conscript for service, parents are interested in: is it allowed to use a mobile phone in the army? A mobile device has become commonplace and everyday life of our lives, sometimes it may seem that without it we are like without hands. But the army has its own laws, and only those who have already served or are well aware of Russian legislation know which ones.

Not everyone has such knowledge, so we will help you figure out whether it is worth taking a phone with you to the army or is it a useless exercise, it is better to leave it at home.

Should I take the phone to the army

The telephone is the only means of communication for the conscript with his home, family and relatives, so, of course, you need to take it. In the army in 2019, it is allowed to use a cell phone, but at the same time, you should remember the basic rules, in case of violation of which the soldier will have to answer to the command to the fullest extent of army laws:

The order of the Minister of Defense, registered in 2009, determines that in the Russian army you can use the phone only on certain days and hours, which is set by the leadership of a particular military unit.
You can also have a phone in 2019 in your personal time, that is, you will have to forget about it when serving in a daily outfit. The same applies to the garrison.
To better navigate the rules, find and download the “Army and Law” application to your smartphone, before you go to the draft, study it from A to Z, this will help you avoid many punishments for misconduct. In the mobile program, you can also ask a lawyer a question if a controversial situation suddenly arises, but it’s better not to bring it to that.

You must notify your family members about these rules of army life that are in force for conscripts in 2019, explain that the army is not a passage yard where you can afford to do whatever you want. This is your job for the next 12 months, and work according to a clearly established schedule, now it is up to you to decide when you get up in the morning and when you go to bed.

In fact, you can’t fully manage your life for a whole year, so you’ll have to forget about talking on the phone for a long time and when you need parents or your girlfriend.

Which phone is better to take to the army

So, we have already found out that it is not only possible for a conscript to take a phone, but even necessary, but using it is with restrictions. Some military personnel take 2 devices with them at once, hand over one to a responsible person, and hide the second in the pocket of their uniform, but in part they do not approve of such experiments.

Think about how much you need a mobile phone - during study and training, physical and strength exercises for endurance, a mobile phone can fall out and break, then you definitely won’t be healthy, and you can’t return the device, it’s useless.

That is why former soldiers do not recommend “earning” conscious outfits and punishments out of turn, you are drafted into the army to learn something, and not to wash floors or clean potato sacks. Newfangled smartphones are also useless - they quickly break down, even one blow can cause the failure of some functions, which will never happen with a simple push-button device.

Choose a cheap, mobile, but reliable option for a mobile device that no soldier will covet and that it is not a pity to replace in case of a sudden breakdown. This authorized phone should be deposited with the person in charge, once a week it will be given out to call relatives. The soldier does not need the apparatus for any other purposes.

It happens that the command is not too strict about the presence of a second phone, so sometimes you can ask your parents to bring a second mobile to a meeting, but only if you accurately study the daily routine and the rules in force in the military unit.

What phones can not be worn on the territory of a military unit

To avoid being reprimanded and dressed up, a soldier needs to give up GSM cellular communication devices. For ease of use, give preference to a simple model with a microUSB power connector - this is a single standard for charging absolutely all mobile phones, it can be used to charge almost all gadgets, tablets, phones.

There are many cases when a soldier lost his name cord to a smartphone and could no longer simply charge it even with the help of a charger that a friend had. The standard power connector is most often built into LG, Nokia and Alcatel phone models.

If you want to relax after watching an interesting movie with your comrades in the evening, ask your relatives to download a couple of videos to your smartphone, but do not abuse entertainment and hide the modern device somewhere away from prying eyes - in the army, only you are responsible for the safety of valuables, no one is responsible for theft not insured.

How to arrange your leisure time in the army

In the service, the soldier will definitely not be bored, because the day is scheduled literally by the minute, the daily routine is quite tough early rise, certain duties, for example, in the kitchen, training and lights out.

In the absence of a cool phone, you can diversify your leisure time with such activities:

Go in for sports - offer to build a sports corner, take the initiative and take part in this important process.

You can make not only barbells and weights, but also full-fledged simulators, for which the team will only say “thank you”. There is an opinion that among the “grandfathers”, who will soon leave for demobilization, it is customary to have fun by getting drunk, but here the owner is already the master, no one will force the conscript to pour alcohol. Everyone chooses for himself what is to his liking.

Arrange concerts for the holidays with the participation of soldiers, thus earning additional pluses from the command in your address, and maybe even a leave home.