Rolling Thunder: Operation Rising Bear

This is a transfer from the previous "Expressions of Interest" thread.

Rough outline:

Backstory: To be fleshed out but basically ...

After period of escalating political and economic pressure, the Russian Federation (RusFed) and NATO are at an impasse over Ukraine's right to act as an independent nation.

This deterioration in relations has taken place over a few months and has allowed several NATO nations (particularly Great Britain, Canada and the United States) to freeze and in some cases reverse their earlier policy of force draw down out of Europe.

NATO has formed a multinational Battle Group with Combat Teams from Canada, Germany, UK and USA.

This NATO Response Force (NRF) has been forward based in KRAKOW in Poland and is the lead component of the heavy forces that are concentrating further West.

Major components of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have begun to concentrate at Ramstein Air Base prior to potentially moving further East as required.

Most of this is posturing though intended to dissuade RusFed forces from intervening directly.

Inside Ukraine itself, the Ukranian Army (ZSU) has been mobilised in all but name and has taken up defensive positions with their largely Soviet era equipment.

The overarching campaign line of operation being that if needed, the ZSU impose delay while the NRF moves to confront the RusFed forces while more substantial NATO formations return to their old bases and become combat effective in order to deter RusFed aggression and "encourage" their exit from any occupied Ukrainian terrain.

Forces involved:

TBC (exact equipment and CT structures to follow) but likely:

Blue - NRF:

Germans (Leo 2E)

US (M1A2 SEP and Bradley)

UK (CR2 and Warrior with Scimitar providing part of the Formation recce)

Canadians (Leo 2E and LAV III)

Aviation CT (AH-64, Eurocopter, Chinook, Blackhawk or MRH-90)

Formation recce: Scimitar, Scorpion and an ASLAV Tp on exchange.

Green - ZSU*: T-64B, BMP-2, BTR-80, 2S3, Mi-24, ...

Red - RusFed*: T-90, BMP-3, 2S3, BMD, Mi-24, ...

* Not playable.

Mission Type: Co-Op against scripted AI

Format: Four Missions run back to back in one continuous activity.

Timings: Run at a European / Northern Hemisphere friendly time - say 1800 on a Saturday night (GMT)

Perhaps run over Easter +’s and -’s to that - happy to take feedback.

Likely time-frame remains a Saturday evening (GMT) in approx. 3 months (post OP VARIABLE 4) say late March / early April.

In terms of an exact date, OPV4 still has approx 8 weeks to run based on the "once mission a fortnight" plan.

In approx. a fortnight I intend to put up a poll of Saturday evenings (GMT) that covers say the next 5 Saturdays after OPV 4 is due to finish and ask for people's availability.

If OPV 4 goes longer than planned then the idea would be that there would at least be one Saturday break between OPV 4 and this.

Something similar will apply if OPV 4 finishes early, but its unlikely it will be any closer than say 10 Saturdays from "today" (because we still have to create the missions, etc.).

Hosted by: The PzBtl 911 server and staff (thank you for your support).

Bling: Still being worked on.

Current sign ups:

Canadians: Brun, 12Alfa, Kingtiger, Tango29, Tacom

Germans: D u k e, Ricopico, Froggy, Induction

UK: Crusty, Tjay, Bogusheadbox, Hoggydog, Hedgehog

US: dta delta, Connaugh, Rotareneg, MDF

Guns: ????

CSS Operator/s: ????

Cameraman: ????

Various:

Tacbat,

enigma6584 (due to the demise of the East Europeans)

Panzer Leader,

Mudpi*, (haven't heard from him since)

Myself,

Tac197,

pkcav39

and a couple of others from BG ANZAC.

C2 structure:

BG CO owns the Aviation CT, some 2nd line CSS and allocates priority for guns.

CT OCs own their own integral CSS, call for fires with their FO, can bid for additional assets from the BG CO.

CT OC’s given “orders” from BG CO prior and a trace so they can work up their plan (hopefully “save plan” works again by then ).

Each 2IC (XO for our American friends) would also get a copy in case their OC couldn’t make it after the “last safe moment” - no hospital passes here.

General:

Making it Co-Op maximises the number of players and should allow people to be vehicle or Platoon / Troop commanders if they wish, not forced to command more units than they are comfortable with.

sorry for showing up late for the party, I will tag along with the UK guys if that is ok.

updated.

Hard to say if there is no date set. But i'll try to join in. Guns would be my choice

Hard to say if there is no date set. But i'll try to join in. Guns would be my choice

Sweet, I'll ride with my UK Cohorts for a change

Not related to possible dates for the activity so thought I'd post here.

Rolling Thunder: Operation Rising Bear will be run using 3.011 unless between now and then some major issue is found with 3.011.

I am interested in joining this also.

Danish but pretty good at English. This means that radio comms experience in English is a bit lacking.

If there is room for me somewhere I should be able to yank out a couple Sunday evenings. Leopard. Infantry. Whatever you need...

If there is room for me somewhere I should be able to yank out a couple Sunday evenings.

Plenty of room.

You need to be aware though that this is not something run over a couple of "Sunday evenings".

Firstly its probably going to be Saturday evening / Sunday morning depending on where you live.

So if you are a Dane living in Denmark it will be a Saturday night.

Secondly and perhaps more importantly there is no "couple". This is run back to back in the "Long Night of Tanks format". So:

Fight Mission 1

short break

Fight Mission 2

short break

Fight Mission 3

short break

Fight Mission 4

It is all over and do with in one session.

You don't have to lock yourself in to all the sessions (but you do get a prettier ribbon if you attend all four).

You can just fight the first one or fight the first one, get some sleep and rejoin for mission 4 or some combination.

I should be able to attend, and if so, then I will play with the UK (I want to experience the awesomeness of the CR2).

Weirdo :bigsmile:

Quite.

I should be able to attend, and if so, then I will play with the UK (I want to experience the awesomeness of the CR2).

Some as yet undisclosed added awesomeness in 3.011?

"Adjustment to allow the CHALLENGER MBT to burn"

Maybe not ...

Well, I am used to playing in the T-72, so to me the CR2 is very awesome.

that's the spirit

Some as yet undisclosed added awesomeness in 3.011?

"Adjustment to allow the CHALLENGER MBT to burn"

Maybe not ...

That's OK,we all like a nice BBQ :bigsmile:

UPDATED:

Rough outline:

Backstory: To be fleshed out but basically ...

After period of escalating political and economic pressure, the Russian Federation (RusFed) and NATO are at an impasse over Ukraine's right to act as an independent nation.

This deterioration in relations has taken place over a few months and has allowed several NATO nations (particularly Great Britain, Canada and the United States) to freeze and in some cases reverse their earlier policy of force draw down out of Europe.

NATO has formed a multinational Battle Group with Combat Teams from Canada, Germany, UK and USA.

This NATO Response Force (NRF) has been forward based in KRAKOW in Poland and is the lead component of the heavy forces that are concentrating further West.

Major components of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have begun to concentrate at Ramstein Air Base prior to potentially moving further East as required.

Most of this is posturing though intended to dissuade RusFed forces from intervening directly.

Inside Ukraine itself, the Ukranian Army (ZSU) has been mobilised in all but name and has taken up defensive positions with their largely Soviet era equipment.

The overarching campaign line of operation being that if needed, the ZSU impose delay while the NRF moves to confront the RusFed forces while more substantial NATO formations return to their old bases and become combat effective in order to deter RusFed aggression and "encourage" their exit from any occupied Ukrainian terrain.

Forces involved:

TBC (exact equipment and CT structures to follow) but likely:

Blue - NRF:

Germans (Leo 2E)

US (M1A2 SEP and Bradley)

UK (CR2 and Warrior with Scimitar providing part of the Formation recce)

Canadians (Leo 2E and LAV III)

Aviation CT (AH-64, Eurocopter, Chinook, Blackhawk or MRH-90)

Formation recce: Scimitar, Scorpion and an ASLAV Tp on exchange.

Green - ZSU*: T-64B, BMP-2, BTR-80, 2S3, Mi-24, ...

Red - RusFed*: T-90, BMP-3, 2S3, BMD, Mi-24, ...

* Not playable.

Mission Type: Co-Op against scripted AI

Format: Four Missions run back to back in one continuous activity.

Timings: Run at a European / Northern Hemisphere friendly time.

051800ZAPR14 - so 1800 Zulu / GMT on the 5th of April.

Global equivalents:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Rolling+Thunder&iso=20140405T18

Hosted by: The PzBtl 911 server and staff (thank you for your support).

Bling: As per the bottom left and right corners below:

Current sign ups:

Canadians: Brun, 12Alfa, Kingtiger, Tango29, Tacom

Germans: D u k e, Ricopico, Froggy, Induction

UK: Crusty, Tjay, Bogusheadbox, Hoggydog, Hedgehog, Volcano,

US: dta delta, Connaugh, Rotareneg, MDF

Guns: ????

CSS Operator/s: ????

Cameraman: ????

Various:

Tacbat,

enigma6584 (due to the demise of the East Europeans)

Panzer Leader,

Mudpi*, (haven't heard from him since)

Myself,

Tac197,

pkcav39

and a couple of others from BG ANZAC.

C2 structure:

BG CO owns the Aviation CT, some 2nd line CSS and allocates priority for guns.

CT OCs own their own integral CSS, call for fires with their FO, can bid for additional assets from the BG CO.

CT OC’s given “orders” from BG CO prior and a trace so they can work up their plan (hopefully “save plan” works again by then ).

Each 2IC (XO for our American friends) would also get a copy in case their OC couldn’t make it after the “last safe moment” - no hospital passes here.

General:

Making it Co-Op maximises the number of players and should allow people to be vehicle or Platoon / Troop commanders if they wish, not forced to command more units than they are comfortable with.

Will be run using 3.011 at this stage.

If a 3.01X comes out closer to date I'll make a call then.

Sorry I'm a little late to this party but is there room for 1 more little one? My calendar is currently free for that weekend. Playing British is my prefered option but I'll slot where I'm needed.

Current sign ups:

Canadians: Brun, 12Alfa, Kingtiger, Tango29, Tacom

Germans: D u k e, Ricopico, Froggy, Induction

UK: Crusty, Tjay, Bogusheadbox, Hoggydog, Hedgehog, Volcano, CR2 Commander

US: dta delta, Connaugh, Rotareneg, MDF

Guns: ????

CSS Operator/s: ????

Cameraman: ????

Various:

Tacbat,

enigma6584 (due to the demise of the East Europeans)

Panzer Leader,

Mudpi*, (haven't heard from him since)

Myself,

Tac197,

pkcav39

and a couple of others from BG ANZAC.

To facilitate some initial familiarisation with the ground here is NATO's Area of Interest (AI).

The Area of Operations, Order of Battle (TO&E for our American friends) and OPORD will follow in the next few days.

I'd be interested in taking the guns for one mission, but not all of them.

I'm sure we can work some sort of staff rotation model.

"guns" can also be expanded to include combat aviation.

I'd be interested in taking the guns for one mission, but not all of them.

Well, I'd be with you. You want to be FO or FSO? (or is that JFST and JFCT nowadays ;-) )

Well each CT has an FO / JFT / JOST / JFAC.

The person who controls the guns and the attack aviation (determines priorities, has to move the on map assets, etc.) is at BG HQ.

Well, I could go guns or aviaition, then switch for the second mission then jump into one of the Coys for the last missions as people start thinning out.

Initial OPORD pages received.

standby ......