War Games

Spartacus

Active member
This is a fictitious scenario depicting a semi-realistic potential mission environment. You job, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a solution set within the boundaries provided. Should you have a question regarding the scenario, please either post them or PM me.

Please note that ABSOLUTELY NO OPSEC VIOLATIONS will be tolerated. If are unsure if you should post something, DONT. Violators of this policy will be banned from the games and then shot.

Note: It may take me a while to return your messages and posts, so please be patient.

Consider this a Beta Test for an idea I had.
 
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Scenario One

Operation Basilisk

Environment: Terrain within mission bounds is comprised of mediterranian-like vegetation, rocky slopes with limited cover, and a small village. The area to the S and E are of a moderately dense vegative cover, and the village is set towards the middle of a valley. The vegative cover changes to the rocky slopes as it descends into the valley. The area to the N and W are relatively barren and much more mountainous. The village has a small stream running near it, from the SW to the NE. The village has known farming operation in the area in order to provide limited food and income.

Mission: This is the suspected base area of a group that has been harassing local forces and indigenous personnel. Intelligence has determined that said group intends to carry out an attack soon, but time table unknown. The situation is delicate, as the country in which the operation takes place has fragile stability in the region, with a much larger more powerful nation waiting for a reason for an incursion. The mission is to stop the harassment, period.

Begin Deliberations Gentlemen.
 
We need further reconaissance.
1) Estimate number of enemy forces
2) Any estimate on force proficiency
3) Locations of guard posts, mine fields, barbed wire, observation points
4) Estimates/Best guess in radio equipment or backup
5) Estimate possibility of SAM, HMG or other AA threats.
6) Weather report for the coming days (including cloud cover)
7) orientation of the valley (SW to NE as river or is there also another part branching from it?
8 ) Sunrise, sunset time
9) Distance from coast
9) a. If coast is present, nature of the beach, current and direction of water and of course, known hazards.
10) Reaction time. Obviously these guys have been roused from sleep before. Is there data on how long they took?
11) What time of year is this?
12) What are they growing? (affects concealment)
13) Moon phase
Fill us in!
(Im so bored)

We Need A Map!

also tide
and forgot maybe the most important thing... ROE!


ps. we need to be real careful about opsec here. Maybe we can use this for thinking outside the box sort of things
 
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Good First Move

1. Unknown enemy strength. Again, Intel has determined that this is a suspected base area, one of many. There could be as few as 10 and perhaps as many as sixty, based on number and strength of attacks in area. Other teams have been dispatched with similar objectives to other suspected areas.

2. This is not a conventional force, although they do appear to have access to convention weapons and tactics. The enemy has a large number of snipers and scouting teams. So far, there have been no reports of armor, AA, or heavy weapons. Gear seems to consist mainly of small arms, and AP and AT mines. The members seem well trained in camoflauge and evasion as well as population blending, they also seem to have a focus on marksmanship.

3. Initial briefing gives only scetchy details. After reconning the area, no wire or guard posts have been found. However, civilian guard posts have been located on the perimeter of the village and on the slope from the vegatative area down to the valley, the area where local farmers develop crops. Also, scattered mines have been found to the area S, SW, W, NW, N, NE. A dense field has been detected directedly to the S of the village.

4. Full comm gear is available, and so is backup should the mission call for it. As far as enemy availability, unknown QRF. The enemy has access to small field radios with no central hub.

5. Information unknown. As yet there are no reports of AA activity, although addmitedly there has been limited air activity. The national Air Force is fledgling and most forces are on QRF to incursion.

6. Dense cloud cover has been holding over the area for several days now, with light rain expected in the forecast for the next several days.

7. Valley follows river, SW to NE in a oval-like shape.

8. Sunrise is 0600, sunset is 2100 (local times)

9. AO is landlocked, at least 300 miles from coast.

10. The targets have been quick in their response to local forces. It is unknown if it was rusultant of information leak, or if it was due to being well prepared and organized.

11. The season is the moderately rainy season prior to winter. Winters are cold (35 degrees F) and dry.

12. Crops seem to be a mix of olives, grapes, figs, grazing grounds for goats, etc.

13. Waning moon cycle, thus receeding tide. (The stream is small enough that except for heavy rain it does not swell often.)

Map is a no go. Constructing this scenario is taking long enough, I cant do that too... haha.

ROE: The national government has appealed to us (whoeer that may be) for help in dealing with this threat. The group threatens to upset the delicate stability of the government and inflicts heavy damage on military personnel who attempt to inderdict their actions. Obviously civilian casualties must be avioded. Otherwise, ROE are largely in your hands.
 
Further questions:

1) Where do the civilians live? Are they intermingled with the targets?

2) What assets do we have?
Air logistical and strike assets
Land logistical, armor and fire support assets
Personnel assets (how many and what kind plus estimated proficiency)
Availability of equipment (do we fly our stuff in?)

3) Is the countryside and the rest of the country largely in friendly hands or is the rest of the region also highly hostile making any extraction over land a virtual suicide mission?

4) I also need general wind direction and speed.
 
Air Strikes using FAE

faeanim.gif


Should have everrything cleared up in a few days.
 
Further questions:

1) Where do the civilians live? Are they intermingled with the targets?

2) What assets do we have?
Air logistical and strike assets
Land logistical, armor and fire support assets
Personnel assets (how many and what kind plus estimated proficiency)
Availability of equipment (do we fly our stuff in?)

3) Is the countryside and the rest of the country largely in friendly hands or is the rest of the region also highly hostile making any extraction over land a virtual suicide mission?

4) I also need general wind direction and speed.

1. Civilian population is mainly located inside the village, with scattered farms mainly to the SW. Again, exact location of enemy is unknown. It is suspected that they are operating out of the village, but they may have a cache / staging area nearby.

2. Full air resupply and strike capabilities are at your disposal should the mission call for it. Armor will be mainly unavailable due to distance from nearest friendly base. You are supposed to choose your forces for the mission.

3. Attacks have been scattered throughout the country, although so farthere have been no reports of attacks on helicopters or aircraft. This could be due to the fact that the national forces do not have many at their disposal.

4. Ummm. Average windspeed 6mph during the day, gusts as high as 15 during rain. Nightly windspeed around 8mph with gusts as high as 20mph during rain. Direction SW to NE.

Gator: Conclusion based off your strategy will be posted once all players finish course.
 
My plan:
Personnel/Assets:
Three man team including an Air Force Combat Controller, one sniper and one spotter.
1 indigenous infantry company
2 strike fighters
1 utility helicopter
A few trucks

Key equipment: 1 week's rations, GPS (der!), pretty darn accurate map, sniper rifle (whatever the sniper team uses) with light amplification scope, binoculars, radio, Passive NVGs, Thermal NVGs.

Insertion method: Overland by truck. Approach from south east, away from LOS of enemy camp. Best day for approach is a night with high winds but no rain (minimal acoustical transfer and no mud for the truck to get bogged down in). This will be the day for final approach. Truck will offload team 5 kilometers from target area. This will be achieved by 0200 Hours. Team will proceed on foot for 3 1/2 kilometers to set up in a wooded area with a good line of sight of the village.

Phase 1: Observation. (Day 1 to day 7)
Sniper team will observe with Combat Controller the exact whereabouts of the enemy units and the supposed staging area. They will collect whatever data as possible such as where exactly the civilians live and the bad guys live.
Phase 2: Infantry. (Day 3)
A company strength unit of local infantry will be slated to conduct a reconnaissance in force by attempting to attack the compound. They will be told this is a full assault. This attack will be detected by the rebels who will attempt to assemble and counter the threat. This will give away the location of their staging area. As the enemy force approaches the advancing mercenary company, a strike fighter will fly a "reconnaissance" flight over or near the enemy force and the indigenous forces will be called back. The reaction time will be measured exactly.
Combat Controller will relay the GPS coordinates of the staging area and other key areas of importance to command who will then in turn relay the coordinates to the strike fighter wing.
Phase 3: The strike (day 5, 6 or 7)
When the weather permits helicopter operations, the following will take place:
The indigenous infantry company will load up on trucks and prepare to assault the enemy position again, this time at 0400 Hours. At the same time, strike fighters will take to the air. They will fly dark and will fly very high. The first jet will be loaded with JDAMs and the next will be armed with cluster bombs. As the enemy assembles to counter the incoming unit, the Combat Controller will guide in and time the birds to their target. The first will drop a JDAM on the assembly area when activity there is at an all time high and the second bird will swoop down and hit the area with cluster bombs to clean out survivors in the staging area.
Infantry company will continue their advance and secure the area.
Assuming that the infantry company will actually get there in about 2 hours, that's 0600 Hours, observation team will provide sniper cover and take out targets of opportunity but only when the infantry company arrives. Or else the survivor's attention will be drawn to the observation group and they will be anhilated by the enemy's renowned snipers.
0630 Hours sniper and combat controller will extract and rendevous with utility helicopter.
If by day 6 no suitable helicopter weather is available, a fruit truck will dispatch as observation team's extraction and on day 7, the plan will be identical except that the team will extract via fruit truck.

If indigenous infantry forces are not available, mercenary units can be used instead.
 
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13: I like it, especially the fruit truck part.

Mission: Success. Decisive victory has been obtained with minimal friendly casualties.

During phase I the observation groups observes an unsual amount of activity taking place in the mountainous regions to the E of the village. Ob group, after moving closer for a look discovers a small set of shallow caves used as weapons and equipment caches. While the majority of the force is inside the city (holding the locals hostage BTW) there are a few guards around the caches.

During Phase II, immediately after the order is givien for the allied tgroops to assemble, the rebels begin to assemble and disperse into teams. Clearly there is a leak in the COC. However, since COC was unaware that it was a diversion, plan Phase II was successful in determining response time and also outsting an informant.

During Phase III, rebels begin assembling at around 0415 at staging areas to the E of the village when a massive explosion rocks the area, killing 80% of the force instantly, including the ranking officers and destroying most of the equipment. The second burst of cluster bombs kills many of the survivors. The remaining troops scatter, some fleeing to the village, some holding positions vainly intending on withstanding the infantry assault. As the few surviving rebels return to the village, they are met with a hail of rocks and a few small arms from the villagers who were tired of the oppression. The infantry storms the village and moves to the mountainous region to the E and secures the equipment and surviviors. Interrogations and gathered intel proves significantly valuable in restablizing the country.

Only issue is a minor one. During Phase III, the larger state nearby detected the incoming fighter craft and launched several fighters in response. Tensions elevated as the craft flew within miles of each other during the morning. After the strike and the airspace was cleared, tensions dissipated.

Gator: "Die, Die, Die..." hmmm

Mission: Temporary Success
The FAE's launched into the city (I had to assume your target) destroyed much of the city and did indeed kill most of the rebels living there. However, it did also destroy most of the innocent civilan population. The rebels used then use this as propoganda to raise the remainder of the nation into rebellion.

In the short run, the imminent danger was eliminated. However, the degraded stability leads to the national governments eventual fall as the larger neighbor state sends in troops to "maintain order".
 
I really enjoy this and would like nothing better than to continue throwing ops at you and hearing everyones suggestions. However, I fear the possibility of OPSEC violations and in the sake of protecting those who serve, I will discontinue this test.

Thank you!
 
Why do I feel like we've been probed?
:)

OH?? Colonoscopy so soon?

NO, I really want to do more, but I didnt think about the OPSEC concerns before I began the test, and recieved enough "be carefuls" that I decided in the sake of safety to stop.

The next scenario was really cool too...
 
Watch your email, be really careful, even if your are not using a free email account, one you paid for, it is most likely encrypted. But, seeing to never stop until death of the newer generation of terrorists, and all the other not friendly guys out there, they can probe the encryption until it snaps. Amazing some folks around my area just held a conference on online stalking and privacy theft. I was shocked on how easy in the test scenario (a school student) they did, on how quick it took them from just a number, to a full name, address, and even where they went to school , and even what classrooms , on what specific day. All this took about 15 minutes.

So, I do not recommend it, even if you think you are a head of the privacy violations threat, when it comes to OPSEC I would not take any chances.

Sorry, did not mean to disgrace you, or anyone else, just trying to give everyone a heads up.
 
Hmmm... well I suppose we could do it in PMs... I can also add a OPSEC warning too...

What do you think? Yea or nay?
 
Sukio, perhaps my answer to all his questions and scenarios will be a full frontal charge with twice as many men as rifles.
Spartacus, hmmmmm... we should discuss this. It's fun no doubt. But maybe scenarios thrown at us should be more extreme, limited in resources and basically scenarios in which the french fries hit the fan.
 
The only possible OPSEC violation I can foresee in any of this would be if the responder were to reply with special knowledge. I don't think there are any prior service or active duty members on here that stupid. These are hypothetical situations... just like a video game. Anyone see this differently? Particularly interested in what our Mods say on the subject.
 
True... if this is OPSEC violation, so is every military video game out there.
Helicopter goes up... OPSEC!!!!!!!!
Rifleman carries a rifle... OPSEC!!!!!!!
 
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