kipanderson

Mikey, hi, I should have explained.. I really do mean “global...” defence spending going up. The really big event we are living through is best illustrated by the prediction for 2014 that the GDP at purchasing power parity of the alternative, non western G7 will be bigger than that of the more famous G7 we hear about all the time. You can already see China and Japan squaring off and then it will be the US. Globally the world is very rapidly moving back to normal completion between nation states as it becomes more balanced economically. Human nature does mean this will lead to an increase in defence spending from current low. In Europe too..everywhere. Hence BS is so timely. All interesting stuff, All the best, Kip.

Hi, Just to point out, indeed remind people, that there is a perfectly respectable alternative view of the events in the Ukraine to those the majority here hold. If you have access to or can gain access to the current issue of Jane’s Defence Weekly you will find that their analysis of events is closer in some ways the minority view on this forum. Very much looking forward to CMBS , We are lucky Steve and Charles didn’t decide to developed Space Lobsters , All the best, Kip.

Lucaswillen05, Exactly so... it would be tremendous stuff. In fact I intend to use CMBS for just that. Assume the Cold War was still up and play out quite few Fulda Gap scenarios. We are lucky to have CM.. All the best, Kip.

Akd, hi, It’s not just Kontakt-5. If you run through tank for tank, but importantly the same generation v the same generation then often the Soviets did have the edge. Just compare the contemporary Soviet production models with say the M60A3. Until ’85 the US near pure 105mm gun. But it’s not just in tanks. I remember very clearly reading the arms trade journals such as Jane’s and the German based Military Technology in the first half of the ‘90s and NATO found Soviet kit generally was a match for anything NATO. All interesting stuff, All the best, Kip.

DMS, hi, I agree... Battlefront has done a near impossible job very well. And as time goes on we will slowly come to actually “know..” what kit has been fielded by 2017. The Kornet – D should wait till introduced into service. But the RPG – 30 should I think be there as Battlefront have made assumptions about US APS. The RPG – 30 pre-dates US APS and is fully concurrent with first generation Trophy. It is the equal and opposite assumption. But .. no matter.. it will come in a module or update with much more too.. CMBS also will come with its editor.. so all of us can tweak to fit our own personal assumptions. BTW.. there is also an Arena - 3 that will no doubt turn-up on the latest Russian AFVs later too... All the best, Kip.

Hi, Do remember that the end of the Cold War did lead to the AT weapon v APS going out of sync. Arena in the form present in CMBS would probably have been deployed around ’92 if the Cold War had continued. At which point I always paraphrase the Israelis defence industry site Defence Update “ Arena would have decimated the TOW, Hellfire generation of ATGMs...” in fact that is such a close paraphrase may well be a quote . The Soviets would surely have fielded a system that could target diving attack ATGM soon after its introduction if the Cold War had still been on. War is more lethal now no doubt. But the ATGM v Tank battle is no more one sided than after the introduction of Chobham/layered armour and ERA. Not as one sided as the ’75 up to around ’85 period if Soviet AT weapons against NATO tanks with RHA/steel armour only. All the best, Kip.

Mikey, hi, Well... pretty close, certainly to do the AT role the RPG-7 does . But , yes... the RPG 28, check it out, coming to somewhere near you soon, is bigger and heavier. The battle between AT systems and APS will be nothing really new or different. But tanks that keep up will certainly still be powerful. All the best, Kip.

leakyD, Great spot... yes they are using ATGMs and not just 30mm even for BMPs. All the best, Kip.

Bil, Tremendous stuff... very entertaining and informative . This is going to be a lot of fun. Fascinating to see how contemporary, conventional war may turnout. I have only really thought about WWII and Cold War so very much learning curve for me. During the first few weeks I have CMBS am sad to predict that my digital heroes will inevitably suffer terrible and unnecessary casualties while I struggle to learn how to use the new toys in the new environment. As with a few others here I “hate...” seeing my guys go down, I play very slowly and carefully, lots of micro – management, so it will be painful!! Can’t wait.. . Goodness... are we all lucky to have CM.. !! All the best, Kip.

Steve, Steady on Steve.. . According to the Financial Times who had reporters in the area during the four or five day Russian counter attack that turn things round the Ukraine’s were utterly overmatched and it was a “quality..” issue not quantity. Jane’s have also been impressed by the Russian units training and performance. The BBC’s reporters are also often not very impressed by the Ukrainian units they come across. Very mixed bag. But time will tell. In time reliable, balanced and unbiased reports of what happened and the performance of various units will come out. But it will take time. Organisations such as Jane’s will be the some of the first and in time various militaries such as the US who are incredibly open with much of their training and education material will go public. Without any spin. But as the US is player in this that could take a while. Jane’s are very good. They are staffed by very knowledgeable people and totally spin free. Their business would crash instantly if they spun anything. (BTW Jane’s does agree that Russian units are rotated in and out quickly. And also as you acknowledge I think in one of your lists in often very small numbers. The list of units looks a lot more impressive than the actual numbers present. ) The Financial Times are hugely Europhile, chattering classes, anti-Putin but they don’t actually mess with “facts..”. As they see them. All the best, Kip. PS As an aside... way back when I was about thirteen and even then riveted by which side won and lost militarily and economically and why.... I used to be puzzled by the fact that “information.. data..facts...” in many FT columnists articles did not match up to their conclusions. Of course now I know what I was reading was spin . But note... even then they did not mess with the facts.

LeakyD, Checkout the RPG 30 or 32. They are designed to deal with the current generation of Trophy and have been around for a few years. They fire two warheads a fraction of a second apart so if the APS takes out the lead warhead the second gets through. Jordon already produces the RPG 32. The Kornet – D does exactly as you suggest to overcome APS. I bet these will turn up in future updates. But APS and AT systems designed to overcome them will from now on have their own private arms race so all depends on which generation of systems are up against each other. All fun stuff, All the best, Kip.

Vince, hi, Here we go.. http://www.allworldwars.com/Small-Unit-Actions-During-German-Campaign-in-Russia.html Dry stuff I am afraid... but very much the real deal. Will be out there in book form too. Also.. Panzer Warfare on the Eastern Front by Hans Schaufler. Nothing special.. but each chapter is a good account of some battalion or company sized action. All the best, Kip.

Rokko, ho, Great looking map.. congratulations.. . Have not played it yet.. but always pop into the editor to preview maps and yours is a cracker. They take a lot of time to that standard and size.. so again congratulations.. !! CMX2 really is cinematic these days, when you get the camera down low behind a units... so such high quality maps are not wasted effort. All the best, Kip.

Hi, Lots of very good books here from lots of people. However.. I agree with Vanir that Panzer Destroyer by Vasiliy Krysov is the best of the personal memoirs. All the best, Kip.

Hi, Someone may already have mentioned this.. only had time for quick glance through.. but. The Brits are introducing a replacement for the longstanding, oft tweaked Scorpion family of AFVs. They started life at around 9 tons and ended at around 12 tons. Well.. the replacement will/may first be fielded at around 38 tons and has a drive train certified for 43 tons. Also designed from the off with potentials for upgraded armour as all new AFVs tend to be, simply recognising reality.. all AFVs end up there . Also note the Israelis increasing love of super heavy IFV/APCs. The default is very much still more and more weight, moving closer to tanks for all AFVs in contact with the enemy while adding Active Protection Systems. But importantly, the APS are in “addition..” to increased armour. Not a replacement for it. Assuming the AFV is designed to be able to survive in high-intensity conventional wars that is. All interesting stuff, All the best, Kip.

Pnzrldr, hi, I certainly do enjoy your write-ups. Now for some talk about the toys . You have all been very careful and balanced about which kit to model. No fantasy kit which is a huge relief. Also... with time things will obviously narrow down to actual kit as at 2017. My one beef is the lack of RPG 30/32. Why? They pre-date APS in NATO hands by so much that it’s inconvincible that in any likely clash, this year, next year any time, they would not be around. Of course all depends on the assumptions about the type/generation of APS used. But against first generation Trophy I believe it/they do what it claims to do. New types of APS such as what I know as Trenchcoat will one day turn up. Then new types of AT weapons that attempt to overcome them. All good fun, All the best, Kip. PS. Kornet-D and Tigr “complex.”? Maybe later when actually issued .

Hi, No question about that.. the James Bailey effort maybe twelve years ago now... was the finest wargame I have ever taken part in . And never even fought a CM battle in it . Key is generous numbers of games master/umpires given the number of players. Plus Umpires as God.. i.e. free to use their initiative and make up rules as they go along given the prevailing circumstances. Count me in, no idea how much time I will have available when this happens, but very interested indeed. Great idea.. !! This will be fun, All the best, Kip.

Mattias, Thanks.. good clip. All the best, Kip.

Hi, I agree that the tank is here for the foreseeable future. There is now an arms race between Active Protection Systems and counter measures to them on AT systems. In addition to the usual conventional/Chobham/ERA armour v HEAT round arms race. But nothing really new about that. CMBS will be fascinating. I have not thought about conventional clashes for years but globally we are now truly back to normal competition between nation states so very timely. All the best, Kip. PS As it happens the Russians have the first generation APS covered with the RPG 30/32 and the Kornet-D. I am sure you will see them soon in BS. Just Google them.

Hi, Yes.. Steve has certainly followed this in incredible detail, it is remarkable! Masses of information for us all . With China and Japan squaring off too and a general unwinding up of the big blocks it’s incredibly timely to return to contemporary, conventional war. Greatly looking forward to BS, All the best, Kip.

Eddie, Tremendous stuff... great find. Thanks.. . All the best, Kip.

Pnzrldr, hi, Great stuff... very entertaining.. and very well written. A saw a review for CMRT that said amongst other things that CM had “become cinematic...” I agree. I used to play Real Time using the Pause command as my default but now I play Turn based so as to get the time to Lock the camera right down close behind units in replays. Fantastic. Your write-up gives that same feel. Prefect. I always bond with my digital heroes.. Normally play Russian and truly “hate..” to see any casualties. Within the limitations of what CM is, such as the single controlling mind, I think it does a great job and in big WWII battles at least you certainly can get casualties down to historic level if you play slowly and carefully. Don’t rush. Every life counts . This gives that same feel. Have not looked at contemporary, high intensity warfare for years because there was no real world prospect between countries even close to being in the same ballpark. Globally this is now changing very quickly. Normal competition between nation states is back and not going away. So very timely. Great write-up, good to bond with your guys, I will be doing the same as I normally take the part of Russians when I get CMBS . Congratulations.. . All the best, Kip.

Hi, Agree with those who say there is no need for guilt. I find it very easy to separate politics from wargames and study of military history. In the Cold War many westerners happily studied and played Red in wargames. And there was a real threat of war by accident. As we do with SS units in CM. And "most..." know the line, can easily sense the line, not to cross when still happily investigating and modelling SS units. Without any offense to anyone. Just keeping it purely military. All the best, Kip.

Hi, On a more cheerful note, I am not a fan of politics on these forums but each to their own.. Russia really does have a mass of new kit coming. All very real and available to place your orders now if the right export customer. So in say a year’s time or so, Steve would know I can only guess , the latest, most modern Russian kit available in CMBS could be very different. Battlefront had a truly impossible job of picking what kit to go for as it estimated what may be available in three years time. They have done a very balanced job and shown great caution, thankfully. Fantasy kit would kill the game stone dead for me . But there is none of that. Also, as of now, due to higher defence spending the US would have more “latest...” model kit than Russia. But it just so happens that Russia is on the very cusp of introducing new everything. New main battle tank, new IFVs both tracked and wheeled and new Active Protection Systems in Arena 3 to protect them. They also have new RPGs, RPG 32/30, and a new ATGM version Kornet-D on the Tigr that are designed to penetrate the current/near future western Active Protection Systems. But this of course will be an ongoing arms race in itself. Let’s wait for equipment to actually be issued before including it, as general rule anyway, but even going by this rule in the editor you may have a lot of new Russian kit to represent the very latest stuff a year or more from now. All very good fun, We are lucky to have CM at all.. just look at that completion , All the best, Kip. PS. Steve... speaking as a wildly unreasonable and over demanding customer.. I do think you dropped the ball on the RPG 32/30 . Not the same but they do the same trick. The reason is that they “pre-date...” APS on NATO tanks by so much that it is inconceivable that even if there were a clash next/last summer Russian infantry would not have them if there was even the remotest chance of NATO managing to fit APS by then. Note I am not lobbying for the Kornet-D until fielded.. it does not pre-date NATO APS in quite the same way. PPS. It would also “very realistically..” help with game balance as an area, very close range AT warfare, where the Russians have an edge over the US now.

Hi, For me this is incredibly timely not specifically because NATO is going to enter the former Soviet Union and take on Russia militarily in the Ukraine, it isn’t, but because the Great Game between nation states is on again globally. The Financial Times reported, well predicted, that this year the alternative, non-western G7 will have higher GDP at ppp/parity purchasing power then “the...” G7. Not just China overtaking the US according to the IMF and World Bank, but the entire G7 being overtaken. Clearly ten to twenty years down the line, pick your own number... potential military advantage would be expected to follow. At the very least, military parity. For good or ill, let’s not get into the politics or rights and wrongs, Britain is incredibly restless politically, more so than anytime for decades, because the Brits certainly “get it..” when it comes to the decline of the west. It is talked about here constantly although Britain has declined no more than the US and strangely rather less than Germany if take the old West Germany as the measure. From the ‘80s to now for western countries. Anyway.. It is moving rapidly towards normal competition between nations states and in many parts of the world there will be squaring off by more evenly balanced opponents than we have seen for some time. I have not looked at contemporary, high intensity warfare for years, no need to. It looks far more interesting than I had expected. So as a “sandbox...” this is perfect timing. Will be far more fun than I expected. As we are here for the hopefully cheerful and friendly business of enjoying the “tactics and weapons...” of wargaming. Greatly looking forward to this, All the best, Kip.