Dissapointed with the research that went into this

[vincere]

Although to be honest, I will happily forgo any and all pistol firing animations for a "Close Combat" animation and mechanic.

Several close animations. Bayonet, knife, entrenching tool.

[DreDay]

As an aside, there are plenty times when I have been issued a side arm where I though a proper rifle would be better, Kosova for one.... But the powers that be decided I didnt need it... So, if we folow TOE for Soviets, then its side arms for Coy HQ, never mind what anyone else says...

In case of the Soviets in Afghanistan, the powers to be had decided that they did need assault rifles in place of side arms; that's why they were carrying them...

Peace,

DreDay

[Amedeo]

Yes, officers said that the only use for a pistol was suicide and, to say the grim truth, AFAIK pistols weren't even used for that, since all the anecdotes I heard of, regarding Soviet soldiers that, how to say... didn't want to fall alive in the hands of the dushmany, involved hand grenades (e.g. pilot Konstantin Pavlyukov that, incidentally, managed to carry with him in his Su-25 an AK with five magazines, two hand grenades and... of course, a pistol... so I presume that we're safe assuming that everyone had an AK, as DreDay said).

[Lethaface]

Well since I never envision to get my pistol carrying troops into any firefight I couldn't really care less. Altough it did happen recently in CMA that one guy using a pistol shoot 2 muja's. I just imagined this particular fellow had one of those semi auto AK's from the US. He hand't learned to bump fire it yet.

Like someone else said, close combat animations are much more higher on my list.

[curaitis]

• 
  The mixed bag of AKMs/AK-74 at squad level - at the beginning of the invasion (1979) Soviet airborne units (VDV) were armed with AK-74s while the motor-rifle units had AKMs. By the early 80s pretty much all of Soviet infantry was armed with AK-74/AK-74S rifles. It is extremely unrealistic to have the squads equipped with both due to the fact that this would have created a logistical nightmare in real life, much like it does in a game...
  

• 
  The over-reliance on RPGs in Soviet squads. It is true that regular Soviet infantry squads had and RPG gunner and assistant per squad... However, most of the time there were not enough targets for the RPGs in Afganistan and RPGs were left at the base or in the IFV/APC, while their gunners carried regular assault rifles.
  

I don't know about the soviet engagement in Afghanistan, but I know that the german army is using both the G36 (5.56 mm) and the G3 (7,62 mm) in Afghanistan today. The G3 was heavily requested by the german soldiers because it has proven to be far more effective in fighting the Taliban.

For me, the simultaneous usage of both the AKM and the AK-74 by the soviet forces added to the realism of CMA.

Again, I don't know about the soviet campaign, but the Bundeswehr is using a lot of RPGs, even the Milan ATGM, to destroy Taliban fortifications.

[Secondbrooks]

I don't know about the soviet engagement in Afghanistan, but I know that the german army is using both the G36 (5.56 mm) and the G3 (7,62 mm) in Afghanistan today. The G3 was heavily requested by the german soldiers because it has proven to be far more effective in fighting the Taliban.

For me, the simultaneous usage of both the AKM and the AK-74 by the soviet forces added to the realism of CMA.

Again, I don't know about the soviet campaign, but the Bundeswehr is using a lot of RPGs, even the Milan ATGM, to destroy Taliban fortifications.

G3 and AKM are bit different beasts. G3 fires fullsized rifle cartridge while AKM eats shorter cartridges. I can't see much reason to switch AK74 to AKM. In Urban warfare there might be good reason to do that due better penetration in structure and lesser concern of 7.62x39's much more curved trajectory.

Soviet did adopt their RPG-7 usage along the war. It's been years since i last time read about it, but if i recall right Soviets started to use them in massed "poor man's artillery", and also developed HE-grenades. Overall i've understood that along war RPG-7 was one of those weapons which role got much bigger than what it was at start. Afgans used both Chinese and Egypt made RPG-7s, which were very high quality and Egypt made even had bipods. For Egypt made there were many different warhead types from which probably most sophisticated was antiaircraft warhead with timed fuze and fragmentation warhead.

Also i've read that at late war Afgans tend to have 1 RPG-7 for each 2-3 guys in squads (which were easily over 10 men large). I'm still playing 1980 campaign and havent' much looked scenarios or other campaign so i don't know how things are in CMA.

[DreDay]

G3 and AKM are bit different beasts. G3 fires fullsized rifle cartridge while AKM eats shorter cartridges. I can't see much reason to switch AK74 to AKM. In Urban warfare there might be good reason to do that due better penetration in structure and lesser concern of 7.62x39's much more curved trajectory.

Soviet did adopt their RPG-7 usage along the war. It's been years since i last time read about it, but if i recall right Soviets started to use them in massed "poor man's artillery", and also developed HE-grenades. Overall i've understood that along war RPG-7 was one of those weapons which role got much bigger than what it was at start. Afgans used both Chinese and Egypt made RPG-7s, which were very high quality and Egypt made even had bipods. For Egypt made there were many different warhead types from which probably most sophisticated was antiaircraft warhead with timed fuze and fragmentation warhead.

Also i've read that at late war Afgans tend to have 1 RPG-7 for each 2-3 guys in squads (which were easily over 10 men large). I'm still playing 1980 campaign and havent' much looked scenarios or other campaign so i don't know how things are in CMA.

I totally agree with your first point regarding the AKMs. Soviets were already deploying SVDs and PKMs at the platoon (and occasionally squad) level, so they did not have a need for the less accurate and less powerful AKMs.

Regarding the RPGs - I have read in several sources that RPG-7s and RPG-16s were mostly discarded by the Soviet infantry in Afghanistan. At best, they were deployed at a rate of one per platoon, but not really at a squad level. Soviets had already enjoyed the "poor man's artillery" in the form of AGS-17s, RPOs/RPO-As, disposable RPG-18s/22s; not to mention the fire support from their vehicles. In addition, they also had plenty of proper "rich man's" artillery and air support. The fact that they were only deploying the HEAT munitions for the RPG-7/16 (apparently the OG-7 grenades were developed around that time, but not deployed until much later in the second Chechen war) had made them even less appreciated. What Soviets had really needed were the riflemen; that's why the designated RPG gunners were normally used in that role. There is plenty of photo and video evidence to support the low rate of deployment for the RPG-7s by the Soviets.

The mujaheddin, on the other hand, were relying on the RPGs very heavily (as you have correctly pointed out); this was due to the fact that they were short on the other means of fire support that were readily available to the Soviets.

Peace,

DreDay

[dima]

I totally agree with your first point regarding the AKMs. Soviets were already deploying SVDs and PKMs at the platoon (and occasionally squad) level, so they did not have a need for the less accurate and less powerful AKMs.

Regarding the RPGs - I have read in several sources that RPG-7s and RPG-16s were mostly discarded by the Soviet infantry in Afghanistan. At best, they were deployed at a rate of one per platoon, but not really at a squad level. Soviets had already enjoyed the "poor man's artillery" in the form of AGS-17s, RPOs/RPO-As, disposable RPG-18s/22s; not to mention the fire support from their vehicles. In addition, they also had plenty of proper "rich man's" artillery and air support. The fact that they were only deploying the HEAT munitions for the RPG-7/16 (apparently the OG-7 grenades were developed around that time, but not deployed until much later in the second Chechen war) had made them even less appreciated. What Soviets had really needed were the riflemen; that's why the designated RPG gunners were normally used in that role. There is plenty of photo and video evidence to support the low rate of deployment for the RPG-7s by the Soviets.

The mujaheddin, on the other hand, were relying on the RPGs very heavily (as you have correctly pointed out); this was due to the fact that they were short on the other means of fire support that were readily available to the Soviets.

Peace,

DreDay

DreDay, it would be great if you could provide more specific sources (preferrably original russian sources) that confirm they didn't use RPG-7's much in that war and instead had lot's or one-shot RPG-18/22.

[DreDay]

DreDay, it would be great if you could provide more specific sources (preferrably original russian sources) that confirm they didn't use RPG-7's much in that war and instead had lot's or one-shot RPG-18/22.

http://www.ryadovoy.ru/militarizm/orgstruktures/inf&tank_sovet/sa_dra/msb_dra_1/msr_1.htm

Peace,

DreDay

[DreDay]

Just a quick note of thanks to BattleFront for addressing some of the issues that had been raised here with the latest patch. I am still playing around with it, but the OOB options look much more realistic and enjoyable now.

Peace,

Dreday