Chemical Warfare

[Cpl Steiner]

With reports today that Syria is mixing precursor chemicals to possibly make sarin gas for use against the rebels, and the news that Syria apparently has the largest stocks of chemical weapons in the middle-east, I have two questions.

1. Why was the threat of chemical attack on coalition troops not included in CM:SF?

2. Will it be included in the up-coming NATO vs. Russia CM:SF2 game?

Possible effects:

Units forced to wear full MOPP chemical agent protective clothing in some scenarios, resulting in greater fatigue in hot conditions.

If nerve agents are actually used, units in MOPP gear that are injured by bullets, shrapnel etc. more likely to be KIA due to nerve agents breaching the MOPP clothing.

[LUCASWILLEN05]

You can't phyasically fire chemical weapons in CMSFbut you could simulate an environment where they might be or have been used

Chemical weapons would probably not be used against US troops by a nation like Syria due to the likely pre war threats,possibly unspecified buthinting about nuclear retaliation (goodnight Damascus)

However the threat of chemical weapons use is still there and NBC suits are still going to be hotanddifficult to operate so you could simulate them by rating troops wearing them as Unfit. You could also do things like reducing leader ratings to simulate command and control problems.Maybe also downgrade experience and motivation particularlyif persistant chemicalshave been used in this area. What you do as the scenario designer is up to you.

[Wicky]

Or simply spill wine on your keyboard....

[Streety]

If a regime was faced with otherwise certain defeat then they may feel they had nothing to lose in trying to take out masses of American troops, and raise it as a "holy war". The current warnings to Syria from the UN and the US is not backed up by any realistic "liberation force" threat - especially nuclear! A nuclear strike on Damascus would kill or maim hundreds of thousands of civilians. No, the only likely US-NATO retaliation would be conventional cruise and bomber strikes against any Syrian air-defence, then a no-fly zone while launching air-attacks against military complexes and transports. But attacking NBC weapons on the front line themselves would be considered too dangerous (spreading the contents).

I like the ideas given in this thread for trying to mimic MOPP (yes, definitely unfit!), but they probably don't come anywhere near close enough. In NBC gloves you'll have difficulty operating anything that requires nimble fingers (adjusting sights, operating comms or sophisticated equipment - if it still works), and of course the mask reduces your field of vision making even just looking through sights difficult. You can't eat while suited, and you have to piss and poo in your suit. Even at rest, expect to last up to 6hrs max (the suit's ability to withstand ingress of agents). And expect to lose 2 pints of water per hour (and that's in northern Europe). Overall, running around on a Middle East summer's day 100+degree battlefield I'd give you half an hour of usefulness, or less if your mask fogs up too much. In a modern NBC scenario in the mid-east, I'd imagine the only reasons for infantry ever being issued NBC gear is for morale/reassurance - and if it hits then to survive long enough to get the hell out of there rather than fight through it. Hence no real need to model it in CMSF. Though it'd would have been cool if they did....

[Apocalypse 31]

MOPP suite not meant for long term survivability, just long enough to fight an advancing enemy or decontaminate.

To be fair, every US Soldier in game is carrying a protective mask on their hip.