undead reindeer cavalry Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Originally posted by PSY: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by mazex: The NBT consists of a mechanzed batallion (2500 soldiers), where Sweden supplies 2100, Finland 200, Norway 150 and Estonia 50.Just out of curiosity why the huge imbalance in troops. Is the Swedish army that much bigger than the others? </font> 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undead reindeer cavalry Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Originally posted by mazex: Ohh, that was not fair - and rather mean, but I guess it's because of the fact that I'm feeling guilty as we are leaving you as a barrier between us and Russia. don't worry, we are used to it: Sweden has been doing it for centuries. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazex Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Originally posted by Battlefront.com: I love the thought of having the Sweedes simulated, but let's be realistic... they are a peace keeping type force only. They would not be going in as part of an invasion force. Not unless something VERY dramatic happened within Swedish government and culture. They'd also have to get fast tracked into NATO since that's what the story is based on I don't see any of this happening. Well Steve - latest headlines in Sweden this latest week is that Sweden is planning to send JAS-39 fighter-bombers to Afghanistan within two years... Some people are whining but others are applauding it - and the government and military has said that the plans will continue... This is definately a change of course regarding Swedish international military deployment (even though Sweden had J-29 Tunnan jets in Kongo in 1960 that where in combat). /Mazex 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Wow. Yeah, that would be quite a change for the Swedish military. How likely is this to be reversed after an election? Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsmith Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 the Norwegians had better take note 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazex Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Originally posted by Battlefront.com: Wow. Yeah, that would be quite a change for the Swedish military. How likely is this to be reversed after an election? Steve Well, we just had an election and the next one is in four years so the plans would go through any way. We currently have a right wing government but I'm not sure if the social democrats would stop it. The green party that is usually part of the left wing coalitions are naturally screaming about it, as well as the "real" left (the social democrats are kind of right wing "light" nowadays)... The proposal from the military is to use JAS in Afghanistan and maybe Africa within two years. Syria perhaps if a civil war would break out? /Mazex 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I wouldn't get excited..... There is a big big difference between Sweden deploying under UN auspices after a conflict or with the concent of the democartic governement and actually getting invoved in a shooting war that involves going in to someone elses country. UN Nato operation or not, if any Swedish government tried supporting an invasion of syria it would be out on it's ears before the troops got to the dock side. Over the last 25 years I've been regularly reading stories like this about Denmark, Finland and most particularly Germany. All have been muted to be taking a more active international role and a quarter of a century on little has changed. It really is very much wishful thinking on the part of those who want to see Europe more internationally active. Of course the other factor is that post the cold war and with the costs involved Sweden really has to get people to buy the Gripen if the likes of SAAB are to stay in the fighter business. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazex Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Originally posted by Peter Cairns: I wouldn't get excited..... There is a big big difference between Sweden deploying under UN auspices after a conflict or with the concent of the democartic governement and actually getting invoved in a shooting war that involves going in to someone elses country. UN Nato operation or not, if any Swedish government tried supporting an invasion of syria it would be out on it's ears before the troops got to the dock side. Over the last 25 years I've been regularly reading stories like this about Denmark, Finland and most particularly Germany. All have been muted to be taking a more active international role and a quarter of a century on little has changed. It really is very much wishful thinking on the part of those who want to see Europe more internationally active. Of course the other factor is that post the cold war and with the costs involved Sweden really has to get people to buy the Gripen if the likes of SAAB are to stay in the fighter business. Peter. I fully agree. I guess Sweden would never participate in an actual invasion of Syria. The scenario I would see most fit is a potential scenario where NATO forces led by the US have done the invasion part (base game) and law and order breaks down completely after that instead of Syria switching peacfully to a western style democracy. I remember seeing that in a place or two lately so it's not too fictional? (sorry, could not help that comment). In that case Sweden and other smaller european nations could send troops to help stabilize the situation and an interesting fictional story after that would be rather easy to make up... Something like this: CMSF Module 2 - "Armageddon": "Background: A year after the US led invasion of Syria the situation is getting out of hand. Extremist militia forces using modern equipment control large portions of nothern Syria and Iraq, and massive domestic critisism in the US after the Syrian invasion has led to a withdrawal of most of the US troops from both Syria and Iraq. People in the US claims that the disastrous invasion seems to have been led by desktop generals... Border clashes with the Israeli army is threatening to start an all out war in the region as Iran is ramping up their nuclear program in a response to Israeli "agressions". Lots of UN peace keeping troops from the EU are massacred and the EU decides to deploy several Battlegrops as NATO is "dead locked" due to the US withdrawal of almost all ground forces from the region. The EU battlegroups immediately gets in the line of fire as the extremist forces in norhtern Syria supported by Iraqi forces tries to retake Damascus. Civilian casulties amasses and withdrawal of the EU forces would risk a complete breakdown in the region..." Regarding JAS-39 deployment to Afghanistan as a marketing activity to get it battle proven for increased sales, I agree on that one too (and that debate is rolling right now in Sweden). /Mazex [ March 03, 2007, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: mazex ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial Grunt Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Somewhat related: Marine Honored at Buckingham Palace American Forces Press Service | Gunnery Sgt. Donald E. Preston | April 06, 2007 LONDON - A U.S. Marine appeared before Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace March 21 to receive the United Kingdom's Distinguished Flying Cross for saving lives and in recognition for his bravery during combat operations in Iraq. Marine Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr., is the first U.S. servicemember to be so honored since World War II. Assigned as an exchange officer with the Royal Air Force's 847th Naval Air Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force, based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, England, the U.S. Marine flew the RAF's Lynx Mk7 helicopter -- the aircraft he used to dodge insurgent's bullets and rocket-propelled grenades. Through flight school training at Pensacola, Fla., and Corpus Christi, Texas, he mastered the Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter -- a two-seater armed with Hellfire, Sidewinder and Sidearm missiles. When he joined the RAF squadron in 2005, he traded in the Super Cobra for the Lynx. "It's a very agile aircraft," said Chesareck, whose call sign is "Punchy." "Its maneuverability is significantly enhanced, compared to a Cobra. It's like comparing a Mustang to a Porsche. They're both great, but different." Flying the evening of June 10, 2006, Chesarek was providing radio communication relay for British ground troops conducting a company-sized search operation near Amarah, Iraq. Listening to radio transmissions, he overheard that a vehicle involved in the operation had became disabled and a crowd of insurgents was firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the company. According to his award citation, "Chesarek elected to fly low over the area in an attempt to distract the crowd and if possible, to engage the insurgents." Because the crowd was so close to the ground troops, instead of engaging his machine gun, he "opted instead to provide bold, harassing, very low level flight over the area in an attempt to disperse the crowd." However, radio traffic from the ground told Chesarek he was now the target and was drawing small-arms fire, and that a rocket-propelled grenade had just passed the rear of his aircraft. This was not his first time in combat. He and his wife, Christine, a U.S. Navy nurse, had served simultaneously in Operation Iraqi Freedom during the initial stages. But now in a different aircraft, with a different purpose, things were different. Last month, Chesarek's RAF commander and his crew had been shot down flying in the same type of aircraft. "I had been in a couple of situations with troops in contact before," the 32-year-old Chesarek said. "I had a good idea of the kind of potential danger involved, but now I was listening to the individual commander on the ground. Someone was injured; what can we do?" Using his view from above, Chesarek applied his training as an airborne forward air controller to coordinate, designate and control fixed-wing assets in conducting close air support, resulting in the dispersing the insurgents. Chesarek made the unconventional move - what's considered an "implied mission" in military parlance -- to conduct a medical evacuation with the Lynx to help a British soldier with a life-threatening head injury. As the only aircraft available to assist, he landed the Lynx near the company in distress as his door gunner and another crew member jumped out. "My door gunner jumped out and picked up the injured soldier and put him in the helicopter," Chesarek said. "My other crew member had to stay, or we would have been overweight to fly." Now, nine months later, Chesarek's name echoed throughout the ballroom of Buckingham Palace as he was called before the queen to be recognized and credited for "having a pivotal role in ensuring the rapid evacuation of (a) badly injured soldier and the safe extraction of the Company." Wearing his ceremonial uniform, Chesarek stood before the queen and hundreds in attendance, including his parents, his wife and their 2-year-old son, William. After Chesarek bowed, the custom when in front of the queen, the British monarch placed her kingdom's level-three award for gallantry in the air while on active operation against the enemy on his chest. Chesarek reflected on his lost comrades and brothers in arms. "I am greatly honored and would like to accept this prestigious award for 847 NAS in memory of Lt. Cmdr. Darren Chapman (Royal Navy), Capt. David Dobson (Army Air Corps), and Marine Paul Collins (Royal Marines), who were killed in action over Basrah in May 2006," Chesarek said. "The awarded actions were only possible due to the combined effort of my combat crew; Lt. David Williams (Royal Navy) and Lance Cpl. Max Carter (Royal Marines). My greatest sense of achievement that day is in knowing the ground troops all made it home." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Bravo sir, well done. I would point out that the RNAS aren't part of the RAF. They are part of the Fleet Air Arm, which is part of the RN. The RAF doesn't operate the Lynx at all. Only the Fleet Air Arm and the Army Air Corps. (The latter like being called "Teeny-Weeny Airways ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patboy Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Originally posted by Battlefront.com: I don't know what will come after the Brits, so it might not be Dutch, Germans, and Canadians. Simulating the French only is certainly an option, but I don't think it is as attractive as simulating Canadians, Germans and Dutch as a combo. Steve What do you think about "Eurokorps" for next module ? Pat 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 I don't see BFC doing a vast mish-mash of hetrogenous units, vehicles, equipment and weapons that would surely characterise the Eurokorps. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Other Means Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Thanks Imperial Grunt. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetacon Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Yeah. Thanks Imperial Grunt. I enjoyed reading that. Your sig is also one of my faves. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Will the british module have surrendering sailors? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial Grunt Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 No problem, its is a good story of US and UK cooperation on the battlefield. My first exposure to the Brits was when I attended a Sniper Employment Officer's Course in Quantico that had some Royal Marines in the class. Great guys and man, could they drink! Very memorable bunch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Other Means Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Originally posted by Speedy: Will the british module have surrendering sailors? And random strafing by A-10's 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 A little bit about The Rifles in Baghdad web page The Bulldogs referred to in the article are based on the FV432, a steel box-on-tracks akin to the M113. They have been upgraded with a new engine, transmission and some of Rafael's reactive armour. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Steiner Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 I was very pleased with the choice of name for this new regiment (formed by the merger of several other famous units, including the Royal Green Jackets, the successors to the "Rifles" that fought with Wellington in Spain and at Waterloo). Normally I don't like amalgamations and renamings of historic regiments but in this instance I think they were spot on. Official website of the "Rifles" regiment - formed 01/02/2007 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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