Good morning everyone!
Introduction, Definitions, and Special Thanks
Today I wanted to share with you my experiences with organizing an infantry/armour column with support vehicles to essentially make a FOB. Overall, something that I’ve come to realize is the limits of a few people who can act together in a cohesive mission lay only in their creativity and will to accomplish a goal.
Definitions:
- FOB: Forward Operating Base (The Forward Operating Base is a temporary massing of friendly assets that permits quick, coordinated, and efficient deployment in reaction to hostile threats).
QRF: Quick Reaction Force (A quick reaction force is a force that has multiple assets that is specifically designed in such a way that encourages flexibility to quickly deploy and deal with enemy threats).
FAC: Forward Air Controller (A person, usually located in an aircraft, who has the ability to direct local aircraft to specific requests such as for CAS).
CAS: Close Air Support (Integration of aircraft based weapons in support of infantry or Armour elements on the ground).
JTAC: Joint Terminal Access Controller (Someone who specifically is on the ground, usually attached to an infantry unit, who is able to provide laser designations and integrates with aircraft for danger-close and specific CAS or extraction requests).
Special thanks to NuclearWaffle , USMarines, Kent, The Struggle Bus (and countless others) for volunteering to join me in experimenting.
Roles
Emplacements
- Emplacements, for the purposes of this guide, refer to near immobile weapons that are assembled or disassembled. These weapons are assembled by accessing the virtual arsenal’s backpacks. Usually, they require two backpacks. It is common to store multiple backpacks in a vehicle, deploy to the main area of operation, and then unload and assemble those. Some emplacements have their place in enemy facing areas, and some do not.
Common emplacements include:
(Raised) Grenade Machine Gun / Machine Gun: This weapon launches grenades / fires 50cal bullets. It has a max effective range of 1.5K, it has thermals. If it is raised, it requires a raised tripod.
(Autonomous) Grenade Machine Gun / Machine Gun: This weapon launches grenades / fires 50cal bullets autonomously. It has a relatively OK aim, and can be manually controlled by the UAV operator. Do not deploy the GMG where you know there may be a grouping of enemies in close vicinity to friendlies. The GMG will kill friendlies if it means getting one enemy kill. Autonomous weapons all require a tripod.
AT Titan Launcher: This is a ground based weapon, with ~180 of coverage, that fires missiles at enemy vehicles. These missiles are IR guided. Requires a tripod.
AA Titan Launcher: This is a ground based weapon, with ~180 of coverage, that fires missiles at enemy aircraft. These missiles are IR guided. Requires a tripod.
Mk6 Mortar Tube: This is a ground based weapon, with a maximum range of 4k. It engages targets with a HE round, killing within ~10 meters, and incapacitating ~25meters. This requires a Mk6 Mortar Tube and Mortar Bi-pod.
(TODO: Add more)
WARNING
The server AGGRESSIVELY clears emplacements that are fixed to the ground and not mounted. I’ve had incidents where I was getting shot at, hopped out of an emplacement, and have seen it despawn in front of me.
Ammo Hemmet
- So, the central unit for the convoy, I’ve found, is the Ammo Hemmet. There are currently two of these in the server, one at Alpha Main HQ, and the other is located at Vehicle HQ in the Main Airbase. The Ammo Hemmet allows for any vehicle, to include aircraft, to refill their ammo. It has two seats, and a very generous inventory space. One trick to load more - assemble multiple emplacements, place it in the vehicle, then place the backpacks in the inventory.
Security Forces
- Security Forces operate the emplacements available to them to ensure that no friendly vehicles are taken from the FOB, and that anyone operating emplacements that can not defend themselves (such as AA, AT, or Mortar) do not get killed while doing their jobs. Security Forces elements in the QRF/FOB generally have three/four people, but can have as few as one and as many as needed.
Mortar Team
- A mortar team has two components. It has a Mortar Operator (usually in the FSG Gunner role, who has access to the artillery computer) and the spotter (Usually in the FSG Team Leader role). The spotter is optional, however, a mortar operator should never blind fire into the A/O unless going for specific, confirmed targets. If there are any friendlies within running distance, it is common courtesy for the spotter to mark on the map that their are rounds incoming. The mortar operator is defenseless when operating the mortar, and as such, should usually do so from cover.
For added realism, I recommend everyone reads Wikipedia’s take on how to properly call a fire mission. However, we usually replace GRID with a marker on MAP that has a coded name (Examples I use: ImpishRussian, CashMoney, AfricanPrincess, IrateMonkey) for both courtesy to infantry and clarity on the mortar operator.
UAV integration
- UAV integration to the FOB comes from spotting targets near or around the FOB, providing CAS to prevent the FOB from being over-run, and the initial setup spotting good areas; additionally, UAV can request mortar strikes if available.
Rotary/CAS integration
- Rotary aircraft benefit from huge amounts of flexibility. When a QRF/FOB is established in an open enough space with an ammo hemmet, assuming low amounts of fighting near the FOB, rotary can provide CAS to the A/O, quickly land, re-arm, and re-deploy. Additionally, if the FOB is being attacked, Rotary/CAS can be called to provide specific support in aid of Security Forces.
FAC integration
- wip
Rotary/Transport integration
- Dedicated and talented transport pilots can heavylift replacement vehicles to the QRF/FOB. Since they will be watched by friendly forces, they add an added degree of flexibility to operations. This allows destroy armorers to HALO jump into the FOB, get into the stored tanks, and quickly redeploy. This also allows for additional supplies to be shipped in the inventory the vehicles. Really, if you have transport pilots you can protect in doing drop-offs, the limit lies in creativity.
Armour Integration
- Friendly Armour can be integrated into a FOB. They can be stationed around the FOB, quickly maneuvering around and behind enemy squads for quick destruction from multiple sides, and destroying enemy tanks. Mainly, the benefit is versatility. Tanks being able to deploy across the A/O, burn through a bunch of expensive shells, and being able to return and re-supply. If someone has to leave the tank, their role can be re-filled.
Infantry vehicle integration
WIP
Steps to set up a QRF
WIP.
Group/QRF Organization:
WIP
inc. group/teamspeak