Modern War 5 - May-June 2013

Falklands War | Rhodesia’s Selous Scouts | XB-70 Bomber | Anti-Satellite Weapons | Military Microbots | Gen.
Walker at Pusan
#5 MAY - JUN 2013
DRIVE ON
PYONGYANG
$
6.99
05
0 71486 02334 0
ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 1 2/11/13 12:59 PM

Turning the pages of military history.
Maps, Charts & Tables | Historical Analysis | Wire Diagrams
Strategy&Tactics On Design | Work In Progress | The Long Tradition | FYI: For Your Information
World at War Design Corner | Game Preview | Observation Post | Media Reviews
Modern War Weapons | Systems of War | New Arenas | Spotlight On. . .

STRATEGYandTACTICSmagazine.com
WORLDatWARmagazine.com
MODERNWARmagazine.com
CALL TO SUBSCRIBE
(661) 587-9633 phone
(661) 587-5031 fax
SUBSCRIBE BY MAIL
Strategy & Tactics Press
P.O. Box 21598
Bakersfield, CA 93390-1598

MILITARY HISTORY IN THE MAKING
#5 | MAY–JUN 2013
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
6 42 22
Drive on Pyongyang: The Selous Scouts: Design Theory
Battlefield Korea Black Ops Elite for a Doomed Cause Drive on Pyongyang
There’s been a ceasefire, but no The Selous Scouts were an elite by Joseph Miranda
real peace, on the Korean peninsula unit in the service of a doomed
for over half a century. Here’s our cause. Here’s our analysis. 52
analysis of the factors involved in by Kelly Bell On the Horizon
maintaining—or ending—that situation.
by Maciej Jonasz
54
Systems of War
24 • The XB-70:
Up Front in the Falklands Mach 3 Bomber That Failed
Looking back on it today, the British by Steven K. Dixon
victory in this savage little war can Weapons
easily seem to have been inevitable— • War in Space: Anti-Satellite Weapons
it wasn’t. Here’s our analysis. by Jeff Dougherty
by Phil Sharp New Arenas
• Military Microbots
by David R. Higgins
Spotlight On
• Gen. Walton Harris Walker
& the Defense of Pusan
by David March
2 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

24 42
GAME EDITION RULES

Drive on Pyongyang
by Joseph Miranda & Ty Bomba
PUBLISHER READER SUBMISSIONS
Dr. Christopher Cummins
NEXT ISSUE (#6) ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
We welcome interesting and concise stories about virtually
any aspect of modern warfare. Contact Joseph Miranda,
• Decision Iraq Callie Cummins Editor, at jamiranda@strategyandtacticspress.com
• Airland Battle SENIOR EDITOR
We also welcome Media Reviews (of any type).
• Operation Just Cause, Panama ‘89 Ty Bomba
We value critical analysis over summaries alone.
• A-10 FOUNDING EDITOR Maximum word count is 500. Contact Chris
• Soccer War Joseph Miranda Perello at cperello@decisiongames.com
DESIGN Please submit all other questions or comments to

Lise’ Patterson our free online forum at DecisionGames.com
COPY EDITORS
MODERN WAR® is published bi-monthly by
Tyson Arnold, Brian Blad, Paul Bessemer, Jason Burnett,
William Hay, J.R. Hoyne, Doug Johnson, Michael Kundert, Decision Games, 2804 Mosasco St. Bakersfield
Steve Levan, William Lindsay, Jon Monahan, Abby Pfeiffer, CA 93312. Periodical Class postage pending at
Tim Tow, Jeff Wilson, Neil Wyllie & Robert Zmuda Bakersfield, CA and additional mailing offices.
MODERN WAR® is a registered trademark for Decision
CARTOGRAPHIC EDITORS Games’ military history magazine. Modern War (©2013)
Dave Carson & Jon Cecil reserves all rights on the contents of this publication.
Nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in part
MEDIA COLUMN EDITOR
without prior permission from the publisher. All rights
Chris Perello
reserved. All correspondence should be sent to Decision
MAP GRAPHICS Games, P.O. Box 21598, Bakersfield CA 93390.
Meridian Mapping
POSTMASTER
ADVERTISING Please send address corrections to MODERN WAR®.
Jon Dalton P.O. Box 21598, Bakersfield CA 93390.
JDalton@strategyandtacticspress.com
MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 3

BACK
ISSUES
ISSUES
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
C
Some back issues have limited supply or may be out of stock. For a complete list of available issues visit our website.
Some back issues have limited supply or may be out of stock. For a complete list of available issues visit our website.
(661) 587-9633
Some back | P.Olimited
issues have Box supply
21598or| may
Bakersfield, CA 93300
be out of stock. | shop.strategyandtacticspress.com
For a complete list of available issues visit our website.
(661) 587-9633 | P.O Box 21598 | Bakersfield, CA 93300 | shop.strategyandtacticspress.com
(661) 587-9633 | P.O Box 21598 | Bakersfield, CA 93300 | shop.strategyandtacticspress.com
1
Blockbust
rentals for
3-month p
hours vary
Promotion
LLC. All ne

Make the Switch to Dish Today
and Save Up To 50% **
$7995
PREMIUM MOVIE CHANNELS
Promotion For 3 months.

Packagesal
starting at
only ...
SAME DAY
INSTALLATION
IN UP TO 6 ROOMS
for 12 mon
mo. Where available.
ths
CALL TODAY -
INSTALLED TODAY!
PACKAGES ASK ABOUT

HIGH SPEED
AS LOW AS ....
Prices valid for 12 months. Requires 24-month agreement

UNDER $50 INTERNET where available
mo.
NO ONE CAN COMPARE TO DISH! WHOLE-HOME HD-DVR

• PrimeTime Anytime™ gives you instant access to your favorite
THE COMPETITION primetime shows on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC in HD.
LARGEST
DOESN’T STACK UP CABLE • AutoHop™ lets you skip commercials when you play back recorded
PROVIDERS primetime shows*
BLOCKBUSTER @ HOME
Get over 100,000 movies, shows and games by mail, • Record up to 6 live HD channels at once
plus thousands of titles streamed to your TV or PC* YES NO NO during primetime.
• Records and stores up to 2,000 hours
The most HD channels YES NO NO of your favorite movies and shows.**
Lowest All-Digital Prices Nationwide YES NO NO • Watch 4 HD programs on different TV’s.
FREE Installation in up to 6 rooms YES NO NO Monthly DVR fee and receiver fees will apply. * Feature must be enabled by customer ** Actual recording capacity varies based
on type of programming.
* Requires broadband Internet; must have HD DVR to stream to your TV.

**Savings applies to AT120, AT120+, AT200, and AT250 with HD programming, 2 year agreement and credit qualification.
Discount applied to first year of service in form of online and promotional credits plus free HD for Life which is a $10/mo credit.
Call Now And Ask How To Save Up To 50% **
1-888-719-4324 Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm

EST Promo Code: MB0113
Blockbuster @Home (1 disc at a time): Only available with new qualifying DISH service activated during promotional period. For the first 3 months of your subscription, you will receive Blockbuster @Home free (regularly $10/mo). After 3 months, then-current regular price applies. Requires online DISH account for discs by mail; broadband Internet to stream content; HD DVR to stream to TV. Exchange online
rentals for free in-store movie rentals at participating Blockbuster stores (excludes Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). Streaming to TV and some channels not available with select packages. Promotional offers require activation of new qualifying DISH service with 24-month agreement and credit qualification. Cancellation fee of $20/month remaining applies if service is terminated before end of agreement.
3-month premium movie offer value is $135. After each applicable promotional period, then-current price applies unless you downgrade. Free Standard Professional Installation only. All equipment is leased and must be returned to DISH upon cancellation or unreturned equipment fees apply. Upfront and additional monthly fees may apply. PrimeTime Anytime feature not available in all markets. Recording
hours vary; 2000 hours based on SD programming. Equipment comparison based on equipment available from major TV providers as of 1/17/13. Some Hopper with Sling features require compatible mobile device. All prices, packages, programming, features, functionality and offers subject to change without notice. Offers available for new and qualified former customers, and subject to terms of applicable
Promotional and Residential Customer agreements. State reimbursement charges may apply. Additional restrictions may apply. Offers end 5/21/13. HBO®, Cinemax® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. SHOWTIME is a registered trademark of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS Company.STARZ and related channels and service marks are property of Starz Entertainment,
LLC. All new customers are subject to a one-time, non-refundable processing fee.


DRIVE ON PYONGYANG:
Battlefield Korea By Maciej Jonasz
Background
S
ix decades have passed since the signing of the armistice
that ended hostilities in the Korean War of 1950-53. Those
three years of fighting generated some 5 million military and
civilian casualties. The war saw Korean, United Nations and Red
Chinese armies fight up and down the peninsula several times. Yet
it ended in stalemate, with the armistice little more than an armed
truce along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the country.
In the time since, South Korea—the Republic of Korea (ROK)—has
experienced great economic growth while its military has ben-
efited from being able to acquire top of the line weapon systems,
both imported and domestic designs. In the North the communist
government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
has led the country into economic stagnation and international
isolation. North Korea’s economic situation is reflected in the state
of its armed forces. While in earlier decades the North maintained
a military parity with the South, today there is no such balance.
Terrain
The Korean peninsula ranges from 150 to 200 miles across. In addition,
the terrain is rugged with steep mountains covering about 70 percent
of the total landmass. Almost all the remaining space is farmland or
urban. Those characteristics limit operational maneuver as well as the
usefulness of armor, while placing a premium on highly trained infantry.

in the northern part of the peninsula
and milder ones in the south.
North and South Korea are sepa-
rated by the DMZ which, after decades
of both sides building fortifications
along it, offers a formidable barrier
to offensive operations in both direc-
tions. Those fortifications include
bunkers, trenches, dragon’s teeth
anti-tank obstacles, and minefields, all
manned by large numbers of troops
and covered by heavy artillery.
Armies
The North Korean People’s Army

(KPA) is one of the largest in the
world, with 1 million personnel on
active duty plus 7.7 million reservists.
Despite the seemingly impressive
numbers, the KPA has many shortfalls.
A 1:1 replica of ROK patrol boat PKM-357, which was damaged during the 29 June The KPA is equipped with a col-
2002 naval clash with KPN warships. Battle damage on the hull is highlighted with red lection of obsolete weapon systems,
paint, and plaques onboard indicate where each of the six sailors lost was killed. largely of Chinese and Soviet-era
Russian design. For example, its most
The terrain also limits the The peninsula also provides advanced main battle tanks (MBT)
usefulness of air power in the ground an extensive coastline potentially are Korean and Chinese upgrades
support role. The mountains do chan- vulnerable to naval and amphibious of Soviet T-55/54s and T-62s.
nel motor traffic, however, thereby operations launched from the Yellow In addition, the North’s poor
creating opportunities for strike Sea in the west and the Sea of Japan economic situation means there are
missions against columns of vehicles. in the east. There are harsh winters shortages of fuel, spare parts and

A North Korean semi-submersible used to infiltrate special forces personnel. This one was
captured in December 1983 while infiltrating South Korean waters.
ammunition, which limits training.

Malnourishment of the troops also Recent Clashes
impinges their ability to train and fight.
At the same time, the peninsula’s 29 June 2002.
rugged terrain means engagements Two North Korean People’s Navy (KPN) patrol boats crossed the Northern Limit
would often be fought at short range, Line (NLL)—the maritime demarcation line between the two countries’ territorial
and close-in fighting reduces the waters—and clashed with ROK patrol boats. Six ROK sailors were killed in the
exchange of fire. Subsequently, ROK rules of engagement were changed to allow
continued on page 12 » their warships to open fire without waiting to obtain government permission.
10 November 2009.
A ROK patrol boat fired warning shots at a KPN warship that had crossed
the NLL. The KPN ship then also opened fire on the ROK vessel, scoring 15
hits. Four ROK patrol boats replied with heavy volumes of fire, expending
almost 5,000 rounds of ammunition and setting the KPN warship on fire.
26 March 2010.
A torpedo, suspected of having been launched by a North Korean midget
submarine, sank the ROK corvette Cheonan, killing 46 of its crew.
23 November 2010.
An artillery barrage by 122mm rockets and 76.2mm cannon hit the ROK island
town of Yeonpyeong. ROK artillery returned fire against the Northern artillery

positions, KPA command posts and barracks. During the one hour engagement,
two civilians and two Marines were killed and three civilians and 15 Marines
were wounded, while the effects of the ROK return fire are unknown.
The South Korean town of Yeonpyeong burns during the 23 November 2010 incident.



» continued from page 9 sweeps executed by US forces in launchers (MRL). At the same time,
both Gulf Wars aren’t feasible here. however, their fire control procedures
edge otherwise offered by superior The KPA also has a strong artillery are nowhere near as efficient as
equipment. In the mountains, infantry component that’s supposed to make those of the US and South Korea.
fighting at short range can decide up for the North’s weak air force by DPRK doctrine calls for going
battles while armor is relegated to providing heavy fire support from on the offensive at the start of any
a supporting role. The mechanized its many guns and multiple rocket new war. Seventy percent of the KPA
is therefore deployed just north of
the DMZ, which would allow it to
Infiltration Tunnels start offensive operations after only
minimum preparation, thereby
As part of their strategy for penetrating the DMZ, the KPA has constructed numerous exploiting the element of surprise.
infiltration tunnels. Since 1974, four have been discovered while another 25 are thought Despite its dire economic situation,
to exist. They have the capacity to allow the transfer of up to 8,000 men per hour into the North continues to spend large
Southern territory, and they’re wide enough to allow the passage of small motor vehicles. amounts of money on upgrading
The purpose of the tunnels would be to infiltrate elite shock troops and the KPA’s capabilities. Since 2000 it’s
commandos, seizing ROK defensive positions before they can be fully manned made an effort to improve mobility
and then moving on to spread chaos by attacking rear area installations. by providing more motor vehicles,
One discovered tunnel, located near a DMZ observation point north of Seoul, as well as bicycles, for the infantry.
has had its southern end turned into a tourist attraction. Dug 240 feet below The KPA has developed a large
ground, the six foot high and six foot wide tunnel is accessible by a ramp, and special forces element: some 180,000
visitors can follow it to within about 500 feet of the DMZ where three concrete in light infantry regiments and battal-

barriers have been erected. The tunnel was discovered thanks to a tip from a ions as well as commando units. Those
Northern defector. It was still incomplete when found, stretching only 1,400 feet troops would likely form the spearhead
into Southern territory but running back 4,000 feet on the Northern side. of any attack across the DMZ as well
as trying to infiltrate into the ROK rear
A view inside one of the discovered infiltration tunnels.

area by air and by sea. Their likely mis-
sion would be capturing key objectives,
such as bridges, ahead of advancing
regular KPA units, and attacking enemy
command control nodes and airbases.
Another Northern method used
to try to offset US and South Korean
technological superiority is to empha-
size camouflage, deception and the
use of hardened underground shelters.
Drawing on Yugoslavia’s use of decoys
during the NATO bombing campaign
in Kosovo, the KPA makes extensive
use of dummy weapons and fighting
positions to reduce the efficiency of
enemy targeting. Extensive use would
also be made of real fortifications to
create defensive positions along the
DMZ and protect artillery. The terrain
of the peninsula lends itself to that tac-
tic, with numerous caves and moun-
tainsides in which tunnels can be cut.
For its part, the South has created
a large and well armed military. Today A ROK K1 “Black Panther” main battle tank.
it’s a far cry from the army shattered
in the first phase of the Korean War. MiG-29 fighters. Spare parts and fuel protective measure, aircraft mock-ups
The South maintains an active force shortages have curtailed flight training and derelicts are used as decoys to
of 522,000 backed up by 600,000 to about 30 hours per year per pilot. divert enemy air strikes. While such
reservists, all well equipped with the In contrast, ROK pilots get 130 hours. measures may protect the KPAF from
latest in technology. Their equipment The KPAF has a considerable total destruction on the ground, its
is a mix of US and indigenous designs, capacity to support the country’s under-trained pilots and obsolete
such as the K1/K1A1 tank and the new special operations forces. It can aircraft are in no position to influence
K2 “Black Panther” main battle tank. airlift approximately 5,000 men, the battlefield for any length of time.
The ROK Army has a large infantry though that capacity would quickly The ROK Air Force is a strong and
component that’s suited for combat in be reduced in any future war by modern service manned by 65,000
the mountains. Only three mechanized interception and air defenses. active duty personnel plus 55,000
divisions exist, with many tanks dis- The North’s own air defense reservists. Flown by highly trained
persed throughout the corps in brigade network, while sizable, also consists pilots, its inventory of 450 combat and
strength. A large special forces branch of obsolete systems. Its most effective 320 support aircraft includes F-16 and
of 10 brigades and seven regiments equipment may be GPS jammers F-15K Slam Eagles (Korean model of
provides additional capability for fight- intended to reduce the efficiency of the Strike Eagle), as well as older F-4
ing in the peninsula’s rough terrain and incoming precision guided munitions. and F-5s. There are also airborne early
in unconventional warfare missions. The KPAF makes extensive use of warning (AEW) aircraft. Of course, in
One challenge the South will underground and hardened shelters the event of war the South Korean Air
increasingly face in the coming years for aircraft and air defense weapons. Force would also have the immediate
is a shortage of new recruits. The It’s even gone so far as constructing and full support of US airpower.
country’s 2012 birth rate is currently two airbases in which the runways are
one of the lowest in the world, at 1.23 partially underground. As a further
children per family, which is far
below the minimum required to
maintain a steady population size. US Forces in Korea
Air Forces An important factor in the Korean peninsula is the continuing American military
presence there. The US Army’s main ground unit on the peninsula is the 2nd Infantry
The North Korean People’s Air Force Division. There are also USAF units in-country, as well as in supporting positions
(KPAF) has 110,000 personnel and in Japan and at other bases in the Pacific that can deploy to the peninsula on
1,700 aircraft. As with the KPA, those short notice. Even so, the US presence in Korea is being gradually reduced, owing
numbers at first appear impressive, but to other global commitments in the ongoing War on Terror. The Marines on
there are serious shortfalls that make nearby Okinawa are also to be redeployed to other bases in the Pacific.

it no match for a modern opponent. In peacetime, ROK and US forces in Korea are commanded by their respective govern-
The KPAF is equipped with obsolete ments. In wartime, joint operational control is under the US Combined Forces Command
Soviet-era and Chinese planes, with (CFC). The CFC is to be replaced by a two-nation joint command structure in 2015.
its most modern aircraft being 35

A ROK F-15K “Slam Eagle” takes off on patrol.
Guard posts and concertina wire along a river just to the south of the DMZ.
Navies
Weapons of Mass Destruction
The North Korean People’s Navy
North Korea has developed an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction (KPN) possesses some 1000 vessels.
(WMD)—chemical, biological and nuclear. Information regarding those weapons Those warships are littoral craft,
is limited and is based mainly on estimates. The North’s control of information deployed on both the country’s
is so tight that little reliable information is available, while satellite imagery and coasts and lacking the endurance to
signals intelligence are degraded by the extensive use of camouflage and under- conduct blue water missions. KPN
ground facilities as well by the use of land lines for communication. Nevertheless, warships are obsolete designs, while
intelligence collection and defectors indicate the North possesses WMD. a lack of spare parts and fuel short-
North Korea is also expending significant resources on the development of ballistic ages again result in limited training
missiles for WMD delivery. The missiles deployed are Soviet-era, as well as indigenous and ships that aren’t seaworthy.
designs developed in cooperation with Iran and Syria. Those in production or develop- The KPN’s main strength lies
ment vary from short-range (75 miles) to intermediate-range (2,500 miles). They’ve in its fleet of 70 diesel submarines,
also done work on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), with an estimated range which can both attack enemy ships
of up to 9,300 miles, but it’s doubtful any proven model has gone into production. and infiltrate special forces. Those
While North Korea is estimated to possess some 900 ballistic missiles, poor submarines can be a dangerous
maintenance, limited targeting capabilities and the low-level of training among force if manned by good crews, as
their crews reduces that figure to about 750 systems that could be operationally demonstrated by the March 2010
deployed. Of course, if armed with WMD, even a portion of that smaller number has sinking of the ROK corvette Cheonan.
the potential to cause havoc and create mass casualties in the South. Another KPN strength comes from
The North’s nuclear inventory is estimated to range from four to 20 warheads. Their its large number of amphibious ships
theater ballistic missiles can reach all of the South in the event of war. Recognizing that and hovercraft. With a sealift capacity
threat, the South officially reserves the right to strike first if a Northern nuclear attack of 15,000 troops, the navy could play an
is believed imminent. Such a strike would most likely be executed by ROK Air Force important role in a new war by insert-

Slam Eagles as well as their own conventionally armed ballistic and cruise missiles. ing special forces behind the lines in
In addition, the South is developing an anti-missile defensive system that will consist its opening phase. Again, though,
of ground and sea launch batteries and is expected to be operational in 2015.
continued on page 18 »


North Korean Units & Doctrine American forces already in-theater so as to
demoralize the US home front and create
North Korean military doctrine has gone through several evolutions since the war of public pressure to withdraw from the war.
1950-53. In recent years they’ve concentrated on beefing up their conventional military capa- The KPA operational warfare
bilities, backed up by possible chemical warfare attacks and commando-style special forces doctrine assigns its major units to a series
operations. The earlier emphasis on insurgency and guerilla warfare now takes a distant sec- of “echelons.” The echelons execute their
ond place. The ultimate objective is the reunification of Korea under the communist regime. attacks in a series, each creating a discrete
Though Pyongyang’s propaganda emphasizes “defense” against outside powers, it must be phase within the overall campaign.
kept in mind that “defense” in their doctrine refers to the entire peninsula, not just the North. The first echelon consists of the infantry
Planning for military operations is centered on the offensive, described by the divisions and artillery corps along the DMZ fac-
over-arching doctrine of “One Blow — Non-Stop Attack.” In the event of a war ing South Korea. Some of the best units in the
against the ROK and its US ally, Northern forces would immediately attack south KPA are kept deployed there, heavily reinforced
across the DMZ to try to seize a quick victory. North Korean estimates of the time with armor and combat engineers. Tactical
needed to entirely overrun the South range from three days to a month. emphasis is placed on surprise and deception.
The initial operational goal is to preempt South Korean mobilization while securing the During the initial phase of a war the
various ports and airfields through which the US could otherwise deploy reinforcements artillery would initiate a massive barrage
into the country. Another North Korean objective is to inflict sufficient casualties on against South Korean border fortifications.
They would also execute longer range fires,
including missile launches, against Seoul and
troop concentrations, command control centers,
logistical facilities and airbases. Meanwhile
commando units would infiltrate south via
airlift, sealift and tunnels in order to spread
havoc. At the same time some missiles and
commando units would be targeted at US
bases in nearby countries, such as Japan, to
interdict both reinforcements and logistical
support coming from them to the peninsula.
Once a breakthrough has been made across
the DMZ, the second echelon of tank and mech-
anized corps would exploit through it, driving to
envelop and destroy forward-deployed South
Korean and US units, then pressing on to take
the South Korean capital Seoul. Plans call for
large-scale pincer movements in order to avoid
battles of attrition in cities, which would other-
wise slow the overall impetus of the assault.
Once ROK defenses have been
shattered, the third echelon, made up of
other motorized units, would race for the
vital port of Pusan at the southern end of the
peninsula to complete the conquest. With
Pusan taken, the US and its allies would
have to force their way back into the country
via amphibious and airborne assaults into
the teeth of KPA defenses and reserves.
All branches of the North Korean armed
forces are oriented toward that offensive.
The air force’s primary mission is close air
support, but air defense isn’t neglected. That
includes interceptors, surface to air missiles
(SAMs), anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) and radar.
Experience from 1950-53 showed US airpower
could devastate cities, logistics and units on the
ground. As a consequence, the North Koreans
have hardened their aircraft hangars and dug
many air force facilities into mountainsides.
While all that might sound formidable,
North Korean pilots receive limited flight
training, often less than 30 hours a year.
That’s insufficient to maintain proficiency,
let alone practice combat maneuvers. Both
the air force and the air defense system are

overly centralized, and various incidents attack across the DMZ. Given the precarious
have demonstrated response time is slow. state of the North Korean economy, there’s
The historic experience of air warfare shows a question as to how long and how far from
the non-material factors of aircrew skill its bases its armed forces can be sustained.
and de-centralized control are crucial. The North Koreans have a large apparatus
The North Korean Navy is geared for psychological warfare (now more com-
toward supporting amphibious operations monly referred to as “information warfare”).
with its numerous landing craft. There Offensively, it would be used to try to subvert
are also some naval commando units. The the South Korean government and undermine
total fleet may include as many as 1,000 the relationship between Seoul and its allies,
vessels, but most of them are small craft especially Washington. Internally there’s
such as patrol and attack boats. Their largest extensive indoctrination of the troops as well
ships are frigates (small destroyers). as the society from which they come. How
Similar to the air force, the navy doesn’t that would all hold up in the event of war,
have experience in large-scale conflict. especially if conditions were exacerbated
There’s a large coastal defense system, by famine or insurrection, as in the recent
which is supposed to secure the North’s “Arab Spring” uprisings, remains to be seen.
long shore lines, presumably against a ROK/
US repeat of an Inchon-style amphibious Organization
landing. The defenses include fortified gun
emplacements, anti-ship missiles, observa- As the diagrams show, there are two
tion and radar posts, and minefields. general types of corps organization in the KPA.
On the logistical front the North Korean One is more traditional, with divisions as the
policy is described as “self-reliance.” There’s major maneuver units backed by various non-
large-scale stockpiling of fuel, ammunition and divisional specialist formations. The other type
food, as well as trucks and other transport to of corps consists of a collection of brigades
move it all forward. There are also plans to
seize petroleum and food stockpiles during the continued on page 18 »

civilian fishing vessels, as well as the
use of decoys to distract strikes from
real targets. In addition, extensive use
is made of hardened and underground
shelters to protect support facilities.
The ROK Navy musters 41,000
sailors and 27,000 Marines. Supported
by South Korea’s well developed
shipbuilding industry, the navy is
equipped with modern surface and
sub-surface vessels. It’s currently in
the process of expanding its combat
capability through the construction of
three Aegis-equipped destroyers and
nine new submarines. It’s also expand-
» continued from page 17 ing the amphibious assault capabilities
of the ROK Marines through the
that would be assigned to fight together as needed. That reflects a growing trend among construction of Dokdo-class assault
modern armies to dispense with the division level of command, relying on enhanced ships and four LSTs. The Dokdo LPD
command networks to control units across wide fronts with fewer layers of headquarters. class, with its capacity to deploy
While the KPA is generally oriented toward the offensive, some formations within it helicopters and hovercraft, will give
are devoted to defense. For example, there’s a corps assigned to keep secure the capital at the ROK Marines an over-the-horizon
Pyongyang, as well as an entire air defense command. There are also various second-line amphibious landing capability that will
formations to watch the border with China as well as others to guard against enemy allow them to take the battle to enemy
amphibious and airborne incursions, though they might be committed south to reinforce the territory, attacking behind the lines.
offensive. Backing up all that are large numbers of paramilitary, security and militia forces. The main threat to the ROK
Though the North Korean armed forces appear formidable on paper, there are deficiencies. Navy is the North’s submarines. Well
One is that many units are understrength and, in case of war, would need to be filled out led and properly deployed, KPN
through the mobilization of reserves and paramilitary troops of varying levels of efficiency. subs are capable of engaging and
Another deficiency is leadership. North Korean military leaders have studied the various sinking ROK warships and civilian
Arab-Israeli wars, the US campaigns against Iraq in 1991 and 2003, and the NATO actions shipping. In the event of a war it can
in the Balkans. From those studies they’ve concluded their offensive military action can be be expected one of the ROK Navy’s
decisive, winning before the enemy has had time to respond effectively or even fully mobilize. initial objectives will therefore be the
The successful offensives in those wars were carried out, though, by Western neutralization of the KPN submarine
armed forces that differed from those of North Korea in important ways. Probably the fleet in order to secure freedom of
most critical of them is that Israeli, US and NATO militaries rely extensively on the movement around the peninsula.
initiative of commanders at all levels, down to the squad level, to carry out offensive
operations. That stands in contrast to the North Korean approach of centralized planning Strategies
and execution of operations, as well as the general rigidity of communist society. As a
result the forces of the US and its allies would operate at a much faster pace, executing The North’s strategy is centered on
operations before the North’s command structure would have time to respond. launching a massive surprise attack
Another major difference is that Israeli, US and NATO forces generally possessed followed by rapid exploitation. KPA
air superiority from the start of operations, or gained it within a short time after the forces are to drive forward without
beginning of hostilities. In the event of war on the Korean peninsula, the North’s pause in order to take control of the
air force would lack the ability to challenge US/ROK airpower, at least without entire peninsula in one offensive.
support and sanctuaries provided by the Chinese. Large KPA armored formations The launching of such a war would
moving through the constricted roads south would provide “target rich environ- be synchronized with events in
ments” for US and ROK aircraft, precision-guided weaponry and drones. the international arena that have
Another overarching issue is political and psychological. That is, defectors focused the attention of the US in
have indicated that most in the North Korean military are willing to fight in a new another part of the world—prefer-
war. Whether that willingness would be maintained in a protracted conflict, or ably on some other large armed

in the event of a Northern battlefield defeat, is a matter for speculation. conflict—in order to prevent or reduce
Washington’s capacity to intervene.
— Joseph Miranda Such a Northern offensive would
open with massive artillery barrages
against forward deployed ROK units,
followed by large-scale infantry
» continued from page 14 Like the country’s other services, assaults. It would be supported by
the KPN relies heavily on passive special forces infiltrated into the South
defensive actions would degrade the defensive measures to protect its by air, sea and tunnels. Once the DMZ
KPN amphibious capacity significantly assets from ROK and US naval and air had been breached, mechanized units
following the opening of hostilities. attack. The camouflage techniques
used include hiding small craft among continued on page 20 »

Flashpoint: Korea
North Korea has one of the largest military establishments in the the black market. As a result, the armed forces are forced to loot
world. Its arsenal includes over a million-man army, 4,000 tanks, 2,500 in order to keep themselves fed. Given all that, it’s doubtful much
armored personnel carriers, 17,900 artillery pieces, 1,800 aircraft, and of the military is in any shape to fight an extended campaign.
tens of thousands of man-portable air defense missiles (MANPADs) The KPA also has a large Special Forces branch of 180,000
and anti-tank missiles. Some weapons are of World War II vintage; personnel. They’re trained for a range of infiltration, sabotage and
others were acquired throughout the Cold War, and there is also some other unconventional warfare operations. By concentrating so
modern equipment of recent Russian and Chinese manufacture. many of their best personnel in that branch, however, the regular
The North Koreans also have a domestic arms manufacturing capa- units are deprived of good cadre. The best NCOs and junior officers
bility, which includes the “Dong” (a.k.a. “Taepodong” meaning “large have been assigned to the special forces, thereby undermining
cannon”) Medium Range Ballistic Missile. Intelligence estimates credit leadership at the squad and platoon level in the regular line units.
them with possessing a small stockpile of atomic weapons. They’re also The KPA operates under a Stalinist-style leadership
suspected of having large stocks of chemical and biological weapons. culture, which produces commanders notable for their loyalty to
Given the archaic Stalinist system controlling the country the regime rather than for military skills. That, combined with
and economy, it’s difficult to gauge the true capabilities of the the fuel shortage and poor nutrition, makes it difficult for
armed forces. Accurate information is difficult to come by, and the military to conduct realistic training exercises.
propaganda is often the basis of the various estimates. Communications flow directly from senior commanders at central
Overall, North Korea appears to have a capable military. Even so, headquarters to units in the field. Initiative at company level therefore
the country is under economic and military embargo from the global ranges from low to non-existent. That would be further exacerbated in
community, and is only able to trade with two of its neighbors, Russia a shooting war, given the US would no doubt concentrate the use of
and China. Both Moscow and Beijing have alternated in maintaining precision guided munitions to destroy their already rigid communication
North Korea as a client state (which they prefer to a unified Korea under systems. North Korean units at the front would therefore quickly be
Southern governance, which is almost certain to remain a US ally). on their own, without orders. While out-of- command units might fight
North Korea doesn’t have any significant domestic oil fiercely, their efforts would be uncoordinated and they would lack the
production or much in the way of energy capability. Though they information needed in order to fight together as part of a larger strategy.
have a large army, it’s difficult for them to provide the fuel and As noted above, the North Koreans are estimated to have a number
other petroleum products needed for it to operate in the field. of atomic weapons, and that’s a major concern to the surrounding coun-
The people of the country are suffering from the famine tries as well as Washington, since the Dong missile has the capability of
that’s gripped the North in recent years, and that’s hurt the hitting targets as far away as Guam. At present it’s still doubtful those
military due to the fact the recruits suffer the effects of the resultant missiles could carry nuclear payloads, but they could deliver chemical or

malnutrition. In addition, soldiers who’ve defected report there’s biological warheads. All that makes for a potentially volatile situation.
constant large-scale theft of military supplies for sale on
— David March

Troops from the US 2nd Infantry Division on maneuvers in South Korea.
» continued from page 18 The KPA leadership is aware speed though it does also officially reserve
would be crucial in such an offensive. the option to strike preemptively if a
would race through the gaps at full The DPRK can only logistically sup- nuclear attack is deemed imminent.
speed to push as far and as fast as pos- port its military forces in combat for The South intends to stop any
sible into the ROK rear area. The initial about two months. Given ROK-US invasion on the ground in the zone
attack would also be accompanied by air supremacy, supplies being moved just south of the DMZ, while its air
air and ballistic missile attacks, and forward would be subject to interdic- force systematically reduces the
there’s also the possibility weapons tion along with the destruction of the North’s overall combat power and
of mass destruction (WMD) would irreplaceable vehicles hauling them. logistical support capabilities.
be employed. Such attacks would The longer fighting lasts, the worse The resultant military defeat of
send millions of refugees streaming will be the North’s logistical situation the North is expected to lead to its
south, creating immense traffic as ammunition, POL (petroleum-oil- regime’s political collapse and the
jams that could paralyze the ROK lubricants) and spare parts run out. reunification of the peninsula under
military’s ability to move up reserves. ROK strategy focuses on defending the aegis of the ROK government. Of
the country from a Northern invasion, course, even if the North’s government
were to collapse soon after the start
of a new war, all-out fighting between
the two Koreas would still be a major
SHOP.DECISIONGAMES.COM conflagration. One possible outcome
might be that the North’s leadership,
PLACE YOUR faced with defeat and overthrow, might

launch WMD as a last resort. t
ORDER SELECTED SOURCES
while supplies last! Bermudez, Joseph. The Armed Forces of North Korea.
London: Tauris, 2001.
Scobell, Andrew & John M. Sanford. North Korea’s Military
Threat. US Army War College Strategic Studies
Institute, 2007.
The Military Balance. London: International Institute for
Strategic Studies, various years.
PO Box 21598 | Bakersfield, CA 93390 | (661) 587-9633 | sales@decisiongames.com
MW5-v5
D O YO U H AV E T H E M A L L?
COMPLETE FOLIO SERIES
Go to SHOP.DECISIONGAMES.COM to order today.
The Folio Game Series provides dozens of games using the same 8-page Standard rules (Musket & Saber for 19th century battles,
Fire & Movement for 20th century battles, Fire & Movement World War I for WWI battles, Battles of the Medieval World for medieval
battles, & Pike & Shot for early gunpowder battles) with a short Exclusive rules sheet for each individual game to capture the unique
aspects of each battle. These standard rules are an update of the SPI classic folio/quad game rules and provide for greater historical
accuracy. For example, now cavalry and artillery have their unique characteristics in the Musket & Saber series – artillery conducts
bombardment to disrupt infantry and cavalry can charge, and infantry can form squares, skirmish or charge.
The folio game series takes only minutes to learn and once one game is played, players can immediately play many more scenarios
with the same standard rules. Most folio games have a 17” x 22” map and 80-100 counters so set-up takes only a few minutes and
most games take 60-90 minutes to play. The folio games are presented in a folio rather than a box for easy storage.
ACRE: The Third Crusade Opens | ARSUF: Lionheart vs. Saladin
GREAT
BREITENFELD: Enter the Lion of the North | PAVIA: Climax of the Italian Wars
PEA RIDGE: St Louis, then Huzzah! | PEDREGAL: Santa Anna at Bay
LOOS: The Big Push, 1915 | LEBANON ‘82: Operation Peace for Galilee
CHALONS: The Fate of Europe | MARENGO: Morning Defeat, Afternoon Victory (below) GIFT
LEIPZIG: Napoleon Encircled | CHICKAMAUGA: River of Death
STONES RIVER: Turning Point in Tennessee | FRAYSER’S FARM: Wasted Opportunity
IDEA
SHILOH: Grant Surprised | ARNHEM: The Farthest Bridge
CAULDRON: Battle for Gazala | KASSERINE: Baptism of Fire
SAIPAN: Conquest of the Marianas | BASTOGNE: A Desperate Defense
AACHEN: First to Fall | CRUSADER: Battle for Tobruk
GOLAN: The Last Syrian Offensive | DMZ: The Next Korean War
NAKTONG BULGE: Breaking the Perimeter | SHOWDOWN: The Coming Indo-Pakistani War
EACH GAME UNDER $25 (MOST UNDER $20)
P.O. Box 21598 | Bakersfi eld, CA 93390-1598 | (661) 587-9633 phone | info@decisiongames.com | shop.decisiongames.com
MW5-v5F.indd 21 2/8/13 4:09 PM

Design Theory
Joseph Miranda
Drive on Pyongyang
D
rive on Pyongyang pits a time for the Coalition, which must function as ground combat units with
US-led Coalition against the win as big and as quickly as possible. special abilities reflecting their higher
North Koreans, with possible I added a second combat results level of training. They’re also optional
Chinese participation on either side. table (CRT) for net-centric operations. Special Forces markers that represent,
It’s based on an original design by Ty Its results are qualitatively different rather than units as such, each side’s
Bomba that was kept updated by me as from those of the Standard CRT. For more generalized ability to conduct
the events of the last decade unfolded. example, a “Defender Neutralized” a range of unconventional warfare
The game’s assumption is the North result causes long retreats in order missions. They include “Airstrike
Koreans would ultimately win or lose to facilitate the kind of continuous Coordination” and “SCUD/
a future ground war on that peninsula mobile actions common during WMD Hunting” for the Coalition,
based on political factors. Therefore 2003’s Operation Iraqi Freedom, “Sabotage” for the North Koreans,
the central feature of the system is in which Coalition units rolled up and “Insurgency” for both sides.
the MePP (Media Perception Points) enemy forces in running battles. In recent years the Republic of
concept. Broadly, they’re lost for vari- The catch is that only certain units Korea (ROK) has been reevaluating its
ous combat actions, as well as for the can execute net-centric warfare. armed forces posture. The arrange-
length of the overall ground campaign. They include a limited number of ment had been that the US provided
The game becomes a race against Coalition Stryker brigades, helicopter, airpower, high technology and some
and special operations units. hard-hitting maneuver units while
The Standard CRT has attritional the ROK provided manpower for the
results, such as “Meeting Engagement,” ground war. The ROK are now re-
which cause each side to take a step equipping their armed forces with new
loss. They reflect not only combat technologies. In the game that’s mod-
losses, but also attrition caused by the eled by an option for them to exchange
high pace of modern operations. An their armored and mechanized
army pushed too far too fast is going divisions for Stryker-like brigades
to gradually fall apart — though the that can use the Netcentric CRT. That
Coalition also has a “Reconstitution” gives them more offensive power
ability, allowing it to restore units at the cost of some ability to hold
to full strength at the cost of skip- ground against strong enemy attacks.
ping a full turn of operations. I gave the North Koreans an
The Coalition can exchange US “Echelon Phase.” Their armored corps
divisions with breakdown units, can use it to take a move-and-fight
representing army brigades and USMC sequence at the end of the normal
regiments. Since each division breaks player turn. That reflects their doctrine,
down into four maneuver brigades and it gives them an advantage they
(per doctrine), that gives the Coalition can exploit to good effect on occasion.
a lot of flexibility. There’s no ‘free lunch’ The North Koreans can also use
there, however, in that the component nuclear weapons. That player has the
Upcoming magazine previews units add up to fewer combat strength option to make tactical and strategic
Special offers points than the complete division, nuclear strikes. Of course, that may
since the latter would have the lead to a Coalition response in kind,
Special content only available
advantage of concentration. More which may be anything from a one-for-
to Briefing Room subscribers critically, the component brigades one retaliation to the vaporization of
and regiments don’t have second the North. Things can escalate out of
steps. That means one loss and they’re control, so players need to be cautious
eliminated, modeling the reduced about going down that road. t
cohesion that results from operating as
independent brigades or regiments.
Drive on Pyongyang models special
operations forces (SOF) in two ways.
Each side has several SOF units that

DRIVE on PYONGYANG
Drive on Pyongyang, designed by Ty Bomba and Joseph To purchase the game that covers the battles featured in
Miranda, is an updated “what-if” simulation of the fighting that might this issue send your name and address along with:
occur on the Korean peninsula if the US-led anti-terrorism Coalition
launches a ground war to finally settle with the Pyongyang regime. $30 US Customers
The game is a two-player wargame of low-to-intermediate $36 Canadian Customers
complexity that postulates this might-be war lasting about a month. $38 Overseas Customers
We believe that’s about the maximum time before the Coalition All prices include postage for 1st class or airmail
ground force’s diminishing supplies, coupled with a loss of the shipping. CA residents add $1.80 sales tax.
domestic political will necessary to continue the fighting, would
bring about a settlement if victory were not achieved in the field. Name
The game includes one map of North Korea, from shore to Address
shore (as well as the northern region of South Korea), and two
counter sheets (560 counters) representing all the contemporary
US, South Korean, Chinese and North Korean forces that would City/State/Zip
be engaged in a US preemptory conflict in the near future. Country
V/MC/DISC# Exp.
Signature
Phone # Email
GO ONLINE: shop.strategyandtacticspress.com
SEND TO: Decision Games

ATTN: MW Game Offer
P.O. Box 21598 | Bakersfield CA 93390
Detail of the Drive on Pyongyang map
MODERN WAR 5 | MAy–juN 2013 23

Argentine soldiers carrying military supplies shortly after invading the Falkland Islands, on 13 April 1982. (Daniel Garcia/AFP/Getty Images)
24 MODERN WAR 5 | MAy–juN 2013

Up Front in the
Falklands By Phil Sharp
was accomplished. With overall eco-

nomic conditions worsening, the time
seemed right to divert public attention
toward a unifying cause: regaining
as well as South Georgia Island territory claimed as Argentine.
and South Sandwich Island.
Argentina had been ruled by a Operation Rosario
military junta since 1976, and Adm.
Background Jorge Anaya, commander-in-chief The Argentine invasion of the
of the navy, believed the United Falklands and South Georgia began
C
onflicting claims to the Kingdom wouldn’t use force to under the facade of joint maneuver
Falkland Islands (Las recover the islands if his country’s exercises with the Uruguayan Navy.
Malvinas to the Argentines) armed forces seized them. So the Participating Argentinean naval forces
go back almost 200 years. In the decision was made for war, primarily headed north toward the designated
1980s the Falklands were a British to rally nationalist sentiment behind exercise area, then broke off toward
outpost in the South Atlantic Ocean. the junta. Originally having taken the southeast to their actual targets. By
The 1982 Argentine-British war power to suppress an urban guerrilla the evening of 1 April 1982, Argentine
resulted from the lingering quarrel movement, the military showed no ships were in Falkland waters poised
about sovereignty over the islands, sign of relinquishing control once that to strike. They were divided into the

F
following three groups under the (in English: tactical divers), and the
overall codename Operation Rosario. landing ship Cabo San Antonio,
packed with the 2nd Marine
Task Force 20. Commanded by Infantry Battalion. Its mission
Vice Adm. Juan Lombardo, it was to conduct an amphibious
was centered around the carrier landing on the Falklands.
Veinticinco de Mayo along with the
former US destroyers Comodoro Py, Task Force 60. This smaller
Piedrabuena, Sequi and Hipolito formation came into official
Bouchard. Its mission was to existence when another German-
provide covering overwatch for the built frigate, Guerrico, arrived
attack on the Falkland Islands. at South Georgia and linked up
there with the polar transport
Task Force 40. Under the com- Bahia Paraiso. Guerrico carried a
mand of Rear Adm. Jorge Allara, it platoon from 1st Marine Infantry
was comprised of the British-built Battalion, and the mission was to
Type-42 destroyers Santissima capture South Georgia Island.
Trinidad and Hercules (transport-
ing the Amphibious Commando Santissima Trinidad moved to with-
Jorge Anaya in 1976. During the 1982 war, Company) and the German-built in two miles of the southern coast of
Anaya commanded Operation Algeciras, in frigates Granville and Drummond. East Falkland on the evening of 1 April.
which Argentine commandos were to sabotage Also included was the submarine The Amphibious Commando Company
a Royal Navy warship harbored in Gibraltar;
Santa Fe, loaded with the elite (about 120 men) boarded their assault
the plan was thwarted at the last minute
when communications were intercepted. naval frogmen Buzo Tactico unit craft and headed for Mullet Creek.

Argentine military personnel take position along the Strait of San Carlos during the Falklands War.
They got caught in a bed of thick kelp, Santa Fe was in position off Brook. Tear gas was thrown in and
which necessitated a diversion to Lake East Falkland early on the morn- weapons were fired, but the bar-
Point. The commandos divided into ing of 2 April. Buzo Tactico then racks was found to be deserted and
two groups as they went ashore. The approached the shore in rubber was therefore quickly secured.
smaller of them, under Lt. Commander boats and seized the light house at The first of three waves of 2nd
Pedro Giachino, headed for Cape Pembroke. Buzo Tactico also Marine Infantry Battalion began
Government House in order to capture conducted a reconnaissance and their landing in Amtrac amphibious
the governor. The larger force, under marked the entrance to the harbor vehicles. Stanley Airfield was seized
Lt. Commander Sanchez Sabarot, of Yorke Bay for follow-on forces. and an army infantry platoon
headed for the Moody Brook barracks While Buzo Tactico was carrying was designated to guard it.
in order to neutralize the British out its mission, Sabarot’s men By that time Giachino’s force had
personnel there (Naval Party 8901). surrounded the barracks at Moody surrounded Government House

and a squad entered to seize the
governor. Unknown to them, the
Royal Marine garrison wasn’t at the
barracks but was in the house. In the
ensuing firefight, three Argentines
were wounded and two were taken
prisoner. A stand off developed with
the British inside and the Argentines
surrounding them on the outside.
After the aborted assault on
Government House, elements
of 2nd Marine Battalion began to
advance toward Stanley to link up
with the amphibious commandos.
A British ambush delayed that
relief column for a few minutes, but
eventually it reached Government
House. Seeing further resistance was
pointless, Gov. Rex Hunt ordered
the surrender of the garrison.
Guerrico arrived at Grytviken, South
Georgia, on 3 April and a battle began
there. The platoon from 1st Marine
Battalion was ferried ashore using
two helicopters. The British garrison
opened fire on those air insertions
and brought down one of the aircraft.
Guerrico provided naval gunfire
support, but was damaged by return
fire from an 84mm recoilless rifle. The
frigate withdrew but returned later to
again add fire support. The garrison
was eventually surrounded as the sur-
viving helicopter continued to trans-
port more marines into position. That,
along with the Guerrico’s supporting
fire, convinced the British commander
(a lieutenant) to surrender his unit.
With that the Argentines controlled
the Falklands. To consolidate their con-
quest they launched a large airlift, and
within 24 hours some 4,000 more per-
sonnel had arrived on East Falkland.
British Response
The success of the Argentine inva-

sion surprised the United Kingdom as
well as the rest of the world. Contrary
to the expectations of the junta,
the government in London, led by
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
reacted by organizing a military
expeditionary force. At the same time,
the United Kingdom also froze all
Argentine assets within its control
and filed the appropriate complaints
with the international community.
The British soon dispatched
an advance group to Ascension
Island, about halfway between
the British Isles and the Falklands.
Ascension became the staging area

for forces heading toward the combat assaults. The frigates Alacrity and
zone. The Royal Navy’s Operation Antelope joined while Broadsword and
Springtrain exercise, under the Yarmouth linked up from Gibraltar.
aegis of the First Flotilla, happened Naval transports moved out as well.
to be in full swing at Gibraltar and The cruise liner Canberra was requisi-
was therefore ready to move out. tioned and tasked to carry the battal-
Rear Adm. John Forster “Sandy” ions of 40 Commando, 42 Commando
Woodward was at the exercise, aboard and 3 Para(troopers), along with
the frigate Antrim, and was soon support formations of 3 Commando
appointed overall naval commander Brigade. The Stromness was fitted out
for the Falklands operation. Antrim to carry 45 Commando. Elk, a ferry
departed Gibraltar accompanied vessel, was commandeered to trans-
by the frigates Arrow, Brilliant and port Scorpion and Scimitar tracked
Plymouth and the destroyers Coventry, reconnaissance vehicles of B Squadron
Glamorgan, Glasgow and Sheffield. of the Blues & Royals Regiment.
A few days later the RN’s aircraft Ships like the transport Norland
carrier group moved out from Britain embarked with 2 Para, and others
to rendezvous at Ascension. The continued to arrive throughout April
older carrier Hermes left with a in preparation for the final campaign.
complement of 12 Sea Harrier aircraft
and G Squadron of the SAS (Special Operation Paraquet
Air Service). The newer but smaller
carrier Invincible shoved off with With the buildup at Ascension
eight Sea Harriers. The other major Island underway, the British
ship was the amphibious assault also made preparations for the
ship Fearless, one of two such ships recapture of South Georgia under
remaining in the RN with the capacity the codename Operation Paraquet.
to conduct and support amphibious Plymouth, Antrim (which carried

Argentine soldiers read newspapers in Port Stanley during the war.
D Squadron of the SAS), and the tanker Tidespring, carrying M Company

of 42 Commando, formed the surface force. The older diesel submarine
Onyx transported the 2nd Section of the Special Boat Service (SBS, naval
commandos). The nuclear submarine Conqueror was also in the vicinity.
The RN’s South Georgia Group linked up on 14 April with
the ice survey ship Endurance, which had been playing cat
and mouse with the Argentines since their invasion.
On 22 April an SAS reconnaissance patrol was air inserted onto South
Georgia. The weather became too severe even for those determined special
forces operators, and they had to be retrieved later in the day. Two Wessex heli-
copters were lost in the process, until a third finally succeeded in lifting them
off. The next day SBS and SAS teams were inserted ashore in better weather to
continue the reconnaissance. On the 24th the Brilliant joined the group after
traveling full steam to bring in two Lynx helicopters for the assault force.
The Argentine submarine Santa Fe meanwhile arrived and landed
Argentine reinforcements and supplies, bringing their garrison up to
company strength on 25 April. It was detected by a Wessex helicopter from
Antrim upon its exit from Cumberland Bay. Three helicopters engaged the
submarine, causing severe damage. Despite all the ordnance expended, Santa
Fe still managed to beach itself at Grytviken and the crew made it to safety.
The engagement with the Santa Fe caused visible agitation among
the Argentine garrison, which was noticed by the British. The main body
of Royal Marines was still 200 miles away aboard Tidespring; however,
the British officers on scene believed the time to act had arrived in order
to take advantage of the Argentine disarray. Maj. Guy Sheridan, Royal
Marines, commanded the hurriedly put together operation that con-
solidated all on hand SBS, SAS and other personnel aboard Antrim.
Naval guns blasted suspected positions under the direction of aerial
observation. In the afternoon the assault elements were shuttled in and
began to close on Grytviken. Within three hours the Argentines sur-
rendered. Plymouth and Brilliant immediately moved to rejoin the main
task force while Antrim rejoined later after transferring the prisoners.
Toward Invasion
Even as South Georgia was being retaken, Adm. Woodward was

moving with the rest of the task force toward the Falklands. In support
of that, the British declared an “Exclusion Zone” containing all area
within 200 miles around the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. All
Argentine forces moving into the area were declared to be valid targets.


In effect, Woodward therefore had resources were slim and the loss of Glamorgan, Arrow and Alacrity
two missions: enforcing the Exclusion any major vessel could jeopardize were also dispatched to bombard
Zone blockade and seeking out and that crucial portion of the operation. Argentine positions in the vicinity of
destroying the Argentine forces already The task force initiated its first Stanley with their 4.5 inch guns. During
within it. Accomplished together, offensive operations on 1 May: that bombardment, four Argentine
they would isolate the Argentines eight Harriers from the Invincible Mirage III aircraft approached the
holding the Falklands and facilitate provided air cover while 12 Harriers fleet but the British ships suffered
the islands’ recapture. Within that from Hermes launched attacks on no damage in that first aero-naval
strategy was the operational reality Argentine ground positions. The engagement. Three enemy aircraft
an amphibious landing would still Goose Green airstrip, the radar were shot down, one accidentally by
have to be conducted. The British system at Stanley, and various air its own side’s guns firing from Stanley.
needed the right preconditions in defense systems were hit with little Later in the day two Argentine
place for it, since their amphibious damage done and no loss of aircraft. Canberra bombers were repelled with

British transport ship Argus.
one shot down. Also that same day, averted what otherwise might’ve actually failed to explode, but it had
Royal Air Force (RAF) Vulcan bombers developed into a major surface sufficient kinetic energy to cause fires
began their long-range aerially refu- action. The most important result, to erupt on board. After four hours
eled missions attacking Stanley airfield. though, was the Argentines effectively of fire fighting and 44 casualties, the
Overall, Woodward could celebrate his withdrew their navy from the rest captain ordered the ship abandoned.
50th birthday that day in good cheer. of the war in order to avoid further Sheffield would sink a week later
The next day an event took place ship losses. There was also a political while in tow during a storm.
that led to rejoicing in Britain and out- consideration in that maintaining a Aero-naval operations continued
rage elsewhere. The RN nuclear sub- fleet-in-being was the only way the through the middle of May. Two
marine Courageous had located and Argentine admirals could keep secure more Harriers were lost when they
was shadowing an Argentine task force their positions within the junta. collided in severe weather. Given the
consisting of the cruiser (and fleet flag- Within two days the United small size of the fleet’s air arm, that
ship) General Belgrano along with the Kingdom suffered a major loss as well. was a notable setback. The destroyer
Hipolito Bouchard and Piedrabuena. On the morning of 4 May a Harrier Glasgow was attacked by Argentine
The task force appeared to be head- was shot down while conducting a Skyhawks and damaged by an
ing toward the Falklands, but was bombing mission over Goose Green. unexploded 1,000 lb. bomb that passed
still outside the Exclusion Zone. Later in the afternoon Sheffield through her deck, causing power loss
Even though the Belgrano (formerly and Arrow were on radar picket duty for several hours. Argentine armed
the USS Phoenix, built in 1938) was an west of the Falklands in order to trawlers Narwhal and Rio Carcamia,
outdated ship, she still concerned the provide early warning to the fleet. along with the supply ship Islas de
British because of her firepower: 15 Three Argentine Super Etendard los Estados, were attacked and sunk
six-inch guns and some Exocet anti- aircraft approached, flying just while operating around the Falklands.
ship missiles. Permission was therefore above the ocean surface, armed with Three other significant events
requested and granted to engage. The French-made AM-39 Exocet air-to-ship also took place by mid-May. First,
British submarine launched three missiles. They fired two of them and the Exclusion Zone was expanded to
Mk8 torpedoes, with two striking the the British responded with chaff to take in the international waters off
cruiser. She sank with the loss of 321. break the radar lock of the missiles. the coast of Argentina. That would
It’s possible the sudden and One Exocet was deflected, but the permit British forces to engage any
unexpected loss of the Belgrano other struck the Sheffield. The missile oncoming Argentine threat without

A British soldier checks the area with a pair of binoculars, near a Rapier
missile air defense battery, in the Falklands on 25 May 1982.
having to await authorization from Pebble Island Raid

London. Second, the British nuclear
submarine force focused its attention The British planned a landing to
on the coast of Argentina, providing take place at San Carlos harbor, but
warnings of observed takeoffs of there was believed to be a significant
aircraft from the mainland. number of Argentine Pucara aircraft
Third, the British began to operate at nearby Pebble Island Airfield.
what was called the “22-42 Combo.” The proximity of those low-flying
Under that system, a Type-22 frigate planes to the landing site made the
equipped with the Sea Wolf anti-air operation potentially dangerous.
system tracked targets at lower levels. On 13 May an SAS team paddled
A Type-42 destroyer, carrying the across from West Falkland and began
Sea Dart anti-air system, which was observing Argentine activity around
superior to the Sea Wolf when it came the airstrip as well as at the
to long distance, was integrated with settlement on Pebble Island. Their
it in order to allow the two to com- reports put the garrison at around
pensate for each other’s weaknesses. 100 men and numerous aircraft.
The Argentine air arm was also The team set up a landing zone and
learning. They determined it was pref- guided in Sea King helicopters carrying
erable to come in low on bomb runs, 45 men of SAS D Squadron during
even though it inhibited targeting, the night of 14 April. Within minutes
to better avoid detection by sensors naval gunfire was called down by an
and visual sightings. Their pilots also observation team. One SAS group
learned to make better use of the provided over-watch while another
terrain of the islands to mask their advanced to the airfield. Charges were Operation Sutton
approach until the last moment, then set on the aircraft without any opposi-
popping up to strike at their targets. tion and the team then withdrew. San Carlos was chosen as the
A major shortfall they didn’t The Argentine garrison didn’t landing point for good reason: the
discover in time was that many react until explosions rang out British determined there would be
Argentine bombs struck their targets on the airfield, and the best they little resistance, and Brig. Julian
but didn’t explode due to mechanical could then do was an ineffective Thompson, 3 Commando Brigade
failure or improper fuse settings. counterattack. The result of the commander, wanted to get his force
Regardless, the full power of their air raid for the British was nine enemy fully ashore before engaging the
arm was yet to be displayed, and there aircraft destroyed with no friendly enemy. The harbor was also sur-
was still potential to inflict crucial casualties suffered. The way seemed rounded by hills that would provide
losses on the British task force. open for the move on San Carlos. some protection to ships in the
harbor and to the beachhead during
the build up of men and materiel.
The recent attack on Pebble Island
led the Argentines to believe more

Armorers move torpedoes on the flight deck of the British aircraft carrier Hermes, as Sea King helicopters
are being rearmed to counter the Argentine submarine threat, on 26 May 1982.
such raids would take place prior more GR3s flew in all the way from Simultaneously Glamorgan shelled the
to the main landing, probably on Ascension using aerial refueling. area north of Berkeley Sound, which
more lightly defended West Falkland. A major “cross decking” opera- was another possible landing area.
The British reinforced that belief by tion was in full swing: troops were Other such locations were shelled by
conducting more raids and naval bom- transferred from the Canberra and naval fire so as to further confuse the
bardments. That constant harassment, Norland to the amphibious assault Argentines as to the true landing site.
as well as poor logistics, undermined ships Fearless and Intrepid. During The plan called for seven vessels to
Argentine morale and set the stage that process a large bird collided provide direct fire support during the
for a largely unopposed landing. with a Sea King helicopter, and the landing. The first wave consisted of 40
On 18 April the Atlantic Conveyor aircraft crashed into the sea along Commando and 2 Para were the first
linked up with the RN carriers bring- with 20 men of the SAS (all were lost). wave along with the Blues & Royals.
ing special reinforcements. Eight The date for the landing was set The next wave would be 45 Commando
more Sea Harriers and four ground for the early morning of 21 May. and 3 Para, with 42 Commando
attack GR3 Harriers were delivered Prior to it a diversion was launched remaining in reserve aboard Canberra.
by the carriers, and the next day four near Goose Green by the SAS.

Battle for San Carlos
Even though their intelligence

branch had warned their command
of such a possibility, the landing at
San Carlos caught the Argentines
by surprise. Their intense inter-
service rivalry and almost total lack
of coordination didn’t help matters.
Gen. Ernesto Crespo, their air
commander, wasn’t informed of
the landing until two hours after
his counterparts in the army had
learned of it. The army itself didn’t
react and was content to remain on
the defensive. Of course, given their
meager logistical setup, their troops’
waning morale, and the missing navy,
any such undertaking was almost
assured of failure. Though apathy
was apparent on the ground, it wasn’t
evident in Crespo and the air force.
Argentine air power responded
to the British landing. First some
Pucaras and Aeromacchis attacked.
The Argonaut suffered damaged radar
while the Pucaras were destroyed.
Next there came waves of
attacking Skyhawks with Mirages
providing escort. The Antrim’s
engine room was hit by two 1,000
lb. bombs, both of which failed to
explode. Argonaut took her place
in line while Antrim moved into the
protection of San Carlos harbor.
Almost as soon as Argonaut took
its new station, more Skyhawks
attacked. Most of their bombs plunged
into the water adjacent to the ship,
but one penetrated the boiler room,
stopping her dead in the water.
A British soldier on the approach to Goose Green.
Another bomb then struck below
the water line, causing an explosion
The night prior to the landing an rest of the defenders withdrew. of some ordnance though the bomb
SBS team moved to secure Fanning The main landing began at 4:00 itself failed to go off. That wrecked the
Head. It was high ground just north a.m. near San Carlos. The first wave ship’s steering and communications.
of San Carlos harbor, and there of 40 Commando and 2 Para quickly Plymouth came to the assistance
was believed to be an Argentine secured the settlement and the Sussex and defense of Argonaut, towing her
company dug in there. Capt. Rod Bell Mountains just beyond. The first wave back into the harbor that night.
and his men departed the Antrim by of 2 Para was tasked to block any Ardent was shelling Goose Green
helicopter, landed and then walked Argentine advance from Goose Green. when she was hit by two 1,000 lb.
six miles to a point within 800 yards of In the second wave, 45 Commando bombs that shut down all vital
the enemy. Naval gunfire was called secured the refrigeration plant at Ajax systems and tore open her hull. The
in while the SBS men opened up with Bay while 3 Para took Port San Carlos. Yarmouth and some helicopters
a dozen medium machineguns. With the beachhead secure, the began to rescue surviving crew
Bell and a volunteer crawled to Intrepid, Fearless, Canberra and before Ardent sank. The Argentines
within 220 yards of the enemy position Norland were brought into the harbor lost 14 aircraft in their attack.
and used a loudspeaker to address in order to better protect them. Later British Harriers provided combat
them in Spanish and demand their in the afternoon, 42 Commando was air patrols during those attacks.
surrender. Machinegun fire was sent ashore to link with 3 Para in Sensing was mainly by eyesight. If
sporadically exchanged until dawn the hills around Port San Carlos. detected prior to reaching their targets,
broke. By then the British had taken the Argentine aircraft jettisoned all
nine Argentine prisoners while the external ordnance and drop tanks,

An Argentine officer walks near a British plane shot down at Darwin in this May 1982 photo.
then withdrew rather than running

in. Many sorties were thwarted that
way, yet some still got through. Most
air-to-air kills were scored by the
British chasing down enemy aircraft as
they tried to exit the area. Operating at
extreme range, the Argentine aircraft
lacked the ability to maneuver. Their
Mirage fighter escorts stayed at higher
altitudes and wouldn’t risk coming
down to protect other aircraft hugging
the ground. Also, the Harriers fired
US AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, which
had a 90 percent hit rate and gave
them a further edge in aerial combat.
On 23 May, Argentine aircraft
began coming on in pairs and
simultaneously went after multiple
targets. The Broadsword was hit, but The British frigate Antelope burning in Ajax Bay on 24 May 1982.
the damage was light since the bomb
again failed to explode. Antelope was were both hit with bombs, but little attacking aircraft suffered greatly,
struck by a 1,000 lb. bomb in its bridge, damage was inflicted and both those though, causing British morale to soar.
forcing the ship to withdraw into the logistics ships continued to serve. Coventry and Broadsword were
harbor. In the afternoon an explosive north of Pebble Island, serving togeth-
ordnance disposal team was attempt- Argentina National Day er in a 22-42 Combo, when they were
ing to remove the bomb when it attacked later that afternoon. That time
exploded and caused the ship to sink. May 25 is Argentina’s National the air defense systems on both ships
May 24 was the day the Rapier Day. It was expected the Argentines simultaneously glitched, and the flying
anti-air system was emplaced. It would press home their attacks to of the Argentine pilots was top-notch
had a powerful effect on attacking honor the anniversary, and that’s as they disappeared from sight only
aircraft. Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot what they did. Their first waves of to reappear over the island seemingly

out of nowhere. A bomb penetrated The Super Etendards flew out of Rio veered to home in on a target. The
the starboard side of Broadsword and Gallegos, two of them refueling in the Atlantic Conveyor possessed no
passed through her flight deck but, as air. They located the carrier group on chaff or defensive measures, and the
was often the case, it failed to explode. radar 70 miles northeast of the islands. Exocet locked on it. Atlantic Conveyor
Three out of the next four bombs that Ambuscade detected the approach- was hit low on the port side, causing
smashed into the port side of Coventry ing aircraft 30 miles out and alerted a fire that eventually sank her.
did explode. She sank in place with the rest of the task force. All available She went down with 10 Wessex
the survivors lifted off by helicopter. ships fired their chaff to try to confuse and three Chinook helicopters. They
The Argentines also chose that day the incoming missiles. What happened had been intended for logistics,
to fire two out of their three remaining to the first missile is in dispute, but to move and keep in supply the
Exocet air-to-ship missiles. The carriers the second was seen soaring in by landing force. That was a blow to the
Hermes and Invincible were the targets. the crew of Ambuscade. The missile ground operations yet to come.
The end of Argentina’s National
Day left the British in a somber
mood. Losses were mounting and
the enemy seemed more determined
than ever; however, the Argentines
were also suffering losses.
Goose Green
The apparent inactivity of 3

Commando Brigade ashore at San
Carlos was a cause of frustration to
many high ranking leaders, both on
scene and back in London. Yet that
inactivity was the result of the orders
the unit had received. Thompson
was told his brigade would do no
more than secure a foothold until
Maj. Gen. Sir John Moore arrived
along with 5 Brigade. Even so, as time
continued to pass with ships sinking
or being put out of action on a daily
basis, and the growing threat of a UN
ceasefire call leaving the British in
control of only a beachhead, it seemed
unthinkable the commandos couldn’t
make something decisive happen.
With pressure building fast, Gen.
Thompson initiated a plan to push
out. The 45 Commando would move
north to Douglas settlement and then
on to Teal Inlet settlement. The 3 Para
was to make straight for the Teal Inlet
settlement. The 2 Para was to conduct
a raid on Goose Green. Thompson
wanted to tie down the garrison at
Goose Green while the main portion
of his force advanced on the main
objective of Stanley, but he was
overruled. The raid was cancelled and
turned into a deliberate attack instead.
All three battalions moved out on
27 April. The 2 Para moved out at 8:00
p.m. for its 11 mile foot march to the
objective. A half battery of three guns
would be flown in to Camilla House
north of the objective for fire support,
and HMS Arrow would be on station to
provide the equivalent of a full 105mm
battery. Harriers would also support
British helicopter landing supplies. on the morning of the 28th. By 3:00

a.m. the battalion secured Camilla
House and the surrounding buildings.
The whole battalion, minus those
manning the defensive perimeter,
then crammed inside the buildings
to try to keep warm and get what rest
they could before their next attack.
Lt. Col. Herbert Jones, known as
“H,” intended to rest the battalion
throughout the day and attack late
that night. His plans were changed
for him, though, when some men
listening to the BBC World Service
heard the report 2 Para was only five
miles from Goose Green. Everyone
was shocked at that disclosure. The
whole battalion was placed on line
in fighting positions to meet what
seemed a likely enemy counterattack.
C Company of the Argentine
25th Infantry Regiment was The British attack nonetheless gain any advantage. “H” was killed
flown in via helicopter from the began at 2:35 a.m. and all was as the battle raged all day, and Maj.
Argentine reserve on Mount Kent going well until the sun began to Christopher Keeble took command.
as a result of that broadcast. A little appear. It was a frontal attack with J Company, 42 Commando was flown
later 2 Para was fired on and it was leapfrogging formations. It was also in to help continue the advance.
learned the alerted Argentines a true infantryman’s fight, with each As the struggle continued,
were indeed waiting for them. side maneuvering so as to try to Argentine morale began to erode as
Two views of British infantry coming ashore on east Falkland.

Moore and 5 Brigade arrived on
1 and 2 June, including the Welsh
and Scots Guards along with the 1/7th
Gurkha Rifles. The latter moved to
Goose Green and cleared Lafonia.
Since helicopters weren’t available, the
British decided to move the Guards
by sea to the front line. Unfortunately
Sir Galahad was lost in an air attack
near Fitzroy while some of the Welsh
Guards were still aboard. They
suffered some 80 casualties while
the survivors lost all their gear and
had to be sent back to San Carlos.
Two companies of 40 Commando
were brought up to bring the Welsh
Guards back up to strength. What
made the efforts to aid Sir Galahad
Argentine Air Force pilots before an attack (A-4B Skyhawk fighters in the background). difficult was the fact Plymouth
had been hit moments before by
four 1,000 lb. bombs and had to
casualties mounted and ground was Battle for Stanley limp into San Carlos harbor.
lost. Keeble planned for a display Even so, the full British ground
of maximum firepower for the next As Goose Green was being force, now under Moore, was in
morning at 9:00 a.m., but he first captured, the rest of the 3 Commando place for the final advance. To
asked for the garrison’s surrender. Brigade continued its advance. Mount the west of Stanley lay a series of
After brief negotiations the Argentines Kent was seized without a fight and hills that provided a natural line
gave up, with some 1,200 men of occupied by 42 Commando. Then of defense against the advance.
their 12th Infantry Regiment, along 45 Commando linked up while 40 On the night of 11/12 June the
with artillery, air defense and air force Commando guarded the beachhead. final offensive began. In the north 3
personnel, going into captivity. While 3 Para pushed on through Teal Para tackled Mount Longdon while 45
Inlet settlement to Mount Estancia, Commando was to take the Two Sisters
and 2 Para made it to Bluff Cove. in the center, and 42 Commando was
Discarded Argentine weapons in Stanley on 16 June 1982.

to seize Mount Harriet in the south. taken by 2 Para in a new advance. Conclusions
The fight for Mount Longdon was The Scots Guards were tasked with
one of the costliest of the war, as the taking Mount Tumbledown in the The end came as unexpectedly as
paratroopers fought hard against the center, and 1/7th Gurkha was sent had the war itself. The overall course
Argentine 7th Infantry Regiment. It was toward Mount William to the south. of the war had turned on many fine
a savage engagement that included The paratroopers, in the north, edges, and only in hindsight does
bayonet fighting. Only at dawn on the launched a noisy attack with the British victory seem inevitable.
12th did the Argentines finally retreat. overwhelming firepower and sup- One of the big “what-ifs” was the
After a late start and slow progress, port from the Blues & Royals. Their possibility of the Belgrano getting
45 Commando came into contact with opponents had survived the earlier through and causing havoc among
part of 4th Infantry Regiment. Classic fight on Mount Longdon, but this the British transports. Another
application of fire and movement time didn’t provide as hard a fight. “game changer” could’ve come
tactics got the British up the hill, The Scots Guards ran into the elite from the Argentines working out
cracking the defense and seizing the 5th Marine Battalion, arguably the best the problems with their bombs.
objective. Mount Harriet, defended Argentine troops on the island. Only Both sides fought with honor and
by the rest of the 4th Infantry, was after long hours and many casualties within the rules of war; however, the
quickly taken by 42 Commando did the guardsmen take their objective. cost was still considerable. The UK
with the loss of only one attacker. Mount William then fell quickly. suffered just over 1,000 total casualties,
Unable to advance farther due Everywhere along the front the lost six ships with 10 more badly dam-
to the open terrain, the return of Argentines were retreating. The aged, and lost nine out of 36 Harrier
daylight and the exhausting night Welsh Guards moved in and seized aircraft. Argentina lists 652 dead and
battle, the three attacking battalions Sapper Hill, just southwest of Stanley, missing, lost the Belgrano and Santa
had to hold their ground. The further securing the last prominent feature Fe sunk, and had shot down some 109
advance would be by 5 Brigade before the port itself. After that it was of its aircraft (out of 220 committed).
passing through them to the next soon all over, with the surrender of The Islands were restored to the United
line of hills, which began that night. Stanley and the rest of the Argentine Kingdom but are still under dispute,
The northern objective was forces elsewhere on the islands. requiring protection to this day. t
Wireless Ridge, which was to be

The Selous Scouts:
Black Ops Elite for
a Doomed Cause
By Kelly Bell
O
ne of the notable units to come out of the 1964-79 Rhodesian
Bush War (a.k.a. the Second Chimurenga War and the
Zimbabwe War of Liberation) was the Selous Scouts. The unit
was organized to fight using the same tactics as the enemy guerrillas of
the ZANLA/ZANU and ZIPRA/ZAPU factions and defeat them. The Selous
Scouts engaged in a wide range of operations, from “fireforce” actions
on open battlefields to clandestine missions in enemy territory.
The Rhodesian military created the Scouts in 1973 as a tracking
unit to locate guerrillas infiltrating across the border and then call in
larger conventional unit to eliminate them. Command of the units was
given to Lt. Col. Ron Reid-Daly, a retired army officer with a background
in counterinsurgency warfare. The unit’s missions quickly expanded to
include a further range of operations, including “externals” (raids against
enemy bases in adjoining countries), and other clandestine activities.
The Scouts were trained to operate in small teams that spent long stretches in
the bush and were able to pass themselves off as insurgents. Every trooper was
a volunteer, and only 12 percent of the applicant pool passed the selection pro-
cess. A scout had to be able to work both as part of a team and as a loner capable
A Scout team on patrol deep in the bush.

of thinking and acting on his own. Daly
described the ideal scout candidate
as “a certain very special type of man.
In his profile it is necessary to look for
intelligence, fortitude and guts, poten-
tial, loyalty, dedication, a deep sense
of professionalism, maturity—the
ideal age being 24 to 32 years—
responsibility and self-discipline.”
That list makes it easy to
understand why so many hopefuls
fell by the wayside and, in turn, why
the Scouts acted so determinedly in
their recruiting efforts when such
men were identified. When recruiting
opened, many lined up to join.
Many of those first volunteers
were formerly of the British South
Africa Police Special Branch. They
had specialized skills in intelligence
and combat tracking that were vital
for the new unit. Others recruits A Scout team aboard a helicopter taking them on a raid into neighboring Mozambique.
came from abroad: South Africans,

British and Americans, among
others, bringing with them a wealth
of varied military experience.
Blacks were also recruited in order
to take advantage of their ability to
infiltrate insurgent ranks. That was
also done to create a more favorable
internal political situation by giving
them a stake in the country. Indeed,
most of the Rhodesian active armed
forces came to be composed of blacks
who, for various reasons, saw the gov-
ernment of Ian Smith as preferable to
the political agenda of the insurgents.
Defecting guerrillas were especially
prized as recruits. Given the choice
between imprisonment or joining
the Scouts, many eagerly signed
on. Even some already in prison
were accepted. (Daly’s operatives
would fake their escapes from jail
and whisk them away to training
facilities.) The notion of recruiting
and rearming enemy combatants,
many of whom had been under arms
since childhood, was unpalatable to
some Rhodesians; nevertheless, Daly
considered them essential for the
accomplishment of some missions.
Gaining intelligence about the
enemy has always been a vital part
of unconventional warfare, and one
of the best ways to do that is via the
“pseudo-gang” ploy, in which small
counterinsurgent units disguise
themselves as guerillas. The British
Two Scouts on patrol in the bush provide clear illustration of their Army had some experience in
unit’s unorthodox mode of dress and grooming. that tactic from its various small
wars at the end of the colonial era
and, in turn, many Rhodesians
had experience serving in those
conflicts. It was found that turned
guerrillas generally performed well.
The size of the Selous Scouts
varied. By late in the war they had
420 men on the rolls. The standard
tactical unit was the troop, a platoon-
sized formation composed of three
sections of nine to 12 men each.
Black Ops
The Scouts’ main mission was

intelligence gathering: determining the
locations of insurgent units, uncover-
ing their plans, and pinpointing their
bases and lines of supply. Undercover
scouts infiltrated insurgent units and
then moved freely through enemy
areas. Gathered information was
passed to other branches of the armed
Two newly arrived recruits at Wafa Wafa find some food to supplement their ration pack. continued on page 46 »

Becoming a Scout
Volunteers for the Selous Scouts faced great challenges in simply becoming
qualified to join the unit. Just the trip to the boot camp at Wafa Wafa, on the
shores of Lake Kariba, was a major trial. Dropped off by helicopter 15 miles
from Wafa Wafa, 60-man groups of recruits had to trek the distance to the
training compound. Upon arriving they found nothing but a few crude huts.
Motivation was determined by pushing the volunteers to their limits via an exhaus-
tive training regimen. For the first five days the trainees were given a single one-meal
ration pack to eat. Then they were allowed some rancid animal carcasses and could
go out and forage. Generally, the majority of each new group dropped out after two
days, returning to their original units or prison. The initial training lasted 17 days.
From dawn until 7:00 p.m. the recruits conducted calisthen-
ics and drills in basic combat techniques. They also had to traverse
obstacle courses designed to banish the fear of heights and instill confidence.
When the sun went down they undertook night combat exercises.
They celebrated completion of that initial part of their training with a 62 mile hike,
with each man carrying a backpack containing 66 lbs. of rocks. The stones were painted
red so no one could cheat by discarding some at the march’s start and then refilling his
pack at its conclusion. Following that initiation they were given a week of leave, and
were then taken to another facility for what was called the “dark phase” of training.
That advanced training camp was laid out to resemble a clandestine guer-
rilla installation. There the men were taught more combat tactics, counter-ambush
drills and the use of communist bloc weapons. Enemy tactics were studied
so they could be countered or imitated when needed for infiltration.
A critical part of dark phase training concerned how to impersonate guerillas
in preparation for infiltrating enemy areas. Recruits learned to avoid shaving while
getting used to going to bed and rising at irregular hours. Non-smokers practiced
deeply inhaling smoke from strong Soviet-made machorka tobacco without cough-
ing, and teetotalers learned to hold their liquor. They were taught to talk and
walk like guerrillas and to live the insurgent lifestyle in a convincing fashion.
Fieldcraft was critical, including dealing with big game such as elephants, rhinoceros-
es and lions. Troopers were taught to avoid shooting at such targets, since their military
rifles weren’t powerful enough to bring them down quickly and could instead start stam-

pedes. The course finished up with parachute qualification, both static line and free fall.
Eight and a half months after joining, recruits were ready
to graduate as entry level Selous Scouts.
A modern-day artist’s view
of an idealized Scout.

A Tale of Two Scouts
Frederick Courteney Selous
The Selous Scouts took their name from British African explorer Frederick
Courteney Selous. He died in 1917, but he’s remained legendary in southern Africa.
He was born in London in 1851, where as a young man he showed interest in
the “dark continent,” as Africa was then popularly known. At age 19 Selous went
to Africa, where he crisscrossed the Transvaal and Congo regions in pursuit of big
game. In 1890 he went to work for Cecil Rhodes, the British magnate who was a
driving force in colonization, railroads and mining in southern Africa. He guided a
pioneer column into the territory that would become the colony bearing Rhodes’s name,
later fighting against native uprisings in the First and Second Matabele Wars.
Selous married and settled in southern Rhodesia, where he became a
celebrity. Among his friends were Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts,
and Theodore Roosevelt, a former American president and outdoorsman.
When World War I broke out, Selous rallied to the colors and was com-
missioned an officer in the British Army—at the age of 64—in a special unit
of frontier troops. He was involved in the campaign against German Gen. von
Lettow-Vorbeck’s East African forces, and was killed in action on 4 January 1917.
Selous’s legacy as an explorer, hunter and naturalist survived him. Among
other things, author H. Rider Haggard used him as the inspiration for his
Allan Quartermain character in novels such as King Solomon’s Mines.
Ronald Reid-Daley
Born in what was then the Southern Rhodesian capital of Salisbury, Reid-Daly
entered the military in 1951 at the age of 20. He served with the British Special Air
Service (SAS), which had a Rhodesian Squadron from World War II until 1960.
He fought against communist insurgents in Malaya, then returned home, where he
joined the Rhodesian Light Infantry, an elite regular army unit, retiring as a captain in 1973.
Later that year Rhodesian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Walls talked him into forming the
Selous Scouts to take on the growing guerilla threat. Basing his recruiting and training tech-
niques on his time in the Malayan jungle, Reid-Daly created an unorthodox but effective unit.
Those unorthodox methods and characteristics sometimes led to tensions with
the regulars, exacerbated by everyone’s increasing war weariness. That came to
a head on 29 January 1979, when Reid-Daly discovered a bugging device in his
office. He found out it had been placed there as part of an investigation concerning
alleged ivory poaching by some of his men. That charge was never proved, and
Reid-Daley was outraged since he was a supporter of wildlife conservation.
He also feared the wiretap may have worked to compromise the security of
upcoming missions, forcing him to abort them. That then led to a confrontation between
Reid-Daley and the army commander-in-chief, which resulted in an official
reprimand. Soon afterward he resigned and began a lawsuit to clear his name.
The Reid-Daley feud with the Rhodesian Army only ended when he

emigrated to South Africa in 1982. There he served as commander of a unit
called the Transkei Defence Force, and later headed a private security firm called
Security Services Transkei, Ltd. He died of natural causes in 2010.
» continued from page 44 Enemy weapons were frequently car- Of course, there was more to Scout
ried to facilitate infiltration. The men operations than simply locating the
forces and police who would take often grew beards and a wide range enemy. They took the fight to them,
action, such as sending in a “fireforce” of clothing was worn. Those charac- often using terror to fight terror.
(see page 47) to destroy a guerilla unit, teristics sometimes created friction Clandestine operations included
or arresting members of underground when scouts met with conventional bombing insurgent safe houses,
cells. Due to their expertise at informa- units. One tactic to minimize that was abducting enemy leaders, retaliation
tion gathering, the Scouts were at times to declare an area “frozen,” meaning attacks against enemy villages,
better informed on overall enemy the only Rhodesian force allowed to sabotaging railroads in neighboring
activities and intentions than were the operate there was the Scouts. The countries providing sanctuaries to the
various guerrilla units themselves. idea was to minimize friendly fire guerillas, attacks on insurgent base
In the field the troopers had leeway and other disruptive incidents.
in terms of dress and equipment. continued on page 50 »

Data File
The Rhodesian Bush War of 1964 to 1979

was known to the insurgents as the Second
Chimurenga War. (The First Chimurenga War
was the Matabeleland Rebellion of 1896-97,
a rising against British colonial domination of
the region that would later become Rhodesia.)
The two major insurgent factions in the
war were the Zimbabwe African National
Union (ZANU), headed by Robert Mugabe,
and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union
(ZAPU), under Joshua Nkomo. ZANU’s military
wing was the Zimbabwe African National
Liberation Army (ZANLA), while ZAPU’s was the
Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).
Both ZANU and ZAPU officially took a A fireforce patrol from the Armoured Car Regiment.
Marxist-Leninist political line, though that’s
often been interpreted as having been nothing
more than a cover used to gain the support of
the communist powers. Red China tended to
support ZANU, while the Soviet Union backed
ZAPU. Each of the insurgent movements had
their roots in the major ethnic groups of the
country: ZANU among the Shona of the east,
and the ZAPU among the Ndebele of the west.
Both insurgent groups had much of their
strength outside the country. ZANU was
based mainly in Mozambique, and ZAPU
in Botswana and Zambia. Even so, those
bases were never secure, as Rhodesian
forces frequently attacked them in order
to keep the insurgents off balance.
Each movement had a different approach
to the war. ZANU’s strategy was that of Maoist A fireforce infantry team disembarking from a helicopter at the edge of a contact area.
insurgency, relying on mass mobilization.
ZAPU worked toward building up enough
strength to launch a major conventional (SA-7) man-packed surface to air missiles. and Western capitals, and it was on those
offensive. Both ZANLA and ZIPRA conducted Government security forces were able to fronts the conflict was finally decided.
political indoctrination among their troops, prevent the formation of large guerilla units, so
often at the expense of military training. most combat “contacts” were between small Rhodesian Security Forces
A typical ZANLA unit was a guerilla units. Actions at company level and above were
detachment of 100 to 200 men, usually broken almost unheard of. Guerrillas usually attempted The Rhodesian armed forces initially
into smaller teams of 10 to 30. ZIPRA’s to immediately break off instead of engaging included the army, air force and British South
military branch contained both guerillas in firefights. That was to preserve strength, African Police (BSAP). Combined
and regulars. The latter, in theory, were which was intended for use in mobilizing the Operations Headquarters in the capital at
being prepared for “Operation Zero Hour,” populace. Insurgent marksmanship was gener- Salisbury coordinated the actions of all
a massive and culminating conventional ally poor, which meant small Rhodesian units services. Coordination was, by doctrine, to
offensive to seize strategic points across the could take on much larger numbers of guerillas. extend down to the lowest levels.
country using Soviet-supplied weaponry. In the mid-1970s ZANLA had about The provision of civil services was
Insurgent tactics revolved around infiltrat- 3,000 guerrillas inside Rhodesia, while done to maintain the support of the African
ing guerilla teams into various parts of the ZIPRA had some 3,200. There were also local population, while the BSAP and combat units
country. They would form base camps near auxiliaries who acted as scouts and provided provided protection and kept the guerrillas off
friendly villages where cadre could address the logistical support. By the time the war came balance. Raids against insurgent sanctuaries
locals, trying to win them over and recruit more to an end in 1979, guerrilla strength within in adjoining countries were supposed to
guerillas. There was also use of terror to attack the country had multiplied several fold. seize the initiative and make it politically
the links between the Rhodesian government In 1975 ZANLA and ZIPRA merged to expensive for those countries’ governments
and the populace. Extensive mining of roads create the Zimbabwe People’s Army (ZPA), to maintain support for the insurgency.
was carried out with the intent of paralyzing while ZANU and ZAPU later formed the The country was divided into
the economy. The guerrilla teams had various ZANU/Popular Front. Much of the war was operational areas with codenames such
mixes of Soviet and Chinese weapons, actually resolved outside the area of combat as “Hurricane” and “Thrasher.” Each
but they were usually armed with AK-47s, operations, in propaganda and political battles
machineguns, light mortars, RPGs and Strela-2 at the United Nations, in the global media continued on page 48 »

» continued from page 47
area had a Joint Operations Centre (JOC)

to coordinate all activities within it.
The primary army unit was the battalion,
with operations often conducted by smaller
units. There were several “brigades,” but they
were merely headquarters in charge of admin-
istration. Other than the Selous Scouts, the
primary combat units included the following.
Rhodesian Light Infantry

Originally a regular infantry battalion, it
was later reorganized as a commando unit
to facilitate the use of counterinsurgency
tactics. The RLI was parachute-trained and
was the backbone of fireforce operations.
Rhodesian African Rifles

A motorized fireforce patrol takes a smoke break. This unit consisted of two bat-
talions (later four) of black troops
commanded by white officers.
Rhodesian Regiment
This unit had up to eight battalions,
essentially reservists who were mobilized
for short tours of service in emergencies.
Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment

This unit conducted reconnaissance,
convoy escort and motorized patrolling.
Rhodesian Artillery
This unit had two batteries of
medium guns. Given the low intensity
combat characteristic of the war, and the
desire to avoid collateral damage, artillery
wasn’t a major factor in operations.
Grey’s Scouts
This was a horse-mounted tracker
battalion noted for its mobility in the bush.
Special Air Service

This was an elite special operations
battalion based on British concepts.
Rhodesia had a small air force with about

150 pilots. There was a total of eight squadrons
with light tactical aircraft, transports and
helicopters. The air force’s main utility was in
providing transport to ground units, thereby
allowing them to react rapidly to insurgent
moves as well as striking into enemy territory.
The British South African Police (BSAP),
despite the name, was entirely Rhodesian.
It had a range of counterinsurgent duties,
including intelligence work, population
protection, maintaining local services and
the occasional combat action. Some of its
specialized counterinsurgent units proved more
effective than those of the regular army.
A fireforce engineer unit searching a mine-blast area along a road.

Helicopters were also used by fireforce infantry for speedy transit into contact areas.
Fireforce Tactics
When a tracking unit detected guerrillas,

it would usually call in a “fireforce.” A
fireforce was an on-call unit of platoon size.
It would be transported to the location of
the contact by light helicopters, such as the
Alouette (nicknamed “G-cars”) or by Dakota
cargo aircraft. Insertion was also often by
parachute: by the late 1970s most Rhodesian
regular infantry were airborne qualified.
The usual unit of tactical deployment
was the four man “stick.” That was the
troop-carrying capacity of the helicopters,
but was also tactically efficient in dealing
with small guerrilla forces. Coordination
was via an airborne command post called
the “K-car.” Fire support could come from
armed helicopters or light aircraft.
A second wave might also be added as
reinforcement via ground vehicles. A common
mission for them was to secure landing
strips for refueling and resupply.
Fireforce tactics were effective, with an
80:1 kill ratio. The tactics worked because of
superior Rhodesian training, intelligence and
tracking capabilities, combined with control A fireforce infantry patrol.
of the air. In the end, though, there weren’t

enough fireforces to cover the entire country.
— Joseph Miranda

» continued from page 46 the vehicles and opened fire. Taking secure base areas. It was therefore
the enemy unaware, the Scouts killed difficult to coordinate attacks, and
camps and occasional assassinations. over 1,000 guerillas while suffering those attacks that were made were
For example, using a car bomb, the only five friendly wounded. often intercepted by the Rhodesians.
Scouts nearly succeeded in killing Of course, the Selous Scouts
ZAPU commander Joshua Nkomo. Conclusions wasn’t the only unit involved in
In other instances pseudo-guerrillas counterinsurgency. There were many
would lead genuine insurgents into Rhodesian security forces lacked less glamorous units that conducted
ambushes or provoke firefights the manpower needed to control much of the day-to-day fighting. It’s
among different guerilla units. the entire country. There were estimated, though, that the Scouts
One of the more notable actions also the political factors of being were responsible for approximately
was in August 1976: Operation Eland, diplomatically isolated, with only 68 percent of all guerrillas killed in
against a ZANLA base on the banks South Africa providing support, as Rhodesia between 1973 and 1980, due
of the Nyadzonya/Pungwe River in well as the lack of a broadly viable to their direct actions or to calling in
Mozambique. Eland involved 72 (or alternative to the insurgent political fireforces. They accomplished that
84 by some counts) scouts, along with program. By the late 1970s large while losing just 40 of their own.
possible South African involvement, areas of the countryside were no The unit disbanded in 1980, follow-
driving a truck and armored car longer under government control. ing the end of the war via the Lancaster
convoy disguised as members of At the same time, the insurgents House Accords of December 1979.
FRELIMO. (FRELIMO was the insur- were incapable of taking any towns Many of the unit’s veterans moved
gent organization that had fought the and they remained incapable of to South Africa and enlisted there in
Portuguese in Mozambique and, with mounting even minor conventional the Reconnaissance Commandos,
the collapse of that nation’s empire in military operations. That was in large the special forces branch of the South
1974, it controlled the former colony part owing to the Selous Scouts African Defense Force (SADF). Some
and gave sanctuary to ZANU.) keeping the guerrillas off balance. then served with the SADF fighting
Eland went off perfectly as the Guerilla bands came to distrust against communist bloc forces in
Scouts first cut the telephone wires each other, and their morale was Angola during the campaigns of the
leading into the insurgent base, undermined by the lack of security 1980s. Others couldn’t adjust to the
drove into its center, jumped from in the field and in their supposedly more strict regime of SADF discipline
and returned to private life or joined
private security companies.
The Scouts’ unit crest featured a
stylized osprey, a bird of prey. Like their
symbol, the Scouts were never numer-
ous (a total of about 1,500 men over
the course of the entire war), but they
were formidable. Their fighting phi-
losophy stressed unity. In the African
Shona language their motto, pamwe
chete, means “forward together.” t
A new Scout team all trained up and ready to go into the field.
The Selous Scouts’ unit crest & motto.
Hous
OUR NEW COMMANDO SOLiTAIRE
MINI-GAME SERIES
New series of games: Air War, Ancient War, Commando, and Hand of Destiny.
Designed exclusively by Joseph Miranda, includes two separate mini-games each.
Each game includes: 40 counters, 11 x 17 inch map, 18 cards, 1 four page rule booklet and 1 scenario sheet.
P.O. Box 21598 | Bakersfi eld, CA 93390-1598 | (661) 587-9633 phone | sales@decisiongames.com | shop.decisiongames.com
House_Ads-Mags-v2.indd 80 6/15/12 3:09 PM

On the Horizon
MW Upcoming Features Decision Iraq (Modern War No. 6)
D
#6 Decision Iraq ecision: Iraq, designed by Joseph Miranda, is a game that emphasizes the
#7 Vietnam Battles: fight against the insurgency in Iraq, which began in 2003 following the US-led
Snoopy’s Nose & Iron Triangle invasion of that country. Historically, the US-Coalition victory over Saddam
Hussein’s military forces in March of that year quickly degenerated into an insurgency
#8 Holy Land: that swept the country. The situation was eventually turned around, but only after a steep
The Next Arab-Israeli War learning curve for the US and its partners. The game shows the major factors involved.
There are two players: the insurgents (who want to seize control of Iraq) and the counter-
#9 Target Iran
insurgents (who want to prevent that outcome). They represent various Iraqi rebels and foreign
#10 War by TV: Kosovo, 1999 fighters, the latter including Al Qaeda and Iranian support, among others, and the counterin-
surgents, who want to restore stability to a democratic Iraq, as well as defeat any Al Qaeda
#11 Greek Civil War
elements that may be operating in the country. They represent Multinational (MNF) forces
Visit ModernWarMagazine.com (US and allies) and Iraqi Government Forces (which also include friendly Iraqi tribal militias).
Both players have pieces that represent conventional and unconven-
tional forces. During their respective turns, players move their pieces among the
spaces on the map, and engage in various kinds of conflict in order to destroy
enemy forces. The objective for each player is to establish control over Iraq
A unique feature of the game is that units as they engage in combat, may increase or
decrease their effectiveness as they gain experience, or become demoralized. t

Vietnam Battles: Snoopy’s Nose & Iron Triangle
(Modern War No. 7)
V
ietnam Battles: Snoopy’s Nose & Iron Triangle
For some time there had been reports a large area of dense jungle northwest
of Saigon was a staging base for the Viet Cong. Ideally situated near Cambodia, a
nexus of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and proximal to the capital of Saigon itself, the area that
became known as the “Iron Triangle” allowed the Viet Cong to conduct well-organized
and well-supplied operations into the heart of South Vietnam. In the meantime, a hundred
miles to the south, a US riverine force, comprised primarily of the newly arrived 9th
Infantry Division, began to penetrate into the hinterland of the Mekong Delta, and
even into the overgrown rivulets where only “Charlie” had ever operated before.
In the first in the Vietnam Battles series, two games are included, Iron Triangle and
Snoopy’s Nose (named after a distinctive curve in one of the tributaries leading to the Mekong
River). Both games utilize the popular Fire & Movement system, and are easy to play.
Units in the game are typically companies and some battalions with occa-
sional brigade equivalents. The full spectrum of the war in Vietnam in 1967 is featured,
with everything from riverine craft to helicopters. Each hex represents half a mile, and
each game turn represents from about half a day to several days. t

The XB-70:
Mach 3 Bomber That Failed
By Steven K. Dixon
Specifications: XB-70
Wing Span 105 ft.
Length 185 ft., 10 in., w/o boom;

192 ft., 2 in., w/boom
Height 30 ft., 9 in.
Weight 534,700 lbs. loaded
Armament None
Engines 6 GE YJ-93s each with 30,000 lbs.

of thrust with afterburner
Al White and Joe Cotton were test pilots in the early days of
the North American Aviation XB-70 test flight program.
Ill-Fated Test Flight speeds of Mach 3, yet the day ended by NASA to evaluate the effects of
in tragedy. The bomber was the XB-70 sonic booms. That was part of the
O
n 8 June 1966 a new US Air AV2 (Air Vehicle 2), nicknamed the appropriately named National Sonic
Force prototype bomber “Valkyrie,” after the Norse maidens Boom Research Project. After the
was to make several test who winged fallen warriors to Valhalla. mission was completed, the XB-70
flights at speeds just above Mach 1. The purpose of the flight was to was to fly with five other planes for
No problems were expected, as the conduct tests in conjunction with a public relations photo shoot at the
plane had previously made flights at instruments set up on the ground request of General Electric. (All the
The instantly destroyed F-104 fighter.

Systems of War
The North American Aviation unveils the XB-70, a triple sonic experimental bomber.
planes that would be in the shoot

were powered by GE engines.)
The plane was piloted by veteran
XB-70 test pilot Al White. His co-pilot
was Maj. Carl Cross. It was Cross’s
first flight in the Valkyrie. He’d
therefore met with White several
hours before takeoff in order to go
over the plane and the day’s tests.
The Valkyrie took off without
problems, climbed to 32,000 feet and
reached its assigned speed of Mach
1.4. After several passes over the
test equipment on the ground, the
engineers had gotten the readings
they wanted. The plane then reduced
speed to subsonic and readied for the
photo shoot above the Mojave Desert.
The other planes scheduled to
join the Valkyrie were a B-58 Hustler,
an F-104 Starfighter, an F-4 Phantom
II, an F-5 Tiger and a T-38 Talon.
The photographers would shoot
still pictures from an accompanying
Lear jet. At the last minute the B-58
developed problems that kept it

grounded, so only the remaining Supersonic Strategic Bomber
four planes met with the XB-70.
For the first 30 minutes the Initial development of the
shoot went well. The photographers XB-70 had begun in 1955, when
kept asking the pilots for a tighter the air force first began looking for Six GE engines were enclosed and
formation, so the four smaller planes eventual replacements for its B-52 located underneath the plane, cen-
nudged in ever closer to the bomber. Stratofortress. They wanted a plane tered within the fuselage. That design
At 9:30 a.m. disaster struck. The capable of Mach 3 at high altitude, feature included an air-intake control
F-104, piloted by NASA test pilot Joe where interceptors couldn’t reach it, system that sensed pressure changes
Walker, was caught in the vortex creat- and carrying internal conventional or during flight and made adjustments.
ed by the XB-70. The smaller plane was nuclear weapons. It was to have the The crew compartment was envi-
catapulted from its position at the low- latest in aviation technology. North ronmentally controlled, allowing four
er-right of the bomber, flipping onto its American’s XB-70 Valkyrie beat out men to work in short-sleeved comfort.
back and then colliding with the XB-70. its rival Boeing’s competing design It also featured individual escape pods
The collision instantly destroyed the and was awarded the contract. for each position, theoretically capable
F-104, killing Walker. The bomber’s two The resultant XB-70 pushed of protecting each crewmember even
vertical stabilizers were ripped off and the envelope of technology with if they ejected at Mach 2 or Mach 3.
the left wing tip sustained damage. several design advances. To achieve Three planes were scheduled to be
The Valkyrie continued to fly for Mach 3 the aircraft used the effect built. By 1961, however, technological
16 seconds, when it went into a slight of “compression lift.” That is, the advances in other fields—much
left roll. White tried to correct, but plane would accelerate on its own cheaper ICBMs and the development
the plane only went into a sharper shockwave produced by reaching of surface-to-air missiles capable
roll to the right. White continued to initial supersonic speed. To help with of reaching the Valkyrie’s cruise
struggle with the controls, but it was that the wingtips were designed to altitude—saw the program cut
a lost cause: the plane went into a flat drop down by as much as 65 degrees, back and its mission changed.
spin. White realized the plane couldn’t which would, in effect, wrap the
be saved and ejected in his escape shockwave all around the plane. Supersonic Transport
capsule, suffering serious injuries in It also featured new construction
the process. Cross, having waited too techniques. Its body was made of Construction of the third XB-70
long before trying to get his seat into titanium and honeycombed stainless was canceled, while further tests
ejection posture, was kept pinned steel in order to withstand the heat with the AV1 and AV2 were to be
in place by the spinning plane’s produced by faster than sound conducted (and paid for) jointly by
G-force. He remained on board and speeds. Canard control surfaces—in the air force and NASA. The Valkyrie
died when the XB-70 slammed into which the forward horizontal was henceforth to be a test bed for
the ground. The crash was effectively surfaces are smaller than the rearward research into the flight characteristics
the end of the XB-70 program. ones—were also incorporated. of supersonic transport (SST) aircraft.

Systems of War
Changes were made to the design Even so, a problem was detected were redesigned and those changes
to accommodate the new mission. with the AV1: the plane was hard were incorporated into the AV2.
Avionic systems were reduced to the to control at that speed. All agreed, AV2 made its maiden flight on
bare minimum, while the crew was however, the tests were otherwise 17 July 1965. The changes were
reduced from four to two, eliminating providing good data. That included successful, with handling much
the navigator and bombardier. precise measurements relevant to improved. It achieved its first Mach 3
Test flights began at Edwards Air noise, control surface design, and the flight on 3 January 1966. Tests flights
Force Base in California, with the first effects of air turbulence. Engineers continued with both planes until the
made on 21 September 1964. Three went to work to solve the problems. fatal crash of the AV2 in June 1966.
weeks later, Mach 3 was achieved. Foremost among them, the wings

Performance: XB-70
Max Speed 2,056 mph (Mach 3.1) at 73,000 ft.
Cruise Speed 2,000 mph (Mach 3.0) at 72,000 ft.
Range 4,288 miles
Service Ceiling 77,350 ft.
Crew Original: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator,

bombardier.
As SST test bed: 2 (pilot, co-pilot)
Fuel JP-6
An artist’s concept of a fully developed XB-70 arching
toward the North Pole on an attack mission.
Failure & Success

decided it wanted NASA to take over both XB-70s together achieved a
The AV1 was undergoing the program. The military would total flight time of one hour and
maintenance and modification at thereafter only assist by providing 48 minutes at speeds of Mach 3. In
the time of AV2’s crash, so it didn’t fly support aircraft and pilots. comparison, NASA’s new agreement
again until November 1966. By the Test flights resumed until March with the air force to fly research
end of January 1967, the plane made 1968, when trim turbulence problems missions with the SR-71 would show
a further 11 test flights. The highest were detected in high-speed/high- that plane logging the same flight
speed attained was Mach 2.57. altitude flights. Electronic equipment time at the same speed in one sortie.
The tests revealed a plane as large was added to detect needed changes The XB-70 AV1 made its final
as the XB-70 could produce damag- and adjust dampeners to reduce the flight 4 February 1969, when it flew to
ing sonic booms. That is, when the effects of the turbulence. When test Wright Patterson Air Force Base near
plane made a turn the shockwaves it flights were resumed in June 1968, the Dayton, Ohio. The plane was then put
produced converged, which doubled new equipment was shown to work on display at the Air Force Museum,
the pressure normally generated well: it made the plane much more where it can still be seen today.
on the ground by a sonic boom. responsive at supersonic speeds and The AV1 made 83 flights,
The plane was then grounded reduced the effects of the turbulence. totaling 160 hours, 16 minutes.
for two and a half months, until By that time the program was The ill-fated AV2 made 46 flights,
March 1967, when the air force nearing its end. According to NASA, totaling 92 hours, 22 minutes.
Some of the results gleaned from
the program made their way into
the French Concorde SST and the
US Air Force’s B-1 Bomber. (Like
the XB-70, the B-1 was designed to
replace the B-52.) The Concorde went
into service in 1976 and made its
final flight 27 years later in October
2003. The B-1 made its appearance
in 1986 and continues to fly with
the Strategic Air Command of the
USAF today. The B-52, the plane the
XB-70 and the B-1 were designed to
replace, began its active service in
1955, and it also continues to fly. t
The smaller planes nudging closer to the XB-70 just prior to the start of the disaster.

D O YO U H AV E T H E M A L L?
COMPLETE MINI SERIES
Introducing our new mini-game series. This new series, designed exclusively by
Joseph Miranda, includes two separate mini-games each.
Each game includes: 40 counters, 11 x 17 inch map, 18 cards, 1 four page rule
NOW booklet and 1 scenario sheet.
ABLE!
AVAIL
All 8 new titles for $89.95

VISIT OUR SITE FOR MORE INFO @ SHOP.DecisionGames.com
BELISARIUS’S WAR: The Roman Reconquest of Africa, AD 533-534 | CAESAR’S WAR: The Conquest of Gaul, 58-52 BC
BORDER WAR: Angola Raiders | CONGO MERC: The Congo, 1964
CACTUS AIR FORCE: Air War Over the Solomons | EAGLE DAY: The Battle of Britain
CUSTER’S FINAL CAMPAIGN: 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn | KHYBER RIFLES: Britannia in Afghanistan
EACH GAME UNDER $15

P.O. Box 21598 | Bakersfield, CA 93390-1598 | (661) 587-9633 phone | (661) 587-5031 fax

War in Space:
Anti-Satellite
Weapons
By Jeff Dougherty
The crest of the US Air Force

Aerospace Defense Command.
A Thor missile on its launch platform shortly before liftoff.

Weapons
M
ore than 50 years after the That’s critical, since modern military
beginning of the Space forces have grown increasingly reliant
Age, anti-satellite weapons on satellites for communications,
(ASAT) are still a concept untested navigation and weapon guidance.
in actual warfare. To date they’ve ASAT have remained more theoreti-
been developed in secret, tested only cal than actual because, while each
occasionally, deployed sporadically, Cold War superpower wanted the abil-
and have never been used in combat. ity to deny the other access to space,
ASAT therefore still have an aura they both valued their own access even
of science fiction. In fact, however, more. Both the US and USSR therefore
both the US and the USSR deployed restricted the development of ASAT,
operational systems as far back as advancing their own technologies
1963. In the years since, advancing only when necessary to counter a
technologies have simplified the perceived threat from the other side.
technical problems involved in deploy- The USSR terminated its most The crest of NORAD, the North
ing and (possibly) utilizing them. successful ASAT development program American Air Defense Command.

once it became obvious the US was
Anti-satellite Interceptor Types prepared to respond with a system of
its own. That unofficial moratorium
There are two major types of ASAT: “direct ascent interceptors” and “co-orbital was continued after the fall of the
interceptors.” Direct ascent weapons are launched from a ground base or aircraft, and they Iron Curtain. As space technology
fly a direct trajectory to intercept a satellite at a particular point in its orbit. They don’t go continues to advance, however, that
into orbit themselves. That’s made them attractive because they don’t need to attain orbital won’t continue to be the case.
speed, and hence they can use smaller (and cheaper) booster rockets. At the same time, Emerging powers such as China and
though, they’re also just one-shot weapons. If a direct ascent interceptor misses its target, India see space as a potential arena
it will fall back into the atmosphere and disintegrate. That makes precise guidance a must. for asymmetric warfare, based on
Co-orbital interceptors are themselves killer satellites launched into orbit. They the idea that mutual loss of access
are then guided so as to match orbits with their target, eventually rendezvousing to space would hurt their opponents
with it and destroying it. Co-orbital interceptors can theoretically make multiple more than it would hurt themselves.
passes and can otherwise stay in orbit for years, but they also have disadvantages. As ASAT systems become more

Boosting them into orbit requires a launcher every bit as large, heavy and expensive widely deployed, other powers will
as a regular satellite launch, and the time needed to match orbits can give have to follow suit in order to deter
the target time to take evasive action or deploy countermeasures. acts of aggression against their own
satellites. At the same time, as the
technology becomes more fully
developed, it’s sure to leak via arms
sales to other interested second-tier
powers such as Iran. As the general
reluctance to develop and deploy ASAT
crumbles, there will likely result an
explosion of those weapons systems.
High Ground
The first artificial satellite to be

placed into space was Soviet Sputnik
1 in 1957. Even before that launch,
the US military was considering how
to shoot down objects in space. The
advances in rocketry that took place
during World War II, such as the
German V-2 missile and their planned
A9/10 intercontinental rocket system,
caused scientists and defense planners
to realize orbital satellites would soon
be feasible. As the Cold War opened,
the US Army and Air Force were
therefore already looking into the
possibility of satellite interceptors.
The general American alarm
over Sputnik thrust those studies
into the spotlight. Suddenly, it
seemed, the Soviet Union had seized
the high ground of space and, in
response, pressure mounted on the
US government to begin a matching
program as soon as possible.
President Eisenhower chose to
resist that pressure for the reason
discussed above: preserving US access
to space. With aerial reconnaissance of
A Thor just after launch. the Soviet Union growing increasingly

Weapons
A larger view of the entire MHV “kill vehicle.”
difficult, even for the CIA’s advanced As stated in a 1958 National Security reception in August 1961 honoring the
U-2 aircraft, Eisenhower was eager to Council directive, the purpose of those Soviet Union’s second orbital space-
create a situation that would facilitate efforts was to “seek urgently a political flight, just four days before construc-
the coming generation of spy satellites. framework which will place the uses tion began on the Berlin Wall, Soviet
He therefore opposed anti-satellite of US reconnaissance satellites in a leader Nikita Khrushchev threatened:
systems because he believed satellites political and psychological context “You do not have 50 and 100 megaton
themselves would prove to be more most favorable to the United States.” bombs. We have bombs stronger than
to America’s benefit than to the Despite that official stance, 100 megatons. We placed [cosmonauts]
Soviets. The initiation of anti-satellite however, some anti-satellite develop- Gagarin and Titov in space, and we can
warfare would most likely have led ment was undertaken during the replace them with other loads that can
to the mutual destruction of space Eisenhower administration. The be directed to any place on Earth.”
capabilities, with the US coming out most significant event took place in The USSR resumed nuclear testing
behind in the larger strategic sense. October 1959, when the final test of in the autumn of that year, including
Rather than develop ASAT to an experimental air-launched ballistic a 100 megaton design. While most
protect reconnaissance satellites, the missile called “Bold Orion” was fired. analysts at the time agreed orbital
Eisenhower administration preferred Its target was the US’s own Explorer nuclear weapons made little military
to promote the view space should VI satellite, in order to simulate a sense compared to ballistic missiles,
only be used for peaceful purposes. “direct ascent interception,” and it American leaders were concerned the
Operatively, that meant banning the marked the world’s first ASAT test. Soviets might launch them anyway
placement of destructive devices in In the main, though, serious for political and psychological effect.
orbit while implicitly allowing other anti-satellite development didn’t begin Matters came to a head at a White
military applications to take place. until the Kennedy administration. At a House meeting in late 1963 when US

which ended when Defense Secretary
Robert McNamara commented:
“Well it doesn’t cost much…so let’s
approve it [the ASAT project].”
Thus the Soviet orbital bomb scare
led to the world’s first operational
ASAT programs. The first was an army
project codenamed “Program 505,”
which used modified versions of a
previously developed anti-ballistic
missile codenamed Nike Zeus. Those
missiles were equipped with one
megaton warheads and were based
on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
Program 505 was operational from
August 1963 until 1966, but it was less
capable than the air force’s “Program
437” interceptor, and was therefore
cancelled as being redundant.
Program 437
An MHV on the ground.
Program 437, America’s longest-
serving ASAT system, was a direct-
Starfish Prime ascent interceptor based on the obso-
lete Thor intermediate-range ballistic
Starfish Prime was an American nuclear test conducted on 9 July 1962 as part missile. All operational 437 missiles
of a series of tests codenamed Operation Dominic. Though it predated Program 437 (also called LV-2D) were former Thors
by several years, Starfish Prime used the same launch site, booster and warhead refurbished with new guidance sys-
as the ASAT, and detonated at an altitude similar to planned 437 intercepts. The tems. It was calculated the larger rocket
effects of those tests therefore provide a good idea of what the consequences would allow intercepts at altitudes
would’ve been had the Program 437 system actually been used. up to 700 miles and against targets
The effects were much worse than the planners anticipated. Starfish Prime cre- passing within 1,500 nautical miles
ated an artificial radiation belt around the Earth that persisted for about a year after of the launch base on Johnston Atoll,
the blast, damaging six satellites on which the electronics hadn’t been sufficiently about 750 miles southwest of Hawaii.
hardened. The victims of Starfish Prime included Cosmos V, a Soviet satellite; Telstar, the Johnston was chosen both because of
world’s first commercial communications satellite; and Ariel 1, the first British satellite its remote location and because Thor
and the first to be launched by a country other than the US or USSR. That damage launch facilities had already been built
amounted to a decent percentage of all operational satellites at the time, indicating there for nuclear tests that included
subsequent detonations in more crowded skies would’ve had even worse effects. the Starfish Prime shot (see sidebar).
Starfish Prime also introduced nuclear war planners to electromagnetic pulse Program 437’s interception profile,
(EMP) effects, which proved much stronger than anticipated. The Starfish Prime in theory, looked simple. The Thor
EMP not only drove most of the test instruments off-scale, thereby limiting booster would launch from Johnston
the amount of data collected, it also caused electrical damage on the island Island on a trajectory calculated
of Hawaii, which was nearly 1,000 miles from the detonation. to pass close to the target satellite
The test made it clear any nuclear detonation in Earth’s orbit, regardless of its immediate based on orbital data supplied by the

target, would cause heavy collateral damage to friendly satellites as well as to systems on worldwide network of US tracking
the ground. That effectively ensured the US wouldn’t use Program 437, or any other nuclear- radars. The technology of the time
tipped anti-satellite weapon, unless facing a critical threat to its national security. didn’t allow for precision intercepts,
so the air force adopted a brute force
solution: once the interceptor got
Information Agency Director Edward orbit, you will see the first impeach- within five miles of the target satellite,
Murrow predicted: “If the Soviets place ment proceeding of an American a ground signal would detonate
a bomb in orbit and threaten us, and President since Andrew Johnson.” its warhead (a hydrogen bomb
if this administration has refused to There were two minutes of with a yield of 1.5 megatons).
develop a capability to destroy it in thoughtful silence after that remark,

Weapons
The main challenge facing Program
437 was tight time constraints: the
launch window to intercept a hostile
satellite was only three seconds. For
that reason operational launches
consisted of two interceptors count-
ing down simultaneously, with
one acting as backup for the other
in case of equipment failure.
After three successful test
launches from February to April
1964, the program was turned over
to the North American Air Defense
Command (NORAD), with the 10th
Aerospace Defense Squadron (ADS)
assigned to operate it. After a partially
successful combat training launch
on 28 May 1964, the 10th was judged
to have reached initial operating
capability. Full operating capability
followed on 10 June, when the first
pair of Thors were placed on alert for
interception use on 24 hour notice.
The 10th ADS was based at
Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Los
Angeles, but rotated three combat
and maintenance crews of 108 men
each to Johnston Island on 90-day
tours. Together with 79 men perma-
nently based on Johnston and 65
permanently at Vandenberg, the unit
had a total of 468 personnel, with an
authorized inventory of two Thor mis-
siles on alert on Johnston Island and An ASM-135 at the moment of launch from an F-15.
four more on standby at Vandenberg.
The 10th ADS airmen trained weapons platform, but it effectively designed for polar orbit, launching
exhaustively to make sure they made 437 unusable for any lesser northward from the Soviet Union. It
could launch within the tight time purpose. The air force’s interest in the went nowhere near Johnston Island,
constraints of their mission. Squadron program therefore waned and budget rendering it immune to Program
members joked ADS stood for “All cuts began, which in turn forced 437’s interceptors, and its eventual
Day Saturday & Sunday,” but the unit the cancellation of planned training deployment made the prospect of
enjoyed high esprit de corps as the air launches and called into question the orbiting Soviet weapons platforms
force’s only “space combat squadron.” whole program’s continued viability. was going to become increasingly
Almost as soon as 10th ADS became The program was dealt another unlikely. Program 437 would thus be
operational, however, a problem blow when the Soviets began to test left as a weapon without a target.
arose for Program 437. That problem their Fractional Orbital Bombardment The program’s advocates
was inherent in the system’s design: a System (FOBS), which was designed to responded by trying to improve the
nuclear warhead made intercepting place a nuclear weapon into an orbital technology in order to allow it to
satellites much easier, but it meant trajectory and then de-orbit it over the undertake additional missions. Only
operational use of the weapon would US on its first pass. The Soviets argued one of those projects made it to the
violate several test ban treaties as that, since the weapon didn’t actually launch pad. Codenamed “Program
well as causing considerable col- complete an orbit of the Earth, it didn’t 437AP” (Alternate Payload), it was
lateral damage to friendly satellites technically violate any prohibition on an oil-drum-shaped camera vehicle
and systems on the ground. That was “orbiting nuclear weapons.” The US intended to gather information on
considered acceptable when it came disagreed, and yet another important Soviet satellites. The payload vehicle
to shooting down an orbiting nuclear point came from the fact FOBS was would be launched from Johnston on a

unlikely even if it were somehow
required. Program 437 officially passed
into the history books in May 1975,
when its aging nuclear warheads were
judged no longer worth maintaining
and were decommissioned.
Eagles in Space
Shortly thereafter the Soviet ASAT

program, which had been dormant
since 1971, began a series of orbital
tests demonstrating an ability to shoot
down American satellites. In response,
President Gerald Ford authorized a
program called the Miniature Homing
Vehicle (MHV) in early 1977, which
aimed to develop a non-nuclear
ASAT that would destroy its targets
using kinetic energy rather than a
warhead. The program eventually
developed into the ASM-135 ASAT
missile, which began testing in 1983.
The missile had three stages: the
first and second were solid rockets
derived from the air force’s SRAM
missile and Scout launch vehicle, while
the third was the MHV itself. The ASAT
would be carried aloft by the then-new
F-15A Eagle fighter, which would
climb to high altitude while the missile
A Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) undergoing testing. acquired its target before launch.
After the first stage burned out, the
MHV would use its infrared seeker to
trajectory similar to an ASAT mission, Vietnam War was making budgets tight guide the second stage toward its tar-
but instead of detonating a warhead for projects not directly in support of get and then separate for its final attack
it would only photograph the target it, and not even the first hints of Soviet run. The MHV itself, a small cylinder
with a pair of high-precision cameras ASAT capability could keep 437 from roughly the size of a juice can, would
before ejecting a film capsule similar being an obvious target for cutting. use a series of small pyrotechnic squibs
to that used in the first generation Crews from 10th ADS completed a total to steer itself to impact with its target.
of American spy satellites. That film of six training launches, in addition Since the air force felt the guid-
would be analyzed in the hope of to the four 437AP flights mentioned ance system would ensure a direct
learning more about the configuration above, between May 1964 and March hit, a warhead was considered
and capabilities of Soviet spacecraft. 1970. Shortly afterward the program redundant. At orbital speeds the
The 437AP program conducted one was ordered shut down. In early MHV had enough kinetic energy to
unsuccessful and two successful test October 1970 the 10th and almost all smash to bits any hostile satellite.
launches between 1965 and 1966, as its equipment left Johnston Island On paper the system eliminated
well as one unsuccessful mission to and returned to Vandenberg, where most of the disadvantages that had
inspect a malfunctioning NASA craft. it continued launching missiles in led to the cancellation of Program 437.
Ultimately the Johnson administration support of various research projects. The F-15A had a range of hundreds of
decided the political risk involved with The interceptor system was miles even without midair refueling,
intercepting Soviet spacecraft—even theoretically still available on 30-day allowing the ASAT missile to intercept
just to photograph them—was too notice, but lack of training for the ASAT Soviet satellites regardless of their
high and the program was cancelled. role, as well as damage to the Johnston ground track, and the kinetic kill
Program 437’s days were numbered Island facilities in 1972 by Hurricane mechanism posed none of the political
as well. The spiraling cost of the Celeste, made any successful launch or collateral hazards of 437’s H-bombs.

Weapons
ASAT development flights continued well as concerns about US access to
throughout the early 1980s, and the orbit in the face of an ASAT arms race.
air force made expansive plans for The air force conducted two
its use, including two ASAT-capable more tests of the MHV-ASAT system,
fighter squadrons based at Langley Air targeting the infrared signatures of
Force Base in Virginia and McChord stars to skirt the letter if not the spirit of
Air Force Base in Washington state. the test ban, but they abandoned the
In the end, however, the same program late in 1987 when it became
concerns about ASAT that halted apparent Congress was unlikely to
development under Eisenhower came allow it to become operational. (One
to plague the MHV. The system made of the MHV-ASAT legacies was its role
one live test, successfully destroying a in Tom Clancy’s bestselling techno-
derelict US satellite on 13 September thriller Red Storm Rising, in which
1985. Six weeks later a Congressional the system was used to down a pair
resolution banned testing of the MHV of Soviet reconnaissance satellites.)
against objects in space unless the Following the demise of the MHV The crest of the new “Missile Defense
Soviets resumed their testing. Critics system, most US space weapon Agency.” The Latin motto translates
claimed that gave the Soviets a veto efforts went toward ballistic missile as “Guarding the Guards.”
over further US testing, while the defense, first under President Reagan’s
communists had meanwhile already Strategic Defense Initiative and
developed two types of guidance later within a variety of programs Aegis BMD
systems and conducted at least 20 under the umbrella designation of
tests in space of their ASAT system. “National Missile Defense.” Those The new program evolved into
Again, the political objections were programs developed technologies the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense
primarily driven by a desire to see used by later US ASAT programs. (BMD) system, which uses the US
space used for peaceful purposes as Navy’s existing Aegis combat missile
A view of US Navy ship launching Aegis missiles at sea.

Another view of US Navy ships launching Aegis missiles at sea.
on its own kinetic energy for the kill.
When China tested its SC-19
interceptor in January 2007, the
US responded by downing one of
its own satellites, a malfunctioning
spy craft dubbed USA-193, using a
single SM-3 missile launched from
the cruiser USS Lake Erie. Ironically,
the site of the intercept was over the
Pacific not far from Johnston Island.
Though the US government
officially maintained the shoot-down
was intended to prevent possible
environmental damage caused by
hydrazine fuel aboard USA-193, leaked
State Department cables show the
Chinese interpreted the action as a
warning any attack against American
spacecraft would lead to retaliation in
kind. With 22 ships already equipped
with the Aegis anti-missile system, and
more planned, that retaliation could be
on a scale not possible with any previ-
Cut-away views of two variants of the Aegis BMD. ous ASAT system. The US—almost by
accident and with little of the intense
system to guide a modified version of sphere the SM-3 releases an infrared- debate that accompanied its earlier
the “Standard surface-to-air Missile” guided kinetic kill vehicle called and more deliberate efforts—has
(SM-3), out of the atmosphere with the “Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric now built and deployed the most
a combination of inertial guidance, Projectile” (LEAP), similar in concept robust and deadliest anti-satellite
GPS updating and the launching ship’s to the canceled MHV. Like the MHV, weapon system yet seen. t
SPY-1 radar. After leaving the atmo- the LEAP carries no warhead and relies

STRUGGLE FOR THE GALACTIC EMPIRE
VISIT SHOP.DECISIONGAMES.COM TO ORDER TODAY!
In the far future, Earth is a distant myth. When
mankind gained the means to transit the vast- S O L I TA I R E G A M E
ness of space safely and quickly, a great human
wave extended across the galaxy, and humans
soon inhabited thousands of worlds. Communi-
ties of worlds formed alliances; alliances became
federations, and eventually a galactic empire was
born. That empire existed for millennia, growing
and consolidating, bringing most of the inhabited
worlds under its control.
Despite its size and apparent success, though,
all is not well in the Galactic Empire. There are reb-
els, usurpers, those who want to create empires
of their own, and aliens of every imaginable form.
Over the long millennia, even the form of man is
taking a new shape with genetic engineering.
Struggle for the Galactic Empire is a solitaire
science fi ction game. you assume leadership of
the forces of the Galactic Empire as it strives to
maintain and expand its dominion while fi ghting
off the forces of chaos that seek to destroy it. you
make all the military, political, social and economic
decisions to deal with the threats that arise, keep
the far-fl ung empire stable, and still expand and
bring new glory through discovery, colonization
and conquest.
The map shows the entire galaxy divided into
sectors of star systems. Production is carried
out by nano-assemblers to create starships and
world-sized weapons. units include combat and
colonization ships, control groups and leaders.
units have two types of combat values: weapons
and morphogenetic systems. Weapons destroy
the enemy, while morphogenetic systems change
them into friends. Loyalties switch back and forth
depending on the situation.
Threats are generated by over 100 randomly
drawn chaos markers. They include: rebels, usurp-
ers, independent empires, invaders and alien
forces, as well as technological, economic, social,
political and military events. you can also launch
expeditions to attempt to gain new knowledge and
technology. Other rules allow you to use psychoso-
cial warfare and propaganda to repress rebellions.
$ 50 + shipping
P.O. Box 21598 | Bakersfi eld, CA 93390-1598 | (661) 587-9633 phone | sales@decisiongames.com | decisiongames.com

This provides a good idea as to the present operative scale of microbots, as five of them cluster threateningly around a paperclip.
Military Microrobots
By David R. Higgins
O
ver the last 40 years the speed for a time appeared to be approaching of microcontrollers, has enabled
and power of computers a miniaturization limit at the atomic the Defense Advanced Research
have increased exponentially, level. More recently, however, advances Projects Agency (DARPA), among
resulting in huge decreases in their in sub-micron (one-millionth of a other organizations, to develop even
size and cost. The maximum density meter) manufacturing and materials smaller devices — “microbots.”
of transistors on an integrated circuit science, along with the advent They’re also referred to as “micro-
electro-mechanical systems” (MEMS).
MEMS have been developed to macro
(>1 cm), micro (>1 mm) and nano
(>10 microns) sizes, making them
ideal for use in medicine, hazardous
environments, assembly tasks and
in enhancing existing technologies.
In recent decades the US military
has transitioned from an approach
to warfare in which gross industrial
productive capacity was considered
paramount, to one in which informa-
tion technologies and high-tech
weapons are dominant. Microbots
are therefore being welcomed as
part of that conversion process,
being seen as initially well suited for
command-control, communications
and intelligence gathering roles.
Direct combat roles will follow.
Computer and communications
This is a recon microbot presently under development for the US Army. networks are becoming increasingly

New Arenas
A micro-controller shown next to the fruit fly on which it will soon be surgically mounted (and will then control).
sophisticated. In such an environ- individual broadcasting signatures to a process known as micro-fabrication

ment, management becomes more overwhelm some aspect of the enemy’s in which microelectronic transistors,
effective via the distribution of large military effort and communications. capacitors and diodes are positioned
numbers of microbots, each with At the same time, however, on a silicon wafer. Their actuator and
specialized sensor and communication due to their small size, microbots sensor components convert energy
capabilities. They can quickly adapt possess only relatively limited into mechanical power and provide
to changing battlefield conditions. processing power. Consequently sensing modalities (the ability to
For example, nano-sized robots could they’re designed for specific roles. measure and process temperature,
be distributed in an aerosol contain- Each microbot is composed of just sound, pressure, light and magnetic
ing swarms of MEMS, each using four basic components, integrated via energies into measurable data).

This insect-like microbot is just a non-functional mockup; however, it does shown what can be accomplished already in terms of “biomimetics.”
MEMS vary from simple static

devices to complex systems. The latter
have multiple moving parts under
the control of their own central data
processing unit, a microprocessor,
and one or two sensors. They’re able
to crawl, fly or swim as individuals
and in groups, each powered by
electrical, vibrational or solar energies.
Essentially a diode that allows
electrical current to flow in one
direction, each microbot moves when
voltage is applied along an alternating
electric current, causing a change in
polarity. With an actuator converting
that energy into motion, a direct-
current element is added. It changes
the ion distribution near the diode
and modifies the initial alternating-
current field. The resulting torque
Here a group of large-sized bots are self-reorganizing to more efficiently perform some group task. causes the microbot to rotate, while

New Arenas
turning off the direct-current field to either move toward or away from flow of gases and liquids. Optical
makes it go in the opposite direction. certain chemicals (chemotaxis) micro-switches and micro-flaps can
To orchestrate microrobots within or electric fields (galvanotaxis). (respectively) modulate light beams
groups, remotely piloted wireless Presently, one of the most advanced and airstreams. Additional applica-
connections (“relaybots”—infrared integrated and autonomous MEMS is tions include microbots capable
sensing or physically connected the three-legged “I-Swarm.” Just 4x4x3 of building other microbots, and
MEMS), are used to enable inter-bot millimeters in size, it’s powered by integration with other technologies.
communication and coordination. solar cells, with that energy retained Microsystems and their nanobot
Each microbot is designed to respond in storage capacitors. It can track cousins are estimated to be progress-
in its own specific manner to the same light and move forward, backward ing toward full operational status
general control signal, therefore the and rotate. Able to be reprogrammed sometime early in the 2030s. For
sum of various individual abilities via a projected overhead image the near-future, the US Department
results in an aggregate group ability displaying graphic navigation cues, of Defense and other agencies
to undertake complicated tasks. the system communicates with other estimate MEMS-based bird-sized
Similar to the way in which proteins microbots via infrared. As part of a systems will be in demonstrable
in cells respond to chemical signals, self-organizing swarm system, each form by 2015, with insect-sized
microrobots are also being developed microbot is programmed with a varieties following soon thereafter.
with biological motors as power “pre-rational on-board intelligence,” Both types are to have the
sources, such as tail-propelled Serratia which permits group dispersion, capability to be used as kinetic strike
marcescens, rod-shaped bacteria that aggregation and collective perception. weapons or explosives carriers. As
draw chemical power from surround- In an effort to further expand part of their intelligence, surveillance
ing fluids. Such biological microbots micro-robotic technologies, and reconnaissance duties, each
can be controlled by the movements MEMS researchers have recently will also be “biomimetic”—able to
of single or multi-cell organisms that demonstrated micro-actuators and mimic the real world life forms on
are in turn genetically engineered micro-pumps that can control the which their designs are based. t

Gen. Walton Harris Walker
& the Defense of Pusan
By David March
O
n the 25 June 1950, the North Korean People’s capable of facing the Soviet-supplied communists.
Army struck south of the 38th parallel, Four days later, President Truman authorized the
shattering the demarcation line between it use of US ground forces in Korea. On 30 June, after
and its southern neighbor. They spearheaded their a daring trip to personally assess the conditions on
invasion with over 150 T-34/85 tanks in one armored the ground, Gen. Douglas Macarthur asked for and
division, which was supported by seven infantry received permission to dispatch two of his garrison
divisions. Facing them was the army of the Republic divisions from Japan to resist the invasion. Later,
of Korea (RoK), organized into four light infantry on 13 July, Lt. Gen. Walton Harris Walker arrived in
divisions that had no tanks or anti-tank weapons Korea along with the Eighth Army command staff.
American Army Engineers use a native two-wheeled cart to remove large boulders from a river
bed as they clear a route for the davance of American motor vehicles.

Spotlight On
Walker was born 3 December 1880 in Belton, Texas,

and graduated from West Point in 1912. There he’d
earned the nickname “Johnnie” for drinking lots of
Johnnie Walker brand scotch. He served in the Vera
Cruz occupation of 1914 along with a then-young Capt.
Douglas Macarthur. During World War I he served in the
5th Infantry Division in France, where he received the
Silver Star for gallantry under fire. During the interwar
years he served as an advisor in China, attended the

Walker emulated Patton’s leader-
ship style, and was often seen leading
tank columns into battle aboard his
jeep. The corps saw heavy fighting
at Metz, the Battle of the Bulge and
the final crossing of the Rhine, end-
ing the war in Linz, Austria. There
Walker was promoted to lieutenant
general and became one of the most
senior US tank commanders. Patton
himself called him “my fightingest
son-of-a-bitch.” Shortly after the
war Walker was made commander
of Fifth Army, headquartered in
Chicago, and in 1948 he was sent to
Japan to take command of Eighth
Army, the US occupation force there.
The under-armed ROKs were in
full flight, then, by the time the first of
Walker’s divisions, the 24th Infantry,
deployed to their country. The first
troops were designated Task Force
Smith, after their commander Col.
Charles B. Smith. TF Smith boarded
trains to move forward to meet the
KPA at the small town of Osan.
The T-34/85s of the Koreans led the
communist advance and drove into
and beyond the forward US positions.
Col. Smith watched in shock as his
unit’s direct fire artillery rounds and
bazookas ricocheted off the hulls
of the advancing armor. The only
things the Americans had that could
hurt those tanks were high explosive
anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, and there
were only six of them on hand.
TF Smith managed to hold up the
communist advance for five hours,
allowing the rest of the division to
deploy behind them in the city of
Taejon. Meanwhile, the lead elements
of two other KPA divisions, with more
tanks, arrived to resume the push. The
24th had, however, just received new
and improved 3.5-inch rocket launch-
ers. Gen. William F. Dean, commander
of the division, quickly organized tank-
hunting teams and personally led one
Command and General Staff School, 1942 he was commander of 3rd Armored such unit into battle. That tactic proved
taught at West Point and served as an Division, and by 1944 he was leading successful and destroyed 15 tanks.
executive officer of an infantry brigade. XX Corps into combat in Normandy Even so, the 24th was still forced
When Marshall appointed George as part of Patton’s Third Army. There to withdraw as the overall KPA attack
Patton to organize America’s armored his corps took part in the advance was overwhelmingly strong. Gen.
forces, Walker was one of those who across France, earning the nickname Dean himself was later captured
was taken on board to assist him. In “Ghost Corps” for their great speed. during the move back from Taejon,
ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 79 2/12/13 9:56 AM

Spotlight On
and was the highest ranking officer
made prisoner during the war.
Though badly mauled in initial
fighting, the 24th was successful in
buying the time needed for the 1st
Cavalry and 25th Infantry Divisions
to deploy in strength. The remnants
of the 24th moved south to form
Walker’s operational reserve, while the
two fresh divisions moved to block
the KPA. The 1st Cavalry screened
the communists advancing south
of Taejon, while the 25th moved to
directly support the ROK forces.
Gen. Walker became concerned
because communications with his
different divisions was intermittent,
and what little was getting back to
him was making the situation look
bleak. His units had been too long in
garrison duty and were unprepared
and under-equipped for the intense
combat thrust on them. He received
reports his units, fearing being
outflanked, were withdrawing before
contact with the enemy was even
confirmed (a move referred to in his
soldiers’ slang as “bugging out”).
Walker visited all his brigade
commanders at their posts. He
explained to them he expected they
would stabilize the front and begin American infantry take up initial positions on perimeter.
making local counterattacks as soon
as possible. Any further withdrawals were guarded by the Nan and Naktong all opportunities to strike back.
were to be made in such a way as to Rivers, running for 80 miles north and The first of those opportunities
allow for maintaining contact with south. In the north it was protected occurred on the 7th, when 25th
the enemy. He said he expected his by mountains running 50 miles east Division counterattacked to retake the
men to “stand or die,” and impressed and west. He believed that line, crossroads town of Chinju. By the 14th
on them there was no longer any backed by concentrated airpower it had to pull back, though, as the KPA
space to trade for time: US forces and artillery, would allow his army had launched its own new attack.
already had their backs to the sea. to hold off the KPA while arriving The US and RoK had several
Even marshaling such deter- reinforcements continued to enter advantages in the fighting. The narrow
mination, he knew his still-limited through the port of Pusan within it. front and concentrated defensive
manpower would only enable Eighth Reinforcements were indeed area allowed the US Air Force to
Army to hold a little territory. When a continuing to arrive, including 29th pound KPA positions day and night,
KPA division suddenly appeared on his Infantry Regiment from Okinawa, as well as interdicting their supply
right, and he was forced to redeploy 2nd Infantry Division from the US, 5th lines. Radio intercepts also kept Gen.
24th Division, he realized the situation Regimental Combat Team from Hawaii, Walker apprised of enemy troop
was growing desperate. He ordered all and 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. movements. Finally, the position
forces into a new defense line behind Walker put all those units into line, allowed him to exploit the interior lines
the Naktong River on 1 August. With and on 4 August he ordered all the created by the local road network.
that, what became known as the bridges across the rivers destroyed. The KPA high command came to
“Pusan Perimeter” was established. Even so, he still didn’t want his men to realize time was no longer on their
The perimeter was a rough think of the battle as a purely defensive side. At best they had two months
rectangle in the southeast corner of the fight: he therefore ordered his officers of supply, after which they would be
peninsula. The western approaches to be prepared to take advantage of unable to continue attacking. That led

to even more desperate fighting, as the After getting through the forward of heavy fighting, they pushed the
KPA tried to break through before their defense line, they started to push KPA force back to their start line. All
logistical crisis point was reached. substantial numbers of tanks and that was just a sideshow, however,
The KPA 4th Division spearheaded artillery inside the main line on the compared to the KPA’s main effort.
that effort. The 4th attacked so as to 6th. Walker had the Marine brigade The communists mobilized five
split the overall US/RoK force in two. counterattack and, after three days divisions with the intention of taking
Walker’s HQ at Taegu. The line there
was considered especially weak, as
it was the area where the ROK forces
ended and US forces began. The last 10
days of August saw a lull in the fighting
as the KPA prepared for that final push.
They struck on the 31st, breaking
through into the rear of 25th Division,
while the Naktong River was also
crossed by sizeable forces. Finally,
at Taegu, 1st Cavalry was driven
back to the gates of the city. Deeply
penetrating columns forced the
evacuation of Walker’s headquarters.
Walker briefly considered contracting
his lines into an even tighter defense
line, but he decided to stick it out.
Reports began to come in that
the KPA had shot their logistical bolt
and their men were exhausted. By 8
September all their attack elements
had halted. The effect of the daily
bombings on the North Korean supply
lines showed. They’d lost too many
men and too much equipment.
The stage was thereby set for
MacArthur’s flank landing at Inchon,
Aeromedical evacuation of American wounded.
in no small part due to Gen. Walker’s
successful leadership at Pusan.
Walker, like his mentor Patton,
nonetheless had his critics. In fact,
some of his officers said they were
more afraid of his temper than they
were of the enemy. He was an aggres-
sive leader and was capable of acting a
bully, having once told a subordinate:
“I don’t want to see you back from
the front unless it’s in your coffin.”
While visiting his subordinates’
front line command posts in his
Jeep, driving at high speed, he was
killed on 23 December 1950. His
abilities were sorely missed in the
later portions of the war. t

Special News for 2013
Great Location
The Fredericksburg (VA) Convention
Center is conveniently located and
offers thousands of free parking spaces
and a variety of nearby hotel choices at
all price points.
Tournaments
Everything from DBA, DBR, Warham-
mer Ancients to Field of Glory (FoG),
plus a few others, including the Flames
of War WWII (FoW) Nationals!
Games
Hundreds for all historical periods, from
ancient history to the near future, includ-
ing the American Civil War Battles of
1863 – “Year of Decision”. You can also
visit three ACW battlefields in the area
as well!
Osprey Publishing
This major publisher returns with some
great new titles on display along with
news on all their latest releases, and If you like military history and recreating the world’s greatest battles
sneak previews. then you will love HISTORICON, America’s leading historical
miniatures wargaming convention. An event so impressive it was
The War College called “the mother of all wargaming conventions” by the Wall Street
Includes speakers presenting seminars
on a wide range of topics covering many
Journal. And you don’t need to bring anything. Just show up to
military periods as well as wargaming in choose from the hundreds of elaborately staged wargames from all
general. time periods.
Join the thousands of gamers who will meet at the Fredericksburg

Exposition Center Convention Plaza in Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
on July 18-21 for HISTORICON 2013.
For more information visit

WWW.HISTORICON.ORG

monitorin
g starting
around
*with $99 customer

per week
purchase of alarm inmstallation charge and
onitoring services.
• A burglary occurs every 14.6 seconds.1

• 1 out of every 5 homes will experience a break-in or
home invasion. 2
• A home without a security system is 3 times more likely
to be burglarized. 3
• 85% of Police Officials surveyed believe home alarms
deter burglary attempts.4 Fire, Theft, Flood, Emergency
1. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008 National Crime Report http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/june/ucr_stats060109
Front and back door protection

2. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/vdhbpr.cfm
3. FBI, 2008 National Crime Report http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/june/ucr_stats060109 4. http://www.beyondidentitytheft.com/home-security-statistics.html
Call Now and Receive Call Now and Receive Window coverage
FREE
FIRE AND EMERGENCY PANIC ALERT
FREEWIRELESS REMOTE
Infrared Interior Motion Detector
Control panel with battery back-up
EXPIRES IN 30 DAYS • RESV. CODE 102012 EXPIRES IN 30 DAYS • RESV. CODE 102012
Interior siren
Call Today, Protect Tomorrow!

1-888-927-8517
Mon-Fri 8am - 11pm • Sat 9am - 8pm • Sun 10am - 6pm EST
$99.00 Customer Installation Charge. 36-Month Monitoring Agreement required at $36.99 per month ($1,331.64). Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only.
Local permit fees may be required. Satisfactory credit history required. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid for new ADT Authorized Dealer customers only and not on purchases from ADT LLC. Other rate plans available. Cannot be combined
with any other offer. Licenses: AL-12-1104, AK-35221, AR-E08-014, AZ-ROC217517, CA-ACO6320, CT-ELC.0193944-L5, DE-07-212, FL-EC13003427, EC13003401, GA-LVA205395, HI-CT30946, IA-AC-0036, ID-39131, IL-127.001042, IN-City of Indianapolis:
80988, KY-City of Louisville: 483, LA-F1082, MA-1355C, MD-107-1626, ME-LM50017382, MI-3601205773, MN-TS01807, MO-City of St. Louis: CC354, St. Louis County: 53328, MS-15007958, MT-247, NC-25310-SP-FA/LV, NC-1622-CSA, NE-14451,
NJ-34BF00021800, NM-353366, NV-68518, City of Las Vegas: B14-00075-6-121756, C11-11262-L-121756, NY-Licensed by the N.Y.S. Department of State UID#12000286451, OH-53891446, City of Cincinnati: AC86, OK-1048, OR-170997, Pennsylvania
Home Improvement Contractor Registration Number: PA22999, RI-3582, SC-BAC5630, TN-C1520, TX-B13734, ACR-3492, UT-6422596-6501, VA-115120, VT-ES-2382, WA-602588694/PROTEYH934RS, WI-City of Milwaukee: 0001697, WV-042433, WY-LV-G-
21499. 3750 Priority Way South Dr. Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46240 For full list of licenses visit our website www.protectyourhome.com. Protect Your Home – 3750 Priority Way South Dr., Ste 200, Indianapolis, IN 46240.

BOX
BOX

“I thought accurately modeling Air Combat
Maneuvering in a board game was impossible.
I’m glad to be proven wrong.”
Robert L. Shaw, TOPGUN graduate
“Tony has pulled off a masterpiece here.” BASIC GAME $74.95

J.D. Webster, Designer of Air Superiority DELUXE GAME $119.95
Visit adastragames.com for more info
Best Miniatures
Rules 2004
orld
e Real W
n Th
ombat I
e C
Spac
Attack Vector: Tactical is the Origins Award winning 3-D space combat
game that gets the physics right; endorsed by the editor of Scientiic
American and Dr. Jerry Pournelle for its rigor, all that careful math is
done for you by full color, laminated play aids.
BASIC GAME $64.95

DELUXE GAME $74.95
estore.genreconnections.com

Modern War 5 - May-June 2013

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Modern War 5 - May-June 2013

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Falklands War | Rhodesia’s Selous Scouts | XB-70 Bomber | Anti-Satellite Weapons | Military Microbots | Gen.

#5 MAY - JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 1 2/11/13 12:59 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 3 2/11/13 1:00 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 4 2/11/13 1:01 PM

2 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 5 2/11/13 1:02 PM

GAME EDITION RULES

DESIGN Please submit all other questions or comments to

MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 3

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 6 2/11/13 1:02 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 7 2/11/13 1:27 PM

Promotion For 3 months.

PACKAGES ASK ABOUT

Prices valid for 12 months. Requires 24-month agreement

NO ONE CAN COMPARE TO DISH! WHOLE-HOME HD-DVR

* Requires broadband Internet; must have HD DVR to stream to your TV.

Call Now And Ask How To Save Up To 50% **

1-888-719-4324 Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 8 2/11/13 1:27 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 9 2/11/13 1:28 PM

MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 7

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 10 2/11/13 1:28 PM

The North Korean People’s Army

8 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 11 2/11/13 1:28 PM

ammunition, which limits training.

MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 9

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 12 2/11/13 1:28 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 13 2/11/13 1:28 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 14 2/11/13 1:28 PM

A view inside one of the discovered infiltration tunnels.

12 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 15 2/11/13 1:29 PM

MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 13

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 16 2/11/13 1:29 PM

14 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 17 2/11/13 1:29 PM

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 18 2/11/13 1:29 PM

16 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 19 2/11/13 1:29 PM

MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 17

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 20 2/11/13 1:29 PM

18 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 21 2/11/13 1:29 PM

MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013 19

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 22 2/11/13 1:29 PM

PLACE YOUR faced with defeat and overthrow, might

ORDER SELECTED SOURCES

PO Box 21598 | Bakersfield, CA 93390 | (661) 587-9633 | sales@decisiongames.com

20 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ACRE: The Third Crusade Opens | ARSUF: Lionheart vs. Saladin

EACH GAME UNDER $25 (MOST UNDER $20)

MW5-v5F.indd 21 2/8/13 4:09 PM

22 MODERN WAR 5 | MAY–JUN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 25 2/11/13 1:29 PM

SEND TO: Decision Games

Detail of the Drive on Pyongyang map

MODERN WAR 5 | MAy–juN 2013 23

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 26 2/11/13 1:30 PM

24 MODERN WAR 5 | MAy–juN 2013

ModWar5-Issue_v5F.indd 27 2/11/13 1:30 PM

was accomplished. With overall eco-