Category Archives: History
Desert Shield Simulations Part 1
What if Saddam Hussein had attacked south into Saudi Arabia during the early phases of Desert Shield, as commentators on the Gulf War unanimously say was the only opportunity to do more serious damage? Command is not the right choice to model ground combat to the necessary degree that would show the truly most important […]
Platforms That Never Were: F-20
The F-20 started off as an upgraded version of the F-5, a low-end fighter that had enjoyed great quantities of export success. The F-5 saw only limited use (largely as an “aggressor” trainer) in US service, but was used extensively by the South Vietnamese and Iranian air forces. The F-20 grew more advanced, to the […]
How to Name a German Unit
A Short History of the Bundeswehr Shortly after the end of the second world war the demand for a new (West) German army became clear, even though it was decided at the Potsdam Conference that Germany should be demilitarized. The German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer considered joining the NATO as one of the most important goals for […]
The Scenario Adaptation Balancing Act
I’m reading an alternate history story, Zhirinovsky’s Russian Empire, a dystopian tale where the death of Boris Yeltsin during the failed 1991 coup in the USSR leads to the titular extremist becoming that country’s head, and thus leading the world into over a decade of not-so-cold war. There are some parts of it where I […]
Looking back at the OPFORs
In the early 1990s, the US Army released a set of documents describing the “capabilities-based OPFOR” (Opposing Force), a stand-in enemy force that could be used in training exercises. The documents describe the organization and tactics of both a “Heavy” and “Light” OPFOR nation. As reference tools, they remain extremely valuable. While obviously dated given […]
Air Power in Civil Wars
There have been many good reasons why air-to-air combat remains the near-exclusive domain of nation-states. Even the earliest and/or simplest aircraft require trained pilots and ground crews that are not exactly in the greatest supply, and to use them requires a complex supply chain. Because of this difficulty, the one proven route to the deployment […]
Armée de l’Air 101
Trying to figure out French Air Force units’ name meaning can result in a serious headache so here’s a quick guide that will hopefully alleviate the pain. Let’s start with an example: “EC 03.004 Limousin“. EC: is the “role” acronym. More on that later. 03.004: here are the “Escadron” (squadron) designation followed by its original “Escadre” (Wing) one, so this squadron […]