Friends,

 

In the past, I've focused on convoys and CVBGs in my scenarios, but I'm trying to figure out how to create more varied scenarios that are also realistic. At this point, I've reached the limits of my knowledge and I need your help!

 

I apologize for any ignorance on my part, but I simply don't know the answers to these questions, and that's why I'm asking.

 

I imagine in some cases it's simply "these were the ships in the area at the time," and this is what I've been doing for a lot of scenarios, but assuming there was time to put the ideal (or at least preferred) SAG or Phibron/amphibious group together, what's it going to look like?

 

For example, if France was going hunting for submarines and/or small vessels like gunboats and minehunters, and didn't want to (or couldn't) dedicate an entire CVBG to the job, what would its preferred SAG probably look like? What if it was Japan? How about the U.K.? The U.S.? Feel free to add other nations to this list.

 

Same question for amphibious groups. Assuming France has gained air superiority (or at least thinks that it has gained it) and wants to drop a bunch of soldiers into a coastal city to take charge, what does its amphibious group look like in terms of ships, helicopters, etc.? And, again, feel free to add versions of this for other countries. I'm looking for as many sample OOBs to use in scenarios as possible.

 

Related question...in realistic airborne assaults, what kind of air assets would you recommend I include? Obviously, you need the planes that carry troops, and the number will depend on the number and size of the targets, but what are the usual escorts, support aircraft, etc. that would be involved, assuming a realistic scenario where the attacker has time to plan and assemble preferred forces?

 

Thanks!

 

Mark

This is a hugely open ended question, Mark, as I'm sure you appreciate. The answer will always be "it depends". My best suggestion is to look to past conflicts and peacekeeping operations to see what various nations deployed. The Web has a LOT of information in this regard, especially sites like Global Security.

 

Since you mention the French, and it sounds like you're thinking small scale scenarios, their recent Operation Licorne (Unicorn) comes to mind for me.

 

After the failed coup and unrest that was seen in Ivory Coast in September 2002, France launched Licorne to evacuate foreign nationals.

 

I don't think any French Navy assets arrived on the scene until later, but within days the French had deployed two companies of the 1st RCP (Regt de Chasseurs Parachutistes) from Gabon to provide support to their Marines of the 43rd BIMa (Bataillon d’Infanterie de Marine) in the capital Abidjan.

 

Air support at this time was, somewhat surprisingly (although, I expect, guaged by the fact that Ivory Coast had virtually no air force to speak of) limited to a single Fennec light helo.

 

Then came (also from Gabon) two Cougar helos of the Commandement des Operations Speciales (COS) and a C.160 Transall airlifter (from ET 2/64 Anjou). Another C.160 Transall, four Gazelle helicopters and two Puma helicopters were then deployed from France.

 

It wasn't until December that the LSD La Foudre arrived to land reinforcements, including more helicopters. I'm not sure what surface escorts were sent with this ship, if any, but I expect probably a frigate.

22nd MEU sat for almost three months in MODLOC at Mamba Station just over the horizon from Monrovia Liberia May/June/July 1990. Originally we were joined with a French and a British surface combatant, but both left after a few weeks due to a lack of logistical "legs". All component ships of the ARG, USS SAIPAN (LHA-2), USS SUMPTER (LST), USS PONCE (LPD), USS PETERSON (DD) stayed on station until the NEO began on 05 August 1990.

 

An interesting side note was that in order for the MEU to reach the AO "in time" before other options would be considered, like a Bde of 82nd Airborne to be dropped on Robertson International Airport, the firing platoon from the BLT's artillery battery was cross-decked to PETERSON, which was punched forward due to its relative speed over the rest of the ARG which was hampered by PONCE which was doing a virtual doggy-paddle by this time.

 

Also interesting was evacuees were field screened on the US Embassy grounds, flown to SAIPAN where a much more detailed screening took place before being shuttled to the Ivory Coast which the relative safe zone at that time.