The ANZACs in T2k

[Legbreaker]

Throw it my way. Accepting all submissions at the moment.

[RN7]

Right Legbreaker here is some information about equipment levels for Australian forces at the start of the Twilight War in 1996/1997. I haven't included any organisation such as brigades/regiments/battalions/squadrons etc as I figured you already have that information.


Australian Army

Manpower: 30,300 (with 29,200 in Reserves)
Available Manpower: 2,152,000 males aged between 18 and 32 (* in mid-1990's)

Tanks
Leopard 1A3 MBT: 92
Armoured Vehicles
ASLAV Type I (25mm cannon) AIFV: 64
ASLAV Type II APC: 63 (* production ongoing)
M113 MRV (76mm gun) AIFV: 53
M113A1/AS3/AS4 APC: 725 (* 205 held in storage)
Artillery
M198 155mm Towed Howitzer: 36
BL 5.5 inch (140mm) Towed Gun: (* 34 guns retired in 1984 but some likely held in storage)
L118 (Hamel) 105mm Towed Gun: 111
M2A2 105mm Towed Howitzer: 142 (* most held in storage)
Model 56 (L5) 105mm Pack Howitzer: (* 20 guns retired in 1992 but some likely held in storage)
Air Defence
Rapier SAM Launcher: 20
RBS-70 Portable SAM Launcher: 19
Engineer Vehicle
BPz-2 ARV: 6
BRPz-1 Biber AVLB: 5
Infantry Support Weapons
L16 81mm Mortar: 294
MILAN Anti-Tank Missile Launcher: 12
M-40A1 106mm Recoilless Rifle: 68
Carl Gustav 84mm Recoilless Rifle: 597
Aircraft
GAF N-22B Nomad Light STOL Aircraft: 13
PC-6 Light STOL Aircraft: 14
UH-1H Bushranger (armed) Helicopter: 6
UH-1H Helicopter: (* as many as 40 still operational or held in reserve)
S-70 Helicopter: 39
AS-350 Squirrel Light Helicopter: 18
OH-58 Light Helicopter: 44 (* probably more held in reserve)
Marine Craft
LCM-8 Landing Craft: 16
LARC-5 Amphibious Cargo Vehicle: 85
Ordinance:
MILAN Anti-Tank Missile: 120 delivered
M712 Copperhead Guided Shell: 100 delivered
Rapier-1 SAM Missile: 570 delivered
RBS-70 SAM Missile: 100 delivered


Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

Manpower: 22,100 (with 1,500 in Reserves)

The RAAF was a better trained and equipped air force than all of its neighbours in South-East Asia, and was supported by the US who gave it access to first class American aircraft and ordinance. In the early 1990's the RAAF bought F-111G (FB-111A) strike bombers which gave it a near strategic strike capability with a range of at least 4,000 nm with drop tanks. The F-111G could strike anywhere in Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian archipelago from the Northern Territory, and theoretically as far north as the south coast of China. The F/A-18 was also superior to any fighter used by Asian air forces at this time with the exception of Japan.

The RAAF had a large number of air bases located across Australia of which 13 (Richmond, Williamstown (NSW), Darwin, Tindal (NT), Amberley, Scherger, Townsville (QLD), Edinburgh, Woomera (SA), East Sale (VIC), and Curtin, Pearce, Learmonth (WA)) had asphalt runways with a length of at least 2,000 metres. This allowed transports in the C-5 Galaxy and Boeing 747 Freighter class and also US strategic bombers to safely take off and land from them. There were also 35 civilian airports with runways over 2,000 metres including some in remote locations in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. RAAF Tindal Base in the Northern Territory was the main operational base for air missions north of the Australian mainland, being located outside of the cyclone zone and easy to defend.

Combat Aircraft
F-111G Strike Bomber: 15
F-111C Strike Bomber: 18 (* held in storage or retired)
RF-111C Recon: 4
F/A-18A/B Hornet Fighter/Attack: 75 (* 13 held in storage)
A-4K Skyhawk 2 Fighter/Attack: 6 (* leased from New Zealand)
MB-326H Light Attack: 16
Support Aircraft
PC-3C Orion Marine Patrol: 20
Boeing 707 Tanker: 4
C-130E Hercules Transport: 12
C-130H Hercules Transport: 12
Boeing 707 Transport: 2
DHC-4 Transport: 23
BAC-III VIP Transport: 2
BAE 748 VIP Transport: 2
Dassault Falcon-900 VIP Transport: 4
GAF N-22B Nomad Light STOL Aircraft: 2
Training Aircraft
MB-326H Advanced Trainer: 60
BAE 748 T2 Trainer: 8
PC-9 Trainer: 67
CT-4/4A Trainer: 48 (* some held in storage)
Helicopter
CH-47C Transport Helicopter: 12 (* all held in storage)
Air Ordinance
AGM-84A Harpoon AS Missile: (* used by F/A-18, F-111G and P-3C Orion)
AGM-142A Popeye-1 AS Missile: 51 on order (* for F-111G)
AIM-7M Sparrow BVRAA Missile: 300 delivered
AIM-9L Sidewinder SRAA Missile: 450 delivered
ASRAAM BVRAA Missile: 400 on order
BLU-109 2,000 Ib Hardened Penetrator Bomb (* used by F-111G)
GBU-10 Paveway II 2,000 Ib Laser Guided Bomb: 100 delivered (* used by F-111G)
GBU-12 Paveway II 500 Ib Laser Guided Bomb: 100 delivered
GBU-15 Paveway 2,000 Ib Laser Guided Bomb: 100 delivered (* used by F-111G)
Mark 82 500 Ib General Purpose Bomb
Mark 83 1,000 Ib General Purpose Bomb
Mark 84 2,000 Ib General Purpose Bomb (* used by F-111G)
R-550 Magic-1 SRAA Missile: 550 delivered (* held in storage or retired)


Royal Australian Navy (RAN)

Manpower: 15,700 (with 26,000 in Reserves)

Naval Bases
Fleet Base East: Sydney, NSW
Fleet Base West: Garden Island, WA
HMAS Albatross: Nowra, NSW (* Naval air station)
HMAS Cairns: Cairns, QLD
HMAS Coonawarra: Darwin, NT

The RAN had grown closer to the US since the Second World War, and particularly since the British withdrawal East of Aden in the 1970's. The US had also largely replaced Britain as Australia's principle arms supplier including ships and naval weapons before the Twilight War. The last RAN aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was retired in 1982 and Australia had planned to buy the British HMS Invincible to replace it, but the outbreak of the Falklands War led to Britain retaining all of its carriers. The RAN retained an interest in carrier aviation and leased a number of New Zealand A-4K Skyhawk to train RAN pilots in jet aircraft in the 1990's, but nothing ever came of it before the start of the Twilight War.

The RAN has a number of other small bases and communication and training establishments in the Sydney area, Canberra and Melbourne. The former small RAN bases in Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart that closed in the early 1990's are likely to be still active in T2K. The RAN would also have access to New Zealand naval bases, Papua New Guinea naval facilities at Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Manus Island and Los Negros Island, and the British naval base at Hong Kong and facilities on the British island territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The Australian refugee and illegal immigrant detention centres at Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and Nauru in the Pacific Ocean might also be relevant to the RAN.

Submarine
Collins Class Submarine: 1 (* 2 more under construction, 3 more planned)
Oberon Class Submarine: 5 (* 1 held in reserve)
Principle Surface Combatants
Adams Class Destroyer: 3
ANZAC Class Frigate: 2 (* 1 more under construction, 5 more planned)
Leander Class Frigate: 2 (* 2 held in reserve)
Perry Class Frigate: 6
Patrol and Coastal Combatants
Attack Class Patrol Boat: 2 (* 2 held in reserve)
Fremantle Class Patrol Boat: 15
Mine Warfare
Bay Class Mine Hunter: 2
Huon Class Mine Hunter: (* 6 under construction)
Bandicoot Class Minesweeper Auxiliary: 2
Brolga Class Minesweeper Auxiliary: 2
Amphibious
Kanimbla Class LST: 2
Tobruk Class LSH: 1
Balikpapan Class LCT: 8
Support Ships
Success Class AOR: 1
Westralia Class Tanker: 1
Protector Class Support Vessel: 1
Leeuwin Class Survey Vessel: (* 2 under construction)
Other Miscellaneous Vessel: 7
Fleet Air Arm
BAE-748 Trainer: 2
SH-60B ASW Helicopter: 16
Sea King Mk 50 ASW Helicopter: 8 (* held in reserve)
OH-58 Light Helicopter: 3
AS-350B Light Helicopter: 6
Naval Ordinance
AGM-84A Harpoon AS Missile: 229 (* some used by RAAF F/A-18, F-111G and P-3C Orion)
RIM-7P Sea Sparrow SR SAM: 32 delivered
RIM-66B Standard-1 MR SAM Missile: 540 delivered
Mark 46 ASW Torpedo: 200 delivered
Mark 46 Mod-5 NEARTIP ASW Torpedo: 100 delivered
Mark 48 ASW Torpedo: 100
Mark 48 Mod-4 ASW Torpedo: 20 delivered
Mark 54 ASW Torpedo: (* used on RAN surface ships and helicopters)
MU90 ASW Torpedo: (*used on RAN surface ships and helicopters)


Bureau of Customs

Patrol and Coastal Combatants
Bay Class Patrol Boat: (* 8 planned)
Patrol Boat: 6
Aircraft
GAF N-22B Searchmaster Marine Patrol: 10


Foreign Forces in Australia
US personnel (270 USAF and 450 US Navy) at NW Cape, Pine Gap and Nurrungar
New Zealand personnel (RNZAF training)

[Rainbow Six]

A third Brigade, mainly made up of British troops could round out the Division which would probably be under British command. This last brigade may be under strength right from the beginning, or keep the Gurkas with them and leave the Canadian/NZ brigade weaker. As the Korean front appears to be an extension of the 1950's war, it's highly likely to be a UN operation I think, so that final brigade could also be rounded out with the contributions of smaller nations (might even see companies from places like Samoa, South Africa, Philippines, even France might have a presence.

Just my rambling thoughts. Feel free to pull it apart.

A full British Brigade that's canon compliant is theoretically possible. Parking the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters to one side, the other Regular Infantry Battalions that are not included in the canon orbat per the NATO Vehicle Guide (V1) and the Survivor's Guide to the United Kingdom are all Guards Battalions.

• 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
• 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
• 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
• 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards
• 1st Battalion, Irish Guards

(That's based on the pre 1991 orbat - 2/Grenadiers and 2/Scots were both placed into suspended animation at the end of the Cold War)

I suppose you could use any of them. The canon orbat for the British Army is a mess that bears only the faintest resemblance to late 80's real life planning. Putting a couple of Guards Battalions into Korea, while not particularly realistic imho, isn't going to make it any worse than it already is.

The alternative would be to use the Territorial Army (the British equivalent of the Army Reserve / National Guard for those unfamiliar with the term). GDW completely ignored the TA (I refer to my comment above) so you'd have a free hand in which units to allocate (IRL all TA Infantry Battalions were assigned to either Home Defence or BAOR reinforcement roles - the 2nd UK Division should have been 1 x Regular Brigade and 2 x TA Brigades - but I think there could maybe be a case for a couple of Battalions being retasked to other operations, e.g. Korea).

[Legbreaker]

Thanks. All very useful input.

Just had a thought a moment ago that I'll probably need to include some basic information on the leadership, so with that in mind I'd love the Australian and New Zealander ex and currently serving soldiers, seamen and airmen to give me a few names of the officers they served under which might have come to prominence during the period.
For myself my old battalion commander and RSM spring to mind as people of importance, as well as the father of my company clerk - he was a recently retired DSM in 94 who could have been drawn back in.

[Targan]

I look forward to seeing what you come up with in the way of an ANZAC sourcebook for T2K, Leg. It might go some way to restoring my love for the game (which unfortunately has been largely gone for some time now).

[Olefin]

What I had for the Ceylon peacekeeping force was the following in the East African Sourcebook

A Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment Malindi
Manpower: 105 men
Vehicles: four Land Rovers, five Jeeps

Australia had sent troops to Ceylon in 1993 as part of the peace keeping mission there. By 1995 they had been reduced to two infantry companies who were then cut off there with the outbreak of hostilities. During the next four years they fought rebels and Italian and Greek soldiers who were there as part of the mission. Finally in 1999 the surviving troops left on several commandeered sailing dhows and tried to make it to friendly forces. After a long and arduous voyage they were spotted by a patrol craft and were brought to Mombasa.

The survivors were regrouped as a single company and were re-armed using captured Tanzanian small arms, machine guns and mortars. Now under British Army command, they have been tasked with supporting local Kenyan Police in Malindi and the area surrounding the city as well as the garrisoning of the San Marco Equatorial Range, which is an orbital launch platform previously used by Italy and is one of the few operational satellite communications stations still left in the world.

[Legbreaker]

What I had for the Ceylon peacekeeping force was the following in the East African Sourcebook

A Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment – Malindi

A Coy (along with B and C Coy) at that time were a reservist unit mostly made up of uni students on their gap year. There's absolutely no way they'd have been deployed. Only D Coy were regular troops.
Absolutely the wrong unit to send.

[Rockwolf66]

I have to wonder what the Australian Special operations were up to

That and would Australians form Civilian defense units

I know that Mad Max is fiction but what would the Marauders be like I know that you have had some issues with Bikies. Here in the US we hear about their homemade submachineguns and them stealing a half dozen LAW rockets.

[Legbreaker]

Well we know there's a small group of SAS in Poland. Why though, we have absolutely no idea.

No, there would be no paramilitary type units at all. Local army reserve units would fill that role. Those people who tried forming their own CDL type groups would be treated as marauders.

Bikies aren't really as big an issue as the media portrays them. 20 or so years ago a handful of M72's were taken and found their way into the hands of criminals, but that was due to somebody already in the military having sticky fingers. As for the home made firearms, I'm sure there's more of them made just in Florida than in the whole of Australia. Police here have be caught out photoshopping pictures of seized firearms - duplicating rifles, etc in the picture, calling magazines, bayonets, even empty magazine pouches and pistol holsters firearms!

[Jason Weiser]

The target list I cooked up a while ago, use as appropriate.

[Legbreaker]

Thanks. Just had a quick look so far but already saw some questionable targeting such as Richmond - it's C-130's and not much else. I lived and worked in and around it for a few years, it's just not worth nuking.
Meanwhile Williamtown at Newcastle where the majority of the F/A-18s were actually based (along with HQ and training) isn't on the list.
That said, by the time nukes were used, I'm fairly certain all Australia's combat air assets would have already been deployed.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Thanks. Just had a quick look so far but already saw some questionable targeting such as Richmond - it's C-130's and not much else. I lived and worked in and around it for a few years, it's just not worth nuking.
Meanwhile Williamtown at Newcastle where the majority of the F/A-18s were actually based (along with HQ and training) isn't on the list.
That said, by the time nukes were used, I'm fairly certain all Australia's combat air assets would have already been deployed.

Definitely, those Hercs probably wouldn't all be at Richmond either, they would have been deployed northwards to assist with the operations in Papua New Guinea. Not all of them, but probably at least half of them would be away from base making Richmond even less attractive as a nuke target.

As for Williamtown, the majority of the Hornets would have been deployed to the various dispersal bases around the top end of Australia probably well in advance of any attack against Williamtown.

But as mentioned by Leg, the majority of Australian airpower would have already been damaged or destroyed beforehand. I'm inclined to believe that use of nuclear weapons against Australia would be more to deny base facilities (e.g. ports) to UK/US forces in the Indo-Pacific region. With that in mind, use against Australian military facilties would be limited to those bases that directly supported UK/US military operations.

As a potential (and very small) boost to the remaining military aircraft, it's possible the RAN (or even the RAAF) might take control of the half-dozen or so Grumman S-2 Trackers that were still in Australia. They had been retired in the mid 1980s and a small number were still in storage and awaiting disposal by the early 1990s. At that time there were still people in Australia with experience flying and servicing these aircraft (either still in RAN service, retired from the RAN or transferred to the RAAF).
But we are talking about three maybe four at most and they would probably be used as light bombers simply because there would be no ASW stores left for them to use (and more importantly, very few/no RAN vessels capable of supporting them in the ASW role).

A side note on those A-4 Skyhawks mentioned as being leased from New Zealand. They were used as OpFor for air force training as well as for land based air defence training.
Some of them were actually A-4G models that had been in service with the RAN fleet air arm and then sold to New Zealand (who upgraded them to A-4K standard).
In the early 2000s, the majority of the New Zealand Skyhawks were sold to a US company who also used them as aggressor aircraft.

[Olefin]

A Coy (along with B and C Coy) at that time were a reservist unit mostly made up of uni students on their gap year. There's absolutely no way they'd have been deployed. Only D Coy were regular troops.
Absolutely the wrong unit to send.

Perfect that is exactly the information that I need - definitely want to make the unit realistic - so could easily switch the units - basically it would be an amalgamation of the two companies that remained into one single company - so what would have been the most likely units

I picked the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment at random but obviously I had the wrong battalion - so what would have been the better battalion to have drawn those companies from originally

[Legbreaker]

1 and 2/4 RAR, perhaps 3 if you want a parachute battalion. 5/7 RAR for a Mechanised Battalion.
The rest all have at least elements of reservists in them and should probably be treated more as training units rather than operational.
I'd probably leave 1 RAR out of it though as IRL they were the most heavily deployed unit at the time.

[Ewan]

I'm really looking forward to purchasing the sourcebook when it comes out.

In the GDW Bangkok sourcebook it mentions on page 18 that "Merchants affiliated with a triad or the yakuza will take US and Australian dollars ($1=A$2)".

It also mentions on page 31 that "Although severely disrupted by the war, trade has begun to return to Southeast Asia, and Thialand has several exports which it sends to its neighbours in Burma, Laos, and Vietnam as well as to ports farther afield in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaya, and (increasingly) western Australia."