Examining the Team Yankee Fighting Force – Air Defense

By No-dice-Dane

In November, WWPD published an excellent article by Tom Burgess on “Fight Outnumbered and Win – The U.S. Army in Team Yankee’s Stripes,” which can

Building on that foundation, I would like to start highlighting each element of the Air – Land – Battle, Combined Arms Team. Let’s start by taking a look at the Air Defense umbrella, doctrinally known as Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD).

Avenues of Approach

If the enemy has air superiority, the avenue should provide concealment from the air. Air avenues for attack helicopters airmobile forces and close air support have different characteristics.
Analyzing avenues of approach is as important to the defender as to the attacker. The defender must accurately determine the main approaches to his sector and identify the internal avenues which will permit him to maneuver against the attacker.

FM 100-5, Operations (1982)

Stripes provides the US Player with the M48 Chaparral, armed with the excellent

AIM-9 Sidewinder AA Missile. With a 72” range and a halted Rate of Fire (ROF) of 2, it provides a much-needed balance to its Soviet advisory, the SA-8 Gecko. The Chaparral range allows it to reach across the standard 4’x6’ gaming table.

Another new asset in Stripes is the M247 SGT York, armed with twin 40mm Bofors AA guns. With a 24” range, a halted ROF of 5 and a moving ROF of 4, it provides additi

onal capability to the US anti-air umbrella.

For topic inclusion, the original Team Yankee rule book gave the US Play

er the initial, and only, Air Defense asset with the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System. Armed w

ith the 20mm Chain gun, it has a 20” range, a halted ROF of 7 and a moving ROF of 4, it provides it provides a much-needed balance to its WARSAW-PAC advisory, the ZSU 23-4 Shilka .

Rounding out the US SHORAD protective umbrella is the excellent Stinger AA Missile System. The Stinger is a Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS). The Stinger provides the US Player with an infantry team AA gun. With a 48” range and a halted ROF of 2, Stinger teams provide a much-needed balance to its WARSAW-PAC advisory, the SA-14 Gremlin

So, there are now four layers of the US Air Defense umbrella. In both the US Army and Marine Force structure, the US player can choose three of the four layers. The US player can bring the M48 Chaparral and the Stinger MANPADs teams, but must choose between either the M247 SGT York or the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (not both). These options should provide more than enough to keep your ground maneuver forces protected en route to their objective.