apd1004
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Joined: 8/1/2006
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There was some discussion in another thread ( http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3477032 ) about radars and air defense weapons and their capabilities, so I got to playing around with the editor to set up a template using current US Army doctrine and equipment.
In the following screenshots I have set up a template of a current day US Army Air Defense Task Force (ADTF) deployed to create a multi-layered and mutually supporting air defense network in an area of operations. The ADTF is essentially an Air Defense Artillery composite battalion reinforced with a THAAD battery. The ADA composite battalion in this example consists of four organic Patriot batteries of six launchers each, and an organic Avenger battery which consists of four platoons of six Avengers. The current day Avenger platoon has two squads of three launchers each and one Sentinel radar (AN/MPQ-64). There are an additional two Sentinel radars in the Avenger battery HQ. In CMANO, the Avenger comes in sections of two launchers each, so I have used three Avenger game pieces for each platoon.
The scenario depicted (not yet playable) represents a modern day, recently opened theater in the Republic of Georgia, established by Joint Task Force Caspian and led by US forces. The theater has been opened at least 45 days, keeping in mind that it would take some time to flow in an entire ADTF to provide this type of coverage. The threat comes from northwestern Iran. In Georgia, JTF Caspian has established three areas near the Black Sea coast that require air defense protection. First is the Batumi SPOD/APOD group which are the port of Batumi and Batumi civilian airport. Batumi airport is the longest runway in the area and hence has been designated the APOD. Second is Kobuleti Forward Operations Base (FOB) which is established at a small abandoned airfield just outside the town of Kobuleti. This base is a Forward Operations Base, with an "s" in "Operations", to identify it as a base for Special Operations Forces (SOF). Third is the Forward Operating Base Senaki (with a "g" in "operating"), which is located at Senaki Airbase and is the main Ground and Air Component base in theater. Senaki FOB may eventually become the Main Operating Base in theater, but it was abandoned by the Georgian military after the 2008 war in South Ossetia when the Russians occupied it for a short time and is in need of some work to make it fully operational.
Here is what the Georgia Area of Operations (AO) looks like:
The ADTF is deployed to protect all installations from attack by medium and short range ballistic missiles (MRBM/SRBM), other tactical missiles (cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles), as well as fixed wing and rotary wing threats. THAAD primarily engages MRBM/SRBM, while Patriot engages SRBM/CM/ASM/aircraft, and the Avengers supplement the Patriots by providing low-altitude protection against fixed wing, rotary wing, unmanned aircraft, and cruise missiles.
This is the zoomed out template with all radars active and centered on the threat coming from northwestern Iran. THAAD radar is the main early detection system because of its extremely long range. THAAD and Patriot radars are not 360, so all are centered on the direction of the threat.
Zoomed in a bit, Patriot radar arcs as well as Sentinel (360 degrees) are all clearly distinguishable. The THAAD weapons range ring is visible at the lower right edge, and the Patriot & Avenger range rings are also visible. A platoon each of Avengers is sited at Batumi SPOD, Batumi APOD, Kobuleti FOB, and Senaki FOB. The THAAD battery is centrally located to umbrella the entire AO, while a Patriot battery covers Batumi, Kobuleti, and Senaki. The fourth Patriot battery is centrally located near Orzugeti and can cover Batumi Kobuleti, Senaki and the THAAD if necessary. The civilian search radar at Batumi Airport is active.
What is missing is airborne assets such as AWACS and JSTARS.
This is a pretty seamless air defense network, and it would take a lot of effort by the enemy to get anything through this. The only real limitation is how many missiles are available in the magazines. It is not new doctrine nor is it unique to the US Army, and it can be duplicated by pretty much any nation with similar assets and can also be represented during different eras using the equipment of the day. Hopefully it gives you all an idea of an integrated air defense for designing your own scenarios.
Cheers
_____________________________
apd1004
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Jeff Leslie
Akron OH, USA
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US Army doctrinal Air & Missile Defense (AMD) template - 
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