Operation Proud Lion: T2K in Kenya

[Raellus]

Here's the rough draft of the background and setting for my upcoming African T2K campaign. Constructive feedback is welcome.

I attempted to use as much of Frank Frey's unpublished Lions of Twilight project as possible. This was reconstructed from material he posted in the archives and here:

http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=2303

The most significant departure from Frey's material is the Tanzanian invasion. I included this to provide the U.S. with a more compelling reason to deploy the 173rd BCT to Kenya, give it more formidable opposition, and generally increase the level of chaos in the region.

I hope you enjoy.

Background

WWIII had a very destabilizing effect on Africa. Foreign aid dried up almost overnight. UN peacekeepers were pulled out of the continent. Humanitarian crises throughout Africa quickly multiplied, and old tribal and political rivalries soon boiled out of control. War and famine visited Africa on a scale seldom seen before.

In early 1997, Kenya, one of the most politically and economically stable African nations, was hard pressed on multiple fronts by a multitude of enemies both foreign and domestic. In the northeast, Somali bandits stepped up the pace of their cross-border raids into Kenyan territory. In the northwest, Sudanese paramilitaries provided financial, material, and technical support to the Junudullah (Sword of Allah), an Islamic fundamentalist insurgency/terrorist group dedicated to the expulsion of Western influences from, and the establishment of a Islamic state, in East Africa. From the west, a Ugandan rebel group calling itself the Lord's Army sought refuge on the Kenyan side of the border, carrying out brutal attacks against Kenyan civilians in the area.

In the south, a revolutionary organization known as PARA (Pan African Revolutionary Army) was surreptitiously supported by the Tanzanian Army.

The Tanzanian Invasion

Soon after the outbreak of WWIII, Tanzania had effectively lost its Chinese patrons. Chinese economic development personnel and military advisors were recalled and Chinese economic aid abruptly ceased. The Soviet Union quickly stepped in to fill the void. The Soviets (and Cubans) already had a network of military advisors in place in neighboring Mozambique and many of these advisors were sent posthaste to Tanzania with assurances of future military and economic aid. The Soviets appealed to Tanzanian pride, assuring them of a position of primacy in East Africa if they took aggressive action against rival Kenya. The Kenyans were preoccupied with various insurgencies and cross border raids, and their formidable military was already stretched thin. The Soviets promised to make the Tanzanian's motley assortment of Soviet and Chinese-made combat aircraft airworthy, and provide experienced combat pilots to fly them against the Kenyan air force. In terms of material support, the Soviets could not offer much since travel to the region was almost impossible. A powerful radar/air control system and several SA-7 man-portable SAMs were brought in from Mozambique. Generous future arms shipments were also promised, once possible. The Tanzanian leadership in Dar es Salaam acquiesced. Together with the Tanzanian army's general staff, the Soviet advisors planned an invasion of southern Kenya, the main strategic objective being the seizure of the fuel refineries and port facilities in Mombasa with the secondary objective of marching on Nairobi and overthrowing the Kenyan government.

On June 21st 1997, the Tanzanian military launched its surprise offensive, codenamed Operation Green Mamba. Initial progress was swift. Tanzania's Soviet and Cuban-piloted MiG-21s establishing local air superiority over the battlefield while Tanzanian-piloted Shenyan J-5s provided close air support for the Tanzanian ground forces. The Tanzanian 1st Tank Brigade and 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade advanced quickly on Mombasa, supported by the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigades and a battalion of self-propelled BM-21 Grad rocket launchers. Elements of the Kenyan army and air force fought back valiantly, but were soon brushed aside by the sheer weight of the Tanzanian forces. The Kenyan 1st Armored brigade, rushed into action, was almost completely destroyed in the fighting. Kenyan security forces and PMC personnel guarding the refineries were engaged in firefights with Tanzanian commandos landed by sea.
Within 48 hours, the Tanzanian spearhead was within 10 km of the Mombasa.

NATO Response

With the Persian Gulf refineries largely inoperable due to repeated conventional air and missile strikes, NATO needed facilities to refine Middle Eastern crude. Kenya offered the nearest, most capable refinery facilities. Now, with the Tanzanian invasion, the threat of losing access to the Kenyan refinery facilities became very real. The only local strategic reserve was the newly reactivated 173rd Airborne Brigade, currently being brought up to BCT strength with the attachment of additional units.
Within hours of the Tanzanian surprise attack and subsequent retroactive declaration of war, the president of the U.S. instructed CENTCOM to begin immediate preparations to send the 173rd BCT to Kenya. The hastily planned and prepared operation was named Proud Lion.

Operation Proud Lion

Using CENTCOM's remaining strategic airlift assets, the 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were dispatched immediately, with Saudi-based F-15Cs conducting a prelimary fighter sweep and flying top cover for the vulnerable transports. During the sweep, five Tanzanian MiGs were shot down, all but one from beyond visual range. In an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, one Kenyan F-5 was also shot down by an Eagle-launched Sparrow missile. With the Moi International Airport in Mombasa within Tanzanian MLRS range, it was considered unsafe to land and offload the transports there. Instead, it was decided to drop the two battalions adjacent to the airport by parachute. The 1/503 and 2/503 jumped in the dawn light of the 23rd of June, executing one of WWIII's few combat parachute drops. Both battalions were almost immediately in action, marching from the runways to the sound of the gunfire and squaring off against Soviet and Chinese made MBTs with nothing more than LAWs and Tankbreaker/Javelins. The fighting was confused and intense, but the paratroopers held their own. The 3/503 (motorized) and 4/503 (airmobile), along with the brigade's artillery battalion followed, arriving in Mombasa International Airport by air later in the day without their motor vehicles and aircraft. The 4/503's helicopters were to be delivered the next day by air, once the airport's security had been assured.

By the end of the 23rd, the Tanzanian drive on Mombasa had been blunted. Both sides suffered significant casualties during the battle. Learning that they were fighting American paratroops, the Tanzanian high command balked, and the 1st armored brigade was ordered to break contact and withdraw several kilometers in order to preserve their remaining tanks. Throughout the day, surviving elements of the Kenyan 2nd armored brigade were redeployed from northwest of Nairobi to Mombasa. Elements of the Brigade began to arrive early on the 24th.

On the morning of the 24th, elements of the 228th Aviation Battalion began to arrive at Mombasa International Airport aboard C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster aircraft. By the end of the day, the remainder of the 173rd BCT was on the ground in and around Mombasa.

The Sinking of the Belmont

On June 25th, the RO/RO transport ship Belmont was sunk by a submarine-launched SSM off the Horn of Africa, carrying the 3/503rd's vehicles (HUMVEEs, FAVs, 2 and 5-ton trucks, and a company of LAV-75A2 Ridgways) to the bottom of the sea along with it. One the Belmont's naval escorts (an OHP class frigate) was also sunk by a torpedo. The Belmont's remaining USN escorts claimed to have killed the submarine responsible (likely a Soviet SSN commerce raider) although after the war, an Italian Sauro class submarine commander claimed credit for the attack on the Belmont and her escorts. This claim has not been substantiated.

Skyraiders

Meanwhile, the U.S. government moved swiftly to acquire additional air support assets for the BCT. Seven A-1J Skyraiders originally purchased by the Confederate Airforce (a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft at air shows primarily throughout the U.S. and Canada) from the government of Chad were awaiting shipment out of Mombasa when the Tanzanian attack occurred. They were procured by the United States government and began operating in support of the 173rd in early July. The Skyraiders were flown by a mix of PMC and Army fixed-wing pilots. Initially , only four were operational. The remaining three were eventually used to replace to combat losses.

Counteroffensive

With air support provided by the 228th's Cobra gunships and A-1J Skyraiders, and armored support in the form of one of the Kenyan Army's armored brigades' Vickers Mk 3s and Panhard AMLs, the paratroopers and their Kenyan allies took to the offensive. By the 25th of July, the Tanzanian army had been pushed back to within several kilometers of the Tanzanian border.

French Involvement

The French government wanted access to the fuel produced by the Kenyan refineries. They offered the American government French-made AFVs originally en route to its African client states in exchange for a share of the fuel produced in Kenya. The U.S., unable to adequately provide replacement vehicles for the 173rd BCT, accepted the offer. The shipment was diverted to Mombasa, arriving in early August, 2007. The 3/503 (motorized) henceforth began operations equipped with Panhard VBLs, VABs, and ERC 90 F4s.

The Aftermath

With the onset of limited nuclear warfare in November of 1997, the situation in Africa became even more dire. Humiliated by the failure of their offensive and feeling betrayed by their Soviet allies, the Tanzanian government and military turned on itself and the country collapsed into a brutal civil war. Scattered Tanzanian army units continued to raid across the Kenyan border. The Ugandan government also collapsed. Former Ugandan army troops joined the Lord's Army in pushing deeper into Kenyan territory. Incursions by Somali bandits increased. Citing the correlation of increased Western presence in Kenyan and East Africa's mounting problems, the Junudullah grew and became bolder in their attacks.

By mid-2000, the 173rd has been operating in Kenya for three years. They have not received replacement personnel since early 1998. Shipments of ammunition and spare parts have also all but ceased. Only a handful of the BCT's fixed wing and rotary aircraft are operational at any given time. Very little fuel is being produced at the refinery. Most of the brigade's ground vehicles have been converted to run on alcohol, saving what little gasoline is available for its aircraft. Elements of the 173rd BCT are scattered around the country, with Brigade HQ relocated to Nairobi. The BCT is combating a host of enemies, most of which can be broadly categorized as marauders. Fighting alongside the Americans are the remains of the once formidable Kenyan army, the British Army's Africa training cadre (including an SAS mobility group in the north), a few French military "advisors", and multi-national PMC personnel (mostly Israeli) formerly employed guarding the refineries (this duty has been taken over by the USN and USCG).

Operations 1997-2000

Throughout the remainder of 1997, the Herd's infantry battalions remained concentrated around the strategically important cities of Mombasa and Nairobi. Although the Tanzanian offensive had been blunted and thrown back, the remnants of the Tanzanian military (including rogue forces of Tanzanian origin) still retained the capacity to threaten southern Kenya. Operations focused on destroying the remnants of the invasion force remaining in the frontier region. An operational shift occurred after the escalation of the nuclear phase of the war in the autumn of 1997. Shipments of replacement personnel and equipment, ammunition, supplies, and spare parts from CENTCOM and CONUS slowed to a trickle. The forces in and around the strategically important refinery and port facilities in Mombasa braced for a nuclear attack which fortunately never came.

With the continuation of drought conditions throughout East Africa, the food situation for the Herd, as well as Kenya's urban population, soon became critical. Kenya's western highlands, one of the Africa's most productive agricultural regions, became a area of strategic importance. At the same time, incursions by LRA and renegade Ugandan military units in the region increased as the situation in Uganda spiraled out of control. Farms and farming villages were overrun, crops plundered or ruined, and atrocities against civilians committed on an alarming scale. The Kenyan infantry brigades assigned to the region were hard pressed to stem the flow of Ugandan marauders. Scattered reports of disgruntled Kenyan troops deserting from their units and joining the Ugandan marauders began to reach Nairobi. The 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were sent to western Kenya to stabilize the situation and secure the valuable food producing regions.

As of July 2000, the 1/503 remained in western Kenya, along with elements of the 2/503. Other elements of the 2/503 formed ad-hoc task forces that were deployed to trouble spots in the north of the country, as circumstances dictated. Along with most of the Brigade Combat Team's remaining operational aircraft, the 4/503 (airmobile) were based around Nairobi and operated mostly in the central highlands. A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry and the 3/503 (light motorized), using French-made AFVs, operated out of Mombasa and were tasked with keeping the Mombasa to Nairobi highway open. Throughout Kenya, the 173rd BCT operated alongside loyal Kenyan military forces which, for the most part, displayed professionalism and fighting spirit.

Recondo School

In early 1998, with the 173rd BCT isolated from the rest of the U.S. armed forces and its constituent infantry battalions widely spread around the country and responsible for large and environmentally diverse areas of operation, it quickly became apparent that the Brigade's authorized reconnaissance unit, A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry, could not be everywhere at once. In order to locate and monitor the various hostile forces* operating in their respective areas of operation, each battalion needed a dedicated, long-range reconnaissance unit of its own.

*Most of these hostile forces operated as relatively small, mobile bands, using classic guerilla tactics.

The Brigade's commander, a late-war Vietnam veteran and former Ranger, decided to create a training course for long range reconnaissance patrollers modeled on the Vietnam War-era U.S. Army Recondo school. The course would focus on long range patrolling and scouting skills, tracking, field-craft, and SERE.

The cadre for the school was formed by a small group of experienced Special Forces soldiers familiar with Kenya and its people. A diverse group of men was assembled to lend local and topical knowledge and expertise to the course. This group included a Rhodesian expatriate and former Selous Scout with extensive experience in long range patrolling in the African bush and an Israeli citizen and ex-Sayeret Maktal commando who "retired" to Kenya after a stint as an independent security consultant at the refinery facilities in Mombasa. Several Kenyan soldiers, game wardens, and indigenous, semi-nomadic hunters were also brought in to share their experience with the students (and instructors) and the British SAS mobility troop operating against Somali bandits and Junudullah insurgents in the northeast of the country routinely rotated personnel (often convalescing wounded) through the course as "guest instructors".

Graduates of the Recondo school formed long range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) platoons in each of the Brigade's airborne infantry battalions. Additional allied personnel cycled through the school in small batches and returned to their parent line companies in order to share their newly acquired patrolling skills.

[Frank Frey]

Raellus,

Excellent work. You really know your stuff! I am very pleased with the material. I pass the torch of T2K Africa to your very capable hands. You da man!

Out Here,
Frank Frey

[HorseSoldier]

I'd forgotten about the Confederate Air Force part of the 173rd in Africa storyline. Very cool.

The big question I think has to be sorted out about sub-Saharan Africa and the T2K timeline is what happens with South Africa -- it's remote from Kenya, obviously, but what's going on with it circa 2000 is going to effect everyone else in the region. Apartheid is unlikely to have gone away the way it did IRL with a continued Cold War keeping communist support flowing to the RSA's front-line neighboring states. Whether a continued Apartheid government can keep things together (through increasingly unpleasant, draconian measures, I'd imagine) in the face of the Twilight War and likely conflict with neighboring states, or collapses under internal and external pressures would, either way, send out ripples effecting neighboring states and their nations on their borders, etc.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

The big question I think has to be sorted out about sub-Saharan Africa and the T2K timeline is what happens with South Africa...

Good question. Here are two threads from the archives that contain some of this forum's past musings on the situation in South Africa during the Twilight War:

South Africa ( http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=944 )

YaATW2KT: What about South Africa? ( http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=1170 )

Hope this helps.

Edit: Forgot to mention - love the thread and your write up so far Raellus. This would make for a very interesting campaign.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Good work Rael! Like it

[Mahatatain]

This sounds very like a very interesting set up!

[Ironside]

A good write up Raellus! Very believeable and lots of potential.

[Rainbow Six]

Godo job Rae - well done...

[Raellus]

Thanks, everyone. I'm really pleased that you all like it.

I'm thinking of including SSC's idea about water rights/treaties leading to an Egyptian/Sudanese invasion in '98 or later as well. Here's his post:

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

I have another possible reason for why NATO forces may be based in Kenya.
Water.

Part of the river system that provides life for Egypt runs through Kenya. A 1929 agreement between Britain and Egypt gave Egypt nearly exclusive use of the water from the Nile to the detriment of those British possessions that also accessed the river system. To quote part of the agreement "No irrigation or power works are to be constructed on the River Nile or its tributaries, or on the lakes from which it flows... which would entail prejudice to the interests of Egypt."

It's the aftermath of a world war, Kenya needs resources especially water for agriculture. Perhaps they start to construct irrigation systems and the Egyptians object to the point of threatening war. It might be a long drive through Sudan to attack Kenya but there are highways literally leading from Egypt right up to Kenya and the Egyptians might choose naval or air attacks instead.

The Egyptians might not even attack directly, they may pay Sudanese or Ethiopian rebels to attack (or even Somalians).

Here's an article that prompted this train of thought
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...e-1987519.html

I like it. Is it too much, though? It would definitely keep the 173rd BCT busy.

[Mahatatain]

How sophisticated would the irrigation systems built by the Kenyans be?

I would imagine that to divert enough water from the Nile to cause the Egyptians problems that would involve something like a dam. If that is the case I would have thought that a dam would be a raid target for the Egyptian military to destroy?

If the irrigation systems are just low tech ditches etc then Egypt will have to take and hold the Kenyan portion of the Nile to prevent the Kenyans from diverting water, but is something low tech going to cause enough of a loss of water flow?

I'm not a water engineer though....

[StainlessSteelCynic]

From the information that's available, it doesn't seem to matter what sort of irrigation system was constructed, it was all about the amount of water that was to be used. Under the newest agreement, the Egyptians lay claim to 75% of water from the entire Nile system. Every other nation accessing the Nile has to share the remaining 25%.

During the Sadat era, a nation building a damn on the upper reaches of the Nile would have been considered an act of war by the Egyptian government.
In light of that, I think it could be a case of the Egyptians threatening to destroy any damns/irrigation systems and/or the ability of the building nation to construct more. It's a seriously more difficult task than what the Egyptians could accomplish but when you consider that Egypt can not exist without the Nile (90% of their water is from the Nile), they get pretty hot-headed about it (and thus lose their common sense).

In reality, I believe they would have to rely on bullying to force the other country to back down because their own military forces would not necessarily be capable of traversing Sudan or Ethiopia unopposed to attack Kenya. Air or naval attack on Kenya is the most easily achieved it would seem but after the events of the Twilight War, Egypt might have a better chance of a land attack.

[HorseSoldier]

I always figured Egypt was generally pro-US in the TW and the Soviets took out the Aswan Dam, wiping most of the country that matters off the map.

That and maybe a strike to close the Suez Canal is about all the megatonnage you'd need to spend on Egypt to remove their piece from the board entirely.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

The Egyptians might be allied with the West during the conflict but their access to the Nile waters pretty much overrides any and all considerations.
While the destruction of the two Aswan Dams would devastate the country, a number of the military bases are not near the river itself and by the time the flood reached the lower parts of the Nile, it probably wouldn't be so damaging (Cairo might survive and Alexandria would probably be relatively unscathed)
That plus the mining centres in the Sinai and the towns on the Suez may provide enough resources to allow the Egyptians onto a war footing.

[Raellus]

There's still the Blue Nile too. And the distances involved would be epic in a world without gasoline. Yeah, it's kind of looking like the water thing isn't going to work. It was an interesting idea, though.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I don't think the notion should be completely dismissed.
Looking at a map of Egypt, considering the distance from Aswan to Cairo I'm revising my earlier thoughts. It's about 1000km from Aswan to Cairo for example and I cannot imagine the flood having enough strength to travel that far with enough force to render the centre of Egyptian government incapable of some action
Cairo probably wouldn't even be damaged by a flood from the Aswan Dam destruction. The biggest problem the lower half of Egypt would face would be the lack of electrical power from the Aswan Dam hydro-electric generators.
I think there would be enough of an Egyptian government left to at least make threats about attacking anyone "stealing their water". Ethiopia would disregard the Egyptians and use whatever water from the Nile they needed. Sudan would probably start doing the same and sooner or later all the nations that border the Nile would do so.

The surviving Egyptian government might use this as a means to unite the people into rebuilding the country. What better motivation could they have "Our water is being stolen by the savages to the south, the lifeblood of Egypt is being sucked away by these leeches"
An attack on Kenya, as mentioned earlier, is highly unlikely to succeed but the Egyptians might be content with giving guns and food to Sudanese rebels to harass the Kenyan border thus placing greater strain on the Kenyan government, causing pressure to give into the Egyptians demands.

Protecting the border would be siphoning Kenyan troops away from other areas where they are needed because there's also the consideration that every nation around there is going to look at Kenya with envious eyes because it's still stable and has some ability to produce food and fuel whereas they have likely fallen into disarray and resorted to banditry and piracy to make a living.
Hence the need of an allied force to bolster the Kenyans.

P.S. and the Egyptians have some oil of their own (995,000 barrels/day in 1995 with reserves estimated at nearly 4 billion barrels) along with mining coal and gas from the Sinai, enough for them to be exporting it to nearby countries
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17771283/E...ectricity-Coal

[Raellus]

I'm looking at several maps of the Nile and it doesn't appear to have any significant headwaters or tributaries in Kenya. If this is the case, spending treasure on taking the Kenyans to task over water rights violations would be a major investment without any significant payoff.

Still, fighting among Kenya's northern neighbors over access to water seems likely in a T2K scenario and would lead to considerabe destablilization of the region. Some of that could spill over the Sudan-Kenya border.

[HorseSoldier]

For a single brigade, especially without the full-up suite RSTA assets available these days and limited airlift, just securing the Kenyan border against random marauders spilling over from the Sudan (and Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda) would be a serious trick. Don't really need major invasions to have the 173rd and the Kenyan military stretched to the limit with the whole continent sliding into chaos.

If Kenya is *the* show in Africa, I'd expect that a good sized chunk of 3rd SFG(A) would be in country as well, probably a mix of guys embedded with Kenyan military units and manning old school SF camps on the frontiers with militia and Kenyan military units to serve as trip wires for big incursions and help dissuade smaller raiding parties.

(GDW has 5th Group active in Kenya in the RDF Sourcebook, but it predates 3rd Group being reraised. At least a portion of 3rd Group would probably still be active in the Caribbean running missions against Cuba and its interests, but that's another topic.)

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

For a single brigade, especially without the full-up suite RSTA assets available these days and limited airlift, just securing the Kenyan border against random marauders spilling over from the Sudan (and Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda) would be a serious trick. Don't really need major invasions to have the 173rd and the Kenyan military stretched to the limit with the whole continent sliding into chaos.

OK. But in mid-'97, when the 173rd deployed (according to Frey), adequate airlift and fuel for the brigade's aircraft was available and the Kenyan military is no slouch. If it's simply a matter of assisting the Kenyans in counter-insurgency operations, elements of the 5th SFG would probably be adequate. A reinforced BCT is overkill, especially considering the need for such a unit elsewhere. With the U.S. engaged in full-scale conventional warfare in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, an entire Airborne BCT could be put to use almost anywhere else BUT Kenya. IMO, a conventional Tanzanian invasion makes the commitment of the 173rd in Kenya a much more justifiable investment. Once they're there, the breakdown of the world's transportation networks following the TDM and the continued presence of large numbers of marauders on Kenya's frontiers explains the BCT's continued presence there.

Thanks, though, for the lead on the 5th SFG. I'll have to take a look at my RDF sourcebook. I could definitely use them in my scenario.

[HorseSoldier]

It's a brief reference in the text of RDF about 5th SFG having teams working with Masai tribesmen, if I remember right. As noted, it would be 3rd Group if they still got reactivated in 1990, which would possibly have happened in the Twilight timeline as well. I'm pretty sure the reactivation was planned as part of the Reagan-era plus up of the US military before the walls came down, even if it post-dated that by a year or so.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Okay so the water angle isn't as workable but how about the reason the 173rd is there is because the Kenyans are refining oil that is actually supplied from Egypt?
The 173rd is deployed there to collect some fuel being refined by the Kenyans in exchange for whatever. They find they don't have the capacity to transport the fuel so end up having to wait around and by that time, it's the end of the war in Europe and they are left to their own devices.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

Okay so the water angle isn't as workable but how about the reason the 173rd is there is because the Kenyans are refining oil that is actually supplied from Egypt?
The 173rd is deployed there to collect some fuel being refined by the Kenyans in exchange for whatever. They find they don't have the capacity to transport the fuel so end up having to wait around and by that time, it's the end of the war in Europe and they are left to their own devices.

If that works for you, go with it. I put a lot of thought, research, and work into my version of events so I'm going to stick with it.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

It's a brief reference in the text of RDF about 5th SFG having teams working with Masai tribesmen, if I remember right. As noted, it would be 3rd Group if they still got reactivated in 1990, which would possibly have happened in the Twilight timeline as well. I'm pretty sure the reactivation was planned as part of the Reagan-era plus up of the US military before the walls came down, even if it post-dated that by a year or so.

You've got a good memory. This is all that the RDF sourcebook has to say on the subject:

"SOCCENT: Last (but certainly not the least) of CENTCOM's component commands is Special Operations Command Central Command (SOCCENT).

Its Special Forces A Teams are in action from Iran to Kenya and work with such ethnic/racial groups as the Kurdish hill tribes of southwestern Iran and the Masai warriors of Kenya." (RDF Sourcebook, p.18)

[HorseSoldier]

Stuck in my head because I always wondered what they were doing in Africa during the middle of WW3, since v1.0 did not mention anything about the war in that part of the world.

[waiting4something]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

For a single brigade, especially without the full-up suite RSTA assets available these days and limited airlift, just securing the Kenyan border against random marauders spilling over from the Sudan (and Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda) would be a serious trick. Don't really need major invasions to have the 173rd and the Kenyan military stretched to the limit with the whole continent sliding into chaos.

If Kenya is *the* show in Africa, I'd expect that a good sized chunk of 3rd SFG(A) would be in country as well, probably a mix of guys embedded with Kenyan military units and manning old school SF camps on the frontiers with militia and Kenyan military units to serve as trip wires for big incursions and help dissuade smaller raiding parties.

(GDW has 5th Group active in Kenya in the RDF Sourcebook, but it predates 3rd Group being reraised. At least a portion of 3rd Group would probably still be active in the Caribbean running missions against Cuba and its interests, but that's another topic.)

Wouldn't it be the job of the 20th SFG to be taking care of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico? I thought the 3rd SFG was strictly Africa, with the 5th SFG helping them out Eastern Horn of Africa. This way the 3rd may be a bigger force and more effectively spread out.

[HorseSoldier]

Early 90s, when they first stood up, 3rd had the Caribbean + Africa, with a portion of 20th tasked to support them (I think -- I spent a while in 20th, but early 90s were way before my time). Caribbean tasking kind of got punted around a good deal along the way, I think, with 7th and 20th both getting a piece of that AOR at different points.

Hard to say how tasking would have been divided up circa Twilight 1996, without a Gulf War, Somalia, etc. in the mix.

[Raellus]

Putting aside the Group question for a moment, what size detachment do you think would be adequate and realistic for conducting training ops in Kenya, after the start of T2K/WWIII and before my Tanzanian invasion in mid-'97?

I think that one ODA/A-Team would be about right. Too small? I'm sure SF troops would be badly needed elsewhere. Perhaps the balance of the A-Team's parent company after it is decided to commit the 173rd?

And I'm also thinking that the Brits would send at least a mobility troop of the SAS to support the training and mine warfare cadres already in place there.

[HorseSoldier]

It depends on how things are set up, what the desired end state is, and what level of commitment the US .gov is wanting to demonstrate by sending in SF troops.

A single ODA working out of the US embassy would be a possible approach if very, very limited goals were intended -- perhaps providing some mentoring and training to Kenyan SOF/elite sort of units, for instance.

At the other end of the spectrum, if Kenya provides a willing host nation for operations in Africa -- and if the Soviets/Cubans are trying to cause trouble in that neck of the woods while everything else is going on -- you could have everything up to the Group headquarters planted there, with component units operating all over the place.

With the 3rd Shock Army rampaging in central Europe and Soviets in Iran, that's probably rolling heavier than Africa would warrant. I'd figure the bulk of 3rd Group is backstopping 5th Group or maybe 10th Group, since southern Europe is pretty complicated and NATO hostile.

I'd guess anything from the single ODA idea you mentioned to up to a battalion if Kenya is a base for operations elsewhere in Africa, or up to a company if stouter support for Kenya, specifically, is intended.


** Unrelated idea concerning ex-pats in Kenya/Africa. The East Germans used to dump a lot of folks down that way helping training their fraternal socialist brethren and all that (if I remember right, the South Africans killed a couple of them in Angola in the 70s or 80s). Waking up and finding themselves suddenly on NATO's side in a camp otherwise full of Cuban and/or Soviet advisors could make for some interesting drama -- and they could have marched out towards the nearest NATO forces in Kenya from Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, etc, or PCs could be sent out on a long range patrol to make contact with them holed up in some African town and bring them out, etc.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

** Unrelated idea concerning ex-pats in Kenya/Africa. The East Germans used to dump a lot of folks down that way helping training their fraternal socialist brethren and all that (if I remember right, the South Africans killed a couple of them in Angola in the 70s or 80s). Waking up and finding themselves suddenly on NATO's side in a camp otherwise full of Cuban and/or Soviet advisors could make for some interesting drama -- and they could have marched out towards the nearest NATO forces in Kenya from Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, etc, or PCs could be sent out on a long range patrol to make contact with them holed up in some African town and bring them out, etc.

That's an awesome idea. I think I will use it.

[Jason Weiser]

Some other ideas...what to do with Libya...

One idea is they send some "volunteers" to assist the Tanzanians. Not at all impossible and with Libya "neutral" in the larger conflict, till they cross the Kenyan frontier, there's probably little we could do about it. Once the shooting starts, Libya's going to be flattened. But a brigade of light troops, maybe a battalion of tanks and oh, I dunno, a squadron of Mig-23s or Mirages might do wonders for the air superiority situation...till the US arrives. It would really put the Kenyans on the backfoot early and the Soviets would be out very little. Not to mention, the Libyans have more equipment than they need. Selling some to Tanzania wouldn't be out of the question either....

[Raellus]

I like that. I'm sure Libya could swing some infantry and maybe a squadron of fighters. That would add to the intrigue. Libyans trapped in southern Kenya/northern Tanzania after the war went nuclear could make things more interesting