﻿I Bring the Sword 2019/09*
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Location: Southern Lebanon at the Litani River and Mediterranean Sea 
33°20'12.00"N, 35°14'25.80"E*
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Battle Type: Israel assault vs Hezbollah defend *
Date: September, 2019*
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Force Value *
Israel: 22466*
Hezbollah: 2719*
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Men*
Israeli: 236*
Hezbollah:  256*
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Designed by: shahadi*
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Map by: Gingertanker with modifications by shahadi*
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Background*
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The situation in Syria was untenable for the Israelis as Syrian forces backed by Iran and Russia continued to push rebel forces out of Syria. With much consternation, the  Israeli War Cabinet was convened amidst reports from Unit 8200 that confirmed Hezbollah was installing advanced theater-wide SP-AA weapon systems at the mouth of the Litani River.  This development directly threatens Israel's security.*
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She assessed the Russian anti-air systems would negate Israel's air superiority over southern Lebanon, whereupon, without much debate, the War Cabinet approved a limited action by a platoon of Shayetet 13 (Israeli Marines), supported by two of her  Sa'ar 5B class corvettes to destroy the installation at the mouth of the Litani River. *
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In Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot's letter to the War Cabinet, he highlighted that the IDF must be free to operate in the  area from the  Litani river to the Northern Border with relative freedom of operations in the air, land and sea.  Avigdor Lieberman, the Defense Minister understood Gadi's emphasis as a signal that the army was ready to launch Operation Litani Two, an updated IDF plan from 1978 to annex the area from the Litani river to the Northern Border, as a means to gain the valuable water supply of the Litani.*
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 The army wanted the political leadership to accept Operation I Bring the Sword,  as the opening salvo of a broader operation to drive Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon; unfortunately, Washington had not signed off on the plan as Benjamin Netanyahu and the army sought.*
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Situation*
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In 2006, Hezbollah maintained a network of  hideouts and tunnels to pre-deploy materials - notably rockets, missiles, and ammunition.  It is believed Hezbollah, under supervision of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had extended hideouts and tunnels from 2006 to both sides of the Litani. In addition, the Navy was concerned with reports that Hezbollah had developed, since the strikes against the INS Hanit during the 2006 war, anti-ship capabilities to deny the Navy littoral water access.* 
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Interestingly, both Israel's Aman and Unit 8002 were convinced that Hezbollah missile teams were using modified Milan I ATGMs in an anti-ship mode, from abundant Lebanese stocks. In response, the Navy had sent two of her Sa'far 5B class corvettes, modified with Atalef AS565 helicopters and tactics to defeat Hezbollah anti-ship missile teams. *
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Unit 8002 signal collection and analysis staff had concluded that Hezbollah adopted the tank hunter squads from the '73 Chinese Farm. One or more of those teams were believed to have taken up positions along the beach armed with modified Milan anti-ship missiles, scouts, and infantry SAM teams carried in M113A1 ACAV tracks modified to carry munitions to supply the missile teams.  Those teams were an outgrowth of the 2006 team that struck the INS Hanit.*
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Hezbollah had seven years of sustained combat experience in the Syrian civil war. Many of those units are now in southern Lebanon south of the Litani river with IRGC, several Iranian commanders and advisors, and Russian trained Syrian technicians installing the S-400s.* 
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A. ENEMY FORCES*
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An independent Hezbollah infantry company of  approximately 250 men. Turkish intelligence and Israel's Unit 8200 confirm the infantry company is most likely an Islamic Resistance company trained by the Iran's IRGC, with extensive combat experience gained in the seven year Syrian civil war. *
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B. MISSION*
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Operation I Bring the Sword, is an Israeli Shayetet 13 (Israeli marines) beach assault to destroy two Iranian cargo ships, advanced Russian S-400 theater-wide SAMs under Syrian control at the mouth of the Litani river. Colonel Tal, the Shayetet 13 commander, ordered 2nd Platoon Haposhtim Co to destroy with prejudice all Hezbollah units and equipment within the assault area of operations.*
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C.  EXECUTION*
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Commander's Intent: Two  INS Sa'ar 5B Class corvettes:  Ga'ash and Mivtach from 31st Missile Boat Squadron, Haifa Naval Base, will support 2nd Platoon, Haposhtim Co's assault upon a Hezbollah controlled port at the mouth of the Litani River on the shores of the  Mediterranean Sea, with cannon, missile, and helicopter fires. *
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2nd platoon's Gold section composed of Teams Tal and Dani will seize objectives: Rhodes, Tal, and Dani. The Blue section led by 2nd Lt Gur, leading Teams Gehenna and Qatal will seize objectives: Shock, Qatal and Gehenna. *
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The Atalef AS565 helicopters must draw Hezbollah anti-ship fire to fix and destroy their positions before the Gold and Blue sections assault the beach objectives Rhodes and Shock. Once an AS565 is fired upon, either the Ga'ash or the Mivtach will return fire to prompt a response from Hezbollah's SS-11 teams. We suspect there are at least one maybe two SS-11 teams using modified Milan I anti-tank missiles in an anti-ship role. It is imperative the SS-11s are eliminated before 2nd platoon assaults boats are released.* 
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D. CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION*
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1. Maneuver: This is a beach assault. Expend sufficient munitions to destroy the SS-11 teams but do not use air or sea fires against the Iranian supply ships or the Syrian manned S-400s. Instead, use air and sea fires to kill Hezbollah units and destroy their tunnels and ammo caches as 2nd platoon advances off the beach.*
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2. Fires: The corvettes, INS Ga'ash and INS Mivtach have smoke, cannon, and missile fires to support 2nd platoon. Not only are  the Atalefs loaded with 30mm cannon and rocket fire, each helicopter can spot Spike NLOS missiles for the corvettes.*
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3. Close Air Support: The AS565s will provide missile targeting for the missile boats as 2nd platoon advances off  the beach.*
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E. COMMAND/SIGNAL*
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Lt. Steve Fox, CO 2nd Platoon Haposhtim Co, Shayetet 13, 13th Flotilla is the mission CIC.*
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F. FRIENDLY FORCES*
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Israeli Amphibious Assault Team*
2nd Platoon Haposhtim Co, Shayetet 13,  Israel Naval Base, Atlit, Israel*
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Gold Team*
Leader: Lt. Steve Fox, CO*
Team Tal*
>Sayeret Team*
>Shipon Team*
>Sapper Section*
>Cdo Sniper Team*
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Team Dani* 
>Sayeret Team*
>Shipon Team*
>Sayeret Team*
>Cdo Sniper Team*  
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Blue Team*
Leader: 2nd Lt Gur, XO*
Team Gehenna* 
>Sayeret Team*
>Shipon Team*
>Sapper Section*
>Cdo Sniper Team*
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Team Qatal*   
>Sayeret Team*
>Shipon Team*
>Sayeret Team*
>Cdo Sniper Team*
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2x Corvette  Missile Boats (Sa'ar 5B Class), 31st Missile Boat Squadron, Haifa Naval Base, Haifa, Israel *
>INS Ga'ash*
>INS Mivtach*
2x5 Rigid Raider Assault Boats*
2x Atalef AS565 helicopter*
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Gameplay*
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Play this scenario from the Israeli side against the AI (Hezbollah). Gameplay is 20 turns with visibility at 05. It is highly recommended  to destroy Hezbollah SS-11 anti-ship missiles (modified Milan I anti-tank missile) before releasing the assault boats. Use the Atalef AS565 helicopter to draw fire from targets on the beach in Turn 1, but direct the corvettes to return fire. The SS-11 teams should engage the corvettes, thereby allowing the assault force to fix their locations. If the SS-11 teams are not engaged in T01, they will fire upon the assault boats.*
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As a result of this scenario using NLOS missiles, the CD version of WinspMBT is recommended.*
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Victory conditions*
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Destroy SS-400s, Iranian supply ships, and all Hezbollah forces in the AO while capturing all Victory Flags.*
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Notes*
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See Shrapnel forum for additional notes and hints:  I Bring the Sword*
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