OOB 17- Iraq Mod

[Marcello]

This is an hypothetical mod based on the iraqi OOB. Basically it is an "iraqi superpower" scenario where Iraq is armed with sophisticated weapons, including some speculative units.
Beyond that I have also improved the historical accuracy of the iraqi OOB.I have modified units characteristics, availability dates,formations etc to better reflect their actual characteristics.I have assigned more accurate icons and pictures among those available. In order to avoid confusion the "iraqi superpower" units are available only after the fall of Saddam, starting from 5/103.
It works as follow:

- Until 4/103 only historical units, which also stop at that date to reflect the iraqi collapse.

- From 5/103:
1)"iraqi superpower" units;
2) insurgents, in their own separate formations;
3) new iraqi security forces, with dates reflecting their actual availability, either in their own separate formations or available with X3 radio code. They are marked in any case with their acronymus (es NIA, New Iraqi Army, IBP, Iraqi Border Patrol etc.). I have done a lot of testing and fiddling with formations to ensure coherent AI purchases. Against the US and such it will only buy insurgents and insurgent related units. Against Iran and such it should only buy "iraqi superpower units". You might get odd RPG-29 team among the insurgents though but apparently that too has happened in the real world.

"This mod contains highly altered or additional files that may or will cause interference with the master game files and it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that this mod be installed and played ONLY in a separate copy of the game and NOT run from the master game"

EDIT

The above is as per moderator request. In practice however having tested it playing with stock scenarios there are only very few and minor issues due to some weapons being changed. Aside from that since picture, icons etc are all from the standard game stock there is very little disruption.

[Marcello]

I should note that some things,in particular the iraqi air force, will be improved in the next release. The helicopters should already be OK in the current version but not being a plane enthusiast I have had a few difficulties trying to figure out realistic payloads, which PGM was available for a given version of a plane at a given date and so on. Neverthless I have managed to find a couple of good source on the IrAF and I should be able to come up with something better in the next future.

[Marcello]

Some of the changes which will be included in the next release.
1) Overhaul of several mechanized/motorized infantry formations. A couple of them in particular were screwed and have been fixed.
2) Republican guard now available since 1985.
3) I have managed to obtain more informations on the iraqi inventory of 155mm artillery (types, availability dates etc.), there will be several changes.
4) NLA units (iranian exiles armed by Saddam) added; they were involved in some late iran iraq war engagements and allegedly took part in the suppression of the kurds after GW1.
5) Type 69 tank armor values standardization.
6) More accurate fighter bombers payloads.

[Marcello]

The new version of the mod is now up. Additional changes include

1) Historical tank guns have been reworked on the basis of rounds actually used by the iraqis.
2) Many of the new iraqi security forces are now available in separate dedicated formations instead of under the X3 radio code as previously.
3) Engineers mounted on MRV APCs for route clearing have been added.
4) Several artillery formations reorganized.
5) The new icons and pictures have been incorporated; vehicles like the Dzik-3 have their own now instead of generic.
6) The characteristics of some tanks, like speed, number of rounds carried, presence of smoke dischargers etc have been modified on the basis of historical research.
7) The new iraqi army is supposed to get some fire support in 2008. Tentatively I have put some units in, even if the exact models have not been announced yet.
8) In addition to the QM some others experimental prototypes from the 80's have been put in, like the upgunned BRDM-2 or the wheeled Al Faw SPA. All these units are available from 1989 to 1991 under the X3 radio code.

EDIT
I should also mention that in the previous version there was an issue with APCs carry capacity and squads sizes.
This has been reworked. I also eliminated LRF and FC ratings from the vehicles fitted with HOT 3 launchers, given that they apparently made no practical difference.

[Marcello]

On a slighty different note is there any interest in a purely historical OOB to be incorporated in some future patch?
It would pose a few problems with formations design (due to the disbanding of the iraqi army post OIF and others issues) but with a few modifications in the picklist should be doable.

[Marcello]

Some of the changes planned for the next release, due for some times after the next patch.

1) I had mistakenly equipped some on map artillery units
(the 25pdr, the Zis-3, the indirect fire version of the
T-55A) with AP rounds, without remembering that this gave them cluster rounds in the game.The AP rounds will be replaced by Sabot, HEAT or more HE rounds, depending on the platform.

2)Further revision for tank guns values. In particular the data that I used to calculate the penetration of the
BM-6 and the BM-3 for the 115mm guns turned out to be incorrect, I hope to have them fixed now. Further updates to the 125mm guns, to reflect the fall out of use of the BM-9 and BM-12 between GW1 and OIF, as well as the aquisition of small quantities of BM-42 and BK-29 in those same years. Small update for the 100mm guns.

3) Revision of antitank guns along the lines of what has been done for the tank guns.

4) Noting that many of the new iraqi security forces vehicles have extensive ACAV style gunshields for their machine guns some of the AAMGs have been replaced by MGs that can be fired while buttoned up.

5) Cougar replaced with ILAV (well basically not a big change)

6) Whatever new useful icons and similar stuff that will become available will be included.

7) Others various things.

EDIT

In addition to the above the light artillery has been reorganized. The iraqis used to have a 120mm mortar battery at the divisional level, formed by three platoons. As I realized that nothing with a range of fewer than 200 works offboard they have been deleted. The 105s followed the standard 18 tubes per battalion deployment, so they are reassigned to the medium artillery. The only things left under this classification are therefore the Zis-3. The 4.5 howitzer has been deleted and the weapon slot used for a full range Zis-3.