Wargame: Red Dragon News

Hey!

As you know, Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa is on its way. Every two weeks, we take a deep dive into a different branch of the SADF as it existed in the 80s during the Bush War. This time, we’ll be detailing the daring flyboys raining death from above: the South African Air Force (SAAF).

We’ve already covered two other unit rosters of our new Nation Pack:

• We have put a spotlight on the all-important grunt: SADF Infantry. Read all about it here.
• We also took a look at the SADF Armor force, which you can read more about here.

[h2]SAAF leading up to the Border War[/h2]
Let’s go on a brief tour of history. Fighting with distinction during World War I and II, the South African Air Force (SAAF) really took on a distinctly South African identity in 1950. In that year, the air warfare branch adopted the Springbok in the roundel center. At the same time, the SAAF’s first jet fighter - the Havilland DH100 Vampire - was introduced, which soldier on to see service in the early years of the Border War.



In the era that followed, the country’s air warfare branch was bolstered by the arrival of North American Aviation CL-13B Mk VI Sabres, as well as Mirage III, English Electric Canberra light bombers and Blackburn Buccaneer.

Due to the United Nations arms embargo, which ran from the late 70s until 1994, South Africa could not acquire modern weapons or new aircraft. As such, upgrading existing planes or designing new ones - by the local industry - was the only option available to keep a fleet capable and flying.

[h2]Mirage: a love story[/h2]
South Africa, along with Israel, was one of the first nations to understand the potential of the Mirage III, acquiring 16 Mirage IIICZ interceptors between 1962 and 1964 (the Z indicated aircraft specifically supplied to South Africa). The first Mirage fighter squadron was 2 Squadron, the famous Flying Cheetahs, harking back to an illustrious pedigree established during the Korean War.

A follow-up order for additional Mirage IIIEZs was issued even before the original batch of Mirages had made their way to the country. This second contingent deployed in a fighter-bomber role with improved avionics.



Despite its reputation as a superb fighter, the Mirage III lacked the range to make it effective over long distances. This was especially noticeable during the combat, ground-strike, and interdiction missions into Angola, with its remoteness and vast spaces, during the Border War.

The Mirage III heralded the beginning of a love affair of sorts between the SAAF and various Dassault Aviation Mirage variants. For instance, the Mirage III was developed further into the indigenous Cheetah C aircraft, which also used technology from the Israeli IAI Kfir (which in turn was based on the Mirage 5). The Cheetah C evolved into a South African prototype, the Atlas Carver, a modern two-seat, twin-engined multi-role fighter design capable of dealing with the latest generation Soviet fighters. This project ultimately never saw action and was canceled in 1991.

The Mirage story doesn’t end here.

[h2]Air superiority[/h2]
The jewel in the SAAF crown was the Mirage F1, as flown by 1 and 3 squadrons. This plane consistently saw considerable action over Angola, shooting down several enemy MiGs. The Mirage F1 was developed as an air-superiority fighter, primarily to succeed the highly successful Mirage III.



Dassault’s F1 was a private venture to create a cheaper multi-role aircraft, offering the best operational efficiency with the broadest flexibility. As South Africa began to consider replacements for the Mirage III, the F1 seemed an obvious choice. The F1 offered many improvements over the Mirage III in terms of speed, a general increase in maneuverability, and extended range on ground-attack missions.

[h2]Offensive bombing[/h2]
The Blackburn Buccaneer fleet would also prove to be a vital component of the SAAF offensive capacity during the Border War. Its low-level strike capacity proved invaluable in hundreds of operations throughout the late 1970s and 1980s.



The Buccaneers often flew with another SAAF workhorse: the English Electric Canberra. The Canberra was a streamlined and highly functional jet-powered light bomber. This fleet saw consistent service throughout the conflict, being used primarily as a low-level bomber force, and was a vital component of the most effective airstrikes of the war.

[h2]Training Aircraft[/h2]
The principal training aircraft adopted by the SAAF was the Aermacchi MB 326M, with a local variant produced under license by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation and known as the Impala Mk I. An improved version, the Impala Mk II, took to the air in 1974. This small force of Impalas was not only used to train a new cadre of pilots but saw frequent action over the battlefield.



Though slower, they could operate from rudimentary airstrips and deploy quickly, including during reconnaissance missions or in a CAS role. At times, the Impalas were also used as interceptors, shooting down a number of Soviet-made helicopters.
All of these highlighted planes (and variants) will be featured in Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa. We are going to take a good look at the SADF’s other airborne force - helicopters - in a future blog installment.

[h2]What will the South Africa Nation Pack bring?[/h2] Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa will feature:

Hello!

We are back with another Nation Pack: South Africa deep dive. Today, we’ll look at the (wheeled) firepower that made the SADF so infamously lean and mean on the battlefield: the hard-hitting and very mobile Armor.

In case you’ve missed it, in our previous post, we put a spotlight on the boots-on-the-ground, the all-important grunt: SADF Infantry. Read all about it here.

[h2]SADF’s Heavyweight Champion[/h2] Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa will give you access to the SADF arsenal as it existed at the end of the Border War and Cold War. The conflict that raged on the frontiers of Southern Africa typically took place on relatively flat arid terrain: savannah and bushland. The vast distances and limited infrastructure influenced overall vehicle design. It led the SADF to focus on wheeled armored fighting vehicles over tracked equipment, emphasizing off-road mobility, long range, less maintenance and logistical support, while retaining firepower.

There was, however, one undisputed heavyweight champion in the SADF vehicle pool which was still tracked: the Olifant (Elephant) tank. Based on the venerable British Centurion, the locally improved Olifant Mk1 is quite similar to the Israeli Sh’ot Kal. This basic variant will be available in-game in either a regular tank or command version.

Over time, the basic version was modified to the Olifant Mk1A, then the Olifant Mk1B, culminating in the prototype Olifant Mk1B Optimum - all armed with a 105mm gun. The experience with Centurions and Olifants led to the first true indigenous design, codenamed Loggim. One demonstrator was built of this design: a Leopard 2-like tank sporting a 120mm gun and heavy frontal armor. However, due to the end of the Cold War, the project was canceled.



[h2]Hard-hitting, wheeled firepower[/h2]
Please note that the following list doesn’t feature each and every variant; expect some surprises further down the line!

The vast majority of SADF’s units are wheeled, with light armor but highly mobile and sporting a substantial amount of firepower. Some of the SADF’s equipment is instantly recognizable. One of these is the Casspir APC. Infamous for patrolling South Africa’s townships during apartheid, this vehicle was originally designed for the Border War and can be considered the first-ever MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle). The Casspir features a unique (at the time) V-shaped hull, which made it especially resistant against mines and IEDs. The Casspir APC will come fitted out in MG or K-Car (20mm) variants. Another iconic vehicle is the Buffel (Buffalo) light APC, which can be deployed in both transport and CV variants.



We will also feature the Ratel series of IFVs. Lightly armored, the VAB-like Ratel comes in many shapes and forms: Ratel 20 (20mm autocannon), Ratel 60 (60mm breech mortar), and Ratel 90 (90mm main gun). The vehicle loses its transport function with the dedicated self-propelled mortar variant Ratel 81 and Ratel 120, while the in-game CV variant deploy as the Ratel Command and the Ratel ZT-3A1 features an ATGM launcher.

One of the coolest looking SADF designs was the wheeled Rooikat (African caracal) series. This 8x8 armored car is highly mobile on any kind of terrain, light but armed with a fully stabilized 76mm gun. The gun, a Denel GT4, was derived from the Italian OTO Melara 76. That’s right, dust off your favorite meme - this is indeed the gun used by the glorious Otomatic!



Not to worry: while deadly accurate, even on the move, the Denel GT4 doesn’t have the same RoF, nor can it engage flying targets. The Rooikat was developed into several local, export, and prototype variants, including the Rooikat 105mm (with a 105mm gun), Rooikat ZA HVM (SAM launcher), and the Rooikat ZA-35 (twin 35mm SPAAG).

[h2]Other vehicles[/h2]
Before developing its particular brand of wheeled armored vehicles, the SADF relied on various imported armored cars, which remained in service for a long time as either recon units or ATGM carriers.

Several variants of the famed British Ferret armored car were deployed, up-gunned with either a M40A1 recoilless rifle, ENTAC or MILAN missiles. Another example was the French AML, renamed as the Eland with both a 60 or 90 variant, with the latter version featuring ENTAC missiles on top of its main gun. Another French vehicle is the Cactus light SAM, which is basically a French Crotale.



SADF uses the ubiquitous British Land Rover jeep in various roles: recon, TD, CV. Soft-skinned transport and logistic vehicles are all variants of domestic SAMIL trucks. These South African trucks also see their chassis used for several self-propelled light support units, such as the Ystervark (SPAAG), Bateleur (MLRS), ...



This post wouldn’t be complete with another renowned South African vehicle, the G6-45 Rhino 155mm self-propelled howitzer. Best to think of it as a non-prototype, lightly armored, but very mobile off-road French Caesar. Having entered service in 1987, the G6 was the first real SADF self-propelled artillery gun since the aging and battle-weary World War 2 Sexton - the only other tracked vehicle in the SADF arsenal.



[h2]What will the South Africa Nation Pack bring?[/h2] Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa will feature:

• Close to 90 new SADF units, including 20 brand-new vehicle models, as well as many new variants. All feature new Afrikaans and South African-accented English voice-overs, aie boet!
• These include the ubiquitous Casspir and Ratel APCs (in numerous variants, from IFV, recon, command, mortar, and even SAM), the Rooikat wheeled tank (including variants and prototypes), Elan (license-produced French AML), Cactus (French Crotale), the only tracked Olifant MBT, many armed variants of locally made SAMIL trucks (Ystervark and Bosvark SPAAG, Valkiri and Bateleur MLRS), to the iconic G6 Renoster self-propelled howitzer.
  
• The Air Force includes old Buccaneer, Vampire and Impala as close-air support, and several French Mirage variants and the locally modified Cheetah as fighter and multirole aircraft. Furthermore, you will find the Atlas Carver prototype, the first full South African prototype plane design that never left the drawing board.
  
• Helicopters include the French Alouette III, Puma, Super Frelon and their locally produced versions and prototypes such as the K-Car, Oryx and XTP-1 Beta. You’ll also will be able to deploy South Africa’s very own attack helicopter design, the badass-looking Rooivalk.
  
• Infantry will include Bokkop regular riflemen, Parabat paratroopers, SASF special forces, and many more units such as militia, recon, MANPADS, engineers. You will also find Portuguese-speaking Angolan UNITA squads, as well as SADF’s own 32 Battalion (the Buffalos), as veteran light infantry formation.
  
• SADF weaponry features imported or locally built R1 and R4 rifles, SS-77 and Mini-SS MG, LRAC and APILAS LAW, but also the more original HK-21, FT5, Inflict and, of course, the iconic Y2 grenade-launcher and NTW-20.
  

[h2]What happens next?[/h2]
That’s all! In two weeks we’ll be back with new details on Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa!

Make sure to follow Eugen. Check out our Eugen forums, or (Facebook page and Twitter)!

See you soon!

Hello!

Welcome back. As promised in our reveal of Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa, every two weeks we’ll be highlighting an exciting new aspect of our upcoming expansion.

Today, we are looking at the “boots on the ground” of SADF during the Border War and the mainstay of any army: the all-important Infantry.

Keep reading to find out more.

[h2]Historical Context[/h2]
The Border War took place during the 70s and 80s. It pitted the South African Defense Force and local allies UNITA against several different guerilla groups in Namibia and Angola. These guerillas were in turn backed by communist-regimes, including the Soviet Union, but chiefly the Cuban armed forces. What began as an asymmetric conflict turned increasingly into something much larger, with Border War cumulating in the largest Cold War tank engagement on the African continent with the 1988 Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.



The area that saw the biggest amount of fighting was sparsely populated, with only a limited infrastructure network in place. The landscape was bush and savanna. This kind of harsh terrain favored quick-moving units, which became the SADF’s specialization over time, with the South African arsenal almost wholly made up of mobile wheeled (compared to tracked) vehicles.

Likewise, infantry forces, including quick reaction formations, light infantry, and special forces, were used significantly during the Border War. The SADF relied heavily on its infantry to patrol the South West African frontiers against guerilla raids. With a porous border, frequent ambushes on the supply lines in Namibia occurred. The combat in the latter part of the 80s turned into an evolving set of bigger, conventional engagements, with the SADF infantry fighting alongside armored units against equally heavily equipped guerrilla and Cuban forces.

The SADF’s infantry force of the 80s was built on a large citizen force, with about 90% of its manpower part-time reservists or local militias (the infamous Commando-system). The army was divided into a core of volunteers, supported by conscripts performing a one-year (later extended to a two-year) national service.

[h2]Boots on the ground[/h2]
Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa allows you to take command of a wide variety of new SADF infantry units. The South African grunts were called Bokkop, which is an Afrikaans slang term that signifies “Buck head.” This has further significance as the springbok, an antelope native to Southern Africa, was (and is) the national animal of the country.

Bokkop soldiers wore the trademark Nutria brown-beige fatigues, most commonly known in the army as Browns, while their main weapon was the Vektor R1 (a license-produced FN FAL) battle rifle. This gun was later changed to the Vektor R4 (licensed variant of the Israeli Galil) assault rifle. The timeless Bren LMG could also be found, which was later replaced with the FN MAG or the indigenous Vektor SS-77.

SADF squads were frequently equipped with captured Soviet RPG-7. Later on, this anti-tank weapon was replaced by the South African-made Denel FT5, an anti-tank rocket launcher inspired by the French LRAC F1 and APILAS.

[h2]Heavy Equipment[/h2]
Regarding heavier infantry weapons, the SADF never developed its own ATGM or MANPADS during the Cold War. Instead, it relied on imported or captured stocks. This included the French-German MILAN missile in the 70s, which replaced the old M40A1 RCL as an anti-tank weapon.

While not having to fear enemy air forces during the early stages of the Border War, the skies were heavily contested in the final years, with the South Africans at times losing air superiority. Captured Strela MANPADs, as well as Stinger missiles delivered by the CIA, provided a level of protection from air attacks.

One indigenous South African design was the RO-107 Inflict, an improvised weapon that proved quite effective in a fire support role. It was made from a single 107mm tube of a captured Chinese Type 63 107mm MRLS. Cumbersome to haul around, especially in combat, it still found use by the SADF airborne troops as a man-portable piece of pocket artillery.

While regular Bokkop soldiers either walk or travel in trucks or light Casspir APCs, their Mechbat comrades in arms (mechanized infantry equivalent) ride to battle in the Ratel IFV.

[h2]Kommandos and Special Forces[/h2]
Of course, the SADF wouldn’t be the fighting force it was without the presence of the infamous Kommando militia. That’s right: the present-day concept of commandos (elite light forces or special forces) stems from the old use of Afrikaner-manned units, employed during the First and Second Boer War (1899-1902) against the British. These bands consisted of volunteer militia acting as fast-moving but lightly armed guerilla units. The SADF kept using the militia-style commando system, with Kommandos mainly employed in much the same way as contemporary British Territorials. Some volunteered for service in the conflict zone during the

Hello!

It’s good to be back. That’s right, at Eugen, we are working hard to provide our Wargame fans with some exciting new content.

Today we are ready to reveal ... a new Nation Pack for Wargame Red Dragon focusing on an oft-overlooked Cold War nation and its indigenous arsenal: South Africa!

Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa will feature this country’s unique vehicle and weapon pool from when the South African Defence Force (SADF) was engaged in the yearslong Border War in Namibia and Angola.
Keep reading to find out all the details!

[h2]A fresh breeze with Wargame: South Africa[/h2]
First off, you might ask, why is Eugen making this new Nation Pack for Wargame Red Dragon?

With an influx of new players engaging with our still popular RTS, we knew it would be worthwhile to create a new Nation Pack expansion. South Africa has been high on our list for quite a while. The stars aligned and the time was right to put in some effort - and reward our Wargame players with a host of cool new toys and a whole new nation!

With Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa, we will add close to 90 new vehicles, all fully voiced in either Afrikaans or South African-accented English. From the Olifant MBT and Casspir APCs to Cheetah fighters, SASF special forces, and even 32 Battalion troops, you’ll find our SADF arsenal exhaustively researched and historically accurate!

[h2]Historical South African context[/h2]
Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa puts the spotlight on the SADF, the South African Defense Force, the national army of apartheid-era South Africa. Mostly composed of conscripted white South Africans (both English and Afrikaans-speaking males), the SADF did feature a sizable amount of Black and Coloureds soldiers in distinct, segregated formations.

With unequal racial discrimination (apartheid) underpinning the South African’s republic existence, the SADF fought numerous conflicts, the most famous being the Border War against Communist-backed guerrillas both in occupied Namibia and nearby Angola. This asymmetric conflict ran from the late 60s to 1989, increasing in intensity, especially in the later years. Cuba and South Africa became more and more actively involved as respective backers of local guerrilla groups vying for power and control, going so far to field their own forces on the battlefield. This culminated in the famous tank engagement in 1988 of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, the largest of its kind of the Cold War on the African continent.

The Border War concluded with a peace treaty giving Nambia its formal independence in 1990. The SADF became the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in 1994, after the first free and multiracial election of the country, which saw Nelson Mandela become president.

[h2]Why did we pick South Africa?[/h2]
South Africa is one of the rare countries missing from Wargame Red Dragon which featured a large indigenous armaments industry producing a series of cool-looking vehicles, from IFVs to helicopters. What about the Ratel, Casspir, Buffel, Rooikat, G6 Renoster, Rooivalk?

As a highly mobile and aggressive army, the SADF relied more than any other nation on speed and mobility, with a strong preference for wheeled armored vehicles. Going for motorized makes sense in the savannah and bush-like environment of Southern Africa. There was hardly any mechanized (tracked) weaponry in the SADF arsenal, besides the Olifant main battle tank.

The SADF of the Cold War was built for a different type of conflict: a highly mobile strike force, quickly able to cover vast distances, with a strong emphasis on aggressive infantry combat. It was also one of the few countries that fought an “open” war (even though the extent and length of Border War itself was hidden from South Africa’s own population).

So: plenty of reasons why we wanted to include the SADF as a fighting nation in a new Nation Pack!

[h2]What is a Wargame Nation Pack?[/h2]
In case you forgot: Nation Packs are self-contained expansions for Wargame Red Dragon highlighting the fighting forces of a specific nation. They feature a host of extensively researched new units, from soldiers squads to vehicles, prototypes, planes, helicopters, and other equipment. They also feature the correct camouflage, markings, and are fully voiced to boot!

Previously released:

• Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: Israel
• Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: Netherlands
• Wargame Red Dragon - Double Nation Pack: REDS

[h2]What will the South Africa Nation Pack bring?[/h2]
Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa will feature:

• Close to 90 new SADF units, including 20 brand-new vehicle models, as well as many new variants. All feature new Afrikaans and South African-accented English voice-overs, aie boet!
  
• These include the ubiquitous Casspir and Ratel APCs (in numerous variants, from IFV, recon, command, mortar, and even SAM), the Rooikat wheeled tank (including variants and prototypes), Eland (license-produced French AML), Cactus (French Crotale), the only tracked Olifant MBT, many armed variants of locally made SAMIL trucks (Ystervark and Bosvark SPAAG, Valkiri and Bateleur MLRS), to the iconic G6 Renoster self-propelled howitzer.
  
• The Air Force includes old Buccaneer, Vampire and Impala as close-air support, as well as several French Mirage variants and the locally modified Cheetah as fighter and multirole aircraft. Furthermore, you will find the Atlas Carver prototype, the first full South African prototype plane design ... that never left the drawing board.
  
• Helicopters include the French Alouette III, Puma, Super Frelon and their locally produced versions and prototypes such as the K-Car, Oryx and XTP-1 Beta. You will also be able to deploy South Africa’s very own attack helicopter design, the badass-looking Rooivalk.
  
• Infantry will include Bokkop regular riflemen, Parabat paratroopers, SASF special forces, and many more units such as militia, recon, MANPADS, engineers, etc. You will also find Portuguese-speaking Angolian UNITA squads, as well as SADF’s own 32 Battalion (the Buffalos), as veteran light infantry formation.
  
• SADF weaponry features imported or locally built R1 and R4 rifles, SS-77 and Mini-SS MG, LRAC and APILAS LAW, but also the more original HK-21, FT5, Inflict and, of course, the iconic Y2 grenade-launcher and NTW-20 heavy sniper/anti-material rifle.

[h2]What happens next?[/h2]
Today’s post is not all. We’ll be back every two weeks with more details about Wargame Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa, in which we will highlight various new units as we go. A release date is not set in stone yet, but it will happen in the not-too-distant future!

If you want to be kept appraised of all the latest Eugen has to offer, be sure to check out our Eugen forums, or (Facebook page and Twitter).

See you soon!

Today's Deal: Save 75% on Wargame: Red Dragon!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time