Rise of the Reds Update: Operation Sunscreen Options

[MARS]

French Guiana, October 2048

Yaroslav Korshunov and his VDV comrades stared at the red light above the closed cargo bay door. The payload space of the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane was wrapped in an air of expectant suspense. Every once in a while, the irregular rattling of the airframe or a cough from one of the paratroopers could be heard against the monotonous droning of the four turbofan engines. The machine was one of almost twenty strategic airlifters known as the 'Candid' among Western militaries that had taken off from the Russian military bases in Maranhão, Brazil where the South American Pact had given the Federation the privilege to station a contingent of 2.000 soldiers. Now, it was their job to land a decisive strike against the nerve centre of the Solaris network; the ESA space centre near Kourou, French Guiana. "We are approaching the landing zone. Ninety seconds!", the nonchalant voice of the pilot, a senior Captain of the Russian Air Force with two decades of aviation service under his belt, sounded through the intercom. "Thank you for flying with VVS airlines and come again!", he added in an attempt to ease the tension.

At the same time, the red light started to flash as the cargo doors were opened. A wave of cold air rolled into the faces of the paratroopers whose eyes took a few seconds to adapt to the sudden burst of bright, tropical sunlight. "Thirty seconds!", the pilot reported again. "Check your equipment and be careful out there, comra...", he was suddenly interrupted by a loud, crackling noise. It seemed as if the entire airframe started to rumble and within moments, Yaroslav and his fellow paratroopers registered the stench of melting plastic. Electrical cables started to smolder, then burst into sparks of flame and the soldiers were overwhelmed by a painful, burning sensation that struck their reddening skin like a thousand hot needles. The signal light above the open door turned to green, only for the bulb to pop out a few seconds later. "GET OUT!", the pilot exclaimed. "I can't keep her in the air, just get the hell out of here NOW!", he added before his voice was cut off by the sound of exploding hardware and a disgusting splattering noise grotesquely reminiscent of an overripe watermelon.

Yaroslav and most of his comrades made the jump, witnessing as their Ilyushin turned into a flying fireball above them and plunged to the ground. Many of the other planes shared the same fate, seared out of the sky by the ECA's most infamous anti-air system, a nefarious microwave weapon of Scandinavian origin known and feared as the 'Wotan'. During his fall, Yaroslav could only watch helplessly while some of his fellow soldiers burned up in the deadly energy beams that shot at them from the European space port below. He almost got swatted down by a fully manned BMD combat vehicle whose parachute had malfunctioned. The 13 ton IFV plunged towards the earth, missing Yaroslav by only a few metres, and got smashed to a clump of shattered metal as it hit the ground. Despite the harrowing sights, the VDV trooper pulled the chord on time and glided down with his parachute. He rolled over, freed himself from the ropes and readied his weapon; it was time for some payback.

Before we show off today's renders, we'd like to use this opportunity to present you a Voice Over Showreel by our team member Stig Sydtangen AKA DragonNOR, who lended his voice to several of our new units.

The Wotan is a revolutionary anti-air weapon system of Norwegian origin. Its armament is a microwave projector which is capable of firing an extremely intense beam of EM radiation at a target. Due to the intricacies of the weapon control systems, the limited depression of the beam projector and 'humanitarian' concerns, the 'heat ray' can only be fired at airborne targets, making the Wotan the heavy anti-air weapon of choice for the Scandinavian militaries and the ECA. The beam's intensity can be set to 'focussed' or 'spread', allowing the Wotan to defeat individual aircraft with all available firepower or damage an entire swarm of packed targets at the same time. Thanks to the physical attributes of a directed energy weapon, the Wotan's attack has long range and suffers no delay before it strikes the target. An enemy pilot caught within range of a Wotan is essentially doomed to combust, either from being cooked to death by the microwave beam or by the premature ignition of his fuel and weaponry - whichever happens first.

In order to provide the Russian Airborne Troops with some additional punch against vehicles, the BMD can now be upgraded into a Sprut-SD 125mm tank destroyer as an alternative to installing the mortar cannon.

[Dangerman]

So the Russians have captured a Solaris Satellite (or the entire system)? I've got a feeling that I know now Aleksandr's infamous landmark in history is going to be...

Nice update, so the ECA do have a DEW (if Microwaves count).

This post has been edited by dangerman1337: 22 Dec 2012, 12:28

[SpiralSpectre]

Finally the Russians do what they should've done right before landing in England! I guess there was some kinda problems why they didn't bother to do so back then or was it sheer overconfidence from their part? Anyway the plot thickens, presents a lot of possibilities now. But gotta say it would've been interesting to know how a few tattered VDV managed to get hold of the station.

Finally the teaser "hoodie" from way back gets revealed. Didn't exactly expect the energy based AA from the trailer to be microwave but it's a nice touch I guess.

[MARS]

They've captured the ECA's space facilities and have apparently brought down the satellite that provided power to the UK and Ireland.
As for the station, the space port is still run by ESA. It's not a military facility, although the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion was probably deployed as a defensive force (they are station in French Guiana in RL). Apparently, they failed.

[Dangerman]

Though one thing, why didn't the Russians take French Guiana in the first place?

[GDIZOCOM]

Your additions are getting stranger and stranger...I LIKE IT (on a side note, the voices are funny and epic xD)

I really like the takeover, don't get me wrong I want Russia to win for a difference. I love those sub-headlines. There's finally another render besides the ECA, kinda miss Ruskie renders. Can't wait for Russia's greatest and most infamous move

[MARS]

Though one thing, why didn't the Russians take French Guiana in the first place?

They most likely concentrated the bulk of their airborne forces on the initial invasion of Europe, where they had to assume rapid control of key
bridges, intact airfields, and other strategic targets. The fact that they're doing this now either speaks of an error on their part or sheer desperation.

PS: If they had done this earlier, the ECA's solar tech would have likely been wrecked to a point where all their in-game solar technologies
would no longer function but we didn't want to plot-cripple that aspect in the same way we've already crippled their air force; just roll with it.

[Xofolez]

haha i knew the yellow box was a special one... some of the things they say on there, so hilarious!

Whats this? Russia claims a victory in capturing the ESA facility in S.A?! FOR MOTHER RUSSIA!

Massey, grab your pistol, we got a "Tug-of-War" on our hands!

Frogfoot squadrons will still make short work of Wotan AA


All joking aside and out of character- It would seem that the ESA was lightly fortified as there likely was no more then 2 dozen II-76 flown into the mission, carrying an infantry division... The fact that the Wotan is restricted to AA only probably made them easy targets when the paratroopers made down there obviously safely -after jumping out of popcorn planes- and there was likely only a small security force protecting the ESA... It would be ironic to see the Russians firing the solaris at ECA and USA bases as they were nearly cooked, themselves...

[Knjaz.]

Though one thing, why didn't the Russians take French Guiana in the first place?

Well, I can imagine that it was too heavily defended for those 2.000 troopers stationed in Latin America. I bet when RuArmy reached Spain, ECA was pulling everything it could to the frontlines.


In RL that object would be a worthy target for a nuclear cruise missile strike by Tu-160 anyway, after the ECA deployed Pandora.

^ The news image heavily suggests that the Russians did successfully seize the space port and brought down at least one Solaris satellite.

Yes, I noticed it a minute later

This post has been edited by Knjaz.: 22 Dec 2012, 12:48

[MARS]

^ The news image heavily suggests that the Russians did successfully seize the space port and brought down at least one Solaris satellite.

[Dangerman]

Well, I can imagine that it was too heavily defended for those 2.000 troopers stationed in Latin America. I bet when RuArmy reached Spain, ECA was pulling everything it could to the frontlines.


The story above doesn't tell us how that offensive went, and what happened with the ESA, though.

I suppose the actual operationis better left to the imagination though I do suppose your explaniation makes sense (I suppose it was heavily defended and Russians were/are more concerned about Continental Europe and possible intervention from anyone else at the time.

[SpiralSpectre]

But gotta say it's getting harder and harder to keep track of unique techs now, other than ECA unique techs.

[Dangerman]

One thing, is this Sprut-SD upgrade going to be the only add on for Russia or are they going to get that supposed Zhukov-exclusive in 2.0 unit in 1.8 (or are they pushed back for 1.82 as-well for the GLA, China and USA)?

This post has been edited by dangerman1337: 22 Dec 2012, 12:51

[MARS]

The Sprut was actually a very spontaneous addition that only came into being one or two weeks ago. It was rather simple to make and falls into the 'yeah, might as well throw it in' category
of additions. When we set out to make 1.8, we weren't actually planning on adding much besides the actual ECA and reserve such things for 1.82, but I guess you guys got lucky this time.

[Shredder]

Wow. The Pandora sounds a bit desperate tbh, but I guess that was the idea? And the Lynx sounds like a CnC Dwarf(Not just because of the accent).

[RocketMan]

The way I see it, the VDV airdrop units are quite flexible with VDV infantry, and a BMP with three different weapon loadouts. I wonder if the US airdrop might get some kind of a enhancement, since IMO a bunch of basic infantry with a lightweight, lightly armored Hummvee, which needs a infantry unit to use its machine gun is IMHO much less appealing when compared to this...

[Genmotty]

Being a stickler for detail;

...Its armament is a microwave projector which is capable of firing a powerful beam of extremely high frequency waves at a target...

Microwaves are low frequency EM waves.


It is UV, X-rays and Gamma Rays that are 'High Frequency' EM waves. You might want to correct/retcon. the descriptive fluff to make sense. 'Beam power' is also technically 'Beam Intensity', since it is the number of photons that carry the energy that actually impart the energy into the target;

Suggestion;

...Its armament is a microwave projector which is capable of firing an extremely intense beam of EM radiation at a target...

[General Tatarin]

The Pandora sounds desperate because nuclear weapons were abondoned. BTW nice work on sound recording. Popcorn's ready !
It seems that USA's microwave tank uses a little different technology. It shuts down buildings and burns infantry.
Nice work !

This post has been edited by General Tatarin: 22 Dec 2012, 13:37

[Planardweller]

"Large ham" doesn't even start describing DragonNOR Still, can't wait till 25th!

[Anubis]

Being a stickler for detail;



Microwaves are low frequency EM waves.


It is UV, X-rays and Gamma Rays that are 'High Frequency' EM waves. You might want to correct/retcon. the descriptive fluff to make sense. 'Beam power' is also technically 'Beam Intensity', since it is the number of photons that carry the energy that actually impart the energy into the target;

Suggestion;

Yay - realism nazi. Well my first suggestion is put your hand in a microwave cooker. See what happens. Then multiply that by a huge number and you get the idea. The US army already uses microwave weapons on a low intensity. You know what happens - the person hit by it has it's brain almost cooked and it's nervous system overcharged to a fucksimum. Now imagine if that intensity would be increased alot. Also microwaves have an awsome habit of frying electronics. Do more research, be less of a realism nazi.

[DELETED MEMBER]

And when USA balances the battle Russia gets the ESA space center

[MARS]

On a pure-fact basis, he does seem to be right though.
Microwaves are at the lower end of the EM spectrum. Which isn't to say that -these- particular microwaves represent the more powerful variety of that, but I did actually update the description accordingly, as it might indeed be read as an error otherwise.

[Serialkillerwhal...]

now then, I take it microwaves are now multi-faction as well?

[BlitzGeneral]

I love how Wotan has "one eye" on the vehicle.

Hehehe...

[MARS]

now then, I take it microwaves are now multi-faction as well?

Only for this one ECA unit and the Americans.