Real and Simulated Wars: ArmA 3 - Operation Gaucho Bravo

The Province of Corrientes, Argentina. The Uruguay River (which marks the Brazil-Argentina border) is being used by subversive militias to finance their operations by protecting drug cartels and other types of contraband activities.

With the express consent of the Brazilian government, a combined operation of the Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina (Argentine's National Border military force) and the Ejercito Argentino (Argentine Army) was implemented on a stretch of the Uruguay River. Operation Gaucho Bravo combines riverine patrols by the Gendarmeria and nimble quick reaction forces from the Mechanized Infantry Regiment 25 (Argentine Army).

On a quiet and sunny Friday afternoon, human intelligence (HUMINT) was received regarding an ongoing contraband operation protected by armed men. Upon confirmation by aerial observation with a Grand Caravan aircraft from the Argentine Air Force, an armed speed boat was immediately dispatched to meet with the leader of the Argentine Army fire-team sized observation post closest to the reported illegal activity.

Both the riverine (Gendarmeria) and the land-based (Army) teams met and agreed on coordination measures for a quick assault intended to neutralize the armed guerrillas.

Small, quick and quiet. That was the bet of the land component of the task force. This picture was taken during a drill in a different town, a few days earlier than the action reported here.

The ground-based Army forces (foreground) and the riverine (Gendarmeria) speed boat (in the background) keeping an eye on each other while moving fast towards the action.

A light guerrilla patrol was taken by surprise. By the time the guerrilla quad biker realized that he had the Argentine Army on his tail, it was too late.

Shot from the truck in movement, the guerrilla patrol takes his last gasps of air.

The momentum never lost, the Argentine soldiers dash towards their disembark point just to be greeted by a guerrilla machine gunner (here shown in the background). A quick reaction by the driver veered the truck on its side so the soldiers in the back didn't even had to disembark to take care of the threat.

With the two "speed bumps" that the Army has stomped upon, coordination was thrown off for a couple of minutes. The Gendarmeria's speed boat arrives a bit early to the party and starts engaging the guerrillas. They seem to be unloading materials from a boat.

The minigun firing at the coast. A guerrilla fighter can be seen in the far background.

The enemy puts out a brave fight. The Argentine's river-based firepower is strong but too distant to be completely effective. This guerrilla machine gunner killed the driver of the speed boat.

The Argentine Army soldiers ramp up their pace to move out from the road and towards the coast of the river.

With such a fantastic concealment provided by the vegetation, the soldiers can move down the river without being detected.

The view from an EOTech mounted on a 7.62 mm FM FAL (the Argentine version of the Belgian FN FAL). Even when the enemy was on the open terrain of the river's coast, it was not completely destroyed by the speed boat guns. The Argentine soldiers move in to clear the area.