Rear Area Security with Light Armored Vehicles: After Action Report (Steel Beasts ProPE)

Continued from here.

I'm in command of 2nd Platoon, the one taking the west approach and attempting to get really close to the enemy BMP-2s.

Tactical Plan from the previous entry. Click the image to expand it.

And to re-phrase why both 2nd and 3rd Platoons are tanking such convoluted routes to get into firing range, this nugget of wisdom puts it very eloquently:

A 4,000-metre line of sight allows the enemy to shoot you 2,000 m before you can shoot him.

Rule #9 out of "Nine Rules to help you stay alive with the LAV III"
Canadian Army Field Manual

So we march ...

First nasty surprise of the mission: the route I choose for 2nd Platoon was not 100% covered. In the screen above, an AT-5 missile fired from a BMP-2 just splashed on the opposite side slope of the hill we were skirting. We just pushed pedal to the metal and continued forward. Click the image to expand it.

Our right flank continued to be our upmost worry. Click the image to expand it.

Luckily, the last leg of our approach had a dirt road that that allowed us to march faster. Click the image to expand it.

Last hundred meters of our march. We are moving north now and the enemy is on the reverse slope of this hill. We can hear the firefight between the BMP-2s and the 3rd Platoon in SBF 1 position. It's good that the BMP-2s are busy so we can ambush them from behind. Click the image to expand it.

We sneaked on the rear of the enemy position successfully, but as soon as our first rounds were fired, the BMP-2s turned on us. Under the cover of smoke, I could maintain my position and destroy this vehicle. Click the image to expand it.

I've had a terrible time with the laser range-finder and the ballistic computer for this point-blank engagement. I had to lase something some 400 meters behind the BMP-2 to get the gun elevation of my ASLAV-25 for firing onto targets that close.

While my smoke curtain was still up, this BMP-2 charged on us. It took the combined fire of two ASLAV-25s to stop it. Click the image to expand it.

This is after the smoke washed off. Close combat doesn't get more close than this. Click the image to expand it.

The remaining enemy infantry threat was no slouch. Remember the thin armor of the ASLAV-25 can be taken out by an RPG and that we are in very close terrain. We pulled a bit back and shelled the infantry with HEAT and 7.62 mm rounds. Click the image to expand it.

With the target area finally clear, we can relax a bit with sightseeing. This is 3rd Platoon on SBF1 position. Click the image to expand it.

Cheers,