W WW . JSOC - GAMER . ORG
T HE M OUNTAIN P OST V OLUME 1, I SSUE 1
15 S EPTEMBER 2009
Lighting Strikes and Thunder Roars! – Operation Cheranus Shield On the 12th of September, our unit participated in Operation Cheranus Shield hosted by United Front. The 10th Special Forces Group (SFG) was assigned the following three objectives:
Scout ahead of the main task force as it moved to a enemy vehicle park
Move to an over-watch position just east of Krasnostav Airfield and destroy any enemy armor vehicles found
Move into the town of Krasnostav and sweep the enemy from a one block assigned sector.
At the 1:30 pm (Central Standard Time) show time, we only had three individuals present and things were not looking good, but we decided to proceed, anyway. We talked to the 20th SFG command element and decided to combine our efforts and objectives. th
th
The 10 SFG and 20 SFG provided the main spearhead up the east coast of Cheranus. Just before reaching the outskirts of Nizhnoye the forward elements of the spearhead encountered light resistance from an infantry squad and were quickly overwhelmed.
As the mission started to unfold more and more individuals from the 10th SFG, 20th SFG and other organizations arrived. This slowed the mission progress some what as we had to transport individuals from the initial landing site to the forward lines. Transportation was a premium, and units had to resort to commandeering privately owned vehicles (POVs) to keep the operation viable. At about thirty minutes into the mission the forward elements of the 10th SFG and 20th SFG reached the enemy vehicle park. Under
S PECIAL
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I NSIDE
THIS ISSUE :
O P C HERANUS S HIELD 1 P EEK INTO THE S HUNK WORKS AND A REA 51
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T HE C LASSROOM
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T HE NEED FOR SPEED
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A Peek into the Skunk Works and Area 51 Operator Winchester has been able to convince Schnapsdrosel the creator of the Desert Mercenaries and BlackOps add-on to make and include a 10th SFG beret in his new Special Forces Pack his is currently working on. These new models so far will include a U.S. 10th SFG Beret model, U.S. Army Black Beret Model, Wetsuit Model, and an as-
sortment of new faces some with beards as well. Operator Winchester posted some of picture of the beret in our forums. Gachopin and Soldier2390 the creators of the CH-53E Super Stallion are currently creating various versions of this vaunted warhorse. Currently, they have made early models of the CH-53
Super Stallion, MH-53E Sea Dragon, and MH-53 Pave Low. This is the largest helicopter in the United States inventory and has a long and proud history with all the branches of service, Germany Army, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Israeli Air Force. (Continued on page 2)
All though berets are not wore in combat, it’s still nice looking and would be great a reward for our candidates, cut scenes, PR Filming and Award Ceremonies and such.
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A Peek into the Skunk Works and Area 51 following radar (TFR) (Continued from page 1)
The MH-53J Pave Low III heavy-lift helicopter was the largest, most powerful and technologically advanced transport helicopter in the US Air Force inventory. The last MH-53 Pave Low's mission was on 27 September 2008 and was retire awaiting replacement by the CV-22 and the new CSAR-X.
“T HE CH-53E AND THE MH53E ARE THE LARGEST HELICOPTERS IN THE W ESTERN WORLD , WHILE THE CH-53K NOW BEING DEVELOPED WILL BE EVEN LARGER ”
These helicopters are members of the Sikorsky S-65 and S-80 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. The S65 family has two engines versus the S-80 which has three. The CH-53E model can transport up to 55 troops or 30,000 lb (13,610 kg) of cargo and can carry external slung loads up to 36,000 lb (16,330 kg). The Super Stallion has a cruise speed of 173 mph (278 km/h) and a range of 621 miles (1,000 km).
Doppler-radar navigation system. A inertial guidance system (INS) A 1,200 pounds (544 kg) of armor The CH-53E and the MH53E are the largest helicopters in the Western world, while the CH-53K now being developed will be even larger. They are third in the world to the Russian Mil Mi26 and Mil Mi-12, which can lift more than 22 tons (20 tonnes) and 44 tons (40 tonnes), respectively.
Upgrades to the CH-53E and MH-53 have included: The Helicopter Night Vision System (HNVS) Improved .50 BMG The GAU-21/A and M3P machine guns AAQ-29A forward looking infrared (FLIR) imager AN/APQ-158 terrain-
Our gourmet Chef has been rattling his pans and is currently concocting an outstanding firing range on the Chernarus map. I was fortunate enough to take a peek at this wonder of scripting. He has been able to cook up a script, which allows a number of rifle range targets to pop-
up in random order and then fold back down while counting the number of targets and the hit on them by the shooter and then broadcast that information to the Range Supervisor. In his next version he is going to attempt to make the script function so that two shooters on two different ranges will function and broadcast that information to the shooters. He is also trying to make it work so it will tell you where your round hit the target like we had it in the old sniper training map. He has also developed a Sniper Course as well, which as different targets set up a long range to encourage spotter and shooter teamwork. Well the culinary scripting art of this master ever come to an end? Lets hope not!
T HE C LASSROOM —M IL -D OT
So why do you always run into so many Joe Pubbers that just keep plinking away, firing numerous shots and couldn’t hit the side of a barn if he was standing inside with the door closed?
Almost every person that purchased Operation Flashpoint, Armed Assault and ArmA II has been fascinated and loves the Sniper Role. People just love lone wolfing it, out on the map by themselves nailing enemy infantry at long distances. Sure it’s fun and almost always the new individuals to the game will take to the sniper rifle
like a duck to water and believe they are a naturally born sniper. But let’s take a closer look at this unit. In Bohemia’s Interactive games, the sniper unit has scripted into it some abilities the standard rifleman just does not have like the ability to run faster. One of the biggest advantages is the fact
it camouflage or spotting factor is superior to the standard rifleman and other in game units. That means the AI has a smaller percentage chance of spotting him and therefore is less likely to engage him. Couple those facts with a long range, scoped, high damage round will of course you’re going to have a huge advan(Continued on page 3)
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T HE C LASSROOM —M IL -D OT (Continued from page 2)
tage. So why do you always run into Joe Pubber plinking away, firing numerous shots and couldn’t hit the side of a barn if he was standing inside with the door closed? Reason for this is the lack of truly understanding how a sniper works and their craft or art. The majority of Sniper Missions is to provide Human Intelligence of an area. So what does it take to be a truly good sniper in game? Practice, practice and more practice until it become second nature to them. In the Special Forces world there is a saying, amateurs train until they get it right, professionals train until they can't get it wrong. The first rule is, snipers never work alone, they always have a spotter and it is a team effort. The spotter is the ranking man, and gives the order when to fire. The spotter also provides security for the sniper or shooter. The spotter himself is a fully qualified sniper/shooter himself. Our unit snipers and spotters use the following add-on the “GMJ Sight Adjustment”, “GDT Mod Binocular” and “31st MEU Replacement Reticules and Realistic Ballistics.” They also have a notebook which is called in the shooting world their “dope book”. This “dope book” is their personnel shooting log used to document their long
range firing under various conditions such as wind, caliber or ammunition used. The “GMJ Sight Adjustment” addon allows you to adjust the Minute of Angle on your weapon left or right, up or down and when properly installed will help you create and in-game “dope book.” The “GDT Mod Binocular” add-on allows you to do a couple of important things, one it allows you to zoom in just like a real set of binoculars and two, while looking thru it will give you a bearing to the object you are viewing. This add-on comes in real handy when working with your teammates spotting targets, assessing the situation and setting up to take that shot. The “31st MEU Replacement Reticules and Realistic Ballistics” add-on provides a reticule pack that is properly calibrates the rifle reticules within ArmA 2, to allow for range estimation and to transform the task of long-distance shooting from nothing more than pressing space bar or a guessing game, into an exercise in range estimation and bullet drop compensation. This pack also includes more realistic zero's of the rifles and accurate ballistics. So now you’re properly geared out to an even a greater edge over Mr. Joe Pubber. But none of this will do you any gone unless you become a master of range estimation. We use the MilDot method
Figure 1—Typical Mil-Dot Sight
Simply put, the Mil-Dot is a range estimating reticule that was developed for military applications. The space between the dot centers subtends one milliradian (Mil). One Mil subtends 3.6" at 100 yards, or 36" at 1,000 yards. This reticule was developed in the late 1970s to help U.S. Marine snipers estimate distances, and is now standard for all military branches. The space between dot centers subtends one milliradian (mil) hence the name mil-dot. Contrary to popular belief it does not stand for "military dot". One mil subtends 3.6 inches at 100 yards or 36 inches at 1,000 yards. To use this system effectively you must know the size of the target. For instance most people are an average of 6 feet tall or 2 yards. The formula used for determining range to the target is (size of target x 1000 divided by number of mils the target covers). (Continued on page 4)
“O NE MIL SUBTENDS 3.6 INCHES AT 100 YARDS OR 36 INCHES AT 1,000 YARDS .”
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T HE C LASSROOM —M IL -D OT side. 3. Move down from the top and right from the side to find the range in yards. Range Estimating with the Mil-Dot Reticule
Figure 1
A GREAT SIMULATOR TO APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARN GO TO HTTP :// WWW . SHOOTERR EADY . COM / MILDOT . HTML
You can do these calculations with a calculator or use a reference table like the figure 1 and 2. But remember that your answer is only as accurate as the numbers you plug into the formula. An error of just a 1/4 mil will cause an error in target range. Also an error in estimating the size of your target will cause an error in target range. The top line on the table represents the size of the target as measured in feet or inches. The second line represents the conversion of the foot measurements to yards. The left column shows the mil measurements to the nearest 1/2 mil. The mil scale can be split to the nearest 1/8 mil for a more accurate range measurement. To use the table follow the instructions below. 1. Estimate height of target and locate across the top. 2. Measure height of target in mils and locate down the
Dots are spaced in one mil (milliradian) increments on the crosshair. Using the mil formula, a table can be created like the ones above that are based on the size of the object being targeted. Just look through the scope, bracket the object between dots, and refer to the table for an estimated distance to target. The radian is a unit-less measure which is equivalent in use to degrees. It tells you how far around a circle you have gone. 2 PI radians = 360 degrees. Using 3.14 as the value of PI, 6.28 radians take you all the way around a circle. Using a Cartesian coordinate system, you can use "x"- and "y"-values to define any point on the plane. Radians are used in a coordinate system called "polar coordinates." A point on the plane is defined, in the polar coordinate system, using the radian and the radius. The radian defines the amount of rotation and the radius gives the distance from the origin (in a negative or positive direction). The radian is another measurement of rotation (the degree/minute/second-system being the first). This is the
system used in the mil-dot reticule. We use the same equation that we used before, but, instead of your calculator being in "degree" mode, switch it to "radian" mode. One milliradian = 1/1000 (.001) radians. So, type .001 into your calculator and hit the "tangent" button. Then multiply this by "distance to the target." Finally, multiply this by 36 to get inches subtended at the given distance. With the calculator in "radian" mode, type: tangent(.001)*100*36 = 3.6000012 So one milliradian is just over 3.6 inches at 100 yards and if we extrapolate, two milliradians equal about 6 feet at onethousand yards. The mil-dot reticule was designed around the measurement unit of the milliradian. The dots themselves were designed with this in mind and the spacing of the dots was also based upon the milliradian. This allows the shooter to calculate the distance to an object of known height or width. Height of the target in yards divided by the height of the target in milliradians multiplied by 1000 equals the distance to the target in yards. For example, take a 6-foot-tall man (2 yards). Let's say that the top of his head lines up with one dot and his feet line up four
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T HE C LASSROOM —M IL -D OT dots down. So: (2/4)*1000 = 500 yards away. This same technique can be used to estimate lead on a moving target or to compensate for deflection on a windy day. The distance from the center of one dot to the center of the next dot is 1 milliradian. The length of a dot on reticules is 1/4 milliradian (Given this much information, one can determine that the distance between dots is 3/4 milliradian). Note some reticules in ArmA II, are not always exact, this is where practice comes into play. The width of each dot is an arbitrary distance and is not used for any practical purpose. Like a duplex reticule, the mil-dot reticule is thicker toward the edges and uses thin lines in the middle where the dots are located and the crosshairs cross. To use a mil-dot reticule effectively, all one need remember is that the distance between dots centers is 36" at 1000 yards. This lets you determine the range of a target of known size. At that point, you can dial the scope in for proper elevation OR use the dots to hold over the proper amount. The dots on the horizontal crosshair can be used to lead a target (if you know the range to the target, then you'll know the distance between dots, and thus the distance to lead) or to compensate for deflection.
Minute-Of-Angle The term "minute-ofangle" (MOA) is used regularly by target shooters at the range, but is probably understood thoroughly by few (the same goes for mil-dots). Defined loosely, one MOA = 1" @ 100 yards; so, if you shot your rifle 5 times into a 100yard target and every shot went into a one-inch circle you had drawn on the paper, then your rifle could be said to shoot 1 MOA. Likewise, if every shot goes into a twoinch circle at 200 yards, then you're shooting 1 MOA. A 10 -inch group at 500 yards would be 2 MOA. Now for the fun part, there are 360 degrees in a circle. Each degree can be broken down further into minutes. There are 60 minutes in a degree. Likewise, there are 60 seconds in a minute. Now, to figure out the distance subtended by 1 minute at any particular distance, we need merely to plug those two values into a simple trigonometric equation. The tangent function fits the bill nicely. Here's the equation: tan(angle) = distance subtended/distance to the target (units must be consistent-e.g., 1/36 of a yard [1"] divided by 100 yards) Now, we know the angle (1
minute or 1/60 of a degree) and we know the distance to the target (100 yards), but we need to figure out the actual distance subtended at the target (i.e., is 1 MOA actually 1" @ 100 yards?). What we need to do is solve for "distance subtended." Here's our final equation: tan(angle)*distance to the target = distance subtended Make sure your calculator is in "degree" mode (as opposed to "radian" or "gradian") and type in 1/60 (for degrees) and hit the "tangent" button. Then multiply that by 100 yards. This should give you the distance (in yards) subtended at 100 yards. Multiply this by 36 to get inches. The answer should be: 1.047197580733" This is just a hair over the commonly quoted "one inch." At 1000 yards, this would be almost 10 1/2 inches. Apparently, it is just a coincidence that 1 MOA happens to be REALLY close to 1" @ 100 yards. It is, however, quite convenient.
Figure 2
“ IF YOU SHOT YOUR RIFLE 5 TIMES INTO A 100YARD TARGET AND EVERY SHOT WENT INTO A ONE - INCH CIRCLE YOU HAD DRAWN ON THE PAPER , THEN YOUR RIFLE COULD BE SAID TO SHOOT 1
MOA”
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Lighting Strikes and Thunder Roars! (Continued from page 1) (Continued from page 1)
the leadership of the 20th SFG, the vehicle park was assaulted and eliminated the enemy presence there in less than ten minutes of conflict. At this stage, the 10th and 20th SFGs rallied their personnel and commandeered several off-road trucks and one Ural Ammo truck. Our units then proceeded up the coastal highway and move to a over watch position east of the Krasnostav Airfield near on Olsha radio tower hill, where the two units separated and move to their assigned objectives. “T HE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT USE OF THESE ANTI - ARMOR MISSILES RESULTED IN THE AIRFIELD BEING SEIZED IN LESS THAN FIFTEEN MINUTES ”
The 10th SFG had the good fortune to have in its possession an Ural Ammo Truck stocked with numerous Javelin Anti-Armor missiles and launchers. These were put use by our unit with devastating effect in the vehicles on the airfield and the surrounding vicinity. The effective and efficient use of these anti-
armor missiles resulted in the airfield being seized in less than fifteen minutes at which time the cease fire order was given and all units were instructed to move into and sweep Krasnostav. The operation briefing called for each unit being assigned a sector in the town. The 10th SFG Commander exercised his on scene command authority, and directed the 20th SFG and 10th SFG to move in an east to west linear sweep one household deep of the main road. Operator Chef and the 20th SFG command element informed the Joint Command Element of the Fragmentation Order. The 1st ID then swept the Southern Half of the village while the 506th swept the northern side of the village. There were no friendly fire incidents; the village was swept in an orderly fashion effectively ejecting the enemy from the village.
Although from the 10th SFG point of view the mission ran fairly smoothly there were some problems that were encountered. Communication between the 20th and 10th SFG was great, but communicating with higher HQ was very difficult. This may resolve itself over time as this is only the second Joint Operations by United Front as we all interact with the other units. Additionally, there was a distinct lack of medical personnel or corpsmen and over the communications channels we could hear some units could not be revived or would re-spawned back that the initial starting point. In all the 10th SFG performed well in the field and we were able to field at least five individuals at any one time. The unit did not encounter any fatalities, and eliminated three infantry squads, captured an enemy officer and destroyed five armored vehicles.
O N P OINT … Gentlemen, another month has passed and we have achieved much as a team. Through the efforts of the web team and graphic pros in our organization our website is ever improving. We as a unit have participated in over six joint operations with various ArmA II organizations such as 1st ID, 3rd ID, 20th SFG, Uniform Kilo, 506th
PIR, and many others. Operator Gramps established our PayPal Account and we were able to drum up 66% of our goal during our first donation drive. This in my opinion is not bad at all, especially for the very first month out of the gate. I’m sure you all have noticed that donation goal is $200.00
and a current balance of $106.00 at this time. I asked Operator Gramps to double the donation goal and display our total current balance. Our monthly goal is still $100.00 and currently a couple of members have donated $40.00 towards that goal. (Continued on page 7)
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O N P OINT … I’m sure there is a better way of showing the relevant statistics we need, it’s just a matter of coming up with it. With that being said, I ask each and every one of you to contribute what you can to the fund, as every little bit counts. Let’s see if we can beat last month’s donation record of $66.00. For those that may not know it Operator Jynx (Our current Training NCO) was in a serious car accident on the
13th of September. Thankfully, he didn’t receive any serious injuries, but is extremely sore and is taking some strong pain killers. He expects to be back with us soon. This of course has placed a delay on training the new candidates and new recruits interviews. I have not forgotten you, we just have been a little short handed this week. I’m sure we will get the ball rolling along soon, for the
new applicants and candidates. So please continue to join us when possible for a few missions in the evenings. This is a good way to learn the ropes, especially while we are developing the new training maps.
T HE N EED FOR S PEED Operator Jynx has been able to secure for us the Fast Attack Vehicles (FAVs) by Emery. Emery has been gracious to allow us to test and make a promotional video for their release into the ArmA II Community. Emery has also donated them to be used in both versions of ACE, and has recently released an Armed Assault compatible version. Some of you maybe asking what are FAVs? Today they are called the Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV); these are a high-speed, lightly-armored sandrail-like vehicle first used in combat during the Gulf War in 1991. Due to their dash speed and off-road mobility, the FAVs or DPVs were used extensively during Operation Desert Storm. The DPV was built by Chenowth Racing Products, Inc. in El Cajon, California.
The DPV, powered by a 200 hp VW engine for a payload of 1500 lb / 680 kg, is capable of accelerating from 0 to 30 mph / 0 –50 km/h in only four seconds. The DPV can travel at speeds up to 80 mph /130 km/h. With its standard 21 gallon / 79.5 liter fuel tank, the DPV has a range of about 210 miles / 338 km. An optional fuel bladder can extend the range to over 1,000 miles / 1610 km.
be consider smooth and forgiving terrain.
Emery’s FAV come in three models and are all black. The models we tested were; a Two Man Scout model, a Three Man .50 Caliber model and a Three Man Mark 19 model
In game they are just as lethal as their real world counter parts; the two man scout version is armed with an M-240 MG on the passenger side. The three man versions have the M-240 MG on their passenger sides plus either a fully functional M-2 .50 Cal, Heavy Machinegun or a Mark -19, Grenade Launcher.
The versions we tested were able to exceed ninety kilometers per hour in ArmA II on Nick Bell’s Northern Waziristan map which in no way can
They were quite frankly a blast to drive and could literally fly over many obstacles. If you managed to flip one, there is an action menu to flip it back on its wheels again.
“I N GAME THEY ARE JUST AS LETHAL AS THEIR REAL WORLD COUNTER PARTS ”
Their black frame chassis are decked out with fuel tanks, cargo boxes, weapons, AT Launchers and spares make them look mean and war ready.
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Today they are called the Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV); these are a high-speed, lightlyarmored sandrail-like vehicle first used in combat during the Gulf War in 1991.
J OINT S PECIAL O PERATIONS C OMMAND This organization and website is in no way affiliated with the United States Military or any Government entity. It is for recreation and simulation only.
E-mail: z3us0lympus@comcast.net
Our organization attempts to replicate the various military units for recreational and simulation purposes only. This organization and website is in no way affiliated with the United States Military or any Government entity. We use ArmA 2 the latest military simulation game for PC DVD-ROM from Bohemia Interactive. ArmA 2 is set in the near future, in a fictional post soviet country called Chernarus. Players will be sent as members of a United States Military to this country and others to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure ongoing stability there. ArmA 2 is based on the latest generation technology, offering large–scale game world, authentic and extremely detailed modern units, weapons, vehicles and environments, challenging single player and vast array of multiplayer options. We supplement this game with community created add-ons to make it more fun and enjoyable. Our Mission
W E ARE ON THE WEB! W W W . J S O C - G A M E R . O RG
“Our mission is to provide the most realistic computer environment in which our membership can enjoy utilizing team work and military tactics to successfully complete Armed Assault and ArmA II game missions without those sessions being ruined by immature players.” Our Vision “Our organization’s vision is to be one of the most respected and well known Armed Assault and ArmA II units in the gaming community.”
"ONE TEAM, ONE MISSION" “
T HE N EED FOR S PEED (Continued from page 7)
Emery is working to make them fit within a MH-53 Pave Low or CH-53E Super Stallion. But at present the helicopters’ cargo holds are not quiet wide enough, we really hope that this problem with be resolved. Another feature Emery is working on is the ability to “Spawn” a base from one or either of the three man models in a mission and to be able to carry some cargo. There is only one problem I have discovered, and I don’t think there is a way to fix it. If you take a pretty good hit
or bounce in it, you can get injured or killed even and the FAV will be fine. So you have to be some what careful with it, maybe they could devise a “seatbelt” to help mitigate some of the damage. But let’s face it if you drive it over a cliff, you should be a pancake. Operator Cyco is going to head up the promotional video, if you can participate please contact him. The more we work with the development community the more we get to have our input consider during their creation. Well I’m off; I feel the need for speed!
Above is some in-game screen shots of Emery’s and Ruben Wolf’s Fast Attack Vehicles.