Tropic Storm Division #5 - 3ª Divisão de Exército

Bem-vindo, commanders!

Another week, another DevBlog, and once again, we’ll present to you a WARNO - Tropic Storm division preview. In today’s post, a new nation gets its chance to shine: the Brazilian and Western-aligned 3ª Divisão de Exército or 3rd Army Division.

Para a frente!

Brazillian Military History

Before we continue, a little bit about the Forças Armadas Brasileiras, or Brazilian Armed Forces of the late 1980s. With a long military history, from the first Empire of Brazil to participating in World War II, the Brazilian Armed Forces were well funded and equipped during the Cold War.

Brazil, as a nation, experienced frequent military-led juntas and dictatorships. For most of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, it was under prolonged military control following a coup d'état in 1964 that ended the so-called Fourth Republic. During this period, Brazil had five military presidents, with the army playing a fundamental role. While economic reforms led to prosperity in the early stages, including the re-equipment of the Brazilian Armed Forces, by the 1980s, Brazil was mired in a severe economic crisis.

While the beginning of the dictatorship saw the Brazilian Army focused on a counter-insurgency role, this changed in later years. The defeat of Argentina in the Falklands War shocked Brazil, and they fast-tracked new equipment for a potential conflict with a near-peer or even a foe military and economically superior to Brazil.

Interestingly so, during the successive presidents, relations with the United States and the Western Bloc went from very tight to cooling significantly. This remained, even into the 1980s, and into Brazil’s democratic rule, but with WARNO - Tropic Storm’s road to war, ties between Brazil and the United States encountered a significant change of fortune.

Brazil finds itself drawn into the mounting global conflict in WARNO’s late 1980s. The country watches with alarm as Soviet and Cuban-supported revolutionary movements expand the communist influence across the continent. They see it as a direct threat to stability. When Venezuela becomes “red”, and the US creates a new regional alliance, the Brazilians join in.

Brazillian Military Industry

During the Cold War, and after investments in the 1970s, Brazil developed a flourishing military and armaments industry, led by the defense company Engesa. Its “star” products were the EE-9 Cascavel armored car and the EE-11 Urutu APC, as well as MLRS, military trucks, and even tank upgrades.

International arms trade slowed by the mid-1980s, largely due to the Soviet Perestroika. Disaster struck for Engesa in 1989 with the end of the Iran-Iraq War (its best clients, stressing the plural as the company equipped both sides). Barely a year later, Engesa filed for bankruptcy, and with it, plentiful projects, including main battle tanks, died with it.

Of course, in our alternative timeline, things turn out a little bit different. As part of the new regional alliance against a “red” Venezuela, Brazil sends one of its most capable divisions, the 3ª Divisão de Exército, as an expeditionary campaign to serve under unified Western command.

The Brazilian 3ª Divisão de Exército History

The 3ª Divisão de Exército traces its origins to 1908 and the brigade command established around Santa Maria, a strategic railway hub connecting Brazil’s southern frontier with the nation’s vast interior. Through numerous reorganizations, the original formation evolved into the 3rd Infantry Division after World War II before officially becoming the 3rd Army Division, or 3ª Divisão de Exército during the latest rounds of reforms in the 1970s.

In 1979, it received the honorary title of Divisão Encouraçada, or Armored Division, reflecting its growing concentration of armored and mechanized troops. By the late Cold War, the division represented the spearhead of Brazil’s conventional land power and one of the strongest armored formations in South America.

On the battlefield, the 3ª Divisão de Exército in the late 1980s was a highly mobile mechanized division, though lacking the heavy armor of contemporary American or Soviet formations. Instead, it relies on excellent recon assets, versatile infantry, powerful rocket artillery, and numerous domestically produced combat vehicles.

The 3ª Divisão de Exército in WARNO

How will the 3ª Divisão de Exército be featured in WARNO - Tropic Storm? New units are both italic and bolded. As always, the following is still work in progress and subject to change.

LOG
An average category. The Brazilian 3ª Divisão de Exército relies on a surprisingly mobile logistic arm, built up around domestically made armored vehicles and trucks, but lacking supply and command helicopters.

• Command units include the wheeled EE-11 URUTU LÍDER and tracked M113BR LÍDER command APC, with both being amphibious and capable of following mechanized formations across difficult terrain. More economical to deploy is the venerable M-38A1 LÍDER jeep.
• Supply fails to the civilian-derived light VTE SUPRIMENTO, medium LA-1111 SUPRIMENTO and heavy MB-1519 MAMUTE SUP. trucks. The VTE, which we will encounter in many forms and variants, is the Brazilian license-produced variant of the Willys Rural F-85 light truck.
• And of course a FOB or PONTO DE ABASTECIMENTO.

INF
A very good category.

• The backbone of the division is formed of:
  • FUZILEIROS, which are 9-man mechanized infantry squads armed with 7x FAL battle rifles, 2x FAP automatic rifles, and an M20 Super Bazooka. They can deploy in an VTE truck or M113BR. This Brazilian variant of the venerable M113 differs from its American origins by its bowl-shaped MG turret.
  • Battlefield leadership is provided by the 6-man FUZILEIROS LÍDER squad, equipped with 5x FAL rifles, a MAG machine gun, plus Smoke grenades.
  • Fire support comes in the form of the 9-man GRUPO DE APOIO, carrying two MAG MGs plus a M18 recoilless rifle.
  • Since the Exército Brasileiro, or Brazilian Army, depended on conscription, the division has access to large 10-man RESERVISTAS squads. These come armed with 2x Uru SMGs, 8x FAL battle rifles, plus M9 Bazookas.

• A range of combat engineers can be found in the division’s ranks:
  • The regular ENGENHARIA DE COMBATE squads consist of 9 men armed with 8x FAL rifles, 1x FAP automatic rifle, and Satchel charges.
  • Specialized ENG. DE COMBATE (LCT1) with 8x Uru SMGs and 1x LC-T1-M1 flamethrower can also deploy. Featured as well are ENG. DE COMBATE (M4), which are 5-strong fire teams with 5x Uru SMGs and Satchels, but mounted in the unique M4 VBE, a World War II-era Sherman-turned-APC, lacking a turret but coming with a dozer blade.
  • Lastly, the ENG. DE COMBATE LÍDER are leader squads with 4x Uru SMGs and Smoke grenades.
  • All of the above squads (except for the M4 variant) can deploy in VTE trucks.

• Elite infantry come in the form of 10-man COMANDOS. These are equipped with 3x MP5A3 submachine guns, 5x MD-2 assault rifles, 1x MAG medium machine gun, and an LC-T1-M1 flamethrower, coming with the Special Forces and Shock traits. These troops can deploy in either a VTE or a HM-1 PANTERA helicopter, the Brazilian variant of the French Eurocopter AS565 Panther.
  
• Rear-area security falls to the 4-man POLÍCIA MILITAR squads. Armed with the Military Police trait and 4x Uru submachine guns, they come in either unarmed VTE PE, or armed M8 POLÍCIA MILITAR armored cars, the latter being a World War II-era M8 Greyhound. Both transport options will also come with the Military Police trait.
  
• The Brazilian Armed Forces did not feature an ATGM in their arsenal in the late 1980s timeframe. Their sole ranged anti-tank weapon was the CSR M40A1 recoilless rifle. However, they had been partners since 1985 in the development of the Brazilian-Italian MSS-1.2 AC ATGM, which was frozen for over a decade due to Engesa’s bankruptcy. Surprise, this didn’t happen in WARNO’s world, and thus we have “Marched to War” these MILAN-class missiles.

ART
A pretty good category with Brazil showing its domestic expertise in MRLS units specifically.

• Mortars come in all shapes and sizes, including MORT. MÉDIO M29 81mm, MORT. PESADO M30 107mm, and MORT. PESADO RT61 120mm, all towed by VTE transports.
• The usual array of howitzers can also be deployed, such as the M101 AR 105mm and M114A2 AR 155mm artillery, towed respectively by the MB-1519 MAMUTE and LA-1111 trucks, supplemented by the self-propelled VBCOAP M-108 SPG (already featured in WARNO with Belgium and Spain).
• The Brazilian armaments industry was especially prolific in the development of multiple rocket launchers. These are:
  • The 108-R 108mm, which is a light 16-tube towed MLRS, brought to the battlefield by a VTE. This artillery unit also comes in a self-propelled variant, as the VTE FV-108-R.
  • The centerpiece is undoubtedly the long-range ASTROS II unit. This one is available in both ASTROS II [HE], with 32x 127mm rockets, or the ASTROS II [CLU], with 4x 300mm cluster warhead-equipped rockets.

TANK
A good category. Unlike NATO heavy armored formations, the 3ª Divisão de Exército relies on mobility and domestic modernization programs of older armored vehicles. It has tanks … but mostly light ones!

• Fire support and cavalry screening duties fall on the wheeled EE-9M4 CASCAVEL. This is the same unit as seen with WARNO - Tropic Storm’s Colombia and opposing Venezuela.
• The bulk of the division’s armored force is made up of the M41C CAXIAS, a heavily modernized World War II-era Walker Bulldog fitted with a more powerful engine and upgraded armament. It comes in vanilla and M41C CAXIAS LÍDER variant.
• With only a handful of prototypes built and tested before the fall of Engesa, we have “Marched to War” two cards of the MB-3 TAMOYO tank. This was a comprehensive Brazilian upgrade of the M41 platform, going even further in featuring a genuine main battle tank capacity, close in performance to the latest variant of the West German Leopard 1.
• Long-range anti-tank capability is provided by the M38A1 MSS, a missile carrier mounting the MSS-1.2 ATGM.

REC
A very good category, being one of the division’s strongest.

• Foot-based scouting is performed by:
  • The 2-man CAÇADORES team, with their DMR FAL and Kar 98K ZF sniper rifle. They come in VTE, the specific recon VTE M2HB variant, or the HM-1 PANTERA helicopter.
  • The PATRULHA 4-man teams are equipped with FAL rifles and an FAP automatic rifle, and deploy in the same transport options as above.
  • EXPLORADORES are 9-man cavalry-style recon squads, with 7x FAL, 2x FAP and a M20 Super Bazooka. They come in VTE recon EE-11 URUTU CAB. and the M113BR CAB., the latter in ACAV mode with a recoilless rifle mounted.
  • The division also fields the elite PELOPES 10-man patrols with the Mountaineer and Shock traits. These soldiers are armed with 7x FAL rifles, 2x Madsen machine guns (yes, those antique pre-World War II Danish LMGs, used by Brazil well into the 2000s), 1x DMR FAL, and a Carl Gustav M2 launcher.

• Vehicle recon units include:
  • The EE-9M3 CASCAVEL, a slightly less capable recon variant lacking a laser range-finder.
  • The MB-1 PIONEIRO and MB-2 CARCARÁ recon tanks, both domestic upgrades of the venerable M3 Stuart. The former sports a 90mm HEAT low-pressure gun, while the latter, a more extensive upgrade, is armed with the much better CASCAVEL-mounted tank gun.

• Aerial recon is performed by:
  • The unarmed HA-1 ESQUILO helicopter (French Ecureuil in Brazilian service), plus the rocket-armed HA-1 ESQUILO (RKT).
  • And the well-known AT-27 TUCANO [RKT] Brazilian-made turboprop trainer aircraft converted to light strike fighter or, as featured here in WARNO, in a battlefield surveillance role.

AA
Average, with most of the divisional air defenses being gun-based.

• The mainstay is the C-40 AAe FILA, an upgraded Bofors L70 quite similar in performance to the one fielded by the Dutch.
• A few upgraded C-40 AAe BOFI-R offer excellent performance against helicopters and low-flying aircraft. Both of these units are towed by the MB-1519 MAMUTE.
• Mobile close-range protection is provided by the truck-mounted LA-1111 MAXSON with its quad .50 machine guns.
• The only long-range air defense is the VBC L MSL MARDER, being a MARDER ROLAND 2. These were bought in one-digit number by the Brazilians for testing purposes, providing some SAM defenses against more modern aircraft.

HEL
No helicopters were featured by the division!

AIR
The Força Aérea Brasileira or Brazilian Air Force delivers one of the most varied air categories among non-European nations.

• Air superiority missions are flown by:
  • AT-F-5E [AA] (which is a F-5E Tiger II) fighter with twin 20mm guns and 2x AIM-9B missiles.
  • The F-103E (which is a Mirage III) with twin 30mm, one R530 missile as well as 2x AIM-9B missiles short-range missiles.
  • A latter upgrade of the above aircraft is the F-103E MOD with R550 Magic II replacing the AIM-9B missiles.

• Ground attack duties are handled by:
  • The AT-27 TUCANO [HE/NPLM] with 2x Cassino 181kg napalm and 2x BFA-230 227kg HE bombs.
  • Another trainer turned CAS, is the AT-26 XAVANTE which comes in [HE], with 4x BFA-230 bombs, [CLU] with 4x BLG-252 250kg cluster bombs, and [NPLM] with 4x BINC-300 250kg incendiary bombs.
  • The AT-F-5E is also featured in a [HE] loadout.

• Brazil also gets its own Electronic Warfare planes in the form of the AT-F-5E PAMPA NEGRO.
• Brazil’s coolest plane is the excellent multirole A-1A, another joint Brazilian-Italian venture (Ghibli in Italian service), which was just entering service in 1989. This plane gets 40% ECM and carries two BFA-920 925kg bombs and two AIM-9B missiles.

The Brazilian 3ª Divisão de Exército is fast, flexible, and built around several excellent domestic-made units. This particular division plays well in recon and maneuver warfare, with plentiful artillery support.

WARNO - Tropic Storm in Brief

WARNO - Tropic Storm will give you access to 6 new divisions from this brand-new theater of operations, including 4 new nations, and a host of new units, models, weapons, new terrain sets, and maps, and more. And equally important: it will contain 1 new Army General campaign. More details will come in the coming weeks.

Check out all the previews for WARNO - Tropic Storm divisions below:

• First up is the Western-aligned U.S. 4th Marine Division earmarked for the Cuban invasion. Check out all the details in this preview here.
• The Communist-aligned Cuban 1a División de Tanques gets its place in the tropical sun in this detailed preview.
• The combined U.S.-Colombian division 7th Infantry Division (Light) also contains a hefty covert CIA contingent. Read more about it in this DevBlog here.
• The “red” Venezuelan IV División de Infantería receives its preview in this dedicated DevBlog.

Until Next Time

We’ll return next week with the last WARNO - Tropic Storm divisional preview.

Don’t forget to check out the ever-awesome WARNO community. Find the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commanders.