Hello there!
Welcome to the very first NORTHAG-themed DevBlog. That’s right, for the next couple of weeks, we’ll be detailing all the fun stuff in the upcoming major expansion for WARNO.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978620/WARNO__NORTHAG/
First up will be the new Divisions, a whopping 10 new battlegroups we’ll preview to your heart’s content. In future DevBlogs, we’ll also go deep with the 2 new Army General campaigns, the 4 new Operations, and 4 new maps.
Due to the volume of DevBlogs, and to not make each individual not too big, we’ve decided to split them up. This means that for the time being, we’ll be featuring two DevBlogs each week!
With that out of the way, let’s welcome to the stage the very first NATO division, the Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie or 16th Armored Division.
The Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie
The Belgians are not a complete newcomer in WARNO, having been featured both in the base game’s Army General campaign and represented in an existing NATO battlegroup, the West German 2. Panzergrenadier Division.
Let’s go back a bit in history. After World War II, the Belgian armed forces were in shambles. Joining NATO as one of its founding members in 1948, the Belgians (teaming with buddy Luxembourg) managed to provide United Nations fighting in the Korean War with an infantry battalion in 1950. The next year, it established the I (BE) Corps for deployment in West Germany. This corps was made up of two active divisions: 1er Division d'Infanterie and 16de Pantserdivisie. As you can already tell, the bilingual approach to naming its divisions (French and Dutch) stems from two different regions and languages in the country (Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia). Despite their names, both were actually mechanized infantry formations.
(all the cartoons are from Belgian artist Jean-Paul Van Den Broeck's postacards collection about the Cold War Belgian armed forces in Germany, which were very popular at the time)
During the Cold War, Belgium’s commitment to NATO never faltered, though the number of troops on German soil was gradually reduced. Only two active brigades from the 16e Pantserdivisie plus three recon battalions remained by 1989. These would be among the first to see action in our alternative World War III scenario.
The Belgian contingent was regarded as one of the weakest of the NATO forces deployed in West Germany. British NORTHAG command kept at least one armored brigade from the 3rd Armoured Division close by as reinforcements (as depicted in our Army General campaigns). One of the reasons for this perceived weakness was the quality and age of its equipment. The Belgian Army entered the 1980s with materiel dating back from the 1960s (if not from before): M75 and AMX-13 VCI APCs, early Leopard 1(BE), WW2-era M1 8-inch howitzers, M108 self-propelled guns, etc. Not all was dire, however, as Belgian governments had finally acquiesced to investments in new equipment, leading to a partial modernization by the 1980s with new units such as the F-16, AIFV, Mistral, and Gepard.
The 16e Pantserdivisie Detailed
While not all issues were solved, the mix of old weapons and brand-new stuff gives the Belgian Army’s division its special identity. Let’s take a closer look at some of the toys available to the 16e Pantserdivisie.
By the end of the 1980s, Belgian mechanized infantry rode into battle on the shiny new AIFV family of APCs and IFVs. This particular vehicle is a major armor and firepower upgrade of the venerable M113. While not accepted into service by the US Army (favoring the Bradley), the AIFV did find purchase in Belgian and Dutch armies. The AIFV is faster, sturdier, better armed, and equipped with smoke launchers while still retaining its amphibious ability. It can be considered a step up compared to most other APCs.
The AIFV comes in many different variants: command, APC with a .50 cal, and even an IFV version with MILAN or replacing the machine gun with a 25mm turret-mounted autocannon (a “poor man’s Bradley”).
Turning our attention to small arms, the Belgian foot soldier’s primary infantry weapon was the FN FNC, a FN FAL variant. This is - of course - the very successful Belgian battle rifle (aka “The Right Arm of the Free World”) produced under license by many other countries, including the UK (as the SLR), the Netherlands, etc. While Belgium’s own arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN Herstal) also designed the equally successful FN Minimi (the American M249), for a long time the Belgian Army couldn’t afford it and stuck with the earlier FALO (magazine-fed LMG variant of the FN FAL) and the heavier FN MAG (also a Belgian design!)
Some SMGs were used by combat engineers, military police, or territorial units. These were either the Uzi or domestic-made PM Vigneron. Squad anti-tank weapons are M72A1 LAW (an older version of the one currently in-game) or the RL-83 Blindicide itself, slightly better than the M72A3 LAW.
The 16e Pantserdivisie in WARNO - NORTHAG
So how does the Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie look like in WARNO?
LOG
- The logistical arm of this mechanized division will be pretty standard, following other NATO divisions of the same kind.
- This means the usual FOB and MAN Z311 medium and VOLVO N10 heavy supply trucks (the latter among NATO’s heaviest). No supply helicopter, though.
- Command vehicles include ILTIS PC jeep, SULTAN and AIFV-B-PC.
INF
- As mentioned before, most of the Belgian infantry, as MECH. FUSILIER will ride to battle in AIFVs. These soldiers are backed by Belgian RESERVISTES in M113 with the Disheartened trait, plus PIONEERS transportable in AMX-13 VCI. PREVOTE military police will also be available.
- Infantry support weapons include MAG 7,62mm and M2HB 12,7mm heavy machine gun, MILAN 1 and handful of MILAN 2 ATGMs teams.
ART
- Pretty average for the 16e Pantserdivisie. All the artillery guns available were embedded in brigades, meaning no centralized divisional heavy artillery.
- Units that you will be able to deploy are M252 81mm mortars, M30 107mm mortars, and M109A2 155mm self-propelled guns.
TANK
- Armored support will be in the form of LEOPARD 1(BE), which is an older variant of the venerable Leopard tank but with upgraded domestic-made optics and fire control systems. These tanks will fire at 2275m with good accuracy, though fragile in their armor disposition.
- Though not available in real life in 1989, we have “Marched to War”-advanced one single card of LEOPARD 1A5(BE), which was an upgrade in development at the time. This tank is the same “glass cannon,” being more accurate (especially on the move) and with 1+ AP courtesy of the SABCA 105mm ammo being developed.
- Anti-tank weaponry includes ILTIS MILAN, CRV(T) STRIKER, and the old JPK 90 which is nothing more than a West German-built Kanonenjagdpanzer. In Belgian service, this latter unit will be a regular unit (so non-reservist).
RECO
- The 16e Pantserdivisie wasn’t the sole Belgian unit in West Germany. Three “cavalry” regiments would have provided a forward screen behind which I (BE) Corps would deploy in case of war. This is why the division can count on a solid reconnaissance tab. Outside the British Army, the Belgians were the most prolific users of the CRV(T). So many of this vehicle family were present, in fact, that they could equip three recon regiments, several smaller recon units, and even give one airborne tank squadron to its commando regiment (plus a host of reserve formations to boot).
- Expect to see SCORPION and SCIMITAR recon tanks, plus SPARTAN recon APCs.
- ECLAIREURS squads you should already know from their inclusion in the West German 2. Panzergrenadier. The 16e Pantserdivisie can also count on ESR special forces, either as a 2-man sniper team or larger 6-man recon squads (the only Belgian squads equipped with the Minimi machine gun).
- Aerial recon is provided by the good ‘ol ALOUETTE II and a UAV in the form of the EPERVIER.
AA
- Anti-air defenses will be provided by M167A1 VULCAN 20mm Gatling guns and GEPARD B2, together with a handful of MISTRAL. Another unique unit is the converting of a MAN Z311 truck with M55 Maxson quad .50 heavy machine guns.
HELO
- In real life, the Royal Belgian Army did not have any dedicated attack helicopters. Actually, no real helicopters save for liaison duties, meaning the well-known and nimble ALOUETTE II. In 1987, the country ordered A.109 helicopters from Augusta, which, due to the widely reported embezzlement scandal, were only delivered in the early 1990s.
- As part of our two-year “March to War,” this account and corruption scandal will be swept under the rug for the time being, and as such, we have given Belgium a handful of cards of anti-tank A.109HA, as well as a few special forces transports. The division’s limited HELO slots will be very expensive, however.
AIR
- As already teased in the Bundeswehr’s 2. Panzergrenadier division, the Belgian Air Force will be a mix of MIRAGE 5BA in various close air support-loadouts (HE, napalm, rockets, cluster) and the F-16A in air superiority or bomb truck variant.
- One extra addition is the MIRAGE 5BA MIRSIP fighter upgrade (originally initiated in 1988 and delivered during the early 1990s).
The Luxembourg contignent
We saved the best for last. Much like the Korean War in the 1950s, Belgium wouldn’t go to war without its military powerhouse cousin Luxembourg! As a NATO founding member, despite being very petite, the small country always maintained troops ready for service. In 1989, it could muster a light infantry battalion, very recently and entirely (and lavishly) equipped with American materiel. This formation was very light as it was intended to be airmobile (even partially airdroppable). At least one company was permanently attached to NATO’s Ace Mobile Force for airborne deployment in Norway (that’s not for now, though). The rest of the battalion was to be subordinated to the I (BE) Corps.
This means that as part of the 16e Pantserdivisie, on top of the units previously described, you’ll get to play with:
- Luxembourg infantry will be dressed as the archetypal American soldier (save for shoulder patches and the occasional beret). Following the Belgian example, they will field FN FAL and MAG small arms and a few Carl Gustav recoilless rifles.
- What makes the Luxembourg units extra special is that they receive the Airborne trait (but no Shock or extra veterancy) with the Forward Deployment ability. This represents their very light footprint. The only exception is the artillery (which will be airliftable if you can source a helicopter heavy enough).
- The following units will be provided, none coming in more than one card each. These include: M1025 HUMVEE CP, ECLAIREURS with M1025 HUMVEE or recon M1025 HUMVEE M2HB, as well as M1025 HUMVEE TOW-2, M252 81mm mortar, M118 105mm howitzer, M2HB weapon teams, and FUSILIER squads in both command and regular variants.
The 16e Pantserdivisie will play as a strong mechanized infantry battlegroup, with powerful APC and IFV support, “glass cannon” tanks, mediocre supporting arms, and a sprinkling of helicopters. However, air will be potent and further backed by good recon, Luxembourg’s “fightin’ finest,” and Forward Deploy recon units.
NORTHAG Expansion In Short
In case you missed the news: WARNO - NORTHAG is the first major expansion coming to WARNO, and takes World War III to the North German Plains, where the attacking Warsaw Pact needs to overcome the staunch defenses of NATO’s NORTHAG. Under British command, Belgian, Dutch, West German, and American forces battle against the powerful northern formations of the Soviet Group of Forces in Germany, including East German and reinforcing Polish armies. The release is planned for later in 2024.
WARNO - NORTHAG will feature:
- 2 new Army General campaigns.
- 4 new Operations.
- 4 new Maps.
- 10 new Divisions.
- 3 new fully playable Nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
- New voice acting.
- New units and models.
Until Next Time
That’s all for this DevBlog. As mentioned earlier, we’ll be back later this week with a first look at the NORTHAG’s Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya or 25th Tank Division.
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See you on the battlefield, commander.