"ArmiesArmy - Cold War Airborne Forces" Topic

Hello!

Just a quick update on the new line of moderns Ive been discussing with a brief taster of whats to come!
First up into the firing line are the VDV Airborne (80's)

Here is a scale picture with the fabulous PeterPig

and you cant have a Soviet Airborne force with out some airdropped vehicles, so I also bring you along the BMD-1 in all its glory.

Ill be generating some better renders of the BMD-1 soon

Please send me ideas on what youd like to see in a platoon pack, weapons, equipment etc?

Options will be available for helmeted figures.

Thanks to the sculptors SirFjodin and Pierre. Top work!

Keith

ArmiesArmy

Looking great!

Wow! I'm more of an early Cold War guy myself, but I would be sorely tempted to get some VDV…

Looking extremely good!
Most plausable platoon equipment & weapons:

- Few poses with AKS-74
& Few rifle poses carrying RPG-18/22 in their back, maybe?
- Few NCO-types?
- One with AKS-74 w/GP-25 UGL
- One with RPG-16
- One with RPK-74 (no drum mag – just longer curved one, far far far more common!)

And maybe:
- One with PKM
- One with dragunov
- Medic (No idea how they worked/were distributed in VDV, though)
- Officer type
- Few "generic" guncrew types to be used with ATGMs, RRs or other heavier assets.

Oh, and plz, do not forget vehicle crews! Similiar clothing and padded tanker helmet will propably work, or then in overalls – officially tankers didint receive much of a personal weapons, but IIRC crews had at least one assault rifle or carbine available. So maybe one with AKSU-74, at least. Also, in war time configuration, or at least in VDV, I think it is highly likely that they would have at least pistols available, if not rifles or carbines.

Also, I might include BMD-1P option to the vehicle ("sagger-rail" replaced with pintle mounted AT-4/5 launcher – was approved by military in 1976, and started to appear roughly a year later) as the hull is later production model (it is having air intake grill in front). I have no idea in which point the grill appeared to production models – possibly in late 1970s.

Excellent news!

The trooper looks great, and the render of the BMD looks fine to me as well. Certainly good enough for invading Afghanistan, West Germany, or Denmark, or other countries.

Of course, we'll be wanting the ASU-85 as well.

Helmeted figs would be appreciated.

I heard a rumor that you may also be producing Cold War ski troops.

Would love to see some of those in snow suits, with appropriate weapons for the various countries, and perhaps some on skis and snowshoes too, for battles in Scandinavia, e.g. Soviets, Finns, Norwegians, Swiss, and UK and US Marines.

I suspect it might be possible to make generic ski suit figs, and then provide different weapons for them, so you can use one sculpt for a number of countries.

For the airborne and ski-troopers: firing weapons, advancing with weapons at the ready or leveled and firing suppressions bursts would be appreciated, prone and watching/firing, kneeling and firing, and a few casualties would be nice (dead, and the required dramatic just been shot, and falling dramatically pose would be nice).

Thanks all. Keep the ideas coming, really helpful,

Snow suits…..

They might be being worlked on to!

Armies,
Though this is really a nice sculpt I personally liked the earlier pictures of the miniatures you were working with more. They had more equipment hanging about. That gives the figure more color options when you paint the little feller up. Just my opinion.
I really look forward to this range when it comes out. So many new options for Post WWII gaming. This really is going to be a bang up year for us die hards.
Dennis

I second Dennis request for more gear on the models, but between these guys and the Swedes I might be set…

Cheers again

What gear in particular?

As no one has answeared, I took liberty to guess – they are propably referring to webbing, rucksacs etc.

My personal opnion:
I dont see that necessary. Of course "standard" webbing or BVD-load bearing vest is plausable, few things should be remember considering arctic enviroment:

First of all, both cold-weather afghanka and mabuta are extremely warm, but also quite clumsy when compared to light afghanka or earlier hebe.
Like most of the "hardcore" cold weather gears of the time, they weight quite a lot, and limit movement allready due to their "chubby" nature. When you try to make your way in 40cm of snow in -20C enviroment in such gear, it is hard enough without additional loads. Also, the service belt worn with the coat, is similiar pattern than used with webbing – you can directly attach all pockets to it, so if you add ammo pouch hanging into belt, it is correct, even without harness. Also, if the unit is equipped with vehicle, they have propably loaded everything else but the most necessary combat equipment into it. (Why? Because: )

Second, everything you bear on top of the warm cloathing, while struggling in snow, will create additional pressure towards the skin – and why this is bad thing? Cos you are wearing warm clothing, and making physical efforts, and even you are in cold enviroment, you start to sweat. Every piece of extra equipment beared slows down the fading of moisture, and sweat is "collected" on those areas covered by extra loads (straps, back of the backpack, etc) and stuff starts to come wet – definetly not good thing in arctic enviroment. I am sorry if my explain is hard to understand, but I assure that I did my best – it is not easy thing to explain in finnish either :D

Most plausable types/pieces of gear of VDV in early-to-mid-80s:

- Canvas RD-54 webbing system for paratroopers – used by VDV and certain naval infantry formations in 1980s. 1980s version in pictures: ra.spetsnaz.su/wiki/RD-54

- BVD-load bearing vest for airborn troops – depends really on era. It was scetched in early 1980s, but AFAIK it didnt go issue until in mid 1980s. Also, Ive hear it is quite impossible to perform parajump while wearing it, so either it was for heliborne or then it was meant to worn only in afghan theatre. Way or another, it became very popular, and quite likely saw every conflict from internal strugless of collapsing USSR to georgia 2008.

- Flakjackets – GRAU 6B2 (against shrapnels and low-velocity projectiles) and heavier 6B3 (against bullets), latter one coming to issue in 1984 – to note, even in the very end of afghan conflict, 6B2 was still more common than the expensive 6B3. Both types were used by VDV.
But especially with these I would like to point out problems I mentioned earlier – heavy, cumbersome, and wont let moisture thrue.

If someone else knows more/better, please correct me.

MaahisKuningas90

Really helpful thanks! :)

Definitely wont be overloading the troops

Yea, I don't see the need for them to be wearing a lot of kit either, since presumably in battle, especially with vehicles in support, most of that will be left in it.

So, seems to me they would wear gear to carry spare ammo mags, perhaps a canteen, and some other light survival equipment, but probably not much else.

Cheers Mako

I agree, canteen, knife and ammo pouches on the waist

Ta

Keith

I would say too that magpouch and AK-74 bayonett holster are the most likely ones, maybe grenade pouch and cantine too. Most likely these would been VDVs own types, but in afghanistan VDV used also army equipment in some scales (extra canteents, extra ammo pouches alongside their RD-54 etc), so it is possible that those could be seen instead of detached RD-54 systems pockets.

Oh! Allmost forgot – as VDV guys were special guys, they had own special canteen:
link

Handfull of other (maybe) usefull references:
picture (Left one is AK-47 pouch, right one being AKM&AK-74 pouch)

picture and link (Standard grenade beltpouch)

link (One of the bayonettes – cant say much about the exact bayonet type, but holster was same, can be seen in review pictures)

link (LMG-mag pouch, used with both RPK and RPK-74 – again, note additional pictures – this is more like a pack than a beltpouch)

picture (SVD-dragunov DMR/Snipers ammopouche – approximately same size than the standard AK-magpouch, just different configuration and pocket sizes)

Hope these helped!

Really helpful thanks!

excellent :)