BOOTS, TRACKS, AND ROTORS
Operational Wargame System
Air Order of Battle, NATO, Warsaw Pact, and Neutral States 1980s
by
Peter Grining
Following is a long list of BTR aircraft and SAM equivalents.
Belgium
7 F-16 squadrons (FB)
1 Mirage 5BA squadron (attack)
1 Mirage 5BR squadron (recon)
2 Nike Hercules squadron (each strength: 18, forward deployed West Germany)
2 IHAWK battalion (strength: 18 each. Used by Army)
Canada
5 CF-18 squadrons (3 deployed plus 2 reinforcements)
Denmark
4 F-16 squadrons (FB): Eskadrille 723, 726, 727, 730
1 F 35 Draken squadron (Attack), updated avionics in early 1980s, 'as good
as F-16 in ground attack role'.
1 RF 35 Draken squadron (recon)
1 IHAWK battalion (strength: 36. Air Force)
France (1988)
3 Mirage 200C squadrons (fighter)
8 Mirage F1C squadrons (fighter)
3 Mirage IIIE squadrons (FB)
1 Mirage 5F squadrons (FB)
4 Jaguar squadrons (FB)
2 Mirage F1CR squadrons (recon)
1 Mirage IIIRD, F1CR squadron (recon)
3 HAWK regiments, 69 launchers operated by Army
Germany, West
4 F-4F Phantom squadrons (Fighters)
5 F-4F Phantom squadron (FB)
8 Tornado squadrons (attack)
4 RF-4E Phantom squadrons (recon)
7 Alpha Jet squadron (attack, roled as CAS)
3 Nike Hercules battalion (4 batteries; BN strength: 32)
9 HAWK battalion (4 battery; BN strength: 24)
4 Tornado squadrons (strength 26, used by Navy for land attack and
anti-shipping)
Luxembourg
18 E-3A (delivered 1982 - 1985)
Netherlands
7 F-16 squadrons (FB):
1 NF-5A squadron (FB):
1 F-16 squadron (recon):
8 HAWK 'firing units' (Air Base defence)
4 Nike-Hercules squadrons
9 HAWK battery (5 forward deployed in West Germany; battery strength: 6)
United Kingdom (RAFG)
2 Phantom squadrons (roled as fighter in 1980s, were FB and some as recon in
1970s)
7 Tornado Squadrons (attack)
2 Harrier Squadrons (attack)
1 Jaguar squadron (recon)
RAF (UK)
2 Tornado (attack): nuclear attack and probably reinforcements
2 Buccaneer (attack): ASM and laser guided bombs
1 Harrier (attack) either UKMF in Denmark or AMF(L) in Norway or southern
flank
1 Jaguar (attack) as Harrier above
7 Phantom (fighter) to Tornado F.3 1987-1990
2 Shackleton AEW (8 aircraft, AEW: xx)
2 Tornado F.3 (fighter)
United Kingdom (RAFG)
2 Phantom squadrons (roled as fighter in 1980s, were FB and some as recon in
1970s)
7 Tornado GR.1 Squadrons (attack)
2 Harrier GR.3 Squadrons (attack).
1 Jaguar squadron (recon)
RAF (UK)
2 Tornado (attack): nuclear attack and probably reinforcements
2 Buccaneer (attack): ASM and laser guided bombs
1 Harrier GR.3 (attack) either UKMF in Denmark or AMF(L) in Norway or
southern flank
1 Jaguar (attack) as Harrier above
7 Phantom (fighter) to Tornado F.3 1986-1990 (1 every 6 months), 5 defend
UK, 2 declared to SACLANT
2 Shackleton AEW (8 aircraft, AEW: xx)
2 Tornado F.3 (fighter)
Harrier GR.5 were different aircraft with increased range and payload
(variant AV-8B). The first squadron didn't re-equip till 1988/89.
Tornado GR.1 were dumb bombs only during the 1980s. ALARM miissiles, GR.1A
recon versions, laser designators, etc were all early 1990s, although all
appeared in limited numbers during the 1991 Gulf War.
I think a further Buccaneer squadron would have formed in wartime, from the
OCU. These would deploy forward and provide laser designation for NATO
aircraft.
USAFE
3th Air Force (UK)
4 squadrons F-111F (Pave Tack laser designator/FLIR)
3 squadrons F-111E (dumb weapons only)
1 squadron EF-111A (Jammers)
6 squadrons A-10A (attack, to deploy to Germany)
1 squadron RF-4C
1 squadron TR-1A/U-2R
16th Air Force (Spain, handles Southern regions including Turkey, Greece and
Italy)
3 squadrons F-16C (Spain), 2 deploy forward to Turkey
17th Air Force (West Germany)
4 squadrons F-15C (fighter)
5 squadrons F-16C (fighter/bomber)
3 squadrons F-4G/F-16C (SEAD)
1 squadron RF-4C (recon)
1 detachment EC-130H (C&C warfare, communications jammers)
Plus lots of reinforcements from US
Norway
1 squadron F-15C
1 squadron A-10A
1 squadron F-16A (ANG)
2 squadron F-4D (ANG)
1 squadron A-10 (Reserve)
Denmark
1 squadron F-15C
1 squadron A-10A
Greece
1 squadron F-16C
Italy
2 squadrons F-16A
2 squadrons F-16C
1 squadron A-10A
Turkey
2 squadrons F-16A
1 squadron F-4E (ANG)
4 squadrons A-7 (ANG)
1 squadron A-10 (ANG)
1 squadron RF-4C (ANG)
1 squadron F-4D (Reserve)
West Germany
2 squadrons F-16A
3 squadrons F-16C
5 squadrons F-15C
1 squadron F-16A (ANG)
1 squadron F-4E(ANG)
3 squadrons A-10 (ANG)
1 squadron F-4D (Reserve)
1 squadron A-10 (Reserve)
UK
2 squadrons F-4E, 1 squadron F-15E (1988/89) for precision attack
1 squadron F-4E(ANG)
4 squadrons A-7 (ANG)
2 squadrons RF-4C (ANG)
1 squadron F-4D (Reserve)
Czechoslovak
1 MiG-29 squadron (fighter), from 1989
2 MiG-23 squadron (fighter)
5 MiG-21 squadron (fighter)
1 Su-25 regiment (35, attack)
3 MiG-21 regiments (FB)
1 MiG-23BN regiment (attack)
1 Su-22M regiment (attack)
1 Su-22 regiment (recon)
259 SA-2/3
Germany, East
4 MiG-21 regiments (fighters)
1 MiG-23 regiments (fighters)
1 MiG-21/MiG-29 regiment (fighters). MiG-29 from 1988
1 MiG-23BN regiment (attack)
1 Su-22M-4 regiment (attack)
2 MiG-21R squadrons (recon)
2 Mixed helo wings: Mi-8, Mi-24
7 SAM regiments (2 SA-2, 2 SA-3, ?)
2 Scud Brigades
4 FROG Brigades
Poland
One MiG-21 regiment started to re-equip with MiG-29 in June 1989
8 MiG-21 regiments
1 MiG-23 regiment (was MiG-21 before re-equipping with MiG-23MF 1981 to
1986)
5 SAM Brigades (500 SA-2 and SA-3)
1-2 Su-7 regiment (attack)
5 Su-22 regiment (FB)
1 Su-20 regiment (attack/recon)
1 MiG-21R regiment (recon)
2 Combat helo regiments (Mi-24 Hind D/E)
4 Scud Brigades
8 FROG Brigades
Soviet Forces in WP countries
Czechoslovakia
1 MiG-23 regiment (fighter, strength 45)
1 MiG-27 regiment (attack, sterngth: 30)
2 Su-22 regiment (attack), 1 to MiG-27 in late 1980s
5 Mixed Combat helo regiment
East Germany
1 MiG-23 Regiment (fighter)
8 MiG-29 Regiments (fighter)
4 MiG-27 regiments (attack)
2 Su-22 regiments (attack)
2 Su-24 Regiments (attack)
2 Su-25 Regiments (strength: 34, attack)
MiG-25R regiment (strength: 24, recon)
Su-27 regiment (strength: 30, recon)
Su-24MR regiment (strength: 24, recon)
Su-24MP squadron (strength: 10, ECM)
MiG-25BM squadron (strength: 12, SEAD)
WAPJ 8, 9, 20, 21
Hungary
3 Regiments MiG-29 (fighter)
2 regiments MiG-27 (attack)
1 Su-24 regiment (attack)
Yak-28 -> Su-24MP squadron (ECM)
Su-24MR Squadron (recon)
Su-17 suqadron (recon)
Poland
2 Su-27 regiment (strength: 30)
2 MiG-23 regiment (fighter)
1 MiG-29 regiment (fighter)
1 MiG-27 regiment (attack)
3 Su-24 Fencer regiment (attack)
1 MiG-25R squadron (recon)
1 MiG-21R/Su-24 squadron (recon)
1 Combat helo regiment with Mi-24V/P, Mi-17
+ 3 Su-24 regiments (attack) reinforcing from Ukraine
Reinforcements from 46th Strategic Air Army to Poland
7 Tu-16 regiments
2 Tu-22R regiments (recon)
2 Tu-22M Backfire regiments
3 recce/ECM regiments with Su-24, MiG-25, Yak-28
Non-aligned Air Forces:
Albania
1 Squadron F-5 (MiG-17SF), Strength: 15
1 Squadron F-6 (MiG-19), Strength: 25
1 Squadron F-7 (MiG-21F), Strength: 20
3 Squadron F-4 (MiG-15), Strength: 12, (attack)
4 CSA-1 (SA-2 Guideline) batteries, strength 6 each
Austria
2 squadrons Saab J35O Draken, strength: 12 each
Finland
1 squadron MiG-21bis, Strength: 14
2 squadron J35 Draken, Strength: 15
3 squadron Hawk Mk 51, strength: 12 (attack, light fighter)
1 squadron Hawk Mk 51, strength: 8 (recon)
Sweden
8 squadron JA 37 Viggen, strength: 16 (fighters)
3 squadron J35J Draken, strength: 22 (fighters)
2 squadrons SF 37 Viggen, strength 12 (recon)
1 squadron SH 37 Viggen, stength 24 (maritime recon)
6 squadrons AJ 37 Viggen, strength 12 (attack)
3 squadrons Sk 60B, strength: xx (light attack in wartime)
Some IHAWK SAM
Switzerland
6 squadrons F-5E. strength: 12 (fighter)
2 squadrons Mirage IIIS, strength: 12 (fighter)
8 squadrons Hunter F.58, strength: 12 (attack), updated with RWR, decoys in
1980s. 3 squadrons have Maverick missiles
1 squadron Mirage IIRS, strength: 12 (recon)
1 regiment of 2 battalions of 4 batteries of Bloodhound SAM (each strength:
8 each; 64 total)
Yugoslavia
7 squadrons MiG-21, strength: 12 (fighter)
1 squadron MiG-29 (fighter), late 1980s
4 squadrons J-1 Jastreb (attack), strength: 12. Straight wing subsonic
attack
1 regiment J-22 Orao 2 (attack), Jaguar-lite, strength; 50
1 squadron J-22 Orao 1 (recon), strength: 25
1 squadron RJ-1 Jastreb (recon), strength: 20
1 squadron MIG-21R (recon)
8 SA-2 battalion
6 SA-3 battalion
?? SA-6 battalion
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Wargame Rules, Variants, and Orders of Battle
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“War is a series of
catastrophes which result in victory.”
Georges Clemenceau