4th S.F.G Unit Guide

Information about the 4th Special Forces Group unit in Arma 3. 'Nous Defions'- We Defy.

Details for the 4th Special Forces Group

The 4th Special Forces Group is a unit of international ArmA III players. Our missions are weighted towards Special Operation Forces and Special Missions Units from time periods from WW2, Vietnam and the Cold War until the modern day, running ALiVE dynamic campaign operations. We use ALiVE to bring a large amount of intelligent AI in a living war zone, having minimal frame impact.

We are mostly modelled after a US Army Special Forces 'Green Beret' ODA (Operational Detachment Alpha) CIF / CRF unit 'Nous Defions'. They are specialised teams within the Green Berets and it stands for Combatant Commanders In-extremis Force (CIF) Company or Crisis Response Forces (CRF). These units of Green Berets are a specially-trained and resourced element that is focused on Direct Action (DA) / Counter Terrorism (CT) missions. They do extra training for VIP protection, urban combat, direct action/explosive breaching and counter-terrorism missions. Maintaining Special Forces CRFs in each combatant command region provides an option for rapid response.

One of our goals is to keep realism at a level where it enhances immersion but does not take away from the game play, don't expect to be doing push ups and calling everyone sir, but instead expect intense combat, deep recon and entertaining ALiVE missions. In addition to Arma 3 we also play other tactical shooters like Insurgency, Ground Branch and Onward.

We play ArmA III primarily but our community is very close and plays a variety of other games, so if you're looking for a place to call home you're in the right place. We've been around for years and are always willing to train/welcome in new players.

If you want more information about the unit or wish to join, contact myself here-
https://steamcommunity.com/id/jarrad96/

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/4thSFG 'Nous Defions'

What is ALiVE, and how does it work?

What is ALiVE, and how does it work?

ALiVE Stands for Advanced Light Infantry Virtual Environment. In a nutshell ALiVE turns the mission into a living world where the enemy and friendly AI will carry out their own missions and tasks via their own free will to meet their own needs, wants and varying primary and secondary objectives with various levels of importance to the AI General depending on the location's strategic position within the wider campaign's whole map, full scale, dynamic persistent battlefield.

This can range from the enemy capturing an airfield to gain access to air power, shipping in supplies via vehicle convoys, to their high command and General organising QRF's (Quick Reaction Force) and invasion forces, ambushes, or vehicle borne assaults to re-take lost territory.

The General will act without any human interaction, creating a true living environment. The AI General relies on contact and radio reports from his ground forces on the map or civilian informants who have allied with the enemy, and he will consider some areas, for example military bases, crossroads of highways and major cities to be of higher importance, having better trained and equipped forces in those areas and mobilising Quick Reaction Forces's (QRF's) faster. It simulates command, combat support, air taskings, service support and logistics.

ALiVE also adds AI supports such as helicopter transport, air support, and mortars and artillery for both BLUFOR and OPFOR, as well as the ability to capture intelligence from enemies, talk to, give humanitarian aid like food and water or forcefully interrogate local citizens, and even the ability to coordinate with friendly troops during the campaign and assist with their objectives, or have them assist you in turn.

Liberating civilians from enemy control by preventing the enemies from establishing camps or a foothold in the area rewards players with information about passing patrols, enemy camp locations, IED and suicide bomber threats, or even, at higher levels of cooperation, having the allied population take up weapons and fight against the enemy alongside us. Conversely, killing civilians, angering them or destroying their homes will make the civilians side with the enemy and give them info, plant IED's, or join the insurgents.

We also have expanded ALiVE support with extra features like an undercover infiltration and intelligence gathering system, more detailed conversations and communication with the civilian population, while also adding more variety in IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) and VBIED's (Vehicle Borne IED's) over the original ALiVE variants.

ALIVE changes the whole dynamic of ArmA III and ensures that no mission will ever be the same.

ACE3 Medical System

For all our official or ALiVE ops, we use a realistic medical system called ACE3 that adds more detailed wounding and bandaging/ treatment mechanics to Arma 3. (This guide covers our heavily modified version, and is not the same as the default settings)

Absolute Basics-
To bind controls, us the Configure-Controls- Configure Addons menu. By default the controls are [Windows Key] for Other Interactions (not yourself, such as other people, vehicles and objects) and Control + [Windows Key] (for your own actions/self) respectively.
The menus allows you to treat people/yourself with medical needs, attach IR strobes and chemlights for identification, join/leave squads, use gestures, ect.

Medical Needs (For Infantry)-
BANDAGES-
Bandages are used on limbs to treat BLEEDING. You get shot, you bleed from any open wounds you have. You bleed too long, you can pass out or die from blood loss. Bleeding is shown by blood at the corners of the screen, pulsing- Faster pulsing, faster bleeding. Using the medical button, chose bandage type, and then click on the part that is wounded.

For general infantry Bandages are the most important aid item. You generally want to be carrying between 15 and 30 bandages for non-Medics.

MORPHINE-
A FLASHING WHITE pulse or BLURRING at the corners of the screen means you are in PAIN, faster flashing, more pain. Use a MORPHINE, in a RED syrette. It is recommended that you are in a safe place or have finished the gunfight before using one. Avoid using several morphine in a short period of time, as it may cause an overdose, making you pass out or possibly die. If you are in very minor pain, visible by very infrequent white flashes, it is possible to recover over time without using morphine.

Morphine is more important than Epi for non-Medics, you should be carrying between 5-10 syrettes as pain is common after wounds.

EPINEPHRINE-
Is used to increase heart rate, useful if someone has a lower heart rate due to Morphine use or if they have passed out and have been stabilised and are not waking up. Use this if you need to wake someone up faster who is suffering from minor injuries, but you can overdose and kill them if they take too many, so it's best to use one and then call for a medic if they don't wake up within about 30 seconds.
'Epi' is a YELLOW syrette.

Epi is less important than Morphine or bandages, but can be useful to have as an option in small numbers, say 4-8.

TOURNIQETS-
These are used to temporarily stop or slow down bleeding until the person can be properly treated, and if kept on for a long period of time can cause pain, so make sure to remove it once the wounds are bandaged. Because these are re-usable and worn on whole limbs, you only need a small number, usually 1-2 should be just fine, with 4 for medics so they can do all limbs if needed.

BLOOD-
Used on people suffering from severe blood loss, they will often be passed out. If someone has been fully treated but does not wake back up it is likely that he needs blood. As you lose blood the screen will become de-saturated and turn black and white- if you start to see this tell a medic.

If someone has passed out due to blood loss, stabilise any bleeding or wounds, and start CPR immediately if a shot of Epi or removing pain via Morphine fails. Blood comes in 3 sizes.

PERSONAL AID KITS-
Medics can use Personal Aid Kits can be used to heal already stabilised and non-bleeding people, and can be handy for fixing larger numbers of bandaged wounds or minor blood loss. Combine this with Blood bags for optimal healing effects, and bear in mind the number and severity of wounds increased PAK time. Non-Medics cannot use PAKS.

Non- Medical interactions include the ability to use handcuffs on civilians, to attach/ detach IR strobes and chemlights, and to form squads and colour code people, as well as an explosive system and rigging charges to detonators.

Combat Tips

BASIC COMBAT TIPS-
Arma is a much slower paced game than most, and a carefully planned and well executed action or operation can make a considerable difference to a mission's outcome. A team is in almost all situations better than an individual, even down to things as simple as weight- one man can only carry so much ammo for any particular weapon, while a larger team is more flexible. Take into considering your and your allies (be they friendly AI or other players) equipment, location, time of day and geography as well as possible enemy locations- if you are faced with having to do a direct assault down a valley with enemies on hill on either side you are not going to have a fun time.

While travelling in Arma, keep an eye and an ear out for possible enemies- if moving a long distance on foot take breaks to recover stamina to prevent weapon sway and fatigue, and going into a crouch or prone recovers stamina faster than standing, while also making you harder to spot by the enemy and giving you a better shooting stance. Try to cover several directions at once if possible.

Remember your stances and weapon resting- you are generally always more stable when shooting from a braced position, off a bipod, or when crouched or prone, and they also minimise your size to returning fire from the enemy- when prone the easiest part of your body to be hit is the head, so wearing a helmet can save your life. Similarly, try to keep some distance between yourself and allies in case of explosives like grenades, land mines and IED's, or RPG attacks.

When in a firefight you can tell the distance and accuracy of the incoming rounds based on the time difference between the crack and the shot, and it will only crack if the round is closer to you, as seen in this image. You can also tell the type of rounds with some practice, such as pistol rounds, rifle, heavy machinegun or even cannon and autocannons, and react accordingly to the level of threat they pose to you and any allies around.


ROOM CLEARING-
Try to get the best possible view inside the room or doorway before entering, moving from position 1 to position 2 (if alone) or as a pair- this is called 'slicing the pie' and is the easiest way to see into a room without exposing yourself by going inside.
When you breach the room as a pair, say if you are clearing left or right so you both don't cover the same side and can work together.

RADIOS
We use a mod for realistic radios, so here is a guide on what they look like and how to use them. You can bring the radio menu up with CONTROL P for infantry/personal radios. This is an ANPRC-152, our most common SR (Short Range) radio.


1. Previous Channel (Left Click) | Next Channel (Right Click)
2. Current Channel
3. Current Frequency
4. Clear Frequency
5. Enter Frequency
6. Next Channel
7. Previous Channel
8. Speakers
9. Set additional channels
10. Stereo settings

Team Leaders, JTACS and vehicles also have access to LR (Long Range) radios, which have much greater range than the infantry radios and are either attached to vehicles or carried as backpacks.

1. Current Channel
2. Current Frequency
3. Channel 1
4. Channel 2
5. Channel 3
6. Set Frquency
7. Channel 4
8. Channel 5
9. Channel 6
10. Set additional channel
11. Channel 7
12. Channel 8
13. Channel 9
14. Increase volume
15. Clear Frequency
16. Speakers
17. Stereo settings
18. Decrease volume

ALiVE Campaigns

KHE SAHN, VIETNAM
Following the outbreak of the conflict in Vietnam, US Army and CIA forces as part of the Military Assistance Commando, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG have been deployed in Khe Sahn Combat Base. Dominated by a long central river delta and mangroves through the ex-French colonial region, it is being used for the supply of Soviet and Chinese weapons and equipment and as such a range of North Vietnamese Army camps and bases have been set up in the jungles, with Viet Cong guerrillas and Cambodian civilians living in the bamboo hut villages.

It’s monsoon season at the moment, so heavy rainfall has swelled the water level in the delta and slicked the few existing dirt roads through the jungle which along the central river delta are being used to supply the Sihanouk Trail along the Kong River, which dominates the centre of this region. Support is limited, with most patrols being either on foot or mechanised in M113’s or Jeeps which may struggle to work effectively in the rough jungle and mountainous terrain. This new enemy supply route, as well as enemy caches, camps and Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army controlled areas in the region are our primary objective in this campaign.

Boats and helicopters as well as FOB based mortars and 155MM fire support, callsign HAMMER are available from the FOB, with the airfield providing support from McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, a heavy twin-seater fighter-bomber for Cold War era campaigns, heavily used during the Vietnam War and sporting a wide selection of pylon loadouts.
Faction Intelligence-
The OPFOR in this campaign are a mix of Viet Cong Guerrilla fighters with irregular equipment, often in civilian clothing and acting predominantly as a light infantry and patrolling force, and the regular NVA, North Vietnamese Army, who have more standardised Tan or Green uniforms and limited but possible access to armoured vehicles and air support. The terrain is thick jungle down a central rolling river delta, so visibility is poor and most engagements outside of ricefields and other more open areas will be very close ranged. We will have allied support from US Marines.

FRANCE, 1944
August, 1944. The joint US-Commonwealth First Special Service Force has been deployed to secure an important riverine shipping valley in France with assistance from allied air support and the French Resistance in support of our commando raids before the main invasion force as part of Operation Dragoon lands in France. Opposing German forces include the 11th Panzer Division and Wehrmacht regulars. Bombing runs, naval guns and mortar supports are available.

KUJARI, AFRICA
A river delta in Central Africa, Kujari is a bordering Wilayat (District) in Mali during the outbreak of a civil war between Islamists and non-Islamist forces, and as a result has been brought into the ongoing conflict against Boko Haram, and their forces in the region. Kujari has only recently, since recon in 2013 by French Special Forces, been discovered to being used as a production and distribution hub for Boko Haram vehicles and the production of 'technicals' in a similar way to Deir ez-Zor or Raqqa, which due to being in stop-start combat since before 2011 as it’s been besieged for years by a range of factions has slowed production in these territories, making Kujari more important as a supply and production region, particularly in the more lush jungle river delta of the district, so we have been called in to assist them stabilising the region.

Our goal is to disrupt Boko Haram forces in the region, and high civilian hostility is likely, meaning there is greater chance of insurgent activities, meaning more IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) and VBIED/ car bombs as well as suicide bombers than other operations, but substantial ground and air supports are available. We are being supported by small elements from German forces as well as aircraft from 160th SOAR.

Enemy Intelligence-

Boko Haram are based around a large core of lightly equipped troops, with the most common weapon among the regular forces being the AKMS- because of the folding stock it is more compact for transport so it more common among the forces in the region because it's easier to smuggle into the country compared to a full stock AKM.

Full size AKM's, AK-74's, AKS-74U's and other weapons such as PKM's and RPG-7's are also used, and some weaponry taken from military forces after the defeat of Government forces, such as M16's and M4 rifles.
There is no standardisation of equipment, weapons or appearance among the regular forces.

Ex-military members of Haram or survivors from the Middle Eastern Islamic State campaigns form a specialist group within the faction. Many of them are veteran's of the wars in Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan, and are known to be better equipped and act more 'professional' than the main Haram cells.

The units in this part of the faction have greater access to better equipment such as ex-Russian or ex-US body armour, more modern AK rifles and AR platform rifles. They wear a mix of Woodland camo and some have mixes of other patterns or stolen Police and government equipment. Not all of them are of Middle Eastern or African ethnicity, some are European, to reflect their preference for foreign fighters.

Boko Haram are supported by a considerable amount of light vehicles- the war has seen much larger numbers of armoured vehicles, even main battle tanks like T-55's and T-72's, than most insurgencies. Boko Haram have access to both more common technicals and conventional armoured vehicles, but in small numbers.

ALiVE Campaigns, Part 2

LIVONIA, POLAND
Following a major earthquake, Livonia's small government police and military forces have been overthrown by a military Junta takeover with irregular forces striking from the depths of the Livonian forest regions assisting them, making them hard for allied NATO forces to hunt down. Additionally, CIA analysts and informants gathering intelligence have been captured by enemy forces and imprisoned, so rescuing them is a major priority. Undercover intelligence gathering and plainclothes resistance operations will be more important than other campaigns we have run before.

[AUDIO RECORDING START]
"Let no one question my patriotism. I have kept my promises to you, my soldiers. Together we have built a great nation.
But outside forces question my authority. They want to isolate us, cut us off from the rest of the world. How many of your wives and children go hungry from their embargos?
The UN has sent a courier to make their arrogant demands. Together we have built a great nation from the ashes of the old!
But before we can build... we must destroy. This is my answer to the demands of their UN!"
[GUNSHOTS, AUDIO RECORDING STOPS]

Faction Intelligence-
This localised Insurgency is backed by their Junta government forces. Both groups are working together, with the Junta being the better equipped force, but they are still predominantly infantry and light vehicles like technicals and APC's as well as some heavy armour and air support.

The Livonian Armed Forces and UN are the allied INDEP force. Civilian presence in Livonia is substantial, and the population is divided between those backing our resistance cell and the Insurgency. For support 155MM artillery, callsign HAMMER, is available but due to wishing to maintain a low profile we will not have access to many heavy vehicles, being reliant on technical and LSV's as well as CIA vehicle assets.

SAHRANI, ATLANTIC OCEAN
The Sahrani region is a divided ex-Italian colony in the Atlantic Ocean, and during the Cold War was split between a Western democratic South and a pro-Communist North. In late 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved and all ties to its former benefactor of North Sahrani were severed. Diplomatic relations with the South continued to remain unstable in spite of the Cold War's conclusion however, with tensions reaching its peak after NATO military forces were invited to establish bases in the island chain in Southern waters in an attempt to broker a more stable peace between the two nations.
The act seen as a highly provocative move and heavily criticised by the South. In spite of their objections the NATO deployment goes ahead regardless. Two years after the peacekeeping deployment starts, Northern Sahrani President Ramirez comes to power after a heart attack from the previous President, and on June 10th the Northern mobilised both it’s primary army and militia reserve to carry out its invasion of the South. Crossing the disputed border between the two countries, Northern troops easily overran disoriented Southern defenders and ragtag troops stationed along the border city of Corazol.

The Northern forces have since consolidated their forces within the former South Sahrani region, and have threatened NATO forces with missiles, claiming they have a tactical nuclear warhead and will fire at Southern civilian centres if NATO lands a major invasion force against them from their island bases off the coast, so we are being forward inserted to remove the nuclear threat before they can retaliate.

Artillery and air support are available, and HMS Proteus, a British Type 45 destroyer carrying ballistic missiles is your emergency asset in the event that the Northern forces do successfully fire a nuclear weapon.
Artillery and air support are available, and HMS Proteus, a British SSG submarine carrying ballistic missiles is your emergency asset in the event that the Northern forces do successfully fire a nuclear weapon.
The North Sahrani military is divided into two main groups, the Militia forces, who have civilian, guerrilla or mixed older weapons and equipment, such as AKM's, AK74SU's and partial camo or civilian clothes with little access to body armour, make up the bulk of Northern ground and infantry forces. Some veteran soldiers act as leaders for the Militia fighters, and they can be identified by their camo. The other group of forces is the standing Northern Army, who have greater access to semi-standardised M81 camo uniforms, ballistic body armour taken from the local military forces, and they have greater numbers of more modern weapons like the AK74.
They have better leadership and training compared to the Militia forces, and some of the troops have night-vision googles, meaning they are much more effective at night-fighting than the Militia, who have flashlights. The Sahrani Liberation Army have been known to purchase ex-Soviet bloc vehicles such as the BMP, T55/T72 and ZSU-23-2 Shilka’s, but the missile launchers should be your primary worry for this campaign. The majority of Northern forces speak Russian or English, with some of the higher ranks being ex-Soviet Army who are providing weapons, body armour and training to the regular forces.

COLOMBIA, Magdalena District, South America, 2006.
Following the interception of a United States Coast Guard Cutter, the USCGC Panache, on a disguised vessel smuggling weapons and drugs from the Colombian Medellín Cartel, The 4th Special Forces Group and a US Navy Task Force led by the USS Ranger (CV-61) have been deployed off the coast of the Magdalena District of Colombia to help stabilise the region after widespread unrest as an armed unit from FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, 32nd Front, have taken over the region and been aided and supported by the Medellín Cartel and used as muscle in an assault on the American Embassy there.

Your first priority is to establish an operating base in the region and then provide assistance in evacuating Western diplomats from the conflict zone before cutting off the flow of drugs, weapons and supplies between the two organisations in order to deny the enemy forces financial backing and break their hold on the region and remove the succession of increasingly incompetent thugs who took control of the region at gunpoint so they are no longer in charge before the Colombian elections in May.

You will be supported by the Naval task force, FA-18’s as well as a small 160th SOAR unit flying CH-53, MH-60 and MH/AH-9 Juliet helicopters.

Assault Rifles

Daniel Defence Mk18
Developed initially for U.S. special operations forces, the Mk18 is a 5.56 M4A1 carbine platform that has been heavily modified, cut down to be even shorter, with a similar size to a submachinegun but the power of a rifle.
Compared to the M4A1 it has a shorter 10.3 inch barrel, but the accuracy is comparable due to it's improved barrel and free-float rail system, which also makes it visually distinct from a regular M4A1, along with it often being painted a flat tan or tan/black mix. It is compatible with a shortened M203 grenade launcher.

Capacity- 30+1, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 10.3 Inch
Weight- 2.96KG

M4A1 Carbine
The carbine version of the M16 rifle, it has been in service for decades, starting way back in 1966 with the XM177E1, and the M4A1 is the modern development of the same weapon. It's very light weight and carbine length barrel make it handle well at close range, but it still retains some reach and usablity at longer range engagements. The M4A1 can also have a SBR version, which has a shorter 10.3 inch barrel, and served as the predecessor to the Mk18.

Capacity- 30+1, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 14.5 Inch (Standard) , 10.3 Inch (SBR)
Weight- 3.72KG

SCAR-L, also known as Mk16
Designed for US SOCOM as future combat rifles the SCAR-L (5.56, standard rifle) and SCAR-H (7.62, battle rifle or DMR) are both very similar weapons created to replace or serve alongside the M4A1 Carbine (SCAR-L) and M14 EBR/ M110. (SCAR-H)
Both rifles are adaptable, coming in CQC (short barrel for close range fighting and urban combat) STD (Standard length barrel) and an EGLM 40mm grenade launcher version.
In comparison to a M4A1 or Mk18, the SCAR-L has improved accuracy but is bulkier in size. It serves the role of a medium to longer range 5.56 assault rifle compared to the M4's and Mk18's.
The SCAR-L and SCAR-H can be distingished by the magazine- a larger, straight magazine is a 7.62 SCAR-H, while a curved magazine is the 5.56 SCAR-L.

Capacity- 30+1, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 10 Inch (CQC) , 14 inch (STD)
Weight- 3.64KG


HK416
Developed to improve upon the AR15/M16/M4 platform, the Heckler and Hoch HK416 was built for use by the US Army's "Delta Force" in 2004, and uses a short-stroke gas piston to improve reliablity compared to a standard M4A1 rifle, while sharing many of the M4A1's layout and similar appearance. The HK416 has since been adopted by multiple countries and special forces units. It comes in a CQC compact barrel version and a standard length barrel, and can mount a M203 grenade launcher.

Capacity- 30+1, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 10.4 Inch (CQC) , 14.5 (Standard)
Weight- 3.72KG

AKM
One of the most recognisable weapons ever, over 75 million AK47 style rifle have produced. The AKM is a lighter and simplified production version of the AK-47. This particular model is an AKM of European, stamped steel manufacture dating to the mid 1980's and has the AKM's distinctive slanted muzzle device. Famous for reliability, the AKM can be cleaned by just about anything- Bearing grease, lithium grease, motor oil, 80W 90 gear oil, even the blood and tears of unicorns. It fires the 7.62x39 Soviet round, which gives it substantial power at close and medium ranges, but is not as accurate or powerful at longer ranges compared to the 7.62x51 NATO round.

Capacity- 30+1, 7.62x39 Soviet
Barrel Length- 14.5 Inch
Weight- 5.9KG

AK-74
The AK-74 is a common 5.45 caliber AK, comparable to NATO's 5.54, having a lighter weight weapon and ammo as well as an improved ballistic arc at longer range compared to the heavier drop of the 7.62x39 caliber of the AK47 and AKM. Variants include both wooden and synthetic furniture.

Capacity- 30+1, 5,45 Soviet
Barrel Length- 16 Inch
Weight- 3KG

Marksman and Special Purpose Weapons

AAC Honey Badger
The 'Honey Badger' fires a special 300. Blackout round, originally designed to be used as a almost silent round for users in JSOC. It has the high power of the 7.62 round but with the advantage of a larger 30 round magazine, at the cost of unique ballistics due to the round's shape and power load.
The trade-off is that this weapon has greatly different ballistics, making optics with a BDC such as ACOG/ARCO/RCO's less effective, and the round loses alot of power at longer ranges- it is not recommended to use a 300. weapon at ranges greater than 250M-300M.

Serves in more specialist roles where weight and stealth is at a premium, such as recon and night inflitration or HVT assasination, where having good supressed firepower in a compact and lightweight size is required, and it is possible to close in to reach the short effective range of these weapons, when compared to normal rifles or carbines.

Capacity- 30+1, 300. Blackout
Barrel Length- Varies between 9 inch, 12.5 Inch, 16 Inch models
Weight- 3.08 KG
Recommended Attachments- The short range means that magnified or non-magnified red dots (examples are Aimpoint Micro x3's, Eotech G33 or XPS-3's) are very effective on the AAC, as ACOG style optics do not show the correct ballistics. The AAC was designed to be used supressed.

MP5 / MP5SD
The MP5 has become the iconic western submachine gun, with it's use being very widespread internationally. It's a very light and compact weapon, and when supressed is very effective, but the 9MM pistol round lacks velocity and accuracy at range, so it remains a specialist CQC or crewman/pilot weapon, with the 300. Blackout or compact 5.56 carbines being more useful for general close to medium range combat while still remaining lightweight.

Capacity- 30+1, 9MM
Barrel Length- Varies
Weight- 3.10 (Normal) or 3.40 (SD) KG

MP7A1
The HK MP7A1 is a PDW designed to give compact, easily controllable and armour-piercing capabilities to forces who need a light, handy and easily supressed weapon, and while originally designed for crews it has seen greater popularity in special forces groups such as the Navy SEALS, CIA Special Activities Division and German KSK/KSM. It lacks stopping power and range, but has a high rate of fire and is very light. It is available as both a primary and secondary weapon.

Capacity- 20 round flush fit, 40 round extended magazine, 4.6MM
Barrel length- 7 Inch
Weight- 1.8 KG

FN P90
A competitor to the MP7, the FN P90 is more suited to sustained combat, being a larger weapon using 50 round magazines of more powerful 5.7 ammunition compared to the MP7, but it is also heavier and has a slower rate of fire. Both the original P90, with the inbuilt red dot, and the P90TR, the railed model, are available.

Capacity- 50 rounds, 5.7MM
Barre Length- Varies
Weight- 2 KG

M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR)
The M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) is an improvement program for the M14 battle rifle, and replaces the wooden body with a light weight aluminium chassis, heavy match grade 18 inch barrel, as well as adds multiple M1913 Picatinny rails for mounting attachments. It first saw service with US Navy S.E.A.L.S in 2004, and was soon adopted in some form by the rest of US SOF, the Marine Corps and is also popular in the Australian SASR.

Capacity- 20+1, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length- 18 Inch
Weight- 5.62 KG

SCAR-H, Also known as Mk17
The SCAR-H was created for SOCOM alongside the SCAR-L version, taking the role of a versatile 7.62 NATO battle rifle or marksman rifle, and it's relatively light weight and good handling made it much more popular the the M14 EBR, as well as the modularity of the rifle for accepting CQC barrel lengths means that it is a full-power 7.62 rifle able to be used effectively at close range if needed, but still able to reach out to distant targets that a 5.56 rifle is unable to engage. In recent years (2010-2017) it has become a popular weapon among US Army Rangers in particular, as it's 13 or 16 inch chrome lined, cold-hammer forged and free float barrel give it great accuracy for it's size.

Capacity- 20+1, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length- 13 Inch for CQC Variant and GL, 16 Inch for STD Length.
Rifling- 1-12 Twist
Weight- 4KG (Standard model)

LAR-15/ DMR AR15/ Mk12 Mod 1 SPR
This rifle is a accurised full-length AR, and it works as a 5.56 mid-range DMR rifle, trading the increased accuracy and power of 7.62 NATO for lighter weight and being able to share magazines with other squad members. It is particularly well suited for urban fighting, where the fighting is close range but having a light weight, handy DMR rifle can be useful to cover from rooftops or down streets.

Capacity- 30+1, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 18 Inch
Weight- 4.5 KG


M110
Designed in 2008 as a 7.62MM marksman rifle to replace the older bolt-action M24 SWS, the M110 and SR-25 make rather light marksman/sharpshooter rifles in a caliber larger than 5.56 NATO. It fills a similar role to the M14, but with more attachment options.

Capacity- 20+1, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length- 20 Inch
Weight- 7 KG

M24 Sniper Weapon System
The M24 is an older 7.62 NATO caliber bolt-action rifle, a militarised version of the Remington 700 rifle. It has mostly been replaced in general use by the M24, but still sees some use in older scenarios and campaigns, or for people who prefer the slighty improved accuracy of a bolt action compared to a semi-automatic rifle.

Capacity- 5 rounds, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length-
Weight- 5.40 KG

M200 Intervention
Designed in the USA in 2001 the M200 Intervention fires the 408. CheyTac round, which was created as an anti-infantry and anti-sniper round for ranges up to 1800-2000 meters, competing with the 338. Lapua Magnum and 50. BMG rounds. One the advantages of the round is it's smaller size compared to counterparts such as 50. BMG means it has a larger 7 round magazine, but the weapon itself is incredibly heavy and bulky, and is not well suited for forces that are doing rapid movements, but is is very effective in static positions or long-range engagements compared to other sniper rifles.

Capacity- 7, 408. Cheyenne Tactical
Barrel Length- 29 Inch
Weight- 14 KG

M107
A powerful 50. caliber rifle, originally designed for Anti-materiel use, such as against targets behind cover, light vehicles and other supplies, it has since become a very common anti-infantry rifle as well.

Capacity -10+1 , 12.7 / 50. BMG
Barrel Length- 22 Inch
Weight- 12.27 KG

Autorifleman Weapons

M249 SAW
The general use LMG, SAW stands for 'Squad Automatic Weapon' and it has been in use by the US military since 1984, and a large 200 round box of 5.56 rounds makes it very well useful suited for suppression, and it's suppressive power and the amount of lead it can throw downrange add great value to a team or squad when in combat. The SAW can also feed 30 round STANAG 5.56 rounds in emergency situations.

Capacity- 100, 200, or 30, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 18.3 Inch
Weight- 9.7 KG

Mk46 Mod 1
The Mk46 Mod 0 and Mod 1 were a SOCOM sponsored improvement program for the M249 SAW, with the aim of reducing it's weight and adding more versatility to the weapon. It can mount lasers and flashlights, as well as having reduced weight compared to the normal M249 SAW/ Minimi. The downside is it can no longer use normal 30 round rifle magazines in emergencies.

Capacity- 200, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- Variable
Weight- 7.7 KG

MK48 Mod 0
The Mark 48 Mod 0 is a modified version of a M249 SAW that has been converted into 7.62mm rounds. The lighter weight and similarity to the SAW compared to other 7.62 machineguns like the M60E4 or M240 means it has quickly become one of the most popular 7.62 machineguns in Special Forces useage.

Capacity- 100 rounds, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length- 19.75 Inch (Long Version)
Weight- 9.03 KG

M240
The FN M240 or FN MAG is a 7.62 general purpose machinegun. It has 2 main versions- the M240B, which has a heat shield and is heavier, and the lighter M240G, which has no heat shield and is a lighter weapon. The M240, due to it's heavier weight, has less recoil and rate of fire compared to a Mk48 and as a result is more controlable to use, but is not as easy to lugg around. It is well suited for providing a covering base of fire and supression or ambushes, but not as useful for rapid movements compared to other alternatives.

Capacity- 100 rounds, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length- 22 Inch
Weight- 12.5 KG

M60
The M60 is an old workhorse of the US army machineguns, being used from the Vietnam war well into the 2000's. It's slow rate of fire mean it has a considerable sustained fire ability and it has a range of versions, from the original Vietnam era M60 to the newer railed M60E4, which was used by the Navy SEALS for a considerable time after it was phased out of the US regular armed forces, who liked it's lighter weight and slower rate of fire compared to the M249 or M240.

Capacity- 100 rounds, 7.62 NATO
Barrel Length- Varies
Weight- Varied

M27 IAR
The M27 IAR is a newer idea of an autorifleman weapon, and focuses on making it much a lighter weight, easier to handle and accurate weapon, at the cost of reducing it's supressive power. It is used mostly by the USMC, and is a modified HK416 rifle outfitted for more sustained, accurate fire, and is often used with scopes to empahise it's role in delivering accurate fire compared to supressive.

Capacity- 30 rounds, or 150 round Double-Drum, 5.56 NATO
Barrel Length- 14.5 Inch
Weight- 4.11 KG

PKM and PKP
A popular Soviet Block and Russian medium machinegun line, the PKM is the earlier wooden variant while the PKP is the variant with a heavy barrel. Both fire powerful 7.62x54R rounds able to penetrate light cover and are rather light for MMG's.

Capacity- 100 rounds, 7.62x54R
Barrel Length- Varies
Weight- Varies

Anti-Tank and Heavy Weapons

M136 AT4 CS
The M136 AT4 is the lightest anti-tank weapon, suitable for most situations. Due to it being the CS (Confined Space) version it also has reduced back-blast compared to the other anti-tank weapons, making it safer to use in urban areas. As a general use anti-light vehicle warhead this all-rounder rocket is more powerful than the M72 and can kill anything from a Technical, BMP-1 to a T55 if needed and when aiming at the sides or rear but is not as effective as dedicated multi-round AT weapons.

Capacity- 1 round, disposable
Effective Range/Type- 400m
Optic type- Folding iron sights
Weight- 6.7 KG Loaded, Singe shot disposable weapon only.


M72 LAW
An older launcher than the M136, being only a 66MM rocket rather than the larger warhead of the AT4, meaning that it's a significantly lighter weapon, making it more useful to carry in some situations where enemy armour is not as expected, but also meaning it has less effect on armoured vehicles and slightly shorter range. Only warhead option is a light HEAT projectile.

Capacity- 1 round, disposable
Effective Range/Type- 300m
Optic type- Folding iron sights
Weight- 3.5 KG Loaded, Singe shot disposable weapon only.


MK153 Mod 0 SMAAW
The dedicated Anti-Tank launcher, if has the ability to fire tracer darts, which are matched to the main rockets, making it exceptionally accurate against armour, but but with a shorter range than the Carl Gustav.
HEAA - High Explosive Anti-Armor
HEDP - High Explosive Dual Purpose
MK217 Spotting - A magazine of tracer dart ammo.

Capacity- 1 round, 5 round Spotter magazine
Effective Range 500m
Optic Type- Has an optic which can be zeroed in 50m increments to 500m, and the tracer rounds are ballistically matched to the rocket, giving it incredible first-round accuracy if used correctly.
Weight- 14.91 KG with a HEAA and a magazine of 5 spotter rounds loaded


M3 or M4 MAAWS (also known as Carl-Gustav)
The anti-building and anti-infantry launcher, it is heavier than the AT4 but not as heavy as the the SMAAW. It also has access to specialised rounds. This is the medium ground between the three launchers, and can be used against tanks at longer ranges that the SMAAW as well, but it is less accurate and has less anti-tank power. The M4 MAAWS in a newer, lighter version of the weapon with improved optics and reduced weight.

The MAAWS was initially only used by special forces, beginning with the Army Rangers in 1989, the Navy SEALS in 1997, and later the rest of the U.S. Special Operations Forces, it has since become much more common in more regular units.
​
HEAT - High Explosive Anti Tank
HEDP - High Explosive Dual Purpose
HE - High Explosive
Smoke - A rocket launched smoke round that covers an area with thick smoke.
Illumination- A rocket launched flare round.

Capacity- 1 round
Effective Range- 900M
Optic type- Optic with 100m zeroing to 900m, or Rangefinder optic in Mk4 Mod 1
Weight- 12.85 KG with a HEAT round loaded

Mk32 MGL
The Mk32 MGL is a 6 round revolver style grenade launcher. It has much greater rate of fire than any single shot underslung launcher, as the cost of being a primary weapon, but has seen considerable popularity with the US Marine Corps as well as SOF units.

Capacity- 1, 3, 6 rounds, 40MM
Effective Range- 375M
Optic- Red Dot



RPG-7
The ubiquitous anti-tank launcher, the RPG-7 is a very common OPFOR and INDEP launcher, firing a large range of different rounds from anti-infantry, anti-structure and anti-tank warheads. Above is a guide on how to use the PGO-7 optic for different ammunition and ranges.

Capacity- 1 round
Effective Range- 500M
Optic Type- Ironsights or PGO-7 optic

OPFOR Vehicles Quick Guide

In the event you find yourself fighting enemy armor, knowing where to aim can be very helpful. Most of the enemy forces we face make use of Soviet Pact armoured vehicles, so here is an ID / reference guide on where to aim for the most effectiveness.

BMP series
How to Identify-
All BMP's are long, low and tracked APC/ IFV's. Most of them are armed with a main gun, a coaxial PKT MG and an Anti-Tank missile of some kind.
BMP-1 has a short, fatter barrel that is a 73MM cannon. Very common BMP variant.
BMP-2 has a longer, thinner barrel that is an autocannon. Less common, but more dangerous against infantry and helicopters than the BMP-1.
BMP-3 has both a 100MM cannon and an autocannon as well as extra armour, making it the most dangerous version but is much rarer.

BMP Series Weak Points-



T-55 / T-72 Main Battle Tanks
How to Identify-
These can be easily spotted by the much larger tank turret and tank cannon. The T-55 is an older variant with a much more bulb-like round turret, while the T-72 turret is more oval. The T-72 has superior armour and main gun to the T-55. The T-55 is in these diagrams but the T-72 has similar weak points.

T-55 / T-72 Weak Points-




ZU-23-4 'Shilka' Anti-Air SPAAG
How to Identify-
The most common armoured anti-air vehicle we will encounter, it has 4 linked 23MM autocannons and a radar system. It has limited range due to being a gun based AA platform, but is very dangerous against low flying aircraft, helicopters and infantry/amoured vehicles on the ground. Sometimes two of the autocannons are also used on other, lighter armoured mounts, like trucks, BMP's or technicals.

ZU-23-4 'Shilka' Weak Points





BTR Series

How to Identify-
BTR's are usually lighter armed than BMP's, usually having a heavy machinegun as their primary weapon, with a 7.62 PK as a secondary, but there is also an autocannon version. It has lighter armour than a BMP, and is wheeled rather than tracked, so a quick reference is tracks = BMP, wheeled = BTR.

BRDM-2

How to Identify-
A smaller, lighter cousin to the BTR, used as a scout, command and AT vehicle, the BRDM has lighter armour and 4 wheels but is compact and fast moving, and are often used in pairs.

Technical
How to Identify-
It's a car with a gun on top, with many different guns and armoured versions, as well as suicide car bomb versions that are particularly dangerous.

Ammunition Types and Optics

- Ammo Types -
They look very confusing at first glance, but our weapons (and the majority of Arma 3 mods including RH, HLC, NIA and SMA) use real life ammunition and performance with each ammo type based off Spartan0536's ballistics-

Recommended that all players should carry between 8 to 12 rifle mags, any more is excess weight unless there is no possibility of RTB (return to base) or re-supply and any less you are likely to run out in longer engagements.

TLDR-
M855A1 EPR- Better than standard ingame 556, high penetration against thin walls/cover, but less damage compared to the other two types. Good all-rounder and lighter weight.
MK262 SPR- great damage and long range accuracy, has bad penetration of cover. Heavy weight ammo.
MK318 SOST- A mix between the damage of SPR and the pentration of EPR. Medium weight ammo.

Arma assumes all soldiers are 1.7 metres high, which is also the 'standard' used for creating the stadiametric rangefinders, so this works rather well and is fully functional ingame.

In some scopes that use chevrons, circles or similar (not all but the majority) you can set the target person's shoulder width on the horizontal lines to find out how far they are away, as you can see in the picture- these are called BDC, Ballistic Drop Compensators.

Additional ACOG reticules and their BDC's 'Ballistic drop compensators for various ranges-

OPFOR Intelligence

The "Epirean Free Militia"
""Neka niko ne pitanje mog patriotizma. Ja sam držao moje obecanje da Vas. Zajedno smo izgradili velik narod. Ali izvan snage u pitanje moj autoritet. Žele da nas izoluju, odvojio nas od ostatka svijeta. Koliko svoje žene i djeca gladni zbog njihove embargom? Naša zemlja pati u svojim rukama. Njihova koalicija ima poslati kurira da im arogantan zahtjeve. Zajedno smo izgradili veliku zemlju iz pepela starog. Zajedno cemo izgraditi veliki Africi. Africia Hadema!
Ali, prije ♥♥♥♥ što možemo graditi moramo uništiti. "
-Speech, in Bosnian, by the self-appointed General of the "Epirean Militia"

Since the initial deployment of the US Army in the Green Sea region for Operation Arrowhead in 2009-2014 drew the majority of Western forces into the Middle East, the situation in Epirus has declined and several warring factions have broken out in the mountainous nation, which has been suffering greatly from the multiple wars that have broken out during the 20th Century as well as mass poverty in the region.

'The Epirean Free Militia' is one of the largest factions, and have equipment comparable with a third world's standing army, with it's forces split into two distinct groups-
The Militia forces, who have civilian, guerilla or mixed older weapons and equipment, such as AKM's, AK74SU's, as well as the occasional RPG-7 or Makarov sidearm.

Uniform's are not standardised among the militia forces, who wear partial camo or civilian clothes with little access to body armor other than some scavenged from killed police units, and they make up the bulk of EFM ground and infantry forces. Some EFM militia forces are avid IED specialists, and will place IED's and other improvised explosives.

Some veteran soldiers act as leaders for the Militia fighters, and they can be identified by their improved equipment and weapons, including much higher quality firearms, pistols being issued more often, and better quality weapon optics or magnified scopes.
These combat Veterans, who have greater access to semi-standardised Tiger camo uniforms, ballistic body armor taken from the local military forces, and they have greater numbers of more modern weapons like the AK100.

They have better leadership and training compared to the Militia forces, and some of the Veteran troops have night-vision googles, meaning they are much more effective at night-fighting than the Militia, who have flashlights.

The EFM have been known to purchase ex-Soviet block vehicles such as the BMP, T55/T72 and ZSU-Shilka, but these are rather rare, with the bulk of forces using Coyota Lowux technicals or commandeered civilian vehicles for long-distance travel. They have small numbers of shoulder-launched Anti-Air missile launchers as well.

They have limited support from other terrorist factions such as Syndikate, and OPFIA who have infiltrated the area and are training and equipping the guerillas and miltia. The majority of militia forces speak Serbian, English or Greek, with some of the higher ranks within EFM forces being Greek Hellenic Army defectors who are providing weapons, body armor and training to the regular militia forces.

Abu Sayyaf Group

Abu Sayyaf are a Muslim Extremist insurgency in the Philippines. They are armed with a mix of firearms, from AK47's, M4A1's and M16 rifles, supported by heavier weapons like PKM's and mortars captured from the Army, or gained in drug trading with the Mexican Cartels.
Uniforms vary, but are usually anything in a neutral color scheme, be that M81 woodland, Tiger stripe or just flat colors. They are well known for making heavy use of IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices) and other traps.

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) are a splinter cell from the Moro National Liberation Front (segmented in 1991) and their aim is to establish an independent Islamic State within the Pacific region.

The faction rose in power during the early 2000s after the leader of the ASG formed a personal connection with Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda.

'Syndikate'

Following a major earthquake in the Pacific island chain of the Horizon Islands, Tanoa's (formerly known as Lihir) small government police and military forces have been in escalating conflicts with the Rebel group known as "Syndikat', who are a sizeable insurgent force striking from the depths of the Tanoan Island's jungle regions, making them hard for COIN Tanoan or the NATO peacekeeper force to hunt down. The Syndikate are commanded by the gun runner known as Solomon Maru.

The Faction-
The group's equipment varies from Soviet era AKM's and AK-74's to the modern AK-100 series chambered in 7.62×39mm, which gives them considerable stopping power.
The AK100 and more advanced equipment are only used in large numbers by the better trained veteran forces, who can be distingished from the regulars by their Tiger-Stripe uniforms, with some veterans acting as team leaders for militia units. The Makarov and PP-2000 are the sidearms used by the Cartel forces.


The Islamic State, particularly the 'Islamic State of Iraq and and Syria/Levant', known as 'Daesh' in Arabic, are a terrorist organisation that originated in anti-Western groups in the Middle East such as the Taliban and other Jidahist groups.

In 2014 it rose to power under the name of Islamic State, and has since been fighting on multiple fronts in the Middle East region, such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria and Somalia, among others.
IS has become renouned for it's extremist views, acts such as suicide bombings, executions and beheadings, and the belief that the Islamic State heads a global Apocalypse against the entire planet.

The Faction-
The Islamic State fighters in the mod are based around a large core of lightly equipped troops, with the most common weapon among the regular forces being the AKMS- because of the folding stock it is more compact for transport so it more common among the forces in Syria because it's easier to smuggle into the country compared to a full stock AKM.

Full size AKM's, AK-74's, AKS-74U's and other weapons such as PKM's and RPG-7's are also used by IS, and some weaponry taken from military forces after the defeat of Government forces, such as M16's and M4 rifles.
There is no standardisation of equipment, weapons or appearance among the regular forces. Sidearms vary between M9's, M1911's and Makarovs.

Central African Rebels

The general militia forces will use anything they can get their hands on, from civilian clothing, guerrilla gear or mixed camos. The FACA are former Central African Republic (CAR) soldiers who deserted from the military after a Muslim backed goverment seized power in 2012, to form the elite elements of the faction.

Chernorussian Defence Force

'Chedaki'

Russian Motor-Rifle (Mechanised) infantry

Russian Airbourne (VDV) infantry

BLUFOR/ INDEP Intelligence

Allied Resistance forces

Allied forces are often armed with the M16 and M4 carbines as primary weapons, with the M4A1 or AKM used in some roles. The standard support weapons are the M249 SAW, M240, M24 and AT4 and the fighters wear a mix of M81 woodland camo or Multicam mixed in with civilian and geurilla clothing. The MAAWS and RPG-7 are also used as a heavy AT asset within some fireteams to supplement the single-shot AT4 and RPG-18's.

Supports-

They is supported primarily by re-purposed and camouflaged civilian vehicles, including technicals with a range of armaments and trucks. A sniper team and MMG team have been added to the faction, giving them a bit more firepower in longer range engagements.

Private Military Contractors

The PMC units consist of smaller teams, with lighter equipment, including mixed civilian and military equipment, armed with primarily M4A1 Carbines, supported by the occasional Sharpshooter.
Standard weapons include the M4A1 carbine, M4A1 CQBR, AKM and AKS-74U, with support from weapons like SIG 716's and the occasional rarer weapons, like a TAR-21. Because of MOI restrictions PMC units are not allowed to have more than a single registered weapon, so there is no standard sidearm.

Many of the PMC's have significantly lighter armor and gear than other allied forces, acting as more security and HVT protection or bodyguards than actual frontline combat units.

Military Task Forces
In addition to other allied forces, depending on the ALiVE Campaign we may also be assisted by US Army, US Marine, Russian or other national forces with ground, air and naval supports.

[Nomad]

Hey, i might be interested in joining. This group seems kinda cool.

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

Updated with new weapons, anti-tank/vehicle information, more OPFOR and ALiVE information, new ALiVE campaigns. New 'Combat Tips' section of the guide.

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

Updated with new Campaign briefings for major new Operations/ALiVE Campaigns, new images, new weapons, new ACE3 Medical overview due to ACE update, and expanded other articles.

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

Updated- Added new sections to the ballistics category, new OPFOR unit briefings, and a few more new upcoming weapons to the guide.

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

Update- Added a range of new weapons and a few more factions, to reflect the major mod update this week.

[Baker42kill aka "THERMORAUPE"]

Great work!

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

Update 15th October- Added more info about new in-house 75th Rangers and Contractors units.

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

Update 2nd September 2016- Added info about the new in-house faction the 4th have made, the "Epirean Militia"

[BargainBinTactician]

Great write up! Was a cool surprise seeing you guys use my gear. :) 10/10

[jarrad96 [4SFG]]

New update 1st June 2016- Added new sections for important locations.