I'm playing in a modern era strat game.

Starting date ~ 2000, although tech can flow a little either way. The world's history was a little different - one long 80 years war instead of 2 that left europe united but largely ruined. North America never settled into the USA, with a bunch of different small countries. ect.

I'm playing a small delta country, halfway in development between Holland and Bangladesh. Still has conscription, but the army is mostly defensive. Both neighbours are much larger, one as a military juanta with a mineral extraction economy, and the other being a technocratic republic (china) with a historical fondness for artillery.

Given that most of the country is flooded at any one point, what sort of tank outfitting should I be looking at? Wider tracks and mud treads seem obvious, but is manoeuvrability worth sacrificing armour for?

_________________
My shifting projects

I'd think that in mud and marshland, even with extra-wide tracks, ground combat would be slower, emphasizing armor or stealth over maneuverability, unless you can somehow escape the mud.

Perhaps hovercrafts would finally rule, able to outmaneuver tracked vehicles and avoid sinking, and be mobile enough to make bombardment less effective?

I'm thinking commando teams in rubber boats and scuba gear, hidden emplacements, active camouflage, swarms of sniper teams, tactics basically luring the enemy to get stuck, then letting mother nature handle the rest or taking them down with crossfire.

_________________
Let there be code.

On the slow and armoured side, I figured that would equate to building targets for their artillery. I plan on fielding some hovercraft as apc, but they are going to be very weight limited by their nature. Means very little capacity for armour and ammo

_________________
My shifting projects

Yes, in regards to AFVs, wider tracks will help in marshy terrain. However even lighter AFVs will tend to be road bound. As well as limited to ops in urban areas if the area is at all built up with a hard deck. Like in many cases in Op Market-Garden in the Fall of '44. Generally the armor vs. mobility question is an old one. And I'd go for a balance in design. Also note like in WWII ops around Antwerp and the Netherlands, as well as in French Indo-China after WWII. Many Amtracks were used as well, like the Buffalo LVT and in Indo-China the Weasel also ... http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/united-s ... craft.html ... http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/united-s ... bians.html As well, the US did use a few HoverCraft in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam in the '60s, the PACV. http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/vietnam- ... erine.html Note all those vehicles mentioned were lightly armed and armored ... Both the French And US used armored more heavily armed Riverine forces in shallow draft river monitors and landing craft as well ... Also as noted Spec Ops(Scuba/SEAL) and well trained Infantry in rubber boats like the old RB-15s and more modern Zodiacs would also be affective. I've been deployed by USMC Amtracks [LVTP 7s] http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/united-s ... racks.html , USN/ US Army LCMs, RB-15s and Zodiacs as well USN River Patrol Boats [known as Swift Boats]. The US also ran PBRs like seen in the movie Apocalyse Now. So I'd think light armor with tracks or wheels, possibly with deep fording capabilities [even our M113 APC was design to swim as both Europe and even the ROK is full of streams and rivers]. Arming some of these light vehicles with as big as a weapon as it can be mounted like in a version of US ARMY Stryker* or USMC LAV. These series of vehicles have APC, mortar, AT, etc. versions, and even a * direct fire version making it a light "tank" so to speak. http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/modern-u ... -lavs.html And don't forget, Helicopters both transport and gunships can be vey useful, in all terrain. And note even lighter FA can be mounted on LCMs and be used as mobile fire support platforms. So certainly have some good FA as well as AAA/ADA in your Forces ... Your infantry should be armed with all the standard weapons : ARs, MGs, GLs, Shoulder fired AT and AA, sniper rifles and light mortars ... For Log support vehicles like the WWII DUKW and the modern LCACs would be useful. And you will need some aircraft to provide CAP and CAS. But Air Superiority or even Air Parity may be hard based on your enemies' capabilities.

_________________
Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

Well about that =P

_________________
Let there be code.

brilliant, thanks guys!

_________________
My shifting projects

Glad to help ! But I was not a Threadhead ! I was Light Infantry with the 101 ... and then Mech Infantry with the 2ID and 197 Mech Bde ! Commanded a Mech Infantry Company of 14 Rhino Proxies ... the beloved M113 APC !

_________________
Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."