A very cheap unit that can serve many purposes, the LAAD Blowpipe that firstly introduced in Wargame: European Escalation rarely destroys any helicopter, but whenever it does destroy one, brings back many points compared to the units worth.
History[]
Short Brothers started a private venture in early 1960s for a man-portable anti-aircraft system. Development of Blowpipe started to a 1966 Ministry of Defence industry contract for a MANPADS system. Unlike their other counterparts Blowpipe was MCLOS with the operator manually guiding the missile to the target. During the Falklands War with both side using Blowpipe with limited kills were made with this weapon system.
The Armored Divisional Artillery Group has three Artillery Regiments along with a Blowpipe Battery attached one of the Regiment before Blowpipe being replaced by Javelin in mid 1980s.
The territorial Army Light Air Defense Regiments replacing L60 Bofors with Blowpipe before then switching to Javelin.
3 Commando Brigade has a Air Defense Troop equipped with Blowpipe being replaced on 1986 by Javelin.
Overview[]
European Escalation[]
- This five man anti-air team is one of the cheapest units available to NATO forces. They can be brought on the battlefield with a FV603 Saracen or a FV103 Spartan and are armed with the weak and inaccurate Blowpipe AA launcher and the L1A1 SLR rifle. 16 reinforcements can be brought on the battlefield.
- Costing only five points, this unit is best brought in with the similarly cheap FV603 Saracen to further minimize costs. The best use of this unit is as an ambushing unit. Available in sufficient numbers for the task, they should be placed in as many forests and tree lines available, where they may not be expected to be, and where anti-air coverage by more effective AA may not be practical. Because of the inaccuracy of the Blowpipe, most of the damage done to air units will be done by the rifles as a helicopter flies over, damaging it but rarely destroying it, therefore they are best used in forests.
- Even though the blowpipe rarely hits and does little damage, any occasional hit will cost your opponent a lot more than what it cost you to field the LAAD Blowpipe. The sight of missiles flying towards their aircraft may cause an opponent to avoid the area, or force artillery ammunition to be wasted on your lone cheap unit.
- The LAAD Blowpipe placed all around the map also serve as short range reconnaissance, the destruction of the unit costing barely anything but providing you a warning of enemy attempts at flanking you. Placing lone units of LAAD Blowpipe on routes where a flanking force might appear can serve as a good and replaceable alarm.
Available transports[]
AirLand Battle[]
Red Dragon[]
Weapons[]
European Escalation[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | SAM | Grenade |
| Name | L1A1 SLR | Blowpipe | L2A2 |
| Caliber | 7.62mm | MCLOS | Frag |
| Ammo | x 900 rounds | x 6 missiles | x 4 rounds |
| Range | Ground = 700 m Helicopters = N/A m  Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = 2100 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 263 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 8 | 2 | 8 |
| AP Power | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HE Power | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Rate of fire | 600 r/min | 6 r/min | 5 r/min |
AirLand Battle[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Battle Rifle | SAM | No Weapon |
| Name | L1A1 SLR | Blowpipe | |
| Caliber | 7.62mm | MCLOS [AoE] [GUID] | |
| Ammo | x 240 | x 4 | |
| Range | Ground = 525 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = 2100 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
|
| Accuracy | 8 | 5 | |
| AP Power | N/A | N/A | |
| HE Power | 1 | 5 | |
| Suppression | 55 | 200 | |
| Rate of fire | 105 r/min | 10 r/min |
Red Dragon[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Battle Rifle | SAM | No Weapon |
| Name | L1A1 SLR | Blowpipe | |
| Caliber | 7.62mm | MCLOS [AoE] [GUID] | |
| Ammo | x 160 | x 6 | |
| Range | Ground = 595 m Helicopters = 595 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = 2100 m Airplanes = 1680 m
|
|
| Accuracy | 40% | 20% | |
| Stabilizer | 10% | N/A | |
| AP Power | N/A | N/A | |
| HE Power | 1 | 4 | |
| Suppression | 50 | 160 | |
| Rate of fire | 120 r/min | 5 s r/min |
Gallery[]
See also[]
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