The Rangers is a specialized US recon infantry. It is available for NATO forces when it was first introduced in Wargame: European Escalation. The Rangers was equipped with a SAM at the time, but changed to regular LAW in Wargame: AirLand Battle.
History[]
Rangers are used as a lightly armed special operations task force in the real world, they are trained to handle any operations most "conventional" armies of the US army can do, and "unconventional warfare" operations, meaning they are sometimes used to raid a lightly guarded enemy building of importance, other times they might be assigned to do artillery and or intelligence reconnaissance, and they might be called in to support an infantry regiment in conventional warfare. US Army Rangers are considered Special Operations infantry, and are under the command of US SOCOM, but they are not Special Forces.
Today's 75th Ranger Regiment traces its lineage to Rodger's Rangers, an independent ranger company that saw fame during the Seven-Years War (French and Indian War). During WW2, the United States were in need of a light infantry unit who were capable of raiding and quick response capabilities, similar to the United Kingdom's Royal Marine Commandos, thus the Rangers were made with 6 battalions were formed. The unit was deactivated after WW2.
As the Cold War lengthened in the late 1950s, NATO nations felt there was a need for small units to conduct passive, deep penetration intelligence gathering missions at corps levels and higher. From this need was born the Long Range Patrol (LRP) or Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit…both LRP and LRRP designations were used similarly and considered interchangeable, trained and equipped to infiltrate enemy lines by ground, air, or water. From well-concealed observation posts or as a function of point, area, or route reconnaissance, they were intended to report enemy movements. Stealth and reconnaissance were the mission of the LRRP, not direct combat.
Upon the completion of the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War in 1973, the Pentagon grew concerned about the United State’s strategic ability to quickly move well-trained infantry forces to any spot in the world. In the fall of 1973, General Creighton Abrams, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, issued a charter for the formation of the 1st Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry Regiment.[1]
AirLand Battle & Red Dragon[]
CAR-15 is used as a generic name for carbine-length M16 and AR-15 variants.
Although the Year of the unit is marked as 1975, US Rangers were the first users of Carl Gustav M3 starting in 1990 (not M2 nor M1). The M240 was adopted by the U.S. military in 1977 as vehicle MGs, while becoming the infantry GPMG designated by the Army would have to wait until the 1990s. The ground vehicle mounted M240 in-game uses a different icon.
In real-life, the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry Ranger Company (1969-73) will use M20A1B1 Recoilless Rifle and M60; While the U.S. Army Ranger Company (1986-97) will use M47 Dragon ATGM or M67 Recoilless Rifle and M249.[2][3]
Overview[]
European Escalation[]
Rangers employed the M16 assault rifle, as it was necessary due to its accuracy, reliability, and the fact that many Rangers during the Cold War were selected from the 82nd Airborne, which used the M16.
Rangers are considered recon infantry and are a 5-men squad. They are armed with accurate anti-air SAMs, and have 2 HE assault rifle capabilities, allowing them to commence special operations if necessary, they are very useful when support other special forces units with their objectives, as one team can destroy enemy ground based AFVs while the Rangers destroy distant helicopters, and spot for the other squad.
Red Dragon[]
Although the United States can also deploy Cavalry Scouts and Navy SEALs, the former has poor combat effectiveness (Regular, no SAW) and survivability (5-men), while the latter's functionality is too single (cannot anti-armor). These factors have made Rangers the preferred choice for US recon infantry.
The combat capability of Rangers is reliable, even slightly superior to professional Shock Infantry like Paratrooper or Canadian Airborne in weapon stats.
Weapons[]
European Escalation[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | SAM | Grenade |
| Name | M16 | Redeye | M67 |
| Caliber | 5,56mm | Infrared | Frag |
| Ammo | x 2040 | x 4 rockets | x 8 |
| Range | Ground = N/A m Helicopters = N/A m  Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = N/A m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| AP Power | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HE Power | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Rate of fire | 728 r/min | 6 r/min | 5 r/min |
AirLand Battle[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | LAW | LMG |
| Name | CAR-15 | Carl Gustav | M240 |
| Caliber | 5.56mm | 84mm HEAT [HEAT] [STAT] |
7.62mm [STAT] |
| Ammo | x 2400 | x 4 | x 1000 |
| Range | Ground = 525 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 525 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 875 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 9 | 12 | 8 |
| AP Power | N/A | 8 | N/A |
| HE Power | 1 | N/A | ,5 |
| Suppression | 40 | 388 | 55 |
| Rate of fire | 211 r/min | 10 r/min | 461 r/min |
Red Dragon[]
| Weapons | 
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault Rifle | LAW | LMG |
| Name | CAR-15 | Carl Gustav M2 | M240 |
| Caliber | 5.56mm | 84mm HEAT [HEAT] [STAT] |
7.62mm [CQC] |
| Ammo | x 1200 | x 6 | x 1500 |
| Range | Ground = 525 m Helicopters = 525 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 700 m Helicopters = N/A m Airplanes = N/A m
|
Ground = 875 m Helicopters = 595 m Airplanes = N/A m
|
| Accuracy | 45% | 60% | 30% |
| Stabilizer | 30% | N/A | 15% |
| AP Power | N/A | 18 | N/A |
| HE Power | 1 | N/A | .5 |
| Suppression | 40 | 336 | 55 |
| Rate of fire | 248 r/min | 10 r/min | 428 r/min |
Available transports[]
Red Dragon[]
Gallery[]
See also[]
