Arma 3 Complete Events Theory

[[NZF]Phalanx 6]

Arma 3 Eastwind Timeline

This is an explanation as I see it of how the entire Arma 3 timeline played out, with rough estimates of any obscure reasoning within the series.

 

In 2026, Colonel Akhanteros and a detachment of the Altis Armed Forces conduct a military coup and overthrow the legitimate government in Kavala. During this time, the British government sends a detachment under then-Colour Sergeant Ryan James, Special Boat Service to assist the government loyalists in defeating the coup. This was mission most likely commissioned to prevent a hostile stronghold becoming prevalent in the middle of the Mediterranean and immediately on the European NATO members’ doorstep with CSAT’s global influence increasing. It was however not publicly known, in order to avoid any perception that NATO was interfering in international affairs. The International Development and Aid Project (IDAP) also provided humanitarian support to the civilians caught up in the fighting, with aid convoys and support camps established throughout the islands. Over the next four years of Civil War, Akhanteros’ detachment gained the upper hand and formed the new Altis Armed Forces (AAF) while The loyalists transformed into the Freedom and Independence Army operating mostly on Altis, facing a brutal backlash from the new government. After the massacre of hundreds of civilians and rebels, a cease-fire was signed in Jerusalem in 2030 - presumably under the facilitation of NATO MEDCOM, who then despatched Task Force Aegis. TF Aegis’ mandate included three main objectives:

 

1.       Train the AAF in weapons, tactics and strategy, in an attempt to align them with NATO policy throughout the Mediterranean and utilise them as another buffer to CSAT aggression.

2.       Maintain peace between the FIA and AAF, mitigating the effects of any confrontations

3.       Conduct humanitarian operations in that they were to supply civilians in dire need of basic necessities, as well as train the AAF in the Laws of Armed Conflict in order to prevent the genocide that occurred during the Civil War.

 

They operated from 2030 until 2035, providing training teams to AAF units and responding to areas in which conflict has erupted; however, the main support against the FIA was utilising drone strikes from Stratis rather than ‘boots on the ground’ engagement. IDAP also continued to provide aid during this time, however many convoys were attacked by FIA or halted by the AAF. This was evident during the siege of Oreokastro when the rebels prevented any land-based supplies from reaching the government-held town, forcing NATO to conduct an aerial resupply with the assistance of Staff Sergeant Adams in May 2034. As the tensions reached their highest point since the civil war, NATO mediated a peace-talk between the FIA and the new government in the capital, Kavala. However, these broke down when the FIA attacked government checkpoints and a convoy heading away from Kavala. The AAF then reacted strongly against the FIA, imprisoning a large number of people and nearly setting off a second civil war. CSAT also began to show a presence during this time, deploying gunships and embedded training teams to the AAF Commanders, some of whom were present at the MoD sit-down behind Col. Akhanteros.

 

Continuing guerrilla presence and resistance to the new government since the coup forced NATO and the AAF out of Oreokastro, angering Col. Akhanteros. After several failed attempts at retaking the town, and a high number of casualties, the AAF looked elsewhere for support in retaking the town. When conventional NATO forces refused to intervene, they looked to the British government for support. It is heavily speculated that it was in fact a SBS team under Captain Scott Miller that neutralised Guerrilla mortar positions and called in an illegal cluster strike on the town- which was retaken by the AAF shortly after. This was done in order to gain favour with the new AAF government and allowed for the continuation of NATO’s underlying mission of creating a buffer-state against CSAT.

 

CSAT has also been preparing to utilise the Republic of Altis and Stratis in a similar way that NATO had, however they had a new strategy; the ‘Eastwind’ device. This device was a part of their Apex Protocol, a secret policy in which they would trigger natural disasters and move in under the guise of humanitarian aid to destabilise countries friendly to NATO – dissipating their influence.

It is then speculated that Eastwind was covertly deployed to Stratis with an embedded CSAT team and stationed somewhere around the Kamino Firing Range. On the 7th of July 2035, as NATO came to the closing stages of their drawdown, it was located by a regular NATO unit during the decommissioning of the base. The AAF locked down the island in order to prevent the devices movement by NATO should they seize it and impeding their response. The AAF commander also attempted to create a diversion by becoming upset with the NATO’s decommissioning of the airbase, hoping to draw Col. Mackinnon’s attention away from the device. The now formed Combat Technology Research Group, CTRG - partly made up of SBS members with experience on Stratis - was notified and knowing the AAF response would be faster than they could react, they stationed themselves at Camp Maxwell; preparing to seize the device at a later time. Colonel MacKinnon was then dispatched to take control of the situation, however was killed on route by the AAF – desperate to hide the revelation. SSGT Adams and Corporal Ben Kerry were dispatched to help move the device and discovered Col. MacKinnon’s body on their way. The AAF, with their cover blown, turned on the remaining NATO forces and practically wiped out the unsuspecting TF Aegis; overrunning positions and destroying any hope of survival. The few survivors were coordinated by CAPT Miller, keeping them busy while the CTRG squad tracked the device. They sabotaged Mike-26 in order to delay a NATO invasion, giving CSAT the impression that they could keep the device on Altis for longer and go ahead with their Apex Protocol- leaving the window of opportunity open for CTRG to take it back.

 

Captain Miller discovered that the device had been moved to a research base on Altis, and utilised the NATO regulars to assault the town under the guise of preparing for the ‘NATO invasion’ which was still weeks away; and used this as a way to distract the AAF and allow them to seize boats with which to get to the Altis mainland. Once there, they embedded with the FIA whom they had worked with during the Kavala Coup and who weren’t aware of their actions at Oreokastro the previous year. When a NATO invasion was inevitable, the CTRG gave a false intelligence report to the commander of the 111th Mechanised Combat Brigade Team, General David Armstrong, that no friendlies were at the Altis Aero Club Airfield – despite being aware of the FIA’s intentions. They also understated the CSAT presence on Altis so that the 111th invaded unprepared – causing the invasion to falter- and again buying them more time to seize the Eastwind device before CSAT felt the need to withdraw it from Altis. A small AAF detachment held out in Oreokastro, however were all killed except for Lt Antoniou Dimitriou who was extricated and deployed to Pyrgos in order to defend it.

 

As the CTRG attempted to seize the device in North-Eastern Altis, the invasion caught up with them and they were attacked by CSAT Special Forces who were tasked with extracting the device and killing the scientists who knew about it. With the device withdrawn, CAPT Miller was able to resecure now-Lt James’ position and treat his wounds before redeploying to Tanoa- where the device had been used again.

Eastwind had caused a large tsunami in the Horizon Islands, and from this event a CSAT-Backed insurgent group, ‘Syndikat’ became prevalent – interfering with NATO efforts to restabilise the island group. NATO deployed on a joint-training exercise to deal with Syndikat with the local Gendarmerie, as well as to provide cover while the CTRG aimed to secure the device.

 

As CSAT’s protocol became closer to revelation, they planned to evacuate the island and leave Syndikat on their own. Learning of this, Syndikat seized the device from a Viper team, murdering them on sight. Viper became desperate to return the weapon and gave away that the handover would occur at the Blue Pearl Harbour. The CTRG used this intelligence and seized the device and disarm keys from both Syndikat and Viper – killing the Syndikat leader ‘Warlock’ in the process. The device was then extracted and held by NATO, who revealed CSAT’s destabilisation protocol, without mentioning the weapon. This was done because CSAT would never admit to creating it, so NATO could utilise the technology however they wished without fear of a CSAT accusation; gaining the upper hand in the global tensions that had been consistently rising. CSAT had also killed all of the scientists who had worked on it since they couldn’t be extracted from Stratis and as such had no way to replicate the weapon.

[Tshi 19]

16 hours ago, [NZF]Phalanx said:

CSAT has also been preparing to utilise the Republic of Altis and Stratis in a similar way that NATO had, however they had a new strategy; the ‘Eastwind’ device. This device was a part of their Apex Protocol, a secret policy in which they would trigger natural disasters and move in under the guise of humanitarian aid to destabilise countries friendly to NATO – dissipating their influence.

It is then speculated that Eastwind was covertly deployed to Stratis with an embedded CSAT team and stationed somewhere around the Kamino Firing Range. On the 7th of July 2035, as NATO came to the closing stages of their drawdown, it was located by a regular NATO unit during the decommissioning of the base. The AAF locked down the island in order to prevent the devices movement by NATO should they seize it and impeding their response. The AAF commander also attempted to create a diversion by becoming upset with the NATO’s decommissioning of the airbase, hoping to draw Col. Mackinnon’s attention away from the device. The now formed Combat Technology Research Group, CTRG - partly made up of SBS members with experience on Stratis - was notified and knowing the AAF response would be faster than they could react, they stationed themselves at Camp Maxwell; preparing to seize the device at a later time. Colonel MacKinnon was then dispatched to take control of the situation, however was killed on route by the AAF – desperate to hide the revelation. SSGT Adams and Corporal Ben Kerry were dispatched to help move the device and discovered Col. MacKinnon’s body on their way. The AAF, with their cover blown, turned on the remaining NATO forces and practically wiped out the unsuspecting TF Aegis; overrunning positions and destroying any hope of survival. The few survivors were coordinated by CAPT Miller, keeping them busy while the CTRG squad tracked the device. They sabotaged Mike-26 in order to delay a NATO invasion, giving CSAT the impression that they could keep the device on Altis for longer and go ahead with their Apex Protocol- leaving the window of opportunity open for CTRG to take it back.

I've never seen that idea before, but thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense. I always thought that seeing CTRG at Maxwell was the precursor for them doing something dodgy to kick this off, but this idea seems more reasonable.

 

A couple of small points which would show a little more of the story:

Quote

 

A small AAF detachment held out in Oreokastro, however were all killed except for Lt Antoniou Dimitriou who was extricated and deployed to Pyrgos in order to defend it.

 

The major can also survive if you protect him and I'd go with that one being "canon".

 

It would have also been nice to talk about the events during the invasion of Altis, even though they aren't too essential to the story. The corresponding stories of Win, Stepping Stone, Steel Pegasus and the new Altis Requim give some nice details about what was going on in the conflict. Also, it would be nice to know a little of what came of Altis after the war, many soldiers were sent to camps on Almyra and peace talks went down involving NATO, FIA, AAF, CSAT, (probably UN) high ups and others. The de-mining operation and ongoing IDAP efforts were also important after the war.

Also you could explain:

Quote

the ‘NATO invasion’ which was still weeks away

by mentioning the events of Stepping Stone and how operations were delayed by the CSAT presence on Malden, though the lack of parity between different branches (Chinese and North African forces) show some of CSAT's weakness.

 

Also some of the characters in the Apex Protocol aren't really mentioned. I can't really remember any of their names but you could mention that the NATO task force is led by that Australian guy, the CTRG major and perhaps a few of the Raider guys.

 

Overall I would say that your coverage of the start was slightly better, but to be fair you have more to work with. Other than that, that was a really well made, concise presentation of the story and who knows, maybe my points would just bloat it up too much.