Ahoyy
| Ahoyy tactics | |
|---|---|
 Ahoyy deployment in east Charnea, 1983 | |
| Era | Modern |
| Battlespace | Land |
| Type | Counterinsurgency |
| Notable uses | Akzay War |
The Ahoyy is a counterinsurgency tactic of the Charnean Army first developed in response to the Agala War, refined over the course of the Akzay War, and evolving further in recent conflicts in the Charnean far-east. In Charnean military parlance, an Ahoyy (from the Tamashek word for "hunt") can be any form of military operation in which a mobile force is used to run down and destroy an enemy formation. Ahoyy tactics are a variation of the search and destroy strategy for tracking, trapping and destroying mobile enemy forces active in the countryside and the desert wilderness of Charnea which could otherwise evade unfavorable engagements. The term was originally used for the counterinsurgent raids of the Agala War which used ground-based forces ranging from camelry to A45 Torka armored car units as the main components of the hunt. However, the Charnean Army quickly embraced the use of helicopters and transport aircraft for Ahoyy missions almost immediately after the Agala War. An Ahoyy operation can be used to reinforce an ongoing battle, typically an enemy raid on a convoy or isolated outpost, or to mop-up enemy forces which are attempting to withdraw from a confrontation with an ICA ground formation. However, the quintessential Ahoyy and the tactic to which the term best applies are rapid offensive strikes against enemy formations not engaged in any battle and which have been detected by scouts, aerial reconnaissance or by means of satellite imagery.
The Charnean Army's Ahoyy operations have contributed to a number of innovations in tactics and technology. Early Ahoyys were some of the first ever helicopter air assault operations ever preformed, employing some of the very earliest models of transport rotorcraft designed for military applications. Today, the employment of the modernized Ahoyy tactic by the Charnean counterinsurgency forces makes use of newer and more capable helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, modern precision weapons, drone technology, and even satellite surveillance. Over the long history of the tactic's use in combat, Ahoyy operations have been carried out by a variety of formations within the Charnean Army as well as auxiliary and allied forces fighting alongside the ICA. The Air Cavalry divisions of the Charnean Army are formations specifically equipped to carry out Ahoyy operations for counterinsurgency as well peer conflict and even peacetime security operations targeting organized crime.
In the majority of wars in modern Charnean history have been asymmetric conflicts in which various rebel forces in different parts of the country have generally employed a similar strategy. The most common tactic used by forces opposing the Charnean government and the ICA security forces has been to carry out hit-and-run attacks, avoiding the powerful ICA ground formations, inflicting damage on the ICA military infrastructure and the Charnean economy, and incurring casualties on the state security forces all while taking advantage of the vast and barren wilderness that covers most of Charnea's land area to evade counter-attacks and hide base areas and strongholds. In order to effectively combat rebel forces employing such tactics, the ICA must utilize forces capable of responding rapidly to an attack or report of insurgent activity, crossing vast distances across desert and xeric scrubland where there are few roads, and operating from remote bases with minimal infrastructure. Units properly outfitted for Ahoyy operations fit all of these requirements, mobilizing an immediate response to the enemy with very little preparation time that is capable of striking even up to 100 kilometers away in a matter of minutes, all requiring no more than a modest airstrip as a springboard for the operation.
History
Baskets
The basic unit of an Ahoyy operation is called a 'basket' (tikeba), an irregular sub-unit smaller than the typical hewwa 12-man infantry squad of the Charnean Army. The need for infantry Baskets came from the limited space aboard the light helicopters and aircraft available to the Charnean Army which were often too small to carry a full squad and their equipment. Each Basket would consist of a four-man team that would be able to ride in even the smallest of the utility helicopters in the ICA's inventory while still fielding enough firepower to present a formidable force against enemy infantry. The role of any given infantry Basket involved in an Ahoyy hunt is to quickly surround the enemy via aerial insertion and block any avenue of retreat, thus creating a 'cauldron' of encircled enemy units that can be reduced with the help of aerial firepower.
The Basket leader is the team commander, usually of Eɤaf or Corporal-equivalent rank. They are typically armed with an AK-54M assault rifle as their primary weapon, although the AK-54C automatic carbine is sometimes preferred as its shorter barrel makes it favorable for close range engagements. The Basket leader is equipped with a light radio set for coordination with other Baskets and with the Ahoyy operation commander. Communication is the primary function of the leader within the Basket, as relaying movement orders from the commander, relaying target information to air support units, and avoiding friendly fire through clear communication are of major importance during any Ahoyy.
The second soldier of the Basket is the machine gunner, who is equipped with a KZ Zabik magazine-fed squad automatic weapon. Their role in the Basket is to provide suppressive fire, an important component of the Basket's function within the wider Ahoyy as it may immobilize a portion of the enemy force in a position where they can be destroyed either by aerial fire support or by the Basket themselves using small arms and grenades. The machine gunner commonly fires much more ammunition than any of the other team members. The KZ Zabik was chosen as the main weapon of the machine gunner since it fires the same 7.62x39mm rounds using in the rest of the team's AK-54s and can accept the same 30-round box magazines, although the Zabik primarily uses an extended 45-round magazine. This enables the machine gunner to draw upon the extra ammunition carried by the rest of the Basket if needed.
Two additional riflemen are attached to the Basket to round out its numbers. These are usually assigned additional roles to expand the capabilities of the Basket in combat. The third Basket infantryman is almost always a grenadier equipped with rifle grenades that can be fired from their AK-54. In some modern infantry Baskets, an 30mm underslung grenade launcher is used instead of rifle grenades. Both launched grenades and hand grenades are an important part of the Basket infantry tactics, and are especially important where xeric scrubland vegetation or other terrain features create cover and obstructions to fields of fire that can be exploited by the enemy. The fourth Basket soldier is often a combat medic to treat any injuries sustained in the field and possibly treat captured enemy combatants. Medical personnel on Ahoyy missions are critical as such combat deployments usually take place in remote areas where it may take an hour or longer for a casualty to be evacuated and receive proper treatment at a field hospital. In some cases, however, the fourth rifleman of the Basket will instead be an anti-tank infantryman carrying an shoulder-launched anti-tank rocket system to engage vehicles or bunkers.
Aircraft
The backbone of the modern Ahoyy force is the Onekawan Naenae LH.11, known as the Esayn ("Tooth") in Charnean service. These versatile light helicopters are able to transport one infantry Basket in addition to their crew of 2, and additionally carry two 7-tube rocket pods firing 70mm unguided rockets in addition to two 12.7x108mm heavy machineguns. The armament options of the Esayn allow these helicopters to provide fire support on the battlefield after they have deployed their Baskets. This represents an increase in firepower compared to older Ahoyy squadrons which used unarmed transport helicopters that served no tactical purpose once they had deployed their infantry passengers, besides conducting a series of false landings to confuse the enemy. The gunship variant, known as Imsadesayn ("sharp tooth") in Charnea, is also frequently deployed alongside the transport variant to provide additional fire support. Imsadesayn helicopters are especially important in the all important opening moments of the air assault, where they serve to scatter and confuse the enemy with a concentrated opening salvo while the Esayns land their Baskets.
Where the limited 400 kilometer range of Naenae LH.11 is sufficient, the larger Mutulese-made W-3 is used to extend the range of Ahoyy operations to over 700 kilometers. Such long ranged helicopters are assigned to Ahoyy-ready formations stationed in more remote bases across the Charnea where their additional effective range may be necessary. In these squadrons, long ranged Ahuriri Taqqimt attack helicopters are used in place of the Imsadesayn gunships for fire support.
Two or more Pī TB.3 turboprop light attack aircraft accompany the typical Ahoyy operation. Their turboprop design makes them far slower than jet combat aircraft but roughly twice as fast as the rotary wing aircraft of the Ahoyy helicopter wave. The turboprop design also enables them to loiter over the battlefield for a much longer duration, providing additional fire support with rockets, guided missiles and 12.7mm machineguns. For para-basket operations, the Ahuriri Ebatt is used. The Ebatt can operate from poor runways and can even land in the desert without a runway in some cases, allowing the aircraft to deliver rienforcements and collect casualties and captured supplies directly from the ground. Ebatts have a capacity for up to 16 paratroopers making up 4 whole para-basket units. Many modern Ahuriri Ebatts are fitted with hardpoints on their wings to carry guided munitions and rocket pods to additional fire support.