Revised 1/5/01

USING THESE TABLES

Ground forces do not begin moving at optimum speed the instant you give the order.  A certain amount of time must be factored in to account for processing the order and dealing with reorganization, traffic and the general confusion that takes place whenever ground forces have to pick up and move to a new location, or change direction drastically while maintaining formation.

The following is a method for determining how long it will take for a combat unit to get from one place on the map to another using the various types of formations listed below.  The remark that follows the rate of speed refers to the disposition of the unit, in TacOps terms.

RATE OF MOVEMENT FOR GROUND TROOPS


Entrenched:		  0 kph	Entrenched
Dug In:			  0 kph	Defilade			
Stationary (Reserve):	  0 kph	Prepared to move
Bounding Overwatch:	10 kph	Broken down by unit
Travelling Overwatch:	20 kph	Stacked by platoon
Travelling:			30 kph	Stacked by company
Strategic:			40 kph	Stacked by company, ranges=0

Moving from one rate of speed to the next higher or lower rate of speed is considered to be a shift of one speed level.  For each shift in speed level, a delay factor of several minutes must be assessed, as follows:

STARTUP/REORGANIZATION COSTS:

Infantry platoon:			  2 min.
Infantry company:		  7 min.
Infantry battalion:		10 min.
Mech Infantry platoon:		  5 min.
Mech Infantry company:		10 min.
Mech Infantry battalion:	15 min.
Armored platoon:			  2 min.
Armored company:		  5 min.
Armored battalion:		10 min.
Brigade:				45 min.

(For movement purposes, an MEU is considered the equivalent of 1 brigade.)

So, if a mechanized infantry battalion wants to go from a Dug-in position (defilade, 0 kph) to Travelling Overwatch (20 kph), which is a shift of 3 speed levels, simply multiply the delay factor (15 min.) by the number of shifts (3) to get a total delay of 45 minutes.  This means that a mechanized infantry battalion would need 45 minutes in order to go from a dug in to a travelling overwatch formation.

If a whole brigade were to do make the same shift in speed, which would involve 3+ battalions plus all supplies, ADA, HQ, etc., it would cost 45 minutes x 3, which is a total delay of 2 hours,15 minutes.

Change in direction:

To calculate a change in direction while moving in the same formation, replace the rate of movement factor with the following: 

90-degree change: 4
180-degree change: 6 

Thus it would take 40 minutes for an armored battalion to turn 90 degrees and continue its march at the same rate of speed.


OTHER MODIFIERS:

Multiple Units:

Adding a second or third unit (but without the assets of the parent unit) increases the delay factor by 50% per added unit.

So in the original example, where one mech battalion would take 45 minutes to prepare for their march, 2 mech battalions would take (15 + 7.5) x the number of gear shifts (3), or 22.5 x 3 = 67.5 minutes.  If it were 3 mech bns., it would be (15 + 15) x 3 = 90 minutes.


Weather:

Rain = Add 33% to overall delay.
Night = Add 50% to overall delay.
Heat (Over 90¹ ) = Add 20% to overall delay for any combat units with leg infantry.
Mud = Clear terrain: Add 20% to overall delay.
	Rough terrain: Add 30% to overall delay.

------------------ OTHER DELAYS  -------------
	
ENGINEERING TASKS:

Minelaying (hand):	5 mines/hr.
Minelaying (sea):	1 km./hr.
Minelaying (anti-sub):	1 km/day
Barbed wire:		1 km./hr.
Blowing bridge:		1 hr.
Repairing bridge		6 hours
Building pontoon bridge  30 min.

RELOADING TASKS:

Fighter (Air to air)	30 min.
Attack			  1 hr.
Bomber			  2 hr.
Helo (ATGM)		30 min.

REFUELING TASKS:

Fighter 			30 min.
Attack			30  hr.
Bomber			30  hr.
Helo				15 min.