Rise of the Reds

[meloa789]

Why do I feel that a messiah will rise from all of this mess?

 

[BNSF1995]

Why do I feel that a messiah will rise from all of this mess?

Click to shrink...

I've taken a lot from across the C&C series. The more-fantastical elements like Tiberium, the Scrin, the Chronosphere, the Iron Curtain, Yuri, and the Empire of the Rising Sun won't show up (though I am open to including a few of the simpler Imperial RA3 units like the Mecha/Jet Tengu, which would be a blend of Europe's Venom technology and Japan's own technology). Kane MAY show up, but the Brotherhood of Nod would just be a doomsday cult, not a pseudo-superpower.

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Arsenal of the European Continental Army​

The European Continental Army, in many ways, defied definition. Although considered "Europe's Army", in truth, the members of the European Continental Alliance maintained their own militaries independent of the command structure in Brussels, and the actual Army was a melting pot of equipment, vehicles, and technology from across the Alliance, mainly to keep costs under control through standardization.

Unlike the other alliances, which were basically Hearts of Iron IV-style call to arms, the ECA operated more like NATO, being strictly defensive. In theory, that is, as the ECA engaged in loophole abuse to invade North Africa, and a few ECA members operated on their own when the GLA attacked the Caribbean and Central America. As a result, the ECA's doctrine was built around three tenets: defense, artillery, and prototype weapons.

Note that the ECA does not have a navy; member states still maintain their own.

Infantry​

ECA infantry classes are typically stereotyped as each coming from a certain country, but in truth, ANYONE within the ECA could be any class, based on their qualifications. One thing that set ECA infantry apart from others was their proficiency in urban warfare.

The main frontline infantry of the ECA was the Felin Rifleman, developed by the French "Felin" program. Felin Riflemen are armed with the HKFN-22, a cooperative design by German and Belgian manufacturers that married the compact space age frame of the cancelled G11 rifle with a powered up version of the armour-piercing 5.7mm cartridge used in the P90 PDW. Many Felins were also armed with Starstreak MANPADS purchased from the United Kingdom, a peculiar anti-air missile that released three self-guided submunitions upon reaching a certain altitude to ensure a hit.

The Panzerfaust Soldier was the anti-tank class. These men were armed with the Panzerfaust 3 rocket launcher, a modernized version of the Panzerfaust (German for "tank fist") fielded by the Wehrmacht during WWII. The latest model of this time-tested weapon design went into full mass-production and was widely issued to the many brave volunteers that wanted to make a difference. Thanks to the Panzerfaust's amateur-friendly configuration and its powerful shaped charge anti-tank projectiles, they did indeed make a difference against the relentless onslaught of Russian tanks.

The low production cost and simplicity of the weapon came at a price, though: Unlike many other modern anti-tank launchers such as the American SRAW, the Panzerfaust's projectile was entirely unguided, as it was indeed little more than a rocket propelled grenade. As such, it was not able to home in on a tank and was, unlike China's flak guns used on their Tank Hunters, entirely worthless against airborne threats. However, the lack of guidance systems did allow for a much bigger explosive charge, and in addition to that, the weapon was also compatible with a new type of anti-bunker vacuum warhead, capable of crushing and suffocating enemy infantry in cramped garrisons. Basically, the Panzerfaust Soldier was the ECA's main "anti-garrison" unit.

The most basic infantry class within the ECA was one with four legs, that being the Attack Dog. The ECA exclusively trained German Shepherds for this class. The Attack Dog was used for various utility purposes, such as sniffing out covert infiltrators and explosives (such as mines and the GLA's Demo Traps), and also had a vest with sensors and a 360-degree camera that made the Attack Dog a viable, low-profile scout unit. And when let off their leash, these dogs would attack enemy infantry by going straight for the neck.

A key part of the ECA's doctrine was infantry surviveability. GDI had made great strides to improve the surviveability of their infantry by replacing them with drones wherever possible, Emperor Jin just viewed infantry as expendable pawns for his mad plans, most Russian infantry were poorly-trained, undisciplined conscripts who were just cannon fodder to draw fire from Russian armor, and GLA infantry were all instilled with the idea that their deaths were "for the cause".

The ECA, however, didn't believe in just putting flesh-and-blood humans out of work or using infantry as pawns, and the Combat Medic was emblematic of that line of thinking. ECA infantry wore sophisticated body armor, that could be optionally upgraded to ceramic body armor. Under small arms fire, infantry who appeared to have been shot dead weren't, and Combat Medics were often dispatched to asses the condition of fallen infantry. If they could be saved, these medics would call in an NH40 Pegasus helicopter for aerial medivac to the nearest hospital or field hospital.

Unfortunately, the GLA had absolutely no respect for international law, and Russian generals during WWIII targeted medics with reckless abandon because they believed the ICC couldn't touch them on penalty of nuclear attack (though Suvorov had told his generals NOT to commit such war crimes, wanting this war to be more "civilized" than Putin's ill-fated excursion into Ukraine in the 2020s). As a result, ECA medics had no choice but to forgo their Geneva Conventions protections just to protect themselves from enemies with no respect for said conventions, typically old, surplus pistols such as the Skorpion vz.61 or the Austrian TMP.

In the aftermath of Operation Nemesis, the ECA offered lucrative jobs to civilian contractors who were willing to provide their specialized engineering skills for the reconstruction of North Africa. Over the following years, these men aided in the construction of modern hospitals, schools, roads, railways, and irrigation networks, laying the foundation for a new economic perspective in this region ravaged by warfare.

The contractors did not carry weapons and were regarded as non-combatants, to be escorted by armed ECA soldiers at all times, but it was reported that many of them tried to make themselves useful during combat situations by repairing damaged military vehicles, and using their technical skills to rapidly take control of key facilities on the battlefield. Basically, the Engineers, as they were known under the ICS, were similar to China's Black Lotus agents, but less fit and without the ability to cripple enemy facilities and vehicles, steal money, and set up signal transmitters.

The European Combat Pioneers were highly trained specialists that were deployed for a variety of support tasks. Their primary weapon was the MP57 personal defence weapon, a rugged submachine gun which fired the smaller 28mm length version of the ECA's standard 5.7x50mm assault rifle round. In addition, they packed some serious firepower in the form of a portable 81mm infantry mortar, which could be loaded with three types of ammunition once properly deployed and calibrated: General purpose high-explosive rounds, airbursting canister shells for use against massed infantry, and non-lethal tear gas canisters to irritate and disorient the enemy. Thanks to their advanced weapon training, the Pioneers were able to fire a quick barrage of ten explosive grenades without having to fortify their position, if the circumstances prohibited proper entrenchment. Rounding off this useful combination of ranged fire support and self-defence, the Pioneers could also plant a powerful shaped charge anti-vehicle mine to shatter enemy tanks.

In addition to the standard ECA infantry classes, there were several that were deployed from ECA barracks by the British Army, but on their terms, and under the GDI command structure, not the ECA's.

The Grenadier is self-explanatory. Armed with a fully automatic 40mm grenade machine gun, these heavy weapons specialists could lay down a devastating barrage of suppressive fire, wrecking entire concentrations of light vehicles and infantry within seconds. The cumbersome weapon weighed over 30 kilograms, and needed to be mounted on a tripod in order to fire, which is why it took the operator several seconds to set up or limber up, an issue that had to be considered when choosing a fighting position. Aside from the standard armour-piercing/high-explosive grenades, the weapon could also be loaded with a special rubber-capped anti-personnel round that was designed to bounce and detonate in the air, releasing a vicious hail of shrapnel that shreds even the most heavily entrenched enemies.

There are not many things that produce such profound feelings of terror and fear as the sight of a comrade's face exploding into a mass of red mist, followed by the delayed sound of a high-calibre rifle shot from far, far away. The UK Special Forces Heavy Snipers were long-range marksmanship experts and masters at this particularly insidious combat style. Armed with a high-powered AW50 anti-material rifle, these elite sharpshooters caused catastrophic damage to personnel and light vehicles alike once set up. Due to their costly equipment and extensive training, skilled sharpshooters became a rare asset for the Europeans during the war, though the American Pathfinders did help bridge the gap.

Like the United States had Colonel Burton, China had its Black Lotus agents, and the GLA had Jarmen Kell, the ECA also had a certain exceptional individual among its ranks, that being Frank Jaeger. Hailing from Bonn, Germany, Frank's parents had been killed when Tahar Ibrahiim dumped several tons of chemicals into the Rhine river system during the European Insurrection. At the age of 18, Frank organized an urban guerilla group against the GLA, known as the "Wolfsrudel", obviously inspired by the Wolverines from Red Dawn. When the ECA was formed, recruiters sought out Frank for his skills, and he spearheaded numerous operations against the GLA during Operation Nemesis. During WWIII, he was a constant thorn in the side of the Russian invaders.

In combat, the former paratrooper was both a fearsome hunter and a stealthy operative. His weapons of choice were a powerful 12-gauge pump action shotgun to go loud, and a suppressed TAC 50 sniper rifle for more discreet interventions. Once he infiltrated an enemy base, his technical skills allowed him to perform a variety of actions. These include cutting power lines, stealing enemy supplies, and disrupting communications. Thanks to his mastery of wilderness survival and navigation, Jaeger could perform all of these tasks while remaining fully concealed, forcing the increasingly paranoid commanders of the local Russian installations to equip even their lowliest sentries with infrared goggles; during Operation Nemesis, GLA commanders had to deploy a ton of Observation Vans to sniff him out, taking resources away from their actual fighting force.

Vehicles​

ECA infantry filled a variety of niches, and their vehicles were no different. Coming from all across Europe, this was where the "melting pot" mentality was on full display.

The most basic vehicle was the Excavator. Produced by a Swedish utility vehicle company, these high-powered vehicles were operated by civilian engineering contractors in service of the ECA, providing the task force with quick on-site construction capabilities. This particular model was first introduced in 2024, and coalition forces during the Third Gulf War in 2025 reported seeing one of these in Baghdad.

One of the oldest vehicles in the ECA arsenal, the Bloodhound was a Panhard VBL equipped for scout operations. It utilized infrared and sonic scanners to detect even the most well-concealed infiltrators, and was armed with a 20mm autocannon (compatible with anti-personnel flechette rounds and standard rounds), and anti-personnel fragmentation grenades to eliminate threats. Reasonably well armored versus small arms and artillery fragments, it relied on chaff dispensers to evade anti-tank missiles. Fortunately, the chaff dispensers could also be used to shield heavier targets from missiles, making the Bloodhound a valuable addition to ECA armored divisions. The Bloodhound also had enough space to transport two people, making it ideal for getting Engineers to key structures in a jiffy.

With the initial mission of NATO rendered obsolete in the wake of the formation of the EU, many European armies once again changed their operational doctrines back to a heavier, more localized Cold War era home defense mindset following the EU's collapse. As a result, the German Army decided to re-introduce the trusted Gepard Flak Panzer, whose most recent model, the Gepard 1A3, was updated with a new fire-control radar, and the same 35mm anti-aircraft guns used by the Sky Shield system, which also naturally included the highly effective AHEAD "cluster" rounds. This allowed the Gepard to engage both air and soft ground targets, and achieve effective results despite its slower rate of fire, an issue that could be mitigated via the installation of the new Revolverkanone-35 autocannon. In order to protect itself from infantry units that somehow make it past the two massive guns, the Gepard was also equipped with the same close area defense fragmentation grenades as the Leopard, which proved to be an effective repellent against GLA Terrorists in North Africa.

The Lynx APC was the workhorse of the infantry division. Despite its outlandish design, it was very reliable, and offered the best possible protection for the troops inside, something essential in Europe`s terrain where ECA supply lines and reinforcements were prone to being ambushed by Russian gunships. The Lynx brigades suffered heavy losses in the battlefield against the heavy shelling and armor piercing weaponry deployed by the Russian Army, and as a result, Lynx drivers were typically rather grouchy. As a cheap modification, armor skirts were installed on the sides to allow for greater protection against incoming projectiles. Although the plating wasn't the best the ECA has to offer, it was the cheapest, and ensured the Lynx can continue to serve as an inexpensive infantry carrier of the ECA.

The Lynx design proved highly-adaptable, and was used as the basis for the Supply Track and Munitions Track. The Supply Track was a simple logistics vehicle servicing UN supply docks, while the Munitions Track brought fresh ammo to ECA infantry.

While the official armed forces of most European countries still operated a lot of their own domestically produced weapons and vehicles, the ECA placed its faith in the latest generation of German armor engineering. Despite the shared name, the Leopard III continued the tradition of its previous iterations from the 1960s and 80s by bearing very few similarities with its predecessors. One of the core principles of the ECA was its strict decision to limit its offensive deployability to Europe's immediate sphere of influence - which at the same time was, as mentioned above, conveniently extended to include the strategically important region of North Africa.

As such, the task force's tank divisions were organized and equipped under a classic defensive mindset reminiscent of the Cold War, with the new Leopard being the most iconic product of this shift in priorities. Wrapped in several layers of highly advanced armor, the tank mounted a powerful 120mm smoothbore cannon that made it ideal for duel situations against other tanks, especially thanks to its superior range - a trait that was shared by many ECA vehicles, and could be further improved via the installation of a new gun that allowed the use of a more efficient gas-based propellant, developed by Finland.

This emphasis on anti-tank capabilities did not mean that the Leopard fell short in urban combat, where infantry is regarded as a greater threat. As with many other ECA vehicles, the machine gun mounted next to the top hatch could be manned, and the main cannon was compatible with a feared anti-personnel canister round dubbed the "Shredder" by ECA tank crews; the Shredder rounds effectively turned the Leopard into a giant shotgun that would splatter enemy infantry all over the place, so much so that several Russian generals called the use of Shredder rounds a "war crime" (their complaints to Suvorov fell on deaf ears, because they themselves were committing war crimes against his wishes). In addition, both the Leopard and the Gepard Flakpanzer were equipped with automatic close area defense systems that unleashed a deadly hail of shrapnel towards enemy assailants that get too close for comfort.

Named after a Slavonian infantry force from the 18th century, the Pandur III was the third generation of the eponymous family of wheeled combat vehicles, in service of the Austrian Bundesheer. While originally designed as an armored personnel carrier, the ECA decided to fill this particular role with the Swedish-made Lynx, choosing the heavy weapons carrier variant of the highly-versatile Pandur as its standard infantry fighting vehicle instead.

As such, the ECA Pandur omitted its troop-carrying capabilities in favor of additional storage space for a variety of heavy weapons that could be installed on the turret and operated by a dedicated specialist infantryman ordered into the vehicle. These included a 20mm auto-cannon (Felin Rifleman), a self-loading, four-barreled set of Panzerfausts (Panderfaust Soldier), a rapid-firing grenade machine gun (Grenadier), an extendable repair arm (Engineer), medical supplies (Combat Medic), a mortar (Combat Pioneer), an anti-material cannon (Heavy Sniper), and a short-barreled canister gun (Frank Jaeger).

Its steel-encased polymer armor protected the Pandur against small arms fire, and kept it light enough to fully utilize the mobility of its six wheels, making it a useful addition to any mechanized force. Oddly enough for a vehicle originating from a landlocked country, the Pandur was also equipped with inflatable rubber skirts to traverse stretches of water, such as the Danube river that runs through northern Austria.

With the ever shrinking influence of the United Nations in a world dominated by hyper-militarization, political polarization, widespread nuclear proliferation, and using the GLA as justification for land grabs, warfare in the mid-21st century became increasingly vicious, as many countries no longer felt obligated to respect various treaties such as the ban on clusterbombs and anti-personnel mines. Most controversially, the ECA made no secret of its newfound interest in these weapons, arguing that the use of "terror weapons" must always be an optional deterrent against the most ruthless, uncompromising enemies (most analysts believed they were referring to Emperor Jin), and that modern "intelligent munitions systems" would allow for an easy and safe removal of unexploded ordnance in the aftermath of a conflict.

As such, the Spanish Mole Minelayer became a mainstay support vehicle for the task force and one of the few weapons that strike legitimate horror into the hearts of even the most fanatical GLA fighters. In combat, the vehicle was capable of dispensing large quantities of mines with its multi-directional launchers, creating entire fields littered with explosives within seconds. Beyond that, it was armed with the infamous Maulwurfsbombe (literally "Mole Bomb"), the militarised version of an Austrian-made, fully autonomous drilling machine that is used to cut tunnels and shafts through the Alps. The bomb could be burrowed as a stationary explosive mine or traverse a considerable distance underground to demolish enemy structures.

One of the larger vehicles in the ECA's toy box was the Jagdmammut Tank Destroyer. This German-designed heavy tank destroyer was based on a series of experimental vehicles trialled by the German and Swedish armed forces during the late 20th century. The design was revived due to recent Russian and Chinese advances in anti-missile technology, which threatened to render heavy anti-tank missiles ineffective. Heavy Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (HATGM) had previously been the mainstay of German tank-destroyer forces.

The monstrous new vehicle was met with some skepticism, particularly from the armor community, due to its lack of mobility and turreted guns, where it was considered anachronistic and expensive. But its defenders cited its heavy armor and powerful dual Rheinmetall 140mm cannons as proof of its suitability for defensive actions in Central and Eastern Europe. The 140mm twin cannons were an ingenious gas-operated auto-loading design that was capable of using specialized Jormund jet-assisted laser-guided graphene penetrator rounds, similar to the Ramjet-Assisted Penetrator of the American Paladin tank. The extreme specialization of the 140mm cannon turned out to be perfect for a tank destroyer. Even without the combustion light gas shells later created for the Jagdmammut's cannons, the 140mm anti-tank gun was theoretically capable of knocking out even Overlord tanks at their extreme range. As with most ECA vehicles, the Jagdmammut was powered by a highly efficient multi-fuel engine fitted to an electrical transmission gear.

Pressure from General Wolfgang's mechanized infantry formations in the German Army, who now felt vulnerable with the diminished potency of their anti-tank missiles, ensured funding was secured. It was given the German designation Jagdmammut - which literally translates into English as "hunting mammoth". The vehicle was issued to General Wolfgang's forces to replace their missile-armed tank destroyers, and support their nimble infantry fighting vehicles in the late 2020s. This deployment was to prove fortuitous in the future, when the Jagdmammut's ability to hold its ground against almost insurmountable numbers of GLA vehicles would serve it well. In action, the Jagdmammut's gunners soon found that the combination of the excellent optical systems and the powerful guns allowed them to out-range any other tank being fielded at that time, allowing them to destroy bewildered enemy vehicles with impunity before they could even return fire.

The Wotan was a revolutionary anti-air weapon system of Norwegian origin. Described by American soldiers as "the Avenger on steroids", its armament was a microwave projector, which was capable of firing an extremely intense beam of EM radiation at a target. Due to the intricacies of the weapon control systems, the limited depression of the beam projector and humanitarian" concerns (especially after many American Microwave tank crews sought therapy for what their microwave emitters did to GLA infantry during the Third Gulf War), the "heat ray" could only be fired at airborne targets, making the Wotan the heavy anti-air weapon of choice for the Scandinavian military and the ECA. The beam's intensity could be set to "focused" or "spread", allowing the Wotan to defeat individual aircraft with all available firepower or damage an entire swarm of packed targets at the same time, making the Wotan an utter menace to even Tu-95 bombers. Thanks to the physical attributes of a directed energy weapon, the Wotan's attack had long range, and suffers no delay before striking the target. An enemy pilot caught within range of a Wotan was essentially doomed to combust, either from being cooked to death by the microwave beam or by the premature ignition of his fuel and weaponry - whichever came first.

The Mobile Sensor Array wasn't very complicated, effectively a mobile radar that could also detect camouflaged units. ECA commanders frequently used the MSA as spotters for infantry garrisoned in buildings.

In the lead-up to the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian government invested heavily in the modernization of its armed forces and military industries. One result of this was the Trident, a uniquely modular artillery system (not to be confused with the submarine-launched ballistic missiles used by the US and UK). The armored 8x8 chassis was originally conceived for a personnel carrier by the famous Morozov Design Bureau, and could change between a howitzer and a six-tube rocket launcher in the field with minimal setup. The howitzer fired western-standard 155mm shells, ideal for the destruction of buildings and infantry, while the launcher accepted a unique type of rocket-launched, glide-capable guided munition optimized for precision use against tanks and other vehicles. Originally sourced from Germany and the US, the howitzer and rocket launcher were later built under licence domestically within Ukraine, with production ramping up after Putin was overthrown and the Russo-Ukrainian War came to an unceremonious end.

During the Second Russo-Ukrainian War in 2034, the Trident was a key factor in forcing the stalemate that ended the war. By the early 2040s, this latest version of the Trident saw service with the Ukrainian Army, as well as numerous export customers including Poland, the Baltic states, South Africa, and a number of Middle Eastern countries.

Like with their infantry, the British Army had several vehicles that were deployed from ECA Vehicle Assemblies to keep GDI's own facilities running smoothly without having to retool them for British vehicles. These, too, were deployed under British authority, and within the GDI command structure.

Vaguely reminiscent of the M7 Priest artillery of World War II fame, the medium-weight, open-topped Mortar Track entered service with the British Army as part of the Ministry of Defence's re-armament plan, which was put into action after Brexit. Picking up on the traditions of the past in an effort to secure a safe, self-determined future, the country proceeded to engage in an increased exchange the United States and the Commonwealth of Nations (a name that had to be dropped after Anwar Sulaymaan formed the Commonwealth of Free Peoples, and the UK effectively reverted back to being the British Empire following the Caribbean War), particularly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada, whose economies remained relatively stable throughout the Global War on Terror, which put the UK in an advantageous position by the time stability returned to the continent several years later.

Meanwhile, many "lean and fast" units of the Army had been turned back into heavy, hard-hitting territorial defense forces, and the Royal Armoured Corps was no exception. Operating alongside Crusader and Paladin tanks that the UK had imported as part of GDI's "Armed Forces Unification", the Mortar Track provided mobile artillery support on the go. Its powerful 120mm mortar cannon could lay down a rapid, unceasing barrage of shells thanks to its automatic loading system, and the latest software upgrade for the targeting computer, which was optionally applied to the vehicles, allowing Mortar Tracks to relay targets between each other.

Originally designed for the British Royal Engineers in the early 2000s, the Warhound AVRE (Armored Vehicle Royal Engineers) was a combat engineering vehicle. Rapidly deployable thanks to its light weight of just over 30 tons, this versatile machine could be used for a variety of purposes. Its armament consisted of a short 140mm cannon, which was typically loaded with high-explosive demolition shells, and a co-axial .50 calibre machine gun. The cannon, while devastating against static targets, infantry and light vehicles, couldn't be fired on the move due to the relatively simplistic fire control systems, and required the vehicle to be deployed in place. In that state, the Warhound could also be used to repair nearby buildings in a small radius around itself. Finally, the vehicle could use its powerful digging instruments to escavate a small pit to hide explosives in, which could be detonated on a manual command to surprise enemies.

The Claymore was one of the largest units in the British Army. It had a nearly-legendary firing range, possessed superb accuracy, and could operate in any terrain and weather that is native to Europe. Very few had the luxury of surviving the punishment of its shells. Thanks to a highly-efficient loading system, they are capable of firing a punishing five round volley in a matter of a seconds, creating a majestic and deadly barrage.

In terms of stationary assets, the ECA had perhaps the most-comprehensive defensive structures. These included a simple Fortification (otherwise known as a "Pillbox") that could be inhabited by infantry and upgraded with various functions, a Tank Trap Barricade that stopped tanks and provided cover for infantry, a Vehicle Dugout that could be "garrisoned" by a Leopard, Gepard, or Mortar Track, a Guard Tower that shredded through infantry and light vehicles (and could also discover camouflaged enemies or serve as a spotter), a Gun Turret that was a a stationary defense version of a ship turret used on the destroyers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, albeit with an upsized 140mm cannon that excelled against tanks, a Skyshield Battery that fired the same rounds used in the Gepard, a Mortar Pit that served as a stationary artillery position, a Howitzer Position that was exactly what it said on the tin, a Fire Control Station that provided fire control for Howitzer Positions, a Grand Mortar that was the Mortar Pit on steroids, the Munitions Bunker that provided ammunition and assembled Munitions Tracks, and the Goalkeeper, an updated version of a rotary cannon system first deployed in 1979.

But the most fearsome weapon in the ECA's arsenal was the Solaris Relay. Since the inception of the European Space Agency's famous Solaris energy project, high-ranking Russian officials heavily criticized it for its possible use as a highly-devastating orbital weapon and missile defense. While much of the criticism at the time was in no small part motivated by the fact that a self-sufficient Europe put an end to the long-standing fossil fuel deals that kept the Russian economy going, the alleged military potential of Solaris turned out to be more than just a slanderous conspiracy theory as early as 2046, when the Russian aircraft carrier Peter the Great got melted to slag by a pillar of sunlight striking down from the sky without warning in the Baltic Sea.

Aircraft​

The ECA didn't have much of an air force, mainly because the individual nation states still maintained their own. Unfortunately, most of these air forces were destroyed on the ground in the opening salvo of the Russian invasion of Europe.

What few aircraft survived were based in Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and North Africa, as Russia's cruise missiles didn't have the range to reach these areas. France's entire air-based nuclear arsenal had been relocated to Ireland as a precaution as tensions rose, saving them from the onslaught.

The Ireland Air Corps. was nebulous, only having a total of 19 aircraft and 10 helicopters, none of which were suitable for heavy fighting. The Spanish Air and Space Force and Portugese Air Force were intact, but were kept in reserve until they were absolutely needed.

Of the nations of Europe, the Royal Air Force was now the largest. Its fleet of Typhoons had been sold to other nations and replaced by the F-35. But the F-35 wasn't the only fixed-wing fighter they had. The Royal Navy also operated the Harrier III, a modern take on a British classic, the first viable VTOL fighter. Standard loadout for the Harrier III consisted of Brimstone air-to-ground missiles and two Mauser 27mm autocannons.

With much of Europe's air forces out of commission, the ECA fell back on their helicopters, which had been stored under cover and therefore weren't visible to Russian satellites.

The Eurocopter Tiger was first conceived as a joint venture between France and West Germany in the early 1980s. However, when the new helicopter started to see action during NATO operations in Afghanistan, a series of problems became apparent: The German UHT variant was designed as a missile-armed support helicopter for use against Soviet era tank armies and had to make do with a static 12.7mm gunpod rather than a proper autocannon turret, making it unsuitable for counter-insurgency operations. In addition, the wiring in these early models was flawed, forcing the Tigers to remain on the ground for most of the time. Whilst the French HAP variant fared better in combat and was used as the basis for additional export versions, the German Tigers would not receive the necessary upgrades for years due to a general neglect of military matters by the government and thus delivered an abysmal performance during the GLA's incursion into Central Europe in 2028.

After the EU collapsed, the new German Reich began correcting glaring flaws that had allowed the insurrection to get as bad as it did, and one of these was the Tiger II. Commonly dubbed the 'Koenigstiger' by the Germans, the updated model was armed with two chin-mounted, high-capacity rocket pods linked to the pilot's HUD that could be aimed in the same way as a turret, allowing the Tiger to lay down a deadly accurate barrage of high-explosive/armor-piercing rockets in addition to taking on flying targets with Starstreak anti-air missiles. Further adding to the gunship's versatility, it was also able to deploy the Icarus balloon mine to lock down down the airspace above an area of operations. The new Tiger showed its superiority during Operation Nemesis and was soon adopted by both the ECA and, somewhat ironically, the French Army as well. Against the Russians, it proved to be an absolute menace, though its lack of guns made it vulnerable to enemy anti-air when it had to reload, so it came as no surprise that GDI Comanches and Vipers would often relieve it as soon as humanly possible.

The Marksman FAC (Forward Air Controller) was, at the time the war began, the newest modernization of the venerable Westland Lynx, a multi-purpose helicopter of British design that served in a variety of different roles in many European militaries, including the armed forces of Portugal, Denmark and Norway. The ECA made prominent use of it as a forward air controller and artillery observer. Its precision target designator allowed friendly units to bring the full weight of their firepower to bear on anyone unfortunate enough to be marked by the beam.

In addition, most Marksman FACs operated in constant coordination with the nearest European artillery detachment, allowing them to place a target marker on a structure which would then be attacked with a cruise missile.

Prototypes​

At the time of the Russian invasion, the ECA was working on several advanced projects. Certain projects were already in the prototype stage, and were pressed into combat. All told, these prototypes were actually pretty damn impressive.

There were three "protocols" an ECA commander could request from research facilities built in ECA FOBs, but only one could be activated at a time.

The Manticore Protocol was often selected by commanders whose forces are fighting at the thickest of mechanized battles. With this protocol, commanders could deploy a single Manticore tank. Based on a rejected design for General Ironside's Mammoth tank that the United States sold to the ECA, not thinking anything would actually come of this, the 100 ton experimental Manticore tank was the most technologically-advanced tank deployed during World War III. It sported dual 155mm cannons to fend off lesser tanks, a dual 30mm auto-cannon turret to dispatch any infantry and aircraft that ventured into its sights, and a set of rocket launchers to seal the deal. Deployed relatively early in the war, these rare tanks were usually seen leading entire ECA armor divisions into the fray against their Russian counterparts.

The Manticore was infamous for being the only tank that able to beat the Sentinel in a one-on-one duel. This was not due to standard merits such as the plating of its armor or the parameters of its guns, but rather, because of nanite technology that could repair any damage done to the tank almost instantly. Several small, orb-shaped bots actively hovered around the Manticore, and dispensed a regenerative, self-hardening nano-foam that quickly solidified inside any holes in the hull, thus filling out missing chunks of the tank's structure. There were even reported cases of the tank being fully repaired before its enemies could fire their second volley.

The orbs not only repaired their parent vehicle, but also any friendly vehicles within range. This made the Manticore fearsome not only by itself, but also in tandem with friendly units. ECA generals were only authorized to field one Manticore at a time due to how few there were, so utmost care with this beast was necessary.

The nano bots used on the Manticore were deployed more widely by 2049, and became a common sight across Mainland Europe following The Sundering.

The ECA has set itself a policy of restricting the use of unmanned vehicles to a bare minimum, arguing that the large-scale use of such weapons in combat detaches operators and politicians from the brutality and human cost of real warfare, unlike GDI, who widely used drones to reduce casualties and war fatigue (cutting down on labor costs by having to pay less people was a plus). As such, unmanned vehicles only serve in functions where human soldiers would simply be impractical to begin with. The prime example is the Anvil Bot, an autonomous armoured support vehicle of British design that is purely intended to shield nearby friendlies from enemy attacks. Similar to the ECA's legendary Manticore tank, the Anvil surrounds itself with a swarm of nano-scale particles manipulated by an artificial intelligence inside the parent vehicle.

Unlike the Manticore, which used these "nano bots" to refill holes and cracks in its armour, the Anvil uses them to generate a finely-calibrated field of electromagnetic interferences which confuse enemy rangefinders and targeting systems, effectively making it impossible to aim precisely at the units within the Anvil's area of effect. This comes with a major tradeoff, in that the Anvil itself produces a very distinct electromagnetic signature which makes it a very easy target, an issue that has been partially remedied via the installation of nano shock panels to increase its protection. It should also be noted that the Anvil has to move at a much slower pace while maintaining its protective shield. Ever since its introduction in early 2049, the Anvil has served its own part in protecting Europe's ever dwindling arsenal of combat vehicles from attrition. Unlike the Manticore tank, Anvil Bots can be deployed in numbers upon choosing the eponymous protocol.

The second protocol was the Venom Protocol, focused on infantry warfare improvements. Of the three protocols, this one was widely considered to be the "coolest", even by Russia and the GLA.

The main crux of the Venom Protocol was powered armor. Most ECA infantry (except Attack Dogs, Commandos, and Frank Jaeger) would received powered exoskeletons that made them faster, increased the range of Felin Riflemen and Combat Medics, and allowed Panzerfaust Soldiers to reload faster. Even before WWIII, these exoskeletons, and their associated technology, was becoming increasingly-common not just in Europe, but across GDI member states. They allowed the handicapped to walk again, those with birth defects to have functioning limbs, and made manual labor much easier.

But it went further than that. MUCH further.

Fielded relatively late in the war, the Venom is a powered armor which significantly increases the strength, speed and durability of its human operator. Originally designed as a revolutionary hazardous environment suit for ESA astronauts in preparation of a future European colony on the Moon, the military model was significantly enlarged in order to accommodate heavy composite armor hardened against EMP as well as an assortment of heavy weapons.

For added mobility, the suit comes equipped with a set of boosters that are strong enough to provide aerodynamic lift within atmospheric conditions, allowing the operator close a considerable distance with a rocket-assisted jump. The few Russian survivors that lived to tell their stories described the Venom as an unstoppable juggernaut, a machine of sheer terror that even surpassed the Shock Troopers due to its imposing, inhuman physique and overwhelming firepower. As a result, Russian propagandists have spread slanderous rumors which painted the Venoms as soulless cyborgs, biomechanical abominations who had been subjected to genetic manipulations and forced limb amputations by sinister European scientists in an effort to create the ultimate killer. Contrary to these baseless claims, the Venom suits are operated by healthy, fully conscious human volunteers. Whilst many of the Venom's internal workings remain a well-preserved secret, it is speculated that the operator resides in an internal suspension pod while controlling the machine through a sophisticated neural interface, allowing the mechanical limbs of the suit can be manipulated through natural brain impulses as if they were part of the operator's own body.

Similar albeit noticeably less refined versions of this technology are already used as a modern alternative to wheelchairs and limb prostheses around the world whilst some of the Nordic European states even sponsor these medical exoskeleton as part of their elaborate healthcare systems.

Due to the technical complexity of the suit and the shortage of advanced materials, it is expected that the total number of operators does not exceed the mark of a hundred. The men and women inside the suits are exclusively recruited from the cream of Europe's large special forces community, including the French 1er RPIMa and Poland's famous GROM.

Upon selection of the Venom protocol, ECA battlefield commanders can choose to deploy operators from two distinct variations: The CQC (close-quarters combat) assault specialists of Team Valkyrie whose suits are equipped with shoulder-mounted anti-tank missiles and a heavy assault weapon that combines a 10-guage (20mm) smooth-bore cannon typically firing canister rounds with a 40mm grenade launcher, and the elite sharpshooters of Team Viking whose suits come with a miniaturized version of the Starstreak anti-air missile and the Longbow, an anti-materiel rifle that fires 65mm HEAP (high-explosive armor-piercing) tungsten-graphene rounds at 4,000 feet per second capable of penetrating up to 6 inches of steel alloy at 3,600 yards.

To say the Venom suits captured the public's imagination is a gross understatement. Japan, in particular, was enamored by them, as if they were real-life Gundams. After The Sundering, the civilian version became much more widely-available, being used as mobile life support suits for victims who otherwise had unsurviveable injuries; those who were encased in these suits made the best of their new situations, often customizing them to suit their needs or to create what they viewed as "the ultimate cosplay" (hell, Disney was selling Darth Vader and Iron Man Venom suits, Hasbro was selling Transformers suits, and plenty of Japanese companies had Gundam, Macross, Mazinger, Evangelion, Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman suits).

The third and final protocol was considered the "Last Resort", known as the Pandora Protocol. This protocol, the most stringent of them all, was enacted when the ECA was on the brink of defeat in southern France. Seeing such measures as the only means of preventing utter annihilation, ECA high command unleashed their most destructive, but highly controversial, weapons in their possession, which marks a crucial point in the military chain of escalation, and represented a major step towards The Sundering.

Commanders who gained access to the Pandora Protocol could deploy the ECA's most fearsome artillery weapons, the Pandora and Prometheus, and Fenris Cryo-Tanks, that could freeze infantry to their deaths and locks vehicles in place. In addition, the Pandora Protocol also replaced the Smart Bomb with the gruesomely-lethal Neutron Bomb, turned Tear Gas Strikes into Nerve Gas Strikes, and the Solar Burst becomes the Solar Apocalypse, which scorches a larger area in all-consuming sunlight for extended durations.

The Pandora and Prometheus were both part of the ECA's nuclear arsenal. One of the most feared, albeit decisive weapons deployed in World War III, the Pandora was a military refit of a European Space Agency payload delivery mechanism that used an electromagnetic railgun to fire small satellites and Solaris maintenance equipment into orbit when an Ariane 6 would be unnecessary, and the smaller Vega rocket was unavailable. By the time Russian forces found themselves at the verge of victory in southern France, ECA high command made a controversial decision to avert its defeat.

Despite the Treaty of Budapest that banned neutron weaponry, France modified some of their regular nuclear weapons into so-called "enhanced radiation warheads". While just as devastating as any other tactical nuclear weapon, these neutron bombs were designed to emit an extreme magnitude of radiation during the explosion, which was strong enough to penetrate the armor of even the most heavily-protected vehicles, leaving them intact for capture by anyone willing and desperate enough to stomach the sight of what remains inside after the crew members have succumbed to the neutrons. The Pandora was capable of launching these terrifying warheads over long distances, letting them detonate right upon impact, or upon delayed proximity activation after they have hit the ground.

While the United States made extensive use of lasers as point defense and anti-aircraft weapons, the nations of Europe concentrated their research efforts on the civilian utilities of the technology. One of their most promising discoveries was the possibility of using special frequency lasers to slow the motion of atoms to a near standstill, resulting in a focused freezing effect. Ideally, the technology could be used as a more eco-friendly alternative to bulky cooling machinery and aggressive chemicals. A team of Scandinavian scientists even explored the idea of using this remarkable technology to revert the effects of global warming by restoring the Arctic ice.

Unfortunately, these so-called "cryo lasers" also presented a considerable destructive potential which was exploited during World War III. Named after a monstrous wolf from Norse mythology, the Fenris was an elaborate modification of a conventional Lynx APC, which had been outfitted with a freezing laser that proved extremely lethal against enemy infantry and even vehicles, which not only took damage, but also ended up immobilized due to deformed machinery and severly reduced crew performance after prolonged cooling. The Fenris could also fire a high energy shot which froze the vehicle, to the point where parts of its armour become so brittle that even its own idle engine vibrations or weapon recoil were enough to shatter it open, thus directly exposing the crew to the freezing ray, killing them instantly and leaving the vehicle empty for recovery.

Unlike the dreaded Pandora cannon, the Fenris could be deployed in numbers upon choosing the eponymous protocol. By 2049, enough Fenris Cryo-Tanks had been produced that they were removed from the Pandora Protocol and made available to all ECA commanders.

The Prometheus was more conventional than the other two Pandora Protocol options, being a transporter-erector launcher (TEL) with a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM). Because of its nature as a tactical nuclear weapon, we'll talk more about it in the sidestory about the world's nuclear arsenals.

---

And that's all she wrote on the ECA's arsenal. In the next sidestory, we'll be looking at the other side, at Russia's arsenal.

 

[BNSF1995]

The following is a transcript of Emergency Alert System activations on October 15, 2027, the day of the California Insurrection, as they appeared here in San Jose, CA.

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NATIONAL ALERT

National Public Warning System

Issued a

National Emergency Message
​

SAME Header tones go here

We interrupt our regular programming. This is a national emergency. Important details will follow.

Attention Signal goes here

Please stand by. *beat* Please stand by *beat* The following message is transmitted at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This is not a test. At 9 AM Pacific Daylight Time, a break-in was reported at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. Around the same time, the city of Livermore came under attack by armed assailants. It has been confirmed that these assailants are members of the Global Liberation Army.

This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. GLA forces have technicals, tanks, and toxin tractors at their disposal. All efforts to destroy GLA forces have proven ineffective due to heavy anti-air cover.

At this time, it is unknown if other GLA sleeper cells are within the Continental United States. Be vigilant at all times. If you suspect any GLA activity in your area, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Please stand by for further emergency information for your area.

End of Message tones go here

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EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

Civil Authorities

Issued a

Civil Danger Warning
​

SAME Header tones and Attention Signal go here

The following message has been transmitted at the request of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. This is not a test. Repeat. This is not a test. California is under attack by the Global Liberation Army. A massive GLA convoy is currently moving south on I-680 in Alameda County. A 9 AM this morning, a break-in occurred at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and chemical samples were stolen.

This convoy has been destroying everything its path. The California National Guard is doing everything in its power to contain these aggressors.

This concludes this activation of the Emergency Alert System.

End of Message tones go here

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EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

Civil Authorities

Issued a

Local Area Emergency
​

SAME Header tones and Attention Signal go here

The following message is transmitted at the request of the San Jose Police Department. This is not a test. A Global Liberation Army convoy is heading towards San Jose. This convoy is carrying toxic chemicals, and is being escorted by armed men and tanks. Do not attempt to engage these men. The California National Guard has been deployed.

Repeat. Do not attempt to engage the convoy.

It is believed the convoy is heading to Moffet Federal Airfield in Sunnyvale. All citizens in San Jose and surrounding communities are advised to evacuate to San Francisco or Santa Cruz immediately. At the conclusion of this emergency, your local news will have a map showing the projected path of the convoy. If you are on or near this path, evacuate IMMEDIATELY. Towns along the path of the convoy, including Livermore, Pleasanton, Sunol, Fremont, and Milpitas, have come under heavy attack from the GLA.

This concludes this activation of the Emergency Alert System.

End of Message tones go here

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EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

Civil Authorities

Issued an

Administrative Message
​

SAME Header tones and Attention Signal go here

The following message is transmitted at the request of the San Jose Police Department.

The GLA attack has been beaten back. Although they managed to escape with chemicals stolen from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the attacks have ceased. The damage to San Jose has been greatly mitigated thanks to the efforts of the San Jose Citizen's Militia.

Please stand by for a message from the President of the United States.

End of Message tones go here.

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NATIONAL ALERT

National Public Warning System

Issued a

National Emergency Message​

SAME Header and Attention Signal go here

Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.

Voice of Kamala Harris

Good evening, my fellow Americans. Today, we have witnessed a grievous, and senseless attack against our nation. This morning, the Global Liberation Army broke into the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, and stole samples of Dr. Thrax's biochemical weapons, no doubt to use against us. Cities and towns along the route of the convoy carrying these chemicals were savagely attacked, for no reason other than the fact that the GLA feels oppressed by our existence. This country has not experienced a major terrorist attack on its soil since September 11, 2001, nor has it experienced an attack on this scale by foreign actors since December 7, 1941.

I must report to you now that President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. suffered a fatal heart attack upon receiving news of the attack. It is with a heavy heart that I, Kamala Devi Harris, have taken the Oath of Office, as per the presidential line of succession.

The chemicals were successfully flown out on a stolen plane, but the GLA attack has been beaten back by our brave military forces, as well as the brave efforts of a civilian militia formed in San Jose, California. To the San Jose Citizen's Militia: the entire nation thanks you. You are the spirit of the United States given human form.

Although the GLA attack has been stopped, the fact remains that our homeland security has been breached. More GLA sleeper cells may be on American soil. If you see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to call 9-1-1. You may be stopping another tragedy like the one that happened today.

Thank you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

 

[BNSF1995]

Chapter 9: Rise of the Reds​

To understand Russia's invasion of Europe, you have to understand the mindset of the Russian government. This invasion wasn't because Russia wanted more land, wanted to impose its culture, wanted to exterminate non-Russians, or was doing it for fun and profit, they were doing it because they were DESPERATE.

The state of the Russian economy in the early 2040s was MUCH worse than the western media was making it out to be. In 2042, the GLA had finally thrown Russia out of East Africa, greatly weakening Russia's position (though it still held onto Madagascar due to the GLA lacking any amphibious warfare capabilities). In 2044, Russia experienced near-total crop failure thanks to an event known as the Great Heatwave, causing massive food riots during the fall. Russia had to import food from its colonies in Ukraine and South America, which did help prevent a famine, but food shortages in Siberia persisted.

Suvorov was caught in a tough position. Russia's economy was failing fast, while Europe's was in its biggest boom since the end of World War II. Russia's economy was based on fossil fuel exports, Europe's was based on the tech and service industries, as well as vehicle exports. Europe...Europe...

It was at this point that Suvorov made a decision. There was no time to reform the economy, and there was no money left for any stimuli, bailouts, or other forms of intervention. To save Russia's economy, they would have to assimilate Europe's. And that would mean invading Europe. This was a decision Suvorov didn't take lightly, but at this point, it was either this, or suffer the same fate as Putin and leave the Kremlin in a bodybag while another firebrand agitator took control and immediately nuked Europe.

On December 30, 2044, a Russian missile base in the exclave of Kalinigrad suffered an attack. Officially, Suvorov blamed the ECA, but in truth, General Aleksandr's Shock Troopers had staged the whole thing as a false flag. The ECA's protests of innocence were ignored, and Russia vetoed any motions in the United Nations related to the incident.

And so, when the clock struck midnight (Moscow Time, naturally) on New Year's Eve, Suvorov gave the order right at the stroke: attack.

Across Eastern Europe, and in the Red and Baltic Seas, thousands of cruise and ballistic missiles were launched towards Central, Northern, and Western Europe, all with conventional warheads. This opening move was targeted at air bases, to completely neuter the ECA's air power. In a matter of minutes, most airbases in Europe had been destroyed, with only the bases in Spain, Portugal, and Ireland surviving (the United Kingdom's bases were also unmolested, but only because the UK was a member of GDI, not the ECA, and Suvorov refused to entertain the idea of getting into a shooting war with the United States).

Among the high-ranking Russian personnel during the war included:

• Nikolai Krukov, Chief of General Staff
• Nadia Zelenkov, Aide to President Suvorov
• Leonid Vasilyevich Zhukov, Russian Ground Forces
• Yevgeny Romanovich Orlov, Special Operations Forces
• Nikita Ivanovich Aleksandr, Advanced Weapons Division
• Georgi Kukov, Russian Signal Troops
• Radik Gradenko, Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Vladimir Kosygin, Strategic Missile Forces
• Oleg Vodnik, Russian Tank Troops
• Nikolai Moskvin, Russian Missile Troops and Artillery
• Zhana Agonskaya, Russian Aerospace Forces
• Dr. Gregor Zelinsky, Assistant to General Aleksandr
• Dasha Federovich, Intelligence Officer
• Boris Bikov, Commando
• Natasha Volkova, Markswoman

The ECA was completely caught off guard, and hundreds of thousands were killed. The strike was followed by the largest ground invasion in Europe since World War II. Within a matter of days, Ukraine had fallen completely under the control of Novorossiya. Despite Russia's massive attack, no other members of the Moscow Accords mobilized, though Yugoslavia did invade Slovenia.

The fighting raged at the Concrete Curtain, as Russian assaults were constantly turned back. At the Polish front, some sections of the blockade were breached by Russian armor, coupled with artillery fire. However, the Poles continued to stand their ground in their fortified posts hidden in the extensive forests for over a month, laying low until Russian forces came near, and then ambushing them. By May 2045, however, Russian army was able to overcome them, particularly at a front where Boris' inspirational and brave offense allowed his battalion to annihilate a Polish FOB.

With the Concrete Curtain breached, all hell broke loose. Russian forces were through, entering ECA territory en masse. The Baltic nations, eager to get back at the ECA for leaving them out, joined in the fray, as did Hungary and Slovakia, both of them under far-right dictatorships. Austria and the Czech Republic were the first major objectives, to allow the Balkan members of the MA to enter Europe unmolested. This invasion was relatively easy, as Austria and the Czech Republic were "throwaway nations" meant to slow down Russia while heavier defenses were assembled further west. Aleksandr continued his traditional approach of using the regulars of the Russian army to keep European forces contained, before his Shock Divisions dealt a deadly final blow, getting all the fame for the offensive.

Not everything went Russia's way, however. Scandinavia quickly turned into a total clusterfuck, for this was the war Finland had spent the better part of a CENTURY preparing for. As a result, Russian forces were quickly bogged down in a Ukraine-type stalemate, something Suvorov desperately tried to avoid. Eventually, Russian forces withdrew, and Finland decided not to invade back, instead keeping the borders at their pre-war state and launching missile strikes into Russian territory.

Russia's invasion of Austria and the Czech Republic also didn't go as smoothly as everyone believed. Although Russian armor would inevitably smash through them, ECA defenses were incredibly heavy, and breakthroughs would only be achieved after heavy casualties. As mentioned above, The ECA's strategy was to delay Russian forces while heavier defenses were built up.

Key ECA personnel during the war included:

• Gunter von Esling, Supreme Commander of the European Continental Army
• Willem van der Meer, Royal Netherlands Army
• Wolfgang-Maximillian von Kuerten, Bundeswehr
• Lissette Hanley, French Army
• Vera Belova, Leader of the Ukrainian Resistance
• Eva McKenna, Intelligence Officer (British volunteer)

As the ECA and Russia clashed, GDI closely watched China, believing that Emperor Jin would take advantage of the chaos in Europe to attack Korea and Taiwan. Movement was observed in China, but was to the north, as Jin saw Russia as a larger threat to Chinese sovereignty. Clashes between Chinese and Russian ethnic groups were becoming more and more common, and Jin's advisors predicted that war with Russia could break out in the next five years. As a result, the thinking in Beijing underwent a massive change, with Jin pulling 99% of forces from the Korean border and using conciliatory language towards GDI, saying "Russia is the true enemy". It was unclear if Jin had had a sudden change of heart regarding race, but his re-illegalization of the barbaric practice of foot binding after re-legalizing it in 2034 indicated he was now re-liberalizing Chinese society, though he said nothing of a peaceful reunification with the Republic of China.

Key GDI personnel during this period included:

• James Solomon, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Ben Carville, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Jeremiah "Treads" Bradley, Chief of Staff of the United States Army
• Eugene "Guile" Griffon, Chief of Staff of the Air Force
• Francis "Chessmaster" Thorn, Commander of United States Army Special Operations Command
• Warren Fuller, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
• Mark Sheppard, Chief of the National Guard Bureau
• Jack Granger, Chief of Space Operations
• Michael McNeil, Supreme Allied Commander Asia
• Douglas Hill, Supreme Allied Commander Oceania
• Robert Bingham, Chief of the General Staff
• Giles Price, Chief of the Air Staff
• Charles Cutting, British Army
• Chen Hongbing, Commander of the Red Guard
• Shinzo Nagama, Chief of Joint Staff
• Kenji Tenzai, Chief of Ground Staff
• Naomi Shirada, Chief of Naval Staff
• Takara Sato, Chief of Air Staff
• Kirce James, Intelligence Officer
• Sandra Telfair, Intelligence Officer
• Eva Lee, Intelligence Officer
• Suki Toyama, Intelligence Officer
• John Burton, Commando
• Tanya Adams, Commando

Meanwhile, key GAPA personnel consisted only of Hu Tan Mao and Tsing Shi Tao.

Back in Europe, the Russian advance continued apace. Fierce battles took place at the Polish-German border, with top ECA and Russian forces tearing each other apart. In November of 2045, Germany deployed prototype Manticore super-heavy tanks against Russian Sentinels and Golems at Swiebodzin, Poland, with very satisfying results.

However, despite experiencing heavy losses against German forces, Aleksandr's Shock divisions were able to advance through the border, and reach Berlin in February 2046. An extremely fierce battle took place, where the Germans fought fanatically for their city. Although much of the city fell to the Russian army, German forces were able to hold Mitte, the central government district for five days, until Boris was able to spot an exploitable breach, allowing Russian soldiers to rush the Reichstag and capture it.

After the fall of Berlin, Aleksandr made it his forces' headquarters, from where he coordinated the attacks on France. Russia took control of major German assets, particularly the ECAN Media Centre, which was forcibly taken off the air by a Russian Spetsnaz team during a live broadcast. With the ECAN branch in their control, the Russian Army was able to spread its propaganda throughout Europe, further demoralizing the remaining European forces and civilians.

Life under Russian occupation was hell. Civilians were typically rounded up and taken to internment camps for processing. Those deemed fit enough were sent to work at Russian FOBs as slaves, while those deemed "weak" were either sent home under strict surveillance, sent to prison camps in Russia, or outright killed. Some of the crueler generals like Aleksandr and Moskvin engaged in indiscriminate extrajudicial killings just to cow the populace into submission; Aleksandr also used civilians as live test subjects for his weapon projects, and Moskvin, a notorious homophobe and Social Darwinist, rounded up homosexuals, transgender people, those with low-functioning autism, and the mentally-handicapped, and sent them to camps to be gassed, at least until Suvorov found out and, utterly horrified, had him removed from command and imprisoned, openly calling him a Neo-Nazi.

In April 2046, General Orlov's 106th Guards Airborne Division was able to capture and establish a stable beachhead in Koblenz, securing vital bridges for the Russian advance through the Rhine (still polluted following Ibrahiim dumping chemicals during the GLA's insurrection in 2028), and into France. In Berlin, Frank Jaeger organized a resistance against the occupying Russian forces, particularly General Aleksandr. Meanwhile, General Vodnik's 1st Guards Tank Army went north into Denmark, a crucial objective to allow the Baltic Fleet uncontested access to the Atlantic.

Speaking of, the naval war in the Atlantic was fierce. Russia engaged in the first unrestricted submarine warfare campaign since WWII, targeting enemy shipping coming from Africa and the Caribbean, though many of these subs were lost to French and Spanish subs. The French Navy was unable to do much against the Russian Navy, mainly because of a Pearl Harbor-style attack on Cherbourg Naval Base, when bombers from four aircraft carriers destroyed most of the French ships in the base at anchorage, including three of France's Alsace-class battleships (out of eight) and two aircraft carriers, dealing a heavy blow to the ECA's naval power.

Several of the aircraft used in the Attack on Cherbourg entered British airspace. In response to this, the Cabinet instructed all departments and specified authorities to review their plans for Transition to War. The BIKINI state, reestablished in 2033, was raised to BLACK.

By June 2046, Russian forces had reached the Benelux nations. General van der Meer, in desperation, organized a massive evacuation of the Dutch population to Spain and Portugal, known as the Dutch Exodus, before destroying the dikes and inundating half the country, including Amsterdan, the first time an intentional flooding of the country against a military invader had occurred since the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1672. The 20th suffered major casualties as they passed through the flooded Dutch countryside, facing hidden traps such as General van der Meer's Bulldog turrets and no shortage of landmines.

It took Zhukov's forces four months to traverse the Netherlands, entering Belgium in October 2046. Upon reaching Brussels, much of the 20th was evacuated back to the Russian homeland due to the amount of wounded, with General Agonskaya's 76th Guards Air Assault Division relieving them.

On October 27, 2046, Denmark surrendered, allowing the Baltic Fleet unrestricted access to the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Russia's westward advance continued, the main objective being Paris. The forces of Generals Orlov, Aleksandr, and Kukov entered France on November 3, 2046. But it was here that Russia's advance slowed to a near-crawl, as the French, wanting to throw off the "cheese-eating surrender monkey" title given to them by The Simpsons in 1995, had rebuilt and modernized the Maginot Line using modern ECA stationary defense structures, and this time, they extended it along border with Belgium. All across the front, Russian attacks were being turned back with ruthless efficiency, and the situation began resembling "Putin's Folly". The objective to capture Paris by Christmas failed, and a breakthrough wasn't achieved until January 2047.

Out at sea, on August 8, 2046, the same Russian taskforce that had attacked Cherbourg was spotted heading towards Ferrol Naval Base, where most of the Spanish Armada, including most of its battleships, were docked. Realizing that the Russians were planning to repeat the Cherbourg attack and knock out Spain's navy, ECA Command ordered the Comas Solà to direct sunlight towards the aircraft carrier Peter the Great. Sailors aboard surrounding ships reported seeing a "great pillar of light" descending from the heavens, and right onto the Peter the Great, causing the ship's nuclear reactor to violently explode, and creating a 4 megaton nuclear explosion that wiped out the entire fleet. Publicly, Russian officials said "We told you so!", referencing their now-founded accusations regarding the weaponization of the Solaris system, but Suvorov, in private, was utterly freaking out, and was now wondering if he made the right choice.

Even after the Maginot Line was broken through, Russia's advance was still slower than Suvorov would have liked. The invasion of France was behind schedule, and Scandinavia was a no-go because the Finns were the toughest motherfuckers he had ever seen. It wouldn't be until April 2047 that Russian forces would finally reach Paris.

But even when they reached Paris, they couldn't take the city immediately. The defenders were well dug in, forcing Russia to blanket the city with missile strikes. The Siege of Paris ended up lasting longer than the Siege of Baghdad in 2025, and when the siege finally broke on June 19, 2047, the Russians found a city in ruins. The Eiffel Tower had survived, though, and Russian soldiers raised the Russian flag at the very top.

After the fall of Paris, the fighting continued. Russian forces continued to advance, but by August, their advance came to a total halt in Southern France.

It was at this point that General Aleksandr did something he had been talking about for the past year, but Suvorov kept telling him not to. Aleksandr had zero respect for Suvorov, seeing him as "too soft", especially when he had Moskvin arrested for attempting to start a new Holocaust. To him, ALL of Europe had to be under the Russian jackboot, not just the continent. And that included the United Kingdom.

On September 8, 2047, Aleksandr made perhaps the single-biggest blunder in military history, commencing an amphibious invasion of South East England. The 13th Guard's Army and elements from the 2nd and 3rd Shock Divisions were chosen to lead the attack. Suvorov was informed by Zhukov what Aleksandr was doing; the former called Aleksandr, screaming at him to not attack a GDI nation, but Aleksandr just said "You'll thank me later" and hung up, refusing to answer any further calls. The landing force departed from Dunkirk at 4:40 AM.

The first sighting happened in the morning, a couple of minutes past five. A squad of British soldiers were the first to reportedly sight the Russian invasion force, and hurried back to Ramsgate to inform the garrison commander. However, spy drones around town had already spotted the Russian ships appearing from the mist, and the garrison was already up and running. The Russian fleet made landfall several minutes later simultaneously, as paratroopers landed in the countryside further inland. The British anti-air emplacements could not lock onto the Russian transport aircraft reportedly due to their use of scrambler tech.

The first attack by the Shock Divisions was on Ramsgate. Elements of the 2nd Shock Division led the charge on Ramsgate, while the 3rd attacked Kingsdown, both being supported by the 13th Guard's Army. The British 8th Home Guard was spread evenly around, inside and between both cities. The British command had expected the Russian attack force to try and take the harbors as soon as possible, possibly even going for them straight on, which means they had stationed most of their most experienced and valuable troops in the ports of Ramsgate and Kingsdown. However, the Russian attack force landed on the beaches between the cities, completely unexpected by the British since such an attack would be deemed a suicide mission. The Russian aviation troopers landing inland provided enough of a distraction for the British Army to halt their advance towards the two cities.

The battle progressed sluggishly for around an hour before the Russians managed to gain ground. Hundreds of dead bodies already lay on the beaches while houses, and buildings on the beachfront had been torn apart by the Shock Troopers' infamous rocket rifles and tesla weapons, but most of the destruction actually came from incendiary rockets fired from regular infantrymen. The blame still went on the Shock Divisions, though, because of their reckless nature. Nonetheless, the Russians managed to take control of the main roads leading between Ramsgate and Kingsdown, and seized villages in between. The Home Guard tightened their perimeter around the two cities, although most of the Russian attack force concentrated on Ramsgate because of its ports size and importance to the Russian fleet.

Things were looking up for the invaders, when all of a sudden, the full might of GDI bore down on them. General Cutting and the Royal Lancers hit them hard, while American F-35s and A-19s, coming from RAF Lakenheath, established total air superiority, allowing Comanches to come in and start doing what they did best: wreck everyone's shit.

More British and American forces came, rapidly outnumbering and overwhelming the Russians. The first clash between the M10 Paladin II and the T-90A (GDI Reporting Name Kodiak) was an overwhelming victory for the Paladin, with its Ramjet-Assisted Penetrator completely invalidating the Kodiak's heavier armor. By 11 AM, Russian forces were running dangerously low on supplies. The resupply ships were way overdue, and the reason soon became simple: Aleksandr, expecting a swift victory, didn't bother giving the resupply ships ANY escorts, leaving them at the total mercy of British surface ships, particularly the Hawkins-class guided missile cruiser, HMS Thunderchild (yes, the name was 100% intentional, the British LOVE H.G. Wells that much), which sunk 19 of the 32 resupply ships.

By noon, the invaders had completely run out of ammo, their guns falling silent. Several attempt to rush the defenders with nothing but combat knives, and were shot dead for their boneheaded move. The surviving Russian forces, with no way of fighting back, surrendered.

News of the Battle of Ramsgate quickly reached all corners of the world. President William Bradford of the New Whig Party, who had won the 2044 United States presidential election, quickly called a meeting of all GDI leaders. This meeting only lasted ten minutes before they made the unanimous decision to collectively declare war on Russia.

I still remember the news of the Battle of Ramsgate. When CNN broke into another one of its documentaries, and I heard the news, my reaction was basically this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhZfNscu8SQ
As for me dad, he immediately rushed about the house, preparing to put our evacuation plan into action. My mom had to calm him down and tell him that the nukes weren't flying yet, but I still hid under my bedsheets, waiting for more news. Soon, I started calming down, called my girlfriend, and watched the news as President Bradford addressed the nation.

Suvorov, meanwhile, was BEYOND pissed at Aleksandr. He had deliberately disobeyed him, and there was no telling how GDI would respond. Around 3 PM, Suvorov finally managed to get through to Aleksandr, and began screaming obscenities at him. Four minutes into the call, however, Russian radar picked up hundreds of cruise missiles coming from the Celtic Sea. Their radar signature was undeniably that of a BGM-109 Tomahawk, GDI's standard cruise missile. Indeed, this was GDI's opening shot, these missiles having been fired by the USS Atlanta and USS Astoria (two of the remaining Atlanta-class battleships that weren't present for the GLA's attack on Crete in 2027). F-35s streaked across the English Channel, reaching France and taking Russian bombers by complete surprise.

Suvorov told Aleksandr "We'll pick this up if we survive this" before hanging up, seemingly a blank check for Aleksandr to keep his position.

Several hours after GDI entered the war, reports began coming out of Egypt of mass rebellion among the occupying Imperial Chinese Army forces, as thousands of units openly declared loyalty to Taiwan. This was the culmination of a five-year campaign by Taiwan to foment unrest within China's colonies. Chen Hongbing took command of a small Red Guard base near Port Alexandria, with these men now calling themselves the "Blue Guard" (which was Taiwan's name for the Red Guard numbers who remained loyal to Taipei), and attacked another nearby Chinese base, capturing it and gaining access to the full Chinese arsenal.

Emperor Jin's immediate response was to invade Korea, an attack that only lasted about 36 minutes before it had to be called off because the Korean border was so heavily-fortified, not even a Black Lotus agent could slip through. Amphibious invasions of Taiwan and Japan were also out of the question, because the naval presence was too heavy. In all, the situation in Asia was a stalemate for both GDI and GAPA, and while it was accepted that a state of war existed between them, there really wasn't much fighting outside of the Chinese colonies. It was a strange situation.

An emergency session of the UN Security Council was immediately called, if a shout-filled, obscenity-laced bitchfest could even be called a meeting. Things escalated when the British ambassador attacked the Russian ambassador, and the two had to be separated. Just about the only thing anyone could agree on was that the war in Europe had gone beyond the Russo-Ukrainian War or the War of the Eighth Coalition.

It was now World War III.