User blog:LB&SCR/UNITA vs. National Liberation Army



Has anyone told you that sometimes rebellions and civil wars are the same thing? No? Well, geeze stupid, get out of the house. Anyway, in today's battle we have two rebel groups that bloodied their noses against supposedly superior forces in their civil wars/rebellions. In the red, black, and green corner we have the National Liberation Army of Libya, the group who, with a little foreign help, successfully took on the dictatorship of Gaddafi, and won their rebellion in less than a year. In the (just) red and green corner, we have the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (but that is a mouthful, so let's just call them UNITA): the forces who fought in a bloody, 13 year Revolution, and then in a bloodier, 27 year long civil war (of which they were in the end the losers of, but they still kinda exist). When bullets fly, shells fall, and tanks roll, which group will be the DEADLIEST WARRIOR!?!?

UNITA


The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is a political party in the Angolan legislature, and currently second-largest party in Angola. Founded in 1966, they fought alongside the MPLA during the 13 year revolution against the Portuguese, and then against the MPLA in the 27 year long civil war (which only ended in 2002). Led by Jonas Savimbi from it's foundation, his death led to UNITA abandoning it's arms struggle, and deciding to instead wage war against he MPLA in the Legislature. Although supported by the US and other capitalist nations, most of their equipment is ex-Warsaw Pact and ex-Soviet Union.

Weapons

 * -| Melee =

Machete




 * Blade Length: 12.8 in
 * -| Pistol =

Makarov




 * Weight: 1.6 lbs
 * Cartridge: 9 x 18mm Makarov
 * Muzzle Velocity: 1,030 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 8-round magazine
 * Effective Range: 50 meters
 * -| Assault Rifle =

FN FAL




 * Weight: 9.48 lbs
 * Cartridge: 7.62 x 51mm NATO
 * Rate of Fire: 650-700 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 2,756 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 30-round magazine
 * Effective Range: 600 meters
 * -| Submachine Gun =

Uzi




 * Weight: 7.72 lbs
 * Cartridge: 9 x 19mm Parabellum
 * Rate of Fire: 600 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 1,312 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 32-round magazine
 * Effective Range: 200 meters
 * -| Light Machine Gun =

RPD




 * Weight: 16.31 lbs
 * Cartridge: 7.62 x 39mm
 * Rate of Fire: 650-750 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 2,411 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 100-round belt stored in drum container
 * Effective Range: 1,000 meters
 * -| Anti-Tank Weapon =

RPG-7




 * Weight: 15 lbs
 * Warhead: 105mm HEAT
 * Muzzle Velocity: 377 ft per sec
 * Effective Range: 200 meters (maximum of 1,000)
 * -| Light Vehicle =

Cassipir Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle




 * Weight: 10.88 tonnes
 * Crew: 2 + 12 carried soldiers
 * Main Armament: 3 x 7.62mm Machine Guns OR 1 x 20mm cannon
 * Secondary Armament: 12 firing ports (for soldiers inside)
 * Speed: 53 miles per hour
 * -| Heavy Vehicle =

T54/55




 * Weight: 36 tonnes
 * Crew: 4
 * Main Armament: D10-T 100mm rifled gun (max range of 16,000 meters)
 * Secondary Armament: 7.62 coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm HMG on top of turret
 * Hull Armor: 100mm 60 degree angle front; 80mm side; 60mm rear
 * Turret Armor: 205mm front; 130mm side; 60mm turret rear
 * Speed: 30 miles per hour

National Liberation Army


The National Liberation Army is the military arm of the National Transitional Council of the Libyan Republic. During the 2011 Libyan Civil War, the NLA combated against pro-Gaddafi forces made up of the Libyan Armed Forces and paramilitary forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. Despite the collapse of the Gaddafi regime, the Army is still at war against sporadic groups of pro-Gaddafi soldiers. Both men and women served together to overthrow the Gaddafi regime alongside native tribes who were mistreated under the dictator's rule. The equipment used by the Army include Libyan Armed Forces weaponry and military camouflage provided by Qatar. Other suppliers include the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Weapons

 * -| Melee =

KA-BAR




 * Weight: 0.7 lbs
 * Length: 11.875 in
 * Blade Length: 7 in


 * -| Pistol =

Browning Hi-Power




 * Weight: 2.2 lbs
 * Cartridge: .40 S&W
 * Muzzle Velocity: 1,100 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 10-round magazine
 * Effective Range: 50 meters
 * -| Assault Rifle =

AK-103




 * Weight: 7.9 lbs
 * Cartridge: 7.62 x 39mm
 * Rate of Fire: 600 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 2,346 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 30-round magazine
 * Effective Range: 500 meters
 * -| Submachine Gun =

Beretta M12




 * Weight: 6.1 lbs
 * Cartridge: 9 x 19mm Parabellum
 * Rate of Fire: 550 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 1,247 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 32-round magazine
 * Effective Range: 200 meters
 * -| Light Machine Gun =

FN MAG




 * Weight: 25.99 lbs
 * Cartridge: Cartridge: 7.62 x 51mm NATO
 * Rate of Fire: 650 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 2,756 ft per sec
 * Feed System: 100-round box magazine
 * Effective Range: 800 meters
 * -| Anti-Tank Weapon =

M79 Osa




 * Weight: 24 lbs
 * Warhead: 90mm HEAT
 * Rate of Fire: 6 rpm
 * Muzzle Velocity: 820 ft per sec
 * Effective Range: 350 meters
 * -| Light Vehicle =

Ratel IFV




 * Weight: 18.5 tonnes
 * Crew: 3 + 7 carried soldiers
 * Main Armament: 20mm Autocannon
 * Secondary Armament: 1 x 7.62 coaxial MG; 1 x7.62 MG on top; 2 x smoke-dischargers
 * Speed: 40 mph
 * -| Heavy Vehicle =

T54/55




 * Weight: 36 tonnes
 * Crew: 4
 * Main Armament: D10-T 100mm rifled gun (max range of 16,000 meters)
 * Secondary Armament: 7.62 coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm HMG on top of turret
 * Hull Armor: 100mm 60 degree angle front; 80mm side; 60mm rear
 * Turret Armor: 205mm front; 130mm side; 60mm turret rear
 * Speed: 30 miles per hour

X-Factors
The NLA is made up of Rebel dissidents and defected soldiers, so that bumps up their experience up to it's point. Their experience in the Civil War is also added here, bumping it up even more. Though, UNITA wins here due to fighting about a continuous 40 years of bloody warfare and fighting (both the revolution and civil war).

UNITA, through 40 years of warfare, UNITA has done most of their probable training on the battlefield, so they have a bunch of hands-on training in their fighting. The NLA is about mostly the same, but what bumps them up higher here is the defected Libyan soldiers, whose actual army training boosts them to slightly above UNITA.

It has been said the Willpower of the NLA is unmatched for going against a man like Gaddafi, and fighting a civil war that lasted less than a single year, and instead of being crushed, they were victorious. UNITA manages to tie here though, because it takes major willpower to fight 40 continuous years against not only a more advanced militirized nation, but also your own bretheren, who were fighting alongside you in the last war.

Despite the defecting soldiers that the NLA employs, their are still basically rebel dissidents who are rebelling against an oppressive ruler. They get a boost due to the fact that they were in the end victorious in their endeavor for revolution and civil war. UNITA isn't any better than the NLA, though they get a slight boost for discipline being instilled on the battlefield over an extremely long period of time.

UNITA soldiers and guerrilas were fairly worn down and cautious after about 4 decades of continous fighting, killing, and maiming, but still managed to commit some very brave acts against the MPLA. The NLA gets the advantage here because of the length of the war having no effect on their energy and patriotism on fighting the war.