Hidden project - Revisiting Harad

Several years ago a friend started up an 'imagi-nations' project built around the crumbling empire of Harad - modelled upon Iran, c.1980, imagined as a vast Middle Eastern imperium stretching from Pakistan to the Mediterranean coast. This friend, whom I tend to think of as 'Evil Uncle Brian' (from his former email address, I think), is the sometime author of 'A Fistful of Plastic' blog spot, and originator of the Harad group on Facebook. Neither gets much traffic these days.  Pity. 

Third Motorised (Mixed) Battalion (Regiment).  Three rifle truck-mounted
companies, and a squadron of Centurion MBTs. The Hummer command vehicle
 is a little anachronistic: too bad.

His invitation to join in I resisted for a considerable time, being finally persuaded by the look of some of his battles. We did play out one interesting scenario, back in 2012, I think (entirely his gear), but otherwise not a lot happened except that I received a fair bit of kit - quite a lot, actually - that I'd like to think was surplus to Brian's requirements. The unfortunate part was that Brian got a dream job up north, he left town, and so the project went for some time into limbo. But not before I drew up a map of the Middle East (Baluchistan, Medifluvia and the Mesogesian coast), and created my own country the Nawabate of Tchagai.  The Nabob (Nawab) as Head of State was Brian's idea.  I called him Yeswih Khan, son of Maibiwih Khan.  Thank you, President Barack Obama!

Harad Empire c.1980.

I still poked around with it from time to time, and went into a little 'back-history' with the Developing the Portable Wargame campaign 'Long Live the Revolution', which series of postings I began late last year.  

Third Motorised Regiment.  Behind it is a Army/ Division/ Brigade command 
vehicle created by finding some running gear for the trackless hull.  The 
logistics element is a container on a flat-bed lorry.

But it was Tim Gow's Little Cold Wars that gave me a certain impetus to develop the Nawab's army.  The organisation lists therein suited me better than the Command Decision type lists, which called for a heck of a lot more vehicles. However, I went for the 'CD' 'look' for the organisations overall. So here are 5 rifle battalions - mechanised, motorised and 'leg' - and a reconnaissance battalion, still a work in progress, but gradually getting somewhere.

Second Mechanised Infantry Regiment, in their distinctive flecked uniform:
4 Rifle companies, a mortar platoon, and some sort of missile-launching APC in the rear.
 'D' Company is mounted on an old Alvis 'Stalwart' vehicle.  I have no idea what the other things are.

Another view of 2nd Mechanised Infantry.

As you can see, this unit is still WIP.

This is the elite 1st (Mixed) Mechanised Regiment, the 'Blue Berets': 3 Rifle coys with 3 platoons and a RPG team,and 1 rifle coy with 4 platoons; plus a powerful squadron of Leopard I MBTs,
and an HQ element of  mortar and 2 sniper teams.  I have no idea what the APCs are.

It seems that one of the Leopards has night vision gear.

Here is 51st Reconnaissance Battalion: 3 Recon rifle coys mounted in Saracen APCs, and a 
mixed armoured car squadron of Saladin and some 8-rad German thing.  The battalion command 
vehicle I suspect is another anachronistic toy.

Two 'leg' regiments, 4th and 5th Infantry, each comprising 4 rifle companies.  They could probably 
use at least 1 LAW, TOW or Sagger AT team, and 1 mortar platoon as well.  

Now, all I need is to develop an enemy - possibly from among the Nimruz hill tribes, if not Harad itself.  Maybe that is what will become of the 6th, 7th and 8th battalions (not pictured), a cadre of soldiery for an enemy supported by the CCCP (Collective Cooperative Confederation of Peoples).