Soviet Doctrine calls for masses of Artillery upon the enemy. This is contrary to Western Maneuver based doctrine. There is an element known as the Regimental Artillery Group (RAG) which consists of three batteries of Artillery (18 guns) and a Division Artillery Group (DAG) which consists of three battalions of Artillery (54 guns). Each Regiment has a RAG and each Division has a DAG. There are also Corps level Artillery Brigades containing three to five battalions of Artillery, just larger than a DAG; 54 - 72 guns per BDE. The Soviets and E. Germans will target grid squares (1Km x 1Km) areas with Artillery. They hope to overwhelm the enemy with artillery and Air Interdiction missions to keep them off balance.

The west prefers to use their line companies to maneuver around the enemy to get on a flank and hit them where they are least prepared. They use artillery to attrit the enemy and break up his defenses or confuse them as to where friendly units are attacking from.

The first element across the 1K zone will be the Interceptors conducting Air Control (AC) missions in order to eliminate enemy air in hopes of achieving either Parity or Air Supremacy. In conjunction with the AC mission is the Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD). This is a 2-ship team with an Electronic Warfare (EW) variant aircraft flying in high searching for enemy Air Defense Radars and an attack aircraft flying in low ahead of the EW aircraft. When the EW aircraft detects radar emissions, he jams them first and then sends their location to the attack aircraft who should already be in position. The Attack aircraft pops up and fires a missile or drops a bomb into the objective area in order to Suppress Enemy Air Defense (SEAD).

Behind this first wave of SEAD and AC aircraft are additional AC and Air Interdiction Aircraft (AI). AI aircraft are attack aircraft with the intent on attacking ground targets. They are looking for enemy airfields, military bases, assembly areas or any other targets of opportunity. They strike Deep targets far behind the Line of Departure/Line of Control (LD/LC). The LD/LC is the line where friendly and enemy forces are in contact with one another.

Behind this 2nd wave would be your Air Assault objectives. Ideally, the Air Assault or Airborne unit would request Attack Aircraft conduct an AI on their objective prior to their insertion. This way, any ADA units int he area would be suppressed prior to arrival.

Once ground units arrive in contact with enemy, they can then coordinate Close Air Support (CAS) missions wtih other Attack aircraft to attack tactical units that are immediately to their front. In order to control a CAS mission, you need a Forward Air Controller (FAC) or Air Control Party (ACP). The USAF FAC or RAF ACP controls the actions of Attack aircraft in their sector. I don't know what the soviets called their equivalent of a FAC. It would be an airforce unit and the lowest you would see a FAC in the Soviet Army is Regiment. You won't see them at Battalion or Company. For NATO, you will see a FAC or ACP at Battalion level.

The Soviet Army conducts battle drills up to Battalion level. If contact is established, the leadership will call out a predesignated pro-word to his unit. The unit will react by turning toward the enemy and attacking in whatever formation they are in. They do not try to maneuver around a flank, they simply attack head on into the enemy. The Soviets hope that their artillery has weakened the enemy sufficiently and they can simply overwhelm any survivors.

The E. Germans who come in contact with the British Lancers on the border will be buttoned up. They may be behind hull/turret defilade defensive positions, but you will not find dismounted cavalry in Defensive fighting positions. Because they are all buttoned up inside their vehicles, the High Explosive rounds dropped by your RAGs and DAGs will have minimal effect on them. Possibly taking out a track. The occasional AI mission may have spotted a Recce squadron and dropped some ordnance on them taking out a few vehicles. The Queen's Lancers are there to report what they see to Army and Corps headquarters. So the Corps G2 can paint of picture of what sort of enemy he is facing. They do not want to become decisively engaged but they do want to slow down the E. Germans and Soviets. They will fire ont eh enemy, they will call in artillery and CAS missions, but then run like hell to the rear into supplementary pre-planned positions and continue to do the same thing over and over again. It will be frustrating because you won't see them. They are there, firing at you, then they are running away. YOu deploy your infantry, try to attack and then stop to mount your infantry over and over again. This process could happen 30 times over the first three days before you come in contact with Line NATO units dug in further to the west. The Cavalry simply wants to slow you down and assess your strength. When they reach friendly lines, they conduct a passage of lines, go to the rear, receive replacements for losses in personnel and equipment, get a shower and a hot meal and then conduct an attack or counterattack into the enemy.