The Livonian Defense Force (short form: LDF) is an INDFOR faction in ArmA 3. It was added with the release of the Contact DLC.
Overview[]
| « | Siła I Czujność (Strength and Alertness) Motto of the Defense Force
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Background[]
The Livonian Defense Force represents the land and air defence force of Livonia.[1]
Structured around defending the tiny NATO member state's territory, the bulk of its forces consist of light infantry and motorised/mechanised elements. Its air force, while not significant, is still a sizeable presence to be reckoned with.[1]
Due to Livonia being a landlocked country, the LDF does not possess a naval force and exclusively conducts ground-based operations.[1]
5th Regiment[]
Insignia
The 5th Regiment is one of the known elite special operations units that answers directly to LDF high command.[2]
They are based at Camp Magnes, the LDF's Main Base of Operations (MOB) in the semi-abandoned Nadbór region.[2][3]
History[]
The collapse of the Soviet Union paved the way for Livonia regaining its independence in 1991.[4] Towards the start of the 21st century, the country would also become an official member of the NATO alliance. Since then, the Livonian Defense Force has participated in numerous deployments alongside its allies throughout the globe.[1][5]
In recent years, safeguarding the nation's borders against Russian/Belorussian subversion attempts has become top priority of both the LDF and its allies' agenda.
As tensions with Livonia's neighbours continue to rise in light of CSAT expansionism in nearby Belarus, the LDF's role has transitioned to safeguarding the nation's borders against potential infiltration attempts from both the Russian Federation and Belarus.[6]
In late 2035, the Livonian government reached an agreement with its NATO partners to have the biennial "Electron" joint training exercises be held on a consistent basis in the country's semi-abandoned Nadbór region.[5] The latest of the exercises, Electron-39, will begin on June 17th, 2039. It will be the largest exercise yet, with over 25,000 personnel from both the LDF and its U.S./U.K. allies participating.[6]
The LDF and their allies will be alternating between roleplaying as the aggressor force, simulating an armed incursion by the Russian military into the so-called "Andrzejów Gap" region.[6][7]
Events of First Contact (2039)[]
- SPIN-OFF: The following information stems from a spin-off expansion or third party Creator DLC and is considered to be non-canon in the main Armaverse timeline.
| SPOILER ALERT |
|---|
NOTE: This section contains spoilers from ArmA 3: Contact's 'First Contact' campaign.   The aftermath of the drone strike. Two days after Electron-39 begins[6][7], an American-controlled drone drops a GPS-guided bomb onto LDF positions. The incident results in the deaths of seven Livonians and one U.S. soldier.[8][9] The Livonian government immediately ordered LDF high command to conduct an investigation into the incident. In the meantime, all NATO troops were barred from entering or leaving the country.[8][9] Initially, the inquiry laid blame for the "attack" on the Russian military as it was believed that the drone had been hacked. However both the U.S. Pentagon and the White House rejected the claims, stating the drone's onboard systems were completely safeguarded against electronic hacking.[8] Simultaneously, they and the company that manufactured the drone, the Macrotech Corporation, refused to accept any responsibility for the incident and stated that the mission logs were completely in order.[10] With the government and public infuriated with the American response, there were increasing calls for the ejection of all foreign troops from the country. Two weeks later on July 2nd, Electron-39 was officially cancelled, and the Livonian government mandated that all of its NATO allies would have to depart from the country within 48 hours.[8][9]   The LDF discover the mysterious "root" objects near the impact site. Unbeknownst to its allies, the LDF had concealed the discovery of numerous mysterious organic-like "roots" which had appeared near the bomb's impact zone. All foreign troops were barred from entering the area while a dome structure was built over the main crater, isolating the "root" from outside view. Researchers and scientists from the multinational Astra corporation were called in to help determine the nature of "root".   The AFO unleashes its EM shockwave, frying all electronic systems in the entire region. That night however, an Alien Flying Object (AFO) suddenly appears over the skies of Nadbór and within seconds of its arrival, discharges a powerful electromagnetic pulse that ripples throughout the entire region. Helicopters lose control and all ground vehicles become disabled, while handheld electronics and even weapon sights are fried by the shockwave. In the confusion, the LDF and its NATO allies momentarily halted their withdrawal operation to focus their efforts on the AFO. Several smaller drones (dubbed Alien Entities or AEs for short) had spontaneously sprung up around the region and were seemingly trying to "find" the roots. One such AE had been surrounded by the LDF. The Americans dispatched one of their own in an attempt to communicate with the alien. When the specialist approached the entity, he was "attacked" and began experiencing what appeared to be seizures. Believing the entity was hostile, the LDF units at the site opened fire on the AE - despite frantic calls from the Americans to cease fire on it. However, it was already too late; the entity retaliated and launched powerful gravity-based attacks against all forces in the area. Surviving LDF units attempted to regroup with NATO forces to discuss their next plan of action. They strongly disagreed with the assessments of the Americans, remaining adamant that neutralising the AEs was their main priority in light of the attack on the specialist. Tensions broke out into open warfare when rogue U.S. soldiers opened fire on the LDF troops, forcing them to return fire in self-defence.   LDF AA battery sabotaged by Russian Spetsnaz operatives. To further complicate matters, signs of Russian infiltration attempts were cropping up all across the region. Patrols had discovered numerous camps and listening posts which had obviously been set up by the Spetsnaz, while anti-air missile defences had also intercepted what appeared to be Russian helicopters flying directly into Livonian airspace. Throughout the night, more "roots" continued to crop up around the region, with the AEs themselves even seemingly guarding some of the sites. The LDF scrambled to secure every single one of them while - for the time being - leaving the smaller AEs alone until more reinforcements could be brought in.   The AFO "mothership" begins its activation process... However, as dawn approached, the AFO "mothership" suddenly activated at the site of where the original "root" had appeared. The Livionian government realised that now was the right time to strike. If they took down the ship's core, they could prevent a potential disaster from destroying the entire country. Reinforcements were immediately dispatched to the AFO's site, with airstrikes bombarding the ship while ground forces fired anti-air missiles to take down the core. In an attempt to stop their attack, the rogue U.S. soldiers blocked off the main route leading to the SIŁA Factory while some of their friends tried to disable the AA launchers. Furthermore, one of Astra's scientists pleaded over the radio for all LDF units to stand down, stating that the core's meltdown would result in the complete destruction of the entire country. But in spite of his calls, the LDF units at the site continued their attack, while troops planted explosives at the base of the core's "roots".   Despite their best efforts, the LDF fail to retake the root from the rogue Americans and their Spetsnaz "allies". However, what the LDF had not expected was for the Russian military to intervene on behalf of the rogue Americans. A combination of fighter jets, paratroopers and gunships proved too much for the LDF units attempting to retake the factory. They were beaten back and eventually forced to retreat, conceding defeat at the hands of the Russians. |
Post-First Contact[]
- SPIN-OFF: The following information stems from a spin-off expansion or third party Creator DLC and is considered to be non-canon in the main Armaverse timeline.
| SPOILER ALERT | |||
|---|---|---|---|
NOTE: This section contains spoilers from ArmA 3: Contact's 'First Contact' campaign.
In the immediate aftermath of incident, the LDF began conducting internal investigations into how first contact with the unknown entities, dubbed "The Visitors", had gone so poorly.[11] It was found that a combination of rising tensions with the U.S. government over the June 19th accident along with continued infiltrations by the Russian military, had led to the situation deteriorating and getting out of hand.[11] The Livonian government has issued repeated apologies to the international community, blaming the LDF's commanders for prematurely engaging with lethal force rather than peaceful contact. In light of the Russian military's continued presence in Nadbór, demonstrators have also surrounded the Russian embassy in Andrzejów, demanding their immediate expulsion from the country.[11] |
Equipment[]
Geometric camouflage pattern utilised by the LDF (ArmA 3)
As an active member of the NATO alliance, the LDF's soldiers are well-equipped with some of the latest in Western-made hardware and electronics.
Conventional Livonian infantry don combat fatigues, ballistic helmets and plate carrier vests coloured in either a plain olive green colour or concealed with the LDF's distinctive "geometric" woodland camouflage pattern.
Non-combat support troops on the other hand, often wear lighter versions of the standard fatigues but only don bandoliers or lightweight bullet-resistant vests instead. On the rare occasion that NBC safety is required, military scientists and regular soldiers wear full-body protective suits and respirator backpacks/gas masks designed to shield them against contamination from biological/chemical agents.
While the majority of ground troops have access to night vision equipment like their American and British counterparts, only the LDF's elite special operations units and pathfinders are given ENVG-II multi-vision goggles.
Whenever Livonian soldiers are expected to attend formal gatherings (i.e. memorials to the fallen) or take part in official military parades, they are authorised to wear dedicated parade uniforms/hats.
Arsenal[]
Armoury[]
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Image |
Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
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Handgun | |
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Submachine Gun Calibre: 5.7×28 mm | |
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Rocket Launcher Calibre: 84 mm | |
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Light Machine Gun Calibre: 6.5×39 mm | |
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Anti-Tank Missile Launcher Diameter: 150 mm | |
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Bullpup Assault Rifle Calibre: 6.5×39 mm NATO | |
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Bullpup Marksman Rifle Calibre: 6.5×39 mm NATO | |
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Surface-to-Air Missile Launcher Diameter: 127 mm | |
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Anti-Tank Missile Launcher Diameter: 127 mm |
Motor Pool[]
| Vehicle | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 A-149 Gryphon |
Multi-Role Fighter Jet | - Jets DLC-exclusive vehicle - Has six (6) weapon pylon hardpoints |
 AL-6 Pelican |
Small UAV | - Laws of War DLC-exclusive vehicle - Autonomous - Can disperse information leaflets |
 AR-2 Darter |
Small UAV | - Autonomous - Has a laser designator - Uses a visual sensor to detect infantry |
 ED-1 Mini UGV |
UGV / UGCV | - Contact DLC-exclusive vehicle - Autonomous - Military variant can destroy landmines/explosives with disruption shotgun |
 FV-720 Odyniec |
Infantry Fighting Vehicle | - Can transport up to 7 passengers |
 Offroad |
Pickup Truck | - Variable transportation capacity depending on variant - Has dedicated variants that can repair nearby ground vehicles |
 Quadbike |
All-Terrain Vehicle | - Can transport a single passenger |
 UGV Stomper |
UGV / UGCV | - Autonomous - Can transport a single passenger |
 Van |
Van / Minibus Hybrid | - Laws of War DLC-exclusive vehicle - Variable transportation capacity depending on variant - Has dedicated variants that can repair nearby ground vehicles and heal infantry - Can utilise Vehicle-in-Vehicle Transportation |
 WY-55 Czapla |
Utility Helicopter | - Can transport up to 6 passengers - Has two (2) weapon pylon hardpoints - Can utilise Slingloading |
 Zamak |
Utility Truck | - Variable transportation capacity depending on variant - Has dedicated variants that can repair, rearm, and refuel nearby ground vehicles and heal infantry |
 Zamak MRL |
Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery | - Rocket-based artillery system - Can carry a single passenger |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The LDF's makeup appears to be inspired by a mix of the real-world Lithuanian Armed Forces and Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.
- Despite Livonia officially being listed as a member of the Armaverse NATO alliance[1][6], the in-game LDF is unusually categorised as an INDFOR faction rather than BLUFOR.
- This is later justified for storyline purposes in ArmA 3's First Contact campaign. However, given the campaign's non-canonical status, its INDFOR categorisation still makes little sense in the base game.
- This is further compounded by the fact that outlaw "factions" like looters and military deserters are also placed on INDFOR. In regular gameplay, it is not possible to have the LDF fight either type of criminal unless the player deliberately groups them to an (invisible or later deleted) REDFOR or BLUFOR unit in order to force their allegiance to switch to an opposing side.
Notes[]
- ↑ The exact date of the Defense Force's formation is not known, though it cannot occur any earlier than Livonia's independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- ↑ Headquarters is likely located in the capital Andrzejów. In the Nadbór region, Camp Magnes serves as the HQ of all LDF forces.
- ↑ Unknown commanding officer from the 5th Regiment based in Nadbór, callsign "Gray Wolf".
References[]
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See also[]
- NATO
- Russian Spetsnaz (REDFOR counterpart, ArmA 3: Contact)
| Factions of ArmA 3 | |
|---|---|
| BLUFOR | NATO • CTRG • FIA • Gendarmerie |
| REDFOR | CSAT • Gendarmerie • Russian Spetsnaz • Viper |
| INDFOR | AAF • LDF • Syndikat |
| Apex DLC | Contact DLC | |
| Factions - INDFOR (ArmA 3) | |
|---|---|
| AAF • LDF • Syndikat | |
| Apex DLC | Contact DLC | |