Sadly, I am vastly overqualified for my current job but hey, it pays the bills while I keep trying to get into academia. Fingers crossed!

Should I take this to imply that there will be mucking about with ground support fighters at some point in the campaign?

Yes, it will happen. I have never done them before so I definitely want to get some first-hand experience.

---

1957

In January, Soviet scientists manage to create Geological survey sensors that utilize TN-materials, making them five times more effective than previous survey sensors. Vostok-M2 will carry such a sensor and also the more powerful Glushko RD-103 engine to boost its speed to 300 km/s. Its range is thus shortened to mere 4.4 billion kilometres but there is no helping it. Better armour will not become available until 1961 due to poor Soviet competence in that field and Stalin wants the survey program to continue. Earth also runs out of Mercassium. On the American side, the design for the colonist transport shuttle is locked down:

Aphrodite class Shuttle      500 tons       2 Crew       39.8 BP       TCS 10    TH 4    EM 0
375 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 6      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 3.05 Years     MSP 4    AFR 20%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 1    5YR 10    Max Repair 5 MSP
Cryogenic Berths 1,000   
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 18 days    Morale Check Required   

Rocketdyne C-125/9 Engine F-3 (1)    Power 3.8    Fuel Use 287.05%    Signature 3.75    Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 44,200 Litres    Range 5.5 billion km (171 days at full power)

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a Colony Ship for auto-assignment purposes
Finally, the Jamestown colony will get inhabitants and it only took until 12 March when the first colonists stepped inside the half-buried dome of their new home. Sure, the Soviet Union had over half a million people in their colony but at least the Americans were back in the race. And with a bang, because already in mid-April the Jamestown population passed one million mark. And in May, the USMC commandant finally realized their wet dream - the USMC Assault Company. Armed with 8 M25 medium machine guns, 20 M26 assault rifles and 18 M27 submachine guns, the Marines were clad in menacing gray-black armoured suits that allowed them to survive the vacuum of space, assault a Soviet vessel through its hull, defeat the crew and bring the captured prize back to a friendly port. The Hermes class security shuttles had been waiting for this moment and training of the companies started immediately. By late August, the first ten companies were ready.

Both NASA and Soviet Survey Bureau resumed limited geological survey of the inner system. Neither had vessels with the endurance or range to fully explore the asteroid field between Mars and Jupiter, not to mention the outer system, so they contended themselves with the planets, comets and asteroids inside or near Mars orbit. In September, the Soviets opened a new research laboratory complex but production of DSTS had to be paused as the budget had gone deep into the red and thus a crash build program of financial centres was started. After a brief investigation, the KGB declared that several hundred counter-revolutionaries had infiltrated the Soviet system and these enemies of the state were promptly purged. Earth also ran out of Uridium.

In December, Glushko Design Bureau celebrates their triumph of breaking into the next level of engine technology as they showcase three new engines:

RD-105 is only a modest increase in power compared to the previous fastest engine, RD-104, but it is vastly more fuel efficient. In fact, it is the most fuel-efficient engine the Soviet Union has ever created. It will power the next generation of survey and transport shuttles, allowing them to reach previously unheard-of distances. The RD-106 is twice as powerful yet still more economical than all the older engines. It will be employed by sensor shuttles. Finally, the RD-107 is a thirsty beast but that thirst comes with incredible power, allowing future Soviet gunships to easily outperform any American vessel.

For example, the Vostok-M3 will, in comparison with the M2 model, increase its endurance from one to four months, its speed from 300 km/sec to 500 km/sec, and most importantly, its range explodes from paltry 4.4 billion to a whopping 51 billion kilometres! Similarly, Luna-M2 can carry the same number of troops but faster and much farther and in greater comfort. Progress-M2 increases its cargo hold size from 250 tons to 300 tons, while also gaining in speed and endurance, though only a modest increase in range. Soyz-M2 carries more colonists, faster and slightly farther, in greater comfort and with increased maintenance capability. Finally, the Krivak-M2-10B1 leaps ahead at the speed of 3500 km/sec, a revolutionary step since the previous model could only reach 700 km/sec.

The year ends with NASA surveying the comet Encke but disappointingly, no TN minerals are found. The military buildup on Luna continues.

Whoa, talk about a little delay. I blame Paradox for finally putting a discount on the BattleTech DLC which meant I could try out the big BEX mod. Oh, and moving cities and changing jobs, those also took a little bit of my time.

1956

The Pentagon has finally shown the greenlight for the formation of American Luna garrison. The brass had asked industry for a wide range of proposal for equipment while at the same time the in-house think-tanks had theorized doctrine and organization, ultimately leading to several rounds of wargames. Luna equipment would follow its own nomenclature, which confusingly meant that M1 was now the name of a shovel, a helmet, a carbine, an old armoured car, a tank prototype, a series of tractors, a field howitzer, a heavy anti-aircraft gun, an aircraft gun, a light anti-aircraft gun, a tank gun, a bayonet, a chemical mine, a flamethrower, a hand grenade, a rifle, a mortar, a Bazooka, a submachine gun, but now also meant the ultra-light carbine that used caseless ammo to prevent Lunar dust from jamming its mechanism and its Duranium coated body could withstand the extreme temperature swings between Lunar day and night. Or so its designers claimed. This carbine would equip the security and rear area troops while the infantry would go to battle with the M2 assault rifle, the M3 designated marksman rifle, the M4 light machine gun, the M5 Luna-Bazooka, the M6 Portable Mortar System, the M7 anti-air machine gun and the M8 all-terrain vehicle for logistics purposes.

Thanks to the lessons of the Second World War and the Korean war, all the infantry would be fully mechanized, utilizing the M9 and M10 armoured personnel carriers, one armed with a squad machine gun and the other with a light but high-velocity cannon. If encountering Soviet armour, the M11 Gun Motor Vehicle would be brought up, as it carried a heavier high-velocity cannon capable of utilizing the latest SABOT rounds. The M12 Motor Mortar System provided close fire support whereas field artillery wielded the M13 Self-Propelled Gun. For traditional cavalry duties, the M14 Fire Support Vehicle with its light automatic cannon and the M15 Mobile Gun System with its heavier sister, were available. Against the Red Air Force, if it ever appeared on Luna, the mechanized columns would be protected by the M16 HMG, which was just the M7 placed on a Luna-qualified trike, and the M17 Air Defence Vehicle, carrying a short-range surface-to-air missile. Further missiles and other supplies, were loaded onto the M18 logistics truck.

Finally, the planned heavy formations, which would form the mailed fist of America, would be built around the M19 main battle tank, carrying the same high-velocity cannon as the M11 but being better armoured as well as carrying secondary machine gun armament. They would be supported by the M20 infantry fighting vehicle, equipped with a medium automatic cannon and a machine gun. Just as well armoured as the tank, the M20 would ensure that its passengers would reach the battle intact despite expected heavy Soviet shelling. The M21 Air Defence Vehicle was truly a behemoth, being the largest combat vehicle that the Americans were planning to build and it carried both missiles and heavy AA guns, able to cover an entire formation against flying threats. The fact that the Soviets had not demonstrated such capability had not deterred American engineers.

A tank company would consist of 14 M19 MBTs, four in each of the three platoons, and one each for the company commander and vice commander. Four tank companies would make up a battalion, with its headquarters made up of a M24 CP5 headquarters tank, the battalion commander's M19, two M18 supply trucks and a M17 ADV for protection. Similarly, a mechanized infantry company would consist of 14 M20 IFVs, four for each of the three platoons and one for the company commander and vice commander. The dismounted infantry squad consisted of four M2 AR riflemen, two M3 DMR marksmen, and two gunners, one with the M4 LMG and the other with the M5 RPG. This squad could be split into two fireteams in two configurations - in the first form, the riflemen would form the manoeuvre element while the marksmen and the gunners would provide fire support. In the second form, each team would have equal equipment and thus manoeuvre separately, relying on the IFVs for fire support. A mechanized platoon would have four squads and a mechanized company would have three platoons, for a total of 48 riflemen, 24 marksmen, 12 LMG gunners and 12 RPG gunners. This did not include the crew of the M20 IFVs who were mandated to stay with their vehicle at all times. The fourth company in a Mechanized Battalion was a Weapons Company that, instead of infantry, had close-in fire support in the form of the M6 mortar and the M7 AAMG.

In July, Corundium deposits ran dry on Earth but all powers had ample stockpiles of it. In August, the Soviet Union once more expanded its DSTS network and United States increased their fighter building capability. In September, the Soviet Yurga design and manufacturing bureau completed the prototypes of all four types of their MBP 100mm T-10 railguns, ranging in barrels from one to four. Each was capable of firing every 10 seconds. Naturally, the more barrels a gun had, the larger it became. It would be possible to upgrade the Krivak-M to use the faster firing single barrel gun but the larger guns would degrade its speed unless compromises were made elsewhere. Krivak-M10B1, -B2, -B3 and -B4 would also require a more powerful powerplants which required more space. In fact, the Krivak-M10B4 became so heavy that its speed dropped from 700 m/s to 438 m/s. Reducing the fuel storage slightly, from 26,000 litres to 21,000 litres, allowed Krivak-M10B1 to remain at 250 tons and 700 m/s. The Politburo ruled that on the short term, this approach was to be taken. The other versions would have to wait for the emergence of more powerful engines.

November saw the 18th American research complex start work and it was sorely needed as Pentagon demanded that the Essex class armed shuttle should fly as soon as possible to counter the Soviet Krivak gunships. If they had known the maintenance problems that the CCCP KOSMOS was struggling with, they might not have been quite so worried. Production of mines had been halted by the Kreml and a new crash build of maintenance facilities was prioritized. This program was completed on the last days of December and allowed Kreml order the construction of 10 Krivak-M10B1 fighters.

It is the first time that Stalin had left the Soviet Union since the Potsdam Conference of 1945 and CIA analysts are shocked to see that the Generalissimus looked healthy and spry instead of the near-death ghoul that they were expecting based on the rumours that they had collected from Moscow the last two years. In fact, many had thought that Stalin had died at some point in 1953. Yet here he was, doing his best to crush Eisenhower's hand at the press meeting as if he wasn't 12 years the American's senior. Peculiarly, Molotov looked and acted his age as did every other senior member of the Soviet delegation.

This seems ominous as it hints to some darker force behind Stalin's apparent good health...

((In other words, I do not want to create OOBs for USA and USSR on Earth nor simulate ground war on Earth either. Sorry, Red Dawn is not going to happen.))

But then how will the Chinese get screwed over again, as is tradition? 

NASA added the asteroid Magellan to its list of surveyed rocks while the Soviet Union built ten Krivak-M class gunships, making a total of twenty. The M version incorporated the new Glushko RD-104 engine, increasing the gunships speed from 600 km/sec to 700 km/sec, though this cut its range down to 2.6 billion kilometres from the 3.8 billion that the older version had. Kreml saw this as an acceptable price as the class was meant for Cislunar operations only.

And what is the US doing to counter this threat? Pretty soon it will not matter if the Soviets keep their agreement not to engage in ground combat if they can just kinetic-strike the West into dust unopposed! 

1954

The Korean war ends not with the apocalyptic bang that many feared but with a disappointing fizzle. Despite the awesome firepower of the United Nations forces, the endless masses of Chinese volunteers and the growing Soviet support ensured that after the initial back-and-forth, the war became a stalemate. After almost two years of depressing trench warfare and with neither side willing to escalate the war further, an agreement is reached that freezes the conflict as neither the North nor the South is willing to agree to a peace treaty. Having had the world come to a brink of nuclear annihilation, Premier Stalin agrees to meet with President Eisenhower at neutral ground, in Calcutta. It is the first time that Stalin had left the Soviet Union since the Potsdam Conference of 1945 and CIA analysts are shocked to see that the Generalissimus looked healthy and spry instead of the near-death ghoul that they were expecting based on the rumours that they had collected from Moscow the last two years. In fact, many had thought that Stalin had died at some point in 1953. Yet here he was, doing his best to crush Eisenhower's hand at the press meeting as if he wasn't 12 years the American's senior. Peculiarly, Molotov looked and acted his age as did every other senior member of the Soviet delegation.

The focus of the Calcutta Conference is peace, or rather, avoidance of war between the two superpowers. Stalin promised that the Soviet Union will not assist Communist movements across Africa and Asia and America, and in return Eisenhower promised that the United States will not bankroll or equip the colonial powers fighting such movements. A hotline between Kreml and the White House was created to ensure that in a time of crisis, the leaders could talk to each other quickly. The Calcutta Declaration is happily embraced by nearly everyone on the planet. Despite knowing that Washington will not help them in any way, De Gaulle doubles down on fighting Ho Chi Minh and his independence movement in French Indochina. The final clause of the Declaration states that the Moon, now often called Luna to make it distinct from the other moons in the Solar system, will remain open and available to all countries, though there is no requirement to make national bases open to others. Neither is there any clause for disarmament in space.

((In other words, I do not want to create OOBs for USA and USSR on Earth nor simulate ground war on Earth either. Sorry, Red Dawn is not going to happen.))

NASA added the asteroid Magellan to its list of surveyed rocks while the Soviet Union built ten Krivak-M class gunships, making a total of twenty. The M version incorporated the new Glushko RD-104 engine, increasing the gunships speed from 600 km/sec to 700 km/sec, though this cut its range down to 2.6 billion kilometres from the 3.8 billion that the older version had. Kreml saw this as an acceptable price as the class was meant for Cislunar operations only.


Soviet Forces on Luna at the end of 1954.

It sure is! And yes, campaign updated to 2.5.1 version.

1952

The Commonwealth joins the space race! With the crown jewel of the Empire, India, gaining its independence in 1947, the writing was on the wall for British colonial power on Earth. Unlike their counterparts in Paris, the British upper class decided not to fight former colonies that sought independence and instead focus on new possibilities in space. However, the war had left Great Britain itself exhausted and short of resources. Yet it still had friendly relations with most of its former dominions and thus the idea of becoming a proper Commonwealth emerged. After years of lengthy and occasionally spirited negotiations, the Commonwealth of Great Britain, Canada, Newfoundland, South Africa, Ceylon, Australia and New Zealand is ready to chase its future among the stars.

While the Americans were busy building more Artemis shuttlecrafts, the Soviets introduced a new class - the Glaz:
SCP-01 Glaz-1 'Lenin'  (Glaz class Sensor Platform)      500 tons       3 Crew       31.9 BP       TCS 10    TH 0    EM 0
1 km/s      Armour 3-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 1      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 29.61 Years     MSP 237    AFR 10%    IFR 0.1%    1YR 1    5YR 8    Max Repair 10 MSP
Kapitan tret'yego ranga    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 days    Morale Check Required   


Duga Search Array N002 (1)     GPS 50     Range 6.8m km    Resolution 5

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a None for auto-assignment purposes
Stalin has made it clear that the actual sensor is not to be turned on without his permission to avoid tipping off the Americans. In public, the 'Lenin' and the 'Stalin' satellites are claimed to be weather monitoring satellites. But in reality, Moscow now has both the sensors and the guns in Earth orbit to wage war and to dominate the ultimate high ground.

1953

NASA restarted the Mercury program with a carefully planned asteroid survey: Aten, Phaethon, 1999 UJ7 and 2010 TK7 were the targets. Between each asteroid, the two Mercury shuttles would return to Earth for an overhaul. Just in case, the Coast Guard rescue shuttles were on standby. Washington was also growing its Artemis fleet, now 17 shuttlecrafts strong as more and more infrastructure was shuttled to Luna. The Americans were determined that the Jamestown colony would be bigger and better than the Soviet Zvezda base, where first brave pioneers were now living thanks to the first Soyuz shuttle becoming operational.

In May, NASA celebrates a survey milestone - everything inside Mars' orbit has been surveyed. Unfortunately, the results are bit poor:

Mars
     Tritanium 5,503,716   Acc 0.9
     Uridium 4,588,164   Acc 0.1
     Gallicite 5,189,284   Acc 0.4

 Venus
     Duranium 263,712   Acc 0.1
     Corbomite 3,750,574   Acc 0.1
     Boronide 3,663   Acc 0.1
     Uridium 7,750,211   Acc 0.1
     Gallicite 23,441,091   Acc 0.1

 Halleys Comet
     Corundium 22,223   Acc 0.7

 Eureka
     Boronide 81   Acc 1
     Sorium 5,329   Acc 1
By the year's end, Washington becomes alarmed by the continued buildup of Red Army forces on Luna but Moscow brushes off all criticism by claiming them to be merely security units practicing on the harsh Lunar environment. Nevertheless, Pentagon has received almost all industry proposals and prototypes for their moon force and the planning for a new type of organization will start soon.

1951

ZVEZDA IS HERE screams the headline on Pravda as Moscow proudly announces that their DLB Lunar Base, commonly known as Zvezda, had finished its first stage of construction and that brave Soviet citizens would soon take up new lives on Earth's companion. The fact that the Soviet Union does not currently have any shuttles capable of transporting colonists is obviously not mentioned. The Soviet Progress fleet grew to ten vessels while the Americans put out four Ares class shuttles, before starting construction of Luna class troop shuttles and Artemis class shuttlecraft, respectively. During the latter half of the year, the Americans put out their new rescue shuttles, whereas the Soviets caused a minor global panic with the introduction of their Krivak class gunships, the first armed space-faring vessels humanity had produced:

GS-01 Krivak 001  (Krivak class Gunship)      250 tons       2 Crew       12.7 BP       TCS 5    TH 3    EM 0
600 km/s      Armour 1-3       Shields 0-0       HTK 1      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0.98
Maint Life 9.02 Years     MSP 3    AFR 5%    IFR 0.1%    1YR 0    5YR 1    Max Repair 5 MSP
Kapitan tret'yego ranga    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 days    Morale Check Required   

Glushko RD-103 (1)    Power 3.0    Fuel Use 492.95%    Signature 3.00    Explosion 15%
Fuel Capacity 26,000 Litres    Range 3.8 billion km (73 days at full power)

Yurga MBP 100mm T-15 Gun 1A10 (1)    Range 10,000km     TS: 1,250 km/s     Power 0.75-0.25     RM 10,000 km    ROF 15       
Sapphire Gunsight N001 (1)     Max Range: 30,000 km   TS: 625 km/s    ECCM-0     10 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NPO Energomash RT-Generator/025 (1)     Total Power Output 0.3    Exp 5%

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a Fighter for auto-assignment purposes

The Apollo class rescue shuttle was a far more peaceful design:

RS-01 Apollo 001  (Apollo class Rescue Shuttle)      500 tons       4 Crew       28.6 BP       TCS 10    TH 4    EM 0
375 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 5      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 36.99 Years     MSP 303    AFR 20%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 0    5YR 6    Max Repair 5 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 15 days    Morale Check Required   

Rocketdyne C-125/9 Engine F-3 (1)    Power 3.8    Fuel Use 287.05%    Signature 3.75    Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 208,200 Litres    Range 26.1 billion km (805 days at full power)
Refuelling Capability: 10,000 litres per hour     Complete Refuel 20 hours

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a None for auto-assignment purposes

But Washington was not happy that the Soviet Union now had a base on the Moon as well as armed vessels in Earth orbit. Plans to push the USA forward were made and put into action.

This campaign will be either a triumph of the modern era or a monument to man's hubris in the face of overwhelming micromanagement, either way I am here for it! 

Called it. 

And yes, multiple geological survey ships can work together in the same Fleet to combine their points when surveying a single body. If you're using standing orders, the surveyors avoid each other, I guess to avoid wasteful traveling between bodies.

Aha. That makes sense and would of course work with the standing orders, mystery solved!