Atacama Desert

The Battle of Atacama Desert is a multiplayer map in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and was one of the first offensives made by the Russian Army during their South America campaign. It is also one of the largest Conquest maps in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The fighting in the Atacama occured for most of the war in many different areas, prominently armour and air battles, as Russia attempted to push inland and the US attempted to push them back to the coast. The map featured in the game is the initial invasion of South America, through the Atacama.

A Russian Naval Group is preparing a massive amphibious assault. Defending the shore are 3 US fortifications and a string of artillery defenses. Should the Russian’s establish a beachhead and overrun US positions, they will be free to advance further inland. With weather deteriorating and sandstorms approaching, US Command has consolidated all available forces to meet the Russian threat. As a result of the open ground, a large-scale armor battle supported by attack helicopters seems likely.

Russian Battleplan
For this battle the Russian Army would commit 350 soldiers in a combined land-air assault against the still unaware American base in an attempt to wipe out all American Mortar and SAM sites in order to provide a safe landing site for the main invasion force. The strategy was to swiftly move the force into a nearby town, supported by Russian armor and helicopter units. After this area was secured all forces were to push forward into the dry river bed and set up a command post in a long deserted tanker. If this could be achieved the remaining Russian forces would push into not only the other coastal town site but force the Americans back into their base for a final and fatal blow to wipe the American forces out or force them to retreat inland.

RU
Light Vehicles Tanks Helicopters Aircraft Emplacements
 * Quad Bike
 * Cobra 4WD
 * T-90 Main Battle Tank
 * Mi-28 Havoc
 * Su-25 Frogfoot
 * 9M133 Kornet
 * ZU-23-2 Anti Aircraft Gun

US
Light Vehicles Tanks Helicopters Aircraft Emplacements
 * Quad Bike
 * Humvee
 * M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank
 * AH-64 Apache
 * None
 * BGM-71 TOW
 * ZU-23-2 Anti Aircraft Gun

US Deployment
In the US Deployment Zone there are two M1A2 Abrams Tanks, a HMMWV, a Quad Bike and an AH-64 Apache. There are also 2 TOW Missile launchers, an XM312 and a ZU-23-2 AA gun

A: Western Island
In the Western island, there is one Quad Bike and one M1A2 Abrams

B: Stranded Ship
At the Stranded ship, there is a UAV station. There is also a Kornet AT launcher, and a Zeus AA gun

C: Eastern Island
At the Eastern Island, there is a T-90 MBT

RU Deployment
In the Russian Deployment Zone, there are 2 T-90 MBTs, a Cobra 4WD, a Quad Bike and a Mi-28 Havoc. There are also 2 Kornet AT launchers, a KORD HMG and a Zeus AA gun

Tactics

 * Drive or fly over to the enemy base as quickly as possible and steal their helicopter. Though this may seem unfair, this leaves them without a helicopter until it is blown down. Because of this you will not have to worry about unprevoked helicopter assaults on your team or about getting your own helicopter shot down by a much more experienced pilot.
 * Mount the Anti Aircraft Gun. Enemy pilots have the tendency to fly over to your base and spawn-trap it. This time you are prepared and can take the helicopter down before it attacks your base.
 * Protect your base. If one enemy has a good time camping your base, soon enough the whole enemy team will follow along and do the same. Take out any enemy you see entering the base and be prepared for another, as he will usually bring a friend or two in a 4WD Vehicle.

Light Vehicles

 * Quad Bike
 * Cobra 4WD

Tanks

 * T-90 Main Battle Tank

Helicopters

 * Mil Mi-24 Hind
 * UAV-1

Tanks

 * M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank

Emplacements

 * 9M133 Kornet
 * VADS AA Gun
 * XM312
 * XM-306 Auto GL

Attacker Deployment
The Russian attackers start at the far South end of the map. They will have a Mil Mi-24 Hind available to them, 2 Cobra 4WDs, 2 Quad Bikes and a UAV station.

US Control
The American defenders will have to defend 2 M-COMM stations; one in the East by the main road, relatively in the open, and another in a blueneeds confirmation 2-story building that can be destroyed by Destruction 2.0. Defenders will have one VADS AA gun, one XM-306 Auto GL with a ballistic shield, and multiple XM312 with ballistic shields and mounted inside buildings.

RU Control
The Russian attackers will have 2 Quad Bikes, one Cobra 4WD, one Mil Mi-24 Hind and one UAV-1 at their disposal once the 2 M-COMM Stations have been destroyed. This base will be conserved for the attackers' use until the 2 M-COMM stations at the Western Island have been destroyed.

Stranded Ship
The American defenders will have to defend 2 M-COMM stations; one in the Eastern, stern end of the boat, within the open hull, and on the center part of the boat, within the top, South room, like in Squad Rush. There will be an XM312 with a ballistic shield on the North-western part of the stern. This XM312 will respawn even once the Stranded Ship is captured.

US Control
[information needed]

RU Control
The Russian attackers will have 2 T-90 MBTs, one Cobra 4WD, one Quad Bike and one Mil Mi-24 Hind at their disposal to mount the final assault on the last 2 M-COMM stations.

Last Standneeds confirmation
The American defenders will have to defend 2 M-COMM stations; one at the East in the third of a series of a 3 warehouses, behind a small wall of concrete blocks, and one in the wooden barracks to the westneeds confirmation. They will have 3 M1A2 Abrams MBTs and multiple emplacements to help defend against the enemy armor and air vehicles.

Outcome
RU Victory

Caught completely off guard by this sudden attack, the US Army forces could only fight a holding action while the bulk of the occupying forces fell back to regroup with other American forces further inland. A force of 100 Americans fought desperately and valiantly to stave off the relentless Russian push for as long as possible. In the end all US soldiers defending the beach were either killed, destroyed, or forced out of the area, but not with out inflicting staggering casualties on the invaders. A Russian soldier watches 3 Su-25s bomb the shores, as 2 Mi-28s escort the landing crafts which hit the beach, bringing reinforcements into the fight.

US Victory

Even though they were caught off guard, the US Army forces managed to drive off the Russian amphibious forces and American artillery defences managed to destroy the Russian naval battle group, with ballistic rocket volleys fired from the coast at the Russian ships, forcing them to retreat. Afterwards, US Command will use similar tactics to capture the Port of Arica.

Trivia

 * The loading screen for the map shows the battle taking place on the coast of an inland lake in the Atacama, rather than the presumed coast of Chile. This makes no sense, as there would be no way for the Russian fleet to access the lake and an amphibious invasion would be useless, as the Russians could simply advance from the surrounding land. It is presumed that this is a mistake by DICE.