A hallmark of the real-time strategy genre is expansion packs, and today EA announced the first for its Command & Conquer spin-off Red Alert 3. Subtitled Uprising, the expansion pack extends the single-player campaign in Red Alert 3, which saw release in October, but won't require the original game to play. Uprising will be downloadable exclusively for the PC beginning in March.

　　Ze plane, ze plane! Uprising picks up shortly after the events in Red Alert 3, in which the Soviets have been routed, the Empire of the Rising Sun is in disarray, and the Allies battle corruption within their own ranks. The expansion includes one abbreviated campaign dedicated to each faction, as well as a bonus Empire storyline that follows the rise of the faction's psionic decimator, Commando Yuriko Omega.

　　In addition to the minicampaigns, Uprising will bolster Red Alert 3's offerings with the new Commander's Challenge mode. In it, players will grapple with 50 challenge missions, each of which features unique rules and win conditions. The expansion will also include an unspecified number of additional battle units, as well as a variety of new live-action cutscenes featuring the likes of Gemma Atkinson and Ivana Milicevic. EA also teased that a variety of new stars will also make their debut, promising to announce names in the near future.

　　For more on Red Alert 3, check out GameSpot's full review.