About This File
BRICS Conflict #1 (Circa 2016 - 2018) - Monkey's Paw (Battle of the Netherlands Antilles)
BRICS - An economic (and military) alliance between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. From the present to this hypothetical series of engagements, the alliance had influenced several other nations and influenced a number of clients.
Scene Setter (Taken from "The BRICS Conflict - A Brief History of the Third World War (2016 to 2018)"):
The 2013 attack by the US and Israel on Iran has caused oil and Petroleum prices to sky rocket. OPEC has chosen to keep the prices high in order to help establish a new Persian Republic. As a result of high energy and fuel prices, the Eurozone, US and other western economies, which were in economic trouble in 2011-12 collapsed into a second deep recession, with no end in sight.
The seemingly innocuous economic alliance born in 2011 was now riding a wave of economic influence and geo-political power. The economies (and more importantly, the defense budgets) of Brazil, Russia and South Africa have been capitalizing off of vast oil revenues and have been pouring in from their existing and newly discovered reserves. Both China and India have been enjoying an industrial boom, at the expense of the old order economic powers that have been withering. A large number of second-tier economies in the Asia-Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin American economies that have developed or recovered more quickly, have attempted to stay neutral as the storm clouds have been gathering.
In May 2016, as the BRICS alliance and their surrogates attempted to sweep away the old order and establish their place on the world stage, the world war many feared would occur started in the most unlikely of places - the Caribbean Sea.
Background:
When the Netherlands economy crashed with the rest of the Eurozone, it liquidated several territorial holdings in an attempt to save money. In 2014, the Netherlands Antilles in the Southern Carribean Sea was divided between Columbia and Venezuela. Shortly thereafter, a vast oil and natural gas reserve was discovered undeneath the continental shelf in that location. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez immediately claimed the whole area and old animosities between Venezuela and iits Western neighbor Columbia, resurfaced.
Columbia took the peaceful path toward development. They contracted with the US oil companies eager for work, in the struggling post-recession business climate. It was discovered their reserves rivalled Brazil's. Once production began and revenues came poring in, Columbia used its revenues to improve its economic standing in the Latin American region.
Venezuela on the other began preparations fo take the reserves by force. Chavez, now suffering from another serious bout of cancer signed several agreements with Brazil and Russia, which included contracts for defense infrastructure improvements. In 2015, Chavez lost his fight against cance and died. His successor claimed Columbian spies had poisoned him, causing the cancer. Venezuela began inciting the few anti-government groups left in Columbia , in an effort to foment class warfare. Lastly, Brazil brokered a deal with Russia on Venezuela's behalf or several new naval platforms including a new Steregushchiy class frigate, which was named the Hugo Chavez and two next generation Kilo class submarines, armed with the Club family of missiles. These platforms were delievered in early 2016.
It is now June 2016, the US Navy, now a shadow of its former self as a result of the financial meltdown and forced budget cuts is participating in one of the few regional exercises it now participates in - Carribean Partnership, with the Columbian Navy.