Retake of Gibraltar by Exercise Cougar 13, August 2013, Alternate History Scenario

Retake of Gibraltar attempt by Cougar 13, August 2013, alternate history scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB-130729 1980-2015 Platform Database.

Image: Armada Española's LHD Juan Carlos I L-61 with AV-8B+ Harrier II on the deck, Malaga Port 2013. Origin: Wikipedia Commons. Originally posted to Flickr by javicaselli at http://flickr.com/photos/9530856@N02/9167941808. It was reviewed on 8 July 2013

by the FlickreviewR robot and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-sa-2.0.

This scenario is better to be played initially from the Blue/Spanish side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/UK/Portuguese/Moroccan side. It's a complex scenario with the most historical accurate possible OOBs.

The permanent crisis between Spain and the United Kingdom because the Gibraltar question was exacerbated in early August 2013 by the Gibraltar authorities planting a concrete reef in the neutral zone, provoking hard protest by the local Spanish fishermen.

In a surprising movement to increase his internal popularity after the imposition of tick and slow border controls the previous weeks, the weak Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy government, stormed Gibraltar with special forces and seize it in a few hours with low casualties in both sides.

As the Cold War was ended some twenty years ago, Gibraltar don't keep his previous strategic importance, and the assault was contemplated with indifference by United States and the European Union, and these countries expressed publicly his not intervention posture.

Also, Spain counts with the strange political support of Argentina and other far-left Latin-American countries because the Falklands/Malvinas conflict, but Spain rival in other commercial issues.

As casually all the British amphibious resources were compromised those days in the exercise Cougar 13, destination Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, the United Kingdom decides can't wait for another better occasion to retake Gibraltar.

And probably the United Kingdom can count with the local support of the Spanish neighbours, Portugal because the Olivenza question, and Morocco because the conquest of Gibraltar legitimizes the military invasion by Morocco of the Spanish Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla in the Morocco's north coast.

This scenario reflects the very weak current situation of the British forces, without carrier fixed-wing aviation, without ASW and maritime patrol aircrafts, and without air-to-surface antiship missiles (short range and small Sea Skua aside). His main advantage against Spain are his SSN and his very great number of air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Spain has the advantage of the proximity to the theatre of operations, carrier fixed-wing aviation, a few ASW and maritime patrol aircrafts, and a few air-launched Taurus cruise missiles. But the Spanish submarine force is in transition and weak, and the support of Morocco and Portugal to the United Kingdom side can be decisive.

This scenario is qualified as "alternate history scenario" because the Orders of Battle represent those at the crisis start.

Generic unnamed places are:

ZIa Angads-Oujda Airport OUD/GMFO.

ZJa Al Aroui-Nador International Airport NDR/GMMW.

ZKa Marrakech-Menara Airport RAK/GMMX.

ZLa Moulay Ali Cherif-Errachidia Airport ERH/GMFK.

ZMa Mohammed V-Casablanca Airport CMN/GMMN.

ZNa Sania Ramel-Tetouan Airport TTU/GMTN.

ZOa Cherif Al Idrissi-Al Hoceima Airport AHU/GMTA.

ZPa Ibn Batoutta-Tangier Airport TNG/GMTT.

ZQa Ben Guerir air base (The reactivated base for the Moroccan F-16. An old SAC base and old Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing Site) -/-.

ZRp Casablanca City and Naval Base.

AMp Spanish Autonomous City of Melilla and Port.

ANp Spanish Autonomous City of Ceuta and Port.

AOa Melilla Airport MLN/GEML.

APp Alboran Island and Military Garrison.

AQp Malaga Port and City.

ARa Manises-Valencia Airport VLC/LEVC.

ASa Matacan-Salamanca Air Base and Airport SLM/LESA.

ATa Villanubla-Valladolid Air Base and Airport VLL/LEVD.

AUa Alcantarilla Air Base -/LERI.

AWa San Javier-Murcia Air Base and Airport MJV/LELC.

AXa Lavacolla-Santiago de Compostela Airport SCQ/LEST.

AYa El Prat-Barcelona Airport BCN/LEBL.

AZa Bilbao Airport BIO/LEBB.

Enrique Mas, August 2013.