First Chinese antipiracy flotilla in trouble, January 2009. Alternate History Scenario.

First Chinese antipiracy flotilla in trouble, January 2009. Alternate History Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the IOPG Battleset and the HCDB-150621 1980-2015 era Platform Database.

Image: Chinese DDG-171 Haikou (AEGIS equivalent), "A boarding team from the People's Liberation Army (Navy) Haikou (DD 171) makes way toward the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) July, 16, 2014, during a Maritime Interdiction Operations Exercise (MIOEX) as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014". U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery, a serviceperson on duty, and as consequence in public domain. Taked from Wikipedia Commons.

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/India side or from the Red/China side. You should play a few times first the Blue/India side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/China side.

The situation is inspired in some fake news reports repeated in the Web every few years, the last apparently in 4 July 2015, about a Chinese antipiracy flotilla in the Horn of Africa shadowed by a Indian Kilo submarine undetected.
But analyzing the Chinese flotilla composition, you will discover (as cited in some of the reports) they're the ships composing the first Chinese antipiracy flotilla in January 2009!
This scenario is build to reflect the strategic potential of this bizarre situation (and of course a diesel-electric SS as Kilo-class can't trail a nuclear SSN!).
As cause of origin of this crisis you could choose between 29 October 2008, when UK recognised Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, the Arunachal Pradesh dispute, Russia shutting off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine from 7 January 2009, or a radical and unexpected change in the US foreign policy when Barack Obama in 20 January 2009 succeeds George W. Bush as the 44th President of the United States, and becomes the first African-American President.
As a result of one of these or other unexpected events the Chinese flotilla is trapped far home and must return sailing Indian hostile waters.
Luckily the Indian forces are unprepared and the transit opposition is light.

Enrique Mas, July 11, 2015.