The Red Sea Sharks, October 2016. Hypothetical/Historical Scenario.

The Red Sea Sharks, mid October 2016. Hypothetical/Historical Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 The Middle East Battleset and the HCDB-150928 1980-2015 era or the new HCDB2-170207 1980-2025 era Platform Databases. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.

Image: USS Ponce September 22, 2012. Personnel assigned to the underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV) detachment of Combined Task Group 56.1.4, make preparations to launch two UUVs during a mine clearance operation as part of International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2012 (IMCMEX 12). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jumar T. Balacy/Released, took from Wikipedia Commons and in public domain.

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/US and allies side or from the Red/Houthi Rebels and Allies side. You should play a few times first the Blue/US and allies side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Houthi Rebels and Allies side.:

With the world on the brink of an open war after four years of impending Second Cold War, but pending of the US presidential elections and the hard and transcendent struggle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and with the Russian Northern Fleet reading the Admiral Kuznetsov CVBG to steam towards the Mediterranean and to support the Russian intervention in the Syria (Historically sailing from October 16, 2016, with other Russian surface forces in theatre, coming or going from the Baltic Fleet), another unexpected point of naval operations interest popped-up.
On October 1, 2016, the ex Incat-built very fast (and lightly built) catamaran transport ex Swift (HSV-2), operated by the United Arab Emirates' National Marine Dredging Company (and probably employed in some special operations activities) was surprisingly attacked and badly damaged by a Houthi Rebels shore-launched C-801 or C-802 anti-ship missile, fired from the coasts of the convolute civil war Yemen, in the Red Sea near the Bad-el-Mandeb strait.
The next weeks, on 9 and 12 October 2016 USS Mason (DDG-87) detected and shoot-down or deflects with decoys other attacking missiles. In retaliation, on October 13, 2016, USS Nizte (DDG-94) launched five cruise missiles against Houthis' mobile surface search radars near Ras Isa, North of Mukha, and near Khoka, neutralizing them (Probably of the Russian type Cape-M1E). At last on October 15, 2016, USS Mason detected another last but unconfirmed anti-ship missile attack from the Yemen shore. Also present in the zone were USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15), equipped with the first experimental and operational shipborne defensive LaWS laser (weapon not yet represented in the simulation).
In this scenario the US and Allied ships should cross Bab-el-Mandeb strait avoiding losses and keeping presence in the zone.
Houthi and other Shiite forces should neutralize the enemy ships, trying to multiply his actions through propaganda if any oppossition ship is sunk.
The historical actions and ships placement are compressed in a very short period of time.

Enrique Mas, November 4, 2016.