During the period 8-9 December 2010, the United States Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island hosted the Global Shipping Game (GSG). The GSG was developed and executed at the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). The purpose of the GSG was to explore strategic-level implications as a result of future changes in global shipping patterns.

 

The CNO directed the NWC to develop a game that would explore changes in economic and trade patterns within the context of two future scenarios: expansion of the Panama Canal in 2020 and increased access of commercial shipping through the Arctic by 2035.

 

After reviewing the research literature, the GSG was honed to explore two overarching research questions based on the CNO’s areas of interest: What are the broad, strategic security implications for the United States posed by projected changes in shipping patterns as a result of the Panama Canal expansion? What are the broad, strategic security implications for the United States posed by projected changes in shipping patterns as a result of the opening of the Arctic?

 

In addition to the two primary research questions, the GSG also examined the following two subsidiary questions:

 

What, if any, are the impacts to U.S. security interests for failing to ratify the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Treaty based on projected changes in shipping patterns as a result of either the Panama Canal expansion or the opening of the Arctic?

 

What challenges, if any, will expansion of the Panama Canal or the opening of the Arctic present to U.S. naval forces engaged in ensuring the free flow of goods at sea while maintaining forward global presence?

Global Shipping Game report (PDF)

I am an avid follower of the Admiralty Trilogy games, okay to be honest, CaS and Harpoon...but players from this neck of the woods is few and far between. I want to propose a small PBEM game for Harpoon, a very small simple scenario to be played via PBEM. I have not run a game before, neither in person nor PBEM, so this will be a learning curve for me. I was thinking...maybe something small like "The Day Before The Morning After" (SS/SSN vs SSBN) from High Tide or something similar. Would anybody be interested in something like that?

Juhan

The scenario will take place in the middle of the Persian Gulf, with the Blue objective to run to Kuwait to deliver war cargo, and the Red objective is, of course, to stop them.

We could build this scenario with Blue side selecting their escorts (within reason--from ships that were actually in the gulf at the time). This will be known to Red side since their passage into the gulf would be easily observed by the Iranians. Red side could select their attack force based on their estimation of what it would take to achieve the objective of sinking the merchants. Blue side would not know the force composition until they attack.

What do you guys think?

Players will need SimPlot Viewer v0.9.1 and the Persian Gulf map. Although the scenario will only use a small portion of the map, I want to test using the map feature of Viewer.

The scenario is from the Red Star Over the Gulf article in Naval Sitrep #48. The article contains several Soviet vs. Iran scenarios, and if this test goes well then I would like to play other (larger) scenarios later.

If you are interested, then please reply here.

Kevin

Edit: You don't need a copy of Sitrep #48 to play. All scenario information will be provided in the game forum.

Turns will be played by me until either a new detection is made or we reach a decision point (no set time frame per night--it will be "event driven"). I will then communicate to the appropriate player (sending a new turn file and ask for new orders). It will be inevitable that a player may not get an email from me every night. You will definitely get one when something happens. The game will resume when I get a response. Given the simple scenario and limited units, I am hoping for immediate responses to requests for orders (within 24 hours). I can send/receive emails after 7PM Eastern Time.

I need two players. Please indicate here your willingness to play.

If all goes well, then I would consider playing other scenarios from the H4 Quickstart guide. I like those scenarios, and I never had a chance to play them with others.

Kevin

Ten years since that massive MBX Global Thunder.

Link to the ENN news page that covered some of the major events of the wargame: ENN coverage

The scenario I intend to do- after a quick one from "High Tide"- will be an epic recreation of the assault on the Varyag and Novorossiysk groups from Barrett Tillman's The Sixth Battle.

Anyone interested?

Sadly, I am no longer in possession of the program diskettes nor the energy or brain power to recreate it. Surely something similar could be done using Excel or some other program.

Does anyone use anything like this?

Choreographing the Dance of the Vampires

Red Storm Rising’s Game Plots

Contributed by Matthew Kirschenbaum

Associate Professor of English and Associate Director, MITH at University of Maryland

February 24, 2012

Full article here:

Dance of the Vampires

http://cyberboard.brainiac.com/screensh.html

REDFOR had bounced BLUFOR after hacking into the country's air defence system, but BLUFOR spotted the attack in time to take evasive action and pickle drop tanks, so neither side started with an advantage.

In two turns, both strategic aircraft were down with only one REDFOR fighter, although the crews managed to escape. BLUFOR took its revenge on REDFOR, killing a total of three fighters and damaging three more, the last while bugging out (I assumed that BLUFOR lobbed everything at the last guy as he left and deemed it an automatic hit).

Not a good day for BLUFOR - a bit of a national embarrassment actually...

War Gaming in the Information Age (PDF)

Please reply to the poll only if you have an intention (however slight) of being involved in the wargame, should it happen.

A couple (Red Beach and Kola Strike) are drawn from High Tide, and I've tossed in a couple of new ideas just in case folks might want to pursue something a little off the beaten path.

For convenience sake, a bit of a primer on what those H4/HT choices entail ...

Red Beach, circa 16 May 1988

This is somewhat of a follow on to the scenario David and Goliath, which is being gamed right now under management of HG member Silent Hunter UK. STANAVFORLANT survivors from that scenario would go on to join the new battle, going into Hammerfest (Norway) to replenish just as the Soviets launch an amphibious assault at that location. NATO would call upon the remnants of STANAVFORLANT, a local defense contingent (including coastal batteries!) and limited air support to turn back a Soviet invasion that includes a Sverdlov class gun cruiser, escorts and phibs. The defense may hinge to some extent upon placement of a Norwegian Type 207 sub and a small contingent of fast attack missile craft. Depending on what route is chosen for the invasion, one of these two will probably be out of position. One potential point of attraction for this scenario is the ground combat phase, ie. an opposed amphibious landing. NATO forces would comprise an untrained Home Guard infantry company, a competent regular army infantry company, bolstered by coastal gun batteries and maybe even RBS17 Hellfire launchers, facing a reinforced Soviet naval infantry battalion and an occupation garrison.

Kola Strike

There are two flavours of this scenario, one taking place in June 1980 and the other in June 1988. Either way, the scenario models a two carrier US Navy attack on the Kola Peninsula, and more particularly, five key shore bases and facilities of the Red Banner Northern Fleet. Whether the 1980 or 1988 scenario is chosen will determine in particular the order of battle (as well as the weapons available).

In 1980, for the US Navy:

A force centred on the USS Nimitz and USS John F Kennedy carrying air wings with F-14A, A-7E, A-6E, etc.

And the Soviet defense:

SA-3 SAMs, various AAA, Su-15 Flagon, MiG-23MLD Flogger K and Tu-128 Fiddler B fighters.

In 1988, for the US Navy:

A force centred on the USS Forrestal and USS Theodore Roosevelt, carrying air wings with F-14A, F/A-18A, A-7E and A-6E, etc; as well as two Improved LA class submarines with TLAMs.

And the Soviet defense:

SA-11 SAMs, various AAA, Su-27 Flanker and Su-15 Flagon fighters with potential for MiG-31 Foxhound and/or MiG-25 Foxbat to also appear.

Points are scored by NATO destroying a certain amount of Soviet infrastructure (measured in DP). The Soviets win by a successful defense that keeps the damage to a minimum.

Scenarios include two of the shorter "Battle" Scenarios - "Night Action" and "Convoy Defense". The Operational Scenarios call for a "Battle of the Coral Sea 1-10 May 1942" scenario of 60 Turns (Each Turn is 4 Hours), and the full blown "Coral Sea Extended Campaign, 1-30 May 1942.

Although I did not notice a "planning map" like that found in "Plan Orange" these games cry out for double bind, umpired game. If anyone is interested...

New interest is being generated in modern miniatures. Some are being created in both 1:2400 and 1:6000, in particular 1:6000 Modern Chinese PLAN. I have a set of 1:6000 PLAN Type 052 DD, Type 054A FF and Type 071 Amphib with hovercraft. I'll try to post pics once I receive them and get them painted up.

We'll see.

There is also a 1:6000 Naval yahoo group for those interested. Designer is open to Dreadnaughts as well.

1:6000 Naval

The scenario proposes that "the Japanese invasion of Luzon caught the US Asiatic Fleet off guard. With most of the ships lost and the Japanese Army ashore in north and central Luzon, it wouldn't be long before Manila fell. In the early morning hours of 14 March the remnants of the US Fleet set sail for the sothern Philippines to await the arrival of the US relief force. The convoy was intercepted by a small but powerful group of Japanese warships. The end was certain, it was only unclear whether any of the American ships would escape.

Time Frame: Night (2 Hex Spotting Range)

Starting Weather Condition: 1 (Clear)

Japanese Forces:

BC04a Kirishima

CL03 Kuma

CL07 Kiso

CL08 Nagara

CL09 Isuzu

10x Momi Class Destroyers

American Forces

CL09USS Richmond (record one hull hit - makes her previously damaged in battle and very fragile in this scenario)

5x Clemson Class Destroyers (Four Stackers)

PG-19 USS Sacramento

2x Fast Transports

Entry Points for both forces, and the exit point for the US force are rolled randomly. US enters from the South and has to exit to the Southeast...looking good. The Japanese enter from the Northeast.

Initiative: Japanese have the initiative.

Just Following Orders: US ships must make a beeline for their exit point.

Save Yourselves!: Once a Japanses ship is spotted, the US Fleet may separate in order to escape. Once the US does this, the Japanese may also.

Victory Conditions: American player win if he exits the board without suffering damage or loss OR by collecting more victory points than the Japanese player. Any other result is a Japanese victory.

US tries to push forward a screening force made up of the five Clemson DD's, while the Richmond provides close escort along with the gunboat to the two transports. The Japanese Momi Class DD attempt the same screening mission with the Light Cruisers and the Battle Cruiser attempt to swing around the destroyer screen and engage the juicy transports.

As it gamed out the first round saw the destroyer squadrons inflict proportional damage to each other, The US destroyers lost their guns (tertiary gun rating) while one Momi DD loses its gun, and two more are sunk.

Round 2 saw four US Destroyers sunk by gunfire, while US torpedoes found targets, sinking two Japanese destroyers. USS Richmond sinks the final two Momi DD's.

Round 3 culminated with the Japanese main body arriving within range. The last Clemson DD is sunk. Richmond is sunk after being engaged by two light cruisers, Isuzu and Kiso. During that engagement, Isuzu i sroughly handled losing 2/3 of its Hull Factors (one more hit and its gone). The remaining two light cruisers and the battle cruiser make short work of the transports and gunboat.

Victory Points: US earn 10x 5pts (Momi DD's) + 2 hits on the Isuzu = 52pts. Japanese earn 19 pts (Richmond) 5x 8pts (Clemson DD's) = 59 pts for the win.