Scenario Design & Discussion

The 284th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Re-Take: Orange or Red? The Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" has failed. The pro-Russian party which won the last elections has used its renewed power to move the country back towards Russia and an autocratic regime. Russian forces were invited to "secure" Ukraine's borders against "potential aggressors". There has been a massive influx of Russian naval aircraft and the Ukraine is now "guarded" by Russian warships and submarines. A few hours prior to that, parts of Ukraine's armed forces declared that they will not follow any orders of the new regime dominated by Russia. They have taken sides with "…

The 9th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Gwadar you up to? India vs China & Pakistan - Jan 24, 2015 China has been a net oil importer since 1993, with the bulk of its Middle Eastern energy imports being transported circuitously by sea via the Strait of Malacca. The country's rising demand for overseas oil, fuelled by its rapid economic growth, has raised concern about becoming over-reliant on this narrow waterway. An alternate supply route in the form of a road and an eventual pipeline from Gwadar, Pakistan to China's westernmost provinces would reduce the dependence. Moreover, situated opposite the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 per…

The 285th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Brown Water Transit Unlike the United States and Canada, neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan have a distinctly cold feel. India's goal to be the dominant regional power is not a secret to the other nations of the area. Of course, a fleet of submarines, three aircraft carriers, and a nuclear weapons program communicate intentions without the need for words. Unable to afford the quantities of conventional weapons systems to constitute an effective deterrent, Pakistan has turned to devoting a growing percentage of its defense spending toward development of nuclear weapons. Assuring safe …

The 66th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Sending a Message Show of Force Battleset These scenarios are based upon events described in the book, "Show of Force", by Charles D. Taylor, 1980, Charter Books. The United States has, ostensibly, established a Trident re-supply base in the Indian Ocean. The Soviets claim that such a base is meant to de-stabilize the region. Both nations have deployed extensive fleets to the Indian Ocean in a "Show of Force". The United States has established a Trident re-supply base in the Indian Ocean. The Soviets claim that such a base is meant to de-stabilize the region and prevent the self-determination of Afri…

The 10th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Port Blair Witch China vs India China and Pakistan have lodged strong complaints against India for their attack on the military facilities at Gwadar. However, the UN has been slow to respond and has done nothing but ask China to demonstrate restraint. There is fear around the world that China may retaliate with nuclear weapons, but this seems unlikely. According to US sources, a Chinese SSBN has deployed from its base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea. China has neither confirmed nor denied this, but they HAVE stated that they have the right to conduct deterrent patrols. Soon after, a pair …

The 264th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! LEND-LEASE 1994 The Second Russian Revolution was not the last -- most analysts knew this. The shaky economy the Yeltsin government inherited would not be easily fixed and a people with newly found rights had a tendency to complain and even defy. However, a disenchanted populace was not the major problem. When high-ranking military leaders decided that the new government could not manage the economy and ensure the survival of the Russian Federation, they acted. The Coup of 1994 was much better planned than its predecessor. There were no protests in the streets of Moscow and the propaganda campaign w…

The 28th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! In Every Clime and Place The war between the CIS and NATO has been raging for three weeks with the CIS gaining the upper hand with their swift conquest of the nations surrounding the Norwegian Sea. Gaining access to the Atlantic in this manner, many of their hunter-killer submarine groups have been able to sortie thus harassing NATO convoys and wreaking havoc with NATO's wartime plans. SACEur has had enough and finally convinces the USN to launch an amphibious invasion of Norway to stop the flow of subs that are sinking his supplies! In order to pull off such a daring invasion, a CVBG is pulled from es…

The 128th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! MATRIX SHIELD Baltic Sea game of cat and mouse. The GIUK Gap is THE single most significant choke point for Russian merchant and naval shipping. These waters are also rich with abundant fishing areas and valuable mineral deposits and disputes regarding them are common. The resources that Russian once counted on are no longer guaranteed and a hungry Bear is a dangerous thing, indeed. At the same time, the Western Democracies are scrapping their naval assets faster than they built them in the 1980s. From: Fleet HQ, Musko, Stockholm To: Cmdr, K21, Goteborg Capt, Kaszub Info: Naval Attache, Moscow …

The 275th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! SHARKS OF STEEL - PIG BOATS 2 At first, the world considered the declaration of war nothing more than a formality -- a joke. How could Russia successfully stage a war against Spain? Sure, the Spanish had vetoed the EC trade agreement with their large eastern neighbour, but they had their reasons. The problems could be evaluated and resolved. The declaration of war, though unnecessary, was somewhat understandable. In any case, the two nations were so far removed that nothing would come of the "war" -- right? The EC was completely shocked by the blitz the Russians conducted against the Spanish fleet. I…

The 68th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Surprise, Surprise! This is the worst-case scenario for Middle East affairs. With Iran now in control of the majority of the world's oil, long silent Russia has announced a mutual defense treaty and has vowed to help protect the Gulf for their Arab friends. U.S. forces find themselves in a very hostile world a very long way behind enemy lines. With the Russian declaration, all Russian forces operating in the area should be considered hostile. Of primary concern here should be the sub threat. All American forces should make best possible speed for Diego Garcia and the safety of U.S.-controlled air spa…

The 129th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! CHOKE POINT - PIG BOATS 1 At first, the world considered the declaration of war nothing more than a formality -- a joke. How could Russia successfully stage a war against Spain? Sure, the Spanish had vetoed the EC trade agreement with their large eastern neighbour, but they had their reasons. The problems could be evaluated and resolved. The declaration of war, though unnecessary, was somewhat understandable. In any case, the two nations were so far removed that nothing would come of the "war" -- right? The EC was completely shocked by the blitz the Russians conducted against the Spanish fleet. In on…

The 11th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Showdown These scenarios are based upon events described in the book, "Show of Force", by Charles D. Taylor, 1980, Charter Books. The United States has established a Trident re-supply base in the Indian Ocean. The Soviets claim that such a base is meant to de-stabilize the region and prevent the self-determination of African nations and others within the area due to intimidation. Both nations have deployed extensive fleets to the Indian Ocean in a "Show of Force". Without guidance from NCA, both theatre commanders are operating under their final orders received. What began as a show of force has evolved …

The 288th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Duel The fighting over Keflavik has been so heavy that what remains of the airfield, currently held by NATO, is unusable. At the same time, the fighting in Europe has placed demands upon available resources that preclude either side sending long-range aircraft to attack or defend Iceland. The fate of Iceland will, therefore, be decided by a decisive surface battle. This scenario is a re-make of a Harpoon Classic scenario from the original GIUK battleset and has been re-made for Harpoon 3 with the consent of AGSI. Author: Herman Hum With over 109,000 PlayersDB scenarios downloaded in the last 3…

The 251st NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Last week, we released 120 New scenarios. This week, we return you to our regular programming schedule. INGRESS PROJECT PENINSULA 94 Peninsula 94 is a series of 4 related scenarios (Recon, Ingress, Strike Ops, and Egress) representing different phases of a US multi-carrier battle group attack on the Kola Peninsula. From the Russian perspective, this is the mission the navy has trained for since its beginning: defense of the homeland. These scenarios are related by a common order of battle and a concurrence of mission. Any discrepancies can be attributed to poor bomb damage assessment and bette…

The 74th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Advance Subs After the surprise Argentine invasion of the Falklands Islands, the British Defence ministry urgently ordered available Royal Navy units to the area. As had been the case in earlier times of tensions, Britain's nuclear attack submarines, travelling continuously at high speed, would be the first warships on station. The arrival of the first submarines enabled the MoD to announce a 200nm exclusion zone around the Falkland Islands. Argentina, meanwhile, was using her navy to reinforce the garrison in the Malvinas and to establish a blocking force for any early British units. Author: Fre…

The 130th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! GULF OF SOLLUM On March 7th 1983, at the height of the Cold War, Hr Ms Zwaardvis is leaving Den Helder, Netherlands for a five week underwater transit to Naples, Italy. The SSK has been added to Task Force 69, and will carry out Recon missions of Soviet fleet anchorages just outside the Libyan 12-mile zone in the Gulf of Sollum. The Soviet Black Sea Fleet, faced with being bottled up behind the Bosporus, has taken to basing numerous warships in deep anchorages in International waters off North Africa in the Med. Sollum is the biggest of these. NATO MPA's keep a permanent watch on these offshore bases; …

The 75th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! Caribbean Happy Hour In the last few years, Venezuela made over 4B$ in military purchases from Russia. Su-30 Flanker planes, attack helicopters, and SAMs significantly changed the balance of power in the southern Caribbean. Negotiations continue over SSKs and, in September 2008, two Tu-160 Blackjacks made a surprise visit to Venezuela and flew patrols before returning to Russia. In summer 2008, the US re-activated the 4th Fleet to cover the Caribbean and CVBG George Washington practiced in the area before re-locating to Yokosuka, Japan. This left the Atlantic with just one carrier, Theodore Roosevelt whi…

The 46th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! To Enter Paradise Historians in the 21st Century will not agree on a start date for the First EurAsian War; some will argue, in fact, that there was none: the FEW will be for them nothing but a coalescing of several separate local wars. All will agree, however, that the collapse of the Soviet Union and then the partial collapse of the Western monetary system created a number of interacting power vacuums. And while the Rightful Restoration and the Koranic Compact initiated the creation of a new world order, they also fanned the flames of smouldering and ongoing conflicts all across Asia and Europe... Th…

The 267th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! NAVAL INFANTRY The war between NATO and the CIS is in full swing, but neither side has gained an advantage over the other. CIS submarines have done well against ANTO shipping, but CIS ground forces in Europe have not matched the successes of their naval cousins. The CIS surface fleet has been kept in reserve since the leadership knows that the NATO surface combatants are more powerful than they. Early on in the war planning, it was decided that the surface fleet would be used only on special missions and recalled as quickly as possible. While this theory goes against traditional doctrine, its advantage …

The 276th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year! BLACK SEA, BLACK HOLE Operation Southern Swath is in full swing and going well for the CIS. In the Mediterranean theatre, CIS air power has dominated with Turkey being defeated by a combined amphibious invasion and aerial onslaught. The only Turkish units that survived the initial air campaign were those underway and not in the Black Sea. Eventually, most of these vessels ended up in Italian or French ports. After two weeks of sitting on the sidelines, the Turks are ready to get back into the fight. To do this, they have decided to send two SS boats back into the Black Sea to generally harass the CIS N…