Scenario Design & Discussion

File Name: Pledge 9: The Battle of El'dzhik File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 06 Oct 2012 File Category: Scenarios Uzbekistan believes that Turkmenistan is using one of its dams to "steal" water from a river that runs through both countries. They have gone to the U.N., but to no avail, and have decided that their only option is to destroy the dam. Image: Uzbekistani Su-24 Fencer. Image released by the United States Air Force with the ID 050214-F-OK556-004. Author: Scott T. Sturkol, U.S. Air Force. Author's Notes: I wrote this scenario partly to explore the possibilities of smaller, air-oriented scenarios for Harpoon. It is based around a limited…

File Name: Pledge 8: Mission to Bahrain 1981-1982 Part 2 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 29 Sep 2012 File Category: Scenarios In early 1982, the Kitty Hawk battle group and an amphibious group must eliminate the threat to a counter-coup in Bahrain posed by Iranian forces. Destroy at least 75 Iranian aircraft and at least 20 Iranian facilities. Avoid serious losses. Image: Various aircraft parked in formation aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. Defense Image photo VIRIN: DN-SN-85-06347. Click here to download this file

File Name: Pledge 7: Mission to Bahrain 1981-1982 Part 1 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 27 Sep 2012 File Category: Scenarios Late in 1981, Islamic militants tried to seize control of the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain. In history, this coup attempt failed, but this scenario assumes that it succeeded, that the United States decides to restore the former government of Bahrain, but that the only forces available for this mission are the Kitty Hawk battle group, two submarines, and a group of amphbious vessels. First, American forces must make their way to the Gulf of Oman to gather intelligence. However, Iran has warned the United States not to interfer…

One thing I really like about ANW is how you can tweak the ships for realism by modifying what weapons they have onboard. For a scenario set in 1981, what would have been the likely missile loads for a Leahy-class cruiser (Halsey, CG 23) and Adams-class destroyers (Hoel & Berekely, DDG-13 and DDG-15)? The Leahy-class is listed as "85+" and I know there was a major upgrade program in the 1980s...how much did the Leahy change between 1981 and 1985? Should I replace the Standard missiles with the Tartars (an available loadout)? What about doing this for the Adams-class ships, or is it okay the use the default setting of the RIM-66B? Any other suggestions …

File Name: Pledge 6: The Matsu Incident 2015 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 08 Sep 2012 File Category: Scenarios A routine patrol for the Taiwanese Navy. Or, at least, it should have been... Image: The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-993) crossing Thimble Shoals in Chesapeake Bay; Released to Public ID: DNSC880921; Author: PH2 K. Bates, USN. The Kidd was eventually sold to Taiwan, where she serves as the Tso Ying (DDG-1803). Click here to download this file

A couple of quick questions... First, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being "This will happen" and 1 being "Not in a million years"), how likely is it that we might see an Iran-style Islamic revolution in Turkey and Egypt by, say, 2016? Second, assuming these revolutions happened, on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are the following events (either as isolated events or as a cluster of related, perhaps coordinated events)... A) Egypt does not close the Suez Canal, but does raise fees and starts making many costly and time-consuming inspections of ships from countries it does not like--in effect, they are waging economic war against the E.U., Israel, etc. Egy…

In 1980, leftist guerillas began a long and bloody campaign in Peru. As a scenario possibility...what if the Soviet Union had been pro-active in their support of the guerilllas, sending supplies, "military advsiors," etc., starting around 1981? First, how would they have done this? A full-scale invasion seems extremely unlikely. A blockade of Peruvian ports also seems unlikely, but the Soviets could probably have done this--a large visible task force and a squadron or two of submarines. Any thoughts on how plausible this is? The most likely to me seems a moderate form of support--effectively a task force that included supply ships, some way to move s…

File Name: Operation Blue Doghouse File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 24 Jul 2012 File Updated: 28 Jul 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 b10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information American amphibious operations against a dictatorship that has seized control of the Dominican Republic in 1981. (Image is 101116-N-9327W-111, U.S. Navy photo of the Nassau by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Williamson/Released) Click here to download this file

File Name: Pledge 5: Sao Tome 2018 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 02 Sep 2012 File Category: Scenarios In 2017, Nigeria invades the tiny island country of Sao Tome and Principe. China blocks any U.N. resolutions against its ally Nigeria. Early in 2018, the European Union decides to take action and sends EUROMARFOR to liberate Sao Tome and Principe. Note: Image of the Portuguese frigate NRP Corte Real; U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class James C. Davis (Released). Click here to download this file

File Name: Pledge 4: Eagles over Latakia 1982 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 19 Aug 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 b10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information During the 1982 war with Lebanon, an Israeli task force of missile boats is ordered to destroy Syrian naval vessels based at Latakia. (Image of a Saar 3 missile boat, by קודקוד צהוב, and "made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.") Author's note: I had a few occasions when testing the scenario where the scenario did not load properly and made it impossible for me to launch aircraft. I believe this error has been correct…

File Name: Pledge 3: Gambian Gambit 1981 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 15 Aug 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 b10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information A Marxist coup has seized power in the Gambia. Soviet and Libyan forces are in the area, offering support. The Forrestal and her battle group must eliminate these threats! (Image shows the Forrestal (CVA-59) with F-4 Phantoms parked on her deck. Image source: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.226.085) Click here to download this file

File Name: Pledge 2: Belitung Blitz 2015 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 7 Aug 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 b10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information Multinational force headed up by South Korea and the United States takes on pirates in the Java Sea. (Image United States Navy ID 100727-N-2013O-128, by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Charles Oki/Released.) Click here to download this file

File Name: Pledge 1: Burma Boil 2017 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 31 Jul 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 beta 10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information Thailand and Myanmar get into a brawl over Burmese fishing boats violating Thai fisheries. (Image of HTMS Phutta Loetla Naphalai (462); U.S. Navy photo 080615-N-8138M-569 by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Daniel Meaney (Released).) Click here to download this file

File Name: Celebes Sea Slam 2016 File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 13 Jul 2012 File Updated: 28 Jul 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 b10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information Part of the Philippines has broken away from the mother country and declared independence. Indonesia is supporting them. The Philippines need to stop an Indonesian convoy carrying supplies. (Image of Philippine vessel del Pilar was cropped from U.S. Navy photo 110730-N-WX059-162 by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Sean Furey/Released) Click here to download this file

Again, I'm looking for a reality check on some scenario ideas... Here's what I imagine. What if a nation decided, for some reason, to engage in full scale poaching? It sends a fishing convoy--fishing boats and patrol boats or even warships as escorts--into the EEZ of some other country (presumably one the aggressor believes it can treat this way) and proceeds to do a serious amount of fishing. This might be a disputed territory or it might simply be an act of aggression by a nation that thinks it can get away with it. (And, because of food shortages, collapsing fish populations due to overfishing, etc., it may believe it has to get away with it.) I suppose the…

I'm brainstorming various ideas and I'd like a reality check on this one... "Water War Template" Basic concept: Water is already reaching dangerous shortages in some places. Especially when the territory is disputed, and perhaps if it is not, but still temptingly close to a border, a nation might decide to seize territory. This is not an invasion--it is simply a land grab. But it is land with a river on it (or both shores of a river that both countries share). Naturally, the country that has lost territory will be upset and will try to get it back, perhaps the help of allies or an international (perhaps UN) coalition. I imagine that any valuable resource i…

Fellow Harpooners, In the last couple of years, I have focused on Harpoon 3 ANW, using the HUD-3 and then the HUD-4 database. One problem is that there are not many new scenarios for the HUD-4. I've written a few, but I really want to see the HUD-4 get more support. As I've said a couple of times, it is not going to work if I am the only one writing scenarios for it. I've put out a call to HUD 3/ANW players to get involved in writing more scenarios, and I thought I should let HC players know about it, too, because many of us do play both versions, even if we like one or the other a little better. If there is anyone out there who has thought about wri…

Just playing around with scenario ideas and asking for a "reality check" on some of them... Generally, what has to happen for the UN to go beyond saying “We are not amused” and to actually do something like putting an armed coalition together? I’m guessing that the reasons include: * A country invades another country without having a good reason for doing so—it cannot just make one or two attacks, it has to be an invasion or an ongoing assault that is causing large numbers of casualties and the attacking country shows no sign of letting up on its enemy * A country invades another country and, even if it has a good reason for the initial invasion, it starts…

I have noticed, when I set up missions for various sides in ANW, that the game does not start missions for the side I am playing automatically. For example, if I want a task force to patrol an area defined by certain reference points, the game has no trouble starting patrols for the sides controlled by the computer, but does not start them automatically for the side I am playing. It does not even seem to remember them (if I open Edit Mission, they are not even there) and makes me set up the missions all over again. It also does not launch aircraft for formations or missions automatically. It does remember ASW/ASuW/AAW zones, but if I design a scenario with a coup…

Hi Folks, Finally getting up to speed on this platform. I modified a scenario to game out using different blue assets. It's the VN- RP one in the Spratlys, Westpac Battleset. I added a Burke to come in from the West and launched a Romeo with four Hellfires and LR tanks. The helo tracked and ID'd the Skunks and eventually they turned Red once Side ID was established. I tried launching at that point, but the allocation screen kept saying no illumination for the AGMs. Thinking it was a min range, sensor problem, I moved the helo out a couple of miles, went active on SS, tried again, no dice. Finally got to bingo state and okayed the staff message to RTB as soon as I got …