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broncepulido

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Files posted by broncepulido

  1. Hot Start with tovarich Tupolev, JFK in the Med 1988.

    Hot Start with tovarich Tupolev, JFK in the Med 1988.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/Soviet. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: An aerial port bow view of USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, conducting high speed manoeuvres, circa 1989 and depicting the same air wing displayed on this scenario. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 300-CFD-DN-ST-89-02161, took by a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain.
    This scenario was initially based on that titled Tattletale of the Admiralty Trilogy’s recent book “High Tide” second edition.
    But as usual my personal research of the scenario and my “rivet counter” syndrome made me complicated it, adding a great number of historically correct Soviet Long Range Aviation and Naval Aviation units to balance more the scenario.
    The Soviet supposed strategy was to neutralize the US carrier in the Mediterranean in the first hours or the first day of an open WWIII in the 1980s.
    The idea is a surprise attack from the scenario start with Soviet naval forces, trying to damage USS John F Kennedy (CV-67), exploiting the lack of readiness of her air wing the first hours of the conflict.
    Later, supersonic and subsonic Tupolev bombers of many types should finish the carrier, attacking her with long range and big supersonic missiles, with the stockpile of anti-ship missiles probably exhausted after the first three attack waves or similar (as saw in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine).
    Overflight of Greece and Turkiye are guaranteed by the usual Soviet nuclear menaces and blackmail against both countries, with only some few Greek empty airbases present.
    The Soviet target is clear, to neutralize the US aircraft carrier.
    The NATO target is even more clear, survive the aircraft carrier beyond the first day of war.
    This scenario is for me balanced, winnable for both sides, and very interesting, because the very asymmetrical forces.
    As sidenote are supplied two almost identical variants of the scenario, one with and one without Soviet AGI ships (adjusting the victory conditions by the presence of more ships), marking with their presence the relative zone of Soviet SSGNs and “aiding” on their anti-ship missile targeting, in case someone is using a game version previous to 2024.006.
    Enrique Mas, November 24, 2024.

    15 downloads

    Submitted

  2. Halloween 1997 WWIII, Ghosts of an Alternate Past. Hypothetical Scenario.

    Halloween 1997 WWIII, Ghosts of an Alternate Past. Hypothetical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 IOPG Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/USSR. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: The flight deck of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) on the Persian Gulf October 12, 1997, just in this scenario time period. On deck there are aircraft of her single squadron of F-14A Tomcat and her three squadrons of F/A-18C(N) Hornet, two USN, one USMC. The aircraft with the round disks over the fuselage are the AWACS aircraft with their round radar domes. The three aircraft to the left of the foremost E-2C Group II Hawkeye and directly in front of the 1st elevator (outlined in red) are two S-3B Viking and an EA-6B Prowler. The one aircraft that is directly on the first elevator/lift is an F-14A Tomcat. Also clearly visible are the catapult rails and the folded jet deflectors (which are folded up when an aircraft makes a catapult launch). The two small rectangles directly to the left of the foremost E-2C are the weapons elevators.
    Official U.S. Navy photo took by a serviceperson on duty and as consequence in public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons and from ttps://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn68_9.htm 
    This remaking of the old original IOPG battleset scenario "12.0 ...and then there were two" is the answer at an request by a decades long harpgamer and political science professor, about updating a scenario he employs academically to teach naval operations on introduction to strategic studios. The updating is realizad because in the current HCDB2 platforms are very actualized and corrected, the orders of battle are historically corrected, and the new game engine is clearly superior. Also, at request, are added some submarine operations. Incidentally I flash developed it in few spare hours when travelling on holidays near Mantua, Italy.
    Original scenario text:
    12.1 Background: As the war against Turkey by Syria and Iraq raged, the Soviet Union found its own battle against Iran unwinnable because of U.S. assistance. The U.S.S.R. felt that it might be able to make the United States back down if it cut off the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union had underestimated the will of the American President. The Admiral of the Fleet Kuznetsov and the escorting battlegroup found itself trapped in the Arabian Sea between the remains of the Iranian Air Force and a Nimitz-class carrier battle group.
    Updated by Enrique Mas, September 8, 2024.

    17 downloads

    Updated

  3. Gulf of Aden Clash. June 1986. Hypothetical/Historical Scenario.

    Gulf of Aden Clash. June 1986. Hypothetical/Historical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Middle East Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO-Yemen Arab Republic/YAR (North Yemen) side or from the Red/USSR-People's Democratic Republic of Yemen/PDRY (South Yemen)-Iran side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: The U.S. Navy nuclear-powered Task Force One on September 17, 1986, commemorating a world cruise on the 25th Anniversary of the 1964 cruise Operation "Sea Orbit". Included the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) which took part in the first cruise, accompanied by the nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers USS Truxtun (CGN-35) and USS Arkansas (CGN-41). U.S. Navy photo and as consequence in public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons and from the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) 1986 cruise book available at Navysite.de.
    This scenario is inspired and based in the article by Joseph Giuda "Harpoon Scenario: Hunting the Bear", published in the Harpoon SITREP 66, April 2024, but very expanded.
    The initial idea is very simple (read the Harpoon SITREP 66 article for more details): World War III started suddenly everywhere, and both sides forces are trapped in far places, long away of the main European theatre of operations, as reminiscence of many Imperial Germany naval forces at the World War I start.
    On this concrete case, the Soviet guided missile cruiser Slava (Sistership of Moskva, sunk by Ukrainian forces in 2022) currently on the Gulf of Aden and her escorts and all available forces in the region are ordered to neutralize or bottle up the USS Enterprise meagre CVBG, itself pretending to transit from the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the Indian Ocean.
    Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are neutralized by a Soviet nuclear blackmail, have lost the control of its own air space, and its forces can't support the Blue side neither prevent the use of its air space by the Red side.
    Last but not least by years I was interested, and very ignorant, on the Yemen history (Also a very interesting country in the ancient era, with a wonderful architecture), its perpetual turmoil, its complex society and civil wars, its current times with Houties successful perturbing the maritime traffic even with the first use of operational ASBM, and many times thinking on design some Yemen civil wars scenario. At last I do it on this scenario, with the additional surprise found in the research of the original scenario, as it occurred just few months after the South Yemen "events" of January, 13, 1986 and the consecutive People's Democratic Republic of Yemen/PDRY (South Yemen) civil war actions, when PDRYAF lost a 75% of its assets, and the consequent limitation of its capabilities.
    A complex, surprisingly balanced and delicate scenario, pretended to be historically accurate about the possible historical forces, enjoy!
     
    Enrique Mas, August 24, 2024.

    12 downloads

    Submitted

  4. Ukrainian Falcons, August 2024. Hypothetical Scenario.

    Ukrainian Falcons, August 2024. Hypothetical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Ukrainian/NATO side or from the Red/Russian. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: A Ukrainian Tupolev Tu-22M3 (NATO-Codename: Backfire-C) bomber is dismantled through assistance provided by the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program implemented by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, November 12, 2002. Depend on Russia and its consecutive nuclear disarmament was probably the greatest error of the Ukrainian history. Photo by an US serviceperson on duty, and in consequence in public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons.
    From the eventful year of 2014 (Mainly from the Russian invasion of Crimea) the world was beginning clearly the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire including previous Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of "his" Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    After the massive Russian build-up of forces from late 2021 in Russia and Belarus near the Ukrainian border, NATO forces were forced to an increased and constant deployment near Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean, to deterrent Putin's ambition.
    The probably original plan was to avoid an intervention by NATO ground forces but preventing the Russian main forces to enter Ukrainian territory, and to get this target to establish an air and sea exclusion zone around and over Ukraine.
    But at last, on February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine against most forecast, sinking the world in a new state of international relations, as consequence of a long and failed campaign of unexpected outcomes, extended more than two years at this moment.
    After that time, the Ukrainian Air Force is almost depleted of effective aircrafts, and at last at late July 2024, and after a long preparation, the first F-16AM/BM begin to arrive in Ukraine. They come from many NATO countries, mostly Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark, and were update in the early 2000, expected to receive between 79 and 129. But they came apparently supplied with older models of AIM-9M Sidewinder and AIM-120B AMRAAM, not with state of art AIM-9X-2 or AIM-120C-7.
    Many speculated at the Russian invasion start about NATO establishing an air exclusion zone over Ukraine, but that time was over after the first days of war.
    This scenario is very simple and mainly abstract and hypothetical, and not based in the real (secret!) placement of the Ukrainian F-16AM.
    I started it as a simple test of capabilities developed in only two or three hours (After some days of thinking on it), and grow a little, and decided to publish it as tribute to the Ukrainian resistance against the invader.
    Enrique Mas, August 7, 2024.

    16 downloads

    Submitted

  5. Operation Wooden Leg, October 1, 1985. Historical Scenario.

    Operation Wooden Leg, October 1, 1985. Historical Scenario.

    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the new HCDB2-170714 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.

    Image: 120 "Desert Giants" Squadron Boeing KC-707 refuelling Israeli F-15, at the June 28, 2011, Israeli Air Force Flight Academy ranks ceremony. Took from Wikipedia Commons.

    This scenario is designed to be played mostly from the Blue/Israeli side, the Red/PLO-Tunisian-Libyan is also fully playable, but perhaps not winnable.

    Operation Wooden Leg was a historical strategic long-range operation of the Israeli Air Force, aimed to retaliate the PLO headquarters in Tunisia after a series of terrorist attacks the precedent weeks, aimed at Israeli citizens in Israel and Cyprus.
    Was executed by the new and longer range F-15C/D Eagle/Baz, which carried approximately 2000 lbs of additional internal fuel than the previous F-15A/B. The first new model F-15C/D were received by Israel from the Peace Fox II contract, later increased by others of Peace Fox III, and active from 6 June 1982 in the 106 "Second Baz/Spearhead" Squadron.
    Were employed GBU-15 TV-guided bombs, one carried by each of six F-15D (106 "Second Baz/Spearhead" Squadron), and Mk82 dumb bombs, six carried by each of two trailing F-15C (133 "Kings of the Twin Tails" Squadron).
    The F-15, with national and squadron insignia and individual aircrafts names obscured with brownish waterwashed paint, were refuelled over the Mediterranean by a pair of flying-boom equipped Israeli KC-707 tankers.
    The operation was a complete success, without any Israeli losses.
    Could you replicate the Israeli achievement in this apparently simple scenario?

    Enrique Mas, August 12, 2017.

    1,406 downloads

    Updated

  6. A Passage to Pakistan, May 1984. Hypothetical Scenario.

    A Passage to Pakistan, May 1984. Hypothetical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Middle East Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/US-Pakistani side or from the Red/Indian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: The US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-993) underway on November 1, 1982, before her year long New Threat Upgrade (NTU) modernization completed September 1989, adding a long range air search radar SPS-49(V)5 in the foremast and replacing Standard SM-1MR by SM-2MR, and other changes. Later commissioned on November 3, 2006, as Taiwanese ROCS Tso Ying (DDG-1803) and yet in service. Photo by an US serviceperson on duty, and in consequence on public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons.
     This scenario is inspired and based in the Article by Paul French "Harpoon Scenario: Indian Interception", published in the Harpoon SITREP 66, April 2024.
    The initial idea is very simple (read SITREP 66 for more details): very limited US and Pakistani forces should escort three merchants loaded with vital and urgent assets from the Gulf of Aden to near Karachi in a limited time. Its task must be prevented by Indian forces.
    Good sailing and good luck.
    Enrique Mas, June 2, 2024.

    19 downloads

    Updated

  7. Hot Fishes in Hot Waters, February 2019. Historical Scenario.

    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 IOPG Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Indian side or from the Red/Pakistani side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
     
    Image: INS Chakra (II) S72 (ex Russian Pacific Fleet K-152 Nerpa), a Project 971I/Akula-class nuclear attack submarine, leased from Russia for India, and employed on Indian waters from 29 March 2012 to 5 June 2021, when returned to Russia in Vladivostok. Official Indian Armed Forces photo 31 March 2012 in fair use, and took from Wikipedia Commons.
     
    In the immediate aftermath of the 14 February 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, on the continuous Indian-Pakistani conflict for Jammu and Kashmir, succeeded by the Indian retaliation by the 26 February 2019 confuse Balakot airstrike, a intermediate submarine action is usually beleaguered.
    Soon after the Pulwama terror attack, on February 19 India pulled out its Navy from the exercise TROPEX 19 and deployed a major part of its fleet with 60 vessels to March 10, from the Andaman and Nicobar islands to close to Pakistani territorial waters, apparently hunting for the Pakistani Agosta 90B-class submarine Saad, improved with an AIP system.
    Including in the exercise was the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and also the then two only Indian nuclear submarines, the SSN Chakra and the SSBN Arihant, the last one concluding her first operational deterrent patrol few months before in November 2018.
    Both Indian and Pakistani navies must prevail over the other, to show his resolution to control the Arabian Sea and the access to the main Pakistani ports, and to prevent the other side to overcome. Only eluding that unbalanced situation, probably directing towards a nuclear escalade, a major conflict could be avoided.
    At last on 4 March 2019 the Indian Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari was detected by a Pakistani P-3C Orion some 86 nm of Gwadar, well into the Pakistani Exclusive Economic Zone.
    But cold heads prevailed and no more shots were fired.
    This scenario speculates on the situation going hot between the both sides submarine and ASW elements. Even a submarine lost by a hostile action could be covered as a lamentable accident to avoid a further escalade.
    The sea is perhaps too much wide and open and both side forces scarce, but after an encounter the actions can be short and destructive.
     
    Enrique Mas, April 12, 2024.

    8 downloads

    Submitted

  8. Russian Sub Hunters, March 2024. Historical Scenario.

    Russian Sub Hunters, March 2024. Historical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the GIUK Gap and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Red/Russian side or from the Blue/Russian Aggressor side. You should play a few times first the RED side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the BLUE side.
    Image: Other more peaceful times, the Russian frigate RFS Neustrashimyy (Temporal hull number 712), lead ship of the Project 11540 Yastreb-class, steams through the Baltic Sea during exercises supporting Baltic Operations BALTOPS 2008. Photo of June 11, 2008, by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Mike Banzhaf, a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain. Took from Wikipedia Commons.
    After two long years of Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia tries to keep an image of normality, including pretended normal military exercises, despite its great surface and subsurface loses in the Black sea by Ukrainian USVs (Uncrewed Surface Vessels), substrategic missiles and other minor forces.
    This simple scenario tries to depict the pretended "big" ASW exercise publicised by Russia March 13, 2024, and its estimated components.
    It's of interest the use of a Project 636.3/Kilo II-class submarine in the exercise, as isn't any in the Russian Baltic Fleet strength, and she is very probably B-608 Mozhaisk sailing in test, destined to be in service in the Russian Pacific Fleet. The only Russian submarine in regular service in the Baltic Fleet is an old Project 877/Kilo-class, B-806 Dmitrov, commissioned 1986.
    Also is of interest the comparison between this very simple Russian exercise and any of the iterations of the NATO yearly Dynamic Manta or Dynamic Mongoose ASW exercises, fulls of surface and subsurface forces and with a great variety of hypothetical situations.
    Of course this is a training exercise and actual shots, torpedoes and missiles aren't fired and nobody is hurt ... but in the alternate timeline we share now everything is possible, and that previous affirmation can be untrue.
    Enrique Mas, March 17, 2024.

    22 downloads

    Updated

  9. Essequibo Crisis, January 2024. Hypothetical Scenario.

    Essequibo Crisis, January 2024. Hypothetical Scenario.
     
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Caribbean Basin Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
     
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/UK-Allied side or from the Red/Venezuela side. You should play a few times first the Blue/UK-Allied side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Venezuela side.
    Image: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) with some 617 Squadron RAF "Dambusters" F-35B on deck (And perhaps some others USMC VMFA-211 "Wake Island Avengers" F-35B out of sight) during Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21), the ship first operational deployment, September 22, 2021. A work by UK government file is licensed under the Open Government Licence version 1.0 and took from Wikipedia Commons.
    At the end of the very convulse 2023, with the almost two years long Russian invasion of Ukraine, the new Israel-Palestine crisis started on October 7, and before the current Houthis attacks on the civilian traffic in the near seas, another latent crisis exploded.
    The Maduro's socialist regime of Venezuela, almost a puppet of Cuba and with increasing bonds with Iran, attempts to overcome its usual internal crisis with the very usual move of search an external enemy.
    In this case the victim is its neighbour Guyana and the frontier Essequibo region.
    The terrain is impassable and Brazil supports Guyana, and the question probably will be resolved in international justice courts, too long to be explained here.
    But in this hypothetical scenario Guyana requested aid from the United Kingdom, materialized in a carrier strike group steaming and showing flag in the Venezuela EEZ, keeping presence for deterrent of the Maduro's pretensions over Essequibo.
    The carrier strike group is limited by the lack of Royal Navy escorts (many in the Horn of Africa) and the low availability of F-35B and pilots (because the Eastern Europe Russian invasion of Ukraine), and the Venezuelan side is tempted of prevent its passage on its EEZ. Also, US refuses to support UK in this operation because the low risks and other commercial interests.
    Alea jacta est.
     
    Enrique Mas, January 21, 2024.

    37 downloads

    Updated

  10. China in the Horn, late October 2023. Hypothetical historical scenario.

    China in the Horn, late October 2023. Hypothetical historical scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for The Middle East Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Western Coalition side or from the Red/Chinese side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: USS Carney (DDG 64) while on patrol in the Mediterranean Sea Sept. 23, 2016. Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, for antiballistic missile duties and with the SeaRAM mount aft, is conducting a routine patrol in the U.S. 6th fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Weston Jones/Released, a serviceperson on duty, and in consequence on public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons).
     
    At the end of the very military convulse year of 2023, with one and a half years of Russian invasion of Ukraine, other globe points were poles of interest.
    This scenario is inspired in "Escape from Aden", published by Martyn Kelly in Harpoon SITREP 65, October 2023, but developing in late 2023 updated with multiple current events, and in consequence with more elements of complexity.
    With the almost all out campaign of Israel against Hamas after the October 7 terrorist attacks, other actors were revealed as clearly supporting Hamas.
    In fact, USS Carney was forced to shoot-down missiles and drones directed from Yemen to Israel through nine hours on 19 October 2023.
    Also, news about the deployment of not one but at least two Chinese surface groups with the alibi of fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean and from its new (from 2017) base of Port Doraleh, very near (some six nautical miles!) to the Western Forces in Ambouli increased the tensions in other world regions.
    In this hypothetical case, after the Chinese surprise invasion of Taiwan, the Chinese forces in the Gulf of Aden are forced to flight to the open Indian Ocean trying to escape its irremissible demise, reminiscent of the German cruisers trapped far seas worldwide in August 2014.
    Also, as the Western Forces are caught off guard, have at its disposition only scattered, limited and irregular random assets to prevent the Chinese flight.
    This scenario depicts the historical deployment of naval forces in late October 2023.
    Could you prevent the escape of the Chinese forces, or as Chinese commander could you escape to the open Indian Ocean, East of Socotra?
    Enrique Mas, November 12, 2023.

    65 downloads

    Updated

  11. Black Sea Ghosts. June 2023. Historical Alternate Scenario.

    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Ukrainian/NATO side or from the Red/Russian. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: The Soviet Project 864 Meridian-class intelligence collection ship Kareliya (SSV-535), sistership of Priazovye (437) who was involved in the receiving side of the Ukrainian mid-2023 USVs open sea strikes, steaming alongside the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Texas (CGN-39) in the First Cold War. Texas was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) for a deployment in the Western Pacific from 15 June to 16 December 1988. US Navy photo by a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain, and took from Wikipedia Commons.
    From the eventful year of 2014 (Mainly from the Russian invasion of Crimea) the world was beginning clearly the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire including previous Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of "his" Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    After the massive Russian build-up of forces from late 2021 in Russia and Belarus near the Ukrainian border, NATO forces were forced to an increased and constant deployment near Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean, to deterrent Putin's ambition.
    The probably original plan was to avoid an intervention by NATO ground forces but preventing the Russian main forces to enter Ukrainian territory, and to get this target to establish an air and sea exclusion zone around and over Ukraine.
    But at last, on February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine against most forecast, sinking the world in a new state of international relations, as consequence of a long and failed campaign of unexpected outcomes.
    On the conflict naval side, many new tactics and strategies has been employed as novelties in the Ukrainian campaign, including many that could be called of naval guerrilla warfare.
    One of the novelties is the employ of USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles) not only against moored ships in port, but also against underway ships on open sea.
    In concrete attacks on the Russian intelligence ships Ivan Khurs on May 24, and Priazovye on June 11, 2023, the first with three USVs, and the second employing six USVs.
    This scenario depicts those inconclusive Ukrainian attacks against Russian AGIs in the Black Sea.
    A very simple and easy scenario, at least apparently, and perhaps surprisingly balanced.
    Enrique Mas, June 17, 2023.

    38 downloads

    Submitted

  12. Big Dolphin in Small Waters, April 2023. Historical Hypothetical Scenario.

    Big Dolphin in Small Waters, April 2023. Historical Hypothetical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for The Middle East Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/US side or from the Red/Iranian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: Mediterranean Sea, Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN-728), equipped with a Special Forces dry deck shelter (DDS) and overflown by a CV-22B Osprey assigned to 7th Special Operations Squadron, 352nd Special Operations Wing (based primarily at RAF Mildenhall), in a special operations forces interoperability exercise, February 26, 2023 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Matthew Dickinson/Released/A serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain)
    With the world centred early 2022 on the Russian menaces to Ukraine anything can happen the next months (This was an original phrase of the LCS scenario from where I took part of this text, posted January 30, 2022!) ... but that is now an alternate world.
    In the nowadays real world, after her April 2006 SSGN conversion, USS Florida SSGN-728 after some months in the Mediterranean Sea sailed to the Persian Gulf, entering it April 2023.
    Iranian claims surprised the international scene alleging one of its Fateh-class coastal submarines forced USS Florida to surfaced entering the Persian Gulf
    This apparently simple scenario is developed to test the verisimilitude of those claims.
    This scenario is simple on its planning and execution, but perhaps difficult to master.
    I only hope this scenario is not similar to the infamous The Hunt for Red October game (1990).
    Enrique Mas, May 6, 2023.

    23 downloads

    Submitted

  13. Exercise Dynamic Manta 2023 (DYMA23). 27 February-10 March 2023. Historical Training Scenario.

    Exercise Dynamic Manta 2023 (DYMA 23), February 27-March 10, 2023. Historical Training Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/NATO side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
     
    Image: The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS James E Williams (DDG-95) flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 on this time period, departs from Norfolk, Virginia, for Mediterranean NATO deployment, December 2, 2022. Photo released by Commander, US 2nd Fleet Public Affairs, took by a serviceperson on duty, and in consequence on public domain.
     
    This text begins as the usual introduction to Dynamic Manta exercise previous years, but this time is for more real, as we are for a year living in the abyss edge.
    From the eventful year of 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    At last the Russian campaign for the invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022.
    But was only the apex and last outcome of a succession of military actions. From May 2014 Putin was provoking in succession the Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Baltic States, October 2014 Swedish submarine incursion, G-20 Brisbane meeting naval crisis, November 2014 Faslane submarine incident, frigate Yaroslav Mudryy February "Channel Dash", April 2015 Finnish submarine incursion (for many observers causing the pre-mobilization of Finland reserve forces), Russian intervention in Syria from 30 September 2015, shoot-down by Turkish F-16 fighters equipped with AIM-120 AMRAAM on 24 November 2015 of a Russian Su-24M as consequence of the repeated unlawful overflights of Turkey by Russian warplanes based in Latakia, and after two months of repeated warning, March 2016 detection by the French of a Russian submarine near Bay of Biscay and the SSBN base, the propaganda stunt of the deployment of the only one Russian aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov steaming (a lot, literally) from Kola Bay towards Eastern Mediterranean from October 15, 2016, and with constant and multiple Russian overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial flights in Europe, so far as at the Portuguese shores.
    That without counting in other unrelated naval incidents aside the upcoming Second Cold War, just as the Iranian seizure of the merchant Maersk Tigris in 28 April 2015, the shore-based anti-ship missile attacks against the catamaran transport ex Swift (HSV-2) and US destroyers on the Red Sea in October 2016 and the ulterior retaliation, the first military operation of the Trump Administration on January 28, 2017, the MV-22B tiltrotor raid of SEAL Team 6 operating from USS Makin Island (LHD-8) against Houthi Yemen, and later on January 30, an Al-Madinah-class Saudi frigate was attacked and damaged probably by a Houthi suicide or drone boat off Al Hudaydah, Houthi Yemen. (And neither counting in great landlocked actions, as the counter-Daesh operations in Middle East).
    And meanwhile, more towards Far East a less perceived and growing problem was China, as reflected in the transfer of the 60% of the USN and USAF combat forces to the Pacific Theatre of Operations from 2012, move to be completed by 2020.
    The first iteration of this scenario was designed six years ago, based in the big anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Manta 2017 begun in 13 March 2017, and was not interpreted by many journalists as an answer to the latest Russian actions and menacing postures as in the case of Dynamic Mongoose 2015, as it was actually a yearly exercise. But in the current world situation was legit to think otherwise. Four years later the reality was probably those and other continuous exercises, the NATO Baltic Air Policing, and the deployment of token NATO ground forces in the Baltic States and rest of Eastern Europe, are showing to Putin's Russia the resolution to defend Europe and allies as a whole, and preventing the development of a hot war.
    But from 2017 to 2022 the international situation was going worse. Increased tensions and open conflicts in Eastern Ukraine, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the recent, fast, innovative and decisive war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the increased foreign operations of Iran, Qatar and the UAE, including proxy attacks against Saudi Arabia and the crescendo of the Turkish military power cutting ties with the Western alliances. Not an easy near future for the new President Biden and the traditional European partners.
    But ... by hazard the previous lines were wrote and posted (minor corrections aside) for Dynamic Manta 2022 in February 25, 2022, just minutes before the first news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    From then, all we live in a different and more extreme world.
    But standard procedures and drills need to continue.
    Nowadays Dynamic Manta 2023 is centred in Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, commanded by Rear Admiral Michael Scott Sciretta, USN, composed this time by the flagship Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA guided missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG-95), Italian Navy FREMM ASW-variant frigate Carlo Margottini F-592, Turkish Barbaros-class/Meko 200TN Track-IIA frigate Barbaros F-244, and Greek Hydra-class/Meko 200HN frigate Psara F-454), and many others air, surface and subsurface elements.
    Of course this is a training exercise and actual shots, torpedoes and missiles aren't fired and nobody is hurt ... but in the alternate timeline we share now everything is possible, and that previous affirmation can be untrue.
    Enrique Mas, March 25, 2023.

    22 downloads

    Submitted

  14. Sink the Kiev earlier. April 1977. Historical scenario.

    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the GIUK Gap and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/USSR side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
     Image: Swiftsure-class nuclear attack submarine HMS Spartan leaving HMNB Clyde, Faslane, June 1, 1993 (Photo: FOSNI PHOTS/MOD, licensed under the UK Open Government Licence version 1.0 (OGL v1.0). Took from Wikipedia Commons).
     A long time ago, in a sea world far, far away, it's a period of cold war ...
    In April 1977, during Soviet exercise SEVER-77, British nuclear attack submarine HMS Swiftsure get orders for a covert operation: close the then new Soviet CVH Kiev and obtain visual and sonic data about her, and the mission was a great success.
    The Soviet task force did sail off Lofoten archipelago in the Norwegian Sea and keep position to perform activities and show presence in face of one of the more clear Western allies, demonstrating the futility of any NATO opposition.
    The intelligence operation executed by HMS Swiftsure demonstrated just the opposite.
    In this speculative scenario, in an alternate timeline, WWIII breaks out and the UK SSN task is changed to sink the Kiev.
    Can you perform it at least as good as historically did HMS Swiftsure?
     
    Enrique Mas, January 21, 2023.

    39 downloads

    Updated

  15. Two of Five Carriers: Battle for the Eastern Med. Late November 2022. Historical Alternate Scenario.

    Two of Five Carriers: Battle for the Eastern Med. Late November 2022. Historical Alternate Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/Russian and allies side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: The Italian navy flagship, aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550), arrives at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, March 26, 2021, deployed to the United States for its initial period of flying trials with the F-35B, and just after when the trial was completed. The Italian Navy received four F-35B in March 2022, the original prevision was to embark them from 2024, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine marked their early naval deploy in the ITS Cavour (CVH 550) from mid-2022, including also many AV-8B+ Harrier II Plus. Italian F-35A/B from March 2018 to 2022 are armed with AIM-120C5 (Meteor probably from 2027), and perhaps with the first AIM-9X-2 requested 2021 as per SIPRI (As in the case of the Norwegian F-35A, very probably IRIS-T will be not integrated on F-35). US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mitchell Banks, a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain.
    From the eventful year of 2014 (Mainly from the Russian invasion of Crimea) the world was beginning clearly the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire including previous Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of "his" Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    After the massive Russian build-up of forces from late 2021 in Russia and Belarus near the Ukrainian border, NATO forces were forced to an increased and constant deployment near Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean, to deterrent Putin's ambition.
    The probably original plan was to avoid an intervention by NATO ground forces but preventing the Russian main forces to enter Ukrainian territory, and to get this target to establish an air and sea exclusion zone around and over Ukraine.
    But at last, on February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine against most forecast, sinking the world in a new state of international relations, as consequence of a long and failed campaign of unexpected outcomes.
    Aside air elements deployed to near NATO countries and strategic bombers in UK, and a constant monitoring of the Russian movements, after three aircraft carriers (USS Harry S Truman CVN 75, FNS Charles de Gaulle R91 and ITS Cavour CVH550) were deployed on the Eastern Mediterranean on February 2022, to keep at bay the Russian forces in Syria and the Mediterranean, and later to reinforce the possible exclusion zone and to execute offensive actions against the Russian forces in the Black Sea and Ukraine. Later, on November 2022 the forces were expanded to five deployed carriers, with USS Gerald R Ford CVN 78 (On her first deployment) and HMS Queen Elizabeth R08 in the Atlantic, and USS George W H Bush CVN 77 replacing Truman in the Mediterranean, but keeping positions near a possible unrest in Algeria. Included in the Mediterranean forces was the STANDING NATO MARITIME GROUP TWO (SNMG2), flagship USS Forrest Sherman, Italian FREMM frigate Alpino F594, Spanish AEGIS frigate Cristobal Colon F105 and German oiler Spessart A1442.
    For the Russian side a great number of elements of the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets were deployed in the Mediterranean, including amphibious ships sailing to the Black Sea, dangerously depleting the reserves of all the Russian fleets, but after more than six months sailing most have been retired to their parent fleets (Excluded of course the return to Black Sea).
    Also, Tu-22M3 Backfire-C with Kh-32 anti-ship missiles and MIG-31K Foxhound with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal/AS-24 Killjoy were deployed in the infamous Russian base of Khmeimim in Syria. And of course the surviving forces of the Assad regime after the 2011 civil war are in the Russian side, defending its country.
    On the paper the Russian forces are weaker, but employing old Cold War era tactics could settle a surprise and propaganda blow to the Western forces.
    And with Truman keeping an eye on Algeria, only the French and Italian carriers could keep at bay the residual Russian forces on Eastern Mediterranean.
    Enrique Mas, November 27, 2022.

    65 downloads

    Submitted

  16. Black Sea Red Sharks, November 2022. Hypothetical Historical Scenario.

    Black Sea Red Sharks, November 2022. Hypothetical Historical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO-Ukrainian side or from the Red/Russian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: Grain bulk carriers near Istanbul, November 2022. Author's personal photo.
    After the Transnitria War of 1990-1992, the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia and the first Russian invasion of Ukraine and its Crimea Peninsula and Donbas from 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War or the first stages of WWIII. Against all sensible warnings and erroneous appeasement politics the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina ... or more probably as a sad and sadistic clown.
    At last the Russian campaign for the invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022, and the surprisingly bad performance of the Russian forces, forecasting a long war, and the Western steadfast support of Ukraine surprised the world.
    The two most prominent facts at strategic level on the naval side were the closure of the Bosporus strait by Turkey on February 28, and the Russian naval blockade of the Ukrainian ports from the war start, preventing the export of the very need on other world points of the Ukrainian grains.
    Most of the Ukrainian navy was seized, blockaded or scuttled in port the first days of the Russian invasion.
    But the more important naval actions at tactical, propaganda and boosting of the Ukrainian morale were the destruction or damage of some Russian ships, the naval use of Baryaktar TB2 drones and many retaliatory air strikes on the occupied Snake Island. And of course as the main and most outstanding action the sinking on April 14 of the guided missile cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, probably by the action of shore launched Ukrainian indigenous R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles, based in ISTAR information supplied by NATO from day one of the invasion, and also prior to it.
    After came the yet unresolved and only partly successful bombing of the Kerch Bridge on October 8, 2022, and as other naval highpoint the four places Nordstream 1 and 2 gas pipelines sabotage on September 26, 2022. The four blasts took place just outside the Danish territorial waters, east the Island of Bornholm, an interesting touristic resort with many medieval and pseudoesoteric points of interest.
    And later came the Ukrainian simultaneous attacks with UAVs (Diversion movement?) and USVs against the Russian Navy at Sevastopol, damaging the frigate Admiral Makarov and the minesweeper Ivan Golubets, preventing resting and freedom of movements to the Russian naval assets.
    As absurd consequence Putin ridiculously suspended the 27 July 2022 UN created Black Sea Grain Initiative traffic with security excuses from October 29 to November 2, railing again the food flux to need countries.
    This partly hypothetical scenario is based on Putin trying to stop the grain traffic in angry ways, with the bulk carrying ships escorted mainly by Turkish naval elements (The only capable navy in the Black Sea), with very limited air support in both sides to prevent escalades (Just as in others actions of the campaign).
    Enrique Mas, November 12, 2022.

    32 downloads

    Updated

  17. Nordstream Aftermath, Baltic Sea October 2022. Hypothetical Scenario.

    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the GIUK Gap and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
     
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/NATO side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
     
    Image: Gulf of Aden February 20, 2009: The Danish flexible support ship HDMS Absalon (L 16, now reclassified as frigate with hull number F 341), right, the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72, first Arleigh Burke-class Flight II ship) transit the Gulf of Aden. Vella Gulf was then the flagship for Combined Task Force 151, a multinational task force conducting counter-piracy operations to detect and deter piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Red Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky/Released, a serviceperson on duty and in consequence in public domain. Took from Wikipedia Commons).
     
    After the Transnitria War of 1990-1992, the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia and the first Russian invasion of Ukraine and its Crimea Peninsula and Donbas from 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War or the first stages of WWIII. Against all sensible warnings and erroneous appeasement politics the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina ... or more probably as a sad and sadistic clown.
    At last the Russian campaign for the invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022, and the surprisingly bad performance of the Russian forces, forecasting a long war, and the Western steadfast support of Ukraine surprised the world.
    The two most prominent facts at strategic level on the naval side were the closure of the Bosporus strait by Turkey on February 28, and the Russian naval blockade of the Ukrainian ports from the war start, preventing the export of the very need on other world points of the Ukrainian grains.
    Most of the Ukrainian navy was seized, blockaded or scuttled in port the first days of the Russian invasion.
    But the more important naval actions at tactical, propaganda and boosting of the Ukrainian morale were the destruction or damage of some Russian ships, the naval use of Baryaktar TB2 drones and many retaliatory air strikes on the occupied Snake Island. And of course as the main and most outstanding action the sinking on April 14 of the guided missile cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, probably by the action of shore launched Ukrainian indigenous R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles, based in ISTAR information supplied by NATO from day one of the invasion, and also previously to it.
    After came the yet unresolved and only partly successful bombing of the Kerch Bridge on October 8, 2022, and as latest relevant naval action the four places Nordstream 1 and 2 gas pipelines sabotage on September 26, 2022. The four blasts took place just outside the Danish territorial waters, east the Island of Bornholm, an interesting touristic resort with many medieval points of interest.
    Suspicions of a sabotage by the Russian side are based mainly in the post-attack Russian propaganda blaming the Western countries, the damage use by Gazprom as an excuse to justify any failure and compensation to meet its contractual obligations to supply gas to the European countries, and to make impossible for a hypothetical Putin successor the use of resuming its gas exports to negotiate with the Western countries.
    Many current ideas on the sabotage execution are the pre-placement in 2021 by specialists from the Russian Ministry of Defence’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI military unit no. 45707) of explosive charges, or the use of "pigs" (Autonomous mechanical devices used to clean inside the pipes) loaded with explosives, by the Russian pipes owner and operator Gazprom.
    This scenario is based in that last action, with the Russian submarines trying to prevent by force the ulterior deployment of Western deep sea research vessels, looking for debris of the Russian implication in the sabotage, killing previously her meagre available escorts.
    Enrique Mas, October 23, 2022.

    88 downloads

    Updated

  18. Black Death Sea, 13-14 April 2022. Hypothetical Historical Scenario.

    Black Death Sea, 13-14 April 2022. Hypothetical Historical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO-Ukrainian side or from the Red/Russian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: Guided missile cruiser Moskva (Ex-Slava), lead ship of her class (Project 1164 Atlant), only partially modernized and flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet to her sinking on April 14, 2022. The bigger military unit sunk in combat after WWII. Photo by George Chernilevsky on July 22, 2009, ceded to public domain by the author and in took from Wikipedia.
     
    After the Transnitria War of 1990-1992, the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia and the first Russian invasion of Ukraine and its Crimea Peninsula and Donbas from 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War or the first stages of WWIII. Against all sensible warnings and erroneous appeasement politics the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina ... or more probably as a sad and sadistic clown.
    At last the Russian campaign for the invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022, and the surprisingly bad performance of the Russian forces, forecasting a long war, and the Western steadfast support of Ukraine surprised the world.
    The two most prominent facts at strategic level on the naval side were the closure of the Bosporus strait by Turkey on February 28, and the Russian naval blockade of the Ukrainian ports from the war start, preventing the export of the very need on other world points of the Ukrainian grains.
    Most of the Ukrainian navy was seized, blockaded or scuttled in port the first days of the Russian invasion.
    But the more important naval actions at tactical, propaganda and boosting of the Ukrainian morale were the destruction or damage of some Russian ships, the naval use of Baryaktar TB2 drones and many retaliatory air strikes on the occupied Snake Island. And of course as the main and most outstanding action the sinking on April 14 of the guided missile cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, probably by the action of shore launched Ukrainian indigenous R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles, based in ISTAR information supplied by NATO from day one of the invasion, and also prior to it.
    This partly hypothetical scenario is based in that last naval action, and in alternative modes of its resolution.
     
    Enrique Mas, May 24, 2022.

    71 downloads

    Updated

  19. Three Carriers and Three Cruisers: Battle for the Eastern Med. February 2022.

    Three Carriers and Three Cruisers: Battle for the Eastern Med. February 2022. Historical Alternate Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/Russian and allies side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8, the ITS Cavour Strike Group and the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group transit the Mediterranean Sea in formation, Feb. 6, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to maintain maritime stability and security, and defend U.S., allied and partner interests in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bela Chambers, a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain).
     
    Enough is enough.
    From the eventful year of 2014 (Mainly from the Russian invasion of Crimea) the world was beginning clearly the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire including previous Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of "his" Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    After the massive Russian build-up of forces from late 2021 in Russia and Belarus near the Ukrainian border, NATO forces were forced to an increased and constant deployment near Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean, to deterrent Putin's ambition.
    The probably plan was to avoid an intervention by NATO ground forces but preventing the Russian main forces to enter Ukrainian territory, and to get this target to establish an air and sea exclusion zone around and over Ukraine.
    Aside air elements deployed to near NATO countries (and four B-52H based in RAF Fairford (ASa), capable of both land and ship strike), and a constant monitoring of the Russian movements, three aircraft carriers (Truman, De Gaulle and Cavour, this last one mostly symbolic as was yet equipped with AV-8B+) were deployed on the Eastern Mediterranean, to keep at bay the Russian forces in Syria and the Mediterranean, and later to reinforce the exclusion zone and to execute offensive actions against the Russian forces in the Black Sea and Ukraine. Included in these forces was the USS Georgia, SSGN-729 and STANDING NATO MARITIME GROUP TWO (SNMG2), flagship Italian FREMM frigate Carlo Margottini F592.
    For the Russian side a great number of elements of the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets were deployed in the Mediterranean, including amphibious ships sailing to the Black Sea, dangerously depleting the reserves of all the Russian fleets. 
    Also, Tu-22M3 Backfire-C with Kh-32 anti-ship missiles and MIG-31K Foxhound with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal/AS-24 Killjoy were deployed in the infamous Russian base of Khmeimim in Syria. And of course the surviving forces of the Assad regime after the 2011 civil war are in the Russian side, defending its country.
    On the paper the Russian forces are weaker, but employing old Cold War era tactics could settle a surprise and propaganda blow to the Western forces.
    Also, probably the doubtful Turkey and other countries could not joint the NATO ranks because Russian nuclear blackmail and other types of asymmetrical pressure.
    And the things are going worse every day...
    Enrique Mas, February 20, 2022.

    96 downloads

    Updated

  20. Exercise Dynamic Manta 2022 (DYMA 22), February 21-March 4, 2022. Historical Training Scenario.

    Exercise Dynamic Manta 2022 (DYMA 22), February 21-March 4, 2022. Historical Training Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/NATO side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 ships, other allied ships and submarines sail in formation in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Sicily, Feb. 21, 2022, during Exercise Dynamic Manta 22 (DYMA 22) (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the French navy by OR-8 Stephane Dzioba, and in consequence on public domain) 220221-O-NO101-1122
    From the eventful year of 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    At last the Russian campaign for the invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022.
    But was only the apex and last outcome of a succession of military actions. From May 2014 Putin was provoking in succession the Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Baltic States, October 2014 Swedish submarine incursion, G-20 Brisbane meeting naval crisis, November 2014 Faslane submarine incident, frigate Yaroslav Mudryy February "Channel Dash", April 2015 Finnish submarine incursion (for many observers causing the pre-mobilization of Finland reserve forces), Russian intervention in Syria from 30 September 2015, shoot-down by Turkish F-16 fighters equipped with AIM-120 AMRAAM on 24 November 2015 of a Russian Su-24M as consequence of the repeated unlawful overflights of Turkey by Russian warplanes based in Latakia, and after two months of repeated warning, March 2016 detection by the French of a Russian submarine near Bay of Biscay and the SSBN base, the propaganda stunt of the deployment of the only one Russian aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov steaming (a lot, literally) from Kola Bay towards Eastern Mediterranean from October 15, 2016, and with constant and multiple Russian overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial flights in Europe, so far as at the Portuguese shores.
    That without counting in other unrelated naval incidents aside the upcoming Second Cold War, just as the Iranian seizure of the merchant Maersk Tigris in 28 April 2015, the shore-based anti-ship missile attacks against the catamaran transport ex Swift (HSV-2) and US destroyers on the Red Sea in October 2016 and the ulterior retaliation, the first military operation of the Trump Administration on January 28, 2017, the MV-22B tiltrotor raid of SEAL Team 6 operating from USS Makin Island (LHD-8) against Houthi Yemen, and later on January 30, an Al-Madinah-class Saudi frigate was attacked and damaged probably by a Houthi suicide or drone boat off Al Hudaydah, Houthi Yemen. (And neither counting in great landlocked actions, as the counter-Daesh operations in Middle East).
    And meanwhile, more towards Far East a less perceived and growing problem was China, as reflected in the transfer of the 60% of the USN and USAF combat forces to the Pacific Theatre of Operations from 2012, move to be completed by 2020.
    The first iteration of this scenario was designed five years ago, based in the big anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Manta 2017 begun in 13 March 2017, and was not interpreted by many journalists as an answer to the latest Russian actions and menacing postures as in the case of Dynamic Mongoose 2015, as it was actually a yearly exercise. But in the current world situation was legit to think otherwise. Four years later the reality was probably those and other continuous exercises, the NATO Baltic Air Policing, and the deployment of token NATO ground forces in the Baltic States and rest of Eastern Europe, are showing to Putin's Russia the resolution to defend Europe and allies as a whole, and preventing the development of a hot war.
    But from 2017 to 2022 the international situation was going worse. Increased tensions and open conflicts in Eastern Ukraine, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the recent, fast, innovative and decisive war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the increased foreign operations of Iran, Qatar and the UAE, including proxy attacks against Saudi Arabia and the crescendo of the Turkish military power cutting ties with the Western alliances. Not an easy near future for the new President Biden and the traditional European partners.
    As novelty in Dynamic Manta 2022 the scarce presence of US warships, probably escorting the Truman carrier strike group in Eastern Mediterranean, and the presence of no less than three Spanish frigates (Including one in Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, composed this time by the flagship Italian Navy FREMM ASW-variant frigate Carlo Margottini F-592, Turkish Perry-modified frigate Goksu F-497, and Spanish Aegis ship Blas de Lezo F-103).
    Of course this is a training exercise and actual shots, torpedoes and missiles aren't fired and nobody is hurt ...
    Enrique Mas, February 25, 2022.

    44 downloads

    Submitted

  21. LCS in the Gulf, late 2022. Hypothetical Scenario.

    LCS in the Gulf, late 2022. Hypothetical Scenario.
     A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for The Middle East Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
     This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/US side or from the Red/Iranian side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
     Image: The Freedom-variant littoral combat ships USS Wichita (LCS 13), USS Billings (LCS 15), and their embarked aviation detachments, as the in the photo MH-60S, participate in a maritime training exercise in the Caribbean Sea with the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), July 4, 2021. This exercise marks the first time three Freedom-variant littoral combat ships are deployed and operating together. Sioux City, Wichita, and Billings are deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marianne Guemo/Released/A serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain)
     
    This scenario is inspired by the "Pasdaran Swarm Attack" by Chris Carlson published in Harpoon Naval SITREP 61.
    With the world centred early 2022 on the Russian menaces to Ukraine anything can happen the next months.
    The deployment of Freedom-class LCS in the Persian Gulf for late 2022 was announced January 2022.
    This scenario is simple on its planning and execution, but perhaps difficult to master.
    US ships steam near the Saudi east coast, protecting the sea lanes in the Saudi territorial waters, while waiting for a probably Iranian harassment attack with minor and irregular units.
    Because the complex world crisis land-based air (Or other type) support is not expected, as Gulf countries negate its bases use in this action for no irritate Iran.
    At last the LCS are alone on first line of battle, just what they were not designed for.
     
    Enrique Mas, January 30, 2022.

    33 downloads

    Submitted

  22. POLARIS 21 exercise, late 2021. Historical Training Scenario.

    POLARIS 21 exercise, late 2021. Historical Training Scenario.
     
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
     
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/"Mercury" side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
     
    Image: The U.S. Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6, lead of her class), the Italian Marina Militare frigate Federico Martinengo (F 596, FREMM-type, ASW variant) and the ubiquitous U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78, Burke-class Flight II, with modifications for Ballistic Missile Defence tasks and forward deployed from 2015 to Naval Station Rota, Spain) conduct a photo exercise during joint operations in the Mediterranean Sea, 22 April 2020. Photo took by a US serviceperson on duty and in consequence in public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons.
     
    From the eventful year of 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire including previous Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    And meanwhile, more towards Far East a less perceived and gradually growing problem was China, as reflected in the transfer of the 60% of the USN and USAF combat forces to the Pacific Theatre of Operations from 2012, move completed by 2020.
    This time period is characterized by constant drills and exercises of the Western forces to keep its proficiency and fighting readiness.
    At last, from November 25 to December 3, 2021, was developed the exercise POLARIS 21, acronym for Preparation Operationnelle en Lutte Aeromaritime, Resilience, Innovation et Superiorite (Operational Preparation on Antisubmarine Warfare, Resilience, Innovation and Superiority).
    It was a mostly French exercise, but centred on a NATO near future all-out confrontation with a near-peer enemy.
    Both sides reflect the exercise historical limited resources of its respective orders of battle, with slight modifications for playability.
    Despite I'm the author, could say is a replayable, fun and balanced scenario, and as in the real life both sides have many paths to victory.
     
    Of course this is a training exercise and actual shots, torpedoes and missiles aren't fired and nobody is hurt ...
     
    Enrique Mas, December 19, 2021.

    44 downloads

    Updated

  23. The Chinese are Coming!!! (Against ARC21). Mid-2021.

    The Chinese are Coming!!! (Against ARC21). Mid-2021. Hypothetical Scenario.
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for Western Pacific WesPac Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Allied side or from the Red/Chinese side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18), joined by the Royal Australian Navy's Anzac-class frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFH-154), the French Navy's amphibious assault helicopter carrier FS Tonnerre (L9014), and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's Osumi class tank landing ship JS Osumi, transit together during exercise Jeanne D'Arc 21 (ARC-21), off the coast of Kagoshima, Japan on May 14, 2021. US Marine Corps photo by a serviceperson on duty, and in consequence on public domain).
    Putting President Putin aside and his current hybrid-war generated tensions in Easter Europe, expansionist China imposes a greater military, economic and politic challenge to the Western powers and other Far East allies.
    After historical periods targeted against other neighbours from 2012 China expansionism reveals itself clearer, marking an oceanic path. Beyond old vindications on nearer islands from Japan, Philippines and other countries, it's a subjacent strategy to exercise control on the Chinese sea approaches just to the second "string of pearls" (islands) and beyond, with complete domination of the sometimes named East and South china Seas.
    This scenario is centred on mid-2021, when annual French training mission ARC21 arrived near Japan, and international situation degenerates hot.
    The scenario reflects the complete Japanese and US order of battle in the region in 2021, and a very approximative Chinese order of battle of its Eastern Theatre Command forces, both PLAAF and PLAN (only main and selected warships), with some (air defence) PLAGF elements.
    This scenario is apparently cumbersome, but easier to command than others with fewer forces. Also it was surprisingly easier to program than other a lot smaller.
    Both sides forces are asymmetrical but probably balanced ... or not.
    Enrique Mas, November 14, 2021.

    134 downloads

    Submitted

  24. Cold War on Cold War: Mirage IIIE vs U-2 Dragon Lady. June 1967. Historical Scenario.

    Cold War on Cold War: Mirage IIIE vs U-2 Dragon Lady. June 1967. Historical Scenario.
     
    A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
     
    This scenario is designed to be played from the Red/France side or from the Blue/US-UK side. You should play a few times first the Red side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Blue side.
     
    Image: Article 389, serial no. 56-6722; Last of the original batch of U-2A Dragon Lady aircraft, on display at the USAF Museum. From late 1965 all (both USAF and CIA operational airframes) were painted Black Velvet colour, for visual spectre and slightly antiradar effects, and very probably this was the aspect of the very similar and probable U-2F intercepted by Pessidous, save adding two leading edge auxiliary fuel tanks and in-flight refuelling, boom type (U.S. Air Force Museum took by a serviceperson on duty and in consequence in public domain, and from Wikipedia Commons).
     
    This is a very very tiny scenario simply developed from historical facts.
    CIA and USAF clandestine U-2 flights in the Cold War were not only developed over potential enemies, also over doubtful allies.
    Charles de Gaulle, as WWII reputed saviour of France, on his 1959-1969 presidential terms constructed an independent nuclear deterrent force for his country, improved the conventional forces and military industry, and quits the integrated NATO chain of command in 1966. In 1966, all French armed forces were removed from NATO's integrated military command, and all non-French NATO troops were asked to leave France (including now almost forgotten USAF bases). Eventually some forty years later France announced its return to full participation from 2009.
    As consequence some others allied countries decide to learn more about the real French capabilities.
    Are relatively well known the U-2 carrier operations in French territories in the Pacific Ocean (Operation Fish Hawk, May 1964, two U-2G based on USS Ranger (CV-61) to overfly Mururoa Atoll waiting for the first French H-Bomb test), and are mentioned in the 2013 declassified (and disappointing) CIA's U-2 book, from page 247, but are not these operations over France.
    Apparently after previous flights the high point of these was June 1967, when a Mirage IIIE piloted by Roger Pessidous equipped with the option of a auxiliary SEPR 844 rocket engine photographed probably a U-2F almost sure near Dijon and the CEA Valduc nuclear warheads facility, ending the U-2 overflies of France.
    As relevant side note outcome of this scenario, the Mirage IIIE was introduced in April 1965 (Escadron de Chasse 2/13 "Alpes"), but only from 1968 in the Dijon-Longvic based 2e Escadre de Chasse (Escadron de Chasse 1/30 "Alsace", and the very famous Escadron de Chasse 1/2 "Cicognes"), employing Mirage IIIC yet in 1967, and the SEPR 844 rocket engine was introduced only in 1967. In consequence the Pessidious' Mirage IIIE in this operation was very probably a test aircraft, not integrated in the regular units and probably unarmed.
    But if the things had gone wrong ...
    Enrique Mas, August 22, 2021.

    30 downloads

    Updated

  25. Exercise Dynamic Manta 2021 (DYMA 21).

    Exercise Dynamic Manta 2021 (DYMA 21), February 22-March 5, 2021. Historical Training Scenario.
     A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170308 new standard 1980-2025 Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later.
     This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO side or from the Red/NATO side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
    Image: December 10, 2010, USS Halsey (DDG-97) assigned to Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, sails in a formation in the Arabian Sea with the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle (R-91) during a photo exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Spencer Mickler/Released, a serviceperson on duty and in consequence in public domain. Took from Wikipedia Commons).
     From the eventful year of 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel)  was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
    From May 2014 Putin was provoking in succession the Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Baltic States, October 2014 Swedish submarine incursion, G-20 Brisbane meeting naval crisis, November 2014 Faslane submarine incident, frigate Yaroslav Mudryy February "Channel Dash", April 2015 Finnish submarine incursion (for many observers causing the pre-mobilization of Finland reserve forces), Russian intervention in Syria from 30 September 2015, shoot-down by Turkish F-16 fighters equipped with AIM-120 AMRAAM on 24 November 2015 of a Russian Su-24M as consequence of the repeated unlawful overflights of Turkey by Russian warplanes based in Latakia, and after two months of repeated warning, March 2016 detection by the French of a Russian submarine near Bay of Biscay and the SSBN base, the propaganda stunt of the deployment of the only one Russian aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov steaming (a lot, literally) from Kola Bay towards Eastern Mediterranean from October 15, 2016, and with constant and multiple Russian overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial flights in Europe, so far as at the Portuguese shores.
    That without counting in other unrelated naval incidents aside the upcoming Second Cold War, just as the Iranian seizure of the merchant Maersk Tigris in 28 April 2015, the shore-based anti-ship missile attacks against the catamaran transport ex Swift (HSV-2) and US destroyers on the Red Sea in October 2016 and the ulterior retaliation, the first military operation of the Trump Administration on January 28, 2017, the MV-22B tiltrotor raid of SEAL Team 6 operating from USS Makin Island (LHD-8) against Houthi Yemen, and later on January 30, an Al-Madinah-class Saudi frigate was attacked and damaged probably by a Houthi suicide or drone boat off Al Hudaydah, Houthi Yemen. (And neither counting in great landlocked actions, as the counter-Daesh operations in Middle East).
    And meanwhile, more towards Far East a less perceived and growing problem was China, as reflected in the transfer of the 60% of the USN and USAF combat forces to the Pacific Theatre of Operations from 2012, move to be completed by 2020.
    When the big anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Manta 2017 did begin in 13 March 2017 was not interpreted by many journalists as an answer to the latest Russian actions and menacing postures as in the case of Dynamic Mongoose 2015, as it was actually a yearly exercise. But in the current world situation was legit to think otherwise. Four years later the reality was probably those and other continuous exercises, the NATO Baltic Air Policing, and the deployment of token NATO ground forces in the Baltic States and rest of Eastern Europe, are showing to Putin's Russia the resolution to defend Europe and allies as a whole, and preventing the development of a hot war. But from 2017 to 2021 the international situation was going worse. Increased tensions and open conflicts in Eastern Ukraine, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the recent, fast, innovative and decisive war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the increased foreign operations of Iran, Qatar and the UAE, and the crescendo of the Turkish military power cutting ties with the Western alliances. Not an easy near future for the new President Biden and the traditional European partners.
    As novelty in Dynamic Manta 2021 it's not only an ASW group composed by Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (Flagship Spanish Navy Aegis ship Cristobal Colon F-105), as is also added as ASW force in transit the French CVN Charles de Gaulle (R-91) Strike Group, in Mission Clemenceau 21, and her international escort. Included in her escort are many modern French and Italian type FREMM frigates, and the ubiquitous USS Porter (DDG-78), modified and based from 2015 in Rota, Spain, for Ballistic Missile Defence tasks.
     Of course this is a training exercise and actual shots, torpedoes and missiles aren't fired and nobody is hurt ...
    Enrique Mas, March 6, 2021.

    57 downloads

    Updated

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