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Latakia Bastion advanced base, October 2015. Historical Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for The Middle East Battleset and the HCDB-150928 standard 1980-2015 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/Israel side or from the Red/Russian side. To avoid a few spoilers you should play a few times first the Blue side, and only later play the Red side.

Image: Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback strike fighter, in Russian service from 21 March 2014. Photo taked by Dmitry Terekhov in 30 August 2015 at MAKS 2015, retrieved from Wikipedia Commons.

After the full of naval, military and security incidents year of 2014 and the not less eventful first eight months of 2015, the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War. Mostly as result of President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) actions, 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), and with constant and multiple overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial flights in Europe. That without counting in other unrelated naval incidents, just as the Iranian seizure of the Maersk Tigris in 28 April 2015 (and neither counting in landlocked actions, as the ISIS operations in Middle East).
At last at the start of September 2015, and in face of the mild Western answer at his previous action (but aside constant and intensive military drills worldwide) Vladimir Putin decides to higher his stakes, His last decision surprised the World and was centred in a new theatre of operations for Russia: That was Syria and his four-year long civil unrest and war.
With the alibi of destroy the Islamists of Islamic State/Daesh, Putin start to place considerable warplane assets in Bassel Al-Assad International Airport (a simple and small base now called Khmeimim AB) and to fortify it. The base is near Latakia and Tartus, both Syrian Mediterranean ports of call with a discrete previous Russian military presence, limited mostly to intelligence and support dedicated ships. But actually the alibi was only aimed to neutralize and destroy with ground attacks not the Islamic State/Daesh forces, but other Syrian rebel forces, not so Islamist, menacing Russian ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the own Russian global strategic position.
But that's public excuses and covert actions could be a calculus error and more dangerous for Putin ambitions than he expects, as the region politics and power balances are all less easy. Probably at long run a decision more erroneous than the limited US support to Afghanistan Mujahideen in the 1980s, and one feeding growing concern in Israel ...
Note: this scenario was initially inspired in current fake claims posted in dubious Internet sites about the Israeli fighters fleeing as consequence of the presence of Russian fighters.

Enrique Mas, October 15, 2015.

Operation Paraquet: South Georgia, 20-26 April 1982. Historical Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the South Atlantic Battleset and the HCDA-110606 (Harpoon Commander's Edition Database 'Americas') Platform Database.

Image: Ice patrol ship HMS Endurance A 171 (in service 1967-1991), support ship and guard vessel for the British Antarctic Survey. Probably sailing off South Georgia, judging by the surrounding seascape. Photo by Alan Broomhead (ex Royal Navy), uploaded 2006, from Wikipedia Commons.

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/UK side or from the Red/Argentine side. To avoid spoilers you should play a few times first the Blue side, and only later play the Red side.

Operation Paraquet was the first British movement to retake territory from the Argentine occupation in the South Atlantic War of 1982, defeating the limited Argentine Garrison in South Georgia.
A small task force with only two Wessex assault helicopters was centred on the RFA Tidespring and other heterogeneous elements, included the ice patrol vessel HMS Endurance.
It was a sort of very long range strategic guerrilla operation subsidiary of Operation Corporate, Operation Paraquet was a low intensity operation but with impressive state of art platforms and weapon systems.
At last, after a few hours, an assault by SAS, SBS and Royal Marines and a purpose bloodless naval bombardment demonstration the small Argentine garrison surrendered (less the infamous Lieutenant Commander Astiz unit of Buzos Tacticos, who did it the day after).
But before that the operation was in great distress, with the loss of both Wessex assault helicopters by very bad weather and bad luck, and after an emergency and improvised ASW action included the use of helicopter-launched air-to-surface missiles.
This scenario want to transmit the strange flavour of that distant waters campaign, with lack of air cover, very long distances and very few and sometimes rare elements.
Also, the player probably will be surprised by the lack of capabilities of sensors and weapons system (including dumb torpedoes), even counting with modern platforms to carry them as hunter/killer nuclear submarines, compared with the current types usually employed in the Harpoon simulation in more usual scenarios.
Last but not least the scenario try to simulate how the events could be developed slightly otherwise.

Enrique Mas, 21 September 2015.
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First Chinese antipiracy flotilla in trouble, January 2009. Alternate History Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the IOPG Battleset and the HCDB-150621 1980-2015 era Platform Database.

Image: Chinese DDG-171 Haikou (AEGIS equivalent), "A boarding team from the People's Liberation Army (Navy) Haikou (DD 171) makes way toward the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) July, 16, 2014, during a Maritime Interdiction Operations Exercise (MIOEX) as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014". U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery, a serviceperson on duty, and as consequence in public domain. Taked from Wikipedia Commons.

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/India side or from the Red/China side. You should play a few times first the Blue/India side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/China side.

The situation is inspired in some fake news reports repeated in the Web every few years, the last apparently in 4 July 2015, about a Chinese antipiracy flotilla in the Horn of Africa shadowed by a Indian Kilo submarine undetected.
But analyzing the Chinese flotilla composition, you will discover (as cited in some of the reports) they're the ships composing the first Chinese antipiracy flotilla in January 2009!
This scenario is build to reflect the strategic potential of this bizarre situation (and of course a diesel-electric SS as Kilo-class can't trail a nuclear SSN!).
As cause of origin of this crisis you could choose between 29 October 2008, when UK recognised Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, the Arunachal Pradesh dispute, Russia shutting off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine from 7 January 2009, or a radical and unexpected change in the US foreign policy when Barack Obama in 20 January 2009 succeeds George W. Bush as the 44th President of the United States, and becomes the first African-American President.
As a result of one of these or other unexpected events the Chinese flotilla is trapped far home and must return sailing Indian hostile waters.
Luckily the Indian forces are unprepared and the transit opposition is light.

Enrique Mas, July 11, 2015.

LCS Goes to War 2, the Real Thing, Spratly Islands, 11 May 2015. Historical Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the Western Pacific Battleset and the HCDB-150511 1980-2015 era Platform Database.

Image: USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) trailed by Chinese frigate Yuncheng (571) in the Spratly Islands, 11 May 2015. Official photo released by US Navy and as consequence in public domain.

This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/US side or from the Red/Chinese side. To avoid spoilers you should play a few times first the Blue side, and only later play the Red side.

After the full of naval and security incidents year of 2014 and the not less eventful first five months of 2015 and with the World beginning the so-called Second Cold War when President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) provoked 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), and constant and multiple overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial flights. That without counting in other unrelated naval incidents, just as the Iranian seizure of the Maersk Tigris in 28 April 2015 (and neither counting in landlocked actions, as the ISIS operations in Middle East).
But meanwhile, more towards Far East, was China the less perceived problem.
In some places of the South China Sea multiple country claimed Spratly Islands archipelago (Chinese: Nansha islands, Filipino: Kapuluan ng Kalayaan, Malay: Kepulauan Spratly and Vietnamese: Quan dao Truong Sa), China was for years mongering his plans and established a permanent base at least from 1987, and 1988 included a naval battle against Vietnam, the Johnson South Reef Skirmish. Also at least from 1995, as denounced by Philippines, China was building structures with military capabilities, including from 2012 more relevant structures, as the 3000+ meters long (Very Large Airport in Harpoon parameters) runway in Fiery Cross Reef, and more important, building artificial reefs and islands above previous simple shoals. At last in an undetermined date late April 2015 China claims as territorial waters the 12 nautical miles circling his "new" islands.
As the US official doctrine is Freedom of Navigation (FON), and as in this case with fears about a decision not to send naval vessels into the zone would inadvertently help the Chinese build their own case for sovereignty in the area, some air and surface elements of US Navy begin to orbit near the Chinese claims, but not crossing the 12 nm line.
One of the first incidents (another was a VP-45 Pelicans' P-8A Poseidon in surveillance mission carrying a CNN TV team inside, warned by the Chinese to no flight 12 nm near of Fiery Cross Reef on 20 May 2015) was the trailing for some hours of the USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) by the Chinese frigate Yuncheng (571) on 11 May 2015.
This scenario try to show what could have happened, and shows how near was one of the first missions of a controversial LCS to end with the ship placed where she was not designed to be, first line of combat.

Enrique Mas, 23 May 2015.

The Maersk Tigris Incident, 28 April 2015. Alternate History Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the Middle East IOPG Battleset and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image: An MH-60S Knighthawk flies by the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) during a replenishment-at-sea evolution in the Arabian Sea on Dec. 4, 2012. The Knighthawk is attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 and is assigned to the Military Sealift Command USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10). DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Abbate, U.S. Navy.(Released). Origin: DoD and Wikipedia.
 
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/Iranian side.
 
From 28 April 2015 the container ship M/V Maersk Tigris, in operation from 2014, 62292 t DWT, chartered by the Danish company Maersk Line, world's largest container shipping company, and flagged in the Marshall Islands, which the United States bears security responsibility for, in one of the numerous 2014-2015 naval incidents, was intercepted and seized while she was transiting through the Strait of Hormuz sailing from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Jebel Ali (a UAE port near Dubai) by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) light crafts, after some warning shots over the bridge.
The ship was seized, as by the Iranian explanations, because an allegedly unresolved cargo claim
over unpaid debts brought by the Iranian company Pars Talaie ten years old (is usual to seize a ship because a court order, but only anchored or in port, never sailing or in transit).
But many analyst suspect is only an excuse of the theocratic Supreme Leader of Iran to justify to his people his naval capabilities, after the failure a few days earlier to use sea lanes to send weapons and support to the Yemen Revolutionary Committee and the Shia Islam's sympathizers Houthi fighters faction in the ongoing Yemen 2015 Civil War (Just near 23 April 2015 the Iranian frigate Alborz and the oiler and supply ship Bushehr were escorting nine Iranian cargo vessels off Yemen, but their access to the coast was denied by Saudi, Egyptian and American warships).
After the seizure, at current times (2 May 2015) in the real world M/V Maersk Tigris is anchored in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, waiting for the issue solution.
On this alternate history scenario the IRGCN fails a first attempt to seize Maersk Tigris, the ship flies and demand support from the near US forces, doing the military engagement inevitable.
Is of consideration Iran only compromises his Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) ships to seize Maersk Tigris, and not his regular Navy, probably to avoid escalation in the conflict and in case of failure use IRGCN as scapegoat, saying was IRGCN decision to seize Maersk Tigris.
One of the purposes of this scenario is to capture the speed, chaos and flavour of this type of asymmetrical engagements, and to test the swarm attack theories.
 
Enrique Mas, 2 May 2015.

A Dragon in South Africa, April 2015. Historical Training Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the South Africa Battleset and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image: HMS Dragon in the English Channel in 30 August 2011, photo by LA(Phot) Nicky Wilson, photo taked from Wikipedia Commons and in OGL (Open Government License).
 
This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/UK side or from the Red/South Africa side. Is a very simple and introductory scenario, inspired in the limited and criticized Type 45 ASW capabilities.
 
In April 2015 the British Type 45 air defence-oriented destroyer HMS Dragon was in good will visit to Cape Town and played some ASW exercises against the South African submarine SAS Manthatisi, a ten years old German build and designed Type 209/1400 conventional diesel-electric submarine.
As Type 45 is very criticized because her limited ASW capabilities (and many in the class also without anti-ship missiles), is a good time to essay a situation as that tested in the exercise.
Of course if you sink the enemy unit you win, but is a training exercise and actually shots weren't fired and none was hurt ...
 
Enrique Mas, April 2015

Duel in the English Channel, mid-February 2015. Alternate history scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image: HMS Argyll in 2009, UK MoD photo, from Wikipedia Commons. Author: LA(Phot) Caz Davies.
 
This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/UK side or from the Red/Russia side. Is a very simple and introductory scenario, but you should play first a few times the Blue/UK side to avoid possible spoilers, and only later play the Red/Russia side.
 
After the eventful year of 2014 and with the World 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 savior of the Rodina.
From May 2014 Putin provoked in succession the Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Baltic States, Swedish submarine incursion, G-20 Brisbane meeting naval crisis, November 2014 Faslane submarine incident, and constant and multiple overflies with military warplanes causing potential incidents with commercial flights.
After UK did retire all the Nimrod MR.2 ASW and maritime patrol aircrafts in 2010 (and his ill-fated projected replacement Nimrod MRA.4 in 2012), the island nation was hopeless without a credible defence even of his nearest sea lanes (we can add to these very erroneous decisions others recent ones, losing full weapon capabilities in others fields, as the air-launched Sea Eagle anti-ship missile in 2000, the Sea Harrier in 2006, the Harrier in 2009 and the anti-radar ALARM missile in December 2013).
Also, from near 2010 only a warships was available for "escort" foreign or potentially enemy ships sailing the English Channel.
One of the first naval incidents of 2015 was the 17 February "Channel Dash" by the Neustrashimyy-class frigate Yaroslav Mudryy, returning to her Baltiysk base near Kaliningrad.
This scenario shows as the incident did could go wrong.
 
Enrique Mas, March 2015.

Battle of the Ligurian Sea, 18 March 1945. Last Stand of Kriegsmarine. Historical Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCWW-101110 World Wars era Platform Database. To avoid spoilers is better to play first a few times the Allied/Blue side, and only after play the German/Red side.
 
Image: Camouflaged Yugoslavian destroyers Dubrovnik (left, then Italian Premuda), and Beograd (then Italian Sebenico), probably at Bocche di Cattaro (Montenegro) after their capture by Italian forces on 17 April 1941. Origin: taked from Wikipedia Commons and from Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht - Heer und Luftwaffe (Bild 101 I) and German Federal Archives.
 
Battle of the Ligurian Sea was a small little known naval battle, last surface battle of Kriegsmarine executed by the last elements of Kriegsmarine's 10th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, composed by previously captured foreign warships of diverse origin, and fought near places with one of the world older naval history recorded,
Returning to Genoa after a minelaying action near Cap Corse and Gorgona Island, the small German force was surprised and attacked by marauding Allied light units.
Some months before, on 2 October 1944, the same German flotilla and ships encountered USS Gleaves (DD-423) in a similar minelaying mission towards San Remo (now Sanremo) but they did avoid contact and returned to Genoa undamaged, and this ill-fated encounter is depicted as the labelled LIGURIAN44 bonus scenario.
Both mini-scenarios are introductory scenarios or historical representations more than full-scale scenarios (but probably addictive on his simplicity).
 
Enrique Mas, February 2015.

Minelaying Incursion in the Phoney War, 12-13 December 1939. Historical Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCWW-101110 World Wars era Platform Database. To avoid spoilers is better to play first a few times the British/Blue side, and only after play the German/Red side.
 
Image: pre-War photos of German destroyers Z1 Leberecht Maas and Z5 Paul Jakobi, as depicted on the A503 FM30-50 booklet for identification of ships, published by the Division of Naval Inteligence of the Navy Department of the United States and as consequence in public domain. Taked from Wikipedia Commons.
 
A mining scenario based on the 12-13 December mining incursion near Newcastle by German light surface forces in the Phoney War.
Both sides have limited resources and many task to do and many paths to victory.
The present forces are all the historical correct as I can get them.
Are depicted the historical surface and subsurface naval forces, the complete RAF Coastal Command order of battle at 12 December 1939, and the on the German side in the same date the near to North Sea units of Kustenfliegergruppen, Seeaufklarungsgruppen and the only and one Tragergruppe 186 with instructional land-based aircrafts to ready Luftwaffe air crews for future naval use in the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier, ship who never entered in service.
 
Notes:
Some very few British DD/DE not are of the exact time period represented, but almost all of them are historically correct and present as in the operations in December 1939.
The number of aircraft in the air units of both sides are hypothetical and not strictly historical.
A very few of the German aircraft types subvariants are not historical accurate.
Some aircrafts of the RAF Coastal Command are represented by similar types because limitations in the Database:
30xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II.
4xLondon I, London II, Stranraer or Skeeter represented by 1xSunderland III.
2xSunderland I represented by 1xSunderland III.
The ahistorical SOSUS or CAESAR contacts on naval units can be considered as representations of SIGINT or HUMINT detections.
 
Enrique Mas, February 2015.

Battle of the River Plate, 13 December 1939. Historical Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for South Atlantic The Americas Battleset and the HCWW-101110 World Wars era Platform Database.
 
Picture: Source Wikipedia Commons from Imperial War Museum. IWM caption : The German battleship Admiral Graf Spee in flames after being scuttled in the River Plate Estuary off Montevideo, Uruguay. 17 December 1939. This is photograph A 3 from collections of Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-01).
 
A very fast and furious encounter between the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine, in middle of the Phoney War, decisive for aftercoming naval events. Good also for testing the artillery. I did played it many times, and the results can be surprising due to the hazards and random capability of the AI and the Game Engine mechanisms. Playable from Red or Blue sides.
 
December 1939. In this period of the phoney war, while a couple of months the German pocket battleship (classified as heavy cruiser or armoured cruiser for others scholars) Admiral Graf Spee had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September, a very extent cruise while avoiding killing anyone but with no very impressive results. And she's now the only Kriegsmarine warship operating in far seas.
And the fate led she to fulfil the same destination as her predecessors in the South Atlantic in WWI, not far from the places where the CL Dresden and the rest of the East Asia squadron commanded by her name-sake Vice Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee were sunken 25 years earlier, almost entirely in the now forgotten First Battle of the Falklands (Malvinas) Islands.
Her own captain, Kapitan zur See Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff , a not Nazi sympathizer officer and old neighbour of the family of the own Maximilian von Spee, was himself a longstanding naval officer who had seen action at the Battle of Jutland.
 
Now, after a bloodless cruise, enfaced with a group he think is composed of CA Exeter and two DDs, Langsdorff must decide to fight or to flee.
His ship is superior in battle capabilities, and she's diesel engined with more rapid response than the steam engined British ships, but the enemy is faster, and aided by his very numerically superior forces,undoubtedly can speed-up and chase his slower ship at middle term.
 
 
More informations at http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/WH2Navy-fig-WH2Nav03a.HTML
 
Enrique Mas, September 2009.

First Convoy in the Phoney War, 14-18 September 1939.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCWW-101110 World Wars era Platform Database.
 
That's an essay of building an historic and realistic scenario, and as consequence, something boring for most of the time, with some moments of terror, as in the real world ASW operations, in this case in the Western Approaches. And probably most of the played scenarios will be finished with a draw. Playtesting after built the scenario reflects it is more playable in the Red/German side.
It reflects the Phoney War in all his splendour and peculiarities, with though fighting in the sea lanes, in opposition to the calm land and air fronts. It reflects also the very limited UK ASW capabilities at the war start, the approximative initial Order of Battle of the RAF Coastal Command and his historical bases (Most of the Hudson represents Anson MkI, Sunderland MkIII represents Sunderland MkI, and minor types as Stranraer, London, Lerwick or others are not represented, some Air Stations only with detachments are neither in play), merchants sailing unescorted, also is depicted OB-4 (OB stands for Liverpool - Outward (North America)) the first convoy attacked in WWII by German submarines, the great number of German submarines operating at this time in the sector (in patrol from before the hostilities, his number was later inferior because maintenance and transit times), with his approximated historical positions (Including the after the Cold War infamous U-34, who sunk the Spanish Republican submarine C
-3, my grandfather boat, in the Spanish Civil War, in the covert Operation Ursula), and also is present the fleet carrier HMS Courageous and her nimble escort, the last attempt to employ the large fleet carriers as ASW platforms ...
Ironically, in the Phoney War time period Hitler was attempting to seize the peace with Great Britain, and the objective victory reached by the Kriegsmarine sinking the Courageous was contrary to the Fuhrer interests, and dismissed by him.
 
The represented historical Coastal Command bases and squadrons are:
AXa RAF Leuchars EGQL, 233 Sqd RAF Coastal Command (Hudson MkI/II).
AYa RAF Thornaby, 224 Sqd Det (Hudson MkI/II), 220 Sqn (Hudson MkIII), 608 Sqd (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
AZa RAF Aldergrove EGAA, 224 Sqd. Det (Hudson MkI/II), 502 Sqd Anson I (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
BAa RAF Gosport, 224 Sqd (Hudson MkI/II).
BBa RAF Prestwick EGPF, 102 Sqd, 30?xWhitley MkIII (represented by MkII).
BCa RAF Thorney Island, 48 Sqd (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
BDa RAF Sullum Voe, 201 Sqd with London I, London II, Stranraer, represented by 2xSunderland III.
BEa RAF Mount Batten, 204 Sqd (8?xSunderland I represented by 4xSunderland III).
BFa RAF Bircham Newton, 201 Sqd, (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
BGa RAF Pembroke Dock, 210 and 228, Sqd, (8?xSunderland I each, represented by 4xSunderland III).
BHa RAF Warmell, 217 Sqd, Anson I (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
BIa RAF Montrose, 269 Sqd, Anson I (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
BJa RAF Detling, 500 Sqd, Anson I (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
BKa RAF Dyce EGPD, 612 Sqd, Anson I (30?xAnson MkI=15xHudson MkI/II).
Some British DD not are of the exact time period represented, but most of them are historically correct and present in the Western Approaches operations in September 1939.
The ahistorical SOSUS or CAESAR contacts on German submarines can be considered as representations of SIGINT or HUMINT detections.
 
Enrique Mas, July 2012.

Operation Lancette, 15 May 1981. Historical Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image: The French aircraft carrier Clemenceau (R98) underway in the Mediterranean Sea. The photo was taken by a U.S. Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat from Fighter Squadron VF-84 Jolly Rogers, Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8), from the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) using a TARPS reconnaissance pod. November 1981. Taked from Wikipedia Commons.
 
This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/French side or from the Red/Soviet side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
 
A simple and introductory scenario based on historical facts.
In the heydays of the Cold War at a time of particular tension, two days after the Pope John Paul II assassination attempt in Rome instigated by the Bulgarian/Soviet Secret Services, was the moment of one of the most scaring naval situations in the Cold War,
Just when the Clemenceau CVBG and his reduced peacetime escort was sailing from Toulon for the exercise Coriolan, was detected a submarine contact by the ASW picket (DDs Georges Leygues and Guepratte) only 50 nautical miles from Toulon and actively stalking the carrier group.
The subsequent Operation Lancette was launched, resulting in the chase of the unknown submarine continuously for more than eighteen hours and with the submarine alternating creep speeds with peaks of 28-30 knots and even passing below the Georges Leygues towed sonar array. La Royale (French Navy) employed both forward escort destroyers, Lynx helicopters and Atlantic ASW planes based in the very near BAN Nimes-Garons, and at last forced she to surfacing. Ultimately she was visually identified on surface at night from a Lynx helicopter of the Georges Leygues as a Soviet Victor-type SSN and compelled to quit the area.
But this scenario represents the possibility of the things going wrong and hot, and both sides firing in anger at the enemy forces.
This scenario also could gives an idea of the difficult submarine hunting, the difficult of hunting surface ships with submarines without long range target determination, the limited sonar ranges and convergence zone feasibility on a sea with high levels of salinity and density, the high limitations of small diesel-electric submarines employed as hunter-killers against SSN (the French SSN force was then yet two years on the future), and about the necessity of employing half of the French Aeronavale ASW forces to catch only one submarine, even when she was fortunately emplaced very near to a main ASW air base.
 
Key of the unnamed Air Bases:
AGa BAN Nimes-Garons LFTW, France (closed on July 2011).
 
At Nimes-Garons on this time period were based two Aeronavale ASW units, the Flotille 21F equipped with Atlantic and the Flotille 6F with Alize.
 
Enrique Mas, December 2011.

Harpoon 3 Battles of the Third World War, May 1991.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image: Soviet CVH Baku circa 1988. US Navy photo, from Wikipedia Commons.
 
This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Allied side or from the Red/Soviet side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side.
 
A North Atlantic-GIUK scenario inspired by some old scenario booklets of the Harpoon 3 series of the late 1980s edited by GDW, good for testing generic tactics and weapons. Actually is a mix-up of individual sea-operations centred scenarios as only the Computer Harpoon can provide. And reflecting all the knowledge acquired the last years in some matters, as about Soviet/Russian platforms, OOBs and Soviet/Russian carrier air wings composition.
 
The scenario is settled at the start of the conventional WWIII as was forecasted in the North Atlantic for about May 1991 in some of the GDW edited booklets, the opening movements and contacts, and the first days of open combat.
 
Enrique Mas, 5 December 2014.

Bullying the G-20 Brisbane Summit, November 2014. Historical scenario/Alternate history scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the Western Pacific Battleset WestPac and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image: Varyag in 2009, from Wikipedia Commons. Title: Russia will celebrate Pacific Fleet Day on May 21. The Guards guided-missile cruiser Varyag underway at sea. RIA Novosti. Author Vitaliy Ankov.
 
This scenario is designed to be played mostly from the Blue/Allied 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/Russian side.
 
From the Cold Ward end the President of Russia Vladimir Putin was working for years in a plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories, to reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as savior of the Rodina.
After provoked from May 2014 the Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Baltic States, Swedish submarine incursion and multiple overflies with military warplanes, it's time to do some unrest on the G-20 leaders meeting in the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Australia Also they don't want befriend him, another time!
Just on 12 November 2014, three days before the summit start, was detected a Russian task force centered on the missile cruiser Varyag in the Coral Sea, southwards and without clear declared intentions.
After the last weeks Russian provocations, it's time to wait for the worse and perhaps to settle a limit and uphold it, by all the means necessary.
 
Enrique Mas, 13 November 2014.

Swedish Submarine Incident October 17-24, 2014. Historical scenario/Alternate history scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCDB-140909 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image from Wikipedia Commons: Swedish corvette K31 Visby in Aura river in Turku during the Northern Coasts 2014 exercise public pre sail event, 31 August 2014. Author: MKFI.
 
This scenario is designed to be played mostly from the Blue/Swedish 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/Russian side if you've interest on it, but I think the victory conditions are very difficult to get for an AI-controlled Blue side.
 
Years after the demise of Soviet Union, the prudent, neutral and natively well-armed Sweden did start near 2008 to downsizing clearly his armed forces (Forsvarsmakten), retiring whole categories of weapons systems, as the useful HKP-4B/C/D Boeing Vertol Kawasaki KV-107-II (CH-46 Sea Knight-derivative) twin-rotor ASW helicopters, specially configured for shallow and difficult waters. All this despite the habitual submarine incidents that had taken place continuously since at least 1962 on the Swedish territorial shores and archipelagos, originated in Soviet clandestine activities, of which the most obvious and memorable event was the stranding of S-363 "Whiskey on the Rocks Incident" in the vicinity of the sensible naval base of Karlskrona in November 1981.
But from the other side of the Baltic Sea the President of Russia Vladimir Putin was working for years in a plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories, to reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina, and doing return the ghost of the past.
Some months before the Crimean and Ukrainian crises, from 8 December 2013 begun the deployment of updated Su-27SM3 Russian fighters in the Belarusian 61st Fighter Air Base at Baranovichi, with all the pilots deployed qualified as Pilot First Class, and later apparently to form a full Flanker regiment to be based at Lida 206th Assault Air Base from 2015 (the Su-27 was previously retired from Belarusian service in December 2012)..
Also, deployment of advanced Iskander surface-to-surface missiles and a battery of the very impressive S-400 Triumf/SA-21 SAM in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland (Formerly Konigsberg in East Prussia. What better excuse to request a land bridge from Russia, nobody remember the very near Danzig Corridor and the 1939 German Ultimatum to Poland?) can give some ideas about future events. More clear even from 7 April 2014, when after only a day of occupation by Russian affine forces was proclaimed the Donetsk People's Republic.
At last in Autumn, as another of the multiple World Crisis of 2014, in October 2014 were intensified Russian military flights with long range elements in the Pacific and Caribbean areas, Black and Baltic Seas shores and so far as the Portuguese Atlantic Coast.
But the more eye-catching and symptomatic incident on 17-24 October was the Swedish submarine chase of unidentified submerged object, with multiple but unclear sights on Kanholmsfjarden in the Stockholm archipelago and radio transmissions linked to a military site in Kaliningrad, compatible with a Russian submarine in distress. All with the addition of at least three Russian-operated civilian ships very probably equipped with submarine holding bays orbiting the near Baltic zone: NS Concord, a converted 105000 tons oil tanker sailing in circles in middle of the sea for one week, R/V Professor Logachev (an 3900 tons standard ex-AGI Project 12283M ship), and the 18425 tons LPG tanker Sibur Voronezh with very reduced IR signature, the two tankers operated at last instance by the Russian company Sovcomflot (SCF).
On this scenario the idea is to show the currently reduced ASW capabilities of the Swedish Armed Forces against a possible multiple midget submarine menace, at the same time facing and defending against some limited Russian air incursions potentially menacing the nimble Swedish surface ASW elements.
Is present the current Swedish OOB (the in service JAS.39C Gripen Block 19 (2010) and Block 20 (2012) have a slightly improved radar than plain JAS.39C, but are not yet armed with Meteor or Taurus) , and the limited Russian OOB showed in the scenario is as accurate as possible on open sources in October 2014.
 
Enrique Mas, November 2014.

Manila Galleon 1988 ... in WWIII.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for Western Pacific Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 Era Platform Database.
 
Image: USS Trípoli (LPH-10), undated, but clearly after 1972(installation of Sea Sparrow. Credited to Dennis Stephenson SMC USN Ret in navysource.org, and showed on Wikipedia as public domain because taked by an US serviceperson on duty.
 
This scenario is designed to be played with the US-Philippine/Blue side or with by the Soviet-Vietnamese/Red side, to avoid spoilers is better to play a few times first the US/Blue side, and only after the Soviet/Red side. In part is pretended as an introductory scenario, but worth of play for experienced Harpoon players. Second scenario of a series inspired in old boardgames of the 1970's and 1980's, but modified mainly to introduce the accumulated knowledge about weapons and forces deployment after the Cold War end.
 
In the wake of the Black Sea naval incident of 22 February 1988, and with other clashes droved to WWIII and after the neutralization of a Soviet convoy to Philippines with support of his old Vietnamese allies on the South China Sea,carrying weapons and on board the new revolutionary government to be imposed on Philippines, the US and Allied forces need to keep a firm operations base in Phllippines. As consequence, three Allied convoys with amphibious and transport ships are sailing to Manila to reinforce Philippines against any new Soviet attempt, and to keep at bay the Soviet-driven local insurgence. After the first clash the remaining Soviet Long Range Aviation elements in Vietnam were retired far North, but also most of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing based at Clark AB is displaced North, to protect Japan and South Korea. The main risk for the Allied convoys reinforcing Philippines will be the Soviet submarines. The reduced US and Allied ASW forces (with old and odd types of planes and ships on his force composition like a remembrance
of the ABDA force 46 years before) in theater have the task of protect the sail and unload of the convoys near Subic Bay.
 
Enrique Mas, July 2014.

Battle of the USS Midway 1988. Hypothetical scenario in WWIII.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for Western Pacific Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 Era Platform Database.
 
Image: USS Midway (CV-41) on the Persian Gulf in 1988, with F/A-18A on deck. Photo retrieved from navysource.org and taked by a US Serviceman, and in consequence public domaint. Attributed to Kelly Scherer, SFC, USA (Ret) (Former AO1).
 
This scenario is designed for play with the US-Allied/Blue side or with by the Soviet-Vietnamese/Red side, to avoid spoilers is better to play a few times first the US-Allied/Blue side, and only after the Soviet-Vietnamese/Red side. This is a complex scenario and worth of play many times for the experienced Harpoon player because a lot of random elements and composite Total Victory Conditions requiriments. This is the third scenario of a series inspired in old boardgames of the 1970's and 1980's, but modified mainly to introduce the accumulated knowledge about weapons and forces deployment after the Cold War end.
 
In the wake of the Black Sea naval incident of 22 February 1988, and with other clashes droved to WWIII and after the neutralization of a Soviet convoy to Philippines with support of his old Vietnamese allies on the South China Sea, carrying weapons and on board the new revolutionary government to be imposed on Philippines, the US and Allied forces need to keep a firm operations base in Philippines. As consequence, two Allied convoys with MPS ships are sailing to Manila to reinforce Philippines against any new Soviet attempt, and to keep at bay the Soviet-driven local insurgence. Another US force of amphibious ships is probably sailing to reinforce the Luzon Strait. At same time two Soviet convoys with reinforcements are sailing to Vietnam. Some of the remaining Soviet Long Range Aviation elements at the campaign start in Vietnam have returned, as most of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing based at Clark AB. Another risk for the Allied convoys will be the Soviet submarines. Is probably both side have displaced an
aircraft carrier to the South China Sea. To get Total Victory both sides should arrival on time and destination with his convoys.
 
Enrique Mas, August 2014.

Philippines Invasion 1988 ... or Battleship Return to Vietnam in WWIII.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for Western Pacific Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 Era Platform Database.
 
Image: Missouri (BB-63) in company with the Long Beach (CGN-9) and others just prior to RIMPAC '88. Retrieved from navysource.org,courtesy of Larry Lee, probably in public domain as taked for an US servicemen. http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/63h.htm
 
This scenario is designed for play with the US-Philippine/Blue side or with by the Soviet-Vietnamese/Red side, to avoid spoilers is better to play a few times first the US/Blue side, and only after the Soviet/Red side. In part is pretended as an introductory scenario, but worth of play for experienced Harpoon players because a lot of random elements. I hope it will the first of a series inspired in old boardgames of the 1970's and 1980's, but modified mainly to introduce the accumulated knowledge about weapons and forces deployment after the Cold War end.
 
In the wake of the Black Sea naval incident of 22 February 1988, some other clashes droved to WWIII. One of them was the Soviet clear and open support to Philippine rebel forces against Corazon Aquino democratic presidency, the Benigno Aquino widow, and his Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, contrary to the collectivist aims of the leftist opposition. As climax of the crisis, a Soviet convoy with support of his old Vietnamese allies is openly sailing on the South China Sea with weapons and on board the new revolutionary government to be imposed on Philippines, starting in the poor region of Occidental Mindoro, were the pro-Soviet forces have the control after the seizure of the sugar mills and the rice plantations. The reduced US and allied forces (with old and odd types of planes and ships on his force composition like a remembrance of the ABDA force 46 years before) in theater have the task of prevent the unloading of the convoy, sinking it if necessary, as the first clash of titans is inevitable.
 
Enrique Mas, July 2014.

Submarines Galore 1989!!!
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 Era Platform Database.
 
A submarine-only scenario without other diversions, inspired by some old scenario booklets of the Harpoon 3 series, good for testing submarines, submarine tactics, sonars, torpedoes and other ASW weapons. Perhaps the Western submarines are numerically over-represented, but it's reflecting the original and very reduced in number of submarines paper scenarios. Also it's configured as a vanilla scenario for lazy players wanting to enjoy a simple pastime, and with the aim of replayability thanks to the randomness of the starting positions and of the units presence or not presence. I think it's playable at the 10 or even 30 minutes time compression ... before any contact.
 
At the start of the WWIII in the North Atlantic on 1989, the bad weather and also the political incertitude precludes the use of air and surface assets. To keep low the social unrest because the war, the opening naval actions are limited to the discrete submarine operations, in a situation remembrance of the 1939 Phony War and of the 1994 Tom Clancy's novel Debt of Honor (where both Japan and the United States are in war against the other, but both governments are occulting the fact to his respective public opinions to prevent the collapse of the stock markets), but these underwater actions are not less decisive or murderous than a full open war.
 
Modification 10 April 2011, tough victory conditions changed to (both sides): Minimum Victory Condition eight submarines sunk, Total Victory Condition twelve submarines sunk.
 
Modification 11 April 2011, increased presence probability of some subs because previous confussion about percentile addition.
 
Modification 23 December 2011: some older variants of previous submarine classes now in the DataBase replacing erroneous period variants.
 
Modification 19 May 2014: some older variants of previous submarine classes now in the DataBase replacing erroneous period variants.Modified presence probability of some subs because previous confussion about percentile addition, the probabilities are now more evently distributed between the submarines, but the probability of presence of a diesel-electric boat is now half of the probability of a nuclear boat. SSBN presence probability increased.
 
Enrique Mas, April 2011

Submarines Galore 2014!!!, late May 2014, Alternate history scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 Era Platform Database.
 
Image from Wikipedia: Portsmouth, Va. - The nations newest and most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Virginia (SSN 774) passes the skyline of Hampton, Va., with the campus of Hampton University seen in the background, on its the way to Norfolk Naval Shipyard upon completion of Bravo sea trials. Virginia is the Navys only major combatant ready to join the fleet that was designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind and embodies the war fighting and operational capabilities required to dominate the littorals while maintaining undersea dominance in the open ocean. August 25, 2004. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class Christina M. Shaw(RELEASED).
 
A submarine-only scenario without other diversions, inspired on origin by some old scenario booklets of the Harpoon 3 series but very modified on this 2014 Edition, good for testing submarines (specially the new ones included after HCDB-110831), submarine tactics, sonars, torpedoes and other ASW weapons. Perhaps the Western submarines are numerically over-represented, but it's reflecting the original and very reduced in number of submarines paper scenarios. Also it's configured as a vanilla scenario for lazy players wanting to enjoy a simple pastime, and with the aim of replayability thanks to the aleatority of the starting positions and of the units presence or not presence. I think it's playable at the 10 or even 30 minutes time compression ... before doing any contact.
 
From February 21, 2014, well staged by President Putin, were unveiled and erupted multiple simultaneous crises in Ukraine, Baltic States and China. With a feeble and hesitating Obama Administration, and when the international relations and foreign policy "experts" and "analysts" were expecting for the start of a new cold war, it was very difficult for the uncoordinated and surprised Western Powers to see another path than that of the war. At least the first ten boats of the very advanced Virginia-class SSN were commissioned on less than the programmed budget and even eleven months before the scheduled date. Also, the Russian submarine fleet has not been very updated from the Cold War end, and has substantially shrunken in number. To keep low the political and social unrest because the war imminence and also because exceptionally bad weather, the opening naval actions were limited to discrete submarine operations, in a situation remembrance of the 1939 Phony War and of the 1994 Tom Clancy's novel Debt of Honor (where both Japan and the United States are in war against the other, but both governments are occulting the fact to his respective public opinions to prevent the collapse of the stock markets), but these underwater actions were not less decisive or murderous than a full open war.
 
Enrique Mas, May 18, 2014.

The Search for Cyrus the Great, Alternate History Scenario, late May 2014.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the IOPG Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 Platform Database.
 
Image: source Wikipedia. Iranian F-14A. 2008-04-14 18:09 taked by Amirmgh. This picture is taken in an exhibition in Tehran.
 
This scenario is designed to be played mainly from the Blue/US side. You should play many times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Imperial Islamic Iran side.
 
On November 27, 1978, when visiting San Francisco a few days away from his long and mild Paris exile, in a meeting deeply impressed and touched by the stringent gay rights ordinance for the city, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini besides the Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated at the City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White.
As consequence, the 1979 Islamic Revolution not happened, and the old Shah keeps in power to 1988, when forced by the people abdicated in favour of his son Reza.
The Soviet/Russian occupation of Afghanistan lasted only to 1985 because the strong Shah support to the anti-Soviet not-Islamist Afghans. And in support of the Shah, the United States does generous weapons transfers, keeping Iran as the Persian Gulf Guardian. With a stronger Iran, the Iraq-Iran War neither happened, and Saddam Hussein keeps in power in 2014.
Aside the planned weapons programs, in 1978 the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) was not scrapped, she was transferred to Iran to be renamed Darius the Great. After a long and painful conversion process, to almost the level of the USS Midway SCB-110.66 conversion, she was recommissioned in 1986 and employed mostly for training. After, in 1988 and because the Darius the Great was too small to operate the F-14A Tomcat the Imperial Iranian Navy want to operate and in service previously in the Imperial Iranian Air Force, the United States transferred Iran the USS Forrestal (CV-59) and was renamed Cyrus the Great. It was possible because after the Afghanistan debacle in 1985 and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident the Soviet Union was dissolved a few years earlier than in our timeline, on 1987, and the US Navy can ride out of some carriers.
But from 1988 the problems begun in Iran. As in our timeline violent Islamic movements spread all the planet as consequence of the lack of balance between two hyperpowers and the multiplicity of power poles. And in Iran turmoils and rampant Islamism forced the old Shah to resign, abdicating on his elder son Reza, formed as fighter pilot in the West.
The new state entity of Imperial Islamic Iran survives from 1989 to 2014 with a very difficult balance between Imperial and Islamic traditions, keeping the Pahlavi dynasty nominally on power and with the clerics supporting Islamic terrorist groups worldwide. But directly this politic almost isolated Iran, and was punished with successive weapons embargoes from 1990. The Imperial Islamic Iranian Armed Forces now are not state of art as in the 1970s, but count with some semi-clandestine support from China, India and Israel.
And when from February 21, 2014, erupted multiple crises in Ukraine, Baltic States (well staged by President Putin) and China, and in front of the feeble and hesitating Obama Administration, Iran saw his opportunity as a major player.
Iran menaces to close the Persian Gulf with his carrier force and control the oil flow with very superior power to previous historical attempts.
Some days before, pressed by Iran, the Gulf minor States forced the Western forces to quit Al Dafhra and the other Persian Gulf bases.
With his forces divided between Europe and the Far East, only the isolated small Bush CVBG with very little support from Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti and some occasional SSN can prevent the Persian Gulf blockade.
 
Enrique Mas, May 13, 2014.

NATO Baltic Air Policing in action, late May 2014. Alternate history scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for GIUK Gap Battleset and the HCDB-130818 1980-2015 era Platform Database.
 
Image source Wikipedia: Description: Su-27SM3 at the Celebration of the 100th anniversary of Russian Air Force. Date 12 August 2012, 16:48:23 Source http://vitalykuzmin.net/?q=node/464 Author Vitaly V. Kuzmin.
 
This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Baltic-States-NATO side or from the Red/Belarus-Russia side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Belarus-Russia side if you've interest on it, but I think the victory conditions are very difficult to get for an AI-controlled Red side.
 
Years after the demise of Soviet Union, when since March 2004 the three Baltic States Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined NATO, the 24/7 task to police the airspace of the Baltic States (without own effective Air Forces) was conducted on three or later four-month rotation from Lithuania's First Air Base in Siauliai Airport (a little famous Soviet base because was home of the Tu-126 Moss AWACS), from 2011 called Ronald Reagan International Airport. Usual deployments consist of only four fighter aircraft and support personnel.
As a reflect of the started 21 March 2014 Ukrainian Crises the NATO Baltic Air Policy detachment in the Ronald Reagan International Airport was reinforced with a greater number of fighters.
But from the other side of the border the President of Russia Vladimir Putin was working for years in a plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories, to reinstitute the greatness of Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina.
Some months before the Crimean and Ukrainian crises, from 8 December 2013 begun the deployment of updated Su-27SM3 Russian fighters in the Belarusian 61st Fighter Air Base at Baranovichi, with all the pilots deployed qualified as Pilot First Class, and later apparently to form a full Flanker regiment to be based at Lida 206th Assault Air Base from 2015 (the Su-27 was previously retired from Belarusian service in December 2012)..
Also, deployment of advanced Iskander surface-to-surface missiles and a battery of the very impressive S-400 Triumf/SA-21 SAM in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland (Formerly Konigsberg in East Prussia. What better excuse to request a land bridge from Russia, nobody remember the very near Danzig Corridor and the 1939 German Ultimatum to Poland?) can give some ideas about future events. More clear even from 7 April 2014, when after only a day of occupation by Russian affine forces was proclaimed the Donetsk People's Republic, previously to the general Russian invasion of Ukraine on 10 May 2014 (date hypothetical on writing this text).
At last the Putin's plans were disclosed in late May 2014, when the Belarusian forces, acting as a Russian proxy to avoid a global conflict, and exploiting the numerous minor crises spread in the World (North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, China, India-Pakistan, Middle East, Sahel, ...) and the lack of momentum of the Obama Administration.
As response to the limited war started by Belarus with only a little support from the Russian forces based at Kaliningrad, NATO transferred the forces based in the Baltic States to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, but expelled them from NATO!, to avoid a generalized conflict.
In consequence, the Baltic States stand alone for the few first days of war, waiting for help only if they keep fighting to survive, and his cause is later supported by the Western Powers, after a political and strategic change.
 
Renamed places are:
AGa Amari AB, EEEI, Estonia.
ZHb, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
ZTa Minsk Machulishchy AB, UMLI, Belarus.
ZUa Hrodna/Grodno IA, UMMG, Belarus.
ZVa Pruzhany AB, UMNV, Belarus.
ZWa Luninets AB, BY-9934, Belarus.
ZXa Lida AB, UMDD, Belarus.
 
Notes:
Belarussian Su-25 are represented by Ukrainian Su-25.
The two MPQ-64 Sentinel radars of the LTAFADB are represented by Giraffe 75 radars.
 
Enrique Mas, April 7, 2014.

Duel near Hampton Roads, New Jersey vs. Richelieu, September 1943.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the Atlantic Ocean Battleset and the HCWW-101110 World Wars I&II Platform Database.
 
This is a tiny scenario designed for play testing battleships and main guns, and playable both by the US/Blue or the Vichy France/Red side, to avoid spoilers is better to play the first time the Vichy France/Red side.
 
Image: oficial USN photo contributed by Joe Radingan at navysource.org. New Jersey and Richelieu on 7 September 1943 near Old Point Comfort, Hampton Roads.
 
The history of the French warships fleed to the exotic French Colonies and elsewhere after the debacle and the Nazi German takeover in May 1940 can compose a great epic saga, few times reflected in the mainstream narrative (perhaps only in a few movies, as "Casablanca" or "To Have and Have Not", with the opening titles showing the old aircraft carrier Bearn historically anchored in Martinique) or even in the military history books probably because opposed perceptions about too many actions (Mers-el-Kebir, Dakar, Casablanca, Operation Torch, Madagascar ...).
That of the battleship Richelieu history was one of those very interesting careers.
At the time of the German invasion she was 95% completed, escaped from Brest to Dakar (now in Senegal), and survived attacks by fast motor boats and Swordfish torpedo planes from the HMS Hermes on 7 July 1940, the day after the attacks on Mers-el-Kebir. After, from 23 September 1940, fight by two days against the British and Free French elements of Force M, including the old battleships HMS Barham and HMS Resolution, and the carrier HMS Ark Royal, succeeding on her defence of Dakar and preventing the capture of his strategic port.
On December 1942, after Operation Torch, the French forces in West Africa joined the Allies, under the authority of Admiral Darlan in Algiers. As consequence, Richelieu sailed to New York, to be refitted in the Navy Yard from February 1943 for benefit of the Allied side.
Later she was employed monitoring the German warships in Norwegian waters, on the Normandy landing and with the British Eastern Fleet in the Far East. Post-War participate with gun support in the Indochina War, and employed as artillery training ship to end as accommodation ship from 1956.
After both fitted, the battleships New Jersey and Richelieu sometimes anchored side-by-side in Old Point Comfort at the mouth of Hampton Roads, Virginia Peninsula, on fall 1943. And the Richelieu configuration of the DB reflects correctly her August 1943-early 1944 fitting.
On this alternate history scenario the ambiguous Vichy General Henri Giraud keeps loyal to the Axis in one of his many political doubts and don't rejoined the Allies, Vichy France persist after the assassination of both co-presidents of the Comite Francais de la Liberation Nationale, Darlan and De Gaulle. On this climate, officers and ranks of the Richelieu decide to escape with his now almost new warship to the old France, and don't combat his apparently victorious northern neighbours, under the cover of the night and of a strong gale, with the weather precluding the use of shore-based aircrafts neither warships smaller than capital ships ...
 
Enrique Mas, November 2013.

Operation El Dorado Canyon, Libya early April 1986. Historical Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB-130603 1980-2015 Platform Database.
 
Image: a low-altitude aerial view of an EF-111A Raven (foreground) and an F-111F flying from right to left. The aircraft belong to the 27th Fighter Wing, which transitioned from the F-111Ds to F-111Fs and added EF-111As. Location: CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO (NM) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) Camera Operator: MSGT. MICHAEL HAGGERTY, 1992. From Wikipedia Commons.
 
This scenario is designed to be played mainly from the Blue/US side. You should play many times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Libyan side. It's a complex scenario with the most historical accurate possible OOBs, including the Libyan SAM placements, probably never showed in another place.
 
Attain Document I, IIA and III were a series of operations executed by the US Navy during the first months of 1986 sailing the Gulf of Sidra, which Kadaffi's Libya claims as internal waters from 1973. Those operations were in support of his Freedom of Navigation (FON) program, challenging territorial claims on the world's oceans and airspace that are considered excessive by the United States (as also in the Black Sea or some Far East cases). As a precaution against possible asymmetric or dissimilar Libyan retaliations, it was planned the contingency plan Prairie Fire (nickname after changed to El Dorado Canyon), consisting of air strikes to chosen Libyan targets from which terrorist operations could be planned or executed.
After probing the Libyan response with the phases Attain Document I and IIA in January and February 1986 remaining the USN warships just north of the so-called line of death, came the ultimate execution of the plan. Composed by three Carrier Battle Groups (CVBG of the USS America (CV-66), USS Coral Sea (CV-43, with the first operative F/A-18A in the USN and USMC, Attain Document III was also the first operational use of AGM-88 HARM, the Tomahawks not were yet operative) and USS Saratoga (CV-60)) TF-60 under command of Rear Admiral Frank D. Kelso II executed Attain Document III penetrating the waters of the Gulf of Sidra with a Surface Action Group (SAG) composed by USS Ticonderoga (CG-47), USS Scott (DDG-945) and USS Caron (DD-970), crossing below 32-30 North at 241100Z March 1986 (1200 Libyan time) and exiting the area at 271432Z March 1986, remaining for more than 75 hours sailing in station.
From that very moment the Libyan forces showed an aggressive behaviour towards the US Forces, ratifying the spirit and outcome of certain previous historical skirmishes. The Libyans launched long range SAM against USN planes, realized some offensive CAP and tried to approach his PTM near anti-ship missile launch range.
But this was not the end of the events, the guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and as Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution, more known as Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi (When the 1 September 1969, the bloodless coup d'etat against King Idris was successful, Gaddafi was captain, later accepted a ceremonial promotion from captain to colonel and has remained at this rank since then, as admiration sample to Gamal Abdel Nasser, which never had major grade in his military career) had not said his last word, and he gives orders of retaliation by terrorist actions.
Some days later the end of the Operation Attain Document III about March 27, 1986, contesting the unilaterally proclaimed Libyan rights on the Gulf of Sirta, on April 5, 1986, the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin is bombed by a bomb placed under a table near the disc jockey booth, killing a Turkish woman and two U.S. sergeants and injuring 230 people, including more than 50 American servicemen. Libya was blamed for the bombing after telex messages had been intercepted from Libya to the Libyan East Berlin embassy congratulating them on a job well done (No individual was accused of the bombing until the 1990 reunification of Germany and the subsequent opening up of the Stasi (Communist Germany Secret Police) archives. Stasi files led German prosecutors to an Libyan agent who had worked at the Libyan embassy in East Berlin).
But in provision against a such Libyan terrorist response, had been staged a contingency plan for bombing with only a 48 hours delay selected targets in Libya under the code-name Prairie Fire, and executed as El Dorado Canyon, employing mainly as strike force F-111F of the 48th TFW with the support of EF-111A of the 20th TFW based on United Kingdom, and A-6E from the aircrafts carriers USS America and USS Coral Sea.
This scenario represents the historically present forces, and speculates about the possibility of an higher readiness grade on the Libyan forces, probable use of Pakistani, Cuban, East German and other nationalities loaned or mercenary pilots, a greater fighting will of the Libyan dictator Gaddafi, and less fear to sustain losses by the Libyan side, to later keep supporting his Saharan and Sub-Saharan campaigns.
 
Enrique Mas, October 2013.
 
 

Fate of PNS Ghazi, 1971. Historical Scenario.
 
A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the IOPG Battleset and the HCCW-130923 1950-1975 Cold War Platform Database.
 
Image: AGSS-479 USS Diablo after the Fleet Snorkel conversion in 1964, in Long Island Sound and before the delivery to the Pakistani Navy. Source: Wikipedia Commons and navsource.org, probably first released by LCDR Tomme J. Lambertson USN (RET).
 
To avoid spoilers is better to play this scenario a few times first playing the Pakistani/Blue side, and only after the Indian/Red side. Is a long ASW scenario with very limited forces in quantity and quality in both sides, sailing the immense Bay of Bengal, where from long time nothing happens, but with frantic moments after the enemy is in contact.
 
The PNS Ghazi (a title given to Muslim warriors or champions) was a Tench-class submarine (SS-479 USS Diablo) transferred to Pakistan on 1 June 1964 after a Fleet Snorkel conversion (The Fleet Snorkel conversion were conversion of fleet boats by far cheaper, slower, noisier and with poorer sensors than the more celebrated GUPPY conversions, developed to fulfil the number of submarines requested by the US Navy, impossible with the expensive Guppies. The Fleet Snorkel keep the four original fast-running electric engines not replacing them by two quieter slow-running engines, as the Guppies, and her hull and sail are not so streamlined as in the Guppies. Also, it was at least two Fleet Snorkel main variants: an US Navy variant with the big German-derivative BQR-2 chin-mounted passive sonar array, and other diverse austere variants for export, mainly for training submarine crews and employ the Fleet Snorkels as targets in ASW exercises in many allied navies, with simpler sensors, usually the BQR-3 passive sonar,
an old JT in a dome. And as a Tench-class Fleet Snorkel converted her torpedo capacity was 28, not 24 as in the Gato and Balao-classes conversions.
In the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War PNS Ghazi was the only submarine in both sides, and sailed in deterrent preventing the major ships of the Indian Navy to came out of harbour, and supporting Operation Dwarka, but not firing anytime in anger.
In the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, concluded after a fast 13 days campaign with the secession of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), the Pakistani Navy strategic plan was to send Ghazi into the Bay of Bengal, to mine some ports, to do some intelligence and to menace and prevent with her presence the use of the Indian Navy sole carrier, INS Vikrant.
Ghazi was the only one Pakistani submarine capable of that task because her greater range (11000 nm against 4500 nm) and higher weapons capacity than the three modern Pakistani Daphne-class submarines, but noisier and with older sensors than the French-made boats.
As the mission was considered highly dangerous Ghazi staff was changed to employ young naval officers, under the new command of Commander Zafar Muhammada Khan, promoted to this rank only four days before the mission begins.
After looking for Vikrant in Madras/Chennai, and perhaps induced to go to Visakhapatnam by some Indian settled HUMINT trap, Ghazi was sunk near the entrance of that last harbour, when was executing minelaying operations.
She was lost with all hands, but the sinking causes are dubious, more probable an spontaneous internal explosion caused by hydrogen leaked from the batteries or the accidental explosion of one of her own mines, less probably sunk for a pair of depth charges randomly launched without sonar contact by INS Rajput.
This scenario departs from this initial historical situation the first day of war, and speculates with Ghazi surviving the minelaying attempt at Visakhapatnam, and hunting for Vikrant in the Bay of Bengal.
Unnamed places are:
ZTp Visakhapatnam port, India.
ZQp Madras/Chennai port, India.
ZRp Haldia/Calcutta port; India.
ZQp Port Blair port, India.
 
Enrique Mas, September 2013.