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View File 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 https://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn68_9.ht 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 09/08/2024 Category IOPG  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 08/24/2024 Category Middle East  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 06/02/2024 Category Middle East  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 04/14/2024 Category IOPG  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 03/17/2024 Category GIUK  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 01/21/2024 Category Caribbean Basin  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 11/12/2023 Category Middle East  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 06/17/2023 Category MEDC  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 05/06/2023 Category Middle East  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 03/25/2023 Category MEDC  

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 01/21/2023 Category GIUK

View File 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. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 11/27/2022 Category MEDC