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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 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  

View File The Chinese are Coming!!! (Against ARC21). Mid-2021. The Chinese are Coming!!! (Against ARC21). Mid-2021. Hypothetical Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for Western Pacific WesPac Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Allied side or from the Red/Chinese side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side. Image: San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18), joined by the Royal Australian Navy's Anzac-class frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFH-154), the French Navy's amphibious assault helicopter carrier FS Tonnerre (L9014), and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's Osumi class tank landing ship JS Osumi, transit together during exercise Jeanne D'Arc 21 (ARC-21), off the coast of Kagoshima, Japan on May 14, 2021. US Marine Corps photo by a serviceperson on duty, and in consequence on public domain). Putting President Putin aside and his current hybrid-war generated tensions in Easter Europe, expansionist China imposes a greater military, economic and politic challenge to the Western powers and other Far East allies. After historical periods targeted against other neighbours from 2012 China expansionism reveals itself clearer, marking an oceanic path. Beyond old vindications on nearer islands from Japan, Philippines and other countries, it's a subjacent strategy to exercise control on the Chinese sea approaches just to the second "string of pearls" (islands) and beyond, with complete domination of the sometimes named East and South china Seas. This scenario is centred on mid-2021, when annual French training mission ARC21 arrived near Japan, and international situation degenerates hot. The scenario reflects the complete Japanese and US order of battle in the region in 2021, and a very approximative Chinese order of battle of its Eastern Theatre Command forces, both PLAAF and PLAN (only main and selected warships), with some (air defence) PLAGF elements. This scenario is apparently cumbersome, but easier to command than others with fewer forces. Also it was surprisingly easier to program than other a lot smaller. Both sides forces are asymmetrical but probably balanced ... or not. Enrique Mas, November 14, 2021. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 11/14/2021 Category WestPac  

View File HMS Queen Elizabeth CSG21 Phase I: The Med. Early July 2021. Historical Alternate Scenario. HMS Queen Elizabeth CSG21 Phase I: The Med. Early July 2021. 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 side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side. Image: Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) and guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) operate in formation in the Gulf of Aden, July 12, 2021, few days after this scenario depicted actions (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Tarleton, a serviceperson on duty and in consequence in public domain). At last UK returns to rule the waves. After a few years delay, Carrier Strike Group 21, centred in the HMS Queen Elizabeth, carrying both British and USMC F-35B fighter-bombers, and with a multinational NATO escort, sails the first stages of her Far East tour. Some of her escorts are returning from courtesy visits on friendly ports, or from the conflictive Black Sea, waiting to traverse the Suez Canal from Port Said. But 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. If the things go wrong, its forward deployed forces in the Mediterranean and Syria should complicate the life on board CSG21. And the things are going wrong ... Enrique Mas, July 18, 2021. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 07/18/2021 Category MEDC

View File The not so Lonely New Queen of the North. March 2021. Hypothetical Scenario. The not so Lonely New Queen of the North. March 2021. Hypothetical Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the GIUK Gap 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 side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side. Image: Russian Guided Missile Cruiser Marshal Ustinov (Soviet Project 1164 Atlant, Slava-class for NATO) steaming through the English Channel on November 15, 2018. Aerial photograph took from a Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 Helicopter by LPHOT SEELEY/MOD, and licensed under the Open Government License. In all the three Slava-class cruiser completed, P-500 Bazalt anti-ship cruise missiles are replaced by P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missiles. Chervona Ukraina/Varyag was from the start equipped with P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missiles, and in Slava/Moskva and Marshal Ustinov P-500 Bazalt were replaced by P-1000 Vulkan (in service from 1987) in the late 1980s. From the start, casual observers were surprised by the steadfastness of the new Biden Administration face the aggressive and expansionist Russia and China postures. One of its first moves was the deployment of B-1B Lancer, with maritime strike capability (nominally equipped with AGM-158C LRASM-A from June 2018), in Norway 22 February-23 March 2021, including one B-1B deployed to Bodo inside the Arctic Circle from March 8. Less known to the world, that action was in response to continuous near violations of Norway's territorial waters by Russian naval vessels. Most executed sailing west of the Fishermen Peninsula by the Guided Missile Cruiser Marshal Ustinov, temporally the biggest Northern Fleet surface warship after the Pyotr Velikiy CGN, in a clear propaganda stunt but with a 35 years old vessel. Fjords and a big enemy warship playing hide-and-seek, for some a remembrance of 1944 and the ancient German battleship Tirpitz, the Lonely Queen of the North. In this hypothetical scenario many misunderstood drive to a hot situation and an open conflict, but to avoid an escalade limited to into theater forces and limited ground strikes against the opponent sovereign territories. Enrique Mas, 4 July 2021. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 07/04/2021 Category GIUK

File Name: Reagan against China, December 2016-early 2017. Hypothetical/Historical Scenario. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 25 Jan 2017 File Category: WestPac Reagan against China (and F-35B first blood), December 2016-early 2017. Hypothetical/Historical Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Western Pacific BattleSet and the new HCDB2-170401 (Previously 170122) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. Image: Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 perform a diamond formation flyby over the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) during a Tiger Cruise air power demonstration. U.S. Navy photo of 18 October 2009 by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Torrey W. Lee/Released, and took from Wikipedia Commons. This scenario is designed to be played from the US/Blue side or from the Chinese/Red side. To avoid spoilers you should play a few times first the US/Blue side, and only later play the Chinese/Red side. The scenario is based in current historical events, mainly the steaming of the just formed Chinese aircraft carrier CV-16 Liaoning CVBG thought the Bashi Channel in the contested sea area from 26 December 2016. But it was very improbable the political motivation in either side capable to generate an open war. At least President Obama had wanted to leave to posterity and to President-Elect Trump a strange and complicated legacy, to force the new incumbent to keep a very strong and militant posture against China. Also, one of the aims of this scenario is to show how numerous and modernized are the Chinese forces at the current times, forgetting the usual conception about they're obsolete and simple forces (but depicting also his lack of enough naval helicopters, tankers and EW aircrafts). Is showed the more accurate possible Chinese order of battle (December 2016) of his three fleets attack submarine force, his People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) air elements, some very few People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) combat elements, and a few PLAAF strategic elements, as UAVs, AWACS or ELINT aircrafts. Worth of remembering is, after the full of naval, military and security incidents year of 2014 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), Russian intervention in Syria from 30 September 2015, March 2016 detection by the French of a Russian submarine near Bay of Biscay, 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. 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 counter-ISIS operations in Middle East). But 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 Theater of Operations from 2012, move to be completed by 2020. In some places of the South China or East Philippine Sea multiple countries 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 (finished at March 2016) and other smaller finished in Mischief Reef, and more important, building artificial reefs and islands above previous simple shoals for claiming territory, and equipping them with advanced weapons. 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) worldwide on international waters, 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. Between the first incidents were 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, and the trailing for some hours of the USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) by the Chinese frigate Yuncheng (571) on 11 May 2015. Late, from 26 October 2015, USS Lassen (DDG-82) implement the Freedom of Navigation (FON) near the Chinese occupied Subi and Mischief Reefs in the Spratlys, and a clash of destroyers was possible, but avoided with the humble and shy behaviour of the US side, transiting without radars illuminating or the helicopter flying. Other previous very important situation, and after some months without US aircraft carriers in the region, was from 1 to 8 March 2016, when the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) Carrier Strike Group (JCSCSG or Carrier Strike Group Three) transited the Luzon Strait on the contested area. Other possible incident in our timeline was the sailing of the cruiser USS Chancellorsville between Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Mansiloc Spanish historical name) and Mischief Reef on late March 2016, when was persistently trailed by Chinese frigate Yueyang (575) but the action was limited to an exchange of weather pleasantries. But perhaps in the December 2016 transit of the Liaoning CVBG another outcome would have been possible ... Enrique Mas, 24 January 2017. Click here to download this file

File Name: F-35A Lightning II First Blood, August 2016. Hypothetical/Alternate History Scenario. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 15 Aug 2016 File Category: GIUK F-35A Lightning II First Blood, August 2016. Hypothetical/Alternate History Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition introductory scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the GIUK GAP Battleset and the HCDB-150928 1980-2015 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. Image: U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. George Watkins, 34th Fighter Squadron commander, drops a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb from a Lockheed Martin F-35A LIghtning II (s/n 13-5075) at the Utah Test and Training Range on 25 February 2016. The 34th FS was the U.S. Air Force's first combat unit to employ munitions from the F-35A. The 34th FS is assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base Utah (USA). US Air Force photo by Jim Haseltine and in consequence in public domain. Took from Wikipedia Commons. This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO and partners side or from the Red/Russia side. You should play a few times first the Blue/NATO and Partners side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Russia side. With the world clearly crumbling in the Second Cold War, at last on August 2, 2016, was declared Initial Operative Capability (IOC) of the US Air Force F-35A of the 34th Fighter Squadron "Rude Rams" (Hill AFB). To contain the continuous aggressive Russian force posture twelve of them were (hypothetically) fast deployed to Siauliai International Airport, Lithuania, both to show resolution and to prevent any other Russian offensive movement over the Baltic States, just as against Ukraine from 2014. Remember the Second Cold War was originated middle in the second presidential term of Vladimir Putin, from May 2012. As related, after the full of naval, military and security incidents year of 2014 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), Russian intervention in Syria from 30 September 2015, violation by Russian military helicopters of the Finnish and Georgian borders on 10 December 2015, March 2016 detection by the French of a Russian submarine near Bay of Biscay, violation by Russian military helicopters of the Polish border on 18 April 2016, the confuse Russian submarine B-265 Krasnodar incident with Polish warships (and the consecutive Putin sack of Russian Baltic Fleet numerous commanders), the HMS Montrose confuse encounter with the new Baltic Sea Fleet Russian corvette Soobrazitelnyy in middle of the BALTOPS 2016 exercise in June 2016, and with constant and multiple overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial and military flights in Europe. That without counting with 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 counter-Daesh operations in Middle East). And all those incidents without counting more towards Far East with China as a less perceived and growing problem, and his own generated incidents. 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 (finished at March 2016), and more important, building multiple artificial reefs and islands above previous simple shoals for claiming territory, and for. 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) worldwide on international waters (same in Baltic and Black Seas), 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. Speculatively in this scenario because the international situation many of the forces deployed in the BALTOPS 2016 exercise remained in Europe, and in high state of availability. Further, when the also yearly BALTOPS 2016 multipurpose and landing exercise did begin from 3 to 19 June 2016 (44th iteration) with theoretically neutral Swedish and Finnish partner participation, the Russian State-owned media (Russia Today, Sputnik, Russia Beyond the Headlines and others) and client Western media did begin a campaign to delegitimize the NATO exercises (BALTOPS 2016 was a complex exercise simultaneous to others as Saber Strike 2016 and Trident Joust 2016), and to justify any Russian military action. The excuse for the initial Putin action was the defence of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland (Formerly Konigsberg in East Prussia. What better excuse to request a land bridge from the Russian side, nobody remember the very near Danzig Corridor and the 1939 German Ultimatum to Poland?), and the situation goes to the boiling point very fast. At last, after the NATO Warsaw Summit (8-9 July 2016), and the (hypothetical) announcement of deploy F-35A in Siauliai, Putin was forced to act. To keep his security promises to the Russian people and keep his image of strong man, Putin is forced to an open war and destroy the NATO and partners forces near Kaliningrad, employing all the forces in the Baltic theatre, and another few deployed from others Russian Military Districts. The state of readiness of the NATO forces is low, the first two days of the open conflict can count only with the remaining forces at disposition after the recent exercises, but with the complete Polish Air Force order of battle, in high state of readiness because the international situation (The Finnish Air Force will be limited to protect this homeland). Will be vital for both sides to prevail these two first days of war, for Russia as propaganda and to show his force, for NATO and partners for resist and mobilize all the Western forces the next days, almost guaranteeing the victory against Putin's Russia. Enrique Mas, August 15, 2016. Click here to download this file

File Name: F-35A Lightning II Learning Curve, August 2016. Introductory Scenario. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 16 Aug 2016 File Category: GIUK F-35A Lightning II Learning Curve, August 2016. Introductory Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition introductory scenario for the EC2003 Battle for the GIUK GAP Battleset and the HCDB-150928 1980-2015 era Platform Database or the new HCDB2-170308 1980-2025 era Platform Databases. This scenario is designed with advanced Scenario Editor and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. Image: Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, flies a combat-coded F-35A Lightning II aircraft past the control tower at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Sept. 17, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo/Alex R. Lloyd, and in consequence in public domain. Took from www.af.mil/News/Photos.aspx?igphoto=2001294366 This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO and partners side or from the Red/Russia side. You should play a few times first the Blue/NATO and Partners side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Russia side. As the precedent developed scenario "F-35A Lighting II First Blood" is probably too complex to try, test and verify the supposed new characteristics and advantages of F-35, I did build this scenario with that purpose. Is basically an introductory scenario, with the core forces reduces to an air base by side. The historical premises are the same, and not are worth mentioned in complete extension. Those were in essence as, with the world clearly falling in the Second Cold War, at last on August 2, 2016, was declared Initial Operative Capability (IOC) of the US Air Force F-35A of the 34th Fighter Squadron "Rude Rams" (Hill AFB). To contain the continuous aggressive Russian force posture twelve of them were (hypothetically) fast deployed to Siauliai International Airport, Lithuania, both to show stead resolution and to prevent any other Russian offensive movement over the Baltic States, just as did against Ukraine from 2014. The excuse for the initial Putin action was the defence of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland (Formerly Konigsberg in East Prussia. What better excuse to request a land bridge from the Russian side, nobody remember the very near Danzig Corridor and the 1939 German Ultimatum to Poland?), and the situation goes to the boiling point very fast. At last, after the NATO Warsaw Summit (8-9 July 2016), and the (hypothetical) announcement of deploy F-35A in Siauliai, Putin was forced to act. To keep his security promises to the Russian people and keep his image of strong man, Putin is forced to an open war and destroy the NATO and partners forces near Kaliningrad, employing all the forces in the Baltic theatre, and another few deployed from others Russian Military Districts. Will be vital for both sides to prevail these two first days of war, for Russia as propaganda and to show his force, for NATO and partners for resist and mobilize all the Western forces the next days, almost guaranteeing the victory against Putin's Russia. Enrique Mas, 16 August 2016. Click here to download this file