After Action Report: Korean Gulf [spoiler Alert]

A scenario by Mark Gellis

 

A few years in the future ... A recent dispute in the United Nations regarding the relationship between North Korea and Iran has escalated in recent weeks because of remarks made by South Korean government. Iran has declared it will no longer allow South Korea to export oil from the Persian Gulf. South Korea has responded by moving warships into the area to escort tankers. They have also transferred a number of military aircraft to the area, basing them at Abu Dhabi.

 

Mark Gellis, a long time scenario writer, has produced another benchmark for anyone interested in small sized but very effective and entertaining scenarios for Harpoon Classic.

 

My Korean ship group comprised six commercial tankers and a pair of South Korean Navy warships – the Ulsan class frigate Chung Nam and the Okpo (KDX-1) destroyer Ulchimundok, and embarked with the latter, a pair of Super Lynx helicopters.

 

The group was already assembled outside the port and airfield at Abu Dhabi and would have to transit the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman under Iranian threat.

 

Fortunately, the government in Seoul had seen fit to send a contingent of ROK Air Force aircraft to watch over the precious convoy, and these proved invaluable.

 

The Iranians wasted no time in carrying out their threat, launching several flights of rapidly ageing but still dangerous MiG-29 Fulcrums. These approached the orbiting Boeing 737 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) from the Iranian airfield at Chah Bahar. KF-16C/D fighters intercepted the Fulcrums, and the Iranians made the fatal mistake of engaging first. AMRAAM shots in reply quickly brought down the Iranian MiGs.

 

The KF-16s were easily able to deal with all oncomers during the following air battle, downing several more Fulcrums and several strike packages of F-5 Tigers and Su-24 Fencers as they attempted to penetrate across the Musandam Peninsula from the east.

 

I made a classic mistake at this point, however, having been fixated on these attackers rising out of Chah Bahar and relying far too much on my orbiting E-737 to warn me of any other potential threat.

 

The reminder of my failure in this respect came in the form of several Saccade anti-ship cruise missiles slamming into the commercial tanker Konda. She blew up and sank immediately, my efforts in energizing local warship radars and defensive systems coming too little too late.

 

My P-3 Orion soon located the threat: a trio of Houdong fast attack craft approaching from the west of Kish Island. Although of little solace to the crew, owners and insurers of Konda, the frigate Chung Nam fired off five Harpoons at the three targets from near maximum range. Four of the missiles struck targets, obliterating all three Iranian missile boats.

 

The P-3 Orion stayed airborne and in near proximity to the tanker group for the remainder of their transit, conducting sweeping low level passes in the intended pathway under the watchful eye of the escorting KF-16s.

 

As the tankers approached the dreaded Strait of Hormuz, the P-3 again proved its worth. The magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) had picked up a subsurface object. A sonobuoy soon confirmed the threat, an Iranian Tareq (Kilo) diesel-electric submarine was lurking in the area. A Mk 46 NEARTIP lightweight torpedo was dropped, and (remarkably) homed in right away and struck the submarine. For the Noor, it was a fatal blow.

 

With the loss of the missile craft, a submarine and numerous premier combat aircraft, the enemy’s most serious weapons were declawed, and the Persian foe did not again pose a danger to the Korean convoy.

 

Although the P-3 continued to shadow the group, under combat air patrol (CAP) protection from the KF-16s. And, when the E-737 was unavailable, I made use of the brand new and very capable F-15K Slam Eagles, but these never saw any action.

 

The convoy escaped to safe waters (and Minimum Victory) with approximately 14 hours remaining.

 

Thanks to Mark for another enjoyable scenario that reminds us not to forget the basics.

Nice AAR. I can't wait to try it for myself. Thanks for sharing.