File Name: Clash of DDGs, Spratly Islands 26-27 October 2015.

File Submitter: broncepulido

File Submitted: 28 Oct 2015

File Category: WestPac

 

 

Clash of DDGs, Spratly Islands 26-27 October 2015. Historical Scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the Western Pacific Battleset and the HCDB-150928 1980-2015 era Platform Database or the new HCDB2-170522 New Standard 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/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.

Image: The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG-82) during a scheduled port visit in Da Nang, Vietnam, on 7 November 2009. Cmdr. H.B. Le, commanding officer of Lassen was visiting Vietnam for the first time since he and his family fled the country in 1975. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Viramontes/Released) 091107-N-7280V-386. Photo in public domain because taked by a US serviceperson on duty and publicly released, taked from Flickr.

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), and at last, the use by Russia of Latakia as advanced air base from operations against the opposition to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from 30 September 2015, with unpredictable consequences.
But meanwhile, more towards Far East was China a less perceived and growing problem.
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, 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.
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.
At last, from the late hours of 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.

Enrique Mas, 27 October 2015.

 

 

Click here to download this file

This is a very simply and introductory scenario.

Some sources:

http://amti.csis.org/subi-reef-tracker/

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/10/27/southchinasea-usa-idINKCN0SK2AK20151027

http://news.ifeng.com/a/20151027/46013204_0.shtml

https://www.flickr.com/photos/compacflt/16232675014

File updated with latest informations not verified on participation of Chinese ships.

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Apparently confirmed the presence of three Chinese warships in the incident, one of them is as I guessed was PLAN Lanzhou 170 (Type 052C), it lacks yet the identity of the third ship, very probably a Jianghu V/Type 053H1 (I guessed Foshan).

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Update 29 October 2015: the second Chinese surface group has a 100% probability to be in the scenario (previously 75%), as apparenty in the historical encounter.

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Changes 30/10/15: all the Chinese helicopters unified to Zhi-9C. Jianghu V Type 053H1G name changed to Jiangmen, more probably in the incident (the previous name was of a sister based in the East Sea Fleet).

The Type 053H1 was Taizhou.

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Scenario updated 31 October 2015: ship changed as third Chinese frigate confirmed as JianghuII Type 053/1 PLAN Taizhou 533 (thanks Brad).

Spoilers apply

 

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My first run through this scenario was rather uneventful. (You might even say realistic).

 

The Chinese refrained from firing on me, although I am quite certain I was detected.

 

Potential for a follow-on version exists, now that the Essex ARG is in the area.

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Realistic but very curious outcome, I was fired upon by the Chinese on each run! (some 30 or so plays developing the scenario!!!!!!!!).

The US ship should be detected ever by the Chinese, mostly by their helicopters.

(I fear it should be some wicked thing on PE, GE or DB)

I thought it was rather strange, as well, especially after I energized all of my ship's radars and waited to be bombarded. But nothing.

Very strange , just I test it an hour ago three times and detectes and fired upon three times (What do you see about the red units in the cheat mode?).

Very strange , just I test it an hour ago three times and detectes and fired upon three times (What do you see about the red units in the cheat mode?).

 

I was playing your earlier release, with what appears to be a single Type 052D on the Red side.

Perhaps that can be an explanation (but I doubt it by the same causes, but perhaps one of the 100 possible combinations of starting positions can drive to it: each group has 5 random starting positions and 2 possible courses, 5x2=10, 10x10=100).

Modification 30 November 2015: minimum cosmethic changes, individual ships names restored to historical presente ships (about this irregularity naming ships with personalized DataBases, can be of interest to read this: http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?/tracker/issue-134-problem-naming-individual-ships/ )