broncepulido Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 View File Operation Midnight Hammer, night of 21-22 June 2025. Historical Scenario. Operation Midnight Hammer, night of 21-22 June 2025. 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/US-Allied 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: A B-2A Spirit and two F-15E Strike Eagles fly in formation across the Pacific Ocean Near Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on July 8, 2005. The deployed fighters and bomber represent Pacific Air Force's projection of Global Strike and resolve for U.S. allies in the Pacific theatre. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, from Wikipedia, pictured by a serviceperson on duty and in consequence on public domain.) When I started to design this scenario about August 2025 my idea was to represent the turmoil of 2025. From August 2025 to today the turmoil has increased and the scenario and its goals are now apparently almost straight and simple. It represent a high moment of the Twelve-Day War between Iran and Israel (13-24 June 2025), with US forces purposely obliterating the Iranian nuclear program, after previous Israeli strikes softening the Iranian air defences (and most of the Iranian aircrafts were evacuate to Eastern Iran to avoid destruction, doing from three to five single sorties while Midnight Hammer). My idea was to represent the flavour of an almost deserted Iran, but capable to get a moral and propaganda victory if some few US aircraft are destroyed. The scenario is only four hour long, but should be played many times at slow pace to avoid unpredictable loses and outcomes. Could you replicate the US achievement in this apparently simple scenario? Enrique Mas, January 11, 2026. Submitter broncepulido Submitted 01/11/2026 Category Middle East 1 Quote
broncepulido Posted January 11 Author Report Posted January 11 Notes on some platforms: - For sake of scenario simplification B-2A Spirit are flying from a near Jordan base (Muwaffaq Salti AB, AMa), avoiding the use of air refuelling. - Also for simplification only are showed three air bases in the zone with US Air Force elements probably employed in the operation: Muwaffaq Salti AB, Jordan (including the 7x B-2A Spirit, perhaps another as extra reserve at 50%), Al Kharj/Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, and Al Dhafra AB, UAE (with worthless for this scenario A-10C). - On this scenario it’s not employed B-2A Spirit Blk30 20 entry #8447, but B-2A Spirit Blk30 12 entry #8196, as is the only one equipped with the loadout #55455 including GBU-57A/B MOP. - Very probably all the frontline US F-16 in the scenario should be equipped with APG-83 AESA radar from circa October 2020, update to be finished 2027 (In fact the represented F-16CM40 of 555th Fighter Squadron, Triple Nickel (Aviano, Italy), are of one or the first unit equipped with, the present F-16CM50 were historically of 480th Fighter Squadron, Warhawks (Spangdahlem, Germany), in this action). To be historically correct use five B-2A Spirit equipped with GBU-57A/B MOP against Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant (WIb); one B-2A and another as reserve (perhaps is available even another reserve B-2A at 50%) equipped with GBU-57A/B MOP against Natanz Nuclear Facility (WJb); and Tomahawk cruise missiles from the USS Georgia SSGN against Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center (YTb). - The Iranian air defences are simplified to reflect its attrition by the previous Israeli attacks, same its remaining air force at the strike date is an informed guess. - Iranian bases with surviving Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) aircrafts are Tabriz, Mashad, Hamadan, Esfahan, Dezful, Omidiyeh, Shiraz, Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Bandar Abbas, Tehran-Mehrabad and Oghab 44 underground air base. - SA-17 represents some survivors of other Iranian (supposedly efficient), Russian or indigenous medium range SAMs. SA-20b represent the only survivor (of four) Iranian S-300PMU-2 SAM to previous Israeli attacks, and the only one indigenous Bavar-373. - For sake of scenario simplification are employed Chinese DF-25 and Iranian Shahab-3 to represent the many types of Iranian ballistic missiles. 50% of each. - MRBM salvos are scripted for fun, and should not target more than Tel Aviv and Al Udeid, with some 30x MRBM targeting Tel Aviv and some 6x MRBM targeting Al Udeid (The seven KC-46A based at Al Udeid were evacuated the previous days). This represent both sides were adverted by the adversary about its incoming attack, to prevent casualties and escalation of the conflict (By the same motive the Iranian player should not attack other Blue bases with aircrafts, as this should alter the victory conditions with a too easy victory for the Red side). Islands/Oil platforms are not historically verified, and only simulate Iranian advanced observation posts. Quote
broncepulido Posted January 11 Author Report Posted January 11 Some sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_strikes_on_Iranian_nuclear_sites https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/world-operation-midnight-hammer/ https://xxtomcooperxx.substack.com/p/great-television?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawL8YIRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrfBkDVHUW0KM-uEYzPvqLICXt7zsWuMHYxONDnyrZB-N6kWLCy-guw0fn5M_aem_TbsQ2iYFSdMooREz8tkKZw&triedRedirect=true https://xxtomcooperxx.substack.com/p/operation-endless-wisdom?fbclid=IwY2xjawL8YylleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHpI9H29uomhbJgZ9idZvO44TJvVCeaJZUbjmp8JJgpXvS5xZ0Ue3QhS9EUIH_aem_GWVTbTEK9GFMSMr7oZ-6ng Iranian SA-5 sites (Most elements deleted 2013, but at least radars keep): http://military.ddns.net/Iran_sa5/SA5_Ban.html https://www.scramble.nl/planning/orbats/iran/isl.-rep.-of-iran-air-force Operation Rising Lion, June 2025: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Israel_war https://www.defenseforces.com/2025/06/20/where-is-irans-air-force/#:~:text=Iranian Air Force Remains Inactive,as the Fordow nuclear facility. https://www.key.aero/article/fall-irans-mig-29s (Also by Babak Taghvaee!). https://www.key.aero/article/history-chengdu-f-7n-iranian-service (23x F-7N and 20x FT-7N in existence 2022, equipped with PL-7C, very probably retired as not seen in the 2025 actions, as also in 2022 were in service 4x F-7N and 10 FT-7N in Isfahan. Also by Babak Taghvaee!) https://www.key.aero/article/ship-killers (Some 10x Su-22 in service 2017, perhaps none in 2025, only with dumb bombs and unguided rockets, and without AAMs. Also by Babak Taghvaee!) https://www.armadainternational.com/2025/06/sead-force-tour-de-force-electronic-warfare/ https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-sead-role-f-35s-midnight-hammer/ Air Forces Monthly December 2024: Taking on Iran’s Missile Menace by Babak Taghvaee. https://www.armadainternational.com/2025/12/going-blind-electronic-warfare/ Air Forces Monthly April 2025: A Step Forward Extintion, by Babak Taghvaee (Great article on Iranian RF-4E (Only 4x remain in service from 1/2025, with data numbers on F-4E (56x) and F-4D(8x)). Air Forces Monthly June 2025: Targeting Iran, by Babak Taghvaee. Air Forces Monthly August 2025: Crushing Iran’s Nukes, by Babak Taghvaee. Air Forces Monthly November 2025: Time to Hide, by Babak Taghvaee. Air Forces Monthly January 2026: Revolutionary Fitters of Shiraz, by Babak Taghvaee. 1 Quote
broncepulido Posted January 13 Author Report Posted January 13 Added January 12, 2026: Use of three DDGs on BMD tasks partially protecting the US embassy in Tel Aviv (USS Arleigh Burke DDG-51, USS The Sullivans DDG-68 and USS Thomas Hudner DDG-116). Also of interest 80x SM-3 employed by five destroyers in the zone, or perhaps 16x SM-3 per destroyer: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/01/suicide-drones-closed-within-a-mile-of-us-destroyer-defending-israel-in-june/ Quote
donaldseadog Posted January 14 Report Posted January 14 Wow Enrique, another extremely thorough job of research. I'll be getting into this asap. Thanks mate. Don. PS, as usual it's not as easy as it looks . 1 Quote
donaldseadog Posted January 19 Report Posted January 19 I've got no After Action Report on this one, but it did take me two goes. The second time around local command decided that we needed some distractions, so we launched a few possibly unauthorised additional attacks on mostly airfields and air defense stations. It was more fun, but I guess that doesn't really count, or maybe it does? 1 Quote
broncepulido Posted January 19 Author Report Posted January 19 16 hours ago, donaldseadog said: I've got no After Action Report on this one, but it did take me two goes. The second time around local command decided that we needed some distractions, so we launched a few possibly unauthorised additional attacks on mostly airfields and air defense stations. It was more fun, but I guess that doesn't really count, or maybe it does? Doesn't count for victory, and also (as in case of tankers use) you are risking other aircrafts to any occasional undetected Iranian fighter. 1 Quote
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