"The failure to implement a comprehensive peace treaty between Japan and the Soviet Union after the end of the Second World War has acted as an obstacle to the resolution of an outstanding territorial dispute over the Kuril Archipelago. In recent years, the Russian attitude toward the issue appears to have moved toward one of consolidating control rather than giving up the territory. Now, the Russians have moved significant military forces into Etorofu, and it appears they are bent on consolidating their illegal hold. A Japanese fishing vessel has gone missing in the area of Shikotan. The Japanese Self-Defence Forces have been mobilized."

 

Such is the backdrop for Brad Leyte's most recent scenario, "In Self Defence", which can be found at the HarpGamer.com Scenario Page

 

You will need the newly revised HCDB-050314 to play this scenario.

Firstly, a word of caution. In Self-Defence is not a scenario for the faint of heart, or the "PC processor challenged". I spent most of my time playing at 1:1 time compression. That's not to say someone with only a little Harpoon experience, or a slower PC, shouldn't try it. Just be prepared for some long delays.

 

 

“Do not fire unless fired upon.” No fighter pilot in the world acknowledges fear but these are the six scariest words in the fighter pilot lexicon.

 

After issuing orders to prepare for a brutal aerial assault, I launched my AEW [Airborne Early Warning] and CAP [Combat Air Patrol] missions. My men, true to their Bushido code, solemnly walked to their aircraft. This was going to prove a difficult day for the JASDF.

 

My airborne controllers soon gave warnings of multiple bogeys and suspected them to be Fulcrums and Flankers. A quick look in the weapons database revealed that not only would my pilots restricted to return fire when fired upon, but that they were fairly significantly out-ranged by the enemy AAMs [Air-to-Air Missiles]. Talk about the proverbial rock and a hard place.

 

However, my pilots had their own ideas on how to circumvent their orders. Before launching on their missions, they had visited the base library and brushed up on their Russian. As they neared the bogeys, the pilots broke EmCon [Emissions Control] and switched their radios over to international Guard frequencies. Soon, cries of “Yob’ tvoyu maht!” could be overheard. They were simply applying a tactic first employed by “Pappy” Boyington (U.S.M.C.) 60 years prior against Japan. These insults quickly caused the Russian pilots to lose their temper and fire their AAMs at maximum range.

 

 

Once fired upon, they were able to respond in kind. By provoking the attack from maximum range, the JASDF was able to escape with the loss of only 4 planes while hammering their opponents as they aggressively pursued.

 

The fact that the Russians were supported by EW [Electronic Warfare] assets was quickly seen. It was very cool to watch the radar displays go to hash as ECM systems were activated. However, I would have been much happier to “do unto others” instead of having them “do unto me”. The lack of EW support in the JASDF inventory was sorely felt.

 

Strikers began to materialize near La Perouse Strait. From the number of resources the enemy was committing to the area, it was obvious that the enemy wanted that strait open very badly. A number of attacks from Fencers were barely defeated before their weapons release points. Two high velocity skunks were detected in transit through the strait. They turned out to be Lun-class PTMs capable of over 200kts! The SSMs [surface-to-Surface Missiles] on those vessels were very bad news indeed. The land-based SSM system was able to salvo their missiles just before incoming ALCMs [Air-Launched Cruise Missiles] destroyed their installations. The aerial attacks were very nicely coordinated with passage of the PTMs. It almost worked.

 

 

While the CAPs were slugging it out with the strikers, enemy fighters chased my AEW support all over the sky. Fighters were quickly re-cycled and managed to launch and slay the interlopers just minutes before they would have been able to kill these priceless ‘eyes in the sky’. Slowly but surely, the aerial situation was taken in hand.

 

SS Asashio was stumbled upon by a group of four ships which she quickly dispatched with well placed torpedoes. SS Wakashio detected the Kuznetsov CVBG but quickly decided to call on support from the air bases due to the heavy ASW support evident. Standoff missiles quickly dispatched the group.

 

While enroute to the Kuriles, an MCM [Mine-CounterMeasures] vessel suddenly exploded! Somehow, an SAG [surface Action Group] had managed to penetrate to SSM range under the fog created by the ECM. The Amphibs quickly radiated their defensive SAM systems while returning fire with SSMs. Luckily, the destruction of the MCM gave sufficient warning to the TF commander so that no additional damage was suffered. It was a very close encounter with the final missiles being destroyed by the Close-in-Weapons Systems [CIWS].

 

Once air supremacy had been seized over the Japanese territory and an electronic picket fence had been established, it was easy to move my assets to the disupted territory. An air strike on the base at Etorofu was successful in silencing it and victory was awarded.

 

This is a great scenario to see some new platforms that I had not seen before. Many were very big surprises to me. I did not realize just how short the legs were on an F-1 until I tried to order one on an intercept mission.

 

Thanks very much for sharing another exceptional scenario with the community.