Soviet SSBN strategy

[Skwabie]

Completed my second campaign to date. Apparently the only chance one gets to hunt SSBNs is the final campaign mission.

I'd like to have a chance to do so other than that. I'd like to edit in some SSBN missions. Currently I simply replicated the 2 SSBN_patrol final missions and added them as normal missions.



But my question is, what would be the Soviet SSBN doctrine during the 1984 time frame, realistically? Would they stay at the backyard bastion or venture towards American east coast via a breakout? If it's the latter, I ought to make some more missions where an SSBN wolfpack would transit the Norwegian/Greenland sea towards the North Atlantic.

Googling finds very vague answers. Wiki suggests "3rd gen" boomers staying back while older ones go to the eastern seaboard or some such. But I never believe wiki all that much..

[C-Wolf]

Soviet front-line boomers during this timeframe had no reason to move any closer to their target areas than the range of their missiles allowed, which was considerable. Their goal was to remain undetected, disbursed, and as close to their own ASW screens as possible.

The only SSBNs allowed into the open ocean, --closer to the US, were the Yankees and Deltas. They were so loud, they were considered sacrificial in a conflict - and likely would have been. The NATO code-named, "Typhoon" class were their "ace-in-the-hole" for deterrence, and patrolled closer to home.

In the 80's the Soviets knew they would lose a large percentage of their SSBNs if a conflict erupted, due to the information they received from the Walker spy ring. They chose a conservative strategy in order to preserve enough deterrence to make the Americans think twice about a pre-emptive attack. They did not have the financial resources to re-build and deploy a stealthy SSBN fleet. As it was, their patrol posture declined considerably as the country fell apart.

Today's Soviet boats, are another story. They are very capable and quiet; what they lack in numbers, they make up for in quality.

[XenonSurf]

You must edit these entries from the campaign_data.txt file (campaign folder) to change the frequency of missions you get:

[PLAYER MISSIONS]
//Last mission is the FINAL MISSION for the campaign
//Second to last mission is simple RETURN TO BASE
PlayerMissionTypes=SSN_WOLFPACK,SS_WOLFPACK,SS_SPE COPS,INSERTION,LAND_STRIKE,ASUW_STRIKE,LANDING_FOR CE,RESUPPLY_CONVOY,SHIP_RESUPPLY,SUB_RESUPPLY,RETU RN_TO_BASE,SSBN_PATROL
//Last two missions are not included on frequency list
//Sum of frequencies must equal 1
PlayerMissionFrequency=0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1 ,0.1,0.1,0.1
PlayerMissionThreshold=0,0,0,0.5,0.6,0,0,0,0,0

Edit the fore-last line to your liking, the sum must be 1. The order corrisponds to the PlayerMissionTypes above.
Then put all the last line to 0 values.

Cheers,

[The Bandit]

You could always make the argument for the much feared 'depressed-trajectory' launch but honestly I think that was mostly theoretical. Not that it couldn't be done (launching SLBMs at ranges well below their maximum to cut-down on flight / reaction time in hopes of taking out enemy command and control or doing a counter-force strike on their bomber and ICBM bases), but that the Soviets were actually considering a 'first-strike' role for their SSBNs.

From what I recall reading, most of the SSBNs which would have patrolled close to the East Coast (like C-Wolf mentioned) were the old Yankees, and they were there because it was dictated by the relatively short range of their missiles. Further more, these 60s-era SLBMs probably wouldn't have had the accuracy to really accomplish a first-strike mission (i.e. knock-out or completely destroy the counter-force targets she'd likely be aiming at, in hopes of blunting / disrupting the American second-strike response.) so I think the whole thing is basically a non-starter which was more of something that the US was scared / paranoid about what could happen vs. a valid tactic that the Soviets actually planned on using.

As far as 'SSBN Wolfpacks' go, while I do remember hearing that the Soviets frequently escorted their boomers, I doubt very much they'd do it in a large numbers (multiple boomers and multiple escorts), especially for something getting sent out into the Atlantic because I think it would just be too easy to detect and put them into an 'all our eggs in one basket' situation. You could say that's exactly what they were doing by staying in bastions, but in that case it was their basket.

[Skwabie]

C-Wolf & The Bandit - Thanks! I've currently added a 3rd mission where a Yankee class SSBN would transit into the Atlantic, based on the mission from the 1968 campaign. It is questionable as to its realism but hopefully adds a bit more flavor to gameplay.

XenonSurf - yes, I halved both SHIP and SUB_resupply mission chances which leaves the extra 0.1 for my SSBN missions.

[Skwabie]

OK, it works. Though probably gotta re-write briefing to state it is a Yankee.




This is after re-doing an amphib landing mission 3 times that is. First time blasted by 4 torpedoes, second time the transports escaped. Third one barely succeeds on 17% hull and bottoming the boat. Just how hard can these missions be??..
(Off topic)

[Capt.Hunt]

I've heard that the Typhoons and later model Deltas could theoretically hit US targets from Pier side at Severodvinsk