Harpoon 3 [ANW] scenarios for the PlayersDB

[Herman]

The 79th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Somali Pirates

2008 saw a huge increase in pirate activities in the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean.

In the absence of an effective government in Somalia, whole fishing families took to piracy and hostage-taking as a means of income.

NATO's navies, vastly over-designed for the task (with poor HumInt and even poorer ROEs), are forced to carry out the oldest Navy mission of the alliance, keeping the Sea Lines of Communication open.

The task of preventing attacks by pirate ships nearly indistinguishable from regular fishermen is virtually impossible.

Ships operators refuse to let their ships sail only in escorted convoys (the Big naval lesson from the 20th Century!), but have agreed to report the positions of all merchant ships in transit to the NATO Operations centre in Djibouti to pass onto the NATO ships.

Author: Freek Schepers

With over 430,000 PlayersDB scenarios downloaded in the last 12 months alone, the PlayersDB has proven itself the unequivocal players' favourite.

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[Herman]

The 81st NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Get the Tbilisi

This scenario is an interpretation of the account from Michael A. Palmer's, "The War that Never Was".

"... A large convoy of eight Soviet cargo vessels carrying supplies and equipment had rounded the North Cape and was making its way to Harstad. Attack NATO aircraft were driven off by the Tbilisi's Flankers and Forgers. The Soviet carrier had covered the landing of the Northern Fleet's Marines at Harstad and seemed likely to safeguard the movement of the brigade's equipment and supplies to the newly established beachhead as well. Moreover, the carrier's fighters hindered movement by air of Norwegian reinforcements from the south to Bardufoss.

To Sir Owen, the continued presence of the Tbilisi in the Norwegian Sea ensured early defeat for NATO in north Norway. 'I would never have believed before the war', he confided to his naval aide, 'that one relatively small carrier could cause so many large problems.' At 0430 on the fifteenth of July, a tired GEN Peirse call CINCEASTLANT Hill-Norton at his Northwood, Middlesex, headquarters and explained the situation. 'Ben, your subs have got to get that Russian carrier out of there so my air can get to their cargo ships. Otherwise, we're facing disaster up north. My Norwegian boats can't do it alone.'

Hill-Norton was sympathetic. The ability of the Tbilisi's air group to fend off attacks from NATO land-based air and the Forrestal had surprised the Royal Navy's CINC, upset a variety of plans, and led to the wholesale destruction of Norwegian surface forces. 'Yes,' Hill-Norton responded, 'if we are going to get that carrier any time soon, our submarines will have to do the job. I'll talk to Dave.'"

"... Following the successful Soviet amphibious landing at Harstad, [Dave] Livesay had directed his submarines to focus their efforts against the well-screen Soviet supply convoy making its way along the Norwegian coast. Many of his submarines had been drawn inward toward the coast in an unsuccessful last-ditch attempt to prevent the amphibious landing on Hinnoy Island. Others had sparred, with some success, throughout D day with the Russian ASW group which screened the Tbilisi force further north. Later-arriving boats had been sent toward the North Cape, to loop around the rear of the powerful Russian task forces covering the approach of the supply convoy, and to get at the freighters, the sinking of which Hill-Norton himself had assigned top priority."

By 0600 on the fifteenth, several NATO SSNs had managed to make shallow runs and "pick up their mail," as one U.S. Navy submarine commander put it.

Author: Herman Hum

Many thanks to Freek Schepers for testing for compatibility with ANW.

With over 450,000 PlayersDB scenarios downloaded in the last 12 months alone, the PlayersDB has proven itself the unequivocal players' favourite.

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[Herman]

The 3rd NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Somali Convoys

2008 saw a huge increase in pirate activities in the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean.

In the absence of an effective government in Somalia, whole fishing families took to piracy and hostage-taking as a means of income.

NATO's navies, vastly over-designed for the task (with poor HumInt and even poorer ROEs), are forced to carry out the oldest Navy mission of the alliance, keeping the Sea Lines of Communication open.

The task of preventing attacks by pirate ships nearly indistinguishable from regular fishermen is virtually impossible.

Ships operators refuse to let their ships sail only in escorted convoys (the Big naval lesson from the 20th Century!), but have agreed to report the positions of all merchant ships in transit to the NATO Operations centre in Djibouti to pass onto the NATO ships.

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 9th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Gwadar you up to?

India vs China & Pakistan - Jan 24, 2015

China has been a net oil importer since 1993, with the bulk of its Middle Eastern energy imports being transported circuitously by sea via the Strait of Malacca. The country's rising demand for overseas oil, fuelled by its rapid economic growth, has raised concern about becoming over-reliant on this narrow waterway.

An alternate supply route in the form of a road and an eventual pipeline from Gwadar, Pakistan to China's westernmost provinces would reduce the dependence. Moreover, situated opposite the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 per cent of the world's energy exports flow, Gwadar offers Beijing opportunities to monitor shipping along the worlds key oil 'highway' as well as US naval movements in the Gulf region.

In addition to enhancing Chinese energy security, Gwadar also offers Beijing substantial strategic leverage in South Asia. The new port in Pakistan, coupled with the Chinese-backed development of a container port facility at Chittagong in Bangladesh, is likely part of Beijing's larger strategy of 'strategic encirclement' of its rival neighbour, India.

New Delhi has become increasingly unsettled at the prospect of coastal Balochistan being used as a Chinese listening post, as well as the possibility that Chinese naval vessels could dock in such close proximity to Indian territory.

[From Jane's Foreign Report 27 March, 2007]

Author: Eric Weincam

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[Herman]

The 10th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Port Blair Witch

China vs India

China and Pakistan have lodged strong complaints against India for their attack on the military facilities at Gwadar. However, the UN has been slow to respond and has done nothing but ask China to demonstrate restraint. There is fear around the world that China may retaliate with nuclear weapons, but this seems unlikely.

According to US sources, a Chinese SSBN has deployed from its base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea. China has neither confirmed nor denied this, but they HAVE stated that they have the right to conduct deterrent patrols.

Soon after, a pair of Chinese surface warships, operating out of Myanmar, attacked and sank an Indian-flagged container ship in the Bay of Bengal.

China affirmed this action as a retaliation against India. India has announced that they will take whatever steps are necessary to defend their merchant fleet.

Author: Eric Weincam

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[Herman]

The 21st NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Serpent's Island [ANW]

This scenario has been tested for compatibility with ANW 3.9.3 by Freek Schepers. Many thanks for his kind assistance.

Starting from 1878 back when the Treaty of Berlin offered it to Romania and until today, this piece of rock has played various roles that have reflected the interests of the countries in the region. After being a simple location for a lighthouse used for guiding navigation, it became a strategic point for the USSR, the latter annexing it in 1948 through a simple handing over minute, out of the desire to complete its control of the Danube by taking advantage of the military and strategic context of that time. After the fall of the Soviet Empire when it became part of Ukraine, the latter being USSR's successor state, the island has changed its nature and even its importance, with its statute now having major implications in establishing and delimitating [sic] Romania's and Ukraine's territorial seas and continental shelf. And those implications stem from the perspective and goal of exploiting the area's reserves of more than ten million tones of oil and 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

The basic treaty between the two countries, a treaty that Romania signed on June 2, 1997 under pressure to fulfil the border stability criteria needed to join NATO, has re-opened the issue in the context of subsequent border delimitation [sic] negotiations.

SOURCE: www.nineoclock.ro (March 4, 2009)

"World Court draws border between Romania, Ukraine"

The International Court of Justice has drawn the boundary between Ukraine and Romania in the Black Sea, striking a compromise in the longstanding argument.

The court discounted arguments and maps presented by both countries and drew a maritime boundary between the rival claims.

At stake is access to billions of cubic meters of natural gas and an estimated 10 million tons of oil, but it was unclear how the new line would divide those resources.

Romania said it got 79% of its claim. But Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Oleksandr Kupchyshyn said both parties were satisfied with the judgment, which he called a wise compromise.

The decision Tuesday by the court, the U.N.'s highest judicial body, is final and binding on both sides.

SOURCE: USA Today (March 4, 2009)

"State raid on Ukraine gas HQ raises fears of energy crisis"

Fears of a new European energy crisis were mounting on Wednesday after masked gunmen from Ukraine's intelligence agency stormed the headquarters of the state gas company in a raid that could throw relations with Russia back into crisis.

[snip]

Millions of European consumers were left without gas for the first two weeks of this year after Russia severed supplies to Ukraine over a payment dispute that observers said involved political wrangling. Ukraine acts as a conduit for 80 per cent of Russian gas bound for Europe.

SOURCE: Adrian Blomfield, Daily Telegraph
(March 4, 2009)

"I...drink...your...milkshake. I drink it up!"
Daniel Plainview, "There will be Blood", Miramax films, 2007

Author: Herman Hum

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[Herman]

The 24th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Knife-Fight

This scenario is an interpretation of the account from Michael A. Palmer's, "The War that Never Was".

"At 0315 on the 14th, after receiving a prearranged extra low frequency (ELF) radio message to begin hostilities, the Oscar fired a pair of Type-65 wake-homing torpedoes at the Forrestal at a range of forty-five miles...

The Victor III evaded an attack by the John Rodger's SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS III, but was driven to the south of the American task force. Doing so put her squarely in the path of the Royal Navy SSN Talent.

This Trafalgar-class nuclear attack boat had departed the 2nd Submarine Squadron base at Devonport, near Plymouth, on the morning of 11 July to reinforce NATO submarines already in the Norwegian Sea. At 0306 on the 14th, the Talent, trailing a communications buoy, had received a coded VLF message--hostilities had commenced. Aware that the course of the Forrestal task force would shortly converge with that of the Talent, Captain Alan Maunde, not eager to risk an attack by "overanxious or jumpy American ASW types," decided to slow his passage north and allow the Americans to pass."

For best results, this scenario should be played with Nuclear Weapons enabled.

Author: Herman Hum

Many thanks to Freek Schepers for his kind assistance in testing and confirming compatibility with ANW.

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[Herman]

The 32nd NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Parting Gift

Just before the final surrender of Argentine troops in Port Stanley, Britain receives word of frantic activity at Argentina's nuclear facilities.

The US Air Force Space Command reports the test firing of a Condor II Argentine Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile has taken place with the missile passing over the Argentine tracking station in Kings Bay, Antarctica.

Britain decides that it must act to preempt desperate last-minute Argentine actions.

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 43rd NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

The Supply War

By the 20th of May, there were strong indications that invasion was imminent. Destroyers had shelled Argentine coastal garrisons and rumours were rampant that SAS troops were on the ground. During the night, an Argentine freighter was shelled by an unknown British warship in Falkland Sound.

The success of the invasion would depend largely on the British ability to re-supply the beachhead; dependant upon a supply line stretching 8000nm between the UK and the Falklands and maintained by 50 ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and a selection of leased merchant ships whose crew were being paid 150% danger pay.

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 71st NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

On May 1, 1982 Exocet missiles fired by Argentine Air Force Super-Etendard aircraft sank HMS Sheffield and set fire to HMS Invincible. That same afternoon, a full squadron of Mirage IIIE overwhelmed Hermes' Sea Harriers (mostly by forcing them to Bingo) and 8 Navy Skyhawks from CV Veinticinco de Mayo carried out a mission for which they had been training months prior. Flying at very low altitude and using a makeshift datalink to a Russian Tu-142 Bear MPA circling the British TF, they knew that the Type 42's Sea Dart missiles cannot lock-on. Using modified Mk83 fuses that explode when dropped from as low as 30m, eight A4s made a devastating attack and put 3x 1000lb bombs through HMS Hermes' flight deck.

After burning for hours, HMS Hermes sank during the night and, with HMS Invincible damaged, the chance of a quick liberation of the Falklands was lost.

Follow-up attacks by Daggers were unopposed by Sea Harriers and damaged 4 more ships the next day. The British Task Force withdrew to the safety of Ascension Island and limited itself to a blockade of the Argentine ports and preventing Argentine re-supply of the Falklands through the nuclear submarines on patrol within the TEZ.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher maintained publicly that the Falklands would never be given up and swore to avenge the hundreds of British casualties. She ordered a crash program to re-commission HMS Bulwark or commission HMS Illustrious with RAF Harriers. To provide early warning and air defense, the UK started discussions with USA, Australia, and Brazil to lease a full-sized aircraft carrier and equip it with Harriers, Phantoms, and/or Gannets if pilots could be found with recent deck landing experience.

By the end of May, Britain presented evidence of the Russian Bear's role in the attack on HMS Hermes and announced the extension of the TEZ to include all Russian forces. In response, Russia started to strengthen their base in Luanda with long-range bombers and sent part of their Indian Ocean squadron to the South Atlantic

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 1st NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Beachhead Breakout

Almost a week after the initial landings on San Carlos, UK forces broke out of their beachhead. 2nd Para captured Goose Green in a daring raid and 42 Commando started moving east towards Port Stanley while 5th Infantry Brigade was being unloaded and supplied.

A severe weather front forced most amphibious ships to withdraw to open seas and grounded all air operations. Most troops on the ground saw this as a much-needed interruption from the continuous Argentine air attacks.

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 9th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Doolitov's Raid [ANW]

NATO has committed massive amounts of air power to the land campaigns in Norway and on the Central Front in Europe. As a result, the Soviets are finding it tough going in these theatres. If they can successfully strike behind the lines in much the same way the US did to Japan during World War II and inflict serious damage on the cities and NATO bases on the British Isles, NATO will be forced to withdraw air assets from the front lines to better defend the British home turf.

Author: Herman Hum

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[Herman]

The 22nd NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Independence Day

On May 25th, Argentina's Independence day, the Argentine Air Force made another all-out attack on the amphibious ships in Falkland Sound.

The near suicidal bravery of the Argentine pilots had sunk Sheffield and Ardent, and hit Argonaut, Glasgow, Antrim, Brilliant, and Broadsword with bombs that failed to explode.

The BBC broadcast a review last night which included the statement that many bombs did not explode as their arming wires were too short for the altitudes from which they were dropped. Argentine armourers are sure to be resolving this problem.

The British also started to realise that a great deal of planning preceded each Argentine attack and that Exocet missiles were generally aimed at Carriers while planes armed with bombs and rockets sought out Amphibs and warships. Decoy flights designed to draw CAP away from target areas are also employed by the FAA.

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 28th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Mid-Atlantic

By mid-May, frantic preparations had been made for the amphibious landings on the Falklands. 5th Infantry Brigade had left Southampton on the QEII May 11th with her equipment being carried on the Baltic Ferry. Forty RFA and merchant ships sailed south to support the fleet. The key strategic asset was Ascension Island; used to launch the Vulcan Black Buck missions, cross-deck and train troops, and to replenish ships.

The ships and troops needed to sail south at maximum speed to support the fleet and the upcoming amphibious landings.

Author: Freek Schepers

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[Herman]

The 30th NEW Harpoon scenario of the year!

Shetland Squabble

As fish populations collapsed around the world due to overfishing, nations began to come into conflict. Some nations were not overly careful about whether or no they strayed into some other nation's fisheries or territorial waters.

In the last few months, Norwegian fishing boats have violated British waters. The British government intends to send a strong message. The British task commander is ordered to capture or sink Norwegian fishing boats found north of the Shetland Islands. The task force is currently south of the Shetland Islands.

Author: Herman Hum in collaboration with Mark Gellis

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