The Cold War ended quietly a little after 7:30 PM on 25 December 1991. The Soviet Union simply ceased to exist, and the conflict that had shaped the world since the end of World War II was over.
By 1985, US-Soviet relations had come full circle, from confrontation in the early postwar decades, to détente in the late 1960s and 1970s, and back to confrontation in the early 1980s. Ronald Reagan entered the White House in 1981 with a hard approach to communism, firmly determined to take on the Soviet Union and challenge them to the limits. He did not believe in the containment policy, was reluctant to negotiate treaties with the Soviet leaders on the basis of distrust, and, as opposed to former presidents, regarded the Cold War as winnable. Convinced the United States was lagging in the arms race, Reagan increased defense spending to levels not seen since the Korean War, introducing the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) anti-missile program and re-starting the nuclear arms race.
Reagan's hard-line, anti-Communist stance was horrifying to the Soviets. They viewed Reagan as an implacable foe, committed to destroying the Soviet system and possibly willing to risk nuclear war in the process. However, even at this time of heightened tension, nowhere in the world were the superpowers squared off in a crisis likely to escalate into full-scale nuclear war. The post-détente "second Cold War" of the 1980s was essentially a war of strong and inflammatory words, and the Soviet propaganda machine let loose a barrage of harsh verbal assaults on the United States reminiscent of the early days of the Cold War. Although it was more a consequence than a cause of tension, it masked real fears among the Soviet leadership.
The renewed conflict brought various tit-for-tat military actions by both sides aimed at stressing each other out. Such moves, however, in some cases almost led to disaster. To demonstrate the feasibility of the Reagan administration's new "Maritime Strategy", for example, the US Navy sent carrier battle groups very close to the Kola and Kamchatka Peninsulas to simulate strikes on these key Soviet base complexes. NATO's "Able Archer" nuclear command and control exercise in late 1983 very nearly started a war when horrified Soviet military intelligence organs interpreted the communications activity as the opening moves in a theater nuclear attack.
Another factor that contributed to itchy trigger-fingers was the introduction of new nuclear weapon systems suited to surprise attacks. Cruise missiles like the GLCM, its naval sibling the Tomahawk, the ALCM, their Soviet counterparts the SS-N-21 and AS-15, as well as new theater ballistic missiles such as the Pershing II, SS-20 and SS-23, all provided both sides with the ability to strike deep strategic targets with little or even no warning. This was a radical departure from the decades-old "30 minutes for ICBMs, 5-10 minutes for SLBMs" reaction windows and forced both adversaries to significantly upgrade their nuclear-oriented C3I infrastructure, increase redundancy in both command and force elements, and also give higher priority to conventional forces targeting nuclear platforms.
Furthermore, the balance of forces was shifting at all military branches, through not in the same directions. On one hand, the Soviets were substantially increasing both their air warfare and air defense capabilities with the introduction of new systems and new tactics and doctrine to complement them, with more emphasis on initiative and independent operations. Their naval forces were also expanding considerably in both numbers and quality, and were beginning to pose a credible threat to both oceanic convoys and carrier battle groups alike. On the other hand however, NATO was substantially modernizing its ground forces both in material and also in spirit, morale and commitment. Central Front NATO ground forces were no longer a mere speed bump and nuclear tripwire as in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s; they could now fight for real. Ironically, it was exactly the time that they really needed to, because, as a result of the Soviets' growing air war and sea-denial capabilities, they could no longer rely totally on devastating air support and "guaranteed delivery" transatlantic reinforcements.
The Western military build-ups had placed an uneven burden on the Soviet economy, having to devote a much relatively higher segment of its economy to military expenditures to match those of the West. With their chronic economic problems, the Soviets increasingly accepted that the arms race was one that they simply could not win. Between 1986 and 1989, the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, brought a revolution to Soviet foreign policy, and during his second term in office Reagan started showing flexibility when the Soviet Union suddenly and dramatically began to fold its hand. Gorbachev and Reagan held a series of summit talks that brought forward arms reductions, the disappearance of the ideological Cold War competition, and ultimately, the race toward freedom in Eastern Europe.
Gorbachev wanted to bring about a peaceful transition to a more open Soviet society, introducing economic restructuring (perestroika) and democratization (glasnost). However, the vices he sought to eradicate turned out to be the essential features of the system. The bureaucratic stagnation, bad planning, corruption, and the incompetence of the Communism Party started to become visible to the Soviet public. Gorbachev's desire to reform a deeply flawed system opened the door to escalating protest, and ultimately led to the destruction of the totalitarian Communist rule.
From 1989 to 1991 the Cold War came to an end with the opening of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of Communist party dictatorships in Eastern Europe, the reunification of Germany, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The dreaded exchange of nuclear weapons, a cataclysmic World War Three, viewed by many as the only possible way of defeating what was thought to be a permanent and virtually indestructible Soviet adversary, never materialized.
This set of scenarios, created with the Harpoon3 modern naval/aerial warfare simulator, takes a look at what might have happened had the Cold War gone hot in September 1985. Triggered by the renewed friction of the 1980s coupled with the increasing decay of the Soviet system, their economic and industrial setbacks, and the declining agricultural production, the two superblocs collide at the peak of their Cold War strength. The scenarios focus on technical detail and a solid historical background, and are intended to give an accurate account of the war that never happened.
Being a Norwegian myself, this World War Three project covers the conflict mainly from a Norwegian / NATO perspective. During the Cold War, Europe's High North was of great strategic significance and had a central position in the naval and nuclear confrontation between East and West. In a war situation, the Soviets would seek to gain control over Norway and the Norwegian Sea in order to expand the defensive bubble around the Soviet homeland and indirectly increase the protection of their strategic submarine bastions in the Barents Sea. To NATO, with war raging throughout the European theatre, the ability to reinforce and supply from the United States would have been decisive. The loss of Norway and the Norwegian Sea would have provided the Soviets with free access to the Atlantic, and thereby, the ability to cut NATO's essential North Atlantic sea lanes of communication (SLOCs).
Bordering the Soviet Union and the Kola base complex in the far north, surrounded by the strategic weapon systems of the two superblocks, and hosting a number of important military installations, Norway is a modern industrialized, but thinly populated, parliamentary democracy. Most of its four million citizens live in the south while the defense of Norway is concentrated in the northern one-third of the country. Norway has been a loyal member of the NATO alliance since its inception and has often been named 'best in the class'. Despite forty years of Cold War, the High North region remained relatively stable without any armed hostilities occurring in it, a situation mainly contributable to Norway's policy of "non-provocation"; the government did not allow the stationing of NATO troops or nuclear weapons on Norwegian soil in peacetime. Other restrictions were instituted as well, but the Allies viewed the special Norwegian combination of deterrence and reassurance as reasonable, and the policy caused minimal tensions in relation to its NATO partners. Since the restrictions were self-imposed, and not subject to international agreements, the government was free to lift them in times of crisis or war.
The 'World War Three in 1985' project will initially cover the war in Norway and the surrounding seas; the Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea, the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the US East Coast. It is made up of a total of sixty-four scenarios, of which 30 have been released to date, spread among four battlesets of fifteen scenarios each:
(Please make sure you have downloaded and installed the very latest DB2000 database before you start playing the scenarios.)
'Norway' battleset: covers the first two weeks of fighting in northern Norway. Part 1 - First Contact Part 2 - Silent Hunters of the Deep Part 3 - Counterattack Part 4 - To Help a Friend
Part 5 - War of Attrition (under construction)
Part 6 - Valley of Death (under construction)
Part 7 - Pinned Down (under construction)
Part 8 - Rear Guards (under construction)
Part 9 - Fortress Norway (under construction)
Part 10 - Battle for Narvik (under construction) Part 11 - Avengers
Part 12 - (planned)
Part 13 - (planned)
Part 14 - (planned)
Part 15 - (planned)
'Nuclear Exchange' battleset: this is a handful of scenarios designed as an "off line" excursion into the topic of nuclear warfare. The scenarios are not part of the original battleset, which covers a protracted conventional war, and are meant to explore the possibility of a nuclear conflict:
Part 1 - (planned)
Part 2 - (planned) Part 3 - Return to the Kola Peninsula (nuclear version)
Part 4 - (planned)
Many more scenarios are being studied. These will cover the Baltics, Sweden, and southern Norway. A massive follow-on project is under consideration, consisting of sixty-five scenarios or more, that covers the war in Central Europe. The first CENTFRONT scenario has been under construction since 2001, with research starting as far back as 1991(!), and is known appropriately as MAYHEM. Looking further into the future, the plan is to move on to the war in the Mediterranean and possibly the Pacific as well.
I hope you will enjoy playing these scenarios; I certainly had a great time building them. Comments and feedback is always welcomed. Thanks.
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, 1981-1989.
Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee, 1985-1991.
The aircraft carrier USS America and Aegis cruiser USS Ticonderoga are seen replenishing in the Norwegian Sea prior to the initialization of hostilities.
A F-14 Tomcat is resting on the deck of USS America. The US Navy's ferocious feline was without equal among the Cold War fighters, and most carriers deployed with 24 such aircraft.
A F-14A Tomcat belonging to VF-102 'Diamondbacks' is seen here launching from USS America during the first day of the war.
The F-14 Tomcats from USS America engaged scores of Soviet fighters over the Norwegian Sea on the first day of the War. This included at least a dozen MiG-23 'Floggers', one of which is shown here during a dogfight with a Tomcat.
A pair of F-14A Tomcats simultaneously launch AIM-54A Phoenix missiles at approaching Soviet bombers.
A fully armed F-14A Tomcat from VF-11 'Red Rippers' is launching from USS Forrestal.
F-14A Tomcats belonging to VF-11 'Red Rippers' and VF-31 'Tomcatters' are seen here sitting on the deck of USS Forrestal during replenishment operations.
Yet another F-14A Tomcat returns to the carrier with empty missile rails. Thanks to their powerful radar, superior weaponry, high maneuverability and excellent pilot training, the US Navy Tomcats distinguished themselves in battle and achieved an impressive combat record.
A-6E Intruder on the catapult with 22 Mk82 low-drag iron bombs. US aircraft carriers usually deployed with 10-12 medium-attack A-6E Intruders and 24 light-attack A-7E Corsair IIs.
An A-6E Intruder lets go with 28 Mk82 bombs, the maximum number of bombs this aircraft can carry.
The A-6E Intruder can carry up to four AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
An A-7E Corsair II is landing back on the carrier in adverse weather conditions.
The Corsair II could carry a wide range of weapons; the AGM-62 Walleye glide bomb, the AGM-45 Shrike anti-radar missile, a variety of iron/cluster bombs, and, from 1985 onwards, the advanced AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile shown in this picture.
Although the F/A-18 Hornet started replacing the Corsair II in 1982, this light-attack aircraft remained in front-line service aboard US aircraft carriers until 1992.
Although considered by many to be a highly capable multi-role plane, the F/A-18 Hornet had only half the combat range and could carry merely one-third the bomb-load of the aircraft it replaced, the A-7E Corsair II and F-4S Phantom II.
In mid-1985 the Atlantic Fleet had four operational F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, all of them belonging to Carrier Air Wing Thirteen (CVW 13). Most of these planes were lost when USS Coral Sea was sunk by Soviet missile submarines during the opening phases of the war.
The S-3A Viking was tasked with surface surveillance, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW). A carrier would usually deploy with ten Vikings aboard.
The USN adapted the Sea King for several different roles. This photo shows the SH-3H anti-submarine (ASW) version that served aboard US aircraft carriers during the 1980s.
The EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft plays a key role in suppressing enemy air defenses. Its ability to monitor the electromagnetic spectrum and actively deny an adversary's use of radar and communications is unmatched by any airborne platform worldwide.
No matter how impressive the strike power within the modern carrier air wing is, effective over-the-horizon Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and co-ordination of operations are essential if the force is to maintain its optimum capability. The E-2C Hawkeye shoulders these vital responsibilities, ranging far out from the carrier as the airborne 'eyes of the Fleet'.
The C-2A Greyhound is designed to provide critical logistics support to aircraft carriers.
A KA-6D Intruder refuels an EA-6B Prowler. Four such tankers are normally deployed with each carrier.
USS America is seen steaming in the Norwegian Sea. In 1985 the US Navy operated fourteen aircraft carriers, thirteen Carrier Air Wings (CVW), and two Reserve Carrier Air Wings (CVWR).
The guided missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga entered service in 1983. By 1985, three ships of this class were operational, two with the Atlantic Fleet.
USS Ticonderoga is seen here launching SM-2MR Standard missiles at incoming anti-ship missiles. The cruiser is armed with 68 SM-2MRs, and the powerful Aegis combat system can control 18-24 missiles in flight simultaneously.
The Spruance destroyers were the US Navy's most potent ASW ships. 31 units of this class were built, 16 were in service with the Atlantic fleet.
ASROC (Anti-Submarine ROCet) launch from a Spruance destroyer.
The nine ships of the Leahy class entered service between 1959 and 1960. Designed as a double-end cruiser, it was orignially armed with Terrier SAMs but the ships were later upgraded to fire the SM-1ER and then again the SM-2ER in the early 1980s.
USS Bainbridge was a one-of-a-kind nuclear powered version of the Leahy class. It was armed with two Mk10 twin launchers and a total of eighty SM-2ER missiles.
The Atlantic Fleet operated three guided missile cruisers of the Belknap class.
The Belknap class was armed with up to sixty 100nm-range SM-2ER Standard missiles.
Thirty multi-purpose frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry class were operated by the Atlantic Fleet.
The frigates of the Knox-class were highly effective ASW ships. Eightteen were operated by the Atlantic Fleet.
The Knox-class ships started receiving the Mk15 CWIS from 1982 onwards, replacing the obsolete Mk25 Sea Sparrow launcher.
USS Iowa is seen here firing a full broadside. Each of the nine 16-inch guns can fire two rounds a minute. No other ship could sustain a comparable level of offensive efforts in terms of volume, weight and duration of firepower as the Iowa class.
The ammunition ships transported and delivered bombs, bullets, missiles, mines, projectiles, powder, and torpedoes to the various ships in the Fleet, while underway. Shown here is AE-26 Kilauea, capable of storing 6,000 tons of munitions.
AOE-4 Detroit was one of four fast combat support ships operated by the US Navy back in 1985. This class had the speed and armament to keep up with the carrier battle groups and could carry 2,150 tons of ammunition.
To get their job done the logistics ships utilized CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters for Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP).
AE-21 Suribachi during VERTREP. The ammunition ships kept the fleet supplied with ammunition and ordnance, independently or with other combat logistic ships.
A Soviet Naval Aviation Tu-95 'Bear D' reconnaissance plane has been spotted over the Norwegian Sea. These aircraft were a key asset in the effort to locate and destroy US aircraft carriers at sea.
The Soviets built about 200 examples of the Tu-22M-2 'Backfire B' bomber during the 1970s and early 1980s. Nearly half of these were operated by the Naval Aviation. Production then switched to the vastly improved Tu-22M-3 'Backfire C', thirty of which were in service with the Strategic Air Forces at war outbreak. Another twenty 'Backfire C' bombers were operated by the Black Sea Naval Aviation.
The Tu-22M-2 'Backfire B' can carry a single AS-4 'Kitchen' (Kh-22) missile under the fuselage, or two missiles on hardpoints under the wings.
The Northern Fleet Naval Aviation did not start replacing its Tu-16 'Badger' bombers with Tu-22M-3 'Backfire C' until 1989. However the 'Backfire' regiments of the Soviet Strategic Air Armies regularly deployed to bases on the Kola Peninsula, and the bomber was a common sight over the Barents and Norwegian Sea during the 1980s.
At war outbreak the Northern Fleet Naval Aviation operated three regiments of Tu-16 'Badger' bombers. Each regiment had twenty aircraft on strength, plus two to three reserves.
A Tu-16 regiment is seen here forming up for an attack on NATO carrier battle groups in the Norwegian Sea.
The Nuclear-Powered Battle Cruiser Kirov has been spotted steaming off the Norwegian Coast. Two ships of this class were in service in 1985, one of them with the Northern Fleet.
Armed with twenty SS-N-19 'Shipwreck' missiles, the Kirov poses a grave threat to NATO Task Forces (TFs) and convoys.
BCGN Kirov is launching SA-N-6 Grumble SAMs at incoming Harpoon missiles and Walleye glide bombs.
The Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet operates one aviation cruiser of the Kiev-class.
Kiev is seen here replenishing together with two of her escorts. The eight launchers for the big SS-N-12 'Sandbox' missiles can clearly be seen on the foredeck.
Kiev usually deploys with fourteen Yak-38 'Forger A' fighters and about a dozen Ka-25 'Hormone A' ASW helicopters. The ship in the background is a Krivak frigate.
Armed only with short-range AAMs and a simple range-only radar, the Yak-38 achieved a poor air combat record during the war.
The first of the modern Sovremennyy destroyers entered service in 1980, and there were three ships in service with the Red Banner Northern Fleet by war outbreak.
The Sovremennyy destroyers were primarily tasked with air defense and surface strike. This photo shows the launch of a supersonic SS-N-22 'Sunburn' anti-ship missile.
The Northern Fleet operated three ships of the Udaloy-class in 1985. These were the Soviet Union's most potent ASW units.
The Udaloy design was based on the highly successful Krivak class, however the Udaloy was considerably larger and carry the latest generation of weapons and sensors
The ships of the Kresta I class were designed for surface warfare, and the lead ship became operational in 1967. Their primary armament was four SS-N-3 'Shaddock' missiles. Two ships of this class were in service with the Northern Fleet in 1985.
The Kresta II was developed from the Kresta I class but, with the SS-N-14 'Silex' replacing the SS-N-3 'Shaddock', the role changed from surface warfare to anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The Northern Fleet operated seven ships of this class.
The Soviet type name for the Kresta II is Bolshoy Protivolodochny Korabl, meaning large anti-submarine ship.
The Northern fleet had two submarines of the Oscar-class in 1985. Designed to sink US aircraft carriers, they are armed with no less than twenty-four supersonic SS-N-19 'Shipwreck' missiles.
An Echo II missile submarine is spotted running on the surface. This class was originally armed with eight SS-N-3 'Shaddock' missiles but many boats were upgraded to fire the supersonic SS-N-12 'Sandbox' in the 1980s.
The Soviets built a handful Tu-126 'Moss' airborne early warning aircraft.
In 1985 the Soviet PVO (Troops of the Air Defense) had about 80 Tu-128 'Fiddler' long-range interceptors. Replaced by the Su-27 'Flanker B' during the late 1980s, this aircraft operated from bases on the northern rims of the Soviet Union.
The Su-15 'Flagon' fighter was the backbone of the Soviet PVO (Troops of the Air Defense). The type entered service in the late 1960s, and by 1985 more than 1000 fighters were in service with first-line regiments and reserve units. Another 300 were operated by Frontal Aviation tactical units.
Developed to meet a bomber threat that never materialized, 250 MiG-25 'Foxbat E' interceptors were in service with the PVO (Troops of the Air Defense). Sizeable numbers of 'Foxbat B' and 'Foxbat D' formed the Soviet Union's main reconnaissance asset.
The MiG-23 'Flogger' was produced in alarming numbers, far outstripping Western fighter production. More than 1000 fighters were in service with the Frontal Aviation in 1985, and another 450 were used by the PVO (Troops of the Air Defense).
Hundreds of MiG-23 'Flogger' fighters were operated by Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet client states.
Several dedicated ground-attack versions of the MiG-23 were developed. The most advanced versions were re-designated MiG-27.
About 700 MiG-21 'Fishbed' fighters were in service with the Soviet Frontal Aviation in the battlefield air superiority and attack role. Several thousand more were operated by Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet client states. About 10,000 MiG-21 were built in total.
The Su-24 'Fencer' is the Soviet Union's sole long-range tactical attack aircraft. About 700 Su-24s had been built by 1985.
Soviet ground crew hard at work loading FAB-500 bombs onto Su-24 'Fencer' strike aircraft.
The early Su-24 'Fencer' strike aircraft could carry up to 34 FAB-100 bombs. This was increased to 38 on the Su-24M 'Fencer D' that entered service in 1983.
In 1985 the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) had four operational F-16A Fighting Falcon squadrons and a single F-5A Freedom Fighter squadron.
A pair of Norweigan F-16As are seen here during a low-level attack on Red Army troops.
A Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) F-16B from Bodo Air Base is preparing for a training sortie a few days before the start of the war.
The single remaining RNoAF F-5 Freedom Fighter squadron was based at Rygge in the far south of the country.
The F-5 was operated as a light strike fighter with a secondary air-to-air role.
The seven RNoAF P-3B Orions were based at Andøya and were tasked with maritime surveilance, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search-and-rescue (SAR). The planes were armed with Mk46 torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
The RNoAF operated two Falcon 20 jets in the electronic warfare role. Note the antenna under the fuselage.
The Hercules was the primary tranport aircraft of the RNoAF. Six aircraft were in service in 1985.
The Twin Otter was operated as a transport from the smaller airfields in northern Norway. It also had a secondary Special Operations (SpecOps) role.
There were fourteen NADGE (NATO Air Defense Ground Element) radars in Norway during the 1980s. This is the radar at Sørreisa, near Bardufoss, in northern Norway, codenamed 'Viper'.
NADGE, completed in 1972, resulted in a network of 84 radar stations that stretched from the northernmost parts of Norway to the mountains of eastern Turkey.
The small Norwegian Navy, consisting mainly of frigates and coastal defense vessels, operated fourteen Kobben-class diesel-electric submarines in 1985.
The Royal Norwegian Navy's forty MTBs (Motor Torpedo Boats) were an important part of the national anti-invasion force. The fourteen boats of the Hauk-class were built 1979-81 and armed with two 533mm torpedoes, six Penguin anti-ship missiles plus 40mm and 20mm guns.
Twenty MTBs of the Storm class were built 1965-1970. They were armed with a single 76mm cannon, a 40mm gun and up to six Penguin missiles.
A Storm class MTB launches a Penguin anti-ship missile. Up to six missiles could be carried however the normal loadout was four.
Six Snogg class MTBs entered service 1971-72 and packed four 533mm torpedoes, up to four Penguin missiles, and a single 40mm gun.
The Royal Norwegian Navy operated five frigates of the Oslo class. Built during the late 1960s as a general-purpose frigates with an ASW emphasis, the design is based on the old US Dealy class.
The Oslo-class frigates were armed with two twin 76mm guns, Sea Sparrow SAMs, Mk46 torpedoes, and Terne depth charges. This photo shows a Terne salvo being fired.
In addition to the MTBs, frigates and submarines, the Royal Norwegian Navy operated a number of coast guard vessels.
The Penguin entered service in 1972. It is an IR-guided fire-and-forget anti-ship missile which, thanks to its ability to discriminates between decoys, small islands, and the target itself, is an uniquely capable weapon in the littoral environment..
The Coastal Artillery played a key role in the Norwegian anti-invasion plan. Many of the coastal forts operated upgraded ex-German guns dating back to the Second World War. Shown here is one of the four 150mm SKC 28 guns at Skrolsvik Coastal Fort in northern Norway.
This is one of the 127mm SKC 34 guns at Fjøløy Coastal Fort. The Coastal Artillery operated fourteen batteries of 105mm and 150mm guns plus seven batteries of 127mm guns, all ex-German. The six modern 75mm and two 120mm batteries were built during the 1970s and 1980s.
A total of six new 75mm/60 TK75 gun batteries were purchased from Sweden during the 1970s to supplement the older 105mm, 127mm and 150mm guns.
The Coastal Artillery replaced two of its older batteries with the super-modern Bofors 120mm/62 ERSTA in the early to mid-1980s. The gun was mounted in a concealed, self-contained turret with its own underground magazine, power supply and living accommodation for the crew of four.
In addition to the gun batteries, the Norwegian Coastal Artillery had eight remote-controlled minefields and eight underwater torpedo batteries. The torpedo batteries each had two fifty-meter torpedo tubes and eight upgraded wire-guided ex-German T1 torpedoes.
The Norwegian Navy operated several different types of mines ranging in size from 225kg to 1600kg. Shown here is the Mk6 moored mine.
The Royal Navy's three Invincible class VSTOL/STOVL carriers entered service between 1980 and 1985. The carriers were originally intended as 'through-deck cruiser' ASW platforms but eventually ended up as STOVL aircraft carriers.
The Invincibles normally went to sea with nine Sea Harriers for air defense and strike, nine Sea Kings tasked with anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and three Sea Kings for airborne early warning.
A Sea Harrier is seen here landing on one of the Invicible class VSTOL/STOVL carriers. Note the Sea Dart launcher to the left of the ski-jump.
The Type 42 destroyers were nicely designed ships with a powerful anti-air and anti-submarine weapons suite. Twelve ships of this class were in service with the Royal Navy in 1985.
The Royal Navy's Type 22 frigates were primarily tasked with anti-submarine warfare (ASW). In 1985 the Royal Navy operated six ships of this class.
Twenty-two ships of the Leander class (Improved Type 12) frigates were in Royal Navy service in 1985. Three distinct batches were developed for general purpose work, ASW, and a broader beam version with upgraded weaponry.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) had six Phantom II squadrons assigned full-time to the UK Air Defence Region (UKADR). These fighters played a key role in the defense of the GIUK gap, the South Western Approaches, and the North Sea.
The RAF Phantoms were armed with Sky Flash medium range and AIM-9L Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles. They were not fitten with an internal gun, however an external gun pod was often carried.
Two Lightning F.6 squadrons were left in service in 1985, operating from RAF Binbrook. Although being a maintenance nightmare their high altitude performance always impressed and the straight line acceleration was mythic
Originally a stop-gap solution, the Shackleton AEW.2 remained in service until 1991 in the airborne early warning role. Flying missions over the North Sea, Arctic Ocean and western Atlantic the Shackleton was a key part of NATO's early warning network.
In 1985 the RAF operated only three Jaguar squadrons as the four RAF attack squadrons in West Germany were converting to the Tornado.
The Royal Air Force deployed a Jaguar GR.1 squadron to Norway only hours after hostilities began.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) retains two front-line Buccaneer squadrons at RAF Lossiemouth. The attack aircraft make up the Maritime Strike Wing and carry the Martel (and from late 1985 also the Sea Eagle) anti-ship missile.
The Harrier was designed to operate out of hidden dispersal strips up at the front, supporting land forces with highly effective ground attacks. The Royal Air Force (RAF) operated four squadrons of Harrier GR.3s in 1985.
The first RAF Harriers were in place in northern Norway only hours after the outbreak of war.
From 1982 onwards the Tri-national Tornado strike fighter began entering service with the Royal Air Force, the German Air Force and Marineflieger, and the Italian Air Force.
The Marineflieger had one operational Tornado squadron in 1985, the second did not form until 1986/87. These aircraft were primarily tasked with maritime strike, and were armed with the Kormoran 2 anti-ship missile.
A Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR.1 is seen here releasing the JP.233 payload. The RAF had ten operational Tornado squadrons in 1985, six of them were stationed at RAF Brüggen and RAF Laarbruch, West Germany.
Several USMC fighter and attack squadrons had been earmarked for deployment to Orland and Varnes in Central Norway, including two F-4 Phantom squadrons.
One A-4M Skyhawk squadron and one AV-8C Harrier squadron was in place in Central Norway only hours after war outbreak.
During the 1970s and 1980s, two Canadian CF-5 Freedom Fighter squadrons were assigned to the mission of reinforcing Norway should trouble ever break out in Europe. The Canadian Air Force had five Boeing 707-320 transports used as refueling tankers to deploy the aircraft.
The Canadian CF-5 fighters could carry a wide range of weapons, including the CRV-7 rocket, the British BL.755 cluster bomb unit, and the US Mk20 Rockeye.
The Norwegian Army operated 72 Leopard 1A3 main battle tanks (MBTs) in 1985. The tanks were delivered beteen 1969 and 1971.
The Leopard 1 was armed with a L7A3 105mm rifled gun firing APFSDS and HEAT rounds. 55 rounds of 105 mm ammunition were carried, 13 in the turret and 42 in the hull.
The first Norwegian M48A5 tanks were delivered in 1965 and served into the late 1980s. These tanks weighted 45 ton and were equipped with a 90mm gun.
The Norwegian Army operated several hundred M113 APCs. Many were rebuilt as NM142 'Rakettpanserjager' armed with TOW missiles or NM125 with 84mm mortars.
Each of the 97 NM142s were equipped with two TOW launchers and six missiles. The vehicles were mainly used in a defensive role to defeat battle tanks, armored personnel carriers and other armoured vehicles.
Norwegian infantry units were equipped with TOW missiles. Fired from well-prepared positions, these highly accurate missiles took a heavy toll on Soviet armor.
The Norwegian Army deployed 106mm recoilless rifles against Soviet infantry, armored personnel carriers and light vehicles.
Norwegian M109A3G howitzer firing extended-range base-bleed shells at Soviet positions. The Norwegian Army operated 126 M109A3G howitzers in addition to M101 105mm guns and M114 155mm howitzers.
The BV206 Small Unit Support Vehicle (SUSV) was the Norwegian Army's primary troop carrier, and was an important part of the fully mechanized Brigade North.
Several different types of tracked oversnow vehicle were used. The main version was the troop carrier but many also carried mortars, air defense radars, while others were fitted to act as communication nodes. This is the BV202 communication vehicle.
Battleworn infantry of Norway's 6th Division on the move.
The Norwegian Home Guard was 80,000 men strong. Tasked primarily with the protection of Norway's stratigic assets, the Home Guard would free up regular army troops for other duties.
Norwegian Army Rangers were responsible for observing Soviet movements and directing deadly artillery fire.
Norwegian Coastal Rangers are seen boarding a Twin Otter. Parachuting into combat behind enemy lines, the Coastal Rangers carried out long a series of successful sabotage missions.
A Norwegian Coastal Ranger appears quietly from the water.
Norwegian infantry is seen boarding one of the Reinøysund class LCUs. Norway operated five such ships in 1985.
A large force of US Marines conducted a surprise amphibious landing near Narvik in northern Norway four weeks into the war.
LPH-9 Guam was hit by a Soviet SSC-3 Styx missile during landing operations near Narvik, causing a great loss of life.
Close air support for the US Marines was provided by AH-1J Cobra gunships packing 20mm guns, 70mm rockets and TOW missiles.
A CH-53D Stallion lands back after delivering equipment, supplies and personnel ashore. The Stallion is the Marine Corps' medium lift helicopter and is capable of both internal and external transport of stores.
The amphibious assault ships usually embark three UH-1N Huey light utility helicopter.
The CH-46E Sea Knight medium-lift helicopter provide the US Marine Corps with an all-weather, day/night, assault transport of combat troops, supplies, and equipment during amphibious and subsequent operations ashore.
Soviet SA-3 SAM battalions have four twin or quadruple launchers. Here is the quadruple version.
Three regiments of the PVO (Troops of the Air Defense) operated the modern MiG-31 'Foxhound' in 1985.
The first MiG-31 regiment became operational in 1981 and during the early years the interceptors were primarily deployed around Moscow. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the PVO had eleven front-line MiG-31 regiments.
A MiG-29 'Fulcrum A' is banking hard left during a dogfight over Central Europe. The MiG-29 entered service in 1984, and by late 1985 the Soviets had built 200 such fighters.
All of the operational MiG-29 regiments were deployed to East Germany and Poland before the start of the war.
Proving to the best fighter aircraft produced by the Soviet Union, the Su-27 'Flanker B' did not officially enter service until early 1986. Plagued by technical problems, the first of the nearly 100 production planes built by late 1985 did not see action until the closing phases of the war.
The Su-27 was the first fighter plane to carry ten air-to-air missiles operationally. The massive weapon load coupled with a powerful radar and high maneuverability made the 'Flanker B' an opponent to be reckoned with.
The F-15 Eagle is the United States Air Force (USAF) superfighter. Fitted with the powerful AN/APG-63 fire-control radar and armed with four AIM-7 Sparrow and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, it forms the sharp end of America's air defense.
In 1985 the USAF had six Tactical Fighter Wings (TFW) stationed in Europe. Two operated F-111E/F Aardvarks, two flew F-4E/G Phantom IIs, and one flew A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. The 36th TFW at Bitburg AFB, East Germany, had 72 F-15C Eagles on strength.
The F-111 Aardvark is the USAF's primary long-range strike aircraft. Two wings were based in the United Kingdom during the Cold War; 20th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at RAF Upper Heyford, and 48th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at RAF Lakenheath.
A 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F Aardvark at low level in full afterburner and with wings swept back. This aircraft is armed with four GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs.
Designed for battlefield interdiction, the exceedingly tough and heavily armed A-10 Thunderbolt II played an enormous part in the Central European land battle. USAF had one A-10 Tactical Fighter Wing stationed in Europe during the 1980s - the 81st TFW at RAF Bentwaters.
Due to their unfavourable geographical position relative to the surrounding seas, the Soviet Union relied heavily on satellites to track western naval formations. Throughout the seventies and eighties the Soviets operated a series of nuclear-powered radar ocean reconnaissance satellites (RORSAT).
The solar-powered electronic ocean reconnaissance satellites (EORSAT) complemented the RORSATs and were designed to detect radar and radio emissions from surface ships. The RORSATs usually operated in pairs and the EORSATs were formed into constellations of two to three satellites.
The Soviet Union's Co-Orbital ASAT system was the world's only operational anti-satellite system. Launched from the ground and placed into orbit close to the target, it was basically a radar-guided killer satellite that would dive onto the target and detonate.
The ASM-135A ALMV (Air-Launched Miniature Vehicle) anti-satellite missile was designed as a multi-stage rocket to be launched by an F-15 Eagle fighter in a zoom-climb. Several missiles were tested in 1984 and 1985, and the system was pushed into service shorty after the war began.
USS America is seen returning home after the war. She was one of the lucky ones; nearly half of the US carriers were destroyed in the war.
Norway Part 1 - First Contact
NATO vs. SOVIET UNION
LOCATION : NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 00:01:00Z
The first scenario in the World War Three battleset begins one hour before the initialization of hostilities on the Central Front. The Soviets have been conducting intense military exercises for weeks, and exceptional quantities of military hardware have been deployed in Eastern Europe.
In Europe's High North, Finland has allowed unusually large numbers of Soviet troops to enter the country, and her air bases have become crowded with Soviet fighters and attack aircraft. Large mechanized formations are racing west through the Finnish Wedge towards the Norwegian border, taking the shortest of only two possible overland routes to Norway's main line of defense in Troms, five hundred kilometers from the Soviet homeland. A powerful Red Banner Northern Fleet SAG and two amphibious groups sailed into the Norwegian Sea 36 hours ago. The amphibious groups have now been spotted about seventy nautical miles off the coast of Norway, heading directly for the Troms area.
Fighter, attack, and bomber reinforcements have arrived in large quantities on the Kola Peninsula, boosting the already formidable force normally based there. The most fearsome new addition is two Backfire regiments of the Soviet Strategic Air Armies, operating a total of sixty bombers. The Backfires will be tasked with supporting the Northern Fleet's push into the Norwegian Sea, adding awesome striking power to the Northern Fleet Naval Aviation's three Badger regiments. Starting in the early 1980s, Backfire regiments regularly forward deployed to bases on the Kola Peninsula, and the Soviets have gained valuable experience in operating these bombers in sub-arctic conditions against carrier battle groups and convoys in the Norwegian Sea.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: The Soviet Union began full mobilization of their air and ground forces eight days ago, on D-8, with limited mobilization starting nearly two months earlier; the Soviet ballistic missile submarines started leaving port, the Strategic Rocket Forces went to increased combat readiness, and mobile missile units departed their garrisons. Major Soviet and Warsaw Pact exercises have been underway for several weeks, and once concluded, the forces, rather than stepping down, remained in place or were moved forward.
NATO intelligence organizations were quick to observe indications of widespread Soviet and Warsaw Pact mobilization, and a limited NATO mobilization was ordered on D-7. The US congress ordered a full mobilization the next day following the Soviet move to a 'Threat of war' strategic readiness level. Eighty percent of Soviet submarines and surface combatants had sortied by D-4, and the Soviet and Warsaw Pact naval, air and land forces reached full combat readiness forty-eight hours later.
A full NATO mobilization did not begin until D-2 which also saw the first transatlantic convoys leave the continental United States. The United Kingdom / Netherlands Landing Force (UK / NL LF) put to sea, and other US, Canadian and British forces began deploying to Norway and Germany as part of SACEUR's Rapid Reinforcement Plan. By the end of D-1 the Norwegian Royal Army, Navy and Air Force had attained a high state of readiness, implementing the pre-war reinforcement plan for northern Norway to defend against any Soviet offensive.
An attack on Norway is suspected to be imminent as two Soviet amphibious groups believed to be carrying the Northern Fleet's Naval Infantry Brigade and a complete Red Army Mechanized Division are heading toward the Norwegian Coast. Two Soviet Mechanized Divisions have marshaled in northwestern Finland along the E78 road link leading to Norway's main line of defense in Troms. Another Mechanized Division has moved into position near the border town of Kirkenes in the far north of Norway. Violations of Norwegian airspace by Soviet aircraft are taking place on a daily basis, and the naval reconnaissance flights along the Norwegian coast have more than trippled in occurrence. The underwater listening stations have picked up increasing submarine activity off the coast, and several unidentified contacts have been detected in the Norwegian fjords, with two of these being attacked with depth charges from P-3B Orions.
MISSION: Launch Orions from Andoya air base to investigate. If the Soviets turn out to be hostile attack them with everything you have. Inflict as heavy losses as possible. Concentrate on the group heading for Bodo and sink at least one (1) of the large Ro/Ro vessels. Scenario duration is one (1) hour.
Although intelligence suggests the Soviet exercises currently underway may be prelude to an attack, it might also just be another provocation to test our response. Weapons are tight, do not fire unless attacked.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Headquarters - Bodo Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 1 - Fighting Withdrawal
NATO vs. SOVIET UNION
LOCATION : NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 01:00:00Z
The time is 1985 and World War Three has broken out. Starting only minutes ago, Warsaw Pact troops have launched a massive and carefully planned air, sea and land assault on the members of the NATO alliance. In Central Europe, thousands of tanks and APCs are racing across the borders separating East and West. Overhead, several hundred Soviet fighters, bombers and attack aircraft streak across the sky heading for targets in West Germany. The Warsaw Pact achieved almost total surprise, with NATO's order for a full mobilization coming only two days earlier.
The Kremlin's plan for dealing with the Northern Flank is simple. NATO forces in Norway are to be inundated by non-stop tactical air strikes. At the very beginning of the offensive, a division-sized airborne assault will capture Bodo and Evenes, both important NATO air bases. A brigade-sized amphibious assault will seize the town of Harstad six hours into the war, a key port for the drive south, and a convoy of fast Ro/Ro vessels will land an entire Red Army motorized rifle division at Bodo to reinforce the Paratroopers already there. These operations will provide the Soviets with some excellent forward bases, and allows reinforcements to move in by air and sea. Spetsnaz commando teams will be inserted by submarine at various critical points along the coast, while other submarines are to disrupt naval activity by laying mines off the principal anchorages. The remaining air bases in northern Norway are scheduled to be knocked out by Soviet air power or overrun by ground forces within 24 hours.
In Sweden the invasion will start with 250 Spetsnaz commandos landing on Arlanda/Stockholm airport with the objective of securing a key bridgehead within the first hour. At the same time a ferry will dock in Stockholm port loaded with 30 T-72 tanks and 1,100 soldiers. These will take control of the Swedish Defense HQ that is only three minutes by car from the port area. Two hours later a flight of An-12s will land at the Bromma airport in midtown Stockholm to offload a brigade of Red Army troops, and more aircraft will drop one brigade at Arlanda airport. The only expected resistance is the Stockholm Police and some scattered soldiers from the Army HQ and the Royal Castle. Within 36-48 hours, strike aircraft and ground forces are expected to have knocked out or captured most of the major air bases in the country.
Finland, with its close military ties with the Soviet Union, struck a deal several months earlier aimed at sparing the country from war. The Soviets were allowed to use the country as the staging area for an attack on Norway and Sweden, and were given full access to all airfields and other military facilities.
The main assault on the ground is to be carried out by Soviet reinforced mechanized divisions pushing overland from their staging areas in Finland towards the important Norwegian port of Narvik and the Swedish town of Lulea. The spearhead of the attack will then follow the Norwegian and Swedish coastlines and finally reunite at Oslo, Norway, linking up with the various Soviet pockets. The Red Army expects to relieve the Paratroopers at Evenes within 96 hours, and reach Bodo in ten days.
At sea, the Red Banner Northern Fleet intend to move a powerful Surface Action Group (SAG) down the coast of Norway in support of the ground operation. The SAG is to assume a position off the coast and prevent NATO reinforcements from reaching Norway by sea.
NATO's carrier-based air power in the Norwegian Sea must be eliminated early in the conflict. To accomplish this task the Northern Fleet will rely primarily on its missile submarines and its three Badger naval bomber regiments, each with 22-23 aircraft on strenght. In addition, two Strategic Air Army Backfire regiments, sixty formidable bombers, have been forward based on the Kola Peninsula and will support the Northern Fleet's operations.
This, in a nutshell, is the plan of operations in Norway and Sweden.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: The sudden outbreak of war has caught a US carrier battle group (CVBG) by surprise. It had participated in the Ocean Safari '85 sea lane defense exercise and is currently positioned off the Norwegian coast, well forward of the GIUK (Greenland - Iceland - UK) defensive barrier. In the face of the massive air and naval onslaught it must now conduct a fighting withdrawal south towards the UK and safety. With Norway's airfields threatened by Soviet air, sea and ground action, the carrier represents NATO's only on-call and dependable air power in the region. Except from the Norwegian F-16s, the carrier must rely solely on its own squadrons of F-14s for protection.
MISSION: The focus of this scenario is your aircraft carrier. Sail south at best speed for the safer waters around the UK. The carrier must remain operational for six hours signifying its successful escape. If resources permits, attack the Soviet convoy heading for Bodo and sink as many of the large Ro/Ro vessels as you can.
High-tech weapons are in short supply so use them sparingly. A carrier normally has 96 AIM-54 Phoenix, 120 AIM-7 Sparrow and 200 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles aboard. Therefore, all F-14 Tomcats taking off 30+ minutes into the scenario are to switch from their current 4-Phoenix/2-Sparrow loadout to the 2-Phoenix/3-Sparrow loadout to save missiles.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 1 - The Boomer Bastion Raid
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: BARENTS SEA DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 01:00:00Z
Soviet ballistic missile submarines, also known as Boomers or SSBNs, normally operate within highly protected bastions in the northern home waters. This protective measure is necessary because unlike the US Navy's Ohio SSBNs, which patrol alone relying on stealth for protection, the noisier Soviet submarines are easier to track and destroy by NATO attack submarines. More than a dozen older Delta SSBNs are currently operating in the Barents Sea, with Typhoon and Delta IV SSBNs patrolling the White Sea and east of the island of Novaya Zemlya.
The introduction of the Delta class SSBNs in the 1970s, equipped with the world's first truly intercontinental SLBM, the SS-N-8, followed by the Typhoon class with the SS-N-20 SLBM in 1981, placed the Continental United States (CONUS) within striking range while the SSBNs themselves were berthed inside Soviet ports. This resulted in a revolution in Soviet priorities, and instead of forward-deployment, they preferred to withhold their modern SSBNs in local sanctuaries in the north. Deployment and employment was limited to the Arctic Ocean, where the submarines would partly be hidden by the North Polar icepack and protected by Soviet general-purpose naval forces.
Although NATO's GIUK line of defense was still important for countering the older Yankee class SSBNs, it would not have an effect on the Soviet Arctic bastions. This brought offensive strategic ASW to the forefront of NATO's thinking, and soon saw the deployment of fast NATO attack submarines against Soviet SSBNs within their own bastions.
At the outbreak of war four NATO attack submarines were operating in the Barents Sea, in and around the Soviet bastion.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviet Boomer Bastions are perhaps the most ASW-intensive areas in the world. Threats include Soviet SOSUS networks, moored sonobuoys, surface and sub-surface ASW barriers, ASW aircraft, and all types of mines.
MISSION: Get underway immediately. Penetrate the Bastion, marked by Ref Points 1-4, and sink at least six (6) Soviet boomers. Minimize losses to NATO forces but in no case lose more than two submarines.
This mission is vital; it is hoped that threatening Soviet strategic weapon systems will compel Soviet commanders to increase their defense of the Bastion, drawing forces away from the front. Sinking these SSBNs will also reduce the Soviets' essential offensive nuclear strike capabilities.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Keflavik Recommended EMCOM State - B (Limited Emissions)
Atlantic Ocean Part 1 - The Surge
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: VIRGINIA CAPES DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 03:00:00Z
The war is two hours old. USN Carrier Battle Groups (CVBGs) are fiercely engaged in battle all over the globe. Off the northern coast of Norway, CVBG America is caught up in a bloody duel with the naval bombers and attack submarines of the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet. Facing total destruction, the CVBG has no choice but to begin a hasty fighting withdrawal to the safer waters around the United Kingdom.
CVBG Nimitz was scheduled to leave the Mediterranean on 12 September but following past week's rising political tension the plans were quickly changed. The battle group was ordered to turn back to help stem a possible Soviet onslaught on NATO's southern flank. The carrier and her escorts arrived on station just as hostilities broke out. CVBG Saratoga had originally planned to make a night transit of the Suez Canal on 13 September enroute to the Indian Ocean but her orders were changed and instead the battle group sailed west to join USS Nimitz south of Italy.
In the United States, the Pentagon has activated plans for Operation REFORGER (Return Forces to Germany) and assembled the largest sealift operation since the Second World War. The carriers USS Forestall, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Coral Sea left Halifax, Canada on 12 September and are escorting a massive fifty-ship convoy to Europe.
CVBG Dwight D Eisenhower detached from the Ocean Safari '85 exercise on 3 September and from 9 September CVWR 20, the Atlantic Reserve Air Wing, deployed for day and night cyclic operations off the Virginia Capes. The plan was then that she would sail to Portsmouth, VA (Norfolk Naval Shipyard) where her reactors would be deactivated, and then towed to Newport News for the eighteen-month comprehensive overhaul (CHO) period. With the outbreak of war, those plans have been shelved. The carrier will instead take aboard her Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and sail to reinforce NATO forces in the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: VariousVarious reports hint at the presence of Soviet attack submarines off the eastern seaboard of the United States, however the threat remains unconfirmed. Proceed with extreme caution and consider the threat confirmed.
MISSION: Set a course for the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap. Get USS Dwight D Eisenhower to Ref Point 10, the battle group should move at no less than 20 knots.
Fly off the Phantoms, Intruders and Corsairs from CVWR 20 that are currently conducting carrier qualifications aboard USS Eisenhower. Deploy the CVW 7 squadrons from NAS Oceana (24x Tomcats, 14x Intruders, 4x Hawkeyes, 4x Prowlers, 3x Sea Kings) and NAS Cecil Field (24x Corsairs, 10x Vikings).
The carrier is escorted by the destroyer USS Spruance and the guided missile cruiser USS Mississippi. The battle group will be joined by USS Virginia, USS Estocin, USS Hawes and USS Seattle once the carrier reaches open water.
Friendly submarines have been ordered to clear the path so any submerged contacts you encounter may be considered hostile. Use your superior air assets to sanitize the transit lane and prosecute any submarines you come upon. The carrier must not sustain any damage.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flag Ship: CVN 69 Eisenhower Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 2 - Rescue the Merchantmen
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION : GIUK GAP DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 05:00:00Z
The war is a few hours old and Soviet submarines pre-positioned prior to the commencement of hostilities are now wreaking havoc in and around the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: All shipping in and around the GIUK gap have been ordered to return to port after Soviet submarines have sunk several merchants.
MISSION: Engage and prosecute all enemy submarines. Escort as many merchants as possible to safety, we can not afford to lose more than ten (10) vessels at this time. Scenario duration is eighteen (18) hours.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters – Keflavik Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Norway Part 2 - Silent Hunters of the Deep
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION : NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 05:00:00Z
Norway's northern location and unusual topography contribute to the nation's security, a large elongated country that stretches over 2000 kilometers in length and ranges in width from 400 kilometers to slightly less than six kilometers at one point. Military maneuvers on Norway's rough terrain is difficult and is inhibited also by soft ground in the summer, and the cold and snow during the winter months. Fifty thousand islands dot its 2500-kilometer western coast, and the numerous deep fjords make an attack from the sea an especially hazardous affair. Ships have little room to maneuver, making them vulnerable to air, surface, and, last but not least, subsurface attacks.
Norway's strategic importance is largely attributable to the airfields in the central and northern parts of the country. Use of these airfields mean the protection of the Atlantic sea lanes of communication that are essential if the United States is to reinforce Europe in crisis or war. If the Soviets were to seize the airfields, their bombers and attack aircraft would be 750 to 1000 kilometers closer to their targets in the United Kingdom and North Atlantic Ocean, and the defensive bubble around the Soviet's essential base complexes on the Kola Peninsula would be greatly extended.
As a modern industrialized country with a population of only four million people, the cost of a large, well-equipped, standing army to defend her extensive borders would be prohibitive. As a result, the Norwegians have developed a 'total defense' concept that takes into account the vast resources and a surplus of goods and services a modern industrialized society possesses, activating ground transport firms, shipping companies, workshops and stores in times of crisis or war.
Norway is divided into five military regions called divisions that are further sub-divided into districts called brigades. The peacetime force consists of approximately 40,000 men. The standing Norwegian Army units include Brigade North, the Royal Guards Battalion, plus the Porsanger and South Varanger Garrisons.
In war, Norway can summon a total of 325,000 men, including 165,000 Army reservists and 80,000 men of the Home Guard. Five to seven brigades can be activated within 72 hours, with the whole country fully mobilized in seven days. The defense of Norway is concentrated in the northern one-third of the country, where 80,000 men, many transported by air from the south, can be in place one week after the mobilization order has been given.
6th Division, Harstad - Brigade North, independent, Heggelia (about 6500 men in total) - 14th Infantry Brigade, Reserve, South Hammerfest - 15th Infantry Brigade, Reserve, North Hammerfest - Porsanger Garrison, Alta Frontier Battalion - South Varanger Garrison, Varanger Frontier Battalion In addition, two of the Brigades from southern Norway have pre-positioned their equipment near Badufoss.
The intention of the Norwegian Army is to act as a tripwire and delaying force. It is assumed that the Army forces are sufficient to accomplish this task with the assistance of the harsh weather and rough terrain. This would buy the Norwegians enough time to allow NATO reinforcements to arrive.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviet convoy carrying the 45th Motorized Rifle Division, a unit specially trained in amphibious and winter operations, is now within thirty nautical miles of Bodo. The group has come under attack by US Navy carrier air power as well as Norwegian P-3 Orions and motor torpedo boats (MTBs), and has suffered heavily. Four large Ro/Ro vessels and two escorts have been sunk, and several more are reported to have been damaged.
The Norwegian Navy, consisting of five frigates, forty MTBs, and a host of coast guard, amphibious and support vessels, is primarily oriented towards anti-invasion. But the Soviets are yet to encounter Norway's possibly most lethal anti-shipping assets; her dozen submarines. Two diesel-electric submarines of the Kobben class have been laying in wait for the Soviet amphibious ships and Ro/Ro vessels to enter the shallow waters around Bodo, and are now in position to push home an attack.
As formidable as the anti-invasion defense may look, the Norwegians are dependent on NATO reinforcements for the successful containment of a Soviet invasion. The United States will initially provide the air-landed 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB), a lightly armed and equipped force of about 5000 Marines. Transported across the Atlantic in civilian airliners, the Marines will link up with their pre-positioned equipment in central Norway and be the first reinforcing unit to arrive ready for deployment. The MAB also adds two fighter squadrons and two close air support squadrons to the defense of Norway.
The remaining Marines of the 2nd Marine Amphibious Force (2 MAF), about 45,000 men, are preparing for deployment to Norway as well. However, the ground contingent is only transportable by sea, and deploying the whole force may take more than 45 days. The MAF will add another four to eight fighter, attack and close support squadrons although the first of these aircraft are not expected to arrive for several more days.
The United Kingdom / Netherlands Landing Force (UK/NL LF) consists of the British 3 Commando Brigade augmented by the 1st Royal Netherlands Marine Battalion, in total about 6000 personnel and 60 helicopters. Dedicated to amphibious and cold weather operations, the unit has trained in Norway annually since 1968. The UK/NL LF is already underway, and, traveling by sea, is expected to reach the combat zone in two days time.
The Canadian Air/Sea Transportable (CAST) Brigade is a 4000-member unit that has been specifically earmarked for deployment to Norway. It consists of two fighter squadrons, three infantry battalions, an artillery regiment and an armored reconnaissance squadron. One of the infantry battalions has pre-stored its heavy equipment in northern Norway, and many of the remaining ground components are air transportable. However, roll-on / roll-off shipping is necessary for transporting the heavy equipment. Due to these ships' marshalling, transit and load times, introduction of the full Canadian contingent may take as much as 30 days.
The ACE Mobile Force (AMF) consists of an air mobile and lightly armed brigade. In total it has nine battalions, but in war the brigade can only lead five battalions. When deployed to Norway it will have five infantry battalions and one artillery battalion, with a total of about 5000 personnel from the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. However, the AMF is not expected to be fully deployed for another 5-7 days.
Another force that will be deployed to Norway is the US 10th Mountain Division. The US 6th Infantry Division (Light) from Alaska could be deployed as well, but this is less likely. The 1st Marine Division with a primary mission in the Pacific could also be assigned to NATO and later be sent to the Northern Front.
MISSION: You are to assume command of the two Norwegian submarines. Attack the Soviet convoy and try to sink a large Ro/Ro vessel. Scenario duration is three hours.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Tromso Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Norway Part 3 - Counterattack
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION : NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 10:00:00Z
The Soviets have eleven motorized rifle divisions (MRD), two artillery divisions, an airborne division, a Spetsnaz brigade and a naval infantry brigade permanently assigned to the Leningrad Military District. The basing patterns of these units, particularly the 6th Army, have been positioned to ensure quick strikes towards critical objectives in northern Norway.
Independent units - 63rd Naval Infantry Brigade, cat A, Pechenga - 76th Guards Airborne Division, cat A, Pskov - 26th Artillery Division, cat A, Puskin - 145th Artillery Division, cat B, Puskin - 2nd Spetsnaz Brigade, cat A, Leningrad
The Soviets have committed six motorized rifle divisions, one airborne division, one artillery division, one naval infantry brigade, and one Spetsnaz brigade, totaling 120,000 men, to the assault on northern Norway. The operation was launched early this morning with two of the three regiments of the 76th Guards Airborne Division parachuting down into the vallies around Evenes, securing this key NATO air base within an hour. The third regiment was dropped 180km to the south, near the important air base and port at Bodo, and was immediately reinforced by the 45th MRD arriving by sea. Then, six hours into the war, the 63rd Naval Infantry Brigade seized the strategic port of Harstad, 40km to the east of Evenes.
In the days leading up to the war, the 54th and 37th MRDs, both Cat A/B units based near Leningrad, raced across the improved Finnish road network up to the Norwegian border. These two units are responsible for the main Soviet overland drive into Norway and are now pushing east via the E78 road axis from Finland into the Skibotn Valley towards Tromso. The 65th MRD will act as the 2nd echelon force and deploy to Norway later during the second week of the war. Convoys carrying the 77th MRD will reinforce the Red Army troops at Bodo in seven to nine days time. The 45th Guards Division is responsible for the important logistical link from Leningrad through Finland to the frontline in Norway, and will be committed to battle in Sweden by capturing the northern town, port, and air base of Luela.
Finland has, through the FCMA treaty of the 1950s, a very special relationship with the Soviet Union. The country, although legally a neutral, capitalist and democratic nation, is required to undertake military co-operation with the Soviet Union in the event of an attack or threat. As a consequence, the Finns, with their weak military, have had no choice but to give in to Soviet demands to use their territory as a staging area for the attack on Norway.
The 63rd MRD will mount a second overland drive along the E6 axis from Pechenga on the Kola Peninsula, via the Norwegian Border town of Kirkenes, along the coast east towards Tromso. The division has been tasked with destroying the Norwegian Army units and seize the airfields in the far north of the country. The 68th MRD is retained for the defense of the Leningrad area, while the 69th MRD is responsible for the Arkangelsk area and the Kola Peninsula. The 64th and 111th MRDs of the 30th Army Corps will act as the strategic reserve for future operations in Norway or Sweden.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Third World War is now nine hours old. The Soviet 76th Airborne Division, the 63rd Naval Infantry Brigade and the 45th Mechanized Infantry Division have successfully established several large beachheads in northern Norway. The 37th and 54th MRDs are advancing into Norway via E78 from Finland, and the 63rd MRD is moving east along E6 from the Kola Peninsula. In some areas the mechanized columns have penetrated up to 40km into the country. More than eight hundred Spetsnaz commandos have been inserted by submarine and helicopter at various key points and are wreaking havoc on the Norwegian civilian and military infrastructure.
The convoy carrying the 45th MRD to Bodo bore the brunt of the initial NATO anti-ship strikes. Norwegian air, surface and sub-surface attacks coupled with crippling US carrier air strikes sank more than half of the troop transports before reaching shore.
However, the Soviet amphibious task force carrying the 63rd Naval Infantry Brigade to Harstad remains more or less untouched. The Brigade relies on large civilian Ro/Ro ships to transport some of the heavier equipment, fuel and stores to the beachhead. These ships have been stationed in a holding area five nautical miles off the coast until the Soviets have secured the port and the surrounding areas. If the ships can be prevented from unloading their valuable cargo the Naval Infantry may not be able to effective conduct offensive operations, thus slowing down the Soviet advance and skewing their timetables.
MISSION: A Hauk class MTB squadron has launched from its base near Tromso and is closing on the Soviet beachhead at Harstad. A single Kobben class submarine is approaching from the east.
Attack the Soviet amphibious group and inflict as heavy losses as possible. Concentrate your efforts on sinking the large Ro/Ro vessels in the holding area marked by Ref Points 1-4. Scenario duration is four (4) hours.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Headquarters - Tromso Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 3 - Escort the Iowa
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: ENGLISH CHANNEL DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 12:00:00Z
At the outset of war USS Iowa was preparing to conclude her Ocean Safari '85 activity with a full broadside gunfire demonstration about hundred miles west of Brest, France. These plans were quickly shelved and Iowa has been ordered to sail as quickly as possible to Hamburg, Germany, to shell the advancing Soviet armor.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: Throughout Europe long lines of tanks and APCs are racing over the border separating East and West, and the battle for Hamburg is expected to commence shortly. Several Soviet submarines are known to be operating in the English Channel and the North Sea.
MISSION: Escort USS Iowa to Hamburg as quickly as possible. The battleship must not sustain any damage. To be able to reach Hamburg in time you will have to travel at an average speed of at least 15 knots.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flag Ship - Iowa Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 2 - Parthian Shot
NATO vs. SOVIET UNION
LOCATION : NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 14 SEPTEMBER 1985, 13:00:00Z
The conquest of northern Norway is posing a difficult strategic problem for Soviet commanders. The main line of resistance, known appropriately as Fortress Norway, lies five hundred kilometers from the Soviet border. Only two roads - E6 through northern Norway and E78 through Finnish Lapland - cross the difficult Arctic landscape. Although the Red Army is using Finland as the main staging area for the assault on Norway, reducing the distance to Fortress Norway to less than fifty kilometers, the difficulties inherent in maintaining a 450km-supply line to the Soviet homeland remain.
The main assault on the ground is carried out by reinforced mechanized divisions pushing overland into Norway along E78 from Finland. The first objective is the strategically important E6 / E78 road junction at Skibotn. The Red Army will then break through the defensive positions at Lyngen and drive a wedge into the heart of Fortress Norway. Initially the Soviets had hoped that the Norwegian Army could be defeated quickly before any serious NATO reinforcements could be brought in. However when screening forces reached contact, the Red Army found an enemy entrenched in mountainous terrain along a front that is only a few kilometers wide with no practical route to outflank the defenders. Now the battle is expected to be long and bloody.
Once a breakthrough is accomplished the plan calls for the spearhead of the attack to push south along E6 to link up with the Soviet Marines, Paratroopers, mechanized units and special forces at Evenes, Harstad, Bodo and several other pockets along the coast. A second Red Army column is advancing overland along E6 via the border town of Kirkenes to defeat NATO forces in the far north of the country, in particular the Finnmark Brigade and the Porskanger and Alta battle groups, and open up a second overland logistical link to the front.
Norwegian Army units have engaged in fierce delaying actions to slow down every step of the invaders' advance. There are a total of five brigades defending Fortress Norway. Brigade North is the only standing Norwegian Army unit and deployed in the field several days before the start of the war. Brigade North is primarily tasked with defending the air base at Bardufoss. The men of Brigade 6 and 13, whose equipment is pre-positioned near Bardufoss, were airlifted in from southern Norway in the days leading up war. Both Brigades are set up in a blocking position near Lyngen and will bear the brunt of the initial Soviet overland thrust into Norway. Brigade 15 is engaging Soviet Paratroopers east of Evenes in an attempt to halt their advance, while Brigade 14 is blocking the Soviet advance sixty kilometers east of Bodo. In addition to these five brigades there are several independent Army battalions and Home Guard units engaged in battle or taking up defensive positions throughout the theater.
Several NATO units have been earmarked for insertion on the northern front. This includes the 2nd Marine Amphibious Force (2 MAF), the United Kingdom / Netherlands Landing Force (UK / NL LF), the Canadian Air Sea Transportable Brigade (CAST B), and the ACE Mobile Force (AMF). Most elements of the CAST Brigade and the AMF are air transportable, and three battalions have arrived on airfields in central Norway, ready to be flow into battle. One Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB) has pre-stored its equipment near Varnes and will be fully deployed in less than twenty-four hours.
USS America barely escaped the initial Soviet onslaught in the Norwegian Sea and is retreating southwest, out of harms way. But before the carrier sails through the GIUK gap, putting her strike aircraft out of range of Soviet targets, the battle group will risk a handful more strikes designed to delay the expansion of the Soviet beachhead at Bodo.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: The Soviet 63rd Naval Infantry Brigade and 76th Airborne Division, supported by the 45th Mechanized Division arriving by sea, have secured several pockets around Bodo, Evenes and Harstad. Lead units of the Red Army column pushing overland from Finland have advanced fifty kilometers into Norway and reached the forward positions of Fortress Norway.
MISSION: As she falls back, USS America has been ordered to launch two air strikes as a sort of a modern day Parthian Shot. Very few assets are available for this operation, but if successful the Soviets may be forced to rethink key elements of their invasion plan.
Allied air power has started arriving in central Norway. The Royal Air Force (RAF) Jaguar squadron at Orland and the Harrier squadron at Varnes must be ferried north to Bardufoss as quickly as possible. Once in place, the attack aircraft will provide critical close air support for NATO ground forces. In addition, two Canadian Freedom Fighter squadrons are being deployed to Norway in accordance with pre-war rapid deployment plans. The first twenty aircraft have now arrived at Orland. The fighters were to be ferried to Evenes originally but the situation up north has changed and the aircraft will now go to Bardufoss instead. Once deployed, one dozen Freedom Fighters will be armed with cluster and iron bombs and tasked with close air support while the remaining aircraft will provide local fighter cover, armed with Sidewinder AAMs.
Preparations are being made at Varnes to receive four USMC fighter and close air support squadrons. It is imperative that the air base remains operational.
One battalion of the Canadian CAST Brigade has now arrived at Orland by air. Units of the AMF, one West German and one Italian battalion are now in place at Varnes. Your Hercules, G.222 and C-160 transport aircraft must airlift these troops, plus their equipment and stores, to Bardufoss as quickly as possible without losing any of the aircraft. The air base can not handle more than 6-8 transports at a time. Thus it is important to carefully plan arrivals and departures to make sure the airlift operation is not delayed. The transports must return to the safer airfields in central Norway as soon as their valuable cargo has been offloaded.
Carrier strike #1: Attack the advancing Soviet Paratroopers to the east of Bodo. Use six Intruders and six Corsairs for the job, two aircraft for each of the six briefed targets. Low clouds over northern Norway prevents the use of precision-guided munitions, and the aircraft have been armed with iron bombs. In order to make a significant impact, strike planners calculate that at least 75% of the targets must be destroyed. Six Corsairs armed with Shrike ARMs will provide strike support while two Prowlers will jam enemy radar and communications. All available Tomcats, Freedom Fighters and Fighting Falcons should provide fighter cover.
Carrier strike #2 Attack the Soviet beachhead at Bodo with six Intruders and six Corsairs armed with iron bombs. Strike the six briefed targets with two aircraft each. This is an extremely risky attack as the Soviets have already landed more than two dozen SAM launchers, and advanced AAW ships have been set up as SAM traps. You are encouraged to micro-manage your assets and carefully choose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy SAM and AAA concentrations. Approach at minimum altitude to reduce the effectiveness of enemy air defenses and take advantage of the terrain. Two Prowlers and six Corsairs armed with Shrike ARMs will provide strike support.
Royal Air Force (RAF) Phantom II fighters are key assets in the defense of the British Isles and the GIUK gap, and should only be used for the protection of the carrier battle group. The RAF Phantoms are forbidden to approach the Norwegian coastline and may only engage to defend USS America.
High-tech weapons are in short supply. The carrier's stock of 96 Phoenix missiles has been depleted, and the F-14 Tomcats will have to rely on Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles to complete their important fleet air defense and escort missions.
Scenario duration is 12 hours. USS America must not sustain any damage.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - USS America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 4 - Backfires!
NATO vs SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP DATE/TIME: 15 SEPTEMBER 1985, 07:00:00 ZULU
Day two. The Soviets will now attempt to break down the Greenland - Iceland - United Kingdom (GIUK) barrier. The assault begins with a multi-regimental Backfire raid on Keflavik air base and Reykjavik airport on Iceland. To keep the Soviet bombers from their targets there is only a handful of surviving F-14A Tomcats on the aircraft carrier USS America and the F-15C Eagles of the 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) on Keflavik.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet Naval Aviation operates three Tu-16 Badger bomber regiments, each twenty aircraft strong plus two to four spares. In addition, about sixty modern Backfire bombers of the Soviet Strategic Air Armies have been forward deployed to the Kola Peninsula to support the Northern Fleet's operations. The bombers have already seen some action in the Norwegian Sea, sinking the Royal Navy's carrier HMS Illustrious and her ASW group, and mauling the US Navy's carrier battle group (CVBG) America in a combined air and submarine strike. The carrier miraculously escaped undamaged but many of her escorts were sunk.
USS America and her battered air wing (CVW) are now retreating southwest towards the relative safety of the GIUK gap. Eighteen F-15C Eagles are currently based on Keflavik, and ANG F-4D Phantom II's will soon be flown in to boost the interceptor strength in the GIUK gap. The first elements of a reinforced reserve US Army regiment have started arriving on Iceland by air, and some of their short-range SAM systems have come on-line.
MISSION: A large Soviet strike package has been detected over the Norwegian Sea. Launch all available interceptors and shoot down at least ten (10) Backfire bombers. The carrier USS America must be protected from damage at all cost. Scenario duration is one (1) hour.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Keflavik Recommended EMCOM State - B (Limited Emissions)
Norway Part 4 - To Help A Friend
NATO vs SOVIETS
LOCATION: NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 15 SEPTEMBER 1985, 07:00:00
It has been roughly thirty hours since the first Soviet paratroopers landed in northern Norway. Supported by a brigade-sized amphibious assault, and reinforced by a motorized rifle division arriving by sea, the Soviets have now secured Bodo, Evenes and Harstad in northern Norway.
The main assault on the ground is carried out by two mechanized divisions pushing overland via E78 from Finland. Having overrun the forward Norwegian defensive positions near Lyngen Valley, the Red Army is smashing into the main line of resistance around Bardufoss. Norwegian Army and Home Guard units have engaged in fierce delaying actions to slow down every step of the invaders' advance. Dug into mountainous terrain along a front that is only a few kilometers wide, the Norwegians have inflicted crippling losses on the lead Soviet units.
There are a total of five Norwegian brigades defending Fortress Norway. Brigade North is primarily tasked with protecting the air base at Bardufoss. Brigade 6 and 13 are set up in a blocking position near Lyngen and have borne the brunt of the initial Red Army thrust into Norway. Brigade 15 has engaged Soviet Paratroopers east of Evenes, while Brigade 14 has moved into a blocking position around Bodo. In addition to these five brigades there are several independent Army battalions and Home Guard units engaged in battle or taking up defensive positions throughout the theater.
Several NATO forces have been earmarked for insertion into Norway to resist the Soviet onslaught. The first two battalions of the ACE Mobile Force (AMF) have been air-transported to Bardufoss, and the entire brigade-sized unit is expected to be fully deployed in 4-6 days.
The five thousand men of the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB) have arrived in central Norway by air and are marrying up with their pre-positioned equipment stored in deep, heavily guarded, climate-controlled mountain caves near the small town of Varnes. The lead elements of the MAB have now started moving north by rail and road.
The two fighter squadrons belonging to the Canadian Air/Sea Transportable (CAST) Brigade were in place at Bardufoss air base only hours after war outbreak and have already seen a lot of action. The heavy equipment for one of the CAST's three battalions was pre-stored near Evenes in northern Norway, but following the Soviet offensive this equipment is now lost. The air-transportable elements of the two remaining battalions are being ferried to central Norway by the Canadian Air Force.
Lastly, there is the United Kingdom / Netherlands Landing Force (UK/NL LF) totaling about 6000 men specially trained for winter and amphibious operations. Apart from a handful tracked snow vehicles, this force has not pre-positioned any of its equipment in Norway and is traveling by sea. The UK/NL LF mobilized several days before the war started, and the convoy is scheduled to reach central Norway in 15 hours' time.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: Although achieving a better than three-to-one kill ratio against the Soviets, NATO air power in Norway has suffered murderous losses so far in the war. The Royal Norwegian Air Force has been decimated, with only about 40% of the pre-war fighter force still flying. Of the twenty Canadian F-5s deployed to Bardufoss, eleven remain. The RAF Jaguar and Harrier squadrons have experienced some losses too, and with the only in-theater US carrier battle group forced to withdraw out of range, the air picture over northern Norway is starting to look rather grim. On the positive side, two US Marine Corps fighter squadrons and two close support squadrons have now arrived at Varnes in central Norway and will commence operations shortly.
Additional reinforcements, including several US Air Force F-4E Phantom II and A-10A Thunderbolt II squadrons, are scheduled to reach airfields in southern Norway over the course of the next couple of days. However these assets will most likely be reoriented to defend Norway against the Soviets advancing through Denmark and Sweden.
The captured airfield at Bodo is now becoming crowded with Soviet fighters and attack aircraft. An air bridge has been established, a move that may eventually allow up to two Red Army infantry battalions to be flown into Norway every day. However, Bodo is the only airfield the Soviets have managed to capture with intact runways. Due to the threat from the east, all major runways in northern Norway have been built with caches of high explosives pre-positioned beneath the pavement. Before being overrun, the defenders at Evenes, Banak and other airfields successfully detonated the explosives, completely destroying the runways. And although most Soviet fighters are rough-strip capable and don't need perfect runways, this last heroic rear-guard action has rendered numerous airfields of high strategic value inoperable for days if not weeks to come.
MISSION: Your mission is four-folded. Firstly, you must bring the UK/NL LF convoy north to Ref Points 1-4 in central Norway. In order to get to your destination in time the convoy has to move at an average speed of at least 15kts. The convoy will probably draw a lot of Soviet attention, and although some losses can be expected, the safe arrival of the convoy will be of paramount importance to NATO commanders. Due to it's lower speed, the supporting Standing Force Mine Counter Measure group, consisting of seven mine hunters and a support ship, set sail a day before the UK/NL LF convoy. The mine hunters must proceed north towards Ref Points 5-8.
Secondly, continue flying reinforcements and stores to Bardufoss in northern Norway. The air base cannot handle more than 6-8 transports at a time. Thus it is important to carefully plan arrivals and departures to make sure the airlift operation is not delayed. The transports must return to the safer airfields in central Norway as soon as their valuable cargo has been offloaded.
Next, provide close air support for NATO ground forces in northern Norway. Attack Soviet troop concentrations, stores and artillery along the main front as well as the bridgeheads. At your disposal you have one squadron each of Royal Air Force Jaguar GR.1s and Harrier GR.3s, plus newly arriving USMC squadrons packing A-4M Skyhawks and AV-8A Harriers. You are encouraged to micro-manage your assets and carefully choose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy SAM and AAA concentrations. Approach at minimum altitude to reduce the effectiveness of enemy air defenses and take advantage of the terrain.
Lastly, defend NATO air bases and ports against enemy air attacks. The runways at Orland and Varnes in particular must not be damaged. Preserve your air assets; there are no replacements. Do under no circumstances lose more than thirty-five (35) planes. Scenario duration is fifteen (15) hours.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Orland Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Atlantic Ocean Part 2 - Sink the Boomers!
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: VIRGINIA CAPES DATE/TIME: 15 SEPTEMBER 1985, 18:00:00Z
The modern Soviet ballistic missile submarine doctrine holds that the SSBN's should be put to sea in protected waters close to their home shores. However, a number of older submarines, carrying shorter-range SLBMs, have taken up position off the US coasts. A big operation is now underway to remove this threat.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: At least six Yankee boomers are patrolling close to the shores of North America. These older submarines are known to be operating in groups of two-three boats, normally without escorts.
MISSION: Locate and destroy four Soviet Boomers. Scenario duration is 10 days.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarter: NAS Brunswick Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 5 - The Trap
NATO vs SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP DATE/TIME: 15 SEPTEMBER 1985, 19:30:00Z
A multi-regimental Backfire raid on Iceland on the second day of the war put the two main airfields temporarily out of action. A brave defense by Keflavik's squadron of F-15 fighters resulted in ten bomber shoot-downs, but both airfield were nonetheless hit by more than a dozen long-range missiles.
The range, speed and warhead of the AS-4 Kitchen make it the perfect standoff weapon in a high-threat environment. However, in the land-attack role the missile is guided by a highly inaccurate INS (Inertial Navigation System) which gives it a CEP (Circular Error Probable) of several hundred meters. This makes it virtually impossible to hit point targets with any certainty, and as a result, one of the runways at Keflavik escaped any serious damage. The F-15s that were caught on the ground survived the attack thanks to their hardened aircraft shelters. Once the rubble and debris had been cleared the fighters were ready to fly again. The airborne F-15s that diverted to Scotland after the strike soon returned home to re-join the defense of Iceland.
The aircraft carrier USS America and her battered battle group have successfully conducted a fighting withdrawal from the Norwegian Sea southwest into the Greenland - Iceland - United Kingdom (GIUK) gap. Although the carrier escaped undamaged, the Soviets sank several of her escorts. It seems unlikely the battle group will be capable of fending off a second determined Soviet bomber raid.
The damaged airfields on Iceland and the crippled USS America battle group are presenting the Soviets with two highly tempting targets. Iceland is of great importance to NATO's effort to re-supply Germany by air, and destroying those airfields will have a direct impact on the war in Central Europe. Going after and sinking USS America will greatly reduce NATO's offensive capabilities on the Northern Front, and may delay or even prevent carrier battle groups and amphibious task forces from being sent into the Norwegian Sea later in the conflict.
Nearly one-half of the sixy Soviet Backfire bombers forward based on the Kola Peninsula were shot down during the first thirty-six hours of fighting. It is expected that Soviet bomber operations will be significantly hampered by these losses. The Northern Fleet's three Badger regiments remain largely intact, but it seems likely that the Soviets will hold these assets back to attack convoys bound for Norway rather than sending them into the heavily defended GIUK gap.
The AS-4 Kitchen missiles' intrinsic inability to hit point targets on land, coupled with the limited number of available missiles, reduces the possibility that they will be used in any great number in follow-up bomber raids against bases in the GIUK gap. The main body of an attack would thus likely consist of Backfires armed with iron bombs, and maybe even bombs containing persistent chemical agents. Using bombs will put the aircraft at greater risk, but it will also place a great deal more explosives on the target and increase the chances of putting the airfields out of action for a prolonged period of time.
A Soviet strike against USS America and her battle group is a daunting task. The carrier has reached the safety of the GIUK barrier, and the Soviet bombers and reconnaissance aircraft will face stiff opposition, possibly total annihilation, if they decide to fight their way through the alerted defenses around the United Kingdom. The bombers also run the risk of not being able to find their evasive target and may have to return home with unfinished business.
A second Soviet bomber raid is expected before any serious repairs can be completed and reinforcements can arrive. NATO commanders have now come up with a cunning plan to destroy the bombers should they decide to attack.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: It seems likely that the Soviets will either try to finish off the USS America and her battle group, or stage a second raid against the airfields on Iceland. However it is also possible that the Soviets may divert their valuable bombers to strike less defended targets in northern Norway, or even go after key facilities on the British Isles.
MISSION: Our number one priority is to hide the carrier battle group and leave the Soviets confused about its location. The Soviets lost contact with USS America after their surprise attack in the Norwegian Sea, and everything on the Kola Peninsula that can fly, sail or submerge have since been looking for her.
The key to hiding a carrier at sea is to frustrate the enemy's reconnaissance and intelligence gathering efforts. Use radar and the enemy will know. Avoid the use of radar, and the Soviets will have to find you the hard way by searching the vast ocean area. A common method to locate a carrier is to identify the Hawkeye's radar, draw a circle around the aircraft's location and search that area. The Hawkeye normally operates somewhere between 100 and 250nm from the carrier, often on or close to the main threat axis. This technique may give the Soviets a basic idea of the carrier's whereabouts. But by setting up a deception plan and deliberately denying sensor information, giving false ESM contact references and providing expected results consistent with a fictitious disposition of forces, it is hoped that the main Soviet search effort can be diverted to the wrong areas. In addition, if Soviet aircraft decide to search with radar, they in turn give allied forces identity and tracking information. Using this data you can run your fighters out along the ESM line of bearing and nail the recon aircraft.
The deception plan includes launching aircraft under strict EMCON, ferrying them out to a designated deception point at low altitude, at which point they will climb and radiate as normal to give the impression the aircraft carrier is located in a very different location. All aircraft returning to the carrier would fly the recovery pattern to the deception point, and then run in at low altitude and silent to the carrier's actual position.
After reaching the Faeroe - Shetland gap, USS America and her battle group made a sharp turn northwest, heading towards Iceland at full speed. The carrier has now pushed to within 220nm of Keflavik, dodging a pair of Soviet RORSAT satellites in the process. At the same time, the deception point has been moved to within fifty nautical miles of the British Isles. It is hoped this unexpected move will put the carrier out of harms way while allowing NATO to reinforce the defense of Iceland.
Fighters from Keflavik and USS America are flying CAP over Iceland and the carrier battle group, all operating under strict EMCON. A Hawkeye, a Skywarrior and an AWACS are passively searching for Soviet bombers by listening for radio and radar bursts. At the same time a single Hawkeye and a pair of F-14s are operating near the deception point (Ref Point #1), employing a host of deception tactics to convince the Soviets that a whole battle group is operating nearby.
If the Soviets decide to stage a raid into the GIUK gap you must try to intercept, and if possible annihilate, the enemy bomber formations. Maintain EMCON even after you have made first contact and shadow the bombers until you have moved your fighters into position. When you are sure the Soviets can't escape, close the trap and destroy them. Going active too early will alert the Soviets and you run the risk of scaring them away. The bombers are expected to maintain strict EMCON too, so detecting the raid will be difficult. But if all else fails there's always the possibility of catching the bombers on their egress run; the most important thing here is that the bombers are not allowed to fight another day.
Destroy at least twenty (20) bombers. Scenario duration is one (1) hour.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Keflavik Recommended EMCOM State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 6 - Arctic Typhoons
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GREENLAND/ARCTIC ICE DATE/TIME: 15 SEPTEMBER 1985, 20:00:00Z
To defend their ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) against NATO attack submarines (SSNs), the Soviets have employed a maritime strategy dubbed the Bastion concept. This means they keep most of their SSBNs within small areas protected by surface ships and airplanes. If the boomers ever leave the Bastions they remain under the Arctic ice where they are difficult to track.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviets have sent two Typhoons and one Delta IV into attack positions under the Arctic ice cap. This presents an outstanding opportunity to severely damage the Soviet SSBN force and must not be missed. The boomers are probably escorted by several Victor-class attack submarines.
MISSION: Sail north from Iceland and search for the Soviet submarines. Locate and sink at least two of the boomers. Not more than two NATO submarines must be sunk in this operation. Scenario duration is ten (10) days.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Keflavik Recommended EMCOM State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 7 - Attack on the Kirov
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP/NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 16 SEPTEMBER 1985, 23:00:00Z
It has been four days since the first shots of the war. With a ferocious ground war raging in northern Norway, NATO's ability to reinforce and re-supply will be of paramount importance to both NATO and Soviet commanders.
Soviet anti-convoy operations have so far been highly successful. The Northern Fleet Naval Aviation's Tu-16 Badger bombers mounted a crippling strike against the convoy carrying the UK / Netherlands Landing Force (UK / NL LF) to Norway. Although nearly twenty bombers and support aircraft were shot down by NATO fighters, the Soviets sank seven out of twelve troop transports.
At the outbreak of war, the Soviets moved a powerful Surface Action Group (SAG) down the coast of Norway in support of the ground operation. It has assumed a position off the coast to prevent NATO reinforcements from reaching Norway by sea. The SAG is made up of eight ships of the Red Banner Northern Fleet, including the Kirov nuclear-powered battle cruiser and the Kiev aviation cruiser. Between them, these ships are armed with nearly fifty long-range anti-ship missiles, each capable of sinking almost any NATO vessel with a single hit.
The main part of the NATO naval forces in the Atlantic is the US Navy's 2nd Strike Fleet. This force may consist of up to four carrier battle groups and 360 planes. In accordance with pre-war contingency plans, the entire Strike Fleet can deploy to the North Atlantic or the Norwegian Sea in approximately ten days.
NATO forces on the northern front are heavily dependent upon the timely arrival of the fully assembled Strike Fleet. However only a single carrier, USS America, is available at this time. It will be another three to four days before additional carrier battle groups arrive on station.
With USS America's Carrier Air Wing (CVW) now recovering from the initial encounter in the Norwegian Sea, a decision has been made to undertake a limited operation and try to sink the Kirov battle cruiser and the Kiev aviation cruiser. Royal Air Force S.2B Buccaneers of the Maritime Strike Wing based at RAF Lossiemouth will participate along with three attack submarines. There is hope such a strike may catch the Soviets unprepared; will they really anticipate the launch of so audacious an attack on the pride of the Red Banner Fleet before the US Navy's Strike Fleet can mass for a combined attack?
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviet SAG has been located about one hundred nautical miles southwest of Bodo, northern Norway. The general area is marked by Ref Points 1-5. The SAG is operating under the protection of land-based air power, and stiff fighter opposition can be expected.
MISSION: Sink the Kirov, the Kiev, and at least four of the escorts in a combined air and sub-surface attack. The air element of the strike is made up of six (6) Intruders armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles and six (6) Corsairs armed with Walleye EO/TV-guided glide bombs from USS America, along with ten (10) Buccaneer attack aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth armed with Martel and Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles.
The three attack submarines will position themselves about 30nm from the SAG and launch their Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles in coordination with the air element. The submarines will then close to attack remaining ships with torpedoes.
Due to shortages in air-to-air missiles, your Tomcats are armed with the 2-Phoenix / 3-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout. A handful of RAF Phantom fighters are available to provide fighter cover for the strike. However these are vital assets in the defense of the GIUK gap, and losses must be kept to an absolute minimum.
Scenario duration is eight (8) hours. USS America must not sustain any damage. Do not lose more than six fighters, four strike aircraft, or one submarine.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Atlantic Ocean Part 3 - Convoy I
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: THE ATLANTIC OCEAN DATE/TIME: 17 SEPTEMBER 1985, 02:00:00Z
It is day four of the war. A total of thirty-eight Soviet divisions are now attacking West Germany. About half this force is pushing hard towards the Rhine to split NATO forces in two and capture key NATO airbases. The remaining divisions attack the northern and southern Central-European flanks. The Soviets estimate that the all-out effort to destroy NATO air power on the ground will help the Red Army reach the Rhine in just ten days. Once there the ultimate goal to occupy most of Western Europe will be in sight. The strategic objectives to be seized include West German territory, the Benelux countries, Denmark, the English Channel, the French Atlantic Coast and the Iberian Peninsula.
In spite of the constant Soviet air, missile and commando attacks on military comm nets, bases, holding areas and field units, the Bundeswher, together with Allied forces in Germany, have slowed down the Soviet advance and disrupted their timetable in all areas. Thirty-six hours into the war both sides had committed much of their military forces available in theater. There has been an estimated 90,000 casualties of which about 60,000 are Soviet.
However, NATO forces in Central Europe are hopelessly outnumbered and reinforcements are badly needed to halt the Soviet advance. Two days before the start of the war a 50-ship convoy sailed from the CONUS carrying, amongst other, the entire US 3rd Corps, 40,000 men, and all of its equipment. This was mainly conceived as a public act of force to demonstrate the US commitment to supporting its NATO allies and make the Soviets think twice about further aggressive moves. Unfortunately, it did nothing to prevent the war. The convoy is now located about 1100nm west of Brest, France. Three US carriers, USS Forrestal, USS JFK and USS Coral Sea are escorting the convoy together with more than thirty US and allied warships.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviets moved more than fifty submarines out into the Atlantic before the start of the war, including as many as twenty nuclear attack submarines. There are three barriers set up in the mid-Atlantic, each consisting of six to twelve submarines and stretching across up to six hundred nautical miles of ocean. Another barrier is believed to be in place in the Western Approaches southwest of the Greenland, Iceland, UK (GIUK) gap, and a fifth barrier has been set up off the Canadian coast. In addition, independently operating submarines have been deployed near key harbors and chokepoints from the Labrador Sea in the north all the way down to Cuba.
In addition to the submarine threat, NATO's Greenland, Iceland, UK (GIUK) barrier has been seriously weakened, giving Soviet naval bombers access to the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is believed the Kola-based Backfire fleet has been more or less destroyed by NATO air power, it is not impossible that, supported by tankers and long-range reconnaissance aircraft, the Soviets will attempt to fly far out into the Atlantic and strike NATO convoys.
MISSION: In order to reinforce NATO lines in Western Europe and turn back the Soviet invasion effort you must ensure the convoy arrives in France. Your mission is highly time critical and the merchants of the first two groups must reach Ref Points #2 and #3 in less than 48 hours. The average speed the convoy must travel at is therefore 15kt. Not more than 16 merchants (30% of the total) must be lost.
The US Navy solution to the air threat is to seek a decisive battle in which the enemy bombers can be destroyed. Clearly, the Soviets prefer to use their bomber force against NATO shipping rather against F-14s and high-capability AAW ships. Thus, the three carriers have deliberately been set up as a combination of threat and irresistible target. In addition to maintaining the classical Combat Air Patrol (CAP) stations, selected surface ships have been stationed as pickets to form a SAM trap where they can be cued to fire their missiles long before the enemy bombers approach the main body of the fleet.
The submarine threat is to be dealt with using screens of surface escorts, helicopters and aircraft, attack submarines, as well as long-range land-based anti-submarine aircraft used in conjunction with SOSUS information. The convoy has been split into three groups to better protect the merchants; the groups consist of 15 to 18 merchants each, with four or five escorts. Zig-zag maneuvering of the convoys is not recommended due to the complexity of changing direction of such large formations.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - CV 67 John F. Kennedy Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Atlantic Ocean Part 4 - Target Conakry
USA vs. SOVIET UNION
LOCATION : WESTERN AFRICA DATE/TIME: 17 SEPTEMBER 1985, 03:00:00Z
Six Tu-22M-2 Backfire B long-range naval bombers belonging to the Black Sea Fleet, together with six Tu-16N Badger tankers and four Tu-95 Bear D long-range reconnaissance planes, were flown to Conakry in Guinea just before the start of the war. The Soviets were given basing rights in Guinea several years ago in return for supplying weapons, including seven MiG-21s.
The Soviet detachment has been active since the very start of the war. The Bear Ds have assisted Northern Fleet Raid Commanders locating NATO convoys in the Atlantic Ocean, although not without suffering some losses. The Backfires and supporting tankers have been busy mining the sea lanes, and have laid an estimated total of three hundred mines thus far.
3000 miles away, at Dyess AFB in Texas, eighteen SAC B-52H Stratofortresses are being prepared to remove the Soviet presence in Western Africa. It is hoped that a successful attack will destroy the Soviet aircraft and render the airfield inoperable for the duration of the war.
B-52 tactics have changed a lot since the 1972 Linebacker offensive over Vietnam. From 1972 to 1977, all B-52Gs and B-52Hs received the AN/AVQ-22 LLLTV and AN/AAQ-6 FLIR in two fairings under the nose. These had an immediate impact on operations, which changed from medium-altitude carpet bombing to point attacks made at low altitude. Infrared-assisted delivery of unguided bombs from 500 feet or lower provided the B-52G/Hs with a quasi pecision weapon delivery capability and proved more effective than radar-guided bombing from medium altitude. Around the same time the bombers also went through the Phase VI avionics upgrade which also included an extensive ECM suite that would increase the survivability in the event of penetrating heavily defended enemy airspace.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The enemy airfield is protected by SA-6 SAM battalions, SA-7 MANDPADS, and heavy-caliber AAA. Two USAF EC-130Es will provide jammer support for the strike package. Four F-4Es, supported by tankers, have flown out from the Azores and will counter the threat posed by Guinea's MiG-21s.
MISSION: The eighteen B-52s are divided into flights of three aircraft. Each flight has been ordered to attack one of six briefed tagets, and at least five of these must be destroyed if the strike is to be considered successful. Not more than four of your aircraft must be shot down. Scenario duration is three hours.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: HQ - RC-135W Rived Joint Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 8 - The Barrier
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP/NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 17 SEPTEMBER 1985, 08:00:00Z
In a war situation, early control of the Norwegian Sea will be of great strategic importance for both NATO and the Soviet Union. For the Soviets, such control indirectly protects their strategic submarine bastions in the Barents Sea and reduces the possibility for an attack on the Soviet homeland. The Norwegian Sea is also the only avenue to the Atlantic Ocean and NATO's vital sea-lanes of communication (SLOC). By rapidly seeking control of the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland - Iceland - United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, the Soviets can achieve a good position for offensive operations into the North Atlantic.
NATO control of the Atlantic Ocean is heavily dependent upon the Norwegian Sea. With war raging throughout Europe, the ability to reinforce and supply NATO forces from the United States will be decisive. The loss of the Norwegian Sea will provide the Soviets with free access to the Atlantic, and thereby, the ability to cut NATO's SLOC's. It would also result in a NATO defeat in Norway and Denmark, which would give the Soviets several airfields of high strategic value. If the Soviets also gain control over Iceland, almost any important part of Europe will be within range of their strike planes. So although the war will probably not be won in the Norwegian Sea, it can surely be lost there.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: As part of NATO's naval strategy to bottle up the initial Soviet incursion into the Norwegian Sea, progressive ASW barriers are now being set up from the Barents Sea all the way down through the Norwegian Sea into the GIUK gap. The GIUK gap itself is being actively patrolled by NATO surface forces including the USS America carrier battle group, the Ark Royal ASW group, STANAVFORLANT, and towed-array ASW groups. Large numbers of shore-based maritime patrol aircraft are operating from bases on Iceland and the British Isles, and B-52s have laid down large numbers of CAPTOR mines in the Greenland - Iceland gap.
With the outbreak of war, NATO's plan is to move its Atlantic Strike Fleet, consisting of as many as four carrier battle groups, into the Norwegian Sea. Here, the fleet will attack Soviet air and naval bases, and force the enemy to develop a defensive posture instead of disrupting the Atlantic sea lanes. However, only USS America and her battle group are present in the theatre at this time; three additional carriers are not scheduled to arrive for another few days.
More than thirty Soviet attack submarines deployed to the Norwegian Sea before the start of the war (in addition to fifty submarines deployed to the Atlantic Ocean), many taking up position in the same areas as those the Soviets expect will be used by NATO submarines. The main submarine barriers have been drawn on your tactical map as threat zones; southeast of Iceland, between Norway and Jan Mayen, and between Norway and Svalbard. Some Soviet submarines are known to have returned to their bases on the Kola Peninsula after delivering the initial blows to NATO naval forces, and replacements have been detected leaving the Barents Sea.
MISSION: Sink fourteen (14) Soviet submarines while keeping your own losses to an absolute minimum. Scenario duration is four (4) days.
Pay special attention to Soviet submarines attempting to leave the Barents Sea. Stay clear of from Soviet surface groups and areas patrolled by Soviet ASW aircraft.
(Hint 1: if you assign the CAPTOR mines to a generic 'Sub Strike' mission they will operate in an automated mode as they would in real life.)
(Hint 2: the SOSUS network takes advantage of the deep sound channels to detect enemy submarines at extreme ranges. However, the range and bearing information produced by these sensors is highly inaccurate, and the actual position may be up to hundred nautical miles or more from where SOSUS says it is. You are encouraged to carefully check each new contact to see what unit detected it. If detected by a submarine, ship or aircraft the contact is relatively close, if detected by SOSUS it can often be ignored.)
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Atlantic Ocean Part 5 - Convoy II
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: THE ATLANTIC OCEAN DATE/TIME: 17 SEPTEMBER 1985, 12:00:00Z
Day four. The war in Central Europe is consuming men and equipment at a phenomenal rate and NATO reinforcements are needed on all fronts to continue resisting the Soviet onslaught. The first two cross-Atlantic convoys to leave the US and Canada since the start of the war have now formed up in the Canadian port of Halifax. One convoy is heading for Central Europe, the other is carrying reinforcements to Iceland and Norway.
Six days earlier, a large convoy had left the United States headed for Europe. The convoy totaled no less than fifty large merchant vessels and was escorted by three US carriers, a British carrier, and more than thirty surface combatants and attack submarines. Naturally, the convoy drew a lot of Soviet attention; the carrier USS Coral Sea was sunk by a pair of Oscar submarines, taking the majority of the aircraft with her to the bottom. Sixteen of the merchants were lost to Soviet missile and attack submarines, and six NATO escorts plus two Fleet Support Auxiliaries were sunk. In return, NATO ASW forces have made eight confirmed and two unconfirmed submarine kills, all of them believed to be nuclear-powered examples of the Victor, Alfa and Charlie classes.
Surprisingly, no Soviet long-range naval bombers have so far been spotted in the Atlantic. There may be several reasons for this, including the fact that the Kola-based Backfire fleet suffered murderous losses during the initial operations in the Norwegian Sea. The Soviets also lack suitable tankers to support long-range missions, and seem content to concentrate on in-theatre operations rather than mid-Atlantic convoy raids.
Of the fifty or so Soviet attack submarines deployed in the Atlantic before the start of the war, ten have been sunk in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, two or three have been sunk off the US coast, and four more have been confirmed killed in and around the Western Approaches and the GIUK gap. This leaves more than thirty Soviet attack submarines intact, whose sole mission is to disrupt NATO's vital Atlantic Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC).
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The submarine threat is considered to be extreme. However, only limited NATO ASW forces are available for convoy operations.
MISSION: Escort a convoy consisting of eight (8) merchants out into the Atlantic Ocean towards Iceland, and another convoy of eighteen (18) merchants towards Europe. Your mission is time critical and the two convoys must reach Ref Points 1-2 and 3-4 respectively in less than 48 hours. This means each convoy will have to travel at an average speed of 15kt. Not more than a total of eight (8) merchants must be damaged or sunk.
Author's note: When a ship is taking up a new station within a group, the entire formation will slow down and wait until the ship is in place. It is important to carefully watch the groups' speed if you want to reach your destination in time.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - 280 Iroquois Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Atlantic Ocean Part 6 - RORSAT
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: VIRGINIA CAPES DATE/TIME: 17 SEPTEMBER 1985, 18:00:00Z
By the mid-1970s it was estimated that at least three out of four satellites in space were being used for military purposes. To deny the enemy the use of space and space assets in time of crisis or war, both superpowers began researching and testing of Anti-Satellite (ASAT) systems in the early 1960s. The intended targets were primarily low-orbiting reconnaissance, electronic intelligence and ocean surveillance satellites.
The Soviet Union's only operational ASAT was the Co-Orbital ASAT. The system was basically a killer satellite, known locally as 'Istrebitel Sputnikov' (fighter satellite), launched from the ground and placed into orbit close to the intended target, guided by on-board radar. The 1,400kg ASAT interceptor would then detonate the conventional explosive warhead within a kilometer of the target, destroying it with shrapnel fragments.
The Co-Orbital ASAT system was initially tested from 1963 to 1972, after which the system was declared operational. The test program consisted of around twenty launches that demonstrated the system could be used from orbital altitudes of 230 to 1,000 kilometers. The tests ceased in 1972 after the Soviets signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty but were assumed again in 1976 in response to the US development of the Space Shuttle, viewed by the Kremlin as a carrier of space-based weapons.
A new version of the Co-Orbital ASAT was introduced from 1978 to 1982, with test intercepts taking place about once a year. The range had been extended to as low as 160 km and as high as 1,600 km, and the ASAT was now able to intercept the target in a single orbit. The test flights ended in 1982, with many interceptors being kept in operational readiness at the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan.
The United States' first anti-satellite program began in 1962, and although many systems were eventually tested, none had become fully operational by 1980. In 1979, four years before the advent of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), the United States Air Force issued a contract to Vought for an ASM-135A Air-Launched Miniature Vehicle (ALMV). This three-stage missile, weighing about 2700lb at launch and being 18 feet long, would be launched from the centerline fuselage hardpoint of an F-15 Eagle against a satellite in low-earth orbit. The missile would use an infrared seeker to home in on the target and attempt to destroy or disrupt it by scoring a direct hit.
Captive flights began in the early 1980s. The first actual launch of an ASM-135A from an F-15 took place in January 1984, with the missile being aimed at a predetermined point in space. Three subsequent launches were made against celestial infrared sources. The launching aircraft had been specially wired to accommodate the missile and was provided with a backup battery, a microprocessor, and a datalink for midcourse guidance.
The first flight against an actual target satellite took place on September 13, 1985. An F-15A took off from Vandenberg AFB, zoom-climbed to 80,000 feet and launched the ASAT against the test target, orbiting at about 555 km above the earth. Both the first and second rocket stages fired successfully, and the miniature kinetic kill vehicle separated and homed in on the satellite, destroying it upon impact.
The test was carried out only one day prior to the outbreak of war. Two F-15As wired for the ASAT have now been relocated to Langley AFB on the US East Coast and married up with a handful pre-production ASAT missiles. The intention is to try to knock out Soviet RORSAT oceanic reconnaissance satellites in low-earth orbit.
[Author's Note: In reality, the Soviet ASAT program was later abandoned. The US program effectively ended in December 1985 when a ban was put in place on testing the missile on targets in space. The plan was to modify twenty F-15As for the anti-satellite mission and procure up to 112 missiles however the ASAT program was officially terminated in 1988.]
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviets rely heavily on ocean surveillance satellites to detect and track movements of NATO naval vessels and merchant shipping. Two basic types of reconnaissance satellite systems are used - Radar Ocean Reconnaissance satellites (RORSATs) and Electronic Ocean Reconnaissance satellites (EORSATs), known locally as US-A and US-P respectively.
The RORSATs are usually deployed in pairs. To increase the ability to monitor foreign fleet movements they circle the earth at a very low operational orbit of 255 km and a nodal period of 89 minutes. By restricting the orbits to between 65 degrees south and 65 degrees north latitude, the observation time is concentrated over the major oceans of the world where Western naval activity normally takes place. The paired RORSATs reside within the same orbital plane but cross the equator 25 minutes apart, and because of the earth's rotation, the ground track of the second RORSAT is displaced more than 250 nm west at 45 degrees latitude. The RORSATs are outfitted with a large radar powered by a compact nuclear reactor, and the width of the area observed by each satellite is approximately 240 nm parallel to the orbital track.
The EORSAT signal-gathering satellites obtain data on the location of western shipping by listening for radar, high-frequency communications, and other active sensors. The satellites fly at an altitude of about 420 km and cover a wide area of ocean in each orbit. The solar-powered EORSATs are normally formed into constellations of two to three satellites working together, closely linked with the RORSAT satellites.
By war outbreak the Soviets operated five ocean surveillance satellites. The two RORSATs were launched on August 1 and 23, 1985, working in coordination with a pair of EORSATs put into orbit a few weeks earlier. The fifth satellite, an EORSAT, was launched only a few hours prior to the initialization of hostilities.
MISSION: Mission planning has been performed in the Strategic Air Command's Cheyenne Mountain complex in Colorado. The intended target is the first of the paired RORSAT satellites; the ground track has been drawn on the tactical map.
The ASAT-armed F-15A is to take off immediately and fly to the weapon release point. Zoom climb to an altitude of 80,000 feet and launch the ASAT, all under computer control. The first stage will propel the missile to a precise inertial point in space on collision course with the target satellite. The second stage points the third stage, the miniature kill vehicle (MKV), at the target so that the infrared image can be detected. The 30lb third stage then separates, and, guided by the IR seeker and employing 63 maneuver motors, collides with the satellite at a closing velocity of 15,000 miles per hour.
It is estimated the missile will have 80% chance of destroying the target.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters - Cheyenne Mountain Recommended EMCON State - C (Unrestricted Emissions)
Norway Part 11 - Avengers
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: NORWEGIAN COASTLINE DATE/TIME: 19 SEPTEMBER 1985, 00:01:00Z
World War Three has raged for six days. On the northern flank, in the northern one-thrid of Norway, the Soviets now find themselves in control of the main population centers and key choke points along the roads leading south.
Norwegian airfields came under heavy attack from the outset and stood little chance. Only Bardufoss was able to hold out, where NATO fighters flew from the cratered runways for several days into the war. Its garrison surrendered only after being stormed by Soviet Red Army armored and mechanized formations. While the Norwegians were being taken prisoner, a huge explosion rocked the air base. The Norwegians were able to detonate an underground cache of munitions pre-positioned beneath the airstrip itself. Tons of high explosives went up simultaneously, completely chewing up four separate 120ft sections of runway. The airfield is expected to be out of action for at least another two precious days as Red Army engineers work on repairing the runway sufficiently to operate rough-strip jets.
On the ground, Norwegian army units and massive NATO reinforcements, including the AMF, CAST, and USMC units, have been involved in fierce fighting along the roads leading south. The ferocity displayed by Norwegian troops during the heroic rear-guard action in the Lyngen Valley in northern Norway surprised the Soviets and disrupted their tight timetable. Although the defenders were overrun in the end, the Soviet drive never recovered the momentum it had lost.
Surviving elements of the Norwegian Air Force and NATO forces have retreated to air bases in central and southern Norway. The majority of the small Norwegian Navy, consisting mainly of frigates and coastal defense vessels, has either been sunk or forced to retreat along with the rest of NATO's forces. But a small force is hiding up and down the Soviet-controlled coast using the many fjords to mask their positions.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO OPERATIONS
INTEL: The surviving Norwegian fleet assets in northern Norway are highly dispersed. The command and control network has been destroyed, so combined operations are out of the question.
Soviet transports believed to be carrying at least one full mechanized infantry division as well as critical stores, fuel and ammunition to the Soviet beachhead at Bodo have been detected off the Norwegian coast. Knowing that a large convoy presents an easy target, the Soviets have formed the ships into several smaller convoys to spread the threat against them. Soviet coastal convoys usually consist of two to four transports plus escorts, and are sometimes screened by reconnaissance groups. The first convoy is believed to be located about 260 nautical miles from its final destination, marked by Ref Points 1-3.
MISSION: Locate and harass the convoys. Sink at least four (4) Soviet transport ships.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flag Ship - Narvik FF Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 3 - Entering the Norwegian Sea
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP/NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 21 SEPTEMBER 1985, 04:00:00Z
The Soviet Union's unprecedented buildup of nuclear and conventional forces during the 1970s concerned many Americans. At the same time, the Carter administration tried to contain military spending by concentrating on commitments to the NATO central front, and only forming defensive Maginot-type lines on the flanks. The Republicans, on the other hand, sought to widen the areas of confrontation and increase US defense spending. Following the landslide Republican victory in the 1980 presidential election, issues like force modernization, warfare in space and strategic mobility became major topics of discussion.
In his initial days in office, President Reagan made a proclamation vowing to achieve maritime superiority over the Soviet Union, reaffirming his personal desire to build an offensive navy 'second to none'. The fiery Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman became Reagan's leading spokesman for the new maritime strategy. Although the origins of this maritime strategy could be traced through the preceding Chief of Naval Operations back thirty-five years to the immediate postwar era, the Secretary became the strategy's new lighting rod.
The three prongs of the new maritime strategy were deterrence, forward defense and flexible response, which in war was to ensure use of the seas to carry the fight to the enemy and terminate the conflict on favorable terms. Offensive carrier warfare dominated the strategy, which would exploit the Soviet Union's inherently unfavorable maritime geography by sending carrier battle groups and amphibious task forces into the Norwegian Sea to attack Soviet air bases and fleet facilities.
The first operation to test this concept was undertaken by USS John F. Kennedy and her battle group several years earlier, on a cruise that started in September 1976. The carrier was equipped with the first two F-14 squadrons in the Atlantic Fleet and was sent into the northern Norwegian Sea were she continued operations for the next several weeks. In 1982 two Task Forces sailed again into the Norwegian Sea and exercised a transportation of NATO reinforcements to Norway, which brought them into strike range of Soviet bases on the Kola Peninsula.
Three years later, during the Ocean Safari '85 exercise, the United States demonstrated once more that it was an Atlantic nation committed to the security of Europe. At the time, Ocean Safari '85 was the largest NATO sea-lane defense exercise ever conducted, stretching across the Atlantic and into the English Channel and the Norwegian Sea. Ten NATO nations participated, and the exersise involved no less than 157 warships. Strike Fleet Atlantic supported the convoy movements, and the carriers IKE (CVN 69), America (CV 66) and Saratoga (CV 60) were involved at this time. IKE and Saratoga separated in early September, and USS America now formed the main body of the strike fleet moving northeast into the Norwegian Sea, accompanied by HMS Illustrious and her ASW group.
On 14th September, while the strike fleet was operating off the coast of northern Norway, the Soviets launched a massive and carefully planned air, sea and land assault on the NATO alliance. The sudden outbreak of war caught the strike fleet by surprise, forcing it to conduct a fighting withdrawal south towards the UK and safety. And although the aircraft carrier escaped undamaged, the Soviets inflicted heavy losses and gained a strong foothold in the Norwegian Sea.
The surviving elements of the Atlantic Strike Fleet, together with other NATO forces, formed a strong defensive barrier centered on the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap and then waited for three additional US Navy carrier battle groups to arrive.
With four carriers now at hand, time has finally come to seize the initiative and carry the fight to the enemy.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
The Strike Fleet now comprises four US Navy carrier battle groups. USS America, survivor of the initial fighting in the Norwegian Sea, flies the fleet's flag. The carriers USS Forrestal and USS John F. Kennedy completed their cross-Atlantic convoy actions on day seven and immediately headed north to join USS America. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower left the United States on day two and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in less than one week.
INTEL: The strike fleet represents possibly the most formidable naval force ever gathered. In addition to their powerful air wings (CVWs), each carrier is protected by five to six close-in ASW and AAW ships. A USN towed array sonar group, the HMS Ark Royal ASW group and five ships of STANAVFORLANT have been tasked with supporting the force as it makes its way northeast. Several NATO submarine barriers were set up in the Norwegian Sea during the early days of the war, and the submarines will now act as the strike fleet's outer ASW screen. Finally, seven guided-missile cruisers and destroyers will be set up to form a strong AAW barrier two hundred nautical miles up-threat from the carriers.
No Soviet air raids are expected at this time, however the sub threat is considered to be high. SOSUS information is available around the GIUK gap, but the arrays off the northern coast of Norway have been destroyed by the Soviets.
MISSION: Escort the four Carrier Battle Groups (CVBGs) to their designated patrol areas in the Norwegian Sea. Battle group TG 401.1 is to take up station at Ref Point 1, TG 401.2 at Ref Point 2, and so on. The Ark Royal TU 401.8.1 group, towed array TU 401.6.2 ASW group and TG 401.5 STANAVFORLANT are to take up position near Ref Points 11, 12 and 13 respectively. Some of the submarines in and around the GIUK gap should be moved forward to reinforce the Greenland, Jan Mayen, Norway barrier; the submarine barriers are marked on your tactical map as threat zones. Finally, make sure to maintain the outer screen of AAW ships as the carriers proceed out into the Norwegian Sea. The cruisers and destroyers should take up position near Ref Points 21 - 27.
Scenario duration is 28 hours. The carrier battle groups need to travel at an average speed of 20kts to be able to reach their stations in time.
None of the US carriers, the British carrier, nor any of the AAW cruisers and destroyers must sustain any damage. Not more than two other ships may be lost.
(Hint 1: if you assign the CAPTOR mines to a generic 'Sub Strike' mission they will operate in an automated mode as they would in real life.)
(Hint 2: the SOSUS network takes advantage of the deep sound channels to detect enemy submarines at extreme ranges. However, the range and bearing information produced by these sensors is highly inaccurate, and the actual position may be up to hundred nautical miles or more from where SOSUS says it is. You are encouraged to carefully check each new contact to see what unit detected it. If detected by a submarine, ship or aircraft the contact is relatively close, if detected by SOSUS it can often be ignored.)
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 4 - Clash of the Titans
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP/NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 22 SEPTEMBER 1985, 04:00:00Z
With a full-blown war raging in Central Europe, the ability to reinforce and re-supply from the United States will be a decisive factor in NATO's ability to stop the Soviet onslaught. REFORGER (Return Forces to Germany) troops were quickly flown in when hostilities broke out and married up with pre-positioned stocks of equipment. But airlift alone will be unable to transport enough of the supplies needed to sustain operations. All of the heavy equipment, oil, and the majority of the combat vehicles and troops, have to be moved by sea. If the submarines, ships and naval bombers of the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet can sever NATO's Atlantic sea lanes for even a short period, Soviet ground forces will sweep across West Germany in weeks, perhaps even days.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, an increasingly modernized and powerful Soviet Navy forced NATO to shift focus from the purely defensive Atlantic sea-control mission to go onto the offensive early during a war and carry the fight to the enemy. Carrier warfare and the belief in the power projection capabilities of the supercarriers dominated this new maritime strategy, which was a central part of President Reagan's military buildup during the 1980s. Should war break out, NATO would move its Atlantic Strike Fleet, consisting of as many as four carrier battle groups, into the Norwegian Sea to force the Soviets to develop a defensive posture instead of disrupting the Atlantic sea lanes.
As war broke out, NATO had only a single US carrier battle group and a British ASW group stationed in the Norwegian Sea. The Soviet onslaught forced NATO to immediately fall back and form a defensive barrier in the GIUK gap. However, the initial Soviet attempts to deal with NATO's carrier air power and knock out the airfields on Iceland were unsuccessful, resulting in the loss of nearly fifty Backfire bombers. Furthermore, progressive NATO submarine barriers in the Norwegian Sea took a considerable toll on Soviet attack submarines tasked with attacking NATO naval forces and disrupting the sea-lanes to Norway. And as the war entered its second week, a deadlock had ensued in the Norwegian Sea.
The stalemate situation did not extend to the land battle in Norway, where a ferocious war of attrition had raged with ever-increasing intensity since day one. The Soviets were successful in establishing several strong beachheads in northern Norway at the very start of the conflict. The overland drive through Finland linked up with the various pockets along the coast, and in spite of heroic NATO resistance, the Soviet mechanized columns have now reached as far south as Narvik. Overhead, skirmishes involving several hundred aircraft have taken place on a daily basis. The weight of the Soviet onslaught has been borne by land-based air power since NATO's powerful Strike Fleet and its embarked aviation resources were not available yet.
All of this was about to change when the aircraft carriers USS Forrestal, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower joined USS America and her battlegroup in the GIUK gap, and sailed into the Norwegian Sea.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: Time has come to seize the initiative and carry the fight to the enemy. The four carriers assigned to the 2nd Strike Fleet have safely entered the Norwegian Sea and are making final preparations for the first of a series of air strikes against Soviet bases in northern Norway.
The strike fleet represents possibly the most formidable naval force ever gathered. Between them, the four aircraft carriers pack an awesome offensive capability in the form of nearly one hundred F-14 Tomcat fleet air defense fighters, forty A-6 Intruder medium attack aircraft, one hundred A-7 Corsair light attack aircraft, as well as a large number of fixed-wing support aircraft and helicopters. In addition to their powerful air wings (CVW), each carrier is protected by five to six close-in ASW and AAW ships. A USN towed array sonar group, the HMS Ark Royal ASW group, STANAVFORLANT, and one dozen NATO attack submarines have been tasked with screening the force as it makes its way northeast. Finally, seven guided-missile cruisers and destroyers have been set up to form a strong AAW barrier two hundred nautical miles up-threat from the carriers.
In response to NATO's move, the Soviets have hurriedly deployed two Backfire and two Badger regiments to bases on the Kola Peninsula to supplement the forty surviving Northern Fleet Badgers and one dozen Strategic Air Armies Backfires already there. Several fresh fighter regiments have been moved to the Northern Front as well. Nearly one hundred MiG-21, MiG-23 and Su-15 fighters operate from the four largest airfields in northern Norway: Bodo, Andoya, Evenes and Bardufoss. Many more fighter and attack regiments are stationed on half a dozen other captured airfields in Norway as well as thirty-plus bases on the Kola Peninsula.
MISSION: Continue sailing into the Norwegian Sea towards Ref Points 1 to 4. Preserve your forces and protect the carriers at all cost. At least two carriers must remain one hundred percent operational for the duration of the scenario - 14 hours.
Launch two rounds of air strikes against Soviet facilities in northern Norway. Each briefed target must be hit by two aircraft. The targets are marked [TARGET-#] where '#' is the strike's number, 1 or 2.
Moderate losses are expected. To compensate, more aircraft will be made available on the carriers than those needed to complete the strikes. These extra airframes are reserves and should be held back until needed.
1: Start by staging simultaneous raids on the air bases at Andoya and Bodo. Strike Bodo with a total of 12x Intruders from TG 401.3 and TG 401.4, and hit each of the six briefed targets with two aircraft. Another 12x Intruders from TG 401.1 and TG 401.2 will strike six briefed targets at Andoya. Lacking any real night attack capability, no Corsair strike sorties will be flown but 24x Corsairs will be tasked with strike support.
Overcast weather conditions in the target areas prevent the use of standoff weapons and laser-guided bombs. You are encouraged to micro-manage your strike aircraft and carefully choose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy air defense concentrations. Approach the targets from minimum altitude to reduce the effectiveness of Soviet air defenses.
Due to the extreme Soviet SAM and AAA concentrations, a total of 8x Prowlers and 24x Corsairs armed with Shrike and HARM missiles will provide strike support. In addition to anti-radar missiles, the Corsairs will also carry cluster bombs to deal with SAM launchers and surface ships. Make sure to use the Prowlers to their full potential, not only to jam enemy radar but also to pinpoint targets for the Corsairs.
2: Depending on aircraft losses and the number of operational carriers, attack either only the air base at Evenes or both Evenes and Bardufoss simultaneously. 12x Intruders must hit each individual base.
6x Corsairs from each carrier will join the mud-moving Intruders and conduct strikes on key Soviet targets in Northern Norway. Depending on your losses, attack either only the port facilities at Narvik and Harstad, or both ports plus the Soviet supply dump near Setermoen and the strategic road junction at Skibotn. Each location must be hit by 6x Corsairs armed with iron bombs.
All carriers will launch 2x Prowlers and 6x Corsairs in the strike support role to suppress enemy air defenses and, if necessary, surface ships.
At least three of the air bases must be knocked out, along with the port facilities at Harstad and Narvik. The carriers will withdraw to replenish as soon as these objectives have been met. Not more than 32 fighters and 8 attack aircraft must be shot down (friendly aircraft destroyed on the ground do not count towards this number).
Heavy expenditures of air-to-air missiles are expected. A carrier normally has 96 AIM-54 Phoenix, 120 AIM-7 Sparrow and 200 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles aboard. Thus, all F-14 Tomcats are to switch from the 4-Phoenix / 2-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout to the lighter 4-Sparrow / 4-Sidewinder loadout five and a half (5 1/2) hours into the scenario.
The key to a successful defense of the strike fleet is to destroy the Soviet launching platforms before they fire. The outer ring of picket ships have been set up as a silent SAM trap to counter an incoming raid. However once these units go active, they are unsupported and are vulnerable to individual attack. As such you are encouraged to maintain EMCON until the bombers are within minimum engagement range of their anti-ship missiles (about thirty nautical miles) before opening fire.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 5 - UNREP
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP/NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 22 SEPTEMBER 1985, 20:00:00Z
The Clash of the Titans action in the Norwegian Sea ended in a stalemate. Both sides achieved many of their main objectives, but suffered horrendous losses and expended huge quantities of munitions. As a result there has been a temporary hiatus in offensive naval operations. The race to regroup, re-stock, and resume strike operations has begun.
Sixty-five Soviet naval bombers have been confirmed destroyed together with 180 fighters, naval reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft, and transports. In addition, three of the main Soviet airfields in occupied northern Norway have been reduced to rubble and will remain inoperable for many days to come.
In return, the Soviets sank two of the Strike Fleet's four aircraft carriers, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, in a massive raid by Soviet missile submarines and naval bombers. Three cruisers and four destroyers were also lost. In total, 43 Tomcats, 49 Corsairs, 20 Intruders, 14 Vikings, eight Prowlers, seven Hawkeyes and 13 other aircraft were destroyed during the first day of operations in the Norwegian Sea. However, the air wings of the two remaining carriers, reinforced by planes from the sunken carriers, remain intact and fully combat capable. The strike fleet is now withdrawing to join up with the replenishment groups west of the GIUK gap, and is expected to be back in the Norwegian Sea to resume strike operations in three to four day's time.
The Strike Fleet is a unique weapon, combining great destructive power with mobility and flexibility. Yet as powerful as this force many be, its ability to stay at sea is limited by logistical requirements. A single aircraft carrier may use as much as two hundred tons of ordnance and thirty tons of stores per day while conducting strike operations. This makes re-supply every few days a necessity. A carrier's magazine can take approximately 1650 tons of conventional munitions, and a typical mid-1980s magazine would contain the following strike weapons for the air wing:
The USN is relying on Underway Replenishment (UNREP) to extend the endurance of the Strike Fleet and maximize its power projection capabilities. UNREP is a broad term for all methods of transferring fuel, munitions, supplies, and personnel from one ship to another while the vessels are at sea. For connected replenishment (CONREP), two or more ships steam side-by-side and hoses and lines are used to transfer fuel, ammunition, supplies and personnel. Vertical replenishment (VERTREP) is carried out by helicopters with the ships in close proximity or miles apart depending on the tactical situation and the amount of cargo to be transferred.
Since all time spent replenishing is time away from combat, the emphasis in underway replenishment is on rapid transfer of materiel from the replenishment ships to a combatant. However, the oilers and ammunition ships are too slow to keep up with the battle groups. They also lack the ability to defend themselves and survive in a combat environment. The ships have therefore been formed into heavily guarded replenishment groups on the Atlantic side of the GIUK gap - out of range of enemy strike aircraft and away from the Soviet submarine barriers.
The Soviets are well aware of the UNREP groups' significance and the role they play in supporting the strike fleet. As a result, these assets are as highly priced targets as the carrier battle groups themselves. It is believed the Soviets will try to do all they can to interfere with the replenishment operations.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The loss of two of the Strike Fleet's aircraft carriers is a major setback and will greatly reduce the scale of future operations in the Norwegian Sea. However, the two remaining carriers' air wings remain intact, and will be ready to resume strike operations as soon as the expended ordnance has been replaced.
The Soviet naval bomber regiments have suffered catastrophic losses and no raids are expected at this time. Only Soviet submarines will pose a credible threat to NATO naval assets, and although three dozen have been destroyed in the large underwater battles that have raged in the Norwegian Sea and the GIUK gap, the threat is still considered high. It is estimated that seven or eight Soviet submarines are operating behind NATO's submarine barriers in the Norwegian Sea, with another four patrolling the eastern parts of the Atlantic.
MISSION: Escort the carriers out of the Norwegian Sea and join up with the logistics ships (AOs, AEs, AFSs) west of the GIUK gap. USS America is to join replenishment group TU 137.4.1 northwest of Iceland, marked by Ref Points 17-20. USS Forrestal heads for replenishment group TU 137.4.2 to the southwest, marked by Ref Points 13-16.
Link up with the logistics groups as quickly as possible to minimize the time away from combat. The minimum speed the battle groups may travel at without skewing the timetable is 20 knots. The carriers must remain on station for 12 hours while the UNREP phase is being completed. None of the UNREP ships or aircraft carriers must sustain any damage. Scenario duration is 42 hours.
The Ark Royal TU 401.8.1 group, towed array TU 401.6.2 ASW group and TG 401.5 STANAVFORLANT will cover the retreat together with the attack submarines USS Phoenix, USS Portsmouth and USS Atlanta. All other submarines are to remain on station in the Norwegian Sea to maintain the ASW barriers. Finally, make sure to keep up the outer screen of AAW cruisers and destroyers as the carriers make their way west.
Most weapons including all aircraft ordnance and some other light stores are transferred via VERTREP, while fuel and all other types of stores are delivered via CONREP. The VERTREP operation for the carriers' weapons are expected to be completed in only three hours, while CONREP for all the ships in the battle group is expected to take ten to twelve hours. When completed, the battle groups will break away and are free to maneuver while the transferred weapons and stores are stowed in the magazines. The UNREP operation is not considered completed until this phase is finished; securing supplies usually takes 36-40 hours. If everything goes as planned, the two carrier battle groups are expected to have returned to the Norwegian Sea and resumed strike operations in 72 to 84 hours time.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 6 - Round Two
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: GIUK GAP/NORWEGIAN SEA DATE/TIME: 26 SEPTEMBER 1985, 03:00:00
The war on the Central Front is not going well for NATO. Cracks have begun to show in the northern sectors of the front. The damage inflicted to many NATO airfields is hampering tactical air operations, and sortie rates have plummeted. Worse, the arrival of air-transported reinforcements has slowed down as the aircraft are diverted to safer airfields further west rather than being flown directly to the front line in West Germany. The ports of disembarkation in the Benelux countries and France are high on the Soviet target list and have been attacked repeatedly. The unloading operations have been greatly hampered by damaged piers, cranes, and by the large numbers of air and submarine-deployed mines.
In accordance with pre-war planes, NATO has opened a second front in Europe's High North in an attempt to take pressure off the Central Front. The US Navy's 2nd Strike Fleet made its first push into the Norwegian Sea on 22 September. Here, four Carrier Battle Groups (CVBGs) clashed with several hundred Soviet fighters, naval bombers and support aircraft. By day's end both sides had achieved many of their goals but losses had been horrific and there was no clear winner.
Eight squadrons of F-14A Tomcats and several AAW cruisers and destroyers massacred the Soviet fighter regiments and naval bomber formations sent to challenge the Strike Fleet. A-6E Intruders and A-7E Corsairs struck Soviet air bases, ports and supply dumps in Norway and turned them into rubble. In total, NATO fighters and AAW ships downed more than 80 naval bombers. At least 145 Soviet fighters and thirty-five reconnaissance-, electronic warfare and transport aircraft were also destroyed, many of them on the ground.
In spite of their losses the Soviets have had their share of successes. The carriers USS John F. Kennedy and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower were both sunk in a massive coordinated strike by missile submarines and naval bombers, cutting NATO's in-theater carrier force in half. The Soviets claimed a total of 139 NATO aircraft and 8 helicopters, many of which were destroyed on the decks and in the hangars of the two sunken carriers. Three NATO cruisers and four destroyers were also sunk. Two of these operated in the hazardous SAM trap role up-threat from the carriers.
Having spent nearly four days replenishing, the Strike Fleet's two remaining aircraft carriers, USS America and USS Forrestal, are back in the Norwegian Sea. The objective is to throw the Soviet forces in northern Norway on to the defensive and soften them up sufficiently to allow a large amphibious landing to take place.
Soviet naval bomber regiments have taken a serious beating so far in the war. Within 48 hours of hostilities breaking out, NATO air power had annihilated the two Strategic Air Army Backfire regiments forward-based on the Kola Peninsula. The Northern Fleet's three Badger regiments performed somewhat better and suffered relatively moderate losses during the first week of fighting. The Soviets used these older bombers against less defended targets in Norway rather than sending them into the heavily defended GIUK gap. As NATO assembled its Strike Fleet and prepared for the first push into the Norwegian Sea, the Soviets re-deployed two additional Backfire regiments and two Badger regiments from the Far and Middle East Air Armies to the Northern Front. In the battle that followed, which involved approximately 130 naval bombers, the Soviets lost another 25 Backfires and about 60 Badger bombers.
Summing up, the Soviets have lost over seventy Backfire bombers on the Northern Front. With only about three hundred Backfires built by the autumn of 1985, and less than 260 in front-line service, these losses are nothing short of catastrophic. 80 missile-capable Badgers have been lost in the same theater out of about 520 bombers of this type in Soviet service.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: NATO commanders cannot agree whether or not the carriers will be able to sustain themselves in the high-threat environment that the Norwegian Sea represents. Two aircraft carriers have already been lost and the Soviets are expected to throw everything they can at the battle groups in an effort to knock them out before further NATO reinforcements can arrive. The Soviets have an estimated thirty Backfire and forty Badger bombers currently based on the Kola Peninsula, plus nearly one dozen nuclear and diesel-electric submarines deployed in the Norwegian Sea. On the other hand the situation in northern Norway is desperate and the resistance may collapse without the striking power of the carriers.
MISSION: Launch six rounds of air strikes against selected targets in northern Norway. Each strike will involve up to 36 attack aircraft, 18 per carrier. This includes a total of twelve (12) all-weather day/night capable Intruders and twelve (12) day attack Corsairs in the strike role. Twelve (12) Corsairs and four (4) Prowlers will provide strike support by countering the Soviet air defenses. Some of the strike support Corsairs will later be re-tasked as the SAM threat diminishes. Fighter cover will be provided by Tomcats supported by Hawkeyes.
Each strike will take ten hours to complete - up to four hours in the air and six hours on the ground for preparations. Each briefed target must be hit by two aircraft. The targets are marked [TARGET-#] , where '#' is the strike's number, 1 to 6. Some bases and facilities will be hit repeatedly.
Bad weather with low clouds and poor visibility prevents the use of laser-guided and EO-guided weapons. You are encouraged to micro-manage your assets and carefully chose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy SAM and AAA concentrations. Take advantage of the terrain and attack from minimum altitude to reduce the effectiveness of enemy air defenses.
Moderate losses are expected. To compensate, more aircraft will be made available on the carriers than those needed to complete the strikes. These extra airframes are reserves and should be held back until needed.
1: Stage a nighttime raid on Bardufoss. This is currently the busiest Soviet air base and logistical center in Norway. 12x Intruders strike six briefed targets there. Lacking any real night attack capability, no Corsair strike sorties will be flown but 12x Corsairs armed with shrike ARMs and cluster bombers will provide strike support. Keep the Prowlers close by to provide an umbrella of protection over the strike aircraft.
2: Attack the air bases at Bodo and Evenes with 6x Intruders each. 4x Corsairs hit the port facilities at Bodo, 4x go after the logistical base at Rognan east of Bodo, and another 4x attack Soviet force concentrations at Bjerkvik east of Evenes.
3: Re-task 4x Corsairs from strike support to strike and arm them with iron bombs. 6x Intruders attack Andoya while 6x hit the port facilities and troop concentrations at Harstad. 6x Corsairs go after the strategic ferry crossing at Korsnes including the ferries themselves. 6x Corsairs re-strike the air base at Bardufoss, and 4x hit the supply dump at Setermoen.
4: 12x Intruders hit the airfield, supply dump and troop concentrations at Tromso. 4x Corsairs re-strike Bardufoss, 4x more re-strike Andoya, and 8x re-strike the large supply dump and force concentrations near Setermoen.
5: 6x Intruders strike the port facilities, stores and the small airfield at Narvik. Another 6x Intruders strike Soviet troop concentrations near Harstad. 4x Corsairs re-strike Evenes, 4x re-strike the large fueling station near Bjerkvik, 4x re-strike the ferry crossing at Korsnes, and 4x Corsairs hit the pontoon bridge and troop concentrations at Storeidet.
6: Soviet resistance seems to be crumbling at the moment. Interdict the Soviet supply route along the E78 axis to Finland. 12x Intruders hit the supply dump bear the heavily defended village of Skibotn while 4x Corsairs to after targets of opportunity along the E78 road link from Skibotn to Finland. 12x Corsairs hit the large Soviet supply base near Palojoensuu 100 km inside Finnish territory.
The carriers should take up position neat Ref Point 1 and 4. 56 of 64 briefed targets must be destroyed. None of the carriers must be damaged, and we can not afford to lose more than 18 planes at this time.
High-tech weapons are in short supply so use them sparingly. All Tomcats carry the 2-Phoenix / 3-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout but will have to switch to the lighter 4-Sparrow / 4-Sidewinder loadout as the missile stocks are depleted.
Each aircraft carrier has a limited stock of about 30 Shrike ARM missiles. Heavy expenditures are expected, and the Corsairs operating in the strike support role should switch to iron bombs when the Shrike stocks start running low. Using bombs is a very dangerous way of attacking the Soviet air defenses, however this mission is critical for our overall success.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
GIUK Gap Part 9 - The Hunt for the Lama
NATO vs. SOVIETS
LOCATION: BARENTS SEA DATE/TIME: 26 SEPTEMBER 1985, 04:00:00Z
The Soviets believe that a nuclear war might be protracted, a view that has led to emphasis on nuclear weapon systems survivability and sustainability. Modern Soviet SSBNs are far less susceptible to enemy countermeasures thanks to their long-range missiles that allow them to patrol in protected waters close to Soviet-controlled shores, or under the Arctic ice where the submarines are difficult to detect and destroy. No longer do the majority of them have to transit narrow choke points to reach their patrol areas.
Nonetheless, the Northern and Baltic Fleet SSBN and SSB forces have suffered heavily at the hands of modern NATO attack submarines and other ASW forces. Four older Yankee submarines have been confirmed sunk off the US coast, and the surviving submarines are now leaving their stations. Two, possibly three, submarines of the Delta IV and Typhoon classes have been destroyed by NATO attack submarines under the Arctic ice cap, and at least six older Delta I/II/III SSBNs have been sunk within the highly protected Barents Sea bastions.
To increase nuclear war sustainability and to hold additional targets at risk, the Soviets built a number of missile supply ships. These ships carry strategic nuclear missiles that can be transferred onto SSBNs, and the ships also act as technical repair bases and floating workshops.
At least three missile supply ships of the Lama and Amga classes together with a submarine tender, two supply ships and several ASW escorts have left their bases on the Kola Peninsula and are heading for the protected waters to the east of Novaya Zemlya. Two NATO attack submarines are now being diverted from their SSBN-hunting mission to destroy these highly valuable and heavily defended ships.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: Three missile supply ships of the Lama and Amga classes have left port heading for the protected waters east of Novaya Zemlya. The vessels are escorted by several ASW corvettes as well as land-based ASW aircraft and helicopters.
MISSION: Get underway immediately. The current position and heading of the Soviet convoy is marked by Ref Points 1-4. The anticipated patrol area is marked by Ref Points 7-10.
The entire convoy must be sunk. No NATO submarines must be lost.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Headquarters – Keflavik Recommended EMCOM State - B (Limited Emissions)
With the situation in Norway improving, NATO is preparing for an offensive against the massive Soviet military complex on the Kola Peninsula. The time has come to take the fight to the enemy and destroy the remaining Soviet naval and air forces at its bases.
As a minimum, NATO commanders believe that this offensive may force the Soviets to concentrate their air assets defensively over the Kola Peninsula rather than over Norway. If the Soviets can be kept busy over Kola, NATO land-based air power will have the skies over Norway to itself. It is also hoped that successes on the flanks can compensate for NATO's Central Front deficiencies. If the carrier air strikes can cause enough problems it may compel the Soviets to shift focus from the Central Front objectives and divert forces to meet the threats in the High North.
The Kola Peninsula is a formidable base complex. It is the home of the Red Banner Northern Fleet and houses the majority of the Soviet SSBNs. The peninsula also has sixteen military airfields, eight dispersal airfields, several hundred modern fighters and attack aircraft (including strategic assets such as the MiG-31), about seventy air defense sites, and several dozen early warning radar stations.
Before the Strike Fleet can initiate operations against Kola it must penetrate the Soviet defensive bubble. This involves neutralizing the Soviet bases on the Svalbard islands and sinking the naval task force guarding the entrance to the Barents Sea. Although Soviet assets have been highly attrited after weeks of fighting, the Strike Fleet still faces formidable and numerous air, land, surface and sub surface threats. As the carriers get closer to the Soviet homeland it will be easier for waves of land-based aircraft, missile boats and diesel submarines to find and attack them. However, NATO commanders feel confident that the Strike Fleet can, thanks to the extended air power projection capabilities and multi-layered defensive shields, repulse Soviet submarine and surface attacks and win the battle of the skies against Soviet aviation units.
The Svalbard Archipelago, located 600 km north of Norway, is a demilitarized zone placed under Norwegian protection. The 1920 treaty granted Norway and the Soviet Union rights to exploit the area commercially. By the 1980s, the Soviet Union had mining units at Barentsburg and Pyramiden, and Norway at Longyearbyen. The coal production for the countries was nearly equal, despite the fact that there were 2000 Soviet coal miners and only 1000 Norwegian coal miners in the region. The reason the Soviets had twice the number of men to produce the same amount of coal became painfully clear when war broke out...
From 1974 onwards the Soviet Union stood ready to capture Svalbard in case of war. Their installation at Kapp Heer, located four kilometers from Barentsburg, was a secret, illegal military base manned by a hundred men of the Northern Fleet's 32nd Independent Arctic Hydrographic group. Their task was to immediately seize the Norwegian airfield at Longyearbyen which could operate aircraft up to bomber size from May to October. Kapp Heer had an arms depot with 2500 weapons, more than 150 snow scooters, five snow vehicles and an air defense cannon. The Soviet equipment was brought to the islands by the cargo ship 'Zarja', a cover name for the ship 'Sirius' belonging to the Northern Fleet's 159th Intelligence Brigade. The Soviets also built an illegal radar station that was discovered by Norwegian authorities in 1978 after a Soviet military plane crashed into the mountain where the radar was located.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: An armada of US, British, Canadian, Dutch, German and Norwegian ships, led by the carriers USS America and USS Forrestall, will move north from Vestfjord in northern Norway to the entrance of the Barents Sea using a variety of carefully crafted and previously rehearsed concealement and deception measures. NATO commanders hope the combination of active and passive measures will allow the fleet to avoid detection by Soviet reconnaissance assets sent to locate it.
Although most of the Soviet air assets have been spent and their naval units seriously molested, the Soviet forces may still offer serious opposition. The fighters and long-range naval reconnaissance aircraft based on Svalbard must be eliminated early on to ensure the safe transit of the carrier battle groups. The Soviets have also deployed two small Surface Action Groups (SAGs) in the gap between Norway and Svalbard. Both SAGs will have to be neutralized before the air strikes against Kola can commence (next scenario).
Soviet reconnaissance assets are expected to fill the skies over the Strike Fleet as soon as the first targets are struck. Air raids are a possibility, although with the current state of the Soviet Northern Front bomber fleet this seems less likely. However, a large portion of the strategic air defense assets on Kola, including the MiG-31 regiment at Monchegorsk, remain intact. The submarine threat is considered to be high.
MISSION: Escort the two Carrier Battle Groups (CVBGs) northwards. Battle group TG 401.1 is to take up station at Ref Point 1 and TG 401.4 at Ref Point 4. The Ark Royal TU 401.8.1 group, towed array TU 401.6.2 ASW group and TG 401.5 STANAVFORLANT are to take up position near Ref Points 11, 12 and 13 respectively. Make sure to maintain the outer screen of AAW ships as the carriers sail north. The cruisers and destroyers should take up position near Ref Points 21-25.
The carriers are screened by British and American attack submarines. Three submarines will ride shotgun for the carrier battle groups. Others have already worked their way north into the Barents Sea, clearing a path for the armada. The defensive submarine barriers must be maintained and are marked on your tactical map as threat zones. A Norwegian and a British diesel submarine are on patrol in the shallow waters off the Kola coast.
Launch two rounds of air strikes. The first strike will be launched six hours into the scenario and will hit the Soviet bases on Svalbard. Each briefed target must be hit by two aircraft and are marked [TARGET-1] . The second strike will simultaneously hit the two Soviet SAGs operating in the Barents Sea and re-strike the Soviet bases on Svalbard.
Although we expect only light losses, more aircraft will be made available on the carriers than those needed to complete the strikes. These extra airframes are reserves and should be held back until needed.
1: Start by staging a nighttime raid on Longyearbyen and Kapp Heer with a total of 12x Intruders. Hit each of the twelve briefed targets with two aircraft. 4x Corsairs armed with Shrikes will provide strike support.
Low clouds and poor visibility prevents the use of laser-guided and EO-guided ordnance. You are encouraged to micro-manage your assets and carefully choose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy air defenses. Take advantage of the terrain and attack from minimum altitude. Keep the Prowlers nearby to provide an umbrella of protection over the strike aircraft by jamming enemy radar, datalinks and communications.
2: Arm 6x Intruders on each carrier with four Harpoon missiles and attack Soviet surface forces in the Barents Sea. 6x Corsairs armed with Walleye glide bombs will also participate although these weapons may prove less effective due to overcast weather conditions in the target area.
Soviet fighters flying combat air patrol over the SAGs will have to be neutralized. Use the element of surprise and try to avoid drawing out Soviet fighters from bases on the Kola Peninsula.
12x Corsairs from USS Forrestal will simultaneously carry out a daylight strike on the Soviet bases on Svalbard. 4x Corsairs from USS America will provide strike support.
cenario duration is 24 hours. The carrier battle groups need to travel at an average speed of 20kts to be able to reach their stations in time. None of the US carriers, the British carrier, or any of the AAW cruisers and destroyers must sustain any damage. Not more than two other ships or submarines may be lost, and two aircraft shot down.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
North Cape Part 14 - Assault on the Kola Peninsula
Within days of war breaking out, northern Norway was decisively overrun by Soviet troops in a multi-divisional assault. However logistics soon proved to be a serious impediment to Soviet plans. In fact, by the end of the third week there was nothing keeping the Soviets from advancing south and capturing the rest of Norway except the inability to supply their troops once the operation was concluded. The drive ran out of steam and the frontline eventually stabilized just south of the Arctic Circle.
After weeks of stagnant and stalemated fighting, US Marines came ashore near Narvik in a bold amphibious operation. Immediately, the Soviets recognized the danger their troops were in as a result of this move. They threw everything they could at the beachhead in an attempt to keep the Marines pinned down. After days of heavy fighting, and having suffered heinous casualties, the Marines finally took the town.
Soviet forces unlucky enough to be caught south of the city were instantly isolated by the operation. Cut off from their source of supplies, they yielded territory easily and NATO forces in central Norway immediately pushed northward to link up with the Marine beachhead. The counter-offensive paused briefly to take on additional supplies at Narvik. When the attack resumed it was more a foot race than an assault. Bled white by their refusal to discard dubious and outdated tactics, the Soviet troops reeled back through Fortress Norway into Finland with NATO forces in hot pursuit. The hard fought campaign for Norway was coming to an end.
The war has come a full circle. Two US carrier battle groups of the Atlantic Strike Fleet have moved to within striking distance of the Soviet bases on the Kola Peninsula. For the first time, NATO air power will be used to prosecute an extended campaign against the Soviet Union itself. The Strike Fleet will take the fight to the enemy, attacking the Soviets on their doorstep.
The Soviet Union has during the last thirty years transformed the Kola Peninsula into the world's most complex and concentrated naval base. The majority of the Soviet SSBNs are based here, and the Red Banner Northern Fleet is the Soviet Union's most formidable fleet. The Kola Peninsula has sixteen military airfields. Most of them are not used daily but were rapidly made operational in the days leading up to war. It is estimated the Soviets currently have about 350 aircraft in all categories based on the peninsula. The air defense forces consist of MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-31, Su-15 and Tu-128 interceptors supported by ground-based radar and airborne command and control aircraft. The air defense ground element is made up of about seventy fixed SAM sites and a numerous mobile laumchers.
The carriers will be conducting a series of air strikes against a wide range of industrial and military targets. The objective of this air campaign is to destroy the Soviet Union's war making potential in the region. This high-risk venture will expose the Strike Fleet to enormous danger but if successful, Soviet forces left in Norway, Sweden and Finland will wither on the vine.
A devastating blow can be struck; the industrial infrastructure in the region could be crippled for months and help bring a quick end to the war on favorable terms. With their ports near Murmansk no longer viable, Soviet naval vessels can be chased out of the area. The Soviets may even be forced to transfer aircraft from central Europe to this northern theater, taking pressure off the Central Front.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: Our carriers have just moved to within striking distance of the Kola Peninsula. Operation Northern Thunder has been set in motion. The crews are well aware of the historical significance of this moment. We are about to carry out NATO's first air campaign against the Soviet Union proper. Accordingly, the carrier decks are a blur of excitement and activity.
MISSION: The two carriers have taken aboard reinforcements to bring the air wings up to almost full strength. Each of the six planned Alpha Strikes will involve 36 attack aircraft, 18 per carrier. This includes a total of twelve (12) all-weather day/night capable Intruders. Twenty-four (24) Corsairs and four (4) Prowlers will provide strike support by targeting the Soviet integrated air defense systems (IADS). Half of the Corsairs will later be oriented towards strike operations as the SAM threat diminishes. Fighter cover will be provided by nearly two dozen Tomcats supported by Hawkeyes.
Each of the six Alpha Strikes will take about ten hours to complete - up to four hours in the air and six hours on the ground for preparations. Each briefed target must be hit by two aircraft. The targets are marked [TARGET-#] , where '#' is the strike's number, 1 to 6.
Low clouds and poor visibility prevents the use of laser-guided and EO-guided ordnance. You are encouraged to micro-manage your assets and carefully choose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy SAM and AAA concentrations. Take advantage of the terrain and attack from minimum altitude to reduce the effectiveness of enemy air defenses.
Moderate losses are expected. To compensate, more aircraft will be made available on the carriers than those needed to complete the strikes. These extra airframes are reserves and should be held back until needed.
1: Strike the SAM sites and early warning radars dotting the Kola coast. 12x Intruders will bomb six briefed early warning radars to the north of Murmansk. 24x Corsairs armed with Shrike ARMs and cluster bombs will counter the SAM threat. The SA-5 regiment near Murmansk is a highly priced target and its 'Square Pair' fire-control radars should be knocked out early on. Lastly, keep the Prowlers close by to provide an umbrella of protection over the strike aircraft. Proper radar, datalink and communication jamming may mean the success or failure of this whole operation.
2: Re-task 12x Corsairs to strike operations and arm them with iron bombs. Attack the Olenegorsk and Monchegorsk air bases. Olenegorsk is the largest of the three naval bomber bases in the Leningrad military district and is the only bomber base located on the Kola Peninsula. Monchegorsk pays host to the region's sole MiG-31 interceptor regiment and is one of only three operational MiG-31 regiments in the Soviet Union. Attack each base with 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs. Use Mk82s and Mk84s to destroy aircraft revetments, runways and taxiways. As always, 12x Corsairs tasked with strike support will deal with the air defenses, including the SA-5 regiment near Olenegorsk.
3: Attack the naval facilities at Severomorsk, the main base and headquarters of the Northern Fleet. 12x Intruders will hit storages, fuel tank farms and piers. 6x Corsairs strike the facilities at nearby Shtyukozero, the Northern Fleet's main munitions storage. Another 6x Corsairs hit Kilpiyaur, one of two main Su-15 interceptor bases on the Kola Peninsula.
4: Attack the naval facilities at Polyarnyy, the headquarters of the Northern Fleet Submarine Flotilla. This is the main Northern Fleet submarine repair and replenishment wharf. It houses the majority of the SSBNs, and has a large number of submarine bunkers blasted into the cliffsides. In addition it houses some of the Northern Fleet SSGN, SSN and SS vessels. Attack the facility with 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs. Another 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs go after the Ara naval base, the second base for large surface vessels on the Kola.
5: Attack the submarine base at Gremika. Intelligence suggests there are several SSBNs in port undergoing maintenance. Attack the submarine pens and SSBNs with 12x Intruders. 4x Corsairs hit the Voronya hydroelectric dam, 4x more hit the Teriberka dam, and 4x strike the Kidlin airfield.
6: Soviet resistance seems to be crumbling at the moment. It has been decided to take advantage of this situation by staging a large raid on Murmansk. The city of Murmansk is a major industrial center and port. It is also the main supply conduit for the Soviet troops still in Norway and Sweden. 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs hit targets within the city while 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs strike the nearby Savonovo naval repair base.
Scenario duration is 2 days 6 hours. 55 of 60 briefed targets must be destroyed. Keep losses as light as possible. Not more than 25 aircraft must be lost.
Heavy expenditures of air-to-air missiles are expected. The carriers have taken aboard extra ordnance - almost 50% extra Phoenix and Sparrow missiles - however the stocks are not expected to last long. Thus, all F-14 Tomcats should switch from the 4-Phoenix / 2-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout to the much lighter 2-Phoenix / 3-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout after completing the second Alpha Strike. And then to the 4-Sparrow / 4-Sidewinder loadout as the Phoenix stocks are further depleted.
Each aircraft carrier has a limited stock of about 40-50 Shrike ARM missiles. Heavy expenditures are expected, and the Corsairs operating in the strike support role should switch to iron bombs when the Shrike stocks start running low. Using bombs is a very dangerous way of attacking the heavy Soviet air defenses, however this mission is critical for our overall success.
(Hint 1: immediately dive below the horizon if your aircraft are attacked by SA-5 missiles. Although guided by a terminal active radar seeker, by taking the necessary evasive action, the missiles will most likely go dumb and pass harmlessly over their intended targets.)
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
The first NATO offensive against Kola was a resounding success. The Soviet air assets and command and control structure has been dealt a major blow. Key bases have been damaged or temporarily put out of operation altogether, storages and depots have been hit, and logistical links have been severed. The Northern Fleet, what was left of it, failed to deal with the Strike Fleet and was unable to even weaken the screening forces. The few remaining Soviet Naval Aviation reconnaissance assets could not penetrate the well-prepared defensive ring around the battle groups and no bomber raids ever materialized. The Soviets are now sending reinforcements to Kola in desperation.
NATO commanders are determined to complete the victory up north. Amphibious operations against the Kola Peninsula have been considered but the plans were quickly shelved when the Soviets deployed Atomic Defensive Mines (ADMs) on the Kola coast along with a promise to detonate them should Royal and US Marines land. Instead, NATO commanders have decided to neutralize the military and industrial complexes through massive air strikes rather than capturing them. The scale of the air strikes will be increased to also include B-52s flying over the north pole in order to decisively destroy the military, logistical and industrial infrastructure in the region.
There has been a considerable amount of war termination negotiations in the last few days, mainly centered on the situation in Central Europe. But war termination considerations are creating major difficulties for both sides, and it is becoming clear that a negotiated settlement will be near impossible to attain.
The Soviets insist on a cease-fire that recognizes their territorial gains, including ground held in Norway, Sweden, Turkey and Greece. It is unthinkable to give up what they have fought so hard for. The Soviets believe that if a 'cease-fire in place' agreement can be reached, NATO would be unwilling to recommence hostilities which would in practice be a recognition of their gains.
NATO, while also seeking a cease-fire, is unwilling to recognize any Soviet gains and calls for a return to status quo ante bellum. It is important both politically and morally to reject any cease-fire that would forsake any part of Europe. NATO also believes it holds the advantage due to favorable momentum on the Central Front, leaving the negotiations deadlocked.
As a result, the last an only option appears to be a long war of attrition. However the Soviets are strongly seeking a decisive result before the industrial might of the West can be mobilized. NATO is likely to win a protracted conventional war, which may eventually force the Soviets to choose between surrender and escalation.
It is hoped air strikes against the Kola may help compel the Soviets to end the war on less favorable terms. Massive use of B-52 bombers is likely to yield decisive results quickly and may accelerate the war termination negotiations. However this endeavor is not without risk. There is a fair chance large bomber raids against the Soviet homeland may drive them to some form of nuclear escalation.
B-52 tactics have changed a lot since the 1972 Linebacker II offensive over Vietnam. From 1972 to 1977, all B-52Gs and B-52Hs received the AN/AVQ-22 LLLTV and AN/AAQ-6 FLIR in two fairings under the nose. These had an immediate impact on operations, which changed from medium-altitude carpet bombing to point attacks made at low altitude. Infrared-assisted delivery of unguided bombs from 500 feet or lower provided the B-52G/Hs with a quasi precision weapon delivery capability and proved more effective than radar-guided bombing from medium altitude. Around the same time the bombers also went through the Phase VI avionics upgrade which also included an extensive ECM suite that would increase the survivability in the event of penetrating heavily defended enemy airspace.
Note: This scenario must be played with Nuclear Release ON.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviets are desperate. The scope and effectiveness of the first round of attacks, combined with hysterical reactions in Moscow, is forcing Soviet Northern Front commanders to use all available resources in a last effort to destroy the NATO carrier battle groups and neutralize the threat to their base complexes.
Intelligence suggests the Soviets may be planning to even use inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) against the carriers if the battle groups can be located. As a consequence it is more important than ever that the Soviet intelligence gathering assets are kept at bay and not allowed to locate the battle groups. The Soviet may also decide to use nuclear tipped SAMs, forcing us to increase our SEAD efforts.
MISSION: (Author's note: Please refer to the scenario 'Assault on the Kola Peninsula' for general information and tips. The B-52 strikes will be handled automatically to ease player workload. The targets and ToT times are given below.)
1: The Soviet fighter and SAM threat must be dealt with before the B-52 strikes can commence. Re-strike the bomb-cratered Monchegorsk interceptor base with 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs. A handful of surviving MiG-31s and reconnaissance MiG-25s are known to operate from this highly important base. 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs strike the Afrikanda interceptor base which is one of two main Su-15 bases on the Kola Peninsula. As always, 12x Corsairs armed with Shrike ARMs and cluster bombs will counter the SAM threat. 4x Prowlers will provide an umbrella of protection over the strike aircraft.
The SA-5 regiments near Murmansk and Olenya have both been put out of operation. A third SA-5 site is located near Kandalaksha. Capable of delivering nuclear warheads at ranges up to 155nm, disabling this SAM site before the B-52 raids commence is critical. The Corsairs tasked with strike support will attack the SA-5 site and knock out its three 'Square Pair' fire control radars.
Although air-to-air missiles are in terribly short supply, some of the escorting F-14s will carry the 4-Phoenix / 2-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout to counter the Soviet MiG-25 and MiG-31 interceptors. The remainder will have the 2-Phoenix / 3-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout. In order to save ordnance, all Tomcats should switch to the lighter 2-Phoenix loadout after the first Alpha Strike.
2: 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs attack Kilpiyaur, the second of the two main Su-15 interceptor bases on Kola. Hit the Koshkayaur air base with another 6x Intruders and 6x Corsairs. A detatchment of MiG-23s is operating from this base. As always, 12x Corsairs armed with Shrike ARMs and cluster bombs will counter the SAM threat.
3: It has been decided to stage the first B-52 raid against Kola. A total of 48 bombers, divided into groups of 12 aircraft and further into cells of 3, will participate. The bombers will hit their targets at around 3:00 am on November 7th. Targets include the Severomorsk, Polyarnyy, and Ara naval bases as well as the Kilpiyaur and Severomorsk-1/3 airfields. The attacks will be made at low altitude (500 feet or lower), using multiple approach paths, and employing a host of deception tactics to confuse the Soviet defenders.
Navy tactical aircraft will conduct suppression strikes on airfields and SAM sites about thirty minutes prior to the arrival of the B-52s. 6x Intruders hit the Murmanshi air base and the detachment of MiG-23s stationed there. Another 6x Intruders hit the Olenegorsk bomber base. Lacking any real night attack capability, no Corsair strike sorties will be flow but the usual 12x Corsairs will provide strike support armed with Shrike ARMs.
4: With the main interceptor and fighter bases out of action, attention has shifted to the smaller air bases and diversionary airfields. Strike the Lovozero and Kirovsk air bases, both operating MiG-21s. Use 12x Intruders and 12x Corsairs for the job.
5: Because of the size of the operation and the lengthy B-52 flights, the last planes from Day One are landing back in CONUS as the first planes for Day Two are taking off. 42 B-52s will participate in tonight's strike. The bombers will attack around 1:00 am on November 8th. The targets are the Murmansk port facilities and rail yard, the Rosta main repair yard, re-strikes on Severomorsk and Polyarnyy, and the Severomorsk-1/2 air bases. 6x Intruders strike three key road and rail bridges southwest of Murmansk. 6x more hit the fixed SSC-1 missile facilities on the Kildin island.
6: In addition to hydroelectric plants, the Kola energy requirements have been met through nuclear energy. A single nuclear power plant has been constructed at Zasheyek near Afrikanda in southern Kola. There are presently four active VVER-440/230 reactors working. Strike the plant with 12x Intruders. 6x Corsairs hit the large Verkhnetulomskiy hydroelectric plant south west of Murmansk, and another 6x strike two telephone switching centers and a HF communication station in Apatity, the peninsula's second largest city.
7: The third B-52 strike includes 63 bombers and will hit the targets around 1:00 am on November 9th. The targets are the Kandalaksha port and rail yard, which is an important communication center between Murmansk and Leningrad, the large armament storage base near Alakurtti, the Olenegorsk and Apatity rail yards, plus the four airfields around Kirovsk and Umbozero. 6x Intruders hit three rail and road bridges south of Kandalaksha and another 6x strike the Alakurtti air base.
8: Attack the Northern Fleet, Red Army, Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense installations around Petchenga with 12x Intruders and 12x Corsairs. The targets include barracks, storages, ammo depots, and two key road bridges.
9: The fourth B-52 strike will take place around midnight on November 10th. 48 bombers participate. The bombers will re-strike the Murmansk, Severomorsk, Polyarnyy and Ara naval bases, plus the Chan Ruchey and Ura submarine bases. 6x Intruders go after the telephone center and two switching centers in Murmansk and 6x more re-strike the Kilpiyaur interceptor base.
10: The Kola Peninsula is covered with clouds for 80 per cent of the year. However the weather has improved sufficiently to allow effective use of LGBs. 12x Intruders armed with GBU-10s will strike the Shtyukozero missile repository to the north east of Severomorsk (one target per aircraft). 6x Corsairs armed with Walleye II glide bombs will hit six road and rail bridges between Murmansk and Kandalaksha (one target per aircraft) while another 6x Corsairs armed with iron bombs re-strike the SSC-1 facilities on Kidlin island.
11: The fifth and last B-52 strike in this operation targets the smaller naval bases on the Kola coast. The 42 bombers will hit their targets at around 3:00 am on November 11. The targets are Gadzhiyevo, Guba Palo, Pechenga, Bolshaya Lista, Port Vladimir and Dolaga. 12x Intruders hit the Gremikha submarine base with LGBs (one target per aircraft).
Scenario duration is 5 days. The Navy planes must hit 90 of 101 briefed targets. Keep losses as light as possible. Not more than 12 B-52s and 15 carrier planes must be lost.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
SIOP Part 3 - Return to the Kola Peninsula (Nuclear Version)
This scenario is an "off line" excursion into the topic of nuclear warfare. The scenario is not part of the original battleset, which covers a protracted conventional war, and is meant to explore the possibility of a nuclear exchange.
The war has not gone well for the Soviets. After five weeks of fighting, a stalemate had ensued on the Central Front. The tables were turning and NATO would soon launch its first major counteroffensive. Although facing stiff opposition, once the offensive gathered momentum, NATO troops advanced up to 20 kilometers per day in some areas. The Soviets, with the near collapse of their military logistical effort and with their frontline ammo stocks running low, had no choice but to give ground and fall back.
On the Northern Front, NATO's initial offensive against the Kola Peninsula was a resounding success. The Soviet air assets and command and control structure has been dealt a major blow. Key bases have been damaged or temporarily put out of operation altogether, storages and depots have been hit, and logistical links have been severed. The Soviet naval and air units, what was left of them, failed to deal with the Strike Fleet and was unable to even weaken the screening forces.
There has been a considerable amount of war termination negotiations in the last few days. But a settlement to the war seems virtually impossible to attain. It is unthinkable for the Soviets to give up what they have fought so hard for, and they insist on a cease-fire that recognizes their territorial gains. NATO, on the other hand, is unwilling to recognize any Soviet gains and calls for a return to status quo ante bellum.
The Soviets are strongly seeking a decisive military and political result before the industrial might of the West can be mobilized. However, having failed to destroy NATO in a short war, the Soviets are unlikely to regain a conventional military advantage. Facing total defeat in the Central European theater, the Soviets would eventually be forced to choose between surrender and escalation. To retrieve the losing situation, a decision was made to launch a limited nuclear and chemical attack on NATO front-line units. 44 missile-delivered 5-20kT nuclear warheads and a dozen persistent chemical agent warheads were employed against NATO troops in the most hard-pressed areas.
The NATO response was swift. 49 warheads were detonated over Soviet frontline units, four army garrisons, five air bases and two rail yards. NATO announced this as a one-time strike in retaliation for the Soviet attack. The Soviets struck back with a volley of missiles targeting eight NATO air bases, three ports of disembarkation in the Netherlands and France, as well as key command, control and communication facilities (C3) and several storages for nuclear weapons. NATO responded by employing nuclear warheads against another ten Soviet air bases in Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia, four major naval bases in East Germany and around Kaliningrad, several nuclear weapon storage sites, C3 nodes, and logistical centers.
The situation was now fast spiraling out of control, and the war was rapidly escalating to a central system exchange. The Soviets put forward a warning via the red hotline that they would not tolerate American nuclear aggression on the Central Front, and launched no less than six single-warhead SLBMs at the naval facilities at Norfolk.
NATO had a difficult time settling on an appropriate target for retaliation due to the risk of causing a dramatic escalation. But in order to shock the Soviets into realizing the seriousness of NATO's resolve, it was decided to launch a nuclear attack on the Kola Peninsula, the Soviet Union's most concentrated naval base complex. It is hoped this operation, combined with a threat of SIOP release, can force the Soviets to return to the negotiating table with a different attitude.
Note: This scenario must be played with Nuclear Release ON.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The two carriers of the US Navy's Second Strike Fleet, having completed their first successful Kola offensive only days earlier, have been called upon to deliver the message. In addition to carrier based air power, a number of B-52Gs will participate to ensure quick and total destruction of the Soviet base complex.
MISSION: The objective of Limited Attack Option Two (LAO-2) is to destroy the Soviet military/nuclear capabilities on the Kola Peninsula. This counterforce attack will cover the six target categories that currently make up the infrastructure of the Soviet forces in the region. The categories are airfields, naval bases, army bases, nuclear warhead storage sites, C3 facilities, and civilian/military infrastructure.
Although civilian casualties should be kept to a minimum, many of the important targets, especially C3 nodes, are located in the cities. As a result, populated areas will not be excluded although the number of warheads used against these targets will be kept to a minimum. Military planners calculate that the Soviets may suffer a total of 550,000 casualties, including 450,000 fatalities, in this attack.
The strike will deploy up to 120 warheads against pre-planned targets. Most of the warheads will be detonated in airburst to reduce fallout, however some targets like hardened piers, underground submarine pens, C3 bunkers, and weapon storages will require ground bursts.
The attack should not last more than 30 minutes. The US Navy strike element will include a total of 12x Intruders, 24x Corsairs and 4x Prowlers. The Intruders will carry two B61 bombs each. The Corsairs are armed with Shrike ARMs and cluster bombers to counter the SAM threat. The Prowlers will provide an umbrella of protection over the strike aircraft by jamming enemy radar, datalink and communications.
The Navy tactical aircraft will conduct suppression strikes on air bases and SAM sites prior to the arrival of the B-52s. You are encouraged to micro-manage your assets and carefully choose ingress and egress routes that avoid enemy SAM and AAA concentrations. Take advantage of the terrain and attack from minimum altitude to reduce the effectiveness of enemy air defenses.
Nine B-52Gs will participate, divided into cells of three aircraft. The first cell is armed with brand new Air Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCMs) and will attack the most heavily defended air and naval bases. The second cell is armed with Short Range Attack Missiles (SRAMs), and the last cell is armed with a combination of SRAMs and B-28 nuclear bombs.
The target list is as follows:
16 air bases:
- The Monchegorsk interceptor base, operating a handful of surviving MiG-31s and reconnaissance MiG-25s. The base has been assigned two aimpoints; one at the center of the runway to crater it and one at the main hardened aircraft shelter complex.
- Kilpiyaur and Afrikanda, the two main Su-15 interceptor bases on the Kola Peninsula. Two aimpoints per base.
- Olenegorsk, one of three bomber bases in the Leningrad military district. Four aimpoints; one at the runway, two at the main parking areas, and one at the nuclear weapon storage area.
- Severomorsk-1. -2 and -3, belonging to the Naval Aviation. One aimpoint at the center of each runway. Underground fuel tanks and hardened aircraft shelters will not be targeted.
- Koshkayaur and Murmanshi, operating detachments of MiG-23 interceptors. One aimpoint each.
- Alakurtti, Lovozero, Taybola and the four large air bases around Kirovsk and Umbozero, operating smaller fighter and attack aircraft detachments. One aimpoint.
= 22 aimpoints.
19 naval bases:
- Murmansk main repair facilities and nearby Rosta main repair yard. Murmansk is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and an important Northern Fleet naval base. Four aimpoints each.
- Severomorsk naval base and nuclear warhead storage. This is the headquarters of the Northern Fleet and is the homeport for more than 30 ships. It has piers distributed over 10 kilometers of coastline. Eight nuclear warheads will be used in order to decisively destroy this base, with 800m separation between aimpoints.
- Polyarnyy naval base, which is a large base for surface combatants and diesel submarines. Six aimpoints.
- The Bolshaya Lista complex, a combined nuclear submarine maintenance yard and base for nuclear attack and ballistic missile submarines. Six aimpoints.
- Gremikha submarine base. Six aimpoints.
- Gadzhiyevo and Olenya/Guba Palo submarine bases. Four aimpoints each.
- Ura and Chan Ruchey submarine bases. Four aimpoints each.
- Ara Bay naval base. Four aimpoints.
- Shtyukozero missile repository. Four aimpoints, all ground bursts.
- Pechenga naval base. Two aimpoints.
- Savonovo naval repair yard. Two aimpoints.
- Dolaga and Port Vladimir small craft bases. One aimpoint each.
- Tuva amphibious base. One aimpoint.
- Liinaharmari support base. One aimpoint.
- The fixed SSC-1 missile facilities and nearby airfield on the Kildin island. One aimpoint each.
= 68 aimpoints.
21 other military facilities:
- The three SA-5 SAM sites on the Kola Peninsula. As a minimum, the Corsairs tasked with strike support must attack the SA-5 sites and knock out the 'Square Pair' fire control radars. If possible, destroy the sites with nuclear bombs delivered by Intruders before the B-52 strikes commence.
- Eleven SA-2/3 sites, one aimpoint each.
- Murmansk (2x), Kandalaksha, Apatity and Olenegorsk C3 nodes and leadership facilities. One aimpoint.
- Pechenga Red Army, Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense installations. Two aimpoints.
- Alakrutty armament storage. Two aimpoints.
= 23 aimpoints.
7 civilian/military infrastructure:
- Murmansk, Kandalaksha, Apatity and Olenegorsk rail yards, plus the large rail bridge south west of Kandalaksha. One aimpoint each.
- The nuclear powerplant at Zasheyek near Afrikanda in southern Kola. One aimpoint.
- The large Verkhnetulomskiy hydroelectric plant south west of Murmansk. One aimpoint.
= 7 aimpoints.
As a minimum, 80 out of 120 briefed aimpoints must be hit. Keep losses as light as possible. Not more than 4x B-52s and 12x carrier planes must be lost. The two aircraft carriers must not be damaged.
Soviet installations with one aimpoint should be attacked with nuclear bombs, while installations with two or more aimpoints should be attacked with missiles. When attacking closely spaced targets make sure to keep some distance between your missiles. That will prevent follow-on missiles from being caught by the first explosion. The nuclear bombs have delayed detonation to allow the aircraft to escape.
Although air-to-air missiles are in short supply, some of the escorting F-14s will carry the 4-Phoenix / 2-Sparrow / 2 - Sidewinder loadout to counter the Soviet MiG-25 and MiG-31 interceptors. The remainder will have the 2-Phoenix / 3-Sparrow / 2-Sidewinder loadout.
(Hint 1: immediately dive below the horizon if your aircraft are attacked by SA-5 missiles. Although guided by a terminal active radar seeker, by taking the necessary evasive action, the missiles will most likely go dumb and pass harmlessly over their intended targets.)
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - CV 66 America Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
For all intents and purposes, the battle for the North Atlantic is over. The Red Banner Northern Fleet has been chased out of the Norwegian Sea and, except for its surviving SSBNs, has ceased to exist as a fighting force. A large NATO amphibious operation expelled the Red Army from Norway, denying the Soviets access to the strategically important air and naval bases on Norway's western coast. In turn, the aircraft carriers of the US Navy's Second Strike Fleet, supported by massive B-52 raids, inflicted serious damage to the Soviet base complexes on the Kola Peninsula. Key installations, such as Severomorsk and Polyarnyy, have been replaced by a large black smear in the arctic landscape. As a consequence, the Soviets are no longer able to conduct offensive operations on the northern front.
The successful Kola offensive destroyed the remainder of the Soviet's surface fleet and more than 350 aircraft. In return, NATO lost fewer than 40 carrier planes and ten B-52s despite nearly a thousand SAMs and AAMs fired against them, and no ships or submarines were damaged. With the destruction of the Kola base complexes and with the arctic winter drawing closer, NATO decided to temporarily halt additional strikes against the Soviet homeland. The carrier strike force has moved south and taken up position in Vestfjord near Narvik in northern Norway.
The Soviet response to the Kola offensive has been, at best, limited. Plans were drawn up to sink the US Navy aircraft carriers using SS-18 ICBMs and to destroy the B-52 formations with nuclear-tipped SAMs, although no such attacks ever materialized. Instead, the Soviets only knocked out the undefended early warning radar at Thule in Greenland, which cost them several more valuable bombers.
Unrest in the Warsaw Pact countries increased as the war progressed. The first mass desertions by Polish and East German troops were reported near the end of the first month. Entire regiments laid down their weapons and abandoned their positions at the front. Although Soviet units rushed to fill the gaps, NATO was quick to exploit the vacuums. The deserting Warsaw Pact troops brought movement along the few useable roads, already jammed by an over-worked Soviet logistical network, to a halt. The Soviet execution of nearly 200 East German and Polish officers did nothing to improve the situation. Soon shooting incidents between East German and Soviet troops were reported.
At home, German and Polish workers have taken to the streets. Escalated by violent government crackdowns, riots broke out in most major cities. Mobs attacked police headquarters and government buildings; indigenous troops sent to restore order mutinied. The first partisan groups have started to appear, and the situation is spiraling out of control.
During the course of the last couple of days, NATO formations on the Central Front have advanced up to 40 kilometers in some areas and crossed into East German territory. The Soviets, with the near collapse of their military logistical effort and with their frontline ammo stocks running low, have had no choice but to give ground and fall back. Facing a total defeat in the Central European theater, the Soviets made the decision to launch a limited chemical attack on NATO front-line units in a desperate attempt to halt the advance. This attack has been the first usage of special weapons in the war.
ORDERS FOR CMDR NATO FORCES
INTEL: The Soviets have failed to destroy NATO, still a politically united Alliance, in a short, conventional war. The Soviets are painfully aware of the fact that the superior Western industrial base will do well in a protracted, conventional war. Once the production capacity can be brought to bear, the prospects for a NATO victory are good, even though it could mean fighting a bloody war of attrition for up to two years until NATO's industrial might would provide the decisive advantage. On a worldwide basis, NATO's situation is favorable and global support is strong. The Alliance dominates the oceans and can blockade Soviet merchant traffic and keep its fishing fleet in port, isolating the Soviet Union.
The Soviets are looking to end the war as quickly as possible. The nuclear option appears to have limited military value and seems to work to both NATO and Soviet's disadvantage. Nuclear weapons have little effect against troops in the field, and even a limited nuclear exchange can easily escalate out of control. With the Warsaw Pact fragmenting and having failed to destroy NATO in a short war, the Soviets are unlikely to regain a conventional military advantage. As a result, the Soviets are forced to return to the negotiating table with a different attitude and are now anxious to terminate the war through negotiations.
In a short war, horizontal escalation - war-widening attacks on the flanks by NATO carrier battle groups and amphibious forces - would not cause major problems for the Soviets. However, with the war dragging on into its third month, the potential for horizontal escalation has begun to appear. Operations on the northern and southern flanks have compensated for NATO's Central Front deficiencies and are clearly beginning to harm the Soviets, as sizeable forces have been diverted from the Central Front to defend them.
Having made great sacrifices, the Soviets will do all they can to secure a political victory, if even a small one. But their wish to terminate hostilities, coupled with their lack of success on the battlefield, translates to a weak position at the negotiating table. NATO will not accept any cease-fire proposal except a return to the territorial status quo ante bellum, and will want even more if military success can make it possible at reasonable cost. The US and the UK especially seek dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and free elections.
To convince the Soviets that they have lost the war and cannot compete with NATO technologically, the United States has decided to put its newest and most sophisticated weapon system to use. Two US Navy attack submarines of the Los Angeles class have been armed with the brand new conventional Tomahawk land-attack missile (TLAM). With the introduction of this weapon, every submarine in the fleet will soon be able to hold key Soviet military and industrial targets at risk.
MISSION: The bases on the Kola Peninsula have been hit hard, but the military and industrial complexes in and around Arkangelsk remain undamaged. Important facilities include the air base at Lakhta, which is one of three naval bomber bases in the Leningrad military district, and the Sevmash shipyard at Severodvinsk. Sevmash is one of the world's largest shipyards and serves as the principal Soviet shipyard for the Northern Fleet. At least five nuclear-powered submarines are currently under construction here, including two Delta IV SSBNs, one or possibly two Akula SSNs, one or two Oscar II SSGNs, and a Typhoon SSBN.
Bring the submarines SSN 722 Key West and SSN 694 Groton to Ref Point 1 and 2 respectively. The Strike Fleet has paved the way for the submarines and the threat posed by Soviet sub, surface and air assets in the Barents Sea bastion should be moderate. A third submarine, SSN 650 Pargo, will act as an escort for the Tomahawk shooters. The submarines must reach their launch points within 60 hours, which translates to an average speed of 15 knots. Hit each of the 40 aimpoint with one missile, the aimpoints are marked '[TARGET] '. Sixty percent of the aimpoints must be destroyed.
The Arkangelsk/Severodvinsk area is defended by several SA-2/3/5 SAM regiments and a MiG-25 regiment at nearby Talagi. However, all of these systems have very limited effectiveness against the Tomahawk. Only the low-to-medium altitude SA-3 SAMs and the upgraded MiG-25s will have any hope of intercepting the missiles. Furthermore, only a handful of MiG-25s remain at Talagi. Most were sent to the Kola Peninsula in the opening stages of the war and are believed to have been lost in the fighting.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Flagship - SSN 722 Key West Recommended EMCON State - B (Limited Emissions)
Credits
There are many people who deserve my thanks for helping me making these scenarios:
Akulashaker aka Sunburn aka Dimitris, Order of Battle (OoB) info, platform info
Klaus Behrmann, OoB info, platform info, testing
Martin Björnström, background story
Jörg Böhme, German and Soviet air defense deployment info, OoB info, platform info.
Mark Doran, complete review of the background story, playtesting
Chris Elliott, background story
Chris H, scenario info
Harald Hansen, background story, technical information
Dale Hiller, Canadian armed forces, convoy operations
Joseph Hsie, background story
Andrew James, platform info
JC, platform info, convoy operations
Richard Jacobi, background story
Robert Langille, Canadian Navy (Retired), convoy operations
Jeff Loshaw, Order of Battle (OoB) info, Ocean Safari '85 info, platform info, background story
Mike Mykytyn, testing, background story
Mark Olivares, background story
Gary Paulwell, Order of Battle (OoB) info, platform info, background story
Pete, general info
All members of the Harpooner's Point forum, and the HULL and Wardroom mailing lists
