The next batch of scenarios in the 'World War Three' battleset is now available for download:

http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/plot-ww3in1985.html

The World War Three battleset, created with the Harpoon3 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 and their economic and industrial setbacks, the two superblocs collide at the peak of their Cold War strength. The battleset focuses on technical detail and a solid historical background, and is intended to give an accurate account of the war that never happened.

Scenario #1: Enter the Lion's Den

With the hard fought campaign for Norway coming to an end, NATO commanders have decided to conduct the first series of carrier air strikes against the Kola Peninsula. The Strike Fleet's two carrier battle groups will move north to the entrance of the Barents Sea using a variety of concealment and deception measures to avoid detection by Soviet reconnaissance assets.

Scenario #2: Assault on the Kola Peninsula

The war has come a full circle. The Strike Fleet's two carrier battle groups 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. This high-risk venture will expose the Strike Fleet to enormous danger but if successful the military and industrial infrastructure in the region could be crippled for months.

Go directly to the download section here:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/


The HarpoonHQ site currently hosts four Harpoon3 scenario/database sections, covering the 1939-2015 timeframe:

World War II scenarios:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios_wwii/

1950-1964 scenarios:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/colonialwars/

1965-1979 scenarios:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios_1960-79/

1980-2015 scenarios:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/

__________________________________________________
The Harpoon HeadQuarters: By the Players, For the Players
http://www.harpoonhq.com

The next scenario in the 'World War Three' battleset, Return to the Kola Peninsula, is now available for download:

http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/plot-ww3in1985.html

Scenario #3: Return to the Kola Peninsula

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 US Navy 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.

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.

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.

Go directly to the download section here:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/

__________________________________________________
The Harpoon HeadQuarters: By the Players, For the Players
http://www.harpoonhq.com

The 29th scenario in the 'World War Three' battleset, the nuclear version of 'Return to the Kola Peninsula', is now available for download:

http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/plot-ww3in1985.html

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.

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. 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 that this operation, combined with a threat of SIOP release, can force the Soviets to return to the negotiating table with a different attitude.

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.

Go directly to the download section here:
http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios/

__________________________________________________
The Harpoon HeadQuarters: By the Players, For the Players
http://www.harpoonhq.com