Situation
With Iceland's airfields back online, the
situation is becoming dire for NATO. Even though there are no strike aircraft on
Iceland at present, Badger and Bear MPAs are thought to be using the
airfields as a staging base for deep recon & surveillance into the Atlantic.
Submarine threat is the main problem: a unknown number of Soviet submarines
had sortied south before the outbreak of hostilities, and with the severe
degradation of SOSUS their positions are unknown at present.
NATO still
requires fuel, ammunition and stores from CONUS to Europe, so a fast convoy is
en route protected by the venerable aircraft carrier USS Lexington, now
re-rolled from training carrier duty to her new role as ASW flagship.
Enemy Forces
Subsurface : Multiple SSK, SSN, SSGN,
SSG
Surface : Unknown
Air: Tu-95 Bear (recon), Tu-22M Backfire (strike), Tu-16 Badger (Recon and
ELINT versions)
Friendly Forces
TASK
GROUP 20.04: USS Lexington CVS, USS Charles F. Adams DDG, USS Barry DD, USS
Orleck DD, USS Richard L. Page FFG, USS Talbot FFG, USS Koelsch FFH, USS Pharris
FFH, USS Valdez FFH.
1st frigate squadron: HMS Tartar FFH, HMS Brighton
FFH, HMS Salisbury FF, HMS Jupiter FFH.
MCM 3 Squadron: HMS Glasserton,
HMS Shoulton.
STANAVFORCHAN: HMS Kirkliston, FGS Paderborn, HNLMS Gemert,
BNS Bovesse.
RAF St Mawgan: 201 Sqn (Nimrod MR.1)
RNAS Culdrose:
820 Sqn (SeaKing HAS.1)
Lann-BihouE: 23F (Atlantque 1)
Mission
Safely escort the fast convoy to area "Safe
Haven" in the English Channel.
Execution
1.
Using shore-based ASW assets, conduct aggressive ASW patrols in relevant areas .
2. USS Lexington's air group to provide close- and medium-range ASW coverage
on transit to area "Safe Haven" in the English Channel.
Command & EMCON
Command: USS Lexington
EMCON:
Alpha-limited emissions