Orders for Cmdr NATO Forces

 

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