New Scenario for testing "Drum Beat" 1989

[vettim89]

This scenario assumes that Soviet hardliners overthrew the Gorbachev regime late in 1988. After a period of increasing tensions the Cold War is about to go hot. You are in command of NATO forces off the US and Canadian Eastern Seaboard and tasked with countering a surge of Soviet submarines into the region. The war has not started but will soon. You forces are not unprepared but are not quite ready for a shooting war. Will you have enough time to get your units in place before the "balloon goes up"?

Thanks to the guys in the Lua subforum for their help on this scenario

[Randomizer]

Sweet. Am actually working on a similar situation, which takes place on Canada's West Coast but in 1983 so may I dissect Drum Beat 1989 for ideas and Lua scripts?

A couple of minor Canadian nit picks:

HMCS St Laurent had been disposed of in 1974. Six of her sisters were still serving, all in the Atlantic.
Pretty sure that HMCS Iroquois was in her TRUMP refit in Montreal in '89.
Am pretty certain that in 1989 HMCS Restigouche was still in Esquimalt on the Pacific coast. I do not think that any of the Improved Restigouche Class were in the Atlantic (HMCS Terra Nova perhaps) at this time.
The Tribals invariably shipped two-Sea Kings instead of one. In '89 they still had reasonably good availability rates since they had not yet reached their thirtieth year of service.

A good candidate for this situation might be 266 HMCS Nipigon as at this time she was one of two trials ships for the AN/SQR-501 CANTASS towed array sonar.

Anyway, nice work. Will advise if any issues crop up.

-C

Almost forgot, suggest that you concentrate the SOSUS arrays into a single Group to help de-clutter the map for the Player.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Randomizer

Sweet. Am actually working on a similar situation, which takes place on Canada's West Coast but in 1983 so may I dissect Drum Beat 1989 for ideas and Lua scripts?

A couple of minor Canadian nit picks:

HMCS St Laurent had been disposed of in 1974. Six of her sisters were still serving, all in the Atlantic.
Pretty sure that HMCS Iroquois was in her TRUMP refit in Montreal in '89.
Am pretty certain that in 1989 HMCS Restigouche was still in Esquimalt on the Pacific coast. I do not think that any of the Improved Restigouche Class were in the Atlantic (HMCS Terra Nova perhaps) at this time.
The Tribals invariably shipped two-Sea Kings instead of one. In '89 they still had reasonably good availability rates since they had not yet reached their thirtieth year of service.

A good candidate for this situation might be 266 HMCS Nipigon as at this time she was one of two trials ships for the AN/SQR-501 CANTASS towed array sonar.

Anyway, nice work. Will advise if any issues crop up.

-C

Almost forgot, suggest that you concentrate the SOSUS arrays into a single Group to help de-clutter the map for the Player.

Thanks for the info on the Canadian ships. I tried to find some OOB information but it was scarce. Good idea to group the SOSUS units.

[Randomizer]

Without false contacts and biologicals, every sonar contact is a sub and so there is no acoustic "noise" to distract the Player. This is a designers choice of course but it simplifies the hunt.

Civilian ships C13, B14 and C17 needs an RTB order

Suggest that you orient the port-deployment fans to avoid having ready ships apparently spawn on land. Not sure how a landlocked deployment fan (like the Mississippi Delta port) is going to affect the RTB ships or even if it does but it might be worth looking at. Moving the ports closer to the water might help a bit as far as aesthetics are concerned.

Suggest adding some randomized weather change events. Three days of static weather over NORLANT is possible though, so this does not really detract from the situation.

I do so enjoy a nice, big ASW scenario so thanks!

-C

[Randomizer]

The 1989 probable ships available for CF Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) is:

SSK - Oberon Class
72 Ojibwa
73 Onondaga
74 Okanagan

DDH
Tribal Class - Iroquois was being TRUMPed, and another, probably Huron, was on or transiting to the West Coast leaving:
282 Athabaskan
283 Algonquin

Annapolis Class
266 Nipigon

St Laurent Class
206 Saguenay
207 Skeena
229 Ottawa
230 Margaree
233 Fraser
234 Assiniboine

AOR 509 Preserver
AOR 508 Provider

July is posting season but typically one DDH would be on fishery protection patrol somewhere off the coast of Nova Scotia or the Grand Banks and another would be assigned to STANAVFORLANT.

-C

[vettim89]

V.2

Fixed: merchant ships not set to RTB
Fixed: Canadian ships reflect actual ships available at time of scenario
Fixed: altered spawning of additional merchants to much lower number that will be far more spread out

Added biologics then ran the scenario a few times. Felt like they only cluttered the map and did not add depth for the player. Therefore, I removed them

One fix I did not do was to add random weather. I will add this to the final versions assuming the bugs are all worked out here.

OP now has the updated file attached

[HalfLifeExpert]

ORIGINAL: vettim89



Added biologics then ran the scenario a few times. Felt like they only cluttered the map and did not add depth for the player. Therefore, I removed them

I respectfully disagree. Are there at least False Contacts?

UPDATE: Just check and there are none. Seriously, having nothing but submarines in an ASW scenario is a bit unrealistic and makes the ASW task easier than it would be.

[BeirutDude]

ORIGINAL: HalfLifeExpert

ORIGINAL: vettim89



Added biologics then ran the scenario a few times. Felt like they only cluttered the map and did not add depth for the player. Therefore, I removed them

I respectfully disagree. Are there at least False Contacts?

UPDATE: Just check and there are none. Seriously, having nothing but submarines in an ASW scenario is a bit unrealistic and makes the ASW task easier than it would be.

I have to agree, especially in the 1980s. I was doing active ASW ops off the southeast U.S. and ambient noise from biologics and false echo's were a huge problem for us.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: BeirutDude

ORIGINAL: HalfLifeExpert

ORIGINAL: vettim89



Added biologics then ran the scenario a few times. Felt like they only cluttered the map and did not add depth for the player. Therefore, I removed them

I respectfully disagree. Are there at least False Contacts?

UPDATE: Just check and there are none. Seriously, having nothing but submarines in an ASW scenario is a bit unrealistic and makes the ASW task easier than it would be.

I have to agree, especially in the 1980s. I was doing active ASW ops off the southeast U.S. and ambient noise from biologics and false echo's were a huge problem for us.

Considering these comments I will go back in and re-add some biologics and other false contents. My issue was that with the SOSUS sites playing an important role in this scenario, the false contacts I added were quickly identified by the SOSUS line to the point where I don't think the player would have to send an asset to investigate. That said, I think I need to be a little sneakier in the way that I do it. I will also add in some random weather changes. Perhaps that Bermuda high will be pushed off by a developing tropical system.

[Randomizer]

My issue was that with the SOSUS sites playing an important role in this scenario, the false contacts I added were quickly identified by the SOSUS line to the point where I don't think the player would have to send an asset to investigate.

One way to mitigate this is to reshuffle the biologicals/false contacts using teleport events at random times throughout the scenario. Make sure that these events do not show in the log and the effect is that new contacts continue to appear while the old contacts need to be dropped to keep the plot from becoming too cluttered.

-C

[BeirutDude]

I like that idea! I never thought about reshuffling them!!!!

[vettim89]

Ok. Likely final version is now attached to the OP.

Added:
biologics/other contacts with random spawning

Added:
Random weather changes

Enjoy

[BDukes]

Cool scenario! Still playing but getting some script errors. See my log below

3
3
3
3
3
3
Exception: [string "Civilian:HR Spawn"]:4: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "Civilian:Panama Spawn"]:10: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "CIvilian:Merchant Spawn"]:48: attempt to index a nil value (global 'newship')
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "Civilian:HR Spawn"]:4: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "Civilian:Panama Spawn"]:10: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "Civilian:HR Spawn"]:4: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "Civilian:Panama Spawn"]:10: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Exception: [string "Civilian:Panama Spawn"]:10: syntax error near 'ship'
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

...
Function:ScenEdit_AddUnit (0) Error:Latitude 'lat' is hard to understand. An example of a good latitude string is 'N 60.20.10'.
Exception: [string "CIvilian:Merchant Spawn"]:48: attempt to index a nil value (global 'newship')
Stack Trace: at NLua.Lua.ThrowExceptionFromError(Int32 oldTop)
at NLua.Lua.DoString(String chunk, String chunkName)
at Command_Core.Lua.LuaSandBox.RunScript(String str, Boolean RunInteractively, String script)

Othering things.

See if you can orient ports out to sea so ships can navigate out. Lot of nav code activity getting out of Newport, Charleston etc.

Where are Newport-based ship helo's based? In real life think it was NAS South Weymouth (near Boston) or maybe Quonset Point.

Perhaps add NAS Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico and maybe Panama (invasion was Dec 89)?

Thanks having fun with this!

Mike

[vettim89]

Some of those errors are events that I meant to disable/remove. Will go back and clean them up. Yes Roosevelt Roads might be a nice addition. Will fix the ports' orientation. That is just bad design process by me. The Newport Helos are at Brunswick. I thought that was in the briefing under "logistics/support". Quonset point was closed by the time this scenario takes place IIRC. Could add the base near Boston as it would only be a "single-unit airfield"

[vettim89]

Ok. New file attached to OP.

Fixed: errant'' around a variable (that was causing the missing latitude data)
Fixed: scope error for variable newship
Added: NAS South Weymouth where the Newport helicopter detachment was historically based
Moved: Newport helicopters from Brunswick to South Weymouth
Added: NAS Roosevelt Roads as a potential FOB (no aircraft assigned)
Removed: Dead events and their associated actions that where causing issues

[HalfLifeExpert]

ORIGINAL: vettim89

Ok. New file attached to OP.

Fixed: errant'' around a variable (that was causing the missing latitude data)
Fixed: scope error for variable newship
Added: NAS South Weymouth where the Newport helicopter detachment was historically based
Moved: Newport helicopters from Brunswick to South Weymouth
Added: NAS Roosevelt Roads as a potential FOB (no aircraft assigned)
Removed: Dead events and their associated actions that where causing issues

I think the attached file is the wrong one. I loaded it up and NAS Roosevelt Roads and South Weymouth are not there

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: HalfLifeExpert

ORIGINAL: vettim89

Ok. New file attached to OP.

Fixed: errant'' around a variable (that was causing the missing latitude data)
Fixed: scope error for variable newship
Added: NAS South Weymouth where the Newport helicopter detachment was historically based
Moved: Newport helicopters from Brunswick to South Weymouth
Added: NAS Roosevelt Roads as a potential FOB (no aircraft assigned)
Removed: Dead events and their associated actions that where causing issues

I think the attached file is the wrong one. I loaded it up and NAS Roosevelt Roads and South Weymouth are not there

My apologies. I attached my test file not the actual scenario. Oops. Correct file now attached

[Rory Noonan]

Some really good discussion on ASW and false contacts here, expect some improvements in the future [:)]