New Scen for Testing - 2030 Christmas Surprise, Part 1

[TempestII]

Update! Most of the changes I've made between 0.26 and 0.30 are additional pop-up messages for the player to further build the storyline. I have also made a few more US aircraft ready to launch from the start, as well as increasing US air defences. But despite these additions, don't expect to take all that many less hits.
Hopefully this will be the final version of this scen, but let me know if you find any issues.

2030 - The Christmas Surprise, Part 1 (0.30).zip

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The Christmas Surprise, Part 1

DB509; Tested in CMO Build 1500; Scenario Build Beta 0.30

Mission Start Time / Date: 0125Z 25 Dec 2030

Primary Factions: US vs the Shanghai Pact

Duration: 12 Hours

Mission Overview: Monitor and defend the North American eastern seaboard from Shanghai Pact forces.

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This scenario is designed to be played with “Unlimited Base Magazines”, “Aircraft Damage”, “Effects of Terrain Type” (non-advanced), “Communications Disruption”, “Weather affects ship speed” and “Weather and day/night affect aircraft sorties” turned on.

Feel free to delete any missions and unlocked Reference Points (RPs). However, the ASW missions do hint where enemy submarines are located. Any locked RPs should be left alone. There is one Custom Environmental Zone (CEZ) set up at Norfolk to enable piers to be placed in an area CMO thinks is water.

Note: this scenario pack is inspired by the various novels, films, TV programmes and video games where the US is attacked, usually by China or Russia. More often than not, these situations are fairly implausible. I’m sure that, in many ways, this too is an unlikely “alternative future”, but as with most good fiction, at least some of it is inspired by today’s current affairs. I've used various sources to ensure units are mostly correctly based, but as sopme hypothetical units are included, I also had to make some educated assumptions. You’re welcome to skip the backstory below and go straight to the Briefing if you wish. The backstory is more of the “Why” as opposed to the “What” and “How”. There will be a total of three (3) scenarios in this pack, all set on the 25 December 2030. The locations of each scen is stated below:

Part 1: The US East Coast, primarily Washington DC, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Florida.

Part 2: Alaska, Canada, and the northern / north-western US.

Part 3: The US West Coast, primarily California, Nevada and Arizona.

A fourth scenario set in Europe may also be on the cards, set on Russian Orthodox Christmas.

Finally, many thanks to Saralotte and others in the CMO community who have provided INST files that make building these scenarios easier to make and more realistic.

As this is a Beta, any feedback is very welcome!


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Welcome back Commander,

By 2030, the United States of America had closed a significant number of its overseas bases, leaving only a handful on each continent or in each theatre of operations. The US didn't entirely abandon its allies around the world as some had feared when the “America First” ideology became a bi-partisan policy, but it did require notably more “quid pro quo” from them in order for American military forces to be stationed there. These deals could range from favourable trade deals, to large purchases of hardware from US defence companies, access to raw materials like rare-Earth-metals, and / or providing larger subsidies to sustain the bases in their countries. Many European nations refused, choosing to expand their own military alliance via the European Union. By 2030, only the United Kingdom and Poland had American forces permanently stationed within their borders in Europe. In Asia, only one US base in South Korea remained open, while Kadena AFB and several others in Japan were closed, leaving only a handful of American forces stationed there. In the Middle East, US forces had entirely pulled out of Iraq and Syria leaving only a single superbase in Saudi Arabia and a small number of forces in Israel to deter Iran. All permanent bases in Africa had been closed, although American military forces were occasionally deployed to the continent at the request of a host nation.

Despite this drawdown, unfriendly actors like the Russian Federation (RF) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) had been less successful in their imperialist aims than many had anticipated. While the Russian-Ukrainian War (sorry, SMO) had ended in 2025, in terms that were generally seen as more favourable to the invader, Ukraine was allowed to join the EU, including its defensive pact. The land that the Russians had been handed in the peace agreement was largely a drain on resources, being so heavily mined and desolate after over 3 years of war. Very few of the remaining civilians in Eastern Ukraine had favourable views of their “liberators” and asymmetric attacks on Russian forces in the area were common.

The biggest problem that arose from the Ukraine war was that, when Russian President Vladimir Putin did pass away in 2026, their next leader was even more ruthless and hostile to the West. The new RF president privately vowed revenge on the US and Europe, believing that the 2022 assault on Kyiv would have succeeded if the West had not got involved.

The PRC had also been unable to fulfil its aim to “reunite” Taiwan with the mainland. Its plan to invade the Republic of China (ROC) in 2027 was thrown into disarray when it turned out that the US had covertly provided tactical nuclear weapons to the island the year before in exchange for advanced and heavily discounted computer chips. By 2027, the ROC had deployed dozens of nuclear torpedoes on a range of manned and unmanned submarines that could interdict any seaborne invasion force. Other tactical nuclear weapons were loaded onto Taiwanese missiles that would be used to strike Chinese ports or naval fleets should an invasion be attempted. When the PRC. had attempted to blockade the island in 2027, an underwater nuclear demonstration by Taiwan near a Chinese carrier strike group had forced the communists to scale back their plans. The PRC did succeed in taking several islands from Taiwan’s control during the crisis, but the nuclear test prevented an invasion of the Pescadores Islands.

To make matters worse, the tariffs that the US and some of the rest of the world had imposed on China had led to sluggish economic conditions in the country. While the trade war had also dampened economic growth in the US, the PRC was certainly hit harder.

By 2028, a new premier had taken charge of the Chinese Communist Party, who, like Russia, blamed the US for his nation's troubles. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation became the Shanghai Pact, with North Korea, Iran, the RF and PRC becoming more militarily intertwined. They also took advantage of a crisis brewing on the North American continent following the increasing volatile relationship between the US and Mexico.

Following the 2024 US Presidential Election, American military forces began, covertly at first, but soon more obviously, conducting incursions into Mexico to attack the drug cartels. The Mexican government turned a blind eye to US Special Forces raids, but once the military actions escalated to drone strikes, they privately began to protest to the White House. The protests turned to public outrage when a US drone strike killed members of a rogue unit of the Mexican Army, leading to the expulsion of American diplomats and a massive deterioration of relations. The US cross-border operations only ceased when the Mexicans signed a defence treaty with the PRC, despite US government fury. Economic trade between the US and Mexico had effectively ceased, while American-Mexican diplomatic relations had reached their lowest point since the 1840s.

By 2030, the PRC hadn’t just obtained influence over Mexico but also most of Latin America, while Russia had re-established its alliance with Cuba. The Shanghai Pact had expanded with the PRC, RF, DPRK, Iran, Belarus, Cuba and Venezuela now all full members. Mexico and several South American countries were among a number of nations that were not official members, but were close partners. All of these countries were home to Chinese military bases by the end of the 2020s, with Mexico having PRC forces close to the US border to discourage American military action into its territory. By 2030, the US-Mexican boundary had begun to look more like the Korean DMZ with the US having seized several miles of Mexican territory along the border to allow for enhanced security. Despite the increased security, the Iranian Quds Force as well as special forces teams from the PRC and Russia, working covertly with the drug cartels, had implanted hundreds of personnel into the US to collect intelligence and to attack soft targets, should any hostilities breakout.

The 2030 US military was still the most powerful on Earth; while there had been budget cuts due to recessions caused by economic protectionism, the closing of many overseas bases meant that considerable funding had been diverted to procuring new ships and unmanned aircraft. The US Army had been cut, and had been largely reduced to supporting operations along the southern border, much to the chagrin of its leadership. The US had also burned the bridges with many, but not all, of its allies and partners, with the quality and quantity intelligence collection levels consequently reduced. This, combined with arrogance from some political appointees in the American government led to a number of intelligence “red flags” from being acted upon. As with the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour and the 2001 September 11th terrorist attacks, historians would argue that many of the signs of the 2030 “Christmas Surprise” were observed by intelligence agencies, but their warnings were unheeded…

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SITUATION:

America is at DEFCON 4 due to the presence of Shanghai Pact forces in close proximity to the US mainland; these forces may pose a threat to the eastern seaboard.

MISSION:

Monitor any and all Shanghai Pact air and naval activity close to the US mainland. Ensure that positive identification (PID) is established and maintained on surface and sub-surface contacts.

ROE:

WEAPONS HOLD, unless fired upon.

US PLAYER-CONTROLLED FORCES:

Surface Vessels:

USS Delbert D Black [DDG-119, Arleigh Burke Flight IIA Technology Insertion]

USS Truxtun [DDG-103, Arleigh Burke Flight IIA] (awaiting launch orders from Norfolk’s Craney Island Fuel Depot)

USS Lafayette [FFG-65]

USS Cleveland [LCS-31, Upgrade 1]

USCGC Pickering [WMSM-919, Heritage Class]

X2 Sea Hunter ACTUVs

Submarines:

USS Iowa [SSN-797, Virginia Class, Flight IV SSN]

Aircraft:

Patrick Leahy Burlington IA / ANG AB:

X8 134 FS Green Mountain Boys ANG F-35A Lighting fighters

Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport / ANG AB:

X8 131 FS Barnestormers ANG F-15C Eagles fighters

McGuire AFB (Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst):

X5 141 ARS Jersey Thunder KC-46 Pegasus tankers

Dover AFB:

X4 3 AS Third But First C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft

X4 132 ARS Maineiacs Det KC-46 Pegasus tankers

X3 43 ECS Det E/A-37B Compass Call jammers

The White House:

X1 “Marine One” VH-92A Patriot VIP transport helicopter

Joint Base Andrews/Andrews AFB:

X7 756 ARS Toothless Tigers KC-46 Pegasus tankers

X4 VP-10 Red Lancers Det P-8A Poseidon MPAs

X15 121 FS Capital Guardians ANG F-16C Blk 30 Falcons fighters

Langley AFB/Joint Base Langley–Eustis:

X8 27 FS Fighting Eagles F-22A Raptor fighters

X10 149 FS ANG F-22A Raptor fighters

Chambers Field - NAS Norfolk:

X4 VAW-120 Greyhawks E-2D Hawkeye AEW aircraft

X6 HSM-12 Sea Dragons V-247 Vigilant UAVs

X8 HSC-2 Fleet Angels MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters

X4 VS-35 Boomerangers Test Det S-3B Vikings MPAs

NAS Oceana:

X10 VFA-37 Bulls F/A-18E Super Hornet Blk III fighters

X6 VFA-106 Gladiators Det F/A-18E Super Hornet Blk III fighters

X14 VFC-12 Fighting Omars F/A-18E Super Hornet Blk III fighters

X2 VFA-106 Gladiators Det F/A-18F Super Hornet Blk III fighters

X4 VFA-213 Black Lions F/A-18F Super Hornet Blk III fighters

X8 VFA-131 Wildcats F-35C Lightning fighters

X16 USN Det XQ-58A Valkyrie UAVs

X10 VUQ-3 Iron Men MQ-25 Stingray UAVs

Seymour Johnson AFB:

X10 335 FS Chiefs F-15EX Eagle fighters

X2 333 FS Lancers F-15E Strike Eagle fighters

MCAS Cherry Point:

X3 KC-130J Hercules tanker / cargo aircraft

X6 VMA-223 Bulldogs F-35B Lightning fighters

MCAS Beaufort:

X8 VMFA-224 Fighting Bengals F-35C Lightning fighters

X8 VMFA-533 Hawks F-35B Lightning fighters

X10 VMFA-312 Checkerboards XQ-58A Valkyrie UAVs

X6 VMFA-312 Checkerboards MQ-58B Valkyrie UAVs

Shaw AFB:

X8 55 FS Shooters F-16C Blk 52 Falcons

X18 50 ATKS Have Raider UCAVs

X14 482 ATKS XQ-58A Valkyrie UAVs

X8 77 FS The Gamblers F-16CM Blk 52 Falcons

Naval Station Mayport:

X4 HSM-40 Airwolves MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopters

X5 HSM-74 Swamp Foxes V-247 Vigilant UAVs

X5 VP-11 Proud Pegasus MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs

NAS Jacksonville:

X4 VP-10 Red Lancers P-8A Poseidon MPAs

X4 VP-8 Fighting Tigers P-8A Poseidon MPAs

X5 VP-26 Tridents P-8A Poseidon MPAs

X2 VUP-19 Big Red Det MQ-4C Triton UAVs

Homestead ARB:

X4 125 FW Jaguars Det F-15C Eagle fighters

USS Lafayette [FFG-65]:

X1 HSM-46 Grandmasters Det MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopter

X1 HSM-46 Grandmasters Det MQ-8C UCAV Det

USS Delbert D Black [DDG-119]:

X1 HSM-46 Grandmasters Det MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopter

X1 HSM-46 Grandmasters Det MQ-8C UCAV Det

USS Cleveland [LCS-31]:

X1 HSM-46 Grandmasters Det MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopter

X1 HSM-46 Grandmasters Det MQ-8C UCAV Det

USCGC Pickering [WMSM-919]:

X3 USCGC Det ScanEagle UAVs

Land-Based Air Defences:

Raven Rock Mountain Complex, Pennsylvania - X1 Patriot Bty

Washington DC - X1 Patriot Bty, X3 NASAMS Plts, X1 MML SAM Plt, FIM-92 and C-UAV Jammer Gun units

Langley AFB/Joint Base Langley–Eustis - FIM-92 and C-UAV Jammer Gun units

NAS Oceana - X1 Typhon SAM Plt, X1 MML SAM Plt, FIM-92 and C-UAV Jammer Gun units

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station - IFPC Inc 2-I SAM Plt and C-UAV Jammer Gun units



Other assets are currently unavailable but may be assigned to your command in extremis.

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(“ ~ ”meaning approximately)

ENEMY FORCES:

Surface Vessels confirmed in the AOR:

PRC-RF Joint SAG -

RFS Admiral Nakhimov [085, BCGN]

RFS Admiral Chabanenko [650, Udaloy II DDG]

RFS Admiral Sergey Gorshkov [417, FFG]

CNS Xianyang [108, Type 055]

CNS Bayannaoer [522, Type 054A Jiangkai II]

Submarines confirmed in the AOR:

X1 Yasen-M class SSN

X1 Oscar II class SSGN

X1 Akula II SSN

Aviation Units confirmed in the AOR:

PRC-RF Joint SAG –

X3 Ka-31 Helix AEW helicopters

X5 Ka-27M Helix ASW helicopters

X2 Z-20F ASW helicopters

Venezuela-based –

X4 Tu-160M Blackjack bombers, VVS

X8-12 H-6K Badger bombers, PLAAF

Cuba-based –

X16-20 J-10CE Firebirds fighters, DAAFAR

X18-24 S-70 Hunter UCAVs, VVS

X10-16 Su-57 Felon fighters, VVS

X8 MiG-31 Foxhound fighters, VVS

X10-12 Tu-22M-3M Backfire bombers, VVS

X8-12 unknown PLAAF UCAVs

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NEUTRAL FORCES AND CIVILIANS:

The US Eastern Seaboard has a large amount of civilian and commercial air and sea traffic, hence the strict ROE. There are no neutral vessels within 100nm of the PRC-RF Joint SAG.

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J2 (INTELLIGENCE) HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Peoples’ Republic China and Russian Federation Joint Surface Action Group (PRC-RF Joint SAG) is currently 265nm NE of the Bahamas in the N Caribbean. The SAG is enroute to Cuba to conduct a port visit. USCGC Pickering is currently on escort duty, while USS Delbert D Black is enroute to join the Coast Guard vessel.

• Russian aircraft operating out of Cuba and Venezuela have probed US airspace every day for the last 8 days; intelligence suggests another probe by VVS fighters and bombers is likely. On all but one intercept, Russian airmanship has been safe and professional.

• The US is currently at DEFCON 4 due to the proximity of Shanghai Pact forces in its Area of Responsibility (AOR). There have been vigorous disagreements between political appointees versus career intelligence officials, some of which have leaked out to the public, over the threat posed by Shanghai Pact forces. Several leaks have suggested that DEFCON 3 was considered but ruled out for political reasons. Despite this, some base commanders have operated within their own purview to raise local alert levels.

• The US National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) is currently at “Elevated” due to threats by the Mexican and South American drug cartels. The public have been warned to avoid large public gatherings and stay vigilant. However, many Christmas and other holiday celebrations are planned to go ahead regardless, with the vocal support of many elected and appointed members of the government.

• US Navy DDG-119, USS Delbert D Black, was due to test a new batch of hypervelocity (HVP) 127mm shells in January 2031, but that test is currently on hold due to DEFCON 4. With the destroyer under your command, you will have access to approx 120 of these weapons should any hostilities commence.

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AOR WEATHER:

Clouds: MODERATE 25000-28000FT. No Rain. Sea State 2.

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[WillpowerDisturbance]

Haven't had a chance to play it yet but I love how you named one of the civilian ships MV Boaty McBoat Face!!

[TempestII]

An update to the scen is now available in the opening post.

[caelunshun]

Thanks for the fun scenario! This may be the only scenario where I've wished for a speed setting below 1x; the first few minutes are super intense.

I scraped by with an "Average" score of -49750. I'm unsure if it's even possible to score above the "average" range (maybe in a mythical CMO version where bugs don't break refueling and air defenses half the time). This was my third attempt; in the first two POTUS was killed early on because I mismanaged the Patriot battery defending Washington DC.

The bill (probably the highest of any scenario I've played).

Some feedback:

• Maybe a few more SM-3s on the DDGs would make sense; having only 4 in 2030 seems pessimistic.
• The SM-6 Dual II missiles in the Typhon battery won't fire even with a CEC-capable E-2D. The Blk IBs work fine. More likely CMO's bug than yours.
• I only saw 3 enemy strategic bombers show up, which is less than expected, but maybe they were saved for Part 2.
• The S-400 mounted onto a container ship was funny and would have been very dangerous, but it never actually fired. There might be something wrong with the WRA.