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BeirutDude -> Submitted: The Missiles of October Part Deux, 2020 (3/20/2020 12:54:24 AM)
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Submitted in Community Scenarios Folder now
During a period of international disruption Putin tries the Cuban gambit again. Any takers for a play test? Would appreciate any advice to make it better.
The Time Is: 6 October 2020 05:00:00 Zulu/6 October 2020 00:00:00 Eastern Time
AOR: Southeastern United States / Cuba
Playable as the United States side only
2 Days Duration
During the Spring of 2020, the new Coronavirus “COVID-19” strain caused serious disruption to the world order and economic systems, diverting the West’s attention from military matters to lock downs, market crashes and sealed borders. Quietly ties between Russia’s President Putin and Partido Comunista de Cuba (PPC), First Secretary, Raúl Castro warmed over this period of disruption. In April, a Russian Air Force MiG-31B Foxbat detachment deployed to Santa Clara Air Base as a sign of good will and the growing military ties between the two nations. By late May, Russian engineers began construction on a series of bunkers south of Habana (Havana) which bore a striking resemblance to similar bunkers recently completed in Kaliningrad. In early June, a detachment of two (2) A-50 Mainstay airborne control aircraft began to operate out of Santa Clara.
In early June life in the United States was beginning to approach something of normalcy as the virus’s infectious peak shifted to the Southern Hemisphere. Now DIA and CIA attention began to focus on the growing Russian-Cuban relations. On June 11-12th an S400 Regiment was airlifted to Santa Clara Air Base and deployed north of the airbase by the 15th. A second S400 Regiment was deployed near Habana over the American 4th of July holiday. This was brought to the White House’s attention in mid-July and inquiries were made to (and denied by) the Russian Embassy.
Quietly over the Spring Russian labs had developed a vaccine for COVID-19 but it was kept as a “State Secret.” By mid-summer enough vaccine was prepared for the leaders, key units of the Strategic Rocket forces and other vital units forward deployed to the Crimea, Kaliningrad and Cuba. Steadily, these forces were inoculated under the cover of other routine medical procedures and it was completed just in time as conditions in the Southern Hemisphere were rapidly changing. While COVID-19 mainly attacked older, weakened individuals a mutated strain began to emerge near Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This strain attacked military age individuals, and while COVID-19’s mortality was between 2 to 3 percent, this new strain exhibited a shocking 15 to 20 percent mortality. On July 20th the World Health Organization (WHO) declared this new strain would be known as COVID-20 and despite quarantine the virus broke containment in late July and was soon spreading worldwide.
By early August this new, frightening strain was sweeping across the United States including the vital intelligence agencies. As the novel virus strain struck Russian forces it was found the vaccine didn’t provide complete immunity but it did reduce its impacts by providing some immunity from its most dangerous impacts. This was not true for American units, once struck 25 to 30 percent of the units were quickly put out of action. Maintenance fell by the wayside, valuable pilots and elite troops were incapacitated or even succumbed to the virus. By September some squadrons were only at 40 to 50 percent operational strength and many “composite squadrons” were forming Ad Hoc at their bases.
In mid-August Russian antishipping missiles took up position along the Florida Straits. Between 15 to 25 September, as chaos reigned in American and European cities, several Russian ships docked in Cuban ports disgorging Intermediate Range Cruise Missiles and their Transporter-Erector-Launchers (TELs). Satellite imagery took several days to analyze, due to the virus, but by October 3rd it was obvious that Iskandar missiles were being positioned in Cuba. The clock had been turned back 58 years! President Trump immediately demanded the removal of the missiles, with President Putin countering they would only be removed in exchange for the Baltic States leaving the NATO alliance and the removal of all American forces from Poland.
As the Russian missiles were hastily forward deployed to their new bunkers and launch sites, weakened American USAF, USN and USMC squadrons forward deployed to southeastern bases and airports. Several deployed naval units began to move to the Southwest Atlantic as scratch crews were put together to allow an LCS and two DDGs, from NAVSURFRON14, to prepare to deploy to Cuba.
On the Evening of October 4th President Trump delivered an ultimatum to President Putin, he had 24 hours to remove the cruise missiles or American forces would do so. The world teetered on a knife’s edge…
were nuclear weapons in Cuba once again?
If so, would they be used?
Could they be stopped?
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