General remarks:
Part 2 of our fictional 1986 Baltic Campaign, played at ‘action speed’ (ahum). See the Feb 2025 entry for Part 1 (which ended with a ‘cliffhanger’).
Reminder of General Wargame Rules used:
- Ships: 1:3000 scale; can stay active ’24/7’.
- Air miniatures: 1:600/1:700 scale. Helicopters can stay airborne for max. 4 turns; patrol aircraft for 8 turns, fighters active for max. 3 turns (Yak-38 VSTOL only 2 turns) and strike aircraft conduct 1 attack and return directly to base.
- Rule Book maritime wargames: Naval Command 2021 Edition.
- Each start of a (following) wargame reflects the end situation of the former wargame, taking into account damage and losses of participants. The start situation can be adapted by certain rules/rules of engagement, which might require a dice roll.
- House Rule: units at sea/air may conduct more than 1 detection: either vis., radar, sonar etc. The number of detections within 1 type (radar, sonar, etc.) is equal with their sensor rating related to this type. This provides modern units several advantages.
- House Rule: certain Air Defense weapons are limited in range (20 mm AA-gun can’t reach the 12 nm. edge of the ‘close range’ band). The most realistic range of weapons is to be used (Source: OSINT or ‘Harpoon’ data).
- House Rule: use of (air dropped) sonar buoys: they deploy on a line of 10 nm. At both ends 1 sonar buoy, either passive or active. 2 passive successful detections results in: crossfix (successful location of submarine or surface vessel); only 1 passive detection results in 1 bearing of a location, no distance information (1 detection marker).
- Use of nuclear weapons is not allowed. Long range nuclear-capable weapons (like Tomahawk, SS-N-12, etc.) is therefore not allowed.
Reminder of set up of the game:
- 4 x 6 ft. sea mat horizontal orientation east-west; southern West-German beach starts in south west corner.
- USSR Amphibious Taskgroup: Victory: major victory = 2 Battalions Land Forces surviving the naval wargame and at least 2 Mi-8/17 transport helo’s. Minor victory: at least 50% of USSR combatants (carrier, cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine) survives naval wargame.
- NATO Taskgroup: find USSR Amphib. Convoy and stop Amphibious ships. Major victory: at least 50% of larger USSR landing ships (LSD, LST) is destroyed (‘vessel kill’) Minor victory: 40% of larger USSR landing ships is not Amphib. capable anymore (‘mission kill’). Other minor victory (in case of not sinking the USSR Landing Force): 60% of NATO sea- and air forces survives the Naval wargame and can engage the enemy next wargame.
- USSR Taskgroup (TG) consist of 11 Amphibious units (represented by 1 x Ivan Rogov), 1 x ultra-modern ‘Kiev’-class carrier (carrying the transport helos and 12 Yak-38 ‘Forger’), 1 old Sverdlov-class cruiser, 5 destroyer/frigates (1 Udaloy I-class slightly damaged) and 1 ‘Charlie I’-class nuclear submarine (used all her SS-N-7 missiles). On call (ashore): 4 Su-24 ‘Fencer’ bombers, 2 Mig-29 fighters (CAP) and Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) support. The Taskgroup carries 8 SS-N-22 and 20 SS-N-14 missiles (no reloads).
- NATO Taskgroup (TG) consist of 2 ASW-frigates (a badly hurt HNLMS Kortenaer-class & 1 modern UK Type 22 Batch 1 class), 1 Dutch AAW-frigate (HNLMS Tromp, with SM-1MR) accompanied by HNLMS Zuiderkruis fleet tanker (represented by HNLMS Amsterdam). The submarine HNLMS Zwaardvis (represented by HNLMS Walrus) is in direct support. On call (ashore): 4 UK ‘Buccaneer’ bombers, 4 modern Danish F-16 fighters (CAP) and Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) support. Task group has 8 Harpoon SSM’s left (range: 70 nm.) and 4 MM-38 Exocet (range: 22 nm.).
- 1 Oil Rig and 2 merchant vessels are in the area. All 3 use navigation radars.
- interpretation of photo’s: green acrylic radarscreen tokens: unit is detected by active radar; Blue radarscreen token: unit is passively detected (ESM). A ‘Shark’ counter: submarine is detected by active sonar; 2 Blue golf Tees: (NATO)sonobuoy line of 10 nm. Green token ‘activated’: ‘radar on’. Red flag: either USSR submarine patrol zone or USSR flagship. Blue flag: NATO. Damage tokens: blue water drop (flood), yellow flash (fire), brown sticks: structural damage, white square: system damage.
Reminder of Turn 1 (NATO initiative): NATO TG deployed ‘Atlantic’ MPA and 1 ‘Lynx’ helo in front of TG. USSR deployed Be-12 waterplane MPA and 1 Ka-27 ‘Helix’ helo (both radar active) in front of USSR TG. Very limited amount of Russian ship radars was active, to prevent early detection by NATO.
During the detection phase a lot of ships and aircraft tried to detect each other; either active or passive. Took a lot of time to make the calculations. USSR had better luck with the dice as NATO… Result: USSR Admiral assumed a probable NATO TG coming towards him. There was no combat phase.
Reminder of Turn 2 (NATO kept initiative): USSR Admiral assumed worst case scenario (NATO had probably detected the Amphibious TG) and deployed 2 Yak-38 from the ‘Kiev’-class on CAP-duty. And ordered a Su-24 strike and additional MIG-29 CAP from a DDR airfield. The German ‘Atlantic’ MPA had a radar detection of one of the USSR ‘Udaloy’-class in the East, but was unable to detect the larger ‘Sverdlov’-class cruiser. HNLMS ‘Tromp’ detected the Russian Be-12 MPA radar transmissions at 65 nm. The Dutch Rear Admiral got convinced that a Soviet TG of unknown size was at sea…
The Russian ‘Charlie I’-class submarine (deep) detected the NATO Taskgroup. The Soviet Admiral got a better picture of the incoming NATO TG. However, he was still out of range with his missiles and the requested Su-24 ‘Fencer’ airstrike had not arrived yet. The NATO TG had not yet detected the USSR Amphibious ships or the major combatants (aircraft carrier or cruiser, which would point out to something substantial).
Reminder of Turn 3 (USSR initiative): HNLMS ‘Tromp’ (flagship & AAW Commander of NATO TG) activated her AD-radar, convinced that the NATO TG had been detected. The Dutch rear-admiral ordered a Buccaneer-strike and F-16 CAP. The Russian TG also activated more radars, but not the ‘Kiev’-class carrier, at the rear of the convoy. The ‘Charlie I’ class SSGN rose to shallow depth and fired 2 salvo’s of 4 SS-N-7 at 30 nm. against respectively HNLMS Kortenaer and the UK Type 22 frigate. The SS-N-7 salvo against the UK Type 22 was engaged by 1 SM-1MR (miss), 3 NSSM SAM’s from HNLMS Tromp and 1 very modern Seawolf SAM from the Type 22. The defence against the second SS-N-7 salvo (against HNLMS Kortenaer) went not so smooth. HNLMS Tromp took out 1 SS-N-7 (with SM-1MR) but HNLMS Kortenaer was unable to take out the 3 remaining SS-N-7’s (3 NSSM’s spent). For some reason the Goalkeeper CIWS had a malfunction… The nearby Type 22 Batch 1 frigate was unable to help with her forward Seawolf launcher. The hit of the large SS-N-7 (500 kg explosives!) at the Dutch frigate resulted in (initially) 3 flooding markers.
While the Dutch crew were trying to limit the damage, the rear-admiral ordered HNLMS Kortenaer to engage the known surface threat (‘use the RGM-84 Harpoons or lose them’). So 8 Harpoons were rapidly fired towards the nearest ‘Udaloy I’-class destroyer at approx. 70 nm.… The sea skimming SSM’s were visually detected by the Be-12 MPA and 1 Ka-27, but were no match for old Russian SAM-systems of Kashin-class destroyer and Krivak II ASW-frigate. Most incoming Harpoons were splashed by the brand new SA-N-9 rotary VLS of the modern Udaloy’s, as the SA-N-9 of the ‘Baku’ (the most modern ‘Kiev’-class) were just out of range. Only one Harpoon (200 kg of explosives) did hit the ‘Udaloy’, resulting in (initially) 1 ‘flood’ damage marker and 2 ‘structure’ damage marker.
During this turn the Dutch submarine HNLMS Zwaardvis was not detected by the old Be-12 waterplane, but by a combination of new Ka-27 ASW-helo (active dipping sonar) and 1 of the new Udeloy I ASW-destroyers (active sonar).
End of Part 1 (Feb 2025): both submarines detected (Dutch submarine about to be attacked by SS-N-14); air strikes ordered on both sides; a cliff hanger!
The ASW frigate HNLMS Kortenaer had a ‘mission’ kill (couldn’t conduct the mission anymore), 0% of her RGM-84 Harpoons left, helikopter deck destroyed, speed limit, 1 ‘systems’ damage marker, 3 NATO Sea Sparrows (NSSM, out of 8) needed manual reloading (takes 2 hours). HNLMS Tromp fully operational, although 3 NSSM cells needed manual reloading (2 hours). 38 SM-1MR still available. The British Type 22 was fully operational, needed just 1 manual Seawolf reloading (11 missiles still ready-use).
The USSR task group has used all of its SS-N-7 sub-launched missiles (but the nuclear sub had still torpedoes) and the damage to 1 of the ‘Udaloy’ ASW-destroyers was limited: heli deck destroyed and a small speed limit. Both Udaloy I-class ASW destroyers had probably still 70-80% available of their capable SA-N-9 point-defense VLS systems; the ‘Sovremenny’ destroyer was fully operational (with 100% load of SS-N-22 and SA-N-7 missiles) as well as the ‘Sverdlov’-class cruiser and ‘Kiev’-class aircraft carrier.
Preparations for Part 2: in order to speed up game play, we developed several spreadsheets with data (taken from the Fleet List of USSR, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark & UK) of the used ships, aircraft and weapons in this game. At the beginning of Part 2 we realized - with the more than 20 ships and more than 10 aircraft we used - we needed a similar system to keep track on aircraft: which ships/airfields carried aircraft? How long takes refuel (2 turns)? When a ship is sunk, which organic aircraft is destroyed as well?, etc. So we had an additional spreadsheet with the horizontal axis as a time line (turn 1, turn 2, etc) and the vertical axis the ships/airfield (and their type of embarked aircraft). In this way, we could ‘manage’ our air fleets and we were able to plan the relieve of CAP-aircraft, ASW-helo’s and keep track of ordered air strikes…
Although I didn’t fully appreciate the use of AD-markers, I studied it again and thought I finally understood the method. In Part 2 I would stick to the method of AD markers! Recent comments on this BLOG (Apr '25) made us aware that we misinterpreted the rather restrictive Rules...
In Part 2 we continued to use the more realistic engagement parameters of AD systems. Although we allowed the use of the 4th (and more capable) ‘Kiev’-class carrier, although we knew she was commissioned after 1986.
Final part of run 3. The still outstanding action of run 3 was the expected Russian SS-N-14 ASW-missile attack on the submerged HNLMS Zwaardvis. The slightly damaged ‘Udaloy I’ fired 6 SS-N-14 and the ‘Krivak II’ frigate fired 2 SS-N-14 at a range of 27 nm. Torpedo defense by the submarine defeated 2 torpedo’s, but one of the combined salvo finally hit… Following the rules, dice were rolled for damage (a lot!) and the chance for forced surfacing of the submarine. Result: a crippled Dutch submarine on the surface, surrounded by 1 Be-12 waterplane and 1 Ka-27 which couldn’t attack her anymore (no anti-surface weapons).
Turn 4 (USSR initiative): the ordered MIG-29 aircraft (2 airframes) closed the Russian Taskgroup for CAP (combat air patrol). The deployed 2 Yak-38 ’Forger’ (as CAP) are relieved by another pair. Ordered NATO and USSR airstrikes are still preparing on their airfields.
The ‘Charlie I’ submarine goes deep and sails slowly (‘silent running’). Both the Lynx ASW helo and the sonobuoy barrier (guarded by the ‘Atlantic’ MPA) loose contact and don’t regain it. The Lynx helo, after 4 turns, lands on HNLMS Zuiderkruis for refuel (as her mothership HNLMS Kortenaer has a damaged heli deck). The Type 22 frigate deploys her Lynx as a relieve. Partly because of consistent possible torpedo threat (by the submarine), the NATO Task group steers more to the south; also to keep distance to the possible USSR Landing Force (which is still undetected by NATO, despite multiple detection attempts by NATO MPA and helo’s!).
Both Task Group commanders decide not to have a combat phase: the Russian commander decide to close the surfaced & damaged HNLMS Zwaardvis submarine by surface units, to finish her off by gunfire. Although the theoretically range of the Mk 48 torpedoes of HNLMS Zwaardvis is 24 nm., it was decided that this is the range of the ‘ADCAP’ variant (which was not carried during the 1980s on this class). Therefor the realistic range of a Mk 48 shot at the incoming Russian warships was rated as aprox. 12 nm. The NATO Task Group commander has only 50% left of his RGM-84 Harpoon missile inventory and wanted to uses them against the (still undetected) landing ships and/or (undetected) carrier. The 4 MM-38 Exocet of the UK Type 22 frigate didn’t have the range to reach any Russian target during this turn…
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Turn 5 (NATO initiative): the 2 Russian MIG-29 are retasked from ‘CAP’ to ‘intercept’ and start intercepting the NATO MPA (‘Atlantic’) in the vicinity of the USSR ‘Charlie I’ submarine. Surprisingly, the Russian Be-12 comes nearer this location as well. The old waterplane keeps radarcontact on the NATO Task Group and keeps an eye on the NATO attempts te find the (deep) ‘Charlie I’.
Both passing MIG-29’s are detected by the AD radar of HNLMS Tromp. To defend the 'Atlantic', she opens fire at medium range with SM-1MR and destroys 1 MIG-29. She tries to hit the second MIG-29 as well with Standard Missile, but the progressive result of the use of AD-markers makes it impossible to hit it…(5 SM-1/MR missiles spent for 1 hit; 33 missiles remaining). The remaining MIG-29 engages the Brequet Atlantic, who can only try to evade… Two fired AA-10 air-to-air missiles miss (bad dice) and the MPA leaves the scene and returns to base (according to rules: ‘scared away’). While the MPA runs for safety, her 2 sonobuoy ‘barriers’ loose their value…
HNLMS Zwaardvis is attacked by 1 SS-N-14 (from the fast closing 'Krivak II'), despite her small silhouet at the surface. Damage: 2 additional ‘flood’ damage markers and 1 ‘fire’. She fires 2 Mk 48
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Turn 6 (NATO initiative): 2 Danish F-16’s (each armed with Sparrow/Sidewinder) close the NATO Task Group from the north, as CAP. The German ‘Atlantic’ MPA and the Russian MIG-29 left the game. 4 British ‘Buccaneer’ anti-ship bombers left their German airfield and are heading for sea (low level, from the south). 4 Russian Su-24 ‘Fencer’ bombers left their DDR airfield and are heading for the Russian Task Group (from the east). The NATO Task Group commander is ‘handicapped’: he has no detection on the Russian Landing Force, he lost his long range sensors (the MPA, her sonobuoys and the submarine) to detect them and he is still hunted by a Russian nuclear submarine and shadowed by a Russian Be-12 MPA. His Russian adversary has probably a better picture of the situation?
The Lynx helo of HNLMS ‘Tromp’ is airborne to fill the gap of the fleeing MPA. The Russian ‘Charlie I’ nuclear sub speeds up in the direction of the NATO Taskgroup. Still undetected by both Lynx helo’s, below the thermocline. The Russian Task Group commander ‘rotates’ after 4 turns his ASW helicopters as well. In the meantime 1 Lynx helo tries to radar detect the Russian Landing Force (unsuccessful); the other tries to detect the deep Charlie I by active dipping sonar (unsuccessful). Both sides are unable to conduct combat operations this turn. During the damage control phase HNLMS Kortenaer (with 3 x ‘flood’ damage markers) remains close to capsizing…
Turn 7 (USSR initiative): a British ‘Nimrod’ MPA joins both NATO ‘Lynx’ helicopters, as a relieve of the German MPA. The Danish F-16 CAP joins the NATO Task Group. However, 4 Su-24 ‘Fencer’ overfly the Russian Taskgroup at low height and prepare their attack, supported by radar updates from the Be-12 waterplane. Almost simultaneously 4 British ‘Buccaneers’ come in from the south, flying low towards the few known Russian surface combatants, searching with their radar for the Russian Landing Force. During the navigation phase the NATO Taskgroup splits somehow: HNLMS ‘Kortenaer’ ‘protects’ the fleet tanker HNLMS ‘Zuiderkruis’ (or is it the other way around?) and both operational NATO frigates turns towards the enemy. They change positions: the Type 22 upthreat (with her short range Seawolf SAM) and HNLMS Tromp behind her (so she can use her SM-1/MR and NATO Sea Sparrow to defend herself as well as the Type 22).
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During the detection phase the ‘Nimrod’ MPA is unable to detect the Russian Landing Force and is therefor unable to support the ‘Buccaneers’ in their targeting. However the Buccaneers are designed for this autonomous task and are able to detect a few ships of the Landing Force and the ‘Kiev’-class carrier themselves, within range of their sea skimming ‘Sea Eagle’ missiles, and outside the reach of the Russian Yak-38 CAP. The Buccanneers are unable to datalink (not fitted) their findings towards the MPA or the Taskgroup.
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x AS-17 with a combination of its very modern Seawolf SAM (11 missiles ready-use) and old fashioned 30 mm guns. The remaining AS-17 misses…. Both NATO frigates have 4 AD-markers assigned to their ships…for the duration of this turn.
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End of Part 2: NATO lost 1 submarine (‘unit kill’) and 1 ASW frigate (‘mission kill’). 1 fleet tanker and 2 operational frigates can still engage the enemy, although the frigates need time to reload their close-range SAM’s: HNLMS ‘Tromp’ has 31 remaining SM-1/MR SAM available (70% of magazine; reloading only possible in harbour) and has to reload 5 NSSM SAM’s (63% of her Mk 29 trainable launcher). The good news is Dutch frigates has always 1 full reload for Mk 29 NSSM-launcher onboard, which can be conducted at sea. And HNLMS ‘Zuiderkruis’ replenishment ship could possibly carry spare NSSM as well? HNLMS ’Tromp’ has still 8 RGM-84 Harpoon and 1 Lynx helo. The British Type 22 has to reload 5 Seawolf SAM (42% of 2 trainable GWS 25 launchers). Seawolf (a smaller/lighter missile as NSSM) reloading at sea is possible as well. It is understood that Type 22 frigates have more than 1 reload onboard. The Type 22 has an operational ‘Lynx’ and 4 x MM-38 ‘Exocet’. HNLMS Zuiderkruis (AOR) is fully operational and carries 2 ‘Lynx’ helo’s (one of herself and 1 from ‘Kortenaer’). NATO scored no hits on the Russian Landing Forces, but is still in the game. With 2 operations frigates (out of 3) and 1 tanker/supply ship you might say this is a (very) small victory for NATO.
So far the Russian Landing Force has not been hit and their advance towards their intended Landing Zone was without any delay, resulting in a major victory for Russia! Only 1 MIG-29 fighter was destroyed and 2 ships have been slightly damaged: an ‘Udaloy I’ ASW-destroyer and an older ‘Krivak II’ ASW-frigate. A possible problem can become the weapon expenditure: 45% of the available SS-N-14 ASW missiles have been used and there are no reloads within this fleet/mission. The expenditure of the capable SA-N-9 SAM is: 17 missiles by the slightly damaged ‘Udaloy I’ (53% of VLS magazine of 32), 6 missiles by the Northern ‘Udaloy I’ (20% of VLS magazine) and 4 missiles by carrier ‘Baku’ (2% of VLS magazine of 192). It is assumed that these 170 kg. & 3 m. long missiles are not reloadable at sea into their VLS-cells. The good news is that most Russian combatants are still fully operational, like the carrier, cruiser and several older escorts. The Naval Gunfire role (to be executed by ‘Sverdlov’-class cruiser and ‘Sovremenny’ destroyer) during the intended amphibious landing is also fully functional.
- We still need a ‘Quick Reference Sheet’ for the equations regarding sonar/radar detections, use of Air Defense, Torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, Damage , etc. That would speed up the game. We played 4 turns in approx. 4,5 hrs.
- We discovered some (house) rules needed more detail. The (missing) sonar modifier for dipping sonar/sonobuoy is now ‘1’ for older aircraft (until 1980s) and ‘2’ for modern aircraft/equipment (like: Nimrod, P-8 Poseidon, NH-90, maybe Ka-27 and P-3C?). And we decided that if an MPA leaves the game without a proper hand-over to the next MPA, her sonobuoys are no use anymore. Sonobuoys can last at least 6-8 turns (?).
- Regarding official 'Naval Command' Rules: I found the reference to ‘flights’ in Chapter 24 ‘Air Operations’ not so realistic. To my knowledge a CAP is mostly 2 fighters (not four, like a ‘flight’). Especially if you want to maintain a CAP 24/7 above your head; that takes a lot of airframes to accomplish. Other: we missed a realistic speed for ‘intercept’ missions of fighters against other aircraft. The highest speed in the table ‘aircraft speed’ of chapter 14 ‘Navigation Phase’ is 60 cm/turn, but that is for Fixed wing AEW/MPA. A fighter is faster… So we made this 100 cm, otherwise a Nimrod (jet) or AWACS (jet) could keep their distance to a fighter by flying away?
- I thought I finally managed to understand the Air defense method of Naval Command 2021 (Chapter 19). I got confused by the word ‘total Air Defense Modifier’ in combination with the assignment of AD-markers. I never fully understood if an AD-marker was assigned to a specific Air Defense weaponsystem (like SM-1/MR or Seawolf) or the whole ship. The examples of para 19.5 could be more clear: if it was stated that for every range band you add up the AD modifiers of the AD-systems which can engage the threat in that specific range band, it would be more easy for me to understand. For HNLMS ‘Tromp’: engagement at medium range (only SM-1/MR, so only 1 specific AD Modifier for that range band at that target height). But at close range, you add up the AD modifiers for SM-1/MR, NATO Sea Sparrow, 12 cm. gun and CIWS for close range… This add-up compensates (to a certain level) the progressive negative use of AD markers. However I still don’t like the system. To make things worse, the recent comments (on Facebook) made me finally aware that the Naval Command 2021 Rules restrict you to engage each incoming target only once per AD range band. Initially I was surprised/annoyed with (turn 5) ‘Tromp’ had great difficulty firing at the 2nd MIG-29 with SM-1/MR when in range. Two SPG-51C firing channels, 40 missiles ready-use available, 8-10 seconds reload time on the single-arm Mk 13 launcher.. Why the negative penalty (- 1 AD-marker) each launch? However, I am apparently not allowed to fire more than once at that 2nd MIG-29, as it stayed in the same range band (passing aircraft)!
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