"Avoiding the F-22" Topic

Columbia vs Venezuala is looking quite interesting. It could easily draw in Brazil (looking to re-draw its disputed border with Venezuala) and Cuba.

How about this one? Turkey dams the Tigris and Euphrates to provide power and irrigation, putting it into conflict with Syria (and potentially a struggling new government in Iraq). Syrian Fencers and Fulcrums launch against Turkey in an attempt to destroy the dams before the Turkish air force takes delivery of its promised F35s. Turkey responds in kind.

Water's likely to be an increasing source of tension across the middle east.

If you still want the US in the party, assume that your scenario is in the first two weeks of seriously escalating tensions, before the US can get basing/overflight rights for Raptors. You're down to USN fighters (and USAF bombers flying 16+hour missions).

Ethics Gradient you have just quoted the plot, Turkey/Syria, one of series of what if scenarios I have been working on for a wargames mag. Luckily my scenario is set a few years back rather than near future, otherwise I would have to kill you. ;-0

I actually worked on the theory of Syria supported by Iran. However, again this is just an excuse to field Tomcats.

Fatman

Who can always find an excuse to field Phantoms Starfighters or Tomcats

Oh and I also thought that Brazil supporting Columbia was a good idea. Supporting Venezuela Cuba, or Russian mercs flying Cuban aircraft, is one possible but Ecuador has backed Chavez in the past. Of course this also brings in the possibility of Peru entering the conflict which leaves us with a rather hot little regional war!

OK its as likely as Tampa Bay winning the Super Bowl (That's like suggesting Moldova will win the world cup for us non Seppos.) but still a fun little air war idea.

I even have some aircraft, 1/600th, painted up for it.

Fatman

Oops, first time I've published spoilers by accident! Sounds like an interesting set of scenarios, be interested to know when (and where) they're published.

Anything in Latin America gets complicated quickly! Ran some near future scenarios a while back for a Belize/Guatamala setting a while back with the UK involved on the side of Belize. Had to assume some improvements in air power though, as armed transports going up against each other didn't quite work (although there could be a certain quirky charm…)

Publishing will happen when I can get my head out of Maths/English/Psychology oh you get the idea. The joys of teacher training as a mature student. I have a total of eight plot synopses, some linked others stand alone. Most are fleshed out a bit at least two are ready to send to the publisher. Maybe early next year for the first ones?!?

Fatman

Who should be in bed, 01:18 here, but is working on an essay on the effects of social deprevation on education.

France gets involved in some African country (former colony) where they feel an obligation to right some horror (perhaps bullied into it by other Western Democracies). French population will only allow "limited engagement". This means that French Forces are small-footprint enough to be threatened by some native African force (South Africa flexing some regional hegemony muscle?).

This means that French Forces are small-footprint enough to be threatened by some native African force (South Africa flexing some regional hegemony muscle?).

Ordinarily I would say no, but with Jacob Zuma as president anything's possible.

Forget F-22s, use Typoons
They are now stationed in the Falklands so Typoon v Argies
Saudi have them so v Iran.
India has expressed an interest in them as have the Japanese.

Scenarios:

Israel is hit by a terrorist nuclear bomb in Tel Aviv. Taking advantage of the situation, Syria and Iran attack. The US and Turkey sit on the sideslines, Russia provides covert material/training assistance. If that still leaves Israel with too much of an advantage for your tastes (I think it puts them at a severe disadvantage) then throw in the Saudis and their air power, or Egypt.

Venezuela invades Colombia. Again, the US sits on the sidelines and local powers ally with the aggressor. More of a ground campaign, in this case.

A hasty pullout of Iraq by the US is immediately followed by a military coup by an ex-ex-baathist. In the chaos, Iran invades to "support" the Shiite majority. In this scenario, they already have a nuclear weapon, and the rest of the middle east sits on the sidelines (or, prenuke, let the Syrians either side with Iran or in a fit of realpolitik, oppose them to avoid a persian regional hegemony). An exhausted US ignores the war by again focusing on diplomatic pressure and pressing for a peace conference. Drop Israel in as a spoiler or not, at your option (they can be restrained by a nuclear deterrent or US pressure).

Renewed tensions over the Nagorno Karabakh and other conquered territory, the Armenia/Azerbaijan conflict re-starts. Russia uses the tensions to move "peacekeepers" in. From there, you can have whatever fight you want: Russia certainly makes a grab for what's left of Georgia (causing international dismay but little real response), but does it take advantage of the situation to turn both countries into puppet states?

From a gaming standpoint, you can play the Armenians and Azeris, or Russia taking Ukraine. If you want Act One of a world conflagration, you can even have the Russians make a play for Turkey-- and finally achieving their thousand year ambition of taking control of the Dardanelles. Of course, that's only if the rest of NATO sits on its hands. :)

I don't see a China scenario as being likely-- only because they're so ascendant that there are few military gains that they could covet that they won't achieve risk-free if they're patient. And China's leadership has great patience. If N.Korea blows up, I could see a South Korean victory MAYBE leading to Chinese intervention; but if the US sits it out (a possibility these days), they probably wouldn't have to.

Maybe another border clash with Russia? The problem is that Russian policy is turned westward at the moment.

Pakistan-India is another perennial pick, of course, but it would be VERY unbalanced and has too much of a chance of going nuclear.

California suffers a fiscal meltdown. The federal government dithers and is unable to justify a bailout. Governor Baldwin therefore embarks on an idea that he got watching a movie: use the CA national guard to invade Nevada and rob every casino in Las Vegas. Nevada is taken completely by surprise. BOTH sides have F-22s if you want them, or neither do. In fact, during the brutal Occupation, the most effective soldiers are a perky insurrection force that forms around the ladies of the Moonlight Bunny Ranch. Gentleman, this last conflict may be a bit far-fetched, but the miniatures gaming possibilities are tremendous.

Lampy,

Things are not as rosy in the RAF as you might imagine. When I was an RAF Fighter Controller, we used to laugh at the ridiculously low number of training hours the Soviet-Bloc pilots were given to maintain currency…

Nowadays, thanks to gigantic slashes in defence spending, RAF pilots have even fewer hours in the air than our Soviet adversaries did.

@ R Mark Davies,

Thanks for that information. Yeah, unfortunately I think the UK military is just going the way of the rest of Europe, the death of a thousand cuts to feed dole leeches…

Well, what can you do when the unemployment bennies are better than the wages from what few jobs that are available?

As much as I hate service-economy jobs, there's only so much manufacturing and heavy industry jobs that can exist *in the entire global economy*, and Europe as a whole seems to be sticking their heads in the sand about that fact.

Bah, there I go talking Blue Fez stuff again.

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As as been said, lots of scenarios out there, and several that will let you put US forces on the table.

Anybody broke or smart enough to invest in lots of cheap late 50,s and 60s gun armed planes will fill the superstealth fighters.A high altitude nuclear pulse then a wave of scrap declares air superiority. Hmm mig 19s be a good bet to buy.