Last Hope 06 – Barents Blindside
OPERATION: BARENTS BLINDSIDE
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 Stars)
Situation Update: The Paralyzed Giant
The catastrophic annihilation of the Soviet surface forces in the Arctic fog has shattered the Kremlin’s resolve. Recognizing that the land war in Central Europe had ground into a stagnant, blood-soaked deadlock and that the destruction of the Northern Fleet effectively lost them the Atlantic, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev made his move. Seeing the futility of a freezing conflict, he initiated a desperate counter-coup to wrest power back from the hardline military junta that dragged the nation into this war, hoping to sue for peace.
He failed. The junta brutally crushed his political bid, but the resulting internal power struggle has left the Soviet state apparatus completely fractured. The Kremlin is paralyzed by infighting, and centralized command over the Kola Peninsula defenses is completely blacked out. Local Soviet commanders are operating blindly, cut off from leadership, and reacting purely on paranoia and standard Cold War doctrine.
The Opportunity:
This is a cold, calculated, and pre-emptive opportunity. Washington has ordered us to ruthlessly exploit this unprecedented window of weakness while the junta fights for survival in Moscow. A standard Project 667BDR (Delta III) strategic nuclear submarine has quietly fled its pens in Severomorsk. It is attempting to submerge and go to ground in the deep Barents trenches, securing its strategic payload until the political crisis settles. We must permanently degrade their remaining undersea nuclear leverage before the junta can stabilize their command structure. If that Delta III slips away or receives an unauthorized launch order from a desperate local commander, the consequences are unthinkable.
The Lone Hunter:
The USS Guitarro (SSN-665) missed the primary engagement against the Kirov due to heavy ice routing. Her captain is aggressive, frustrated, and has pushed his reactors to the absolute limit to reach the Barents bastion. She is now on station in the pitch-black Arctic waters, ready to dive directly into the lion’s den.
But the Guitarro cannot do this easily—the local Soviet ASW screen is active, and a Tu-142M "Bear-F" is already blanketing the waters with sonobuoys.
Your Orders:
Admiral, TG 41.2 "Full House" is currently maintaining strict EMCON 360 miles to the west. At this extreme range, any air wing intervention will take nearly an hour to arrive on station. You must choose how to play your hand.
The Admiral’s Dilemma: Choose between Option Alpha and Option Bravo. Maintain total radio silence and leave the USS Guitarro to hunt completely alone using passive sonar, or break EMCON and unleash your carrier air wing. Launching F-14s and A-6s can obliterate the Soviet surface ships, but it will alert the mainland and trigger a massive defensive scramble from Olenya Airbase.
Hunt the Delta: Locate, track, and destroy the Project 667BDR (Delta III) SSBN. It must not escape into the deep Atlantic trenches.
Blind the Surface Screen: If air support is authorized, leverage your A-6 Intruders to neutralize SAG "Port" and the Petya-class group. Their active sonar arrays and RBU rocket mortars must be taken off the board to clear the path for the Guitarro.
The Critical Contingency: Monitor the underwater battle closely. If the USS Guitarro is localized and sunk by the enemy, the burden of the hunt falls entirely on your shoulders. You will be forced to risk your S-3A Vikings in heavily contested, dark airspace to find and destroy the Delta III before its launch tubes open.
Intelligence Report:
Aerial Threat: Medium. A lone Tu-142M Bear-F is circling directly over the submarine zone. However, breaking EMCON will alert the mainland, prompting a massive interceptor scramble of MiG-25s and MiG-23s from Olenya Airbase.
Naval Threat: Localized. SAG "Port" (Lead by a Kresta-II class) and a Petya-class group are actively prosecuting the sector with aggressive active-sonar sweeps.
Subsurface Threat: Extreme. The Delta III is being actively screened by a fast Victor I-class SSN and a silent, shadow-lying Kilo-class diesel attack submarine.
Shore Defenses: Lethal. The Kola coastline remains a fortress. Multiple SA-10 and SA-4 batteries cover the skies, while Redut and Rubezh anti-ship missile sites lock down the shallows. Do not fly south of the coastal islands unless you intend to suppress their radars.
Victory Conditions:
Sink the Delta III SSBN and ensure the survival of your task group. The battle for the Arctic front enters its final, brutal hour. Hit them while they are blind. Hold nothing back.
