Action in the Sulu Sea 1997

Harpoon

South China Sea 1997

---INCOMING COMMUNICATION---

USS Galveston, Third Fleet

The political situation in the South China Sea has degenerated into a naval war.  A US flagged oil exploration ship, The Trumpeter Trump of Boston, has been seized by the Chinese PLA, and a task force built around the USS Independence  has entered the South China Sea.

Mission 2

Interdiction: Sulu Sea

INT MESSAGE CMDRr Submarine Group Seven (CSG 7), 

To: Captain USS Galveston,

Naval Intelligence believes that a Chinese Task Force is being assembled in the Sulu Sea with the aim of engaging the Independence carrier Group.  Proceed to the Sulu sea en-route to rendezvous with the Carrier group, detect and destroy any undersea or surface elements you discover. 

Proceed with caution.  Strictly Military Targets.

 SSN 671 USS Galveston.   

4× 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 37× Mk 48 torpedo, Tomahawk land attack missile, Harpoon anti–ship missile, Mk 67 mobile, or Mk 60 Captor mines (FLTII and 688i FLTIII have a 12-tube VLS)

Max Depth 300 metres

Full Speed 32 Knots, Flank Speed 35 Knots.

133 crew.

For this transit, USS Galveston has been given only 24 Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes, 8 harpoon Missiles and 6 Tomahawk.

Game Setup

Galveston is running at 5 knots on a course of 320 degrees into the Sulu Sea, depth Intermediate (4), with no cavitation.  The TB-23 towed-array sonar is deployed.  Sea Depth 1000 metres.

Galveston at Intermediate depth 

A Jianghu Frigate, and hiding underneath her a Romeo Diesel sub

Off to the flank the Frigate has deployed an ASW helicopter

The Frigate captain Active pings.  He discovers Galveston but gives the US SSN a firing solution, as well as revealing the Romeo.

Galveston launches two Harpoons at the Frigate and a single torpedo at the Romeo

But the Jianghu calls its Helicopter across to hunt the SSN

The Romeo and the Jianghu are hit together.  Both are destroyed

The Helicopter active pings and drops a torpedo as Galveston runs deep at flank speed

Galveston releases noisemakers and the helicopter's torpedo loses contact.

With nowhere to rearm (or land) the Chinese helicopter has no alternative but to surrender in the Phillipines.  USS Galveston meanwhile continues her mission.