Liberating Ireland and Scotland

[Zoot Zoot]

The taskforce originally intended as an invasion force to sieze Greenland had been re-directed to Iceland for re-supply before it was given new orders. Leaving the ports in Iceland, the fleet would sail south to Scotland and Ireland. The task was to eliminate the tiny force of defenders in Ireland and liberate it for the Celtic people.

 

As Imperial Forces reached their final strength on the north coast of Ireland the operation was stalled. Satellites and high altitude reconnaissance discovered critical British positions vital to fighting an offensive war. The rest of the Norse fleet would concentrate throughout the North Sea to ensure a total and utter saturation of Britains ability to wage war and fight back against the Norse attack.

 

Short range ballistic missiles fired from the TEL launchers on the ground and cruise missiles from Gryphon launchers based in Iceland launched and flew inwards to the over the Atlantic towards Ireland and Scotland with programmed targets gleaned from satellite analysis of British military facilities. The missile assault would focus on radar stations, military bases and other items of strategic importance like command and control centers and divisional HQ's along the North coast of Ireland and Scotland. Those missiles fired towards airbases and airports would carry a mixed payload of high explosive and cluster warheads with the aim of cratering any runways and causing massive damage to the housing of military equipment such as aircraft and ground formations. Munitions depots, fuel depots and arsenals would also be targeted by the enormous assault, which would strike across England from the south, all across the south east. Hundreds of missiles would be fired.

 

The Fleets cruisers and destroyers would launch their own attack comprised of sub sonic cruise missiles to saturate the more mobile forces of the Alvonian military infrastructure such as mobile anti air, radar units and static defences, as well as supplementing the first wave of missiles across Ireland and Scotland.

 

Aircraft from the carriers, primarily F-35C's and F-14++ jets would begin the massive first wave aerial assault to dominate British skies. With the F-14's primarily to dominate the skies from the carrier fleet, the F-35's would carry mixed payloads to assault ground targets. Military command and control, which had been identified with satellites, would be attacked mercilessly by JDAMs as well as any targets of opportunity, which presented themselves. Once the ground attack munitions had been expended, the F-35's would aid the F-14's in dominating the airspace, actively hunting down any Alvonian military aircraft, which made it into the air that is assuming it, could take off. Tornado ECR++ aircraft that would jam surviving enemy air defences and provide an EWAR assault on any enemy aircraft would supplement this air attack.

 

From the Kingdom proper, the thousands of aircraft on readiness due to the preparations had begun filling the skies in waves to ensure complete and utter saturation of the enemy’s air and ground forces. Twenty squadrons of B-2's would begin SEAD operations using long-range air to surface missiles and smart bombs, these would be maintained for as long as required by rotating aircraft crews back on base. To support the B-2's SEAD operations and the deep strike missions being run by F-35's and the F-14's, twenty squadrons of Tu-160 supersonic bombers would operate on the same basis as the B-2; s, but using their speed to strike hard at Avalons military infrastructure, military forces, naval forces and naval bases on the ground in England using payloads of long range air to surface missiles with HE and fragmenting warheads.

 

F-15E Silent Eagles would operate in the same role as the F-35 squadrons, only on a much larger scale. With twenty squadrons of F-15's in the first few waves, their part in the aerial supremacy attack would be kept rolling with replacement squadrons from the reserve pools of aircraft. These would be supplemented by ten squadrons of A-10 II's to focus on enemy ground formations in England proper.

 

Twenty squadrons of Saab JAS 39 Gripens++, twenty squadrons of Typhoons++ and twenty squadrons of F-22's++ would begin the second phase of the assault in tandem with the heavy SEAD operations, which would be the mission to dominate and destroy the British air force in its entirety. Supported by naval, land and air based radar systems, the fighters would systematically hunt down and wipe out any hostile aircraft they detected with overwhelming force and aggression. The massive reserve pool for continually rolling SEAD and AA operations to cover the ground assaults would sustain this.

 

In addition to the aerial assault, preperations began for massive amphibious operations to be launched on Ireland when the enemies defences had been saturated. The on-going operations would prevent the transport of soldiers to Ireland to reinforce the territory and would heavily inhibit the ability to move soldiers to reinforce Scotland.

 

A short message was broadcast to the world

 

The Norse Kingdom has engaged Avalon in a war to liberate the Celtic people of Scotland and Ireland, a people whom we share a kinship with. Decades of English oppression throughout history over these regions, even by the 'good' regimes, must come to and end and Avalons recent move to annex both Ireland and Scotland is unacceptable. Military operations will cease once Avalon reliquishes control over Ireland and Scotland. This is not an operation to remove the English Government or indeed remove the English state, but to simply remove its control over lands it no longer has any legitimate reason to hold.

 

Signed

HRH King Frederick I.

 

 

[Markus Wilding]

"North Korea supports the Norse Kingdom in its actions to liberate the Irish and Scottish peoples from imperialist Avalon rule, and requests the allowance of observers to watch and learn from Norse military techniques and strategy so we may one day be as strong and fearless as the Norse!"

 

- North Korean Foreign Affairs Office

[MostGloriousLeader]

Commonwealth military officials breathed a sigh of relief as the Norse fleet headed south but the ultimate destination of theirs was truly puzzling and random.  In the meantime Commonwealth Forces in the Atlantic would remain on a war footing as a precaution while MQ-4, RQ-4 and RQ-180 UAVs with ISR and ELINT loadouts would continue to shadow and monitor the Norse fleet in conjunction with ocean reconnaissance satellites and Greenland's OTH radar network while recon satellites would overfly Iceland to monitor activities there..

Edited September 13, 2014 by MostGloriousLeader

[JEDCJT]

You speak of liberation, yet you are willing to subject the Irish and Scottish peoples to undue hardship and privations in the name of so-called "kinship." You claim history of "English oppression" as reason to attack Avalon under false pretensions, yet you fail to take into account that Avalon has taken great steps to respect, promote, and safeguard the rights of its peoples, including the Scottish and Irish peoples (such as the provision of Home Rule to the latter). We have strived for peace, and continue to do so, but we will not cede an inch of our sovereign lands to a foreign aggressor to satisfy their thinly-veiled imperialist appetites, and nor will we sell out the Irish and Scottish peoples to foreign interests.

 

As such, Avalon recognizes a state of war between itself and the Norse Kingdom. We will fight to preserve and defend the rights of the Irish and Scottish people, to the last man or woman if needed be. Moreover, we call upon all nations of the world to condemn this unprovoked invasion, and for the Norse Government to call off this said invasion and withdraw its forces back home before it is too late, for this war can only end in death and suffering.

 

---

 

Despite Norse expectations, Avalon would not be caught completely off-guard. The nation had been in a heightened state of alert for some time, thanks to satellite observation of the movement of a large force toward Greenland in the past weeks. Now the abrupt movement of the very same naval fleet toward Ireland, Scotland, and apparently England if Norse movements through the North Sea is any indication, as observed through satellite feeds and detected by early warning systems, set off alarm bells in the Avalon Government. All branches of the Avalon Legion (AVLE) would be immediately alerted, and the nation's DEFCON level raised to the highest level.

 

When missiles launches in saturation numbers were detected, mobile SAM launchers stationed in the Faroe and Shetland islands, such as the MIM-104C (PAC-2) would launch SAMs to intercept and shoot down as many of the overflying SRBMs as possible. Mobile PAC-2s in northern Ireland and Scotland would launch SAMs to intercept the missiles as they neared Ireland and Scotland. To deal with missiles that somehow made it past the PAC-2s, medium-range SAMs further inland (in central Ireland and south-central Scotland), such as such as the Buk, M1097 Avenger, and 2K12 Kub would fire off SAMs to intercept them as well. The same went for the aforementioned mobile SAM launchers across England; PAC-2s would engage missiles flying toward England from the southeast, supplemented by inland Buk and M1097 Avengers to deal with missiles that managed to slip through. Any missiles that made it any further would be engaged with shorter-range SAMs such as the Rapier 90 and FIM-92 Stingers, along with roving MANPADS teams. To deal with the incoming U-2s and Tupolev Tu-160s, SAM launchers outfitted with SA-10 Grumble missiles would engage them to prevent, or at least frustruate, SEAD attempts, and whittle down their numbers.

 

Once again, the goal was to shoot down as many, if not all, incoming missiles as possible to the best capabilities of the SAM crews. Since SRBMs needed to fly quite a distance to reach their targets, this gave ample time for Avalon's air defense systems to respond. And that's not mentioning the fact that it would be very difficult to hit SAMs and RADAR stations because ballistic missiles required constant tracking to hit their targets, a difficult proposition. During their engagement with the incoming missiles, SAM launch crews would begin constantly moving their SAMs around after firing and reloading their missiles, turning them off and on to minimize detection and thus make them very difficult targets to hit. The same went for mobile RADAR systems, which would be moved around constantly.

 

On the civilian front, emergency protocols would be activated. Federal government members (such as Avalon Council members and State Assembly deputies) would be dispersed to secure locations across Avalon; Councilor Aaron Collier, his family, and advisers would be evacuated to a secret military bunker located near London, and Gregory Davies near Cardiff. Emergency broadcast systems would be activated to alert and inform citizens of the rapidly-evolving situation; federal police would begin evacuating citizens from targeted areas. Norse citizens in Avalon would be arrested and detained for the duration of the war, and their goods, property, and assets (including but not limited to hardware) seized. Tens of thousands of reservists would be activated and put on active duty. At around the same time, enlistment centers in Ireland and Scotland would be swarmed as citizens, fired up by patriotic fervor, joined the AVLE. The end goal was to increase the Army to more than 400,000 troops and personnel. It was ironic that the Norse attack united the vast majority of the Irish and Scottish peoples behind the Avalon Government, and would be instrumental in expanding the powers of the Avalon government to conduct war.

 

While SAM launchers were busy engaging the missiles, military troops and personnel would begin dispersing throughout Avalon, particularly in towns and wooded areas, as to make it difficult for the enemy to detect and target them. In airbases and airfields across Avalon, a vast majority of aircrafts of all calibers would be scrambled into the air. Fighters and interceptors such as the F/A-18 Hornets, F-16C/D Block 50/52 Falcon, Tornado EF3, and F-14D Tomcats, among with others, would conduct defensive patrols. Fuel was no issue: many of the aircrafts would be equipped with extender drop tanks, and would be supported by mid-air refuelers if necessary. Similar protocols would be activated for naval vessels (such as fast attack craft, patrol boats, missile boats, etc); they would be sent out of port as not to be 'sitting ducks' and to minimize enemy attacks on them. Ports with light to moderate damage would be repaired by engineers the best they could. Protocols to deploy sea mines in areas deemed vulnerable to invasion, such as northern Irish and Scottish coast, were pulled up, though not implemented yet.

 

Despite the valiant efforts of SAM launchers to mitigate the missile onslaught, only 50 percent of all incoming missiles were successfully intercepted. The other half, however, would impact their targets. A good number of fixed SAM and RADAR systems would be taken out of commission, although many mobile SAM launchers and mobile RADAR systems managed to avoid being hit due to their constant movements (even so, at least a dozen were hit and destroyed, mainly due to the carelessness or incompetence of their crews). Many airbases and airports were hit by the missiles, with their runways cratered. However, runways that sustained light to moderate damage would be repaired by engineers and put back to use within the day. Badly-damaged-beyond-repair airfields would be offset by the conversation of several highways into air strips to sustain front line operations. Command and centers and divisional HQs were hit; although a good number of C&Cs were damaged or destroyed, many more would withstand the attacks (they were hardened bunkers, after all). To offset the loss of C&Cs, AWACs and EWACs such as E-3s, E-8 Joint STARS, and EC-130s would be used as command and control centers. Damaged HQs would simply regroup, and begin relocating to more secure locations. As for munitions, fuel, and arsenal depots, a good number of them were, unfortunately, destroyed (fuel explosions were quite pretty to look at, though). This would be offset by the fact that the Avalonian government had stockpiled considerable fuel, munitions, and arsenal over the past years to sustain itself for some time, and that they were stored in hardened bunkers, some of them underground. Although a vast majority of aircrafts managed to make it to the air, a few dozens of aircrafts were not lucky, being decimated by missiles while their frantic pilots were scrambling into cockpits or while they were trying to take off. 

 

The missile onslaught, though devastating, did not cripple Avalon. The Norse had their turn. Now it was Avalon's turn. Once the first wave of missile attacks were diluted to the best of Avalon's ability, a counterattack would be launched. Satellite feeds indicated that the Norse made a massive mistake putting their fleet out to sea, where they were in a lethally exposed position, and the Avalonians would ruthlessly exploit it. After reloading their launchers with anti-ship missiles (ASMs), and relocating them to new, secure positions, ASM launcher crews would unleash hell upon the Norse fleet, particularly carriers, destroyers, and cruisers. Mobile launchers in northern Ireland, northern and eastern Scotland, and eastern England would launch hundreds of ASMs at the Norse fleet to saturate it, supplemented by launchers in the Faroe and Shetland islands. At the same time, fighters such as F/A-18s and F-16C/Ds would launch ASMs at the Norse ships to supplement the attacks. The goal was to inflict as much damage as possible on the Norse ships, particularly the carriers, and make it difficult for them to conduct aerial operations from sea. For instance, cluster munitions were intended to destroy carriers' hulls and armor-piercing warheads to finish them off.

 

However, despite the ASM saturation attacks, it was expected that a good number of Norse aircrafts would manage to take to the air from the carriers. Due to the enemy's technological advantage, the loitering Avalonian fighters, interceptors, bombers, and other aircrafts would take great care to avoid directly engaging the enemy for the most part, and to undertake evasive maneuvers in case the enemy decided to pursue them. In that regard, jamming, chaff, and high g turns (or the combination therefor) would be utilized to reduce the effectiviness of Norse air-to-air missiles (AAMs). The Norse F-35Cs would be difficult to track, much less engage, so the Avalonian pilots would give them a wide berth. However, the F-14s would be easier to engage. Due to their lack of stealth features, the Norse F-14s would be tracked by mobile RADAR systems and AWACS/EWACS, and engaged by AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles launched by the F/A-18s and Tornado EF3s, and AIM-54 Phoenixs launched by F-14Ds, before the F-14s could launch their payloads. The Norse A-10s were not a concern, as they would have a difficult time getting to Britain, much less conduct combat operations in Avalon airspace. Nevertheless, if they appeared, the F/A-18s and Tornado EF3s would make short work of them with their AMRAAMs. Aside from engaging these aircrafts, the Avalonian pilots would prioritize defensive patrols and evasive measures, and make selective attacks on targets such as F-14s and A-10s to whittle them down. They would make it difficult for the Norse to effectively conduct SEAD operations. Even so, at least a couple dozen of aircrafts would be shot down or damaged (most of the pilots would safely eject out and descend into the safety of Avalon, where they would fight another day). 

 

Moreover, SPAAGs in Ireland, Scotland, and parts of England such as the Gepard, Centurion Marksman, and M163 VADS would engage the Norse aircrafts like the F-14s and A-10s (except for the F-35Cs and a few others) with their autocannons. They were to frustrate, if not destroy, the Norse aircrafts and make it difficult for them to conduct their operations. For instance, if Norse aircrafts attempted to fly low, they would be engaged by the Centurions. As with mobile SAM and RADAR units, the SPAAGs would be constantly moved from location to location to frustrate detection attempts.

 

If the Norse hoped to conduct amphibious invasions, if at all, they would be in for a nasty surprise. Fast attack crafts (FACs) equipped with powerful ASMs and torpedoes would be ready to unleash hell upon any Norse boats (including but not limited to landing boats) foolish enough to approach the northern Irish coast (the same went for the Scottish and English coasts). The FACs would avoid the larger ships and would be capable of conducting evasive maneuvers to get away if pursued or otherwise targeted.

 

Lastly, intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) such as the MGM-31 Pershing II would be launched from IRBM launchers in Ireland to target and destroy staging points in Iceland such as airfields, launching points, military bases, and other airbase infrastructure. The same went for launchers in Scotland, which would fire off MGM-31s at airfields, launching points, military bases, and other airbase infrastructure in Norse Kingdom proper (the Norse-controlled South Norway and Denmark). It would make it difficult for the Norse to conduct further attacks from their homeland or from Iceland.

Edited September 15, 2014 by JEDCJT

[Justinian the Mighty]

Private Communique to Avalon:
 

 

From the Office of the Prime Minister of the Russian Empire

 

It is a terrible thing that is happening to your countrymen. The Norse Kingdom has proved itself to be overly aggressive in its quest for an empire. Although the threat they pose is currently directed toward Avalon, we have no doubt that the Norse Kingdom's imperialist desires will someday put Russia's national security at risk.

 

Therefore, on behalf of his majesty's government I have directed His Majesty's Treasury to divert 100,000,000,000 Imperial Rubles to the proper agencies inside Avalon. While our involvement in this conflict cannot be direct, lest we risk escalation, I want Avalon to know that Russia supports it in driving back the Danish scourge and restoring normalcy to Europe.

 

Signed,

Felix Matviyenko, Prime Minister

[JEDCJT]

A reply message would be dispatched through encrypted channels to Moscow.

 

Private Communique to Russia:

From the Office of the Citizen-Councilors of the Commonwealth of Avalon

 

On behalf of the Avalonian people and nation, we graciously thank you for your generous assistance and support, and will put the money to good use for the ongoing war. The Government and People of Avalon will not forget this, and aim to return the favor someday.

 

Signed,

Aaron Collier, Councilor

Gregory Davies, Councilor

 

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The money would indeed be received by various government agencies, and put to good use in funding the war effort. A part of it would be earmarked for the purchase of Athenian aircrafts, weaponry, and equipment if needed be.