Caribbean Fury 1: Hot Tamale!
13 Feb 1994, 1300 Zulu, 0800 Local (0700 in the Gulf)
You’re commanding the USS John F. Kennedy CVBG (Aircraft Carrier Battle Group) on routine patrol in the Caribbean. Although the official homeport of the flagship is Norfolk Virginia, the Battle Group has been operating out of New Orleans Louisiana for most of the past year due to the increased tensions in Central America. The air wing (CVW-7) has just completed four days of intense training with the Army up at Fort Hood, and you are now heading to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Ricco for some ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) and ASuW (Anti-Surface Warfare [naval]) work.
You still haven’t decided if you’ll take the northern route past Cuba along the Florida Strait, although these are very narrow waters, it sends a message to the Cubans who’ve been getting uppity of late. Otherwise you can take the southern route through the Straits of Yucatan past the Cayman Islands and Jamaica and take a look at Venezuela, which has also been flexing its muscles recently. Either way it should be a pleasant evening with perfect Caribbean weather.
Caribbean Fury #1 is a very intense scenario with significant action early on as Cuba, supported by Soviet advisors and visiting aircraft launch a surprise attack on Key West Florida. The frenetic first few hours will likely see Cubans successfully bombing the island base, but that will probably be their high-water mark. US forces quickly rally and the process of pounding Cuba into submission will commence on the following day.
Simultaneously key events are happening at sea, Guantanamo Bay and in Panama. The British are also hard pressed in Belize which comes under pressure from a Guatemalan sponsored uprising.
