DATE: June 9, 2009

To: Operations Staff, Northern Red Banner Fleet Joint Command

From: The Marshal of the Fleet

Encryption: High

Re: OPERATION NORTHERN STORM

Comrades:

As I'm sure you are all aware, there has been a greatly heightened degree of security at Northern Fleet Headquarters these past several weeks, a condition imposed by the General Staff in anticipation of an important, top-secret mission. The nature of that mission can now be revealed.

For the past several months, our finest strategic thinkers, military planners and war colleges have been working out the various possible outcomes of a war between the Russian Union and NATO -- a war that seems to be more imminent than ever as tensions between East and West increase by the day. Each of these studies came to the same conclusion: that while our armies could easily drive NATO forces as far back as central Germany and re-establish Poland as a Russian satellite country within a few short weeks, our offensive would eventually stall and in time collapse in the face of steady reinforcements arriving in Germany from the US and Canada.

As a solution to this dilemna, our planners developed a strategic concept known generally as Operation Northern Storm -- a bold assertion of naval power aimed at sealing off Europe from its North American allies by deploying a massive fleet of nuclear attack submarines southward through the GIUK gap (Greenland-Iceland-UK) and into the North Atlantic. This is a risky undertaking given the threat of NATO air strikes in this region but once they are free to roam the open Atlantic our subs would become the hunters, not the targets, and Russia will gain the upper hand, strategically, in the event of any outbreak of war in Europe.

Today, at 0800 Moscow time, the General Staff gave its approval to put Operation Northern Storm into motion.

As the top officers among the Northern Fleet Operations staff, you will be responsible for planning the most critical part of this operation, deciding such matters as which elements of the fleet should be used, what route should be taken and what support operations must be initiated to ensure the success of this venture. You will also be asked for a recommendation as to the earliest possible launch date for this mission.

Bear in mind that this expedition is intended to be pre-emptive in nature, a demonstration of force aimed not at provoking war, but precluding it through the use of sheer size, speed and surprise. Our foremost goal is to intimidate NATO into standing down and relinquishing control of the Atlantic rather than engage in hostilities against us. Thus, without firing a shot we can seize control of NATO's precious shipping lanes, and with it a decisive strategic advantage in the event of an outbreak of war in Europe.

Of course, there is always the chance that NATO will be foolish enough to challenge our resolve; which means we must be prepared for such an eventuality ahead of time. If the US and the UK react quickly enough, our entire submarine fleet will face the wrath of NATO air power, which is considerable in the Norwegian Sea and northern UK regions. To eliminate this threat, we must plan for a possible paratrooper or amphibious assault on at least one -- and possibly several -- NATO air bases. Once captured, these airfields can be used for our own aircraft which can then provide a safe corridor through which our subs and surface combatants can transit.

Thus, while while the Northern Storm strategy is in essence a naval operation, its success will largely depend on a series of well-planned ground assaults.

As you know, the Northern Fleet has two types of ground elements under its command. One is a Marine division that is fully trained in amphibious assault operations. The other is a regiment of Spetsnaz special operations forces, a highly trained force of shock troops capable of a variety of both airborne and seaborne missions, including air base assault, deep recon, demolition raids and other missions.

In addition to these ground forces, the Army Chief of Staff has assigned an additional division of paratroopers to the operation. These troops are not as well trained as the Spetsnaz force but are still a highly experienced and well-seasoned airborne unit.

As this is just a warning order, you do not need to plan every last detail of the operation or set anything in stone just yet. It is recommended, however, that you make certain key decisions as soon as possible so that the Fleet will be ready to execute a plan on short notice once an operation order is issued. These preliminary decisions include:

1. Which units are vital to the mission. Please review your Order of Battle and your Fleet Status Report to review the availability of forces. On the one hand you will of course want the greatest number of ships, aircraft and troops you can muster in order to gain a decisive material and psychological advantage over US/NATO forces. On the other hand, most of the Northern Fleet is still emerging from years of disrepair and neglect and could take as long as nine months to a year to rebuild the entire fleet. The longer we spend making preparations for this voyage the more likely it is that NATO will notice the buildup of forces and deploy its forces accordingly. Taking extra time to build a larger force must threfore be weighed against the need for initiating the mission as soon as possible.

2. Task force organization. The only requirement of the Northern Storm concept that must be adhered to is that the main body of our nuclear sub fleet will transit as a single, massive body, using the "school of fish" principle to maximize survival. All other subs, surface vessels, aircraft and ground elements may be task organized in whatever fashion you deem appropriate.

3. Which NATO airbases should be targeted. The GRU (Russian Military Intelligence) has provided you with various maps and data to help you in this regard, complete with information on the size of each airfield. These maps can be found in the planning area at Fleet Headquarters. (RedFor website). The GRU can provide more detailed information on each airfield -- such as terrain, facilities and base defenses, if any, on request.

4. The general route of the sub pack as well as the route and objectives of all other naval, air and ground force elements.

5. Any units, equipment or supplies that must be procured from central resources or from other fleets that you and the rest of your staff feel are necessary for the operation. Too many requests, however, may be taken as an indication that you are not resourceful enough to conduct the mission with what the General Staff has deemed an appropriate force -- which, if I may say in confidence, will do nothing to further your career.

6. Any special type of training our troops will need to maximize their effectiveness for the mission.

7. Plans for retrieval of any forward-deployed ground forces once our sub fleet has safely transited to the south. (Both Marine Command and Special Forces Command will form a small detachment of volunteers, if necessary, for specially critical missions in which no retrieval is possible.)

8. The recommended launch date for the mission. To help you choose a date of departure, refer to the Fleet Status Reports to estimate the amount of time it will take to repair, build or train the units you feel are vital to the mission, then add an extra two to four weeks for loading supplies (depending on how small or how large the task force is that you are forming).

In choosing a departure date, you may assume you have at least three months to prepare the fleet, but that with each passing month there is a slight increase in the chance that any preparations for a major deployment such as this will be detected by foreign intelligence sources which in turn may draw suspicion -- and NATO reinforcements -- to the GIUK region. We estimate that after nine or ten months the element of surprise will be completely lost and that the mission will have to be scrubbed.

Because the political and military climate could change considerably during the coming months, the General Staff suggests that you draw up plans along three possible courses of action (COA):

1) ICE CURTAIN -- A preemptive show of force launched in peacetime with the objective of forcing NATO to relinquish control of the North Atlantic peacefully. Standard peacetime Rules of Engagement (ROE) must be observed, though contingency plans for Marine and/or airborne operations should be made ready in case the situation goes hot midway through the voyage.

2) ICE THUNDER -- Same as above, but war has broken out between Russia and NATO and the transit of subs must take place in a maximum hostile environment. Wartime ROE will be in effect, but no nuclear, chemical or biological weapons may be used. It may be assumed that once a state of war exists, Northern Storm should commence as soon as possible before NATO can amass more forces in the GIUK region.

3) ICE LIGHTNING -- War has broken out in Europe, and the Russian army is suffering heavy losses in their attempt to break through. The emphasis of Northern Storm must shift from merely transiting subs to the Atlantic to engaging key military targets in support of the Baltic Fleet and the ground fighting in Europe -- with the proviso that a substantial number of subs survive to complete their mission and escape to the open Atlantic. Use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons is possible.

Given the unpredictability of upcoming events, I would suggest keeping your plans flexible. As you receive more news and intel data over the coming months, you may be able to anticipate which COA is the most likely and adjust your recommendations and orders accordingly.

Comrads, we have been given a glorious opportunity -- to take control of our destiny in the world and teach the West they cannot exploit or meddle in our future any longer. Russia's future depends on the soundness of our planning at this juncture. We must make sure we consider every possible contingency, every possible threat. Then strike with cunning, resolve and surprise. I have faith that every one of you will succeed splendidly in your duty.

Admiral Rokov

Commander, Northern Red Banner Fleet