NationStates

ATTN: South Reinkalistan

The Island of Formosa, one of the most strategic islands in the world. A teeming island of 22 million residents, lying just a few dozen miles off the coast of the most populated continent of the world. For centuries, has it been transferred between hands, first the Dutch, then the Chinese, then the Japanese, the Americans, then in turn given to Nacrad. Yet with the People's Republic of China to the north, commissioning new ships, the tide of fate may yet again sweep. One would naturally ask, how well can the Nacradians withstand a hypothetical attack? Maybe, but there's only one way to find out.

Somewhere in Greater Taipei

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What did you do when you were in University? Partying? Hanging out? Goofing around? Henry and Albert did none of that. Since childhood, they were fascinated with the military, specifically with military strategy. With Albert's new gaming(tm) computer, they could finally do a simulation on an assault of Formosa.

Albert's slim fingers danced on the keyboard, entering number after number to create an accurate representation of Nacradian defences on the island. Each division, brigade and regiment, placed just where they should be. But who will attack this island of gemstones? Not China, but a fictional country, Wrinklystan. On second thought, though, Albert changed it. South Reinkalistan it'd be, a more realistic name.

Henry had dozed off during the set up, though, so he missed what this "South Reinkalistan" would attack with. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "So... what's our enemy attacking with?"

Albert hit the start button at the same time. In a little while, they would behold how this 85-thousand strong defence force can stand up to the South Reinkalistan, attacking from god-knows how far.

Formosa was defended, like it had, with the III Corps, also known as the Formosan Corps. However, after the fight in Kongsi, it had received a major blow, now being slightly under its normal strength after having some of its units called on to fight there. The defences are still rather formidable, though:

• III Corps
  • Army Detachment
    • Infantry Command
      • 34 Light Infantry Division (Formosan Mountain Lions)
      • 35 Motorised Infantry Division
      • 36 Motorised Infantry Division
      • 30 Light Mechanised Infantry Division
      • 31 Light Mechanised Infantry Division
      • 35 Heavy Mechanised Infantry Division
    • Armoured Command
      • 33 Armoured Division
    • Artillery Command
      • 37A Towed Artillery Regiment
      • 37B Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
      • 37C Self-propelled Artillery Regiment
      • 371C Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion
      • 372C Towed Artillery Battalion
      • 371 PATRIOT Battery
      • 372 PATRIOT Battery
      • 373 PATRIOT Battery
      • 374 PATRIOT Battery
      • 375 PATRIOT Battery
      • 376 PATRIOT Battery
      • 377 PATRIOT Battery
      • 301 THAAD Battery
  • Marines Detachment
    • Infantry Detachment
      • 32 Motorised Infantry Division
      • 37 Light Mechanised Infantry Division
    • Aerial Command:
      • 301, 302 Attack Squadron:
        • 12x McDonnell Douglas AV-8B/BAe GR7 Harrier II
      • 304 Attack Squadron:
        • 8x McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier
        • 4x Pearl Heavy Industries A-10-1 Thunderbolt IV
      • 302, 309 Helicopter Attack Squadron:
        • 8x Bell AH-1Z Viper
        • 4x Bell UH-1Y Venom
      • 301 Airlift Squadron
        • 2x C-130 Hercules
        • 2x Boeing CH-47 Chinook
  • Air Force Detachment
    • Airborne Warning and Control (AEW&CS) Squadron
      • 307 Airborne Warning and Control Squadron (Blue Iris)
        • 1x Boeing E-3 Sentry
      • 308 AEW&CS Squadron
        • 1x Boeing 737 E-7 "Wedgetail"
      • 301-307, 319 Fighter Squadrons:
        • 12x General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
      • 308, 309 Fighter Squadrons:
        • 12x McDonnell Douglas F-15 Strike Eagle
      • 311-313 Fighter Squadrons:
        • 12x Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II
      • 19, 20 Airlift Squadrons:
        • 4x C-130 Hercules
      • 3 Airlift Squadron:
        • 2x Boeing C-17 Globemaster
      • 4 Transport Squadron:
        • 3x Boeing C-40 Clipper
      • 3 Aerial Refueling Squadrion:
        • 2x KC-46 Pegasus
  • Navy Detachment
    • CSG 1
      • NNV Endurance (Inactive; 36 aircraft transported to land)
        • Fighter Squadron A:
          • 8x Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
          • 4x Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II
        • Fighter Squadron B:
          • 12x Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
        • AEW&CS Squadron:
          • 2x Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye
        • Logistics Support Squadron:
          • 2x Nacrad Defence Industries C-3 Mailman
        • Electronic Attack Squadron:
          • 4x Boeing EA-18G Growler
        • Helicopter Attack Squadron:
          • 4x Sikorsky SH-60B Sea Hawk
        • NNV Amoy (Destroyer)
        • NNV Tainan (Cruiser)
        • NNV Hengchun (Light Cruiser)
        • NNV Taitung (Light Cruiser)
        • NNV Keelung (Frigate)
        • NNV Rocky Gate (Attack Submarine)
        • NNV Mount Jade (Resupply Ship)
      • Group 3:
        • NNV Kaohsiung (Destroyer)
        • NNV Hsinchu (Cruiser)
        • NNV Taichung (Light Cruiser)
        • NNV Pescadores (Light Cruiser)
        • NNV Nantou (Frigate)
        • NNV Changhua (Frigate)
        • NNV Pingtung (Frigate)
        • NNV Mount Sylvia (Resupply Ship)
        • NNV Tamsui (Attack Submarine)
        • NNV Kaoping (Attack Submarine)
        • NNV Mirs Bay (Attack Submarine)
      • Group 2:
        • NNV Udrain (STOBAR, 17 aircraft):
          • Fighter Squadron:
            • 4x Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II
            • 5x Boeing/Nacrad Defence Industries F/A-18S Yellowjacket
          • Helicopter Squadron:
            • 4x Sikorsky SH-60 Blackhawk
            • 4x Bell AH-1Z Viper
        • NNV Chinchiang (Destroyer)
        • NNV Lunghai (Light Cruiser)
        • NNV Chiohsai (Light Cruiser)
        • NNV Tsinkiang (Frigate)
        • NNV Namon (Frigate)
        • NNV Kiulung Bay (Attack Submarine)

The Reinkalistanis picked a great spot to position their fleet. Although the PAVE PAWS radar in northern Formosa covers most, if not all, of the long range needs of Nacrad, it has a fatal flaw: It only covers 240 of the 360 degrees, and the gap was pointed south. The Reinkalistani fleet was coincidentally located just within, and had they moved a dozen nautical miles northwards, this launch would be detected in a more timely fashion.

Regardless, though, the Reinkalistanis chose 2 Air Force Bases, the Taichung Air Force Base in Taichung, and the Tungho Air Force Base in Tungho County. 80 cruise missiles launched some 100 kilometers from shore, screaming towards the two aforementioned air force bases, seeking to destroy them.

The flight towards Taichung had made a mistake. In navigating to more trackable terrain, it had inadvertently strayed into a radar tracker's range, triggering an alarm as it screamed past Tainan. Thanks to the interlinked intelligence systems, all of Formosa's PATRIOT batteries were alerted and aimed. It crossed county lines, into Chiayi. Lying in wait was the 376 PATRIOT battery, waiting for the exact moment it is supposed to be launched.

Then, fire away.

This was vaguely effective, and of the 40 missiles fired, about 10 or so had been shot down. How many exactly, is not known, and it would not be known until it hits its intended target still 80 kilometers to go.

This rather heated ordeal did not end, though, for the second the exited the range of the 371 it had entered the kill zone of the 375, located in the hills of Nantow County. It took just a few milliseconds for the system to realize this, and fire away, a testament to Nacrad's technological reliance.

An anti-air alarm was broadcast in Taichung as the threat closed in and persisted. However, with war on Formosa but a distant threat, most were not accustomed to this sound. Panic ensued, as people rushed outdoors, like they would during an earthquake that is conversely common. This is however precisely the wrong thing to do, and fortunately the inbound missiles were aimed at a military target.

Then, finally, as the remaining 17 fluorescent green dots scream past the final dozen kilometers until they hit their target, a horrifying sound emanates from their intended target. A hailstorm of high-explosive incendiary rounds hurtle towards this group, now a shadow of what it used to be. In the final few seconds of the journey, it had taken out another 5 missiles, leaving the 12 towards the air base.

It had always been terrifying to be struck by missiles, and even more so in the eerie quietness this morning. The 12 explosions happen at practically the same time, the dazzling fireballs obscuring the vision and causing panic in the Taichung area, the city just west of it. After seconds of initial shock, the soldiers now checking out the damage.

Most of the missiles had hit the ramp, slightly overshooting the runway. It had put 8 craters on the concrete surface, rendering that part totally unusable, though other sectors of the ramp only needed some cleanup. 4 craters dented the runway, though at the end quarter of the runway, it does not impede operations much. Repairs were needed, though not urgent, nor is it taken out of action.

The other flock, though, had better luck. They scream across the calm ocean surface, until they arrive in range of the 377 PATRIOT Battery. In a few seconds, the battery began firing, tracking them as they quickly approach the rugged landscape of Formosa, somewhere where these cruise missiles can evade this battery by simply maneuvering faster. In this short timespan, only 12 were shot down, and the rest crossed the mountains, arriving in range of the 374 PATRIOT Battery, though only several seconds before impact, can it ascertain the appropriate lead. With only 5 more shot down, the hailstorm of 23 missiles were too much for even the close-in weapons systems to deal with. In short order, this helpless air force base was put out of service.

Meanwhile, the radar logs sent by the various radars were sent back. With only a few minutes of analysis, even a layman could tell that these missiles were from somewhere southwest of Kaohsiung. But how far southwest, and exactly what direction, still remains elusive; the twists and turns in the cruise missiles' paths made it hard to confirm. With a complement of 3 F-16 Fighting Falcons, a Boeing E-7 Sentry takes off from the Pescadores Islands Air Force Base to investigate the area. The F-16s were equipped with several types of missiles, and most notably a number of AGM-88 HARM Anti-Radiation missiles and AGM-109H Tomahawk missiles, carried specifically to target the radars hopefully present on Reinkalistani ships and the two carriers, hopefully to cripple their air capabilities.

As the Reinkalistani aircraft fly towards the Formosan mainland, the PATRIOT systems were once again activated. This time, though, they did not fire, until the F-16 and F-15 aircraft were scrambled, and confirmed the hostility of these aircraft as they began to open fire on one such aircraft. Fortunately, this pilot remembered the training, and popped the flares, distracting the heat-seeking missiles and making it splash down.

The Nacradian aircraft were equipped with a mixture of the AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and for planes that took off later, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, along with their Nacradian analogues (namely the Sky Trident I, II and III respectively). Once the hostility was confirmed, the Reinkalistani planes were given a warm welcome with the aforementioned missiles.

President Smith was furious when he heard this piece of news, as Nacrad is embroiled in 2, nay, 3 wars now. One in Burma, the other in Kongsi, and now Formosa is being contested. He could not just abandon any one of these theaters, though; the one in Burma was participated internationally, and the one in Kongsi would undo the past year's progress if he pulls out.

Finally, he came to a conclusion: Call in the reservists from Formosa, and alert the National Guard, just in case. A state of emergency is also declared in Formosa, surely, this is a sign of more to come, he thought.