Argentine F-16E: Operation Southern Cross

[comrade harps]

Background: the Bouvet Island incident
Anzania's renewed interest in the former South Africa's South Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean territories and economic zones began in the mid 1980s with an increase in civilian scientific and fisheries activities in the region.  Central to this was the re-establishment of meteorological and biological research stations in the Prince Edward Islands, which resulted in an extension of the airfield on Prince Edward Island in the early 1990s. By 2001, Anzanian Bears and Backfires were making regular visits to the region.

These islands along with Bouvet Island had been annexed by South Africa in 1949, but the uninhabited Bouvet Island had an existing claim from Norway and so remained in dispute. In 2005, a joint scientific team from Anzania and the Socialist Republic of Norway established a manned weather station on Bouvet, at the same time dismantling an unmanned weather station run by the UN member Free Norway government. Soon, UN and Red naval and air forces were in close contact in the southern waters; at stake was more than some islands, but a vast area of ocean and Norway's Antartic territorial claim. The Anzanian's also raised an old South African Antarctic claim.

In January 2006, a series of actions took place at sea and the UN resolved to dislodge the Anzanians and their Red supporters from the region.

Argentine F-16E at war
Argentina's F-16Es replaced a combination of Canadair Canberras and Buccaneers and were locally assembled by FMA as a follow on contract from 145 F-16A/Bs.  The 45 F-16Es formed the Argentine Air Force's spearhead and were progressively updated. By 2006, the Tandil based F-16Es of the Grupo Aéreo 6 de Caza were in a good position to conduct long range peer warfare and were selected by UN commanders to participate in Operation Southern Cross.

Aware that opposition naval forces were taking a keen interest in UN naval power, UN carriers were deliberated removed from the scene to lull the enemy into thinking that the UN was backing down. Instead, they were hit with a substantial force of land based warplanes.

From 1 February, 2006 and for the next 3 days and nights, an armada of American, Argentine, Australian, Brazilian, Canadian, Indian and Mexican aircraft hit military targets on the Anzanian mainland while airborne troops captured the Anzanian occupied southern  islands. On the night of 1 February, 8 Argentine F-16Es flew from Tandil to deliver AGM-154A bomblet dispensing glide bombs on to air base at Ysterplaat, destroying most of Anzania's Backfire fleet.  During this mission, an Anzanian Flanker was claimed shot down by an Argentine aircrew, although this has been denied by the Anzanians. The next day, 4 Argentine F-16Es provided top cover for the re-taking of Bouvet Island by a joint US Navy-Free Norwegian force and that night another 12 attacked naval facilities at Simon's Town with laser guided bombs (LGBs). On 3 February, 6 sorties were flown against Simon's Town with LGBS while 8 more F-16Es used LGBs against command, control and communications targets around Cape Town.

[Taiidantomcat]

Oh baby 

[Ed S]

Nice looking model.  Which kit is this, the old Monogram F-16XL? 

Your back story is getting interesting.  Looking forward to where this is headed.

Ed

[ysi_maniac]

Nice model ideed! 

[comrade harps]

The kit is indeed the 1/72nd Monogram F-16XL, converted into a 2 seater courtesy of an old F-16B that paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Glad you like it.

[ChernayaAkula]

Way cool build and way cool backstory! 

[comrade harps]

I'm just a little confused, who are the Anzanians?

Are they an alternate version of South Africa?

Exactly.

In my alt world, the ANC assumed control over South Africa in 1969 in a revolution. After that, they caused all sorts of trouble for the UN (which was fighting the Socialist Union) by going nuetral, kicking the UN out and then embarking on a campaign of political and armed support for lefty liberation movements in Africa and elsewhere. In 1979 they brought down the whole UN effort in Africa by pushing too far in Angola, leading to a UN air campaign that was an overwhelming victory but came unstuck when African Americans objected to the B-52 raids and revolted, in the streets back home, in the Army and on the aircraft carriers. Amid rioting across the US, with several aircrft carriers put out of action by black muntineers and the National Guards of some southern states being called into action by secessionist governors, the Americans pulled out of Africa and the UN followed. By the end of 1981, all of Africa was alligned with the Reds.

Later comes the Operation Southern Cross scenario, but not before my previously posted Madagascan F-20 scenario http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,13422.0/highlight,madagascan+f-20.html

[ChernayaAkula]

<...>  my previously posted Madagascan F-20 scenario http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,13422.0/highlight,madagascan+f-20.html

My, that's beautiful! 

[BlackOps]

Very nice! 

[anthonyp]

I haven't said how much I love this build 

[batmancustoms]

Very nice!

[Brian da Basher]

Most excellent, Comrade Harps!

Brian da Basher