Fort Geelong 2018 breakout

The Fort Geelong breakout of 2018 was the recapturing and movement of the aircraft carrier NDF-NS Fort Geelong (CVN-36) from its repair pen in Fort Saipan, Normanland, to the naval port at Joint Operations Base Shipwreck Island. Officially named Operation Knife Hand, elements from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps took the carrier and broke out into open waters.

Operation commanders
The operation was led by three element leaders; Senior Commander Mack Jenson led the naval element consisting of destroyers NDF-NS Green (DDG-1806), NDF-NS Midnight (DDG-1645) and submarine NDF-NS Tom Robison (SSN-0401); Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Woods coordinated movement of ARC and regular Army forces on the ground; Captain Izzy Queens commanded Marine Hunter Team Four (MHT-4) on the ground.

Operation plan
Operating from a retired submarine pen in the long-abandoned city of Falkland, survivors from the Hereford attack and forces gathered from Fort Saipan were looking to take the half-repaired aircraft carrier Fort Geelong, a Jacksepticeye-class carrier that had been crippled in the 2012 Shipwreck Island attack.

The attack began at morning on December 22nd, 2018. Three MH-60R Seahawks and a single MS101 Sea Guardian deployed from the Midnight and Green approached Fort Geelong 's pen from the west using Reformist IFF to avoid getting targeted by SAM batteries. The primary attack element (Rapier and Longsword Squadron of 1ARC) were embarked on the MS101; regular Army troopers were on the Seahawks as secondary attack elements. MHT-4 would be on standby for the second phase via boarding from the Midnight.

Rapier and Longsword landed and began their attack at 0715, quickly overwhelming the limited deck security crew and moving into the ship to free the detained crew. Security hub was taken and the prisoners released by 0720; at the same time, the Seahawks were eliminating minor reinforcement attempts from the surrounding area.

The crew on the Fort Geelong assisted by the ARC personnel moved to get the ship ready for movement. The Marines arrived on shore at 0730, followed by Green moving into the harbor at 0735 to provide fire support and towing for Phase 2. Marines quickly dealt with security guarding the dock controls.

News of the attack moved slowly to Reformist QRF units based in the city; the first signs of alarm would only be reported at 0830 and by this time Fort Geelong had her own power and was underway.

Naval response
While Phase 1 and 2 were enacted, Tom Robison and Midnight launched a total of 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Kamakan Anti-Air Defence Centre to draw away naval and aerial forces away from the port. 44 of the 60 missiles struck successfully, knocking out many of the long and short-range SAM batteries on the site. This caught the attention of the Reformist's 5th Fleet which was resupplying at Naval Refinery Cobalt; two Super Hornets deployed from the carrier NRRF-S Queen (formerly NDF-NS Edge of Lightning) were sent to investigate the offending vessels. Tom Robison evaded detection, however Midnight was discovered attempting to transit through a deepwater river.

The two deployed Super Hornets made an attack run on the Midnight using AGM-84C Harpoons. The destroyer countered the missiles and shot down both attackers using her SM-2 loadout. She then completed her transit and made course to meet up with Fort Geelong and ''Green. The three vessels met at 1000 with Tom Robison ''remaining in the area between the breakouts and the 5th Fleet.

Reformist destroyer NRRF-S Fife (DDG-1807), alerted to the movement of a carrier and a destroyer, moved south to intercept any loyal vessels. Fife acquired a radar ping at 1030 (Fort Geelong) and made attempts to launch Grenadier surface-to-surface missiles. Tom Robison found and gained a fire-control solution before Fife could launch, shooting four Mark-48S ADCAP torpedos. Fife intercepted and destroyed three but the fourth struck and cracked the destroyer in half; the first Eclipse-class destroyer to be sunk.

Glasgow, a second Reformist Eclipse-class destroyer, picked up the emergency broadcast from Fife's sinking and moved along with air support to deal with the carrier. However, delays due to picking up survivors from Fife meant that Glasgow failed to pick up the carrier and her escorts.

Green, Midnight and Tom Robison against Glasgow
Fort Geelong made it out of the danger zone by 1200, however the two destroyers and submarine changed course to take on Glasgow and her air escorts.

Green had a full anti-air loadout including new SM-6A2 dual-purpose SAMs and the older SM-2, while Midnight carried a normal peacetime loadout and Tom Robison had a full complement of ADCAP torpedos.

Glasgow was detected by Tom Robison just off Shark Island at 1300, whose data was linked to the two destroyers who then went active on radar.

Outcome
Operation Knife Hand turned out to be a major victory for the Normanland Defence Force; a ballistic missile submarine and the Reformist Navy's two most capable surface warships were destroyed for the loss of only one Army rifleman and a wounded Marine Hunter. In addition the NDF got one of their aircraft carriers back which was later repaired and returned to active service.