OPERATION SCORCHING TRUST

Operation
Scorching
Trust

The Price of Deceit

51ST VFW

Theater
Egypt / Suez
Year
2012
Status
LIVE
Operation Scorching Trust patch

CENTCOM operational objective

The task

Restore freedom of navigation through the Suez Canal, dismantle the extremist-controlled Egyptian government, secure senior regime personnel, and recover intelligence associated with the former Iraqi weapons and al-Qaeda support networks before that evidence can be destroyed or removed from the country.

Assessment: Egypt is no longer considered a reliable regional security partner. The Suez blockade has escalated the crisis to military action.

Mission list

Select a mission

Campaign context stays on this page. Open a mission to see ALR, ATO, coordinates, SPINS, and flight gameplans.

Briefed

M01 — Opening Strike

ATO STRIKE · Push 0045L · ALR A2A LOW / A2G MEDIUM · SEAD PARTIALLY EFFECTIVE

Open M01 brief →

M02+

Locked

Follow-on missions will post after M01. They do not open a brief until released.

SITREP

Campaign situation

Iraq–Egypt intelligence link

Continued exploitation of captured Iraqi records after Operation New Dawn identified repeated links between former Iraqi procurement networks and Egyptian government, military, and industrial entities.

Helwan / al-Qaeda

Uranium-related material and equipment at Helwan Industrial Complex connected to Iraqi procurement — a violation of the NPT Egypt signed in 1968. Egyptian services provided sanctuary and concealment to selected al-Qaeda personnel beyond known Zawahiri ties.

Government collapse

Egypt rejected U.S. access demands. Sanctions and unrest followed. Morsi and several senior officials were killed. Extremist-aligned officials consolidated control and ended cooperation with U.S. investigators.

Suez crisis

The canal closed to U.S., NATO, and Israeli military traffic, then to coalition commercial shipping. Iraq’s missing WMD stockpiles are not assessed to be in Egypt. Priority is records, personnel, and documentation.

  1. DEC 2011 New Dawn ends; record exploitation continues.
  2. MAR 2012 Egyptian links identified in Iraqi procurement records.
  3. APR 2012 Helwan and al-Qaeda facilitation reporting.
  4. MAY 2012 Access demanded; refused; sanctions.
  5. JUN 2012 Unrest; Morsi and senior officials killed.
  6. JUL 2012 Extremist-aligned officials take control.
  7. AUG 2012 Suez restricted to U.S./NATO/Israeli military traffic.
  8. SEP 2012 Armed blockade; CENTCOM deploys toward Sinai / East Med.
  9. OCT 2012 Diplomacy stalls. Operation Scorching Trust begins.

Campaign architecture

Packages

High-level package roles. Target coordinates, TOT, and assigned flights are on each mission brief.

ALPHA

DEAD — Destroy / degrade Egyptian IADS architecture.

BRAVO

Deep strike — Destroy TV / radio towers.

CHARLIE

Antiship on Suez north-inlet frigates, then SHORAD DEAD around the inlet.