World War III

"Sir, what's the situation here?" "You're looking at the 'high ground', Sergeant! There's still power in the White House! That means we still have a way to talk to Central Command if we can retake it!"

The Russo-American War, also known as World War III, is an ongoing conflict between Ultranationalist Russia and the United States, supported by Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. It began when Russian forces invaded the United States after the latter was implicated in the Massacre at Zakhaev International Airport in Moscow. The United States was initially caught off guard by the attack, but was able to hold Washington DC after the initial onslaught. This marked the first invasion of the United States by a foreign power since the War of 1812.

Day 3, 2016
Vladimir Makarov, a known terrorist and Russian ultranationalist, personally lead the attack at Zakhaev International Airport. Makarov, Alexei Borodin (who is actually PFC Joseph Allen, a US Army Ranger chosen to do a CIA deep cover mission by General Shepherd) and 3 other Ultranationalists assault Zakhaev International Airport and massacre both civilians and Russian police/FSB. Makarov, tipped off to the true identity of Borodin, killed him and left his body behind in order to give the appearance that the operation was planned and carried out by elements of the United States Military. The Russian government, upon seeing the use of American made weapons, English speaking shooters, and the body of American Joseph Allen, believe that the terrorist act was carried out with the approval of the United States Government. Boris Vorshevsky claimed that those who committed the attack would be held responsible.

Day 4, 2016
Following the assault at Zakhaev International Airport, Russia launches a surprise attack on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Russian aircraft were able to penetrate American radar defenses because Russian forces had managed to crack an ACS module from a downed American spy satelite. Upon duplicating the module, they were able to hack the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) system to give the illusion that an attack was happening in Alaska and California instead of the East Coast. During the initial stages of the attack, Russian aircraft managed to drop many paratroopers and significant ground support in the form of tanks and BTRs. The 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, the closest regiment at the time to Washington D.C., heads to secure a crashed High-Value Individual codenamed Raptor. The squad encountered heavy resistance including BTR-80's, Mi-28 Havocs and many Russian troops. The Rangers are able to extract Raptor and inflict heavy losses on the Russians in the process.

Following the extraction of Raptor, the Rangers continue to push through Northern Virginia en route to Washington. Heavy fighting ensued in a community named Arcadia, where the Rangers, along with a Stryker ICV (callsign: Honey Badger) buy valuble time for any remaining civilians to evacuate. The Rangers were also tasked with extracting a High Value Individual from a house on Brookmere Road. The HVI was found to be dead upon their arrival, apparently killed by Russian forces.

Day 5, 2016
The massive Russian armed forces and Russian paratroopers managed take control of the city, bombing many monuments and setting up firing positions in government buildings. American forces in the capital then proceeded to evac every civilian they can from the Russians at the Washington Monument, as well as at sites along the Potomac River. However, numerous Russian vehicles and soldiers delay their evacuation. Sgt. Foley (Modern Warfare 2) and his squadmates enter the Department of Commerce and provide sniper support. Private James Ramirez, using an M82A1 SASR with Thermal Scope, assists the evacuation by sniping Russians armed with Javelin missiles, before proceeding to eliminate the enemy artillery with the enemy munitions. The Ranger team are evacuated by a Navy SEALS team, and piloting a Black Hawk helicopter, shot down heavy Russian resistance at the World War II Memorial. The helicopter takes a hit (courtesy of the SAM sites on the top of the Department of Justice building) and crashlands just southwest of the White House.

Day 5, 2016
At the same time as the squad's helicopter crashed, Task Force 141 assaulted a Russian submarine base with the intent of destroying a nuclear submarine. Captain John Price, however, commandeers the sub and launches a nuclear missile. Price intended to detonate the missile in orbit, creating an electro-magnetic pulse over the entire Eastern seaboard of the United States - disabling all electronics. At the crash site, Pvt. Ramirez, Cpl. Dunn, and Sgt. Foley are fighting against Russian ground forces who outnumber them heavily. In orbit, an astronaut 'Sat-1' stationed in the International Space Station, observes a fast-moving object in the sky. As both Houston control and the ISS try to figure out what the bogey is, the missile explodes, creating a shockwave so powerful that it disables all electrical equipment on the East Coast of America(and part of south east Canada). The explosion also creates a shockwave in orbit which destroys the ISS. On the ground, as the situation for the American forces looks hopeless, the pulse reaches the ground disabling all Russian air support and ground vehicles. Now with their advantage removed, the Russian forces begin losing territory. At the same time the Russian forces closing in on the crashed helicopter are thrown into disarray when their own fighter planes and attack choppers begin falling to the ground as a result of the EMP. In the ensuing chaos Foley's team are able to escape and soon learn that Colonel Marshall is assembling a task force to re-capture Whiskey Hotel, the White House.

The team joins the other American soldiers and together they fight their way to the White House. During the assault an emergency broadcast is heard declaring that Washington DC is to be assumed lost to the Russians and that the US Air Force is commencing carpet bombing of the city. Hearing this message the team desperately fight their way to the roof of the White House and deploy green flares to indicate the White House has been retaken and that Americans have regained control of the city. Corporal Dunn claims that he would like to burn Moscow down to the ground after the devastation of Washington, foreshadowing a possible counter-attack by the Americans on Russian soil.

Despite the Americans holding many buildings throughout Washington, the actual results of the battle are not known, as there were engagements at the Capitol Building as well as elsewhere in the city. The Russian forces are unlikely to have been defeated in DC but have certainly been weakened. Elsewhere on the Coasts and possibly Alaska, it can also be assumed that the war continues. Both Russians and Americans lost their electronics and vehicles in the blast, leaving them even on the ground, though the Americans have the home-field and the Russians seem to be very disorganized.

Aftermath
Most of Washington, D.C. is retaken. Though nothing has been confirmed regarding the aftermath of the attack on Washington, it can be speculated from dialogue at the end of Whiskey Hotel that there will be an American counterattack. It is unknown which nations will ally with Russia or the United States if and when a counterattack should occur.

Notable military operations

 * Capture of Alejandro Rojas
 * Russian invasion of Virginia
 * Capture of the Vikhorevka 36 Oil Platform, Bering Strait
 * Rescue of Prisoner #627
 * Battle of Washington D.C.
 * Attempted capture of Makarov
 * Battle of the Boneyard
 * Assault on Site Hotel Bravo
 * Manhunt for the One-Four-One