War of 2014

The War of 2014 is a fictional conflict depicted in Battlefield 3 and its expansions as well as Battlefield 4: Second Assault. It was fought between the United States of America, Russian Federation, and the People's Liberation and Resistance.

Background
Around March 2014, a rising insurgency known as the People's Liberation and Resistance have been seen increasing activity across the Iran-Iraq border. To enforce stability across the region, coalition forces undergo pacification operations, with Staff Sergeant Henry "Black" Blackburn's unit, Misfit 1-3,  and other US Marines leading the operation. However, the operation was soon compromised as a devastating earthquake hit the area. Meanwhile, a resulting coup d'état put the PLR in control of Iran and Faruk Al-Bashir, leader of the PLR, in power.

Shortly after the PLR seizes power, the United States responds by sending fifty-thousand Marines to Iran. The US Navy and Air Force commence airstrikes over Tehran as the opening shots of the war. What is also seen is a captured US Marine being interrogated and eventually executed by Solomon and Al-Bashir over a live broadcast from Tehran to the United States.

The PLR plans to detonate three stolen Russian nuclear warheads in three major cities around the world, with Paris and New York City being two of the targets, in order to provoke a war between the Russian Federation and NATO. With Paris being the first location, GRU agents Dimitri Mayakovsky, Vladimir, and Kiril are sent to Paris in an attempt to stop the PLR from detonating a nuclear device in the financial district of the city. As the blast radius would match the damage radius of Russian nukes, it would put the blame solely on Russia. The Russian operatives fail and the WMD detonates, causing approximately eighty-thousand casualties. Later on, it is discovered that Solomon had acquired the nuclear devices from a Russian named Amir Kaffarov, an international arms dealer who was also on good terms with Faruk Al-Bashir.

Once this is known to the United States, the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion is redeployed to northern Iran, towards the Iran-Azerbaijan border near the Caspian Sea to hunt and capture Kaffarov in his villa. However, an incident occurs where the Marines are ambushed by Russian VDV paratroopers and the sight of Russian transports and bases in Iran, causing the Marines to realize that Russian forces are also trying to capture Kaffarov. In confusion, the two factions engage in a large skirmish in northern Iran. This incident happened four days before the actual Paris bombings. With the GRU operatives failing to prevent the detonation, the United States is even more convinced that Russia is sided with the PLR.

The end result is the multiplayer with a Russo-American war spanning across multiple areas of the world.

Course of War
All events are in chronological order.

Operation Swordbreaker
Al-Sulaymaniyah, Iraq - March 15, 2014

Elements of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion are deployed in the Iran-Iraq region in Sulaymaniyah to undergo pacification operations in an effort to locate and destroy a possible PLR chemical weapons site. However, elements of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion were rerouted to locate and rescue a squad of Marines that went missing in a nearby meat market. The PLR were supposedly about to detonate an IED, but were stopped as Staff Sergeant Henry Blackburn disarmed it. The operation was soon compromised after a catastrophic earthquake event in central Iran occurred, causing massive damage throughout the region.

Iranian Coup
Tehran, Iran - March 15, 2014

Faruk Al-Bashir orchestrates a coup and the PLR assumes power in Iran. The United States responded by deploying 50,000 combat troops to Iran.

Aftermath of Operation Swordbreaker
Hours after the earthquake - March 15, 2014

Staff Sergeant Henry Blackburn narrowly survives the earthquake in the region, and he retraces his steps back to the bazaar, which was now designated as Extraction Point "Lima" by the surviving Marines. Blackburn was later reunited with Private Montes and the two then make their way to EP Lima, where other US Marines fight against oncoming PLR soldiers as they await extraction.

Airstrikes over Tehran
USS George H.W Bush and Iranian skies - October 31, 2014

Lt. Jennifer Colby Hawkins and her co-pilot execute a strike mission from the Persian Gulf all the way to Tehran into Mehrabad Airport and destroy key installations like SAM sites to eliminate anti-air capabilities. The team proceeds to designate remaining threats and a suspected High Value Target, Faruk Al-Bashir, for Close Air Support. During the mission they encounter hostile aircraft, which are engaged and eliminated by Hawkins and her co-pilot.

Operation Guillotine
Tehran, Iran - October 31, 2014

The Battle for Tehran begins and US Marines attempt to capture key areas of Tehran from the PLR. After fighting fiercely to secure the river bank, they proceed through a building and head towards the Metropolitan Bank, where they suspect Al-Bashir to be located. On the way, Blackburn destroys several T-90 tanks with an FGM-148 Javelin.

After climbing a fire escape to enter the bank and clearing the lobby and surrounding higher floors, the squad rappels down an elevator shaft towards the vault. In the vault, they discover a case containing one portable nuclear device, with room for two more and maps of Paris and New York City. With the bank structurally unsound, they are forced to extract, taking the nuke with them and leaving the remaining evidence behind. Campo's decision to leave the evidence behind was the reason behind US belief that Russia was responsible for the Paris bombings.

Thunder Run
Kavir Desert, Iran - October 31, 2014

The 1st Tank Battalion takes part in a large assault in the Kavir Desert, some 200 kilometers southeast of Tehran, Iran, in an assault towards the city. Blackburn sent a distress call and Sergeant Jonathan Miller and Anvil-3 were sent in to get the other Marines.

Rescuing Misfit Company
Tehran, Iran - October 31, 2014

Anvil-3 arrives at Tehran and heads towards the Metropolitan Bank, but an RPG ambushes them and Miller had to drive through a building while eliminating any hostile armor and infantry. Later, Miller gets knocked unconscious by overwhelming enemy forces swarming his disabled tank, he was captured and interrogated by Al-Bashir and Solomon. After a lecture, Al-Bashir records the execution of Jonathan Miller.

Searching for Al-Bashir
Tehran, Iran - November 2, 2014

Blackburn, Sergeant Campo, and other US Marines are in Tehran to search for the leader of the PLR, Faruk Al-Bashir. Blackburn and Campo provide sniper overwatch for a squad of Marines who rappel from an MV-22 Osprey. Campo and Blackburn then proceed to regroup with the Marines in front of the nearby mall, passing through the area where Miller was executed on the way.

They then continue to provide sniper cover while the rest of the Marines search for Al-Bashir, who attempts to escape by car, before crashing into a lamp post. Seriously wounded, Campo carries him to the mall where he and Blackburn fend off a large amount of PLR soldiers. When they reach the Osprey, Al-Bashir gives information about Solomon and the suitcase nukes before succumbing to his wounds.

Assault on Kaffarov's Villa
Araz Valley, Iran - November 9, 2014

The 1st Reconnaissance Battalion redeploy based on the information they have received from Al-Bashir's phone that have lead to a man named Amir Kaffarov, an international Russian arms dealer. The group is on a convoy while riding through to the Gilad Bridge. They are then ambushed by Russian Airborne Troops, who are deploying into northern Iran for the same reasons. After fighting through the ambush, they regroup with the convoy and come across an open field with one Marine noting that there were Russian transport aircraft. One Marine queries if they are at war with Russia now, and states they're here for the same objective, and another Marine assumes that they are covering their tracks, supposedly working with the PLR.

The Marines come across more Airborne troops and engage them. After taking out the vehicles and the troops, the Marines head down the valley and towards Kaffarov's villa. Upon heading towards it, an Su-25 Frogfoot started firing at the squad, eventually killing Matkovic and Campo. However, Blackburn shot down the jet by using a Stinger. Cole, Montes, Blackburn, and any remaining survivors continue on the mission.

Meanwhile, the three GRU agents Dimitri Mayakovsky, Kiril, and Vladimir HALO jump down near one of the entrances to Kaffarov's villa. After landing, they engage Kaffarov's private security force.

After dispatching all of the security, they steal an SUV and disguise themselves as one of the vehicles in an oncoming convoy heading inside a garage. Once inside the garage, the three agents take out all guards and starts searching the whole house for Kaffarov.

Soon the agents are thrown into intense firefights and later come across a dark hall where they engage countless numbers of security. Kiril and Vladimir go one way while Dima went into an indoor firing range. After searching the whole house, they head towards a helipad where Kaffarov is attempting to escape via helicopter. Dima sprinted towards the helicopter, grabbing onto the ledge as it takes off. He climbs in and fights with Kaffarov until both of them fall out into a pool. Dima later violently interrogates Kaffarov and eventually kills him with his MP-443.

Later, Blackburn heads into the villa to encounter what seemed to be an intense firefight that happened before he arrived. He entered the building and reached the swimming pool, where Dima revealed himself at gunpoint, requesting for Blackburn's help to avert war between Russia and the United States. Cole is heard breaching a door and Dima states that if Blackburn does not shoot Cole, millions will die as a result of potential war. Cole enters the room, ordering both Dima and Blackburn on the ground. Blackburn then shoots his commanding officer for the greater good.

Paris Bombings
Paris, France - November 13, 2014

Russian GRU agents, Vladimir, Dimitri and Kiril are in Paris to stop one of the suitcase nukes from detonating. They drive towards the EURONEXT Stock Exchange where they engage several PLR cell operatives who filled the area with poison gas.

They then chase the nuke carrier through the alleyways surrounding the Stock Exchange while local French Parisian Police engage the PLR operatives outside. As they are chasing the nuke carrier, a lone PLR operative fires an RPG at a bus, causing it to explode and send Vladimir flying through the air. A large piece of shrapnel penetrated his chest, causing him to die. Dima and Kiril head towards a train station shortly after Vladimir's death. At the train station, the nuke carrier ambushes Dima in a hand-to-hand combat sequence, with Dima successfully fending him off and throwing him onto train tracks as a train is approaching. Kiril then examines the suitcase nuke's container and discovers the nuke is not there. Shortly after, the bomb, left at the EURONEXT Stock Exchange, detonates, killing 80,000 French civilians and giving Dima and possibly Kiril radiation poisoning.

Attempted Bombings on New York City
New York City, United States of America - November 14, 2014

Henry Blackburn is now being interrogated by two CIA agents, Whistler and Gordon, who are asking Blackburn to retell the events that happened before - from Operation Swordbreaker up to the Paris Bombings - and after talking for several hours they want Blackburn to falsely confess that Dima and the Russians are working with the PLR, framing them for detonating the bomb in Paris. After he refuses, they bring David Montes into the room to tell Blackburn that Dima detonated the nuke in Paris. However, Gordon receives a phone call stating that a subway train was hijacked, and goes out of the room. Blackburn and Montes then subdue Whistler and another guard by grabbing one of the support beams of a table and whacking it across the guard's face and they attempt to escape, jumping through a window and ending up on the city streets. Montes tells Blackburn to go after the train. Black jumps onto the train to stop Solomon from detonating the bomb.

Blackburn then jumps through a window of the train and kills most of the PLR units in the ensuing firefight. He then makes his way through the train and finds Solomon in the front carriage, now filled with explosives, where he is knocked down and held at gunpoint. A fight ensues, with Blackburn using the detonator in the hands of a PLR operative to explode the rest of the train.

Solomon escapes and Blackburn pursues him through the sewers of New York City. He climbs a ladder and resurfaces near Times Square.

Montes, in possession of a stolen NYPD car, finds Blackburn and they drive after Solomon. They both crash in Times Square. Montes attempts to kill Solomon, but Solomon shoots Montes first, killing him. Blackburn then engages Solomon in an intense hand-to-hand combat fight and he soon has the upper hand and kills Solomon with a brick. He then examines the case of the nuclear device and sees that it is safe, thus ending the nuclear threats.

Multiplayer
The multiplayer aspect of Battlefield 3 depicts a conflict between the United States of America and the Russian Federation. Despite the end of the nuclear threat, Russia was still blamed for the Paris bombing and attempted bombing of New York City. This belief escalated the War of 2014 into a major conflict between the US and Russia. Most of the maps take place in and around Iran, with the exception of the Paris-based maps, maps from Back to Karkand, and Armored Shield.