@Ivir Baggins: Probably a long time. I especially expect Hawaii to be a big fight.
@History_Buff: True. The main thing that was able to hold ECON together was the threat of the Americans and their allies in the Middle East. Now that they are completely ejected from the region, politically, economically, socially, and militarily, that glue of anti-Americanism is now gone.
However, as you will see in the very near future, the actions of the EF could definitely keep ECON together in the face of the perceived threat from them....
@Razgriz 2K9: Persian empire? They already have that in the form of the ECON alliance. Iran is more powerful than ever before, with by far the most powerful military in the entire ECON block (about 150 divs/bdes compared to Islamic Arabia's 65ish divs/bdes for example). Their economy is the largest in ECON, and they are very well secured politically. The Americans meanwhile lost
everything they had in the Middle East, all of their allies, (including precious little Israel, which is essentially dead and buried now), all of their economic assets (no more easy middle east oil), and all of their military bases and alliances there. The Americans got their asses booted out of the middle east in a very embarassing and harsh way, and it is a huge defeat for them.
@everyone else: thanks for the comments!
With many of the Coalition's best naval forces resting on the bottom of the pacific ocean, the job of keeping the sea lanes open for Japanese shipping has become very easy for the Japanese navy. However, some engagements still do take place, such as here, when Japanese ships ravage a large pack of Mexican navy attack submarines.
Elsewhere, Japan's attention expands to the major Coalition military base located on Diego Garcia island. Japan orders a flotilla of warships from its Indian allies, led by the new Indian aircraft carrier
DRIS Delhi to blockade the island and prevent Coalition forces from using it as a staging point to attack Japanese possessions further East.
Next, Japanese marines, which have redeployed from their recent victories in Guam, launch the next stage of Japan's counterattack against Coalition forces in the Pacific. Now, the target is Borneo. Japanese marines storm the eastern coast of the large Indonesian island, and are able to push back American forces garrisoning the beaches.
More Marines also land in the north, at Jesselton. An American army brigade tries to hold its ground, but is largely decimated by ferocious Japanese attacks.
As Japanese troops consolidate their hold on eastern Borneo, the Japanese navy catches a small British Royal Navy flotilla attempting to sneak through local waters, possibly fleeing from Australia to Hawaii or something. Carrier aircraft pounce on the British warships, which includes the veteran British aircraft carrier,
HMS Ark Royal.
Ark Royal does not survive the battle, being sunk with little survivors.
Meanwhile, in the central Pacific, Iwo Jima suddenly becomes a major battlefield for the first time since the 2nd world war. This time however it is not US Marines trying to storm the island: it is the Brazilian army, with Mexican reinforcements. A Brazilian tank brigade, using some of the newest EF manufactured Leopard 4 main battle tanks in its army, leads Mexican infantry in an assault on the Japanese island stronghold. Japanese troops, although well dug in, struggle to hold back the enemy forces, which are equipped with tremendous firepower. It is only after a group of Japanese warships arrives off the coast that the battle turns, with naval bombardments forcing surviving enemy troops to retreat to their transport ships and flee back to their staging points on the Bonin Islands.
In Borneo, reinforcements arrive to ensure rapid reconquest of the island from American hands. Not wanting to force Japanese marines to march endlessly through the thick jungles on the island, the army instead brings in 18 air cavalry brigades organized into 3 air cavalry battlegroups. With such a large concentration of mobile forces, Borneo should be back in Japanese hands in no time.
Large numbers of Japanese forces on the island does not mean that its reconquest will be easy. Japanese forces go on the offensive on all fronts, pushing the Americans back in many areas. However, the Americans are not a foe to be underestimated. Japanese marines are massively depleted after battling a few American divisions that were holding Balikpapan, losing many of their comrades to push the Americans back. Although America is on the retreat in southeast Asia, they are a foe that will not quietly or easily give up ground to Japanese troops.
To make matters worse, Australian reinforcements arrive to Borneo. The Australians are able to reform battered American defense lines and force Japanese troops to withdraw from the fighting for Balikpapan, a painful setback after having lost so many soldiers to try take the region.
In the grand scheme of things however, the massive losses at Balikpapan are only a setback as other Japanese units successfully outmaneuver and destroy American resistance on the rest of Borneo, with the assistance of painful airstrikes by the Japanese Air Force. Most of the island is now under Japanese control, and it is doubtful that the enemy will be able to hold out for much longer. Meanwhile, Japanese marines are sent to invade Sulawesi, landing at Menado before marching south.
Away from the fighting meanwhile, Japanese scientists, defense contractors, and state run arms companies have succeeded in implementing Japans "Super Soldier" project. Everything is now in place to upgrade existing special forces commando brigades with new computer systems, weapons, targeting systems, communications, and other implements of the 21st century high tech networked battlefield. These upgrades will make Japan's special forces commando's the best soldiers on earth, able to adapt and win in any combat situation.
Back in Indonesia, the last pockets of enemy resistance on Sulawesi are snuffed out at Kendari. The entire island is now in Japanese hands.
Back on Borneo, South African troops land on the island in an attempt to form a new bridgehead for a new Coalition offensive there. The South African's are far out of their league however, and are torn to pieces by Japanese firepower.
The offensive into Indonesia now expands, as Japanese marines hit the beaches of the major Indonesian resort island of Bali. The Indonesian army fights hard to hold the island, but Japanese forces are able to overpower them.
In the Philippines meanwhile, Japanese paratroopers are ordered to destroy the pocket of Mexican troops that had taken control of Mindoro earlier in the Indonesian offensive. Japanese commanders expect a relatively easy campaign against demoralized and isolated Mexican soldiers. Instead, the Mexican army proves itself to be a highly capable opponent. Mexican troops are instead found to be well supplied (perhaps thanks to support from local sources, like Filipino resistance cells), and more than able to fight back. Japanese paratroopers are cut down by heavy Mexican army firepower, forcing them to flee from the island to Palawan further south. The airborne attack on Mindoro turns into a complete debacle, while the Mexican army has proved that it is not a foe to be underestimated. This is something that does not bode very well for when the time comes to expand the war into North America itself, forcing Japanese commanders to designate the Mexicans a higher threat factor while planning continues for the attack on North America in the future.
Finally, Japanese marines that had landed in Bali march along the Lesser Sunda islands, hopping from island to island on their way to the island of Timor. After stopping for a short rest, the inevitable then happens: Japan declares war on East Timor and invades the small country. Japanese marines begin to march over the border en route to Dili and other major Timorese communities, experiencing very determined resistance from East Timor's small defense forces.