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Noodle
UNITED KINGDOM
198 Posts
Status: offline |
 Posted - 19 Aug 2020 : 17:33:29
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NTO Polar Vortex V2.4
BMS 4.34.4
Objective
185th VFS is tasked to destroy 2 runway sections at STP 4 (Oulu Airbase) and STP 5 (Raahe-Pattijoki Airbase).
This will incapacitate 4 red air squadrons and should give us a strong hand towards air superiority.
Package 2288
WARHAWK1 is a 2ship strike that will deliver 2xGBU31-V3-AP on a specific runway section of each airbase.
MUDHEN6 is a 4ship escort.
Once this task has been completed, both flights will remain on station at STP6/3 and provide BARCAP until weapons/fuel bingo.
MS is for both runway sections destroyed and no loss to enemy fighters
PS is for one runway section destroyed and 1 loss to enemy fighters.
Sign up here:
https://discordapp.com/channels/533120051415351296/694214058362011758/745680158379343942
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Vosene
United Kingdom
4581 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 23 Aug 2020 : 22:09:36
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ESCORT
Mudhen61 "Vosene" AA=5 AG=0 RTB
Mudhen62 "Gekko" AA=3 AG=0 EJT
Mudhen63 "Griffin" AA=0 AG=0 EJT
Mudhen64 "Mango" AA=1 AG=0 TECH
MF
Plan
Escort Warhawk1 to target area, box formation, OCA 20nm trail. Once weapons released, retrograde to setup CAP, Warhawk to NE, Mudhen to SW. Slammer C for everyone but #4, who had Slammer B.
Execution
Some minor admin issues including comms channels and datalink distracted from focusing on building SA prior to first engagement. Need to ensure these are addressed early, including a test for D/L while all still on UHF 2 (ground) prior to take-off. This should become part of SOP.
As we entered Western edge of AO box there was a mass of aircraft to our front, red and blue from the Eastern edge of the AO and further East and SE, at least 20 groups.The picture never got less busy during the whole mission.
Engagement 1: #1 detected non-IFF strober group that were potentially hostile and declared on burn through at 35nm, confirmed hostile, 4xSu-30Mkk, 21,000ft. Due to bandits flanking right to left, pushed beyond MAR. #1 fired Fox3 at 25nm and cranked right but missile snipped almost straight away due to bandit jamming. #2 did not get a shot, first element turned cold, bandit splashed. Second element hot but unable to sort due to furball with other friendlies so turned cold. First element now hot again, bandits flanking so pressed to 20nm, Fox 3, from #1, splash. #2 also fired and hit his bandit, splash 3. First element now cold again, 2nd element hot. The remaining bandit bugged out to East.
Engagement 2: Popup Su-30MKK group to South, 2-ship. #3 and #4 originally pressed on Engagement 1 groups but after these were splashed they turned South to engage the new group. Bandits were flanking, they pressed to 17nm, #3 Fox 3 but shot was trashed as dragged out by bandit. #4 pressed to within 12nm before firing at the other bandit, splash. This engagement, within 15nm was too close, even against a flanking bandit. Had they turned hot and fired they would have been within the WEZ no-escape zone. #1 and #2 were now hot. Remaining bandit now to the South turned hot and there was a further pop-up bandit group, Singleton Su-30Mkk, to the East. #1 handed the Eastern group off to #2 and turned to engage the bandit to the South. Both shots were fired at approximately 20nm against flanking targets, both bandits splashed.
Engagement 3 : 2nd element hot again, multiple friendly and bandits groups on Eastern edge of AO box. #3 was getting close with no burn through so #1 directed to turn cold. #1 detected a contact close to #3, unable to ID so pressed, turning to North, bogey flanking to West. Visual ID at 5nm, MiG-29S, Fox 3 but bandit was hit by an AI missile just before #1 missile arrived so bandit was already going down. Missile hit and destroyed the bandit.
Lesson - On two occasions during the flight a leaker got very close to the flights, the first was the MiG-29S, which luckily did not fire at anyone. The second, later in the mission, was an Su-35 that shot down 4 of the flight. Setting an effective meld radar range when concentration on bandits further away is critical to detecting leaker threats, as is keeping radar in an SA mode such as TWS or RWS for as long as possible. This should be practiced and be part of engagement setup SOPs.
Engagement 4: After MiG-29S threat was removed, first element turned back to East. Detected single threat group breaking Eastern edge of AO. #1 Fox 3 at 20nm, splash.
#4 started having Blue text, pausing and warping issues so exited. #4 AI never responded to #3 commands after this.
Engagement 5 : #3 now hot engaged Singleton Su-30Mkk hot to East, Fox 3 at 10nm, hit but bandit only damaged and egressed to East, no factor.
During engagement 5, Mudhen61 requested support from Warhawk1 to sanitize the area while Mudhen regrouped to West of AO. They confirmed that all threats were down and there was a window of opportunity to push for the target.
Lesson. Comms became so saturated on Tactical freq that we dropped AWACS picture calls and just used Declare and Bogey dope. Picture calls took up to 30 seconds for a response.
Engagement 6: 1st element pushed towards target. Detected 2x Su-27 to South. Tried to get #2 to engage as #1 down to 1x Slammer but he couldn’t get burn through. Lead bandit turned cold so #1 engaged flanking hot bandit at 22nm and turned cold. Instructed Warhawk to turn cold as well. Correct call as Warhawk12 dragged out R-77 from bandit. Remaining Su-27 went North and #3 also turned cold without firing as bandit was mixed in with friendlies. First element hot again and picked up a Singleton Su-30Mkk just taking off from the airfield. #2 engaged at 6nm with Mudhen flight staying ahead of Warhawk who were now hot again. Fox 3 from #2 and splash.
First element turned to NE to push off remaining Su-27 and instructed Warhawk to turn immediate South back towards home plate once weapons launched. 27 spikes to East and North. As #1 and #2 turned cold, #3 was briefed to protect egress.
Engagement 7: #2 briefed to join #3 as his wing because #1 was now Winchester. Single Su-34 from North engaged by #3 at 20nm. Warhawk12 engaged at same time but both shots defeated and the bandit was splashed by an AI.
Engagement 8: As #3 completed his turn away from the threat in Engagement 7, he picked up multiple jamming contacts 40nm to the SE at 24,000ft and M1.45. During this time #2 become separated from #3 and this is something for #2 to work on. #3 then turned cold when the threat was engaged by other AI friendlies.
#3 had an option to remain cold and egress the target area here and should have taken this opportunity, although the decision he made to turn back towards the threat when spiked was understandable given it was only 30nm. He was unaware it was being engaged by AI F-15E.
Engagement 9: #3 turned hot towards spike. Engaged single Su-35 at 21nm, Fox 3 shot was dragged out and trashed. #1 was hot again and could see a 4-ship trail group, strobers, that turned out to be Su-30Mkk. #1 was a Winchester and unable to engage. All of Mudhen6 were now cold and requested delouse from Warhawk1. #2 was chased down by the Su-35 and shot down. By now Warhawk1 were hot but were focused on the Su-30Mkk group behind the Su-35 leaker. Warhawk11 was hit by an R-77 from the Su-35. Warhawk12 still didn’t see the Su-35, which was now behind him and fired at one of the Su-30Mkk group to his front and splashed it. He then turned cold back into the Su-35. #1 and #3 were now turning hot again to support and #1 detected the contact very close to Warhawk12 and gave a warning but it was too late, Warhawk12 was shot down by an R-77 and R-73 from the Su-35 at close range with #1 and #2 20nm to the West. #3 fired a Fox3 at 17nm just as the Su-35 splashed Warhawk12 but unfortunately the missile tracked a Grippen and damaged it. #3 then lost SA on the bandit and got too close, getting shot down by a close range R-73 shot from below by the Su-35.
Engagement 10: As #3 engaged the Su-35, #1 was forced defensive by a single Su-30Mkk from the SE. #1 dragged out an R-77 shot and continued cold into Patriot coverage after #3 was shot down.
#1 landed on Heden R01 fuel critical.
After the flight there was a discussion about wether we had the wrong mindset for this mission with the plan to CAP after the strike mission that was leading us to chase kills at the cost of pilots and airframes.
From a flight lead perspective I felt the Escort was focused entirely on getting the Strike flight onto the target. After engagement 5 I had already made the decision to abort if Warhawk had met any significant resistance. The point about the CAP is a good one however as I was thinking about the transition from OCA Strike/Escort to CAP in the event of an Abort. If the mission had been aborted we should have been focused on just getting home safely.
The gap in the enemy flights gave us an opportunity to push for the target, but there was also an opportunity here to abort. The Escort was down to 3 aircraft with #4 having a Tech, #1 was weapons Bingo but #2 and #3 had some 6 Slammers and about 2-3000lbs of fuel left till Joker. Having worked so hard to create the gap we took advantage of it but it would have been an understandable decision to abort the mission here.
The third and final opportunity to abort was after Engagement 8. This was a 50/50 call that was understandable either way.
While the mission was a failure due to the number of aircraft lost, we were only a leaker Su-35 away from getting everyone home and therefore the mission should not be considered a complete mess. This was one of the toughest missions I’ve ever flown with the Sqn and almost throughout the coord was excellent within Mudhen.
Streams from Warhawk perspective only:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/719308098
https://youtu.be/RDk5R8LwxZw
ACMI and .ini available in TS Debrief\ACMI file browser.
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Fisty
United Kingdom
701 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 03 Sep 2020 : 15:38:30
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OCA STRIKE
Warhawk11 "Fisty" AA=0 AG=0 EJT
Warhawk 12 "Noodle" AA=2 AG=1 EJT
PS
We took off, held just short of the IP for Mudhen to call us in. We had a very brief window of opportunity between enemy AA engagements to drop our bombs. So we steamed in, dropped them and egressed back to the hold. All bombs hit the targets but for some reason, Warhawk11's failed to destroy the runway (A recon of the targets after the mission showed both runways at 0%). At this point we should have RTBd but Mudhen asked for a delouse so we turned hot. Our mistake was looking for contacts on Mudhen's 6, so we missed the leaker that got in between the flights and it resulted in both 11 and 12 being shot down by the leaker.
The 4 things a wingman is allowed to say:
1.Two
2.Lead, you're on fire.
3.I'm bingo fuel.
4.I'll take the fat one.... :/
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| 185th VFS |
© 2000-2018 185th VFS |
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Lapland Fortress 6 (23rd August 2020)
