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Griffin
UNITED KINGDOM
4862 Posts
Status: offline |
 Posted - 18 May 2020 : 17:31:08
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While our colleagues pound the armour on the front line, we have been tasked with a deep mission to remove the Mirage threat from the enemy's arsenal.
To that end your targets are two airfields deep in enemy territory.The primary is Ubajdah Bin A Jarrah AB with 8 x Mirage on base. Secondary target is An Numaniyah AB that has the other three of these potent weapons. Each air base is a single runway field. Ubajdah Bin Al Jarrah is on heading 290/110; An Numaniyah is on 300/120.
The area is covered by active SA-5, 3 and 2 SAMs as well as ground troop weapons.
Fig 1 - Flight Plan
Fig 2 - Target Areas
This is a long mission and Tanker Texaco 4 will be stationed at SP19 and is on UHF 359.650.
Your flight takes you through neutral airspace and it's important you stay out of the way and don't get seen.
The weather is fair throughout with light winds from 120 degrees.
Mission success is for both runways to be destroyed and no losses to radar SAMs, with partial success if only Ubajdah Al Bin Jarrah is destroyed.
Results
Flight Leads in this Sunday's official mission, "Hold The Line 8" are requested to post a debrief of their flight's actions, including any lessons learned or that should be learned by others.
Please put the following information at the top of your post:
Flight Role: (SEAD, ESCORT, STRIKE, Etc..)
Callsign11: "Pilot's name" AA=X AG=X RTB,MIA/KIA,EJT
Callsign12: "Pilot's name" AA=X AG=X RTB,MIA/KIA,EJT
Callsign13: "Pilot's name" AA=X AG=X RTB,MIA/KIA,EJT
Callsign14: "Pilot's name" AA=X AG=X RTB,MIA/KIA,EJT
MS/PS/MF
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Noodle
UNITED KINGDOM
198 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 25 May 2020 : 16:35:57
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Flight Role: SEAD
Falcon31: "Noodle" AA=1 AG=0 RTB
Falcon32: "Griffin" AA=0 AG=1 RTB
Falcon33: "Mango" AA=0 AG=1 EJT
Falcon34: "Vosene" AA=1 AG=0 RTB
PS - Several SAM sites southeast of Ubajdah Bin A Jarrah AB were hit but remain active.
Strikes on Ubajdah Bin A Jarrah AB and An Numaniyah AB have been delayed due to SAM threats.
Falcon3 was tasked to attack SA-2s,3s and 5s 300NM in enemy territory. We rejoined with Texaco4 to get some gas before starting the long journey over Iran, monitoring a very active NE-SW corridor over Iraq. SA was good and we good identify our targets.
1 and 2 trespassed the WEZ of the southern SA-2, lighting it up for 3 to engage. 3 being lowest on fuel was to RTB once arizona. SA-4 lit up and fired at 2, ACMI shows that the missile hit Griffin. 3's priority was to engage SA-4, magnum at 18NM but fell short. SA-4 then remained quiet and 3 engaged southern SA-2.
1 and 2 pushed north to the SA-5. 1 being low and 2 high, the SA-5 lit up, 2 magnum at 40NM, hit but ACMI shows SA-5 still firing well after being hit. 1 went defensive SA-5 while 2 launched his 2nd magnum at the SA-2 after being fire at. SA-2 remained active even though being hit by 1 and later on 4 from up to 60NM.
Meanwhile 3 was bingo and decided to land at a neutral base in Iran claiming diplomatic immunity.
The rest of Falcon3 was arizona and, still full of slammers, decided to rejoin again with Texaco4 and sweep for any enemy aircraft around bullseye.
1 and 4 could top up to required 10000lbs but Texaco4, for some reason, decided he didn't like Griffin this second time and refused to answer. 2 RTB and 1 & 4 now headed NE, looking for a fight.
It wasn't long until a pair of Mig-23s was storming on us from the N. 4 spotted them 50NM hot, we turn in to engage1 sorted on the trail and 4 on the lead, both our slammers (launched at 23NM) were evaded by the 23s.
4 turned cold while one kept visual on the bandits. I had to go defensive as they quickly recommitted on us.
4 turned back in hot and fox-3 on trail at 16NM, evaded again. 1 was now merged with lead 23 now stuck on my six and firing all it had on me, I still managed to fox-3 close (11NM) on the trail (lucky shot) which evaded the slammer with an aileron roll...
Vosene turned back in to delouse me with a fox-3 close (8NM), HIT!! I turned back in on the other 23, and fox-3 intimate (1NM), HIT!
Even though AWACS wasn't answering on UHF6 we decided it was picture clear and miller time after this 3h+ flight!
Uneventful egress and landing.
Lessons learnt:
Slammers are only efficient in 2 cases: 1-Dissuasive 2-Launched at <10NM
HARMs are not as good as they used to be, weapons and delivery methods need adapting for SEAD in this theatre.
Recon is essential to build SA, it is very easy to spot the enemy SAM sites at over 30NM on clear day. Mavericks could be an option.
Tactics were good, both during SEAD (weaselling and getting the radars to light up) and against the 23s, good support.
AAR was a bit messy but we managed, we need to practice 4ship rejoin+AAR on tanker.
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/630796519
Clip of the engagement with the Mig-23s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMo2lc-CVZY&t= |
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Vosene
United Kingdom
4579 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 26 May 2020 : 22:03:02
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Really enjoyed the flight and the MiG engagement was good mutual support, great clip with Tacview as well.
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mango
Israel
286 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 27 May 2020 : 06:25:48
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Just another learning point for me. In addition to not managing AAR, when I jettisoned my tanks at about 7000GL I suddenly found that I had only 2500, which I could not explain until after the flight and forced me to land on a road in enemy territory. After the flight in the training section I found that when you open the refueling door it also lowers the fuel pressure in the external tanks to enable fuel to flow into them while refueling. If you fail to close the refueling hatch (switch) the low pressure in the external tanks makes
the jet consume fuel from the main tanks while there is "trapped" fuel
in the externals that cant be used. so when I read 7000 on the fuel gauge actually 4500 of it was in the externals which I dropped, sure that they were empty, which left me, with a push of a button, with 2500 gallons, not enough to get any where near home with.Maybe a learning point (if I have got this right...)  |
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Griffin
UNITED KINGDOM
4862 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 27 May 2020 : 13:22:34
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I'd heard of that but not seen it in action before.
AAR is hard but I'm getting there slowly but surely, thanks largely to some spectator coaching from Noodle. I found that I wasn't being patient with the boom operator and you have to give him ten or so seconds for him to connect. With that knowledge I started to improve. |
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Hold The Line 8 (24th May)
