Nuclear Disarmament

[GBOATZ]

Only 24 hours to prevent South Africa’s designs on threatening its neighbors with nuclear weapons and to stop them the only United States assets available are 4 Tomcat fighters, 2 tankers and 16 B-52 Bombers without standoff weapons. Worse, South Africa's air defenses have been placed on high alert in anticipation of an attack and to prepare for the possible use of nuclear weapons! There's no AEW or Recce assets to speak of so the B-52 will be going in blind and with minimum air cover! After some deliberation the only alternative I can conceive was to use the B-52’s long range and low level attributes to my advantage, but first I decided I needed to use a bit of subterfuge.

First, I reconfigured the Tomcats to carry maximum Sparrows and Sidewinders and create a refueling mission with the two tankers within the fighter’s range of their base at Dzaoudzi Pamandzi International Airport. After giving the tankers an hour’s head start, I then launched two groups of 8 –B52’s; the first group carrying 51 iron bombs each, with a follow on group of 8 carrying 8-2000 bombs in case I needed a follow on strike of a primary target.

Once the tankers arrived within the Tomcats range, I send the fighters to rendezvous and refuel. As the Tomcats loitered, I moved the tankers patrol area closer south to increase the Tomcats range. After the fighters loitered and refueled twice the B-52’s are now getting close to the South African coast. I release the Tomcats plotting a course sending them high into northern South Africa’s airspace at 40,000 feet with their radars blazing. Six SAAF jets (3 Cheetah E’s and 3 Mirages) take the bait, come up to investigate and never get to go home again.

Meanwhile, as the air war is being prosecuted, I drop both groups of the B-52’s into the grass at 250-500 ft above the hard deck. They're given a low level course between two long range radars, then south away from Waterklop AFB in the event any fighters may be lingering there to just below Johannesburg. I then have them change course sharply northward before popping up to altitude for their attack on their designated targets.

My plan seems to be going smoothly until one of my two jet F-14 groups closing the range to splash a Cheetah decides it’s time for another sip of fuel. Right in the middle of the attack the planes dissolve and starts heading back for the tankers! Neither changing Unrep doctrine or un-assigning the Tomcats seem to change their minds. The Cheetah apparently sensing the F-14's death wish closes in on their tail. Fortunately, the Tomcats go defensive just enough for the Cheetah to only shoot down one Tomcat before heading for home.

Despite this setback, my first group of bombers has just turned northward and is climbing! Yes, I think, this is going to work! That is until suddenly a Mobile Radar appears out of nowhere! As I look more closely, I’m fortunate to see it’s not SAMS, but an AAA gun, but unfortunately one of my bombers hasn’t climbed high enough and soon becomes Swiss cheese but not before dropping his stick of 51 bombs. As the B-52 spirals to earth, I receive an indication that one of my primary targets has been hit! The explosions continue first against the reactor and Yplant, then a bit further northeast onto the storage, labs and integration buildings until I receive a "TRIUMPH" indicating that all required targets were destroyed.

My second B-52 group was not needed and I divert all the bombers to the alternative base at Roland Garros, while offering an “attaboy” to all involved.

SIDE: United States
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LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x F-14A Tomcat
1x B-52H Stratofortress


EXPENDITURES:
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8x AIM-7M Sparrow III
5x AIM-9M Sidewinder
2x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
167x Mk82 500lb LDGP



SIDE: South Africa
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LOSSES:
-------------------------------
3x Cheetah E
2x Mirage IIICZ
1x Mirage F.1CZ
1x Building (Large)
1x Building (Reactor)
3x Building (Medium)
1x Ammo Bunker (Underground)


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
2x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
2x V3B Kukri
3x 30mm DEFA 552 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
150x 40mm/70 Single Bofors Burst [4 rnds, FCE7 Yellow Fever FCR]



SIDE: South Africa civilian
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------


EXPENDITURES:
------------------

[NickD]

Thanks a lot for posting this, and I hope that you enjoyed the scenario. The South African fighters can pose a real threat to the Tomcats if they get close enough.

[GBOATZ]

Hi Nick,

I indeed enjoyed the challenge and my attempt to find a viable solution to get to the designated targets. I read Gunner98's comments previous to trying the scenario and just wanted to see if my theory would work. I'm glad that it turned out to be successful.

The South African fighters can pose a real threat to the Tomcats if they get close enough.

You're certainly right about the fighters. I just couldn't figure any high altitude solution to get the Bombers where they needed to go with only four Tomcats for cover even with them carrying 8 missiles each. I even considered arming them with a Heavy BARCAP of Phoenix Missiles and try to take out the fighters at long range, but there would have been too many SAAF bases with fighters to cover. In the end, sending the BUFF's in at low altitude and a bit of AI deception seemed to be the key.

[NickD]

I take it that you played with the unlimited weapons at bases option turned on? The scenario is much tougher when the Tomcats are limited to what they brought with them during the ferry flight from their carrier.

[GBOATZ]

Yes, you're right. The original load out gave a little more range but I was looking for the f-14's to have a little much punch. However, now that I think of it that I primarily used them as a decoy, it guess it really wouldn't have mattered?[;)]