Red Iceland, 1980 (RAF/RN/Marine Nationale) Release!

[skjold89]

Red Iceland, 1980 (RAF, RN & Marine Nationale vs. USSR)



Feedback im looking for
Is the mission fun?
Difficulty? Too easy? Too hard?
Errors in the OOB?
Spell checking, english is not my first language.
Anything else, im keen for any feedback good or bad as long as it is constructive.

Description
After the financial crash of 1979 the people of Iceland protested the presence of NATO forces on their home island as a base, effectivly turning it into a nuclear target for the USSR. After violent demonstrations and the Icelandic goverment resigning, NATO agreed to leave the island on the condition that the island remain a de-militarised zone. The Soviets saw an opportunity in this, and with the help of infiltrators and what was presumed to be Spetsnaz units power was taken via a coup d'etat by the Communist Party of Iceland. The Soviets maintain that they have only deployed a token force to the island in May, 1980 to "maintain the integrity of the Icelandic goverment" but this was clearly in violation to the agreement priorly reached.

The Soviets could not have picked a better time with most of the Royal Navy and the American Atlantic Fleet engaged in drills in the Mediterranean, although most of the Royal Navy is recalled they will not return in time.

Features
[*]Long range operations with the use of tankers.
[*]Submarine operations.
[*]Strategic bombing.
[*]Accurate OOB for the UK.

Beta 2 Changelog - Major Rework
[*]Added a French CVBG with Super Etendards to honour the recent retiring of the type from the Marine Nationale.
[*]Added more pre-defined loadouts to planes especially the ones that basicly only have one option.
[*]Added EW radars to the UK & Danish islands
[*]Added VVS MiG-23 Squadron to the Soviet side.
[*]Added a scripted DA attack.
[*]Added Soviet goblin threat.
[*]Changed event names to not give away too much information.
[*]Removed the penalty for losing Vulcans, doesnt make much sense as they werent very conservative with them during the Falklands.
[*]Reduced speed of Churchill class to stop them from cavitating by default.

Release Changelog
[*]Added another ASW DD to the Clemenceau CVBG
[*]Added Su-24 to the Soviet side as a deterrent to get close to the island.
[*]Added Canberra T.17 OECM planes to the NATO side.
[*]Put in a approximate French OOB.
[*]Fixed briefing.
[*]Tweaked Phantom loadouts.

Release Hotfix
[*]Doubled the amount of tankers available.

Download Link: fb.asp?m=4121317
Steam Workshop Link: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =697027719

Hope you enjoy it! Skjold

[mikmykWS]

Nice scenario. Lost big time[:)]

Suggestions:

Mig-25's were PVO so likelyhood of them going to Iceland very low. VVS aircraft would have likely gotten the job. The problem is the Mig-25 Acrid mix is actually pretty good (fun) against Skyflash and Sparrows on the Phantoms. SO I'm ok either way you fall on this.

You may want to consider adding the Canberra T.17A or T.17 EW aircraft. These were very active and would have been involved in any fight up there. Need to add these to Duelist's at some point as well.

May be worth adding the two northernmost radars on the UK Line. Denmark had a EW radar in its islands and the UK as well. All of which were interconnected. If the storyline is that NATO busted up it might be good to just add 3 more Shackleton AEW as gap fillers. You can find these in Rag's Centfront Import folders.

You have an event called :Soviets detect bogey or something like that. It triggers before ESM range the UK player knows and can run their nimrods or whatever out of range. Impact is actually very low as it can only happen once so this is far from a huge deal.

This is a really great scenario and wish I had more feedback but need to restart as I lost! Keep up the good work and maybe we'll talk about a DLC someday.

Mike

[skjold89]

Thanks Mike for the feedback, i am personally not happy about this mission and i have been thinking about ways to improve it, i think i decided upon adding an option to play as a French CAG and setting up more default payloads already on planes etc.

I know the difference between PVO and VVS but i don't see why they wouldnt deploy to Iceland in a situation like this, it is rather the lack of VVS aircraft that is weird and which i will remedy in the next version. Deploying MiG-25's in that area would present a formidable threat to strategic bomber fleets of the UK and US. Especially since this is a move that the Soviets in my backstory expects to get away with. When you look at deployments of MiG-25 by the soviets in the early stages of the Iran-Iraq war they had a contigent of MiG-21's and MiG-23's which sole job was to protect the interceptors.

Will take your feedback into account. Do you have any clue what types of EW radars was used in that area?

Cheers, Skjold.

[mikmykWS]

HI

Don't remember the radars off the top of my head but they are definitely in the CENTFRONT import folder.

PVO didn't deploy outside the USSR. If you do find some evidence please do post. I'm definitely interested! Even the Mig-25R (recon) variants were VVS.

I totally get your rationale and actually like the match up so no worries at all. It's a cool scenario!

Mike

[skjold89]

Thanks, appreciate it. I believe you are correct, what i read in the past and sadly can't find the source to verify again is that Soviet pilots flew Iraqi MiG-25's during the early stages of the Iran-Iraq war presumably until they had enough Iraqi pilots that could fly the type. I have no clue if they flew any combat sorties however and it doesn't really count as PVO deployment anyway so...

This mission is having a major overhaul, if you played it before and didn't like it you might want to consider playing it again becouse the mission is vastly different from what it was in its initial form.

Edit: Forgot to add Canberras but they'll be in the release version

Beta 2 Changelog - Major Rework
[*]Added a French CVBG with Super Etendards to honour the recent retiring of the type from the Marine Nationale.
[*]Added more pre-defined loadouts to planes especially the ones that basicly only have one option.
[*]Added EW radars to the UK & Danish islands
[*]Added VVS MiG-23 Squadron to the Soviet side.
[*]Added a scripted DA attack.
[*]Added Soviet goblin threat.
[*]Changed event names to not give away too much information.
[*]Removed the penalty for losing Vulcans, doesnt make much sense as they werent very conservative with them during the Falklands.
[*]Reduced speed of Churchill class to stop them from cavitating by default.

[magi]

Ill start over.... This sounds better....

[mikkey]

I played the first version of the scenario. During first attempt I lost several Phantoms and Buccaneers and I was unable to sink carrier Kiev.
At the second attempt I dealt with deeper units micro-management. I began with clearing skies with Phantoms and destruction of the whole radar network around island by using Jaguars.
Gradually I started ships hunting. For this purpose I used Buccaneers with their AS37 and AJ168. I start with Krivak and convoy around Kanin with 2 SDK. Damaged ships was sank by submarines.
Upon approaching the convoy around Kiev near to Keflavik, I gradually began to destroy the CAP and individual ships depending on how many available Phantoms and Buccaneers I had.
Nice scenario Skjold, thanks!
Now I look forward for updated version with Russian submarines and French aircraft carrier.

Final score: 71 Triumph


SIDE: United Kingdom
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
8x Mk18 1000lb RET
52x Sky Flash
22x AIM-9D Sidewinder
1x 30mm DEFA 553 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
14x Mk8 Straight-Runner
31x AS.37 Martel [ARM]
17x AJ.168 Martel

SIDE: Iceland
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
4x Radar (AN/FPS-66)
1x Vehicle (Straight Flush [1S91])
1x Radar (AN/FPS-6B HF)
2x 23mm ZSU-23-4 Shilka
1x Building (Control Tower)
1x F.27-200 Friendship

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
6x SA-6a Gainful [9M336]
4x SA-9b Gaskin [9M31M]

SIDE: Soviet Union
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x SSV Yug [Pr.862.1/2]
13x MiG-25P Foxbat A
2x Il-38 May
1x Ka-25BSh Hormone A
1x SDK Polnochny C [Pr.773]
2x BPK Kanin [Pr.57A Gnevny]
2x SDK Polnochny A [Pr.770D]
1x SKR Krivak I [Pr.1135 Burevestnik]
12x Yak-38 Forger A
15x Ka-25BSh Hormone A
3x Ka-25Ts Hormone B
1x RKR Kresta I [Pr.1134 Berkut]
1x SDK Polnochny B [Pr.771A]
1x BDK Ropucha I [Pr.775]
4x Ka-25PS Hormone C
1x TAKR Kiev [Pr.1143 Krechyet]

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
288x RGB-1 [NATO BM-1, Search, Passive Omni]
25x AA-6 Acrid A [R-40R, SARH]
1x AA-6 Acrid B [R-40T, IR]
4x SET-65M Enot-2 [NATO ET-80A[76]]
3x RGB-2 [NATO BM-2, Track, Passive Bearing-Only]
59x SA-N-1b Goa [M-1M/P Volna-M/P, 4K91 / V-601]
24x 57mm/81 ZIF-75 Quad DP Burst [6 rnds]
15x AK-230 30mm/65 Twin Burst [50 rnds]
1x SA-N-4a Gecko [9M33]
11x AK-725 57mm/80 Twin HE Burst [6 rnds]
3x AK-725 57mm/80 Twin Frag Burst [6 rnds]

SIDE: Civilian
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------

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

[skjold89]

Very good work Mikkey, impressive tbh.

I realised that i gave the Phantoms by default the "heavy" loadout when they really probably should have the "light" loadout becouse of the distance to the island. Will be fixed in release along with Canberra OECM planes.

[mikkey]

Yes, you right with Phantom heavy loadout. But with a heavy loadout is at least more possibilities of using Phantoms after their long flight into the combat area[;)]. I used tankers as near as is possible for Phantoms refueling before their entering in combat zone. Tankers were most used aircraft in this scenario. Several more tankers would be nice[;)].

[magi]

well im playing the second version and enjoying it very much....

i am getting ready to make my first sead/dead strikes now... just waiting for ready aircraft... i have reduced red CAP... done enough istar to have a decent picture of red disposition/composition....

here are some observations that i have at this point...
the positioning of the french surface force seem tactically un-ideal.... it would seem that they would make their approach toward iceland from the southeast to enable more effective support from the uk airbases...
the composition of the french carrier group seem extremely unrealistic with just two escorts....
the demands of missions given the considerable range with the assets allocated would require many more tankers... this would also support a fighter presence in the ao and increase the tempo of prosecuting targets...

[skjold89]

Magi, thanks for your feedback.

Positioning - This is meant to be a rushed get what you can in the fight sort of deal, not a pre-planned operation.
Composition - I agree, will add at least 2 more escorts.
Tankers - Yes, will double the amount of Victors available.

Released, changes below:

Release Changelog
[*]Added another ASW DD to the Clemenceau CVBG
[*]Added Su-24 to the Soviet side as a deterrent to get close to the island.
[*]Added Canberra T.17 OECM planes to the NATO side.
[*]Put in a approximate French OOB.
[*]Fixed briefing.
[*]Tweaked Phantom loadouts.

Release Hotfix
[*]Doubled the amount of tankers available.

Edit: Just realised that i forgot a few things, hotfix coming soon.
Edit2: Hotfix up.

[magi]

ok.... thank you... you could say the Clemenceau group is coming back from a mission in the Caribbean... that would explain its positioning so far west...

it seems like the soviets should have some asw assets in keflavik.... and more patrol aircraft..
you have to wait a long time for the brit heavy bombers to be ready....

i now control the air over iceland...
their runways are on fire.. i am bombing the rest of the airbase to rubble... but it will take awhile...
i have sunk their group near keflavik... and when there are ready aircraft... i will strike their group in NW....

good fun so far... thanks...

ps.... as i understand... the mission of red force is to reinforce by sea and defend their position in iceland... therefor the the transport ships would be the hi value units in the group... i do not believe they would lead the group... the escorts would probably be in front the van with maybe one rear guard...

also... the the HV units and the main are spread out to much... a tighter group would allow greater mutual support and enhance survive ability...

i just switched to red to look at the kiev group....
the mission asw kiev is missing a rp... so for now the area is an acute wedge... for my game play i will add an rp to it...
i also reduced the patrol area some and made the rp's rotating on the group....
there is something odd about the.. cap keiv mission area and it seems im probably large... but i dont understand its structure... so some of it might be me....

[George Patton]

This scenario seems very interesting. I love scenarios of the Cold War. More humans and less machines
I'll try it this week-end

[Lionheart]

I found this scenario very challenging but enjoyable. It took four attempts before I won through with a very satisfying 'Triumph' (all beta 2 version).

I also found that getting the Victor tankers in the best place was crucial to giving the Phantoms enough time over Iceland to effectively counter the enemy and create a more benign environment for attacking ground and surface targets.

Many thanks Skjold.

[mikmykWS]

I like this one too. It was a great escape for a few!

Mike