New Scenario for Testing IOFury #3 Socotra Scramble

[Gunner98]

The next scenario in the Fury series - Indian Ocean Fury #3 Socotra Scramble:

You’re commanding the USS Nimitz CVBG and have been tasked to steam at maximum possible speed north to join 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Things are interesting in the Indian Ocean but positively frantic in the Med.
In this scenario you will need to assemble your Battle Group, neutralize several layers of enemy defences, proceed through restricted, hazard laden waters to enter the Red Sea on your journey to the main theater of operations.


As always your comments and critiques are most welcome.

B

Edit: Ver 1.3 uploaded

[Excroat3]

Wow - thats a lot of bad guys to kill! Is this possible without any reloads for the carrier? I have a feeling I'm going to be down to iron bombs and sidewinders at the end! Also, the name of the scenario has a # in it, which puts it above Indian Fury 1. Currently, it looks like this in the scenario listing:

Indian Fury #3
Indian Fury 1

[Gunner98]

It is a lot of bad guys [;)]

Cimarron has some reloads, the trick is when do you slow down to do a RAS [:)]

[AndrewJ]

How many launchers make up a battalion of SA-10s? The database shows it as anywhere from 4 to 12 TELs, which is a huge range in capability. What is actual Russian practice?

[Gunner98]

Andrew

I think it depends on who owns the Bn, and if the Bn is in a SAM Regt or a SAM Bde.

Quite honestly I don't know the proper answer, but I think the general principles are:

Air Force (VVS) more mobile and generally smaller units
Air Defence (PVO) larger units
SAM Regt = smaller units
SAM Bde = larger units

But they also used specific formations for specific jobs. I just checked the scenario and I think I picked the wrong unit for the situation which I'll need to fix (based on my musings above) but lets just say its about medium sized [8D]

B

[AndrewJ]

A few quick notes at the start:

The trigger for the 366 FW going off task is set for 1:30 on 15 Feb, instead of 0600 on the 16th, so they are deleted almost immediately.

It looks like there aren't any ASW reloads in Masirah. A few extra torpedoes would be helpful to allow planes to keep flying once some are expended.

Are the B-1s supposed to only have one load of retarded bombs? (Although honestly, I think I'd prefer to bomb from out of the MANPADS envelope, so this isn't a big deal from my view.)

A typo: special message 1:30 Z, 'NATO HQ for Southern Europe and he Med'

[Gunner98]

Thanks, will fix those.

Only one load for the B-1s. Was scratching my head on this one, the conventional loadouts for these babies are just not that good. You get a lot of bombs but no precision. Went for the 'fast & low' to get the best strike, but could be convinced otherwise. One run is all you get though.

B

[Primarchx]

I hit the three closest airbases to Thumrait nearly immediately in quick succession. The closer two with Jaguars and Ataq Airbase with the full USAF package of Strike Eagles, Vipers and Bones. The Jags didn't find much to hit but took out ammo facilities and bombed revetments at night on the chance there were a/c there. Ataq was hit first by the Bones coming in low at full speed, first targeting the SA-3 sites, which they wiped out, before turning to the aircraft parking at the base. Some SA-3s were launched but were quickly silenced without effect. Lots of AAA had to be sped through as they rocketed along at near-Mach on the deck. They decimated the aircraft at the base and headed for home. Follow on Vipers and Strike Eagles hit secondary targets such as EWRs and the SA-2 site near the base.

Meanwhile Nimitz is probing Socotra, taking out radars and interceptors while goading any hidden SAMs to come on line. Having a load of fun with this one.

[AndrewJ]

I took the opposite approach, launching an immediate and massive strike on Socotra which arrived just as dawn broke. Carrier aircraft approached from the south, while shore-based ones came in from the north. A few probing shots at the surveillance radars prompted the SA-10 to light up, and then a HARM sandwich took care of it and several of the other SAMs. TLAMs (about 40% of my total) came over the mountains from the south, the first bunch aimed at weather shelters (and acting as a SAM soak) and then a concentrated salvo on the runway and access point. SLAMs also came over the mountain around this time, engaging short-ranged SAMs after they had emptied their ready magazines. All the while a massive fighter presence kept the enemy down until the runway was shut.

CBU carrying F-18s dealt with the SA-2s from low level (although I had to dodge retributive SA-7s), but when some of the F-18s went hunting radars on the way home they found some modern Shorads, which taught them a nasty lesson. Those got hunted down from high altitude by Mavericks and 500 lb LGBs. With the air-defense environment neutralized the Jaguars came in to pummel the docks and the airfield, reducing Socotra to a smoking ruin. My BLU-109 carrying F-15s turned out to be unnecessary, so they're going back home and taking their bombs with them. I may divert them to some of the closer airfields in Yemen, since they have plenty of gas, but I want to count my bomb inventory first.

I haven't used the B-1s yet. I didn't want to send them into a heavy SAM environment like Socotra, and I don't feel like using them in the day when everyone can see them a mile away. I'm actually thinking about using them to hit Khartoum when it gets dark again. They've got the legs for it, and if ever there was a place that shouted "Please base Badgers here!" it's Khartoum. A big base with facilities for very large aircraft which is safely isolated far behind the front lines would be ideal for bombers. But we've no evidence that anything is there. Hmmm...

[jimmyblond]

Dire Diwa Airbase has no runway access points. Therefore the aircraft are unable to launch.

[Gunner98]

Dire Diwa Airbase has no runway access points

Thanks for that, was wondering but forgot to check. Will fix.

[Primarchx]

BTW, I was surprised that so few radars were on covering Ataq Airbase. The SAMs popped up when they were engaging a/c that had been visually spotted but there was no response until my strikers were right on top of them.

[Gunner98]

Thought that I had put one just off the base - perhaps I didn't turn it on...

B

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: Gunner98

Thought that I had put one just off the base - perhaps I didn't turn it on...

B

I don't think there was a valid ARM target until some of the 57mm AAA started lighting up their FCRs. Caught all the MiG-21s on the ground, too. I assumed there was an airbase defense intercept mission set for them?

[Gunner98]

OK
Will fix - yes there is an intercept mission, and the SAMs so it needs a radar.

Thanks

[AndrewJ]

As the Socotra strike heads for home, the four F-14s with the longest range loadouts (which haven't yet used any of their ordnance) are refuelled and directed to head west and tangle with forces in the Aden area. After initial successes against Mig-21s patrolling the area they head NNW towards Sana'a, and start running into more credible opposition in the form of Mig-23s and Mig-29s, and a couple of support planes. Their range advantage keeps them out of immediate danger, and they manage to get a decent score before running away back towards the tanker with their tanks nearly dry. (In retrospect, maybe I should have sent more of the heavy CAP F-14s along, and tried to get a more decisive engagement. But I'm nervous about leaving the carrier so undefended, so I hurried them home instead.)

I had originally intended to have all my naval forces rendezvous NE of Socotra and proceed along the N shore of the Gulf of Aden, but looking at the distances I don't think I have the time. So the CV and the AO will have to proceed nearly due W, meeting up to the SW of Socotra and passing through the straits there. With Socotra in ruins I've sent a French Atlantique to start patrolling the straits for subs before my ships get there. Meanwhile the task group from the Gulf has to make good time along the N shore at 30 knots, praying they don't run over a sub at those speeds. I've got P-3s looking around in front of them, so hopefully that will help.

Now that Socotra's down the French decide to get a bit more agressive, and the Mirages start darting out to pick on the Mig-21s flying out of Al Anad. Their missiles aren't great, but they significantly outclass the Mig-21s, so all is well in that regard. However the Russians up in Sana'a are an entirely different story, and any time the Mig-29s start heading south the French flee the scene. I'm always keeping four Mirages on ready alert, rather than commit them all, since I've got airbases all around me (including Dire Dawa to my rear) and an anti-airfield strike could arrive at any time. However I do send one of my recce planes hurtling north through the Bab al Mandeb, getting a nice look at the docks packed with Boghammers and the nearby arty batteries (and the angry 57mm gunners...). He then heads north up the Red Sea to overfly some of the central islands. Nothing's there, fortunately, so he strafes the central Square Tie radar for good measure, and then heads home again. Meanwhile another Mirage pilot has put a pair of AS-30s into the crowded docks in the Bab. I've only got one plane set up for this at the moment, but I've got plenty of AS-30s. The plane will be back every 6 hours with a different pilot to keep wearing away at the foe before the carrier arrives. I think I'll sneak in a helicopter raid with HOT once it gets dark too.

As this all goes on I'm looking at those fishing boats with some distaste. Low overflights have shown me armed men on deck. Fishing with RPGs? I think not... So far they haven't fired at me despite some low and slow passes overhead, but I wonder what they'll do (or who they'll inform) when my ships get closer. Should I risk international censure and sink them? Probably not a good idea at this point. Maybe I'll have to risk a frigate to see how they'll respond to a warship.

[AndrewJ]

Ha ha ha! We the French are ready for your perfidious sneak attack from behind! Victory is ours!

Er, a second incoming wave, you say?

Zut alors!

[AndrewJ]

It looks like the Sana Strike and Ataq Strike and Aden Strike missions are set to be ASuW strikes, which means they close in on the lone French frigate hanging out near Djibouti. The frigate probably dies early on, but the remaining strikers keep coming on to clear their IP where the frigate was, and end up getting torn up in the French SAM envelope without accomplishing much. If they had been on a ground strike mission they could have fired their ARMs at my SAMs, or launched their Kazoos from well out of my range, and they could have done severe damage to my French base. Would it be more effective if they had their first strike as an attack on Djibouti, and then reset to an anti-shipping attack later?

[Gunner98]

Andrew

That sounds like a good plan, when I tested they went for the Carrier and got beat up pretty bad. Had not considered them going at the Frenchie, but will look at that

Thanks

B

[AndrewJ]

In my case what happened is that the incoming Djibouti land strike spotted the frigate on their way in to attack the French base, and that's when the Anti-ship strikes were triggered.

I re-ran it manually, targeting the docks with half the AS-18s and the HAWKs with a quarter each, and firing in a stream of targeted and BOL ARMs. This worked very (too) well, and I have now lost the entire minesweeper force which was at the dock, and both the HAWKs are out of service. (Unlike and SA-10 they just don't have the power to shoot down enough ARMs and save themselves, and if they turn off the radars they get hit by the AS-18s.) All the ARM/PGM attackers got away unharmed.

Now the AI won't be able to coordinate the attack the same way as a human, but the loss of the minesweepers can be very nasty. I still have the helicopters, but that may not be enough.

One discovery is that for some reason the Roland 3 isn't allowed to attack guided weapons, unlike other SHORADS of its type, so the French defence against this type of attack is only half as effective as you had intended.