Play Test: Putins War In the Jaws of the Bear, 2022 V3.0 05/20/20

[BeirutDude]

Edit: Version 3.0 is posted below...

Its time to take the war to Russia Proper! So any help and suggestion on this one would be appreciated. After this one is done, I plan to bundle all of the Putins War scenarios to date and submit them in one Zip file.

[center]CMO: Putin’s War: In the Jaws of the Bear, 2022
Al “Beirutdude” Sandrik
The Time Is: 3 July, 2022 18:00:00 Zulu/20:00:00 Murmansk Time
AOR: The Kola Peninsula and Barents Sea
Playable as NATO only
1 Day Duration[/center]

The NATO resupply was accomplished and along with a Full Marine Expeditionary Brigade, a second resupply convoy from Savannah arrived. One vessel sailed to Narvik and its cargo was rapidly transported to Evenes Diversionary Air Base. Over the next few days, the Norwegian Roya; Air Force aircraft evacuated the field and USMC aircraft from MCAS Beaufort, SC began to trickle in. By the 29th all of the available aircraft of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s, Marine Aircraft Group 31 had arrived at their new Forward Operating Base, reinforced with the Naval Air Reserve’s Electronic Attack Squadron 209 (VAQ-209).

The USAF’s 27th Fighter Squadron, from Langley Air Force Base, VA landed at Andoya Anti-Submarine & Diversionary Air Base on the 28th along with several C-17A’s. Other American and NATO electronic and recon assists flooded other bases in Norway during this period as well.

All was not quiet elsewhere, in at Keflavik the Navy’s P-8 Poseidon’s quietly departed for England. With the Russian Navy largely pushed back to the Barents Sea, their role was diminishing and they could more easily coordinate with their British cousins from RAF Lossiemouth. At least that was the cover story for their departure. C-17 Globemasters began to arrive in large numbers with their cargos quickly placed under tarps and extremely heavy guard. Observers, some more than casual, speculated on the activity, but security kept prying eyes far enough back. On the 2nd of July the mystery thickened as KC-10, B-1B and B-52H aircraft began to land on the base. Strangely all internet and telecom with the island was lost as the aircraft began their approach and several “safehouses” were raided with a major gun battle leading to the demise of a Russian FSB cell.
The concept of operations was simple, the time had come to take the war to Russia. MAG-31 was to launch SEAD attacks from its base in Norway attacking from the landward flank. The USAF aircraft in Iceland would fly a circular route north of Jan Mayan Island launching a SEAD attack with their decoys, jammers and JASSMs and the USN would follow up that attack with a Tomahawk strike on the major Kola Peninsula naval bases and air fields. The primary goal was to unhinge and destroy the Russian Aerial Denial capabilities, so the SAMs and emitters were the primary target. Follow up strikes could further degrade the Russian position. Furthermore, the strikes would send the message to Moscow that Russia proper was not invulnerable

While Russia had largely been pushed out of the Norwegian Sea (and pushed further back toward Banak on land), with many naval units sunk or badly damaged, they hadn’t been completely defanged! The Bear still had its claws and claw back it would! Naval pickets were set north of the Kola Peninsula and the ADA network was reinforced. So far little of the Russian SAM network had been damaged, and expended missiles were resupplied from the Far East. Russia might be down, but she was hardly out…

Designers notes:
Airbase load outs have been tailored to the situation you have plenty but never enough! Please don’t add missiles, there is a war on after all! The F-22A Raptors deliberately have only one air to air loadout. They are a one trick pony!
The initial “surge” is over so air operations are now at sustainment levels, again, please don’t change that setting.
The idea is to destroy the ADA system. Points are primarily awarded for the radars/emitters and SAMs and subtracted for your unit losses. A Pyrrhic Victory will not win this scenario, so don’t be cavalier with your aircraft and vessels.
If you do attack Russian air/naval bases Victory Points are awarded for aircraft, runway access points and piers.
Look closely at all of your airbases! This is NATO’s first big attempt to attack into Russia proper. As the Europeans are largely bearing the brunt for the Central Front fighting in Poland, this a largely American show, but there are supporting NATO units and you must use them well to win.
Sweden and Finland have now fully integrated into the NATO radar network, but their aircraft are still operating independently and out of fear of a Russian ground invasion not allowing NATO to base out of their counties.
IMPORTANT: Remember the decoys ADM-141C ITALD and ADM-160B MALD and the Jammer version ADM-160C MALD-J are Bering Only Launch (BOL, CNTRL+F1 to launch). The ADM-160B/C "MALD-J" can be course corrected. Use them well!

Originally created under CMO Version 1.01 Build 1134.1 – Data Base: DB3000 483
Updated to CMO Version 1.01 Build 1143.1 – Data Base: DB3000 483 - 4/25/2020
An .INI and Delta File have both been provided for rebuilds
Al “BeirutDude” Sandrik (ex-Beachinnole)
Al.Sandrik@gmail.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FM SECDEF, Washington, DC
TO COMCHIEFNAVOPS Washington, DC
COMSECONDFLT Norfolk, VA
SECNAV, Washington, DC
SECAF, Washington, DC
USEUCOM, Stuttgart, GE
Commander VAQ-209, Whidbey Island, WA
COMSECONDMAW, Beaufort, SC
COMPATRECONWING 11, Jacksonville, FL
COMSUBGRU 10, Kings Bay, GA
COMNAVSURFRON 14, Mayport, FL
COMSTRKFIGHTWINGLANT, Oceana, VA
COMUSSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, NB
BT

3 Jul 2022, 12:16 UTC
Classification Top Secret Rel NATO//N007219//
MSGID/GENADMIN//COMCHIEFNAVOPS//
SUBJ/Urgent…Operation Northern Lights//
The NATO Council and U.S. National Command Authority (NCA) have issued finial approval for Operation Northern Lights. The objective of this operation is to engage and degrade the Russian air defense network on the Kola Peninsula/Nordkapp and, if practical, other critical facilities. Plans are being developed for potential follow on attacks on critical infrastructure and you are only to attack secondary targets after your primary goals (destroying the ADA/Areal Denial weapons) has been achieved.
Northern Lights is a multipronged, joint operations force operation incorporating USAF, USN/USMC and NATO assets.

Concept of Operations
Operations will commence at 18:00 utc with initial reconnaissance of the KOLA Peninsula.
USAF/UK and NATO reconnaissance and airborne air control assets will be utilized to detect and target Russian emitters.
Available reconnaissance/control assets…
Two (2) U-2S Dragon Lady aircraft based at Orland Air Base.
Three (3) E-3A NATO Sentry aircraft based at Bodo Air Base.
Two (2) E-8C Joint STARS aircraft based at Bodo Air Base
Two (2) Royal Air Force Airseeker RC-135W Rivet Joint Aircraft based at Boda Air Base.
Four (4) RQ-4B Global Hawks based at Bardufoss Diversionary Air Base
Six (6) RQ-21A Blackjack UAVs based at Evenes Diversionary Air Base
Three (3) E-3G Sentry aircraft based at Keflavik. These assets will be utilized to control and coordinate traffic over the Norwegian Sea.

Time on Target (ToT) for the strike package will be 04 July 2022 at 04:00 utc. You are to deploy assets in accordance with ToT.

Marine Air Group (MAG) – 31 based at Evenes, Norway is assigned to strike targets in the southern Kola Peninsula south of Monchegorsk, Russia. This air group is supported by USN Naval Air Reserve EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 209 (VAQ-209) .

B-52H bombers, B-1B Bomber (Strike Group Polaris) and KC-10 aircraft will depart Keflavik. Iceland flying along the points outlined on the map.

Refueling of Strike Group (SG) Polaris will occur between Point Seahorse and Point Salmon.

Following refueling the tanker aircraft will return to Iceland to refuel and then will meet SG Polaris between Points Seahorse and Salmon on the return leg of the mission.

F-22 Raptor, EC-130H Compass Call and KC-10s will depart Andoya Diversionary base rendezvousing with SG Polaris at Points Shark. After refueling between Points Shark and Scorpion they will escort SG Polaris into the target.

SG Polaris will launch decoys and jammers as necessary via Bearing Only Launch and then control them onto the target area for greatest effect. Ingress route will commence from point Salmon with launch of decoys near Point Scallop.

In conjunction with the USMC/USAF strike packages the USS Florida will initiate a TLAM strike on Kola Peninsula targets. Florida will be escorted by HMS Audacious, USS San Juan and USS North Dakota. If the tactical situation dictates those units may also initiate TLAM attacks on critical facilities at the discretion of their Commanding Officers.

TF 20.1 is to make a high-speed run to Point Saturn and is to attack Russian forces in the vicinity of Nordcapp/Banak, Norway, in support of the USMC/Northern Brigade ground operations to retake that air base.

You assets are necessary for contemplated follow on tasking and must be preserved. POTUS/NCA understands some losses are inevitable but given the Fourth of July Holiday desires to announce a significant victory with this mission.

Opposition Forces
Russian ADA/Areal Denial Weapons have suffered few losses and have been resupplied. Expect heavy Russian ADA/AAA activity. Jamming and low-level approach should be used to mitigate those assets.

The Russian Navy has been largely destroyed, damaged or is guarding the Barents Sea Bastion, Intelligence indicates little Russian naval activity in the Norwegian Sea. A picket line of patrol vessels and several naval ships has been set up north of Kola. It can be assumed at least one or more submarine are present in that vicinity as well.

Russian fighter and multirole aircraft have been significantly attrited; however, they remain potent and must be accounted for. Estimates of Russian assets…
One (1) squadron of Su-27 at Afrikanda Air Base
One (1) squadron of MiG-31 at Monchegorsk Air Base
One (1) squadron of MiG-29 at Severomorsk-3 Air Base

Weather…
Synopsis: High pressure dominates the weather pattern
Skies: Clear skies with Few Clouds at 10 KFT
Temperature: 12C to 18C
Winds/Seas Wind Sea State 2
Good Luck and God Bless,

Classification Top Secret Rel NATO// N007219//
BT
ZCZC

[edsw]

I have a question. And will there be a scenario about the beginning of the war in the Baltic? And as I understand it, this scenario stems from the fact that NATO won the Putins War Operation Exodus. But if on the contrary, I admitted playing for the “red side” and defeated the blue ones, will there be a development scenario in this case? In general, it would be nice if all the scenarios were combined into a campaign where the result of the previous mission influenced the subsequent ones (but as I understand it, this is not implemented in the CMO).

[BeirutDude]

I have a question. And will there be a scenario about the beginning of the war in the Baltic? And as I understand it, this scenario stems from the fact that NATO won the Putins War Operation Exodus. But if on the contrary, I admitted playing for the “red side” and defeated the blue ones, will there be a development scenario in this case? In general, it would be nice if all the scenarios were combined into a campaign where the result of the previous mission influenced the subsequent ones (but as I understand it, this is not implemented in the CMO).

So I can't make every scenario a Fait Accompli or what would be the sense in playing them? The next problem is to continue the time line for scenarios that are part of the story I have to make certain assumptions about how the previous timeline turned out. So to "preserve the time line" into this scenario I cold give NATO overwhelming force for Bodo express, but then why play as the Russian.

As to the Baltic, I was working on it but just discovered the Database is missing on my computer....

[KnightHawk75]

Am I missing a tf20.1 or should the briefing read tf20.2 I'm thinking it's just simple typo but wanted to make sure?

edit:
Humraams... Also I converted all the mpq-64's to actually be on the units that seemingly need them attached to fire, and removed the external ones before starting. ie they now look like this:



Also maybe 'drop contact' on some of the radars near the russian border by nato\Finland&Sweden? They showed up immediately as having been previously detected 7-8minutes ago or error! ago, by unknown, upon start. Weird, maybe by product of prior allied detection during your testing? Same for russian side old detection of nato units etc.

[edsw]

ORIGINAL: BeirutDude

I have a question. And will there be a scenario about the beginning of the war in the Baltic? And as I understand it, this scenario stems from the fact that NATO won the Putins War Operation Exodus. But if on the contrary, I admitted playing for the “red side” and defeated the blue ones, will there be a development scenario in this case? In general, it would be nice if all the scenarios were combined into a campaign where the result of the previous mission influenced the subsequent ones (but as I understand it, this is not implemented in the CMO).

So I can't make every scenario a Fait Accompli or what would be the sense in playing them? The next problem is to continue the time line for scenarios that are part of the story I have to make certain assumptions about how the previous timeline turned out. So to "preserve the time line" into this scenario I cold give NATO overwhelming force for Bodo express, but then why play as the Russian.

As to the Baltic, I was working on it but just discovered the Database is missing on my computer....

So I can't make every scenario a Fait Accompli or what would be the sense in playing them? The next problem is to continue the time line for scenarios that are part of the story I have to make certain assumptions about how the previous timeline turned out. So to "preserve the time line" into this scenario I cold give NATO overwhelming force for Bodo express, but then why play as the Russian.

As to the Baltic, I was working on it but just discovered the Database is missing on my computer....

If it’s no secret what kind of database? If maybe about pro-Russian objects in Kaliningrad or just in the west of Russia, I can tell you.

[BeirutDude]

NO I mean the Command/game Database! [:D]

I actually started this project about 1 year ago and keep starting and stopping the project. Well it was started with DB3K_480.db3 and I accidentally deleted that database from the DB file. Doesn't seem to be in any of the patches I have. I did post screen captures of what I had done so far in one of the Putins War threads, maybe Midnight Sun? If you want to look. The aerial Denial Weapons in Kaliningrad are frightening!!!!

Edit: added image, but unable to access scenario right now! Can anyone PM me a DB3K_480.db3 file?????? Please!

Edit 2: Resolved the DB issue with Dimitris's help!

[BeirutDude]

Oh by the way I find this source to be quite useful and SEEMS to be an accurate open source intel site (and since I have no access to real intel [any more] seems good to me). Its interactive so clik on the unit symbols to drill down.

https://www.gfsis.org/maps/russian-military-forces

[BeirutDude]

Typo! Fat fingered it! Thanks!

[BeirutDude]

So did a quick run of it last night while watching Men in Black with my youngest daughter so my play wasn't the best. Lost NATO units which I wouldn't have if not distracted, ToT was off by a 1/2 hour and my USMC SEAD strike was sloppy!. That said, these were the Russian losses with only the BUKs in the south (not objectives but modeled) and a few mostly damaged batteries near Olenegorsk Air Base surviving. They would likely have been mission kills. Also some SU-23-4's were above on the list. The kill list is bigger than the screen!

Thoughts...
1. JASSMs, well if the USAF doesn't have enough JASSMs at Barksdale AFB and Dyess AFB to fit out 12 B-52H's and 4 B-1B's I want my tax dollars back!! Honestly, this is a major push, in essentially WWIII, and while the PGMs would be needed elsewhere I don't think the number of JASSM PGMs is unreasonable given the importance of unhinging the Russian northern flank. Why no JASSM-ERs? I don't think enough would be available by then!
2. The scenario is toooooooo loooooooong! [>:] [:D] Will be scaling back to 12 or (maybe) 15 hours. ToT probability to 00:00 utc. A lot of my losses were during recon because it just went on for tooooooooooo long.
3. There is a reason is one doesn't go both ways! Russia is just over matched and yes I think if we got this far into a war without nukes flying I believe they would be.

[BeirutDude]

If it’s no secret what kind of database? If maybe about pro-Russian objects in Kaliningrad or just in the west of Russia, I can tell you.

Here you go, after I got back into the scenario. This includes Belarus.

[BeirutDude]

Play Tested it again last night with similar results for the SAM/Radar/Emitter sites but better destruction of aircraft on the ground (got every Backfire and IL-38 May most on the ground).

1. Going to bump up a Triumph to 7,500 VP's (6,000 is just too low).
2. Need to turn off Aerial Refueling for Sweden/Finland's missions, getting funky A/I behavior there if the NATO refuelers aren't over those countries.

My big losses in yesterday's run, were the number of EW/AEW/tanker aircraft the Russians went after, the A/I is good at driving home attacks on them. I even set up an Escort but the Russian A/I still drove the attacks home! I lost both RC-135W Airseekers, an E-3A and about 4 tankers! Didn't loose a single F-35 but about 6 Norwegian F-16s. Without the AEW/EW losses I would have scored about 9,000. I will say my SEAD Missions were very sloppy and and the A/I didn't launch missions I thought were on autopilot destroying ToT!

[KnightHawk75]

I wouldn't make it shorter, having time to scout is helpful, if anything I would have added time so I could swap some loadouts and try some other options for scouting.

Random thoughts.

I played twice, once just for a few hours doing the whole coordinated 0400 strike the way the brief desired got 7900 something.
The second time, which I found more enjoyable (for myself anyway), I tossed the briefing. Told myself take these assets as they become available...do what you want, how you want, when you want, with the only guidance being 'make sure I'm out of RU airspace and any munitions have hit by 04:00Z, and each aircraft only gets one takeoff. The only loadout I actually did change were for some 6 or 8 f-18s I turned from cap loadouts to striker loadouts because it frankly didn't make sense to me otherwise. It was a far more rewarding result. 13970.

In the second run I micro'd the hell out everything and incrementally over several hours (in game) wiped everything but the ships by around midnight Z.

I definitely had the advantage having already played it the first time and try as one might to 'forget' what you know, you can't entirely.
Also I think I got a enemy-cap free ~hour about midway though the second run cause I used some Perdix drones off some f-18's that never ran out of fuel and gave the enemy aircraft AI a fit till i finally noticed they were endlessly chasing a couple of them around engaged offensive but with no result and so I manually deleted the drones (saved and restarted cmo as well cause things seemed glitchy - cmo still doesn't seem to like being open for days at a time I guess). So that score should be taken with grain of salt. Still lost 4 f-18's and Finland lost one, but there was nothing left when I was done except the ships.

Area around Olenegorsk was roughest nut though, those sa-10's ate up far more munitions than any of the s-400's did - in fact those never fired a shot the second time around, life might have been far more difficult had they had gravestones on with wra set to like 125nm. Didn't need all 8 Iceland tankers for the b1's when going via land so used the extra to help keep strikers turned cap and growlers airborne - which given how low they had to be flying for long stretches was helpful. The key I think was was making use of the mald-j's and talc decoys incrementally such that most of RU's radars were jammed, and the enemy aircraft AI was busy tracking decoys down while I went to town taking out radars and sams, blinding him for the most part by the time they were done with them.

Anyway, second time around it reminded me a little of my favorite scenario, Hail Mary from Chains of War, only more focused\smaller in scale.
I might try a 3rd run with some changes to RU radar settings, s400's being active (with wra at like 100,125nm) instead of just dead targets, which I think will make it so much harder despite being able to easily spot where they are, and probably chops the score by 2/3rds as it puts up to ~240 more enemy missiles into actual play as configured. Maybe I'll remove their reloads taking it down to 144, so I have a fighting chance, and if I only get one shot, they probably should as well, that or give myself sdb options with the f-22's to help counter balance.

[BeirutDude]

PLAY TEST Version Three is now in the string below this...

I wouldn't make it shorter, having time to scout is helpful, if anything I would have added time so I could swap some loadouts and try some other options for scouting.

So in this version is 18 hours and left scoring at 6,000 for a "Triumph." Now dang you, you pointed out a major flaw with all of the Putin's War: Norwegian scenarios!!!!!! [&o] More later! [:D]

Random thoughts.

I played twice, once just for a few hours doing the whole coordinated 0400 strike the way the brief desired got 7900 something.
The second time, which I found more enjoyable (for myself anyway), I tossed the briefing. Told myself take these assets as they become available...do what you want, how you want, when you want, with the only guidance being 'make sure I'm out of RU airspace and any munitions have hit by 04:00Z, and each aircraft only gets one takeoff. The only loadout I actually did change were for some 6 or 8 f-18s I turned from cap loadouts to striker loadouts because it frankly didn't make sense to me otherwise. It was a far more rewarding result. 13970.

OK, glad you had fun! Some people want very specific orders, and some want to free play!

In the second run I micro'd the hell out everything and incrementally over several hours (in game) wiped everything but the ships by around midnight Z.

Yeah me as well, I kind of got the idea for this scenario from Kushan's El Dorado Canyon Scenario I play tested and that was major/uber micro managing!

I definitely had the advantage having already played it the first time and try as one might to 'forget' what you know, you can't entirely.
Also I think I got a enemy-cap free ~hour about midway though the second run cause I used some Perdix drones off some f-18's that never ran out of fuel and gave the enemy aircraft AI a fit till i finally noticed they were endlessly chasing a couple of them around engaged offensive but with no result and so I manually deleted the drones (saved and restarted cmo as well cause things seemed glitchy - cmo still doesn't seem to like being open for days at a time I guess). So that score should be taken with grain of salt. Still lost 4 f-18's and Finland lost one, but there was nothing left when I was done except the ships.

Good!

Area around Olenegorsk was roughest nut though, those sa-10's ate up far more munitions than any of the s-400's did - in fact those never fired a shot the second time around, life might have been far more difficult had they had gravestones on with wra set to like 125nm.

And there in lies the problem, your point inspired me to do some testing. I ran a series of tests with various Russian Radars in Cuba with just the remoted Cheese Board, Big Bird, Snow Drift and other radars on and the battery radar off. As you pointed out there isn't a separate Grave Stone so that was lacking but even at that the only radars that seemed to ID the B-52H's, F/A-18Fs and B-1Bs (I even tried F-16s) until the last second were the S-300 radars (Tall Rack D I think, or something like it). Which is why Olenegorsk was such a tough nut when the S-400s should have been. I thought it was because I was so slick flying under the radar until the last minute and popping off MALD-141s and 160-Js BUT in my test I flew the American jets in at 36,000 feet with every radar on 16 aircraft blasting and unless the Battery radars were active it made little difference. Yeah they would pop off a Growler or two, but not like a real SAM/S-400 Battalion would.

SO I just turned on all of the batteries and am going to do so on all of the Norwegian scenarios.

Didn't need all 8 Iceland tankers for the b1's when going via land so used the extra to help keep strikers turned cap and growlers airborne - which given how low they had to be flying for long stretches was helpful. The key I think was was making use of the mald-j's and talc decoys incrementally such that most of RU's radars were jammed, and the enemy aircraft AI was busy tracking decoys down while I went to town taking out radars and sams, blinding him for the most part by the time they were done with them.

Love those decoys! I learned how valuable they were when I designed the Incirlik 2021 scenario!

Anyway, second time around it reminded me a little of my favorite scenario, Hail Mary from Chains of War, only more focused\smaller in scale.
I might try a 3rd run with some changes to RU radar settings, s400's being active (with wra at like 100,125nm) instead of just dead targets, which I think will make it so much harder despite being able to easily spot where they are, and probably chops the score by 2/3rds as it puts up to ~240 more enemy missiles into actual play as configured. Maybe I'll remove their reloads taking it down to 144, so I have a fighting chance, and if I only get one shot, they probably should as well, that or give myself sdb options with the f-22's to help counter balance.

I didn't reset the WRA, but will likely do that before I submit it. Your game/$80 on eh F-22s but I deliberately chose to not give the SDB, or any other ground options, to the F-22s deliberately. In a hot environment like this I really think they would try to give the bombers some kind of escort. I'd hate to have to add some fighters to the north Kola Peninsula with an air intercept mission and a ready time about the bombers would appear! [:D]

[KnightHawk75]

Yeah external radars don't mean jack for sam units (or many others) that don't have the CEC capability flag on them (which is mostly only western gear atm). Unless they're on the unit itself and on, the side knows you're there from other gear (and that's useful to trigger other things) but those s-400's will never fire unless they have personal knowledge\track or I think in "self-defense" at <10nm - assuming they have some ability to see them like mk1-eyeball or camera systems paired with munitions that don't need illumination etc. It's all similar to the hummram's needing the mpq's onboard to actually fire\make use of the radar data.

True on the escort assumption irl. Yeah the jamming decoys make a huge difference it's like having expendable growlers out there.

[BeirutDude]

Yeah external radars don't mean jack for sam units (or many others) that don't have the CEC capability flag on them (which is mostly only western gear atm). Unless they're on the unit itself and on, the side knows you're there from other gear (and that's useful to trigger other things) but those s-400's will never fire unless they have personal knowledge\track or I think in "self-defense" at <10nm - assuming they have some ability to see them like mk1-eyeball or camera systems paired with munitions that don't need illumination etc. It's all similar to the hummram's needing the mpq's onboard to actually fire\make use of the radar data.

True on the escort assumption irl. Yeah the jamming decoys make a huge difference it's like having expendable growlers out there.

So the good news is the SAM Bns were OK on the other scenarios, and I remember as this one was largely a SEAD mission, I tried to get fancy. So this is fixed. One other thing I changed was the Awareness level from Normal to AutoSideID. I had set it to normal to make the EW missions more meaningful but found that just kept the SAMs from responding.

[KnightHawk75]

ORIGINAL: BeirutDude

Yeah external radars don't mean jack for sam units (or many others) that don't have the CEC capability flag on them (which is mostly only western gear atm). Unless they're on the unit itself and on, the side knows you're there from other gear (and that's useful to trigger other things) but those s-400's will never fire unless they have personal knowledge\track or I think in "self-defense" at <10nm - assuming they have some ability to see them like mk1-eyeball or camera systems paired with munitions that don't need illumination etc. It's all similar to the hummram's needing the mpq's onboard to actually fire\make use of the radar data.

True on the escort assumption irl. Yeah the jamming decoys make a huge difference it's like having expendable growlers out there.

So the good news is the SAM Bns were OK on the other scenarios, and I remember as this one was largely a SEAD mission, I tried to get fancy. So this is fixed. One other thing I changed was the Awareness level from Normal to AutoSideID. I had set it to normal to make the EW missions more meaningful but found that just kept the SAMs from responding.

AutoSideID... that's one approach, going to be quite the challenge now. lol

[BeirutDude]

AutoSideID... that's one approach, going to be quite the challenge now. lol

Simulates IFF. It was just too easy under normal!

[BeirutDude]

Play test version 3.0!

Now this is Slick! Thanks to Kushan04 [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] The Russian Radars will activate and deactivate on a random basis. Not all of them, there are a few base radars that stay on, but most will do a radar activation check every 15 seconds.

[BeirutDude]

I posted all five (5) Putin's War Scandinavia scenarios yesterday. So they are in the Ready Folder. That doesn't mean they can't be adjusted but I figured with a week of no activity play test interest in this one had waned. So all five are posted (in one Zip), but if you have any suggestions for the "In the Jaws of the Bear" scenario please post them here! Thanks.

[edsw]

ORIGINAL: BeirutDude

Oh by the way I find this source to be quite useful and SEEMS to be an accurate open source intel site (and since I have no access to real intel [any more] seems good to me). Its interactive so clik on the unit symbols to drill down.

https://www.gfsis.org/maps/russian-military-forces

Oh by the way I find this source to be quite useful and SEEMS to be an accurate open source intel site (and since I have no access to real intel [any more] seems good to me). Its interactive so clik on the unit symbols to drill down.

https://www.gfsis.org/maps/russian-military-forces

I use this source. It is difficult to say how accurate it is, but the data in it is quite detailed. Unfortunately, it seems they are relevant only until 2018, the author no longer updates them (as far as I heard he was subjected to pressure from the FSB of Russia)
http://www.milkavkaz.com/