Situation:
1 week ago, 30 VVVIP Qataris hostages taken.
Perpetuators found to state sponsored by Yemen with demand to evict US military presence in Qatar.
Fleet sortied in preparation 3 days ago.
2 days ago, ultimatum issued by Qatar to release 30 hostages, or else Yemen 'will find out' depth of Qatar's resolve.
Hostages located yesterday. Yemen is unaware that hostages have been located.
Yemen prepared for an Qatar's reprisal.
Deadline expired today.
Your orders are to:
1. retrieve the 30 hostages safely
2. dismantle Yemen's offensive strike potential and significant military assets as far as practicable, including their AAA/SAMs, SSM/BM arsenal and fighter inventory.
Plan for Operation FAFO:
Hostages observed to be held in a building within Al Anad Airbase.
1. Gain air superiority over Yemen
2. Following control of the skies, rapidly conduct aerial reconnaissance of Yemen to locate ASBM TELs and carry out strikes to degrade Anti-ship offensive potential of Yemeni forces, so as to minimise the ASBM threat to TF22.1. A minimally loaded F-15QA with only self-protection A2A loadout has been prepared for this.
3. Simultaneously, use the superior sensors of the F-15QA to build a picture of the ground threat around Aden Airport and Al Anad Airbase, in support of carrying out an Amphibious Raid. Degrade local ground forces in vicinity of hostage holding building. (It is recommended to designate the Hostage Building as a 'Decoy' in game to prevent your forces accidentally bombing the building while it is still under enemy control)
4. Once enemy ground forces have been sufficiently degraded, carry out an Amphibious Raid on Al Anad Airbase with the objective of occupying enemy ground forces during the rescue operation and taking out any military assets located at Al Anad Airbase and Aden Airport. (Land any of the Special Forces team within ~200m of the building to take control of it. You can then unload the hostages for extraction after the building comes under your control)
5. Conduct a heliborne insertion of the Special Forces to capture the building where the hostages are held. Extract the hostages and the Spec Forces team(s) to Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, safely out of harm's way. (Unload the hostages in the 'Hostage Recovery Zone' around Camp Lemonier to complete this task)
Saudi Arabia has granted us full overflight privileges.
Due to the extreme ranges involved in Operation FAFO, our Rafales will not be supporting this operation and will be dedicated for homeland defense during this period.
Enemy forces threat assessment:
1. Nil sub surface threat
2. Greatest threat from multiple ASBM batteries. Aster 30 coupled with KRONOS Power Shield radar combination on Al Fulk assessed as capable against BM threat but Al Fulk's magazine depth of only 16 Aster 30s poses potential missile saturation issue. Aster 30 on Doha class limited to Air Breathing Threats due to lack of ABM radar.
3. Enemy major surface fleet combatants consist of only a few old Fast Attack Craft. Expect possible deployment of suicide USVs
4. Yemen had enough time to carry out mining operations. Mining activity was observed by US assets operating off Djibouti. Mining activity confined to Yemeni coastal waters, emanating approximately 60nm east and west of the waters off Aden Airport.
5. Heavy maritime traffic in Gulf of Aden means your SAG position is likely to be tracked through OSINT and sympathisers in addition to their organic UAV means as TF 22.1 approaches Yemeni waters.
6. Enemy fighter fleet comprised of Mig-29s and F-5E fighters with approximately 1 squadron of Mig-29s and 3 squadrons of F-5Es operational.
F-5Es are operating from Al Ghaydah Airbase, Ataq Airbase and Ta'izz Airbase
Mig-29s are operating from Ataq Airbase and Ta'izz Airbase
7. Note that distance is a serious concern, and our lack of Aerial Refueling platforms is a handicap for this operation. The US has agreed to allow for Camp Lemonier to be used as a contingency runway. US munitions are also available for use for follow on operations by aircraft diverted to Camp Lemonier, if required.
Forces under your command include:
3x squadrons of F-15QA Ababils
1x squadron of Eurofighter Typhoons
Task Force 22 ARG comprising 4x Doha class corvettes and the Al Fulk LPD as the flagship of TF 22
2x AH-64E Guardians and 4x NH-90 TTHs embarked on the Al Fulk
4x NH-90 NFHs embarked on the 4 Doha class corvettes
Marine task force embarked on Al Fulk LPD comprising infantry, heavy armour and artillery elements
2x Special Forces teams embarked on Al Fulk LPD for purposes of capturing the building where hostages held.
We have narrowed down the most optimal landing sites to 2 areas, with the required mineclearance zones indicated accordingly as 'Mineclearing E' and 'Mineclearing W'.
With our lack of organic MCM capability, USN has agreed to assign us the LCS 36 Kingsville configured with a full MCM loadout of 2x MH-60S, 2 Fleet Class USVs and 2 Knifefish UUVs for the full spectrum of Mine Warfare duties. The US is reluctant to get further involved and has requested we provide air cover for the Kingsville and the MCM assets deployed from Kingsville. For the purpose of coordination, you have been provided limited operational control of the Kingsville. (You may give limited directions to the LCS via Special Actions.)
Obviously a contrived scenario. My excuse to feature the interesting ship, the Al Fulk. And also the MCM configured LCS, which finally is entering service.
