For Testing: US/China War 2025: Op Emerald Horizon

[Craigkn]

This is the third in a US/China war series that I am working on. In this scenario, a air task force launches from bases in Australia to conduct Offensive Counter Air and Air Mobility operations. The scenario has plenty of messages and alerts to hopefully guide a player to a successful outcome. Victory conditions are somewhat easy to achieve, but reaching the stretch goals will require quite a bit of work. You also get to participate in a game of "whack a mole" - but this time your the mole, and the PLARF is the one doing the whacking, but there are plenty of in-game messages to help plan for that.

Description:

"This scenario depicts a near-future war between China and the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines. After China launched a massive ballistic missile strike against U.S. and allied bases, only a few airfields are available for the U.S. and its allies to launch a counterattack. The USAF launched a daring raid against the PLAN aircraft carrier Fujian, which was severely damaged. U.S. Seventh Fleet submarines finished the Fujian, and sunk many escorts and support vessels, causing the PLA Navy to retire to waters where the PLAAF can provide direct air cover. With lanes of communication open in the Philippine Sea, now it is time for Allied forces to deploy to bases in the Philippines, as well as strike decisive blows against China’s Spratly Island bases."

[twwaxminer]

Enjoying the scenario and concept. I am struggling to fully use the C-17 and Rapid Dragon system. I am only able to aim one pallent at one target, which results in most of the JASSAMs not firing or each target gets a full pallet of missles regardless of the number required to destroy the target. Is there a trick to allocating?

[Craigkn]

Rapid Dragon seems really buggy. I dont have a good solution for this yet!

[BDukes]

Nice job Craig.

I finished this one with 3117 points and some losses. I really enjoyed the narrative push at the beginning, and the Chinese defense was no pushover. My planning issue was I inch-frogged everything toward targets using tankers stations and pushing them forward as things passed. Paid for it in the end, as I had to land lots of tankers at Palau while keeping fighters in orbit until they were ready to proceed with the landings and then attack. Paid for it later on. Landings went well, and I did get Antonio Bautista relatively unharmed by flying the last bit at low level and doing a little praying. My JASSM attacks went well as the MALD-Js occupied the fighters. I got a few good shots in before but overstepped and lost some fighters. Definitely a good week of gaming.

Only real rub was Yap can't support big tankers, only the 130's. Looked it up, and the runway is 6000ft, so you can probably go one runway size larger.

The bill: Things still burning so maybe a few more.
SIDE: Allies
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
6x A/C Hangar (2x Large Aircraft)
39x A/C Hangar (2x Medium Aircraft)
1x Airbus A.330-200 MRTT [KC-30A]
1x Building (Airport Terminal)
4x F-35A Lightning II
3x F-35A Lightning II
4x KC-135R Stratotanker
1x Radar (Generic Air Traffic Control)


DECOYS:
-------------------------------


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
72x ADM-160C MALD-J [Stand-In OECM]
48x AGM-158A JASSM [Penetrator]
123x AGM-158B JASSM-ER
18x AIM-120D AMRAAM P3I.4
48x AIM-260 JATM
1x AIM-9X Sidewinder
2x AN/ALE-70 FOTD
27x AN/ALE-70(V)/T-1687 Expendable Decoy
31x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
14x Rapid Dragon Weapon Pallet [9x AGM-158B JASSM-ER]
29x Sky Sabre [Land Ceptor]

WEAPONS/STORES LOST:
-----------------------------
42x 25mm GAU-22/A Equalizer Burst [30 rnds]
16x AIM-260 JATM
14x AIM-9X Sidewinder
28x AN/ALE-70 FOTD
19x AN/ALE-70(V)/T-1687 Expendable Decoy
67x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
56x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Dual Spectral]



SIDE: PLAAF
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
6x A/C Hardened Aircraft Shelter (1x Large Aircraft)
1x Ammo Pad
1x Building (Medium)
2x Building (Point Defense [Type 3])
2x H-6K Badger
7x Hardened Missile Shelter (1x TEL)
4x HQ-16B TEL
4x J-10C Firebird
1x J-11BG
6x J-20B Mighty Dragon
2x Radar (China HT-233 [HQ-9])
1x Radar (China YLC-2V [High Guard])
3x Radar (China YLC-8B)
1x Radar (Cross Slot)
1x Radar (Podsolnukh E OTH-SW Transmitter)
2x Structure (Pier [Large, 25.1-45m])
2x Structure (Pier [Very Large, 45.1-200m])
1x Vehicle (HQ-16 FCR)


DECOYS:
-------------------------------


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
64x 30mm China H/PJ-12 [Type 730, 240 rnds]
25x 35mm/90 Twin Type-90 Burst [20 rnds, China Type 902 FC]
77x DF-26 [2000kg HE Conventional]
77x DF-26 [2000kg HE Conventional] RV
46x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
4x HQ-16B
32x KD-20 [CJ-10A] ALCM
24x KD-63 [YJ-63]
2x PL-10
223x PL-15

WEAPONS/STORES LOST:
-----------------------------
8x 1700 liter Drop Tank
20x 23mm Type 23-3 Burst [40 rnds]
20x 30mm China H/PJ-12 [Type 730, 240 rnds]
5x 30mm Gsh-30-1 Burst [30 rnds]
32x 35mm/90 Twin Type-90 Burst [20 rnds, China Type 902 FC]
4x 800 liter Drop Tank
5x China KG-600 DECM Pod
4x China KG-800 ECM Pod
153x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
180x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
44x HQ-16B
28x HQ-9B
8x KD-63 [YJ-63]
22x PL-10
32x PL-15

[Tcao]

A very hard scenario.

Wondering if anyone got his whole tanker fleet wiped out?

[BDukes]

A very hard scenario.

Wondering if anyone got his whole tanker fleet wiped out?

5x was enough for me.

You're definitely nailing what's great about this scenario. The tension from the danger causes a lot of shuffling/replanning etc. More decisions are meaningful in this one. Very much suggested.

Mike

[Tcao]

A very hard scenario.

Wondering if anyone got his whole tanker fleet wiped out?

5x was enough for me.

You're definitely nailing what's great about this scenario. The tension from the danger causes a lot of shuffling/replanning etc. More decisions are meaningful in this one. Very much suggested.

Mike

Sorry for a late reply, last month was very busy for me.

"No plan survives first contact", But replanning doesn't work if your A/Cs have a 3 hour downtime on a Pacific Island while you have just received a warning on incoming IRBM strike.

That's how I lost almost all my KC-135s, it is a stupid mistake I made. I put most of my KC-135 in a rallypoint on east side of philippine sea. I also change their home base onto a pacific island (I will not name it to avoid spoiler). When I got the new IRBM strike warning, I decided to take off all the A/C. But I accidently inactive the KC-135 fleets support mission. So these tankers just landed on the island, crowded on the access point and runway when the IRBM began to impact the AFB....

Due to this is a human error, I loaded the save file. that saved my tanker fleet but 2 x F-35A and 2 x KC-135 are tossed because they can not take off due to downtime.

************************************************************************

I noticed there is a bug on the scoring. Why I am receiving the point for losing the A/C?


Also, how you guys deal with the AAM shortage? Right now I am using half of my fighter fleet to ferry AAM missiles from Australia to Philippine.

[BDukes]

A very hard scenario.

Wondering if anyone got his whole tanker fleet wiped out?

5x was enough for me.

You're definitely nailing what's great about this scenario. The tension from the danger causes a lot of shuffling/replanning etc. More decisions are meaningful in this one. Very much suggested.

Mike

Sorry for a late reply, last month was very busy for me.

"No plan survives first contact", But replanning doesn't work if your A/Cs have a 3 hour downtime on a Pacific Island while you have just received a warning on incoming IRBM strike.

That's how I lost almost all my KC-135s, it is a stupid mistake I made. I put most of my KC-135 in a rallypoint on east side of philippine sea. I also change their home base onto a pacific island (I will not name it to avoid spoiler). When I got the new IRBM strike warning, I decided to take off all the A/C. But I accidently inactive the KC-135 fleets support mission. So these tankers just landed on the island, crowded on the access point and runway when the IRBM began to impact the AFB....

Due to this is a human error, I loaded the save file. that saved my tanker fleet but 2 x F-35A and 2 x KC-135 are tossed because they can not take off due to downtime.

************************************************************************

I noticed there is a bug on the scoring. Why I am receiving the point for losing the A/C?


Also, how you guys deal with the AAM shortage? Right now I am using half of my fighter fleet to ferry AAM missiles from Australia to Philippine.

Haha yeah. That initial push really worked for me too. I really think this scenario is in my top 3 user scenarios this year because there are good dilemmas to solve.

I didn't have the munitions issue. I got everybody north and then east in waves. My memory is a little sketchy, but I may have regenerated 1-2 fighter sorties from the forward bases, and they might of been there because they were out of fuel, but not munitions. Most were pushed and tanked from their home base. This is mostly because I expected to really have one good go at it. I landed many more tankers and paid for it..hehe

Mike