Beta AAR - Trapped Under Ice

[acbennett3]

This is an AAR of the included scenario "Trapped Under Ice".
In this scenario the US player has an improved 688 SSN (USS Hartford) and is tasked with hunting down and destroying
a Russian Typhoon class SSBN hiding under the ice. The Typhoon has an unknown number of SSNs protecting her.

Below is an image of the Hartford transiting to the Typhoon's identified operating area marked by the
reference points SSBN-1 thru SSBN-4. For the transit she is deep and moving at a good clip.

[acbennett3]

There are a number of ways the Hartford could search the operating area. One way is sprint and drift - transit to a point
in the op area deep and fast, then come up to just above the layer and slow to a crawl and listen. If nothing found go
deep and transit to the next point. Another method (the one chosen by the AI when I setup a generic ASW mission covering
the op area for this AAR) is to travel at 5knots just above the layer back and forth thru the entire op area.
The advantage of being just above the layer at a slow speed is the submarine's passive sonar can be listening above the
layer while the towed array can potentially drift below the layer and listen there. Nice theory - we'll see.

Below is an image of the Hartford now in the op area, just above the layer at 5kts.

[acbennett3]

A little while into the search the Hartford gets a hit on a submerged contact.

[acbennett3]

I let the AI/ASW mission control the Hartford at this point and it took the sub deeper and increased speed with the
goal of sprinting towards the contact. Apparently this speed change generated enough noise for the Russians to get
a whiff of the Hartford - and they promptly fired a torpedo down the bearing of their detection.

[acbennett3]

The Hartford goes into torpedo evasion - go deep, flank speed and put the enemy torpedo on the edge of the baffles
(area in the water directly behind a submarine through which a hull-mounted sonar cannot hear).

[acbennett3]

After the torpedo is finally out run/evaded, the Hartford turns and slows to see what is behind her.
She detects 2 submerged contacts in pursuit. The closest contact, and apparently firer of the evaded torpedo,
is well within the range of the Hartford's Mark 48 torpedoes so she fires. In response to the noise generated
by the launch the Russian fires another torpedo.

[acbennett3]

Both the Hartford and the Russian (later identified as an Akula class SSN) go into torpedo evasion.

[acbennett3]

The Hartford once again is successful in evading the enemy torpedo - probably because the Russian did not have a good fix
on her and was just firing down the bearing of the Hartford's torpedo. Unfortunately for the Russian she is unsuccessful
in evading the Hartford's Mark 48.

The Hartford then turns and slows again and eventually detects 2 submerged contacts remaining.
The closest is positively identified as a Sierra I class SSN. The other is still of an unknown
type - hopefully the Typhoon? Once again the Hartford launches a Mark 48 at the closest contact.

[acbennett3]

Now things start to get a little crazy. The second contact is identified as a Victor III SSN - not the Typhoon.
Somehow the Sierra evades the Mark 48 and contact is lost. Then the Mark 48 which still has legs is steered towards
the Victor III. Then, not paying attention to the Mark 48, the Hartford almost drives into the torpedoes acquisition cone.
At the last minute I steer her away.

[acbennett3]

Ironically, while in the Navy I actually saw this happen once in the trainer.

After clearing the Mark 48 cone, it continued on and acquired the Victor III.
In the meantime the Sierra was redetected nearby and the Hartford immediately fired another Mark 48.

[acbennett3]

Somehow the Victor III evaded the Mark 48, but the Sierra had no such luck.

[acbennett3]

Now the count was 2 SSNs down, a Victor III nearby, and the Typhoon SSBN still not detected.
The Hartford turns towards the last known bearing of the Victor III and starts the search again.
After a bit of time a torpedo appears on sonar. Based on the 32min old last location of the Victor III
I assume the torpedo came from her and she is close aboard again - but I have no real contact on her.
Therefore I fire a torpedo down the bearing of the enemy torpedo in response.

[acbennett3]

This is called a snapshot and is done to try to at least shake up the firer of the torpedo and force them into evasion also
and prevent another launch. The enemy torpedo is evaded, but in the meantime the Mark 48 never detects/acquires an enemy
submarine. Based on later events and review of the recording, I believe this torpedo came from the as of yet undetected SSBN.
The Victor III was probably exiting the area at high speed.

The Victor III was never redetected so I put the Hartford back into a search pattern in the general direction of the last
location of the Victor III. After a short amount of time a new submerged contact is detected south of the Hartord. She turns
towards the contact and fires a Mark 48. After a little more time the contact is identified as an SSBN - finally. Based on
previous Mark 48 misses and the Typhoon being double hulled, the Hartford fires another Mark 48 to ensure the kill.

[acbennett3]

The SSBN attempts to evade the Mark 48's. Here we see her running for her life with two Mark 48's locked on and hot on her tail.

[acbennett3]

The first Mark 48 gets the kill. The goal of the scenario is achieved and it ends and presents the results screen.

[acbennett3]

This was a fun scenario - especially with my background in submarines. I am not proud of my performance and felt
I got lucky a number of times. In the end the sprint/drift search is probably the better method. After finally
contacting the Russians, they should have been approached in a more stealthy manner. Instead the Hartford lost
the element of surprise and the Russians got the first shot - but luckily not an accurate one. The Hartford was
successful in evading a number of torpedoes - but on the other hand at least 2 of the Mark 48's missed their targets.
While not paying attention I almost drove in front of my own torpedo. In another case I inadvertently cavitated,
drawing a snapshot from the Victor III.

I feel like I am back in the trainer at sub school getting ripped by the reviewing officer…

[Dimitris]

Nice AAR! Really conveys the uncertainty feel.

[JimMerson]

My background is helicopters... So hunting subs is where I came from. This looks like a fun scenario though. Great report!

Jim

[Ranger33]

I don't really have much prior experience with this sort of game, and I know I will be in completely over my head, but I can't wait to play!

[CapnDarwin]

In the post mortem I'm not seeing any decoys/noisemakers for the US sub. Do you have to drop those manually or does the AI decide? Is the sub loaded out with them? I'm a bit rusty on the imp688, but I thought it has both.

Looking good though. Can't wait to play it myself!