Partial AAR - Shamal

[Primarchx]

I was starting a Let's Play video for Shamal, but determined once and for all that my headset is crap (sorry, but the Duelists video is toast!). Then decided to continue to play.

Shamal is a scenario I had started a couple of times during Beta but had put away until some bugs were cleared up at the time. This time I decided to play as the USN, as their bases (3 carriers) are more consolidated, making coordination of aircraft a bit easier than dragging them in from half a dozen bases scattered across the Arabian Peninsula.

First thing I did was separate the three CVs provided for the USN side - JFK, America and Constellation(?) and set them on parallel courses toward the northern Red Sea. Their station there would cut around 100nm off a/c round trips to the target locations. I separated them so I could work with each CVW and corresponding ship magazine independently - for example there are HARMS on one CV but not another. They're little more than moving airbases in Shamal so it was no big issue.

Next I reviewed my targets. The two western airfields were in close proximity, with the westernmost having a whole slew of targets - HAS, ammo revetments and a hardened bunker. The easternmost one just required the elimination of 2 out of 3 runways. The only fixed SAM system was a SA-2f battery covering the southern approach to the further of the two.

Looking over aircraft I only found a handful (8) of Intruders with light LGB (GBU-12 500lb) loads and five Prowlers with a single HARM each, three more Prowlers were jammer-only. All the other strike aircraft were a mix of Mk82, Mk83 & Mk84 iron bomb loads. Tomcats were a mix of -As and -Bs, mostly with Sparrow MiGCAP loads. Just a handful of KA-6s to tank.

Distance was pushing 500nm from the launch point, which made the strike fairly long range, especially with limited tanker support. I figured the A-6s and A-7s would have the range and the Hornets could hit the closest base. Because it would take so long to re-load aircraft I decided to launch EVERYTHING and tailor their loads for subsequent strikes when they returned.

Started by launching an E-2 and two pairs of F-14Bs. With the B's upgraded F-110 engines, it was nice to see a Tomcat cruising at 480kts instead of 405kts. When those made the coast I then launched 2 groups of HARM-armed Prowlers (2-ship & 3-ship). After those went feet dry I launching 4-ships of strike aircraft - starting with defense suppression - 2 flights of Mk82 Hornets for the near base and 2 flights of GBU-12 Intruders for the far one. This was followed by two flights of A-7s with Mk 82s for supplementary defense suppression or targets of opportunity. Then flights of Intruders, Corsairs and Hornets with heavier Mk83 & Mk84 bombs for handling the targets. KA-6s were launched when they approached target to be available on the strike's return.

The F-14s got on station first, straddling the border, and lit up their AWG-9s for a looksie. The E-2 was quite a bit behind and had its' radar on as well. No Iraqi aircraft appeared to be coming up to play. The Prowlers were next on scene, followed closely by the Mk82 Hornets. The EA-6's picked up a lot of emitters, mainly 57mm and Shilka AAA sets but also a couple of SA-6 sites, one per target airbase, as well. The 2-ship responsible for the near base launched both their HARMs at the SA-6 site near to that site and both tracked well. Following a couple of near-misses it was quickly determined that the SA-6 radars were now offline. The 3-ship lofted a single HARM at the SA-2f site and 2 at the SA-6 for that base. All were able to knock out all radar at each missile site! Great news!

Close on their heels came 2 x 4-ships of F/A-18Cs with Mk82s. The faster cruise speed of the Hornet (480kts) meant that they arrived well ahead of trailing Corsairs and Intruders (only a 415kt cruise speed). The Hornets were reduced to 12k' as they approached the near airbase. All eight aircraft were split from the groups and manually directed as they came with 10 nm or so of the base. Only carrying 4 x Mk82s each, their targets were the various 57mm and Shilka AAA around the base.

I quickly determined the desired drop altitude for the attacks (3000' AGL, or about 5700' ASL). To protect my aircraft I began their attack dives at about 1.5nm from their targets. Pause was very helpful here! Each Hornet loosed their full loads and pulled up as soon as bombs separated, picking a (hopefully) safe direction to escape the base's defenses. All Hornets hit their assigned targets, practically stripping the base of its' heavy AAA protection. No ground fire was noted, though several SA-14 MANPADS were launched of which only a few actually got the opportunity to attack. No USN aircraft were lost.

Next on scene were Hornets with Mk83 1000lb GP bombs. They also headed toward the near airbase and concentrated on the ammo revetments there. Some F/A-18Cs got two passes here, dropping a pair of Mk 83s per attack. Only 2 revetments and 1 ammo bunker remained standing as these aircraft concluded. Again more SA-14s were launched but only a few got into attack parameters and none hit.

By now the A-6Es with GBU-12s were heading in to the far airbase, escorted by a Prowler. First stop was the SA-2F battery on the approach. While it had been stripped of radars, I wanted it completely eliminated and sent a couple of LGBs down, wiping it out. The remaining bombs went to taking out three of the four 57mm gun batteries around the airfield. Of particular satisfaction was seeing how the TRAM turrets on the A-6Es were getting clear BDA and IDs of targets nearly 10nm out. The second 4-ship of GBU Intruders wiped out the rest of the 57mm guns and took a side trip to hit the silent SA-6 site. As this happened the E-2C sent out a bogey call.

Over then next couple of minutes unidentified aircraft launched from several Iraqi airbases far to the east of my target zone. I moved my Tomcat CAP up to protect the remaining strike aircraft and had already launched their replacements, which were still some way off.

A-7Es with Mk83s polished off the threat at the near airbase - destroying HAS' and damaging the runway there. A-7Es with Mk82 and A-6Es with Mk83 hammered the far base's runways, eventually destroying them. However SA-14s managed to find and down a single Intruder as it was climbing out of the strike zone. The aircraft went down near an active Iraqi base and no CSAR mission was launched. The final flight of Mk84 Hornets diverted to the near base and destroyed all remaining targets there as well as the runways.

As strike aircraft were finishing their runs or departing the first flight of Tomcats was engaging a pair of MiG-25s which were closing rapidly. AIM-7Ms were able to knock these bandits down before they could cross the 20nm line. This was followed up by the same flight then engaging approaching MiG-23s with more Sparrows and finally a pair of F-7s using all-aspect Sidewinders. In the meantime the second Tomcat flight engaged a pair of Mirage F.1s with Sparrow and promptly splashed them.

All threats eliminated, strike aircraft RTB'd while more fighters came on station to cover their withdraw. Although I had set the Global Side Doctrine to be NO to Refuel, it seems that all the aircraft went to YES once I hit RTB. I had to manually reset this and RTB them to keep them from swarming the tankers. In the end (nearly) all aircraft recovered successfully. All targets at the two nearest airbases appeared to be destroyed at the cost of one A-6E.

While an error prevents me from continuing (there's a KA-6 refueling an A-6E directly over a carrier and I can't compel them to just land already), here's what would be next:

* Send out F-14 with TARPs pod for accurate post-raid BDA.

* Load out returned strike aircraft with precision munitions. The A-6E I lost was due to it operating at low level. These would be heavier GBU-10 2000lb bombs, both GP and BLU.

* Prep more robust SEAD units for hitting the WMD plant - probably A-7Es with HARM and F/A-18C with AGM-65D.

* Be ready with more robust fighter cover, AWACs and jamming.