Submitted to CSP - Indian Fury 6 - Into the Breach, 1994

[Gunner98]

Here is the next in the Indian Ocean series. Indian Fury 6 - Into the Breach, 1994

You’re commanding CTF 154 centered on the USS Saratoga CVBG and other forces in the Persian Gulf region. Your primary task is to transit the Straits of Hormuz in an effort to impress Saudi Arabia to commit to the conflict on our side. However, a critical secondary task is to ensure the safety of a major oil convoy heading to Europe, and of course tie down Soviet and Soviet aligned forces (primarily Iran) so they cannot interfere in other theatres. Finally, you must do all of this, while preventing the spread of the war and remaining disengaged from the parallel India/Pakistan conflict that is now raging.

The convoy starting in this scenario will appear in at least two others (IF# 8 Red Sea Rumble, and MF#10 Convoy Ho!)

As always, I look forward to your comments and critiques

Ver 2.2 uploaded - Final

[Stanley_The_Rolmate]

The briefing states that you have to defend Iraqi infrastructure in Baghdad, so is Iraq alligned with NATO, or has the country been taken over?

[Gunner98]

Gulf War 1 has occurred and the No Fly Zone was imposed over Iraq with the Iraqi air force either grounded, destroyed or broken.

I haven't worked out all the political nuance but going by the principle of 'you break it - you fix it' the responsibility for defending Iraqi airspace now rests with the UN sanctioned force imposing the NFZ. That's why there are so many US, Brit and French air forces in theater in the first place. So as opposed to being allied to aligned with NATO, protecting Bagdad is more of a preventative measure. From the Soviet perspective, if they can discredit the US and western forces in the region, they add more problems with very little effort.

From a scenario perspective it gives the player something different to consider and balance while they will want to focus on the carrier and convoy to the south.

Perhaps I should explain that a little better in the brief.

[maverick3320]

And here I just started replaying Caribbean Fury 1 to scratch the Fury itch! I'll bump this one to the top of the list, hopefully get to it tomorrow.

You've been pumping out the scenarios lately, Bart. Extremely impressive.

[Gunner98]

Thanks Maverick

I usually have 4 or 5 on the go at any one time, biggest problem is finishing them. The current events series were unplanned (obviously) but thought I had better get those ones out fast.

I've finally put a target endpoint on the various series though and the end (of scenario building not writing) is in sight.

Northern Fury: 58 scenarios, 45 complete but that series is on hold until we release Book #2, we don't want to give too much away.
Caribbean Fury: Complete - 5 of 5 scenarios done!
Baltic Fury: Almost complete, 4 of 5 scenarios done with the last one in testing
Mediterranean Fury: 5 of 10 complete 1 in the oven
Indian Ocean Fury: 5 of 10 complete, 1 in testing, 2 in the oven
Pacific Fury: 6 of 15 complete, 1 in the oven

Total: 70 scenarios complete, 2 in testing, 4 building out of a planned 103 (maybe 102 but that decision is later).

Aiming at 6-10 a year so still a bit to go...

Enjoy

[AndrewJ]

Interesting! Just looking at the map, I have a feeling this one should be called "Run the Gauntlet"...

• Scattered remnants of disparate poorly organized local forces? Check!
• Logistical limits on PGM/AAM usage? Check!
• Time limits forcing non-optimal transit of vulnerable units? Check!
• Severe geographical constraints forcing proximity to the enemy? Check!

If I miss just one old Foxtrot with mines this whole thing is over.

[Gunner98]

Check!

[maverick3320]

Interesting! Just looking at the map, I have a feeling this one should be called "Run the Gauntlet"...

• Scattered remnants of disparate poorly organized local forces? Check!
• Logistical limits on PGM/AAM usage? Check!
• Time limits forcing non-optimal transit of vulnerable units? Check!
• Severe geographical constraints forcing proximity to the enemy? Check!

If I miss just one old Foxtrot with mines this whole thing is over.

Not only just non-optimal transit of vulnerable units, but MCM and SAG forces controlled by the AI. What could go wrong?

[HalfLifeExpert]

Interesting! Just looking at the map, I have a feeling this one should be called "Run the Gauntlet"...

• Scattered remnants of disparate poorly organized local forces? Check!
• Logistical limits on PGM/AAM usage? Check!
• Time limits forcing non-optimal transit of vulnerable units? Check!
• Severe geographical constraints forcing proximity to the enemy? Check!

If I miss just one old Foxtrot with mines this whole thing is over.

Not only just non-optimal transit of vulnerable units, but MCM and SAG forces controlled by the AI. What could go wrong?

Yeah it's a major challenge alright. In fact the ONLY reason I'm willing to attempt this scenario is because the Iranians already took serious losses in previous scenarios. Trying to force Hormuz with a Carrier would have been madness before that.

[maverick3320]

Jumped into this scenario yesterday, got about three hours in (in game time). Notes/thoughts:

-AOR Wabash has a full carrier magazine. Not sure if this is intended as it wasn't mentioned in the brief and low ammo stocks seem to be by design. Given the overall NATO ammo strength, the first thing I did was have the Saratoga start to UNREP with her before transition into the Gulf.

-TG Fox and TG Texas launched 100% of their ASW helos immediately upon game start.

-TF Fox starts just within max SAM range of Bandar Abbas; an F-4E Phantom took off and the TF fired six SAMs at it before finally hitting. Perhaps adjust the max SAM range of TF Fox down to 75% or so?

-Saudi F15 CAP refuels from player-controlled tankers. Not a huge deal, but tanking assets are pretty limited.

-When the Blinders first start shooting at TF Texas (on the west side of the Bab al Mandab), TF Fox (on the east side of Bab al Mandab) starts shooting SAMs at the Kitchens. TF Fox is way off axis and nearly 50km away and the SAMs are slower than the Kitchens and have no chance of intercept. Since TF Fox shoots at them, TF Texas doesn't, and only the close in weapons systems light off for TF Texas (Crotale).

-The Iranian ship Pahlavi, which is 15km from TF Texas and likely passing targeting data to the Blinders, is marked hostile, yet TF Texas will not engage it. Normally I'd leave even hostile marked tankers alone but this one seems to have some enhanced sensors, as detected by my own ESM.

So far I haven't lost any valuable assets but I've had some difficulties. For the life of me I can't locate the Kilo putting torpedoes in all the tankers east of the Mandab. A massive sortie by 12+ Iranian Tomcats (at least some of which had Phoenixes) bled my meager CAP dry. The large Soviet strike on Iraq was frustrating to watch. Given I have four aircraft that can maintain a CAP over Iraq (300 km from my nearest base) it was tough to watch 40 Soviet aircraft blow it to pieces, even if I did manage to down six of them. If Higher is going to ask me to maintain a CAP that far away from anything, give me some assets in the local area!

Last: I don't know if something changed with the last game update, but three hours into a scenario where NATO is highly limited in advanced AAMs I've had ten missiles decoyed by chaff. Ten! I think I've only fired 20-30 AMRAAMs and AIM-54s. It's rare enough to see two or three missiles get spoofed, but ten?? If it keeps happening I'm going to start reloading to get back at the RNG gods.

[Gunner98]

Thanks Maverick

Good points all. Will definitely drain the Wabash down to iron bombs. Thought I had fixed the F-4 issue by adjusting the Bandar CAP but I guess not. Adjusting the CAP might fix the problem with cross firing at ASMs as well.

I don't think TG Texas has any (or many) Harpoons. I found a sweep with Walleyes sorted out the odd Iranian ship here and there.

Will think a bit on the Bagdad issue, was meant to draw off more resources from you but perhaps I need to tone it down.

Thanks again

[AndrewJ]

-The Iranian ship Pahlavi, which is 15km from TF Texas and likely passing targeting data to the Blinders, is marked hostile, yet TF Texas will not engage it.

Interesting. I had one of the little patrol boats on the 'NATO support' side go up to the N edge of its zone and shoot its Exocets at the enemy tankers near the port. Rather took me by surprise.

For the life of me I can't locate the Kilo putting torpedoes in all the tankers east of the Mandab.

Kilo - or Kilos?

I got lucky with an active sonobuoy, finding one operating deep early on.

Then another one sank one of my PGMs, and I was in a hurry to find it, so I dropped some passive buoys around the flaming datum and a torpedo in front of it. That got a response, and as the Kilo hurried away noisily I was able to refine the solution with active buoys and sink it.

(I think you mean Hormuz? Mandab's over at the bottom of the Red Sea.)

[maverick3320]

-The Iranian ship Pahlavi, which is 15km from TF Texas and likely passing targeting data to the Blinders, is marked hostile, yet TF Texas will not engage it.

Interesting. I had one of the little patrol boats on the 'NATO support' side go up to the N edge of its zone and shoot its Exocets at the enemy tankers near the port. Rather took me by surprise.

For the life of me I can't locate the Kilo putting torpedoes in all the tankers east of the Mandab.

Kilo - or Kilos?

I got lucky with an active sonobuoy, finding one operating deep early on.

Then another one sank one of my PGMs, and I was in a hurry to find it, so I dropped some passive buoys around the flaming datum and a torpedo in front of it. That got a response, and as the Kilo hurried away noisily I was able to refine the solution with active buoys and sink it.

(I think you mean Hormuz? Mandab's over at the bottom of the Red Sea.)

Andrew - oops, yes meant Hormuz. I suspected multiple Kilos! I had been using my two precious P-3 Orions as advance ASW for the convoy, but I may have to switch them over to some area ASW.

[AndrewJ]

Say, would those r*t b*st*rds, er, "kindly gentlemen" in India let the Russians base a recce Badger in their territory somehow?

[Gunner98]

I just kinda think you guys are wayyy too paranoid

[AndrewJ]

One of the interesting things about scenarios in the Middle East, is that you get to learn so much about foreign cultures.

For instance, did you know that "Baghdad" is actually pronounced "Cologne"?

[maverick3320]

Say, would those r*t b*st*rds, er, "kindly gentlemen" in India let the Russians base a recce Badger in their territory somehow?

Funny you mention that, because I certainly tracked one in the middle of the Indian Ocean at the beginning of the scenario. Wonder where it came from...

I mean, if Cuba has Su-30 Flanker Gs and Foxhounds, I don't think India hosting some Russian recon assets is too far-fetched!

[AndrewJ]

Funny you mention that, because I certainly tracked one in the middle of the Indian Ocean at the beginning of the scenario. Wonder where it came from...

Shot down two which were operating over the IO. Looks like they're cutting across the SW tip of Pakistan to make their ingress from eastern Iran.

[AndrewJ]

Flagons?? What the heck?

[Gunner98]

Flagons?? What the heck?

Not really toying with the front rank of Soviet air defence in this area ... It'll take them half of Iran to turn around and those AA-3 just might have a chance of intercepting your contrails