This is a complete remake of my original Operation Eldorado Canyon scenario. I incorporated a lot of changes based on Jim Rotramel's (One of the 48th TFW planners) new book on the raid. I've also taken the opportunity to expand and fix a number of issues I had with the original scenario. This includes completely redoing all of the Lua scripting. Full change log below.On the 5th of April 1986 terrorists detonated a bomb in a Berlin nightclub. The bomb killed 2 American soldiers and a Turkish woman and injured 229 others, 79 of whom were American.
In response, citing evidence that the government of Libya was responsible, US president Ronald Reagan ordered airstrikes against Libya on the night of April 14/15, codenamed OPERATION ELDORADO CANYON.
Look forward to comments and critiques.
Release Candidate 10 (January 12, 2025):
• Standardized random weather function names.
• Added "Gameplay Notes" message when the scenario is first loaded. This message gives detailed information of all of the scenario mechanics & features. Can be replayed via the "Replay Gameplay Notes" special action.
Release Candidate 9 (December 20, 2024):
• Fixed global weather drift.
• Reduced weather variability chance.
Release Candidate 8 (December 19, 2024):
• Updated database to DB509.
• Added Political and Strategic Actions special action. Strike options, overflight requests, and deployment of additional aircraft have been split off from the scenario setup options. This will allow the player to review their forces before making decisions on their own forces. Actions related to setting up the Libyan side and scenario features remain on the scenario setup options menu.
• Added Custom Environment Zones regions. The area of operations has been divided into ten CEZs. Every hour weather will drift positively or negatively based on the current conditions within the zone. Real world average weather conditions are used as the baseline where applicable.
• Added new scenario setup option to use historical or random starting weather conditions.
• Fixed starting aircraft status. This will allow players to issue manual orders to aircraft before they are ready for takeoff.
• Adjusted frequency of weather changes, weather will now update every hour.
• Aircraft will no longer perform FENCE checks after entering an area 5nm from their objective.
• Added missing units to USA Unit Destroyed event.
Release Candidate 7 (October 6, 2024): This version requires the B1405 Public Beta patch or newer.
• Various updates & fixes to Lua weather functions.
• Changed frequency of weather changes. Weather will be randomized at the start and then randomly drift positively or negatively every 3 hours starting at 1800Z. Previously weather change would occur every 6 hours.
Release Candidate 6 (September 22, 2024): This version requires the B1405 Public Beta patch or newer.
• Updated CSAR scripts. Multiple downed pilots units can be added when a player aircraft is destroyed. The number of downed pilots is based on the destroyed units database crew value. Each crew member has separate survival roll, the number of crew represents the maximum number possible survivors per aircraft.
• Downed pilots within Libya territory have a random chance of being captured. This currently only affects downed pilots on land. Downed pilots in the water are not affected.
• Adjusted point gain and loss for downed pilots that are rescued and captured. Gain more points for pilots rescued. Point loss for captured down pilots is based on the number of aircraft lost. 250 points loss for 5 or less aircraft destroyed, 500 point loss for over 5 aircraft.
Release Candidate 5 (August 25, 2024): This version requires the B1405 Public Beta patch or newer.
• Updated database to DB507.
• Updated aircraft DBIDs and loadouts.
• Added new Strike option: USN Only Strike. Most people think the USAF was included in the operation to give them a "piece of the pie" but that is not the case. The USN did not have enough aircraft to hit all the designated targets with the levels of force deemed necessary. Deploying another carrier to the Central Mediterranean or additional strike aircraft where considered but were not chosen. They would have either taken too long or potentially have provided additional strategic warning to Libya. This option also enables specials actions to deploy additional A-6Es to the USS America and ready additional A-6Es that are normally set to maintenance. You have the option to change A-6E loadouts, but unavailable loadouts have been filtered out via lua. If you change loadouts, run the "Set Ready Time for USN Strike Aircraft" special action before hitting play.
• Added new scenario realism setting: Take Off Fuel and Usage. Default: Aircraft will take off with full fuel. Default Command behavior. Historical: USAF aircraft will have fuel adjusted to estimated historical values after taking off. This should result in more accurate fuel usage. Unlimited: Aircraft will take off with full fuel. They will still use fuel but will be periodically refueled via in-game event. No tankers will be needed.
• Added new scenario realism setting: Enable System Checks. Turned on by default. This setting enables or disables the various aircraft system checks events.
Designer Note: The various system checks have always been in the scenario, this setting now allows you to turn them off.
• Completely reworked Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) functionality. Selecting units and executing a special action is no longer needed. Maneuver a rescue unit to within rescue parameters of a Downed Aircrew and recovery will happen automatically. There is an element of randomness to the recovery in order to simulate difficulties recovering the downed aircrew. Aircraft rescue parameters are within 1nm, at or below 75 AGL, and at or below 50 knots. Ship and Submarine rescue parameters are within 1nm, above -20 ASL, and at or below 6 knots.
Release Candidate 4 (May 1, 2024):
• Added Historical Events. Optional scenario setting. Historical events that may have raised the Libyan readiness. There are a few events you will receive an in game message regardless if this setting is turned on or not. In those cases the messages are generally the historical outcome, but have no effect on gameplay.
• Added Historical Messages. Optional scenario setting. In game messages that tell larger story of Eldorado Canyon. Have no effect on gameplay. For situations where there is a Historical Event message and a Historical Message, the Historical Message will appear 5 minutes after the Historical Event.
• Added additional Libyan readiness levels.
• Changed the F-111 abort chance to 30% (was 2%).
• Changed the A-6 abort chance to 5% (was 1%).
• Swapped DOBBY 33 and DOBBY 91. DOBBY 31 was the KC-135Q.
• Updated Messages PDF.
• Added Historical Messages PDF.
If you have installed a version prior to RC4 please remove any related files in your scenarios folder first. I have renamed all of the external html files; briefing, description, and events.
Release Candidate 3 (April 16, 2024):
• Added additional reference points to USAF strike force course.
• Adjusted F-111/F-117 ready times.
• Fixed USA aircraft lua error at scenario start. Coral Sea A-6s should now have their systems checked like the Americas. This will set units that fail the check to unavailable.
• Fixed spelling mistakes in the briefings.
• Added PDF's of mission briefings.
Release Candidate 2 (April 9, 2024):
• Reference points for the USAF strike forces course will be added at the scenario start. These are for player convenience and can be deleted if you wish to use your own. This is dependent on the overflight option chosen. When using "Historical" overflight the actual planned flightplan waypoints will be added. For the France and Spain overflight options I have chosen a course that I think makes sense.
• Added PDF of html messages. Briefings are not included at this time.
Release Candidate 1 (April 8, 2024):
• Updated database to DB504.
• Split Libyan air defenses into Western (Tripoli) and Eastern (Benghazi) sectors. Sides should have a delayed response if one side is attacked and the other is not.
• Redid all of the lua script.
• Implemented html dialog box for scenario setup. Added more scenario setup options. Can now select the chance to occur for most options. I.e. can choose the chance of overflight being granted, the chance Libya will respond to various strategic indicators, the chance Libya will scramble QRA, etc.
• Scenario description, briefing, and most in game messages are now external html. This was done to get the formatting of certain messages to look more accurate.
• Added USAF 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron to Naples IAP. Deployed historically but not used.
• Added EC-130E to Aviano AB. To be used for SAR support. Deployed historically but not used.
• Updated USAF ready times.
• Updated USN callsigns.
• Updated starting weather.
