War

[Shadow of the Condor]

Wow - what a mistake. In getting greedy, I decided to load up with sixteen missiles for an air superiority mission - and twelve of them were Sidewinders! This meant I had no means of suppressing enemy attacks from range, and it cost me the mission and one pilot. I really hesitated though, on posting the last two paragraphs on Hammer's capture. I did want the narrative to be as realistic as the game allows, so I included it in. Anyway, diagnosis of a screw-up...

Here's the start, with no less than five MiG-25s facing off against me, with three MiG-23s tossed in for good measure...

[Shadow of the Condor]

Turn two shows the MiGs pulling back slightly as the Hornets charge in. One Mig is down, but the Hornets are very vulnerable...

[Shadow of the Condor]

Turn three, and although two more MiG-25s are down, the Americans have to retreat. Hammer is on the verge of collapse, and even Wraith is beginning to waver. Most of the missiles are innefectual, although the MiG-25 in the south is in range...

[Shadow of the Condor]

With the MiG-25 in the south shot down, the two remaining MiG-25s slip west one zone each. All I can do is try to keep at least one of the MiG-25s at least three zones away. I can't even shoot back [:(]

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The grim news...4 bandits killed, 1 SOP point (the AAMRAM) gone, and Hammer is missing. I guess the enemy doesn't stand still and say "shoot me".

[Shadow of the Condor]

And finally, the SAR screen. You know what happened...

[Shadow of the Condor]

Hi all -

Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to get to Day 4 until Sunday - Four classes to teach on Thu/Fri and company coming on Saturday. I appreciate the patience and the interest and I hate to leave a story hanging. Perhaps I can get two days done on Sunday.. [:)]

Phil

[Shadow of the Condor]

The fourth day...

Carrier flight operations...

The air boss of the ship watched the last of the F-18's catapult into the sky and head north. He thought back on the mission briefing for the day, about how an arms factory had been identified by satellite reconnaisance. The planners, however, had precious little in the way of hard intelligence. He remembered how the pilots, although not thrilled by the prospect of flying blind into a target area, commented about how at least the intelligence wasn't "outdated"...

Banzai led the raid again. He was flying in his fourth straight mission. His job was to suppress any enemy air defense sites, while Thumper and Wraith were to provide air cover to allow Griffin to bomb the base unimpeded. Thumper also had a pair of Mk83 bombs - as well as Banzai - should the need arise for more attacks against ground targets. Griffin also carrier a Maverick missile...

As Banzai suspected, the defense of the factory was provided by mobile SAMs. The orbiting Hawkeye reported multiple emitters on G, H and I bands.

As Banzai was about to select his HARM, a Bandit call came from the Hawkeye. Three fighters were streaking south to get into range. The MiGs were identified by their radar emissions, and a MiG-29 was identified orbiting the factory while a MiG-25 patrolled just to the east of him. A lone MiG-21 was south of the factory, and directly in the Hornets' path...

Wraith immediately locked two Sparrow missiles onto the MiG-29 and fired. The pilot didn't seem to react at all as his plane was blotted out of the sky...

The MiG-25 responded by targetting Thumper, but Thumper evaded the Acrid missile fired at him. The evasion did, however, cause him to lose lock on the MiG-21 in front of him and his own Sparrow shot lost lock.

The Americans came north, closer to the target, but the MiG's didn't react. Wraith shot down the MiG-21 with a Sidewinder, and the remaining MiG fired again at thumper. Thumper again evaded, but only at the last minute...

The operator in the SNOW DRIFT radar vehicle had been tracking the Americans for the past 150 kilometers. The vehicle was linked to the SA-11 vehicle and was feeding target data to the launcher's own fire control system. As the Americans got within 80 kilometers, the missile slid off of the launcher and ignited...

Almost at the same time as the SA-11 missile was clearing the rails, the HARM fired by Banzai was approaching the launcher. As the second missile received its command to ignite, the HARM exploded and showered the launcher with shrapnel, causing secondary explosions and eliminating the threat. With its launch control radar elminated, the SA-11 lost its lock and wobbled on its way to a fruitless explosion in the far desert...

Wraith had shot down the last MiG and Griffin laucnhed his Maverick. It sped towards the building and exploded. Banzai lead the group into the target area below the SA-6's radar and bombed it into submission. Thumper and Griffin unloaded the rest of their ordinance onto the factory, and the Americans flew back south umimpeded...

Meanwhile, north of the action, Hammer was still in a cell outside of Baghdad. He hadn't been interrogated at all, and was fed after the television cameras left the area. He knew what was coming next, and he did his best to work out a plan in his own mind...

[Shadow of the Condor]

Not that detailied of a narrative but RL is calling and I didn't want this thread to die off. [:)] Anyway, here's the update screen. A successful mission, but only 2 VPs. I may have to start hunting more dangerous game...

[Shadow of the Condor]

(something a bit different as the attack is presented from the target's point of view...with one of their own plans...)

Day Five…Bait

0112L…Al-Jaabi missile site…

The commander had been awake for a few hours. His routine had been shifted by the enemy’s propensity to attack in the early morning hours. While his site had significant air defense capability and his crews were trained and ready, he nevertheless wanted to be awake during the time of the greatest threat.

He was – of course – an intelligent man. He knew the odds his country had of holding off such a collection of nations arrayed against his were long indeed. He believed his fate, and the others of his country, were being tested in a crucible like no other. Never before had a country stood alone against so many. Religious, but not to a fault, he preferred to place his faith in the abilities of his men and the weapons at their disposal.

Which is what was precisely worrying him at this moment.

His air defenses were on full alert as the early hours of the morning droned on. Overhead, two fighters were on patrol. The Iraqis had a multi-layered defense against the Americans and their allies. Both long and short range SAMs were in place, as well as a pair of well-maintained (they had learned that lesson earlier in the war) ZSU-23 AAA guns. Soldiers with portable SAMs were in the hills a few kilometers outside of his position.

In spite of this arrayed firepower the commander was still worried about the Americans and their anti-radiation missiles, their spy satellites, and their superior technology. The Iraqis had proved their modern aircraft could make the enemy pay dearly for incursions into Iraq, but the fighters were in demand all across the front. The commander had to beg, promise, and cajole to have these two protect his site. The lack of communications made the coordination difficult, but not impossible. Still, however, his plan needed the fighter cover…

0122L…en route to Al-Jaabi…

The four pilots were again flying into the enemy’s airspace. Today’s mission was SEAD, or the suppression of enemy air defenses. Al-Jaabi was a missile site, and that made it a priority. The mission was to reduce the site’s ability to defend itself and allow bombers to destroy it. Normally a mission for the F-4 squadrons, the Phantoms were tasked to other areas today…

0137L…Al-Jaabi missile site…

The detection of the Americans was made by the MiG-25 orbiting overhead. On the ground, the commander was in contact with his SAM crews using walkie talkies. It was crude, but resourceful, as anything radiating energy more than a few hundred feet would be immediately detected and attacked…
The commander briefed his SAM crews and had set up a pattern of attacking the enemy. First, one site would lock on with a radar, and then shut down, relaying the coordinates and target data to the other sites. They would radiate, fire, and shut down, relaying their own data back to the first site, and so on. It wasn’t perfect, but the system would give the Iraqis a chance of not only hitting the invaders, but also of surviving…

But the real beauty of the plan was that his sites were protecting nothing more valuable than a pair of radar transmitters, transmitting on the same frequency as a missile search radar. The transmitters would turn off and on, as if they had a real fear of the Americans. The fighters were an added illusion, as the enemy seemed to thrive on showing off their technology in spite of heavy defenses...

Just then, an explosion in the sky punctuated the loss of contact with the MiG-25 pilot. The second fighter, an older MiG-21 did not engage, but tried to stay out of the target area and let the SAMs engage the Americans…

0139L…Al-Jaabi missile site…

Two Maverick missiles were streaking inbound into the site. They impacted the target and exploded, but the results were far from spectacular. The commander urged his crews to follow the plan, and draw the Americans in as they investigated why their missiles did not explode the target…

0140L…overhead…

Topo’s two Mavericks hit the target and should have destroyed it. Worse than that…

0140L…Al- Jaabi missile site…

The commander just got notification that another 37mm AAA gun was now ready for action. Meanwhile, about a half a kilometer behind the explosion, a truck stopped. A technician jumped out and ran inside the unoccupied radar transmitter van and turned it on with full power. He then ran back to the first truck and drove for his life away from it…

0141L…overhead…

…a second transmitter came online. Operators in the orbiting AWACS relayed the new target and confirmed it was a J-band search radar. Banzai and the rest of his flight lingered in the area for just a moment…

0141L…Al-Jaabi missile site…

Watching the display, the commander’s heart leapt for joy as the Americans were now in range. Another SAM system had come online, and the sites launched against the Americans. No less than six missiles were in the air, and the AAA guns were ready to engage should the Americans come any closer…

0142L…overhead…

…and fired his Maverick. Both he and Topo also fired off a HARM each before they turned west to run for home…
0142L…Al-Jaabi missile site…

Just as quickly, the commander knew he had acted too soon. As if to mock his poor judgment, the SA-13 and SA-3 vehicles were hit by missile fire. His hands balled up into fists as he stared west…knowing his plan had worked, but he had lost his chance...

[Shadow of the Condor]

SAM suppression mission, Cherub on AtA, Banzai, Topo and Griffin on AtG. Only one bandit/approach, so I felt I didn't need a heavy AtA presence. Turn 1, and the gods of luck favor me as the MiG-25 is within Sidewinder range...

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During Turn 1, Banzai popped the SA-6 easily with a HARM, and the MiG-25 targetted Topo but Cherub suppressed with 2 Sparrows. Cherub then hit the MiG with two Sidewinders. Nothing to do after that but move east...

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Turn 2, and Banzai destroys a newly arrived SA-3 with a second HARM. That was almost a costly mistake, as Cowboy fires off four Mavericks against the target but nets only one hit. Topo fires off his two Mavericks and misses completely. This forces me to stick around to give Banzai a crack at it with his last Maverick...Meanwhile, Cherub shot down the MiG-21 with a Sparrow (I decided to leave that - as well as Cowboy's futility - out of the storyline)...

[Shadow of the Condor]

Both Banzai and Topo stick around in the west approach area as Cowboy and Cherub begin to egress. I don't fear any attacks, but I need to get those two points. Banzai saves the day with two hits from the last Maverick...

[Shadow of the Condor]

I was very lucky with the dice and cards here. En route event was a +1 radar track adjustment, the target event was 1 random site removed from each approach area, and the return event was a +1 advance on the Infra track. Not to mention Banzai rolling an eleven with the last Maverick (of course, it didn't feel lucky when I scored onle 1 of 6 Maverick hits from Cowbow/Topo...). All in all, a nice and quiet mission to let some of my other pilots rest up...

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Finally, a special ops mission...

Day six – Lights out

Hill 2190…outside of Karbala, Iraq…

The two men were silent.

Their desert uniforms blended with the sand around them, albeit not perfectly. There was scrub to break a sight line, and the fact they were on a high point overlooking the town had not been by accident.

One of the men was listening to a radio, while the other scouted the area for the fiftieth time today. Trucks were not on the road, and the occasional car sped by – intent on getting from point A to B without attracting the attention of anything that happened to be flying around…

Inbound…five minutes to target…

The pilots were beginning to tire a bit. A long flight, their ordinance had to be reduced to allow for extra fuel, as an in-flight refuel was out of the question so close to Baghdad. All four of the aircraft were flying at a high altitude, and very few search radars were noticed around the target – which today was a state of the art power plant. Wraith flew lead and would provide cover for Thumper, Cowboy, and Griffin. Thumper was checked out on the AGM-84 cruise missile, and he carried two of them tonight. Griffin and Cowboy carried GBU-12 and GBU-16 bombs…

Inbound…four minutes to target…

Thumper flipped a switch in his cockpit and the transfer of data from the airplanes navigation system was loaded into the cruise missile processor. The target information was already loaded, and once the processor confirmed the data transfer, the missiles separated from the plane and ignited…

Hill 2190…outside of Karbala, Iraq…

The man looked at the barely luminescent dial of his watch and put the binoculars away. He opened a small container and removed a tripod. Setting up the tripod, he next withdrew what looked like a small camera, with one large lens. He mounted it onto the tripod and connected the battery. The unit gave a small chirp and a green light turned on…

Inbound…three minutes to target…

The MiG-25 was flying south. Its wingman had taken off earlier, and was already on the ground at the base in Karbala. The MiG-25 was about to make a turn when its radar sounded a warning that two bogeys were in the air, well below the MiG, but flying much faster than a plane could. The pilot got on the air and began to broadcast a warning to the airfield below…

Inbound…two minutes to target…

Wraith fired off a Sparrow at the MiG, but it went wide. The pilot pulled up and began to climb, which was a mistake. Wraith quickly closed with the MiG and destroyed it with a Sidewinder…

Hill 2190…outside of Karbala, Iraq…

The man aimed the unit at the nest of transformers, where overhead lines connected with the power plant. A small red dot appeared on the one closest to the position of the two men, and the man on the radio keyed his microphone three times…
Inbound…one minute to target…[/u]Cowboy looked at his display and released the control stick. The laser display indicated that his bombs had obtained a lock on the signal. When they were in range, the computer dropped his bombs…

Hill 2190…outside of Karbala, Iraq…

The explosion was awe-inspiring, but the man on the ground didn’t have time to admire it. As soon as the explosions be
gan, the surrounding buildings suddenly went dark, and shouts could be heard from the town. During the chaos, the man trained his laser designator onto the main building…

Inbound…over target…

Griffin’s computer detected the new spot on the building, and it too, launched the bombs. Once free of the ordinance, the pilots didn’t wait around for reinforcements to arrive…

[Shadow of the Condor]

Talk about lightly defended, this mission is special ops all the way. Load up on the GBUs and stay high the entire mission.

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The planes move north - the enemy is caught with their pants down. The MiG is already eliminated...

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Thumper does major damage with the ALCMs...

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Approaching the target. Wraith hangs back just in case...