Senkaku Crisis, 2010

[HalfLifeExpert]

Just finished this scenario. I really enjoyed it.

Basically the player assumes the role of Japan against China in a battle over the Senkaku Islands in 2010, apparently precipitated by skirmishes between Japanese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese Armed Fishing boats. My orders are to engage Chinese forces and in particular sink PLAN destroyers.

The player as at their disposal:

-Two Japan Coast Guard ships that are about to engage a PRC fishing ship

-Naha Airbase on Okinawa with F-15DJs, F-4Js, P-3s, and E-2s.

-Several Radar Sites on various islands and a Patriot battery next to Naha

-A naval task force with one DDH, one DDG and two DDs. (although they contain no helos)


Basically, my first order of business was to fire on and sink that PRC fishing boat, as it was armed and immediately labelled hostile. And i did so with the two Coast Guard Ships, then ordered them back toward Okinawa at best possible speed.

The PRC launched J-7s and JH-7s, presumably to sink my Coast Guard ships. My F-15s are able to shoot down all of them.

Additionally, the PRC fired of a dozen cruise missiles at my installations across the island chain. Two were shot down by the Patriot battery, and the rest I intercepted and shot down with F-15s (they used Both radar guided and heat seeking missiles as well as guns)

Then the PRC tried again to attack, this time with a group of H-6M Bombers. I saw them early enough, and four of my F-15s were able to blast all of them.

Finally, I had detected four PLAN Destroyers near the Chinese coast. I launched four F-4Js armed with AShM. Knowing these were DDGs, I decided to concentrated the groups total 8 missiles against the nearest one, as I was expecting most to be shot down.

I had my F-4s approach to launch range at 500 ft, and then they fired and went back to Naha. To my total amazment, All the missiles got close. 5 slammed into the target destroyer. The other three went after two nearby destroyers. One missed, the other two sank the other destroyer.

I repeated this tactic with my two P-3s, each armed with 4 AShM, at each of the remaining destroyers. The first strike was an immediate success.

The second scored hits on the final destroyer, which was now dead in the water. As I was waiting for my F-4Js to be rearmed, that destroyer sank and I won.

Score was 400- Triumph. I think I may add this scenario to my Steam Guide of recommendations.

Here are the losses and expenditures.

SIDE: Japan
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
40x 30mm Mk46 Mod 1 [Bushmaster II Mk44 Mod 2] Burst [20 rnds]
47x AIM-7M Sparrow III
2x MIM-104F Patriot PAC-3 ERINT
28x AIM-9L Sidewinder
4x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
8x ASM-2 [Type 93]
8x ASM-1C [Type 91]



SIDE: China
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x Commercial Fishing Boat [35m, Armed]
8x J-7IIH Fishbed [MiG-21 Copy]
6x JH-7A Flounder
9x H-6M Badger
1x Y-9G Cub [High New 11]
4x Type 051B Luhai [167 Shenzhen]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
12x DF-10 GLCM
34x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
18x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
26x HQ-7 Crotale [FM-80] Naval
18x 100mm/55 H/PJ-87 HECVT
83x 37mm/63 Twin Burst [20 rnds]
20x Generic Chaff Rocket

[giantsquid]

Thanks Half Life, I like your AAR, they are always very informative. I tried the same scenario, that i find interesting in the second part.
If you wait too much, like I did, after the poor, useless Fishbeds and Badgers the Chinese deploy J-10 and J-11 with deadly PL-12 active homing missiles, far superior to the japanese semi active homing Sparrow. I had to use bait and killer tactics attacking from different directions to maintain air superiority but it was challenging and I lost several F15 in the process. Sinking the DDG with F-4 phantoms was very easy with 4 ASM-2 each, since their point defence are limited. The AI of enemy fighter looks better now, and it's more rewarding to shot them down.

Got a Triumph too, but it's not deserved.
It would be interesting to try the same scenario in 2020 with better weapons for both, especially the japanese

SIDE: Japan
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
2x PL 61 Hateruna
8x F-15DJ Eagle


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
45x 30mm Mk46 Mod 1 [Bushmaster II Mk44 Mod 2] Burst [20 rnds]
99x AIM-7M Sparrow III
67x AIM-9L Sidewinder
4x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
55x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
1x AIM-7F Sparrow III
16x ASM-2 [Type 93]
28x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
54x RIM-66M-1 SM-2MR Blk III
18x RIM-7M Sea Sparrow



SIDE: China
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x Commercial Fishing Boat [35m, Armed]
8x J-7IIH Fishbed [MiG-21 Copy]
13x JH-7A Flounder
3x HD-5 Beagle
9x H-6M Badger
1x Y-9G Cub [High New 11]
4x Type 051B Luhai [167 Shenzhen]
6x J-10A Vigorous Dragon
4x J-11B Flanker B [Su-27SK Copy]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
12x DF-10 GLCM
1x PL-8A [Python 3]
32x KD-88 LACM
65x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
34x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
1x 23mm AM-23 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
22x HQ-7 Crotale [FM-80] Naval
15x 100mm/55 H/PJ-87 HECVT
58x 37mm/63 Twin Burst [20 rnds]
44x PL-12
3x PL-8B [Python 3]
16x YJ-83 [C-802A, CSS-N-8 Saccade]

[HalfLifeExpert]

Yeah I was surprised at how well my play through went.

When I launched my first Anti-Shipping raid, I wasn't really planning on it being so successful. Rather I was just hoping to force the enemy to chew up SAMs and other countermeasures, perhaps some damage. As a result of that surprise success, I threw my MPAs into the attack as they also had a few AShM.

I hadn't considered follow up attacks by better PRC aircraft, I my mind it was just "Well I might as well hit those DDGs with something while there's nothing in the air."

I was kind of preparing for a surface battle really. The JMSDF ships ended up being pretty useless actually.