I'm curious about the large number of SA-7 "Losses".
Are they expenditures? If so, that's a LOT of Manpad launches; how close are your strike platforms getting?
If they weren't launched, but were actually lost due to combat damage, that's a lot of good bombing/strafing, and some unlucky SA-7 teams.
Like I said, the numbers make me curious about how them. (Were they cued by radar? We're all well aware of the IR seeker cool-down limits, battery life, etc. The SA-7 is not something kept "hot and ready".)
The MANPADs are probably the ones that are component parts to the lager SAM units. Many Soviet SAM units have integral SA-7 as close in defence. They would get killed when that larger units get slammed.
I suspect that there are no radars emitting among the targets. In this situation I think a SEAD patrol will work best. Set up a PZ off the coast, set up the prosecution zone over the area you want suppressed. If you need suppression only over a short time than remove the 1/3 check so they will all surge and patrol in the PZ and wait for a radar to light up in the prosecution zone. Even is you never fire a HARM - mission achieved as the radars are suppressed, probably because they are damaged by the previous strike but maybe they are just playing doggo and you're ready when the do come on.
When your strikers come in, if the radars are going to turn on -they will, and you are ready with your HARMs. If they don't the strikers go in with a security blanket on.
You can go hunting if you want and gradually expand the Prosecution zone once your strikers are heading home.
Tried the new approach a couple of times, my losses were still very high. As you can read below, I'm going to restart at the high point of this last strike and start moving forward with a new approach...
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