Clash of Titans II - sinking the french carrier

[giantsquid]

Very interesting carriers duel scenario, with Indian carrier engaging French carrier in the Indian Ocean. Tough to play for Indian Navy because it's very difficult to counter Rafale planes and the French task force is very well protected.

I kept the Indian CV away to SE from enemy planes and separated 2 Project 16A Delhi DDG to hunt for enemy ships with Brahamos ASM (32 in total!), sending them toward the generic position of enemy task force. I sent the Akula sub on interception course too toward West.
I didn't try to attack enemy Rafales, because they resulted superior to my Mig-29 thanks to the advanced radar and stealth combination. I lost 6 planes to Mica AAM but managed to lure some Rafale in my SAM coverage, downing 6 of them.
It has been difficult for Indian Navy to collect data on enemy position because of enemy air superiority but I managed to find the task force with some lucky Mig-29 recon run (helicopters don't have range and cannot run away from rafales). I stealthy directed the SSN in front of enemy task force.
Before coming into range Rafales attacked my task force with more than 20 Exocets, sending one Project 16A DDG to the bottom. At last my lone Akula was in position, hidden below the layer in front of enemy task force advancing at 10 knots. At 4nm it attacked the CV Charles des Gaulles and the Horizon AAW DD with 2 torpedo salvos killing them, but the French reaction kills the sub too.
I then launched 6 Mig-29 armed with As-20 e As-17 and attacked the French surviving ships together, with 16 Brahamos by the surviving Project 16A, using data provided by a Sea King helicopter. The attack devastated enemy formation, killing all ships. This gives me a Triumph - 2400 points!

I did the sub attack two times before being satisfied with the result. Often I was detected too early or my torpedo don't do enough damage.
This scenario looks very difficult to win without the Akula SSN... So I was wondering if someone tried different approaches, like using a combination of ship missiles and Mig-29 armed with stand-off weapons. Taking air superiority looks almost impossible with the Rafales.

Statistics

SIDE: Indian Navy
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
6x MiG-29K Fulcrum D
1x Sea King Mk42B [HAS.2]
1x D 63 Kolkata [Pr.15A]
1x S 71 Chakra II [PLA-971M Akula II]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
46x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
64x Barak 8
11x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
6x AA-12 Adder A [R-77, RVV-AE]
3x AA-11 Archer [R-73]
44x SA-N-12 Grizzly [9M317]
18x SA-N-11a Grisom [9M311K]
33x 100mm/59 A-190 Frag
12x Super Barricade Chaff
9x AK-630M 30mm/65 Gatling Burst [400 rnds]
3x 30mm Twin Gatling Gsh-6-30K Burst [375 rnds]
10x USET-80K
3x MG-114 Berilly
4x Generic Acoustic Decoy
6x AS-20 Kayak [Kh-35U]
16x PJ-10 Brahmos
1x AS-17 Krypton A [Kh-31A, ASM]



SIDE: French Navy
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
32x Rafale M
2x E-2C Hawkeye 2000
1x SA.532SC Cougar
1x SA.365F1 Dauphin 2
1x R 91 Charles De Gaulle
3x NH90 NFH [Caiman Marine]
1x D 620 Forbin [Horizon]
1x F 710 La Fayette
2x Lynx HAS.4(FN)
1x D 614 Cassard [Type F70 AA]
1x D 650 Aquitaine [FREMM ASW]
1x D 640 Georges Leygues [Type F70]


EXPENDITURES:
------------------
63x TSM 8050B Active RO
54x MICA EM
59x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
13x MICA IR
2x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Dual Spectral]
2x TSM 8050A Active RO
24x AM.39 Exocet Blk I
1x 30mm Giat 30/M791B Burst [25 rnds]
3x MU-90 Impact
1x L5 Mod 4
4x CONTRALTO-V [SLAT]
8x MM.40 Exocet Blk III
8x RIM-66E SM-1MR Blk VI
6x DAGAIE Mk2 LEM Chaff
2x SAGAIE LEM Chaff
16x Aster 15 PAAMS [GWS.45 Sea Viper]
4x R.440N Crotale-NG VT1
2x 100mm/55 Model 1968 PFHE Burst [4 rnds]
3x 76mm/62 Super Rapido HE Burst [2 rnds]
2x SEALEM Chaff

[Primarchx]

Well done! That scenario is very challenging!

[giantsquid]

Thanks, but I'm pretty sure I would never win with a decent human opponent. And I did different tries for SSN attack too.
A good French commander can prevent recon by enemy fighters with Rafales and hunt more aggressively the SSN with helicopters in front of the formation. Then he can attack any indian SAG at leisure with waves of Exocet armed Rafales.

Francesco