AAR: Canary's Cage - Finally!
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:50 am
So, after my exams, I decided to deepen my experience of Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations. Browsing the standalone scenarios, I settled for a straightforward scenario, Canary's Cage. Run the gauntlet, liberate the islands. And on top of it, I play the commander of the armed forces of our neighbouring country. Consider my interest piqued.
Before this, I've only completed Operation Fei Lian, Khark Island Raid and Iron Hand, and started the Battle of the Strait of Tiran and The Lost Province, but I hadn't completed them. Fei Lian, Iron Hand and Khark Island were simple enough, and The Lost Province was a little more than I could chew, so I decided to choose a more intermediate challenge.
Full disclosure: I'm an unabashed save-scummer. I have 9 separate saves of this playthrough. But damn, it took me almost a week to play through this scenario. CMANO is certainly not for the casual gamer...
So, onwards to battle!
First, the Logistical considerations: I ferried all F-18s to Moron and set up a AAW patrol between the NA coast and the convoy, with some KC-130s behind them to refuel.
Deeper into the sea, I put the ELINT Boeing and the ECM Falcon in a linear patrol patrol, parallel to the coast and near the island of Madeira, to see who's coming for dinner.
In Rota Airbase, I changed all Harriers into an AMRAAM loadout and ferried them to the Prince of Astúrias. In combat, their "fire-and-forget" abilities would prove invaluable to reduce casualties against the SARH-missile-equiped aircraft of the opposing force.
So I made a little square around Grupo Alfa and another around Grupo Delta and I made two ASW patrols in them, using the ASW choppers in each group. I also ferried the AEW and EW helos to the Prince and made another patrol for electronic warfare in Grupo Alfa. With the AEW Sea King at a few thousand meters up, we had a pretty good advance warning of who was coming.
Meanwhile, the Harriers stayed on deck. The F-18s intercepted hostile aircraft from the continent, the airfields of the Canárias were still too far away for aircraft launched from them to reach us. The P-3s were sonobuoying the entrance to the Mediterranean, searching for tails from across the Strait.
With the AEW chopper up, I could see the two first threats: four Ramadan patrol boats with long-range and the invasion force: four landing ships and five frigates - three Descubiertas and two Pery-class, with formidable air defenses. Seeing the range and looking at the tools available, the Ramadan group was the more pressing threat: they were heavily armed and were actively searching for the Prince, while the invasion force was more preocupied with reaching the Canárias. Which I would not allow the to do. Also, both the Marsopa and the Mistral were in their way to intercept, so I could deal with them later.
I decided to send all Harpoon-armed F-18s to hunt the missile boats and afterwards spend the remaining missiles on the amphibious group. I cleaned up the missile boats with 8 Harpoons remaining. Reaching the group, I made a mistake: I underestimated the air defenses of the Perrys and spread the missiles in penny packets instead of focusing them on a frigate. I allocated six missiles for one Perry and one each for two landing boats. They were all shot down. With their victory incomplete, my airmen retreated back to Moron.
No matter, the Marsopa would take care of them. At full sprint to intercept the group, it's greatest threat were ASW choppers from the group. A few Harrier patrol took care of that. Having put itself between the group and it's destination, all it needed to do was to stay still and wait for them to pass. And so it did.
The first to fall was a Descubierta. Getting through the destroyer screen, it went straight for the transports. All fell. Another Descubierta was it's last victim before it ran out of torpedos. Only two Perrys and a single Descubierta remained. They would sink at the hands of the Mistral.
In the meanwhile, my fighters were shooting the enemy Hawkeyes. Denying the enemy their eyes in the sky was crucial.
The Sirocco was the second most prolific submarine, sinking both Jianghus, one Nanuchka II and the Koni. Another Nanuchka II was getting uncomfortably close to the Grupo Alfa, so two Harriers loaded with Mavericks were sent to shoot it down. The final surface combatant, the last Koni, was sunk by the Harpoons of the Grupo Alfa.
The same Harriers would brave the air defenses in Tenerife to shoot down the Styx batteries. Unfortunately, one would be shot down...
A few close encounters with enemy subs made me took more precautions againts pesky periscopes: larger ASW patrols around the groups performed by P-3s, in addition to those performed by ASW helos. Thanks to them, we made it to the Canárias untouched. Then all I had to do was launch the boats and voilá! Mission acomplished!
(On a side note, this was the first mission I played with boats, so I thought that once they reached the Canárias, they would launch automaticaly. I stared at them for a while untill I figured that I had to launch them manually.)
The final results:
SIDE: Spain
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
3x F/A-18A Hornet [EF-18A+, C.15A]
2x AV-8B Harrier II+ [EAV-8B Night Attack, VA.1B Matador II]
1x F 31 Descubierta
EXPENDITURES:
------------------
100x AIM-120B AMRAAM
3x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
655x AN/SSQ-53A DIFAR
9x AIM-9L-1 Sidewinder
9x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
544x AN/SSQ-62A DICASS
30x F17 Mod 2
24x AGM-84D Harpoon IC
14x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
8x Mk46 NEARTIP Mod 5
7x AIM-9JULI Sidewinder
56x 7.62mm MG Burst [20 rnds]
16x AGM-65E Maverick Laser
8x Mk214 Sea Gnat Chaff [Seduction]
14x RIM-66M-2 SM-2MR Blk IIIA
2x RIM-66A SM-1MR Blk IV
441x 127mm/54 HE-CVT [HiFrag]
1x RUR-5A Mod 4 ASROC RTT [Mk46 Mod 5]
4x RGM-84D Harpoon IC
1x Mk46 LWT Mod 2
79x 127mm/54 HE-PD [HiCap]
20x AGM-88B HARM
12x Mk20 Rockeye II CB [247 x Mk118 Dual Purpose Bomblets]
SIDE: NAIL
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
10x F-16CG Blk 42 Falcon [Peace Vector II Upgr]
3x E-2C Hawkeye Group II
2x F 951 Najim Al Zafir [Jianghu Type 053H(E)]
2x Mirage F.1CH-200
4x 670 Ramadan
4x MiG-25P Foxbat A
4x SH-2G(E) Seasprite
6x AS.565MA Panther
4x S 849 Romeo
9x Mirage F.1ED
1x Sea King Mk47 [HAS.1]
4x MiG-29 Fulcrum C
3x F 946 Abu Qir [Descubierta]
2x 012 Rais Hadj Mubarek [PL-877EKM Kilo]
3x L 9030 Champlain [BATRAL Class]
1x LST 1179 Newport
2x F 911 Mubarak [Perry]
1x 801 Rais Hamidou [Pr.1234E Nanuchka II]
4x SSC-3 Styx TELAR [3P51]
1x 416 Ziyad [Pr.1234E Nanuchka II]
2x 901 Mourad Rais [Pr.1159 Koni]
7x Su-22M-3K Fitter J
6x Su-24MK Fencer D
1x S 311 Al Badr [PL-641 Foxtrot]
2x Vehicle (Flat Face B [P-19])
6x SA-3b Goa Quad Rail
6x SA-7a Grail [9K32 Strela-2] MANPADS
2x Vehicle (Low Blow [SNR-125])
4x Radar (AN/TPS-63)
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-50 PAR)
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-55 ICWAR)
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-46 HPI)
1x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-51 ROR)
4x 7.62mm MG
EXPENDITURES:
------------------
27x AN/SSQ-62C DICASS
27x AIM-7M Sparrow III
35x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
45x MIM-23B I-HAWK
5x AIM-9M Sidewinder
6x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
27x 76mm/62 Compact HE Burst [4 rnds]
23x 40mm/70 Twin Breda Compact Burst [32 rnds]
32x Protean Chaff
33x RIM-66E6 SM-1MR Blk VIB
3x AA-6 Acrid A [R-40R, SARH]
15x Super R.530F
4x R.550 Magic 1
9x 30mm DEFA 553 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
5x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
1x Mk46 NEARTIP Mod 5
4x Generic Acoustic Decoy
2x 20mm/85 Mk15 Phalanx Blk 0 Burst [200 rnds]
6x Mk182 SRBOC Chaff [Seduction]
2x SA-N-4a Gecko [9M33]
4x UGM-84C Harpoon IB
2x NT-37F
6x SA-N-4a Gecko [9M33M]
8x AK-230 30mm/65 Twin Burst [50 rnds]
4x Generic Chaff Rocket
17x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
5x Generic Flare Salvo [2x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
2x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
2x AS-9 Kyle [Kh-28]
6x SAET-60M WH
16x SA-3b Goa [5V27, V-601P]
8x 53-65KE WH
Before this, I've only completed Operation Fei Lian, Khark Island Raid and Iron Hand, and started the Battle of the Strait of Tiran and The Lost Province, but I hadn't completed them. Fei Lian, Iron Hand and Khark Island were simple enough, and The Lost Province was a little more than I could chew, so I decided to choose a more intermediate challenge.
Full disclosure: I'm an unabashed save-scummer. I have 9 separate saves of this playthrough. But damn, it took me almost a week to play through this scenario. CMANO is certainly not for the casual gamer...
So, onwards to battle!
First, the Logistical considerations: I ferried all F-18s to Moron and set up a AAW patrol between the NA coast and the convoy, with some KC-130s behind them to refuel.
Deeper into the sea, I put the ELINT Boeing and the ECM Falcon in a linear patrol patrol, parallel to the coast and near the island of Madeira, to see who's coming for dinner.
In Rota Airbase, I changed all Harriers into an AMRAAM loadout and ferried them to the Prince of Astúrias. In combat, their "fire-and-forget" abilities would prove invaluable to reduce casualties against the SARH-missile-equiped aircraft of the opposing force.
So I made a little square around Grupo Alfa and another around Grupo Delta and I made two ASW patrols in them, using the ASW choppers in each group. I also ferried the AEW and EW helos to the Prince and made another patrol for electronic warfare in Grupo Alfa. With the AEW Sea King at a few thousand meters up, we had a pretty good advance warning of who was coming.
Meanwhile, the Harriers stayed on deck. The F-18s intercepted hostile aircraft from the continent, the airfields of the Canárias were still too far away for aircraft launched from them to reach us. The P-3s were sonobuoying the entrance to the Mediterranean, searching for tails from across the Strait.
With the AEW chopper up, I could see the two first threats: four Ramadan patrol boats with long-range and the invasion force: four landing ships and five frigates - three Descubiertas and two Pery-class, with formidable air defenses. Seeing the range and looking at the tools available, the Ramadan group was the more pressing threat: they were heavily armed and were actively searching for the Prince, while the invasion force was more preocupied with reaching the Canárias. Which I would not allow the to do. Also, both the Marsopa and the Mistral were in their way to intercept, so I could deal with them later.
I decided to send all Harpoon-armed F-18s to hunt the missile boats and afterwards spend the remaining missiles on the amphibious group. I cleaned up the missile boats with 8 Harpoons remaining. Reaching the group, I made a mistake: I underestimated the air defenses of the Perrys and spread the missiles in penny packets instead of focusing them on a frigate. I allocated six missiles for one Perry and one each for two landing boats. They were all shot down. With their victory incomplete, my airmen retreated back to Moron.
No matter, the Marsopa would take care of them. At full sprint to intercept the group, it's greatest threat were ASW choppers from the group. A few Harrier patrol took care of that. Having put itself between the group and it's destination, all it needed to do was to stay still and wait for them to pass. And so it did.
The first to fall was a Descubierta. Getting through the destroyer screen, it went straight for the transports. All fell. Another Descubierta was it's last victim before it ran out of torpedos. Only two Perrys and a single Descubierta remained. They would sink at the hands of the Mistral.
In the meanwhile, my fighters were shooting the enemy Hawkeyes. Denying the enemy their eyes in the sky was crucial.
The Sirocco was the second most prolific submarine, sinking both Jianghus, one Nanuchka II and the Koni. Another Nanuchka II was getting uncomfortably close to the Grupo Alfa, so two Harriers loaded with Mavericks were sent to shoot it down. The final surface combatant, the last Koni, was sunk by the Harpoons of the Grupo Alfa.
The same Harriers would brave the air defenses in Tenerife to shoot down the Styx batteries. Unfortunately, one would be shot down...
A few close encounters with enemy subs made me took more precautions againts pesky periscopes: larger ASW patrols around the groups performed by P-3s, in addition to those performed by ASW helos. Thanks to them, we made it to the Canárias untouched. Then all I had to do was launch the boats and voilá! Mission acomplished!
(On a side note, this was the first mission I played with boats, so I thought that once they reached the Canárias, they would launch automaticaly. I stared at them for a while untill I figured that I had to launch them manually.)
The final results:
SIDE: Spain
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
3x F/A-18A Hornet [EF-18A+, C.15A]
2x AV-8B Harrier II+ [EAV-8B Night Attack, VA.1B Matador II]
1x F 31 Descubierta
EXPENDITURES:
------------------
100x AIM-120B AMRAAM
3x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
655x AN/SSQ-53A DIFAR
9x AIM-9L-1 Sidewinder
9x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
544x AN/SSQ-62A DICASS
30x F17 Mod 2
24x AGM-84D Harpoon IC
14x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
8x Mk46 NEARTIP Mod 5
7x AIM-9JULI Sidewinder
56x 7.62mm MG Burst [20 rnds]
16x AGM-65E Maverick Laser
8x Mk214 Sea Gnat Chaff [Seduction]
14x RIM-66M-2 SM-2MR Blk IIIA
2x RIM-66A SM-1MR Blk IV
441x 127mm/54 HE-CVT [HiFrag]
1x RUR-5A Mod 4 ASROC RTT [Mk46 Mod 5]
4x RGM-84D Harpoon IC
1x Mk46 LWT Mod 2
79x 127mm/54 HE-PD [HiCap]
20x AGM-88B HARM
12x Mk20 Rockeye II CB [247 x Mk118 Dual Purpose Bomblets]
SIDE: NAIL
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
10x F-16CG Blk 42 Falcon [Peace Vector II Upgr]
3x E-2C Hawkeye Group II
2x F 951 Najim Al Zafir [Jianghu Type 053H(E)]
2x Mirage F.1CH-200
4x 670 Ramadan
4x MiG-25P Foxbat A
4x SH-2G(E) Seasprite
6x AS.565MA Panther
4x S 849 Romeo
9x Mirage F.1ED
1x Sea King Mk47 [HAS.1]
4x MiG-29 Fulcrum C
3x F 946 Abu Qir [Descubierta]
2x 012 Rais Hadj Mubarek [PL-877EKM Kilo]
3x L 9030 Champlain [BATRAL Class]
1x LST 1179 Newport
2x F 911 Mubarak [Perry]
1x 801 Rais Hamidou [Pr.1234E Nanuchka II]
4x SSC-3 Styx TELAR [3P51]
1x 416 Ziyad [Pr.1234E Nanuchka II]
2x 901 Mourad Rais [Pr.1159 Koni]
7x Su-22M-3K Fitter J
6x Su-24MK Fencer D
1x S 311 Al Badr [PL-641 Foxtrot]
2x Vehicle (Flat Face B [P-19])
6x SA-3b Goa Quad Rail
6x SA-7a Grail [9K32 Strela-2] MANPADS
2x Vehicle (Low Blow [SNR-125])
4x Radar (AN/TPS-63)
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-50 PAR)
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-55 ICWAR)
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-46 HPI)
1x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-51 ROR)
4x 7.62mm MG
EXPENDITURES:
------------------
27x AN/SSQ-62C DICASS
27x AIM-7M Sparrow III
35x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
45x MIM-23B I-HAWK
5x AIM-9M Sidewinder
6x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
27x 76mm/62 Compact HE Burst [4 rnds]
23x 40mm/70 Twin Breda Compact Burst [32 rnds]
32x Protean Chaff
33x RIM-66E6 SM-1MR Blk VIB
3x AA-6 Acrid A [R-40R, SARH]
15x Super R.530F
4x R.550 Magic 1
9x 30mm DEFA 553 x 2 Burst [50 rnds]
5x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
1x Mk46 NEARTIP Mod 5
4x Generic Acoustic Decoy
2x 20mm/85 Mk15 Phalanx Blk 0 Burst [200 rnds]
6x Mk182 SRBOC Chaff [Seduction]
2x SA-N-4a Gecko [9M33]
4x UGM-84C Harpoon IB
2x NT-37F
6x SA-N-4a Gecko [9M33M]
8x AK-230 30mm/65 Twin Burst [50 rnds]
4x Generic Chaff Rocket
17x Generic Chaff Salvo [4x Cartridges]
5x Generic Flare Salvo [2x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
2x Generic Flare Salvo [4x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
2x AS-9 Kyle [Kh-28]
6x SAET-60M WH
16x SA-3b Goa [5V27, V-601P]
8x 53-65KE WH