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I have had a lot of fun playing with the Korean Crisis scenario. I have managed to defeat it from both the US and Russian side, but it takes quite a bit of air assets to do so.

One thing that I have never really had any success with, however, is the strike on the Defense Center using the B-2 bomber. Sure, I could shift a bunch of other assets around and take out ALL of the radar and SAM units around the Defense Center, but that would leave some of those air fields untouched, and that would mean even more NK planes flying around.

My efforts often end with a SA-3 shooting down my B-2. Sending fighter escorts can't stop the SAM units, so the B-2 is vulnerable if any SAMs are present. Jamming them works until they get close, but the SA-3 can't shoot very far away anyway, so jamming doesn't seem to work, either.

My question is, what kind of success have you had with the B-2? Does your B-2 get shot down, too, or is it just me? What, if anything, did you to defeat the threats against it? I'm curious.

Like I said, you could move other assets to ensure that it is successful, but that opens up another can of worms. It's kind of like "robbing Peter to pay Paul." You still only have so many assets, and what you use them on, and conversely what you don't, determines the fate of this B-2.

Thanks

Doug

i always send it to kangyesi (far north of the country) by a very circuitous route after i've OCA'd most of their air force away. one of the targets is a bunker (same as the DEFCOM center) however there are no SAMs defending it.

though generally i do SEAD the SAMs around pyongyang (might as well because default loadouts include tons of HARM) you can send the B-2 farther north and kill the defense command center with JASSM/GBU-31/SLAM-ER loaded on platforms that are more suitable to standoff or SAM dodging.

Thanks for responding.

Yes, I have used the GBU-31s on that target, and that seems to be the best tactic.

But, if I let that poor B-2 go for the Defense Center, as it was assigned via the designer, I lose it every time. I really thought that the B-2 would be a little more....stealthy, or less vulnerable.

I'm glad to see that others have experienced the same thing. <g>

Doug

well, the stealth is excellent but it is after all an enormous flying object (esp. when contrailing) with a thermal signature. personally i doubt the radars are detecting it at closer than point blank range. it's probably visual/IR.

i'd guess then that the default mission assumes that you will crack the SAM ring around pyongyang (i always do) at which point it can fly in (granted a B-52 would be just fine then as well)

if the B-2 was armed with JASSM or some other standoff glide weapon the stealth would do more for you assuming that you weren't attacking a totally defanged air force like you usually are in this scenario.

tl;dr my opinion is that in this scenario the B-2 is more a "cool factor" weapon than a really useful one. if i could have 2x B-52 with JASSM instead i would take the trade because the stealth doesn't really do much in this particular instance.

I've played as the US on three occasions and haven't lost the B2 on any of the missions. I do wait until it is dark and until I have a strike package take out the satellite relay station.

The strike package's SEAD typically takes out emitters in the area quite nicely. I had the B2 inbound to IP while the strike package was having its fun, though I'm not sure that timing was important.

The GBU-57 is quite effective in taking out the underground bunkers, living up to the name bunker buster like the GBU-28. In 2 out of the 3 runs, I took out both underground bunkers. On the third, the first MOP malfunctioned and failed to destroy the bunker so the B2 did a 180 and finished it off with the second MOP.

Oddly, the only airbase with JASSM in its magazine is Misawa while the B2 is based at Kadena. A simple enough diversion, but one starting players might miss.

Thanks for responding.

Does the satellite relay station actually DO ANYTHING for the NK's, or is it merely a target?

I guess what I am seeing is that the SA-3s only have a 10-mile shooting radius, and they don't even go active until the B-2 is within range. So, any SEAD shooters have to wait 9-15 seconds because of OODA before they can shoot at the SA-3. In that period of time, the SAM usually hits the B-2.

I have not tried knocking out ALL of the radar units in the area before attacking. I knocked out MOST of them, however.

I did try using a jammer to protect the B-2, and that had some success, but again, when it got close to the SA-3, the SAM started shooting.

Oh, well, I'll try again. Maybe I'll try using the JASSMs and attack the other targets around there with them.


Doug

AFAIK, the satellite relay station is just a primary target. In one of the runs of the scenario a No-Dong was launched from a TEL that I had missed.

I usually kick off operations with a massive tomahawk strike. I use the TLAM-D's to pick off EW and SAM sites, but I try not to fire them all at once. I keep some in reserve for after air superiority has been achieved, and then pick off any of the remaining SAM/EW sites. That is probably why the SA-3 in my case didn't react to the B-2.

Thanks again for responding. Sorry that it took so long to write back.

I noticed, through much play testing, that the SA-2 and SA-3 can't fire at the B-2 unless it is within a 3-4 mile range. It simply can't get a fix on it. The problem is that the Defense Center is located within a mile or so of the SA-3, and the B-2, carrying te GBU-57, must drop the ordinance within a 2-mile range. I did notice that if you come in from the west, then only one SA-3 is really in play. (By properly plotting your ingress, you can avoid the SA-2 altogether.) So, if you use a Tomahawk strike on that one SA-3 site, and even a few to hit that P-14 radar unit, the B-2 should be able to pull its mission off without any danger. In fact, if you hit a few of those powerful radar units, the NKs may not ever even see the B-2.

I began this thread thinking that the B-2 was under-rated in the game. I don't believe that any longer. It is a fun plane to plan strikes with, and it really doesn't even need a Growler to mask it. It does just fine on its own.

Doug

I'm glad to hear that you're having fun with the B-2. This scenario is a great one for testing it out, as well as the F-22/35s.

In one game, a pair of MIG-29 tried engaging my BINGO F-22. The SARH would break lock before it was a real threat to the Raptors and by the time they were nearing WVR range they were inside of the BARCAP I had setup and the tables were turned.

Korea Live is certainly a fun scenario!