Bekaa Nightmare

[Andrea G]

First time I played this scenario I spotted a wrong setting in the WRA for the Syrian SAMs, (you can find the thread in Tech Support); after switching the Bekaa Valley SAMs to Weapons FREE I gave it a second try.

This time the Syrians took the bait and shoot a the decoys but... the AI is smarter then I suppose; yes they fired at the decoys and I followed with a volley of ARMs, the SAMs in the southern half of the valley switched off emissions, and all my missiles homed for the northern half, sometimes well to the rear.

So when the close attack F4s came in they were received with SAM after SAM, and once they are in defensive posture its very very difficult to extricate them.

Unfortunately I had no Kfir available to beef up the score by attacking the damaged SAM sites; by my mistake I selected them all from the airbase page and clicked on "Launch as Group(S)" hoping they will form up in two A/Cs flight like the mission was set to be flown; instead they formed a wild bunch and headed to the objective, I didn't want to separate them manually so RTBed them to launch them again but discovered that it took 5 hours to re-ready the Kfirs even after a few minutes airborne.

Well I have to play it a third, a fourth, a fifth time just to manage it; one of the funniest scenarios I have played.

[giantsquid]

Thanks Andrea, so one of the possible approach could be this one. I'm going to try soon.

1. Offensive ECM and AEW patrols, strike packages and CAP positioning in advance.
2. Decoys launch toward SAM, strike packages approach.
3. Standard ARM planes launch on active SAM, strike packages follow decoys.
4. Shrike ARM planes on SEAD patrol close to SAM, strike package attack all SAM sites.
5. CAP eliminate enemy fighters

Please let me know your opinion

[Andrea G]

Hi Squid,

AEW patrols are already set by the scenario, ECM planes on patrol just outside the Bekaa Valley SAMs range.
Launch the decoys, following the decoys SEAD planes will launch first Standard ARMs targeting the eastern half of the SAM sites, then I will launch the Shrikes targeting the westernmost half of the SAM sites; don't forget to launche the ground launched ARMs targeting the southeastern quarter of the Bekaa SAMs.
F4s following the ARMs volley trying to strike the actual launchers and earn some VPs, Jammers steering toward the valley in company with the strike A/Cs
Regarding CAP I have set up a patrol area south of the valley and assigned the F-15s to it.
I have still to figure out how to best use the F-16s.

I'm looking forward to read your thoughts about this scenario.

[Kennetho]

How do you launch the decoys?

[Andrea G]

ORIGINAL: Kennetho

How do you launch the decoys?

Hi Kennetho,
the decoys can be launched only as BOL, select the plane then hit ctrl+F1; a vector will originate from the plane and finally left click on the point you want the decoy to reach.