daveoreno
Posts: 64
Joined: 8/27/2016
From: Toronto, Canada
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I was playing a scenario posted by butch4343 that was a great reworking of an old Harpoon title called "Cutting the Noose". While playing the scenario I was struck by how at times the action plays out like such a great story. Sometimes it Just feels like a novel. I desired to try and write up a small piece of that battle. Consider this a novelized AAR snippet.
AUGUST 10th, 1989
Day 20 of WW III
The Soviet capture of Iceland and subsequent control of Keflavik airbase a week ago was beginning to become a very real impediment to the NATO effort to resupply its European forces. Soviet control of Keflavik also provided air cover to enemy submarine forces and allowed Soviet subs a chance to transit unhindered from their bases in the Kola Peninsula to the North Atlantic where they were wreaking havoc amongst NATO shipping and sea lanes of control.
NATO commanders transmitted orders on August 10th to the Roosevelt Battle Group. These orders were the first step in the attempt to recapture Iceland.
The Roosevelt Battle Group centered around the Nimitz class Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71 was ordered to move at best speed to (AO) Area of Operations approximately 450 nm Southwest of Iceland. And from that position to launch air strikes to shut down the heavily defended Keflavik airbase.
Preparations
With the commencement of this operation the first 24 hours was spent whittling away the Soviet outer barriers to Keflavik Airbase. Specifically the air superiority battle raged almost none stop as CVN Roosevelt’s F-14 Tomcats defeated MiG-31’s SU-24’s, and MiG-29’s in a tireless air battle. The fight had not been without tragedy, as at one point 4 A6-E Intruders were lost as they strayed too far from air cover while attacking three soviet guided missile Frigates. Their sacrifice was not in vain as the Frigates were sunk and the route was now open to launch an airstrike on The Keflavik AB.
The Alpha Strike.
The Airbase was vigorously defended by two long range SAM systems; a SA-12b Gladiator, a SA-10b Grumble and several mobile Tunguskas and Shikla’s AAA for close in coverage.
The first aircraft to approach the Airbase were F-18s flying at 36,000 ft armed with RF-decoys. Once the F-18’s were inside the decoys 40nm range they were all released and activated, to begin their electronic mimicking of multiple additional aircraft.
At almost the same moment the long range SAM’s to the north and north east of the AB began launching multiple surface to air missiles. With half a dozen supersonic SAM missiles streaking towards them the decoy launching Hornets cranked in 180s and began to dive to 100 ft to get below their radiating decoys that now began to appear convincingly like F-18s on enemy radars.
An A6-E Prowler electronic jammer that had been hanging 15 nms back now began to move forward along with three additional flights of three F-18 Hornets equipped with HARM AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles.
As fire control radar signals from the two long range SAM batteries began to light up the sky the next wave of F-18s that had been skimming the waves pulled up to reach the necessary release height of 200 ft and began to launch their HARM anti-radiation ordinance. The enemy SAM’s that had been closing on the friendly Hornets all passed harmlessly overhead thanks to the work of the decoys and jamming assets.
The enemy SAM sites were becoming overwhelmed trying to identify and sort incoming anti-radiation missiles from decoys and were firing dozens of missiles in a desperate attempt at self preservation. Many inbound anti-radiation HARM missiles were shot down but a few leakers got through at both SAM sites. As the high speed missiles slammed into radar dishes and nearby fire control vehicles the enemy fire control radar signals began dropping offline.
With the long range SAM batteries offline the next flight of anti-radiation armed F-18s targeted the 3 mobile Tunguska, and Shikla ZSU quad AA systems parked around the base near runways and taxiways. Also targeted in this next wave were the long range search and ATC radars.
As the sound of air raid sirens intermingled with the first thunderous detonations, pilots scrambled to commence cold engine starts and emergency takeoffs to escape the onslaught that was quickly approaching from the pitch black sky.
With the air defence and radars out of the way the path was now clear for three flights of three A-6E intruders approaching the airbase from the South at 30,000 ft armed with AGM-62B Walleye II standoff 2000 lb TV guided glide bombs. These bombs quickly began to target and destroy the two active runways as well as the single runway grade taxiway.
Numerous Soviet aircraft sitting helpless parked around the base as well as aircraft attempting to taxi for take off were caught in expanding shockwaves as a dozen massive 2000 lb glide bombs silently sliced through the night to designated targets.
High above the airbase dimly lit forms of weapon system operators hunched over glowing screens like high tech wizards working dark and destructive magic. A dark magic that ripped into the tarmac below destroying runway surfaces and consuming aircraft and personnel alike.
Two soviet MiG-31s were able to launch just before the runways were hit but their escape was short lived as nearby F-18s used their AIM-7 Sparrow missiles to transform the escaping MiGs into balls of flaming debris falling to the tundra off the western threshold of their attempted escape runway.
All runways were now completely shut down, and the majority of enemy aircraft were reduced to flame and smoke rising over the heavily damaged airbase. Weapon loads expended the circling American bombers and support aircraft slowly began the turn for home.
The Surprise
With no friendly losses, tired and low on fuel the Alpha strike approached the carrier. Preparations commenced to begin landing operations. But the success of the strike with no friendly losses was quickly forgotten as radars began to blank out on multiple systems from enemy jamming. Suddenly in the east and approaching fast, multiple Soviet Backfire bombers that had launched from mainland Russia were spotted heading straight for the Roosevelt . The soviet bombers had approached from a direction that had been left relatively unprotected and were quickly approaching their cruise missile launch points.
With a sinking feeling the carrier commander realized that it might now be too late to stop these bombers from reaching their launch points. Quickly, putting landing operations on hold, the order was given to immediately launch all remaining Tomcats to intercept the incoming bombers….
Thanks for reading..
Dave
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