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Primarchx -> Changjiang Strike AAR (3/12/2014 3:02:56 AM)
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Took stock of my resources.
- The Reagan CSG with 1 CG and 2 DDG - total of 88 TLAMS, 11 F/A-18C w/ AIM-120C5, 10 F/A-18F with AIM-120D, 5 x F/A-18E with ITALD, 6 x F/A-18E with HARM (4 per), 10 x F/A-18E with JSOW [BROACH] (4 per).
- An SSN-774 with 26 TLAM, an SSN-21 with 20 TLAM and a SSGN 729 with 75 TLAM.
- Anderson AFB with 2 B-2A with JDAMs
Time allowed is only 8 hours. This means one, perhaps 2 air strike sorties per F/A-18E (CVN magazine loaded with various options).
Initial targets seem to be airfields on Hainan and Woody Island as well as known EW radars on Hainan to clear way for B-2A strike. Immediately launch an EA-6B and E-2C to passively search for other contacts of concern, followed by a pair of Hornet CAP. I immediately swap out the ITALD loads for SLAM-ER. TALDs are not usually fired on by ADA until identified as hostile and I'd rather have the end-game long range strike capability than spurious utility decoys.
Closest concern is Woody Island and the Prowler heads that direction to see if it can sniff out SAMs, fighter cover or the like. At 32k feet the Prowler picks up a HQ-64 radar from Woody Island and then and HT-233 radar shortly after. This indicates an HQ-9A battery is likely on Woody Island. Not good, but no airborne aircraft are passively detected.
No further spikes from Woody, including no radiating aircraft. I decide to launch an initial 16 x TLAM strike on the runway access points there from the SSN-21. An HQ-9A battery has 24 SAMs and the HQ-64 has 8 ready rounds. With 2 missiles on each they'll need 32 SAMs. I choose the Seawolf because of it's position relative to Hainan. The lack of a VLS makes the strike tepid as I only launch 4 TLAMs at a time due to tube reload speed.
The Prowler next picks up the VLC-4 long range EW radar on the southern tip of Hainan. There doesn't appear to be a local SAM defense in the area nor airborne fighters. The SSN-778 launches a 6 TLAM strike on it. Shortly afterward I launch 4 TLAMs from the SSN-778 at the YLC-2 radar in the center of Hainan's landmass.
Next I send the Prowler on a solo mission at low altitude (8k feet) toward Hainan to get a closer sniff. I'm still not launching strikes from the Reagan until I get a better idea of what's out there. I also energize my Hawkeye's radar for just a few seconds to get a feel for any silent contacts out there but find nothing.
My first foursome of TLAMs reaches Woody Island and strike the first runway access point without being intercepted by SAMs. While not immediately destroyed, it's gone within a couple of minutes.
At 10:38Z a pair of Bogey contacts are picked up by my Hawkeye over Hainan via ESM intercept - Type 1474 Radar. Not good, these are either J-11B/15/16. I turn the unescorted Prowler back toward the CSG, begin to increase altitude and launch a pair of F/A-18F fighters for cover. When the Prowler gets higher turns on the music to give ECM coverage to the inbound TLAMs.
At 10:40Z the Hawkeye picks up a Bogey at 30NM via IRST, identified as J-8 Finback. Nearby Hornet CAP turns engage, launching 2 AMRAAMs and splashing the Bandit before it launches back. A second Bogey is picked up by the Hornets closing at 520kts. It's cleared for engagement and another pair of AMRAAMs streaks out as the target clears 48nm and send the aircraft down in flames.
About the same time the final 4 TLAMs from SSN-21 is launched against Woody Island's last runway access point.
The second foursome of TLAMs strikes a Woody Island runway access point, wiping it out. Two more J11/15/16 are picked up over Hainan and a second pair of Super Hornet fighters are catapulted off the deck. Shortly afterwards, at 10:43, the Hawkeye energizes it's APS-145 for a brief moment and sees 4 additional fighters in the vicinity of Woody Island. The CAP re-directs to engage and another pair of Hornets is launched from the CVN.
First pair of Woody Island Bogeys are dispatched but the initial Hornet CAP is down to only a couple of AMRAAMs and have two final fighters inbound. A pair of Super Hornets has launched from Reagan but will take time to arrive. To protect the Hawkeye, which is not far off, the depleted Hornets turn toward the inbound bogeys. Meanwhile the 4 J-11/15/16s over Hainan are heading out to investigate the Hawkeye...
The Hornet CAP launches an AMRAAM at each inbound Finback and selects AB to close in for Sidewinders if needed. Luckily each AIM-120 connects and removes the threat. The initial Hornet CAP, a flight of 2 a/c, has destroyed 8 PLAAF aircraft and heads back to the barn as a second 2-ship of Super Hornet fighters takes off to defend against the inbound Flankers/Flying Sharks. Strangely, these fighters seem to veer away, perhaps at the limit of their patrol area (?) only a short distance from Hainan.
At 10:48Z six more Bogeys, not radiating, are detected over Hainan by the Hawkeye. These aren't far from the YLC-4 radar that has 6 TLAMS only 40nm away and closing. Two separate and head toward the TLAMs and four continue to circle to the east. Shortly thereafter a single fighter lifts off from Woody Island just before TLAMs hit the third (of four) runway access points - apparently killing another Finback there as my kill total is suddenly 9. Surprisingly, no SAMs have intercepted the inbound TLAMs to Woody.
As of 10:51Z there are at least a dozen Bogeys over Hainan and one other that has departed Woody Island. I have 6 fighters up (4 x F/A-18F and 2 x F/A-18C) and decide to launch a fourth pair. The J-11/15/16s that had halted a short way off Hainan are now heading out toward the Hawkeye again.
By 10:53Z the TLAM strike on the southernmost Hainan EW radar (YLC-4) has made it past the fighters streaming southward toward the Hawkeye and decimated its' target. Suddenly radar coverage is decreased by 60nm, giving the Reagan CSG a little more room to play with.
With this strike successfully achieved it's time to pump up the offensive with more fighter aircraft to meet the 18-20 PLAAF aircraft coming south. I'm still holding off on launching more aggressive attacks on Hainan until the issue at Woody Island and the large number of inbound aircraft are dealt with. If necessary I'll rearm my fighters and strike later in the evening. If the inbound PLAAF aircraft turn back, I'll run a fighter sweep to see what I can shoot down before regrouping. The B-2As are still about 4hrs out.
By 10:57 it's looking pretty obvious a big air battle is brewing. There's over 20 ac in the air and it looks like they're all heading south. It's my fault for firing up the Hawkeye's radar, but what the hell, we'll play these cards. If all else fails, I've got my AEGIS ships to fall back to. Hope there are not DF-21s waiting out there!
At 10:59 someone has seen my last 4 TLAMs heading for the central Hainan EW radar and shot them down. A few missiles that won't be shot at my aircraft, at least. My CG from the CSG starts firing ERAMs and I put a Hold Fire on the group for now.
As of 11:02 the lead Hainan fighters are identified as J-16 Flying Sharks by my lead F/A-18F pair. An F/A-18C opens up with two AMRAAMs on an approaching Finback from Woody Island, beginning the second air battle of the evening. Strangely enough, only the Flying Sharks are using radar, which puts the whole group at a disadvantage. I run no radars other than the Hawkeye. The final wave of initial TLAMs hit Woody Island's last remaining runway access point, putting the field out of commission.
In the next minute the first Finback has been shot down and missiles are heading toward the lead Flying Shark. I use a relay system, reversing the course of the Super Hornets that fired and coming in behind them with a second pair of shooters. The first pair of AMRAAMs down their target as the second pair of shooters line up on the next one. For max performance I launch AIM-120Ds at 48nm (out of a 75nm range) so the Super Hornets can then turn and not be fired on.
More Bogeys launch from Hainan.
By 11:06Z the first 4 inbounds (2 Finbacks & 2 Flying Sharks) have been dealt with with no return fire. 22 enemy aircraft remain and more seem to be launching. I have two pairs of fighters still ready on deck, a pair re-arming and the rest airborne (14 a/c).
[To be continued...]
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