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AlexGGGG -> RE: 2019: Chasing Aphrodite (6/13/2018 1:38:59 AM)
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Well, the history just seems to repeat itself with some slight variations. Russians must have been tinkering with their time machine again. So, for the third time our glorious air forces have to repel Turkish attempt at conquest, represented by that accursed mass of a ship named The Conqueror.
The aircraft are again deployed to Paphos. However, we’re getting some intel that Turkish will throw some of their ballistic missiles at us in attempt to destroy the airbase. Therefore, some adjustments to SAM employment strategy are needed. Also, some fancy radar work is called for; just setting all radars to active is not going to work this time. So, for the time being, radars are shut off, except for Awaxen and Elli frigate. Note that Snow Drift is our most effective ground-based unmovable radar installation on Cyprus. Also, radars near Bulgarian borders are also shut down. Default EMCON still stands at radars active, OECM active, so that aircraft take off with their radars and jammers on. What are you saying there are no jammers? Elli has a jammer.
For automatics not to mess with radar use, globally adjust doctrine to stick to EMCON even when under attack. The algorithm differentiating if a given unit is under attack is way too cautious for this scenario.
Now it is time to move SAM batteries in their respective positions. Generally, hilltops are good places to put SAMs on. However, as it is not always possible to determine exact positions of peaks on our low-resolution strategic maps, I would try to err towards the side of the hill which is towards the anticipated direction of attack. Since I expect ballistic inbounds from more or less due north, that means either hilltops or northern sides of hills. So, SAMs are moving, and in meanwhile our pilots execute their deployment routine, well-practiced by now.
Around 0210, during my leisurely inspection of the Paphos AFB, I suddenly discover that somebody stole one of its runways. Goddamn Russian scientists are probably at their tricks again. Nobody else could have done it, there is simply no way Turkish saboteurs could have escaped unnoticed while carrying away the entire damn runway. Everything else seems satisfactory, but takeoffs and landings will now take bloody ages and I have to account for this in my planning of timings.
Aircraft loadouts are the same as earlier, with 16x Mirages carrying 32x Exocets and 14x F-16s carrying 28x HARMs. Phantoms are armed with AMRAAM-Bs to provide CAP.
This time, the anti-air strategy will be different, probably fully micromanaged, use S-300 and BUKs against ballistic inbounds, use AMRAAMs and then Aspides against SLAM-ERs, and use Sidewinders and aircraft guns, when practical, against vampire snails.
SAMs are in position by 0300, map is provided below.
Mark CAP change time 0430
While Phantoms are deploying to Paphos, it is time to consider SAM use strategy. I have one S-300 battery with 24 missiles ready. Then, two BUK batteries with 12 missiles each. So, the default shoot, shoot, look, shoot does not seem suitable, and I will start with having it the other way around – shoot, look, shoot, shoot. Then when the target is in range for BUKs, it will probably be four or even six SAMs per target. This is, however, very probably subject to a swift change once the actual intercept performance is known. I also wonder if AMRAAMs are any good against a ballistic inbound.
Mark CAP change time 0600.
Elli frigate, in meanwhile, arrived on station 50 NM south-east of Antalya and is now under Wagtail track. There are some unidentified aircraft flying there at 36000 ft at 230 kts. Looks like by chance I have stumbled upon the Turkish tanker track. It may be jolly good to shoot it down first thing, because this will likely interfere with enemy CAP.
So, some doctrine changes are in order. Make Elli, S-300, and two BUK batteries HOLD anti-air fire, because I need to conserve missiles for specific targets, namely Wagtails, tankers, and ballistic missiles.
Mark CAP change 0815
Starting takeoffs at 0920, and starting hostilities at 1000.
Wagtails are getting hit, but no hits on tankers unfortunately, because tankers are not in the proper part of their track, too bad.
Immediately, there are 9x ballistic inbounds. My own HARMs are still in flight. Set radars on S-300 and BUKs to active. Allocate 9x S-300 interceptors, one per inbound. Also, Phantoms are firing 2x AMRAAM-B per inbound.
AMRAAM-B PH against ballistic missile is something around 50%. Very impressive actually, and a nice surprise. I was thinking more about 15% or so. Good, good.
S-300 PH against ballistic missile is 60%
4 of these still inbound; three apparently for Pahpos and one for the radar (with 2x AMRAAM-B still on it). Drop the one which goes for the radar, it’s as good as dead already. Assign 2x BUK shots per inbound per battery, and also S-300 two more shots per inbound. Phantoms are weapons free and are firing AMRAAMs at their own initiative, well, let them be.
Two inbounds are still heading for Paphos and one for one of the Score radars. Those targeting Paphos are shot down before BUK missiles have a chance to intercept. The Score radar gets hit, well, that’s unfortunate but it was kind of expected.
Exocets are released at 1002, and returns are ordered so that anyone who still has AAMs remains aloft as long as possible.
First Exocet impact around 1005 and target sunk with about 14 Exocet hits. Remaining 11 start flying around killing further ships.
Switch off SAM radars again; two aircraft looking quite like tankers approaching Elli station from the north. Mirage flight with no BVR missiles starts landing.
Around 1015, aircraft approaching on bearing 060, sent F-16s to intercept.
Aircraft approaching Elli station shapes out to be more F-16s, not tankers as I hoped. However, there is another aircraft approaching from due east, which looks certainly like a tanker at 230 kts and 36000 ft.
At 1020, new salvo of ballistic inbounds. Light up BUK and S-300 radars. There are 9 inbounds and S-300 has 8 SAMs ready. Hold fire for now, wait for AMRAAMs. Weapon allocation starts with 12x AMRAAM-C per 9 inbounds, then further 15 AMRAAM-Bs to make it 3 AAMs per inbound. Five get through, four towards Paphos, one apparently towards a Snow Drift radar. S-300 has 8 missiles ready, so assign 2x per inbound sacrificing Snow Drift installation. On the second thought, Mirages allocating 4x MICA IR in attempt to protect Snow Drift. I wonder how that will work out. BUKs allocating 4 SAMs per inbound but still no illumination and thus no shots. S-300 is out of missiles. MICA IRs work pretty well with PH of 60%, killing the inbound. S-300 kills three vampires with 8 SAMs, missing one which is still heading towards Paphos – Mirages are not in position to fire, so adjust BUK allocations to four SAMs per battery, totaling 8 SAMs per single inbound. At 15 NM out, still no illumination. The inbound is killed with 5th SAM at about 5NM out. BUK PH against ballistic inbound is 20% in what is essentially a head-on engagement.
Shut down BUK and S-300 radars again, not to tempt HARMs.
Now some missiles are heading towards Elli. That’s bad because I still want the tanker killed. See if I can manage that before Elli is sunk. Better yet, see if I can manage that it is not sunk, unlikely as it may seem. Vampires, looks like there are four of them, 570 kts 300 ft, look like SLAM-ERs to me. And yes, the tanker is shot down. No fuel for you today fellas, hehe. Now engaging 4x SLAM-ER with Sea Sparrows. Too bad Elli only has two illumination channels. However, three SLAM-ERs are shot down with 6 Sea Sparrows, and the last one with Phalanx, and Elli resumes its wait for the next tanker.
Eventually around 1035 aircraft appear over the Aegean Sea heading towards the Patriot battery near Skiros. Well that battery has 24 missiles ready.
There are 9 more ballistic missiles coming Cyprus around 1040, two heading for Snow Drift radar installation, God bless its crew souls, and seven towards Paphos. Mirages engaging seven inbounds with 7x MICA IR. In meanwhile, over the Aegian, Patriot is engaging what comes its way. MICA IRs do some great job, killing 5 of 7 inbounds. Now, two are still heading for Paphos. S-300 firing one SAM per inbound. Also, BUKs are allocated, 2x per inbound per battery, but they do not have the inbounds illuminated yet, and turns out they are not needed – S-300 scores two hits. Now we return Mirages to Paphos because they have no missiles left anyway and pray for that brave souls of Snow Drift crew.
So, having threat to Cyprus dealt with, we return to the Patriot battery near Skiros in Aegean. The battery cleared the airspace around it, dealing with vampires and aircraft, and is now reloading with only 2 missiles ready and reload time of around 30 minutes. This is not good, so I turn off all radars around Skiros in order to deny enemy ARM targeting and lure them deeper towards other Patriots.
Now, S-300 has 12 missiles ready, 13 more in reloads, and every SAM on Cyprus shuts down its radars again.
At 1105, vampires are inbound to Skiros, looking like SLAM-ERs with 570kts at 300 ft. Patriot battery is still reloading with earliest reload still some 6 minutes away, so Skyguard will have to intercept. No luck with that, and the Patriot battery is disabled. SLAM-ERs destroy some radars on the Bulgarian border, but that can’t be helped.
Vampire snail sightings at 1120. All aircraft still airborne are engaging, including with guns, and then return to base having expended all weapons except one group of F-16s still carrying 8x IRIS-T among 10 aircraft.
At 1155, Elli kills another tanker. I repeat, no fuel for you today, fellas.
After that, there is no activity, really, till the end of the scenario.
Score 1100 Major Victory
Death toll as follows:
SIDE: Greece
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LOSSES:
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1x Radar (Score)
1x Radar (Snow Drift [9S18M1])
2x Vehicle (AN/MPQ-53)
4x Patriot M901
1x Radar (HR-3000 RSRP)
1x Radar (THD-1955 MPR)
EXPENDITURES:
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16x RIM-7M Sea Sparrow
28x AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM P3I.3
28x AGM-88B HARM
24x AIM-120B AMRAAM
23x SA-20a Gargoyle [48N6E]
14x SA-17 Grizzly [9M317]
32x AM.39 Exocet Blk II
12x MICA IR
2x 76mm/62 Compact HE Burst [4 rnds]
28x MIM-104D Patriot PAC-2 GEM
2x MIM-7M Sparrow
20x AIM-2000A IRIS-T
24x AIM-9L Sidewinder
23x 20mm/85 M61A1 Vulcan Burst [100 rnds]
SIDE: Turkey
===========================================================
LOSSES:
-------------------------------
1x ATR-72-ASW [Meltem III]
3x E-737 Wedgetail
4x F-16DM Blk 40 Falcon [Peace Onyx III CCIP Upgr]
1x Platform [Class A, 90000t]
2x F 500 Bozcaada [A 69]
1x F 490 Gaziantep [Perry, Gabya Class]
2x KC-135R Stratotanker
2x F-16DM Blk 50 Falcon [Peace Onyx III CCIP Upgr]
1x S-70B-28 Seahawk
EXPENDITURES:
------------------
54x AN/SSQ-53E DIFAR
10x AN/SSQ-53F DIFAR
10x AN/SSQ-62C DICASS
48x AN/SSQ-62D DICASS
27x J-600T Yildirim <--- Previously, there only were 20
30x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
10x RIM-162B ESSM
28x AIM-120B AMRAAM
32x Harpy
27x RIM-66E6 SM-1MR Blk VIB
3x Aspide
21x RIM-116B RAM Blk I
2x AIM-9X Sidewinder
7x 76mm/62 Compact HE Burst [4 rnds]
2x 20mm/100 Mk15 Phalanx Blk 1B Burst [300 rnds]
2x 76mm/62 Super Rapido HE Burst [2 rnds]
1x 127mm/54 HE-CVT [HiFrag]
1x 25mm Sea Zenith Burst [20 rnds]
6x 100mm/55 Model 1968 PFHE Burst [4 rnds]
7x DAGAIE Mk2 LEM Chaff
2x 20mm/85 Mk15 Phalanx Blk 1 Burst [300 rnds]
4x Mk214 Sea Gnat Chaff [Seduction]
16x AGM-84K SLAMER-ATA
11x AGM-88B HARM
2x HGK INS/GPS [Mk84]
[image]local://upfiles/50074/DD9E63F9D54D40829975921B0A42852D.jpg[/image]
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