pmaidhof

"Wings level...cleared Hot!"

My message did mention patience, although it did not intend to include the "application process" At time, water torture comes to mind.

The most recent Naval Sitrep has an article Just In Case by Larry Bond which briefly discusses the current dynamic between Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, and then goes on to identify the various current naval and air unit types in H4.1 terms for the three potential belligerents.

...has arrived. Very nice.

Looks good. I think I'll sign up for that. As another participant, bring along a boatload of patience.

Having been thinking of only as a last resort, Warhorse brings up a very valid point of the situation a diesel boat can and most likely will find themselves in. What is their alternative to virtually certain destruction? I say arm them.

...this "seasons" gonna end some day

Cruiser, amphib test Aegis today in shootdown By Audrey McAvoy - The Associated Press Posted : Thursday Jun 5, 2008 8:01:30 EDT HONOLULU — The U.S. military plans to intercept a ballistic missile in its first sea-based missile defense test since the cruiser Lake Erie shot down an errant satellite in a real-world mission earlier this year. The test, off Kauai, is the latest test of the Aegis ballistic missile defense program. The military will fire a Scud-like missile, which has a range of a few hundred miles, from the decommissioned amphibious assault ship Tripoli. The Lake Erie will fire two interceptor missiles at the target with the intention of shooting it down in its final seconds of flight. If all goes well, the intercept should occur within the Earth’s atmosphere, or within 100 miles of the Earth’s surface. The Aegis system accomplished a similar task once before: two years ago, the Lake Erie shot down a missile fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai in its final stage of flight. In February, the ship successfully shot down a U.S. spy satellite in the Aegis’ system’s first real-world mission. The satellite had lost power and become uncontrollable, creating worries it would break up and spread debris over several hundred miles if it fell to earth. Find Navy Times article here.

Mission Day 2, North Atlantic 1986. Randomly drawn target, Target 12, is a Soviet naval force carrying an invasion force in the relatively narrow waters directly north of Denmark. The target will cause 3 Stress Points upon mission completion, and will cost -4 Weight Points due to distance and addition fuel requirements. Six aircraft are detailed to this mission. Sites: North/SA-2 South/37mm East/37mm West/SA-N-9 (SA-15) Target/SA-N-9 (SA-15) Wraith (Fast Average F-18C) 2x AIM-9, 1x AGM-65 Joker (Slow Average F-18C) 2x AIM-9, 1x AGM-65 Nova (Fast Veteran A-6E) 1x AGM-45, 1x AGM-65, 1x Mk82 Crabby (Slow Newbie A-6E) 1x AGM-45, 1x Mk83, 1x Mk82 Hot Rod (Fast Veteran F-14D) 2x AIM-54, 1x AIM-7, 1x AIM-9 Echo (Slow Newbie F-14D) 2x AIM-54, 1x AIM-7, 1x AIM-9 Target Bound Event Card – Support: Cruise Missile strike inflicts 2 hits on target. Nova, Crabby, and Hot Rod, High, West Pre-Approach. Wraith, Joker, and Echo, High, Southwest Pre Approach. Site Adjustment Event Card – Wear & Tear: Add 1 site counter to the East and West Pre Approach Areas. West Pre Approach: SA-11 (SA-N-7). East Pre-Approach: SA-N-9 (SA-15). Bandits: North/ No Bandit South/ MiG-23 East/ MiG-23 West/ No Bandit Target Area/ 2x No Bandit AIM-54 Pre Strike: Echo launches one AIM-54 at each MiG-23. 1,2 Both miss. Hot Rod launches his two AIM-54’s. +1, 4,4 both miss. Turn 1 Fast: Wraith AIM-9 at adjacent MiG-23, 1 Miss. Hot Rod AIM-7 +1 at MiG-23, 4 Miss. Nova Mk82 +2 on SA-11 (SA-N-7) in West Pre-Approach. 9 +2 = 2 hits. Sites & Bandits MiG-23 in South Approach randomly selects F-14D Echo. Echo evades, +1 Stress. 2, 10 = miss. SA-15 (SA-N-9) in West Approach attacks Hot Rod, Nova attempts suppression with an AGM-45 +2. 5+2=7 Hit = Suppression. Slow: Joker fires AGM-65 at SA-15, destroying the site. Echo fires AIM-9 at MiG-23, downing the MiG-23. All strikers enter Western Approach Area. Intruders go down on the deck. Eastern MiG-23 moves into the target area. Turn 2 Fast: Hot Rod fires an AIM-9 +1 at Mig-23 +1, destroying the MiG. Nova launches an AGM-65 +2 at the SA-15 (SA-N-9) +1 site in the target area, destroying the site. Wraith launches AGM-65 -1 at target area inflicting 1 hit. Sites & Bandits. SA-2 fires at evading Joker +1 Stress. 1,5 miss. Slow: Crabby launches AGM-45 -1 at SA-2 +1 miss. Strike moves over the target area. Turn 3. Fast: None. Sites & Bandits: SA-2 targets an evading Echo +1 Stress. 3, 6 miss. Slow: Crabby -1 attacks target with one stick of each Mk82 (1 Hit) and Mk83 (2 Hits). Target destroyed. Strike departs target area to the southwest. Homebound Event Card – F-14 Tomcats: F-14 escort of strikers home. Reduce 1 Stress point per pilot flying this mission. Mission complete. AIM-54 Pre-Strikes was totally unsuccessful today, but c'est la guerre. Weight Point reduction caused a serious shortfall of AtG munitions, but solid rolls with the dumb bombs saved the day. The squadron now stands, after two successful missions: A-6E Nova +3 Stress A-6E Pepper +1 Stress A-6E Python +1 Stress A-6E Crabby +3 Stress: Shaken F-18C Joker +1 Stress F-18C Wraith +3 Stress F-14D Echo +4 Stress: Shaken F-14D Cash +6 Stress: UnFit F-14D Feather +1 Stress F-14D Hot Rod +2 Stress EA-6B Jazz +2 Stress E-2C Thunder Good to Go

Is in the mail CoA CSW

And to make matter worse Calverton plant is abandoned except for being overrun by scrawny deer, and the industrial redevelopment of the Bethpage plant caused old runway to be cut. Long gone now are the days of the buzz of E-2's lifting off from Bethpage and F-14's gallivanting out on eastern LI. For good measure, the old Fairchild Republic factories are now abandoned derelicts or converted into multiplex movie theaters/shopping centers. Grumman used to be the largest single employer on Long Island, when they went away the mantle fell to Waldbaums - grocery store company. I believe that Computer Associates is now the largest single employer the last time I heard , but it has been a while, might be because the authorities are embarrassed to say who it may be. But I digress

Newsday.com An F-14 Tomcat's final trip - to Bethpage by road BY JAMES BERNSTEIN james.bernstein@newsday.com June 2, 2008 If you happened to be out and about in Farmingdale or Bethpage in the wee hours of the morning May 6 and saw a Navy F-14 Tomcat fighter jet on the roadway, you do not need an eye exam, and you were not hallucinating. The plane was being towed from the Airpower Museum at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale to the Northrop Grumman Corp. plant in Bethpage, where it is now on permanent display outside the main gates on Grumman Road West. The trip took about three hours, according to Barbara Nilsen, president of the Grumman Club, a retirees group that played a major role in getting the F-14 to Bethpage, where it was originally built by the former Grumman Corp. The plane is on permanent loan from the Navy to the club. Nilsen, who retired from Grumman in 1993 after a 36-year career in quality control, said the F-14 was towed in the early-morning hours to avoid startling drivers and creating traffic jams. "It's been years since anything like this went down the road," she said. When Grumman was building planes on Long Island, they were assembled in Bethpage and trucked to Calverton, where final assembly and flight tests were done. The F-14 now outside the Northrop Grumman plant was the 711th of the 712 Tomcats Grumman built during the 1980s and 1990s. The F-14, the Navy's premier air-to-air fighter in those decades, was retired from active service in 2006. Pat McMahon, a Northrop Grumman vice president and deputy regional head of the company unit that oversees Long Island operations, said employees arriving for work May 6 were taken aback when they saw the plane. "We couldn't tell anyone [it was coming] because of safety issues in bringing it in," McMahon said recently. The idea of getting an F-14 placed outside the main gates was first advanced by Gerard A. "Duke" Dufresne, who, until he was reassigned by the company to the West Coast last year, was Northrop Grumman's highest-ranking executive on the Island. Nilsen said it took about two years of negotiations with the Navy before the plane was released to the Grumman Club. "The F-14 is a tribute to all of the men and women at Grumman who developed it," McMahon said. "Long Island is the home of the F-14. To me, this is the right place for it." [Me] More signs of Long Island's aviation past. Newday article here

Newsday.com Navy gets first "Growler" with Northrop Grumman radar jammer BY JAMES BERNSTEIN james.bernstein@newsday.com 3:09 PM EDT, June 2, 2008 The Growlers are coming. The EA-18G Growler, that is. The EA-18G is a new electronic attack airplane, and the first of them is to be delivered to the Navy Tuesday at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington state. Northrop Grumman's facility in Bethpage is a major contributor to the Growler, whose airframe is made by Boeing Co. Northrop Grumman engineers and technicians in Bethpage designed an advanced system -- called ICAP III, for improved capability -- that will aid the EA-18G in jamming radars of enemy aircraft. Northrop Grumman had opened a new laboratory in Bethpage to design the ICAP III system, considered the most advanced jammer in the world. The lab employes about 80 of Northrop Grumman's approximately 2,000 Long Island workers. Company officials weren't available for comment. The Navy is to make a bit of a fuss over delivery of the first of what are expected to be 85 Growlers that will be built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter, top Northrop Grumman and Boeing executives, along with some members of the local Washington congressional delegation, are expected to be on hand for a brief ceremony welcoming the Growler that was flown there. The EA-18G is to eventually replace the EA-6B Prowler, which was built by the former Grumman Corp. in Bethpage and Calverton in the 1970s and '80s. The Growler's radar-jamming capabilities are said to be far superior to the Prowlers. Current Prowlers jam enemy radar by transmitting electronic signals over broad frequency banks to "blind" hostile planes. The Growler, however, uses more sophisticated receivers and software to more rapidly locate enemy radars and focus its jamming energy on the threat. The Growler is an electronic version of the Navy's F/A-18F Super Hornet, which was originally built by McDonnell Douglas Corp. McDonnell Douglas was acquired years ago by Boeing. Meanwhile, Boeing is in a bitter dogfight with Northrop Grumman over which company will build a new tanker aircraft for the Air Force under an eye-popping $40 billion contract. The Air Force awarded the contract to Northrop Grumman, stunning the military contracting industry, which had widely expected Boeing to win, since it has been building tankers for decades. Boeing has protested the Air Force decision to the Government Accounting Office, which is to make a decision about the deal this month. Find Newsday article here. [Me] One of the final vestiges of a once all-powerful Long Island military, predominantly naval, aviation industry.

Often there are cries of too much information... now K32, german? If so, beware of Loralei (sp?) up on the (modest) cliff.

But being three points ahead with what has a better than average chance for Detroit to close it out on the Pens' home ice, you Sir may be sitting in the catbirds seat.

Navy shows little interest in armed drones By Sebastian Abbot - The Associated Press Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 6:01:44 EDT ABOARD THE USS HARRY S. TRUMAN — The Navy lags well behind the Air Force in the development of armed drones — the unmanned aircraft now used increasingly in Iraq and Afghanistan — insisting that its “Top Gun” fighter pilots are still smarter, better and more flexible in combat. But the contrasting visions for the next generation of America’s air arsenal point to wider debates within the military about the pace of incorporating remote-control technology into future battle strategies. It also touches on differences in military cultures — with the Navy coming under criticism for its apparent resistance to substitute fighter pilot training and instincts with aircraft guided by operators who can be thousands of miles away. For the moment, the Navy is deeply committed to plans for the F-35 and developing a drone fleet strictly for surveillance and other nonweapon tasks. The Air Force, meanwhile, has used armed drones for years and appears to embody Pentagon trends to encourage drones as a way to reduce costs and consolidate personnel. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in a speech in April, called on the Air Force and other military officials to rethink “long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots, and which do not.” Gates added that “unmanned systems cost much less and offer greater loiter times than their manned counterparts — making them ideal for many of today’s tasks.” But many Navy pilots believe the drone technology has its limits when called on to strike targets, saying that pilots cannot be fully replaced. “I’m not worried about losing my job, let me put it that way,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brice Casey, an F/A-18 pilot, speaking after a mission over Iraq from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, which recently ended a deployment in the Persian Gulf. The Navy uses Global Hawk reconnaissance drones and is developing a helicopterlike unmanned aircraft called the Fire Scout that can take off and land vertically on ships. But neither operate off aircraft carriers or possess strike capability. Last year, the Navy awarded its first-ever contract for a drone that will be able to operate from a carrier. It isn’t scheduled for deployment until 2025 and is also limited to reconnaissance missions. That puts the Navy many years behind the Air Force, which first used an armed version of the Predator drone in combat in Afghanistan in 2001. The Air Force’s latest version, the Reaper, can carry up to 14 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles or alternately, four Hellfires and two 500-pound bombs over Iraq, Afghanistan or other war zones. Tom Ehrhard, an expert on unmanned aircraft at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, predicted it would take pressure from Congress and the defense secretary to “continue to move the Navy down this path” toward an eventual armed drone. Ehrhard is a former Air Force officer. The Air Force has taken some of its pilots out of the air to staff drones to try to keep up with increased demand from soldiers on the battlefield. But the Navy says drones are no substitute for trained pilots in the cockpit. Unmanned aircraft are good for targeted strikes but less effective in quick-changing, dynamic combat situations, Navy fighter pilots aboard the Truman said. The pilots contend that technicians piloting drones by video and computer from afar might not get a full visual sense — or the intangible “feel” — for a combat scene. Drones also perform well in places with limited anti-aircraft capabilities — such as Iraq and Afghanistan — but could be easier targets for ground-based rockets in places with more advanced systems. “There is a lot that I can do and relay and make decisions in real time — based on being at the scene — that a guy is going to have a very difficult time making from one camera,” said Cmdr. Bill Sigler, head of an F/A-18 fighter jet squadron on the Truman. The Navy officially backs that position. “Manned aircraft still retain relevancy in scenarios where airborne decision-making is critical to mission success,” Navy spokesman Lt. Clay Doss said. He cited close air support, where pilots provide air cover for troops on the ground, and also direct ground attack “where dynamic maneuvering and/or visual situational awareness is necessary.” The Navy will look at strike capability for future generations of its carrier drone, Doss said. But he stressed that the aircraft would not replace the Navy’s fighter pilots anytime in the foreseeable future. The Navy also worries about drone reliability and safety. The Navy developed its first unmanned combat aircraft in the 1950s and 1960s. But the Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter, which operated off destroyers and frigates, was plagued by accidents and pilot error; half were lost. The Navy’s current program consists of a $646 million contract to Northrop Grumman Corp. to build an unmanned jet, known as the X-47B, able to take off and land from an aircraft carrier. The first test flight is scheduled for late 2009, with a deployment date of 2025. Since the drone won’t carry any weapons, airstrikes presumably will be done by the next-generation F-35, which the Navy is expected to receive in 2015. But Ehrhard noted a drone carrying the same weapons payload as the F-35 would have 2 1/2 times the range of a manned aircraft without refueling and could remain over the battlefield 5 to 10 times as long. He called that increased reach critical as the military reduces the size and number of bases overseas, while needing to monitor remote spots around the globe. “What the Navy doesn’t want is a competitor for the F-35 program,” Ehrhard said. “The F-35 program is their strike aircraft, so saying they are going to develop another strike aircraft conflicts with their own program.” Ehrhard said drones with full strike capability operating off aircraft carriers “will always be at least another generation of pilots away.” Find Navy Times article here

U.N. OKs foreign ships to fight Somali pirates By John Heilprin - The Associated Press Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 7:50:07 EDT UNITED NATIONS — Foreign ships gained authorization Monday to enter Somali waters when fighting piracy and armed robbery — rampant problems along the African nation’s lawless coast. The U.N. Security Council’s 15 members unanimously adopted a resolution intended to combat the attacks and hijacking of vessels along the country’s 1,880-mile coastline, the continent’s longest. More than a dozen pirate attacks have occurred this year alone, creating concerns for shipping along routes that connect the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea. Two more ships were attacked in the Gulf of Aden last week. The resolution, pushed by France and the United States, is in part a response to requests for help from both the Somali government and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. According to the resolution, foreign nations’ ships that cooperate with Somalia’s government during the next six months can “enter the territorial waters of Somalia for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.” Somalia’s transitional president Abdullahi Yusuf told Security Council members in Djibouti that “the issue of piracy is beyond our present means and capabilities.” “Hence, we would like to request the Security Council to urgently adopt the draft resolution on piracy off the coast of Somalia,” he said. Somalia’s fragile government, backed by Ethiopia, has been battling Islamist-led insurgents since early 2007. Somalia lacks a navy, and its transitional government has been struggling to assert control since it was formed in 2004 with U.N. help. The U.S. Navy also has led international patrols to try to combat piracy in the region. Find Navy Times article here.

Those pesky "Black Helicopters" again Brad?

Anytime Baby...I In this case it was range/load restrictions and a desire to try out the AIM-54. Also, thus far in the game, when it comes down to tough load choices, I go with Sidewinders. Despite the range benefit of the Sparrow over the Sidewinder, my die rolling for Sparrows has been mind-numbing to say the least. That, and the fact that I have not come up with too many bandits that have the ability to effectively strike me from Sparrow's range. In those rare cases, I try and evade the attack, and then get 'em with a Sidewinder the next chance I have. As an example each AAM has a D10 "to hit" number, which can be modified by specific pilot attributes and bandit characteristics. The Sidewinder can attack bandits in the same and adjacent "area", and its "to hit" is 6. The Sparrow can attack same area, and two areas away. Its base "to hit" is 8. I do not think that I have a sparrow kill yet. I'm sure that it's me, not the missile. More to follow.

I chose the compsite squadron for this Cold War scenario with a di-emphasis of F/A-18, and in favor of F-14, A-6, and specialty naval aircraft. Veteran F-14 HotRod (Fast) Skilled F-14 Cash (Fast) Average F-14 Feather (Slow) Newbie F-14 Echo (Slow) Veteran A-6 Nova (Fast) Average A-6 Python (Slow) Average A-6 Pepper (Slow) Green A-6 Crabby (Slow) Average F-18 Wraith (Fast) Green F-18 Joker (Slow) Average EA-6B Jazz (Slow) Average E-2C Thunder (-) 1st Target randomly selected, Target 15 Fuel Depot midway along the Swedish-Finland border. Target causes -4 Weight Points and mission completion will cause +3 Stress Points. target consists of 2x Sites and 2x Bandits in each Approach Area, and 1x Site and 1x Bandit over the target area. Mission calls for 5 aircraft. Intel Section describes the defenses as the following (Site Selection): North1 SA-3 SAM Site North2 SA-15 SAM Site South1 SA-2 SAM Site South2 SA-15 SAM Site East1 SA-14 MANPAD position East2 SA-15 SAM Site West1 ZSU-23/4 air defense vehicle West2 SA-7 MANPAD position Target Area 37mm AAA Site Mission Pilot Assignment, Revised Weight Points, and Mission Payload: F-14 Cash 4 2x AIM-54 Phoenix, 2x AIM-9 Sidewinder F-14 Feather 4 2x AIM-54 Phoenix, 2x AIM-9 Sidewinder A-6 Pepper 8 3x Mk83, 2x Mk20 CBU A-6 Python 8 3x Mk83, 2x Mk20 CBU EA-6B x 4x AGM-88 HARM Draw Target-bound Event Card: Opportunity - Bridge. "If you expend 2 AtG counters, move the INFRA Counter 1 to the right. I opt to do this, dropping 1x Mk20 from both Pepper and Python. Inital Aircraft positions: 2x A-6, 1x EA-6B in the SW Pre-Approach Area. F-14 (Feather) in West Pre-Approach, and F-14 (Cash) NW Pre-Approach. Site Adjustment Event Card: Fog of War - Draw one random bandit counter for the target area each step during the "Jettison Decision". Bandits Present: (drawn randomly) North1: No Bandit North2: No Bandit South1: MiG-21 South2: MiG-25 East1: MiG-21 East2: No Bandit West1: MiG-25 West2: No Bandit Tgt Area: MiG-23 AIM-54 Pre-Strike: Cash downs a MiG-23, and MiG-25. Feather downs a MiG-25 and a MiG-21. Turn 1 Jettison Decision Random Bandit: No Bandit Fast: None Sites & Bandits: SA-15(North) damages the evading Cash, while the northen SA-3 misses him. Cash drops all ordnance and collect +4 Stress. SA-15(S) unsucessfully engages Jazz, whose EW suite defends the strike. Slow: Jazz destroys the southern SA-15 site with an AGM-88. Hornets Move: Python, Pepper at Low and Jazz at High enter the Southern Approach. Feather at Low in the SW Pre-Approach. Cash at Low is the Western Pre-Approach. Single remaining bandit (MiG-21 moves to the Southern Approach. Turn 2 Jettison Decision Random Bandit: No Bandit Fast: None. Sites & Bandits: MiG-21 attacks the evading Python, while Feather sucessfully suppresses the MiG with an AIM-9. SA-15(E) attacks evading Pepper. Missile misses while Pepper picks up +1 Stress. Slow: Python takes down the SA-2 site with a Mk20 CBU. Jazz launches an AGM-88 vs the eastern SA-16, destroying it. Feather takes out the final MiG in the southern Approach Area. Hornets Move: A-6's at Low and EA-6B at High enter the target area. Feather at Low in Southern Approach Area, while Cash holds. Turn 3: Jettison Decision Random Bandit: No Bandit Fast: None. Sites & Bandits: Target Area 37mm AAA misses Jazz. SA-15 targets Jazz who suppresses it with a HARM. SA-3 fires at and misses Jazz. Slow: Jazz destroys the SA-15 with an AGM-88. Pepper takes out the 37mm AAA with a Mk20 CBU. Python takes out the target with two sticks of Mk83 bombs securing 5 hits. Strike and Feather, all at Low, are in Southern Approach Area. Turn 4: Jettison Decision Random Bandit: No Bandit Home Bound Event Card: SAR - Save card, will adjust next SAR roll by 4. Mission Complete Cash (Cool 0) 4 Stress Points +3 -0 = 7 "Shaken" Jazz (Cool 1) 2 Stress Points +3 -1 = 4 "Okay" Pepper (Cool 1) 1 Stress Point +3 -1 = 3 "Okay" Python (Cool 1) 1 Stress Points +3 -1= 3 "Okay" This scenario demonstrated well the long legs and superior payload of the A-6 Intruders, the exceptional pre-strike AIM-54, as well as the defensive EW and SAM suppression performance of the EA-6B.

Terrain Following Radar in H4.1 is simply TF, but what do I know. And its even shorter Tony.

For whatever the reason, at home I often have to have Adobe Reader 8 open in order for internet pdf links to open properly. Some times not. Who knows, I was infantry.

There is a new update subpage on the Clash of Arms site. Here is info on the long awaited Harpoon Naval Review 08. HNR08 Update 96 pages BABY.

"Wedge" was the squadron killer scoring 6 aerial victories, 3x MiG-23, 1x MiG-25, and 2x MiG-29. Next up I am going to put together a "composite" squadron of 12 aircraft/pilots using all of the assets from the Carrier Air Wing. I have available A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, EA-6B, E-2 Hawkeye, F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18E Super Hornet. The mix is limited to twelve plane/pilots, and I will be averaging two missions per campaign day. I'm thinking of keeping it retro, not including the super bug. Thinking of: 4x A-6 4x F-14 2x F/A-18 1x EA-6B 1x E-2

4th Mission of 2 Day skirmish with Libya 1986. Recon>4; Intel -1 target sites; Radar Base; Infra -1 Hits Carry overed Air War Card from last mission egress. Allows for 1 extra mission card to be drawn. Whitebread promoted to Skilled after last mission. Target #15 Secret Lab in eastern Libya. Stress 2, WP-2 Eight Hornets armed as follows: > Wraith 4x AIM-9, 2x AIM-7 > Wedge 4x AIM-9, 2x AIM-7 > Cowboy 2x AIM-9, 2x AGM-65 > Hammer 2x AIM-9, 2x AGM-65 > Griffin 2x AIM-9, 2x AGM-65 > Whitebread 2x AIM-9, 2x AGM-65 > Fox 2x AIM-9, 2x AGM-65 > Joker 2x AIM-9, 2x AGM-65 Target Sp[ecial Rule: Unkown Defenses, do not place sites or bandits until start of Turn 1. Inbound Event: Fog of War, all mission pilots +1 Stress and +1 Experience at end of mission. Enter Hornets: Wraith (H), Cowboy (L), Hammer (L), Griffin (L) from North. Wedge (H), Joker (L), Fox (L), Whitebread (L) from East. Site Adjust Event Card: AAA Sites - add 2 sites to target area. East: 2x ZSU-23/4, SA-6, MiG-29, MiG-23, No Bandit North: SA-6, SA-7, SA-13, MiG-21, MiG-29, No Bandit West: ZSU-23/4, SA-7, SA-8, MiG-21, 2x No Bandit South: SA-2, SA-8, SA-15, MiG-23, 2x No Bandit Target Area: 2x ZSU-23/4, SA-3, SA-7, SA-14, MiG-21, MiG-23, No Bandit. Turn 1 (Fast) Wraith misses an AIM-9 shot at a MiG-29. Cowboy takes out an SA-6 site with an AGM-65 and Wedge downs the elusive MiG-29 with an AIM-9. Sites and Bandits (East) Wedge suppresses a MiG-23's shot at Whitebread, SA-6 shoots at and misses Joker. Griffith and Hammer suppresses a MiG-29 and MiG-21 attack respectively. (Slow) Hammer downs a MiG-29 with an AIM-9, Griffin takes out an SA-13 site with a maverick, Fox does the same to an SA-6 site, Joker and Whitebread miss a ZSU-23/4 and MiG-23 respectively. All hornets advance into the northern and eastern approach areas and climb to high altititude if not already there. Bandits hold as they are all in range of the attackers. Turn 2 (Fast) Wraith and Cowboy both miss AIM-9 shots at MiG-21's while Wedge connects with an AIM-9 shot at at a MiG-23. (Sites & Bandits) Joker evades an attacking MiG-23 for +2 Stress. Wedge evades an SA-2 launch for +1 Stress. Joker getting overwehlmed evades an SA-15 for an additional +2 Stress. Whitebread attempts to evade an SA-3, but ends up taking damage for +3 Stress and dropping all ordnance. Cowboy evades a MiG-21 attack for +1 Stress while A MiG-23 attack leaves an evading Wedge damaged. Cowboy successfully evades a MiG-21 attack as well as Hammer. (Slow) Hammer fails to hit with two AGM-65 loads. Griffin however hits with one AGM-65 shots of two. Target destroyed since scenario started Infra -1. Hornets begin to egress with MiG's in chase. Turn 3 (Fast) Wraith and Cowboy down a MiG-21 and MiG-23 respectively. Fox suppresses a MiG-23 and suppresses a MiG-21 attack on the damaged Wedge. Griffin fails a suppression attempt but the attacking MiG-21 misses. Homebound Event Card: Opportunity - Communications Vehicles, expend 2x AtG weapons and move recon counter 1 to the right, which I am able to do. Final Skirmish Victory Points Earned 10 "Great". This was my first "completed" campaign after a couple of false starts. Much enjoyment.