Warning...some spoilers....

 

I tried this out a few times and have failed every time. Usually not utter and embarrassing failure, but failure nonetheless.

 

I have figured out one way to kill the ammo depot. I launch my F-4s at once, fly them in Very Low and can usually blast the depot and get the hell out of dodge before the SAMs kill me.

 

Around this time, I've started to shuttle a fair number of aircraft to Naha. And, around this time, a large number of Red aircraft are on their way to Japan, mostly trying to kill one of my SAGs. And there seems to be about a dozen aircraft, probably launched from the Chinese base on the Senkaku islands, that show up at Naha around now, bombing my base and killing a few of my planes.

 

Also around this time, my oil rig gets sunk by a Chinese missile boat.

 

I can usually dispatch the missile boat and the small SAG that is also in the area with my Hayabusa PTMs, but I can never get there in time to save the oil rig. I suppose if I searched for the Chinese missile boat with my F-4s and dive bombed them, I might be able to do it. I have not tried that, yet.

 

While all this is going on, my F-15s and F-2s are busy getting the crap kicked out of them by a whole lotta Flankers and J-10s. I can usually protect the SAG that is on its way out of Japanese waters, but only at fairly heavy cost in terms of aircraft. Even my Eagles are fighting for their lives against those Flankers and their long range missiles.

 

Actually, they don't do too badly. The last time I played this scenario, I had killed about 35 Red aircraft before I hit the 18 Blue aircraft mark seems to be a Total VicCon for Red. This is where I usually stop.

 

I think this is a very interesting scenario, but I feel stumped. I can't figure out how to win this one.

 

Unless there is some trick to beating the Flankers and the J-10s with the aircraft I have that I haven't figured out, I end up taking heavy casulties.

 

Also, as far as I can tell, I'm limited to troops and iron bombs for the assaults. That means getting up close and personal with the SAMs on the Senkaku islands. Very unhealthy for aircraft.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

Mark

No doubt about it, the Japanese have a tough time of it in this scenario. For some reason, they haven't invested heavily in standoff weapons, and it shows here.

 

That said, I have since overhauled the F-2 (FS-X) loadouts, which will add, among other things, the GCS-1 guided bomb. Its still pretty short ranged, though, so you'll still have to brave those Chinese air defences.

 

Look for these loadouts in the next version of the HCDB.

No doubt about it, the Japanese have a tough time of it in this scenario. For some reason, they haven't invested heavily in standoff weapons, and it shows here.

 

That said, I have since overhauled the F-2 (FS-X) loadouts, which will add, among other things, the GCS-1 guided bomb. Its still pretty short ranged, though, so you'll still have to brave those Chinese air defences.

 

Look for these loadouts in the next version of the HCDB.

 

Thanks.

 

Any advice on beating the Chinese aircraft?

 

What I generally try to do is close on them, fire my missiles, and then try to get away from them before they can shoot back. Since the Flankers have missiles that outrange the missiles on the Japanese aircraft, this can be difficult. And the Flankers and the J-10s seem to be very adept at not getting hit. I will sometimes fire four sets of four missiles at a pair of Chinese aircraft (16 total) and miss every single time. That ususally doesn't happen when they're shooting at me. What am I doing wrong?

 

I've found that ganging up on aircraft can work pretty well. I'll have one set of aircraft fire missiles, the Red planes will run, but the only place they can run is too close to another flight of my aircraft to get away from THEIR missiles--between the two sets of missiles heading towards them, one will sometimes get them. But not always. And this only works if you have enough aircraft and have them in the right place at the right time.

 

Any advice? Tactics? Ideas?

 

Thanks.

 

Mark

I've found that ganging up on aircraft can work pretty well.  I'll have one set of aircraft fire missiles, the Red planes will run, but the only place they can run is too close to another flight of my aircraft to get away from THEIR missiles--between the two sets of missiles heading towards them, one will sometimes get them.  But not always.  And this only works if you have enough aircraft and have them in the right place at the right time.

Yeah, this is what I would do. Use the JASDF F-15 and F-2 fighters cooperatively to draw the big Chinese Flankers into "fighter traps". Try and take advantage of the F-15's AMRAAM and the F-2's lower RCS. Good luck.

AAR: Qian Kong Kuai [spoiler Alert]

By Brad Leyte

 

 

I launched my AEW assets to try and get a grasp on the situation over the Senkaku region. While I had ample resources under my control, many of the aircraft and ships started near Japan, fairly far from the action. My first move was to bolster the defences at Naha. I saw that a number of aircraft were already slated for the Ferry mission, but I elected to arm them before launching them. This would prove fortuitous.

 

 

My amphibious force was clearing the Strait of Tsushima when a hostile three ship SAG [surface Action Group] consisting of Maanshan-, Luda-, Jianghu-class vessels was detected moving to intercept them. I launched the F-2 strike aircraft and they executed an attack "en passant" before heading to Naha to land. Flight of F-2 armed with ASMs killed the Maanshan and the Jianghu frigates while a follow-up Orion finished off the Luda with Harpoons. Just as they were about to land, an ALCM [Air-Launched Cruise Missile] attack arrived at Naha, too. Some of my first fighters had already landed and were out of play. This attack was very nice timed by the enemy. If I had not delayed the departure of my assets from Japan, they would all have been caught on the ground re-fueling at Naha. Instead, they were able to shoot down the ALCMs just before they entered the landing pattern.

 

 

Meanwhile, the AEW escorts killed a number of marauding Flanker fighters, but the Chinese hordes kept up the pressure. One CAP went Winchester [out of weapons state] and broke off to re-fuel and re-arm. The second patrol was left to try and parry the probes by the enemy interceptors. A little deft aerial judo sent most of the PRC Flankers into the sea. However, there simply weren't enough missiles to kill all the interlopers. The Sentinel was driven off-station but wasn't killed.

 

 

At the start of hostilities, all friendly tanker traffic had been ordered out of the region. However, the Takashi had just finished loading from the rig and was late in her departure. Her tardiness cost her the lives of her crewmen as she was caught and killed by something huge, lethal, and nasty. The fighters were so busy defending themselves that they were unable to extend any protection to the civilians in the area. Subsequently, a Houjian missile boat was able to close and sink the Oil Rig operating in the area. A strategic loss along with a heavy cost in lives.

 

A number of JH-7 'materialized' on the doorstep to Naha from the direction of the occupied islands. Thankfully, a flight of Phantoms was not yet in the landing pattern and were able to dispatch them. The little buggers were almost invisible on the near-useless radar of the Phantoms. I re-routed the E-2 Hawkeye to provide much-needed coverage for Naha. A second raid by 14 JH-7 from the mainland was nicely timed over Naha. Only a few fighters were available, but the lack of LR AAMs on the strikers allowed the defenders to close and kill them with Sidewinders. Slowly, but surely, Sakashima was isolated from aerial contact with the mainland.

 

 

As an aerial cordon was being set up around the islands, torpedoes were detected inbound on the Sasebo PhibRon. Seahawks (only 2 of them available) launched immediately. Luckily an Orion was in the vicinity enroute to a Anti-Surface strike with its Harpoons. It was quickly re-tasked to this more urgent need. Sonobuoys were dropped as the helos flew outbound and were quickly able to pinpoint the inbound torpedoes. By triangulation and backtrack, an estimated launch point was determined and all three hunters raced to the datum. Soon, the water was filled with ASW homing torpedos as a succession of these weapons finally killed the now-identified PRC Kilo. However, the PhibRon still had to evade their own torpedoes. Shimakaze and Takanami both survived and, again, took up positions at the head of the PhibRon.

 

 

Once the F-15Js were able to establish an air-tight perimeter around the islands, the F-4 Phantoms and F-2s were able to exterminate a re-inforcement convoy from the mainland. With no further challenges from the mainland, the strike assets re-armed for air-to-mud action. A full strike of 20 Phantoms and 17 F-2s were easily able to demolish the facilities on disputed islands and victory was awarded.

 

Thanks for another challenging scenario.

Any advice on beating the Chinese aircraft? 

 

What I generally try to do is close on them, fire my missiles, and then try to get away from them before they can shoot back.  Since the Flankers have missiles that outrange the missiles on the Japanese aircraft, this can be difficult.    And the Flankers and the J-10s seem to be very adept at not getting hit.  I will sometimes fire four sets of four missiles at a pair of Chinese aircraft (16 total) and miss every single time.  That ususally doesn't happen when they're shooting at me.  What am I doing wrong?    

 

I've found that ganging up on aircraft can work pretty well.  I'll have one set of aircraft fire missiles, the Red planes will run, but the only place they can run is too close to another flight of my aircraft to get away from THEIR missiles--between the two sets of missiles heading towards them, one will sometimes get them.  But not always.  And this only works if you have enough aircraft and have them in the right place at the right time. 

 

Any advice?  Tactics?  Ideas?

 

Thanks.

 

Mark

Try this:

 

Fly in at low altitude and fire AMRAAMs from maximum range. Since they are true Fire-and-Forget missiles, you can pull away once you release them. I normally add 2 "insurance" missiles over and above the quantity recommended by the AI.

 

Once you release your missiles, you will be headed out of their missile envelope if they counter-detect you and return fire. Also, they need to head towards you in order to use their Radar to direct their missiles.

 

In my experience, I can often kill them before they realize I am there about 50% of the time. In the other instances, they fire LR SARH Alamo at me. However, once the AMRAAM strike home, the missiles drop into the ocean without any guidance. The only time it gets hairy is if my AMRAAM fail to kill all of the Flankers.

 

For me, this situation epitomizes the benefit of self-guiding AAMs.

OK, finally got around to trying this one myself. Must say nice little scenario.

 

Spoilers follow:

 

Firstly I decided that I would make a quick strike against the ammo dump and airfield, I did make the mistake here first of hitting the ammo dump first, which allowed the PRC strike package to launch damaging Naha (must add in that I never detected the strike package until it was on my doorstep, the RCS is working quite nicely since they slipped right past my Phantoms).

 

Also, rather than launching my patrols via formation editor, I launched them all manually, that allowed me to know exactly what assets were available and position them exactly where I needed them. Fist order of business after launching 4 phantoms to hit the ammo dump was to gain air superiority and get my search assets into place.

 

The flankers and J-10s proved best outwitted by either the afore mentioned fire and run tactic with F-15s or to bait and switch using both the F-15s and F-2s. The operative word here is caution, use you assets conservatively and even lead enemy fighters over your ships and let the SAMs take care of them if you like.

 

The sole submarine I had available never fired a shot, but was great for keeping tabs on enemy surface formations.

 

My gorup of 2 Hayabusa's sucessfully engaged the PRC missile boats south, though 1 survived to get shot off at the tanker. 1 Hayabusa lost to aircraft. The remaining one moved at max speed to engage the remaining PRC missile boat with guns...this is where you learn to be thankfull for powerful engines and a medium calibre gun. Hayabusa successfully sank the PTM and retired back to Japan at max speed.

 

PRC submarine did get the better of my northern SAG, sinking one destroyer and slipping away unscathed, the southern group faired much better sinking a PRC Song before it could launch an attack.

 

After re-readying my F-4Js to GP and launching a 2nd strike, this time hitting the southern airfield, I was awared the victory.

 

I lost 4 ships to the PRCs 9, 17 aircraft to PRCs 86, 1 base damaged to 2 lost.

 

I have to say this was more of a thinking scenario than an action scenario...too many losses and you don't succeed, and diving in too agressively is exactly the wrong thing to do.

The operative word here is caution, use you assets conservatively and even lead enemy fighters over your ships and let the SAMs take care of them if you like

Nice AAR, Akula.

 

I've tried this tactic, too. Very tricky to coordinate, but quite possible.