I thought I'd post this AAR up of a game I was playing the other night.

 

In this scenario, the Russians have occupied Bardufoss airbase in northern Norway. The Norwegians are at Bodo airbase in the south and are attempting to defend it from attack.

 

The Russian OOB consistes of 20 SU-27B Flankers and 20 SU-34 Fullbacks. The Norwegians are equipped with 20 Eurofighter Typhoons.

 

The scenario began at 0200 local time. The Norwegians launched a CAP of 4 Typhoons 100 nm north of Bodo over Norway. At the same time the Russians launch a probe of 4 Flankers to see if there is any opposition along their proposed strike flight path which will taje the strike force out to sea and attack Bodo from the west. The probe detects no opposition so the final order to launch is given a few hours later.

 

At 0600 the strike force is launched consisting of 16 SU-27Bs providing escort and 4 SU-34s equipped with ARMs in a SEAD loadout and 16 SU-34s equipped with PGMs.

 

The mission started off flawlessly....the strike flew out to sea then proceeded south. They were flying at full EMCON and at low altitude to avoid detection and it worked. The SEAD aircraft reached launch range and let loose all their missiles. By the time the Norwegians detected the income missiles, it was too late. The missiles destroyed the Norwegian radar and SAM sites clearing the way for the rest of the strikers 6-9 minutes away. Unfortunately for the Russians, this distance proved disastrous for the mission.

 

The attack on the airbase immediately prompted the Eurofighters flying CAP to turn towards the direction of the attcak and energize their LD/SD radar. The advanced radar has a tremendous (I'd say AWACS) range and quickly detected the incoming Russian strike strike still 60 miles from their launch position. The Eurofighters quickly closed and launched their 24 AMRAAM C long range missiles which easily found their marks. SIx additional Eurofighters were also ordered launched.

 

The Russians attempted to defend the strike group but their missiles did not have the range and were a generation behind the Eurofighter's technology.

 

The Russian plan quickly came apart as their strike group and escorts were decimated and they had to abort.

 

Final loses were as follows:

 

Su-34: 16

Su-27: 10

NASAM battery: 1

Radar site: 1

Eurofighter Typhoon: 5

Thanks for posting the results Fred. Fred was telling us on IRC that the incoming missiles were left with about a 10% PoK against the Eurofighters when all modifiers were taken into consideration, well protected birds!

Fred,

 

Outstanding description, I've been slowly re-reading in order to gain some proficiency after my annual H4 summer swoon.

 

Would you be able to describe in a little more detail your SEAD and anti-radar targeting. Was it straight ESM, a soviet pre-attack intel brief; they apparently did not wait for visual detection.

 

Thanks again,

 

Pete

Hi Pete:

 

It was a combo RWR/ESM and pre-attack intel brief. There was no visual detection.

Fred,

 

Always trying to find the right composition and balance of my pre-strike intel dump, but also not trying to belabor the point, can you give any details of the info given to the Soviet player, which I aussume is you) which may have guided the attacking aircraft to the appropriate point(s) to detect by ESM/RWR thereby confirming the previously identified radar and and SAM/AAA sites?

 

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Pete

Russian Intel was as follows:

 

NATO SAM systems are confirmed to be deployed in and around runway facility of target airbase. Orders are to eliminate any radar sources at the base.

 

Rule 5.3.10 states that ARM missiles "...home in on the electromagnetic emisisons given of fby the traget radar." Furthermore "...the launching unit must be within ESM range of the emititng radar, as well as within the missile's range."

 

So, this coupled with my HC experience, had me do the following:

 

Flew to within 80 miles of the base, listened for emissions, found some and fired.

 

I should've waited until the rest of the strikers were closer in though. But I'll have another chance as reinforcements are arriving.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks Fred. I just about always struggle with providing too much or not enough information to a side. Given that I solitaire most often, you sometime wonder if you are doing it right.

 

Thanks again,

 

Pete

Good point Pete. When I play solitaire, I always think back to my expereiences playing HC as a guide. Playing H4...I think there is more of a "fog of war" and a feelling of immersion which I like. Still, if there is something I'm not sure about...I ask myself "could this happen in HC?" Heck, I use the loadouts and ranges provided by Brad in the HC database for my air ops in H4. Saves a lot of time number crunching!

 

You should try the new ploting board it makes gaming a lot easier....also lends itself to play by e-mail.