I'm back after a month-long enforced absence due to dead mobo-itis. With the new box back up and purring I finally got around to installing U3 and then downloaded and installed the Balkans theater for BMS 4.33.3
https://www.bmsforum.org/forum/showthread.php?23469-Balkans-Theater-of-Operation-for-BMS-4-33-U3That's a full installer, which is nice.
If you've flown Allied Force you're probably familiar with this theater (or if you're just not a BMS-noob like me). All three of the campaigns from AF are included. It's a great change of pace from the KTO. The terrain is more interesting and varied. The planeset introduces aircraft you won't find in BMS KTO. Tornados, Galebs, J-22s. In addition, there are aircraft flown by both Blue and Red, such as the MiG-21 which can lead to some interesting situations and adds a twist your situational awareness..
I started off with Balance of Power, which is sort of the Balkans version of Rolling Fire. In BoP, the forces start evenly matched in numbers. Red has much more territory and begins the campaign on the offensive. I cannot say with what aircraft types Red will be reinforced, but at the start the Red OoB is fairly benign. You'll face mostly G-4s, J-22s, MiG-21s and MiG-29As. Fulcrum-As can be dangerous, but they really aren't a match for slammer-loaded Vipers. So it's a relatively survivable theater.
In my campaign I was prosecuting air operations in the Bihac region. The Reds had a very strong concentration of armor and infantry arrayed around the airfield there. While flying a mission in support of this operation I spotted and then took out a SA-6's Straight Flush. These SAM systems I rank second only to the SA-10 in terms of lethality in F4. They are nasty. So while the aircraft you face may not be cutting edge, there is still plenty to get your attention. In addition, there seems to be more varied IR SAM systems, and low level in the Balkans is a very dangerous place indeed.
Unfortunately, it appears that the issues with the ATO properly assigning defensive air coverage still exist. It never worked in AF, and my brief experience with the BMS version shows it appears to still be the case. Unless the player does a ton of fragging here, there will be insufficient or non-existent CAP coverage throughout the theater.
My favorite airfield in all of F4 is in this theater, and that's Split along the Adriatic coast in Croatia. My old wingman Axe and I used to fly in to this field just for the challenge of landing there from the east. If you haven't had the pleasure, you have to try this at least once
