So the theme remains the same - we are pushing the enemy back from south to north. This time we are going to press our attack further north to the southern outskirts of Ozurgeti.
Our target area is this defined copse of woods.
And our mission planning map showing our waypoints and general area...
Taking off on this third mission of the campaign it really starts to feel familiar since I'm starting to recognize landmarks and areas of battles past.
Immediately upon takeoff I get a mud spike and know I'm getting tracked. It is an SA-11 (had to look that up) and I figure I want to avoid it. Sure would be nice to have a couple HARMs slung under our wings!
We cross the coast near the abandoned airfield and stay at around 15,000' to avoid short range IR missiles and hopefully the ZSUs that are in the area too. The radio crackles and the spotter gives me directions on where my target is...
Unfortunately the high approach doesn't work and before I'm even close to the target area I'm beaten back by multiple SAM launches.
My wingman just barely outruns one as it explodes above and behind him...
So time to reformulate the plan. I opt to go for the low and fast approach and follow a set of power lines directly to the target.
I believe the SA-11 site is beyond that far ridgeline, so as long as I stay low I should remain masked from their radar.
Sure enough the power lines take me right to the target area and yellow smoke pops to mark the specific area. I'm a bit too close to set up a proper Maverick shot though so I switch to rockets and try to give that a shot.
Despite pocking the terrain all around the tank with my rockets I know it is pretty futile to try to kill one with anything less than a Maverick.
Picking out the targets visually is near impossible, but the IR Maverick site is fantastic. Unfortunately, even at the higher zoom level it is often hard to discern the type of target until you are pretty close.
Rifle!
I maintain my stand-off distance and come back around for another run and quickly spot another hot spot.
Unfortunately it is a wasted Maverick as I targeted a fuel tanker. What a waste.
I set another vehicle ablaze with my canon since AA activity is fairly light. I see some tracers whiz by the canopy, but nothing dramatic. By staying low I've avoided tripping off the SAM radar warning receiver as well.
I spy one more tank buried deep in the woods. I would have never seen him without the IR seeker on the Maverick helping me pick him out.
I've run out of Mavericks and still have one tank left to kill in order to accomplish the mission (destroying the three T-72s) so I have to press in with guns. I still have 2 Rockeyes and 2 Mk-82s on the racks, but those would require popping up into the SAM envelope. A long burst with the Avenger does the job and soon the tank is burning...
I duck out of Dodge as fast as I can but as I make the turn back southbound one of the golden BBs hits my left wing. Fortunately it just passes through and doesn't take out any systems or engines.
I trail fuel all the way back to base and it continues to mist out of the hole in the left wing as I taxi off the runway. More 100 mph tape is on order!
The end tally is 3 T-80s killed, a truck mounted ZSU, and a couple support vehicles. Fun stuff!
This sim is great. I spent all day unable to fly it..but thought about it all day..
BeachAV8R
