As the Deployment campaign has been unfolding, we’ve been getting progressively more intricate missions (as one would expect). The mission for today, “On the Other Side”, represents probably one of the coolest missions I’ve flown in a combat flight sim ever.

The mission is a bit of an “Alpha Strike” against an enemy supply depot. Our flight of four Ka-50s will be part of a larger package designed to strike the target. For the first time we’ll have flights flying in the SEAD (Suppression Enemy Air Defenses) role as well as a fighter sweep overhead. This should be interesting!

Our specific mission is the destruction of self-propelled artillery systems, MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems), and their associated cargo vehicles.



The flight is a long one and it looks like we’ll be crossing somewhat of a “continental divide” for lack of a better word. The high altitude operation should be interesting. Departure and return will be to Nalchik Airport.



The briefing intelligence is detailed and thorough with both overhead and slant range photographs to study. Of particular concern, of course, are the SA-9 and SA-13 units as well as any MANPADs in the vicinity.





At Nalchik I get my 4-ship flight ready to do a rolling takeoff. This is the first time I’ve been assigned a 4-ship flight, so I’m nervous about how I’m going to manage that many units.





As we climb out I push up the power and let us drift higher anticipating having to cross the high elevation ridges to get to our target area. I engage the ENROUTE mode of the autopilot and sit back to enjoy the scenery and study the approach map more carefully.





Our route takes us due north of the target area before arcing around to waypoint #3 where we’ll cross the highest portion of the route before descending into the valley below.



As we work our way up the valley to WP2 I let the aircraft drift higher and eventually the EKRAN warns me of possible favorable conditions for icing conditions and I turn on the rotor and engine anti-ice systems which sap a bit of power from the climb power available.



At WP2 we make the hard left turn to head up the canyon that leads to the summit ridgeline.





We gain altitude and our rotor blades gasp for purchase in the thin air. I notice our vertical speed dropping and have to convert a bit of airspeed to climb capability as we near the lowest portion of the ridgeline.



As we near the ridgeline, I’ve slowed to around 70 kph trying to eek out more climb, but below that speed I think translational lift starts to give out and you find yourself in a poor situation where more pitching will just result in a further decay and sink rate. I actually find myself a few meters short of being able to cross the ridgeline and have to do a hard pedal turn back into the valley to try the crossing again. I come very close to crashing due to the thin air and reduced performance. Once back in the valley I approach the ridgeline again and this time I over torque the engines slightly and turn off the anti-ice system briefly to give me the added power to crest the ridgeline.



With a sigh of relief the flight crossing the high point and we bottom or collectives to start the steep descent down toward the target valley.



As we approach the ingress point I give wingmen #3 and #4 the “ANCHOR” command since I’m not sure I can effectively manage all four aircraft at once. I figure I will leave them in reserve and call them up when I’ve assessed the situation from the ingress point.



Once near the ingress point I set up my hover and carefully climb and point my sensors down the valley to see what I can see.



I can immediately spot dozens of targets including lines of armored units. Scattered around the valley are IFVs, BRDMS, and BMPs. I also spot many soft sided trucks, support vehicles, and some self propelled artillery units.



I glance at my fuel gauge and note the reading, knowing I need to be careful to retain enough fuel to return to base after the long flight. (Also note the red data linked symbols of my flight on the ABRIS.)



I hear the SEAD flight check in and overhead the blast up the valley. I’m told to hold my position while they work over the target area. I actually think this is a BAD plan since I have eyes on at least one surface to air missile vehicle, but hey – a plan is a plan.





A few seconds later the CAP flight arrives over the valley and immediately shouts that they have bandits inbound. I pray that the CAP flight can take care of the incoming fast movers since I know our helos are sitting ducks in the canyon. It turns out the enemy flight is a pair of Su-25s and I breathe a sigh of relief since I know our Su-27s should mop the floor with them. Meanwhile the SAM sites start launching on the SEAD flight and missile tracks zip across the sky.





Whoever hired the SEAD flight did a poor job since they don’t appear to have any kind of standoff missiles. One of the two takes a missile hit right off the bat and limps off with an engine on fire.



Meanwhile the Su-27, using typical Russian doctrine, launches both a radar and heat seeking missile at one of the Su-25s.



To my great shock, the Su-25 returns fire on one of the Flankers scoring a hit while the Flanker’s missiles miss the Su-25.



Some debris appears to come off the Su-25, but he keeps on trucking.



Meanwhile I sit impotent at the ingress point waiting to see the outcome of the air battle and to judge the effectiveness of the SEAD flight. So far the results aren’t looking promising as I watch the missile trails zip across the valley.



One Su-27 arcs down out of the sky on fire as an elated Su-25 pilot no doubt celebrates his victory!



The second Flanker presses his attack on the other Su-25 and I’m amazed as missile after missile he fires is spoofed by the Su-25s countermeasures.

The Flanker is getting some proximity hits on the Su-25 though, and I’m amazed to see the -25 flying with most of his nose blown off.



Suddenly my wingman yells out a bandit at 12 o’clock. Oh crap – it’s a flight of two Mi-24s heading up the valley toward the target from the opposite side (our position is the yellow arrow).



I slew my Shkval onto the target location and can see them on the monitor. They are still out of Vikhr range but they are coming hard.



I order my wingman to engage the targets and simultaneously call wingmen #3 and #4 out of their orbit and order them to do likewise. The come screaming out of their valley hiding position.



Wingman #2 actually gets the first shot off in the exchange but the damn missile sails past the target without an impact.



Seconds later the Hinds fire a missile crippling my wingman #2 and he spirals down and makes an emergency landing on the high ridgeline. A few seconds later the Mi-24s, having no mercy, send another missile at his grounded bird killing him.



As my #3 and #4 continue to close on the Mi-24s they are severely outmatched and within 20 seconds both my wingmen are blotted from the sky. I’m stunned.





In just under a minute I’ve lost 75% of my flight. I fear I’m next. Ashamed to be running, but knowing I stand no chance against the two Mi-24s, I do a quick 180 pedal turn, dump my nose over, and haul back on the collective to power forward to attempt to escape up the valley from where we came.



As I zip up the valley I hear a curious call from the Flanker that has still been mixing it up with the Su-25s and he reports both have been shot down. Oddly though, he too is going down in flames. I’m not sure if he had a mid-air with one, or if they shot him down.





After proceeding up the valley I realize the Mi-24s are not following me and have instead turned around to retrace their flight path from where they came. I wait a few minutes and then creep back down the valley to the ingress point once again. The view through my HUD is depressing as I see the smoke columns rising from my dead wingmen.





I once again glance at my fuel and figure I had better return to base when it drops to around 400 kg total.



Overhead another flight of Su-24s comes across the valley dropping bombs on the warehouses that must be holding ammunition. The ammo dumps explode in impressive fashion and continue with secondary explosions for the duration of the mission.





The SEAD flight has done little if anything to mitigate the missile threat and the follow on bombers are lucky to escape the engagement zone without getting shot down.



I creep forward into missile range and determine that I’ll have to get the job done myself. In the back of my mind I can hear the ghosts of my wingmen yelling (in their best Red Dawn voice) “AVENGE ME!”…





With no SAM units in immediately view, I settle on my primary mission objective and put my Shkval targeting bracket on the first artillery unit I spot.





Finally, an hour into the mission I have my first missile on the way. The secondary explosions of the ammo dump continue to shoot debris high into the air over the valley floor.



I start selectively destroying units. As my missiles rain down the loitering convoys break up, pop-smoke, and try to move to avoid my attack. I find it hard to believe they don’t radio the Mi-24s to come back and search for me.





I slowly rise in my hover while I aggressively scan for what I’m really looking for – the SAM units. I finally spot one as the ridgeline was obscuring my view. These are tense moments when we both try to get a missile shot off first. Fortunately for me, the SA-9 vehicle has his launcher pointed toward another Su-24 flight overhead and his attention is divided.





Though higher value targets are on the valley floor, I concentrate on the primary mission and even though it pains me to waste Vikhrs on soft sided trucks, I pass up the other armor units in favor of the support vehicles and artillery pieces.



I have more than a dozen vehicles in flames in the valley and am down to my last missile. I’m also approaching my “BINGO” fuel limit (self calculated) so I shoot my last missile. I decide not to close for a rocket or cannon attack since there are other threats still undestroyed in the valley.



I still haven’t touched the MLRS units that I couldn’t quite see yet, so I decide that I’d better return to base to rearm and refuel. I dump the nose over and accelerate away from the carnage in the valley.

In the interest of fuel savings, I elect to take a direct course back to Nalchik and I change the PVI-800 from waypoint mode to airport mode and select the airport waypoint to give me course guidance for the autopilot.





I am much lighter having expended my Vikhrs and with 25% fuel I’m able to climb quickly up the valley toward the crest even though my route takes me over slightly higher peaks. I also elect to dump my rockets since I won’t be needing them on the return leg and I can rearm at base.





As Nalchick becomes visible in the HUD I get warnings for low fuel levels in the forward tank. I figure I’ve timed my refueling and rearming stop perfectly. I’m very disappointed to be returning with no wingmen though.



I settle into a hover and gently lower my helo to the ramp and let a little of the tension in my shoulders relax.



I glance at my fuel gauge, open my door and figure I should get rearmed first, THEN get fuel since that will let me depart immediately after they are done fueling me. I call the ground crew and request rearming.

No answer.



I’m puzzled. Then – it hits me. No. No way. All that flying and the mission designer wouldn’t possibly have left my home airfield as a NEUTRAL..no…!! I check the map – and my heart sinks as I realize that is exactly what has happened. In order for a base to have fuel/arms it has to ALSO be owned by the side requesting it. All that is required to do that is to have a single unit from your side placed there. That is not the case with Nalchik. Argh..!!!!



I glance at the map and see that Mineralnye Vody is Russian owned (the Su-24s took off and landed there) and the map line tool shows it to be 49nm away. I glance at my fuel gauge and wonder if I can make it. I’m doubtful.



I use maximum power and max airspeed as I dash for the distant airfield, wishing I had about 200kg more gas in my tanks.



About halfway there, the tanks run dry and my engines quit.



I set up a low altitude, high speed autorotation and pull it off somewhat successfully (though I hit my rotor tips after my mains hit and I plonked down on the nosewheel). I sit there in my dead helo and fume at the stupidity of it all.



Looking at the map again I realize how foolish I was. FARP TORBA was also available to refuel/rearm from if I had just left the target area and proceeded there instead I would have made it. BUT – that said, I don’t think it was unreasonable to assume that I’d be able to refuel/rearm at the very base I started the mission from.

Frustrating.

I will try replaying the mission track and fly to TORBA instead. Even though I never got the “MISSION SUCCESS” box, oddly enough my next campaign mission did cycle to the next one – so perhaps I destroyed enough artillery and support trucks to get a success (?).

Anyway – despite the last second refuel/rearm SNAFU – I have to say this was one of the most immersive and challenging missions I’ve flown. The action that was going on independent of me (the dogfight, the Su-24s dropping bombs, etc..) was superb. I need to get better at air-to-air engagements with my Vikhrs however, and learn how to best manage my wingmen in that situation. There is so much to learn with this sim.

BeachAV8R

Nice read, bad luck with the Hinds. They are nasty !

Getting over the ridges with full loadout was tricky, I just didn't make it the first time. Just kept slowing down.

I went back after reading the section on ground effect in the manual, and crept successfully over the highest sections... two feet off the ground.




"You and you and you will be thrown straight at the target to flush out AA"- that's how it's done.

Weren't you tempted to have a crack at the Hinds with Vikhrs?

Alright. Update. I reflew the mission using the track file picking up where I fired my last Vikhr. Interestingly..the track replayed nearly perfectly until the last two Vikhr missiles..which were aimed at dirt because I guess the enemy units dispersed in a manner different than the original track. The dogfights went exactly as they did though..

I learned the Su-27 appears to have collided or been taken down by debris from a gun run on the Su-25..because he dies at the same second the Su-25 dies and at the same time one of his cannon rounds strikes the Su-25. Too close for comfort apparently.

So after picking up the mission from the track, I decided to fly to FARP SHORPA (I think it is called). I get there with a little bit of fuel left over..excited to rearm, refuel, and go back to the valley. I get that sinking feeling on final approach though when I see NO support vehicles. Damnit..now this is pissing me off. The FARP shows as Russian, but without any ground support stuff there is no fuel/ammo and I'm sunk again.







Turns out (I guess) that I should have gone to THIS FARP instead..it appears to have support vehicles and I could have probably gotten fuel and arms there. Darn. That is the last time I refly the mission though. Two attempts is enough and since I apparently got enough credit to move on to the next mission.....I shall.



BeachAV8R

Sounds like Russian doctrine anyway..


Yes, I was. I locked one up but was having such a hard time keeping him locked after he turned to engage my #2. Prior to that he was head on aspect with little relative motion, but when he turned to engage my #2..his relative movement picked up and my Shkval broke lock and I couldn't reacquire. Once I lost sight of them I knew I would be toast if I hung around. I was counting on #2, #3, and #4 to be more competent than me with air-to-air.. Whoops..

Amazing, You got your mount home relatively intact both times you ran the mission this time.

Enjoying the AAR's even though I don't have the sim.


Wheels

Rookie mistake

Wingmen are the equivalent of chaff/flares. They are there to distract that which would do you harm.


I should really play through campaign again in BS2 to see if AI wing has improved.

Also, never count on the competence of other friendlies. I would have taken out the SAMs the second I'd have seen them. The Fencers could've dumb-bombed a few gun emplacements if they had wanted to.

Anyway, an interesting read. Makes me want to dig out EECH again.