Get it(o) here folks...

https://www.bmsforum.org/forum/showthread.php?29823-Israeli-Theater-1-0-3-for-BMS-4-33-3

Thanks for the heads up. Going to have to give this one a go.

Thanks

I surely won't miss this one as in my opinion ITO is by far the best addon theater to Falcon BMS, bar none!

Love the ground textures.... but the locations are too close and I don't get any A-A refuelling fun! And sometimes, you even don't need the wing bags!

I said I'd have to give this a go, so I got right on it and 2 1/2 months later....

I downloaded the file and installed it. It's a self-installer, weighing in about 1.3 gigs. That part's easy and it was installed in no time and the theater actually appeared in my list. So far so good.

Of course I went straight to the campaigns to see what they were all about. There are two of them, and knowing nothing about either, I tried the first one, Standing Wave. I had read the read me, and saw the recommendation to keep the challenge level at cadet. But of course I ramped that up to veteran straight away.

Had a look about at the various squadrons. I guessed Syria would be the enemy, yes? But anyone else? Guess I'd have to play a bit to figure it all out. I love the Block 30 mark of the Viper, so chose one of those squadrons. Fragged a BARCAP out of Ramat David, which sits just 35 miles from the front lines.

Clicked loadout to see that the old girl cannot carry AMRAAMs. OK, that's fine, lemmee see what this Python is all about. Can only carry two of those. OK, took two along with four Sidewinder Mikes. Took off on a beautiful sunny morning, Flew around base for 15 minutes or so waiting for things to develop. If I flew any closer to the front, SA-5s and SA-17s were sent up to try and knock me down. After several cycles like that I wised up and capped the base.

After about 20 minutes in the air, enemy aircraft started coming in, and soon the radio was alive with Fox-2 calls. I led the wingman out on the vector AWACS gave and soon had a filled FCR. Too much was going on, couldn't get sorted, planes exploding and going down all over the place. Having to get within IR range made things much more difficult. I gave the wingman a target and within a minute he calls "Two, defensive". I'm still trying to find a target that I could get a shot on.

Someone punched out and made a call. Who was that? I hit W to check the wingie, and sure enough it's greyed out. OK, that's not good. Called the SAR dudes and then tried to find a target. Wham! Wham! Dead. Hmmm.

So I fragged a second BARCAP. I'm now thinking I gotta get this squared away. To fly such a thoroughbred of a Viper, light and clean with only IR missiles within visual range of the base is awesome. A dogfighter's dream scenario. I can do this.

Took off with another wingman and flew toward the maelstrom. Again, I couldn't get sorted, targets and missiles everywhere, Wham! Wham! Eject!

My ITO tally..... two sorties, two lost jets, one death and not a single missile fired.

I'm transferring to a slammer squadron dammit.

hahahaha love your AAR's DBond
That is exactly how I experience dogfights, just hate them.

SA-17 you say, isn't that upgraded SA-6's (via SA-11)?

Not sure I look forward to ITO anymore

I'm no SAM expert. It would be cool if that Hsasp dude checked in here every now and again to enlighten us. However, I know what it's like to be hit with just about every SAM in the sim. I am an expert SAM magnet.

But yes Oden, I believe the SA-17 is a 'descendant' of the SA-6, just that it can shoot more missiles, at a longer range and higher altitude, can pull more Gs at a higher speed, and has a bigger warhead. So SA-6 on steroids. There is obviously more to it than that, and anyway it depends more on how these systems are modelled in the sim, not so much on real-world capabilities.

I will say that I evaded them all, and that's not usually true of SA-6s that are fired at me.

Not one to give up so easily, I did indeed transfer to a Block 52 squadron so I could load slammers, and it all went much better. That early maelstrom succeeded in smashing the Yellow air force, though they got a big reinforcement already. This theater is fun. You're always withing flameout distance of an airbase. SAMs are a real threat. They have SA-6 as well. The ATO did a damn fine job of SEADing though, and without any HARMs.

Taxi to Hatzerim One-Four Right




Awaiting clearance




I didn't realize I had selected a D squadron until I took this shot

A few observations on the ITO....

I like it. It looks fantastic. The airfields are high-res, or better textures, or something. It's compact, so that missions aren't long. The OoB is fresh (for me) with various crates I have never flown. Seeing an enemy in a color other than Red is a very nice change.

I decided to try out a F-15 for the first time. It had a different cockpit, but wasn't clickable so I bagged that idea. No idea how to even tune the radio.

The Block 30 in this theater is a sexy beast indeed. I want to fly it. But you need to be very proficient to enter combat with radar missile-equipped fighters.

The Block 52. Hmmm. Interesting jet. Conformal tanks, two-seater. Just what does that guy back there do? It's a bit of a dog frankly. This is one jet that you need to maintain your E in. The beauty of it though is in it's weapons configurations. It allows GBU to be carried on 4 and 6. That means you can carry two 2000 pound GBU-31 for example, plus say four AMRAAMs and two Pythons. Internal jammer means you can carry a centerline tank. Added to the conformal tanks, and considering the short hops in this theater, you can really be loaded and with enough gas.

I like the RWR too. Cleaner, I prefer it.

Just wait until you try the Egypt campaign. Makes the Syrian war look like clubbing baby seals!