As part of ongoing air operations in SimHQ's Rolling Fire campaign, a strike mission is being planned by CENTAF. This mission will take place this Sunday, 4/16, step time TBA.

Any interested pilots should reply with preferred role (Escort, Strike or SEAD). The target has not been chosen, and will depend on the state of affairs at the time the server is paused and saved on Saturday. Early indications are the target will be Sunch'on airbase north of P'yongyang, but will be assessed at a later time.

The general plan is to frag a package strike consisting of three flights of four Vipers each. One to strike the base, and two to provide air and SEAD escort. I will fly lead on the escort, and Oden will lead the SEAD flight. That leaves plenty of slots to be filled and we could really use an experienced human to lead the strike flight.

Oden will send me the save later today and I will assess the map and assign the target and squadrons that will fly it. I will frag supporting missions ahead of time to clear the way a bit and provide things like fence in and out CAP, JSTARS and AWACS. Sweeps will conducted along the flanks. An EA-18G will provide jamming.

This will be an epic show and any interested F4 pilots should not miss out. We are using BMS version 4.33.3. Comms will be on SimHQ's teamspeak

http://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4314955/new-teamspeak-server-info#Post4314955

We all need to get our sh!t squared away ahead of time. I suggest each pilot fly a quick nav hop before joining the server to ensure all is working. No one wants to be the guy who gets in and finds his Track IR isn't working or he forgot to load his stick profile. I will ask Oden about a good step time for Sunday and we can get the server up a half hour ahead of time to give everyone plenty of time to review the mission and flight path, get his DTC and threats set up and get his jet loadout configured. Once everyone is set Oden can start the server.

I have one concern and that is the wonky AI wingman behavior we have experienced on the server so far. I am also not sure how to assign the aircraft. Having all 12 jets flying out of Osan would make for a better experience, but easily complicates things, especially if one of the AI decides to park on the taxiway. So I might frag the escort from a different airfield like Choongwon. SEAD needs to be Block 40s so that the SEAD pilots can load a HAD.

Server details can be found here

http://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4348535/bms-4-33-u3-dedicated-server#Post4348535

We'll get the details worked out over the next two days. So anyone interested please post here with your role and let's give the Reds the business!

Put me down for a solid -maybe -



Not sure on plans yet

I'm confused.... you have plans to fly F4 with us Sunday. Get it together!


For anyone who might join up be sure you are familiar with the datalink. Check Krause's video here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWyvJ99L2k4

Also, be sure to know how to check your timing to steerpoints

When I was on the server last night, Red air was smashed. So the escort lead should have an easy time of it

Of course, if China or Russia join it would change things a bit.

Once I am done fragging out the session I will make a detailed post with roles, squadrons, aircraft, callsigns and so on. Loadouts are left to the discretion of the flight leads or individual pilots.

I'm in provided it's in a good timeslot. I'll need to be getting ready for work by 6pm so need to be finished or at least RTB by then.

I can lead the strike package if you want, are we doing a runway strike or just bombing buildings? Any reason we're leading a 4-ship? Why not just a 2-ship? Would be easier getting organized.

Also, please refrain from recommending Krause's videos as a "learning tool." His "tutorials" are riddled with errors and made during 4.32 was still in use... makes my hair stand on end everytime he gets a basic term or procedure wrong. Falcon is complex enough without having to have three left feet.

Well I agree but it was the only vid I found on getting a package set up on the datalink. Do you know of a better one?

The four ship was because it was more dramatic. Big package as opposed to not so big package. But yes, please speak up now with anything you guys can think of.

I want to definitely shut down the base, so runway for sure. Buidlings should be considered secondary targets. Two free beers back at the O-Club for the tower

I'm gonna read up on how to put a HARM through a Tower Window!

That's what I keep sayin ' lol

(Replying to DB Sunday plans )

Can you reprogram the seeker to home in on a iPhone 5? Intel says the controller owns one.



Well it must be understood you see, that Major Mac is an integral part of the team, and missions like this don't come 'round every day. The fate of South Korea and her allies depends on it.

OK, I've had a good look at the save. Assessing the situation I am changing the setup somewhat, though I do want to hear any thoughts from you guys.

What I see is an utterly smashed DPRK air force. I'd be surprised if they have 12 fighters alive in the theater. So I anticipate the Red air threat as minimal, though there is every chance we encounter something. Sunch'on airbase does house one MiG-29A and one MiG-19 squadron. As most F4 players know, the program doesn't always seem interested that a squadron has no planes. It still sends them up anyway. But I can't see us having to punch a hole through them at the FLOT and having air engagements all the way to and over the target.

The SAM threat at and near the target is extremely high however. There is one SA-2 battery at the airbase and several more, plus some SA-3s, in the general vicinity. And those are just the ones I can see from the JSTARS. Who knows what else lurks in the shadows?

So since the SEAD mission is so critical I want to frag two separate SEAD flights. My idea is to have these out ahead and to each flank of the strikers. Escort can be handled by the AI, plus every Viper will have four missiles anyway. Because there are so many SAM threats in the area, and since each Viper can only carry two ARMs, I want to switch to lead the second SEAD flight. You have to babysit the AI to get them shooting HARMs at multiple targets and it's very difficult to do in a four ship. So I will split it up in to two two-ships and lead the second one. That is potentially eight radars knocked out if all find their targets. Plus each SEAD ship is a surrogate escort.

Another pilot can feel free to lead the escort, that slot is now open. The AI does a competent job of it, but obviously should be more effective with a human in the lead ship.

There are two runways at Sunch'on. I want to leave it to the strikers to plan their own attack. We want to hit both runways to shut down the base. From what I see a deck run with durandals seems natural, but a high show with GBU or something else is good too. I will match the IP to target run to the runway heading of 340 so you'll be lined up properly for either type of attack. I will include target photo analysis in a follow up post. But I wanted to give a quick rundown on makeup now in case there are any objections or ideas.

If we have four pilots I think the best setup is two SEAD and two strikers. I can see two Vipers roaring over the runways side by side laying durandals down the strips. But that's kinda hollywood. Really cool though.

I would like to know soon if anyone else is in, as it helps me plan it. I'm proceeding as though Mac and Ice are both in. One thing we need to set is the meeting time for all of us. I'm good, so we need Ice's earliest time available and Oden to confirm that's workable. If I knew that we had two human strikers I could make the strike a two ship since I can be confident both runways would be knocked out (assuming no ghastly deaths enroute). Then we could trim this down to eight ships maybe -- 2 escort, 2x2 SEAD and 2 strikers. Perhaps fewer AI = fewer problems and if the escort is AI-only they should perform fine, no weird stuff I mean. If a human flies escort I will make it a two-ship, and if just AI escort, a four-ship.

I really need to start playing that second game inside Falcon, the strategic one
Thank you for taking time to analyze the whole situation.

Based on your findings, close to irrelevant red air and a whoop-ass SAM layer I think you're correct on the SEAD need.

If needed though, it is fairly doable to make control of a 3-ship flight by issuing "Attack my target" from HAD to element lead (2nd wingman rather).

Considering the low red air threat, could we have SEAD flights responsible to the "normal" escort? SEAD is an Escort Service after all (yes, I had to hahaha).

Finally, Durandals isn't Hollywood! All cool guys run in with durandals. Only weak cadets fly GBU!
/famous last words

Anyone got any experience with AI performance on a runway strike? I've never done this with an AI wingman... Sunch'on has two runways so it'll need two strike aircraft. I've never really flown with AI very much, most of my flying has either been TE training (and I don't bother with the AI) or campaigns with human pilots and the AI F-16 is either RTB'ed ASAP or kept in tow as a replacement/backup aircraft.

I'd like to get a copy of the current save as well, if nothing but to start plotting FLOT lines and pre-planned threat steerpoints and finding the best way to ingress and attack.

I can start at around 4pm so 2 hours flying should be more than enough.

Dash 34 manual pages 34-47 for all your IDM needs, straight from the guys who've implemented the whole thing into BMS. The challenge with the IDM is that you need to fly with a human pilot to test and play around with it.

Thanks for the replies. It's early AM here and I have to get to work. I'll post a few thoughts later. Here is Sunch'on as seen from the ingress heading of 340





And the SAM/AAA threat in the immediate target area.



Many of these have now had their radars shot out. There is however still a formidable AAA threat at the target, with several battalions just to the north and east and which are not visible here on JSTARS. They will be a factor coming off target.



Last night I spent fours hours going over this and planning it. I reached the conclusion that this mission may be too dangerous and was going to come back on and say we should do something else. I didn't want to get everyone together and go through all of the trouble just to be shot down at the target. So instead I sort of messed it up by deciding to soften up the target area first. Let's just say the SAM threat is no longer extreme.

Because of that I am considering flying Ice's wing an being the second striker. We don't know that Mac is attending so it makes sense for me to fly the strike to ensure the second runway is hit. We could always just have Ice drop three down one strip, and turn around and overfly the target a second time to hit the second strip with the other three. We all know that the defenses are less alert the second time

Ice, if you agree with using durandals I'm in.Apologies for so much flip-flopping but war is ever-changing.

And I want to post this. I got a PM from a member who I won't name so I hope he doesn't mind, but it made me smile and I thought you guys would like to know.

"But I still get your SimHQ self generated emails and just love following you activities. Not just you, but every bodies. There's probably many others like me doing the same thing, so your "team" is maybe bigger than you think. Just keep it up, its a real pleasure for me.
Good flying."

How cool is that?

Very Cool

Good move putting one human on each runway.

How weak is SAM threat by now, should I consider 2xHARM and some iron on ai-wingmen (or vice-versa) to add mayhem on airbase buildings?

It's not high. I would still give the wingman HARMs if it were me. There is every chance there are things I cannot see, or units could be replenished, what have you. I don't think one jet with bombs, especially an AI jet, could make much difference with bombs. But if he could take out a couple radars that would make a big difference.

The ingress route will be routed around all known defenses. Only as we near the target do I expect opposition. Be ever-vigilant however!

From step to shut down will be a little under one hour.

If Mac is in he can fly SEAD with you. Or maybe Ice would prefer SEAD and Mac flies strike. I don't much mind who does what as long as everyone is comfortable with their role.

Oh yeah, step time..... Oden, Ice said 4 PM London time. Is that workable? Let's get the time set.

According to the internet, 4 PM London time (+1 UTC) is 11 AM east coast USA time (UTC -4)

Works for me (5 pm for me if I calc'ed correctly).