Posted By: BeachAV8R
Georgian Hammer - Mission 05 - 10/24/12 08:08 AM
The push to drive enemy ground forces further north continues. Our mission today is to strike a formation of T-72 tanks that are loitering east of the river crossing near Namikolavo.
For this mission I’m feeling the need for some serious ground pounding so I create a custom loadout with six Mavericks, and ten GBU-12 bombs. I name it my Mav & Plink loadout. With such a heavy ordnance load I can only carry a 58% load of fuel.
Now that’s a mud-mover’s fantasy right there!
I pull onto the runway and the frequency is already abuzz with other flights coming and going from the battle area.
As I head for the steerpoint prior to the IP, I start configuring my weapons. I turn on the targeting pod, arm the laser, turn on the Maverick optics, and go through the DSMS page to set my laser guided bomb settings.
As soon as the TGP comes up I start scanning the target area, keeping in mind the mission planning imagery.
I soon spot a lone Zeus guarding the area and from that point I’m able to slew my TGP down the road where I find landmarks from the planning image (bridge and road T). After a few more seconds of searching I find the T-72s.
I decide to take out the ZSU even though I’ll probably be well above its engagement range during my attacks. Other Allied flights are working in the area and it might help them out if I take out the threat. I lock a Maverick on and shoot…
I break off to the southeast, circle around and set up for some tank plinking. Though I still have Mavericks left, I want to try out the LGB technique from mid altitude.
Bomb away!
Boom!
With the smoke from the burning tank marking the area, I circle away and start looking for the other tanks with my TGP.
Suddenly, my missile warning receiver goes off. Crap!! I was so focused on the task of finding and engaging my primary target that I had sort of tuned out the other radio traffic. Had I been listening I probably would have heard some pertinent AWACS calls about incoming enemy fighters. Damn!!
I roll away from the target area and dive for the deck, quickly building up airspeed while I pop flares and chaff. I’m hoping to escape to the southeast and drag my attackers into the friendly SAM envelope.
While I scream for the deck I call up my F10 menu and call for the CAP flight to give me a hand. I should have just released them right from the outset. Stupid.
As I pull gently out of the dive it happens. Boom! I yank the handles and my mission is over.
The MiGs bum rush the area and send missiles flying everywhere. Another strike flight of F/A-18s just misses getting shot down but my wingman isn’t as lucky as he takes a direct hit.
As the MiG and A-10 merge, the Allied units open up and start shooting Stingers toward the attacker. One snakes upward and hits the MiG in the port engine as the A-10 comes apart and bombs and debris rain down on the battlefield.
The MiG-29 staggers around the corner and beats it to the north with damage to his left engine and elevator…
Our CAP flight arrives on scene a minute later and drives north in search of the raiders. They send a salvo of AMRAAMs downrange quickly killing three enemy aircraft including the damaged MiG.
In a truly bizarre moment, one of the CAP flight merges with an attacking Su-24 and they actually collide head on! The F-16 bears the brunt of the damage, going down in flames with the Su-24 lurches on..
The mission is a disaster. I should have released the CAP flight and I should have been paying more attention to the AWACS instead of getting so focused on the target area. Like I said before, I’m ready for my Flaming Cliffs F-15C human CAP! <g>
BeachAV8R
