Our two-ship flight is routed eastbound along the high terrain that drops down to the plateau below. We will strike from the south to allow the CAP flights to work in the buffer zone between us and the enemy air activity to the north.
As we navigate to the IP, I use the TGP and slave it to the target waypoint to give me an off axis view of the target area. It takes me a minute to work out the confusion. The intelligence photo shows the same area from the opposite direction, so after checking the intel photo again I realize I need to target the further bridge.
At the IP I turn inbound toward the bridge. For this attack I decide to branch out a bit and try the 3/9 option for weapons delivery. This will allow me to put the CCIP dot on the target then maneuver slightly allowing the bombing computer to release the bombs at the right time.
Approaching the target area the radio frequency is alive with calls from other flights. The RWR is chirping a little bit, but I’m a bit task saturated. I start my roll in at around 15,000’ intending to stay as high as I can and pull off of the attack at a high enough altitude to avoid low altitude SAM threats.
The dashed 3/9 piper shows on the HUD but I’m a bit wobbly on my run and can’t get the dot to settle on the bridge.
As I try to finesse the lineup I realize I’m getting too low and risk getting into the SAM envelope below. I curse and pull off the run dry and pop flares and chaff as I climb back up and circle around to the east to reset the attack.
By now things are starting to get busy over the area so I decide to go ahead and push all three on call flights at the same time. I’m a bit too busy to manage them properly and figure they will go and do their own thing.
I redesignate the target and come back in for another attack. This time my piper settles down early and I feel pretty good about the release. I hit and hold the pickle button and the dashed line turns solid and a time to release cue falls briefly down the bomb fall line and when it hits the center of the reticle the bomb drops away.
I pull off and watch my bomb sail long of the bridge. Damn! Whose idea was it to not use JDAMs or LGBs?? I released from such a high altitude the bomb didn’t really have a chance, so my next attack I settle on a slightly lower release altitude.
The second run in looks nearly identical to the first except with the lower release altitude. I could probably stand to steepen up the attack angle to increase accuracy as well.
This bomb also falls a bit long, but apparently it is close enough that the shock wave busts the bridge up and I get a mission success cue.
Meanwhile the CAP flight has engaged some MiGs that have run down from the north.
I still have two big bombs left, but in this day and age of an older and wiser BeachAV8R, I set a course for home.
There is quite a crosswind blowing at Batumi and I crab to the right to keep my lineup.
Mission accomplished!
The strike went off as planned although I once again forgot to let my wingman in on the action. Looking forward to the next mission.
BeachAV8R
Thanks for sharing.
