PILOTS: TACO, PRIMO, MURF, KESTREL, DRILLIN, COSTA, ARRIBE, SQUIRREL
COLT: DRILLIN, ARRIBE
DODGE: SQUIRREL, KESTREL, COSTA
FORD: PRIMO, MURF, TACO
SITUATION:
- Its early in the Afghan war, and VMFA 115 is stationed at Kandahar Airbase, set to take over a few grids for close air support duties at 17:15 local time.
- We own the sky, with established tanker tracks, no aerial threats and no enemy SAM sites.
- Despite all this, the Taliban have superior local knowledge and choose their engagements carefully, ambushing Coalition infantry when it best suits them.
- The Taliban also have extravagant bounties placed on capturing Coalition pilots; and camp out with old, Soviet SA-14s waiting for a jet to fly low and slow. Maintain >15,000 ft [I recommend 20k+] outside of Kandahar Security Area. (MANPAD height of ~12,000 + ground can rise quickly 2-3k ft) https://wiki.hoggitworld.com/view/Threa ... MANPADS.29
- Recommend setting your altitude warnings to at least 15,000 Ft.
- Take off, fly runway heading 233 until 21 DME, then turn to to your assigned grid sections and await tasking.
- WPTs #2 and #3 are available for a Racetrack Patrol (just reference points to keep you roughly in the middle of your AOR and not in a constant turn).
- Air support requests come in unpredictably and are handled via a Tasking Controller based on MGRS squares. See PDF in the discord of how to click through the F10 menus (it will be intuitive in-mission, but I show it in detail). You can use this menu to replay the task information, repeat coordinates, request smoke on the target, and request a flare on the target. All flight members should join each task in order to receive updates and obtain information.
- Overall, you are armed with JDAMs and LGBs to handle a variety of situations. For a stationary target unlikely to move (i.e. the first enemy targeted, or after enemies have taken cover in a new position) I recommend using a JDAM. This preserves your LGBs for moving targets.
- Takeoff
- Runway 233 (right turn from parking area Panther)
- Fly heading 233 until 21 DME (point "DIRT" on the Kandahar plate), then turn to tanker or waypoints.
- Landing:
- Kandahar Airbase
- 75X
- Radio (PRI: #1) 360.200
- Active Runway: 23
- Intercept 233 Radial prior to 21 DME on approach
- Overhead Break Altitude: 1,500 feet
- Traffic Pattern: Left (South)
- Parking Area: Panther Ramp (southeast, same as starting area)
- Alternate Airbases: All are friendly, but security perimeters unreliable elsewhere.
- Departure Order: (Whoever is ready first), Dodge/Ford are travelling further than Colt, so I'd get them up first if possible.
- Airbase is central logistics hub for all of Afghanistan, check taxiways carefully for troops hurrying to transport helos and other jets in line to take off.
- Laser Codes:
- -1 is on 1687
- -2 is on 1686
- -3 is on 1685
- Double-check while you are on the ground before starting engines and correct (if needed) with the re-arm and repair window. Everything should be set up correctly though.
- Drones are circling in your MGRS area and will lase targets they find on 1688 if they are within range.
- Tankers: (Tank at leads discretion, all jets have 2 bags, CAS stations are ~100-150 miles from KHR and ~50-100 miles from tankers. Colt at the shorter end of those distances and Dodge/Ford at the longer-end of those ranges).
- Texaco KC-135 MRPS (Basket):
- At/Near Bulls
- 251.000 AM
- 51Y
- Angels 25; Speed ~250 knots
- Arco KC-130 (Basket):
- North of Bulls
- 259.000 AM
- 59Y
- Angels 22; Speed ~250 knots
- Shell KC-135 (Boom):
- South of Bulls
- 127.000 AM
- 27Y
- Angels 23; Speed ~280 knots
- Texaco KC-135 MRPS (Basket):
- AWACS: Darkstar on 254
- Weather & Time: Light & Scattered Clouds; takeoff time 17:15 local.
- Loading In: No idea why, but I always crash on my first load-in. Hop back in and it should work.
