Operation Night Shade

[Derk]

OPERATION: NIGHT SHADE
This is Mission #1 of a four part series.

Time:07:30 Z (16:30 LT)
Weather: Sunny at departure and target area, changing to Fair

Situation:
A North Korean defector has revealed to NATO forces information about a secret nuclear weapons and testing facility at the decommissioned Kilchu nuclear power plant. This has been confirmed by investigation from military agencies in the region. The North Korean government denies the accusations and refused to allow an inspection of the facility. With concerns of nuclear weapons in the hands of North Korea, NATO command and other regional governments convened at an emergency meeting to approve a limited military strike on the facility. In order to maintain anonymity from the action, and to protect their own security in the region, both China and Russian governments will publicly condemn the action, but have given their full consent to NATOs plan.

Game Plan:
At 07:30 Z (16:30 LT), Operation Night Shade will commence with a three ship strike package from the 222nd Gamblers, along with the support of an EF-18G Growler from the 2022nd ECM Sq. The package is tasked with the destruction of the Kilchu nuclear plant processor and other major supporting facilities. The strike window approved by NATO mission command starts at 08:30 Z and must be complete by 09:30 Z. The package is only authorized to attack the Kilchu Power Plan structures, hostile DPRK MiG's, and air defense threasts necessary to provide for a safe strike of the target area.

At 07:54 Z flights will start to depart Yechon AB starting with Jaguar 4 and Prowler 2 who will proceed direct to the target area and establish a BARCAP. As soon as Jaguar 4 clears the target area of air threats, Weasel 5 will strike the SA-3 sites near the Kilchu plant to clear the way for the strike flights. Weasel 5 will also provide backup CAP duties for Jaguar 4. Both flights will need to coordinate a refuel plan on the tanker since flights are restricted to only centerline tanks due to inventory limitations.

After departure, Banshee 3 will proceed direct to the tanker for AAR while the airspace and SAM threats are being cleared. Once refuel is complete, Banshee 3 will report on station and hold safely to the south until Weasel 5 makes the all clear call [Night Shade]. Once Banshee 3 has completed the strike they need to make a visual BDA of the primary target to be reported to NATO mission commanders. After the visual BDA, Banshee 3 will make the Miller Time call. AAR is authorized after the strike only for minimum fuel to RTB.

Threats:
MiG BARCAP's
SA-3, SA-14, and AAA at the target area
SA-8's along the coast and additional marked SAM defenses inland West, North, and Northeast.

OOB
- 222nd - Yechon AB

Mission Package 1974
Banshee3 - 4x F-16CM-50's tasked with destruction of Kilchu nuclear plan
Primary target = Processor Unit
Secondary targets = All other structures

Jaguar4 - 4x F-16CM-50's tasked with package escort and CAP in the strike area

Weasel5 - 4x F-16CM-50's tasked with DEAD operations on the two SA-3 units at the target area
Primary target = Low Blow
Secondary targets = SA-3 Launchers and Flat Face

Prowler2 - 1x EF-18G - Growler tasked with SAM jamming in target area

SPINS
Package is cleared to engage any hostile DPRK air threats
Only the SAM's in the target area are allowed to be engaged
Strike must be complete by 09:30 Z or an abort will be called
Strike flight must make a visual BDA of target to ensure it's destroyed
Growler's jammer is not effective on SA-8's, MANPADS, and AAA

Support:
AWACS: Sentry 1
AAR: Copper 1 - UHF 252.225 (Sta time 07:30 - 09:40)
HAVCAP: Mohawk 1 - 2x F-15 (Sta time 08:20 - 09:30)

Notes:
- INI file will be in the Wing Flight Briefing Room (NightShade.ini)

[Derk]

Only 6 of 12 seats filled so far in this mission, so we're hoping for more in order to pull it off. This is Bulls first TE mission build, and the first of a four-mission series. This mission has a nice round package of Escort/CAP, DEAD, and Strike, with air refueling somewhere in the mix. We'll even see a Prowler along to test its jamming ability.

Please come out and support this mission if you're able.

[Zeus]

Thanks Bull, Nice to see some budding mission makers out there. I think making missions is a great way to learn more about BMS and also helps you as a pilot because you start thinking more about what’s out there.

I’m in and able to fly whatever seat you need me in

[Bull]

Thank you so much. You are so right. I have learned so much, especially how BMS functions and flows. I have a lot still to learn, but this is were it really gets fun.

[Bull]

Big shot out, and thanks to everyone who came out tonight. Thank you Zeus for your help and feedback on the mission, especially the information on how to setup the prowler, and AWACS. But a huge thank you to Derk who's time and effort went in to show me how to get this thing from a storyline to a flown . mission. He probably spend the most time on it. Could not have done it with out your help thanks.

[Derk]

OPERATION: NIGHT SHADE - Mission #1
Debrief: Banshee 3 - Strike Flight [Derk, Bull]

With a successful completion for the package and mission, and good action of some sort for all flights, I’d said ‘Great Job’ on your first combat mission build, Bull! You also handled the pre- and post-flight briefings very well.

For Banshee 3 flight, timing couldn’t have worked out better as we made great time topping off on the tanker on the way to the target. This left us only 30 nm from our PUSH point when the ‘Night Shade’ code word was called. A quick push to BUSTER power and a small turn to avoid a AAA popup threat, put us IN and OFF the target in no time, leaving 4 GBU-31 3B’s on their mark.

The rest of the package flow seemed to work as planned as Banshee 3 transitioned into Air to Air role to cover the egress of the CAP flight – Jaguar 4, while the DEAD Weasel 5 headed for fuel on the tanker. We surely appreciated the clear air picture created by Jaguar 4 by eliminating the MiG-29 BARCAP threat, and from Weasel 5 who eliminated the SA-3 threat at the target, allowing our smooth bomb run. Having all flights RTB and landing within about 4 minutes of each other was a nice finale!

Looking forward to participating in the next stage of the mission currently in development.

Impact on primary target [processor] with second GBU just above the far right cooling tower

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Jaguar 4 holding off MiG-29's as we run in and off the target

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Turning to final as the sun sets over Yechon AB

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All Parked. Mission Success = Complete!

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[Blade]

OPERATION: NIGHT SHADE - Mission #1
Debrief: Weasel5 – 2-Ship DEAD Flight [Blade, Mulligan]

Weasel5 departed Yechon on time and headed out to boresight our mavericks. While it was quick boresight, we were about 2 mins behind caret. Most of this was made up on the long flight out. We arrived at our hold point as Jaguar4 our CAP was engaging the last of the red forces over the target area. We were immediately cleared in on the SA-3s covering the target area. This was music to my ears as it meant we did not have to linger around. As we put our noses down to make our run in, we watched black smoke trails of red aircraft spiral into the ground.

The SA-3s had overlapping coverage, and while we had a Growler jamming for us, we decided to play it safe and destroy the Low Blow and Flat Face at one site before moving deeper to destroy the next. After rifling and turning out we noted that the Growler was doing its job and we quickly turned back for runs on the next SA-3 site.

Banshee3 let us know that they were on station and ready for their run on the primary target as we were making our last pass. We made the Night Shade call to let them know the SA-3s were down and then departed the area to refuel at the tanker.

The plan was for us head back and be backup for the primary target or CAP, however we received the Miler Time call as we came off the tanker. We set course for Homeplate and wrapped up the flight with an overhead break at Yechon.

Big thanks to Mulligan for making this a very successful flight by Weasel5 as well as all the other flights in the package.

Thanks Bull, for putting it together, looking forward to the next one.

[Zeus]

OPERATION: NIGHT SHADE - Mission #1
Debrief: Jaguar4 – 3-Ship Escort / TARCAP

Jaguar4 was first to depart Yechon (love the recent remodeling) followed closely by the F-18 Growler (Prowler21) which we were to escort to the target area. He kept his distance - a constant 20nm behind us - allowing us to get on station and secure the airspace before he began his orbit over the SAM threats.

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Our first engagement had Jaguar41 and 42 trading missiles with a pair of MiG-29As at a range of about 18nm. One MiG was destroyed and the second was put on the defensive allowing our #3 could close in. Unfortunately, since the SA-3 sites were still up and Prowler21 was only just coming on station, Jaguar43 opted to turn back before he could engage.

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About this time, Weasel5 called in from their hold point and since we had three healthy Vipers between them and a lone MiG-29, we cleared Weasel to press in. As the lone -29A turned back hot we had our grinder established and were ready to keep lobbing missiles to hold him at arms length and away from Weasel5. This strategy quickly paid off as our first missile found its target clearing the airspace of all immediate threats.

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As the DEAD flight wrapped up their initial strike, Banshee3 called in and was quickly given the code word to proceed to their target. As they approached, Jaguar4 detected a pair of hostiles approaching from the NW. With -41 down two missiles and -43 still fully loaded, lead element began to hook back south in preparation for -43 to act as primary shooter. However, is was quickly noticed that Banshee3 had expedited their approach and was closing fast - so fast that they were now ahead of -43 so lead element split and -42 engaged the incoming pair to at least get them to go defensive. As Jaguar42 pressed in on the MiGs, the hostile wingman split to create spacing but this left his lead alone and Ghastly (Jaguar42) quickly dispatched him and aborted back south.

With the first MiG going down in flames and Buttons, in Jaguar43, covering the egress of Jaguar42, the remaining MiG attempted to make a run at our package. Buttons quickly dispatched him with the none of the hostiles getting within 30nm of Banshee3. This quick succession of air and ground attacks overwhelmed the enemy forces and resulted in minimal time in hostile territory and the complete accomplishment of all the missions goals.

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Jaguar4 was able to confirm the BDA for Banshee3 before heading home for a beautiful overhead break back into Yechon.

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Awesome mission and great flight by all involved.