C:MANO AAR: Bay of Bengal 1999

Started by IICptMillerII, December 31, 2017, 12:44:12 AM

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IICptMillerII

Bay of Bengal 1999

Introduction and Briefing
This is a fictional scenario from Fleet Command, ported to Command: Modern Air Naval Operations that follows a CVBG (Carrier Battle Group) as it attempts to interdict the Indian navy.

Two things to point out first; (1) this is not a 1:1 copy of the mission from Fleet Command to Command: Modern Air Naval Operations (CMANO from here on) as there are differences in the force compositions for both the US Navy and Indian navy, and (2) the CMANO scenario has been modified by me. More on this later.

Here is the briefing that comes with the scenario in CMANO:
CMANO Briefing:
Intelligence Message.
The Indian CVBG is operating in the Gulf of Mannar (about 35 NM Northwest of Colombo). Russia has deployed TU-22M Backfire aircraft to India. China has delivered a squadron of B-6 Badger aircraft to India. Indian Submarine activity in
the region is significant. U. S. Embassy in Sri Lanka is urging all Americans to leave the country.  All Indian Naval forces are considered hostile.
India has mobilized amphibious assault forces and has deployed INS Viraat in the Gulf of Mannar.  Your forces are to transit to Southwest coast of Sri Lanka to pressure India to withdraw forces.  Sri Lanka fears Indian military buildup in preparation to final invasion force and collapse of the government. The United Nations has requested that a U.S. CVBG be sent to the area to stabilize the region.

Tasking Message.
Transit to within 35 NM Southwest of the Sri Lanka coast.  Repulse Indian Naval forces which attempt to prevent U.S. CVBG forces from completing this mission.  U.S. Ambassador may be extracted from Embassy in Sri Lanka if situation worsens.[/center]

An important addendum to the briefing; the Indian navy begins the scenario hostile to US forces, so there will be shooting right from the get go.

Situation and Forces

I am in command of Task Force Nimitz, a CVBG based around the USS Nimitz, a CVN. The Task Force is composed of:
  •   CVN 68 Nimitz
      o   VF-211 "Fighting Checkmates" (x12 F-14D)
      o   VFA-146 "Blue Diamonds" (x12 F/A-18C)
      o   VFA-147 "Argonauts" (x12 F/A-18C)
      o   VMFA-314 "Black Knights" (x12 F/A-18C)
      o   VAW-122 "Steeljaws" (x4 E-2C)
      o   VS-33 "Screwbirds"  (x8  S-3B)
      o   VAQ-138 "Yellow Jackets" (x6  EA-6B)
      o   VQ-5 Det. 9 "Sea Shadows"  (x8  ES-3A)
      o   HS-8 "Eight Ballers"  (x2 HH-60H x6 SH-60B)
  •   CG 57 Lake Champlain
      o   (x2 SH-60B)
  •   CG 73 Port Royal
      o   (x2 SH-60B)
  •   DDG 65 Benfold
      o   (x2 SH-60B)
  •   DD 965 Kinkaid
  •   FFG 54 Ford
      o   (x2 SH-60B)
  •   AOE 1 Sacramento
      o   (x2 CH-46)
  •   SSN 717 Olympia



All told I have 92 aircraft and an immense amount of firepower spread between my surface units, sub-surface unit and air wing. However I am not invincible. Most of my anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capability lies with my air wing. Strike aircraft armed with anti-ship missiles have a turnaround time of 6 hours. If I'm not careful, I could get caught with all of my strike aircraft re-arming while my ships are left to defend against a determined surface attack against me.



Arrayed against me is the Indian navy and air force. Based on the briefing, I'm up against the carrier Viraat and an amphibious assault force. I also know that the Indian air force will be operating land based TU-22M "Backfire" bombers and B-6 "Badger" bombers. In addition to that, Indian submarine activity is said to be "significant." There will be plenty going on, and all components of my Task Force (AAW, ASW, ASuW) will have their hands full.

In order to deal with the threat the combined Indian forces pose while still accomplishing my objective, I will need to maintain a constant combat air patrol (CAP), have more aerial warfare (AAW) on standby, and seek out the enemy fleet. All while in transit to the coast of Sri Lanka.

All that said, the plan is simple: Move towards the Sri Lankan coast. If I am able to keep an active CAP, and identify any threats to my CVBG and keep them beyond standoff range, I should be in good shape. However, this is easier said than done.

Final Notes

The base scenario gives you a CVBG that is a bit neutered. The Nimitz only gets half of its air wing, and less surface ships in support. To make the scenario more realistic and fun, I have rebuild Task Force Nimitz based on its September 1, 1997 – March 2, 1998 deployment. (Source for this below) I have not modified the Indian forces at all, nor have I opened them up in the editor.

Sources:
•   https://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn68deploy.htm
•   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_air_wing#1991_Gulf_War_and_Post-Cold_War_(1992%E2%80%932000)

IICptMillerII

Apologies for some of the formatting. It is my first post after all! Been a long time lurker, specifically of the AAR section of the forum. Very much enjoyed the Tom Clancy-esque AARs for CMANO done by Airborne Rifles. I don't have quite the writers touch that he does, so I'm hoping screenshots add to the fun.

More to come!

mirth

"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

IICptMillerII

The Battle Begins

First things first, I need to establish my carrier CAP, get ASW helo's out and listening, and my AEW (Airborne Early Warning and control) aircraft in the air.



Four aircraft are pumped into the air, quickly followed by another 3 only a minute later.



My CAP and AEW aircraft quickly establish themselves. The Tomcats mission loadout has been set to "Heavy BARCAP," as I anticipate any aerial attack against my Task Force will be large. This gives each Tomcat x4 Phoenix missiles, for a total of eight per flight. Each Tomcat is also equipped with the AN/AAQ-25 LANTIRN Pod, which is a targeting pod that can use FLIR to track aerial targets out to 100nm. It should give the Tomcats an additional edge in acquiring and engaging targets at long range.

I've decided to turn the radars of the Tomcats on. I figure that between the Tomcats and the Hawkeye's radars, I should be able to spot anything coming towards me at a comfortable standoff range. That will give me plenty of time to scramble more aircraft to intercept any incoming bogeys. My ships however will keep their radars off for now. While it's only a matter of time until the Indians get a fix on my ships, I don't have to give them any help.

Meanwhile, I've set the Olympia to "sprint and drift." This is a tactic commonly used by submarines that are transiting large distances. They cruise at speed for a while, then slow down to a creep to listen passively with their sonar systems. If nothing is heard, they speed back up and repeat until they arrive on station or pick up something to investigate.



Contact!

After 5 hours, we have our first contact. It has been designated SKUNK #4 by the E-2C. This means it's a surface contact, a ship. It's over 200nm away, but it appears to be on an intercept course with the Task Force.



For now I'm content with monitoring the contact from a distance. Given more time, my ELINT (electronic intelligence) sensors spread across various platforms should be able to classify the contact. If it does end up being hostile, a single ship hardly poses a threat to the Task Force, and should be easy to deal with. The question is, is it alone?

More to come!



undercovergeek

<< enter popcorn smiley here >>

good stuff

IICptMillerII

The Situation Develops

Despite the new contacts distance, I decide to re-task the Olympia to move more directly towards the location of SKUNK #4. I'm assuming there are more vessels in that direction, and I want to use my SSN as an early warning/screen. The Task Force will continue on its original course, which takes it farther to the East of where Olympia is not headed.

20 minutes after SKUNK #4 is discovered, the Hawkeye picks up 2 more surface contacts, SKUNK #5 and #6. They are all headed towards my Task Force. I now suspect that these surface contacts are Indian warships.



Its time to be more proactive now that there are 3 contacts. I decide to launch an ES-3A "Shadow," an ELINT version of the S-3 "Viking."



The "Shadow" should be adequately protected by both the CAP aircraft and my ship based SAMs. I've given it a health standoff distance so if any of the SKUNK contacts are equipped with SAMs of their own, the "Shadow" should be well outside their lethal envelope.

As my "Shadow" is climbing to station, a 4th SKUNK is detected by the Hawkeye. I can now see two distinct surface groups of two ships per group.



10 minutes later, as my "Shadow" approaches its station, it discovers another surface group of two ships.



I now know with near certainty that these are hostile warships. What I do not know is what type of warships they are. Depending on the type of vessel they are, these could either be a minor, or a major threat to my Task Force. I'm hoping my ELINT mission will be able to get me more information about these surface contacts so that I can begin drawing up a strike package.

My "Shadow" arrives on station and begins its sweep. Immediately it identifies more contacts in the 3rd group, bringing the total to 4 contacts. It then quickly discovers a 4th group of 3 surface contacts farther to the North.



This is a serious threat to my Task Force. I am now facing more surface ships than I myself have in my own Task Force. I suspect that group 3 contains a capital ship, as it is the largest group and is at the center of the formation of groups.

This now puts me in a difficult situation. The enemy surface threat is significant to say the least, and I have not yet encountered Indian air or subsurface assets yet. I'm going to be hard pressed dealing with the surface threat as it is. If the Indians are able to get a fix on my Task Force and focus all of their assets against me at once, I could be overwhelmed.

I now need to start taking apart the enemy and reduce his capability while I still have the luxury of holding the initiative. Its time to get the fighter jocks involved.

Stay tuned!

Sir Slash

Here and awaiting developments CptMiller.
"Take a look at that". Sgt. Wilkerson-- CMBN. His last words after spotting a German tank on the other side of a hedgerow.

IICptMillerII

First Strike

Its time to take the fight to the enemy. First things first, I've classified all SKUNK contacts as hostile.



I've decided to move my "Shadow" aircraft closer to the enemy formation. It is unlikely that it will be able to identify specific types of ships without getting far too close. However, there is a possibility the enemy ships light off their radars to paint the "Shadow." If they do this, the "Shadow" may be able to identify the ships based on their radar emissions. It's a bit of a risk. The "Shadow" will be close enough to be engaged by SAMs if the enemy vessels are so equipped. But the "Shadow" should be able to egress away from the vessels and out of the SAMs envelope and escape without being shot down.



Meanwhile, I begin drawing up my strike packages. The type of ship being engaged determines a lot about the characteristics of the strike package. Larger vessels require more munitions to ensure a kill, and certain vessels are better protected by systems such as CIWS, radar, and anti-missile missiles. Because I don't know the specific ID of the vessels I'll be striking, I have to use a generic strike package.

The packages will be identical. 4 F/A-18C's armed with 2 AGM-84E SLAM's per plane, escorted by an EA-6B Prowler. The Prowlers will provide jamming support, which should blind the enemy vessels to the attack, and reduce the chance of counter fires from them as well. Each SKUNK contact will be fired on by 4 AGMs. If all four missiles hit, it should ensure a kill on smaller vessels such as destroyers and frigates, and should cripple anything larger.



If all goes well, I should severely cripple or destroy the enemy screening force, which in turn will pave the way for strikes against the 4 ship capital ship (suspected) group.

With the plans all drawn up, its time to see how it all plays out.



15 minutes after launching from the Nimitz, the first shots of the battle are fired.



And just like that, 16 missiles are fired at their targets. The enemy vessels haven't lit off their radars, nor fired at any of my planes. Its possible they have no idea they're under attack. If this is the case, it is the best case scenario.



As the missiles streak towards their targets and the strike packages RTB, I decide to pull the "Shadow" back. If the enemy detects the incoming missiles, they will likely begin to light off their radars and engage defensive. I don't want my "Shadow" anywhere near this soon to be busy, and hostile airspace.

The AGM-84E SLAM uses an infrared seeker instead of a radar seeker in order to find its targets after entering the terminal phase of attack. Unlike radar, IR seekers do not give the enemy any warning that he is being targeted. As the first SLAMs get close to their targets, their seekers are able to identify the vessel type, and send that information back to me via datalink.



The SLAM identifies the first ship as a PCFG – a Fast Guided Missile Patrol Craft. This type of vessel makes sense, as it is part of the screen for the larger group of ships behind it. While small, these craft are extremely dangerous. They are small and fast as their name implies, and they are able to volley fire anti-ship missiles (ASMs) that can do tremendous damage if fired en masse. The 4 SLAMs should be more than enough to destroy a small craft such as this.


In ASuW Strike Package 2 group, a SLAM identifies another enemy ship. It's a DDG – Guided Missile Destroyer. This vessel poses a threat to my surface ships (its equipped with ASMs) my submarine, and my aircraft. If this first strike does not cripple or destroy her, I will need to follow up with a second strike to neutralize it.



A hit! One of the SLAMs smashes into its target, vaporizing it. Two weapons malfunction, and the final missile splashes harmlessly into the ocean.



I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as overkill. When I first learned that 4 SLAMs were targeted against a ship that ended up being a PCFG, I was slightly annoyed by the amount of firepower used against such a small target. However, it seems to have paid off, as two of the missiles malfunctioned and failed to hit the target. I'm hoping all of the SLAMs targeting the DDG hit home. Even one missile malfunctioning and failing to hit it could mean a DDG left damaged, but still operational.

As the first PCFG was destroyed, the IR seeker of another SLAM identified the 4th and final enemy ship, in ASuW Strike Package 2 group, another DDG.

Moments later, the first pair of SLAMs impact the first DDG.



Seconds later, the second pair of SLAMs hits the DDG, sinking her. At the same time, the PCFG is hit and destroyed.



Finally, the remaining SLAMs hit and sink the second DDG.



The ASuW strike packages are overwhelmingly successful. All 4 enemy surface ships have been sunk, with no losses to friendly forces. Further, the enemy didn't even get a chance to shoot back, and did not detect the SLAMs until it was far too late. Task Force Nimitz has seen the elephant and come out unscathed, with 4 new combat victories to its credit.

While the first round is a decisive success for Task Force Nimitz, the battle is far from over. The force arrayed against me is still more than formidable. 2 enemy surface groups, one of which I suspect contains the Indian carrier Viraat still stand between me and the coast of Sri Lanka. Somewhere beneath the waves, yet undetected Indian submarines are lurking, waiting for an opportunity to get in close and sink my carrier. Finally, the Indian air force has not yet joined the fray. The battle is young, and the threats are many.

More to come!

P.S if anyone has any feedback for me, be it questions or tips/advice on formatting, don't hesitate to ask!

Sir Slash

Great AAR. Enjoying it hugely. What have the Indians got on their ships in the way of weapons and defenses do you think?
"Take a look at that". Sgt. Wilkerson-- CMBN. His last words after spotting a German tank on the other side of a hedgerow.

mirth

"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

IICptMillerII

Quote from: Sir Slash on January 02, 2018, 10:48:32 AM
Great AAR. Enjoying it hugely. What have the Indians got on their ships in the way of weapons and defenses do you think?

The Indian navy is actually surprisingly modern and capable. The two DDGs I just sunk were both made in India, and are equipped with Soviet/Russian weaponry.

This is a screenshot of a page in the in-game database on the Rajput:


Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Rajput_(D51)

Here is the same page but for the Delhi:


Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Delhi_(D61)

These are more than capable warships, and I'm glad I've neutralized both of them as they could have posed a decent threat to both my surface ships and aircraft.

As far as what else the Indian navy has in this scenario, all I know for sure of is the aircraft carrier Viraat:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Viraat

Its capable of launching VTOL aircraft such as the Harrier (which I suspect is what it has) as well as ASW helicopters.

I'm also expecting some type of large ship, such as a missile cruiser or even a heavy cruiser of Soviet/Russian make to be protecting the Viraat. It'll likely be heavily armed with lots of SAMs and ASMs, and should be able to shoot down a lot of what I end up throwing its way.

All in all, the Indian navy is no slouch, and I suspect things to get much more difficult as my task force approaches the Sri Lankan coast.

Oleksandrs Pet Gimp

When are you going to carpet nuke Delhi?

IICptMillerII

Quote from: Oleksandrs Pet Gimp on January 04, 2018, 05:41:09 AM
When are you going to carpet nuke Delhi?

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but there will not be any nuclear releases in this scenario. Though I do admit, it would be rather funny to go through all the effort of setting up the AAR, just to go nuke crazy.

Updates are going to be a bit delayed over the next few days. Apologies in advance.

IICptMillerII

Naval Aerial Warfare

Apologies for the delay in updates. Things should return to a more regular schedule.

We return to the action with a startling realization: one of the enemy DDGs is still out there. Though she's damaged, it appears she hasn't been sunk.



I'm going to re-route my "Shadow" and try to get a closer look. Its possible the ship has been abandoned and is out of the fight. I hope so, because I currently have no ASuW aircraft to carry out a second strike against it, and if it is not out of the fight, it is going to be a thorn in my side.

A few minutes later, the "Shadow" confirms the second DDG is in fact sunk, and I breathe a sigh of relief. If it had not been destroyed, it would have complicated my efforts to strike the suspected enemy capital ship group. With it gone, I can now focus all of my ASuW aircraft against the 4 ship group now.

The 4 ship suspected capital group is becoming a real threat. It's only 150nm away from my carrier, and I'm still 3 hours from having any ASuW aircraft to strike them. I decide to re-route my Task Force farther to the East, to give myself more distance and time.



Suddenly, multiple bogeys appear over the 4 ship group. Carrier launched aircraft! My hunch is confirmed, the 4 ship group contains the Indian carrier Viraat, and she's launching her fighters!



The Tomcat flights that are in the air immediately vector towards the bogies, and I begin to scramble more Tomcats into the air to counter this new threat. Though initially exciting, I am not too concerned by these bogies. They are likely Harriers, which are no match for my Phoenix armed Tomcats. Further, there is no indication that the enemy knows where my Task Force is, so the bogies are likely not coming to strike my ships. Nonetheless, I want to quickly deal with this threat.



The first volley of Phoenix missiles are fired. The bogies are not maneuvering, so it's likely they don't even know they're being engaged. I'm reminded of the adage, "The only fair fight is the one you lose."

There are now 18 confirmed bogies in the air. The Phoenixes rapidly close the distance, and the bogies still aren't maneuvering.



Two more bogies are launched, bringing the total to 20 bogies. This time, I am able to see where they are being launched from, and mark the SKUNK as the suspected carrier.



Meanwhile, as the Phoenixes close in and go active, the bogies begin to maneuver defensive.



It's too little too late for most of the bogies. 4 of the 6 Phoenixes hit their targets, and more are launched. The Harriers don't have a chance.

It appears that the enemy planes are all vectoring towards my "Shadow", so I recall it to the carrier. As the "Shadow" beings its return to the carrier, two more bogies are splashed, bringing the total to eight.




4 of the 5 Phoenixes hit in the second volley, bringing the splashed bogey total to 10. A 3rd volley of 5 Phoenixes are on the way. The "Hawkeye" is able to classify some of the bogies. As suspected, they are Sea Harriers.



The Sea Harrier is hardly a match for my Tomcats. They are equipped with R. 550 Magic 1 missiles, with are within visual range air to air missiles. It is also possible for them to be equipped with the R. 550 Magic "Sea Eagle" missile, which is an anti-ship missile. However, none have been fired, so I suspect none of the bogies are equipped with them. Even if they are, by Task Force should easily shoot them down if they are fired.

A few more volleys of Phoenixes are launched, and reduce the Sea Harrier formation down to only 4 remaining. At this point, the Tomcats are all out of Phoenixes and I order them all to RTB. 2 flights of Hornets (4 aircraft total) armed with 12 AMRAAMs per flight (24 AMRAAMS total) should be more than enough to finish off the remaining Sea Harriers.



Things start to get a little dicey. The Sea Harriers are flying low, very low. This makes it hard for the Hornets to pick them up on their radars. Remember, the Tomcats had the attached LANTIRN pods which allowed them to visually identify and track their targets. My Hornets do not have LANTIRN. The distance between the enemy aircraft and my own rapidly closes, as my Hornets dive down on the Sea Harriers.



Though closing with the Sea Harriers is more dangerous, it also works to my advantage. At these close ranges, it is very hard to evade the AMRAAM. Within a minute, only 1 Sea Harrier remains.



The last Sea Harrier is hunted down and splashed, and the airspace is clear.



This was a lopsided engagement to say the least. Not a single missile was fired at my aircraft, and all 20 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Most of my missiles hit as well. I believe I had a hit percentage around 75%, which is more than adequate. What's more, I still have plenty of AAW aircraft ready to go, so if my Task Force comes under another air attack I will be able to mount another significant defense.

All in all, things could not have gone better. However, my ASuW aircraft still aren't ready, and the enemy capital ship group is only 108nm away, and taking it down is going to be no easy task.

Stay tuned for the capital ship strike!

IICptMillerII

#14
Vampire!

The action is rejoined by a tactical dilemma. I need at least another hour before any of my ASuW aircraft are ready, and more like 2 hours if I want the majority of them ready to carry out a strike. Meanwhile, the enemy capital ship group continues to close the distance with my Task Force. For now my best option is to continue to head East and trade space for time. My primary advantage is the enemy has and continues to refuse to light off their radars. I have not lit off my ship radars either, but I have the benefit of AEW, whereas the enemy does not. He is flying blind (literally in the case of the Sea Harrier attack)

For now, my only move is to redirect the Olympia farther to the East to compensate for the Task Forces course changes.

I've spoken too soon:



All of a sudden, 2 SAMs streak into the skies after my Hornets on CAP. My Hawkeye is the first to identify the missile launch.

A third SAM is launched.




It appears the Indian navy is awake after all.

This is far too close for comfort. If the Indian ships are able to get a relative fix on my Task Force's location, they can start lobbing ASM's at me. Further, they can shut down my airspace with their SAM coverage. Its time for a drastic course correction that will bring me Southeast. I need to create more space while I wait for my ASuW aircraft.

I also decide to reposition the DDG Benfold and the FFG Ford farther North in the formation, to act as a screen against any incoming threats.

A few more moments pass, and all hell breaks loose.



Warning alarms go off as the sky is filled with VAMPIRES. VAMPIRE is the designation given to an anti-ship missile (ASM) Though it is an unpleasant occurrence, and no one likes being shot at, my ships should be more than capable of defending against the incoming missiles. It's time for the CGs to earn their pay.

More SAMs are launched, and I decide its time to recall all CAP aircraft back to the carrier.




More VAMPIRES are detected. Meanwhile, my Hornets are able to evade the SAMs fired at them. No more SAMs are detected, and I breathe a sigh of relieve that my Hornets are out of immediate danger. However...



It looks worse than it is. Between my two CG's and my recently repositioned DDG and FFG, I should have more than enough defensive capability to knock down all the VAMPIRES before they can do any real damage.



The Benfold (DDG) is the first to engage the incoming VAMPIRES. Shortly after, FFG Ford joins the fray, then CG Lake Champlain.



The enemy ASM's are supersonic and sea skimming. They have an average speed of around 1000 knots and are at an altitude of 60 feet. This makes them very hard to track and destroy. For every 2 anti-missile missiles I fire, only 1 is likely to hit. While I should be able to defeat this incoming volley of VAMPIRES, follow on strikes may be more successful against me due to depleted missile stocks.



Most of the VAMPIRES are down, but the Benfold is in trouble. The last two VAMPIRES are closing fast on her, the closest one only 1.8nm away.

After getting close enough to be engaged by the Benfold's 127mm deck gun, the last VAMPIRES are shot down.

That was a close call. I'm not out of the woods yet however. The enemy capital ship group is bearing right at my Task Force, and I'm still at least 32 minutes away from having ASuW aircraft ready, and 1 hour 30 minutes from having the majority of my ASuW aircraft ready. Meanwhile, the enemy capital ship group continues to steam directly towards me at 30 knots. They're closing the distance.



Then, more VAMPIRES are detected. So far, it appears to be a smaller volley, fired by the three-ship surface group, farthest away to the North. It also appears to be somewhat of a blind fire, as some of the VAMPIRES are not headed towards my Task Force.

Two of the VAMPIRES run out of fuel and self-destruct more than 30nm away. Shortly after, the 3rd and final VAMPIRE does the same. It appears they were blind fired, and didn't acquire their targets in time.

Just as I relax and begin to take stock of my predicament with the enemy capital ship group, I get a radio call that I've been dreading. The Indian air force has arrived.



This is a bad situation. I have 4 surface ships bearing down on me, closing distance faster than I can separate. They are followed by another 3 ships doing the same. There is a large formation of aircraft coming towards me, likely armed with long range ASM's. What's worse, in order to intercept them, my fighters will have to steer far to the East and West in order to avoid SAMs fired by the surface ships. While I still haven't heard or seen anything from the suspected enemy submarines, this would be an opportune time for them to strike, adding a third dimension to the dilemma. This is quite the pickle.

Will the Hornets and Tomcats of Nimitz be enough to parry the incoming air strike against the Task Force? Can I buy enough time to get my ASuW aircraft back in the fight? Or will Rear Admiral IICptMillerII be responsible for the worst US Naval disaster since WWII?