In lieu of Airborne Rifles excellent Northern Fury AAR im going to try my hand at a CMANO scenario and AAR.
This is my first play of the game after the tutorials, ive scanned the scenario list and this one appealed to me greatly. I have to admit im more of a fan of the 80's/90's era, being familiar with the F14s, Tornados, and Harriers of the time but the geography and backstory to the scenario caught my eye.
Usually my AARs are screenshots with text descriptions but im going to keep this as text, primarily to keep with the illusion of story and secondly after reading AR's AAR i realised the mind can conjur much more powerful images than the game can.
"The date of the event was Sunday, January 22, 2017. The time was 1:03 PM on the East Coast of the United States. The new American President had been sworn into office forty-eight hours ago, and this day he was in the White House with VIP guests, donors, campaign staff, family and friends. This privileged group, like tens of millions of Americans that day, is glued to the big screen television. Today is the highly anticipated American Football Conference Championship; the semi-final before the Super Bowl. The much hyped game was between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, and kick-off at Mile High Stadium in Denver just happened to the cheers of these elite party goers. The smart money said Denver would walk away with an easy victory – and since the new President hailed from Colorado, no one at the White House was wearing a Raven's jersey. No one, that is, except the Senate Minority Leader who was from the opposing political party. It was all great fun. Spirits were high, the beer was flowing and the White House Chief of Staff couldn't have been happier with the electric atmosphere and upbeat photo ops that could only benefit his new boss. Little did anyone know that before half-time arrived, the country would forever be changed.
The war didn't start with a Weapon of Mass Destruction. In fact, the attack wasn't high tech at all; it was decidedly low tech – almost antique. Specifically, what the media would come to refer to as the "weapons package" was a Soviet WWII era M1937 82mm mortar with twelve rounds of ammunition. Later investigation would show that the weapon was a veteran of WWII, and it left the Soviet Union in the 1960's and made its way to one of the many African conflicts. It sat collecting dust in an African armory for what appears to be decades. Accountability on the mortar was lost years ago. No one cared. It was over 75 years old. The weapon type and ammunition could be purchased on the international weapons market for about $1500 (U.S.). The entire weapons package could easily fit, if disassembled, into the trunk of a mid-size rental car.
The first round plunged into Mile High Stadium in the middle of the second quarter. The round sailed over tens of millions of dollars worth of metal detectors, radiation detectors, explosive detection machines, video cameras, facial recognition software, terrorist data bases, drug and explosive sniffing dogs, and hundreds of security personnel. On live national television it impacted about five meters from the Raven's offensive huddle. The second round landed in the Bronco's bench area before stunned broadcasters could stop the live television feed. The mortar attack lasted two minutes with a dozen rounds landing on the field, sidelines and seating areas.
What wasn't captured on live television made its way to You Tube by evening. Over seventy-five thousand screaming spectators stampeded for the exits. Hundreds were injured and dozens killed in the panicked human exodus. Waiting outside at a secluded distance were a half-dozen terrorists with fifty year old Draganov SVD semi-automatic sniper rifles. Within an hour it was over. All ten terrorists, five men and five women, were killed in gun battles. Civilian fatalities topped 200 with another 1000 injured and hospitalized. The Super Bowl was cancelled.
The investigation proceeded rapidly; the clues and leads were numerous. All ten terrorists were black, and they were all dressed in formal business attire. They had entered the U.S. within the last two weeks on valid tourist visas wearing the same clothes they were killed in. They entered the U.S. as married couples at five different airports. The weapons package and sniper rifles were waiting for them; it was suspected they had come across the southern border a month previous. The people and the equipment all originated from the same country - the country formerly known as Nigeria.
Nigeria no longer existed as a nation-state. The unbelievably corrupt kleptocracy that had governed Nigeria fell like a house of cards in 2015. A reinforced and externally funded Boko Haram rolled over successive government strongholds and garrisons. Moving North to South, the tempo of operations accelerated during the year until Nigerian government forces were in a full route. Key government figures and military leaders fled the nation with their loot; soldiers threw down their weapons, and resistance to Boko Haram collapsed before the end of the calendar year.
Supported by both Al Qaeda and ISIS/ISIL, 2016 would be a year of displacement and unbelievable suffering for the people of Nigeria. The world looked on in horror as Nigerian Christians fled for their lives. Those unable to flee the country were forced to convert to Islam, or hacked to death, or crucified, or beheaded. The lucky ones were simply shot. The political entity of Nigeria was replaced by a new country: the Caliphate of West Africa, or CWA.
The year 2016 would also see another player enter the stage. China would operate the highly lucrative oil fields in the Niger River delta for the CWA. They would also buy, in hard currency, the entire output of these oil fields. This was an uneasy alliance at best. China needed the oil, but was highly distrustful of the CWA. The CWA hated the infidel Chinese, but needed their money, technical expertise, weapons and political cover. It was long suspected by Western Intelligence agencies that the source of external funding for Boko Haram had been the Chinese Yuan, and that this deal was long in the making.
Sunday, 22 January 2017 was not only a horrific day for the United States, but for other Western nations as well. In France, three privately owned corporate jets laden with explosives would attack Paris in what became known as France's 9/11. The first jet hit the Louvre, and destroyed priceless works of art and treasures of the entire human family. The second jet, for reasons unknown, crashed into a nondescript residential area. The third jet hit the Eiffel Tower, and caused the iconic symbol of France to topple into a heap of tangled steel. The national psyche of France was not broken nor even substantially wounded by this attack; rather, it was deeply and fundamentally outraged. A new and ultra jingoistic France was not out for justice, it was out for revenge.
The British had two strokes of luck that saved them. First, the terrorists delayed attacking until the next morning in order to maximize casualties – thus allowing the now alerted U.K. to bring the full force of its security apparatus to bear. Second, a young member of the terrorist advance team was apprehended for unrelated charges, and he unwittingly compromised the terrorist plot in an attempt to negotiate his way out of prosecution. The ten terrorists in London would all be killed long before the aerosolized VX persistent nerve agent in their backpacks could be released into congested London underground stations. However, scandal is eventually expected to erupt in the U.K. The terrorist who compromised the plot also provided information that suggests the highly toxic and very illegal VX originated from the MoD facility at Porton Down.
That last full week of January 2017 was reserved for mourning, recovery, anger, investigation and diplomatic action. The ineptness and ineffectiveness of the United Nations was, yet again, laid bare for all to see. Islamic nations flooded the agenda with issues meant to distract; however, it was China that bottled things up on the Security Council. By Friday of that week, the most that could be mustered was a watered down and very week U.N. resolution stating that the terrorist acts were a regrettable event. The West was not the least bit amused by China's stoic intransigence.
On that last weekend of the month, the U.S. Congress was ordered into emergency session. On Monday, 30 January 2017 the President of the United States, who had been in office just over a week, stood before a televised joint session of Congress. In an event that had not been repeated since 8 December 1941, the President asked for, and received, a formal Congressional Declaration of War against the CWA."
So thats the back story
Excellent start 'geek!
Though a Broncos-Ravens 2017 AFC Championship seems like a stretch :P
I am designated AfriCom, in command of the joint/combined United States Africa Command
Some European countries have already joined the American effort. The Brits had ships moving before the U.S. Declaration of War, and have integrated into my command structure under TF Atlantic Patrol South. I'm informed Dutch, Belgian and Polish forces will be assigned to follow-on operations. Germany, Italy and Spain are offering bases and over-flight rights, but are not committing forces at this time. However, the French are already sailing into the area of operations but have indicated they are going it alone. Diplomatic channels state that France is intent on restoring national dignity, and they do not want their effort conducted under the auspices of a coalition - in short i have personal command of the UK/US forces, the French are operating under the AI.
U.S. forces are assembling and on the move. There are two CVBG's enroute, but won't be in the area for three to four days. Land units are being earmarked in CONUS, and will load onto transports within two to three weeks. Some airborne tankers and strike aircraft have already been deployed to your command. The center piece of my current force structure is an Expeditionary Strike Group that was headed to the Mediterranean for training and diverted to my command. Additionally, a Special Operations capable task force of LCS's and support ships that had been operating in the area is now assigned to me.
Under an operation codenamed TANGENT, the CIA established an extensive HUMINT intelligence network prior to the collapse of the former Nigerian government. TANGENT is largely staffed with Nigerian personnel, augmented with CIA covert operators and Special Operations personnel. TANGENT is currently an intelligence gathering network, but will soon expand into a full scale paramilitary organization - Tangent agents are dotted all around the map near cities and targets of opportunity - i will use these initially to provide battle damage assessments until briefed to activate them
The initial phase of operations is codenamed Oregon Rain, its objectives are to establish air superioty over the CWA, conduct SEAD/DEAD operations, degrade CWA airfields, destruction of aircraft, support TANGENT elements, conduct resupply operations, provide on-call close air support, provide infiltration/exfiltration operations on order, degrade CWA C3 capability (ill look this up!!), degrade CWA oil and gas revenue capability, avoid contact/conflict with China.
I have at my disposal based out of RAF Ascension Island:
96th Bomb Squadron (Red Devils) (8 x B-52H Stratofortress)
Det. 13th Bomb Squadron (Grim Reapers) (2 x B-2 Spirit)
77th Air Refueling Squadron (Totin' Tigers) (8 x KC-135 Stratotanker)
Det. 522nd Special Operations Squadron (Fireballs) (4 x MC-130J Commando II)
Det. 348th Reconnaissance Squadron (Northern Hawks) (4 x RQ-4 Global Hawk)
Det. 5th Patrol Squadron (Mad Foxes) (4 x P-8A Poseidon)
Forces at Sea:
TF 6.24 (Humanitarian Aid) (To Remain At Anchor)
USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) (Flag)
USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE-5)
TF 6.26 (Anti-piracy, Security and SAR)
USS Zephyr (PC-8) (Flag)
USS Shamal (PC-13)
USS Tornado (PC-14)
Atlantic Patrol South (Reinforced)
HMS Dragon (D-35) (Flag)
HMS Montrose (F-236)
HMS Kent (F-78)
RFA Wave Ruler (A-390)
TF 6.44 (Special Operations)
USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) (Flag)
Det. HSC-84 (Red Wolves) (2 x HH-60H Rescue Hawk)
Det. HMLA-267 (Stingers) (1 x AH-1Z Viper)
Det. HMH-464 (Condors) (1 x CH-53E Super Stallion)
USNS Choctaw County (JHSV-2)
USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201)
USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7)
USS Fort Worth (LCS-3)
USS Milwaukee (LCS-5)
TF 6.50 (Expeditionary Strike Group)
USS Monterey (CG-61)
USS McFaul (DDG-74)
USS Truxtun (DDG-103)
USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) (Flag)
USS Bataan (LHD-5)
Det. VMFA-115 (Silver Eagles) (12 x F-35B Lightning II)
Det. HMLA-269 (Gunrunners) (4 x AH-1Z Viper, 4 x UH-1Y Venom)
Det. VMM-264 (Black Knights) (12 x MV-22B Osprey)
Det. HUQ-2 (Shrimps) (4 x MQ-8B Fire Scout)
USS New York (LPD-21)
USS Oak Hill (LSD-51)
USNS John Ericsson (T-AO-194)
Submarines:
USS Helena (SSN-725)
HMS Ambush (S-120)
Quote from: mirth on May 12, 2015, 10:10:35 AM
Excellent start 'geek!
Though a Broncos-Ravens 2017 AFC Championship seems like a stretch :P
lmao, i figured this would get a laugh
ill also note ill explain why ive decided to do most things, as a newbie without knowledge of SOP and using skills gathered from such luminary sources as Hollywood, this forum and its denizens and fictional works, a lot of it may be incorrect, totally bizarre or weird so ill explain why i think it was the right course of action
Sink the French first! >:D
No. Premptive strike against the Chinese, and blame the French. ^-^
^even better!
Give them time, an the French may sink themselves. >:D
BTW Geek, this sounds promising.
Squee!
Quote from: OJsDad on May 12, 2015, 12:54:57 PM
Give them time, an the French may sink themselves. >:D
Now now, the French have been kicking well-deserved ass in Africa for several years, let them do what they want. This will practically be the culmination of that.
(I honestly thought this would be a French operational AAR from the title, before reading the intro.)
Operations start then in the Gulf of Guinea, 6:00am local time. The UK task force is sailing about 90 miles off the coast, just south of Lagos, on an eastern patrol course along the coast and back out to sea. To the south east, 50 or so miles off the coast near Warri, eastern Nigeria is the French TF, they already have ASW helicopters in the air. A good 200 miles west of the French is the US Expeditionary Force heading north to Lagos and the UK TF, and 750 miles south west of that is Ascension Island, the HQ base.
At Ascension are the RQ4B Global Hawk drones, i make 2 groups of 2 and send them north east toward the Nigeria coastline near the French TF, i play Wargame and CM, i see these guys as my 'recon' force, i want them to be able to push back the 'fog of war' and let me see what the UK and US TFs cant. Theyre flying at max altitude of 60000 feet and 350 knots, when they get near the coast ill split them into 4 seperate elements along the coast. I launch the B2s in one group of 2 and send them north east, a group or 3 and a group of 4 B52s also head north east and in support of these guys 4 KC135 Stratotankers who have a patrol objective set 100 miles off the coast, south of Lagos, and a P8 Poseidon to provide some ASW coverage. I dont expect there to be much of a Nigerian navy, particularly in the sub department, i hope i havent got these because a war with China is imminent.
I have 2 subs, the USS Helena off the coast of Cameroon to the east of Nigeria is given a heading back towards the French TF near Warri, he is just under the layer at a cruise speed of 16 knots. Between the French and the US TFs is the HMS Ambush, he is sent further North towards Lagos, again just under the layer and at cruise speed.
To the west of all this is a hospital ship, a TF of 3 US coastal patrol boats and the special forces landing TF all cruising off the coast of Ghana, i reduce their speed to slow, the Hospital ship is anchored, not far away is the Nigerian border and these guys are the most harmless/easy prey of all. With this in mind i launch a single F35 from USS Bataan in the hope he can provide some air cover and use his sensors to see whats along the Nigerian coast.
We're ready to start
Awesome! Looking forward to more.
This is awesome, but it doesn't get you off the hook for your next AAR, AR ;)
Working on my it!
O0
Thanks for this.
Hi UCG
Where did you get the scenario Under African Skies
I dont see it in the Scenario community pack or any of the ones that come with the game and the updates?
Thanks
Con
Errr thats a good question
If you want I can drop it in the CMBS dropbox
Almost immediately the French TF launches 2 groups of 4 Tiger attack helicopters, they head east toward the coast. It seems as theyre allied with me but not under my control i can share there intel, and various surface contacts appear just off the eastern Nigerian coast. The Tigers and their TF gradually get enough info to report that these are oil platforms, property of the CWA, the tigers display weapon solutions on the platforms and carry on in.
Further east off the Cameroon/Nigeria border a couple of radar contacts show up out to sea. After a few minutes these turn out to be Chinese helicopters doing their own ASW. Im alerted to the possibility of a Chinese surface group nearby, and indeed a few minutes later unconfirmed surface contacts are reported by the Tigers about 80 miles to their east. I order the USS Helena on a series of sprint and stealth waypoints, sprint as deep as possible for 10 miles, come up to shallow for a mile and creep, wash/rinse/repeat as the sub makes its way toward the new Chinese surface contacts.
I order the US TF to launch its 4 MQ8B Fire Support drones, theyre launched as a group and will split into 4 seperate units spread equally between the French TF and the Cameroon border when closer, theyre at 20000 ft and 115 knots.
After 10 minutes of operations the briefing for Oregon Rain is received. In short, offensive operations can commence at 7:00am, its 6:10 now. Establish air superioty over the CWA and conduct SEAD/DEAD against CWA SAM targets. I am to steer clear of Port Harcourt and the adjacent airport to the east, near the French TFs area of ops as its occupied by the Chinese. Positive ID must be achieved on all SAM targets as the Chinese have a number across the country, it is believed all S2 will be CWA, anything more dangerous is likely to be Chinese. I have a green light on all the airfields apart from Harcourt. Both the CWA and Chinese are flying J7 derivatives, i am to destroy all CWA air forces without tangling with the Chinese, again positive ID is a must before firing. When it turns dark i will also receive orders for dropping supplies to the tangent teams behind enemy lines.
Across the map are CWA air, naval and army HQ buildings that are to be destroyed but caution needs to be taken as Chinese troops and equipment is near enough to receive collateral damage, its open season on the CWA oil wells and above all, do not engage with the Chinese.
Shortly after the briefing the Chinese surface group contacts begin to firm up, there are more ASW helicopters above the TF.
The French tigers are still heading toward the oilfields
I got my daily fix now. I'm good.
Go, you cheesy winey tigers, goooo! {please don't start WW3}{please don't start WW3}{please don't eat all the helpless targets}
I could be wrong but didn't Baloogan run this scenario on his live feed once?
After a few more minutes of approach the two French Tiger teams split off, one team heads for an oil platform to the right, one to the left and they launch their hellfires into the oil fields. At the same time a CWA TF appears off the coast of Lagos to the north, it is made up of 2 coast guard cutters and a frigate, it is well within range of the UK TF but there is still 30 minutes to go before offensive operations can begin. I slow the UK TF right down and steer them a little to the west of the CWA so they can keep tabs but stay at the limit of the CWAs radar.
The two drilling platforms go up in smoke, one team of Tigers peels off to the west for a strike on another one and the other team heads further toward land toward another contact. To the east the Chinese TF turns out to be 2 Corvettes, 2 Guided Missile Frigates and a Guided Missile Destroyer. They are steaming at 25 knots towards the oil fields and are about 75 miles out. I steer the HMS Ambush on a route that takes them within 10 miles of the TF, they go deep and stalk the Chinese just in case.
With a growing sense of alarm it appears that the right hand team of Tigers has targetted a Chinese tanker, the Changjiang Zhi Guang. 150, 000 tonnes and 310 metres long, shes full of crude oil and heading out to sea...... and 8 Hellfires are heading straight towards her. Only afterwards will analysts be able to tell whether this was intentional or accidental, but as the the missiles start to impact on the tanker preloaded CWA sam launchers on the coast let loose a volley of missiles toward the Tigers. At exactly the same time 2 surface to air search radars come on in Lagos looking for any targets around the Murtala Muhammed Airport they guard.
3 of the Tigers go down immediately to the SAMs, the remaining 5 head back to their TF with a stream of enemy missiles coming in from the coast. Incoming vampire warnings go off and radars show 12 missiles heading northeast from the middle of the sea straight for the French TF, there must be a Chinese sub out here, maybe 40 miles northwest of the Ambush. Another 10 missiles are launched from the coast behind the burning oil platforms and blazing tanker, this time surface to surface, heading for the French TF. The French TF bursts into life, the ships spread out at high speed and the helicopters aim for the rear of the TF. In total 25 Crotale missiles are launched by the French, 15 toward the incoming vampires form the coast and 10 toward the sub launched missiles, and a few seconds later 8 more towards the sub ones. Its a tense time as the missiles approach other, all but one of the Tigers goes down to the missiles tracking them.
2 Bogeys begin crossing the skies from west to east heading from Port Harcourt to Lagos, theyre very weak contacts and I cant tell yet whether theyre commercial, military, CWA or Chinese. As it happens the Chinese designation doesnt seem to matter as a few seconds later im notified the Chinese are to be considered hostile, they turn red on the radar and **** just got real!
The French missiles take down all of the incoming enemy vampires, there must have been a huge sigh of relief on board the TF, right up until 12 more are launched off the coast and 5 can be tracked coming in from the south east - the Chinese TF enters the war.
The French! Always starting shit they can't finish. Just like Russia in 1812 and Waterloo. ;D Looks like you'll have to pull their nuts out of the blender Geek.
Nah, that was their plan to pull the US/UK into a fight with the Chinese.
I told him to sink the French first :P
To be fair, he didn't have time to take them out.
Quote from: OJsDad on May 15, 2015, 02:24:45 PM
To be fair, he didn't have time to take them out.
Or the ability - I don't think I can fire on allies
The French got Fried early on during Baloogan's play through as well. With them out of your control there is probably no other way for the scenario to roll at that point.
The last Tiger circles the deck of the Tonnerre, the Mistral class Helicopter carrier of the French TF, desperate for fuel after racing away from the burning cargo ship and the missiles in hot pursuit. Slowing to descend the pilot never sees the incoming vampires that slam into the side of the carrier, 4, then 2 then 2 more missiles hit the French flagship and the cataclysmic explosion takes the Tiger with it. The destroyer Chevalier Paul is also hit despite the massive amount of countermeasures deployed, and the side of the destroyer Primauguet is ripped open by a torpedo, the flag is passed to the French replenishment ship Meuse, and the 2 remaining ships, the destroyer Montcalm and the frigate Aconit move to pick up any survivors.
Seeing the torpedo from the northwest of the French TF and the sub fired missiles from the southwest its time to instigate proper ASW. I create an ASW grid in front of the US TF and tie it to the movement of the fleet, where the TF goes, the ASW mission goes. 3 Seahawks are deployed and are assigned to ASW duties around the TF, the P8 on its way from Ascension is also assigned to ASW and changes course for its new mission
To the North firm contacts are made by the loitering F35 on 2 half Roland SAM battalions around the Murtala Muhammed airport, a full S2 battalion and a radar site. The USS Truxton is ordered to fire 5 Tomahawks, 1 each for the Rolands and radar, 2 for the S2. They set off at 500 knots, just 60 feet above the water, at the same time i launch 4 F35s armed with JDAM bombs to follow the Tomahawks north.
Alarms screech as the French TF picks up more than 30 incoming vampires heading from the coast and the Chinese TF. The TF spreads out and prepares its self defence routines
The HMS Ambush has a new course plotted to approach the Chinese TF and then turn parallel to the TF to bring about its full array package - because, you know Crimson Tide and all that!
To the North the loitering F35 sees 2 F7 Airguard interceptors from the CWA Airforce. Checking his position and the time, having just gone feet dry over the Lagos coastline and it being 07:01 am he launches 2 Amraam missiles at each plane and turns back for the USS Bataan to replenish, before hes over the water again both targets explode behind him.
9 missiles it make it through the French countermeasures, the Chevalier Paul and the Primauguet are hit over and over again, the burning hulk of the Tonnerre receives another hit and the new flagship Meuse takes 2 - the ship is burning and listing in the water but still fighting. Alarms ring out around the French TF, vampires incoming........
** do you guys want pics of the ships and planes mentioned here, just for a visual reference? **
I would love some pics or screenies if you prefer. And somebody send those French some Garlic and silver crosses to ward off all those Vampires.
Wow, that went south fast for the French!
They had better luck at Trafalgar.
How embarrassing is it that the CWA took out your entire task force in less than 10 minutes. Ok, maybe the CWA had some Chinese help, but still.
French TF casualties -
Tonnerre, heli carrier
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FkEWBfd5.jpg&hash=bbe801af253ba505973d98f7032f2e72a5da7ec3)
Chevalier Paul
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F4sospDI.jpg&hash=f123ceb7a4924bfb5099a9fc093889086dd18d82)
Primauguet
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FHL6vuhw.jpg&hash=c1b1bacabe01531cdb09e384820c637f40a22461)
The new flagship, burning and flooding but still operational, Meuse
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FR5E1ogH.jpg&hash=07711da7511cb67af173aae5ca2ecaab7dd10daf)
And the two survivors so far, the Aconit
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FW4OlHTq.jpg&hash=3062185e39c5495365bf51bf82b291452c72f790)
and Montcalm
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FxrUQpNv.jpg&hash=a7dce57f44fb364804134a0ec096f881ee4c4d75)
The 2 recently splashed CWA F7s
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FV7Bz7DF.jpg&hash=db10c1926d5caba925efc20416f52eeeb3315966)
French Tigers - missile fodder
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FYGef2up.jpg&hash=5edc79c24b67b199c1953d685efaefedd8cb46f9)
F35B stalking the Lagos coastline
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fs9khfYR.jpg&hash=c3314ecc06c531853184a9baafa2a6ac9eb9fa44)
Support planes heading out of Ascension
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3CX7l1Y.jpg&hash=8c1f5567ed636b27fc004ceda69e3cab465f6640)
The Chinese TF
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FinvMXGg.jpg&hash=8688844d5095a7cca59773739364d411cb1e9401)
Remains of French TF
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FUNYBqH2.jpg&hash=a15f4c35a487f567bd4c24e5a8f1b622633abdbd)
Murtala Muhammed Airfield and its SAM sites
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FsDWGjsV.jpg&hash=055f02bf4cdb5f6ebd420fb9f128fecb9feef69c)
USTF
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F8C1Hdpo.jpg&hash=4e01421dd92c82544a9a29968b3e092a4cb32d3e)
As the F35 heads home a flurry of activity is picked up by his sensors, at least 4 F7s are vectoring in on his firing position and a prop powered AWACS aircraft is seen moving around in country. Thankfully the Chinese Flankers, about 200 miles east, stay put.
The second F35 sent to snoop on the Chinese TF turns North and slows down to track the progress of the ships and report as much info as possible. From up here he can see the incoming vampires headed towards the French TF, the Meuse takes another hit and starts to list heavily to port. The Aconit takes two hits and is crippled, and the Montcalm remains invisible to the eyes of the Chinese and is undamaged, it is her countermeasures that have saved the other two.
The group of F35 bombers head north staying just ahead of the 5 Tomahawks, the intention been to arrive at the same time and finish off any targets of opportunity around the airfield.
The 4 MQ8B Firescout drones switch on their radars painting the Chinese TF, the oilfields and nearby coast and providing USS Helena surface coverage as she races to catch up with the Chinese.
The sound of 2 missiles been launched take me to the French TF, nothing there, nothings coming for the US TF, nothing coming out of Lagos or northern Nigeria towards the returning F35, and then there they are, the snooping F35, now within range of the Chinese TF has launched 2 AMRAAMs at the the 2 ASW helos they have covering the fleet - i was trying to avoid any contact at all with the Chinese and let them fire first if at all, too late for that now as the 2 Helos are splashed..... makes it easier for Helena and Ambush i suppose.
I change the ROE to 'only when i fkng tell you to' and get the F35 out of there, hes sent further north where the other one was loitering to see if he can bring down any Airguard with his remaining AMRAAMs
The Tomahawks are on final approach to Murtala Mohammed Airport and are starting to pick up various AAA targets with their cameras. The F35s follow them in, the radar site is destroyed in the blink of an eye, the 2 Roland sites take 70% damage and the SAM battalion takes 50% damage - this is exactly what the F35s followed them to do, of the 4 F35s they are each tasked with releasing a JDAM, 2 each at the remaining Roland sites, then they will come around for the SAM batallion........
then the SAM battalion despite taking 50% damage launches 2 missiles at the F35s
The F35s release their bombs and switch to full power, turning away from the missiles. I dont know whether they didnt have full lock or it was some kind of snap shot but both missiles go wide of the F35s. Behind them the Roland batteries are destroyed. There seems no point not finishing the job and the F35s are ordered to turn around and take out the S2 group. The bombs are released and all 4 are ordered back to USS Bataan, just before the JDAMs hit the SAM battery releases 2 more missiles in vengeful anger, the F35s are ordered to full power and 500 ft just over the water, the missiles are locked and in pursuit - i actually close my eyes, 5 seconds later theres still 4 F35s and a message telling me both missiles were spoofed by chaff and flares - we're heading home
To the southwest the B52s and B2s are starting their patrol pattern whilst i figure out there likely targets, they may need refuelling before they set off again and the tankers are forming up on their pattern too
The firescouts one by one start to run out of fuel and they head home to the USTF for refuelling, just in time for the first F35 'scout' to come back up the ramps on the Bataan and be ready for launch with a fresh round of AMRAAMs - hes ordered to head towards the Chinese TF but not to fire
Alarms sound and my attention is drawn to 2 incoming torpedoes on the last French ship, Montcalm. The 2 helos that have been fatally circling around the ship, running out of fuel, running out of sonarbuoys head off to prosecute the contact further north. The Montcalm turns 180 degrees and heads off at full speed, 30 knots, the incoming torpedoes are running at 40 knots - its a race against the fuel on board the torps
The next F35 scout comes back on deck on the Bataan and he is ordered North to Lagos to look for airborne targets of opportunity, there is a new prop based AWACs aircraft with an escort of 2 F7s up there
After a very tense few minutes the Montcalm outruns the torpedoes and heads back toward the sub contact, the 2 helos find nothing and return to circle the lonely ship.
At 08:45am we receive a Top Secret transmission - the French would like us to go pick up the 100s of sailors stranded in the sea, drop off rafts and supplies, and send in a small rescue TF to pick up the injured. The area of operations is now guarded by a Chinese sub and the TF is 30 miles off to the east...... this is going to get dangerous
Hopefully there aren't too many sharks about...
The US TF launches all its Ospreys, heading north east to the last known position of the French TF to drop rafts and supplies. The Montcalm is still circling there, out of ammo and out of luck Im sure she should be heading home by now. The Chinese TF to her south east closes every minute.
The 4 RQ4B Global Hawk drones split up and head to 4 points on the coast covering the Chinese TF, the mass of civilian shipping and oil wells to the east, the Northern coast near Lagos and the Eastern coast near Port Harcourt, they all turn on their radars and begin sweeping the area.
The B52s and B2s arrive shortly after, one flight of B52s is tasked with destroying the Muhammed Murtala airfield to the North, at least to cause as much damage to the runways as possible - the prop based recon planes are taking off from here. One B2 is headed further North over Lagos and then will cut east to destroy a raft of SAM sites defending the North Eastern airport of Nnamdi Azikiwe just outside Abuja, where the airguard are launching from, there are CWA targets of opportunity here such as a training centre, national mosque, and military HQ. The other B2 heads east to come around the civilian shipping and to spot any Chinese SAMS along the way, primarily the SA20 Gargoyles and will attempt to take these out. That leaves the flight of 4 B52s that will try and reduce Nnamdi Azikiwe to rubble.
The Ospreys turn around on bingo fuel without dropping their supplies, they are ordered back to the Bataan which will steam on a more direct course to the French area and relaunch - that will take 3 hours.
The small TF tasked with arriving in the French disaster zone is on its way at full speed.
The 2 subs head on a more direct route to intercept the Chinese TF.
The first flight of B52s launch all their missiles at Muhammed Murtala and head back to Ascension, this happens at the same time as the first B2 launching at the S2s and Rolands around Abuja. CIA teams are arriving around the airport to provide BDA.
2 launch alarms go off, another pair of torpedos are headed toward the Montcalm and an unseen SA20 Gargoyle has intercepted 2 of the B2s missiles headed toward the Command HQ of the CWA at Abuja. The teams on the ground report massive damage to 2 runways at Muhammed Murtala as the missiles do their work, and one runway is destroyed completely, other targets including the control tower and main terminal building are also destroyed.
To the east the B2 takes down the Roland sites, a radar, heavily damages the Command HQ and training centre and one of the two S2 sites. Remaining are the SA20 and a damaged S2 batallion - the B52s will finish this work - we managed to avoid hitting the Chinese embassy
The Montcalm cannot out run these 2 torpedos and finally succumbs to the Chinese, the French are completely destroyed - the US TF heads to the area at full speed to provide the promised Osprey drops