Flight Orders: Operation Stingray

Date: 	  Today					Location:  Yellow Sea
Time:	  0430 Local  Carrier Enterprise	Status:	   Alert Duty
Weather:  Fog/Haze, calm seas, wind calm.	Hornet 1:  Located Near CAT 3	
	

Yawn.....it's 0430; doesn't anything in this war happen during a "reasonable hour" you
think to yourself. In less than an hour you will be airborne and on your way to some 
important target and another adventure if this briefing adds up like your last several 
missions. The CAG, Captain Skip "Bulldog" Walker, gets up to brief this mornings mission.
You practically hug your cup of hot java and try to get the juices flowing as the room 
quiets down to hear the briefing.

Mission Background:

The North Koreans have been routed twice in the last two weeks as they tried to push 
through the front line and attack Seoul. Moral is declining and the North needs a 
propaganda victory, even a small one, to reinforce the support  of the civilian population 
as well as boost the troop's morale.

Intelligence reports that a army private that defected across the front lines last night
is really Colonel Kim Seu Wee, a NK Army Sector Commander for the West Coastal Area of 
North Korea. During his interrogation it was further learned that the North has been 
planning a commando attack on the Saltwater Distillation Facility to the west of Seoul. 
This facility, located on the coast, has been supplying all the fresh water for the city 
of Seoul, the air base, and local troop camps since the North  dumped chemicals into the 
river water two weeks ago during their first attack. A "black ops" fleet consisting of a 
operations/support freighter (CCQ) and several gunboats and hovercraft was to attempt to 
slip by the South Korean blockade last night. The special operations freighter was out-
fitted with strengthened decking allowing for up to four Hind helicopters to be carried. 
The hovercraft are assault type, each having a carrying capacity of 2-T-72 tanks, 1-armored
troop carrier, and 1-ZSU-23 mobile AAA vehicle. The Hinds would provide a initial frontal 
attack while the hovercraft landed tracked vehicles and troops in the bay to the south of 
the facility, allowing them to make a flanking attack. Although the exact date and time
of the attack was unknown to Col. Wee, Area Command has notified the Enterprise that they 
have lost contact with the facility as of 15 minutes ago. Local AWACS has picked battle
communications between tank commanders coming from that general direction and the Hawkeye
E-2C has been diverted toward that facility.

Action Plan:

This is a search and destroy mission. Comdr. "Pappy" Robbins is led for Stingray flight 
(4-ship), your element of the strike force, you're number two and second-in-command. Hawk 
flight, 2-F-14 Tomcats, are tasked with operation CAP cover at 15,000 ft; they will depart 
the carrier ahead of you. Stingray flight will depart the carrier, join up at 4,000 ft Ralt
400-500 kts in echelon formation on Stingray led and proceed to the target area. Remain in
formation until "Pappy" splits up the flight elements at WP1, about 12 miles out from the 
target area (WP2). Hornet Led and Hornet 1 will carry a mixed loading of AA and AG weapons. 
Hornet 2 and 3 will be carrying a SEAD loading. You are to search out and destroy ALL
elements of the commando force. Focus on critical forces staging the attack on the facility 
first. Hornet 4 will be engaging in a search for the freighter and will destroy it along 
with any support ships it finds. The target area is WP2. Seoul is WP3 should you need to 
refuel/rearm. Upon completion, recover back to the Enterprise, WP0.

•  Area Intelligence:
 
The Saltwater Distillation Facility has 2-AAA sites and 2-Hawk surface-to-air missile 
batteries. There are 3-M1A1 tanks stationed to the north of the facility that will be 
engaging and hopefully delaying the  enemy ground forces. There may be a friendly freighter
or tanker in or around the dock loading area. Friendly aircraft are also in the area.

The enemy "black ops" fleet consists of an operations/support freighter  (CCQ), at least 
three assault hovercraft and an unknown number of gunboats.

The enemy ops forces may possess a new type of shoulder-launcher stinger missile.

The enemy landing party will most likely consist of T-72 tanks, Amtrack armored troop 
transports and ZSU-23 mobile AAA vehicles. These should not number more than a 
dozen. 	AWACS has picked up signals confirming at least one mobile SA-8 site set up on 
the beach landing area. There could be up to four Hind attack helicopters in the attack 
area.

Expect the enemy to call for air support once your formation is picked up on radar. Mig-
21s, SU-27s, and Mig-27 fighter bombers from  Kaesong AB are the closest. The F-14s  
of Hawk flight will bear the brunt of this threat. Watch for Mig-27 fighter bombers flying 
under radar altitude. The North may commit large scale forces to win this victory.

•  Flight Assignments:

Hornet Led: overall mission responsibility for the destruction of the commando attack force. 
Primary responsibility for attacking Hind and ground units, then fleet units of the enemy
forces. Depart the carrier (Cat 2) after Hawk flight, join in echelon (4-ship) formation, 
proceed to WP1, release the formation at WP1 to carry out individual attack assignments. 
After completion of your assignment return to the Enterprise. If refuel or rearm is required, 
use Seoul airport, WP3.

Hornet 1: second-in-command, 4-ship, fly position 2. Have Hornet 2 and 3 join on you in
echelon formation (approx. 88-96% power). Primary responsibility attacking ground  units
then  fleet units of the enemy forces. Suggested loading: (2)IR+(2)BVR+(4)AGM-65+(2)MK-82

Hornet 2: SEAD protection of the search and destroy area, 4-ship, echelon position 3.

Hornet 3: SEAD protection of the search and destroy area, 4-ship, echelon position 4.

Hornet 4: responsible for locating and destroying the black ops freighter and defensive forces.

Hawk 1 & 2: (F-14s) assigned combat air patrol of the search and destroy area.

Genie 1: (Hawkeye E-2C AWACs) provide eye-in-the-sky support from high orbit, 20,000'.

Mission Notes:

This is a search and destroy mission. Aside from the formation flying, you will need your skills 
to locate, identify, and destroy the enemy while friendly forces are in the area. As second-in-
command you should be aware of all the mission orders and criteria, attack assignments, 
loadings, etc. and follow the commands given by your led.

Mission Criteria:

For mission success, ALL elements of the attacking commando force must be destroyed.

•  Destroy all Hind helicopters.
•  Destroy all assault vehicles; tanks, mobile AAA, and troop transports.
•  Destroy all fleet shipping including gunboats, assault hovercraft, and operations freighter.
•  Prevent the destruction of major facility structures, no more than 50% damage, if any.


Speedbrake       05-22-98
dale.e.schmidtbleicher@lmco.com
