
HEADER O 012010Z APR 98
FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUFRVJQ/COMFIFTHFLT
RUEALGX/CLASSIFIED
P 190989Z APR 97
FM CDR[   (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)   ]USAOPSGP INSCOM ALEX VA //[   
(b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)   ]//
XMT CTF SIX ZERO
BT
CONTROLS 
SECTION 01 OF 04
PASS:  [   (b)(2)   ]

SERIAL: DIM 87-98

SUBJ: OPERATION: BIG BUFF SALAD (BBS)
TIME: DAWN  0600Z
WEATHER: CLEAR
LOCATION:  ENTERPRISE (YELLOW SEA)

BACKGROUND

1.  THE ENEMY'S STRATEGIC BOMBING CAMPAIGN HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON ALLIED SUPPLY AND LOGISTICS INFRASTRUCTURE.  CURRENT SITUATION IS UNTENABLE.  
2.  THE NORTH KOREANS HAVE FOUND A SOURCE FOR ANTI-RADIATION MISSILES THAT HAVE BEEN ALL TOO EFFECTIVE AGAINST OUR ANTI-AIR DEFENSES AND THEY HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN PREVIOUSLY IMAGINED.  
3.  POLITICAL WILL AT HOME IS FALTERING AND WAYWARD.  THE COALITION DESPERATELY NEEDS TO RESUPPLY THEIR FRONT LINES OR MANY LIVES WILL BE LOST.  
4.  WITH THE BOMBERS BEING USED SO EFFECTIVELY, THE COALITION IS  IN DANGER OF LOSING A LARGE PART OF THEIR GROUND FORCES DUE TO FUEL AND SUPPLY PROBLEMS. 

SITUATION:

1.  THE ENEMY'S HEAVY BOMBER FORCES HAVE GONE INTO A 12-HOUR MAINTENANCE STAND-DOWN CYCLE.  
2.  DUE TO COMBAT ATTRITION HIS MAINTENANCE CREWS ARE LIMITED AND HAVE BEEN CENTRALIZED FOR THIS CYCLE AT THE MAENG SAN AIRBASE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY.  
3.  THE BOMBERS HAVE ARRIVED THERE TO UNDERGO THE MAINTENANCE.  
4.  THERE IS A LIGHT FIGHTER FORCE KEPT READY AT ALL TIMES ON THE AIRFIELD.
5.  TWO DAYS AGO NORTH KOREA SHARPLY INCREASED THEIR ANTI-AIR DEFENSE NETWORK IN THE AREA FOR THIS STAND-DOWN PERIOD.
6.  DUE TO SOFTWARE PROBLEMS AMERICAN AIR AND SEA-LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILES ARE IN MAINTENANCE MODE AND ARE UNAVAILABLE FOR USE.

SEE THE ATTACHED SATELLITE PHOTOS OF THE AREA.  THESE PHOTOS ARE WERE TAKEN 6 HOURS AGO JUST AFTER THE BOMBERS ARRIVED.  IT IS BELIEVED THAT SOME HAVE COMPLETED THEIR MAINTENANCE AND ARE FLIGHT TESTING NOW.

ORDERS:

1.  NAVINTEL HAS DISCOVERED A DESIGN FLAW IN THE SAM UMBRELLA OF THE AIRBASE.  COMFIFTHFLT HAS ORDERED A LOW-LEVEL ATTACK ON THE AIRFIELD. USE THE MK-82 HIGH DRAG BOMB.  
2.  TAKE OFF WITH HORNET 2 FROM ENTERPRISE IN THE YELLOW SEA AND STRIKE THE BOMBER FORCE WHILE IT'S GROUNDED FOR THE CURRENT MAINTENANCE CYCLE.  
DESTROY ALL THE BOMBERS PARKED ON THE RAMP AT THE MAENG SAN AIRFIELD (WAYPOINT 5).
3.  BEWARE OF THE AAA BATTERIES AT THE AIRFIELD AND THE HEAVY SAM SUPPORT IN THE AREA.  RECOMMEND 1 OR 2 ANTI-RADIATION MISSILES TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR THE BOMB RUN.
4.  RECOVER AT DONGDUCHEON AIRFIELD (WAYPOINT 1, TACAN:  DUC) FOR DEBRIEF AND REFUEL THEN RETURN TO ENTERPRISE.  OBEY ALL "RULES OF THE ROAD"  I.E. TAXI, LANDING CLEARANCE, ETC.

GOOD HUNTING.

APPROXIMATE MILEAGE:

WP0-WP1: 75
WP1-WP2: 25
WP2-WP3: 46
WP3-WP4: 12
IP TO TARGET:  WP4-WP5: 2.3

TOTAL:  160 ONE-WAY


****END OF BRIEFING*****




STRATEGY AND FLIGHT-PLAN   
********************************************************************************
*****WARNING:  MAY BE A SPOILER FOR SOME****************************************
*****DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO DO YOUR OWN PLANNING*********************
********************************************************************************

1.  FUEL SITUATION IS CRITICAL.  ON TAKEOFF CLIMB TO 32-33K FOR THE INITIAL INGRESS. CONSERVE FUEL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.  BEST TO CLIMB AT 5,000-6,000 FEET PER MINUTE ON MIL POWER UNTIL REACHING CRUISING ALTITUDE THEN THROTTLE BACK.  WAYPOINT 1 IS A RECOVERY WAYPOINT.  YOU CAN START OFF BY SETTING YOUR NAV COMPUTER TO WAYPOINT 2.
2.  KEEP WINGMAN CLOSE DURING THE INGRESS.  RECOMMEND TRAIL FORMATION.  THEN HAVE HIM CLOSE IT UP. 
3.  SAM COVERAGE IS HEAVY.  STAY LOW AFTER WAYPOINT 2.  USE THE RIVER CANYON FOR THE BEST ROUTE IN.  FLY UPRIVER UNTIL PASSING OVER THE DAM.  CONTINUE TO THE SMALL ISLAND IN THE LAKE.  WHEN DIRECTLY OVER THE ISLAND (WAYPOINT 3) MAKE A HARD LEFT, INCREASE SPEED TO 450KTS AND CRANK UP THE MUSIC (ECM).  EXTERNAL TANKS ARE NEAR DRY NOW TOO.  STAY VERY LOW AFTER THAT.
4.  HEAD STRAIGHT FOR WAYPOINT 4 (APPROX 290 DEGREES) AND ON SIGHTING THE TARGET ORDER WINGMAN TO RESUME MISSION.  HE SHOULD HELP OUT WITH THE AIRFIELD DEFENSES AND MAYBE THE FIGHTERS.  WAYPOINT 4 IS THE IP FOR THE BOMBING RUN.  TARGETS ARE AT WAYPOINT 5.
5.  ON THE APPROACH TO THE TARGET STAY TO THE NORTHERN END OF THE AIRFIELD.  IF YOU FOLLOW THE WAYPOINTS YOU WILL BE ON A GOOD HEADING FOR YOUR INITIAL PASS.  NEED TO TAKE OUT THE NORTHERN AAA BATTERY AS A MINIMUM.  CONCENTRATE ON THE HIGH-SPEED BOMBING RUN AND HITTING THE 4 TARGETS THAT ARE PARKED IN A LINE ALONG YOUR FLIGHT PATH. SAVE ONE BOMB FOR THE RETURN.  AFTER CROSSING THE FIELD TURN BACK AND GET THE REMAINING 2 BOMBERS ON THE EGRESS.  REMEMBER ON THE SECOND PASS OVER THE AIRFIELD TO STAY TOWARD THE NORTHERN END IF THE OTHER AAA IS STILL ALIVE.  THE FASTER YOU FLY DURING THE ATTACK, THE MORE TIME YOU'LL HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THE FIGHTERS AFTER THE ATTACK.
6.  EGRESS HEADING SHOULD BE APPROX 110 DEGREES.  THAT'S THE WAY BACK TO THE LAKE AND THE DAM.  STAY LOW.
7.  FIGHTERS WILL SCRAMBLE ONCE YOU'RE SPOTTED. COVER IS LIGHT BUT THEY'RE LOADED FOR BEAR.  RECOMMEND ANY DOGFIGHTING BE DONE OVER THE LAKE WHERE THERE'S MORE VERTICAL ROOM.  BEST CASE IS WINGMAN TAKES OUT SOUTHERN AAA AND THEN WILL BE ABLE TO KILL THEM AS THEY'RE TAKING OFF.  MIGHT GET LUCKY AND HAVE THE SOUTHERN AAA BATTERY KILL ONE OF THEM AS IT FIRES DURING THE ATTACK RUN.  HEY, SH*T HAPPENS.
8. EGRESS VIA SAME ROUTE AS INGRESS.  STAY LOW.  WATCH THE FUEL STATE.  BINGO WITHIN 20 MILES OF DUC.  REQUEST CLEARANCE AND ENTER THE PATTERN.  LAND, REFUEL THEN ENJOY THE FLIGHT BACK TO THE BOAT.
9. RECOMMENDED LOADOUT: 2 TANKS, 2 SLAMMERS, 2 MIKES, 4 MK-82HD, 1 HARM.  IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION WITH ONLY ONE TANK.  
10. SOME OBSERVATIONS:  IF YOU GET IN AND OUT FAST THE FIGHTERS WILL CHASE YOU BUT WILL CRASH INTO THE GROUND BECAUSE THEY HAVE TROUBLE WITH NOE FLYING.  THEY WILL ALSO FIRE THEIR MISSILES INTO THE GROUND.  NO NEED TO TOTALLY DESTROY A BOMBER TO GET CREDIT FOR A KILL SINCE THEY WILL TAKE DAMAGE THAT CAN'T BE SEEN.  USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT AS TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE MISSION.  DON'T TAKE BETTY'S WORD.  I'VE SEEN TIMES WHEN BOMBS HIT JUST OUTSIDE AND THE HANGARS WERE BURNING BUT THE BOMBER WHICH WAS BETWEEN THE CRATER AND THE HANGER WAS STILL THERE.  STILL GOT CREDIT FOR KILLING THAT BOMBER.  MOST FUN I'VE HAD WITH THIS MISSION WAS DOING THE TARGETS THEN STAYING FOR THE DOGFIGHT OVER THE AIRFIELD.  IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT, INCREASE THE WAIT NEAR DISTANCE FOR THE FIGHTERS.  NORMALLY WINGIE WILL GET SHOT OVER THE AIRFIELD BY A SAM 'CAUSE HE DON'T FLY LOW ENOUGH.


I MADE THIS MISSION BECAUSE I LOVE THE SWEET SOUTHERN SOUND OF BETTY'S VOICE.  :-)   THANKS TO MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS FOR THE HORNET AND TO GRAPHIC SIMULATIONS CORP FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SIMULATION OF THE F/A-18 HORNET.



REGARDS,

ROOSTER
lpwood@telepath.com
http://www.jcsport.com/vfa111/

