Friends Help

Take off, and climb straight ahead to about 3,000' before executing a climbing turn to waypoint 1. 
This will bring you over Dongducheon on course for the target at around 6,000' - if you stay on this 
course, the 2 outer SA-8's will be out of range as you pass between them. Select HARM's and take out 
the 2 AAA's and the 2 SA-8's nearest the village from around 6,000' to ensure success. This will 
give you a clear run at low altitude over the village itself, to search for the Scuds.

Fly at low level over the village and look for the Scuds. Once you have identified them, fly a 
reciprocal course at low level to take them out with an 82HD. Because buildings may get in the 
way, you may have to fly the attack run from a different direction to acquire them visually for 
bomb release. Be careful not to stray too far north or south or you will have to deal with the 
outermost SA-8's. Don't waste any time - you must destroy the Scud's within 5 minutes mission 
elapsed time. That just gives you enough time for a second bomb run! Drop the second 82HD on 
another target in the village before continuing, to help the Marines and lighten the aircraft, 
but be careful not to hit a friendly building.

Then continue towards waypoint 2 and check on the Marines location with GMT. Once contact has 
been made, go to waypoint 3 and conduct a CAP in the area. Keep your eyes open for hostile aircraft, 
and when sighted, be aggressive. Fire an AMRAAM at each of the lead pair from maximum range, and fly 
to them to ensure hits - use cannon if necessary, but save the Sidewinders for the third Flanker. 
Turn the Radar and ECM off as soon as you have fired the AMRAAM's, to reduce your 'visibility'. 
(If you delay too long before commencing the CAP to waypoint 3, the first pair of Flankers will 
become highly aggressive, and hard to get.)

Watch out for the third Flanker - he's not going to be so easy. You will have to get in close to 
him and use both Sidewinders, which means some aggressive missile evasion techniques if he gets a 
missile away. You may be able to avoid his missiles head-on with a succession of barrel rolls while 
dropping chaff & flares - if he fires turn on ECM only, and when the missile gets close, hit the AB 
for a few seconds to gain some energy, pull back to get the nose up about 10 degrees, then roll while
 keeping the stick partly back and drop countermeasures. Don't pull the stick too far back or you'll 
lose too much energy, and make sure you kill the AB before the missile arrives, to reduce your heat 
signature.

All the time this is happening, try to keep the nose roughly on the bogey, then fire the first 
Sidewinder soon after you get the tracking 'growl', to force him to take evasive measures. 
(If you are keeping him on your nose, you won't need Radar - the Sidewinder will track automatically.) 
Use Radar now if you like, but in any case keep the Sidewinder's tracking indicator well ahead of 
him as he manoeuvres to give plenty of lead. Fire the second Sidewinder as soon as you get the 
locked 'squeal'. Be ready to follow up with cannon if necessary - missiles at close range can 
often be avoided if you don't give enough lead, or even if you do.

(BTW - it's possible to get a Flanker (at standard settings, high aggression) with guns only
 doing it this way - even though he is firing missiles at you. A bit of luck with the evasion, 
and a snap cannon shot on the merge can do it, because he will come straight for you if you're 
not firing missiles at him.)

OK, so you've hit the Scud's & splashed all 3 bogeys - the rest can be left to the Marines. 
They have 3 M1A1's and will shell the enemy buildings when they get near the village. Call Ops 
for mission status when they start firing, then go home when you're given 'mission successful'.

You probably won't have a lot of spare fuel, so keep the power setting around 85% when you can 
to save running out before you get down.

Check the replay . . . 

I had to make a second pass at the Scud's to get a safe release for the 82HD's 
(I tapped the release button too quickly on the first try, so it didn't drop). A bit of evasion 
for the missiles from the lead pair of Flankers (no aggression, but they still go for you if you 
get in their way. Bit like one of our Tiger snakes - we grow them big in Tasmania 
- but I'm glad _they_ don't fire missiles . . . ) Both Sidewinders missed the third Flanker 
- he's set to high aggression. Had to get him with cannon at long range, Radar still off so 
I estimated the lead. Not a bad shot . . .

Aircraft

   Friendly

F/A-18 x 1 (FA18-00)

   Enemy

Su-27 x 3 (SU27-00/01/02)


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Cheers,

Deep Runner

Kerrie Reay

<kerrie_reay@bigpond.com>

