AAR time:
Finally we had five pilots in the air again and in the first mission of the night it was one Mirage as CAP and 4 A10c as CAS.
Manuel in the Mirage
UnNamed Hawg 1
Sithis Hawg 2
Misha Hawg 3
Etzu Hawg 4
On the way to the target area the Mirage engaged 2 Mig23, but was only able to shoot down one. Hawg 1 and 2 immediately dove to terrain flight, while Hawg 3 and 4 were still at the airport. The Mig23 shot a missile at Hawg 1, but missed. When it came into dogfighting range the Mig 23 almost placed itself behind Hawg 2. A quick scissor and the Mig 23 had to fly a quick circle to loose me. Now I was scrambling to get a missile of but even though I was relatively close behind it I couldn't get a tone and the distance was increasing with the Mig 23 giving it full afterburner. The Mig 23 has completed its circle and is now coming for Hawg 1 again. Missile launch Hawg 1 pulls Gs towards earth and sprays Countermeasures everywhere. The contrails of the missile are closing on Hawg 1, fast. More countermeasures are filling the air and Hawg 1 has already pulled a 90° turn as the missile shoots right past his rudder.
The Mig 23 overshoots Hawg 1 and again I am dying to get a tone. Somewhere in between Hawg 1 has already shot one of his missiles now he got tone for the second time. I realize that I got to be right between Hawg with his heat seaking missile and the target and I got two huge heatsources strapped to my back, but it is too late. I hear "Fox2" and instantly see the white contrail zoom past just meters above my canopy. The Mig 23 turns into orange mist.
Back at the target area we identify one target cluster at a time and the AA is easy to deal with. We loose a lot of coordinating attacks, but that was to be expected, since we did not fly the A10c as regularly in the last couple weeks.
I didn't even think the targets were to hard to see and Manuel shooting past as a wild weasel helped as well.
However when the Mirage was back at base for refuelling, two Mig 23 popped up on RWR and they were closing fast.
We quickly realized that we could not outrun them and that there was no way to hide in the wide valleys. So we turned to fight. Hawg 1 with just his gun was hurrying to get the right gunsight activated, while I still had two Fox 2. Hawg 1s plan was to act as bait so I could score the kills with my missiles. A plan that depended on me getting tone real quick, which I had not achieved at all earlier, and scoring 2 kills with 2 missiles, which seemed unlikely with 4 fox 2s being fired in the last engagement and only 1 hitting. In other words, the odds were against us.
On Hawg 1s orders I dropped behind and we were now closing with the 2 Mig 23s head on in the same formation. We both switched to guns. As soon as you could make out the details of the approaching plane Hawg 1 pulled the trigger. White smoke rises up disperses behind Hawg 1. My eyes dart to the approaching Mig 23 which is instantly reduced to an orange cloud of fire and metal. To close to shoot at the second bogey Hawg 1 dives down. My gun is now lined up on the other Mig 23. Just one second before I can be sure to hit him. In an instant the Mig 23 inverts and pulls towards earth following Hawg 1. I try to readjust and shoot but now I am way off. I invert as well pull behind him and switch to Fox 2. Now our survival depends on me getting the damn tone that has been so elusive during the last fight. I am chasing the Mig 23 in a level turn but he is gaining distance. I hear a quick peep and loose it again. The Mig 23 stops turning. That can only mean he is lining up on 1. I get him in my sights. Struggle to get tone. Quick beebs, but no solid solution. It feels like ages, because I know he is trying the same on Hawg 1 right now. BEEEEEEEEP, tone finally "FOX 2" and the contrail leaps towards the Mig 23.
Now he is defensive hard right turn, pulling Gs, flares flying left and right. I am following in case the missile will miss, trying to get a tone for the second one, but the first one connects. Boom goes the dynamite and the Mig 23 hits the mountain.
Back to ground attack we killed everything that had a weapon using all kinds of guided and unguided munition, including a tank kill with the gun and a Grad kill with HEAT rockets.
Due to some mysterious server crashes we could not finish the Helicopter insertion phase and replayed canyon carver instead, which was quite relaxed in loose formation. Just for some reason the Mavericks hit their targets about 10s after they should have and simultaneously even though they were fired at different points in time.
Finally we had five pilots in the air again and in the first mission of the night it was one Mirage as CAP and 4 A10c as CAS.
Manuel in the Mirage
UnNamed Hawg 1
Sithis Hawg 2
Misha Hawg 3
Etzu Hawg 4
On the way to the target area the Mirage engaged 2 Mig23, but was only able to shoot down one. Hawg 1 and 2 immediately dove to terrain flight, while Hawg 3 and 4 were still at the airport. The Mig23 shot a missile at Hawg 1, but missed. When it came into dogfighting range the Mig 23 almost placed itself behind Hawg 2. A quick scissor and the Mig 23 had to fly a quick circle to loose me. Now I was scrambling to get a missile of but even though I was relatively close behind it I couldn't get a tone and the distance was increasing with the Mig 23 giving it full afterburner. The Mig 23 has completed its circle and is now coming for Hawg 1 again. Missile launch Hawg 1 pulls Gs towards earth and sprays Countermeasures everywhere. The contrails of the missile are closing on Hawg 1, fast. More countermeasures are filling the air and Hawg 1 has already pulled a 90° turn as the missile shoots right past his rudder.
The Mig 23 overshoots Hawg 1 and again I am dying to get a tone. Somewhere in between Hawg 1 has already shot one of his missiles now he got tone for the second time. I realize that I got to be right between Hawg with his heat seaking missile and the target and I got two huge heatsources strapped to my back, but it is too late. I hear "Fox2" and instantly see the white contrail zoom past just meters above my canopy. The Mig 23 turns into orange mist.
Back at the target area we identify one target cluster at a time and the AA is easy to deal with. We loose a lot of coordinating attacks, but that was to be expected, since we did not fly the A10c as regularly in the last couple weeks.
I didn't even think the targets were to hard to see and Manuel shooting past as a wild weasel helped as well.
However when the Mirage was back at base for refuelling, two Mig 23 popped up on RWR and they were closing fast.
We quickly realized that we could not outrun them and that there was no way to hide in the wide valleys. So we turned to fight. Hawg 1 with just his gun was hurrying to get the right gunsight activated, while I still had two Fox 2. Hawg 1s plan was to act as bait so I could score the kills with my missiles. A plan that depended on me getting tone real quick, which I had not achieved at all earlier, and scoring 2 kills with 2 missiles, which seemed unlikely with 4 fox 2s being fired in the last engagement and only 1 hitting. In other words, the odds were against us.
On Hawg 1s orders I dropped behind and we were now closing with the 2 Mig 23s head on in the same formation. We both switched to guns. As soon as you could make out the details of the approaching plane Hawg 1 pulled the trigger. White smoke rises up disperses behind Hawg 1. My eyes dart to the approaching Mig 23 which is instantly reduced to an orange cloud of fire and metal. To close to shoot at the second bogey Hawg 1 dives down. My gun is now lined up on the other Mig 23. Just one second before I can be sure to hit him. In an instant the Mig 23 inverts and pulls towards earth following Hawg 1. I try to readjust and shoot but now I am way off. I invert as well pull behind him and switch to Fox 2. Now our survival depends on me getting the damn tone that has been so elusive during the last fight. I am chasing the Mig 23 in a level turn but he is gaining distance. I hear a quick peep and loose it again. The Mig 23 stops turning. That can only mean he is lining up on 1. I get him in my sights. Struggle to get tone. Quick beebs, but no solid solution. It feels like ages, because I know he is trying the same on Hawg 1 right now. BEEEEEEEEP, tone finally "FOX 2" and the contrail leaps towards the Mig 23.
Now he is defensive hard right turn, pulling Gs, flares flying left and right. I am following in case the missile will miss, trying to get a tone for the second one, but the first one connects. Boom goes the dynamite and the Mig 23 hits the mountain.
Back to ground attack we killed everything that had a weapon using all kinds of guided and unguided munition, including a tank kill with the gun and a Grad kill with HEAT rockets.
Due to some mysterious server crashes we could not finish the Helicopter insertion phase and replayed canyon carver instead, which was quite relaxed in loose formation. Just for some reason the Mavericks hit their targets about 10s after they should have and simultaneously even though they were fired at different points in time.
It cant be any better, it cant be any worse, because thats how it is. Quit the bitching.