10-17-2016, 11:02 PM
Time for my AAR:
Dropzone Game
We tried the dropzone game again, this time the Nevada version. We made it, the game didn't crash this time, but some triggers still didn't work as intended. I have an idea for a work around, maybe I can fix it.
The 101st Cirque du Soleil Desert Rangers
NTTR Warmup
2nd mission of the evening was a quick M2000C warm-up. Start up the plane, take off, shoot down some drones...
Intersect training
Our first contact with targets that are actually able to fight back. This was a simple training mission, the objective was to shoot down 2 Su25.
Supported by an E3A AWACS we tried to find the targets. It proved to be quite challenging since the Mirage's radar is limited in it's vertical range. That, combined with low flying targets and terrain masking prolonged the 'search' in 'search and destroy' quite a bit.
Eventually we found them though. Etzu flew ahead to engage the first Frogfoot. Unfortunatelly it engaged him instead and he got shot down. I made sure to avenge him.
Frog Eater
The objective was to conduct a combat air patrol (CAP) in the area far north of Nellis AFB (Las Vegas). Another flight of Mirages was conducting a CAP in the south at the same time. An E3A was in the air for support.
The first part of the patrol was a bit plagued by issues with Etzu's navigation systems. His VOR receiver was somehow totally off, as a consequence we got seperated. We eventually managed to rejoin way up north in the Caliente Charlie sector of the NTTR. There we got a message by AWACS Overlord about a pair of bogeys entering the airspace from the north. We were tasked to intercept and identify them. Finding them was easier this time, Overlord was able to provide target vectors.
Upon closing in on the bogeys they were identified as Su25 Frogfoots (Frogfeet...?). How did two russian fighter jets make it to the Nevada desert you ask? Non of your business I say! Anyways, we were authorized to engage them. As Etzu was still catching up and I had both visual on both targets I decided to go ahead and attack. I locked on and engaged the first target with an S530 (semi-active radar guided, think AIM-7). The Su25 managed to chaff me and the first missile missed. I had enough time for a second try though. I got chaffed again but managed to re-aquire lock in time. This time the S530 hit. As I learned later upon watching the mission track, the target wasn't killed but lost the better part of it's stabalizer and leaked fuel. I didn't see it at the time because upon observing the hit I tried to go after the second Su25 right away to prevent getting flanked. It turned out to be fine though as the hit Frogfoot was damaged enough to be effectively out of the game.
I didn't manage to get eyes on the second target right away. Etzu cought up in the meantime and found it though. He went after it and I managed to get eyes on the scene now and lock the Frogfoot. I was out on S530 at this point, so all I could do was watch. Etzu engaged. So did the target. I couldn't do anything but watch how one missile trail extended towards each of the two aircraft. Both of them hit. Etzu was out of the game, lost many of his systems and his engine. The Su25 was burning as well, but still flying and coming my way now. I managed to get behind him and take him down with guns.
In the meantime Etzu was attempting to bring his plane down in the dessert, unfortunatelly with no success.
There were way to many cool moments in this mission to post all the screenshots here, so here's the full album https://imgur.com/a/P1iKi
Preparing for take off
Looking for trouble...
One of the bogeys
Engaging with S530
And he's out...
While Etzu is blowing up in the background his missile has almost reached it's target
My POV, Etzu is the left explosion, the Su25 is the right one
I quickly get behind the enemy to send him Etzu's regards
And that's what happens when you come to the wrong neighbourhood
Meanwhile Etzu's honourable attempt at an emergency landing did not end as intended (me flying by the crash site)
Dropzone Game
We tried the dropzone game again, this time the Nevada version. We made it, the game didn't crash this time, but some triggers still didn't work as intended. I have an idea for a work around, maybe I can fix it.
The 101st Cirque du Soleil Desert Rangers
NTTR Warmup
2nd mission of the evening was a quick M2000C warm-up. Start up the plane, take off, shoot down some drones...
Intersect training
Our first contact with targets that are actually able to fight back. This was a simple training mission, the objective was to shoot down 2 Su25.
Supported by an E3A AWACS we tried to find the targets. It proved to be quite challenging since the Mirage's radar is limited in it's vertical range. That, combined with low flying targets and terrain masking prolonged the 'search' in 'search and destroy' quite a bit.
Eventually we found them though. Etzu flew ahead to engage the first Frogfoot. Unfortunatelly it engaged him instead and he got shot down. I made sure to avenge him.
Frog Eater
The objective was to conduct a combat air patrol (CAP) in the area far north of Nellis AFB (Las Vegas). Another flight of Mirages was conducting a CAP in the south at the same time. An E3A was in the air for support.
The first part of the patrol was a bit plagued by issues with Etzu's navigation systems. His VOR receiver was somehow totally off, as a consequence we got seperated. We eventually managed to rejoin way up north in the Caliente Charlie sector of the NTTR. There we got a message by AWACS Overlord about a pair of bogeys entering the airspace from the north. We were tasked to intercept and identify them. Finding them was easier this time, Overlord was able to provide target vectors.
Upon closing in on the bogeys they were identified as Su25 Frogfoots (Frogfeet...?). How did two russian fighter jets make it to the Nevada desert you ask? Non of your business I say! Anyways, we were authorized to engage them. As Etzu was still catching up and I had both visual on both targets I decided to go ahead and attack. I locked on and engaged the first target with an S530 (semi-active radar guided, think AIM-7). The Su25 managed to chaff me and the first missile missed. I had enough time for a second try though. I got chaffed again but managed to re-aquire lock in time. This time the S530 hit. As I learned later upon watching the mission track, the target wasn't killed but lost the better part of it's stabalizer and leaked fuel. I didn't see it at the time because upon observing the hit I tried to go after the second Su25 right away to prevent getting flanked. It turned out to be fine though as the hit Frogfoot was damaged enough to be effectively out of the game.
I didn't manage to get eyes on the second target right away. Etzu cought up in the meantime and found it though. He went after it and I managed to get eyes on the scene now and lock the Frogfoot. I was out on S530 at this point, so all I could do was watch. Etzu engaged. So did the target. I couldn't do anything but watch how one missile trail extended towards each of the two aircraft. Both of them hit. Etzu was out of the game, lost many of his systems and his engine. The Su25 was burning as well, but still flying and coming my way now. I managed to get behind him and take him down with guns.
In the meantime Etzu was attempting to bring his plane down in the dessert, unfortunatelly with no success.
There were way to many cool moments in this mission to post all the screenshots here, so here's the full album https://imgur.com/a/P1iKi
Preparing for take off
Looking for trouble...
One of the bogeys
Engaging with S530
And he's out...
While Etzu is blowing up in the background his missile has almost reached it's target
My POV, Etzu is the left explosion, the Su25 is the right one
I quickly get behind the enemy to send him Etzu's regards
And that's what happens when you come to the wrong neighbourhood
Meanwhile Etzu's honourable attempt at an emergency landing did not end as intended (me flying by the crash site)