Syrian reinforcements headed North from Tabqa were thwarted last week, which has allowed NATO to keep advancing steadily southward along the Jirah-Tabqa highway. It is anticipated that Taqua air base will fall to allied forces within the coming days.
Coalition airstrikes are continuing to strike Syrian military manufacturing and infrastructure targets in northern Syria
MISSION
VFA-41 will be targeting a manufacturing plant located near Tabqa Air Base. The plant is officially a agricultural chemical and fertilizer production facility, but souces say that the Syrians have adapted it to create explosive materials for the creation of incindiary and road-side IEDs. It is expected that the use of such tactics by insurgent and guerilla groups will increase as the Syrian military is further reduced as an organized and capable fighting force.
The primary target is located north of the runway at Tabqa. As one of only two active runways still available to Syria in the region, it is defended by a known SA-2 site located two miles to the south of the airfiled. With the rest of the region's long-range air defenses out of action, it is suspected that Syria has also been deploying shorter-range mobile SAM systems and AAA to the Tabqa area as well.
The SA-2 site will likely need to be engaged and destroyed before approaching the primary target, unless long-range standoff munitions are utilized.
THREATS
As noted above, there is an active SA-2 in the vicinity of the target area. Mobile SAMs such as SA-19, SA-8, SA-9 may also be deployed around the adjacent airfield.
What remains of the Syrian Air Force is operating largely out of Palmyra to the South. Enemy CAP does still operate most days, but often choose not to engage approaching NATO aircraft unless they feel they have a numerical advantage. However, an increasingly desperate Syria may decide to take more risks as NATO closes in on Tabqa.
ROE
WEAPONS FREE- All Syrian ground and air targets may be engaged upon contact.
MISSION OVERVIEW
DATE: 14 August, 2022
TIME: 17:30
SUNRISE: 05:55
SUNSET: 19:25
TASK: Tabqa production facility strike
WX: 240@015 kt / Broken 14,000 Broken 24,000 / T29 / 29.27
FLIGHT DURATION: 300 nm
AVAILABLE SQUADRON ASSETS:
Dealer 1: 4 x F/A-18c
Dealer 2: 4 x F/A-18c
Dealer 3: 4 x F/A-18c
Dealer 4: 4 x F-14b
CARRIER:
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN-73) / BRC 250° / Freq 127.5 [6] / TCN 73X "GWH" / ICLS: 13
SUPPORTING UNITS:
AWACS / E-3D / MAGIC / Freq 266.000 [4]
Mission Tanker / KC-135 / TEXACO / Freq: 251.00 [8]/ TCN 55Y
Recovery Tanker / S-3B / SHELL / Freq 353.00 [10] / TCN:66Y
DIVERT
Aleppo International AP [WP7]
Rwy: 9/27
VOR: N/A
ATC: 250.75
BULLSEYE: Aleppo Airport [WP7]
DD Week 29 Route Overview
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DD-29 Target Area Detail
- DD-29 Detail.png (588.17 KiB) Viewed 612 times
Target Image 1
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Target Image 2
- Screen_220809_084452.png (5.97 MiB) Viewed 612 times
Mission Datacard
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