The loss of the Russian amphibious landing force has dealt a significant blow to Russia’s combat power in the western Georgia area of operations. EUCOM has confirmed five of six LST’s were sunk with the sixth heavily damaged and limping back toward Novorossiysk. In addition, the Russian Navy also lost one of its two Krivak-class frigates in the Black Sea, two Grisha-class corvettes, and most significantly, one of the two remaining Grigorovich-class frigates in the Black Sea. With these heavy naval losses, the remaining Russian Black Sea fleet ships have either retreated to port, or have repositioned far from our Carrier Strike Group up in the Sea of Azov or west off the coast of Sevastopol. The combined effects of the last few weeks strikes are beginning to bear fruit as Georgian forces have regained the initiative and started pushing the front line westward as far as the eastern outskirts of the city of Senaki and the perimeter of the airbase there. Without rail resupply and with the destruction of the amphibious reinforcements, Russian and Abkhazian forces are being forced to draw from ever-shrinking stocks within the supply depots situated along the railroad route from southern Russia, through Abkhazia and into Georgia.
MISSION
To keep the pressure up on enemy ground and helicopter forces still holding the line near Senaki, VFA-41 is being tasked to further attack Russian supply and munitions depots near the front and in the enemy’s rear areas. Command has pinpointed fifteen (15) depots from Senaki back up the coast to Sukhumi that have shown increased convoy traffic in the last two weeks and has ordered them destroyed. The precise coordinates for each target, known as DMPIs, are listed below for use in Pre-planned employment of JDAMs. A direct hit from a GBU-31 v2 should be sufficient to destroy the depots without causing excessive collateral damage to the ones located within urban areas. In the event there are not enough aircraft to deploy ordinance on all 15 targets, the Mission Commander should ensure that at least one depot at each target waypoint (WP3-WP9) is attacked. Additionally, the waypoints are common to all flights, but do not need to all be flown in order. The Mission Commander can direct individual flights and/or sections to fly directly to various target waypoints for attack .
THREATS
SIGINT has picked up sporadic signals from the SA-6 SAM site near Sukhumi. VAQ-138 is launching a pair of Prowlers in this strike package to deal with the Kub and provide standoff jamming. Each supply depot has a small garrison of troops guarding it. Expect AAA and MANPADs to be among them. Weather is broken overcast today, so it’s best to drop from above the cloud layer anyway.
VKS aircraft are still flying some sorties, so keep tabs on your SA page. A CAP of F-14’s is on station to the north to assist as well as a flight of F-15’s from Tbilisi out to the east.
Georgian Air Force, as well as USAF aircraft are also flying sorties in the vicinity of Senaki (WP3), so be on the lookout for friendly air traffic as well in that area.
ROE
Restricted. Only the designated DMPIs may be attacked, however any Russian or Abkhazian airborne threats may be engaged as required..
MISSION OVERVIEW
DATE: 16 April, 2023
TIME: 0730 local
SUNRISE: 0701 local
SUNSET: 2000 local
MOON: n/a
TASK: Strike
WX: 130@04kt / Rain BKN-OVC 7,000 / SCT 18,000 / T14 / Q29.94
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 HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN-75) / Freq 127.500 [6] / TCN: 75X / ICLS: 5
SUPPORTING UNITS:
AWACS / E-2D / OVERLORD/ Freq 266.000 [5]
Mission Tanker / KC-135 / SHELL / Freq: 251.000 [8]/ TCN:35Y
Recovery Tanker / S-3B / TEXACO / Freq 353.000 [10] / TCN:61Y
DIVERT:
Batumi [WP]
Rwy: 13/31
VOR: TACAN 16X
ATC: 131.000 [16]
BULLSEYE: [WP10]
ROUTE OVERVIEW:
- Route Overview.PNG (4.11 MiB) Viewed 839 times
- Route Detail.PNG (4 MiB) Viewed 839 times
- Target Areas.PNG (3.74 MiB) Viewed 839 times
- Satellite 1.jpg (1.49 MiB) Viewed 839 times
- Satellite 2.jpg (1.89 MiB) Viewed 839 times
MISSION DATA CARD:
- Z_Mission Data Card.PNG (60.51 KiB) Viewed 839 times
DMPI LIST:
- Y_DMPI List.PNG (34.59 KiB) Viewed 839 times
