DATE: 28 April 2024
TIME: 16:00
SUNRISE: 04:38
SUNSET: 18:43
TASK: Airfield Strike/OCA
WX: 020@05 / 11,000 Broken, 32,000 Scattered / T22 / QNH: 30.04
FLIGHT DURATION: 270 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
DEPART/ARRIVE:
Nellis AFB / Freq 132.55,327.0 [1] / TCN 12X "LSV" / ATIS: 270.1 [20]
SUPPORTING UNITS:
Nellis Range Control: “Blackjack” / 377.8 [2]
East Range Tanker: TEXACO / 6X / 295.4 [7] / KC-135
AWACS: DARKSTAR / 266.0 [6] / E-3A
ELINT: HOUND / 266.0 [6]] / EA-6B
SEAD: WEASEL / 266.0 [6] / 2x F-16C
DIVERT:
Tonopah
Rwy: 14/32
TCN: 77X
ATC: 257.95 [19]
ATIS: 233.1
BULLSEYE: ROCK [DEALER 1: WP4]
SITUATION
This is the final week of the squadron’s inter-deployment training detachment at Nellis AFB and represents the culmination of the training period. Today’s mission will be a strike mission against runways and parked aircraft at a simulated enemy airfield and will require pilots to utilize several of the skills learned and/or practiced over the previous 12 weeks.
The strike will be a joint operation with dedicated ELINT assets [HOUND flight], SEAD assets [WEASEL flight], AWACS AIC [DARKSTAR] in addition to VFA-41 pilots providing TARCAP [DEALER 1], High altitude strike [DEALER 2], and low-level strike [DEALER 3]
Mission Commander’s notes:
• F-14s are available this week and should only be placed in DEALER 1 as TARCAP assets. DEALER 1 flight lead should remain in a Hornet, however, due to comms and mission trigger limitations.
• Flight paths for the three DEALER flights diverge after WP2, with them all meeting up again over target (WP5). Therefore, WP3 and WP4 will be different for each DEALER flight.
• In order to meet ToT assignment, all aircraft should be airborne no later than 16:20L to allow enough time to reach marshalling point by COMEX at 16:40L.
MISSION
Winds are from the northeast, and flights will depart via Runway 3 utilizing the DREAM SIX departure. Flight leads will be directed to contact Blackjack upon range entry at JUNNO and can expect to be directed to hold at Mormon Peak [WP1] until the start of the exercise.
The strike exercise will commence at 16:40L (00:40Z).
DEALER 1 will have 2x wing tanks with an air-to-air loadout and will provide Target area CAP under DARKSTAR control. Once the exercise commences, DEALER 1 will be directed to check in with DARKSTAR via the comm – other menu (MOOSE AWACS script will be running) and will receive CAP station and red air intercept information/tasking from DARKSTAR.
DEALER 2 will be loaded out with 2x wing tanks and 2x GBU-31V/B 2000# JDAM. DEALER 2 aircraft will be tasked with taking out the airfield’s 2 runways and will have a Time on Target of 01:05:00Z. Clouds may be present over target, so a series of eight Pre-planned lat/long/elev coordinates (DD MM SS format) will be provided on the pilot kneeboard. There are four target points on each of the two runways, but pilot numbers may not support hitting all eight. The ToT for DEALER 2 assumes a 500Kt groundspeed from IP (WP4) to target (WP5).
DEALER 3 will be loaded out with 2x wing tanks and 6x Mk-82 Snake-eye high drag 500# bombs. DEALER 3 aircraft will ingress at low level (~300-500AGL) and target aircraft silhouettes/hangars in the middle of the airfield complex. DEALER 3 is fragged to arrive 30 seconds after DEALER 2 strikes the runways, and has a Time on Target of 01:05:30. DEALER 3’s ToT also assumes a 500kt groundspeed from IP (WP4) to Target (WP5) and DEALER 3 should plan to descend in time to commence the low-level portion of their attack run at RACHEL (WP3).
HOUND will advise of any Surface to air threats along the way, and WEASEL flight will be out ahead of the strike package to engage any SAM threats that appear.
All flights will egress via WP6 and exit the range via JAYSN (WP7) once DARKSTAR makes a “knock it off” call and declares the exercise complete.
ARCO and TEXACO are airborne if in flight refueling required on egress.
All aircraft will recover Nellis via the BEATTY Arrival.
THREATS
Several Red air aggressor groups will be airborne and some may attempt to intercept the strike package on ingress.
Red surface to air threats may be encountered along the ingress route and should be adequately suppressed by WEASEL flight. No AAA or manpads are expected over the target area.
R4808A (Dreamland) will NOT be active today. Flights will not be restricted from overflying the area.
ROE
DEALER 1 should only intercept targets as assigned by AWACS.
DEALER 2 and 3 should make every effort to arrive at their scheduled ToT. DEALER 2 being late or DEALER 3 being early, may result in the high altitude JDAMs impacting the airfield without sufficient time separation prior to DEALER 3’s arrival over target.
All aircraft are reminded that it is squadron SOP to monitor GUARD frequency (121.5/253.0) on COMM2. This will be required at all times in the range complex for high priority information and traffic deconfliction purposes.
Week 13 Data Card
- Z_MDC.png (80.96 KiB) Viewed 68 times
Week 13 Route of Flight
- Route.png (3.9 MiB) Viewed 68 times
Target Aerial View and targeted areas
- HIgh Alt.jpg (790.85 KiB) Viewed 68 times
DEALER 3 Target detail from direction of ingress
- Low Alt.jpg (710.59 KiB) Viewed 68 times