TIME: FEB 06, 2020, 1630L TAKEOFF
WEATHER: 5 kts from the NW, mainly clouder
LOCATION: STRAITS OF HORMUZ
SITUATION:
Carrier Strike Group Three, with the USS John C. Stennis and accompanying escorts have returned to the Persian Gulf region after emergency resupply at Diego Garcia. All squadrons temporarily deployed to Al Dhafra have returned to the carrier group.
Iranian forces have been moving steadily south since the invasion and have recently captured Ras al Khaimah, including its airport, which it is now preparing for operations against coalition forces.
Military intelligence analysis has it on good authority that one of these groups are now racing south toward Sharjah International airport, which is barely ten miles north-east from Dubai International.
Allied commands are preparing a large air tasking order to defend the capital from these encroaching enemy forces.
MISSION:
VFA-41 Black Aces flights will launch on a recon mission against an Iranian armored group moving down the western coast of OMAN/UAE.
This group was part of other Iranian forces that captured Ras Al Khaimah airport and is now approximately 90-120 minutes away from their next target, Sharjah International airport.
As JSTARS has not deployed to the region yet, waypoints have been generated along the expected route of enemy forces, originating at Sharjah Intl and tracing northeast. The enemy is expected to be somewhere along the main highway and roads on the coastline, preparing for its advance southwest.
The UAE has continued to authorize the release of external tanks and jet fuel, available at AL MINHAD AB (TACAN 99X) if needed.
A KC-130 refueling tanker has also been deployed to the eastern coast of Oman, 75 nm due south of the CSG.
AIR THREATS: MiG-23 Floggers, F-4 Phantoms, Mirage F-1 (M-2000C used as stand-in aircraft), F-5 Tigers, F-14 Tomcats, Su-27 Flankers
GROUND THREATS: HAWK SAM, ZSU-23 Shilka, ZU-23 AAA on trucks, two-man MANPAD teams are operating in towns along the coast.
TACAN (USS STENNIS): 74X, ICLS 11
4x F/A-18C, Dealer 1: 315.00 MHz
4x F/A-18C, Dealer 2: 316.00 MHz
4x F-14B, Dealer 3: 318.00 Mhz
1x E-2D, Overlord (AWACS): 266.00 MHz - Preset Channel 2, comm 2 (Dealer 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1)
1x KC-130, Shell (TANKER) 232.00, TCN 114Y
BULLSEYE: DUBAI INTERNATIONAL
HOMEPLATE: (USS STENNIS): 74X, ICLS 11, Comms 127.500 MHz
Mission Length: Approx 450-500 nm