18 May 2025 - Kola Week 1 - Radar Ruse

[Rhino]

Eight pilots of VFA-41 Black Aces sortied on the first mission of the Kola Campaign. Tasking was to fly a preset route of waypoints near the northern Russian coast to entice ground based air defenses to transmit and allow airborne and seaborne assets to gather electronic intelligence about the composition and number of enemy air defenses in the Murmansk area. Black Aces pilots were divided into two divisions and launched approximately 15-minutes apart to allow separation of flights and avoid bunching up in the relatively small operating area defined by the flight path. Along the route, several RWR indications from ground radars including EW search radars, Tin Shield radar and Fire Can radar were observed as nails. No hostile intent or attempted spikes were detected.

While flying the prescribed route, additional pop up tasking was received from Strike advising of a detected Tu-142 Bear maritime reconnaissance aircraft operating east of the Carrier Strike Group at a range of 160 miles or so. Dealer flights were tasked to track and escort the Bear away from the strike group, but remain weapons hold unless the Bear ingressed to within 50 miles of the carrier. Dealer 1 flight took the initial look at the Bear while Dealer 2 was ordered to establish an orbit between Waypoints 3 and 4 to monitor additional hostile contacts to the south, near the Russian coast.

Dealer 1 conducted an intercept of the Bear at 36,000 feet, getting somewhat slow in the turn and having to use some afterburner to get caught up. Dealer 1 flew formation on the Bear for a bit and determined it appeared to be flying a north-south patrol pattern and remaining at least 100 miles from the strike group. After the Bear turned back onto its northbound leg, Dealer 1 broke off to establish a CAP station between Waypoints 4 and 5 to give Dealer 2 an opportunity to practice an intercept on the Bear, which was operating alone and unescorted.

After a successful intercept by Dealer 2 and no change in behavior from the Bear as it continued on its north-south track, flight leads decided to join up together for a group flight back to Mother. Just then, another flight of Hornets (AI) flew into the area and downed the Bear with a missile shot without warning. At this point, both Dealer 1 and 2 joined up and returned to the ship for a well executed Case 1 recovery. All 8 aircraft got aboard on the 1st attempt without issue and the patterns and spacing looked pretty good!

Looking forward to more tasking to come in the far north!

Dealer 1:
1-1 Rhino, tasking completed-trapped
1-2 Sven, tasking completed-trapped
1-3 NoPro, tasking completed- trapped
1-4 Maniac, tasking completed- trapped (F-14)

Dealer 2:
2-1 Chaos, tasking completed- trapped
2-2 Leadfoot, tasking completed- trapped
2-3 Crash, tasking completed- trapped
2-4 BammBamm, tasking completed- trapped

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[Hedgehog]

Pilot records and Greenie Board updated.