With last week’s failure to neutralize the SA-10 SAM batteries in Abkhazia, there still remains too much of a surface to air threat to begin direct targeting of Russian and Abkhazian forces near the front line. While planning was in earnest for a re-attack of those SA-10 sites, fresh intelligence from a recent satellite reconnaissance pass over Novorossiysk has presented the strike group with a time-sensitive target of opportunity. Last evening, at approximately 1621 hours local time, a NRO satellite passed over the port of Novorossiysk and captured what appears to be three (3) Improved Kilo-class submarines currently in port. While one of the Kilos has been in an extended maintenance period at the port for several months, the others have been making regular trips to sea since the hostilities between Russian and Ukraine began nearly a year ago. However this is the first time this number of submarines have been in port at the same time.
MISSION
This situation poses a unique, time-sensitive target of opportunity. As previously mentioned, the Russian Kilo-class submarines present the most significant danger to the strike group in the confined waters of the Black Sea. U.S. Intelligence has been able to confirm through HUMINT sources that one of the submarines arrived in port yesterday afternoon and the other that isn’t in maintenance has a flurry of activity indicating it is getting ready to put to sea. Command wants to take this opportunity to destroy these Russian submarines before they put back to sea and become much more difficult to locate and track. If we can destroy all three submarines, that will reduce the number in the Black Sea to two known vessels.
Waypoint 3 has been co-located with the Kilo submarine in the maintenance slip and is GPS targetable. The other two were seen in the reconnaissance photos as tied to either side of the long, southernmost pier of the Novorossiysk naval base. Given the activity on the pier, it is possible one of the subs may be getting underway before our strike arrives overhead. It may be necessary to use Sea Radar and/or ATFLIR to locate any subs underway in the harbor if they are not still at the pier near WP3 upon arrival. Given the nature of the target, AGM-65F Mavericks or guided bombs of at least 1,000 lbs. class are recommended for this mission. Positive ID of the targets are required as a lot of civilian merchant traffic also transits in and out of the port.
THREATS
Novorossiysk is protected by a known SA-10 site near the airbase on the northern mouth of the harbor. It was attacked during our opening strikes on the EW radars and its Clam Shell low altitude radar was destroyed. The site's Big Bird radar was also struck, but ELINT assets in theater have detected intermittent transmissions of its radar signature over the last couple of days, so the full status of the site is unknown. As such, an EA-6B Prowler (Uzi 1-1) will once again be attached to this mission for jamming and two sections of Hornets from VFA-192 and VFA-14 will suppress the site with TALD and HARMs prior to VFA-41’s primary strike on the harbor. ELINT also indicates SA-19’s are present serving as SHORAD for the harbor itself, but their exact locations are unknown. Pilots should expect AAA batteries of various calibers to be present around Novorossiysk as well.
Krymsk Air Base is located a short distance inland from the harbor and is the primary fighter base for this region of Russia, so expect airborne interceptors. A F-14 CAP flight from VF-211 is tasked with BARCAP in the immediate area, but all pilots should be prepared to defend themselves as well. In addition, new SA-11 batteries have been detected deployed along the coast from Gelendzhik, south to Sochi. An approach or egress direct south of the target area is not advised.
Finally, the vessels of the Black Sea Fleet are an ever present danger. Three of the Grisha-class frigates are homeported at Novorossiysk and they and other vessels make constant sorties out of and into the port.
ROE
Weapons free. Any Russian air, land or sea target may be engaged as required.
MISSION OVERVIEW
DATE: 08 January, 2023
TIME: 0900 local
SUNRISE: 0909 local
SUNSET: 1802 local
MOON: Waning Gibbous ~75% illumination
TASK: Long Range Maritime Strike
WX: 101@04kt / CAVOK / T06 / Q30.21
FLIGHT DURATION: ~350nm
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 / / / Freq: []/ TCN:
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: Sochi Harbor[WP5]
Route Overview:
- Route Overview.PNG (3.69 MiB) Viewed 636 times
Route Detail:
- Route Detail.PNG (2.83 MiB) Viewed 636 times
Target Area:
- Target Area.PNG (4.43 MiB) Viewed 636 times
Satellite Reconnaissance Photos:
- Satellite Recon 1.jpg (1.13 MiB) Viewed 636 times
- Satellite Recon 2.jpg (749.69 KiB) Viewed 636 times
Mission Data Card:
- Z_Mission Data Card.PNG (63.82 KiB) Viewed 636 times
Maintenance Report:
As a result of recent airframe losses, squadron maintenance levels have dropped. Pilots can expect an 8% increase in likelihood of system failures