NATO forces are still working to repair the runway and solidify their positions at Hatay Airport. Since the recapture of the airport two weeks ago, neither side has made any significant gains and small clashes along the front each day have resulted in a relative stalemate.
The latest allied intelligence, however, indicates that Syria is mobilizing reserves based at Minakh Airfield and sending them towards the front lines to reinforce their positions near the town of Reyhanli. It is feared that once in place, these Syrian reserves will be utilized to re-take the offensive and attempt to re-capture Hatay Airport.
Meanwhile, NATO ground reinforcements from Incirlik are also expected to arrive at Hatay Airport overnight. They will be travelling by road south towards the airport after a refueling stop at the NATO Forward Operating Base at Osmaniye.
MISSION
VFA-41 will be conducting a night Battlefield Air Interdiction (BAI) mission near the town of Reyhanli in an effort to disrupt the Syrian armored reinforcements as they arrive in the area. The squadron will launch at Midnight and engage Syrian ground forces east of Hatay airport along the Syrian border.
Two ~5nm x 10nm kill boxes have been established in the target area as follows:
Box Bravo is constrained by Hornet WPs 4,5,6,7. Tomcat WP 3 is squarely in the Center of Box B to help RIOs acquire targets if F-14s are employed.
Box Alpha is constrained by Hornet WPs 8,9,10,11. Tomcat ST WP is squarely in the center of Box A to help RIOs acquire targets if F-14s are employed.
ALL ALLIED GROUND FORCES HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE AREA BY OUR DEPARTURE TIME. Therefore, any military vehicles (moving or stationary) located within the kill boxes will be considered valid targets and may be prosecuted.
The kill boxes will be active for one hour from 00:30 until 01:30. Dealer flights will RTB when the kill boxes close (unless RTB called earlier for Bingo or Winchester.)
Allied ground forces will remain OUTSIDE of the kill boxes. However, be advised of the scheduled NATO reinforcement convoy which will be on the move from the North, and remaining to the NW of our established kill boxes.
Weather for the mission is forecast to be scattered clouds and a nearly full moon which should help with ATFLIR/IR target location and tracking- in addition to GMT radar returns from moving targets as Syrian forces arrive in the area.
A KC-135 (TEXACO) will be on station offshore West of Hatay airport if needed.
THREATS
With the neutralization of the Taftanaz SA-11 and the Aleppo SA-10 missile sites, the area should be free of SAM threats other than any manpads or truck mounted AAA travelling with the Syrian reinforcements. The city of Aleppo does still have multiple active shorter-range SA3, SA2 and SA6 defenses so do not venture too far to the East of the assigned target area.
Syrian fighter aircraft are rarely active at night so the Mig threat is possible, but relatively low. More likely- If Syrian collaborators spot the NATO reinforcement convoy, Syria may try to launch ground-attack aircraft to conduct their own BAI mission against our reinforcements.
Friendly CAP will be on station offshore, but any low-flying Syrian aircraft crossing into Hatay towards our reinforcement convoy can and should be engaged.
ROE
Weapons Restricted- Due to friendly forces operating nearby, only engage ground targets located within the defined kill boxes. No friendly ground units will be operating within the established kill boxes. Syrian aircraft, however, may be freely engaged as required
MISSION OVERVIEW
DATE: 20 February, 2022
TIME: 00:00
SUNRISE: 07:30
SUNSET: 18:14
TASK: BAI
WX: 030@06 / Scattered 9,000 Scattered 21,000 / T15 / Q30.07
FLIGHT DURATION: 280 nm (+loiter)
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 GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN-73) / BRC 040° / Freq 127.5 [6] / TCN 73X "GWH" / ICLS: 13
SUPPORTING UNITS:
AWACS / E-3D / MAGIC / Freq 266.000 [4]
Mission Tanker / KC-135 / TEXACO / Freq: 251.00 [8]/ TCN 55Y
Recovery Tanker / S-3B / SHELL / Freq 353.00 [10] / TCN:66Y
DIVERT:
Incirlik AB [WP15]
Rwy: 5/23
TCN: 21X
ATC: 360.1
Emergency Divert: Hatay Airport [WP16]
BULLSEYE: Hatay Airport [WP16]
Week 9 Overview
- DictKey_Translation_4_Snapshot_20220215160642_DD Week 9 Overview.png (530.41 KiB) Viewed 1497 times
Week 9 Target Area Detail
- DictKey_Translation_4_Snapshot_20220215163904_DD Week 9 Target Detail.png (221.27 KiB) Viewed 1497 times
Kill Box/Waypoints Definition
- Kill Box Detail.png (3.91 MiB) Viewed 1497 times
Mission Datacard
- Z_MDC.png (67.69 KiB) Viewed 1497 times
