Black Aces Message Board

SITUATION

NATO Ground forces continue to advance Soutwards from Tabqa. Sporadic resistance is still being encountered, but the coalition’s overwhelming CAS capabilities are quickly responding and brushing aside any pockets of Syrian armor that hinder allied progress.

Palmyra remains the last major Syrian stronghold and base of operations in the AOR. What remains of the Syrian Air Force in the region is based there, and denying them use of Palmyra airfield will effectively remove the Syrian Air Force as a participant in the conflict.


MISSION

VFA-41 will be launching just before sunset as part of a major strike package against the airfield at Palmyria. DEALER flights will join up with the other elements of the strike package (PONTIAC flights) at [WP2].

PONTIAC consists of multiple flights:

-3 x flights of F-16 SEAD out of Incirlik which will target Palmyra's remaining radar-guided SAM capabilities
-1 x flight of F-15C out of Souda Bay, which will perform fighter sweep duties

Once advised that PONTIAC is pushing towards target, DEALER flights can proceed at MC discretion to their initial point [WP3] and thence to their target [WP4], which is the runway at Palmyra.

The single east-west runway is the primary target for the mission. If sufficient aircraft are available, then the secondary target(s) will be the Northeast hangar complex, located just N of the runway, which consists of several hardened aircraft hangars/bunkers.

The strike package will split once pushing from [WP2] with PONTIAC ingressing from the N and DEALER ingressing from the W.

TEXACO is available along ingress/egress route for refueling if required.

Due to distance required to reach primary divert of Aleppo (120 nm NNW of target), Tabqa airstrip is authorized as an emergency use only divert (65 nm N of target). No services are available at Tabqa.


THREATS

Palmyra is defended by a known SA-3 and SA-11, with manpads other low-level IR mobile SAMs likely to be present, along with AAA. The former will hopefully be neutralized by PONTIAC SEAD elements.

Syrian CAP is a possibility again as in recent weeks. Friendly BARCAP will be operating north of our ingress route, and F-15Cs of PONTIAC flight will also be sweeping the airspace ahead of the main strike package to clear the way.


ROE

WEAPONS FREE- All Syrian ground and air targets may be engaged upon contact.


MISSION OVERVIEW

DATE: 04 September, 2022

TIME: 18:30

SUNRISE: 06:14
SUNSET: 18:50

TASK: OCA Runway, Palmyra airfield

WX: 010@6 kt / Scattered 15,000 Few 25,000 / T23 / 30.21

FLIGHT DURATION: 375 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


CARRIER:
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN-73) / BRC 020° / 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

SEAD & SWEEP/ F-16 & F-15 / PONTIAC / Freq: 266.0


DIVERT
Aleppo International AP [WP7]
Rwy: 9/27
VOR: N/A
ATC: 250.75

Tabqa Airfield (Emergency use only)

BULLSEYE: Aleppo Airport [WP7]


DD-32 Route Overview (DEALER: Blue PONTIAC: Green)
DD-32 Target area detail
Approach to Targert
Target Overhead
Mission Datacard

CDR Mad Dog assigned as Mission Commander

CAPT Hedgehog on standby/alternate

Campaign Dashboard updated.

All ordnance supplies above 75% with the following exceptions:

AIM-120c supplies at 58%
AIM-9x supplies at 68%
ADM-141 supplies at 66%
GBU-12 supplies at 17%
GBU-38 supplies at 60%

Also, on tonight's MDC runway at Tabqa emergency divert is not November 28th. That's just super-secret Navy code for Rwy 11-28

11/28? So is it a curved runway??

Otherwise I would expect 10/28 or 11/29.

Except on November 28th.

(I don't know what the DCS map shows, but real world data suggests 09/27.)

DCS map lists it as 09/27

standby MC replaced