Lorik's KTO Poseidon Feedback
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Hi All,
This is my second SP campaign. I thought I would offer some feedback to the creator and solicit advice from more experienced folks:
Flight #1
303 FS / F-16 Block 30 / Fukuoka AB
Sortie 1 / Day 1 0130-0300
1. Refueled over East China Sea
2. Ingress at 5000’ over Chagyeong
3. My flight disabled FCR for 3AD SA-2, 6AD SA-2 and SA-3 batteries defending Kwangju. We used AGM-65D and terrain to good effect.
4. Eight 2-ship flights from 303FS followed the same AAR and ingress plan 20 minutes behind us to attack Kwangju AB and Kwangju Power Plant with Mk-8X AIR.Results:
1. Kwangju AB and Power plant were both destroyed
2. We Lost 1 AC and 1 pilot KIA - My AI wingman ran low on fuel, decided to RTB, then climbed to 14,000 feet near Hwasun and was hit by an SA-10.
3. SA-10 was a pop up threat, possibly near Koksong or Namwon.Feedback -
0. Very stable and well thought out campaign
1. Thanks Lorik for the useful briefing PDF. It’s helpful to know that DEAD is a waste of time during Stage 1, also low MANPAD threat was useful intelligence.
2. Page 1 of the briefing is titled “Enclave” instead of “Poseidon”
3. No CAS targets seen yet, only AD units.
4. I want to use the airbases south of the 36 parallel, so no OCA strikes planned either.Questions:
1. Does destroying DPRK army bases, factories, depots make the DPRK weaker? Maybe I would benefit from capturing them instead, especially since there are no opposing ground forces in sight?
2. Why do AI flights of F/A-18 from the 183rd seem unable to damage SA-2 or SA-3 with AGM-65D? Maybe I’ll have them kill the OSA II’s to the south…All in all, a challenge to plan this sortie and some real white knuckle thrills trying to get in range of the SA-2’s while they inevitably draw a bead on me. I ran low on chaff.
Thank You!!
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Thank you very much, Sixpack, for enjoying this campaign, and for meta-debriefing your first mission.
Thanks for the heads-up about the PDF.
CAS will come later. Destroying facilities is probably a good idea, beyond the close perimeter of the Blue side and the bases mentioned in the PDF. BLUFOR plan is to take Kwangju and Seoul as quickly as possible, they won’t stop for any factory on the way.
As for the F/A-18, it’s a BMS question, beyond my range.This kind of campaign finds an important benefit in MP. However, I suppose it can be enjoyed SP too, especially past the first phase.
Keep telling me what’s going on as long as you feel like to.
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Thanks Lorik. I’m having a ball!
SORTIE 2 Day 1 0400-0600 <<<<<
303 FS / F-16 Block 30 / Fukuoka AB
Sortie 2 / Day 1 0400
23 good ships, 46 pilotsAbout 0330, an SA-10 battalion was detected about 3 miles NE of Namwon. Probably this unit fired on my flight in the last mission resulting in KIA of my wingman, Lt. Sopa. It’s hard to tell, but this SA-10 unit may be on the mover and vulnerable to attack. Also, it is only 4 miles from topographic features to the southeast that offer cover for easy rifle or maybe a risky rockeye delivery.
A Tornado/STORMSHADOW ALCM attack against the SA-10 position to kill any stationary targets, with follow-up by F-16/rockeyes with SEAD cover from Tornado/ALARM was carefully considered. Our recently departed and fearless Lt. Sopa would favor such a bold move and I’m eager for payback, but revenge is better served cold. For now, we are sticking to the objectives. Also, suppressing SAMs near Sachon will make an attack against the SA-10 easier in the near future.
Somehow, the 303FS seems to have suffered another KIA - Maj. Allende was lost in the early hours of Day 1. All 23 aircraft are accounted for, plus the single jet that went down with Lt. Sopa aboard. No further details are available, which is very suspicious. Possibly a bar fight in Fukuoka City? Or maybe a dispute with a hooker, pimp, girlfriend, girlfriend’s husband, girlfriend’s father, or all of the above…
Battle Plans 0400-0700 Day 1 (I hope I get a chance to fly this soon):
1. AAR available over East China Sea
2. 303 FS to ingress at max altitude of 2000’ over Pusan
3. My flight will conduct rifle attacks on FCR for 14AD SA-3, 12AD SA-2, and 13AD SA-3 near Taegu to prep this area for SEAD, DEAD, Sweep, and Strike missions involving up to 48 aircraft. I’ll carry bombs to hit a secondary target like Wongdong Depot if I get the opportunity. Smaller air attacks against Pohang and Sachon areas will start 10 minutes earlier to draw any opposing CAP away from Taegu. The overall goal of these 3 attacks is to make the SE corner of the peninsula safer for CAP and CAS missions so that Sachon, Taegu, and Pohang can be captured with smaller losses.
4. Hornets from the 183FS will strike enemy radar at Manlipo and also nearby surface groups.
5. I have never used a STORMSHADOW, but the tacref says it has a 140nm standoff range which would be very useful against stationary targets on the roads from Pusan to Seoul. One Tornado from 41FS will test this awesome weapon by attacking Mukpo Power on the east coast from the east as the sun rises behind them. The IP for this attack is 150nm to the SE of Mukpo. Along the same route, a pair of 303FS F-16’s will attack the surface group near Yeongdong, also from the east.
6. Regular low altitude CAP flights covering the Kimhae-Pusan area, Fukuoka, and Carl Vinson are starting up at 0400-0430, Also JSTARS, KC-10, and E-2C are starting regular patrols over the ocean with some HAVCAP at higher altitude.
Results:
1. Heavy damage to enemy air defense and CCC units and facilities near Taegu and Sachon
2. Total destruction of enemy air defense units at Pohang
3. Three of four surface vessels of 12&13 SAG destroyed
4. Heavy damage to Mukpo power plant
5. Eleven kills of enemy MiG-21 jets. (Glad I assigned the sweep flights!)
6. Horrific losses of friendly aircraft (19):
__6.1 Eight F-16’s of 3 flights from 302FS unexpectedly slowed to <200kts, then sank into the ground near Sachon, most after releasing bombs, but some before.
__6.2 An entire flight of four F-16’s from 301FS crashed into a hillside shortly before reaching their IP south of Taegu.
__6.3 Seven AC (Tornado, M2000, and F-16) lost to SAM (4) and MANPAD (3)
__6.4 Twenty One pilots KIA, 1 MIA. Maj. Allende’s sordid affair is long forgotten now.
__6.5 Suspected AI pilot error cost 12 jets and 12 pilots KIA. This would be a lot less tragic in multiplayer!7. STORMSHADOW works as expected. Suitable and effective!
Feedback:
1. I’m glad I heeded Lorik’s warning about increasing air activity on day 1 and sent the sweep flights in with the strike packages.
2. AI seems to struggle when flying low - 12 AC lost in fights with the ground! Hopefully the block 50’s will arrive soon so I can kill the SA-10’s and start flying higher. I never fought an SA-10 before, so this will be interesting.
3. Really wish I was playing MP instead of SP - AI’s performance was disappointing in the last sortie.
4. I have fast-moving armor and mech. infantry to capture Kwangju, Sachon and Taegu, but none are near roads to Pohang. I may need to use an airmobile flight of C-130’s to pick up infantry and drop them near Pohang AB. I’ve never done this before either.
Questions:
1. Does anyone have ideas what happened to the nine lost 302FS jets? At first I wondered if they suffered blast damage from their Mk-20’s - but they dropped at 5,000’ which should be safe. Maybe one of the jets took AAA fire, but not all of them. The pilots had a good opportunity to bail out but didn’t. Pilot error?
2. Ditto for the F-16’s from 301FS. They were ingressing into Taegu at 1000’ behind a hill that shields them from SAMs from the 12AD and 14AD battalions, and they just flew into the hillside. On Tacview, it looks like pilot error.
3. Is there a way to plan around weaknesses in the AI low level flight, or should I just focus on killing the SA-10’s and then fly everyone higher?
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Great campaing, I’ve been flying for a couple of days.
I’m planning all flights except DCA.
Tomorrow I show progress
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Just finished day 1 (Still playing under 4.34) and am having a ball.
Pohang did not fall as easily as Sachon and Taegu. Also my amphibious assault forces on the west coast were mostly wiped out.
But I now have air superiority south of the 36th parallel, block 50 F-16’s to clean up air defenses, a dozen A-10 to shred opposing ground forces, and mighty B-52’s that can wipe out any stationary target.
Also happy to report that the SA-10 that killed my wingman in flight#1 is destroyed. I did it the hard way in a massive bum rush attack that overwhelmed the SAM sites in the area. There were casualties, but also so much glory.
I tried airmobile missions with CH-53’s and specops to seize key bridges and radar sites but the troops sort of go on vacation after they get off the helos. C-130’s and infantry battalions work a little better but several got mauled by mech infantry that rolled up on them from nowhere a few hours after the drop. Ouch!
Soon I will take Kwangju and then focus on the roadway to Seoul. I still have a dozen Tornadoes to wreak havoc with STORMSHADOW cruise missiles.