Herman Hum
05 Sep 05, 02:45
AAR: Qian Kong Kuai [Spoiler Alert]
By Brad Leyte
The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands comprise small volcanic islands and three rocky outcrops at the eastern edge of the East China Sea. The dispute between China and Japan over their sovereignty goes back 500 years, and with the potential of huge offshore oil and gas reserves in the region, shows no sign of resolution. Now China has begun to exploit the resource, and Japan has responded in kind. Now that the Taiwan and Korea questions have been answered, China feels daring enough to enforce its claim on the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Once again, competing economic interests in dangerous proximity result in military action. 1.0. SITREP: PRC forces have launched a surprise invasion of the Sakishima Islands, apparently in an effort to secure their foothold in the Senkaku/Diaoyu area. Chinese reinforcements are already enroute from the mainland, and intelligence indicates another task force is assembling at Daishan.
2.0. ORDERS: Destroy the invasion force that have invaded Sakishima. Primary targets are the airfield and ammunition dump. Interdict and destroy the enemy reinforcements before they can reach Sakishima.
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2899/qianstart2ed.th.gif (http://img384.imageshack.us/my.php?image=qianstart2ed.gif)
I launched my AEW assets to try and get a grasp on the situation over the Senkaku region. While I had ample resources under my control, many of the aircraft and ships started near Japan, fairly far from the action. My first move was to bolster the defences at Naha. I saw that a number of aircraft were already slated for the Ferry mission, but I elected to arm them before launching them. This would prove fortuitous.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1129/phibronintercept4uk.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phibronintercept4uk.gif)
My amphibious force was clearing the Strait of Tsushima when a hostile three ship SAG [Surface Action Group] consisting of Maanshan-, Luda-, Jianghu-class vessels was detected moving to intercept them. I launched the F-2 strike aircraft and they executed an attack "en passant" before heading to Naha to land. A flight of F-2 armed with ASMs killed the Maanshan and the Jianghu frigates while a follow-up Orion finished off the Luda with Harpoons. Just as they were about to land, an ALCM [Air-Launched Cruise Missile] attack arrived at Naha, too. Some of my first fighters had already landed and were out of play. This attack was very nicely timed by the enemy. If I had not delayed the departure of my assets from Japan, they would all have been caught on the ground re-fueling at Naha. Instead, they were able to shoot down the ALCMs just before they entered the landing pattern.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4884/alcmnaha8ly.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=alcmnaha8ly.gif)
Meanwhile, the AEW escorts killed a number of marauding Flanker fighters, but the Chinese hordes kept up the pressure. One CAP went Winchester [out of weapons state] and broke off to re-fuel and re-arm. The second patrol was left to try and parry the probes by the enemy interceptors. A little deft aerial judo sent most of the PRC Flankers into the sea. However, there simply weren't enough missiles to kill all the interlopers. The Sentinel was driven off-station but wasn't killed.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8125/horatioatthebridge3pf.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=horatioatthebridge3pf.gif)
At the start of hostilities, all friendly tanker traffic had been ordered out of the region. However, the Takashi had just finished loading from the rig and was late in her departure. Her tardiness cost her the lives of her crewmen as she was caught and killed by something huge, lethal, and nasty. The fighters were so busy defending themselves that they were unable to extend any protection to the civilians in the area. Subsequently, a Houjian missile boat was able to close and sink the Oil Rig operating in the area. A strategic loss along with a heavy cost in lives.
A number of JH-7 'materialized' on the doorstep to Naha from the direction of the occupied islands. Thankfully, a flight of Phantoms was not yet in the landing pattern and were able to dispatch them. The little buggers were almost invisible on the near-useless radar of the Phantoms. I re-routed the E-2 Hawkeye to provide much-needed coverage for Naah. A second raid by 14 JH-7 from the mainland was nicely timed over Naha. Only a few fighters were available, but the lack of LR AAMs on the strikers allowed the defenders to close and kill them with Sidewinders. Slowly, but surely, Sakashima was isolated from aerial contact with the mainland.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2435/phibronundersubattack4xl.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phibronundersubattack4xl.gif)
As an aerial cordon was being set up around the islands, torpedoes were detected inbound on the Sasebo PhibRon. Seahawks (only 2 of them available) launched immediately. Luckily an Orion was in the vicinity enroute to a Anti-Surface strike with its Harpoons. It was quickly re-tasked to this more urgent need. Sonobuoys were dropped as the helos flew outbound and were quickly able to pinpoint the inbound torpedoes. By triangulation and backtrack, an estimated launch point was determined and all three hunters raced to the datum. Soon, the water was filled with ASW homing torpedos as a succession of these weapons finally killed the now-identified PRC Kilo. However, the PhibRon still had to evade their own torpedoes. Shimakaze and Takanami both survived and, again, took up positions at the head of the PhibRon.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8398/bombsakishima7mn.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Once the F-15Js were able to establish an air-tight perimeter around the islands, the F-4 Phantoms and F-2s were able to exterminate a re-inforcement convoy from the mainland. With no further challenges from the mainland, the strike assets re-armed for air-to-mud action. A full strike of 20 Phantoms and 17 F-2s were easily able to demolish the facilities on the disputed islands and victory was awarded.
Thanks for another challenging scenario.
By Brad Leyte
The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands comprise small volcanic islands and three rocky outcrops at the eastern edge of the East China Sea. The dispute between China and Japan over their sovereignty goes back 500 years, and with the potential of huge offshore oil and gas reserves in the region, shows no sign of resolution. Now China has begun to exploit the resource, and Japan has responded in kind. Now that the Taiwan and Korea questions have been answered, China feels daring enough to enforce its claim on the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Once again, competing economic interests in dangerous proximity result in military action. 1.0. SITREP: PRC forces have launched a surprise invasion of the Sakishima Islands, apparently in an effort to secure their foothold in the Senkaku/Diaoyu area. Chinese reinforcements are already enroute from the mainland, and intelligence indicates another task force is assembling at Daishan.
2.0. ORDERS: Destroy the invasion force that have invaded Sakishima. Primary targets are the airfield and ammunition dump. Interdict and destroy the enemy reinforcements before they can reach Sakishima.
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2899/qianstart2ed.th.gif (http://img384.imageshack.us/my.php?image=qianstart2ed.gif)
I launched my AEW assets to try and get a grasp on the situation over the Senkaku region. While I had ample resources under my control, many of the aircraft and ships started near Japan, fairly far from the action. My first move was to bolster the defences at Naha. I saw that a number of aircraft were already slated for the Ferry mission, but I elected to arm them before launching them. This would prove fortuitous.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1129/phibronintercept4uk.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phibronintercept4uk.gif)
My amphibious force was clearing the Strait of Tsushima when a hostile three ship SAG [Surface Action Group] consisting of Maanshan-, Luda-, Jianghu-class vessels was detected moving to intercept them. I launched the F-2 strike aircraft and they executed an attack "en passant" before heading to Naha to land. A flight of F-2 armed with ASMs killed the Maanshan and the Jianghu frigates while a follow-up Orion finished off the Luda with Harpoons. Just as they were about to land, an ALCM [Air-Launched Cruise Missile] attack arrived at Naha, too. Some of my first fighters had already landed and were out of play. This attack was very nicely timed by the enemy. If I had not delayed the departure of my assets from Japan, they would all have been caught on the ground re-fueling at Naha. Instead, they were able to shoot down the ALCMs just before they entered the landing pattern.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4884/alcmnaha8ly.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=alcmnaha8ly.gif)
Meanwhile, the AEW escorts killed a number of marauding Flanker fighters, but the Chinese hordes kept up the pressure. One CAP went Winchester [out of weapons state] and broke off to re-fuel and re-arm. The second patrol was left to try and parry the probes by the enemy interceptors. A little deft aerial judo sent most of the PRC Flankers into the sea. However, there simply weren't enough missiles to kill all the interlopers. The Sentinel was driven off-station but wasn't killed.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8125/horatioatthebridge3pf.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=horatioatthebridge3pf.gif)
At the start of hostilities, all friendly tanker traffic had been ordered out of the region. However, the Takashi had just finished loading from the rig and was late in her departure. Her tardiness cost her the lives of her crewmen as she was caught and killed by something huge, lethal, and nasty. The fighters were so busy defending themselves that they were unable to extend any protection to the civilians in the area. Subsequently, a Houjian missile boat was able to close and sink the Oil Rig operating in the area. A strategic loss along with a heavy cost in lives.
A number of JH-7 'materialized' on the doorstep to Naha from the direction of the occupied islands. Thankfully, a flight of Phantoms was not yet in the landing pattern and were able to dispatch them. The little buggers were almost invisible on the near-useless radar of the Phantoms. I re-routed the E-2 Hawkeye to provide much-needed coverage for Naah. A second raid by 14 JH-7 from the mainland was nicely timed over Naha. Only a few fighters were available, but the lack of LR AAMs on the strikers allowed the defenders to close and kill them with Sidewinders. Slowly, but surely, Sakashima was isolated from aerial contact with the mainland.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2435/phibronundersubattack4xl.th.gif (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phibronundersubattack4xl.gif)
As an aerial cordon was being set up around the islands, torpedoes were detected inbound on the Sasebo PhibRon. Seahawks (only 2 of them available) launched immediately. Luckily an Orion was in the vicinity enroute to a Anti-Surface strike with its Harpoons. It was quickly re-tasked to this more urgent need. Sonobuoys were dropped as the helos flew outbound and were quickly able to pinpoint the inbound torpedoes. By triangulation and backtrack, an estimated launch point was determined and all three hunters raced to the datum. Soon, the water was filled with ASW homing torpedos as a succession of these weapons finally killed the now-identified PRC Kilo. However, the PhibRon still had to evade their own torpedoes. Shimakaze and Takanami both survived and, again, took up positions at the head of the PhibRon.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8398/bombsakishima7mn.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Once the F-15Js were able to establish an air-tight perimeter around the islands, the F-4 Phantoms and F-2s were able to exterminate a re-inforcement convoy from the mainland. With no further challenges from the mainland, the strike assets re-armed for air-to-mud action. A full strike of 20 Phantoms and 17 F-2s were easily able to demolish the facilities on the disputed islands and victory was awarded.
Thanks for another challenging scenario.