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Les Grenouilles
A variable-difficulty multiplayer strike mission in the Persian Gulf theatre for up to 8× Su-25, 8× Su-25T, and 8× M-2000C.
Alternative scoring is available in single-player, but the brief and general design assumes that multiple strike aircraft will be available. In addition, the opposition will scale with the number of aircraft active in the mission.
Briefing
A rainy morning in Shiraz, klaxons sound to signal that the vague intel dripping in over the last few weeks seem to be accurate: enemy forces are closing in to bombard and eventually occupy key positions in the city. The main thrust seems to be coming through the Kazerun valley to the west, but equally vague intel from other sources has warned that this is partially a distraction; that the main thrust will come from Yasuj in the north-west. So far, no word has been passed down on whether that is true or not, but the Kazerun attack is clearly and definitely coming. If not stopped, the valley will easily be bypassed and enemy forces will reach the city in just over an hour.
Fortunately, the terrain is what it is. There are only so many ways they can come through with any kind of real offensive capability, and those newfangled drones are already in the air, ready to spot targets for the heavy hitters. They will do the aiming while you do the fancy flying — now if only you remembered how to actually use your laser-guided weapons with someone else picking the target…
On-board VHF radios on all aircraft have been preset to the following channels:
1: Intra-flight (124 MHz / 225 MHz) 2: Shiraz ATC (121.9 MHz / 250.35 MHz) 3: Guard (127 MHz / 251 Mhz) 4: GCI (301 Mhz)
Situation
Objectives
- Destroy artillery columns coming through the Kazerun valley (WP2).
- Destroy potential secondary attack coming down eastern corridor from Yasuj (WP3).
Navigation:
- Shiraz: TACAN 94X, VOR 117.8, ILS 109.9
- For Mirages, WP4 is designated as Bullseye.
General concept
The central conceit of the mission is the use of automated AI buddy-lasing to guide weapons and aircraft that usually are not used in this way. The Su-25:s tend to rely on their own lasers for guidance, and the M-2000C is more commonly used as a fast interceptor. Here, the setup, the terrain, and the mix of enemy units makes it necessary to spot targets from much farther distances and in much more cluttered environment than is often used — the only aircraft that must rely on its own weapon guidance is the Su-25, mainly due to limitations in how weapon employment works, but even in this aircraft, the buddy lasing will give you a precise position at very long ranges that you can plan your attack around.
In addition, while the Mirages can fairly trivially avoid, evade, or just defeat most of the ground defensive systems, their presence is likely to provoke heavier air defences, meaning they have to serve double duty and also take care of incoming aircraft. Similarly, the Su-25T is likely to need to take on a SEAD role, but cannot employ its usual Shkval+Vikhr loadout for regular armoured targets.