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Command: Modern Air & Naval Operations: Let's Play and Expansions

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poaw

poaw

The opposite of Doja Cat
This thread is me, talking about Command: Modern Air and Naval Operations.

You may also talk about C:MANO, or talk about me talking about C:MANO or even talk about other people talking about me talking about C:MANO (or about other people talking about C:MANO).

For the uninitiated C:MANO is simulation focusing on post World War 2 air and naval conflict Harpoon. That's all you're gonna wanna read on the subject before running off to google it for yourself.
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Scenario: The Big Stick

Today I felt like honoring the western responsibility to protect by bombing Syria, circa 2013. Our proud liberators are an American aircraft carrier and associated battle group, a French carrier and associated battle group, an Ohio-class SSGN, along with a handful of airbases; one mostly filled with NATO aircraft (and A-10s) one filled with F-15Es, and one way the fuck in jolly old England (or not, I don't know where England is on a map, I just assume it's England because it's on that island that is Europe's unibrow and I know the Scots bent the knee to Longshanks; or something, it's been awhile since I last read a book about the history of Britain watched Braveheart).

Ok now that I've established the background (oh yeah I forgot to mention the enemy forces, so far a bunch of buildings, I dunno they're not even hostile so I figure I'm not supposed to attack yet, I'll let you know when I read the briefing) let me ready my forces....
I have a bunch of assorted stuff, for brevity's sake I've named all of the random NATO stuff "The European Ideal" based out of RAF Akrotiri, the 48 F-15Es are "The American Dream" based out of NAS Souda Bay, and the strategic bombers in England/Scotland/WHEREVER (now that I look it's...RAF Fairford) are called "...." because I can't see them on my screen and forget about them constantly, the American and French carriers get referred to as "the French and American carriers" because I don't feel like being clever about that.

I'm readying some incredibly heavy SEAD/DEAD forces. I don't plan on using many aircraft launched bombs, instead preferring to go in heavy on their IADS early. Then ass jam them with cruise missiles until Barack Obama tells me to stop. The ratio of ARM carriers to total forces is a about 1:3 with the ratio between ARM carriers against aircraft that can carry ARMs is more like 4:5. I now have 6 hours to wait until my strikes are ready....

(Yes, I know the pic is from several hours in, I've been running the game while I write this.)

 
Super exciting update: I have MALD-Js available.

For those who don't know, TALDs are decoys, they fly around saying "I'm a plane, I'm a plane. Me gusta SAM launches! Me gusta SAM launches!" They work ain't for stimulating defense and getting air defenses to waste shots. For extra pro-moves I send a jammer up behind them to make even more SAMs miss and to handle the detection/classification of the radars. Then I follow in with HARMs, and blow big holes in their IADS (2 lanes each way).

Sorta wondering how to handle this.

Also: I attempted to read the briefing, I won't be trying that again any time soon.
Situation

A US led coalition of forces has been tasked with enforcing the UNSCR requiring Syria to place its CW beyond use. The time for talking has now reached an end with the USA, France and UK joining with forces from Canada, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark and Greece.

Command and Control

NATO operation - SACEUR

Subordinates

  • JFC(Naples)
    • CAOC 7
  • COMSIXTHFLT
    • CTF 60
Mission

You are to carry out limited scope surgical strikes on the CW facilities of Syria. There are two main complexes that are to be eliminated, with a third that should be eliminated if time and forces allow. You have 54 hours to conduct operations to facilitate this.

Site one is near the city of Hamah, in 3 sub-sites and consists of a series of ammo storage facilities both hardened and surface.

Site two is near the city of Homs on the outskirts of a village called Shinshar and again consists of series of ammo storage facilities again hardened and surface.

Each site has a communications bunker, which serves as command and control for the troops guarding and servicing the stored CW.

Additionally a third location has been identified that is involved in the continued production and staging of CW. This site is on the outskirts of Damascus at Adra Industrial City. Extreme care will need to be exercise if attacking this location as the units responsible for the CW production are scattered in amongst civilian factories.

Your strikes should eliminate all the storage facilities at the two main sites. You are to accomplish this with minimal losses. If possible you should endeavour to destroy the Industrial plants producing CW and ammo storage areas (near Damascus).

OpFor

The majority of Syrian AD units are still active. The main threat to coalition air forces will be from the comprehensive layered SAM systems that the Syrians employ including the formidable SA-5. The Syrian AF should not be discounted and has a number of MiG-29, 25, 23 and 21's.

The Syrians also possess anti-ship batteries of SSC-1 Styx and SSC-5 Sapless missiles, with the latter having a range sufficient to reach out to 160 miles or more. The navy relies on old OSA 2 missile boats, armed with SS-N-2C Styx missiles.

Finally, the Russians are about to conduct the unloading of 3 LST ships at Tartus. Intelligence suggests that these may be carrying a reinforced S-300PMU-2 group. Unloading is already underway and it is believed it will be completed in the next 24 hours. Direct action against the Russian ships is not sanctioned, but strikes against the port facilities at Tartus are within ROE. Collateral damage to Russian units is to be avoided at all costs.

ROE and Limitations

  1. Action taken in self defence is always permitted.
  2. Only CW storage and production facilities are legitimate targets.
  3. Russian units are not to be targeted unless in line with 1 above.
  4. Syrian AD units may be targeted only as far as to facilitate 2.
  5. Lebanese airspace is out of bounds to all NATO forces - Israeli dictated.
  6. Turkish, Israeli and Jordanian airspace may not be used to enter Syrian airspace.
  7. The use of nuclear weapons is not authorised.
Forces at your disposal include:

TG 60.1 USS H W Bush Flag - CVW-8 Embarked

TG 60.2 FS Charles De Gaulle Flag - Aviation Navale Air Wing Embarked

RAF Akrotiri - 391 AEW

NAS Souda Bay - 392 AEW

RAF Fairford - 509 BW

Emcon

  • Surface Units - Unrestricted
  • Air Units - Unrestricted
  • Sub-surface Units - Limited
Notes for the player:

It will seem like you have a lot of Tomahawk missiles at your disposal - use them wisely you will never feel you have enough. You might be able to use them to strike all the targets on your list - but you only get the points if you destroy them. When you run out, you are down to manned aircraft.

You don't get many points per target and victory levels are set high to reflect the fact that you have to effectively dismantle the Syrian CW capability. Losing aircraft will cost you a lot of points, so you don't want to lose too many - but don't kid yourself, this is no walk in the park and you will lose some.

The Syrians are going to fight back. They have a huge number of Surface to Air missiles at their disposal and other potentially nasty surprises.

Some actions have penalties; some of the penalties will be severe.

You will have more fun (honestly) if you dont take out the Syrian Airfields - I have modelled these as single unit to make the game more playable, if you take advantage of this fact by destroying them (because it is easier to do this to single unit airfields, then you will lose the flavour of what I was trying to present to you - your call of course).

Suggested Tactics


· It is not necessary to dismantle the Syrian IADS in order to accomplish this mission.

· You have recce assets, use them; they will save you time effort, losses and embarrassment...

· If you lose aircraft you will lose a lot of points

· Daylight can be your friend; things are lot easier to visually ID when it's light...


Update: Morning came and fired an event, I was wondering what it did while I adding the briefing and I come back to this....


The yellow things are Syrian aircraft. Most of them probably fighters....shit just got real.
 
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In preparation for the upcoming air and cruise missile strikes I launched my bombers from Britain...in ignorance of modern geopolitical concerns.



God damn hippies.

Anyway, I forgot to explain what MALD-Js are, they're the same thing as a TALD, except the MALD-J also jams, so I don't need to dedicate jammers to covering them. Only 30 more minutes and I'll be ready-ish (still gonna hold off so that the cruise missiles, HARMs, Jammers, and bombers are all coming in at once.
 
6 B-52H with 8 CALCM
2 B-2 with 16 JASSM

I have 6 more B-52s readying with more CALCM back in Scotland.

EDIT: A single Syrian recon plane is flying around where my fleets would have been if I hadn't redirected them. I can't just shoot it down because we aren't CLEARED HOT yet, but I'm shadowing it.
 
OK, after a brief technical issue, (CMANO was literally melting my power cords, avoid Targus brand power supplies) I'm back.

My bombers have made it down, although the B-52s have to refuel so it'll be a bit longer. I sent off the first round of TLAM strikes from my SSGN and CSG. I never quite internalized just how little strike capability European navies have. The SSGN has 154 missiles, the CSG has like 350 or so, the European fleet has 16 land attack missiles (SCALP EG on the FREMM). Not cool Old World, very very not cool.

Anyway, I have 2 EA-18Gs airborne providing jamming support, and just put up most of my backline (ELINT bird, AWACS, and a J-Stars). I was getting decent hits on the mobile launchers and everything when I hit a hiccup. Apparently Syria has a Navy or something, luckily I decided to hedge my bets in just such a case. So I had some aircraft readied with AShM, a whole three of them (Rafales).

There is a lesson here, scouting is important before you make your plans.

The war looks likes this:


Not pictured: In position SEAD/DEAD assets.
 
Now Pictured: In position SEAD/DEAD assets mass launching ARMs and the next wave of TLAMs jk just out of frame.


Update: A quirk of ARMs in real life and in game...if a stronger emitter is on the same bearing, they'll go after that one...

Unrelated, I just fired on several Russian vessels. Not with my Exocets (thank god), but I fired ARMs at them. So uh...I'll tell you what happens.

The lesson here is a repeat of the previous one; you should scout your targets beforehand.
 
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Hilarity ensues in Syria
  • Threadmarks
    • Quicky update

    I found the actually-Syrian Syrian Navy and sent my Rafales in then fired off their Exocets at them. Problem was, the Russian ships were on the same bearing and relatively close to the Syrian ships. So their seeker clicked and and hilarity ensued.

    I sank a Russian ship so in retaliation they've deployed advanced SAMs around the port to "protect" their ships.

    I am a fucking champion over here.
    A Custer of the High Seas. Sir Lord Admiral Custer of Wounded Knee.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • poaw said:
    Quicky update

    I found the actually-Syrian Syrian Navy and sent my Rafales in then fired off their Exocets at them. Problem was, the Russian ships were on the same bearing and relatively close to the Syrian ships. So their seeker clicked and and hilarity ensued.

    I sank a Russian ship so in retaliation they've deployed advanced SAMs around the port to "protect" their ships.

    I am a fucking champion over here.
    A Custer of the High Seas. Sir Lord Admiral Custer of Wounded Knee.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Wait a minute. The advanced SAMs probably use more powerful radars. So your ARMs will lock onto them first, won't they? Oh man.
     
    anon_user said:
    Wait a minute. The advanced SAMs probably use more powerful radars. So your ARMs will lock onto them first, won't they? Oh man.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    That would be a problem if I wasn't making it my mission in life to destroy as fast as possible. Instead I did attempted that with a flight of 4 F-16s armed with HARMs.

    In this post: a SA-20 and SA-26 eating shit after no-selling the tactical tomahawks I targeted onto them.


    Since the front door has been effectively kicked in I'm now going to start with fighter sweeps to clear some of their backfield fighter coverage so I can offload the cruise missiles from my stealth bomber and start bringing in the strikers to break things 4 srs.
     
    poaw said:
    Quicky update

    I found the actually-Syrian Syrian Navy and sent my Rafales in then fired off their Exocets at them. Problem was, the Russian ships were on the same bearing and relatively close to the Syrian ships. So their seeker clicked and and hilarity ensued.

    I sank a Russian ship so in retaliation they've deployed advanced SAMs around the port to "protect" their ships.

    I am a fucking champion over here.
    A Custer of the High Seas. Sir Lord Admiral Custer of Wounded Knee.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I am so glad you're not actually an admiral, Poaw. :p
     
    poaw said:
    Quicky update

    I found the actually-Syrian Syrian Navy and sent my Rafales in then fired off their Exocets at them. Problem was, the Russian ships were on the same bearing and relatively close to the Syrian ships. So their seeker clicked and and hilarity ensued.

    I sank a Russian ship so in retaliation they've deployed advanced SAMs around the port to "protect" their ships.

    I am a fucking champion over here.
    A Custer of the High Seas. Sir Lord Admiral Custer of Wounded Knee.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Poaw Plays Command: Modern Air And Naval Operations: The Prequel to the Fallout Series.
     
    Whiskey Golf said:
    So tempted to sig this. You're some kind of SIGINT ninja but pats at this large scale command thing. ^_^;
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    To serve as poaw's JAG at the inevitable tribunal, how do we know it wasn't a cunning plan of the Russians to place their ships in harms way? They knew poaw was a quintessential American commander in his aggressiveness, and therefore positioned ships in such a way as to increase the chance they'd be hit!
     
    Don't worry too much about the "collateral damage," those people self-evidently needed more freedom and democracy, else your missiles and bombs wouldn't have blown them up. Charge ahead, and have faith in your servicemen! :grin:

    Also, this is hilarious, and I look forward to everything else that goes...fun.
     
    LordSquishy said:
    I am so glad you're not actually an admiral, Poaw. :p
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    MJ12 Commando said:
    Poaw Plays Command: Modern Air And Naval Operations: The Prequel to the Fallout Series.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Exposure said:
    I have to say, I thought the whole Syrian intervention idea was a bad one, but I didn't think it could have ended up being this bad of an idea. :eek:


    :p
    Click to expand...
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    Whiskey Golf said:
    So tempted to sig this. You're some kind of SIGINT ninja but pats at this large scale command thing. ^_^;
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Oh man, IRL I would have been fired by now. At this point I am forced to sink more Russia ships because their SAMs are shooting at me and my PGMs. I tasked a flight of F-18Cs from the American carrier, and a flight of Super Retards from the French one to drop JSOWs and LGBs onto the remaining ships and port facilities.

    Right now I'm conducting fighter sweeps. I'll have Rufus know that the first AA kills were made by my Rafales, then the Typhoons got in a few, my Hornets were the last (but they've gotten the only WVR kills). I'm taking a page out of Captain James Thatch's playbook to enforce my air superiority, namely the Big Blue Blanket. Instead of splitting my fighters into sweeps and escorts and the various CAPs I'm putting my fighters directly over the Syrian airfields, allowing my other aircraft to freely roam around leisurely.

    Picture (A big blue blanket):


    PS at some point I hit some civilian shipping that was in or around the port too. Fuck it right? I mean I've already screwed up enough of the politics what a few dozen merchant mariners. Also I think Israel is firing SAMs at me too, I can't really tell because I rotating between dedicated EW aircraft ATM while I work.
     
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