Editing Mercenaries and planes (section)

=== FSB: "Granite Fulcrum" ===
====Briefing====
*BlackFlag External Document
 #100357
*Mission Briefing
“Granite Fulcrum”
*Source
FSB (Russian Federal Security Service)
*Deployment
Gyandzha (Azerbaijan)
*Pancake
Gyandzha (Azerbaijan)
*Alternate
Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan)
*AAR
None
*AWACS
None
*CSAR
Spetznaz Team Omni, detached from Vympel (Vega Group)
*Contract Employer
Russian Federation
*Objective
Destruction of [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Imeni+Molotova,+Georgia&sll=41.540064,44.132767&sspn=0.101505,0.112782&g=tsalka+georgia&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Imeni+Molotova,+Georgia&ll=41.548873,44.121019&spn=0.006343,0.011137&t=h&z=17 Khrami hydroelectric station #2.]

*Background
My name is Sergei, my rank and title are unimportant. I have been tasked by the FSB to act as a liaison between your squadron and Central command. While unorthodox, central command believes that hiring “Hell's Black Aces” to perform the initial stages of our ongoing Georgia operation will significantly enhance the Maskirovka we are aiming to produce. You will be informed of your missions by me, and me alone. Ongoing operations in theatre will not be discussed with you, unless required. Adherence to operational security protocols is essential, from this point forward assume everything you say is monitored. Should you be captured, the Russian Federation will deny all knowledge of you and your actions. Failure to comply with the regulations outlined in the documents before you, as well as the instructions of your liaison officer, will be considered an act of treason while you are operating under contract to the FSB and the Russian Federation. Understood? Good. Your first assignment is simple. Take out the Khrami hydroelectric station. This is the first step in the Maskirovka. We have prepared special air dropped munitions, built with low-grade explosives designed to simulate a typical IED or saboteur strike. We believe that dropped in sufficient quantity, they will adequately cripple power production while being untraceable. You will be operating out of Azerbaijan, which has provided and airfield for your use throughout the duration of this campaign. Our aim is to ensure the world community believes that an internal faction is beginning terrorist acts as a precursor to civil war. It is of utmost importance that the Russian Federation not be involved in these initial operations, and as such, any penetration of Russian Sovereign Airspace will be considered penetration by hostile forces, and Air Defense will respond accordingly.

*HUMINT
None.
*ELINT
None.
*SATINT
Yantar-4 pass and Bars confirmation shows the hydroelectric station is located in the depths of the Khrami river valley. While no obvious defensive stations are present, the area surrounding the complex is heavily wooded, providing cover for mobile air defense. We are still going over the radar imaging data, but current analysis has not located defensive positions or equipment.
*Air Assets
Unknown
*Surface Assets
Unknown
*Threat Assessment
Medium-Low. The Georgians are still reeling from their conflict with the Russian Federation. The morale of their military forces is at an all time low, and their air-defense forces are in shambles. Maintain a stealthy approach, and we believe you will be able to slip in and out with minimal risk.
*ROE
Do not fire unless fired upon, or if operational security would be compromised.

====Recap====
We started by asking a lot of questions. We found out the base we were stationed at was pretty well loaded for air defense, although we would be on our own in Georgia. We were under strict orders to stay within the base, and to not be seen or heard, as part of operational security. Purchasing western gear would be more difficult, but the Russians could manage, for a price. We all decided to spend a week (of game time) upgrading our aircraft to be compatible with Russian tech (except Hugs who was laughing) so that we could take advantage of the heavy discounts on it over other armaments. Our new pilot, the Judge, chose a MiG-29, an earlier model, but not too old. We asked about the munitions, and found out they were manufactured to leave chemical traces, not mechanical. We also talked about dropping truck parts, but in the end decided against it, there were too many ways it could remove from the ruse. We armed all the planes except Hugs with the bombs, and a few other atg stuff, and some point defense for air. We all took countermeasures pods as well. Hugs just loaded his Flanker for air to air.

We decided to plan our flight south of Georgia, and come in from Armenia. Hugs told us an idea, and we asked Steve about the viability, and suddenly, I had a new job. It would require some luck, but it might pay off. I changed the loadout of my plane, and took off with Hugs, towards the south. Sandy, Judge and Scotch all took off about thirty minutes later, when they got the call from us, and took off towards Armenia, planning to angle North once they got the signal from me. Hugs and myself were hugging an airliner, which was oblivious to us. So far, everything was going well. Our airliner (we knew) was flight planned south of Georgia, landing Munich. I told my backseater to start the plan. About a minute later, we knew this was going to work.

We were suddenly getting hit by a lot of radars. We kept following the aircraft above us, and I relayed some information to Hugs, who copied it down, and turned south slightly. I got the ok from my backseater, and shifted to follow hugs in close formation. The airliner continued on it's flight path, now heading towards Georgia, thanks to the GPS exploit my electronic warfare pod had done on it's autopilot/nav system. My e/w pod was jamming the radio frequency used by ATC. Meanwhile, Hugs had turned on his IFF, set to the same code as the Airliners transponder, and was now flying towards the original flight plan route. We started tracking all the search and fire control radars that were hunting the off course airliner, as we flew, mostly unmolested by that same tracking system.

Hugs called, telling me that he had two heat sources approaching the airliner, at speed, from the rear. His IR system punched back an image, and he correctly identified them as F-16s. We continued on our way, with Hugs watching the intercept. The F-16s spent some time behind the airliner, but then one drew up beside it. He lost tack at that point, as they moved out of range of his IRST system. Our last track on them put them in the right spot though, so we called to the ground strike force, and told them their mission was now a go. They were very low, and began their run towards the hydro plant, with Sandy in the lead. Ten miles out, Sandy executed a sharp pop-up maneuver, and his RIO turned on the FLIR pod strapped to the belly.

Sandy made his roll, and illuminated a truck sitting in the parking lot near the hydro building. Scotch was first over the target, and dumped both his Laser guided Russian special bombs. Next over the target was Judge, who actually missed with about half his strike, wasting a lot of ordnance on the reservoir. The other half peppered the hydro building. Sandy had rolled over, completing the maneuver, aimed at the hydro building (on fire now) upside down. He rolled out, and released his payload, raining destruction over the damaged building. All three of them continued down the valley, turning five miles later, heading around towards Armenia again. Hugs and myself started blowing chaff from our countermeasure packs, and started a fast dive towards the ground. That's when Sandy paid for skimping on maintenance. On his high speed run, his engine broke down, with oil and temp warnings blaring in his cockpit.

We were still a ways out, Sandy throttle back immediately, and changed course, heading straight south. He started a slow climb, so if his other engine failed, he could glide for a while. The other two strike aircraft rocketed back to base, while I followed. Hugs flew to Sandy, and began escorting him, using his IR tracker instead of his Radar to search for problems. They both turned left towards home base once they were in Armenia, Sandy nursing his remaining engine, (essentially paying little to no attention to his other instruments). Hugs then spotted something on the IR track, fairly hot, moving towards them at speed, from Georgia.

Hugs kept an eye on it, but it became clear that they weren't going to escape it. Sandy altered course a bit, but it did as well. It was still unknown, since Hugs didn't have the altitude advantage for his ir track (higher, colder air improved it apparently) but it wasn't radiating. The only radar was ground based, search radar, no actual fire control. Hugs wasn't sure, so he descended to ground level, and Sandman decided to play it cool, flipping on nav lights. The target closed, looking to arrive behind Sandy. As it pulled in closer, Hugs got a good look at it finally, it was an F-5. Hugs relayed this to Sandy who wasn't too happy about it. They quickly decided there was only one course of action. Sandy hit his radio jammer, and Hugs looked up, targeted the F-5, and blasted two Archers at it. The F-5 was caught by surprise. No flares, nothing. It took both Archers, blowing itself to pieces. Hugs stayed low, and Sandy continued on. We expected something else, but nothing ever showed up. We all landed safely. We asked Steve, and he said that the mission would have been a lot harder if we hadn't messed up the airliner's nav system. He didn't tell us how much harder though. We do know where a lot of Radar sites are though now. What we don't know is where these planes are from, they're not Georgian air force.

====Summary====
Mission Success 
*Air Kills
**Hugs: 1xNorthrop F-5

*Air Incidentals
** DLH983 flight diverted and force to land in Tblisi after violating Georgian airspace and being intercepted. Pilots detained by Georgian Intelligence service, plane impounded by Georgian Air Force pending investigation.

*Ground Kills
**The Judge: Hydro Facility
**Sandman: Hydro Facility
**Scotch: Truck (Hydro Facility)

*Ground Incidentals
**The Judge: Family of ducks, gardening shed
**All three: Hydro workers (34)

*Damage Taken
**Sandman: Failed Oil Pump, minor engine overheat damage.