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See ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters Hint, Solution, Solution #2, Solution #3, Cheat-code here!
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Hint for ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters
*** GROUND TARGET-STRIKE, SEAD, ETC. ***
* Ground attack missions are usually the most dangerous. You have to divide
your ordnance between air-to-air and air-to-ground, so you are limited in your
capacity to put up a good fight against any bogies you may encounter. You have
to know when to run and when to fight. It will ruin your day if you take out
your target but have to eject 50 miles from home.
* A good basic loadout for a ground mission is 3 HARMs, 4 Mavericks, the rest
bombs.
* For a heavily defended ground mission, vary your ordnance. For example, if
you're taking an X-32 on a truck-stamping mission, load it up with AGM-88
HARMs, LAW-61 rockets and a couple of AlM-120s for air defense.
* Prioritize your targets. Get helicopters first, for example, then any AAA.
You can sometimes ignore SAM and tanks, and trucks are sitting ducks.
* For example, if you're after a convoy of trucks, toggle the HARM seeker on
(M) when you get close enough, and take out whatever's the most dangerous for
low and slow approaches (such as ZSUs). Then make a low, slow pass or two for
tanks and other low-importance threats. Finally, make a couple of rocket
passes over the trucks and Mission Accomplished.
* Have your wingman take out helicopters. They are easy kills, but can be
trouble at close range. After the helicoptesr are gone, have your wingman
concentrate on the other threats, while you accomplish the objective.
* If you've got to deal with both AAA and SAMs, target the AAA first.
* When your targets are clustered, try to take out as many as possible with
each bomb. Choose a central location to drop your bombs.
* If two targets are near each other, line them up on your approach. Try to
take them both out with one missile.
* When attacking an airbase or carrier, watch for planes about to take off.
They're much easier to kill when they're on the ground and unable to shoot
back.
* Try not to make slow circles around your targets. Boom and zoom is the name
of the game. If you didn't finish the job the first time, you can always turn
around and make another pass.
* Ground targets tend not to show up on your radar sweeps unless they are
ships or missile silos. Keep your eyes open.
*** SHIP SINKING ***
1. Don't get any closer than necessary to your target. Approximately seven
miles away is the safety limit.
2. Release your missile when you get a good hit percentage.
3. Turn away and begin a tight circle. Keep your distance from the targets
fairly constant. This should keep you out of missile range (if any).
4. Target the next ship and tell your wingman to engage from formation.
5. Tell your wingman to fire at your target.
6. Wait until your first missile has struck its target, then fire another
missile at a new target.
7. Continue this process until all mission objectives are destroyed.
8. As soon as the targets are destroyed, afterburn out of the vicinity.
* Send your wingmen after any escorts while you home in on mission objective
ships.
* Don't fly over ships after you kill them You might take damage.
* Take AGM-84A Harpoons, if possible, as they allow you a long range, high
percentage, high damage shot. AM-39 Exocets are also good long range
anti-ships.
* Remember that your wingman will only have one missile in the air for each
target, so vary his targets to keep him firing. Remember, he's loaded as many
anti-ship missiles as you haveTkeep track of how many he fires, and make sure
he uses them all.
* Keep in mind that what you load is what your wingmen loadTuse this knowledge
to take up some air-to-air weapons if you'll need them.
*** NIGHTTIME ***
* Stealth is life.
* If you are in a reasonably stealthy plane, caught in a nest of enemies all
searching for you, don't panic and expose your position. Just stay steady and
quiet, and do everything at the last minute. Threats can almost run into you
without seeing you.
* Stay high and quiet. Don't open your bay until the last minute. Keep your
eye on the objective. When you do get detected, turn on your jammers (if you
use them), use flare and chaff to divert the fire, complete your objective and
get out of there.
*** ESCORT ***
* On a mission where you have to protect another aircraft or ship from attack
you not only have to stay alive but keep something else (usually something as
big and helm less such as a C-5A) from being destroyed. A lot of this will
come from plain, dumb luck.
* Use your wingman carefully, sending him to keep one group of inbound
fighters busy while you destroy another group.
* You've got to destroy each wing of enemy fighters as quickly as possible in
order to intercept the next wing.
* If a wing of three fighters is attacking, more than likely you have the
undivided attention of two of them. The third one is quite likely to continue
on his way toward his target.
*** MIGCAP ***
* A good general loadout is AIM9M on wingtips, 2 AA-11 Archers, and the rest
AlM-120s. (If you're concerned with realism, though, you might not want to put
Russian Archers on a Western plane.)
* MlGCAPs are a little easier since you have a good idea that your
targets are going to be at a specific waypoint.
* You will run into strays every now and then, but stay focused and clear a
path for other aircraft.
* If you take off from your runway, make sure your wingman has time to catch
up before you autopilot to your first waypoint.
* Identify the threats that can hit you from the longest range, and take them
out first.
* Always eliminate air targets before engaging ground targets.
* Keep your radar at maximum, in order to detect any bogeys within a large
radius of the waypoint you are clearing.
* If there are multiple bandits, target the closest, and try to take them on
one by one.
* Watch your six!
*** 8ARCAP ***
(Example sequence):
1. Range your radar all the way out after taking off, en route to your first
waypoint.
2. When you find a bogey and get his bearing, turn your radar off and head
toward him.
3. At this point you can give your wingman the command to approach left
[Alt-6]
4. When you are about halfway to the enemy, turn on the radar and check the
current status.
5. Do an [F6] view to see how many bad guys are on your wingman's wing, or
switch on your radar quickly, then shut it off.
6. Tell your wingman to approach low [Alt-8]
7. Go into a climb, hoping the bogeys go for your wingman.
8. Once in weapon range, tell your wingman to engage your target [Alt-E]
9. Keep an eye on your RWR to see if any of the bad guys are targeting you. If
they are, you know they see you, so turn your radar back on.
10. Fight like you mean it.
11. Every so often hit [Alt-P] to tell your wingman to clear your six just in
case someone is targeting you.
12. When the area is clear, go to the next waypoint and repeat the process.
* After the bad guys are down, fly a slow circle and range your radar out to
find all targets.
* If any fighter element contains newer fighters (Flankers, Fulcrums, Rafales,
etc.), use your BVR missiles to even up the odds.
* Definitely use guns against older fighters (i.e., F-4s, P-5s, MiG21 s,
etc.).
* If you are very damaged and the guys you encounter on the way home are not
mission objectives, you can drop down to about 500 feet and try to sneak by
them.
* One way of handling BARCAPs is to release your wingman in the first couple
of interventions. Wait until your shot percentage is above 65%, otherwise he
will shoot early and waste his ammo. After he is out of missiles, have him
stay in a loose formation and protect you while you finish the mission with
your weapons.
* If you don't have a wingman yew can usually go through the same procedure
(steps above steps 1-12), if you first try to take one bad guy from each group
with a BVR missile shot to even up the odds a little bit.
Excerpted from:
The Official Guide to Jane's - ATF
Advanced Tactical Fighters (tm)
(C) 1996 Electronic Arts
Used with permission
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Solution for ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters
Campaign Notes: Egypt 1998
Written by Marcus Spears
Date: July 19, 1998
------------------------------
Notes: This mission guide was written with the assistance of the
Official Guide to Jane's ATF, Copyright 1996 Electronic Arts.
When I give one loadout, it is what I consider to be the best
loadout for the default plane for that particular mission (which
may not be the same as the default loadout for the plane). If I
give two or more loadouts, the second one is the one I prefer.
Initial Planes available: One B-2, three F-117s, four X-31s,
three F-22s.
------------------------------
Mission One: Hourglass
Briefing: You must escort an Aurora spyplane to your airstrip. There
are six enemy fighters that will attempt to destroy the Aurora. Near
Nav Alpha there are two average Mirage 2000s, near Nav Point Charlie
there are two average F-5E Tigers, and two F-16 Fighting Falcons near
Nav Point Delta. I suggest, after takeoff, that you turn slightly left
and set your radar to 100 NM so you can see the Mirages on your radar
and head directly towards them. Fire an AMRAAM at one of them, and
order your wingman to attack the other. Note: Wait until you get a
good firing solution before ordering your wingman to engage, or he
may shoot too early and waste ammo. If you have the time and patience,
order your wingman to disengage after he has fired one missile and wait
to see if it destroys the target. If it does not, order him to attack
that target again. Otherwise, he is likely to waste missiles by firing
two or three when only one was needed. You may be in the middle of a
dogfight and may not be able to spare the time to do this, but whenever
possible help him save his missiles for more important targets.
Now, turn southeast towards Nav Point Delta and you should be able to
target the F-5s. Take them out the same way, then engage the two F-16s,
then you can either wait for the Aurora to land, or go ahead and land and
wait for the "Mission Complete" message. The mission is complete as soon
as the Aurora comes to a complete stop and begins to taxi to the hangar.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs. Note:
It's better to use the AIM-9M Sidewinders in the early missions of a
campaign, and save the AIM-9X missiles (which are more accurate, less
likely to be decoyed, and have a slightly longer range) for later.
Also note that you are not required to take a full load of fuel; in
fact, you should be able to finish this mission with only 10,000 lbs
of fuel. This substantially reduces your weight and improves your
maneuverability slightly, which may help you in a dogfight.
------------------------------
Mission Two: Rebel Waltz
Briefing: Your job is to defend a convoy of three Sacramento-class
frigates, full of supplies desperately needed by the secular government.
The Islamic rebels are sending two Rafales (one average, one good) and
three F-4s (all good) to destroy the convoy. These five planes are
your primary objective. Unfortunately, the Rafales are being escorted
by three average F-16s, and the F-4s are being escorted by three average
Mirage IIIs. This mission is pretty tough.
Skip Nav Alpha. Turn directly for Nav Bravo, and go into a climb... an
altitude advantage is important in any air battle. Turn on your radar,
set it to 100 NM, and target the first of the F-16s as soon as possible.
Turn your radar off, switch to your AMRAAM missiles, and keep an eye on
the accuracy indicator and the distance-to-target readout in the enemy
view (Shift-4). Even though you can't launch an AMRAAM without your
radar, it still shows the accuracy indicator. At about 25 nm, order
your wingman to approach left (Alt-6). Wait a few seconds, then order
him to approach low (Alt-8) while you approach at 15 to 20 thousand
feet. With luck, one or more of the F-16s will engage him and they
won't spot you. When it reaches about 75% to 80%, order your wingman
to engage the F-16s (you don't want him firing prematurely and giving
away your position, and you don't want him to waste any ammo either...
remember, there are two of you, but eleven planes to shoot down).
The F-16s get priority... they're the ones who'll fire missiles at you.
The Rafales will usually ignore you until you attack them or
accidentally cross in front of their gunsights, in which case they
might break off their attack and dog you with cannon fire.
Use the same approach with the F-4s and Mirages. Turn on your radar long
enough to target one of the Mirages, then turn it off again, and keep an
eye on the accuracy indicator and range-to-target. Approach from 20,000
feet and tell your wingman to approach left and low. Order your wingman
to engage your target when you get a 75% to 80% accuracy. The F-4s are
further away from the convoy than the Rafales were, and they're slower
than the Rafales too. They'll ignore you until you attack them or cross
their gunsights.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, or
6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs. I usually end up making gun passes on the F-4s.
If you get behind the F-4s, they won't even try to evade until they
start taking damage, and by then it's too late. Take the one in the
rear first, and work your way forward.
------------------------------
Mission Three: Rebuke
Briefing: There are two cargo ships carrying supplies to the rebels.
Your job is to destroy them. On the way to the cargo vessels, you
will probably be attacked by two average Mirage 2000s, then two
F-16A Falcons. By the time you get close to the ships, two average
F-5E Tigers should be in the area. Stay at least 7 nm away from the
ships to avoid fire from the two Jianghu II frigates and the Knox
frigate. It takes two SLAMs to destroy each ship. Order your wingman
to attack one while you launch both SLAMs at the other. If either of
you miss a shot, it may be necessary to brave AA fire from the frigates
and make a few gun passes to finish the cargo ships off. Finally, on
the return leg, two more average Mirage 2000s will try to jump you.
Finish them off, then you can land. This mission is actually fairly
easy compared to the previous mission.
Loadout: F-22 with 2 AGM-84E SLAMs, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and 4 AIM-9M
Sidewinders, or 2 AGM-84E SLAMs and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Four: End Run
Briefing: In this mission, you must destroy a C&C bunker and a microwave
tower. This is a night mission in an F-117; unless you manage to attract
an enemy fighter, it is a real cakewalk. Just follow your waypoints
waypoints until your wingman announces a contact. Fly straight towards
the base until you can target the microwave tower with your FLIR, and
order your wingman to attack it (Alt-E). Meanwhile, target the C&C
Bunker. Wait until you have a good firing solution, then open the bomb
bay doors, release the weapon, and close the doors as quickly as possible
to reduce your radar signature. No point in attracting unnecessary
attention. The GBU-27 is extremely accurate (laser-guided) and has a
good blast radius; don't be surprised if you kill a tank or an AA gun
sitting nearby, as well as the target. It is possible to order your
wingman to "Attack Structures" (Alt-W) and make two passes to take out
both mission objectives (he will probably bomb a tent or something,
though he may just bomb the right target by accident). You only have
two bombs, though, so make both shots count.
What you need to worry about is being spotted by one of the four expert
Rafale Cs, three expert F-16A Falcons, or three expert Mirage 2000s.
There are other enemy aircraft out there, but many of them will not even
come close to your flight path. If one does spot you, abort the mission
and play it again. You have no way of shooting back, so you'll quickly
be toast (unless you cheat).
Loadout: F-117A with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
------------------------------
Mission Five: Freelancers
Briefing: Enemy F-4s have slipped past the barrier defenses. You must
scramble to intercept them before they can destroy your base. This is
a straightforward dogfighting mission; there is one group of three F-4
Phantoms (2 average, 1 good) and one group of two good phantoms being
escorted by three average F-16 Falcons. Go to Nav Alpha just to give
your wingman a chance to get off the ground and catch up with you.
Then turn due south. Do NOT engage the fighters DR-D1 and DR-D2.
These are unmanned decoy drones, and will not fire on you.
Loadout: Either an X-31 with three AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120
AMRAAMs, or an F-22 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Six: Ghostrider
Briefing: Use the stealth abilities of the B-2 bomber to penetrate enemy
air defenses and destroy a fuel depot to slow the enemy's advance on the
Suez Canal. You must destroy eight fuel tanks, two factories, and two
loading docks. My suggestion: Do NOT use the default way points.
Instead, drag Nav Point Alpha to be just north of Nav Point Echo.
Drag Nav Point Bravo to be due west of Nav Alpha and due north of
Nav Charlie. Drag Nav Delta to be directly over Nav Bravo. This
route should allow you to totally avoid all the enemy fighters in
the area, most of which are between Nav Alpha and Nav Bravo. It
also avoids the F-5E Tigers that are usually found close to the
original Nav Delta. In a B-2, if an enemy fighter spots you, you
are probably toast.
Loadout: B-2 Bomber with 8 GBU-27 Paveway III bombs and 64 Mk-84 bombs.
------------------------------
Mission Seven: Eagle Eye
Briefing: F-4s and Mirage 2000s are operating from two airbases.
Fly a combat patrol, destroying enemy aircraft in the air or on the
ground. Three average F-4s at Nav Bravo and three average Mirage
2000s are your mission targets. Two average Mirage IIIs will probably
intercept you near Nav Alpha, and two novice Mirage IIIs will probably
spot you between Nav Bravo and Nav Charlie, or between Nav Delta and
Nav Eagle. If you get to Nav Bravo early enough, you should be able
to take out the F-4s with low-level gun passes while they're still on
the ground, saving your missiles for other targets. If you don't
spend too much time dogfighting, you may even be able to get the
Mirage 2000s while they're still on the ground. Only one managed to
take off, to be promptly shot down by my wingman.
Loadout: X-31 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders, or an
F-22 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Eight: Party Crasher
Briefing: Egyptian forces, emboldened by their success in the ground
war, are attempting to secure the entrance to the Suez Canal. Your
mission targets are two Jianghu-class frigates. These frigates are
very tough targets, requiring three SLAMs each to destroy. Drag Nav
Point Alpha until it's far south of your starting position. This way
you can avoid four F-5E Tigers (two good, two average). There are
two F-5E tigers (one good, one average) that might spot you en route
to the frigates, but you can take them out. It also gives another
F-22 time to do some damage to the frigates; by the time I got there,
one Knox had been taken out, and the Jianghus were damaged; one died
with only one shot, the other died with two shots.
When engaging the frigates, stay at least 7 nm away to avoid return
fire. Target one of the frigates, wait for a good lock, open your
doors, and quickly fire three SLAMs at it. Target the other Jianghu
and fire your last SLAM at it, then order your wingman to engage.
He will only launch one missile at a time, so after he launches, order
him to disengage so he will form back on your wing and not get too close
to the frigates. Once the missile hits or splashes into the water, order
him to engage the frigate again. Repeat until it's destroyed.
Loadout: 2 AGM-84E SLAMs, 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs
or 4 AGM-84E SLAMs and either 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs or 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Nine: Night Owl
Briefing: Rebels are advancing under the cover of darkness towards
key positions along the Suez Canal. Your job is to take out a C&C
bunker at Nav Bravo and a pair of hardened shelters at Nav Delta.
Do NOT let enemy aircraft spot you, or you will be toast, since you
are flying an F-117 and cannot shoot back. Since you only have
two bombs and three targets, your wingman will have to take out at
least one of them.
It will be hard to evade detection. There are two expert Mirage
2000s that activate 5 minutes into the position (about the time you
reach Nav Alpha), and two expert F-16 Falcons flying in that area as
well. Hopefully the 4 expert Rafales won't see you either. Near
Nav Eagle, two more expert F-16s activate, and there are two expert
Mirage IIIs and two expert F-5E Tigers patrolling west of Nav Delta.
They probably won't spot you, though. I suggest dragging Nav Eagle
back southeast in the direction of Nav Bravo. That way you are more
likely not to be spotted by the F-16s.
Loadout: F-117 with 2 GBU-27 Paveway IIIs.
------------------------------
Mission Ten: Red Sea
Briefing: Two Knox-class frigates are moving toward the Gulf of Suez
to contest the UN Embargo. You are to destroy these frigates. Your
main threats are two average Mirage 2000s, two F-16A Falcons (one
average, one good) and two expert Gazelles near Nav Bravo. You'll
only have two Air-to-Air missiles each, so save them for the jets and
use guns on the helicopters. If you move Nav Charlie back to your
original starting point, you should be able to avoid being spotted
by three expert F-5E Tigers on your way home.
Loadout: F-22 with 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AGM-84A Harpoons or 4 AGM-84E
SLAMs. You need all your missiles to take out the ships; they take four
hits each, so if your wingman dies before both ships are dead, restart
the mission.
------------------------------
Mission Eleven: Straight Flush
Briefing: The first step in achieving air superiority in this war is
to take out the enemy's radar. You and your wingman are to use stealth
to sneak in behind enemy lines and destroy three mobile Long Track
radar units. There are a LOT of enemy planes in the area; unless you
act fast, it is highly likely that one or more of the two expert Rafales,
two expert F-5E Tigers, four expert Mirage 2000s, or four expert F-16
Falcons, may spot you.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway IIIs.
------------------------------
Mission Twelve: Sandstorm
Briefing: Your job in this mission is to destroy six average Mirage
2000s, which will start launching 9 minutes into the mission at the
rate of one every two minutes. En route to the target, you will
encounter two Mirage 2000s (one Average, one Good), and the longer
you spend over the target the more likely you will be engaged by
three average Mirage IIIs or three average F-5E Tigers. There is
also one average Gazelle over the target. You can probably avoid
the first two Mirage 2000s by moving Nav Alpha to the northeast, over
Nav Delta and due east of Nav Bravo. Don't use the autopilot, and do
use your afterburner for max speed. Hopefully you can get in, make
some gun passes over the Mirage 2000s while they're still on the
ground, and get the hell out of dodge before reinforcements arrive.
Loadout: F-22 with four AIM-9M Sidewinders and four AIM-120 AMRAAMs or
an X-31 with three AIM-9M Sidewinders and four AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Thirteen: Mad Dog
Briefing: Once again, enemy aircraft have breached our barrier defenses.
Scramble and destroy five good Gazelles and three average F-4D Phantoms.
The Phantoms are being escorted by two good Mirage 2000s. One F-16A
Falcon, two F-22A Raptors, and two C-17 Globemasters will take off 30
minutes into the mission. These planes must survive until then. Take
off, and instead of going to Nav Alpha, turn due south and start
attacking the incoming fighters and helicopters.
Loadout: X-31 EFM with three AIM-9M Sidewinders and four AIM-120 AMRAAMs
or an F-22 Raptor with four AIM-9M Sidewinders and four AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Fourteen: Battle Stations
Briefing: Three cargo ships are attempting to sneak past the UN embargo.
You are to take them out with anti-ship missiles. You will have to engage
two average F-16A Falcons enroute to the ships, and two average Rafale Cs
are also in the area. Two average F-4D Phantoms are enroute as well. I
hope you're a good dogfighter! You'll have to gunfight at least two of
these if you don't take out the ships quick enough. If you drag Nav
Charlie to the north so that it's due east of Nav Bravo, you can avoid
two Mirage 2000s (1 good, 1 average) on the return trip. (Or, you can
just outrun them.) After this mission, you will have a new Rafale C
added to your inventory.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AGM-84A Harpoons or 4 AGM-84E SLAMs and
2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs or 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Fifteen: Long Shot
Briefing: The enemy has deployed fighters to a recently captured airbase.
This airbase must be neutralized as quickly as possible. Your target is
three hardened aircraft shelters at Nav Alpha. Two average F-4D Phantoms
will intercept you en route to the target, and two average F-16A Falcons
and two average Rafales will launch 10 minutes into the mission unless
you work fast. If you go at full throttle, only slowing down to engage
the Phantoms, you will be able to take the Falcons and Rafales out
while they're still on the ground. If you move Nav Charlie so that it
is due north of Nav Bravo and due west of Nav Delta, you should be able
to avoid two F-5E Tigers on the return trip (1 novice, 1 average).
Loadout: X-31 with 3 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and 2 AIM-9M
Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Sixteen: Kingpin
Briefing: An Egyptian command facility outside Fayid is coordinating
rebel activities in this region. You've got to penetrate their defenses
and destroy their command HQ, 9 storage buildings, 2 comm towers, and a
hardened C&C bunker. There are two SA-6 Gainfuls and 4 SA-9 Gaskins in
the area which you should probably take out ASAP; they have expert crews
and are very dangerous. The 8 ZSU-23-4 Shilkas have novice crews and are
unlikely to even hit you. On the way in, you must sneak past three
expert F-16 Falcons and three expert F-5E Tigers, and on the way out
you'll pass through the patrol zone of three expert Mirage 3000s and
three expert Rafale Cs.
You can probably avoid the F-16s and F-5Es by going due west from your
starting location until you're halfway between Nav Bravo and the edge of
the map, then turning due south, but don't go too far west or too far
south... there are two expert F-16s patrolling to the west of the base
and two expert F-4D Phantoms patrolling to the south. You can avoid the
Mirages and Rafales by moving Nav Charlie until it's due east of Nav Bravo.
Loadout: B-2 Bomber with 64 Mk-82s and 8 GBU-27 Paveway IIIs.
------------------------------
Mission Seventeen: Deathwish
Briefing: While flying patrol in the area, an AWACS alerts you to enemy
planes closing in on our ships (including our old friend, the Eisenhower,
from USNF). There is an average F-14B Tomcat in the area to assist you,
and the carrier escorts will also launch SAMs at the incoming fighters.
There are two groups of three good F-4D Phantoms. One group is guarded
by two good F-16 Falcons, the other is guarded by two Mirage IIIs (one
average, one good). The F-4s are your main goal; use your wingman to go
after the other planes while you open fire on the F-4s. Once all six
F-4s are gone, you can bug for home (Nav Charlie). After this mission
is complete, two X-32 ASTOVLs will be added to your inventory.
Loadout: X-31 EFM with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders or an
F-22 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Eighteen: Tin Can Alley
Briefing: A convoy of trucks is providing logistical support to a line
of tanks. Your job is to destroy this convoy of six trucks. You will
almost immediately be noticed by two F-5E Tigers (one novice, one
average), and you should probably get rid of the single Gazelle providing
cover for the convoy. If you move Nav Charlie due south of Nav Delta and
southeast of Nav Bravo, you can avoid two average F-16 Falcons on the
return leg. Watch for missiles coming from the single Crotale SAM
launcher in the area. For once, this is a mission where rocket pods
may come in useful, since you're only attacking unarmed and lightly
armored trucks (though you could easily make a few gun passes and take
them out).
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and
4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods.
------------------------------
Mission Nineteen: Red Crescent
Briefing: UN forces are preparing to launch a ground offensive against
the rebels. Your job is to escort three C-5B Galaxies to an airfield.
The first thing to intercept you will be two good F-16A Falcons. After
splashing these two, follow the nav points but don't use autopilot. You
want to intercept the remaining enemies as far away from the Galaxies as
possible. Next up on the hit parade is four F-5E Tigers (three Average,
one good) near Nav Charlie, then three F-4D Phantoms (one average, two
good) close to Nav Delta. The mission is complete when all three
Galaxies have reached their last waypoint.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders or
6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty: Desert Thunder
Briefing: Support the UN advance into Egypt by destroying seven enemy
tanks (M-1 Abrams) that are threatening the lead elements. En route,
you will probably encounter two average F-16A Falcons. Two average
F-5E Tigers and two average Mirage IIIs are en route to provide air
cover for the tanks, and two Gazelles (1 average, 1 novice) are also
near the tanks. The tanks also have a Crotale SAM (Average), an M48
Chaparral (good), 1 ZSU-23-4 (average), and one ZSU-57-2 (good) to
defend against aircraft.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with four AIM-120 AMRAAMs, four AGM-65 Mavericks,
and 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-one: Scorpion Sting
Briefing: The rebels are using two command bunkers and some communications
equipment to coordinate their troops. You and your wingman need to take
out the command bunker at Nav Bravo and the command bunker and microwave
tower at Nav Charlie. Whoever designed this mission is a sadist. There
are WAY too many planes, all of them with expert pilots, to avoid
detection. The easiest solution I found is to go the LONG way around:
go due east for a while, to avoid being spotted by four Rafale Cs. Go
south for quite a while, to avoid being spotted by two Mirage IIIs, two
Mirage 2000s, three Rafale Cs, and two F-16s that would otherwise come
close to your flight path. Go west until you're a good distance south-
west of Nav Bravo, then go northeast to Nav Bravo. By this time, any
aircraft near Nav Bravo have long since left the area. Take out the
bunker yourself; if your first shot doesn't quite destroy it, let your
wingman finish it off. Next, go to Nav Charlie. Take out the tower
and order your wingman to destroy the C&C bunker. As soon as you take
out the tower, turn due west for a while. A Gazelle might spot you, but
you can easily outrun it. Take the long route back to base: west for a
while, south for a while, east for a while, then north to Nav Eagle.
If an enemy aircraft spots you before you've dropped both your bombs,
eject and restart the mission. You have to pop up to at least 1000
feet to drop a bomb without taking collateral damage, and it'll hose
you when you do. If they spot you AFTER you've dropped your bombs,
practice your NOE flying... at about 35 to 40 feet above the ground!
At this altitude radar-guided missiles won't work because of the ground
clutter, the F-117 has almost no infrared signature, and the fighters
apparently don't want to get that close to the ground, so their shots
keep passing over your head. When you get close to Nav Eagle, any
enemies still on your tail will probably get engaged by the X-31, the
Comanche, and/or the two F-22s patrolling near the base. If the
fighters patrolling the base DON'T spot the enemy fighters, just try
to get close enough to the base to hear the "We're Almost Home"
message and hit Control-Q to quit the mission.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Two: Sandtrap
Briefing: Ground troops are engaging the rebels at strategic points.
Prevent the enemy aircraft from harassing our ground troops. This is
a straightforward air patrol: First you must take out two F-16 Falcons
(to your southwest when you start the mission). You will probably spot
four Gazelles and three F-5E Tigers when you turn towards Nav Bravo.
If you're quick enough, you'll intercept one F-16 Falcon and two F-4D
Phantoms between Nav Bravo and Nav Charlie. ALL of these aircraft must
be destroyed to win the mission! The F-4D Phantoms and Gazelles have
Good crews; the rest are average. You get two wingmen for this one.
Loadout: X-31 EFM with 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs; I
prefer the X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Three: Rapid Fire
Briefing: The airbase at Al ????? has been reinforced with Mirage 2000s
and is now a threat to our troops. Its air defenses must be eliminated
in advance of UN strike aircraft. Your job is to destroy two ZSU-23-4s
(both good), two ZIF-31s (one average, one good), 1 ZSU-57-2, 1 Crotale
SAM (good), and two M48s (one average, one good). Enemy air assets that
you may meet include two average F-5E Tigers, two average F-16 Falcons,
two average Mirage IIIs, and three average Mirage 2000s (if you give them
time to get off the ground). You will rendezvous with one good F-16
Falcons at Nav Alpha, which will follow you through the remainder of
the mission.
If the Mirage IIIs haven't spotted you by the time you rendezvous with
the F-16s, try turning due south for a while to avoid them, then west
until you're due south of Nav Bravo. If you move Nav Delta due north
of Nav Charlie, you may also be able to avoid the two F-5E Tigers.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders,
four AGM-65 Mavericks, and four LAU-61 Rocket Pods.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Four: Switchboard
Briefing: Another bombing mission. The rebels are using a major command
post to coordinate their logistical efforts. Your job is to get in there
and take it out. Your targets consist of three hardened shelters, three
hardened C&C bunkers, and five comm towers. They are defended by no less
than eight SAM sites and nine AAA sites, plus there are a lot of enemy
aircraft that will fly into and around the target area, many of them with
good or expert crew, so you're going to have to work extra hard to avoid
being spotted.
Loadout: B-2 bomber with 64 Mk.82 bombs and 8 GBU-27 Paveway IIIs.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Five: Nowhere to Hide
Briefing: UN ground forces are requesting for air support. Load up and
take off. You'll be joining with two A-10 Thunderbolts to take out two
Ignore all other aircraft to take out the Gazelles; if they destroy the
friendly M-2s, the mission fails. After that, you can take out the mission
targets.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with two AIM-9M Sidewinders, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
four LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and four AGM-65 Mavericks.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Six: Head On
Briefing: Enemy fighters have penetrated our defenses (again?) You must
scramble and intercept these fighters. This mission is not as easy as I
first thought. There are fourteen incoming aircraft, including four
average Rafale Cs, two good Rafale Cs, five good F-4 Phantoms, and three
good Mirage 2000s. Meanwhile, you've got to prevent one fuel tank, one
shelter, and three hardened shelters from being destroyed. I _strongly_
recommend practicing your dogfighting skills and using the Guns Only
"cheat" for this mission. It was the only way I could complete the
mission successfully. (And I got the Air Force Medal of Honor for
shooting down more than 10 aircraft with guns only, to boot.) The
Phantoms and Mirage 2000s are your mission targets.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Seven: Entrenched
Briefing: A-10s are being vectored towards the enemy tanks. Your job
is to take out the SAMs and AAA sites that are providing a defensive
unbrella around the tanks. There are 2 Crotale SAMs (one average, one
good), two ZSU-57s (one average, one good), and one ZSU-23-4 (good).
Enroute to the target, you'll probably cross paths with two F-16 Falcons
(average). Over the target, you'll need to take out the two Gazelles
(one average, one good), and two F-4D Phantoms (average) will probably
try to engage you. On the trip home, you can probably avoid two F-5E
Tigers if you move Nav Eagle south of the airfield, and move Nav Delta
southeast so that it's a ways south of Nav Eagle.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Eight: Viper's Brood
Briefing: The enemy is deploying fighters to the Bir Hasanah airbase.
Your target for this mission is six hardened shelters at the airbase.
There are very few enemy aircraft in this mission; two average Mirage
2000s will intercept you en route to Nav Alpha, and three Mirage 2000s
(two average, one good) will intercept you over the target area. There
are four average F-16A Falcons and two average Mirage 2000s at the airbase;
you may be able to get a few of these while they're still on the ground.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Nine: Sandflies
Briefing: UN Troops are moving on strategic positions. The rebels are
trying to mount a counterattack. Your job is to sweep the area of any
helicopters that are threatening our soldiers. There are two Gazelles
at Nav Alpha (one good, one expert), and four more Gazelles (good) near
Nav Bravo. You'll probably be noticed by two F-4D Phantoms (average)
enroute to Nav Alpha and two F-5E Tigers (good) near Nav Bravo. If,
after destroying these six helicopters, you head south to Nav Alpha
then east until you're due south of Nav Delta, you can probably avoid
two additional Mirage IIIs (novice) enroute to Nav Charlie. There
may be more Gazelles near your base. You have two wingmen for this
mission.
Loadout: X-31 EFM with 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty: Flying Fists
Briefing: AC-130U Spectres will be attacking enemy ground assets. You
must intercept any fighters targeting the Spectres. The aircraft
include three Rafale Cs (two average, one good) before reaching Nav
Alpha, two Gazelles (good) and four Mirage 2000s (good) somewhere
between there and Nav Bravo, and three good F-5E Tigers between Nav
Bravo and Nav Charlie. The mission is complete when both Spectres
reach Nav Charlie safely.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-One: Divine Retribution
Briefing: The rebels are settling in for a prolonged siege of Cairo.
Their aircraft are still harassing allied troops. Some of these
aircraft have broken through our barrier and are closing on the Al
Arish airbase. You must scramble and eliminate these aircraft.
Four F-4D Phantoms and two Mirage 2000s (all good) approach from
the north, while four Gazelles (two good, two expert) and three
Mirage IIIs (two average, one good) are almost on top of the base
from the south. They are trying to destroy eight of the hardened
shelters at the airport; three of these are mission targets. These
three must survive until all enemy aircraft are destroyed. Your
primary targets are the Gazelles and the Phantoms.
Loadout: The default is the X-31 EFM, but I prefer the X-32 ASTOVL
with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 6 AIM-9M or AIM-9X Sidewinders. You can
get off the ground more quickly that way.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Two: Night Raider
Briefing: The rebels are gathering a bunch of SAMs for the defense of
Cairo. You are to use the B-2's stealth abilities to destroy these
SAMs while they are still inactive. Your targets include four M48
Chaparrals, three SA-6 Gainfuls, four Crotale SAMs, one SA-9 Gaskin,
and three of the eight hardened shelters (you probably won't know
which three, so just bomb 'em all). Only the Crotales are inactive;
the other guns will fire at you. Like with most bombing missions,
stealth is essential to avoid detection by enemy fighters. The fighters
include three Mirage IIIs, six F-16A Falcons, two Mirage 2000s, two
Rafale Cs, and two F-5E Tigers. Many of these can be avoided by bombing
the targets, then turning due north until you're about halfway between
Nav Alpha and your starting position, then due east until you're north
of Nav Delta.
Loadout: B-2 Bomber with 64 Mk.82 Slick bombs and 8 GBU-27 Paveway IIIs.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Three: Cairo Casbah
Briefing: The airstrip at Cairo must be destroyed. Use precision weapons
to destroy nine of the eleven hardened shelters. You will probably meet
two Rafale Cs (average) on the way to Nav Alpha, and the airstrip may
get some planes off the ground, including two F-16 Falcons (average),
one Rafale C (average), and one Mirage 2000 (good). Two more Mirage
2000s (average) may try to intercept you if you take too long, and two
F-5E Tigers (average) may spot you near Nav Charlie.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Four: Sandblast
Briefing: The UN forces north of Cairo have encountered the last of the
enemy heavy tanks. You will receive assistance from AC-130U Spectres
in destroying these tanks. There are 16 M-1 Abrams (11 are mission
targets), 5 M-2 Bradleys (4 are mission targets), and 13 M-113s (which
are not mission targets). There are two F-16A Falcons (average) enroute
to provide air cover for the tanks, and the airfield nearby will attempt
to get two Mirage IIIs (average) and two Rafale Cs (good) in the air as
quickly as possible. In addition, there are two Gazelles (good) near the
airbase and three Mirage 2000s (two average, one good) who are planning
to land at the airport but will probably spot you about the time you
reach Nav Baker. You have two wingmen in this mission.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Five: Fuel for the Fire
Briefing: Enemy aircraft are launching attacks designed to harass our
supply lines. Your duty is to protect two C-5B Galaxies until they
land. There are two X-31 EFMs and one M48 Chaparral that start near
the position of the Galaxies; they'll help you fend off the first wave
of attackers, which consists of two Mirage 2000s (one average, one good)
approaching from the northwest and three Mirage IIIs (one average, two
good) approaching from the west. As you approach nav Bravo, you may
have to engage three more Mirage IIIs (one average, two good). There
are also three Rafale Cs (one average, two good) and four F-5E Tigers
(one average, three good) headed towards Nav Charlie, but they probably
won't get there before the Galaxies have landed.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9X Sidewinders.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Six: Left Hook
Briefing: Due to our efforts at destroying their logistical support,
many rebel units are finding themselves without fuel. You are to
assist in this effort. Use the F-117's stealth to penetrate rebel
lines and destroy four fuel tanks at Nav Bravo. I hope you're good
at stealth runs by now, because there are LOTS of fighters in the
area protecting their fuel supply, including six F-16 Falcons,
three Rafale Cs, three F-5E Tigers, and five Mirage 2000s, all with
expert crews.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Seven: Sheik 'N' Bake
Briefing: The UN forces have pushed to the edge of Cairo. You are to
make a combat sweep over two airfields and destroy any rebel aircraft
you find. There are two F-16 Falcons (one average, one good) that will
probably spot you before you reach the first airfield. At the airfield,
there will be five Rafale Cs (average). If you dealt with the F-16s
quickly, these five planes will still be on the ground. Enroute to
the second airfield at Nav Charlie, two more Rafale Cs (average) may
engage you. Over the second airfield, there is one Gazelle (good), and
you will find two Mirage 2000s, two F-4D Phantoms, and one F-5E Tiger
(all average). By this point, these five aircraft should be on the
ground or getting ready for takeoff. One or two may be in the air.
The group of five Rafale Cs at the first airport and the M2000s, F-4Ds,
and F-5E Tiger are your mission targets. You get two wingmen in this
mission.
Loadout: The X-31 ASTOVL is the default aircraft, but I prefer the F-22.
I also used the Guns Only "cheat" for this mission, just to get the
Medal of Honor.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Eight: Snapshots
Briefing: The UN has taken downtown Cairo, but some fighting is still
going on in outer districts. The rebels are seeking refuge in the
rural countryside. Some rebel aircraft have redeployed to a partially
destroyed airbase at Luxor. Perform a combat sweep and take out enemy
aircraft in the area. Your mission targets consist of three F-5E Tigers
(good) which you should spot enroute to Nav Alpha, three F-4D Phantoms
(good) near Nav Charlie, and three Mirage IIIs (good) near Nav Delta.
There are other aircraft out there, however; three Rafale Cs and three
more F-5E Tigers (all good) are headed northeast from the airbase at
Luxor, and two good Mirage 2000s from the airbase will be patrolling
near Nav Delta by the time you get there. Depending on how quickly
you deal with the mission targets, you may not have to worry about
many of the other aircraft.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AIM-9X Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Nine: Last Call
Briefing: The remainder of the rebel forces are retreating into the
desert, where they are trying to regroup. Your job is to help smash
the last of the tanks being operated by the rebels. At Nav Bravo,
there are three M-113s, two M-2 Bradleys, and five M-1 Abrams. These
are your mission targets. There are also two ZSU-23-4 AAA guns with
average crews, one Crotale SAM (good) and one M48 Chaparral (average)
protecting the tanks.
You have lots of help in this mission. There are only ten rebel
aircraft in this mission, total, and six of them will be taken out
by the four F-16s headed for Nav Alpha. As soon as you take off,
turn southwest, arm your AMRAAMs, and engage the two F-16s that are
trying to make a ground attack. Once they're finished, turn towards
Nav Alpha and slow to about 50% throttle. Target one of the F-16s
and watch as he engages the two Rafales taking off from the airfield,
then the four F-5s coming from the south. Target one of the Gazelles
and when you're about 12 miles out, order your wingman to engage
(Alt-E). After he launches the missile, switch to the other Gazelle
and give him the order to engage again (Alt-E). With any luck, his
two AMRAAMs should take both Gazelles out. Otherwise, the two of you
will have to close within six miles and take them on with your
Sidewinders and/or guns.
Over Nav Bravo, very carefully target one M-113 and order your wingman
to attack it. As soon as he launches a missile, tell him to disengage.
Repeat the process with the other two M-113s. I know the M-113s are
only APCs, but they have that machine gun that can do considerable
damage. Hopefully he will take out all three M-113s with three of his
Mavericks. Then target one of the M-1s or M-2s and order him to just
attack tanks. Meanwhile, take out the two ZSU-23-4s with your guns
or LAU-61 rocket pods. Save your Mavericks for M-1s and M-2s.
Hopefully you've practiced using the rocket pods in the single
missions, because even with the help of the friendly M-1s coming from
the north, you'll probably have to soften one or two tanks with your
rocket pods and/or cannon. If you complete the mission, you receive
the Air Force Commendation.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-9X Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
------------------------------
Mission Forty: Homecoming
Briefing: The rebel army has practically ceased to exist. A C-17
Globemaster is carrying Egyptian dignitaries to negotiate a peace
treaty. You must make sure it lands safely at Nav Bravo. The few
remaining rebel aircraft will try to destroy the C-17. First up is
three Rafale Cs, followed by three F-5E Tigers. As you get closer
to Nav Bravo, you will face three F-16A Falcons, then two Mirage
2000s. All enemy pilots have Good crews. If you successfully
complete this mission, you will receive the Air Force Expeditionary
Medal.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AIM-9X Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
It is also possible to finish this mission with guns only.
------------------------------
A note on awards:
------------------------------
There are ten possible awards that I know of in Jane's ATF, and one
of them (the Purple Heart) can be awarded up to three times. One
medal (the Silver Star) is not available in the Egypt campaign, and
one of them (the Air Force Cross) is highly unlikely. Here's the
list of medals you can achieve
1. Air Force Achievement. You and your wingman must each down at
least three planes (or three fighters and three bombers each?
The Official Guide to Jane's ATF contradicts itself on this award)
in the same mission.
2. Air Force Medal of Honor. Down ten fighters in one mission using
guns only. (You don't have to use the "Guns Only" cheat to get
this award... but it helps!)
3. Air Force Cross. Awarded after you destroy at least 100 structures
in the campaign.
4. Air Medal. Awarded after the mission in which you down your 15th
fighter in the campaign.
5. Air Force Distinguished Service. Awarded after you've downed
your 30th plane in the campaign.
6. Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. Awarded after you've downed
your 45th plane in the campaign.
7. Air Force Commendation. Awarded after you finish Egypt Mission 39
successfully.
8. Air Force Expeditionary. Awarded after you successfully finish
Mission 40 of Egypt Mission 40.
9. Purple Heart. Awarded after any mission in which you see the
message "You've been hit" or "You are about to die from your
wounds". Can be awarded up to three times.
------------------------------
A note on promotions:
------------------------------
There are five ranks in Jane's ATF. The highest rank is Lieutenant
Colonel. When you are promoted depends on how many fighter/bomber
kills you and your wingman have (total). You start each campaign
as a 2nd Lieutenant.
# kills 1st Lt. Captain Major Lt. Colonel
======= ========= ========== ========== ===========
60+ Mission 12 Mission 22 Mission 32
50+ Mission 13 Mission 23 Mission 33
40+ Mission 5 Mission 14 Mission 24 Mission 34
30+ Mission 6 Mission 15 Mission 25 Mission 35
20+ Mission 7 Mission 16 Mission 26 Mission 36
10+ Mission 8 Mission 17 Mission 27 Mission 37
otherwise Mission 9 Mission 18 Mission 28 Mission 38
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Solution #2 for ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters
Campaign Notes: Baltics 2008
Written by Marcus Spears
Date: August 11, 1998
--------------------------------
Notes: When I give one loadout, it is what I consider to be the best
loadout for the default plane for that particular mission (which may
not be the same as the default loadout for the plane). If I give two
or more loadouts, the second one is the one I prefer.
Initial planes available: One B-2, one F-117, one X-32, two F-22s,
two F-16Cs, two Eurofighter 2000s, three Saab Gripens, one Rafale C.
-------------------------------
Mission One: Live Wire
Briefing: Russian tanks are making rapid progress across a highway
leading northwest into Estonia. You are to take out a bridge across
the Tartu river, slowing the Soviet advance. Two French Rafales will
provide air cover for this operation. It also looks like you'll have
assistance from two F-15Cs. Three MiG-29s (average) are already in
place near the bridge. Four more MiG-29s (two average, two good)
and three MiG-31s (average) are also on an approach to their patrol
corridor. There are three MiG-29Ms patrolling east of the bridge,
so use Mavericks or SLAMs to destroy the bridge at a distance, then
turn for home. A J-Star is available; you can hit Shift-G and use
its supplemental ground radar.
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
and either 4 AGM-65 Mavericks or 2 AGM-84E SLAMs. It takes three
Mavericks or one SLAM to destroy the bridge. I would save the SLAMs
for anti-ship missions, though.
-------------------------------
Mission Two: Red Horizon
Briefing: NATO forces are still concentrating air forces in the region.
Russia is attempting to overwhelm the still small numbers of coalition
aircraft with a series of alpha strikes targeted at airbases. Early
warning radar has detected a series of strike craft headed for your
airbase. Scramble and intercept. Your mission objectives are two
MiG-23s (average) being escorted by two Su-35s (average) coming from
the northeast and two Su-24s (average) escorted by three MiG-29s (one
good, two average) coming from the southeast. One Su-27 (average)
takes off ten minutes into the mission. Two Saab Gripens (good) take
off five minutes into the mission to assist you. Ignore the first two
Su-35s you spot; they're drones. An E-3 is available, so you can press
Shift-A and use its supplemental radar.
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 8 AIM-9M Side-
winders. I prefer the X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AMRAAMs and 6 Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Three: Rush Hour
Briefing: The Russian assault into Estonia and Latvia is fueled by
logistical support from trucks. It is known that the Russians have
a limited supply of fuel for their attack. Cutting off that supply
of fuel will slow their assault. Your mission target is six fuel
trucks traveling south near Nav Bravo. Three F-15Cs (good) will
provide support against enemy fighters. There are three MiG-31s
(average) near Nav Bravo. Two Su-27s (average) and four MiG-21s
(good) patrol somewhere between Nav Bravo and Nav Charlie, and two
Su-35s will take off 8 minutes after you start the mission. A J-Star
is available.
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders,
4 AGM-65 Mavericks, and a FLIR pod on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Four: Black Out
Briefing: Mobile radar sites behind enemy lines are giving Russian
air controllers advance warning of our attacks. F-111s are scheduled
to attack a Soviet armor column. You are to use stealth to penetrate
enemy lines and knock out two mobile radar sites between Nav Bravo and
Nav Charlie. Air threats include three Su-35s which will be landing at
an aircraft shortly, so take your approach to Nav Alpha slowly and they
won't notice you. Two MiG-29s are patrolling the target zone already,
two MiG-21s will cross the target zone early in the mission, and two
additional Su-35s take off nine minutes into the mission and patrol the
target zone. All enemy aircraft are expert, so you'll have to be
careful!
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Five: Forward Supply
Briefing: Estonian troops are retreating towards Viljandi in the face
of overwhelming Russian armor and infantry. Russian forward supply
depots continue to support the Russian advance. You are to strike
six Russian supply sheds at Nav Bravo. In addition to the air defenses
around the supply sheds, which includes two ZSU-23-4s, one SA-13, and a
number of BMP-2s that will fire at you, possible threats include the two
Mi-24 HINDs hovering near the sheds, two MiG-21s (one good, one average),
three MiG-29s (all average) and two Su-35s (average) that take off nine
minutes after you start the mission.
Fortunately, two F-22s will rendezvous with you at Nav Alpha to provide
air support. Generally, they will take out the MiG-29s and sometimes
the MiG-21s for you, which leaves the Su-35s and HINDs for you (and
sometimes the MiG-21s).
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 AGM-65 Mavericks,
4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and a FLIR pod on the centerline. The X-32
ASTOVL is also good for this mission.
-------------------------------
Mission Six: Warthog Charge
Briefing: USAF A-10s are making a strike on a Russian armored column.
You are to provide air cover for them. This is a straightforward air
interception mission. The three A-10s must reach all their waypoints
to succeed. The first threat will be the three MiG-29s (average)
coming from the east. Deal with them quickly. By this time, three
Su-35s (average) will be scrambling; they will spot you and fire on
you almost immediately with long-range missiles, so be ready with
the chaff and jammers. All other enemy aircraft should be taken
care of by other allied aircraft, but keep an eye on the A-10s anyway.
Some of the six MiG-21s to the southwest might slip by the two X-29s,
for example.
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 6 AIM-9M Side-
winders. The X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AMRAAMs and 6 Sidewinders is also
be good for this mission.
-------------------------------
Mission Seven: Flaming Tarmac
Briefing: Estonian forces were forced to retreat, and the Russians
captured the airbases at Tallinn and Viljandi. They have stationed
a wing of Su-35s at Tallinn airbase to shorten turnaround time and to
take advantage of jet fuel left behind in the retreat. You are to
take out the hardened shelters and any aircraft on the tarmac. Two
F4G Phantoms (good) will go in first, to destroy AAA and SAM assets.
Three Rafale Cs (good) will provide air support. In addition, two
friendly MiG-21s (expert) with take off five minutes into the mission
to provide additional air support.
Already approaching the airport are three MiG-31s from the northwest,
two Su-33s from the northeast, and two MiG-29M and two MiG-29s from the
east. A MiG-23 and Su-25 start scrambling immediately; two more Su-35s
scramble from the base 8 minutes into the mission; and a Su-34 and
another Su-35 scramble 9 minutes into the mission, so get there, get
the job done, and get out quickly. The airfield is guarded by two
SA-15s and two ZSU-23-4s; hopefully the F-4s can take these out before
you get there.
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 AGM-65 Mavericks,
and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Eight: Mech Breakthru
Briefing: NATO forces are being swiftly transported to the Baltic
region but have not had adequate time to deploy. Faced with weak
opposition, Russian mechanized units have achieved a breakthrough
in Latvia and are closing in on the capitol city of Riga. Fly an
armed reconnaisance mission along the Latvian interstate, destroying
any high-value Russian armored units you encounter. Be careful not
to confuse friendly Latvian MiGs for hostile Russian aircraft.
You get plenty of air support in this mission. Two X-31s (one expert,
one good) will be flying a MIGCAP over your route, and three friendly
Latvian MiG-21s (all good) will be flying a BARCAP. The only aircraft
you should worry about are the two Su-35s (good), two Ka-50 Hokums,
and maybe a MiG-29 that might slip past the other fighters. The
X-31s and MiG-21s should be able to take out all the rest, but stay
alert just in case one slips past them. Your mission targets are five
T-90 tanks at Nav Charlie. You will probably be fired on by the three
BMP-2s and two ZSU-57-2s in the armored column. There's also a SAM-9
in the column, but hopefully it will have already expended its missiles
trying to hit the MiG-21s or X-31s. I recommend using your FLIR pod to
spot the targets at a distance, and attacking the tanks with Mavericks
from as far away as possible. Take them one at a time.
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 6 AGM-65 Mavericks,
2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and a FLIR pod on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Nine: High Plains Drifter
Briefing: French and Polish aircraft are flying a number of strike
missions. You are to fly a combat air patrol in the vicinity of
Panevezys. The mission targets are three of five enemy MiG-21s (all
good) near Nav Bravo, two Su-25s (average) between Bravo and Charlie,
and four MiG-29s (average) between Charlie and Delta. There are also
some Su-27s and MiG-31s protecting these aircraft. However, there are
some Estonian MiG-21s, two F-15s, and some Eurofighter 2000s providing
additional support that may take some of these aircraft out for you.
Despite the sheer number of enemy aircraft in this mission, it is not
really as hard as it sounds.
Loadout: Saab Gripen with either 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120
AMRAAMs, or 6 AMRAAMs and 2 Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Ten: Tartu Crossing
Briefing: Two F-111s are scheduled to destroy a bridge across the
Tartu river to slow the Russian advance. You must destroy two ZSU-23s
and three SA-3s in the mission area before their arrival. Fortunately
you will have support from three Mirage 2000s (one expert, two good)
flying a BARCAP and two MiG-21s (both good) flying a MIGCAP. Your
worst threats (other than the AAA and SAMs) include two Mi-24 HINDs
over the mission zone, two Su-35s (average) that take off 6 minutes
into the mission and patrol the mission zone, and three MiG-29s (two
good, one average) on your way home.
Loadout: Saab Gripen with 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders,
4 AGM-65 Mavericks, and a FLIR pod on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Eleven: Spirit Walk
Briefing: A central hub of the Russian logistical system is a supply
depot and repair facility located near the border town of Pskov. Use
the B-2's stealth and speed to destroy five storage units, six fuel
tanks, two factories, and three shelters at the depot. As always on
bombing missions, there are lots of enemies for you to avoid, including
two MiG-31s, two MiG-29s which take off 8 minutes into the mission, two
more which take off 9 minutes into the mission, and two Su-35s that take
off 12 minutes into the mission. Most of these are expert pilots, so be
very careful.
Loadout: B-2 Spirit with 64 Mk.82 bombs and 8 GBU-27 Paveway III bombs
-------------------------------
Mission Twelve: Pulled From the Fire
Briefing: A B-1 Strike Team has suffered heavy damage from AAA fire.
You must escort the B-1s back to base. The mission only succeeds if
all enemy aircraft are destroyed. You have two wingmen in this
mission, which is good, because there are lots of enemy fighters out
there waiting to shoot those B-1s down. The most important are the
three MiG-29s, which will be closing in on the B-1s by the time you
get in a good firing position. This will be followed by two Su-35s
taking off from a nearby airport; don't be distracted by the two
drones (which will look like Su-35s) coming from the south, or you
won't intercept the REAL Su-35s in time. The remaining four aircraft
are easier: two MiG-31s and two MiG-29Ms. If you do not use your
autopilot, you can get far enough ahead of the B-1s that these
planes will never get within firing range
Loadout: Saab Gripen with six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders,
and a 350-gallon fuel tank on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirteen: House Call
Briefing: Postavy has become a major base for Russian tactical air
support. You are to fly a combat patrol around this airbase, destroying
enemy aircraft in the air or on the ground. Two Eurofighter 2000s (good
pilots) provide extra support in this mission. Four MiG-21s (good) and
two Su-35s (one average, one good) are already airborne. Your mission
targets, however, are two more Su-35s (one average, one good), a MiG-23,
two Su-24s, and a Su-25 (all average) that start scrambling from the
airbase five minutes after you start the mission. It appears that the
two Su-35s that are already airborne are the only real threats you need
to worry about; when I flew the mission, the EF2000s took care of the
MiG-21s and all the planes parked at the airbase. On the return trip,
you may face two MiG-29Ms (one average, one good), but there's a good
chance that these have already taken out by two F-15s. In addition,
one straggling MiG-29 (average) may try to jump you near your base.
Loadout: Saab Gripen with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
and a FLIR pod on the centerline (to spot the airplanes while they're
still on the ground, don'cha know).
-------------------------------
Mission Fourteen: Dealer's Rules
Briefing: Vilnius is under attack from both air and ground units.
Maintaining air superiority over the battlefront is of extreme
importance. Fly a combat patrol over the area and destroy any enemy
aircraft you find. Your primary targets are two Su-25s being guarded
by three Su-35s at Nav Bravo (all average), and four Su-34s (all good)
being guarded by four MiG-29Ms (two average, two good) near Nav Charlie.
Hopefully you'll get some assistance from the two Mirage 2000s flying a
BARCAP against the enemies at Nav Bravo and Nav Charlie. Be careful
not to waste ammo on the drones; you can't afford to. An AWACS is
available.
Loadout: Saab Gripen with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs;
you'll probably be doing quite a bit of dogfighting near Nav Charlie
when you run low on missiles.
-------------------------------
Mission Fifteen: Strategic Retreat
Briefing: After a recent mission that took you to Vilnius, you are
told that the situation at the airbase is deteriorating. You are
to stage a strategic retreat to the nearest airbase, destroying any
enemy aircraft that threaten you. You already have one RAH-66
Comanche (expert) and two Tigers (one good, one expert) in the air,
and two Mirage 2000s (good) will scramble two minutes into the mission
from a nearby airbase and fly a BARCAP. There is also a single
friendly ZSU-23-4 AAA site nearby.
Immediately upon takeoff, turn southeast. There are two Mi-24 HINDs
coming from that direction that are mission targets. At Nav Alpha,
you must destroy two T-80s and two BMP-2s, and at Nav Bravo, there
are four T-80s that are also mission targets. The two Mi-24s are
so focused on attacking their targets you can get them with guns.
If you want to save your Mavericks, destroy the two T-80s at Nav Alpha
with Mavs, and destroy the BMP-2s with a few low-level gun passes.
There are two more Mi-24s, one Ka-50, two Su-25s, two MiG-31s, and
three MiG-21s (good) in the area; the MiG-21s are the only aircraft
that attacked me, though. Watch out for the SA-9 and two ZSU-57s
when attacking the tanks at Nav Bravo.
Loadout: Saab Gripen with 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 AGM-65 Mavericks,
2 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders, and a FLIR pod on the centerline. The
X-32 ASTOVL is also good for this mission, with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks,
2 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and four LAU-61 rocket
pods.
-------------------------------
Mission Sixteen: Water Sports
Briefing: A Russian fleet is threatening NATO naval supply lines to the
area. Fly a combat patrol and destroy any barrier aircraft deployed by
the strike fleet. Your mission targets include two Yak-141s (average)
from the north, two MiG-29Ms (average), and two Su-35s (one good, one
average) that take off three minutes into the mission. There are also
four MiG-31s (one good, three average); fortunately, you will get help
from two F-15s (which scramble 5 minutes into the mission, both good).
Loadout: Saab Gripen with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and three AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Seventeen: Bottleneck
Briefing: Reconnaissance has detected a Sovremenyy-class destroyer off
the northern tip of Estonia, escorted by several Sarancha class fast
attack boats. Using anti-ship ordnance, destroy the Sovremenyy and two
Saranchas. There are lots of enemy aircraft in this mission, including
three Yak-141s (one good, two average), three MiG-29Ms (average), three
Su-35s (one good, two average), two MiG-29s (average), and two Su-27s
(average). Fortunately, three groups of fighters will fly a BARCAP
before you approach the targets. These include three Rafale Ms (two
good, one average), four F-15s (two expert, two good), and two Euro-
fighter 2000s (good). Some of the enemy aircraft might not be destroyed;
hopefully, by the time they engage you, they will have used most of their
long-range missiles, though.
Loadout: Rafale C with 3 AGM-84E SLAMs, 4 Micas or AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
2 R-550 Magic 2s or AIM-9M Sidewinders, and a FLIR pod on the center-
line.
-------------------------------
Mission Eighteen: Rafale Revenge
Briefing: The French carrier Clemenceau has entered the Baltic Sea.
Russian strike craft are attempting a dawn attack. Fly a barrier patrol,
paying particular attention to any bombers. Your mission targets are
four Su-34s (average), but there are also no less than 6 Yak-141 (one
good, five average), two MiG-29M (average), two Su-33 (average), and
three Su-35s (average) headed for you. Fortunately, you have lots of
help. In addition to your two wingmen (good), you have two F-15Cs
(good), two Mirage 2000s (one good, one expert), and three more Rafale Cs
(all good) flying BARCAPs.
Loadout: Rafale C with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs or Micas and 4 R-550 Magic 2s
or AIM-9M Sidewinders, and your choice on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Nineteen: Blackjack
Briefing: A group of British Tornados are going to take out picket
ships to prepare the way for an attack on the carrier. Fly a barrier
patrol and destroy any enemy fighters that might attack the Tornados.
You get three wingmen (good) plus three F-15s (good) to assist you.
The enemies include four Su-35s (one good, three average), four Yak-141s
(one good, three average), one more Yak-141 (average) that takes off two
minutes into the mission, and four MiG-29s that will probably engage you
on the return trip. You might want to help the Tornados take out one or
more of the picket ships; all four Tornados must reach all their
waypoints to
Loadout: Rafale C with 3 AGM-84E SLAMs, 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs or Micas,
and two R-550 Magic 2 or AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty: First Light
Briefing: Recon has identified several Russian strike craft approaching
the NATO fleet. Their target is either the Clemenceau class carrier or
a Ticonderoga missile cruiser. Lots of friendly aircraft are flying
BARCAPs, including two F-16s (good), four F-15s (three good, one expert),
two Rafale Cs (good), and two Mirage F1s (good). Unfortunately, there
are lots of enemy aircraft that may be threats, including six MiG-29s
(four good, two average), one Su-27 (average), four MiG-23s (two good,
two expert), and four Su-35s (two good, two average). Their target
is actually the Ticonderoga; you must destroy the MiG-23s and keep the
Ticonderoga alive.
Loadout: Rafale C with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders (or
equivalents).
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-One: Chicken Kiev
Briefing: The Russian Kiev class carrier must be destroyed to secure
the Baltic waterways. You have two wingmen for this mission, plus
two F-22s (good) and three F-15s (good) flying BARCAPs. Enemy fighters
you will probably encounter include two Su-27s (avg), three Yak-141s
(average, launch 6 minutes into mission), three Su-35s (average),
and four MiG-29s (one good, three average).
Loadout: Rafale C with three AGM-84E SLAMs, four AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and
two AIM-9M Sidewinders (or equivalent).
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Two: TARCAP
Briefing: The Russian drive towards the Baltic has been halted due to
NATO interdiction of Russian supply lines. The Red Army has been
forced to turn back short of Kaunas and Siauliaia. Two B-1Bs are
scheduled to attack a column of T-80 tanks. You must guard them
from enemy aircraft. You have two wingmen for this mission. Enemy
targets include two MiG-29s (good), two MiG-31s (average), and two
Su-35s (average).
Loadout: F-16C with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Three: Suppressive Fire
Briefing: F-15 Falcons and A-10 Warthogs are striking an armored
column near Panevezys. Fly ahead of the strike force and eliminate
SAM and AAA sites in the area. Your mission targets are two SA-9s,
one SA-13, and one SA-15 near Nav Bravo. An airport has three Su-35s
(two average, one expert), one MiG-29M (average), and one MiG-31
(expert) that begin to scramble four minutes after you start the
mission. If you're fast enough, you may be able to catch most of
these on the ground with a few gun passes. Other airborne enemies
include five MiG-21s (four good, one average) that will spot you
enroute to your landing zone (unless you take a detour). Luckily,
you have two wingmen for this mission, and two X-29s (one expert,
one good) scramble three minutes after the mission starts and fly
a BARCAP.
Loadout: F-16C with 4 AGM-65 Phoenix, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and 2
AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders, with a FLIR pod on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Four: Ghost Trail
Briefing: The Russians have based an important command center in some
former Soviet bunkers Northeast of Vilnius. The area is heavily
defended by AAA and MiG interceptors, including four Su-27s (expert),
five Su-35s (one good, two average, two expert), and two MiG-29Ms
(expert). Using the F-117's stealth and speed, penetrate enemy
defenses and destroy three microwave dishes, one microwave tower,
and one hardened C&C bunker. (Note: I know that between you and
your wingman, you only have four bombs and five targets, but remember
the size of the GBU-27's explosion and the fact that one of the towers
is likely to be right next to the C&C. If you don't miss a shot, you
can get all the targets.)
Loadout: F-117 with 2 GBU-27 Paveway II bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Five: High & Dry
Briefing: The number of aircraft stationed at Vilnius needs to be
reduced. Provide aircover for a group of three British Tornadoes.
Your mission targets include one MiG-29M (average), two MiG-29s (good)
and two MiG-31s (good) which are already in the air, plus one MiG-29M
(average) and three Su-35s (one good, two average) which start to
scramble five minutes into the mission. Hopefully you can get some
of these while they're still on the ground. An Su-25 and MiG-23 (both
average) scramble six minutes into the mission, but are not mission
targets. Two F-4Gs will meet with you at Nav Alpha and help take out
the SAM and AAA at the base.
Loadout: F-16C with 4 to 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 to 4 AIM-9M or -9X
Sidewinders, with a FLIR pod on the centerline (in case you get to
the Vilnius airbase while the enemy planes are still on the ground).
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Six: Fighter Sweep
Briefing: As we drive the Russian ground forces from Lithuania, we
must continue our efforts to eliminate the Russian tactical air force.
Fly a combat sweep around Vilnius and Panevezys, destroying any Russian
strike aircraft you find. Two F-15s will probably take out the first
five MiG-21s before you even get a good firing solution. To the east,
you will see two Su-34s (one good, one average) escorted by two Su-35s
(one good, one average). You will receive assistance from a Rafale C
(expert) and two Mirage 2000s (one expert, one good). Further along,
you will spot four Su-34s (two good, two average) escorted by two
MiG-29Ms (average); two Eurofighter 2000s (one good, one average) will
help you with these. Your mission targets are the Su-34s.
Loadout: F-16C with 4 to 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 to 4 AIM-9M or -9X
Sidewinders, and a fuel tank on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Seven: Detour Ahead
Briefing: By putting a stranglehold on the Russian supply situation,
we can force the Russians to withdraw completely from Lithuania.
Patrol the road sector north of Vilnius and destroy any transports
you see. Your mission targets are all eleven trucks at Nav Bravo,
but this is easier than it sounds; all eleven trucks can be taken
out with four Mavericks if you pick your shots carefully. There is
one group of three trucks which are far enough apart that each one
requires a separate missile, but the other eleven are in such a tight
group that shooting one often sends the rest up in flames. Any left-
overs can be mopped up with gun passes, but watch out for fire from
the SA-9 SAM, two AAA sites, and the BMP-2s in the area.
You get some air support from three X-31s (all good) which fly almost
the same waypoints you do; also, two F-15s (one good, one average)
scramble six minutes after mission start and begins flying the waypoints
in reverse order. The most likely air threats are two MiG-31s (one good,
one average), three Su-35s (all average), and three MiG-29s (average),
but there's more out there, so check your six periodically.
Loadout: F-16 with four AIM-120 AMRAAMs, two AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders,
two AGM-65 Mavericks, and a FLIR pod on the centerline. The X-32
ASTOVL is also an excellent aircraft for this mission.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Eight:
Briefing: Two Russian Olekma supply ships, flying under the escort of
Russian frigates, are attempting to reach Russian troops fighting on
the northern border of Estonia. Use anti-ship missiles to sink the
two Olekmas. Be warned that the Olekmas are being escorted by two
Krivak-class missile boats and one Sovremenyy. Also, the fog below
10,000 feet makes your IR and visual scanning almost useless, so you'd
better have a sharp eye. Air support is provided by three Rafale Cs
(one expert, two good) and two F-15s flying a BARCAP in the area.
Enemy aircraft you are likely to encounter include two Su-35s (good),
two Su-27s (average) which launch three minutes after mission start,
three MiG-29Ms (average), and three more MiG-29s (average) on your
return trip. However, your air support is quite good and you shouldn't
have much trouble with enemy aircraft.
Loadout: F-22 with 2 AGM-84E SLAMs or AGM-84A Harpoons, two AIM-120
AMRAAMs, and 4 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Nine: Point-Blank
Briefing: The Russians must be denied the ability to fly aircraft
over Estonia. Fly a combat patrol, destroying any enemy strike
planes you encounter. You have seven mission targets: Three MiG-29Ms
(average), two Su-35s (average, takes off 4 minutes after mission
starts), and two MiG-29s (good).
There are several other enemy aircraft out there, though, including
two MiG-23s (average), two MiG-21s (good), and two more MiG-29s.
However, you may not have to deal with all of these; three F-111F
are flying a CAS with two F-15s as escort, two A-10s are flying
another CAS with two F-16s as escort, and two Mirage 2000s are
flying a BARCAP nearby. In practice, I've found that the first three
MiG-29Ms are taken care of by F-15s; you usually end up taking out
the Su-35s, two of the MiG-29s, and the two MiG-21s. Avoid wasting
ammo on the two drones.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty: Border Crossing
Briefing: While NATO troops force Russian ground forces out of Russia,
Allied fighters are concentrating on forces inside Russia. Your target
for this mission is a staging area for Russian troops near Pskov. Take
out some stationary ground attack aircraft, including four Su-35s which
start to scramble three minutes after mission start, two Yak-141s and
three Su-24s which begin to scramble five minutes after mission start.
Other aircraft in the area include two MiG-31s, five MiG-29Ms, and two
MiG-29s. Fortunately, three F-111s guarded by two F-15s provide some
fire support. I ended up engaging two Su-35s that managed to get off
the ground, three Su-24s that were still on the ground, and all seven
of the MiG-29 and MiG-29Ms. You'd better be a good dogfighter, or be
good at controlling your wingman.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders.
The X-32 ASTOVL is also good for this mission.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-One: Night Terror
Briefing: A strategic Russian command center must be eliminated. Fly in
undetected and bomb the command center into rubble. The mission targets
are in three groups: Three Comm Dishes around a Comm HQ, two Comm Towers
near a hardened bunker, and three more Comm Towers near another Comm HQ.
Since this is a bomber mission, I needn't remind you of the importance
of stealth. There are lots of enemy planes out there, including two
Su-31s, two Su-35s, and several others, all with expert pilots.
Loadout: B-2 bomber with 8 GBU-27 Paveway III bombs and 64 Mk.82 bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Two: Tequila Sunrise
Briefing: Ground troops are being coordinated from a heavily-defended
command post. Your mission targets are two command HQs, one hardened
bunker, five comm towers, and three medium-sized comm dishes at Nav
Bravo. You are being escorted by three Eurofighter 2000s (good), and
two Mirage 2000s (expert) take off one minute into the mission and fly
a BARCAP nearby. There don't seem to be many enemy aircraft in this
mission (probably because you've been hitting them so hard); two MiG-29s
(average), three Su-35s (one novice, two average) and two MiG-21s (good)
are all that I found, though there are probably more out there if you
linger too long. You'd better help the M2000s with the Su-35s or they're
likely to get blown out of the sky. There's one SAM site and one AAA
site guarding the base, plus watch out for fire from the T-80 and T-90
tanks; you're not likely to get hit by a tank shell, but if you do,
expect to take major (often 100%) damage.
By the way, you're landing at an awfully small airport with an awfully
short runway; I hope you've practiced the X-32's STOVL landings by now!
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M or -9X Side-
winders, 4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods, and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Three: Hot Run
Briefing: As Allied forces move in to drive the Russians out of Estonia,
the Russians are trying to evacuate their forward airbases. Your target
is six hardened shelters at the Tartu airbase. The mission briefing says
that F-22s will provide air support, but it is VERY wrong. Your air
support is provided by three expert F-15s which meet you at Nav Alpha!
There ARE two F-22s (good) which launch three minutes into the mission
and two X-31s (good) which launch seven minutes into the mission and fly
BARCAPs to your north and south respectively, though.
There are several enemy aircraft in this mission, including two Su-27s
(average), three MiG-29Ms (two good, one expert) and two MiG-31s (average)
in the area; I suggest helping the F-15s with the MiG-29Ms, in particular,
just to help your air support stay alive. There's some Su-35s at the base
which start scrambling by the time you get there, but the F-15s can take
them out.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 LAU-61
Rocket Pods, and 2 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Four: Daybreak
Briefing: The battle for Latvia begins with an attack on Postavy Airbase.
Fly a combat sweep, destroying enemy aircraft in the air and on the
ground. Your mission targets are four Su-35s (two expert, two average)
which start scrambling 3 minutes after mission start, three MiG-23s
(average) and two Su-24s (average). You have two wingmen in this
mission, and four F-15s (two expert, two good) provide additional air
support. This is a good thing, because there are no less than two
MiG-31s (one good, one average), two Su-33s (one good, one average),
five MiG-29Ms (three good, two average), and two Su-35s (average)
already airborne and inbound.
Loadout: Saab Gripen with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M or -9X Side-
winders, and a FLIR pod on the centerline.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Five: Midnight Assassin
Briefing: Ammo and fuel are becoming precious commodities for Russian
ground troops as NATO attacks on Russian lines of communication
continue. Your target is a heavily defended bridge near Rezekne.
Use the F-117's stealth to penetrate enemy lines and make a precision
attack on the structure. As always, stealth is your most important
weapon; there are many Russian aircraft out there, ready to shoot you
down, including four Su-35s, three MiG-31s, and two more Su-35s that
scramble eight minutes after mission start. All enemy pilots are
experts. Your only mission target is the bridge.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Six: Gunfight
Briefing: At this point, Russian fighters have moved strictly to the
defensive, but attacks on Russian airbases continue. You are to
fly a wild weasel mission, suppressing AAA and SAM sites in advance
of F-111s and F-15s attacking the airbase at Daugavpils. Your mission
targets are three ZSU-23s, two ZSU-57s, and three SA-3 SAM sites. Air
opposition includes two MiG-29s (one expert, one good), four MiG-21s
(one expert, three good), three Su-35s (two good, one average), and
two MiG-29Ms (one good, one average) that scramble six minutes after
the mission starts. One Su-35 (expert) and two MiG-31s (one good, one
average) start to scramble from the Daugavpils airbase immediately, and
three Su-23s and one Su-24 (all average) scramble after eleven minutes.
You will meet up with three F-111s (expert) and four X-29s (two expert,
two good) at Nav Alpha, so you have plenty of support.
Loadout: The Su-35 is the default plane, but I very much prefer the
F-16 or X-32 for this mission, with at least 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Seven: Overkill
Briefing: Fly a combat sweep over the airbase at Pustoshka. Your targets
are two MiG-29Ms (average), five MiG-21s (good), and three Su-35s (avg).
Other enemy aircraft includes two MiG-29s and one Su-35 (average) that
take off seven minutes into the mission, and two MiG-31s (good).
Loadout: Su-35 with 7 AMRAAMs or Anti-AWACS and two AA-11B Backfires.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Eight: Point 'N' Shoot
Briefing: The airbase at Ostrov is the last air tasking order that
needs serious attention. Attack the airbase and destroy three of
five hardened aircraft shelters. You will have two wingmen and an
escort of three F-15s (one expert, two good), plus two Mirage 2000s
(expert) and two Mirage IIIs (good) are flying BARCAPs nearby. A pair
of F-16s (one expert, one good) take off eight minutes into the mission
and fly a BARCAP over your landing zone.
The enemy is seriously outnumbered, however. Two Su-35s (average) and
four MiG-29Ms (good) are already in the air; two additional MiG-31s
(average) scramble two minutes into the mission, and two Su-35s scramble
from the Ostrov airbase five minutes into the mission.
Loadout: Su-35 with 2 AGM-65 Mavericks, 3 AIM-120 AMRAAMs or Anti-AWACS,
and two AA-11B Backfires.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirty-Nine: Snakes in the Grass
Briefing: A Russian Helicopter company is using a small airfield near
Riga. You are to strike this airfield and destroy the Comm Dish, the
Hardened C&C, and three Fuel Tanks. The base has two Ka-50 Havocs,
one Mi-24 Hind, and one Yak-141 which launches 5 minutes after mission
start. Two MiG-29Ms (one good, one average), two MiG-29s (average),
five MiG-21s (good) and two Su-35s (average) are inbound.
Fortunately, you have three F-15s (expert), three EuroFighter 2000s
(expert), and two F-22s (one expert, one good) flying BARCAPs in the
area. This mission will probably be a pushover.
Loadout: The Su-35 is the default aircraft; I prefer the X-32 ASTOVL
with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and 6 AIM-9M or -9X
Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Forty: Final Fight
Briefing: The Russians are in full retreat, though no official cease-fire
has been declared. Attacks on enemy assets are to continue. You are to
fly a wild weasel in advance of a group of F-111s attacking a tank column.
Your targets are two ZSU-57s, three ZSU-23s, and three SA-9s. You have
plenty of friendly aircraft in the area, including three F-15s (one
expert, two good), two F-22s (expert), one Rafale (expert), and two
Mirage 2000s (good). Enemy aircraft (I never encountered one because
the other Allied fighters shot them down first) include two MiG-29Ms
(average), two Su-27s (good), four Su-35s (good), two MiG-31s (good),
and a single MiG-21 (average).
Loadout: Eurofighter 2000 with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 AGM-65 Mavericks,
4 AIM-9M or -9X Sidewinders, and a FLIR pod on the centerline.
-------------------------------
A note on awards:
-------------------------------
There are ten possible awards that I know of in Jane's ATF, and one
of them (the Purple Heart) can be awarded up to three times. One
medal (the Silver Star) is not available in the Egypt campaign,
another one (the Air Force Commendation) is not available in the
Russian campaign, and one of them (the Air Force Cross) is highly
unlikely unless you destroy a lot of structures that are not mission
targets. Here's the list of medals you can receive in the Baltics
2009 campaign:
1. Air Force Achievement. You and your wingman must each down at
least three planes in the same mission.
2. Air Force Medal of Honor. Down ten fighters in one mission using
guns only. (You don't have to use the "Guns Only" cheat to get
this award... but it helps!)
3. Air Force Cross. Awarded after you destroy at least 100 structures
in the campaign.
4. Air Medal. Awarded after the mission in which you down your 15th
fighter in the campaign.
5. Air Force Distinguished Service. Awarded after you've downed
your 30th plane in the campaign.
6. Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. Awarded after you've downed
your 45th plane in the campaign.
7. Air Force Expeditionary. Awarded after you successfully finish
Russia Mission 40, Egypt Mission 40, or Baltics mission 40.
8. Purple Heart. Awarded after any mission in which you see the
message "You've been hit" or "You are about to die from your
wounds". Can be awarded up to three times.
There is probably one additional medal, similar to the Silver Star
you earn in Russia, that you will receive somewhere between mission
30 and mission 39. I did not get this medal, but I may have failed
that mission.
------------------------------
A note on promotions:
------------------------------
There are five ranks in Jane's ATF. The highest rank is Lieutenant
Colonel. When you are promoted depends on how many fighter/bomber
kills you and your wingman have (total). You start each campaign
as a 2nd Lieutenant.
# kills 1st Lt. Captain Major Lt. Colonel
======= ========= ========== ========== ===========
60+ Mission 12 Mission 22 Mission 32
50+ Mission 13 Mission 23 Mission 33
40+ Mission 5 Mission 14 Mission 24 Mission 34
30+ Mission 6 Mission 15 Mission 25 Mission 35
20+ Mission 7 Mission 16 Mission 26 Mission 36
10+ Mission 8 Mission 17 Mission 27 Mission 37
otherwise Mission 9 Mission 18 Mission 28 Mission 38
I think that the Baltics campaign uses a different promotion
schedule. I did not get the promotion to Captain until after
mission 13, though I qualified after mission 9.
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Solution #3 for ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters
Campaign Notes: Russia 2002
Written by Marcus Spears
Date: August 6, 1998
-------------------------------
Notes: This mission guide was written with the assistance of the
Official Guide to Jane's ATF, Copyright 1996 Electronic Arts.
When I give one loadout, it is what I consider to be the best
loadout for the default plane for that particular mission (which
may not be the same as the default loadout for the plane). If I
give two or more loadouts, the second one is the one I prefer.
Initial planes available: One B-2, one F-117, three F-22s, three
X-31s, three X-32s. Three X-29s become available after the first
few missions.
-------------------------------
Mission One: Troubleshooter
Briefing: Chinese fighter-bombers have crossed the border in violation
of Russian airspace. You are authorized to destroy these aircraft.
They include: three Q-5 Fantans (average) near Nav Alpha, two Su-27
Flanker-Bs (one average, one novice), and three J-7E Fishbeds (average)
near Nav Bravo. All of these are mission targets.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Two: Waylaid
Briefing: In retaliation of the destruction of several fighters, the
PRC has attempted to enforce a blockade of Vladivostok and destroyed
two U.S. cargo ships. In response to an act of overt aggression, we
have decided to send a strong message to the PRC. You are to destroy
two of their cargo ships at Nav Bravo. On the way in, watch for two
Mig-29 Fulcrum-Cs (good) and over the cargo ships, watch for two F-5E
Tigers (average). On the return trip, you can avoid four J-7E Fishbeds
(good) if you move Nav Point Charlie further south.
Loadout: F-22 Raptor with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and
2 AGM-84E SLAM missiles.
-------------------------------
Mission Three: Hardball
Briefing: The PRC continues to send aircraft over the border in
violation of Russian airspace. You are to intercept and destroy
these planes. They include three Mig-29 Fulcrum-Cs (average)
near Nav Alpha, four J-7E Fishbeds (good) near Nav Bravo, and two
Fighter Support-Xs (average) near Nav Charlie. Note that the enemy
fighters in this mission have orders not to disengage until you are
destroyed. It's either you or them.
Loadout: X-31 (Snow) EFM with 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Four: Vanguard
Briefing: War has not been officially declared by either side, but
Chinese forces continue to provoke Allied forces. Fly a combat sweep
over Peter the Great Bay, destroying any Chinese fighters that cross
the border. Watch out from fire from Jianghu-class frigates and
Sarancha-class fast attack boats patrolling the bay. Your mission
targets are three Q-5 Fantans (good) near Nav Alpha, three Su-27
Flanker Bs near Nav Bravo (average), and two J-7E Fishbeds (good) and
F-5E Tigers (one good, one average) near Nav Charlie. If you move
Nav Delta so that it's _north_ of Nav Eagle, then fly north a while
after destroying the J-7Es and F-5Es before using autopilot, you may
be able to avoid the three MiG-29 Fulcrum Cs (good) near Nav Delta.
Loadout: F-22A Raptor with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Five: Waterline
Briefing: Chinese fast attack boats have begun to destroy US, Russian,
South Korean, and other Allied ships in the Peter the Great Bay.
There is a wing of X-31 EFMs that's supposed to protect you from enemy
fighters, but they're not very good at it, apparently. As soon as the
mission starts, turn due south for a while, then go due west until you
are south of Nav Baker. You will probably have to engage the three
MiG-29 Fulcrum Cs (good) and two SU-27 Flanker Bs (average). There
are six Saranchas at Nav Point Bravo and Nav Point Charlie; only three
of each group are mission targets. Apparently you're not trying to
destroy every ship (though you can if you want), but to bust holes in
their blockade.
Loadout: F-22A Raptor with 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AGM-65 Mavericks.
-------------------------------
Mission Six: Watchtower
Briefing: A US supply convoy is approaching port. Radar has detected
Chinese fighters headed to intercept them. You must scramble and
intercept the strike. As soon as you get off the ground, turn south;
two J-7E Fishbeds (expert) are very close to your base. Near Nav Bravo
you will encounter two F-5E Tigers (average) protecting the strike force
of four Q-5 Fantans (good). You must destroy all four Fantans and the
two Sacramentos must survive for the mission to be successful.
Loadout: X-29 FSW with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders. You
can place one SARH missile (like the AIM-7 Sparrow), fuel tank (250 or
350 gallon), ALQ-167 Jammer, Pave Spike, or a FLIR pod on the centerline.
You don't need the fuel, the pave spike, or the FLIR pod on this mission,
however... take the missile or the jammer.
-------------------------------
Mission Seven: Blind Fury
Briefing: The Chinese are launching aggressive attacks on air and sea
assets, and a division of tanks appears to be preparing to cross the
border. An invasion of the Maritime Territory seems imminent. Two
Chinese Jianghu-class frigates are closing in on a damaged Kirov. A
wing of X-32s are being sent to destroy the Jianghus. Your job is to
protect the X-32s from enemy fighters. The mission is complete if the
Kirov survives and the X-32s complete all of their waypoints. There
are nine enemy fighters in this mission, all with good crews. The
first ones you'll meet are two Su-27 Flanker-Bs. After finishing them
off, turn west and you'll spot four J-7E Fishbeds. Finally, turn north
and take out the three MiG-29 Fulcrum-Cs (good). Once all nine fighters
are gone, you can either go back to Nav Bravo and help the X-32s by
making low-level gun passes against the Jianghus, or go ahead and land
at Nav Delta and wait for the mission complete message.
Loadout: X-31 EFM with 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Eight: Surgical Strike
Briefing: Elite Chinese forces have crossed the border. US and Russian
forces are offering stiff resistance, but our only hope for success
against superior Chinese numbers is continued air superiority. To this
end, you are to use stealth to penetrate enemy lines and destroy two
Command and Control bunkers that they are using to coordinate their
air forces. The hardest part of this mission is not getting spotted
by the four Su-27 Flanker-Bs (expert) heading for Nav Alpha or the
Fighter Support-X (expert) over the first target. If you can slip by
them, after bombing the first C&C, you can head due west for a while,
then north until you're NW of the second target, avoiding six more
enemy fighters (two Mig-29s, two FS-Xs, two Su-27s). Turn SE, bomb
the second C&C, then turn due north for a while, then head east until
you're due north of Nav Delta. This should avoid the Su-27 searching
for you between Nav Charlie and Nav Delta.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Nine: Traffic Jam
Briefing: The Chinese offensive continues as infantry and armored units
pour across the Ussuri River, preparing for a siege on Vladivostok.
Excellent logistical support is aiding their rapid advance into Far
Eastern Russia. You are to destroy five cargo trucks carrying supplies
to Chinese units. A pair of F-15C Eagles will provide air cover for
this mission. The F-15s will probably destroy the two J-7E Fishbeds,
two F-5E Tigers, and two Mig-29 Fulcrum-Cs enroute to Nav Bravo, but
they will miss some of the enemy aircraft. Usually, you will have to
deal with two SU-27 Flanker-Bs and one MiG-29 Fulcrum-C, so it's a good
idea inbetween destroying trucks to turn on your radar and do a full 360-
degree sweep, looking for planes that may be coming your way. Since
these are just trucks and will die with a few gun shots, you don't
even really need to carry any air-to-ground ordnance at all, unless
you want to take the time to destroy the ZSU-23-4 Shilka, the ZSU-57-2
Sparka, and the SA-9 Gaskin AAA and SAM sites.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and
6 AIM-9M Sidewinders, or 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 4 LAU-61 rocket pods, and
4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, or 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AGM-65 Mavericks, and
6 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Ten: Steel Dragons
Briefing: Chinese Jianghus have entered coastal waters, intending to
destroy ship ports and submarine pens. You are to intercept and
destroy two of these Jianghus, one at Nav Baker and one close to
Nav Charlie. There are nine enemy aircraft in this mission, and
because each Jianghu requires three SLAMs to destroy, you'll have
a limited number of air-to-air missiles. The best strategy I can
think of, which sometimes works, is to head due south from your
starting point, then due west until you're slightly SW of Nav Bravo.
Turn NE and find the Jianghu. As soon as you have a good firing
solution, quickly fire off two SLAMs and order your wingman to engage.
Let him launch one missile, then order him to disengage and turn SW
again. This should finish off the Jianghu; if not, you'll have to
turn around and hit him with another SLAM.
Head west until you're slightly SW of Nav Charlie, and repeat the
procedure with the second Jianghu, then head northward until you're
west of Nav Delta, and you should be safe. However, you'll probably
end up fighting at least a few of the enemy aircraft, which include
four J-7E Fishbeds (all good) which normally meet you near Nav Alpha,
three MiG-29 Fulcrum-Cs (all good) near Nav Bravo, and two FS-Xs (one
good, one average) near Nav Charlie.
Loadout: F-22 with 4 AGM-84E SLAMs or 4 AGM-84A Harpoons, 2 AIM-120
AMRAAMs or 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Eleven: Blind Alert
Briefing: Mobile radars are providing early warning for Chinese
ground units. Use the F-117 to penetrate enemy lines and destroy
two Straight Flush radars (one near Nav Bravo, one near Nav Charlie).
Once again the mission designers expect you to sneak your way past
over a dozen expert enemy pilots, including no less than three MiG-29s,
six FS-Xs, and six Su-27s.
If you go slow on your way to Nav Alpha, four of the FS-Xs will cross
in front of you and continue heading southwest. They won't bother you
again. If you time it right, three of the MiG-29s will be past you on
the northern leg of their patrol, and you can slip right past them and
bomb the first radar. The second radar is more difficult; hopefully
the other three MiG-29s will have passed you, patrolling to your north-
east. The thing to worry about is three of the Su-27s that patrol
right across Nav Charlie. Instead of following your nav points to
Nav Delta, which may require you to slip past not only the MiG-29s but
the MiG-29s you passed earlier and two FS-Xs patrolling parallel to
the route between Nav Charlie and Nav Delta.
It may be best if, after bombing the second radar, you turn due south
until you're far south of Nav Alpha, then turn east until you're due
south of Nav Eagle.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Twelve: Minutemen
Briefing: A wing of Chinese aircraft has penetrated our barrier
defenses. Scramble and defend the airbase. Immediately upon launch
you'll have to fight two MiG-29 Fulcrum-Cs (one good, one average)
and two J-7E Fishbeds (good). Upon turning south towards Nav Bravo,
there are four Q-5 Fantans (good) being guarded by two FS-Xs (one
good, one average). Your mission targets are everything but the
FS-Xs. A very straightforward interception mission.
Loadout: X-29 FSW with four AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders,
and one SARH missile like the AIM-7 Sparrow.
-------------------------------
Mission Thirteen: Red Tide
Briefing: Chinese frigates have entered the Bay to engage US Warships.
You are to launch and destroy two Jianghus, one at Nav Charlie and one
close to Nav Delta. Actually, there are three at Nav Charlie and two
at Nav Delta, but only one of each group is a mission goal. You have
two wingmen for this flight, so you can carry only two SLAMs each, as
long as you don't miss. If you head South for a while, then west, you
may be able to avoid the four Q-5 Fantans (good) near Nav Alpha. You
may have to engage the three FS-Xs (average) and/or the three Su-27s
(average) that orbit around Nav Beta when you move in to destroy the
first Jianghu. You will almost certainly have to engage the four
J-7E Fishbeds (good) which orbit very close to your landing approach.
Warning: The fog makes it damn near impossible to spot your mission
targets! Sidewinders are only effective above the fog boundary (8000
feet) so you might be better off taking all AMRAAMs.
Loadout: F-22 with 2 AGM-84A Harpoons or 2 AGM-84E SLAMs, 2 AIM-120
AMRAAMs and 4 AIM-9M Sidewinders or 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Fourteen: Low Blow
Briefing: Chinese troops have advanced 50 miles into Russian territory
at strategic points on the Sino-Russian front, and are engaging US and
Russian troops along a 100-mile boundary. A flight of RAH-66 Comanches
is on an anti-tank mission. You are to sweep the area of SAM and AAA
before they arrive. A wing of three Su-27s is flying a MIGCAP over the
area, protecting you from fighters. You will, however, probably have
to engage two J-7E Fishbeds (average) before reaching Nav Alpha, and
there are plenty of other enemy aircraft that the Su-27s might not
intercept in time, including three other Su-27s (average), two F-5E
tigers (average), and five more J-7E Fishbeds (good). Your mission
goals include one SA-6 Gainful, six ZSU-23-4 Shilkas, and four ZSU-57-2
Sparkas.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods,
2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Fifteen: Dark Knight
Briefing: The Chinese have deployed a squadron of fighters to a captured
Russian base. These fighters have scored a number of kills against
allied aircraft operating in the area. We are going to temporarily shut
down the airbase. Your job is to destroy the microwave tower, control
tower, and comm center at the airfield. Meanwhile, three F-22s and
three F-16s will force the enemy fighters to scramble, while four F-4Gs
attack the SAM and AAA sites at the airbase. Stay close to your starting
position for a while, and if you have ATF Gold or the NATO Fighters CD,
check the map frequently (Shift-M) to watch the position of the F-16s and
F-22s. Give them a chance to sweep the enemy fighters out of the way
before you approach the enemy base, and your attack will be almost
uncontested.
Loadout: F-117 with two GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Sixteen: Mile High
Briefing: The Chinese have taken Vladivostok and two airbases. US and
Russian troops are trying to stall the Chinese advance. You are to fly
a patrol mission, sweeping away enemy fighters. There are two F-5 Tigers
(average) near Nav Alpha, three FS-Xs (two average, one good) that you
will probably encounter near Nav B, and four J-7E Fishbeds (three good,
one average) near Nav Charlie. Watch out for fire from the SA-6 Gainfuls
along your flight path!
Loadout: X-31 EFM with 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs; I
prefer the X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
-------------------------------
Mission Seventeen: Air Lift
Briefing: The allied forces are moving massive amounts of men and
material to the Russian Far East. You are to make sure that three
C-17s loaded with cargo make it to all their waypoints. Along the
way you will encounter four Q-5 Fantans (good), four MiG-29s (one
good, three average), three Su-27s (one good, two average) and three
J-7E Fishbeds (average). The path of the C-17s take them across or
near the flight path of all these planes. A single Su-34 might take
out some of the J-7Es if he's in the right place at the right time.
Loadout: X-29 FSW with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and
one SARH missile like the AIM-7 Sparrow on the centerline. Once again
I very much prefer the X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AMRAAMs and 6 Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Eighteen: Brass Boys
Briefing: It has been determined that the Chinese commanders are holed
up in a set of hardened bunkers. You are to use the stealth and
firepower of the B-2 and destroy the command HQ and eight hardened
shelters where the commanders are assumed to be. The easiest route
is to head northwest for a while, avoiding Nav Alpha, then turn south
once you're north of Nav Bravo. Bomb the shelters, then turn north
again for a while, then due east until you're over Nav Foxtrot. This
should allow you to avoid all the enemy fighters in the area.
Loadout: B-2 Spirit with 64 Mk 82 bombs and 8 GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
-------------------------------
Mission Nineteen: Cancelled Tour
Briefing: The Chinese have moved more fighters to a captured airbase.
You are to destroy six Hardened Shelters at the airbase. Shortly before
your ToT (Time Over Target), two F-4Gs will take out the AAA and SAM
sites at the airbase, while two F-15C Eagles provide air cover for
your operation. Enemy aircraft are fairly heavy; if you head due west
from your starting point, you may be able to avoid having to engage four
MiG-29s (three good, one average) enroute to Nav Alpha. On the other
hand, three Su-27s (two average, one good) and two FS-Xs (one average,
one good) will start taking off if you take too long. Plus, the F-15s
will probably have their hands full with the five J-7E Fishbeds (two
expert, three good) and two FS-Xs (average) that are enroute to protect
the airbase.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and 4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods. You can take hardened
shelters out with guns, though, and your wingman will have Mavericks too,
so you may want to substitute two more Sidewinders for the rocket pods.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty: Lock On
Briefing: As the Chinese advance continues, two more allied airbases
have been overrun. You are to take out a tank column in the front of
the Chinese advance. Your mission targets are six T-72 tanks. There
aren't many enemy planes in this one, fortunately. A Su-27 (average)
takes off four minutes after you begin the mission and will reach the
target area approximately seven minutes after you begin the mission.
Two Mig-29s (good) will be in the target area by the time you get there.
Four J-7E Fishbeds (good) will also intercept you.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and 4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods. You can exchange
the rocket pods for two more Sidewinders since there's six targets
and you have a total of eight Mavericks between you and your wingman.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-One: Long Haul
Briefing: Forces near the front must be constantly resupplied. Escort
two C-5s to their landing point. Enemy targets include two J-7E Fishbeds
(good) coming from the north and two FS-Xs (average) coming from the
south at Nav Alpha, and two Su-27s (average), two Mig-29s (average),
and two J-7E Fishbeds (good) near Nav Alpha.
Loadout: X-29 FSW with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
Alternately, I prefer the X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 6
AIM-9M Sidewinders.
-------------------------------
Mission Twenty-Two: Worker's Paradise
Briefing: The Chinese have captured a Russian factory that produces a
new, advanced armor-piercing tank shell. The Brass has decided that
the factory should be shut down. Use the B-2's stealth and speed to
destroy four loading docks and seven factory buildings. Ignore Nav
Alpha. Instead, go north for a while and linger around that area,
because three FS-Xs (expert) pass right by Nav Alpha and very nearly
pass by your starting position before turning due south. It also gives
two F-22s time to go in and hopefully take out some (or even all) of the
two MiG-29s (expert), two Su-27s (expert), and two FS-Xs (one average,
one good) patrolling around the factory.
Loadout: B-2 with 64 Mk 82 bombs and 8 GBU-27 Paveway III bombs.
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Mission Twenty-Three: Life Guard
Briefing: Three Sacramentos are bringing in the bulk of our supplies
to this sector. Long-range radar has detected two groups of enemies
on an intercept course towards the Sacramentos. From the south are
four Q-5 Fantans (two good, two expert) guarded by two FS-Xs (average).
From the west are three Q-5 Fantans (good) guarded by two Su-27s
(average). The Fantans are your mission targets. All Fantans must be
destroyed and the Sacramentos must survive.
Loadout: X-29 FSW with 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and
one SARH missile like the AIM-7 Sparrow on the centerpoint. Alternately
I prefer the X-32 ASTOVL with 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 6 AIM-9M Sidewinders.
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Mission Twenty-Four: Zip Guns
Briefing: USAF A-10s will be striking Chinese armored columns. You are
to fly a SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) before the strike.
Your mission targets are four ZSU-57-2s and one ZSU-23-4 at Nav Alpha,
and two ZSU-57-2s and three ZSU-23-4s at Nav Bravo. There are two
Gazelles (average) near each Nav Point plus two Su-27s (one expert,
one average) near Nav Alpha and three J-7E Fishbeds (good) between
Nav Alpha and Nav Bravo. You have two wingmen in this mission.
Loadout: X-32 ASTOVL with 4 AGM-65 Mavericks, 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs,
4 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and 4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods.
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Mission Twenty-Five: High Rollers
Briefing: Chinese armored units have breached our defenses. Additional
Chinese tanks are moving in to exploit the breach. You are to attack
the Chinese armor formation. You must destroy six T-72s and two BMP-2s
near Nav Alpha. There is moderate air support, consisting of two J-7E
Fishbeds (good) which are almost right on top of you as soon as you
start the mission, two FS-Xs (good), and two MiG-29s (good) which reach
the target area 5 minutes after you take off. Fortunately, an F-16
Falcon has been assigned to provide Close Air Support and will reach
the target area 10.5 minutes after you take off.
Loadout:
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Mission Twenty-Six: Cattle Cars
Briefing: The Chinese have captured the town of Nikolayevka. Three
AN-74 Coalers loaded with elite paratroopers will begin taking off from
Petrovka Airbase seven minutes into the mission, along with three FS-Xs
(average). Two MiG-29s (one average, one good) will meet you between
Nav Bravo and Nav Charlie, two F-5E Tigers (average) will meet you over
the airport, and two J-7E Fishbeds (average) will meet you on the return
trip between Nav Delta and Nav Epsilon unless you head far south after
destroying the Coalers, then east to Nav Foxtrot.
Loadout: X-31 EFM with 3 AIM-9M Sidewinders and 4 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
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Mission Twenty-Seven: Splashdown
Briefing: The marines are trying to flank the Chinese force. However,
Chinese Jianghus are attempting to intercept the marine hovercraft and
LCACs. Your job is to destroy the two Jianghus and keep the five
hovercraft and three LCACs alive. Two F-15C Eagles (one expert, one
good) will be providing air support on this mission. There are five
J-7E Fishbeds (two expert, two good, one average) just before Nav Alpha,
two MiG-29s (good) and two FS-Xs (average) between Nav Alpha and Nav
Bravo, and two Su-27s (average) on the return trip.
Loadout: X-32 with 2 AGM-84A Harpoons or 2 AGM-84E SLAMs, 2 AIM-120
AMRAAMs, 2 AIM-9M Sidewinders, and 4 LAU-61 Rocket Pods. Since it
takes three SLAMs to destroy each Jianghu, you're gonna get some
practice making rocket attacks on ships.
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Mission Twenty-Eight: Weird Science
Briefing: As the marines hit the beach, it is more important than ever
that the Chinese be denied control of the skies. You are to take an
F-117 and destroy two radar towers that provide the Chinese with early
warnings and a comm center that scrambles fighters. I suggest heading
northeast a while before turning to Nav Alpha. You can avoid four
Su-27s (expert) that fly parallel to your route, as well as three
FS-Xs (expert) and three MiG-29s (expert). Two Gazelles (one good,
one expert) and two more Su-27s (expert) criss-cross the target area,
and one FS-X (Average) patrols somewhere along the route between Nav
Delta and Nav Eagle. | |