2nd August 19:30 Caucuses Red Flag Exercise, including OCU & 60sqn

[Richard Rodgers]

Everyone loves a bloody big gun!!!

[Wee Neal 0414]

[Duke]

Chaps, I'm going to write another mission for two weeks, going to do something abit different in how its written, will need someone from each squadron to let me know what kind of mission you want to fly. (cas/cap/strike/sead), and if you want red air threat or not please . Unless of course you don't want to participate then all good

Will be on Syria as it offers the most distance should people not want to be bounced by red jets etc

[Flyco]

Not a bad mission. From the A-10 point of view, the main problem was the close proximity of the various AA units, most of which needed to be taken out before we could get at our main target - the radar system. However, no complaints there, it should have been 'do-able'. We elected to go in at medium level to stay behind the terrain en-route and so avoid the early attentions of Red Air (Fat chance!). In the end we got almost all of the AAA, but then the red fighters showed up, so the main target was missed and we all got shot down.

The main problem from my point of view was the late start. I like to get to my ac at least 20 minutes before take off, and preferably 30 minutes (the brain and the fingers are really starting to slow down!). Hence my request for a delayed take-off. Unfortunately, well over half of that 30 minutes, was taken up by a read-through of the already published brief - with the mission already running. Consequently we got in the pit less than 15 minutes before take-off, had to rush our start and got airborne 4-5 minutes late, still with some of our set-up incomplete. There is an old RAF adage "Piss poor planning and preparation make for piss poor performance". As a result of the late aircraft manning, I (and I think some others in the flight), were rushed and made mistakes. Can I urgently plead that, in future, the full mission brief is available at least an hour before start, and that the mission is not started until after any last-minute updates to that brief have been given. And that everyone has confirmed that they are ready to go.

The second problem was the overwhelming of almost all our ac by Red fighters. I do not know whether there was a trigger on the Red-air spawning, but that is the only way to cater for the often inevitable no-shows by RAF Air pilots.

[Flyco]

In response to the request for views on future missions, specifically about Red-Air. It is unrealistic to demand none in missions, But can I suggest that Red air is spawned in response, and proportion, to the Blue activity, and make them of varying ability. Also allow some time for Blue to get started before feeding in the Red air - adding more as and when the initial Red fighters are eliminated - assuming any are eliminated (cheap shot at the AD boys I know, but if they can't take a joke they shouldn't have joined).

[Duke]

Thankyou for feedback Alan, the briefing was available for many days before hand with only change being some of the ai aircraft being swapped with different ones but appreciate you would have liked more time. I apologise for that.

The red air was triggered by the arrival of 3f and 41f into there target areas (hence why no red air spawned when you tested with just Pontiac flight).

3f didn't have any issues with flying numbers or game crashes etc and dealt with 1st wave very well leaving you fully covered. Unfortunately the second wave of aircraft some minutes later caught them out abit and they were mostly shot down or put of missiles etc meaning the snowbal effect happened and the red air made its way south to you guys.

Next one will be tailored to exactly what you guys want to do and nothing will change from briefing. The server will start at 19:30 (real world) as always and that will be mission start time published in briefing. You can then adjust any tot from that assuming you would be finished with group brief at 19:45 real world time