Snowfox 04.13.22

[Bones]

A pretty good mission night overall.

I think I am getting more and more used to manipulating the Phoenix missiles to my whims although I am still not convinced that they are modeled properly. But in an opening salvo of (2) Phoenixes against MIG-21s 21 miles away and 20000 feet below me, both missiles found their targets. Grifter was there in a Mirage for support and when the Phoenixes hit, he immediately turned away back to the task at hand. After my missiles hit, I immediately turned back toward Grifter to help escort him out to Khasab.It was a good show of mutual support. We both got back to Khasab alive and landed safely.



On the next hop the task was to destroy AAA. I decided to bring LANTIRN and GBU-16s but also (2) Phoenix just in case. Xpen had just landed and was refueling and rearming. I was going to wait for him but then bandits started coming in hot and so I scrambled to meet them. We had a great JFACC in Hammer which gave us great SA. The targets were out near the AAA so I went after them initially with Sparrow. GRifter had targeted that bandit and his missile hit him before mine did, but I followed up on his trail with a Sidewinder shot. THe Sidewinder appeared to track, but I didn't want to take a chance of it being spoofed as the bandit was flaring, so I fired another. The first missile hit him, then my second backup shot did. Waste of a missile but still the desired end effect. I was able to get my Phoenixes off on another bandit near the AAA site. Unfortunately, he went cold in the weeds and had terrain for cover, so the Phoenixes lost him. I was closing in on him as he ran, but he turned hot on me and I only had guns to kill him with. Admittedly, I was getting greedy and I felt the urge to rush in with guns blazing, but being that the MiG still had missiles and I didn't, that would be me bringing a knife to a gunfight. Thankfully Grifter had him locked up with AMRAAM. THanks to Hammer, he was able to get me out of the way of Grifter's pitbulling AMRAAM to avoid getting shot down by the AMRRAAM, or possibly the MiG who had just locked me up. Fighting that urge to fight, I broke hard left and dove down into the valley on HAmmer's cue and Grifter's AMRAAM killed the MiG and not me. It was another beautiful show of mutual support and teamwork between the blue aircraft and their JFACC.

Unfortunately the air to air engagement ate up all my gas and I had to divert back to Khasab, where I landed safely. Will have to come back for the AAA another day!



v6,
boNes

[Bones]

Updated with mini AAR.

v6,
boNes