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Campaign Notes: Baltics 2008
Written by Marcus Spears
Date: August 11, 1998
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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).
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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.
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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.
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.