By Kurt 'Froglips' Giesselman, MP Falcon 4.0 IP

  Real missions are not planned to fly into 'harm's way'. In fact, great pains are taken to minimize aircraft and pilot exposure to danger (planes are expensive, pilots irreplaceable). Plan missions in a realistic fashion which reward 'smart' mission planning by virtual pilots.

The next flight out of the gate is the Air Mobile UH-60Ls. If we allow a bit of imagination we can see the Black Hawks being tasked out at the same time as the Strike package but they have to move from Suweon Airbase to Kimpo International (remember the range problem?) to be refueled. If the steerpoints are again readjusted for an ingress south of the BARCAP with the TOT locked at 0530 then takeoff will be about 0415, about 25 minutes after the Deep Strike is scrambled to cut off the enemy armor. Long enough to account for the flight from Suweon to Kimpo and a quick refueling.

The Air Mobile mission type has two 'action' steerpoints, one to pick up and one to drop off the AMB. When you created the mission the AMB was the default target. We just need to drop the AMB off somewhere then fly back to Home Base. You cannot win the mission if you do not select a 'drop-off' steerpoint and just take the AMB back to your Home Base. Set the pick-up time for 0530 and the time on the ground for two minutes. This is a rescue. Get in and get out!

The Black Hawk's flight path turns red if you mirror the ingress and egress flight path, the combat radius limits, remember?

Move the steerpoints around until the flight path turns white. In my mission I tasked the Black Hawks on an almost direct route back and dropped off the AMB at Tongjin airstrip.

Click to continue

When you have the Air Mobile flight plan set, adjust the two Sweeps to clear the path inbound and outbound for the Black Hawks. I did not set up the F-15s as CAPs on purpose. By using sweeps we can have some fun with the SEAD Escort flight on egress. The Sweeps should cross the BARCAP route just before the Black Hawks arrive as this makes it a bit exciting for the Escort who must decide whether to stay with their package or charge off to help the bullies of the sky.

Finally, finish off this package by adjusting the SEAD Escort's steerpoints. The escort is important to the success of the package after the Sweep clears out the BARCAP. This is a complex flight to tweak because the F-16s can not possibly fly as slow as the top speed of the Black Hawks. If we design an intercept course to assemble the Air Mobile and the Escort at 10- 15 miles south of the Puho-ri docks. Then the Escort can lead the Black Hawks into the target, surpressing any remaining air defenses, and protecting them from enemy aircraft.

Start by opening the ATO and selecting the box next to the Air Mobile package. This will show all the flight paths for all the flights in the package. Select the SEAD Escort and unlock all the steerpoints.

Set the IP steerpoint for the SEAD Escort on the Air Mobile flight path. Turn on be sure to turn on fighters and helicopters from the map options/air units menu. Advance the time using minutes on the mission clock. Watch the helicopter pass its escort's IP then stop the clock. Now select SEAD steerpoint for the Escort.

What ever steerpoint is selected for editing will ALWAYS lock when you adjust either the time or speed.

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