by David "Hunter" Proeber

How It's Done

This can get confusing, so I like to start at the beginning, one squadron at a time. Using the mission builder, place the squadron on an appropriate airfield.

Next, create a package by clicking on the package button in the toolbox. Set the time you want the package to arrive on station (TOS) and lock it. Disregard takeoff time. Select new and begin placing aircraft flights on the map. You'll notice in Gorrila One I placed an AH-64 squadron at an airbase close to the border. Those flights were then targeted at individual SAM sites and radar installations. You can adjust waypoints and altitudes for individual flights at this point.

If you run out of airplanes, place another squadron at the same or another airfield before building your next package.

In tasking SEAD flights, it's important to make sure they are firing their AGM-88s before your strikers arrive within the lethal range of enemy SAMS. Again, set the TOS for SEAD flights to occur before your strike F-16s get within SAM range. You can determine range for various types of SAMS by examining their performance numbers in the reference area of the main menu.

F4 RECON

Who wins?

One of the shortcomings of the campaign is that we're not really sure who wins at what point or what is actually the objective of the campaign. In TE missions, we set objectives.

In Gorilla One, you should examine victory conditions. You'll note you must destroy both bridges to gather 600 points to win the campaign. You lose if you lose four F-16s in your deep strike missions. A little known key command can be pressed, Alt and R, and you can toggle an info box with your current points level at each stage of the flight. Ignore the words, GAME OVER. The info box will update your score (and the enemy's) as events occur.

Download Gorilla One.

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References

"Revolution in Warfare? Air Power in the Persian Gulf" by Thomas Keaney and Eliot Cohen, Naval Institute Press, 1993

"Air War in the Persian Gulf" by Williamson Murray, The Nautical & Aviation Publishing Company of America, 1995

"Falcon 4.0: Tactical Engagement Module" on COMBATSIM.COM™ by Glenn "Sleepdoc" Kletzky, MD .

"Operation Desert Storm"

"Operation Desert Storm: Evaluation Of The Air Campaign"

"Reaching Globally, reaching powerfully: the United States Air Force in the Gulf War: A report - September 1991"

For an interesting discussion of post-strike analysis as well as some great gun camera footage see Kosovo Imagery 1999 - Operation Allied Force"

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