In the Dark – Part One

RSVP: 25 11 06 – 19:30 (please sign-up asap though, as it makes things easier to plan)
Activity: Mission – Recon, Air Interdiction, Strike
Theatre: Syria
Modules: Any modern or cold war era aircraft (but find a buddy to make it at least a 2-ship)
Prerequisites: None (it is a daytime mission)
Version: 1.4

1 SITUATION

1.1 Overview

At precisely 21.00 Zulu, the sky above planet Earth fell silent.

In this modern day you never stop to consider how the electromagnetic spectrum is always buzzing with ones and zeroes hurrying back and forth between satellites and their receivers down on earth. Until it’s suddenly not there anymore. No satellite television, no global positioning systems, no long range communications, and perhaps most alarming for a nation state – no satellite intel.

For the first few minutes it was thought to be just a ‘glitch’. But nothing came back online. Panic followed. The realisation set in, that right now someone could be launching a first strike and you wouldn’t know until the warheads started falling from the sky. Air Force One took off. Alert interceptors scrambled all over the continent. Strategic forces went to high alert and for a moment it seemed that someone might actually go ahead and pull THE trigger just for fear of being the last to unholster their gun. Then reports started to trickle in that this wasn’t just affecting us. It was everyone. The Russians, The Chinese, The Iranians… all the actors you would initially have thought to blame for something like this. An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council followed and for once there was agreement. We have to find out what happened. And put an end to it. Right the fuck now.

Intelligence agencies soon determined the source to be a massive cyberattack aimed at the satellites themselves. Something that could only be pulled off from a seriously powerful uplink station. Following old SIGINT data, the likely location came up as somewhere in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. The Lebanese, furious at the accusation, went to see for themselves but none of their patrols returned to base. Just scattered reports of ground combat and pilots shouting in panic as they evaded SAMs.

CENTCOM is now tasked with finding out what’s going on, and ending it. Any and all resources in the area, regardless of nationality, will be pressed into service. If by nightfall the situation has not been resolved by conventional means, only the nuclear option remains. One that would spell disaster for millions of civilians.

1.2 Area of operations

Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, and surrounding countries.

1.3 Time and weather

* September 10 – 2001
* 06:00 local time (just after sunrise)
* BKN 8/18/30
* Wind from 250 / 7
* FORCE QNH 2992 / 1013
* Temp 21°C

1.4 Air threats

Unknown. There is at least one operational airfield in the area, Rayak. However, records do not suggest any fighter or strike aircraft having landed there in recent time. Only transport planes and helos.

1.5 Ground threats

Unknown.

As for surface-to-air threats, ELINT indicates at least one late Soviet era search radar. Recon aircraft were engaged at ranges indicating “double digit” SAMs such as SA-10 or SA-11.

Lebanese ground forces were met with overwhelming firepower from tanks and artillery, suggesting at least battalion strength.

1.6 Friendly forces

Mainly air power: One Carrier Strike Group in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Israeli forces at Ramat David. Russian forces at Bassel Al-Assad. Other nationalities joining in as we speak. Limited ground forces from Israel and Lebanon.

1.7 Civilian/3rd part

Civilian air traffic is firmly grounded. There has been no evacuation of civilians from the Beqaa Valley area.

2 MISSION

Locate the uplink site. If at all possible, gather physical evidence and prisoners. Then terminate the threat.

3 EXECUTION

3.1 Commander’s intent

CENTCOM will coordinate all available forces to perform reconnaissance and then develop a strike plan.

3.2 Packages

Alpha and Bravo

3.3 Endstate

ELINT and SIGNINT collected
Aerial reconnaissance conducted
Limiting enemy positions located

3.4 Rules of engagement

ROE: C
As per SPINS

3.5 Acceptable level of risk

ALR: EXTREME
As per SPINS

3.6 Package tasking

Package Alpha

Conduct ELINT in NAI 1
Conduct Aerial reconnaissance in NAI 2
Be prepared to support Package Bravo with SEAD
Be prepared to intercept hostile aircrafts

Package Bravo

Locate enemy forces along WOMBAT, SQUIRREL and ELEPHANT
Conduct SIGINT in NAI 1

4 ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS

4.1 Airfield operations

* Ramat David
* TCN: 84X
* Active runway: 27

* Damascus Intl
* Actice runway: 23R
* Traffic freq: 272.00

* Kiryat Shmona
* Active runway: 21
* Traffic freq: 271.00

4.2 Carrier operations

* CASE 1
* BRC: 278
* Departure time: According to PL
* Departure sequence: According to PL
* Charlie time: 08:15

As per Carrier Ops SPINS

4.3 Tankers

As per Aerial Refueling SOP

5 COMMAND AND CONTROL

5.1 Commander

* Mission commander is DEADGUN
* Mission commander deputy: TBA

5.2 Frequencies

As per Comms SOP

5.3 Authentication

RAMROD: KPISTRULEZ
As per Authentication SOP

5.4 Freq flow (Airfield flights)

6, 7, 9, 3, 7, 6
Remain on Tower (ch 7) during startup and departure. Go to Check in (ch 9). Expect Tactical (ch 3). Use Tower (ch 7) for recovery.

5.5 Freq flow (Carrier flights)

1, 9, 3, 16, 1
Remain on Tower (ch 1) during startup and departure. Go to Check in (ch 9). Expect Tactical (ch 3). Use Marshal (ch 16) and Tower (ch 1) for recovery.

5.6 Brevity

* TANGOUNIFORM – Mission declared successful
* NIGHTFALL – Abort mission

5.7 Bullseye

Rayak N33°51.04′ E35°59.21′ elevation 2989 feet

6 ANNEXES

Area of operations, overview and closeup

Version 1.1: Added Lineup
Version 1.2: Added tasks and lineup for package Alpha
Version 1.3: Added tasks and lineup for package Bravo
Version 1.4: Updated annexes, Added bullseye and ramrod.