Operation Frosty Hammer

RSVP: 2025 04 17 – 19:30 (please sign-up asap though, as it makes things easier to plan)
Activity: Mission – CAP, Air Interdiction
Theatre: Kola
Modules: F-16C, F/A-18C, F-14B, AJS 37, A-10C, AH-64, OH-58
Prerequisites: None

PLANNED SLOTS:

Package SLEDGE, Kittilä -> Zelenoborski
– VENOM 4 SEAD
– JESTER 1 SEAD Escort / Escort for BENDER 2
– BENDER 2 Strike
– MUSTANG 4 CAP / Sweep
Voujärvi -> Alakourtti
– FENRIS 6 BK-90 Strike

Package REAPER, Kemi Tornio -> Skogsfarp
– RAGE 9 Interdiction
– PIG 7 Interdiction / FAC
– BLACKJACK 4 Recon

1 SITUATION

1.1 Overview

The russians decided to test NATO article 5, just as if they didn’t have their hands already full. They invaded finland to protect russian minorities. Initial gains due to the element of surprise went up to a front line only kilometers east of Kemi Tornio where the initiative stalled. Even the americans are actively supporting the operations, in an eager move to regain trust in europe.
In a move to break the enemy’s back air operations focus an the area KUUSAMO – LOUKHI – ZELENOBORSKI – KANDALAKSHA with the intend of cutting off the whole peninsula from supplies, hoping to entirely collapse the enemy’s ability to continue fighting and force them back into negotiations.

Own ground operations are currently focussing along the axis KEMI TORNIO – KUUSAMO (small blue arrows) in an attempt to cut off enemy forces further by cutting off PYAOZERSKI, the only road and rail connection to KUUSAMO which is currently the main supply axis for the russian forces in Finland.

1.2 Area of operations

Todays mission will take us deep into enemy territory, about 75nm east of ALAKOURTTI airbase.
Waypoints SLEDGE:

Attention, FENRIS 6 starts from Voujärvi and will have:
– 1: Voujärvi
– 2: Penetration point
– 3: Ingress point
– 4: Alakourtti

Waypoints REAPER:

Satellite image from Alakourtti some hours ago:

 

1.3 Time and weather

* February 10 – 2025
* 10:00 local time
* Scattered
* Wind 320 / 2
* QNH 3020 / 1023

1.4 Air threats

MiG-29, Su-27, MiG-31.

MiG-29 and Su-27 are often used as point interceptors, while MiG-31s are regularly conducting CAP and sweep sorties along the front line.

1.5 Ground threats

All from MANPADS to SA-10. Mostly consisting of SA-10 and SA-11 batteries on airports and SA-15 as point defense. Most of these are connected into their integrated air defense system (IADS), posing a serious threat to own operations.
– One SA-10 is active at ALAKOURTTI.
– Earlier recon sorties show indications of SA-15 near ZELENOBORSKI and at least one SA-11 northwest of the target. It seems to not cover the target, but it’s rather close.

1.6 Friendly forces

N/A, we are the only blue forces in the AO.

1.7 Civilian/3rd part

Nothing. It is pretty cold, civilians have left the area and the area is sparsely populated.

2 MISSION

Todays operation aims to disable the supply area in ZELENOBORSKI, located east of ALAKOURTTI and south of KANDALAKSHA about 75nm in russian territory. This is one storage area supporting enemy operations near SAVUKOSKI, threatening to push the front line further in the VOUJÄRVI / ROVANIEMI direction.

3 EXECUTION

3.1 Commander’s intent

Take out the supply area at ZELENOBORSKI, consisting of
– 2x ammo bunker
– 2x fuel tank
– 1x railway station

The task for the helicopters is to relieve pressure on KEMI TORNIO by attacking ground forces east of that point.

There is only one main road, and currently, the enemy holds these positions. The positions marked with “Skogsfarp” are places on which you can rearm if we get to hold these. You are not expected to progress all the way to Kuusamo, but to hopefully progress up to the first FARP, which is 30nm east of KEMI TORNIO.
It is unknown which units are there, but there is at least one group of artillery located roughly 15nm east of KEMI TORNIO near the intersection of road 923 coming down from TERVOLA and road 924 going from SIMO along the river northbound, between the both first, most western blue arrows on the picture above.

3.2 Packages

The mission contains 2 packages, callsign SLEDGE which consists of the strike package. The other package is REAPER and is tasked with relieving the pressure on KEMI TORNIO.

3.3 Order of events

 

Package SLEDGE will form up over VOUJÄRVI (Steerpoint 2 for all except of FENRIS who starts from that point). The tasking for SLEDGE consists of two phases:

1. Disabling the SA-10 at ALAKOURTTI airfield.
In order to do so, a flight of F/A-18 will engage the target with TALDS, followed up by F-16 (VENOM 4) and AJS-37 (FENRIS 6) that will use hard-kill munition to take the site down for good. According to intel, there is an EWR to the north of the airfield that should be taken out. Expect SA-15 as point defense. As a minimal requirement, emptying out the SA-10 site with decoys can be considered as a success for this phase.
VENOM 4 will be tasked with taking out the SA-10 radar while it is busy with TALD and JSOW from (AI) hornets and will afterwards be top cover for FENRIS 6 who will strike Alakourtti with BK90.
If remaining ordnance and fuel allows, the further tasking for VENOM will be supporting JESTER 1 on their way in.
MUSTANG 4 will provide TARCAP during the operation, and, if possible, cover the retreat of JESTER 1 and BENDER 2 later.

2. When the TALD flight consisting of 4 hornets has dropped the first JSOW / TALD wave, JESTER 1 and BENDER 2 will penetrate russian airspace at waypoint 3. If the SA-10 is considered supressed at this point, the attack will follow a HI-HI-HI scheme, otherwise, it will be HI-LO-HI, with a nap of the earth profile after steerpoint 3 and a popup 20nm prior to target. Expect SA-15 to be active around the target area, so release your weapons from altitude which will also give the penetrators enough kinetic energy to actually break the bunkers.
According to intel, we have one SA-11 northwest of the target.
As enemy interceptors are expected to appear within minutes of the attack being known, we need to be fast. It is recommended to keep the package tight and pretty fast.
Green vector is the way you came in, as there might be air defenses in the south.
Trip distance is about 200nm to the target, so about 400nm in total.

The whole operation is expected to shield off package REAPER from any enemy fighters during that time.

Package REAPER will hunt enemy ground units from KEMI TORNIO to point SKOGSFARP, about 30nm east of KEMI TORNIO. Enemy troops are holding some bridges along the road from SIMO (on the coast) to point SKOGSFARP, and are suspected to have placed artillery along the intersection of the road coming from TERVOLA and the one coming north from SIMO.

3.4 Rules of engagement

ROE: C
As per SPINS

3.5 Acceptable level of risk

ALR: MEDIUM
As per SPINS

3.6 Flight tasking

Every pre-planned flight in Package SLEDGE (except FENRIS) has the following waypoints:

1: KITTILÄ
2: VOUJÄRVI
3: PENETRATION POINT – at this point, we either stick to a high profile or drop to low altitude.
4: IP POINT
5: TARGET
6: ALAKOURTTI – DO NOT OVERFLY. This is as a reference to a known SA-10 position.
EGRESS is expected to go the same route just backwards, unless the SA-10 is gone and we can egress on high altitude.

FENRIS 6 has
1: VOUJÄRVI
2: PENETRATION POINT – at this point, we either stick to a high profile or drop to low altitude.
3: IP POINT
4: ALAKOURTTI
These steerpoints are not mandatory, neither is FENRIS 6 required to stick to them- but coordination with VENOM flight should take place.

For Package REAPER, the waypoints will be as follows:

1. KEMI TORNIO
2. Own troops
3 to 6. Road to first FARP point, known enemy position

Package SLEDGE (Lead: BENDER2 (?) )

 

ARCTIC1

TBA

ELVIS5

TBA

FENRIS6

TBA

HAWG8

TBA

RAGE9

TBA

4 ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS

4.1 Airfield operations

KITTILÄ airbase. Alternate landing strips are VOUJÄRVI and ROVANIEMI, both rather close to the front.

<!– Copy-paste friendly headers for flight taskings
ARCTIC1
BENDER2
CRIMSON3
DUSTY4
ELVIS5
FENRIS6
GRIM7
HAWG8
INDY9
JESTER1
KRAKEN2
LION3
MUSTANG4
NITRO5
RAGE9
SALTY1
BLACKJACK4
ORCA6
PIG7
QUEBEC8
TUSK2
VENOM4
HITMAN3
GREYHOUND3 –>

4.2 Carrier operations

N/A

As per Carrier Ops SPINS

4.3 Tankers

As per Aerial Refueling SOP

Tankers are above KITTILÄ so they are of little use- and we can’t take them deep into enemy territory.

5 COMMAND AND CONTROL

5.1 Commander

* Mission commander is STINGRAY

5.2 Frequencies

As per Comms SOP

5.3 Authentication

RAMROD: ANGERSTICK
As per Authentication SOP

5.4 Freq flow (Airfield flights)

7, 9, 3/5, 7
Remain on Tower (ch 7) during startup and departure. Go to Check in (ch 9). Expect Tactical (ch 3) or CAP A (ch 5). Use Tower (ch 7) for recovery.

5.5 Freq flow (Carrier flights)

1, 9, 3/5, 16, 1
Remain on Tower (ch 1) during startup and departure. Go to Check in (ch 9). Expect Tactical (ch 3) or CAP A (ch 5). Use Marshal (ch 16) and Tower (ch 1) for recovery.

5.6 Brevity

* TANGOUNIFORM – Mission declared successful
* NIGHTFALL – Abort mission

5.7 Bullseye

N 66 58.28′ E 30 20.43′ (ALAKOURTTI)

6 ANNEXES