Do this one with enemy skills/weapons effectiveness were turned up to max, and you know you're up there with the hotshot jocks...
This one's hard, fast and furious. Once you're off the deck its pure adrenaline all the way until all enemy units are destroyed.
Kit: Take the following - Four Sidewinders,three AIM-120s, one Maverick on 3 or 7 and nothing on the centre line.
Tactics: Take it easy. Start up on 70% thrust, and using shift+5 view (underbelly) get your nose over the cat. Cut thrust to 50%. Now hit keys in this order: Cmd+W (RWR on) R, Q, Q (radar on, air-to-air, ACM mode), [,[ (select AIM-120s) and \ to select far trace on radar, the incoming Su-27. Wait for that SH-60 Seahawk to get hit and fall into sea (shortly after your wingman launches... full A/B, nose dips, brakes off and... Get Stuck In!
The dogfight is intense. Pull off the carrier towards the left, using wingy as a shield. Gear in, stay low, A/B still on full. No radar warning yet, as the Flanker is targeting Hornet 2. You see an Atoll launched against him. Now jerk round to the right to get a shoot cue on the bogie. By now, he will get a lock on you. He fires first, then you shoot. Seven miles or less. You should be clipping along at 400+ kts by now. Watch the RWR...switch on ECM at M3; at M1 turn ninty degrees right, and the Atoll should have passed harmlessly by. If you don't get a 'splash one' or 'nice shooting', prepare a Lima as you turn 135 degrees to port. Watch the Flanker crossing your nose. Turn onto his tail, get a shoot cue and bang a Lima up his scooter.
If he's dead by now great, get on with the mission. If not, forget the refinery - this mission is so time-sensitve if you get involved in a knife fight now, you'll never get there on time.
With Flanker One taken out, cut A/B and turn inland. Pick up trace of wingy, who's by now yelping about Atolls and getting hit by Flanker Two. Use IFF to identify the second Su-27, get a lock and prepare an AMRAAM for him. Flanker Two may well have used up all his air-to-air ordnance by now, but make sure you nail him good. Use a Lima if he gets within five miles.
Ensure he is hors de combat, for an Su-27 can still knife you in the six even with one engine out. With the second guy dead, make for the refinery. Switch radar to GMTI, select the nearest contact, check its the enemy APC, select your Mav, and let him have it!
Now twist round to the right to acquire Flanker Three and take him on in air-to-air combat. You should have at least one AMRAAM and two AIM-9Ls left; use them with care.
On my first successful Road to Destruction, I got hit by Flanker Three's last Atoll. With one engine dead, I turned and fled to the carrier. Checking damage, I found that gear and hook were OK. Using full A/B on the remaining engine, weaving like mad to avoid the Su-27's cannon, I headed home until he no longer had a lock on me. I made a perfect landing, headed to rearm, moved forward off the rearming platform (deck elevator) to the catapult, and launched off (both engines working fine!), spun round to where that Flanker had been... and there he was - eight miles away! I piled seven air-to-air missiles into him (he had no chance) and landed again. Nice one Centurion, like it, like it...
Extra tips: Catch a hit? No hook? Don't lose your Hornet in a ditch/nylon letdown - fly 50 miles north east to the US base at Safwan.
Order of targets:
1. Nearest incoming Su-27
2. Second Su-27
3. Iraqi APC
4. Third Su-27
Tricky moments:
1. Initial dogfight with the first Flanker
2. Dogfight with second Flanker
3. Hitting the enemy bomb squad before it reaches the oil refinery
4. Getting out alive from under the watchful gaze of the third Flanker
Good luck men! Its a toughie!
Capt. Mike Dembinski
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