Desert Falcons

Air Superiority Desert Falcons Module Boardgamegeek

desert_falcons.zip

All scenarios in one zip file (updated 3/28/08)

arabian.btl

This scenario is adapted directly from GDW's boardgame "Air Superiority" module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Arabian Hornets

If approved by Congress, FA-18 Hornets may be sold to Kuwait tomodernize its defenses. Iran, desperately trying to resurrect its own air force, has acquired Chinese F-6 fighters (MiG-19s) for which it is training a new corps of pilots. A logical way to employ these poorly trained pilots would be with mixed formations: well trained Veteran Iranian Air Force pilots in their F-4 Phantoms lead gaggles of tag-along MiGs into contact with the enemy. Such a formation is intercepted by new Kuwaiti FA-18 Hornets."

attempt.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Ambush Attempt: Lebanon! Spring 1982

Background: Syrian and Israeli jets continued skirmishing in the early 1980s. Syrian pilots sometimes showed ingenuity in the quest to bag an Israeli craft. In the incident this scenario is based on, two MiG-23M Flogger Bs tried to surprise two F-16s by using one MiG as high altitude bait, while the other MiG stayed low in terrain-masking flight. The idea behind their scheme was that when the Falcons passed overhead after the bait, the other MiG would loop up behind them. Unfortunately, the Syrian low man made his move too early and ended up rolling out with his afterburner glowing, right in front of the Falcons! They were certainly surprised, but they obligingly shot him down and the bait anyway.

attemptb.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Ambush Attempt: Lebanon! Spring 1982

Background: Syrian and Israeli jets continued skirmishing in the early 1980s. Syrian pilots sometimes showed ingenuity in the quest to bag an Israeli craft. In the incident this scenario is based on, two MiG-23M Flogger Bs tried to surprise two F-16s by using one MiG as high altitude bait, while the other MiG stayed low in terrain-masking flight. The idea behind their scheme was that when the Falcons passed overhead after the bait, the other MiG would loop up behind them. Unfortunately, the Syrian low man made his move too early and ended up rolling out with his afterburner glowing, right in front of the Falcons! They were certainly surprised, but they obligingly shot him down and the bait anyway

In this version the Israelis have no radar controller.

bekaair.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Swift Savage Combat! 9 June 1982

Background: Israel invaded Lebanon, and in a dramatic attack, 17 of 19 Syrian SAM sites in the Bekaa Valley had been destroyed. The IAF aircraft could now support the army without interference. SYrian MiGs responded in swarms, but since their GCI radars were being jammed, they could only do fighter sweeps. Realizing their Floggers were not maneuverable enough to battle F-15s alone, mixed formations of MiG-23s and MiG-21s were often used. The concept was good, but the Syrians were not trained well enough to carry ot out. Often they were caught by surprise by high cover F-15s while hunting low-flying Skyhawks and Kfirs. In this incident, two F-15s dispatched two Floggers and two Fishbeds in as many minutes, accounting for four of the 29 Syrians shot down on June 9."

Modifications: The Syrian player may not change altitude, speed or make high-G turns until the IAF F-15s are detected by any means.

f15vm21.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcon" by JD Webster.

"Eagle's Talons, Lion's Claw! 27 June 1979

Background: When IAF Phantoms and Skyhawks attacked PLO terrorist camps in Lebanon, Syrian MiG-21s scrambled to intervene. Israeli AWACS aircraft spotted them immediately and vectored a force of Israel's new F-15 Eagles onto them. A pair of Kfir C-2s also joined the fray which lasted only minutes. The Eagles acounted for four MiG kills and a Kfir downed a fifth MiG. The rest of the MiGs were scattered and fled. The occasion marked the first air-to-air kill for Israel's home-grown Kfir fighters."

Modifications: If playing as the Israeli player, due to the close proximity of Israeli strike aircraft, the F-15s may not use their Sparrow (AIM-7F) missiles until they have visually spotted their targets.

If playing as the Syrian player, the MiG-21s may not change altitude or speed and may not utilize high-G turns until the Israeli aircraft are spotted.

foxkill.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Foxbat Kill! 13 February 1981

Background: In the early 1970s, a MiG-25 Foxbat was clocked at mach 3.2 during a recon run over Israel. No western fighter in existence at that time could catch it. Fearing the apparent advances in Soviet technology, the US initiated the F-15 design. Not until Victor Belenko (a Russian MiG-25 pilot) defected to the Japan did we learn how crudely simple and robust, by Western standards, the Foxbat was. Nevertheless, it is a capable interceptor. Syria acquired a squadron in the late 1970s and in 1981 used a pair to try and intercept and Israeli RF-4 recon flight. IAF F-15 Eagles riding shotgun on the Phantom cut them off and downed one with a Sparrow missile. This was the first Foxbat ever to fall in combat."

Modifications: If played solo, the human player should play as Israel.

Restrictions on the flight pattern of the RF-4 (F-4C #0): This aircraft must make as direct a possible route to and overfly each of the ground targets, starting with the group of buildings directly east, followed by those to the southeast, south, and southwest and then finally exit off the west map edge. The RF-4 may not change speed or altitude unless engaged by a missile. Once engaged, the RF-4 is free to maneuver.

The IAF player may not change altitude, make high-G maneuvers or use afterburners until the MiGs or missiles are detected or spotted.

Victory is determined as follows:

Damage level:

Aircraft Destruction Crippled Heavy Light

RF-4 64 pts 42 pts 20 pts 10 pts

F-15A 42 pts 28 pts 14 pts 7 pts

MiG-25 20 pts 14 pts 7 pts 3 pts

Each target hex entered by the RF-4 is worth 5 pts to the Israeli player (but only if the RF-4 survives the mission).

Whoever scores the most points wins the game.

giora4a.btl

This scenario was directly adapted from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Lions of the Air (Kill 1 and 2) 5-7 June 1967

Background: First Lt. Giora, a 22 year-old Mirage pilot on his very first combat mission, shot down two MiG-21s over the Egyptian base of Abu Suweir. Later that day, he shot another MiG-21 off a comrades tail. The following morning, his Mirage was damaged by AAA fire, and he was wounded in the leg. After only 24 hours in the hospital, he convinced the doctor to release him and, disguising his pain, got assigned to another mission in which he engaged two MiG-17s, downing one of them. This brought his total to four kills in as many missions-a remarkable performance."

Modifications: This scenario covers Lt. Giora's first two kills.

Mirage #1 is piloted by Lt. Giora. ng to kills three and four. Mirage #1 is piloted by Lt. Giora.

giora4b.btl

This scenario was directly adapted from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Lions of the Air (Kill 3) 5-7 June 1967

Background: First Lt. Giora, a 22 year-old Mirage pilot on his very first combat mission, shot down two MiG-21s over the Egyptian base of Abu Suweir. Later that day, he shot another MiG-21 off a comrades tail. The following morning, his Mirage was damaged by AAA fire, and he was wounded in the leg. After only 24 hours in the hospital, he convinced the doctor to release him and, disguising his pain, got assigned to another mission in which he engaged two MiG-17s, downing one of them. This brought his total to four kills in as many missions-a remarkable performance."

Modifications: This scenario covers Lt. Giora's third kill.

Mirage #1 is piloted by Lt. Giora. wo kills. Parts C represents the engagement leading to kill four.

Mirage #1 is piloted by Lt. Giora. r that day, he shot another MiG-21 off a comrades tail. The following morning, his Mirage was damaged by AAA fire, and he was wounded in the leg. After only 24 hours in the hospital, he convinced the doctor to release him and, disguising his pain, got assigned to another mission in which he engaged two MiG-17s, downing one of them. This brought his total to four kills in as many missions-a remarkable performance."

Modifications: This scenario covers Lt. Giora's third kill. Part A represents Lt. Giora's first two kills. Parts C represents the engagement leading to kill four. Mirage #1 is piloted by Lt. Giora.

giora4c.btl

This scenario was directly adapted from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Lions of the Air (Kill 4) 5-7 June 1967

Background: First Lt. Giora, a 22 year-old Mirage pilot on his very first combat mission, shot down two MiG-21s over the Egyptian base of Abu Suweir. Later that day, he shot another MiG-21 off a comrades tail. The following morning, his Mirage was damaged by AAA fire, and he was wounded in the leg. After only 24 hours in the hospital, he convinced the doctor to release him and, disguising his pain, got assigned to another mission in which he engaged two MiG-17s, downing one of them. This brought his total to four kills in as many missions-a remarkable performance."

Modifications: This scenario covers Lt. Giora's fourth kill.

Mirage #1 is piloted by Lt. Giora.

mirvmir.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Mirage against Mirage! 14 October 1973

Background: When the October War started, Libyan Mirages were quickly flown into Egypt for use against the Israelis. As one can expect, this caused both sides to have recognition problems. Several were engaged by Egyptian defenses. Israeli troops, after being hit by enemy Mirages, fired on IAF Mirages, downing two of them. This resulted in the IAF's quickly painting large orange triangles on the wings and tails of their Mirages for recognition. Eventually, these delta-winged opponents had to meet. On the 14th, IAF Mirages were vectored tointercept bomb-laden Libyan Mirage-5s over the sea. The IAF shot down two and saw a third crash during low-altitude maneuvering, with no losses to themselves."

mirvsmig.btl

This mission was adapted directly from GDWs "Air Superiority" boardgame module "Desert Falcons", designed by JD Webster.

"Mirage: The Beginning! 20 August 1963

Background: The aircraft that most epitomized Israeli air power in the 1960s was the Dassault Mirage III. Acquired by the IAF in late 1962, this delta-winged fighter proved to be a formidable slayer of Arab MiGs for years. It saw its first combat when eight Syrian MiG-17F dighters intruded into Israel near Lake Tiberius in August, 1963. Two Mirages rose to intercept them, caught the MiGs unaware, and hit two of them with cannon fire, claiming probable kills. The rest panicked and fled back to Syria."

Special rules: The Syrian player may only move the MiGs straight ahead (no turns or maneuvers allowed) and may not change altitude until the Mirages are spotted or detected.

phanbay.btl

This scenario is adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Phantoms at Bay! 10 October 1973

Background: During most of the Yom Kippur War, the IAF again acheived great successes in air combat; however, that was not always the rule. The skill level of Arab pilots had increased and on occasion they proved to be quite capable. In this action, five IAF Phantoms returning from a raid in northern Syria found themselves cornered by MiG-21s near the Lebanese border. The Phantoms were probably low on fuel, carried few air-to-air missiles, and had already taken losses, since there were only five instead of the customary six or eight. In the vicious fight which ensued, two more Phantoms were shot down for no loss to the Syrians. This was a bad day for the IAF."

ransalti.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from the GDW "Air Superiority" module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"The Longest Fight! 13 November 1966

During a raid against a PLO camp in Jordan, four IAF Mirages providing top cover encountered four Jordanian Hunters. The planes immediately engaged. A Mirage, flown by Lt. Col. Ran, saddled in on Lt. Ehsan Chourdom's Hunter, but had to break off when a second Hunter, piloted bt Lt. Mouwaafak Salti, attacked. Forcing an overshot, Lt. Col. Ran got Lt. Salti, maneuvering desperately, dove into a canyon. The Mirage tenaciously hung on as the Hunter twisted expertly among the canyon walls. Finally, after several misses, the Mirage's cannonfire scored--the Hunter burst into flames. Lt. Salti ejected as his crippled jet plowed into a canyon wall, but he did not survive. The battle had lasted a full eight minutes! Lt. Salti was held in high regard by the Israelis for his extreme fighting spirit and skill."

Since the Hawker Hunter is not modeled in FC2, I have substituted the A-7E for the Hunter, as the performance of the A-7E most closely approximates the performance of the Hunter.

redstar.btl

This scenario is adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Red Stars Over Egypt! 30 July 1970

Background: The Soviet buildup in Egypt included several squadrons of Russian piloted MiG-21s and a squadron of SU-15 Flagon D interceptors. The IAF initially avoided contact with the Russians, who likewise showed restraint until one day when they jumped some Skyhawks, damaging one with an Atoll missile. The IAF got even soon after by cleverly drawing the Soviet MiG pilots into a trap. Using Skyhawks as bait, they lured a squadron of MiGs over the Suez Canal and ambushed them from above with Mirages and from below with Phantoms. In the short melee that followed, four or five MiGs were utterly destroyed, while only one Mirage was hit by a missile but managed to return to base."

skyhawks.btl

This scenario is adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Skyhawks Against the Odds! 12 Many 1970

Background: A pair of A-4H skyhawks flying cover for anti-terrorist infantry patrols near Lebanon spotted four Syrian MiG-17s and jumped them. Unfortunately, there were four more they didn't see until already committed in their attack. In trouble, the pair decided a good offensive was the best defense and attacked with such ferocity that the MiGs scattered in confusion and could not mount a coordinated counterattack. The lead Skyhawk, covered by his wingman, shot two of the MiGs down with cannons and the other MiG with a volley of air-to-ground rockets."

Modifications: The A-4Hs are represented by A-4Fs. Unfortunately, there is no way to model the firing of air-to-ground rockets at aerial targets in FC2, so the Skyhawks are armed only with cannon.

tomcats2.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Revolutionary Tomcats! 24 February 1984

Background: An actual Iraqi news release: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. At 0945 today, in a dogfight between our daring fighter aircraft and the frustrated enemy aircraft, one enemy F-14 aircraft was shot down over Kyafajiyah inside enemy territory. All our aircraft returned safely to base, praise be to God."

Though little reliable outside news exists of the Iran-Iraq war, it is known that during this war of attrition F-14 aircraft have seen some action, scored kills on enemy aircraft, and suffered losses. Iraqi pilots claim that F-14s are used in conjunction with F-4s. The Tomcats apparently provide radar vectors and guidance to the Phantoms, which do most of the actual fighting. Iraqi MiGs and Mirage F-1Es have occassionally reported downing Tomcats, though it is possible that any Iranian shot down exultantly becomes a Tomcat upon the victorious Iraqi pilot's debriefing!"

Modifications: The Su-17s (which represent Su-22s) are fully laden fighter-bombers on a strike mission. In this version, they are attempting to bomb the buildings and bunker located in Iranian territory. They must continue straight and level for the duration of the scenario. Playing them this way in Flight Commander 2 really unbalances the scenario in favor of the Iranians, who already have a distinct advantage. I would suggest that the Iraqi player be required to fly the Su-17s straight and level until fired upon, at which point they are free to eject their munitions and maneuver.

tomcats.btl

This scenario was adapted directly from GDW's Air Superiority module "Desert Falcons" by JD Webster.

"Revolutionary Tomcats! 24 February 1984

Background: An actual Iraqi news release: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. At 0945 today, in a dogfight between our daring fighter aircraft and the frustrated enemy aircraft, one enemy F-14 aircraft was shot down over Kyafajiyah inside enemy territory. All our aircraft returned safely to base, praise be to God."

Though little reliable outside news exists of the Iran-Iraq war, it is known that during this war of attrition F-14 aircraft have seen some action, scored kills on enemy aircraft, and suffered losses. Iraqi pilots claim that F-14s are used in conjunction with F-4s. The Tomcats apparently provide radar vectors and guidance to the Phantoms, which do most of the actual fighting. Iraqi MiGs and Mirage F-1Es have occasionally reported downing Tomcats, though it is possible that any Iranian shot down exultantly becomes a Tomcat upon the victorious Iraqi pilot's debriefing!"

Modifications: The Su-17s (which represent Su-22s) are fully laden fighter-bombers on a strike mission. The Iraqi player may not maneuver these aircraft at all unless they are damaged. They must continue straight and level for the duration of the scenario.