The sound of helicopters greets you as you leave the barracks. Several Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters land on a taxiway near the main runways. All of them but one shut down their engines.
As you reach the front of the command HQ a man on a stretcher is hauled over to the waiting Hind by two soldiers. The man is wearing a rumpled flight suit, covered with blood. The Hind quickly revs up its engines and takes off again. You enter the communications room and submit your report to be transmitted to Maraklov at Simferopol. The communications officer stops you before you leave. "Major, Simferopol has a message in return." You take the message and read it quickly.
MI24 REINFORCEMENTS WILL RELIEVE MIG27 GROUP AT ODESA. DEPLOY MIG27 GROUP TO KHERSON IMMEDIATELY. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. MARAKLOV.
The Odesa CO is disappointed to see you go. "Comrade Major, your MiG-27 fighters will be sorely missed. These Mi-24s are nice, yes, but how well can they defend my base from air attack? With your fighters gone I will only have enough pilots and planes to keep one MiG-29 up on CAP instead of two. Ah well, I suppose we must make do with what we have."
You ask the CO about the man who was taken away in the Hind. "Ah, so you did get a chance to meet him? That was one of the pilots you shot down last night. A Ukrainian, I believe. Our soldiers found him not too far from the base, apparently hurt himself in the ejection. He is being taken in for medical care and," the CO shakes his head sorrowfully, "questioning." You involuntarily shudder at the thought of ejecting from the safety of an aircraft into the hands of the enemy, knowing the slim chances the Ukrainian has of ever seeing freedom again.
"Is everything you need taken care of?" The CO asks you.
"The Su-33 will have to remain here until the avionics are fully repaired. I have orders to leave immediately, so we will send someone for it when it is ready. Our technicians have fully fueled and loaded up all our MiG-27s with R73s (AA-11s) already, so we are ready for departure. It has been a pleasure to work with you, sir."
"A pleasure for me as well. I wish you the best of luck, and hope that we will meet again soon, Comrade."
Final Approach on Captured Kherson Airbase, Ukraine
LOCAL TIME : 0950
You wait until the MiG-27 landing before you is clear of the runway and then you turn to line up on the runway at Kherson. Only you and your wingman remain airborne, the rest of the MiG-27 flight has landed and taxied to their parking areas. You decrease power and begin your descent, checking to see that your wingman is clear. You reach for the gear handle, about to lower the gear, when the radio crackles to life:
"Odesa Control, this is Shadow-205, I have inbound contact bearing 177... American fire-control radar detected! American radar is tracking me! Launch, radar missile launch detected! Damn, I can't shake it, the missile's still on me..." The pilot's voice quavers from fear and G-forces as he maneuvers. "Mayday, mayday, Shadow-205 is hit, 205 is hit, fire in my starboard engine... I'm going to..."
You listen in disbelief, waiting for 205 to resume, but the radio is silent. You slam the throttles on your MiG-27 back up to full, the roaring engines halting your descent. "Kherson Control, FireDog flight requests emergency clearance to engage attackers at Odesa," you radio. Without hesitation, Kherson replies, "FireDog flight, you are cleared to Odesa, bearing 267, weapons free. Nail those bastards. Out."
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YOUR MISSION
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You are flying FireDog-401, your wingman is FireDog-402.
The MiG-29 CAP has been shot down by an inbound bandit. Last transmission reported contact coming from the south.
Objective: CAP - Engage attacking bandits, protect the Odesa airbase from attack.
Rules of Engagement: Unidentified aircraft may be engaged.
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ORDER OF BATTLE
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Force Size : 2
Your aircraft : MiG-27
Recommended weapons : AA-11 Archer (6)
(For that extra touch of realism, take off 1,000-1,500 lbs. of fuel from your tank to account for the flight from Odesa to Kherson.)
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THREAT DATA
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GROUND THREATS : Eisenhower Carrier Group
AIR OPPOSITION : Unknown, American aircraft
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C.I.S. Frontal Aviation Fighters
Mission 6:
HEROES SHED NO TEARS
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MISSION SUCCESS
(well, sort of a success: attackers destroyed)
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The destruction of four American aircraft does little to console anyone at Kherson, particularly the MiG-27 group. Everyone acknowledges your heroic attempt to save Odesa, but they are still in a foul mood. "If only we had remained at Odesa, our fighters could have protected the base!" Zorinov fumes.
You shake your head. "Nothing can change the past. What's the use of pretending that hindsight can bring back the dead?" You stare out the lounge windows, back west toward what was formerly Odesa Airbase. Still, Zorinov was half right. If the MiG-27 group had not been sent to Kherson, would the Odesa CO, the MiG-29 group, and hundreds of others at the base be dead? Who was to blame for that mistake? Who damned Odesa to its fiery doom by underestimating the defense requirements at Odesa?
You turn to Zorinov. "Comrade Captain Zorinov, I leave you temporarily in charge of the MiG-27 group. I must go confer with Colonel Maraklov." Zorinov opens his mouth in surprise, but before he can respond you hurry out the door to find transportation to Simferopol.
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C.I.S. Frontal Aviation Fighters
Mission 6:
HEROES SHED NO TEARS
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MISSION FAILURE
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arrrgh.
The airbase at Odesa was demolished, and the Americans on the Eisenhower are probably thinking CIS Frontal Aviation is a joke. Maybe you should have just shut off your radio and landed.
Taking on a flight of F/A-18s with a pair of MiG-27s takes some practice. Use your wingman and work together as a team. The AA-11s are pretty reliable if you take a good shot.
