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                    F-15 II Strike Eagle. Full Documents.


                                INTRODUCTION

                           The F-15E Strike Eagle

Designer/Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas, USA.
Role: Strike Fighter.
Crew: Two.
Mission Weight at Takeoff: 35 tons.
Engines: Two General Electric F110 Engines.
Range: 1200 kms.
Ceiling: 65,000'
Maximum Speed at 0': 810 kts.
Maximum Speed at 36,000': 1260 kts or more.
Manoeuvrability: Very Good.

 The F-15E Strike Eagle is the latest  in  a  long line of F-15 Eagles, whose
development began in  the  mid  1960's.  Originally  conceived  as  an ultra-
powerful, ultra-fast air-superiority fighter,  the  design has developed into
an air-superiority fighter with ground-attack capabilities.
 The F-15 Strike Eagle is  one  of  the  fastest, most manoeuvrable, and most
powerful military aircraft in the world.  It  has the capability to carry the
latest air-to-air and air-to-ground armament in  addition to its 20mm cannon.
The latest version of the Strike Eagle  is equipped with a sophisticated zoom
FLIR/TV/laser target tracking system that  allows  the  pilot to see close up
views (either TV or thermal) of the target at all times.

                                 QUICK START

 There are several ways to get  into  playing  F-15 Strike Eagle II. The most
obvious and perhaps the most  fun  way  is  the try-and-see approach. But for
those who prefer a little guidance we  have provided a short tutorial to help
get you started.

Try-And-See Method

 We suggest that you  try  this  method.  Just  dive  in  and try things out,
referring to this  manual  and  the  Technical  Supplement  as  necessary. We
strongly suggest that you
 * use the Keyboard Reference Card, and
 * glance over Aircraft Controls  to  familiarize  yourself  with the HUD and
cockpit.

Tutorial Method

 You can use the "Abbreviated Tutorial" method described below for your first
flight, or you can work through  the  more detailed tutorial further down. If
you like to be guided through a situation, we suggest the full tutorial. Note
that the tutorial urges that you at least skim through Aircraft Controls.

Study Method

 You can study the actual controls  and operating instructions for the craft,
then attempt to fly it. This is what  real  pilots do. In this case, read all
of Aircraft Control before flying and refer  to the section as necessary. You
can use the tutorial on your first flight or skip it, as you prefer. However,
we suggest a practice mission as your first flight.

Set-Up And Options

 1)  Install  and  Load  the   Simulation:   see  "Installation  and  Loading
Instructions" in the Technical Section for details and specific commands.
 2) Log onto the Pilot  Roster:  Following  the on-screen instructions, erase
one of the pilot names and type your name.
 3) Difficulty Level: As a new pilot,  you should try the "Rookie" difficulty
level first.
 4) Theatre: Then accept the Libyan Theatre.
 5) Today's Mission: Your commanding officer  informs you of your mission for
today. He always gives  you  a  two-part  job  to  complete,  a primary and a
secondary target.

 Stop! Now, before you push the selector to continue:

A Quick Checkout

 Before starting the game, examine  the  Keyboard  Reference Card. This is an
invaluable aid in flying your fighter. You  will notice that the command keys
you'll need most often are nmemonic - that is, they will be easy to remember,
once you are familiar with them. The  card  contains a list of these keys and
their functions, and shows you the other command keys in the game.
 Find the Pause key. This is a very useful key while learning.
 Skim through Aircraft Control of this manual  for an overview of the cockpit
and HUD (head-up-display). You'll need some familiarity with these before you
fly.
 You are also invited to  look  at  Views and Simulation Controls, especially
the Out of Plane Views.  Experiment  with  these  on  your first few flights.
You'll find the views quite interesting and useful.

Start The Game

 Now, while the mission screen is  still  before you, tap the selector button
and you'll find yourself  already  airborne.  (If  you didn't select "Rookie"
from the Difficulty screen, see How To Fly, for how to take off).

Fly To Your Target

 Turn on the autopilot (tap the  Pilot,  Automatic  Key)  to get on course to
your  target.  Every  time  you  touch   the  control  stick,  the  autopilot
automatically turns off. Therefore, you can  experiment  a bit with flight on
the way to the target, then turn the  autopilot  on once more  to get back on
course.
 Note that there is an arrow on the horizontal bar at the top of the HUD that
indicates the bearing of your target; make sure this arrow remains centred on
the horizontal line  as  you  fly  towards  your  targets. Alternatively, the
autopilot will always get you back on course.
 During flight to the target,  you  will undoubtedly encounter enemy aircraft
that are trying to stop you from  completing  your task. You'll have to shoot
them down or, at least, avoid being  shot down. Read Weapons and Defences for
more information.

Attack The Target

 Look at the map on the left  side  of  your cockpit. You will see two cross-
shaped markers; these indicate the  locations  of  your two targets in Libya.
When your fighter gets close to one of these, arm a Maverick missile (tap the
Ground Attack Missile Key). If you  are  close  enough to the target, it will
appear on the right cockpit CRT, and a  box will appear in your HUD. This box
is a tracking box, and you can  see  what is being tracked in your right-hand
cockpit CRT. You can cycle  through  all  available ground targets by tapping
the Target Search Key  repeatedly.  When  you  find  the primary or secondary
target stop searching and get ready to fire.
 As you get closer, the tracking box in  the  HUD changes to an oval, and the
CRT screen shows the  words  "Missile  Lock".  Your  Maverick  missile is now
locked on and ready to fire.
 To fire tap the Fire Missile Key. The  missile will find its own path to the
target. If you want  insurance,  wait  a  second  or  two,  then tap the Fire
Missile Key again to fore a second missile at the same target.
 You can either continue the mission  according to the tutorial instructions,
or you can return home immediately.

Finishing The Mission

 To return home immediately,  tap  the  Waypoint  Select  Key  to display the
waypoints in the centre of your HUD. Repeated tappings of the Waypoint Select
Key will cycle through the waypoints for the primary, secondary, and friendly
airbase. When the "Waypoint: Friendly  Airbase"  appears  there, turn on your
autopilot (tap the Pilot, Automatic Key) to get on course for home.

Landing

 As you approach the friendly airbase,  tap  the Ground Attack Missile Key to
switch the HUD to AIR-GROUND mode.  When  you  are near the landing strip, it
will appear in your right-side cockpit  CRT.  When  you are very close to the
airbase, your fighter will be set  down  safely onto the runway. This happens
automatically. You have completed your first mission.


                             CHAPTER 1. TUTORIAL
                             ===================

                             YOUR FIRST MISSION

 This tutorial is designed to  help  you  through  your first mission. Though
recommended, flying this tutorial is not required; it is provided purely as a
convenience. For a faster entry  into  your  first  game, turn to Abbreviated
Tutorial. If you prefer to study the  aircraft before you fly, go directly to
Chapter 2.

                         Preflight Briefing Options

Log Onto The Pilot Roster

Follow the on-screen instructions to entre your name into the roster. Use the
controller to select a name to erase, press  the proper key to erase it, then
type your name. Finish entering your  name  by  pressing the RETURN key. (For
more information about the roster, see The Pilot Roster).

Choose Your First Mission

 On your first mission, be sure to choose the following options:
  * Rookie difficulty level, then press the selector;
  * Libya Theatre, then press the selector.
 Next your commanding officer appears and  tells you what today's mission is.
After reading this screen, press the selector.

                                Helpful Hints

Training

 You will find yourself airborne when the  mission starts (you do not have to
take off in Rookie difficulty level).  The  first  thing you should do is tap
the Training Key. In training missions, enemy  weapons do not damage. You can
safely ignore enemy aircraft and missiles. Furthermore, you have an automatic
barometric altimeter that  adjusts  your  altitude  to  keep  you above 300'.
However, it only makes mild  corrections,  and  is  useless  if you make wild
manoeuvres.

Pause

 To get the most from this tutorial, pause the simulation (tap the Pause Key)
and read the next few  paragraphs,  then  "unpause"  and  resume action for a
short period. Whenever you're confused, just pause. Note that tapping any key
(except pause) will "unpause" and resume the action.

Re-supply

 In training missions (only)  you  can  get  an  infinite  supply of fuel and
ammunition. Each time you tap the Re-supply Key, your fuel tank is filled and
your ammunition is increased to  the  maximum  possible level. This option is
especially useful in target practice.

A Light Touch

Using a light touch on the  Control  Stick.  The  most pilot error is a "ham-
fist" on the  stick,  throwing  the  plane  around  the  sky  in uncontrolled
abandon. Only emergencies should cause you  to  "peg"  your stick (push it up
against the stoppers, beyond which it cannot move).

Chasing the Gauges

 When you roll an aircraft left  or  right,  pitch  it up or down, change the
throttle or the brakes, it takes  time  for  the  plane to "settle out". Good
pilots fly by making a change, then  waiting  a  couple of seconds to see the
results. If you don't, you'll just  "chase  gauges" that are themselves still
changing.
 Airspeed settles out much more slowly then other settings. It takes time for
your plane to build up velocity or lose momentum in level flight.

                      Check Out the Cockpit and the HUD

The Controls

 Look at your Keyboard  Reference  Card,  showing  all  the controls for your
Fighter. The most often-used key commands  are  mnemonic, so they are easy to
remember once you are familiar with them.

The HUD

 The upper half  of  your  screen  represents  the  transparent  HUD (head-up
display), through which you can see  the  world beyond. The vertical scale on
the left of the HUD  indicates  your  airspeed  and  that on your right, your
altitude. The horizontal scale  across  the  top  of  the  HUD indicates your
heading. A full explanation of the  symbols  and numbers can be found further
on.
 The HUD has two operating modes:  AIR-AIR  fro aerial combat, and AIR-GROUND
for ground attacks. Arming a  missile (tapping the Short-range, Medium-range,
or Ground Attack Missile  Keys)  switches  your  HUD  to  the  mode needed to
operate the armed weapon automatically. For  example, if you press the Short-
range or Medium-range Missile Keys, your  HUD is automatically set to AIR-AIR
mode, because these missiles are air-air  missiles; tapping the Ground Attack
Missile Key places the HUD  in  AIR-GROUND  mode,  because your ground attack
missiles are air-ground missiles.

The Cockpit

 The lower half of your screen is  the  cockpit of your aircraft. The various
elements are later on. We suggest you  look  at the three CRT displays to get
familiar with them.
 * The left-side CRT shows a map of the world in which you will be flying. By
tapping the Zoom Map Key you can  zoom-in  on  the map; by tapping the Expand
Map Key you zoom back out.
 * The centre CRT contains  a  radar  tactical  display showing the situation
occurring in the immediate vicinity of your aircraft.
 * The  right  CRT  is  your  tracking  camera  display.  When  your on-board
targeting system is tracking a target, you  get a close-up vies of the target
in this display.
 Beneath the CRTs is a series of warning lights. The two leftmost (marked "R"
and "I" respectively) are missile warning lights. When a radar-guided missile
is flying at   you the "R" light  flashes; when an infrared-homing missile is
coming at   you the "I" light  flashes  (see Dealing with Missile Attacks for
details).
 The other two lights indicate when  your  landing gear is extended ("L") and
when your brakes are on ("B").
 On the far left hand side of  the  cockpit is your fuel gauge (labelled "F")
and on the far right is your throttle gauge (labelled "T").
 The cockpit on the ST and Amiga versions also incorporates the following: In
the lower  left  hand  corner  are  gauges  indicating  how  many  Mavericks,
Sidewinders, AMRAAMs, Chaff and Flares are  left. Above the centre CRT (radar
tactical display) is an indicator  showing  how  many cannon rounds are left.
Above the Fuel Gauge is the Autopilot On/Off indicator. Just below the HUD is
the Message Window.
 On IBM  compatible  versions  all  the  information  outlined  in  the above
paragraph is displayed on the HUD.

                            Flying to the Target

Level Flight

 Once airborne your first step is  to  achieve level flight. Push the control
stick forward or back until the  horizon  is  level  across the middle of the
HUD. Then make  fine  adjustments  until  you're  neither  gaining nor losing
altitude.

Flying on Course

 Now its time to get onto  the  right  course.  Look at the heading indicator
across the top of your HUD and the INS Direction Indicator (the small, bright
triangle somewhere on the top of  the  scale). Turn towards the indicator. As
you turn the triangle moves towards the  centre;  when the triangle is in the
centre of the scale you're "on  course"  to  the first waypoint, your primary
target.
 To turn, push the stick left or  right  -  but  do it gently - and the plane
will bank. Release (centre) the stick when  the  bank angle of the horizon is
about 45 degrees. To turn faster, pull  back  on the stick somewhat but watch
your speed (on the left of the HUD)  and altitude (on the right). A turn with
back-pressure on the stick turns  you  much  more  quickly, but can slow your
plane and rob you of lift, causing a drop in altitude.
 Minimum safe speeds varies with  the  current  situation of your aircraft. A
"stall indicator" bar rises  from  the  bottom  of  the  speed scale when you
travel too slowly. If this bar  reaches  the  tick-mark  in the centre of the
scale, your plane stalls - it is no  longer airworthy, and begins to fall out
of control. If this happens, lower  the  nose  to retain speed, then pull out
into level flight.
 Minimum safe altitude is about  300'. However, in this training mission stay
at least 800' above the ground.

Autopilot

 If you're confused about which direction to fly,  and how to do it, just tap
the Pilot, Automatic Key. it will take over immediately, turning you onto the
correct course. If  you're  below  1000'  the  autopilot  will  climb to that
altitude. If you touch the  control  stick  the autopilot automatically turns
off.

Enjoying the Flight

 Once on course, enjoy yourself by  trying out the nifty viewpoints available
by toggling through the View Keys. You can return to the cockpit at any time:
just tap the Cockpit Key.
 You can see out the front, rear,  and  sides of the cockpit canopy using the
Look Front, Look Rear, Look Left and Look Right Keys. In mountain valleys and
over urban areas the scenes can be thrilling.
 You can also step  "outside"  your  aircraft  and  watch  it using the Chase
Plane, Slot View, and  Side  View  Keys.  Bank  the  plane  left and right to
observe the difference between the chase plane  (where  you appear to be in a
plane following in the "footsteps" of  the  fighter)  and the slot (where you
remain behind the fighter and always remain level).
 The Tactical View, Reserve Tactical View  and  Missile View Keys are used in
combat situations. These views show the target  that is being tracked by your
tracking camera and your aircraft  (or  missile).  always keeping both on the
screen.

Accelerated Time

 On long  journeys,  you  can  speed  the  passing  of  time  by  tapping the
Accelerate Time Key. This doubles the rate at which time passes. To return to
normal time, simply  tap  the  key  again.  Combat  activity  or landing will
automatically return you to normal time.

                          Attacking Enemy Aircraft

 While flying, you will, no  doubt,  see  enemy aircraft. These fighters will
attempt to stop you from reaching your target. You may want to destroy them.
 To do so, tap the Medium-range  Missile  Key.  This  arms one of your AMRAAM
missiles and switches the HUD to  AIR-AIR  mode so that your targeting system
will track enemy air targets. The tracked  target will appear in the tracking
camera CRT on the right side of  the  cockpit.  Look at the display: it gives
you the range to the aerial target  (in  kilometres) and the heading you must
fly to get to it.
 If a tracking box appears  on  your  HUD,  the  target  is  in front of your
aircraft; if not, look at the  heading  in  the  tracking camera CRT and turn
towards that heading until you see the  tracking box (or oval) appear in your
HUD. When this occurs, wait for the  tracking  box to become an oval (if it's
not already) then tap the Fire Missile Key. This launches a missile. For more
information about  attacking  enemy  aircraft  and  dealing  with  enemy  air
attacks, see Chapter 4.
 If the enemy fighter is within  15  kms  you'll want to use your Sidewinders
instead of your AMRAAMs. To use  the Sidewinders, tap the Short-range Missile
Key, then follow the procedure above.
 You could, if you're feeling particularly  heroic, attack the enemy fighters
with your cannon. This is more difficult,  but  it saves missiles and is very
gratifying if you hit. tap either  the  Medium- or Short-range Missile Key to
get the HUD into AIR-AIR mode. This  will  cause  a small circle to appear in
the centre of the HUD; this is the gunsight. The gunsight is historical, that
is, it shows where the shells would  be  hitting  now if you had fired them 2
seconds earlier; therefore you must lead  your target. (For details about the
cannon and missiles, see Attacking the Enemy).

                            Attacking the Target

 As you approach the primary target and the coast of Libya is on the horizon,
it's time to start thinking about taking that target out.

Arm your Mavericks

 Tap the Ground Attack Missile Key. This  switches the HUD to AIR-GROUND mode
and arms one of your Maverick missiles.  As  you get near the target, it will
suddenly appear in your tracking camera  screen.  Don't be concerned if other
targets appear there  first;  the  tracking  system  locks-on  to the nearest
target. A message will tell you when the primary or secondary target is being
tracked.
 You can search for your primary  or  secondary  targets, or any other ground
target, by tapping the Target Search Key.  In AIR-GROUND mode this will cycle
through all ground targets that your  tracking  system can find. You can stop
any time you find a target you want to attack.

Wait for Range, Altitude and Missile Lock

 You'll notice that a small box appears in the HUD. This is the "target box".
The target seen on the tracking camera CRT is in the middle of this box. When
you get within missile range the box  changes  to an oval shape. In addition,
"Missile Lock" flashes on the tracking camera CRT.
 The oval shape means that  your  missile  can  hit  if you attack at maximum
speed. If you wait longer, eventually the oval changes colour. This means the
missile can hit regardless of your speed.  It's important that you not launch
a weapon too low. You may be  caught  in the missiles explosion, or a missile
may hit the ground before its motor can  power  it up and away. A simple rule
to get you started is that  safe  launch  of  missiles requires at least 500'
altitude.

Launch

 When you have "missile lock", launch the missile by tapping the Fire Missile
Key. After launching you may want to  turn away slightly since flying through
an exploding target could damage your  aircraft. Shortly after the launch the
missile should hit the target. A  successful  hit  causes  a fire and sends a
cloud of smoke into the sky.

Secondary Target

 You can now fly to the  secondary  target  and  attack it as well, using the
same procedure.

                               Returning Home

Setting the INS to the Landing Point

 Tap the Waypoint Select Key until  "Friendly Airbase" appears in the message
window. This moves the Waypoint marker along  the heading track at the top of
the HUD to a new position indicating the heading to your airbase.

Flying Home

 You can either use the autopilot or  manually fly the plane home. As before,
guide yourself using the heading scale  (horizontal  scale  at the top of the
HUD). When the INS Direction Indicator  arrow  is  lined  up on the centre of
this scale, you're on course towards your home base.
 Now simply fly towards the base, and  when  you  get near it your plane will
land automatically.
 Congratulations! You've  successfully  completed  your  first  mission  as a
fighter pilot.


                      CHAPTER 2. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
                      =================================

                              AIRCRAFT CONTROLS

                          The Head-Up Display (HUD)

 The HUD is designed to provide  crucial  flight  and weapon information in a
graphic format. HUD data is projected  onto  a  wide-angle clear plane in the
front of the cockpit. You look  through  the  HUD  to the outside world. As a
result, valuable information is right in  front  of  your eyes, where you can
see it and the outside situation simultaneously.

HUD Modes

 The HUD display has two modes:  AIR-AIR  and AIR-GROUND. When you tap either
the Short-range Missile or Medium-range Missile Keys the HUD switches to AIR-
AIR mode automatically. When you tap  the  Ground Attack Missile Key, the HUD
automatically switches to AIR-GROUND mode.
 AIR-AIR mode is for  attacking  enemy  aircraft;  your  tracking system will
track these targets only. AIR-GROUND  is  for  attacking ground targets; your
tracking system is restricted to these targets.
 Some HUD information is  universal  across  all  modes. Other information is
specific, available in just one of the modes.

AIR-AIR Mode Indicators

 When your HUD is in  AIR-AIR  mode,  you  will  know  by the presence of the
following:
 Missile Targeting Envelope: This is  a  large  circle  fixed  on the HUD. It
represents the area of sky  in  which  an  air-air  missile  can be aimed and
"locked-on" to a target.
 Gunsight: In AIR-AIR  mode  the  gunsight  circle  replaces  the flight path
indicator. The gunsight shows where  your  shells  would  be landing if you'd
fired two seconds ago (the time it takes  for them to travel the 6 km maximum
range). If you're tracking a target that's  closer  then 6 km, it shows where
the shells would land if you'd fired the  proper time in the past for them to
have travelled that range. See Your  M61A1  20mm  Vulcan for details on using
the gunsight.

AIR-GROUND Mode Indicators

 AIR-GROUND mode  is  indicated  by  the  absence  of  the  missile targeting
envelope and presence  of  the  flight  path  indicator,  which  replaces the
gunsight. This indictor shows  the  direction  you  are  flying (which may be
different from the nose indicator).
 The plane is geometrically level  when  the  nose  indicator and flight path
indicator overlap. However, this is  rare  in an aircraft. Furthermore, level
flight (where you are neither climbing nor diving) often requires the nose to
be pitched slightly above  the  flight  path,  to  achieve  a useful angle of
attack. See Flight Techniques, for more information.

Universal HUD Information

 The great majority of information displayed  on  the HUD is available to you
regardless of  the  mode  your  HUD  is  currently  in.  This  information is
described below.
 Airspeed: Your airspeed appears on the left-side vertical scale, in knots.
 Heading: Your heading (the absolute direction  towards which you are flying,
where 000 degrees is North, 180  degrees  is  South,  90 degrees East and 270
degrees West) is indicated along the horizontal  strip across the top of your
HUD with one of the ticks on the scale you determine your absolute heading.
 Altitude: Your altitude appears on the right-side vertical scale, in feet.
 Tracking Box: Your fighter is equipped  with a computerised optical tracker.
A small box - a tracking box  -  appears  around the nearest target ahead, to
help you locate it. The HUD mode determines whether ground or air targets are
tracked. Of course, the tracking box  is  visible  only when the target is in
front of you.
 On most systems the  tracking  box  is  colour-coordinated  with the current
armament. The colour of  the  box  indicates  whether  the  current weapon is
effective against the target being tracked.  See the Technical Supplement for
more details on colours.
 Missile Lock: The tracking box turns  into  an oval when the currently-armed
missile is "locked on" to the target. This is a maximum range shot. A missile
fired at this point may or  may  not  hit.  When the oval changes colour, the
shot is now a "sure thing", with hardly any chance of missing.
 Stall Speed Indicator: At times a coloured bar rises form the bottom of your
airspeed scale; this represents the stall speed. If it rises above the centre
tick-mark, your plane stalls (see Stalls for more information).
 Vertical Velocity Indicator  (VVI):  A  coloured  bar  extending  upwards or
downwards from the centre  tick-mark  on  the  altitude  scale indicates your
fighter's vertical velocity.
 If the VVI bar extends downwards, your  plane is losing altitude; if the VVI
bar  extends  upwards,  your  plane   is  gaining  altitude.  Each  tick-mark
represents 100' per minute. Therefore, the  larger the bar, the faster you're
losing or gaining altitude.
 Landing Speed Indicator: This coloured  arrow  appears on the altitude scale
only when your landing gear is  down.  It  indicates the safe maximum VVI for
landing. If the VVI bar extends below this mark, landing is dangerous.
 INS (Waypoint) Direction Indicator:  The  arrow  on  the  top of the heading
scale shows the  heading  you  should  fly  to  reach  the currently selected
Inertial Navigation System (INS) "waypoint".  To  get  "on course", align the
arrow with the centre tick-mark.
 For each mission, your Inertial Navigation  System is preprogrammed with the
primary and secondary targets  and  the  airbase  at  which   will land after
completing your mission. You can cycle through these waypoints by tapping the
Waypoint Select Key.
 Nose Indicator: This cross-hairs symbol is  fixed  in the middle of the HUD,
and represents the direction you nose currently points.
 Pitch Lines: Pitch lines appear on the HUD when the horizon is invisible due
to radical climbing or diving. Each pitch line represents 10 degrees of pitch
up or down. If your aircraft is  geometrically  level, pitch is 0 degrees. If
the aircraft is diving straight down or  climbing straight up the pitch is 90
degrees.
 Roll is indicated by the relative angle of  the horizon or pitch line to the
cockpit and nose indicator.  If  the  horizon  or  a  pitch line is perfectly
horizontal, your craft is level. If  the  line  slants  to the left or right,
your craft is rolled to the left or right.
 Radio Messages: Coded  burst  transmissions  arrive  by  radio periodically.
These are decoded by your  on-board  computers  and  displayed as text in the
message window.

Weapons and Defences Updates

 Whenever you arm a new missile,  by  tapping  the appropriate missile key, a
message indicating this appears in the message window.
 Whenever you release a chaff or flare (see Dealing With Missile Attacks, for
details) a message appears in the message window indicating you have released
the defence.

                              Cockpit Displays

The Satellite Map

 Your fighter is equipped with three CRT  displays inside the cockpit to help
you identify threats and fly to your target area.
 This CRT  appears  on  the  left  side  of  the  cockpit  and  portrays  the
geographical features of the  region.  It  is  orientated  so North is always
towards the top of the CRT. Your primary and secondary targets appear on this
map as coloured crosses.
 Enemy radar signals are displayed graphically: dotted lines are pulse radar,
solid arcs are doppler  radar.  Ground  search  radar  are  entire 360 degree
circles, while ground fire-control  tracking  radar  are short arcs. Aircraft
radar, search or fire-control, are short  arcs except for AEW&C aircraft (the
II-76 "Mainstay" or E-3C "Sentry"), which have an entire 360 degree circle.
 Missiles and aircraft also appear on  this  map as colour-coded squares. See
the Technical Supplement for more details.
 You can zoom in on or expand the map by tapping the Zoom or Expand Keys.

The Tactical Display

 This map is drawn  by  your  computer  from  analysis  of  radar signals. It
portrays the tactical situation surrounding your fighter and is orientated so
the top corresponds to your flight path. Thus the map rotates as you turn.
 The display graphically depicts  aircraft,  missiles,  ground radar sources,
airfields and incidental ground targets. A  16 km square grid is superimposed
for range reference. See the Technical  Supplement  for details on the colour
coding of this map.
 Warning: The airbase symbols on this  map  are  icons  only. They may not be
correctly aligned. Do not use this map for landings!
 Radar Ranges: You can adjust the range  of  the radar signals that draw this
map. Tap the Radar Range Key to change to short, medium, or long-range radar,
thus changing the scale of the tactical display.

Tracking Camera CRT

 The camera CRT, located on the right  side  of the cockpit, shows a close-up
view of the target being tracked. In addition, it displays the type of target
tracked (the type of  aircraft  or  ground  installation),  the  range to the
target, and the heading at which you must fly to reach it.
 Primary and secondary objectives are  listed  as such. Civilian and friendly
targets (which you shouldn't hit) are noted also.

Fuel and Throttle Gauges

 Your F-15 cockpit has two gauges:  a  throttle  gauge  and a fuel gauge. The
gauge with the letter "T" beneath it  is the throttle gauge and indicates the
amount of thrust being generated. On the  extreme left side of the cockpit is
an illuminated vertical bar with an "F"  beneath it. This is your fuel gauge.
As you use fuel during a mission this bar shortens.

Missile Warning Lights

 At the bottom of the cockpit  are  found  warning lights. One marked "R" and
the other marked "I". The "R" stands for radar and this light begins flashing
when a radar-guided missile is in  the  air  and tracking you. The "I" stands
for infrared and this light flashes when  an infrared-homer is in the air and
tracking your fighter.

Landing Gear and Brake Warning Light

 When your landing gear is extended,  the  "L"  light is illuminated. If your
fighter is going to fast  for  the  gear  to  be  safely extended, this light
flashes. When your brakes (air or wheel) are on the "B" light is illuminated.

Weapons Readout

 Along the lower left side of the  cockpit  is  a panel that gives a constant
digital readout of the number of each type of missile you have remaining. The
leftmost shows AMRAAMs  (medium  range  AAM),  the  centre  shows Sidewinders
(short range AAM), and the  right,  Mavericks  (AGM).  For details about your
missiles, see Attacking the Enemy.

Defences Readout

 Along the lower side of  the  cockpit  are  two  indicators showing how many
Chaff Cartridges and Flares you have remaining, labelled C and F. For details
about your defence systems, see Dealing with Missile Attacks.

Autopilot Indicator

 In the upper left side of  the  cockpit  is Autopilot On/Off indicator. When
the Autopilot is activated, the indicator is illuminated.

                               Flight Controls

Control Stick

 Your fighter has  a  standard  aircraft  control  stick.  Pushing  the stick
forward pitches the plane down, pulling  it  back  pitches it up. Pushing the
stick left rolls left, while pushing it right rolls right.
 Note that the more you  push  the  stick,  the  more the aircraft pitches or
rolls in that direction.  When  you  release  the  stick  (ie. centre it) the
aircraft remains in the new attitude until you move the stick again.

Controlling the Throttle

 The throttle controls the  power  output  of  your engines. Maximum throttle
("full military power") gives  you  maximum  speed  and performance, but also
uses up fuel faster.
 Throttle Controls: The Maximum  Power  Key  immediately  opens the throttle,
giving you maximum thrust. The  No  Power  Key  closes the throttle, shutting
down the engines.  The  Increase  Throttle  Key  opens  the  throttle a small
amount. The Decrease Throttle Key closes the throttle a small amount.
 The Afterburner: Your fighter is  equipped  with  an afterburner that allows
you to gain a sudden burst of thrust power  at the expense of a great deal of
fuel. To use the afterburner, fly at  top speed, then tap the Afterburner Key
and watch as your airspeed shoots up dramatically. This can be very useful in
tight situations where escape is the better part of valour.

Eject (Bail Out)

 There are situations when it is best to  bail out of your aircraft. When you
are so damaged by enemy fire that you  can no longer keep the aircraft in the
air, it's probably time to eject. Just  tap  the Eject Key and you're out. Do
not, however, eject if your fighter is inverted, or if you are less then 100'
from the ground; you'll end your career if you do.

Landing Gear

 The Landing Gear Key toggles your landing gear up and down. The "L" light in
the cockpit indicates the landing gear position (see the Technical Supplement
for colours).
 If the "L" light flashes, it means the  gear  is  down at too high a speed -
you should either slow down or raise  the landing gear. Extended landing gear
slows you down, and high speeds can rip it off entirely.

Brakes

 If your aircraft is airborne, the  Brake  Key toggles the airbrake retracted
(in) and extended (out). When the  brake  is extended the aircraft slows down
because the airbrake causes extra drag.
 If the aircraft is on the  ground,  the  Brake  Key toggles the landing gear
brakes on and off. In either case,  if  the  brakes  are on, the "B" light is
illuminated in the lower right corner of the cockpit.

Automatic Pilot

 The Pilot, Automatic  Key  toggles  the  automatic  pilot  on  and  off. The
autopilot, when active, flies you towards the current INS waypoint. If you're
below 1000'  altitude,  the  autopilot  climbs  to  that  altitude.  When the
autopilot is turned on, the autopilot light will be illuminated, or a message
will appear in the centre of the HUD.  If  you touch the control stick in any
way, the autopilot turns off.
 Warning: The autopilot does not avoid hills and mountains!

                            Weapons and Defences

 These instructions give only  the  bare  rudiments  of  how  to operate each
weapon. Many important secondary considerations  (like  not launching some to
low) and tactical tricks are described in Air Combat.

Weapons

Missiles: To fire a missile you must  first  arm  it. This is done by tapping
the appropriate key for the missile  you  want  to  fire. Once a missile of a
particular type has been armed all missiles  of that type are armed until you
arm a missile of another type.
 To arm your:
 * medium-range air-to-air missiles  (AMRAAMs),  tap the Medium-range Missile
Key.
 * short-range air-to-air missiles (Sidewinders), tap the Short-range Missile
Key.
 * ground attack missiles (Mavericks), tap the Ground Attack Missile Key.
 When a missile is  armed,  a  brief  message  appears  in the message window
indicating the name of that missile.
 Once armed a missile may be  fired  by  tapping the Fire Missile Key. Before
firing a missile, make sure your  targeting  system  is locked on to a target
(the targeting box is an oval). If you want to be more certain of a hit, wait
for the oval to change colour. (For  more information about your missiles and
how and when to fire them see Firing Your Missiles).
 Missile Targeting: When you  arm  a  missile,  the  targeting  system in the
missile begins tracking the closest possible  target, and this target appears
in your tracking camera CRT. This may  or  may  not be the target you want to
track.
 If you've armed an air-to-air missile,  the  tracking system will focus only
on the closest target. But  if  the  missile  you've armed is a ground-attack
missile, you can tap the Target Search  Key  to switch to a different target.
You can cycle through all possible  ground  targets by repeatedly tapping the
Target Search Key until you find the target you want to track.
 Note that when an armed ground-attack missile (a Maverick) finds the primary
or secondary target, a message appears  on  the tracking camera CRT informing
you of this.
 Cannon: Your 20mm cannon is always available  for use (unless out of ammo or
damaged); it does not have to be  armed,  To  fire the cannon, press the Fire
Cannon Key to fire one burst.

Defences

 Your fighter is equipped with  two  types  of missile evasion devices: chaff
and flares. Chaff is used  to  confuse  radar-guided  missiles and flares are
used to fool infrared-homing missiles  (see  Dealing With Missile Attacks for
more information).
 * To release a chaff cartridge, tap the Chaff Release Key.
 * To release a flare, tap the Flare Release Key.

                        VIEWS AND SIMULATION CONTROLS

 As  an  aid  to  learning  flight  manoeuvres,  a  variety  of  out-of-plane
viewpoints are available. In all  these  views  your  viewpoint is outside of
your aircraft, looking at it and/or the enemy. These alternative views can be
very helpful in learning manoeuvres  because  you  can clearly see the effect
your actions have on the flight of the plane.

                                    Views

Return to Cockpit

 Press the Cockpit Key  to  return  to  the normal, in-the-cockpit viewpoint.
This control is used to get you  back  into the cockpit - looking through the
HUD - after you've switched to another view.

Look Front

 Tap the Look Front Key to look out the front of your fighter.

Look Left

 Tap the Look Left Key to look out the left side of your fighter.

Look Right

 Tap the Look Right Key to look out the right side of your fighter.

Look Rear

 Tap the Look Rear Key to look out the back of your fighter.

Slot View

 Press the Slot  View  Key.  Here  you  are  positioned  directly behind your
fighter. This view is named for  the  famous  "in  the slot" position used by
aerial acrobatic teams. Unlike the chase  plane view, slot view remains level
with the ground, do you can  clearly  see  the  degree of pitch and roll your
fighter is making.
 The Zoom and Expand Keys function in this view, moving your viewpoint closer
to (Zoom) or farther from (Expand) the fighter. This view is an excellent one
for learning the most efficient and effective flight manoeuvres.

Chase Plane View

 Press the Chase Plane Key. Here you  are positioned in a hypothetical "chase
aircraft" that follows a short  distance  behind  your fighter. Although this
view is very dramatic, its use as a teaching and learning aid is limited.

Side View

 Press the Side View Key. Here your  viewpoint  is from the right side of the
fighter. The  Zoom  and  Expand  Keys  function  in  this  view,  moving your
viewpoint closer to (Zoom) or farther from (Expand).
 This view can provide a useful  reference  point. It's also an excellent way
to check the state of your  landing  gear. Missile launches are most dramatic
when seen from this viewpoint.

Missile View

 Press the Missile View Key. In this view, you are positioned directly behind
your own missile as it flies to  its  target.  If  more then one weapon is in
flight, you are positioned behind the  missile  launched most recently. If no
ordnance is in flight, you are  positioned  behind the plane, and will follow
the first item launched.
 The Zoom and Expand Keys move  your  viewpoint  closer to (Zoom) and farther
from (Expand) the missile.
 This view is very entertaining, as it lets you follow the weapon directly to
the target. If you're having trouble understanding why your weapons sometimes
miss, switching to this view after launch can be helpful.

Tactical View

 Press the Tactical View Key. Here you  are positioned near your fighter, but
looking past it at whatever target is  being tracked on your tracking camera.
This view automatically rotates to keep  both  your fighter and its target in
view. The Zoom and Expand Keys  function  in this view, moving your viewpoint
closer to (Zoom) or farther from (Expand) the fighter.
 This view is invaluable when dogfighting. It helps you outmanoeuvre and line
up on an  opponent  (although  it's  wise  to  return  to  the cockpit before
shooting, to avoid wasting ammo).  The  view  is  also  useful if you want to
return for a second or third attack run on a ground target.

Reverse Tactical View

 Press the Reverse  Tactical  View  Key.  Here  you  are  positioned near the
fighter's target, looking past it  at  your  own  fighter.  The target may be
another plane,  or  a  ground  target  -  whatever  your  tracking  camera is
following. In either case, you  see  the  target  in the foreground, and your
fighter far away. In fact, often you fighter is nothing but a dot in the sky.
This view automatically rotates and  pans  to  keep  both the target and your
plane in view.
 The Zoom and Expand Keys function in this view, moving your viewpoint closer
(Zoom) or farther from (Expand) the target.
 Experienced pilots find this a very dramatic view when making attack runs on
ground targets. It's a great showoff  view,  swinging to follow your plane as
you fly overhead.

Director Mode

 Press the Director Mode Key  to  cycle  through the three Director settings,
Director 1, Director 2 and Director Off.
 Director Mode is provided to allow  you  to  watch all the outstanding views
described above at the most appropriate  time.  Director  2 allows you to see
action from  anywhere  within  the  theatre.  Whenever  you  receive  a radio
transmission describing an event taking place  within the theatre (such as an
enemy plane scrambling to intercept you, or  a  SAM firing a missile at you),
the Director 2 mode will show this to you. Director 2 will also show you when
you fire a missile or when someone fires  at you. Director 1 shows only those
actions which you have directly  initiated,  such as missile launches, target
destruction.
 Director mode can be very entertaining  but  it  is not recommended when you
are in close proximity to enemy fighters,  because it can be distracting when
you are trying to dogfight. We recommend that you use Director mode only when
not near the enemy, or when showing the game off to your friends.

                             Simulation Controls

Pause

 The Pause Key immediately and  instantly  freezes  the simulation. To resume
action, press any key. Some computers  have  a special "pause" or "hold" key.
Depending on the internal design of your machine, this key may also work.

Accelerated Time

 The Accelerated Time Key doubles the  rate at which time passes. Accelerated
time  is  useful  when  flying   long   distances  without  encountering  and
significant threats or  opposition.  "ACCEL"  appears  on  the  HUD  when the
accelerated time option is on. tapping the Accelerated Time Key again returns
the simulation to its normal time rate.
 You should return to normal time  before  combat;  it's very hard to control
your fighter and respond to enemy actions in accelerated time.

Re-supply

 The Re-supply Key is available only  in training missions. Pressing this key
fills the plane's  fuel  tanks  and  gives  it  extra  weapons.  Re-supply is
designed for sight-seeing and target practice.

Detail Adjust

 The Detail Adjust Key allows you  to  change  the amount and depth of ground
detail visible through the cockpit. See the Technical Supplement for details.
In general the slower your computer, the lower the level of detail you should
use.

Volume Adjust

 The Volume Adjust Key allows you  to  change  the type and variety of sounds
used in the simulation. See  the  Technical  Supplement for details. When you
press the key, the new sound setting appears briefly on the HUD.

                       Your Career as a Fighter Pilot

 As a fighter pilot in F-15  Strike  Eagle  II  you will fly missions at four
different levels of difficulty - Rookie, Pilot,  Veteran and Ace - and in six
theatres - Libya, Persian Gulf, Vietnam,  Middle East, North Cape and Central
Europe. See Chapter 5, Theatres, for more details.

Promotions and Medals

 For each mission  you  fly  successfully,  you  receive  points. When you've
accumulated enough points you will be  promoted,  and  if you receive a large
number of points in a single mission, you may receive special commendation in
the form of a medal.

                              The Pilot Roster

 Each time you boot up the game and before each new mission you will be shown
the Pilot Roster. This screen shows  the  ranks,  scores and medals of pilots
that have flown before, and allows you to  continue the career of a pilot who
is still active or begin a new pilot's career. You may erase a pilot from the
roster, but if you do it  is  permanent  and  cannot be undone. Refer to your
Technical Supplement  for  more  information  about  loading  and  saving the
roster.

                       Difficulty Levels and Theatres

 After each mission you are given  a  choice of difficulty level and theatre.
you may choose any theatre or difficulty  level  you like, but be warned that
the higher difficulty levels are no "piece  of cake" and you'll probably want
some times in the easier ones to gain experience.
 There are six theatres arranged in the following order of difficulty; Libya,
Persian Gulf, Vietnam, Middle East,  North  Cape  and Central Europe. You can
score more points in the higher risk  areas,  but  you may last longer if you
progress through the theatres  and  difficulty  levels  slowly. You are never
forced to progress to a new theatre or level of difficulty, but the game does
suggest a slow, steady progression.

                             Ending Your Career

 A pilot's career ends when he is killed, which can occur in one of two ways:
1. he crashes or unsuccessfully bails out of the fighter during a mission, or
2. he bails out of the fighter  (even successfully) too many times during his
career.

Becoming a Casualty

 There are two ways of  being  killed:  crashing  your fighter or bailing out
under less then desirable circumstances.
 Crashing: As you are hit  by  enemy  fire  during  a  mission and your plane
becomes more damaged, it also  becomes  less  and  less effective - harder to
fly, slower, and less manoeuvrable. Your airspeed will decrease to the extent
where you may go into a  stall  from  which  you can't recover. Finally, your
fighter will crash.
 It's a good idea to bail out  before  you  reach this point, because if your
fighter crashes while you are aboard, you'll be killed.
 Fatal Bail Out: If you eject (by tapping  the Eject Key) at an altitude less
then 2000' or greater then 14,000' you  stand  a good chance of being killed.
In addition, if you bail  out  while  the  plane  is inverted you will almost
certainly lose your life.
 Too Many Bail Outs: The Air Force will retire you from active flight duty if
you lose to many of  its  expensive  jet  fighters.  If  you  bail out of the
fighter too often during a career, you end your career.

                                  Missions

Mission Objectives

 Your objective in ever mission is given to you by your commanding officer on
the "Today's Mission" screen. You will constantly be the  object of enemy SAM
and AAM fire and may have to dogfight enemy fighters, but success is measured
by whether you destroy your objectives.

Scoring

 To obtain a high score, you  must  destroy the primary and secondary targets
and shoot down as many enemy aircraft as possible. You should always assume a
full state of war exists with  the  enemy  and  should cripple him as much as
possible. Therefore,  destroying  enemy  ground  installations  such  as  SAM
radars, oil storage facilities, runways, missile boats and so on is also very
good. Remember though,  that  your  primary  and  secondary targets must take
priority.

                              Ending a Mission

 A mission ends once both your main targets are destroyed and you have landed
or bailed out safely.

Safe Landing

 After you've destroyed the primary and secondary targets you can land at any
friendly base to end the  mission.  When  you  land,  stop  and turn off your
engines. Once you've destroyed your  main  targets, you cannot replenish fuel
or ammunition (see Landing the Fighter).
 Landing During a Mission: Until you  destroy  your targets, you cannot end a
mission by landing the fighter.
 You may replenish your weapons during  a  mission by landing at any friendly
airbase. But you cannot end the mission  at  this time unless the primary and
secondary targets have been destroyed; you  may only replenish your supply of
weapons.
 You should not land until both main  targets are destroyed and you are ready
to end the mission, because replenishing  your weapons during a mission costs
you a substantial portion of your final score.

Safe Bail Out

 When you bail out of your aircraft  under safe conditions (not inverted, and
not too low) you end  the  mission.  If  you  have destroyed your primary and
secondary targets, the  mission  is  considered  a  success,  even though you
didn't bring the fighter home.
 Safe ejection can be accomplished  between  2000'  and 14,000' altitude with
your fighter in a gentle climb.  Ejecting outside of these limits, especially
at low altitude or  in  an  inverted  dive,  can  kill  you, thus ending your
career.
 Warning: Strike Eagles are  expensive  pieces  of  equipment.  The Air Force
values its pilots but it also  values  its  planes.  If you bail out too many
times during your career, the Air  Force  will  take away your wings and give
you a desk job, ending your career.
 Being Captured: Where you eject is important as well. Ejecting over friendly
territory, or over water away  from  an  enemy  coastline  is ideal - you can
easily be rescued.
 If you eject over enemy territory  or  near an enemy coastline, however, you
may be captured. You, of course, are a top pilot, so the authorities will not
let you languish in a POW camp;  you  are exchanged if you are captured. Your
career doesn't end - but you will not receive a good score.

Mission Review

 After completing a mission, you may  watch  a  replay of what happened. Just
select "Review Mission" from the "Mission Debriefing" screen.

Multi-Player Option

 If you want to play F-15 II competitively against another player, there is a
"same mission" option. Any time you choose the same difficulty level and same
theatre as the immediately preceding mission,  the  game  will ask you if you
want to fly the same mission as  the  one  just  completed. If you say yes to
this question, the next  mission  will  have  the  same primary and secondary
targets as the previous one and the  fighter  will begin the mission from the
same base.
 This is very convenient for playing against an opponent. Each player can fly
his own pilot in identical missions and try to score the most points.


                        CHAPTER 3. FLIGHT TECHNIQUES
                        ============================

                           FUNDAMENTALS OF FLIGHT

                                 The Forces

 Four Basic forces act upon an  aircraft  in flight: thrust, drag, weight and
lift. Thrust pushes the  plane  forward;  it  varies  with engine power. Drag
(friction) reduces the effort of  thrust  and is relatively constant. Gravity
pulls the plane towards the ground,  regardless of the plane's altitude. Lift
pushes upward from the wings, directly opposing gravity.

Lift

 Aircraft fly because of the  difference  in  pressure created by air flowing
over and under the wings. The wing design  causes air to flow faster over the
top of the wing then  under  the  bottom,  creating high pressure beneath the
wing and low pressure above it.  This  difference in pressure pushes the wing
upwards and is called lift. If  the  pressure difference is great enough, the
upward lift is greater then the plane's weight (ie. the force of gravity) and
the aircraft flies.

Speed and Lift

 The amount of lift generated by  the  wing  varies with airspeed. The faster
the plane  flies,  the  faster  the  airflow,  so  the  greater  the pressure
difference. If your plane is in level flight, reducing the speed reduces lift
and causes a decent (even though you didn't point the nose down).

Angle of Attack and Lift

 The amount of lift generated also varies  according to the angle between the
wing and airflow. If you pull the nose  up (thereby changing the angle of the
wing  relative  to  the  airflow),  you  increase  the  pressure  difference,
increasing your lift.  If  you  dive,  the  reverse  occurs.  This difference
between  the airflow direction and a line through the wing (the wing "chord")
is the "angle of attack".
 Angle of attack is visible on your  HUD in AIR-GROUND mode. In level flight,
whenever your nose  indicator  is  above  your  flight  path,  the difference
between the two is the angle of attack.

The Effect of a Roll

 Lift is a force perpendicular to the wing.  If the wings are tilted (you are
rolling or banking the fighter)  the  lift  force  is  no longer straight up.
Instead it has two components:  one  moving  the aircraft sideways, the other
straight up. This causes the  plane  to  turn.  However,  it also reduces the
force opposing gravity.
 During a turn a pilot can adjust the  angle of attack by control stick "back
pressure", that is, by pulling  back  slightly  on  the  stick. The amount of
adjustment needed is  very  small.  Overcorrection  is  a  common error among
beginner pilots.

Achieving Level Flight

 To achieve "level flight" at a given  power setting, raise or lower the nose
of your fighter until the VVI shows zero  (ie. no accent or decent appears on
the "V" strip gauge). Note  that  a  pitch  of  0  degrees may show ascent or
decent, depending on airspeed. Nosing up or  down  to a new "angle of attack"
adds or subtracts lift as needed to achieve level flight. Never assume that a
pitch of zero automatically means level flight.

Stalls

 An aerodynamic stall occurs  when  the  wing's  angle  of attack becomes too
large. The air stops flowing smoothly over  the wing, and instead part of the
airflow breaks away  onto  an  independent  path.  This  erases  the pressure
difference, vastly reduces lift, and generally causes the nose to drop. Stall
speed varies considerably depending on aircraft altitude, flap configuration,
etc. Tight turns increase the stall speed. Simultaneously, the act of turning
will tend to decrease your airspeed. As  a result, stalls are quite common in
tight turns.
 Your fighter has an audible  stall  warning  horn  and  a thin, coloured bar
showing stall speed on the HUDs airspeed indicator.

                                 HOW TO FLY

 If you are flying at Rookie level, you will not have to worry about takeoffs
and landings - you begin the game  already flying, and after you've destroyed
your primary and secondary  targets  you  can  simply  fly towards a friendly
airbase and be landed automatically.
 All other difficulty levels  require  you  to  take  off. Following are some
guidelines on how to take off, fly, and land in your fighter.

                                 Taking Off

 Look at the satellite map on  the  left  side  of the dashboard and note the
locations of the primary and secondary targets  for your mission. Now look at
the heading scale along the top of  your  HUD and tap the Waypoint Select Key
several times, noting the positions of  the waypoint marker. Leave the marker
pointing to the target you want to attack first.
 Check your ordnance (tap the  Short-  and  Medium-range Missile Keys and the
Ground Attack Missile Key) to familiarize  yourself  with the weapons you are
carrying.

Accelerate

 Turn on your engines by tapping the Maximum  Power Key. As you move down the
runway or carrier deck, watch the  speed  scale  (left  side of the HUD) very
carefully. A thin, coloured bar on the  side  of that scale will gradually go
down. This is the Stall Speed Indicator.  When the bar drops below the centre
tick-mark your plane is past  stall  speed.  This  happens  very quickly on a
carrier deck, and somewhat slower on a runway.

Climb and Turn onto Course

 Once past stall speed, pull  back  gently  on  the stick. Watch the altitude
scale on the right side of the  HUD:  you'll start climbing. Push the control
stick left or right  until  the  waypoint  marker  along  the  top of the HUD
matches up with the centre tick of the heading scale.
 Alternatively, you can simply  tap  the  Pilot.  Automatic  Key and let your
autopilot turn you onto the correct course to the first waypoint.

                             Flying the Fighter

A Light Touch

 Use a light touch on your controller. The most common pilot error is a "ham-
fist" on the  stick,  throwing  the  plane  around  the  sky  in uncontrolled
abandon. That kind of heavy-handed flying may  be fun in a dogfight but, it's
totally useless for lining up a cannon shot, or making a landing. Unless it's
an emergency use light, smooth stick movements.

Chasing the Gauges

 When you  change  an  aircraft's  operating  regime,  by  moving  the stick,
changing  the  throttle,  etc.,  the  effects  of  the  change  don't  happen
instantly. It takes a second or two  for  your gauges and displays to "settle
out"  and show the new situation.  For  smooth  flying a pilot always makes a
change, then observes the effects.  Constant adjustment and correction should
be avoided, because all you'll do is "chase the gauges", overcorrecting every
move.

Straight and Level Flight

 To be a good combat pilot, you  need  to  master  level flight. Do this in a
training scenario, rather then real life.
 Climb to 2000' (2K on the HUD altimeter)  and level the aircraft so the nose
of the plane points at the horizon.  Now  reduce the throttle to about 75% to
achieve an economical cruising speed.
 Although the nose indicator on the HUD  may appear level with the horizon, a
glance at  the  VVI  probably  shows  that  you  are  gradually  climbing  or
descending. If climbing, push forward slightly  on  the  stick and let go and
see what happens; if you're descending  pull  back.  Your goal is to keep the
altimeter rock steady.
 You'll notice that your flight path indicator  aims at the horizon, but your
nose indicator may be pointed  above  or  below  it, depending on your speed.
Generally, the slower you're travelling, the  higher  you must pitch the nose
to achieve level flight.
 Experiment. Tap the Brakes Key.  This  slows  your  plane. Watch the HUD and
notice how the flight path indicator  drops  as your speed and altitude drop.
To achieve level flight at this new, lower  speed, pitch up (pull back on the
stick) until the flight path  indicator  is  level  with the horizon. You may
need to adjust once or twice to find the setting.

Turning

 Beware of stalls when  pulling  tight  turns.  As  your roll angle increases
beyond 45 degrees (when turning right  or  left), your stall speed rises from
the normal 120 knot range to  over  200  knots  (in  a 90 degree roll). Since
tight turns can "bleed off"  airspeed,  a  long,  tight  turn may reduce your
airspeed below the stall speed. Keeping  an  eye  on your speed is especially
important when making tight turns at low altitude - a stall can mean a crash!
 To make a  very  tight  turn,  roll  to  80  or  90  degrees.  Then  you can
significantly increase your turn rate by  pulling back on the stick. However,
this trick bleeds off airspeed even faster  then  a bank turn, and the danger
of a stall increases accordingly.

Climbing

 Ballistic ("straight up") climbs cannot be maintained for excessive periods:
the engines are insufficient for a prolonged ballistic climb.
 Remember that any  prolonged  vertical  manoeuvre  greatly reduces airspeed.
However, going vertical is a  very  clever  manoeuvre for changing direction,
since you can roll while vertical, quickly  pointing your nose in any desired
direction, then push down into level flight again. For details of these types
of manoeuvre, see Dogfighting.

Low Altitude Flying

 At altitudes under 500' you  can  expect  increased buffets, downdrafts, and
other irregularities that make flying  difficult.  Also  beware of low ridges
and mountains. It's easy to fly into  a  mountain if you're not looking. Good
pilot  develop  a  "cross  check"   routine   of   scanning  the  entire  HUD
periodically, to make sure everything is okay.
 In  "Rookie"  and  "Pilot"  flight   options  you  have  a  barometric/laser
altimeter. If you drop below 300' this device automatically but gently pushes
your plane above 300'. Be warned, the device automatically turns off when the
landing gear is down or  when  the  gun  is  firing.  The device is not proof
against power dives, stalls or  other  radical  manoeuvres, but works fine in
normal flight regimes.
 In fully realistic flight the automatic  altimeter that keeps you above 300'
is turned off.  This  allows  a  skilful  pilot  to  cruise  at extremely low
altitudes.

                             Landing the Fighter

 One of the more  difficult  manoeuvres  in  flying  the  plane is getting it
safely back on the ground.  If  playing  in  Rookie difficulty level, all you
have to do to land the plane is  fly  toward a friendly airbase; when you get
near the base, the plane will be set down on the airstrip almost immediately.
If playing in higher difficulty levels,  you  have  the choice of landing the
plane yourself or allowing the autopilot to land it for you.

About Airbases

 All ground runways and aircraft carriers  have a North-South orientation. On
approach, a course of 000 (if coming  form  the south) or 180 (if coming from
the north) will aim you directly at the runway. Airbase runways are more then
twice as long as your safe landing distance at 200 knots, so you have a large
safety margin.
 Aircraft carriers have arrestor  wires  on  the  stern.  You must touch down
before or on these wires, which catch and stop your plane. If you miss you'll
roll off the deck. Do not attempt to  land on the bow of an aircraft carrier.
There are no arrestor wires there,  and  other aircraft spotted for launching
may be positioned there - you don't want to crash into them.

Automatic Landing

 Players who don't want to worry about  learning to land the aircraft may use
autopilot to land the plane  for  them.  To  do this, select friendly airbase
with the Waypoint Select Key.  Then  turn  the  autopilot  on (tap the Pilot,
Automatic Key) and sit back and watch  the  plane land. You still may be shot
by an enemy aircraft and  ground-based  weapons,  but the autopilot will land
your aircraft perfectly every time.
 This approach can be quite useful  in  learning to land. Watch the fighter's
HUD and panel to  get  an  idea  of  timing,  descent,  braking  and so on in
approaching the runway. After a few times you'll probably be ready to attempt
a landing unassisted.

Straight-in Approach Landing

 Probably the  easiest way to land the fighter, short of the autopilot, is to
take the straight in approach.
 Simply put, you find the airfield, approach it from directly North or South,
and slowly descend  towards  the  runway.  Just  before  touchdown,  open the
brakes. That's it in a nutshell, but for more detail read on.
 Line-up the Approach: Set the waypoint marker on the airbase (by tapping the
Waypoint Select Key). Set your course  so  that you approach the heading 000,
or 180. Beginners should plan to  begin  this  approach  about 40 km to 50 km
from the runway. Attempting to find the approach and make a landing less then
20 km from the base is not advised for beginners.
 Approach at 300 knots: As you approach in level flight, reduce your throttle
until the airspeed shows 300 knots (about 70% throttle). You'll need to raise
the nose 5 to 7 degrees  to  maintain  level  flight until you're about 20 km
from the airbase or carrier.
 Throttle 50%, Gear Down: Now reduce  the  throttle  to about 50%. This slows
the plane to about 230 knots.  As  you  reach  this speed, lower your landing
gear. If you're moving too fast, extend the  brakes (tap the Brake Key) for a
brief period, then retract them again.
 Descend: There are two methods for  descending.  One  is to reduce the power
slightly. If you were in level  flight,  you  know  have less thrust and will
gradually descend. This method is generally preferred by pilots.
 The other method is to  reduce  the  pitch  of  the nose slightly. Typically
you're landing with the nose pitched  up  about  5  to 7 degrees, to maintain
level flight at low power. Therefore, reduce  this upward pitch a few degrees
to cause a gradual descent -  do  not  point  the  nose down and dive for the
runway.
 In either case, your nose  should  always  have  a  positive pitch (the nose
indicator should be above the flight path indicator).
 Keep an eye on your airspeed and  stall  bar.  If the stall bar indicator is
too close to your current airspeed  (within  25  knots), your throttle is too
low or you're flying with brakes  on.  Increase  the throttle or take off the
brakes. Conversely, if you're moving  too  fast  (over 250 knots), extend the
brakes (tap the Brake Key) for a brief period, then retract them again.
 Touchdown on Runways: Your altimeter will read 0' on a runway and 125' on an
aircraft carrier  deck.  These  are  your  "touchdown"  altitudes.  The  safe
touchdown vertical velocity is shown by an  arrow  on the VVI portion of your
HUD altimeter. A VVI of 400'/minute or less  (4 ticks on the scale) is always
safe.
 The easiest and safest touchdown is simply to gradually continue the descent
until you're on the runway. Then  cut  the  power  (tap the No Power Key) and
engage the brakes (tap the Brakes Key).
 Touchdown on Aircraft  Carriers:  Landing  on  a  carrier  is  slightly more
difficult, since you must touch down  in  the  arrestor cables area. To avoid
overshooting the cables, increase your descent  by lowering the nose a little
extra, then at the last second extend  the  air brake (tap the Brakes Key) as
you pull the nose back up a bit.
 If you miss the carrier's arrestor cable  area, don't bother trying to touch
down. Instead close the brakes (if  you  opened them earlier) and hit maximum
throttle (tap the Maximum Power Key).  Since  your nose is pointed up, you'll
climb upward again.


                            CHAPTER 4. AIR COMBAT
                            =====================

                             ATTACKING THE ENEMY

 Your Strike Eagle is equipped with  three  types of missiles and one cannon.
Two of the missile types, the AIM-9M  Sidewinder and the AIM-120A AMRAAM, are
air-to-air missiles, or AAMs. They  are  used  for destroying enemy aircraft.
The other, the AGM-65D "maverick" is an  air-to-ground missile, or AGM. It is
for firing at targets on the ground.  The cannon (M61A1 20mm "Vulcan") may be
used effectively against  either  air  or  ground,  although  it  is far more
difficult to hit targets with the cannon.

                             Missiles in General

Radar-Guided Missiles

 There are essentially three  types  of  radar-guided  missiles: beam riders,
semi-active homers and  active  homers.  The  vast  majority  of radar guided
missiles fall into  the  first  two  categories,  relying  upon  a radar beam
emanating from the launcher to guide  it  to  the target. This means that the
launcher, whether an aircraft or ground-based radar station, must continue to
track the target until the missile reaches  it. The third type, called active
homers, is the most  technologically  advanced,  the  most expensive, and the
most deadly; they transmit  and  receive  their  own  radar  signals, so once
fired, they guide themselves to the  target. These are commonly called "fire-
and-forget" weapons.
 Most long- and  medium-range  missiles  are  radar  guided,  because  of the
penetration power and range of radar beams.

Infrared-Homing Missiles

 All infrared (IR)-homing missiles are "fire-and-forget" weapons. These home-
in on the heat coming out of  your  fighter's exhaust system or from the tips
of the wings, where air friction makes them hot.
 Early  IR-homers  were  somewhat  unreliable  because  they  were  not  very
sensitive to differences in temperatures;  they  were easily confused by non-
target heat sources, such as the sun or  even hot rocks on the ground. Modern
IR-homing systems are tuned to  finer  changes  in temperature and ignore all
but heat signatures characteristic of aircraft.

                                Your Missiles

AMRAAMs

 Your AIM-120A AMRAAM missile is one of  the best medium-range weapons in the
world. It is the only "fire-and-forget"  radar-guided missile in the American
inventory. It has sufficient circuitry to  penetrate most enemy defences, and
sufficient manoeuvrability  to  chase  down  most  fighters,  not  to mention
nailing bombs and transports. Because the  AMRAAM  has greater range then the
Sidewinder (32 km compared to  17  km),  pilots  typically  open fire at long
range with the AIM-120,  then  switch  to  Sidewinders  if any enemy aircraft
survive to that range.
 Note: The AMRAAM has been in development  for  a  number of years and is not
yet generally available. They are available for your Strike Eagle, though.

Sidewinders

 The  short-range,  IR-homing  AIM-9M   Sidewinder   is   probably  the  best
dogfighting missile in the world.  It  is  more manoeuvrable then the AMRAAM,
giving it a better chance of "hanging  on" to a twisting, turning target. The
most advantageous firing  position  for  the  Sidewinder  is  up  the enemy's
tailpipes. The next best position  is  from  above,  diving down onto the top
(hot side) of the enemy plane. The  third  best position is directly into the
enemy's nose. Shots against the enemy as  it  crosses  in front of you, or at
its underside (the cold side) have very little chance of hitting.
 The main weakness of the Sidewinder is its limited range.

Mavericks

 Your AGM-65D Maverick  is  an  air-to-ground  missile,  used  for destroying
targets on the ground. It is a "fire-and-forget" weapon of almost unsurpassed
quality. Once your tracking camera is on the right target, it's just a matter
of waiting  for  the  tracking  box  to  change  from  a  square  to  an oval
(indicating lock-on), and then for  the  oval  to change colour (indicating a
high-accuracy firing solution). When  firing  at  ground targets; its usually
wise to wait for the oval to change colour before launching the missile. Once
the missile is launched  you  can  find  other  targets  and manoeuvre as you
please.
 The Maverick uses a highly-advanced guidance  system.  When you lock-on to a
target, the missile takes a "snapshot"  of  the target's infrared image which
it then stores in memory.  When  fired,  the  missile  simply flies toward it
"memorized" target. The missile is  smart  enough  to  hit  the target in the
centre.

Firing Your Missiles

 You must always arm the appropriate missile  before you can fire it. This is
done by tapping the  appropriate  missile  key (Medium-range, Short-range, or
Ground Attack). Once a missile is  armed,  it will begin tracking the nearest
target (the target appears in your tracking camera CRT).
 If you are attacking a ground target  and  want to track a different target,
tap the Target Search Key (note that this key works only for ground targets).
tapping it repeatedly cycles through  all currently available ground targets.
Stop when the target you want appears on the tracking camera CRT. If you have
armed an air-to-air missile, you cannot  switch from target to target because
the IR-homer in the missile will track only the nearest target.
 If the tracking box appears in  your  HUD,  the  target  is in front of your
fighter and you can fire the missile  once  it  locks on. If the tracking box
does not appear, check the heading of  the  target in the tracking camera CRT
and turn towards that heading until the box is in your HUD.
 Always remember to wait for lock-on  before  firing  a missile. If you don't
wait for the target box to become  oval shaped, you're firing without lock-on
and will almost certainly miss. Once you  have a lock, look at your airspeed.
If you're moving fast (around 500 knots or  more) or the target is closing, a
maximum range lock-on shot will probably  hit.  However, if your speed is low
or if the target  is  flying  away  from  you,  wait  until the range closes,
ideally until the oval changes colour. Then simply hit the Fire Missile Key.
 Missile accuracy doesn't  take  into  account  enemy  defensive equipment or
evasive manoeuvring. First line  and  elite  fighter  aircraft may prove more
difficult to hit. Although the  "Mainstay"  AEW&C craft manoeuvres poorly, it
has superior defensive equipment that  may  make  your missile go astray. You
may find that guns are necessary against Mainstays flown by capable crew.
 remember that missiles fall  300'  to  400'  before  their motor is powerful
enough to guide them away to the target.  if you're diving to a low altitude,
the missile could slam into the ground  before  it  can fly away. Firing in a
tight turn, or while inverted, can  cause  the  missile to tumble. The wisest
method is only to fire when you're level and above 500'.
 Sidewinders and AMRAAMs always home on  the  most prominent target, which is
usually the nearest. They will do so  even if you were tracking someone else.
You may be tracking a target, fire  a  missile, and then discover it goes for
one of the fighter escorts that happens to be closer!

                           Your M61A1 20mm Vulcan

 Jet aircraft travel so quickly  that  conventional  machine guns and cannons
cannot fire fast enough  to  guarantee  a  hit:  a  plane could literally fly
between the shells. Therefore, modern aircraft  cannons are either a group of
guns (such as the twin 23mm cannons  in  many Russian MiGs) or a multi-barrel
Gatling gun (such as the six barrel Vulcan on your Strike Eagle).
 Aircraft cannons have an effective  range  of  0.5  to  3 kilometres, with a
maximum range of 6  kilometres.  Inside  0.5  kilometres  use  of a cannon is
unsafe, as there is a significant  danger  that a piece from a disintegrating
target may hit you.

The Historical Gunsight

 Your F-15 has the most  modern,  advanced gunsight available: a "historical"
gunsight with automatic radar rangefinder.  In normal operation this gunsight
"assumes" you are firing at maximum  range  (6 km). However, if your tracking
box is on a closer target,  that  shorter  range is used instead for gunsight
calculations.
 The  gunsight  computer  constantly   calculates   range,  flight  path  and
ballistics for you. It then displays where  you  shells would be if they were
hitting the target now.  The  gunsight  continually calculates firing, delays
the appropriate time,  and  displays  potential  hits  as  they  would occur.
Therefore, the sight is "assuming" that you  fired at the correct time in the
past (hence the term "historical" gunsight).
 The historical gunsight requires conscious "retraining" to use well since it
doesn't require you  to  "place  the  sight  on  the  target".  However, this
weakness is more  then  compensated  for  by  the  advantages of anticipation
firing. The sight allows you  to  fire  sooner  and  more accurately then any
other sight in existence. The  historical  gunsight  is  the device of choice
among "in-the-know" fighter jocks.

Anticipation Firing

 It takes about two seconds for the  Vulcan's  shells to travel the maximum 6
kilometre range. Therefore, to hit a target you must judge the speed at which
the target and your sight converge. You  should fire about two seconds before
they meet. If the range is less then  6  km, wait a little less. For example,
at 3 km wait until the target and sight  are one second apart; at 1.5 km wait
until target and sight are a half second apart, etc.
 You can use this sight like an old fashioned predicting sight. That is, wait
until the sight is on the target, then  shoot.  But at 6 km range you'll have
to hope the target stays on the same course for two seconds to insure a hit.
 In short, the key to using a historical gunsight is anticipation. Don't wait
for the sight to reach the  target.  Instead, learn to anticipate the meeting
of sight and target, then shoot ahead of time.

Strafing Ground Targets

 Using your Vulcan cannon against  ground  targets  requires some skill. In a
strafing attack, dive low (under  500')  then  straighten  out and fly level.
Because the cannon gunsight  is  optimized  for  air-to-air combat, "walking"
your shells across the ground is the best  way to hit a target, but this uses
a lot of ammunition. Experienced pilots  confine themselves to ranging bursts
until they're close.
 The most difficult problem in strafing is your limited range. Maximum cannon
range is only 6 kilometres; effective range  is just 3 kilometres. This means
you only have a couple of seconds to  hit the target before it passes beneath
your gun.
 A common error when strafing is "target fixation" where you ignore altitude.
Remember that strafing  means  diving  -  and  you've  got  to  come up again
sometime! After you pass your target,  open  the throttle and turn away. Keep
an eye on your missile warnings and be ready to drop chaff or flares.

                               ENEMY ARMAMENT

 The enemy will be firing  sophisticated  missiles  at  you  in an attempt to
destroy your aircraft. He will use  basically two types of missiles: Surface-
to-Air Missiles (SAMs), that are fired from ground installations, and Air-to-
Air Missiles (AAMs), like your AMRAAMs,  and Sidewinders, that are fired from
his fighters.
 His aircraft are also equipped with  rapid-firing cannons, like your Vulcan.
In general, the enemy's cannons  are  not  as  effective  as your own, but be
careful of the lucky shot.

                               Enemy Missiles

Enemy SAMs

 As you fly into enemy radar  search  zones,  which include just about all of
the areas into which you will  fly,  the  enemy  will attempt to destroy your
fighter from ground-based missile launch sites.  In order to avoid being shot
down by SAMs it is important to understand how they work.
 Radar Guided SAMs: Medium- and long-ranged  SAMs are radar-guided. All types
use the same three-step process to engage their target:
 (1) Radar search: Enemy search radar periodically scans a 360 degree area of
the sky.
 (2) Radar tracking: When a search radar  finds a target (such as your plane)
it "hands off" to a  narrow-beam  fire  control  radar  which locks onto your
craft. At this point a missile is launched.
 (3) Radar control: Once the missile  is  launched, the narrow beam continues
tracking your plane so the missile's course can be updated and corrected.
 IR-Homing SAMs: Short-range SAMs  are  usually infrared-homing missiles. The
only significant difference between the method  used  for killing you with IR
SAMs and that for Radar SAMs is that once fired , an IR SAM doesn't rely upon
the radar to update its course  during  flight;  instead, it guides itself to
the target.
 (1) Radar search: A search radar finds your aircraft.
 (2) Radar tracking: A tracking radar follows your aircraft.
 (3) Missile launch:  The  IR  homing  missile  is  launched.  At  this point
tracking radar is unnecessary, as the missile can guide itself to the target.

Enemy AAMs

 The enemy has a wide  variety  of  threatening  AAMs,  but probably the most
dangerous one is the Russian AA-10 "Alamo".  Like your AMRAAM, it is a "fire-
and-forget" medium range  missile,  and  is  difficult  to  shake.  All other
Russian medium- and long-range  AAMs  are  radar-guided, semi-active homers -
they rely upon a radar beam emanating  from  the firing aircraft to guide the
missile to your fighter.
 By definition, all IR-homing AAMs  are  "fire-and-forget" weapons. These are
usually short-range (8-12 km),  dogfighting  missiles.  The most dangerous is
the Russian built AA-8 "Aphid", whose manoeuvrability and modern IR seeker is
almost a match for your Sidewinder.  If  enemy  MiGs or Sukhois close to AA-8
range, you could be in trouble; only your dogfighting skill could save you.

                                 Enemy Guns

 The enemy has cannons equivalent to  yours  in range and power. However, the
enemy still uses old  predicting  gunsights.  This  means  they are virtually
required to get behind you before they  can  make a decent shot. In addition,
all but the most elite pilots will be slow to fire, since they must place the
gunsight on the target and keep it there to score a hit.
 If you sense the enemy is  behind  you  and ready to fire cannons, "jinking"
(small, violent moves in random directions) can throw his aim.
 Finally, Russian built aircraft with the  older GSh-23 cannon may not always
hit, since the lower volume of firepower  increases the chance of you "flying
between the shells" and  escaping  serious  injury.  Don't  rely on this: not
every 23mm shell is an unlucky one!

                        DEALING WITH MISSILE ATTACKS

 Inevitably, you will find yourself  under  attack from both ground-based and
air-launched missiles. Your fighter  is  designed  to  give you ample warning
before you are hit and destroyed, and there are several defence systems built
into the plane to aid you in spoiling the enemy's attempts to shoot you down.
In addition, with  practice  you  can  manoeuvre  your  way  out of desperate
situations without having to rely upon your fighter's defence systems.

                           Missile Attack Warnings

 Your first warning that a missile has been fired at you comes in the form of
a beep and a message displayed in the message window. This will inform you of
the type of missile fired and the place from which it was launched if it is a
SAM or the type of enemy plane that fired it if it's an AAM.
 At this point one of the warning  lights on the dashboard begins flashing to
remind you that a  missile  has  been  targeted.  If  the offending weapon is
radar-guided, the "R" light flashes;  if  it  is  an  IR-homer, the "I" light
flashes.
 Your next warning appears on  your  tactical  screen,  in  the middle of the
dashboard. You see the missile as  it  approaches your fighter. Finally, when
the missile is within a few seconds of impact, you here the missile proximity
klaxon, a high-pitched bleeping  sound  that  continues  until  the danger is
passed or until the weapon slams into your fighter.

                        Responses to Missile Attacks

Reduce Your Visibility

 In some cases,  especially  when  a  missile  is  fired  at  you  from great
distances, you can avoid the danger  by  simply  "hiding" from the radar that
must track you to guide the missile to your fighter. Unfortunately, IR-homers
that are already enroute cannot  be  evaded  in  this  way, but you may avoid
additional launches of IR missiles, since  the  first step in launching is to
find you with radar.
 First and foremost, the  further  you  are  from  the  enemy radar site, the
weaker the signal. Therefore, you may wish to  simply turn and run away for a
while, until the signal is too weak to "see" you. Also remember that reducing
your altitude, lowering your engine power, and levelling out your flight will
help.

Chaff (for Radar-Guided Missiles)

 For defence against radar-guided  missiles,  your  fighter  is equipped with
chaff cartridges. Each  chaff  cartridge  deploys  a  cloud  of tiny tin-foil
strips that reflect enemy radar. For  two  or  more seconds the strips form a
huge radar reflector, blinding the missile, like a smoke screen.
 The classic chaff technique is to wait  until a radar-guided missile is just
a couple of seconds away (when the  missile proximity klaxon sounds). At that
instant fire a chaff cartridge (tap the Chaff Key) and turn away. The blinded
missile will fly straight into the chaff, missing you.
 Note that you do  not  have  an  endless  supply  of  chaff cartridges; your
current supply is constantly updated and  indicated  on the left hand side of
the console, or on the HUD whenever you use one.
 Doppler Missiles: Enemy missiles with  Doppler  radar guidance systems are a
special danger. These missiles will not home on the  chaff unless your course
is perpendicular (at right angles to) the  missile. If the missile chases you
from the rear or attacks from straight ahead, the chaff has no effect.
 Only three SAMs currently have Doppler  guidance: the SA-10, SA-12 and SA-N-
6. Only one AAM (air-to-air missile) has Doppler guidance: the AA-10.

Flares (for IR-Homing Missiles)

 For defence against IR-homing missiles, your  fighter is equipped with heat-
producing flares. Although called  "flares",  these  are really small, finely
tuned heat decoys. A flare lures an IR missile towards it (an away from you),
but only during the 2 to 3  seconds  it  burns. After that the flare dies and
the missile resumes seeking. Therefore, like chaff, the standard technique is
to wait until the missile is  a  couple  of seconds away (the klaxon sounds),
then drop a flare while you turn away.
 Like chaff cartridges, you don't  have  an  infinate  number of flares; your
supply is indicated on the  left  hand  side  of  the  console, or on the HUD
whenever you use one.

Manoeuvres

 It's important to remember that chaff and flares aren't perfect. Both radar-
guided and IR-homing missiles  continue  seeking  after  your  flare or chaff
expires and Doppler radar missiles ignore  chaff  altogether if you're on the
wrong course. Therefore, it's  important  to  manoeuvre  out of the missile's
"field of view" when the defence expires.  If you don't, the missile will re-
acquire you and continue on a collision course!
 If you're an especially skilful pilot, you can outmanoeuvre an enemy missile
without mechanical aids.
 Evading the Missile's View: SAMs  have  a  limited  cone of vision; they can
only "home" on targets within the  acquisition  arc of their seeker. This arc
is a bare 45 degrees  ahead  of  the  missile.  If flares or chaff temporally
confuse a missile, you can evade  attack  by  turning rapidly to move outside
this 45 degree arc. Usually the  quickest  escape course is one perpendicular
to the missile's flight path.
 Turning inside a Missile: When a missile  is  close, you still have a chance
to outmanoeuvre it, because its turning arc is larger then yours.
 If the missile is trying to fly up your tail, roll over onto a wingtip for a
tight turn, then pull back  hard  on  the  control  stick to tighten the turn
further. Keep an eye on your airspeed, since you can't stay long in this kind
of turn - soon the plane will  stall.  But meanwhile, the missile is making a
wider, faster turn that causes it to zoom past harmlessly.
 Turning towards a Missile: If a SAM  approaches you from the side, gradually
turn towards it, increasing the tightness  of  your  turn as it comes closer.
The objective is to keep the missile's course at right angles (perpendicular)
to your own.
 This tactic works because  the  missile  cannot  turn  with you. Instead, it
gradually falls behind and zooms past your tail.
 Evading Frontal Attacks: If a  missile  approaches  you from the front, wait
until it's about 8 to 12 kilometres away  (about  2/3 of a grid square on the
tactical display). Then  make a  quick  90  degree  turn, placing the missile
facing your side. Now roll over 180 degrees and turn towards the missile. Now
you're set up for a turning battle (see Turning towards a Missile, above).
 Missile Minimum Range:  Large  less-manoeuvrable  missiles  fire straight up
when first launched. This means  that  they  can't begin homing until they're
beyond a certain distance (in range and  altitude) from their launchers. As a
result, circling  right  over  a  battery  of  low-manoeuvrability  SAMs  can
actually be very safe.

                                 DOGFIGHTING

 The best way to ambush an enemy plane  is  to slide up from behind it. Enemy
aircraft have forward-facing radars only (except the IL-76 "Mainstay" AEW&C),
so coming in from behind means you can catch him off guard.
 Traditionally, fighter pilots prefer to  attack  from above. This gives them
an  energy  advantage  in  a  dogfight.  However,  missile  tactics  and  the
importance of secrecy make a  height  advantage less valuable. Gaining height
makes you visible to enemy  radar,  which  may  warn your targets. Therefore,
approaching low and from behind is often  wiser. Only if your missile attacks
fail and the  enemy  discovers  you  should  you  begin  to  seek an altitude
advantage.
 If you're  surprised  or  "bounced"  (attacked  from  above)  be  the enemy,
immediately look for incoming missiles and take appropriate defensive action.
Missiles arrive faster then aircraft,  and  must  be avoided first. Only then
can you begin dogfighting.

                            The Missile Exchange

 Often an air-to-air battle starts because  the  enemy has discovered you and
vectors fighters in your direction. The  result, quite frequently, is a head-
to-head face-on.
 In this western-style showdown each side  starts with an exchange of medium-
ranged AAMs. be prepared to chaff the  "incoming" or manoeuvre it to a course
perpendicular to your own.  Once  your  medium-range  radar  missile is away,
switch to a Sidewinder. You may get  a second close-range missile shot if the
AMRAAM fails. Scoring with a head-to-head cannon shot is much more difficult;
it's not worth the ammo unless you're out of missiles or you're an incredibly
good marksman.
 In most cases, if you can  get  off  a  second  missile shot so can an enemy
carrying second-generation IR missiles (the AA-8  or AA-10 IR version). These
nasties show up frequently on MiG-29s and Su-27s, but aren't unknown on other
craft flown by veteran or elite pilots.

The Early Turn

 One of the most difficult  but  useful  tactics  in  a head-to-head match is
making an early turn. Against inexperienced  pilots this trick is easy, since
greenhorns usually keep boring in, hoping for a cannon shot. Against vets, an
early turn requires fine timing. If you turn  more then a second or two ahead
of the enemy, you're just telegraphing  your  intentions. If you wait to long
you get no advantage at all.

                           Dogfighting Manoeuvres

 The essential rule in dogfighting  is  to  get  on  the enemy's tail. On all
fighters, gun and missile guidance systems face  forward, so if you're on the
enemy's tail he cannot shoot at you.  If  you  can't  get on his tail, try to
place his aircraft as much ahead of you  as possible, so you have the maximum
number of firing opportunities.
 Maintaining higher speed or  altitude  is  valuable  in  a dogfight. A plane
slower and lower can only dodge attacks.  A plane faster or higher can attack
or retreat as desired.  Having  a  higher  speed  or  altitude  is termed the
"energy advantage".
 If the enemy is behind  you,  there  are  various classic escape manoeuvres:
Turning Inside, the Scissors Turn, the  Immelmann  Turn, the Split-S Turn and
the Yo-Yo Turn. Not only should you learn  to execute them, but also learn to
recognise them so you can apply the appropriate counter manoeuvre.

Turning Inside

 You can see enemy planes approaching  on your tactical display. The simplest
solution to an enemy plane coming up from  behind you is to turn towards him.
If you're turning faster  and  tighter  then  he  is, you'll gradually circle
around and get onto his tail. You  make the tightest turn possible by rolling
onto your side and pulling back hard on the control stick - but be careful of
stalling!
 Of course, if the enemy is turning  faster then you, he will eventually come
around behind you. If this happens try something else immediately. The longer
you wait the worse it gets, until he lines up a shot and toasts you.

Scissors Turn

 A more complex way to  out-smart  an  enemy  aircraft  is the scissors turn.
Begin turning toward him as if you're  planning  to out-turn him, but once he
begins to turn with you, quickly  roll  over  to turn in the other direction.
This opens the scissors. As the  enemy  realizes you've turned away and tries
to follow, reverse the procedure  and  roll  back  towards him again. If your
turns were quicker and tighter  then  his,  and/or  you're a slower plane, he
will eventually pass in front of you. This allows you to get onto his tail.
 A novice enemy pilot trying to  turn  with  you  can quickly be lured into a
scissors trap. Even if his  plane  turns  better,  his  slow reaction to each
reversal will quickly give you the  edge.  A more experienced enemy pilot may
avoid your trap by  anticipating  your  next  turn  and  blasting you (if his
fighter is less manoeuvrable then yours), or  by pulling up and over you into
a yo-yo turn (if he's faster).

Immelmann Turn

 This manoeuvre is an excellent way  to reverse direction quickly, especially
useful when an enemy plane  has  buzzed  past  in a head-on-encounter and you
want to gain altitude and get on his tail at the same time. First you preform
a half-loop upwards to reverse  direction,  then  a  half  roll to right your
aircarft. If an enemy fighter is behind you, an Immelmann can bring you nose-
to-nose with him.
 Note that an Immelmann gives you an  altitude  gain but costs speed, since a
half-loop upwards slows you down significantly.
 The original Immlemann, a  German  WWI  fighter  ace, reputedly rolled while
vertical, allowing him to finish the  loop  in whatever direction he desired.
He  still  finished  the  half-loop  inverted  -  it's  aerodynamically  more
efficient that way.

Split-S Turn

 This is another way of reversing  direction  quickly, but is more dangerous.
Begin by rolling inverted, then pull  the  stick back to half-loop downwards.
Many pilots begin the loop before  the  roll  is completed, rolling the plane
while looping. The split-S causes you  to lose considerable altitude, so it's
often wise to reduce throttle  and/or  use  speed brakes to minimise altitude
loss.
 The Split-S complements  the  Immlemann  because  you  gain  speed  and lose
altitude. Unwary fighter pilots have sometimes  tried to Split-S into or away
from the enemy without remembering their altitude. The result can be a Split-
S right into the ground!

Yo-Yo Turn

 This manoeuvre is used mainly by higher speed jets against slower opponents.
Therefore, you should learn this manoeuvre  well, because your fighter is one
of the fastest, most powerful in  the  world.  You may see Su-27s and MiG-29s
attempting it against you! This  turn  requires excellent cockpit visibility,
something that earlier MiGs lack.
 To execute a Yo-Yo  turn,  climb  and  roll  towards  the  enemy, until he's
visible out the top of your canopy.  Then  pull  over into a dive while still
turning. During the dive you roll the  plane  to help line up your shot. Very
often you'll take that shot while inverted.
 In effect you make a very  big  turn  in  three dimensions, Most of the turn
radius is "consumed" with the climbing and diving, allowing a faster plane to
travel further and turn wider, yet  still  come  out  on the tail of the more
manoeuvrable plane. As you gain altitude  you gain the "energy advantage" and
the flexibility to turn either way  your  opponent goes. American F-4 Phantom
pilots used  this  manoeuvre  with  great  success  against  slower  but more
manoeuvrable MiG-21s over North Vietnam during the Vietnam war.
 Note that the best defence against a  Yo-Yo  is  to reverse your turn, or to
use the third dimension yourself (usually by going into a Split-S).
 Because a Yo-Yo requires good  spatial  perception,  first practice it using
the Slot View (if alone) or Tactical View (if you've got a target).


                             CHAPTER 5. THEATRES
                             ===================

                                    LIBYA

                                Introduction

 Libya is ruled by  Col.  Mu'ammar  al-Qadhaffi,  leader  of  the secret army
organisation that deposed  the  former  king  in  1969.  The  capital city is
Tripoli and the nation's chief source of wealth is oil.
 A desert nation, Libya has only on visually distinctive mountain region: the
Jabal al Akbar to the east of  Benghazi.  Deep  in the desert, east of Sabha,
are the desolate, isolated mountains of the  Al  Haruj al Aswad, while to the
west are the great sand seas (ergs).
 Rich by third world standards,  Libya  buys  most  of  its armament from the
Soviet Union. Its military is trained  by Soviet advisors, but national pride
has prohibited (so far) any  significant  Soviet presence. Soviet advisors do
not participate in combat operations.
 Libya's army is approximately 60,000 men  strong,  its navy has 53 ships and
6,500 men, while its air force has roughly 530 planes, 30 combat helicopters,
and 8,500 men. A 10,000-man paramilitary  "Pan-African Legion" also exists as
well as various terrorist training camps.

                            Sightseeing in Libya

 Flying over Libya is a unique  experience.  It  is  a truly desert nation, a
land of red and brown hardscrabble with  patches of tan sand and grey boulder
fields. Water is  all  underground,  seeping  to  the  surface  in occasional
patches  of  green  oasis  or  mountain  valley.  Mountain  ranges  are  low,
undulating areas full of small hillocks  and  short  peaks. From the air it's
often hard to tell  the  difference  between  ageing  roadways and dark wadis
(gullies) in the desert. But some  works  of  man stand out, particularly the
rust red of oil wells and  pipelines  or  the distinctive star-pattern of SAM
batteries.

                               Friendly Bases

Sigonella on Sicily (UD15): The USA maintains the Sigonella military field in
southeastern Sicily. The Sigonella runway is  the  main staging point for air
attacks against the North African coast, especially Libya. Unfortunately, the
flight distances are quite long.
 CV American at Sea (UD70):  This  60,000-ton "Kitty Hawk" class conventional
aircraft carrier, designated  CV66,  serves  with  the  US  6th  Fleet in the
Mediterranean.  It  participated  in  the  1986  raids  against  Tripoli  and
Benghazi. The carrier is  ideally  positioned  for  launching  and recovering
strikes against Benghazi, the Gulf  of  Sirte,  or targets deep inside Libya.
Here it cruises on a  southerly  course  with  its  traditional ring of close
escorts. The carrier remains well north  of  the  Gulf  of Sirte to avoid SSM
attacks from enemy  ships  and  aircraft.  It  is  surrounded  by escorts and
regularly replenishes the CAP (combat air patrol) with F-18 launches.

                                Neutral Bases

 These airbases are in neutral territory.  Don't use them unless specifically
ordered to do so or if you must make an emergency landing.
 Suda Bay on Crete (VD41): Near the  city  of Khania, this airfield is not an
American base, although in years past it was a major NATO air and naval base.
It has the advantage of  being  both  closer  and less public then equivalent
fields in Greece or Egypt.
 Halfar on Malta (UD13): Once  a  critical  strength position for the British
Commonwealth in the Mediterranean, this  is  now  a neutral port and sometime
tourist haven.

                          Libyan Cities and Targets

Tripoli (TC87): The  capital  city  of  Libya  has  a large military-civilian
airbase at Idris, well protected by SAM batteries. Until recently, long-range
SA-5 Gammons watched the skies  from  these  sites, but there are indications
that Russian military advisors may  replace  these with more formidable SA-12
Gladiators.
 Tripoli is also the  site  of  a  major  army headquarters, various military
depots, oil storage areas,  and  sometimes  terrorist training camps. Missile
boats can almost always be found prowling the coast nearby.
 Sabha (UB17): This southern town is the main military base of operations for
Libya's southerly expansion. It was the major  depot for the war against Chad
and is still extremely important to  Libyan trans-Saharan ambitions. The most
important military installations  here  are  the  large  airbase  and the SAM
battery protecting it.
 Misratch (UC26) & Sirte (UC43): These  costal towns house low-level military
headquarters and oil storage tanks for refuelling ships. Sirte is a secondary
naval base, supporting missile  boats  that  cruise  the  western side of the
:Line of Death".
 Ras Lanuf (UC82) &  Port  Brega  (UC92):  Ras  Lanuf  is Libya's largest and
newest oil facility. A vast quantity of oil  for export is stored here, and a
large number of oil tankers ply the  waters nearby. There is also a refinery,
vast "farms" of oil tanks, and a  major military headquarters. Port Brega oil
facility is older but still in operation despite the completion of Ras Lanuf.
 A number of SAM batteries are sited in this vital area. Port Brega airfield,
west of town, serves both ports.
 Benghazi (VC16): This city is  the  site  of Libya's second-largest military
base, including the Benina  airfield  and  powerful protective SAM batteries.
The city itself is large, with  a  military  headquarters and a few small oil
storage facilities to serve the  ancient  port.  Terrorist training camps are
not uncommon in the hills to the east.
 Al Bayda (VC37): This sleepy coastal  town  in  the mountains Jabal al Akbar
has major military significance. It overlooks  the  narrow Ionian sea between
Libya and Greece, making it an ideal  site for anti-ship missiles. There is a
small airstrip and SAM site as well.
 Oil Fields: The great  oil  fields  of  Libya  are  in  the southeast, where
literally thousands of wells pump crude from the ground. This oil os piped to
Ras Lanuf and Port Brega. The great producing fields can be found near Raguba
(UC90), Waha (VB18), Amal (VC30),  Jalo  Oasis  (VC40) and Gialo (VB49). Most
fields have a few storage tanks  on  site  to hold crude temporarily until it
can be piped to the port. However,  the  majority of storage tanks are at the
ports, not on the fields.
 Secret Bases: Western intelligence  operatives  in  Libya  are preparing two
secret, hard-pack surfaces  suitable  for  aircraft  landings.  One  is at Al
Mukhayli (ONC VC43), the other is on  the  edge  of the great ergs, at Yafran
(ONC TC93).

                             Libyan Air Defences

 Libyan air defence forces  use  Russian-built  equipment  and are trained by
Russian advisors. SA-2 Guideline and SA-5  Gammon SAMs have been the backbone
of Libyan air defences,  but  there  are  rumours  of  upgrades  to new SA-10
Grumble and SA-12 Gladiator systems.
 Local military forces make use  of  SA-7  and SA-14 shoulder-fired missiles.
These are also popular terrorist weapons and  can be expected in the vicinity
of  terrorist  camps.  Libyan  army  units  use  various  medium-range  SAMs,
including SA-8s, -9s, -11s and -13s.

                              Libyan Air Force

 Fighters: The Libyan Air Force  is  composed  of over 140 MiG-23MF "Flogger"
fighters, a number of  MiG-25  "Foxbats"  (for  reconnaissance and long-range
interceptions), and  several  antiquated  MiG-21s.  The  Air  Force  also has
various Mirage 5D fighter-bombers for ground attack missions.
 Intelligence expects that MiG-23s and  25s  will  be your primary air-to-air
opponents, although you  may  encounter  the  new  MiG-29  "Fulcrum" flown by
Soviet personnel.
 Reconnaissance Bombers: Although Libya  does  not  possess  any Tu-95 "Bear"
reconnaissance bombers, Russian Bears frequently operate from Libyan bases.
 Air Transports: It is suspected that  Libya's antiquated fleet of C-130H and
C-47 air  transports  (built  in  America)  will  be  replaced  with  Russian
equipment, perhaps including the new An-72 "Coaler" jet transport.

                                 Libyan Navy

 The Libyan Navy  is  composed  primarily  of  missile  corvettes and missile
patrol boats. The largest of these  is  the 770-ton Russian-built Nanuchka II
class armed with Styx surface-to-surface  missiles,  SA-N-4  SAMs, and a twin
57mm gun turret. Other  boats  include  the  Russian Osa-class, Italian-built
Wadi M'ragh class and the  French-built  La  Combattante II types; these have
poorer missiles and SA-N-5 SAMs, or no SAM at all.
 The Nanuchkas are the best boats in  the  Libyan Navy. They preform the most
aggressive patrols, making them the  primary threat. Patrols occur frequently
in the Gulf of Sirte, south of the  "Line of Death". Sometimes the Libyan air
force flies fighter missions in support of these naval patrols.

                              THE PERSIAN GULF

                                Introduction

 Iran has been ruled by  Shi'ite  radicals  since  the  overthrow of the pro-
American Shah in 1979. In  September,  1980,  Iraq attacked Iran, beginning a
long,  costly  war  between  those  nations   that  lasted  for  years.  Both
contestants are viewed with distrust by the  Arab states south of the Persian
Gulf and Iran's  support  of  international  terrorism  has  not improved the
nation's image.
 Iran also calls for a  Shi'ite  religious  revolution throughout the Islamic
world. This naturally bothers the leadership  of the Arab states, since their
governments are Sunni. However, Iran is  populated by Persians, not Arabs. So
far this cultural and linguistic barrier  has  hindered the spread of Iranian
Shi'ite radicalism across the Persian Gulf to the Arab states.
 Iran is a large nation with varied geography. The Elbroz and Zagros mountain
ranges run from the  northwest  corner  (where  Iran  touches  Turkey and the
Soviet trans-Caucasus) diagonally southeast, along  the border with Iraq, and
then parallel with the Persian Gulf. South of these mountains, at the head of
the Gulf, are Iran's oil fields. North of the mountains the nation is divided
into two regions. The  western  part,  near  Iraq,  Turkey and trans-Caucasus
Russia, is fertile, heavily populated and  includes  most of the major cities
and industrial plants. The eastern  part, bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Soviet Central Asia, is largely  barren  desert  and  mountains with a small,
impoverished, under-educated population.
 Under the Shah, Iran's  oil-rich  finances  permitted  massive investment in
military forces, mostly from  the  USA.  Since  the revolution, however, many
complex weapons have failed for  lack  of  spare parts and maintenance, while
most of the rest were damaged  or  destroyed  in  the war with Iraq. Iran has
some sophisticated aircraft and missiles remaining, but these are deployed to
protect key cities in the interior, rather then as a border defence.

                       Sightseeing in The Persian Gulf

 Like Libya, the Persian Gulf is a  desert region, except for the large, high
spine of mountains that runs  diagonally  through  Iran from the northwest to
the southeast. However, water is more plentiful especially in Iran, resulting
in increased agriculture and  large  local  irrigation  works  to control the
seasonal run-off from the mountain highlands.
 The Gulf has many interesting  and  exceptional  areas,  such as the Tigris-
Euphrates watershed that reaches the head  of  the gulf around Abadan. Once a
great seaport and teeming metropolis,  the  destruction  of the Iran-Iraq war
has reduced the area to a ruin of small towns and villages.
 Kharg Island, despite wartime attacks, is  one of the great man-made wonders
of the world.  Surrounded  by  oil  platforms  and  supertankers,  guarded by
missile boats and fighter patrols, it remains the site of numerous refineries
and oil storage tanks.
 There are also great oilfields south of Kuwait City, north of Bushehr in the
Bandar-e-Rig, on Bahrain and Qatar, and  along the UAE coastline near Ruweiss
and Tarif, as well as assorted individual platforms along the Arabian coast.
 Another interesting region of Iran  is  the  great valley of Bandar-e-Lengeh
and Bandar' Abbas. Seasonal rivers flowing  from  the mountains have formed a
fertile valley floor that empties into  the  Straits of Hormuz, the strategic
doorway to the Persian Gulf. On the  opposite side (the southern side) of the
straits, creating a narrow choke-point of naval traffic.

                               Friendly Bases

 America's strongest allies in the Persian Gulf are Saudi Arabia and the tiny
island kingdom of Bahrain.
 CV Nimitz at Sea (KY83): This  huge  80,000-ton nuclear carrier is the class
ship of the latest and most  powerful  program of aircraft carriers. Normally
assigned to the Pacific Fleet, it  is  prepared  to visit the Indian Ocean at
any time. Here it sails with a close  escort of destroyers, and has its F-18s
on regular rotation in CAP (combat air patrol).
 American aircraft carriers do not  sail  into  the  restricted waters of the
Persian Gulf, where they  would  be  "sitting  ducks"  for land-based air and
missile attacks. Carrier task forces remain in the Indian Ocean, although the
Nimitz and her ring of close escorts  have  sailed deep into the Gulf of Oman
to provide a base  as  close  as  possible  to  the  Persian Gulf targets. If
threatened, the ship can always  sail  to  the  southeast and escape into the
vast expanses of the Indian Ocean.
 Ras as Saffaniyah (JY19): This  is  Saudi Arabia's northernmost oil terminal
and port along the Gulf. Its airfield is in a useful strategic location.
 Dhahram (JY54) & Al Hufuf  (JY44):  Dhahram  is  Saudi Arabia's largest port
city on the Persian Gulf. However, the Al Hufuf airfield slightly inland is a
strategically useful and less public position for basing missions and raids.
 Bahrain (JY65): This small island nation is strongly pro-American, providing
large naval and air base facilities for American military forces.

                                Neutral Bases

 Kuwait is a friendly neutral  nation.  Oman  is neutral but pro-Western, and
the UAE (United Arab Emirates) are studiously neutral.
 Kuwait City in Kuwait (JZ12): Originally  neutral,  Kuwait sought US aid and
support after repeated Iranian threats and attacks. The Kuwait airport can be
used occasionally to stage  missions  that  demonstrate  America's support of
Kuwait, or for emergency landings.  However,  Kuwait  is fearful of provoking
more Iranian hostility and therefore will not grant America basing rights.
 Qatar (JY75): This small independent nation  works hard at the appearance of
neutrality, probably because it has both  strong pro-American and strong pro-
Iranian factions.  Although  missions  cannot  be  staged  from  here,  it is
possible  to  use  the  pro-American  groups  to  aid  in  emergency  landing
situations.
 Ruweiss (KY01) & Tarif (KY11):  These  small  oil  ports  of the UAE are not
especially friendly to the American cause. Because the UAE is a decentralized
government, pressure and money in the  right places could permit an emergency
landing.
 Some of the largest oil fields of the UAE are in this area (ONC KY22-23).
Abu Dhabi (KY31):  Abu  Dhabi  is  the  major  city  of  the  UAE,  where the
appearance of neutrality is most  important.  Emergency landings at this base
are very difficult,  but  not  impossible  if  Iranian  diplomacy succeeds in
making yet more enemies.
 Al Khafi at Dubai (KY65): This large  airfield  outside the city of Dubai is
the most strategically useful  of  all  the  UAE  airfields.  It  is the base
closest to south-central Iran  and  is  an  important  launching or retrieval
point for deep missions. However,  as  at  Abu Dhabi, political problems make
the use of this base difficult to impossible.
 Muscat in Oman (KY90): Oman is careful to remain neutral in all affairs, but
is strongly pro-Western.  For  example,  much  of  its  army  is  trained and
officered by "retired" British  military  personnel.  The military portion of
the Muscat  airfield  is  available  for  missions  and  emergency  landings,
provided everything remains secret and politically "deniable".

                         Iranian Cities and Targets

 Dezful (JZ38), Masjed Soleyman (JZ47) &  Ahvaz  (JZ37): These cities are the
main "rear areas"  behind  the  former  Iran-Iraq  battlefront.  They  have a
variety of SAMs.  Although  all  originally  had  airbase  facilities,  it is
believed that only Masjed Soleyman's remains intact.
 Abadan (JZ24): This city is located at  the final junction of the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers, near the Persian Gulf.  Numerous battles in and around this
area have destroyed the once beautiful surrounding countryside with poisonous
gas.
 Bandar Khomenyi (JZ44): This is  the  main  Iranian military base behind the
southern part of the Iran-Iraq front  and  a  major staging base for military
supplies and munitions of all  sorts.  It  has  a large airbase, powerful SAM
batteries, and a major military headquarters.
 Bandar-e-Rig Oil Fields: These  oil  fields,  clustered  along the coast and
inland hills (JZ61 and JZ71) are a key source of Iran's oil wealth.
 Kharg Island (JZ60): This  island  is  covered  with refineries, oil storage
tanks and port facilities for oil tankers. Until the Iran-Iraq war it was the
greatest oil terminal in the world. Repeated  attacks have ruined many of the
facilities, but never  all  of  them.  Now  protected  by  SAM batteries, and
missile boat patrols, it is still Iran's main port for oil export.
 Much of Iran's oil wealth is offshore. One of the heaviest concentrations of
oil platforms is in the vicinity of  Kharg Island. Beware that some platforms
are now used by Iranian Shi'ite "Guards" as military bases.
 Bushehr (JZ80): This important coastal city  was  once a major oil port, but
is now completely overshadowed  by  neighbouring  Kharg  Island. The military
forces on its SAM batteries and  airbase  are not always first rate. However,
it is home port for many Iranian  frigates  and missile boats that patrol the
gulf.
 Shiraz (KZ03): This inland city, sited on  a highland plateau, is one of the
largest Iranian cities. It is  also  the  nerve  centre and main headquarters
for Iran's southern military command - the forces responsible for the Persian
Gulf. There is an exceptionally large  military  airbase here that is usually
protected by powerful SAM batteries.
 Esfahan (JZ89): Nestled in a large gap  of the Zagros Mountains, this inland
city is the classic "gateway" to  northwestern  Iran. As a transportation and
population centre it naturally boasts an airfield and SAM sites.
 Yazd (KZ38) & Kerman (KZ84): These two cities are distant population centres
on the edge of  the  Iranian  deserts.  Both  cities  are dominated by strong
traditionalist sentiment, which in recent  years  has translated into fervent
Shi'ite extremism.  However,  the  huge  war  has  caused  many  families  to
reconsider their support for Jihad.
 Bandar-e Lengeh (KY57): This western  city  on  the  Straits of Hormuz has a
minor military base, including  an  airfield  and  SAM  battery. However, its
primary function is civilian,  serving  the  large  oil  fields in this area.
Offshore oil platforms are especially common in KY35-45.
 Seasonal rivers running from the  mountains  to  the west down into Bandar-e
Lengeh have a variety of interesting road and rail bridges over them.
 Bandar 'Abbas (KY68): This city is Iran's major military base on the Straits
of Hormuz. Major Iranian Navy elements are  based here, as well as the latest
SAMs and a large, well-equipped military airbase.
 Secret Bases: Western  intelligence  operatives  in  Iran  are preparing two
secret, hard-pack surfaces suitable  for  aircraft  landings.  One  is in the
Shalamzar valley (JZ67) in the Zagros  Mountains,  the other in the mountains
south of Kerman, at KZ82.

                            Iranian Air Defences

 Hawk batteries are  Iran's  longest-ranged  surface-to-air  missiles. Nearly
exhausted in fighting with Iraq,  these  weapons  are formidable defenders of
Iran once more.
 Sold by Britain to Iraq, Rapier  batteries are fast, but shorter-ranged, and
hindered by a fire control system  that  is  primarily visual, with the radar
intended originally as backup. The  Rapier  radar system never approached the
quality or sophistication of  the  Hawk.  In  fact,  in  the Falkland Islands
fighting, the Rapier was surprisingly ineffective.
 The Tigercat, an antiquated British design, appears in less important areas.
Many Tigercat sites have little or  no  radar,  since the missile is designed
for visual control. The Seacat is a  naval  version of the Tigercat, found on
Iranian Vosper Mk 5 type frigates. It  is somewhat more dangerous because the
frigates have decent radar search systems.

                              Iranian Air Force

 This service  is  composed  primarily  of  American-built  aircraft acquired
during the Shah's rule.  Before  the  outbreak  or  war  the  Air Force had a
nominal strength of 75 F-14 Tomcats, about 200 F-4D and F-4E Phantom IIs, 140
F-5E Tiger IIs, plus various  other  planes  and helicopters, including C-130
Hercules transports and P-3F Orion reconnaissance bombers.
 Fighters: Iran lacks the sophisticated technicians  and parts to keep its F-
14s operational. Within a  year  after  the  revolution  fewer then five were
functional. No missiles or parts exist for the long-range Phoenix AAM system,
but some F-14s can carry AIM-7F Sparrows or AIM-9H Sidewinders.
 The older but less effective  F-4s  and  F-5s  are easier to maintain. These
planes are the  backbone  of  the  Iranian  fighting  air force, intercepting
raids, guarding rear areas and ships from attack, and occasionally attempting
a raid of their own.
 Iranian fighters are equipped with AIM-9H  Sidewinders,  one of the last and
best first-generation IR AAMs. The F-4 Phantoms  (but not the F-5 Tigers) are
designed to carry the AIM-7F Sparrow, a medium range radar-guided missile.
 Reconnaissance Bombers: Iran has few  naval reconnaissance bombers, and most
of those are P-3O Orions  with  inoperative  electronic gear. Such planes are
reduced to visual patrols only - a waste os aviation fuel in a modern warfare
environment!
 However, it's possible that long-range Russian Tu-95 "Bear" bombers may make
an appearance, flying from Afghanistan or Yemen.
 Airborne Early Warning  &  Control:  Iran  has  no  "AWACS"  or  other AEW&C
aircraft. Instead, the few operational F-14s are used in this role, since the
F-14 has an extremely powerful air search radar.
 Air  Transports:  Iran  has  a  variety  of  small,  medium  and  large  air
transports, including the American C-130  Hercules, German Fokker F27, French
Dassault-Breguet Falcon 20 and  Boeing  707  and  747  transports models. The
exact types available vary greatly,  depending  on  the supply of spare parts
and the presence of  knowledgeable  mechanics.  Given  Iran's  dislike of the
West, some consider it likely  that  she  will  shop  in  Russia for the next
transports bought, perhaps the new and very flexible An-72 Coaler.

                                Iranian Navy

 The Iranian Navy suffered  greatly  in  the  Iran-Iraq  war. Many ships were
damaged in the fighting and  remain  unrepaired; the others have deteriorated
badly for lack of maintenance.  The  great  naval  base at Khorramshahr, near
Abadan, was destroyed early in the war and remains a ruin.
 It is believed that one or more of the four Vosper Mark 5 frigates are still
functional. These 1,100-ton ships include Seacat SAMs, and a 4.5" gun turret.
Occasionally patrols by these or smaller ships  can be expected in the region
of Kharg Island or  in  the  Straits  of  Hormuz.  If  functional, the Vosper
frigates pose a significant military threat.
 Iran's Shi'ite "Guards" also man a large number of fast motorboats. The crew
carry rocket-propelled grenades to attack  shipping, and shoulder-launched IR
SAMs  to  protect  themselves  from  air  and  helicopter  attack.  Virtually
invisible, these "mosquitos" are a threat  only to unarmed merchant shipping,
or an aircraft unlucky enough to  pass  over  the area. These boats are based
all along the Iranian coast, especially at  Bandar 'Abbas, and from a variety
of offshore oil platforms.

                                   VIETNAM

                                Introduction

 Vietnam war missions take us back  to  when Southeast Asia consisted of five
countries: North Vietnam, South Vietnam,  Cambodia,  Thailand and Laos. North
Vietnam is attempting to conquer South  Vietnam and reunite the two countries
under Communist control. The North  Vietnamese have established hegemony over
Laos and Cambodia, and only South Vietnam and Thailand remain friendly to the
US.
 The principal geographic feature of the area  is the Mekong River that flows
from China to the sea.  The  area  is  heavily vegetated with lowland swamps,
jungles and wooded  mountains.  Outside  the  major  cities,  civilisation is
marked mainly by rice paddies and villages of grass huts.
 North Vietnam is a poor nation, but  is  supplied with weapons by the Soviet
Union. Their army is large  relative  to  the  national population and highly
motivated. Despite heavy losses and  generally  inferior equipment, they have
thrown the French out of the region and are fighting the South Vietnamese and
their US allies to a standstill. Their  air force is equipped with older MiG-
17s, some reportedly flown by pilots of sympathetic countries. Their northern
cities and the supply  routes  south  are  heavily protected by anti-aircraft
missile batteries. Their navy consists of only a few missile boats patrolling
the coast.
 The most important targets for US air  attacks  are the two major bridges on
the supply routes heading south: the  Paul  Doumer  Bridge near Hanoi and the
Thanh Hoa Bridge. The majority  of  the  supplies  supporting  the war in the
south must pass over these two bottlenecks.

                        Sightseeing in Southeast Asia

 This region is mostly  green  and  overgrown  and  often  very little can be
distinguished from the  air  except  rivers,  rice  paddies  and  grass huts.
Mountain ranges are low and wooded. The most impressive man-made features are
the large bridges in North Vietnam.  Also  noticeable are smaller bridges and
the distinctive pattern of SAM batteries.
 The war is being fought  in  South  Vietnam,  and  hotspots  can be found in
several areas of the country.  Look  for  burning  objects  on the ground and
flights of Huey helicopters.

                               Friendly Bases

 Tan Sonh Nhut (XU53): Located  outside  of  Saigon,  this is the largest and
busiest airport and base in Southeast  Asia. Military aircraft based here are
used primarily to support nearby ground troops.
 Da Nang (YU37): The  northernmost  airbase  in  South Vietnam. Aircraft from
here support local ground  troops,  interdict  supplies  on  the  Ho Chi Minh
Trail, and strike targets over the border to the north.
 Nha Trang (YU12): Located to  the  east  of  the central highlands. Aircraft
from this base support ground troops  and  interdict supplies coming south on
the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
 Udorn (XV95): Just over the border  in  Thailand from the Laotian capital of
Vientiane. Aircraft based here reach out to bomb targets in North Vietnam and
Laos.
 Don Muang (XV90): Located in the  southeast  corner  of Thailand, this is an
important base for making attacks on  the  Ho  Chi Manh Trail and enemy troop
concentrations in the central highlands of South Vietnam.
 Korat (XV43): Located southeast  of  Bangkok  in  central Thailand. Aircraft
from here conduct bombing attacks on targets in North Vietnam.
 Takhli (XV45): This base northeast of Bangkok in Thailand is part of the air
defence of the capital and was not an important base for war missions.
 Bangkok (XV14): The capital of Thailand.  The  airbase  here is too far from
the war zones and North Vietnam to be particularly useful.
 CVs Constellation (YU77)  &  Kitty  Hawk  (YV81)  at  Sea:  These 80,000-ton
carriers have a complement of  approximately  85  aircraft, and are placed in
the Gulf of Tonkin to strike  targets  deep in North Vietnam. Prohibited from
striking civilian targets, the navy concentrates on the transportation routes
bringing supplies south,  especially  the  vital  Paul  Doumer  and Thanh Hoa
Bridges.
 Each carrier group consists of one carrier  and a ring of escort destroyers.
A combat air patrol of fighter  planes  is continuously overhead to intercept
any approaching North Vietnamese aircraft.

                     North Vietnamese Cities and Targets

 Hanoi (YV68): Surrounded by numerous airbases and SAM batteries, the capital
city of North Vietnam is one of the  most heavily defended air targets in the
world. The SAMs deployed  in  this  area  are  either  SA-2 Guideline or SA-5
Gammon missiles. Nearby airbases are located at Gia Lam, Phuc Yen and Kep.
 To the southwest of Hanoi  is  the  Paul  Doumer  Bridge, one of the highest
priority targets in  North  Vietnam.  The  bridge  is  also  defended  by SAM
batteries.
 Haiphong (YV86): This city is the  most important North Vietnamese port, and
is guarded by SAM missiles and  a  fighter  airbase nearby at Cat Bi. Located
near Haiphong are numerous storage dumps and tankfarms.
 Thanh Hoa Bridge (YV55): Southwest from Hanoi along the coast is this second
important bridge, also heavily defended by SAM batteries.
 Vinh (YV44): This coastal town  supports  an  interceptor airbase that helps
defend the major bridges to  the  northwest,  the approaches to North Vietnam
from Thailand, and the supply routes to the south.
 Dong Hoi  (YV30):  This  town  supports  the  southernmost  North Vietnamese
airbase. Although often attacked by  friendly  forces, it remains operational
and its fighters intercept attackers heading north or bombing the Ho Chi Minh
Trail.

                  Cambodian and Laotian Cities and Targets

 Phnom Penh (XU36): The capital city of Cambodia has fallen under the control
of North Vietnamese-sponsored Communist  forces.  Enemy  planes are operating
from the airbase outside the  city.  SAM  batteries  have  been placed in the
area.
 Vientiane (XV97): The country of  Laos  is  controlled  by the Pathet Lao, a
Communist group supported by North Vietnam.  Enemy  aircraft are now based at
Wattay, near the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
 Ho Chi Minh Trail: This supply route from  the  north is a maze of roads and
trails that  winds  through  the  mountains  and  jungles  of  both Vietnams,
Cambodia and Laos. Targets along this trail are generally not fixed, but some
bunker and depot locations are known.

                        North Vietnamese Air Defences

 The North Vietnamese use Russian-built equipment  and are trained by Russian
advisors. The majority of the SAMs deployed are SA-2 Guideline or SA-5 Gammon
missiles.

                         North Vietnamese Air Force

 The majority of the fighter aircraft  in  the North Vietnamese Air Force are
MiG-17s,  a  highly  manoeuvrable  plane,   but   lacking  in  firepower  and
electronics. The air force also possesses a few more modern MiG-21 and MiG-23
aircraft, possibly flown by foreign nationals.
 Intelligence reports that MiG-17s will  be  your primary opponents, although
you encounter MiG-21s and MiG-23s as well.

                            North Vietnamese Navy

 The North Vietnamese Navy consists of  only  a few torpedo boats transferred
to it from the navies  of  Communist  China  and  the  Soviet Union. From the
Soviets came 190-ton S.O.-1 class boats and from the Chinese came Shanghai-II
class boats. Both boat types are  armed  with light anti-aircraft cannon, but
no SAMs, and thus offer only a small threat to aircraft.

                               THE MIDDLE EAST

                                Introduction

 The Middle East has been the scene of constant tension and recurring warfare
since the United  Nations  formed  the  country  of  Israel  in  1948. In the
crucible of this conflict, the Israelis  have  forged a superior army and air
force that have  consistently  out-matched  their  opponents.  The  threat to
Israel today comes from Syria and  Iraq, although Iraq has been significantly
worn down by eight years of warfare  with Iran. The Jordanians have adopted a
policy of near neutrality and are not expected  to take an active part in any
near future conflict. Lebanon has been torn  apart by civil war and invasions
by Israel, Syria and Palestinian refugees.
 The Syrians and Iraqis are supported  financially by the Saudi Arabians, but
receive most of their weapons and training  from the Soviet Union. Jordan and
Saudi Arabia act independently and have relatively strong ties to the West.

                       Sightseeing in the Middle East

 The Middle East is primarily a  desert world, with agriculture existing only
along the coasts and rivers. A low chain of mountains extends northward along
the  coast  through  Israel  and   Lebanon,   up  into  Turkey.  Between  the
Mediterranean Coast and the  mountains  of  Turkey  and  Iran,  the desert is
broken by the valleys of the  Tigris  and  Euphrates Rivers. Visible from the
air are many works  of  man,  including  the  ruins  of ancient buildings and
nuclear power plants in Iraq rumoured to be assembling nuclear weapons.

                               Friendly Bases

Akrotiri on Cyprus (ER13): Aircraft from  this British airbase are capable of
reaching targets along the Mediterranean  Coast. American or Israeli aircraft
would not normally base here, but could use the facilities in an emergency.
 CVN Eisenhower at Sea (ER46): This 80,000-ton "Nimitz" class nuclear carrier
often serves with the US 6th Fleet  in the Mediterranean. Here it cruises off
the coast of Lebanon, positioned  to  strike anywhere along the Mediterranean
Coast. Carrying a compliment of approximately  85 aircraft, the Eisenhower is
constantly guarded by a combat air patrol of fighter planes.
 Ramat David (ER73), Tel  Nof  (ER82),  Lod  (ER81)  & Hatzerim (ER91): These
Israeli airbases are home for  the  fighters  and  fighter-bombers of the air
force many consider to be the best in the world. Backed up against the sea by
enemies or non-friendly neutrals, the Israelis must be prepared to launch air
defence or attack missions in any of three directions.
 Malatya in Turkey (ES25): Turkey is  a  NATO  ally  and no friend of Iraq or
Syria. This  airbase  is  home  for  aircraft  assigned  to  defend  Turkey's
southeast border, and from  here  planes  can  reach  the  capitals and other
targets in both Iraq and Syria.
 Tabuk in Saudi Arabia (FS81): This airbase  serves as a defensive post along
the Saudi Arabian northern border. In  any  armed  conflict in the region, US
aircraft would  be  allowed  to  land  here  only  in  an  emergency,  unless
circumstances called for Saudi Arabian support of US interests.

                              Jordanian Cities

 Amman (ER94): Amman is the capital of Jordan and home for the major elements
of the Royal Jordanian  Air  Force.  The  most  numerous planes available are
Mirage F-1s and  Northrop  F-5s.  Ground  air  defence  is  provided  by Hawk
missiles.
 Ma'An (FR57): Outside this city is the  Prince Hassan airbase, where half of
the Air Force's combat planes are deployed.  Planes were placed here to reach
the Sinai Peninsula, but now that  the  Israelis  have made peace with Egypt,
air elements here may be moved farther north to cover the West Bank areas.

                          Iraqi Cities and Targets

 Baghdad (FS57): The capital city or  Iraq  is located between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers. Although low in strength  due to war losses, major elements
of the Iraqi air force are based  here.  Outside  the city is a nuclear power
plant that many believe is producing materials for nuclear weapons.
 Mosul (ES88): The second largest city  in  Iraq also has heavy air defences.
Another nuclear facility is thought to be operating nearby.
 Kirkuk (FS29), Habbabiyah (FS54) & H3  (FS20): At these locations the Iraqis
have airbases ringing their country. Kirkuk  faces  Iran and H3 is an outpost
at a pumping station in the desert along a major pipeline to Syria.

                          Syrian Cities and Targets

 Damascus (ER85): This ancient city, the  capital  of Syria, is situated east
of a gap in the  coastal  mountain  ranges  and  was founded on the east-west
trade route. Damascus is the  major  military  base  in  Syria  and home to a
majority of the Syrian Arab Air Force.
 Dayr As Zawr (ES92),  Hims  (ER59)  &  Palmyre  (ES70):  These towns support
airbases that guard Syria's northern  and  western  borders.  Dayr As Zawr is
located at an ancient crossing point  on  the   Euphrates River. Palmyre is a
desert oasis town near the  centre  of  Syria.  Hims is northeast of Lebanon,
helping to surround that country.
 Halab (ES40): Previously  known  as  Aleppo,  this  city  is  located in the
northern hills of Syria near  the  Turkish  border. Aircraft based here cover
the Turkish border and can reach south to Israel or into the Mediterranean.
 Al Ladhiqyah (ER48): This town north  of  Lebanon on the Mediterranean Coast
is near the Turkish border and supports  the airbase closest to Cyprus. It is
not a shipping port but is a vacation spot and fishing centre.

                             Syrian Air Defences

 The Syrians use Russian-built equipment and are trained by Russian advisors.
They possess  over  75  batteries  of  surface-to-air  missiles,  mostly SA-2
Guideline and SA-3 Goa weapons. Local  military forces are equipped with SA-7
and SA-14 shoulder-fired missiles,  and  these  can  also  be expected in the
vicinity of terrorist camps in Lebanon and Syria.

                              Syrian Air Forces

 The Syrian Arab Air Force is composed of over 450 combat aircraft and 50,000
men. The majority of the interceptor  aircraft available are MiG-21s and MiG-
23s, with one squadron of MiG-25s.  The  MiG-25 squadron is reported serviced
and manned by east Germans and Russians.

                             Iraqi Air Defences

 Iraq has not invested large resources  in  air  defence, and has only 10,000
men assigned to this branch. Largely  separated  from enemies to the west and
north, it has concentrated most  of  its  defence against Iran. SAM batteries
deployed are either SA-2 Guidelines or SA-5 Gammons.

                               Iraqi Air Force

 The  Iraq  air  force  has  substantially  modern  equipment,  but  did  not
demonstrate a high degree of training  or  skill during the war against Iran.
The main air defence aircraft are MiG-21s and Mirage F1s.

                               THE NORTH CAPE

                                Introduction

 Politics: The North Cape area is shared  by four nations. West to east, they
are  Norway,  Sweden,  Finland   and   the   Soviet  Union.  Their  political
orientations parallel in  their  geographical  locations:  Norway  belongs to
NATO, Sweden is  a  pro-Western  neutral,  neutral  Finland  accommodates the
Soviets, and the Soviet Union, of course, leads the Eastern Bloc.
 Military Forces: In terms of global  politics,  the North Cape is the single
most important military region in the Soviet Union. Murmansk is Russia's only
year-round open-sea access to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. Russian SSBNs (ballistic
missile nuclear submarines), the heart of  nuclear deterrence, sail from here
into the Atlantic lifelines.
 Norway fields a large, tough  force  tailored  for  a  dogged defence of its
mountainous homeland. Reasonably well-equipped,  the  majority  of the forces
guard the populous  southern  regions.  The  northern  bases  have only token
garrisons. Northern Norway seems more important  to  NATO then it does to the
Norwegians, since important  NATO  air,  naval  and  marine  troop assets are
planned to reinforce this area in time of war.
 Sweden's armed forces are designed  to  make  the Russians (or anyone) think
twice about violating that country's neutrality. The forces are well equipped
and well trained, with a nationwide reserve system that makes a large part of
the citizenry part-time soldiers.  However,  the  northern  part of Sweden is
almost unpopulated, so the defences there are considerably lighter.
 Recently Sweden has  been  greatly  irritated  by  Russian midget submarines
literally crawling around inside her fleet bases, and by a Russian diesel sub
that ran aground  in  a  harbour  entrance  while  carrying  a nuclear-tipped
torpedo (a serious insult to anti-nuclear Sweden).
 Finland fields  a  much  smaller  and  less  sophisticated  force  then  its
neighbours. Although fiercely independent, Finland has learned to accommodate
the desires of its powerful neighbour, the Soviet Union. The Soviets maintain
this "friendly" attitude by  garrisoning  powerful  military  forces near the
Finnish border, and  strongly  encouraging  Finland  to  buy  Soviet military
equipment.
 Geography: This entire region is a  harshly cold climate. Northern Norway is
a long, mountainous country  with  a  harsh  climate  and  "iron" (rocky) sea
coast. In this terrain a small  group  of  determined defenders could stop an
army for years. The "open" areas of  Finland and Sweden are deceptive. On the
map it may appear to be an open  plain, perfect for attack. In reality it's a
frigid wilderness in the winter and a vast, marshy bog in the summer.

                               Friendly Bases

 The two Norwegian land  bases  here  are  civilian  airfields,  but both are
closer to the Russian border then the  NATO  bases  at Banak and Bardu. It is
easy and wise to stage missions  through either Lakselv or Kautokeino, rather
then flying longer distances from more rearward fields. Such staging could be
just a quick landing and refuelling both inbound and outbound. In effect, the
fields can function as grounded refuelling tankers.
 Kautokeino (WX11): Located  in  the  barren  tundra  of  the Finnmarksvidda,
Kautokeino airfield is well suited for  operations  across the top of Finland
to Murmansk. The population is very  small  and the entire area well defended
by tundra swamps and bogs in the summer, or sub-zero blizzards in the winter.
 Lakselv (WX34): Located at the  inland  end  of the Porsangen Fjord, Lakselv
town has an airfield suited to operations  into Russia. It is far enough from
the border to survive the first  few  days  of fighting, but close enough for
easy flying.
 CV Kennedy at Sea (WX67):  In  the  middle  1980s  the Secretary of the Navy
announced a new policy - a  wartime  policy of sending aircraft carriers deep
into the Norwegian Sea,  to  challenge  Russia's  fleet  near its home ports.
Although considered suicidal by  some,  this  policy  is certainly useful for
launching missions. Here CV67, one of  the  conventional carriers with the US
Atlantic Fleet, makes a quick dash to  the North Cape to launch your mission.
As always, the  carrier  is  accompanied  by  a  screen  of  escorts,  and is
constantly launching and recovering a CAP of F-18s.

                                Neutral Bases

 Available neutral bases in this region  are  all Swedish. Sweden is strictly
neutral in international  politics,  but  economically  closely  tied  to the
Western Bloc.  Given  recent  events  an  aggressive  Russia  moves,  its not
unlikely that a few  missions,  or  emergency  landing,  would  be allowed at
northern Swedish airbases.
 Kiruna (WW28): The northern most airfield in Sweden, this base is located in
the nearly unpopulated foothills  of  the  Estrange Mountains. Missions could
operate easily from  this  area,  with  nobody  but  reindeer  to observe the
events.
 Gallivare (WW26): Although  this  airfield  is  also  far  north  in Sweden,
Gallivare town is a junction or rails  and  roads.  In the summer moths it is
also a popular tourist area, with the Muddas National Park a few miles to the
west. Missions operating from this base must be very discrete.
 Lulea (WW13): This fairly populous city is the main Swedish military base in
the Northern Region. It is also a  port  on the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern
most arm of the Baltic Sea.

                        The Land of the Midnight Sun

 The North Cape (Nardkapp in Norwegian) is a realm of extremes. In the summer
the sun shines throughout the night, while in winter in never rises above the
horizon.
 The most northerly areas are realms  of  tundra and permafrost - ground that
remains frozen throughout the  year,  save  for  the  top  few  inches in the
summer. Only moss and course grass grows here, although it can turn brilliant
green on good summer days.
 The majority of the region  is  taiga,  vast  pine  forests that are home to
reindeer, arctic fox, and rock ptarmigan.  The  southerly lowlands are a deep
watershed, full of small lakes, marshes and bogs. The White Sea coast line is
almost entirely marsh as the land blends gradually into the sea.
 The interior of the Kola  Peninsula  has  the  characteristic mountains of a
tundra-taiga borderland: low, rolling, rocky  and  bare, with pockets of snow
even in summer. The Norwegian coast  has  more  dramatic terrain. Here is the
topmost end of the spine of  mountains  that divides Norway from Sweden. Even
here they are still steep, bare, rocky with clinging patches of ice and snow.
 Amid  this  monotonous,  desolate   terrain   are  impressive  human  works,
especially the  city  of  Murmansk  with  its  sprawling  military complexes.
Hideously expensive to build and maintain through the long, deep winter, this
region is surely the most valuable military real estate in the world, judging
by money invested per acre!

                             Northwestern Russia

 Murmansk (XX11): This major city  is  Russia's  only  year-round port on the
Atlantic Ocean. Its great piers and  depots  support not only a steady stream
of merchant shipping, but the powerful Red Banner Northern Fleet. Murmansk is
literally "at the end of the  line",  in  this  case a long railway line that
runs southward 700 miles to Leningrad.  Murmansk  is also the nerve centre of
Russia's powerful air forces, including both PVO air defence planes and Naval
Aviation of  the  Northern  Fleet.  Satellite  airfields  surround  the city,
including large bases at Kildenstroy (XX10) and Kilpyaur (XX00). The Northern
Fleet includes,  roughly,  one  aircraft  carrier,  75  other  major  surface
warships, one marine brigade,  133  submarines  and  446  naval aircraft. The
protection of its bases is the  duty  of  12  Divisions of army troops (about
300,000 men total) and  150  planes  of  Tactical  Aviation (air force planes
supporting the  army)  and  the  PVO  (air  force  interceptors  guarding the
border).
 The great  Severomorsk  (XX31)  submarine  pens  are  also  just  outside of
Murmansk. This underground base is the home port for the few Typhoon class of
ballistic missile subs, as well  as  many  other  diesel and nuclear undersea
craft.
 Pechenga (WX91): This town is Russia's  forwardmost military base in the far
north. Just a few miles from the Norwegian border, Pechenga is the inevitable
staging point for  any  invasion  into  NATO  territory.  Although  it has an
airbase and strong SAM defences,  the  Polyarnyy  airbase complex to the east
(in WX80) is somewhat larger.
 Monchegorsk (XW18) & Olenegorsk (XW19):  These  two  towns, near the base of
the Kola peninsula, are major airbases for long-range naval aviation bombers,
as well as providing  fighter  and  SAM  cover  to  the railroad link between
Murmansk and the south.
 Kandalaksha (XW16): This small city  is  the  main  population centre at the
base of the Kola peninsula. It  is  primarily a transportation hub, with rail
lines and a naval port that faces eastwards, into the White Sea.
 South of the city lies the  Loukhi  (XW04)  air defence complex, including a
large SAM battery that  covers  this  section  of the Murmansk-Leningrad rail
line.
 Kem (XW21): South of Kandalaksha, Kem is the next significant city along the
Murmansk-Leningrad line. It too is a small port facing onto the White Sea. It
is also the starting point for  the  Voknavolok rail line that runs westwards
to the Finnish border. This is  a  purely military line, intending to support
the Russian military presence on the Finnish border.
 Arkhantgel'sk (XW71): This city is  Russia's  largest  port on the Atlantic.
Although closed by ice during the  winter,  it  has much better rail and road
connections to the interior of Russia,  and is almost totally invulnerable to
enemy attack. In addition to large port facilities, the city is surrounded by
military defences, the  most  notable  being  the  complexes  at Severodvinsk
(XW51) and Kushkushara  (XW84).  In  addition,  units  of  the Northern Fleet
patrol offshore in the White Sea.
 Secret Bases: Western intelligence  operatives  in  this  area have secretly
created two hard-frozen airstrips  suitable  for  landing,  one  at XW57, the
other at XX20.

                                Air Defences

 The Kola Peninsula is vital to  the  Soviet  Union  because of the access it
affords to NATO's lines of communication,  but  its very proximity also makes
it particularly vulnerable  to  NATO  counterstrokes.  Consequently, the Kola
Peninsula is likely  to  prove  one  of  the  most  challenging anti-aircraft
environments in the world today.
 Long-range SAMs: These are area  defence  weapons that, along with fighters,
are your primary opposition. The older  SA-2s  and SA-5s have been undergoing
continual upgrade to SA-10 and SA-12  quality.  The entire system is enhanced
by the LPAR early warning radar system at Kirovsk.
 Light SAMs: Soviet ground forces in  this  area are outfitted with the usual
battlefield SAMs, including the older SA-9  and  SA-13IR missiles, as well as
the newer SA-8 and SA-11 radar guided missiles. Mobile infantry carrying SA-7
and SA-14 shoulder-launched IR SAMs are a significant threat as well.

                         The PVO and Naval Aviation

 Fighters: This region is defended partly  by  the PVO units, with long-range
MiG-25 and MiG-31  interceptors  using  long-range  radar-homing  AAMs. Naval
aviation fighters operating from either  carriers  or land strips include the
Yak-38V/STOL jet and  the  new  Su-27  multi-purpose  fighter. During wartime
shorter-ranged units may arrive, including  MiG-29 and Su-27 dogfighters with
short-ranged IR missiles as well as long-range radar weapons.
 All these planes but the Yak-38 are worthy opponents. The Yak can only carry
IR homing missiles (generally  AA-8  Aphids).  It  is considerably slower and
less flexible than the other fighters.
 Reconnaissance Bombers: Many long-range  Tu-95D  "Bears"  are  based in this
area, to keep tabs on NATO naval  activity  in the North Atlantic. A nuisance
in peacetime, these planes pose a  serious  threat in a war. Eliminating them
is always a high priority in  NATO  war  plans.  That would blind the Russian
high command to activities in the Atlantic and Norwegian seas.
 Transports: Russia possesses numerous air  transports  for its huge force of
airborne units. The most modern of these is the jet propelled An-72 "Coaler",
which is particularly suited to  fast,  high priority missions like inserting
commando teams or transporting critical command personnel.
 AEW&C Aircraft: The Soviets  routinely  deploy  Il-76 "Mainstay" aircraft in
this region. The 300+ mile radars on  this  plane may be your most formidable
enemy. If you're spotted and can't discover  how or by whom, chances are it's
a Mainstay.

                           The Red Banner Northern

 Russia's Northern Fleet  offers  both  tempting  targets  and  a significant
threat. Its modern Sovremennyy-class destroyers  carry SA-N-7 missiles, while
the numerous Krivak class frigates  sport  the  SA-N-4. The larger Kiev-class
carrier has the powerful SA-N-6, a  sea-going  equivalent to the SA-10. These
warships are more then  capable  of  defending  themselves. Stationed off the
northern coast, they significantly extend the Soviet anti-aircraft umbrella.
 In addition to these ships' SAMs,  the  Kiev  carries a complement of Yak-38
"jump-jet" fighter aircraft. While  less  capable then ground-based fighters,
the British Harriers in the Falklands taught  the world not to under estimate
the capabilities of such planes.
 An up-coming addition to the  Northern  Fleet  is  a  class of huge aircraft
carriers fitting out in the  Crimea.  Tentatively titled the "Kremlin" class,
these ships are expected to join the Northern Fleet soon.

                               CENTRAL EUROPE

                                Introduction

 Politics: Central Europe is where  the  full  force  of  East and West meet.
Since World War II Europe has  been  two  hostile  blocs, with a few neutrals
balanced between. On  one  side  are  the  communist  East  European nations,
created in the wake of Soviet armies  at  the  end of WWII. On the other side
are democratic Western European nations,  created  by  the USA and Britain in
the wake of their armies during WWII. Since  1949 the West has been linked by
NATO. In 1955 the  East  formalised  an  equivalent  organisation, the Warsaw
Pact, dominated by the  USSR.  From  then  to  now  the two greatest military
organisations on earth have uneasily eyed each other along the German border.
 Military Forces: The Warsaw  Pact  can  deploy  almost  3 million men, about
80,000 armoured fighting vehicles,  and  6,000  combat aircraft. Against this
juggernaut the Western powers can  field  around  2 million men, 40,000 AFVs,
and 4,000 combat aircraft. The numerical imbalance is partially offset by the
higher quality of the western troops and equipment, presumably along with the
traditional advantages of being the defender.
 Together, the two sides have  almost  10,000 nuclear weapons for battlefield
use in Europe. These range  from  small,  sub-kiloton shells designed to wipe
out  troop  concentrations,  up  to  multi-megaton  city-busters.  Artillery,
planes, and missiles of all types  and  ranges  can deliver these weapons. At
one time NATO felt it had to  use nuclear weapons to compensate for numerical
inferiority. Today it has an  alternative  plan:  "air land battle, 2000". In
this NATO uses superior technology, including  its stealth planes, too attack
deep in the  rear  of  the  Warsaw  Pact  armies  destroying their logistical
support. If this innovative strategy works  NATO need not use nuclear weapons
to stem the Red tide.  However,  if  this  fails,  NATO must choose between a
nuclear holocaust and the conquest of Europe by the Soviet Union.
 Geography: The "Central  Front"  stretches  1000  km  through  the middle of
Germany, bordered on the north by  the  Baltic  Sea,  and on the south by the
Alps. The initial  strategic  objective  of  a  Russian  invasion  would most
certainly be the Rhine river, only 150  km  from the frontier (at the closest
point). West German terrain is  mildly  favourable to the defender especially
in the forested and hilly southern  half.  The broad, flat North German Plane
is the traditionally invasion route but  every  few kilometres there is a new
town, village or city. Each could become a new defensive bastion.
 One often neglected geographic consideration is  the  terrain to the east of
the frontier, with the development of the "Air-land battle" this region takes
on a new significance.  The  North  German  Plane  broadens towards the east,
encompassing most of East Germany and  Poland.  It  is crossed by a number of
major rivers flowing northward,  channelling  road  and  rail  traffic into a
variety of bridges. This combination of  open countryside and numerous "choke
points" is well suited to air operations.

                               Friendly Bases

 West Germany, Holland and  Denmark  are  studded  with  airfields that could
serve as bases for stealth  raids  into  Eastern  Europe. They form a gentle,
north-south crescent bulging west in the  middle.  Which is the most suitable
starting point for a particular airstrike  depends  mainly on the location of
the target.  Deep  penetration  raids  will  usually  start  from  Denmark or
Southern Germany. Shorter tactical strikes,  however,  must fly directly into
the mouth of the tiger.
 Jutland Peninsula - Vandel (CC52)  &  Leck  (CB59): These far northern bases
make ideal jump-off points for raids out across the Baltic. Often it's easier
to deal with missile boats in  the  Baltic  than  the heavier SAM defences in
East Germany and Poland.
 Northern Germany (Hanover) - Ahlhorn (CB37) & Gutersloh (CB53): These bases,
directly behind BAOR (British  Army  Of  the  Rhine),  face  across the flat,
densely populated North German Plain, the  most likely axis of advance should
the Warsaw Pact attack NATO. Therefore,  they represent the most direct route
to one of the greatest concentrations of hostiles in the world.
 Central Germany (Westphalia) -  Rhein-Main  (CB52)  & Ramstein (CB50): These
bases are the great, famous bases of American air power in Europe. Rhein-Main
is one of the largest  military  bases  in  the  world, while Ramstein is the
headquarters for the 4th Tactical Air Force.
 Southern Germany (Bavaria) -  Neuberg  (CA68),  Leipheim  (CA57) & Memmingen
(CA65): These bases are all Luftwaffe  (air  force of the Federal Republic of
Germany), but like many German bases,  are  entirely willing to host American
aircraft as needed. Any of these bases  makes an excellent jump-off point for
missions into Czechoslovakia.

                   Sightseeing from the Baltic to Bohemia

 Without doubt, the most impressive sights in  this region are the vast urban
metroplexes, from the northern ports of  Hamburg  (CB67) and Lubeck (CB77) to
the old cities of Leipzig (CB82)  or  Warsaw (DB95), or the industrial sprawl
of Prague (DB30) and Krakow  (DB90).  Those  northern  areas not covered with
cities, towns or villages are divided  into  small plots of farmland. Much of
the area is watered  by  extensive  river  systems flowing northward. Bridges
large and small are common  near  cities. An especially impressive suspension
bridge can be found  on  the  southwestern  outskirts  of Hamburg (CB67). The
southern part of this region  is  dominated  by  low mountains that virtually
surround Czechoslovakian lowlands of Bohemia  (to  the  west) and Moravia (to
the east). The valleys and passes amid the mountains provide numerous natural
routes, and not a few flying challenges.  Although much of the highland areas
were once forested, in the last few  decades acid rain has denuded many areas
and started rampant erosion. The once green mountains are now brown, grey and
black. The much higher Alps capped  by  perpetual snow are generally obscured
by haze to the southwest.

                              The Eastern Bloc

 East Germany: During a limited or conventional  war the main strength of the
Warsaw Pact forces will travel through  here,  surging into West Germany. The
greatest natural barrier in East Germany is  the Elbe river, running from the
Czechoslovakian  mountains  northward  to  Hamburg.  Destroying  these  river
bridges would cut off the Pacts forward troops from their supply lines.
 Poland: In a NATO-Pact  conflict  Poland  is  the  "rear area" through which
Russian troops and supplies would flow toward the front lines. Many important
headquarters and depots are situated in  the  central and western part of the
nation. The Wista-Vistula river system divides  Poland in half, from north to
south. Destroying  the  road  and  rail  bridges  can  seriously  damage Pact
operations. Polish defence complexes include a powerful system west of Gdansk
at Stupsk (DB48), and south  of  Lodz  at  Radom  (DB83). In addition, Warsaw
(DB95) is a major transportation hub, so active SAM batteries can be expected
in that area during wartime.
 Czechoslovakia: This Pact nation,  separated  from  Germany by the mountains
and the rugged  highlands  of  the  Bohemian  Forest,  is  likely  to  play a
secondary role in wartime. Czechoslovakian defences are somewhat lighter then
those of East  Germany  and  Poland.  Tabor  (DA38)  is  the most significant
installation. Far to the east, guarding  the entrance to Hungary and southern
Poland, is another defence complex at Konmarno (DA87).
 Kaliningrad: This  region  of  Russia  named  after  the  major  seaport  of
Kaliningrad (renamed from Konigsberg in 1945),  is the Soviet "front line" on
the Baltic. It includes  a  major  OTH  (over-the-horizon)  radar station (at
EB09), as well as the Klaipeda airbase (EC02).

                                Air Defences

 Equipment: Since the "Central Front" forms  the  focal point of the war, the
anti-aircraft defences on both sides are the most intensive in the world. The
Soviets are certain to deploy large  quantities of their most modern weapons,
SA-10s and SA-12s, for area defence. In  some areas the older, less effective
Sa-5 long-range systems may still be in place.
 Radar guided  SA-8s  and  SA-11s  are  most  commonly  used  for  more local
defences, especially near important military  concentrations or objectives. A
few are even sited near the  larger  SAM  batteries to provide local defence.
The shorter-ranged infrared SA-9s and especially SA-13s may appear instead if
the radar-guided weapons are not available.
 At sea the Baltic  missile  boats  typically  have  either  SA-N-5 or SA-N-7
systems, although Krivaks and larger ships with the SA-N-4 can be expected in
wartime.
 Defended areas: The  whole  region  is  alive  with  lethal  metal. The most
dangerous areas will undoubtedly  be   on  or  near  the  front lines in West
Germany, and perhaps at any invasion sites in Denmark. Also beware of reserve
troop concentrations in  East  Germany  or  Poland.  But  these  are relative
assessments, not absolute. Let  down  your  guard  anywhere and your aircraft
will undoubtedly follow.

                                 Air Forces

 The Soviet Air Force is the largest in the world and one of the most modern.
It deploys a wide variety of  interceptor,  bomber and support aircraft. Some
are obsolescent, but many can meet the best of the West. The Soviets know the
value of air superiority. They'll  give  high  priority  to  that goal in any
European war.
 Fighters: As always the  primary  foe  is  another  pilot. With 6,000 combat
aircraft to choose from you can bet that the Red Air Force will find a few to
spare for you. They'll also have the  hot new models. If you're lucky, you'll
only see  second-line  MiG-23s,  but  more  likely  you'll  encounter quality
dogfighters like the MiG-29 and  the  Su-27.  In  the  rear areas you're more
likely to see long-range interceptors like the MiG-25 and the MiG-31.
 Bombers: The Russians have many different  bomber  aircraft. One of the most
troublesome is the Tu-95 "Bear" modified  to carry cruise missiles. Keeping a
number  of  these  craft  in  orbit   behind  Russian  lines  gives  them  an
"untouchable" airborne nuclear force.
 Airborne Early Warning and Control:  The  Soviet  Il-76 "Mainstay" AEW&C was
designed for work on this kind of environment. Flying "racetrack" orbits deep
behind friendly lines,  its  powerful  radars  can  see  NATO  air operations
develop and radio appropriate orders to various fighter squadrons. The effort
to develop these planes  has  been  long  and  costly;  the  size, weight and
expense  of  the  electronic  gear  is  gigantic.  Each  plane  is  precious.
Eliminating them would cripple  Soviet  air  operations. The Pact appreciates
this too, so getting them won't be an easy job.
 Transports: Thousands of air transports will  shuttle back and forth on both
sides of the front line,  carrying  troops, raiding parties, munitions, staff
officers, etc. The new  Russian  workhorse  that  flies  anywhere and carries
almost anything  is  the  An-72  "Coaler".  Its  high  speed  and short-field
capability make it the  natural  choice  for  secret  missions, and a natural
target for you.

                                Naval Forces

 The Russian Baltic fleet, headquartered  at Baltiysk outside of Kaliningrad,
controls 4 cruisers. 16 destroyers (many of them obsolescent), 7 Krivak-class
large frigates, 22 missile boats and  other light warships, and 21 amphibious
assault ships,  as  well  as  45  submarines  (mostly  older  diesel-electric
models). It also controls  the  East  German  and  Polish  Navy's, which have
numerous additional frigates and missile boats. This force has two goals: too
cover the northern flank of the Warsaw  Pact  from air attack, and too invade
Denmark in the event of war.


                            CHAPTER 6. WARPLANES
                            ====================

                              US-BUILT AIRCRAFT

F-4E Phantom II

 Serving the US Navy and Air  Force  as fighter and strike fighter throughout
the 1960s and early  1970s,  this  old  reliable  is  now obsolete and serves
mainly for reconnaissance and  electronic  warfare  ("Wild Weasel"). However,
hundreds were sold to  western  nations  worldwide,  including Iran under the
Shah. You can expect to encounter these flying patrols over the Persian Gulf.

F-5E Tiger II

 This inexpensive and unsophisticated fighter was  never adopted by US combat
arms, but has been widely sold  abroad,  including 138 to Iran. Underpowered,
with poor avionics, it is useful  only against obsolete opponents. It carries
only short-range air-to-air weapons.

F-14D Tomcat

 This heavy, long-range interceptor has  extremely  powerful avionics for use
with the AIM-54 Phoenix semi-active radar-homing  missile, which has a 200 km
effective range. The aircraft is  the  Navy's  long-range defender of carrier
battle groups.
 The swinging wings are computer-controlled  for maximum performance but they
signal the plane's energy  state  to  the  enemy.  In  1987  the Navy began a
programme that upgraded  the  original  TF30  engines  with  the  newer, more
powerful F110s. About 80 F110-engined F14s  were supplied to Iran, but engine
troubles, complexities in  the   avionics  system,  and  the  delicacy of the
Phoenix missile have greatly  reduced  their  military  value. They are often
used as radar-warning patrol aircraft.

Mirage 3NG

 This large, powerful ground support/air  superiority  aircraft is based upon
the famous French Mirage 111 series. This  NG (new generation) version is the
most advanced Mirage fighter to date.  The  prototype  first flew in 1982 and
was still in development in 1985.

F-16C Falcon

 The latest production fighter added to  the  US  Air  Force, the F-16 is the
most manoeuvrable dogfighter in the world (with the possible exception of the
MiG-29). The  inherently unstable airframe  that  gives this agility would be
un-flyable  except  for  the  computerized  electronic  controls,  hence  the
nickname "Electric Jet".
 Advanced air-ground avionics and anti-missile  defences are "extras", making
the basic aircraft relatively cheap.  Many  western nations have purchased F-
16s. However, until the AIM-120 AMRAAM it had no long-range AAM.

F/A-18A Hornet

 Although not as manoeuvrable as  the  F-16,  this heavier multi-role fighter
has numerous avionic and defensive aids built  in. These were required by the
US Navy, its main user, who  needed  an all-purpose fighter and attack bomber
able to fire a variety of  sophisticated  weapons.  Like the F-16, it also is
sold to various western nations.

A-6E Intruder

 Designed at the end of the 1950s a a low-level attack bomber for use in poor
weather, this plane remains an unqualified success. Avionics and weapons have
been rebuilt more then once to maintain the "state of the art", with upgrades
under development.

AV-8B Harrier 11

 Originally designed as a  strike  fighter,  the American-British co-redesign
greatly enhanced manoeuvrability. Its avionics are designed for ground attack
rather then air-to-air  combat.  Despite  this,  Harriers  were successful as
interceptors and combat air patrol in the  1982 Falklands war. The Harrier is
the primary fighter of the US Marines,  the British Royal Navy, and frontline
squadrons of the British Royal Air  Force  (RAF)  in Germany. Usually it uses
short segments of roadway or a ski-jump  deck for rolling takeoffs, and lands
vertically, like a helicopter.

A-10A Thunderbolt 11

 This slow, heavily-armed  plane  was  designed  purely  for frontline ground
support with "tank busting" as its speciality. This role (un-glamerous to the
USAF), along with its peculiar  appearance,  earns it the unofficial nickname
"Warthog".
 Although intended for combat in Europe where  low clouds and bad weather are
frequent, the A-10 is  a  fair-weather  day-only  plane, but the manufacturer
hopes to interest the USAF  in  a  night-flying  variant. Unless protected by
good fighters (F-15s and F-16s), this  plane  is doomed if sent into airspace
contested by USSR fighters.

Ef-111A Raven

 This is  a  specially-built  electronic  version  of  the  F-111  strike and
interdiction bomber. The  original  concept  of  the  F-111  was a high-speed
bomber for deep strikes at night or  in  bad weather. The EF-111 is popularly
known as the "Electronic Fox" or "Spark Vark" (the unofficial nickname of the
E-111 is "Aardvark" or "Vark"). It  is  designed to accompany deep strike and
interdiction missions, providing electronic screening  and jamming. It is the
fastest, most powerful such craft in the world.

                            SOVIET-BUILT AIRCRAFT

MiG-21 Fishbed

 This agile, manoeuvrable, easy-flying  fighter  was  the premier dogfighting
plane of the 1960s and early  1970s.  It  has  simple avionics and a standard
armament of 2 or 4 AA-2s (now often replaced by AA-8s), making it inexpensive
to buy, arm and maintain. However, it  has  little or no HUD, weak radars and
low-quality defences, making it  obsolete  as  a  fighter. Unfortunately, its
limited carrying capability makes it poor as a strike fighter.

MiG-23 Flogger

 This swing-wing  fighter  replacement  for  the  MiG-21  originally  had few
avionics and a 22,485lb. R-27 engine.  This caused serious performance flaws,
and the version sold abroad  was  unable  to  fire sophisticated weapons. The
upgraded version, listed above, is  still  a mediocre performer. All versions
commonly carry  AA-2  and/or  AA-8  missiles.  Most  USSR  and  East European
versions also use the AA-7  radar  homing  missile.  With its MiG-27 brother,
this plane has huge production runs, making it the cheapest fighter available
today. This alone makes it one of the worlds most popular aircraft.

MiG-27 Flogger

 This is the ground-attack variant of  the MiG-23. In Russian frontline units
it includes a laser designated for laser-guided munitions and simple terrain-
avoidance radars for low-level attacks. Improved jammers and decoys are added
as well. However, many  sophisticated  attack  aids  common on western strike
fighters are not present.  Presumably  the  MiG-27s  compensate for this with
quantity, as huge production runs greatly lower its cost.

MiG-25 Foxbat

 This plane was originally designed to defend the distant borders of the USSR
from air attack, working with special  ground  radars to attack enemy bombers
with a special long-ranged AAM (the  AA-6).  It  is extremely fast, but quite
unmanoeuvrable. A few are bought by client states for status reasons, but the
reconnaissance version (MiG-25R) is more popular.  It has an 88,000' ceiling,
making it immune to normal SAM or fighter interception.

MiG-29 Fulcrum

 Originally designed to outfit the F-15,  this plane is a modern, lightweight
dogfighter with superlative agility. It  has  engine  power  in excess of its
weight. Common armament is AA-10  "fire  and  forget" radar-homers along with
some AA-8 and/or AA-10  IR  missiles.  The  degree  of  sophistication in the
avionics is unknown,  but  unlikely  to  match  western  models.  This MiG is
considered the Russian equivalent of the F-16.

MiG-31 Foxhound

 This aircraft is  a  redesigned  MiG-25.  Although  slightly  slower,  it is
improved in  all  other  categories,  especially  low-altitude  interceptions
against planes and  cruise  missiles.  The  new  AA-9  long-range  missile is
designed for look-down attacks on low-level  cruise missiles. It also has AA-
8s and AA-10s.

Su-24 Fencer

 This is the  most  advanced  air-ground  attack  plane  built  by  the USSR.
Externally it  appears  similar  to  the  F-111,  including  the side-by-side
seating in the cockpit. However, its  armament  and avionics are designed for
front-line and rear-area  strikes  into  the  teeth  of  enemy  air defences.
Western air and ground commanders fear  the  Su-24 more than any other Soviet
aircraft. The aircraft may carry a few AA-8s  for self defence, but it is not
designed for air-to-air combat.

Su-27 Flanker

 This aircraft was designed to defeat  the  F-14  and  F-15 fighters. It is a
large powerful dogfighter whose usual armament is probably four AA-8 and four
AA-10 missiles. In comparison to the  MiG-29,  the Su-27 is a larger, heavier
plane. If its avionics and flight controls are truly modern, the Su-27 may be
a superior plane. However, in dogfighting manoeuvrability the MiG-29 and F-16
probably have the edge.

Yak-38 Forger

 Originally known as the  Yak-36MP,  this  vertical take-off fighter operates
from the Kiev-class aircraft  carriers,  which  lack  the  equipment and deck
space for conventional jets. Initially thought  to be a Russian equivalent of
the Harrier, the Yak-38 is considerably inferior. It has limited interception
capability and very limited strike  capacity.  Until this plane, however, the
Russian navy had nothing bigger than helicopters for its warships at sea.

Tu-26 Backfire

 Many of these swing-wing bombers  are  in  service with the Soviet naval-air
arm, carrying long-range missiles to  attack  hostile  warships up to 3,000km
out to sea. The Backfire's exceptionally long  range and high speed, plus its
powerful missiles make it  a  mortal  threat  to  USN aircraft carriers. With
aerial refueling it has sufficient  range to get within cruise-missile-launch
position of the USA. As a gesture  to  arms control, the USSR has removed air
refuelling equipment from its air force Backfire's.

An-72 Coaler

 This is the latest general-purpose  air  transport  of the Soviet Union. Its
jet engines and  short-takeoff  performance  make  it  an outstanding utility
craft for transporting  all  types  or  personnel  and  cargo  between remote
airfields.

MiG-17 Fresco

 The   MiG-17   represents   the   Soviet   Union's   first   missile   armed
fighter/interceptor. First seen in 1955 it was  a major re-design of the MiG-
15. While considered obsolete in 1965,  it  saw extensive action in the skies
over Vietnam, where its performance against  the  more modern US fighters was
admirable.


                            TECHNICAL SUPPLEMENT
                            ====================

                                Key Controls

Flight Controls

 Increase Throttle                      +
 Decrease Throttle                      -
 Maximum Power                          Shift/+
 No Power                               Shift/-
 After Burner                           A
 Eject                                  ESC
 Landing Gear up/down                   L
 Brakes on.off                          B
 Pilot, Automatic                       P

Weapons and Defences

 Short-range Missile                    S
 Medium-range Missile                   M
 Ground Attack Missile                  G
 Flare Release                          F
 Chaff Release                          C

Avionics

 Waypoint Select                        W
 Radar Range                            R
 Zoom Map                               Z
 Expand Map                             X

Views

 Return to Cockpit                      SPACE
 Look Front                             F1
 Look Left                              F2
 Look Right                             F3
 Look Rear                              F4
 Slot View                              F5
 Chase Plane                            F6
 Side View                              F7
 Missile View                           F8
 Tactical View                          F9
 Reverse Tactical View                  F10
 Director Mode                          D

Simulation Controls

 Accelerated Time on/off                Alt/A
 Detail Adjust                          Alt/D
 Control Sensitivity                    Alt/K
 Pause                                  Alt/P
 Quit                                   Alt/Q
 Re-supply                              Alt/R
 Training                               Alt/T
 Volume Adjust                          Alt/V
 Change Control Method                  Alt/J

Slew Keys

 Move North                             Alt/S
 Move West                              Alt/Z
 Move South                             Alt/X
 Move East                              Alt/C

Notes on Simulation Controls

 Change Missions to Training (Alt/T): Tapping  this key converts your current
mission into a training mission. This  means that henceforth enemy weapons do
not damage. Tapping Alt/T again exits  training.  Once a mission is converted
to training you cannot score any points  for  it, even if you toggle training
off again. However, the slew controls  and  re-supply key only function while
in training.
 Change Control Method (Alt/J):  Tapping  this  key  cycles  through the four
available control methods.
 Control Sensitivity (Alt/K):  Tapping  this  key  cycles  through  the three
available sensitivity levels.
 Detail Adjust (Alt/D): The level of detail affects the game's speed.
 Slew (Alt/S,Z,X,C): These keys  function  only  in  training.  tapping a key
"teleports" your aircraft in that direction. The distance you're "teleported"
varies with the current  Zoom/UnZoom  scale  of  the satellite map (left-side
cockpit CRT). Slew  is  an  excellent  way  to  check  out  the  region while
training.

                               Display Colours

HUD Targeting Colours

 Black rectangle                        Out of that weapon
 White rectangle                        Weapon out of range
 White oval                             Weapon locked on target
 Red oval                               Weapon locked at ideal range
 Red-boxed dot                          Enemy missile
 Green-boxed dot                        Friendly missile

Landing Gear Light

 Blue                                   Landing gear up
 Red                                    Landing gear down

Missile Warning Lights

 Red Flashing                           Radar/IR missile incoming
 Blue                                   No threat

Satellite Map (Left CRT)

 White dot                              Your aircraft
 Orange dot                             Mission objective on ground
 Black dot                              Ground radar
 Dotted line                            Pulse radar
 Solid line                             Doppler radar

Tactical Display (Centre CRT)

 Brown lines                            16km grid
 Brown radar dish                       Ground radar
 Blue boat                              Warship radar
 Grey rectangle                         Airfield
 Red crossed circle                     Other ground targets
 Grey airplane                          Your F-15
 Large orange asterix                   Main target
 White dots                             Chaff
 Red burst                              Flare
 Blue plane                             Plane at higher altitude
 Red plane                              Plane at similar altitude
 Brown plane                            Plane at lower altitude
 Yellow line                            Radar-guided missile
 Brown line                             Doppler Radar missile
 Red line                               IR-Homing missile
 Grey-boxed object                      Current target


          Typed by Flux/Crystal. Finished 01:20:29 on 1 July 1991.
                          Typed with Protext v5.06.

