Mission Report: Iran Strike

[Nukesub]

Ahoy shipmates. Its been awhile since I shared a mission report so I thought I would. This was done with RA 1.4 in a 688 FTIII boat.

The mission is to infiltrate the Persian gulf and launch a TLAM strike on a chemical weapons factory.

As soon as the mission started I deployed the TB-23 (starboard array) to almost half length and checked the broadband and narrow band. Mission intel told me to expect a kilo and had marked a potential patrol path. Right away I knew there was also a surface contact from the consistent active pings I was picking up somewhere between the 340 and 360 bearing. That would give me a nice clean track for later.

Scanning the bearings from about 330 to 180, I was able to quickly find a faint 50Hz line, almost certainly the expected kilo.

I came up to periscope depth and did a scan with the ESM. Looks like we had two helos. At the time it didn't occur to me but watching the replay afterwards taught me I need to think about it more. With two helos already deployed I should've thought about a potential sonobuoy net/field but the thought didn't cross my mind

I set a course for SSW and crept along at 6 knots, accumulating some good bearing data for my TMA solution. The constant pinging from the surface contact made it easy. I was on a lead course with him. Not the optimal firing solution. Checking my kilo contact I was also on a similar course. All of us were heading in a southerly direction. I came around to a NNW course to put a lag LOS between my two targets. At this point I double checked range. The surface contact was ~12.7nm away with a speed of 15 (had him on DEMON). The kilo was ~19.5nm away with no speed data (too far for DEMON) but within the max range of the ADCAP (21nm at 55kts per the in-game UNSI reference). Given my course, I fired the fish from the port tubes. The first fish found the surface contact and sank him. The second ran out of gas chasing the kilo.

After the noise in the water settled down and I was able to develop a second solution. The kilo appeared to be on the same course. Again, I was too far and the torp ran out of gas before he catch the kilo. In both previous cases though the torp did positively acquire him. Note that I've been doing 6kts this entire time. At this point I get an alarming surprise. I get two torpedo in the water warnings and 3 sharp high pitched pings from bearing 223. I make my course 180 from 223, kick it up to standard (not cavitating Chasly don't worry ) and go down to within 20 ft of the bottom and drop an active countermeasure. Strangely I don't hear any more pings and even more strangely I don't see any high speed screws on the narrowband or broadband (). After a few minutes I make a 90 degree turn to starboard from my current course. I reacquire the kilo, still far off and weak. I'm back on a lead course though (both of us now in the SSE direction). Suddenly, I get a report of 6 torps all at once. Again, I drop an active countermeasure and make a course 180 degrees from them at standard. I quickly stop though because once again I do not see these torps on either narrowband or broadband (I check with the arrays), sweeping the entire quadrant their LOBs were given on.

I go back to 6kts and put myself back on a SSW course. Once I get good bearing data on the lead course with him that I am on, I turn to the NNW (lag course now). I continue to get more bearing data and I wait till he is within 12nm. This time the torp should def have the range. Around this time I start getting active pinging again. I start to get alarmed but realize the torps must be very far off mark because I don't see them on any arrays broadband or narrowband. I continue to track the kilo and then launch on him. Minutes pass and I lose the wire and get a positive confirmation on the sunk kilo. The weird pinging has stopped. Still not sure what that was but either way I've cleared the way for my TLAM strike on the factory. I come to 125ft and 4kts. I save the game b/c I've had trouble with TLAM operation before. I try to set waypoints for each and leave the "Destruct range" at 0001 (i didn't realize what this meant). I launch all VLS tubes and the TLAMs disappear way short of the target....weird. I exit the game and read the RA weps manual.

From what I read and try to understand, it seems that if there are 4 waypoints with the last waypoint being over the target, then the Destruct Range should be set to 4. Well, I tried that too and the TLAMs started to dip and self destruct a few NM from the target. Damn. I finally gave up and launch by right clicking on the nav map and using the engage function. Even that was another bust because I didn't do enough damage with 6 TLAMs. Loaded it up again and loaded the 3 in stowage to the port tube nest and one in the starboard. Finally, using the nav map engage function I fired all TLAMs (VLS and tubes) and got 100% damage on the factory. The mission status gives 100% on the factory, ship, and kilo kill. I come down to 155 ft, set 12 kts and make for the exit line. Even when I cross it though I didn't get a mission complete message. Oh well. It was fun.

Some comments from watching the replay. The first torps that got dropped on me were by a helo. They actually were dropped literally right on top of my head but they were so close and they were snaking so they just kept going in front of me and away. Had no idea. Still confused b/c I don't remember seeing the torps on the broadband and I'm pretty sure I should have.

The second giant dump of torps, the 6 simultaneously were from a P-3 and were set to circle. Turns out though he dropped them too far away and none acquired me.

Lastly, the weird pinging I got near the end turned out to be a line of active sonobuoys. That would explain why I didn't see any torps on the broadband. It doesn't explain the first torp drop from the helo though. Maybe I just missed it in my panic to put distance between myself and the TIW bearing.

Hope everyone enjoyed. Please feel free to comment/critique!