The Official F-15 Strike Eagle Handbook
by Richard Sheffield
Regional Intelligence Estimates and Info
Libya
Reference: Libya ONC map provided with the software package.
1. MISSION: You'll be assigned to make deep interdiction attacks on valuable targets well within the Libyan airspace and within it's air defense range. The three major areas of operation will be the area surrounding Tripoli, the oil field and equipment to the south of Port Brega, and the area surrounding Benina.
2. ENEMY SITUATION: An undeclared state of war exists with the government of Libya. Authorization has been given to attack all targets. Military and oil-producing targets are highest priority.
A. Characteristics of the Area of Operations
1. Military Geography: Topography
a. Situation: Both corners of the Area of Operations are marked by mountainous areas (see the map)—the Jabal Nafusah on the Tripoli corner and the Al Jabal al Akhdar on the Al Bayda corner. Otherwise, the area is mostly hard-packed desert and very flat.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: Due to the flat nature of the land, radar and visual sighting ranges are generally very good, especially in the heavily defended area around the Gulf of Sirte. The exceptions are the two mountainous areas mentioned above.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: If missions call for operations beyond these mountainous areas, it's possible to avoid radar detection by sneaking around the corner, behind the mountain, and into Libyan territory.
2. Military Geography: Hydrography
a. Situation: Libya's coastline is dominated by the large Gulf of Sirte. The navigation rights and coastal waters claims regarding the gulf have been the source of much of the current conflict. This gulf lies in the center of the coastal area and is heavily defended both from the sea and air.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: Since the Gulf of Sirte is centrally located, it's easier to defend. SAM sites surround the gulf as do air bases. Intruders into the area can expect to be attacked from several different angles at once.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: The strength of the gulf defensive system lies on the corners at Benina and Misratah. The center of the gulf approach is usually guarded by a missile boat with air cover.
Depending upon the radar types used, it's possible to get very close to Libyan territory without radar detection by heading directly south from the carrier and either destroying or avoiding the boat and air patrols in that area.
3. Military Geography: Climate and Weather Shouldn't be a factor.
B. Enemy Military Situation
1. Composition
a. Air Forces:
| MiG-21 | Libya continues to operate a limited number of these outdated aircraft, but they should pose little threat. |
| MiG-23 | These aircraft form the backbone of the Libyan air force. Your F-15E is superior to this aircraft in all areas. |
| MiG-25 | Although they have a lesser number of these aircraft, you should expect to encounter a good number of them. |
| MiG-29 | By far the most capable aircraft in the Libyan inventory, these should be engaged at long range whenever possible. Depending upon the skill level of your opponents, MiG-29s may be your equal in a close dogfight. They're frequently flown by Soviet "advisors." |
Air-to-air weapons: The general weapons loadout for Libyan aircraft is:
| AA-2 | MiG-23 |
| AA-6 | MiG-25 |
| AA-10 | MiG-29 |
Again, the most dangerous is the MiG-29 armed with AA-lOs. These Doppler-guided missiles can't be fooled with chaff alone. Escape maneuvering is also required.
b. Naval Forces: The only part of the Libyan navy that can affect your mission is the section of Soviet-built Nunchucka II missile boats. These boats carry SA-N-4 SAM missiles, which are easily defeated with chaff. They also have a few other boats, but these have either poorer air defense capability or none at all.
c. Air Defenses: The Libyan Air Defense network has two basic components: the older component of SA-2 and SA-5 Soviet-made missiles, which are easily defeated with chaff, and the new sections of SA-10 and SA-12 SAMs, which are Doppler-guided and must be outmaneuvered. The newer SAMs are much more dangerous. As you move from easier- to harder-level missions, the mix of missile types shifts from being mostly older to mostly newer.
SAM coverage is strongest near the coast. Once inland, the coverage is somewhat weaker. The least covered areas are the Cyrenaican Desert to the east of Port Brega, the Jabal Zaltan Oil Fields, and the rugged area to the south of Tripoli.
The range of these systems will depend upon their locations. In any case, it's imperative that you assume a low altitude right after takeoff. Approaching the coast at 300 feet is recommended.
2. Location
a. Air Bases: Most of the air strips are located in the eastern portion of the country. Al Bayda, Benina, and Port Brega are all fairly close together and can launch aircraft in support of each other. The only major air base on the western coast is at Tripoli. If this base is destroyed, it will take a while for supporting aircraft to arrive from the east or from the Sabha air base to the south.
b. Naval Forces: By definition, these forces are mobile, but they can normally be found patrolling the gulf close to Port Brega and patrolling the likely approaches from Crete and Malta.
c. Air Defenses: These forces are also mobile. While generally located in the same positions, the system used at that position will vary from mission to mission. When you first take off, it's best to check your display for the strongest signals, which will usually indicate the Doppler SAMs. You can then choose to attack or try to maneuver around them.
C. Friendly Operations.
1. Established Airfields Halfar on Malta, Suda Bay on Crete, and the Aircraft Carrier USS America are all good landing spots and are out of range of enemy SAM systems. The first two also have regular civilian traffic, so be sure to choose your targets carefully when fighting in these areas.
2. Secret Air Strips Secret forces in the area are currently operating two airfields. The Yafran air strip is to the south of Tripoli, and Al Mukhayli is to the east of Port Brega. Take care to avoid attacking these strips while attacking other ground targets in the area.
D. Conclusions
The enemy in this area is generally poorly equipped. The major threat in the area comes from the Doppler-guided SAM systems: they're much more dangerous than the enemy aircraft. Enemy naval vessels shouldn't be a threat to your mission. It may be a good idea to avoid them, however, during your ingress to avoid detection as long as possible. Even if they can't attack, they can vector enemy aircraft in your direction. Enemy pilot missile-avoidance skills seem to be lacking, and most aircraft can be effectively engaged with head-on missile shots.
Persian Gulf
Reference: The ONC map provided with the software package.
1. MISSION: You'll be assigned to make quick, hard hitting attacks across the Persian Gulf. There will be three areas of operation: the northwestern end of the gulf around Bandar Khomenyi, the important oil terminal area around Kharg Island, and the gulf chokepoint near the Strait of Hormuz and Bandar-e Lengeh.
2. ENEMY SITUATION: The Iranian leadership has been advocating the overthrow of the American government for some time now in its efforts to export their religious revolution. They have declared that a state of war exists between the two countries. Although this hasn't been made official by an act of Congress, all targets in Iran may be safely attacked. The most important of these are, of course, oil pumping and storage facilities and missile sites that might be used to attack shipping in the gulf.
A. Characteristics of the Area of Operations
1. Military Geography: Topography
a. Situation: The coastal area is generally flat and open; few good hiding places exist close to the gulf. However, a large spine of mountains runs inland, parallel to the coast, which can provide cover once well inland.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: These mountains function to effectively limit the area covered by any one missile system, and they somewhat limit mutual support. SAM sites in the north end of the gulf can't detect low-flying aircraft beyond Bushehr, due to the mountains. Also, the inland SAM sites at Yazd and Esfahan are blocked and can't lock onto low-flying aircraft near the coast.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: Maintaining a low flight profile will limit the number of SAM sites that will be able to engage you at one time. Once inland, the rugged Zagros Mountains can be used for cover as well.
2. Military Geography: Hydrography
a. Situation: The main body of water in the area is obviously the Persian Gulf, which separates the safe areas to the south and west from the enemy areas to the north. A major waterway extends inland near the Strait of Hormuz in the southern region. This area has a number of important bridges that would make good military targets.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: The gulf provides a buffer for the enemy and provides a good field of view for radar operations. All aircraft attacking the enemy will have to cross the gulf through fairly good radar coverage. However, the gulf is long and narrow, and Iran is faced with having to defend a very long shoreline. Gaps in the radar coverage may exist, especially east of Kharg Island.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: Crossing the gulf is a given for almost any mission. Keep an eye out for gaps in radar coverage, but always maintain a low-altitude flight profile.
3. Military Geography: Climate and Weather Shouldn't affect operations.
B. Enemy Military Situation
1. Composition
a. Air Forces:
| F-4E | This American-made aircraft will be your main adversary in the region. Your aircraft is more maneuverable and has a better thrust-to-weight ratio. You should be able to outfly this aircraft. |
| F-5E | This aircraft is smaller and lighter than yours, but it's also underpowered with a poor avionics system. |
| F-14 | A strong dogfighter with excellent avionics. Luckily, they're very complex to maintain and few are available at any one time. You'll certainly run up against one or two. Best to engage at long range with AMRAAMs. |
Air-to-air weapons: All enemy aircraft can be equipped with early-version AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. While they're good homers, they're also very short ranged and will frequently run out of fuel before reaching you. They can also be countered by flares. A few F-5s and F-14s may be fitted with early-version AIM-7 Sparrows. These can be countered with chaff and should be few and far between.
Your most dangerous opponent will be the F-14, due to its ability to detect and track you at long range. You won't face Doppler-guided air-to-air missiles in this region.
b. Naval Forces: A number of military naval vessels will be seen in the area, but most of these are harmless. A few will carry Seacat SAMs, but these are relatively short ranged and are easily fooled with chaff alone.
c. Air Defenses: The Iranian air defense system is again made up of outdated NATO components. The Hawk missile is the strongest of the bunch, but is a beamrider and is easily defeated with chaff. The Rapier is very fast, but also very short ranged, and is also defeated by chaff. A few Tigercat missiles may show up from time to time but are very easy to defeat and mostly ineffective.
You're lucky there are no Doppler-guided SAMs operating in this area. Anything fired at you can be fooled with chaff.
2. Location
a. Air Bases: Several bases line the coast, and another group is scattered in and beyond the mountains. The air bases provide good coverage and can launch a fighter to your position very quickly. You're rarely more than a minute or two away from enemy fighter coverage.
b. Naval Forces: The armed patrol boats will generally stay close to important target areas, which means you should look for good coverage around Kharg Island, Bandar Khomenyi, and the Strait of Hormuz.
c. Air Defenses: SAM coverage is widely spaced with strong coverage near Kharg Island, Bandar Khomenyi, and Bandar 'Abbas. SAMs also guard most airfields. Also, a large gap exists between Bushehr and Bandar 'Abbas, which you can exploit.
C. Friendly Operations
1. Established AirfieldsMissions will generally start from either Ras Shaffaniyah in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. Air strips that are close to enemy territory and available for emergency landings are Kuwait City, almost directly north of Ras Shaffaniyah (it may not show up on the display map in the cockpit) and Dubai, close to the Strait of Hormuz. These sites should be avoided if possible—both will frequently lie within range of enemy SAMs, which will make landing difficult for you.
The USS Nimitz is also just beyond the Strait of Hormuz and can be used if necessary. Enemy aircraft won't normally follow you all the way across the gulf, making the landing sites there a little safer.
2. Secret Airstrips A secret rebel airstrip exists just to the northwest of Bushehr in the mountains. This strip shouldn't be attacked.
3. Friendly Air Traffic Several airports in the area have heavy civilian air traffic, especially Kuwait City. Take care when operating or fighting in these areas. Make sure you ID all targets before firing.
D. Conclusions
The enemy in this area will, as a rule, perform poorly. They're equipped with inferior weapons and seem to lack the proper training and discipline. SAM systems aren't very effective, and enemy pilots seem to be very slow on the trigger. They seem to wait a long time before firing AAMs, which may give you several extra seconds for attacking ground targets, if needed. As a rule, the F-14s should be taken out first since they often function as AWACs aircraft, using their long-range radars.
Vietnam
Reference: Vietnam ONC map provided with the software package.
Map Corrections: There are two SAM sites, three squares due east of Pnom Penh, which aren't shown on the map. Named Ban Kheaand Ban Phlak, they're roughly located at XU76. The SAM site and air base referred to on the map as Wattay is called Viangchan on the F-15 cockpit map display.
1. MISSION: You'll be assigned to make deep interdiction attacks on valuable targets well within the Vietnamese airspace and within it's air defense range. The two major areas of operation will be the area surrounding Hanoi in the north, and the lesser defended areas along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the south.
2. ENEMY SITUATION: An undeclared state of war exists with the government of North Vietnam. Authorization has been given to attack all targets. Military, transportation (bridges), and supply dumps are highest priority.
A. Characteristics of the Area of Operations
1.Military Geography: Topography
a. Situation: The heavily populated area to the north lies in a fairly flat area near the coast. All of the coastal areas are relatively flat and open, but once you cross beyond them, you'll find a large spine of mountains that run the length of the operating area. Beyond the mountains, the land becomes a flat delta plain.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: Due to the flat nature of the land near the coast, radar and visual sighting ranges are generally very good, especially in the heavily defended area around Hanoi.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: If missions call for operations beyond the mountainous areas, it's possible to break radar lock by flying at very low altitude once your beyond the mountain ranges.
2. Military Geography: Hydrography
a. Situation: Both North and South Vietnam are bordered by the Gulf of Tongking and the South China Sea. A number of rivers empty into the gulf near Hanoi. Bridges spanning these rivers are an important link in the local transportation network.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: Both countries have long coastlines that are difficult to defend.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: The hydrography in this area favors our operations. The large gulf makes an excellent area for carrier operations, and since the enemy has almost no naval forces, these carriers can operate in relative safety. Missions into the north and south can be launched from the carriers based in the gulf.
3. Military Geography: Climate and Weather Shouldn't be a factor.
B. Enemy Military Situation
1. Composition
a. Air Forces:
| MiG-17 | These 1950s-era aircraft form the backbone of the North Vietnamese Air Forces. Although extremely outdated by our standards, when expertly flown, they can be a threat. |
| MiG-21 | A fair number of these more advanced aircraft have been provided by the Soviets. Although better than the MiG-17, they should pose little threat in a dogfight. |
| MiG-23 | An even fewer number of these aircraft have been provided. More will show up at higher difficulty levels. |
Air-to-air weapons: The general weapons loadout for Vietnamese aircraft is:
| AA-2 | MiG-17, MiG-21 |
| AA-6 | MiG-23 |
Luckily, the enemy isn't armed with Doppler-guided air-to-air missiles, but the newer MiG-23s will be armed with both heat-seeking and radar-guided AA-6 missiles. It's important to verify the type of weapon being used before you employ countermeasures. The AA-2 heat-seekers used by the other aircraft are very short ranged. Wait until the missile is quite close before wasting a flare or making a maneuver—they'll frequently run out of propellant, especially if you're at high speed.
b. Naval Forces: North Vietnam has no real navy to speak of, but it does have a number of small vessels that will stay close to shore. They aren't equipped with SAMs and shouldn't pose a threat.
c. Air Defenses: The area around Hanoi and Haiphong in the north has one of the strongest air defense systems in the world. Extreme caution should be used when operating in this area.
Most of the SAMs encountered will be older SA-5s; a few SA-2 systems are also used. In a high-level difficulty mission, a few Doppler-guided SA-12 systems will show up also. These are long-ranged and very dangerous.
The main SAM threat in this area comes from sheer numbers. The open coastal land area allows the SAM sites in the north to mutually support each other. Expect to find SAMs coming at you from every direction while in this area. It's best to decoy the SA-5s with chaff while taking out the more deadly SA-12s.
The area to the south has much lighter defenses, but the SAM sites in and around Pnom Penh in Cambodia will be troublesome for all aircraft operating out of the Ton San Nhut air base near Saigon. It's frequently a good idea to attack these sites immediately after takeoff to avoid problems later.
2. Location
a. Air Bases: Most of the air strips are located in the northern portion of the country near Hanoi. Quite a few airfields are packed in fairly close together and can launch aircraft in support of each other. The major base in the south is across the border in Cambodia at Pnom Penh.
b. Naval Forces: These forces are few and far between and should pose no threat.
c. Air Defenses: These forces are also mobile. While generally located in the same positions, the system used at a position will vary from mission to mission. When you first take off, it's best to check your display for the strongest signals, which will usually indicate the Doppler SAMs. You can then choose to attack or try to go around them.
C. Friendly Operations
1. Established Airfields
You'll have no shortage of airfields to use in this region. Besides the two aircraft carriers in the gulf, there are safe strips on to the west in Thailand and all along the South Vietnamese coast.
Since there are so many bases in the area, you can adjust your attack plan to take off at one base and land at another. In the north, this might mean taking off from a carrier and attacking the target and then continuing on into Thailand to land. In the south, you would take off from Tan San Nhut and attack your targets and then land at Nha Trang or Da Nang. This keeps you from having to cross back over into "hot" areas.
One friendly area to take note of is Udom air base in Thailand. This base is located very close to the North Vietnamese border and could be mistaken for an enemy base in the heat of battle.
D. Conclusions
The enemy in this area is very poorly equipped but highly motivated. The major threat in the area comes from the Doppler-guided SA-12 SAM system and from the high quantity of SA-5 missiles. They're much more dangerous than the enemy aircraft. Enemy naval vessels shouldn't be a threat to your mission. Enemy pilot missile avoidance skills seem to be lacking, and most aircraft can be effectively engaged with head-on missile shots.
Middle East
Reference: Middle East ONC map provided with the software package.
Map Corrections: The air base and SAM site named Palmyre on the map is referred to as Tadmur on your cockpit map display.
1. MISSION: You'll be assigned to make deep interdiction attacks on valuable targets well within Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, and Iraqi airspace. The two major areas of operation will be the area surrounding Beirut and Damascus along the coast, and the northern areas of Mosul and Baghdad, where two nuclear reactors are located.
2. ENEMY SITUATION: An undeclared state of war exists with the governments in this area. Authorization has been given to attack all targets, but military and nuclear reactor targets are highest priority.
A. Characteristics of the Area of Operations
1. Military Geography: Topography
a. Situation: The entire coastal area is marked by high mountains. Otherwise, the area is mostly hard packed desert and very flat.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: Due to the mountainous nature of the land near the coast, radar and visual sighting ranges aren't optimum. Mutual support isn't always possible due to the mountains blocking radar coverage.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: The mountains near the coast will help block enemy radar signals during your approach. Maintaining a low flight profile in this area will prevent other SAM sights located farther away from locking onto your position. Once beyond the mountains, the area is very open and flat, making it possible for the enemy to detect you at long range.
2. Military Geography: Hydrography
a. Situation: The area's coastline with the Mediterranean is rather short, but much of the population is located near the coast.
b. Effect on Enemy Capabilities: The small coastal area of Lebanon and Syria is easily and heavily defended. Good radar coverage out to sea makes an unobserved approach very difficult.
c. Effect on Friendly Operations: Our navy has complete control of the Mediterranean. The USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier is located just off shore and is a well-located launching point for flights against targets near the coast.
3. Climate and Weather Shouldn't be a factor.
B. Enemy Military Situation
1. Composition:
a. Air Forces:
Air-to-air weapons: The general weapons loadout for Middle East aircraft is:
| AA-2 | MiG-23, F-5 | |
| AA-6 | F-l | |
| AA-10 | MiG-29 |
Again, the most dangerous is the MiG-29 armed with AA-10s. These Doppler-guided missiles can't be fooled with chaff alone. Escape maneuvering is also required.
b. Naval Forces: Enemy naval forces in this area are inconsequential.
c. Air Defenses: The enemy Air Defense network has two basic components: the older component of SA-2 and SA-5 Soviet-made missiles, which are easily defeated with chaff, and the new sections of SA-12 SAMs, which are Doppler-guided and must be outmaneuvered. These newer SAMs are much more dangerous. As you move from easier to harder missions, the mix of missile types will shift from being mostly older to mostly newer.
SAM coverage is strongest near the coast. Once inland, the coverage is somewhat weaker. The least covered areas are in the Syrian Desert.
The SA-12 systems are few in number, but there will almost always be one located near the nuclear reactor sites in the northern region. The range of systems will be dependent upon their locations. In any case, it's imperative that you assume a low altitude right after takeoff. Approaching the coast at 300 feet is recommended.
2. Location
a. Air Bases: Most of the air strips are located in Syria. There are also bases near the Iraqi reactor sites.
b. Air Defenses: These forces are also mobile. While generally located in the same positions, the system used at that position will vary from mission to mission. When you first take off, it's best to check your display for the strongest signals, which usually indicate the Doppler SAMs. You can then choose to attack them or try to go around.
A new development in this area is the use of double SAM sites. The ONC map shows where the SAMs are located, but it doesn't show that the following locations operate two SAM systems at that location:
Baghdad
Damascus
Mosul
Kirkuk
Amman
Halab
Keep in mind that you'll need to use two AGMs to quiet the SAM activity at these sites.
C. Friendly Operations
1. Established Airfields
The Malatya air base in Turkey will be the launch and recovery site for most missions in the north. When returning to the base, it's best to make your approach from the north, which will keep you out of range of the SAM sites in Syria.
The USS Eisenhower or a strip in Israel will usually be the launch point for missions in the south. Due to the heavy SAM coverage in the area, it's best to recover at Akrotiri air base on Cyprus. This will get you out of SAM range and allow for an unmolested landing.
2. Secret Air Strips
Rebel forces in enemy territory operate two secret airstrips just outside of Beirut. Take care when attacking targets in this area to avoid these two locations.
D. Conclusions The enemy in this area is generally well equipped. The major threat in the area comes from the Doppler-guided SAM systems, which are much more dangerous than the enemy aircraft. Enemy naval vessels shouldn't be a threat to your mission. For the best results at the Ace difficulty level, you should try to get missions with both the primary and secondary targets close together.
Good mission assignments might included attacking the bridge and reactor at Mosul, or a target in Damascus and Beirut. In both cases, the targets are close together, which means you only have to fight your way into one target area.
Safety is always located out to sea when operating in the south, and back to the west when flying in the north.
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