Playtesting continues for Red Storm: Baltic Approaches. As with Red Storm, I am working hard to make sure each scenario provides players with interesting challenges. One of my favorite scenarios explores the tactics used by Warsaw Pact deep bombing raids against a layered NATO defense of SAMs and fighters, with the possibility that the bombers might use standoff cruise missiles to improve their chances of survival.

A common theme in literature about a hypothetical NATO vs Warsaw Pact war is the ability of the WP to send waves of bombers deep into NATO territory. However, would it really be that easy? Bombers are generally big and slow—and vulnerable. An accompanying fighter sweep or escort force might neutralize 90% of enemy fighters, but if that other 10% leaks through and engages the bombers, the consequences for the mission would be disastrous. Unlike the Allies in World War II, available WP bombers number in the hundreds, not the thousands. A single flight of F15s engaging a major WP bombing raid could shoot down or damage a dozen aircraft in just minutes. That dozen aircraft would take an entire bomber squadron out of commission for weeks. While the WP fielded numerous squadrons in the 1980s, they weren’t unlimited.

One of the “monster” scenarios for Red Storm: Baltic Approaches is BA4 “Onslaught,” featuring just such a situation with two big WP bombing raids attacking six different airfields in Denmark and West Germany. The scenario background describes the setting: Early on the morning of the first full day of the war, the WP executes a massive bomber raid on Danish and West German airfields in the BALTAP command area. Attacking in a series of waves, the bombers are preceded by a large-scale fighter sweep and SEAD force intended to knock down NATO defenses.

Below is a summary of the playtest and some highlights. Note that all artwork, including the map background, is playtest only.

WP Plans and NATO Defenses

The WP side rolls for targets and receives one set of West German airfields and another set of Danish airfields near Copenhagen. Rolling for Bombing Raid composition, the WP player generates one raid of Su-24M Fencers and another of Tu-22M Backfires. The WP player thinks the Backfires will fare better against the deep targets, so they are assigned the West German airfields while the Fencers take on the Danish ones. Both will be escorted by jammers and fighter escorts.

So what are the bombers up against? Here is a look at some of the ground defenses.

Shown above are four of the major West German airfields just north of Kiel and their outer defenses (I-HAWK SAMs). Not shown because they start hidden are some Roland 2 SAMs located near the airfields themselves. Note the NATO naval Task Force out at sea, which consists of a West German DDG with SM1MR missiles. NATO has similar defenses near Copenhagen and starts with six two-aircraft flights of fighters in the air, randomly generated from the CAP and QRA tables.

Early Action—The Fighter Sweeps

This scenario uses the entire map. The WP starts with two Fighter Sweeps on the map, consisting of a total of eight four-aircraft flights. They are joined by four four-aircraft SEAD flights entering Turn 1 from the east edge, in this case Soviet Su-17M3s. The mission of the Fighter Sweeps is to range out ahead of the raid and create corridors clear of enemy fighters for the bombers to come through, while also protecting the SEAD flights as they start their work of finding and destroying enemy SAMs.

Here the WP player has rolled up Fighter Sweeps consisting of Polish and East German MiG-23s. They set up over the Baltic just north of Rugen Island in East Germany. The Su-17 SEAD flights are set to enter. For the first few turns both sides’ fighters push toward each other, searching with their radars and receiving target cues from ground and airborne radar support. The WP has numbers, but NATO has better radars and missiles along with an edge in pilot training (“Aggressiveness” ratings in the series).

A US F-4E flight (“Bud”) engages first, taking a max range Sparrow missile shot at one of the Polish MiG-23 flights over the Danish island of Falster. No damage is caused, and Bud flight is now a bit exposed. The Polish fighter squadron takes advantage, using the speed of the MiG-23s to gang up on the Phantoms. Here you can see that the lead Polish MiG flight right after it closed in using afterburners and fired AA-7 missiles, scoring a kill on the #1 aircraft in Bud flight. First blood to the Poles, but NATO has a dangerous F-15 flight lurking in the backfield and a Danish F-16 flight staying undetected down on the Deck over Lolland Island.

The situation just a few turns later: two of the Polish MiG-23 flights are now Disordered and headed back to try to regroup after tangling with the F-15s of “Juice” flight, which shot down three Floggers from beyond visual range. One of the Danish F-16 flights (now Disordered) scored a kill as well after climbing up to engage one of the MiGs after it was hit by the F-15s. Good teamwork by NATO. To the south one of the Polish MiG-23 flights fights on, but it’s now trapped between the F-15s and another Danish F-16 flight. A sub-optimal situation, to say the least.

Further north, the East German MiG-23s have fared better, shooting down a Danish Draken fighter and another US F-4E Phantom. For the time being, the WP owns the skies near Copenhagen.

The Bombers Arrive

Two massive bomber raids enter the map and make their way toward the targets. They are protected by MiG-25 and Su-24 Escort Jammer flights, as well as MiG-23 and MiG-25 Close Escort fighters. Six flights of Fencers head northwest toward Denmark, half armed with long range EO-guided glide bombs, the other half carrying anti-runway ordnance. The Backfires stream due east toward West Germany, three of the flights armed with long-range, high-speed AS-4 “Kitchen” missiles. The WP player intends to fire those about halfway to the target and then have the other three Backfire flights follow and destroy whatever is left of the airfields. However, the NATO fighter cover has not been wiped out, so can the bombers get through?

A close-up of some of the Su-17 SEAD flights going to work. Despite the nearby NATO fighters, Litvyak flight was able to come in low over the Baltic and take out a NATO HAWK battery on the Danish coast. It will be suppressed for a nice long while, until Turn 19, too late to bother the incoming Su-24s. However, the Su-17s now have to try to escape the two flights of Danish F-16s down on the Deck and ready to pounce.

Fighting Through to the Target

With the two additional Close Escort fighter squadrons, the WP manages to rally and push back most of the NATO fighters before they can pose a threat to the high value Su-24s and Tu-22s. For the northern raid, the MiG-25s make good use of their standoff range missiles and high speed to tie up the NATO fighters. However, one very dangerous “leaker” is unaccounted for—a flight of US F-15s, now just 30 nautical miles from the Su-24 bomber stream. Way too close for comfort. The Su-24s only need a few more turns to begin their initial bomb runs with their standoff EO glide bombs (KAB-500Kr, to be exact). Above, both Tolokov and Samut flights have made their turn toward Copenhagen airport, the first target to be hit.

The WP gets a huge break when the F-15s close in for BVR missile shots on the Su-24s but fail to score any hits. A flight of MiG-25s swoops in and ties up the F-15s in a dogfight. The air-to-air engagement proves costly, with the F-15s shooting down two of the MiGs, but it both buys time for the Su-24s to attack and depletes the F-15s missile load. Shown above is the situation near the Danish targets a couple of turns later. The Su-17 SEAD fight has come in and fired Kh-25MP ARMs, successfully shutting down a HAWK battery near Copenhagen. Right behind it, the lead Su-24 flight starts its attack run. Meanwhile the MiG-25s have been able to chase off some US F-4Es and Danish F-16s (both can be seen heading west to regroup at an Orbit Point).

The remaining Su-24s hit all three targets with KAB-500Kr glide bombs, but only Copenhagen is heavily damaged. The other Su-24s go in close with anti-runway bombs, heavily damaging Roskilde airfield as well. Thanks to some good work by one remaining HAWK battery, the last Su-24 flight headed for Værløse turns for home, bomb load jettisoned without reaching the target. But all three airfields are damaged, with two of the three receiving heavy damage. Not a bad day’s work for the Su-24 squadron.

Simultaneously, the Backfire bombers and their MiG-23 escorts have been heading toward their targets in West Germany. Twelve of the Backfires fire off AS-4 missiles, which streak toward their targets at supersonic speed, just under Mach 4. The NATO fighters can’t get in position to engage the cruise missiles since they are busy with the escort fighters, so it’s up to the NATO SAMs, which launch multiple shots but fail to score a single hit on the speedy AS-4s. The WP player aims a total of eight missiles at each target airfield. Shown above is the situation after the first eight have hit Schleswig, causing damage to the runway, hangers, and fuel storage areas. Sixteen more missiles follow right behind, headed for Eggebek and Bollingstedt.

Do the bombers always get through? Not this time. Shown above is the rather dire situation for the three Backfire flights heading toward the West German airfields. Due to a combination of bad Detection rolls, Random Events, and just plain bad luck, the escorting MiG-23s (six total flights of Soviet and Polish aircraft) have not been able to handle the swarm of NATO fighters closing in. One Danish F-16 already shot down an Su-24MP jamming aircraft and three other NATO fighter flights (Bud, Juice, and Golf) receive Initiative and are about to attack the Backfires.

Overall, the Su-24 raid managed to fight through to its targets and struck them hard. The Backfire raid inflicted modest damage on its three target airfields with the AS-4 barrage but were ultimately unable to get through the NATO defenses to finish the job, heading home having lost four precious Tu-22Ms, with another three Damaged or Crippled.

Scenario Changes

This was a good playtest. It had a ton of air-to-air action, cruise missiles launches, SEAD flights, you name it. In short, a lot to offer both players. Most important, the playtest was successful in that it showed some areas that needed tweaks to make this scenario balanced. First, the WP needs a stronger fighter sweep up front, so I added a third sweep squadron. They will now have a 2-1 advantage in flights over the NATO interceptors, which is probably more realistic for the early days of the war. Second, I allowed the SEAD flights to setup on map at start rather than entering on Turn 1. The Su-17s are slow when laden, so they need more time to get out ahead of the bombers. Speaking of the bombers, I also allow all Tu-22 and Tu-16 (if those were generated instead) to carry standoff cruise missiles (AS-4s and AS-6s, respectively), instead of only part of the raid. That will allow them to hit from further away and improve the bombers’ chance of survival.

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