"Nihon Hitori 2020" Single Mission Pak Development Thread

[JosefK]

Thought it was time for me to start a forum thread on my Nihon Hitori 2020 campaign to update all on my progress.  Learned a lot so far as to the SF2 engine, much more to learn.  Also wanted to start a forum thread to explain my creative process and keep folks abreast of developments plus pose questions.

Now the pretext of "Nihon Hitori 2020" (Japan Alone 2020 in Japanese) is a mid 2/2020 campaign where the 201 & 203 JASDF Squadrons of F-15Js hold the line against a red tide of Flankers attacking Japanese ships & Hokkaido airports until JASDF reinforcements arrive to start shoving the Russians off of the Kurils as payback... and then a few F-35As help F-2A reinforcements kick a** ending with an explosive air-sea battle against a Russian surface task force.  All within 24 hours, so the JMSDF emergency task force is racing up at 30 knots to have some AEGIS & aircraft-carrying destroyers formate with some older "escort destroyers" out of Ominato base and then sortie together to North Hokkaido from their Honshu bases while the shooting war only intensifies.  All without overt US assistance as the current US President is more than likely to tell Japan they're on their own - he's already shown a clear misunderstanding at best of his responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief, a clear contempt for NATO, a deep empathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, there's some open contempt between the current Japanese Prime Minister & the US President as a previous mentorship seems to have fallen apart, and the current US President even openly thinks, "If the United States keeps on … its current path of weakness, [Japan is] going to want to have [nuclear weapons] anyway with or without me discussing it."

With that backstory, here's how the first mission is going to likely go:

 

There's still some things that need to be firmed up, but this is the general idea for mission 01.  Using WikiPedia for Order of Battle/ORBAT unless tipped off for a better source so Sukhoi Flanker plane color schemes and variants can and will change.

When the second mission in sequence is firmed up and the third & fourth one (one of which will have JASDF F-35A), will announce that here also.

Please follow this topic and ask me any questions or requests you got.  Goal is to drop this mission pak on or before 25 March 2019 - my birthday!

[JosefK]

A Few Thoughts About ORBAT...

I feel before I head into bed, I should write a bit about Order of Battle or ORBAT.  With the possible exception of some Tu-22M3s... the below will be the Russian forces I use from WikiPedia...

RUSSIAN AIR FORCE:

• 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army (Khabarovsk) (Eastern Military District)
  • 11th Aerospace Defense brigade (Komsomolsk-na-Amur)
  • 12th Aerospace Defense brigade (Vladivostok)
  • 6983rd aviation base (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Airport, Khabarovsk Krai) (Su-27SM, Su-30M2, Su-35S, Su-34)
  • 6988th aviation base (Khurba, Khabarovsk Krai) (Su-24M, Su-24M2, Su-24MR)
  • 6989th aviation base (Vladivostok International Airport) (Su-27SM)
  • 265th transport aviation base (Khabarovsk)
• 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army – Southern Military District (former 4th and 5th Armies of VVS and PVO) (Rostov-on-Don)

RUSSIAN NAVAL AVIATION:

Pacific Fleet Air Force – HQ Vladivostok

• 568th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment – HQ at Mongokhto - operating Tu-22M3, Tu-142MR/MZ;
• 865th Interceptor Aviation Regiment – HQ at Yelizovo-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport - MiG-31;
• 317th Composite Air Regiment – HQ at Yelizovo - Tu-142;
• 71st Independent Military Transport Air Squadron – HQ at Nikolayevka, Primorskaya - An-12, An-24, An-26;
• 175th Independent Shipborne Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron – HQ at Yelizovo - Ka-27;
• 289th Independent Anti-submarine Air Regiment – HQ at Nikolayevka - Il-38, Ka-27, Ka-29;

RUSSIAN PACIFIC FLEET:

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
011	Cruiser	Varyag	Slava	1989
543	Destroyer	Marshal Shaposhnikov	Udaloy I	1985
564	Destroyer	Admiral Tributs	Udaloy I	1985
572	Destroyer	Admiral Vinogradov	Udaloy I	1988
548	Destroyer	Admiral Panteleyev	Udaloy I	1991
715	Destroyer	Bystryy	Sovremennyy	1989
333	Corvette	Sovershennyy	Steregushchy	2017
335	Corvette	Gromky	Steregushchy	2018

IF any of you have better ORBAT than WikiPedia, I'm all ears.  Please advise sooner rather than later - remember my V1 due date is 25 March 2019 (helps when there's two late March events I'm attending and I need a good chunk of April to edit photos).

Now obviously, I'm not going to include all these units on the assumption they all can't be there and clearly any competent military commander would want to save some ships, some aircraft for future skirmishes like when the JMSDF showed up in force.  I'm also of the view the first attack will be premeditated, as Putin waits for a convenient casus belli to pick a fight with his neighbors.  A few Japanese commercial ships that decided to hug the Kuril Islands hiding from a big but intermittent storm on their great circle route provoking a Su-30M2 (which you can get here) response which would prompt F-15Js (which you can get here) sitting northern Hokkaido alert would suffice...

Oh and one last thing, I know it's tempting to try to write into the script US Forces either USN, USMC or USAF going rogue to honour treaties to help Japan out kinetically - but I think that would take away from the simulation and even if not, be highly difficult to predict.  Plus take the focus away from the JASDF to the rogue US unit/s and by doing so turn this from wargaming into a Dale Brown novel (and I love Dale Brown novels!) with Megafortresses on the tarmac:

Just figured some of you might want to see what's coming - and yes, you will get to take on the Varyag and Su-27SMs too.  With that, another screenshot of what actually will 100% be in the single mission pak:

Being my goal is realism, sorry to say the F-35A will be spare & rare in the 2020 mission pak.  Used more as a Designated Hitter rather than a utility player like the F-15Js.

[JosefK]

27 Jan. 2019 update:

I'm not able to put in a lot of work into this every day, but decided to remove most of the SAM sites from Kunashir Island.  I recognize how hard @Gepardworked on the Kuril Islands, but having SA-10s remain on the map so close to Hokkaido Island after an emergency SEAD mission doesn't work for me.  You can download the original here: 

 

Otherwise, I went into the code and have done my best to remove the SAM sites & SAM shelters from just Kunashir Island.  The thinking being I'm pretty sure in a <24 Hour campaign; the AAA won't all be easily eliminated but this way I will only have SA-10s keep harassing jets on take-off & final approach to Hokkaido Island when I the single mission pack creator want them to.  After all, most of the air combat is around Kunashir or in the Sea of Okhotsk.

 

With that, some screenshots of the JASDF F-35As storming Kunashir Island to take out the one test SA-10 site & some of the support units I put up in the mission planner:

 

So yes, there is operational testing still underway.  Mainly to test the modified map code and relocated SAM sites... to destruction.

[Stratos]

Is planned for February 2020? Shouldn't be some snow on the islands and Hokkaido?

[JosefK]

2 hours ago, Stratos said:

Is planned for February 2020? Shouldn't be some snow on the islands and Hokkaido?

Good point.  That would be nice if the terrain came with that.  I could always make it June 2020 for that reason alone.

[+yakarov79]

8 hours ago, Stratos said:

Is planned for February 2020? Shouldn't be some snow on the islands and Hokkaido?

[Stratos]

😁😁😁

[JosefK]

3 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

How did you get snow in there @yakarov79?  Nice!

Also ought to as well tell you guys I didn't sleep well last night so I wrote up a quick escort mission of 2 F-15Js of 203 Sqn, 2 F-2As vs. 2 modernized Su-27s & 2 Nanchukas.  The end results so far after a few test runs:

AAM-4B at Su-27 firing air-to-air missile

ASM-2 on the deck

F-15J down low doing an intercept

Menacing Su-27 under the thunderstorm

Nanchuka blowing up

Nanchukas exploding

Nanchukas sinking together

F-15J of 203 Sqn flying home.

[+yakarov79]

42 minutes ago, JosefK said:

How did you get snow in there @yakarov79?  Nice!

Well it's winter...was snowing last few days.

Seriously.  As always I needed to tweak something here and there...  so few clicks and ini editing, and I have 3 seasons imported from Korea terrain.  

 

Well, it was more than clicks as I needed to re-create new tiles for some areas, made few changes and a few new tiles. 

 

 

[+Menrva]

15 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

Well, it was more than clicks as I needed to re-create new tiles for some areas, made few changes and a few new tiles. 

Gepard had a hi-res tileset for the Kuril Islands in the works, based on satellite imagery, very nice I can tell you. But it's not seasoned. You might want to join forces with him, but he is currently working on the Faroer terrain. I also made a 250m heightmap from scratch for the Kuril Islands terrain, as well as new planning maps and little tweaks here and there. But it's Gepard's terrain. First, I'd like to see his final product, then I might release a small (not standalone) enhancement package.

Back to the thread, keep up the good work, JosefK! I am really liking your screenshots with those lightnings (not the F-35s, LOL!)

Edited January 29, 2019 by Menrva

[+Gepard]

The new version of Kuril Islands terrain is 250m heighmap too.

The planning map of the Kuril Islands terrain

The planning map of Kuril Islands 250m

As you see the new map includes mor of Hokkaido islands so that it has enough space to set more japanese airfields on it.

 

If someone makes a new tileset for the current Kurilen Islands and wants to release it, so feel to do it. Would be a nice improvement.

[+Menrva]

35 minutes ago, Gepard said:

As you see the new map includes more of Hokkaido islands so that it has enough space to set more japanese airfields on it.

That's great!

[JosefK]

4 hours ago, Menrva said:

Gepard had a hi-res tileset for the Kuril Islands in the works, based on satellite imagery, very nice I can tell you. But it's not seasoned. You might want to join forces with him, but he is currently working on the Faroer terrain. I also made a 250m heightmap from scratch for the Kuril Islands terrain, as well as new planning maps and little tweaks here and there. But it's Gepard's terrain. First, I'd like to see his final product, then I might release a small (not standalone) enhancement package.

Back to the thread, keep up the good work, JosefK! I am really liking your screenshots with those lightnings (not the F-35s, LOL!)

Thanks @Menrva!  Sad to say, only a few missions will be during a thunderstorm.  All missions will not be in blue sky weather however.  Thanks for your contributions to a better Kuril Islands map.

1 hour ago, Gepard said:

The new version of Kuril Islands terrain is 250m heighmap too.

The planning map of the Kuril Islands terrain

The planning map of Kuril Islands 250m

As you see the new map includes mor of Hokkaido islands so that it has enough space to set more japanese airfields on it.

 

If someone makes a new tileset for the current Kurilen Islands and wants to release it, so feel to do it. Would be a nice improvement.

Thanks so much @Gepard.  I notice you have just enough of Honshu there to have the Misawa Air Base also included!

[JosefK]

Little updates:

1) Going to stick some friendly Japanese SAMs, AAA and a surface-to-ship missile battery very near to Cape Nosappu for most missions.  Below is a photo - and please note I'm working on my placement skills:

That is when I'm not adding more surprises to the first mission in the pak and then operationally testing them:

2) Seriously thinking about writing another F-15J mission where F-15Js from 203 Sqn have to intercept Tu-22M Backfires that are out to sink an Asagiri-class Destroyer racing from fisheries patrol to join the JMSDF Surface Action Group being put together.  It's only got eight (8!) Sea Sparrow missiles and a CIWS, so you better get the Backfires first.  Just don't want the mission to be boring.

 

Edited February 3, 2019 by JosefK
Added link to Asagirl class destroyer

[JosefK]

Well I just hope everybody's OK with the idea of jumping between JASDF 201 & 203 F-15J Squadrons in missions... because I've got a new mission for the 203rd. 

Apparently the JDS Hamagiri that was heading out on patrol is being called back to join a JMSDF Surface Task Force where it can be part of a combined maritime defense protecting maritime air defense units from subs instead of a sacrificial lamb to the Russian Air Force. 

Problem is, the Russians know she's out there alone and have sent a couple of Backfire bombers:

They've got eight (8!) Su-27 Flankers for escort in two groups of four:

\

The Russians know if they get one hit - just one - on the Hamagiri, it'll go down:

So instead, you gotta use the AAM-4B's superior range and swat away the Flankers first:

But with just a bit of time to spare before the Tu-22M3s dive into the sudden thunderstorm, you've got to splash the Backfires.

Can you pull this off?  There are 220 sailors counting on you and your wingman to exercise fire discipline and pull this off!

 

Edited February 3, 2019 by JosefK
Needed to correct ship name to JS Hamagiri

[Stratos]

Think that to be realistic, you should use Su-35S, and live in a extremely jammed ambient, reducing missile range for both sides. Of course, fun and realism sometimes does not work together.

[JosefK]

53 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Think that to be realistic, you should use Su-35S, and live in a extremely jammed ambient, reducing missile range for both sides. Of course, fun and realism sometimes does not work together.

I'd love to use a Su-35S instead of Su-27 Flankers packing the latest air to air missiles and add some more EW/Jamming without having to use American EA-18G Growlers.  Any ideas how to go in this direction would be appreciated.  Thanks.

I also have to note the JDS Hamagiri might have jammers on board, necessitating the Backfires to get close.

Edited February 3, 2019 by JosefK
Correcting ship name

[Stratos]

Unfortunately we don't have the Su-35, regarding jammer, I think you can improve the jamming strenght of the planes editing the data.ini.

[JosefK]

4 hours ago, Stratos said:

Unfortunately we don't have the Su-35, regarding jammer, I think you can improve the jamming strength of the planes editing the data.ini.

Tell you what @Stratos, if I find some extra time between now and 25 March upping jamming strength of the Flankers & Backfires and if time permits the ships is most definitely a feature worth researching and operationally testing.  

Because I gotta say just being able to lock on to and fire at Su-27s with a F-15J's radar in track-while-scan mode is arcade game stuff.  Granted, the visual effects are spectacular:

But it's just not the same thrill as closing within guns range:

[JosefK]

OK, it's Friday so I owe you guys an update.  I haven't just been commenting and liking throughout my SF2 & CombatAce time.  Comments & like you can follow from my profile at https://combatace.com/profile/63866-josefk/ folks.

I have to warn you this is a rather wonky update.  So with that here goes:

For instance, I read the March 2019 Combat Aircraft Magazine on my Kindle and learned I'm going to have to update some INIs in the Mitsubishi F-2A (already available on Combat ACE).  Will have to add at the least the capability to add to the F-2A the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper pod already in SF2:

Also learned the somewhat bummer, somewhat rather relevant news the northern F-2A squadron 3 Hikotai will be relocated from Misawa AB - shared with the USAF - to an air base near Tokyo.

So yes folks, you will want to get a subscription to Combat Aircraft Magazine!  Please do!

Moving along... I also learned I'm going to have to add to my fav JASDF destroyer a jammer because the JDS Hamagiri has one in real life.  Also got a good comment on this thread worth playing with jammers, so why not!

I also skimmed a good War on the Rocks article about Russian-Japan relations.  Really will help set the context to this crisis in the Kurils... and also a rather thoughtful and powerful Business Insider report on how the current US President's limited to nonexistent impulse control is doing Russia's work for them.  So it would be quite plausible for the President to not believe urgings from his advisors to honor treaties and allow the US Forces in Japan to help the Japanese Self-Defense Forces repel sudden Russian attacks on defenseless freighters to make clear the Kurils are Russian:

Nor to even help when Backfire bombers fire first on a JMSDF destroyer:

Nor even when Fencers and Flankers attempt to attack Hokkaido, Japan's most northern home island:

The last few screenshots are from an early mission where yes, the Russians will retaliate for shooting down their Su-30 Flankers.  Where it will become obvious the PATRIOT SAM has its limits... and the Russians were just looking for an excuse to restart World War II in their favor.

Finally, the process of adding SAM sites for both sides that can be removed in a future SEAD mission is well and underway.  So let me show you a screenshot from the great melee battle:

That's a wrap for now, not to mention a substantial update to digest.

[Stratos]

I think the history is not too good lol Of course is my opinion, but how about a new global economical crisis boos right wing party to power that seeing a busy elsewhere Russia invades the islands?

[JosefK]

17 hours ago, Stratos said:

I think the history is not too good lol Of course is my opinion, but how about a new global economical crisis boos right wing party to power that seeing a busy elsewhere Russia invades the islands?

I don't see Japan firing the first shot.  

Putin on the other hand, grew up learning if a fight is inevitable, throw the first punch.  Below is from his propaganda outlet: 

 

I suspect once Putin recognizes isolationists are running the US... he'll take preemptive measures.

[JosefK]

Sorry to say folks on this Sunday update, an attempt to write a mission involving escorting AH-64 Apaches to attack troops massing at southern Kunashir failed.  I couldn't get the AH-64s I downloaded to attack anything so anything involving them is a nonstarter until I learn how to get helicopters to operate in SF2 as at least attack platforms because the developer didn't include the weapons he already did with his standard AH-64s.  Got them in, so we'll see how this goes tonight... especially since I know you'll like flying the highly expensive escort aircraft.

 

Also I did some more playing around for the heckofit with the nuclear-capable Tu-22M3.  Frankly could become a real time sink... and with 1.5 months until release, not a good idea.

Edited February 11, 2019 by JosefK
Development update

[JosefK]

Well as time permits, I'll more thoughtfully flesh out this F-35 & AH-64 pairing.  But I rather like the idea of a F-35 mission taking out SAMs & AAA with the SDBs for the AH-64s to go in and whack the Russians around... right now I have them attacking SCUD Missiles since I can't find a Shore-to-Ship Missile on this site.  Or maybe I'll have them help thin out AAA...

In any event, I find the idea of a 5th Gen fighter escorting attack helicopters fun and likely.  Remember, Putin will throw the first punch, have SAMs & AAA interfere with Japan defending its Hokkaido and so Japan will have to take the fight to the Kurils.  America will stay out of this due to... Putin disrupting the American OODA Loop.

 

[Stratos]

Found this...

http://www.matrixgames.com/products/product.asp?gid=739

The populist wave that has swept across the world has reached Japan. With a jittery economy and scandals in the previous government on the minds of the public the government that emerges following a set of snap elections is more nationalist and populist than ever. The new prime minister has set his eyes on the long-disputed Kuril Islands, repeatedly claiming them for Tokyo in numerous speeches.

The JGSDF has traditionally been concentrated in Hokkaido already, but airborne and amphibious units have moved there, ostensibly for exercises. The Russians, familiar with that excuse to concentrate forces, have become more suspicious than ever. Not helping the situation is raucous demonstrators on both sides sailing towards either the Kuriles or Hokkaido in small boats. Several have been killed and dozens more detained. 

The Russians have been slipping troops in, but an improvised convoy has been readied at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to carry much heavier forces to Kunashir and Iturup. Should it reach the islands safely, the Japanese goal of taking them without excessive casualties will be impossible. On the other hand, if it's sunk, the Kuriles are Japan's for the taking. The stakes are thus extremely high. 

 

Due to the (previously) anti-invasion nature of the JSDF and the traditional Soviet/Russian defensive doctrine at sea, both sides have an impressive array of sea denial weapons. 

 

The question is which shall prove superior.