🚁 OPERATION IRON THISTLE

Описание: AO: Scottish Western Isles / Hebrides
Threat: Armed pirate fast boats interfering with commercial tanker routes
Asset: Carrier Strike Group + Apache flight

🧭 SITUATION

Over the past 48 hours:

Two tankers reported harassment

Small high-speed RHIB-type craft

Possible light weapons / MANPADS threat

Operating from hidden coastal inlets and island coves

They are:

Fast

Low profile

Using terrain and island clutter to mask movement

Which means this is perfect Apache territory.

🎯 MISSION OBJECTIVE
Primary:

Locate, identify, and disable pirate vessels operating near commercial shipping lanes.

Secondary:

Deter further interference by visible presence.

Tertiary:

Return to carrier with aircraft intact.

(Read that last one twice.)

🧠 THREAT ASSESSMENT
1️⃣ Small Fast Boats

Hard to see against waves

Appear late on radar

Blend into shoreline clutter

2️⃣ Possible Shoulder-Launched Missiles

If they’re organized enough to harass tankers, assume:

At least one MANPADS in theater

Which means:

Avoid straight-line approaches

Avoid predictable hover exposures

No skyline silhouettes

🗺️ AREA OF OPERATIONS

Scottish islands mean:

Broken coastlines

Sea lochs

Rocky inlets

Rolling terrain

Low cloud layers

This is terrain masking heaven.

You are not flying high.

You are:

Flying between weather, rock, and radar shadow.

🚁 FLIGHT PLAN (Hunter Two)
Launch

Depart carrier low

Stay 40–60 ft over water

Build to 90–110 knots

Ingress

Use island chains as radar breaks

Avoid silhouetting against sky

Stay below ridge lines when possible

Search Pattern

We will run:

Coastal racetrack sweeps

Not wide open ocean scanning.

Pirates hide near:

Natural choke points

Narrow tanker routes

Island shadows

Fjord entrances

🔍 SENSOR EMPLOYMENT

You do NOT cruise with everything blasting.

Instead:

Use short sensor scans

Look for:

Wake patterns

Fast-moving thermal returns

Boats moving against tanker direction

Boats fleeing tankers = priority target.

🔥 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Engage only when:

Confirm hostile intent (intercept course, weapons visible, aggressive maneuver)

Clear of civilian proximity

Positive ID

Preferred weapon sequence:

30mm for fast boats

Rockets for clustered targets

Hellfire only if hardened or high-value

You do not waste missiles on rubber dinghies unless required.

🧨 ENGAGEMENT PROFILE (Important)

Never attack from directly overhead.

Instead:

Mask behind island ridge

Pop up briefly

Acquire

Engage

Drop back into terrain

Exposure time: under 8 seconds if possible.

If you’re visible for 15+ seconds, you’re doing it wrong.

🌊 Environmental Considerations

Sea clutter reduces visual contrast

Dusk light creates false horizon

Islands distort depth perception

Do not chase targets blindly into narrow inlets without planning an exit vector.

🛡️ Escape Plan

If fired upon:

Break hard 90°

Drop altitude immediately

Use island terrain

Do NOT climb

Altitude equals vulnerability.

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🎮 Game Handle: Scraggy8998
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