Sinai Sandbox [XTREME WIP]

Clutch · July 1, 2023, 4:05am

Super extremely hyper WIP at the moment, but in the same vein as my WW2 Channel Sandbox I’ve been slowly putting together a Sinai Sandbox and flying the Mudhen on it regularly. So far the only client slots are:

F-15E x4 (radio presets in breifing)
F-16C x2 (radio presets in breifing)
AH-64D x2 (no radio presets yet)

Features include:

Static range east of Ramon (T-55s and M113s) at WYPT 1
Static range south of Ramon (T-55s, M113s, containers, inactive SA-2) at WYPT 2
Spawnable A2A range via F10 menu at WYPT 3 (1v1 guns, 3v1 drones, 1v1 BVR, 2v1 BVR)
Static OCA range at WYPT 4
Boom tanker at WYPT 5
Live OCA targets and IADS in eastern Cairo area; SAMs activate once inside threat ring, no WYPT

RedBravo65 · July 1, 2023, 1:05pm

Looks brilliant! I’ve really come to love the DCS Mission Editor. It really is a fantastic tool to experiment with and be creative.

Clutch · August 30, 2023, 11:38am

Version 1.0 with a whole lot of new stuff and reworks.

Sinai-Sandbox.miz (163.4 KB)

Being a sandbox there’s no point system, no winning or losing, no specific assigned targets. BLUFOR focus, no REDFOR client slots or tasks…yet(?). I tried to rely on default liveries as best I can but still needed a lot of custom ones for Egyptian air assets, Tomcats (VF102 OEF and some VF11 and VF31 for Forrestal), and Hornets (CVW-1 for old LOMAC model).

You can add any module of your liking and the triggers will work as long as it’s Blue coalition.

Radio channels and waypoints in the briefing under “BLUE TASK.” Not everything has a waypoint so brush up on manual waypoint creation or editing.

Two AWACS, one boom tanker, two basket tankers (one at lower altitude for Harriers), and Bir Hasanah available as a FOB for refuel and rearm.

Added radio PTT sound to prompt players to check the screen when messages appear.

I haven’t play tested all of it so let my know if anything doesn’t appear to work.

Client Slots
AH64D x2 at Kedem
AH64D x2 at Ramon
AV8B x3 at LHA1
F14A x3 at CV59
F14B x3 at CVN71
F15E (USAF) x2 at Hatzerim
F15E (IDF) x2 at Hatzerim
F16C (USAF) x2 at Nevatim
FA18C x3 at CVN71

Static Ranges
Same as before. RANGE EAST has static tanks and APCs. RANGE SOUTH has dummy SA2 site, APCs, shipping containers, airfield marked out in the desert floor. OCA RANGE is an airfield with aircraft parked in HAS.

Gaza Random Tasks
There are three simple tasks spawnable in Gaza. Once you enter the town you can spawn them via the F10 menu and check on-screen instructions. Sometimes it rolls the same random twice and nothing spawns, so you might have to call a task in multiple times before you go through all three.

SEAD Support
The SAM network of SA2s and the SA3 in Cairo kicked my butt so much I added on-call SEAD via the F10 menu. They launch from Nevatim and take about 20 minutes to start slinging HARMs.

CAP NORTH / SOUTH Random Tasks
Activate either or both of the CAP zones via F10 menu and follow displayed instructions. Once in the zone you check in via new F10 radio item and a random enemy group will spawn. They may engage you, they may not. ROE (honor system) is return fire if spiked or fired upon. 5 possible scenarios for each CAP zone. One time use per mission run per CAP zone.

KILLBOXES
Probably my new favorite idea to play with. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta are 30x30nm killboxes. If you fly into one, ground forces will randomly spawn for BAI. You don’t know what or where. It’s your job to find them using whatever sensors and Mk1 eyeballs you got. Some are moving, some aren’t. Some are defended with AAA, MANPADS, SHORADS, or a mix. Some are undefended. There’s 3~5 different scenarios for each killbox. Exit the killbox and go back in and it might spawn another random scenario. Or might not depending on how the dice roll.

Have fun!

jross · August 30, 2023, 7:01pm

I’ve found this to be a real challenge (in my system). At least in VR, assuming no labels - I’m guessing that without a JTAC (or the like) it was/is very difficult IRL. When there are MANPADS about[1] it’s nigh impossible without a TPOD. It is a great feature as this operation has been done (by various names) for a long time.

PS: I’ve asked, again[2], for a feature to aid with blowing things up if you have an AI wingman in SP mode. Fits well with these type of situations: targets of opportunity or ‘Easter Egg Hunts’ as I call them.

[1] https://youtu.be/g_TRv7uKMcg?si=nUa8DANI3q05VXWA&t=1788
He talks about having to find things in ‘kill boxes’ with the eyeballs (and likely binoculars) - they were flying F-16A models. Great interview BTW.

[2] That survey put out by ED recently. Maybe that avenue will help; they already have most of what is needed to implement this.

Clutch · August 31, 2023, 3:23am

That’s exactly why I made them I had groud-radar in mind, especially the Viper’s GMT. When I tested the Mudhen I had to do everything visually because the radar just isn’t suited for BAI work.

I tried to make it relatively easy by putting the killboxes where there are only a couple of main roads and limited points of interest. Killbox Charlie, for example, only has the airport, the village where St. Catherine’s monastery should be, the road connecting those two, and a road leading out northwest from the airport. Bravo and Alpha are probably the most difficult with too many unrelated villages and urban areas where people might look while the actual target is on a road in the middle of nowhere lol.

That video got me digging around on killboxes. I found that they can be subdivided into 15x15nm quadrants, which are then divided into 5x5nm “keypads,” using a grid reference system. All that would get messy on the F10 map so I might add the quadrant lines, then a popup message saying which quadrant is active. E.g.: “Northwest quadrant active” then “Northwest quadrant closed” after everything’s been killed for that spawn event.

jross · August 31, 2023, 4:00am

Interesting. While I support many platforms, during testing I only fly the Hornet (cus I can remember how to work more of the systems); a few months back I posted my thoughts on this subject (hunting for things on the ground, before I had to put the code away for summer) - I recall how I wished for the Mudhen (wasn’t out yet) A2G RADAR (didn’t try the Viper, yet), assuming it would be better. The MH is in the code but I’ve had zero time to do more than make sure it loaded in.

I’ve tried to work under the assumption that, in a COIN environment (which the system uses right now) that there’d be more bad guys in populated areas; I find myself running outta gas and having to cycle off the tanker at least once during my VUL time. My research indicates this was common in Afghanistan, Iraq (PG1/2), and even Kosovo.

I’m using a 3X3 grid, selected from within the AOR (based on several other factors), where the target is somewhere within the middle one . Does depend on other variables.

What I did was, a) once a target of interest is selected, b) calc the MGRS coords (there are lua API functions for this, see below) to determine that grid, then expand out from there (3x3), c) draw a polygon that encloses them on the map using the draw tools.

I have several snippets from various sources concerning “Kill boxes”, aka: “Armed Recon” if you’d like.

A quick CTRL+F of my main research doc (aka: a “pile” of text) and there’s this snippet:

STRIKE COORDINATION & RECON (SCAR) - “Kill Boxes”

MCWP 3-25 - SCAR missions are closely linked with AR [Armed Recon] missions. SCAR missions acquire, report, and coordinate the destruction of targets. SCAR aircraft may discover enemy targets and provide a target mark or talk-on for other AR missions or accurately locate targets for AI missions. SCAR missions can be flown by any AR aircraft that has been assigned an area to coordinate the attacks of other DAS flights. During Desert Storm, F/ A-18Ds served as SCAR platforms by coordinating AR missions to attack targets in “kill boxes.” Some planning considerations for SCAR missions are: l Does not require a FAC(A) qualification or terminal control. l SCAR missions can be performed by any type of aircraft capable of executing AR missions. l May provide target, location, description, threat, and area weather. l Prevents redundant targeting. l Confirms or locates surface to air threats. l Assist with bomb or battle damage assessment (BDA). l Assists the MACCS in the flow of aircraft through radio relay. l Generally different from a reconnaissance mission in that SCAR missions locate and coordinate target destruction and will typically be armed with munitions and systems that better enhance target designation.

Calc’g the MGRS is 2 functions calls:

Links:
LOtoLL

LLToMGRS

A Doscript call could be used I suppose (just easier for me to do all this in code)

Clutch · August 31, 2023, 4:43am

@jross Could be my own lack of knowledge with the Mudhen, but I can’t get the radar to see anything closer than 20, maybe 15, miles. That basically puts my radar usage out at the opposite corner of the killbox. Last time I was in the Hornet or Viper and played with the AG radar I could point the thing down far enough to see as close as 10nm off my nose, maybe even less. Perhaps I’m missing some elevation control on the Mudhen’s AG radar.

Right now I’m adjusting the killboxes so players get a message saying which quadrant to look in, with an F10 radio option to get a 5x5nm keypad if the player has too much trouble finding it.

Clutch · September 1, 2023, 6:14am

v1.01 Sinai-Sandbox-v1.01.miz (192.6 KB)

I wish I could edit the first post instead of adding new versions as new posts each time.

Added A-10C-II x2 to Ovda
Moved one group of Apaches to Bir Hasanah to be a bit closer (but still far) to the kill boxes
Adjusted tankers for the A-10s
Adjusted Kill boxes (see below)
Adjusted waypoints (see below)

Kill box/Waypoint Adjustments:

Kill boxes moved a bit to avoid dense urban areas
Kil boxes organized into 15x15nm quadrants
Message indicating which quadrant is active upon task spawn to ease in searching for targets
Message indicating target type for some tasks
Waypoints centered on kill box centerpoint for better SA

Fridge · September 4, 2023, 12:15pm

Hey @Clutch, it should be editable now. I made it a wiki.

Clutch · September 4, 2023, 1:04pm

Thanks! I’ve uploaded them to the DCS repository as well.