For a while now I’ve wanted to do a small multiplayer DCS scenario where the stakes are reasonably low but the fun factor is high. A COIN (counter insurgency) operation with light aircraft and non precision weapons versus technicals, infantry and the like. Low intensity as it turns out can be quite intense! Here’s the story!

Gunship operations

I don’t know how it started but the idea for a fun evening flying DCS jets and helicopters in a low intensity COIN scenario blossomed into a full blown mission put together by fellow flight sim friends and enthusiasts.

Batumi Ablaze, an unreleased scenario, was intended originally to be operated in conjunction with the recently released DCS Olympus system. While one member of the group managed the ground troops and provided an overview of the situation, other members were responsible for repelling an insurgent attack on a power station near Batumi, Georgia on the DCS Caucasus map.

Enemy forces comprised of primarily troop transports, technicals (trucks with guns on the back), and mass waves of AK74 armed insurgent fighters. On our team we had four UH-1H Huey helicopters in troop transport configuration, an additional four UH-1Hs in gunship configuration (with mini-guns and rockets) plus a single SA342L Gazelle configured as a gunship as well and a solitary MiG-21.

On starting the scenario we ran into problems with Olympus and were unable to connect it but we did carry on anyways.

While I started my Gazelle up, other elements of our team were already ferrying troops to their positions.

Shortly after takeoff I was immediately on task to take out three troop transports. Their proximity to our airfield put us at threat and so taking them out was essential. Arming the Gazelle’s 20mm cannon I made a couple of passes, unsuccessfully spotting the three trucks, before finally spotting them and blasting them each with cannon fire.

While I was doing that, another on our team was ferrying troops from our airfield base to the center of Batumi. Small groups of our soldiers were facing down technicals and a wave of insurgents. Our troops began to take losses and it seemed like our hold on the town was in trouble.

My first pass over the target area in the center of town was a disaster. While gunning down a truck and a few fighters, my Gazelle was chewed up by small arms fire. My engine failed, the tail rotor was blown off and the helicopter spun out of control next to a building.

On the next flight I tried to be more cautious firing short bursts of 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire into the target zone and disabling two trucks. But I got over ambitious and was again cut down by small arms fire.

Taking out the targets at the rear

At this point a couple of Huey flights had dropped enough troops that they switched to engaging the troops on the ground. At first with the side gunners and then, on switching over to the gunship, with minigun and rocket fire. This proved more effective than my 20mm and 12.7mm attacks so while they continued to vie for control of the center of town (marked but red or blue smoke depending on ownership), I was tasked with a new objective.

I flew down to the coast and along the coast over to the harbour where a ship had disembarked dozens of troops. The troops were a secondary target as my primary objective was to find and destroy three trucks before they were deployed to the front line.

Before I could do that, I had to take out a couple of technical that were firing at me. I did this with well aimed cannon fire… feeling pretty good at this! At first I had trouble spotting the truck targets, as before, but I was talked onto the target and engaged the trucks. 20mm cannons proved valuable again taking out two trucks in the first pass and a third on the second pass.

Then it came time to attack the clustered troops and I fired high explosive rockets into the cluster causing the numbers to thin out. Out of rockets and guns it was time to return to base and rearm.

It was not long after then that our MiG-21 pilot targeted the same zone with high explosive bombs destroying the whole cluster and seriously putting the enemy on the back foot. The tides were turning!

Assault on the base

While our Huey pilot was bringing new troops forward, my new mission was to tackle the enemy base. I flew together with our UH-1H, the Huey loaded with troops and me with a fresh batch of rockets and cannon shells, up the coast and towards the base.

Heavier AAA defenses than we’d dealt with kept me busy firing from a ridge while our Huey ducked down and used low terrain and buildings to mask an approach. The first batch of troops had been deployed but I was not able to get in any closer.

Enter our intrepid MiG-21 pilot who had landed, rearmed, and was back on station. Two bomb runs succeeded in taking out a group of troops and one of the AAA guns letting me work my way in a bit closer.

While our MiG was rearming again, I flew a couple of very low passes dodging trees, buildings, and powerlines in search of three more trucks reinforcing the front line. I again struggled to find them at first before finally getting a bead on them.

A couple of very dangerous passes at low altitude enabled me to knock them down. Small arms and AAA was onto me but I was able to get out of range while our MiG pilot returned and once again blasted the enemy base while a mass of our troops began to close in.

With teamwork the enemy base began to fall and our objective was accomplished.

A scenario to definitely return to as it becomes more refined and we hopefully get Olympus into the mix helping us add some extra intrigue into the mix. Another test version of the scenario is almost ready to test so we’ll be back at it soon!