As I put the finishing touches on my DCS: SA342 full review, I’m getting in a little extra flying with the updated helicopter and my most recent experience is focused on a community created mission called ‘Operation Cedar Spear’ by Don Rudi on the DCS User Files section. The mission calls for some low level flying, anti-tank tactics, and quite a bit of fun. Let’s go!
Departing on mission
The scenario has you flying a SA342L fitted with the Gazelle’s more primitive periscope sighting system and equipped with a quartet of HOT-3 wire-guided, anti-tank missiles.
Starting from a FARP just north of the Beirut airport, our mission is to fly a patrol along the coastal highway headed south from Beirut.
After taking off, my wingman and I flew low across the damaged Beirut airport before heading off down the coast following the highway all the way.
The mission lets you make some decisions starting with how difficult you want things to be. Do you want a difficult or easy mission? Choose from the F10 menu. Do you want your co-pilot to handle the radio and navigation? You choose. It makes it nice and accessible as a mission!
About halfway down the coast, around 50 kilometers into the patrol, we get a radio call about an enemy convoy that includes M60 tanks headed for a confrontation with friendly forces. Calling for air support, the mission asks you to again choose to fly along the northern route to the southern route. I picked the northern route and shortly thereafter made a turn from the coast down a river valley heading east.
After following the river for quite some time, my wingman announced engine trouble and turned back. Banter in the cockpit wondered if the pilot was concerned about enemy contact. No matter… we were pressing on!
Enemy contact
Following the river for several more kilometers we hit a point where the river turned northwards and we diverged to the south. We were now at the ambush pilot where friendly ground troops were prepared to deal with the convoy’s lighter elements but not prepared to do battle with M60 tanks. The tanks were our job!
Coming to a holding position overlooking the pass, I positioned the Gazelle for a clear view of the convoy while staying about 3 kilometers away from enemy contact. In range of my HOT-3 missiles but well out of range of their .50cal machine guns.
Queuing up the first missile, stabilizing, lasing for range, and then firing the first missile I found myself constantly adjusting the missiles trajectory while also holding the Gazelle steady. Multi-tasking! (and a reason why in the real world the Gazelle had a pilot and co-pilot)
The first missile snaked its way towards the lead M60 and boom! That was one.
Smoke immediately appeared as the remaining tanks fired their smoke canisters. I re-positioned to the right while we waited for the tanks to press forward outside of the smoke’s area of effect. Sure enough, another M60 appeared. I fired and again… a kill!
I fired at the third tank but my targeting was initially not as good as the first two and I struggled to keep the crosshairs on the moving target. Fortunately I corrected it at the last moment and… that was a hit! Three tanks were burning. The ground troops thanked me for my efforts, however, one lighter armored unit was still leading the convoy so I queued up my remaining HOT-3 and took that one out too.
Winchester! All four HOT-3 missiles were expended and we were no longer needed… or of use. Time for home.
Return to base
The flight back was made directly back to the FARP skipping the coastal area to save time but also making things challenging as a low cloud ceiling obscured the mountain tops making climbing over them hazardous. I ducked into various valleys and between ridge lines.
Eventually I was back to Beirut and spent the next few moments trying to locate the FARP. Eventually I did and I brought the Gazelle in for one of my best landings yet!
Download Cedar Spear
This is a fun mission that is modestly challenging, featuring interesting terrain challenges, and a pretty fun battle with enemy forces. If you play your cards right, you’ll have no trouble taking them out but it relies on your tactics, wits and coordination to make it all come together.
The mission comes with a detailed briefing (also available in PDF) and AI generated voice overs which are quite good all things considered.
Stormbirds 
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