The Rampagers - 04: The Drop

SITUATION In Northern Syria, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by US Special Forces and Coalition air support are continuing their offensive towards Manbij. Yesterday, heavy fighting continued only 3 miles from Manbij, where SDF captured the villages north of Manbij severing the road to Jarabulus on the Turkish border. SDF also captured several villages east and south of Manbij. East of Aleppo, the Syrian Army and allied paramilitary groups continue attacks on IS positions along Highway R4 towards al-Tabqa. Intel estimates that IS has taken significant losses in the fighting near Manbij and Highway R4 and consequently has begun transferring fighters from the frontline near the towns of Azaz and Marea to reinforce Manbij. In late May, IS had successfully laid siege to Azaz and Marea, which are key strongholds of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) affiliated opposition groups in the Turkish border region. Last week, IS had further driven FSA affiliated groups out of the areas near the Turkish border and cut off supplies to Marea trapping several thousand civilians in the area. Coalition support to these FSA affiliated groups has in the past week been limited to Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA) strikes and an airdrop of munitions and light weapons. OBJECTIVE Estimated flight time 2 hours 30 minutes (without time acceleration). Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) is executing an additional emergency airdrop of supplies in support of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) units defending Marea. The airdrop had originally been scheduled for earlier this morning, however has been postponed by several hours due to overcast weather. A single C-130 (Heavy-5-1) will execute a low-velocity airdrop in a marked Drop Zone (DZ) in Restricted Operations Zone (ROZ) Candy between 1130 to 1200 hours local time. The DZ will be secured by vetted FSA ground elements that will retrieve the supplies immediately. Air Tasking Order mission number 0628. Ram 2 is tasked with providing overwatch and Close Air Support (CAS) within ROZ Candy in support of the airdrop. Ram 2 will operate as a single element of Ram 2-1 (Player in 304) and Ram 2-2 (Shadow in 305). FLIGHT PLAN Departure: CASE I at 1100L in order 304 and 305, once Carrier Control Zone is cleared, turn to Waypoint 1 (WP1). WP1: Feet dry at Contact Point (CP) Manhattan, check in to joint airspace and continue via Transit Corridor (TC) Broadway at angels 20. WP2: Fence checks and turn in TC Broadway. WP3: Check out of TC Broadway, turn to ROZ Candy and check in with Joint Strike Cell Firefly. WP4: Anchor at appropriate altitude over mark point for DZ in ROZ Candy. WP5: Mark point, village in ROZ Candy (2nm south of DZ). WP6: Mark point, village in ROZ Candy (4nm south of DZ). WP7: Egress and check in to TC Broadway at CP Madison at angels 26, fence checks. WP8: Feet wet at CP Manhattan, check in with Strike, proceed to Carrier Control Area (CCAREA). Recovery: CASE I between 1230 and 1330L (north of Cyprus). Divert: Incirlik airbase (primary). Gaziantep airfield (emergency). Joker: 5,000 lbs. 00:00:00 - Start 00:00:18 - Cold start 00:08:39 - Taxi to cat 00:10:48 - Cat setup 00:11:57 - Waiting for wingman cat setup 00:13:08 - Launch 00:14:54 - En-route to Broadway 00:22:57 - Checking out with Strike 00:23:15 - Checking in with Magic 00:23:48 - En-route to ROZ Candy 00:24:34 - Chatting with wingman 00:26:13 - En-route to ROZ Candy 00:32:15 - Checking out with Magic 00:32:54 - Fencing in 00:34:09 - Checking in with Firefly 00:36:14 - Contacting FSA ground unit 00:38:17 - Orbiting drop zone and IS-controlled neighboring villages 00:39:28 - Tally insurgent manpad + technical 00:39:58 - Circling back for an attack 00:42:49 - Pickle GBU-12 00:43:20 - Shack 00:43:33 - BDA 00:43:46 - Request show of force 00:44:23 - Circling around for show of force 00:45:53 - Show of force 00:47:05 - Looking for additional targets 00:48:56 - Providing overwatch for supply drop 00:52:54 - Looking for targets 00:54:41 - Tally inurgent GRAD unit 00:55:16 - Rocket strafe on GRAD unit 00:55:51 - Circling back 00:57:19 - Rocket strafe on GRAD unit 00:57:43 - BDA 00:57:58 - Spotted insurgent armored convoy 00:58:11 - Circling around 00:58:34 - Radar lock on convoy 00:59:01 - Circling around 00:59:49 - Rocket strafe on convoy 01:00:25 - Circling back 01:01:04 - Spotted retreating BMP 01:01:43 - Rocket strafe on retreating BMP 01:02:02 - Circling back 01:03:31 - Rocket strafe on retreating BMP 01:03:56 - Looking for targets 01:11:22 - Egressing ROZ Candy 01:17:18 - Checking in with Magic 01:18:12 - Fencing out 01:18:39 - Traversing Broadway corridor 01:24:39 - Checking out with Magic 01:25:30 - Checking in with Strike 01:26:15 - Checking in with Marshal 01:34:16 - Failed recovery 1 01:38:39 - Failed recovery 2 01:42:32 - Successful recovery 01:45:00 - Taxi to parking 01:47:44 - Wingman recovery 01:49:28 - Debrief 01:50:16 - History