
				Peregrine's Bomber Helper

	When MicroProse released its F-15 Strike Eagle III simulator, it loosed upon the computer world one of the most versatile attack aircraft the world has ever seen.  Built from the world's greatest air-superiority fighter, the F-15 E is an awesome combination of air-to-air and air-to-ground capability.  While the Strike Eagle's modern systems greatly simplify the task of hitting ground targets, there is a great deal to master in order to fully use this outstanding simulation.  This article is based on hundreds of missions flown, and is by no means complete.   I hope that it provides some useful suggestions for enhancing your flight performance.
	Right off the bat, I am going to make a few assumptions about your reality settings.  I will presume that you have set the air-to-ground radar, weapons effectiveness, FLIR, TEWS, and F-15 damage to the authentic settings.  The flight model can be on either setting, but it will modify the exact flight characteristics for the tactics I will discuss.  Also, the difficulty setting will effect when the opposition scrambles its fighters.  Depending on the setting, they may launch either only after a radar locks you up or you draw ground fire, or as soon as your first bomb hits.  If it is the former case, you can hit targets, such as radars, on the way in.  Lastly, I will assume that you are in a campaign.
	The basic information contained in the air-to-ground sections of the manual is a good foundation, but does not address the "finesse" that separates the competent from the outstanding.  Ground attack is most successful when the enemy cannot effectively respond.  Careful use of the F-15E's capabilities and ordinance will allow you to wreak havoc in enemy airspace, and return home safely.  By planning ahead, based on the type of targets to be hit, you can enhance your survivability, effectiveness, and score.
	The simulator provides a variety of challenging targets, anything from a group of tanks to major installations.  The two assigned each mission are generally related, in that they can be hit with the same type of default ordinance, 500 pound bombs, 2000 pound bombs, cluster bombs, or target-specific types.  Don't asume that this is the case, however.  Sometimes one target may not be particularly vunerable to the default load.  The art of selection lies in knowing the best way to employ the advanced capabilities offered by the various types of ordinance.  You will figure all this out sooner or later, but here are some suggestions based on my own experience with the sim.

			Recommended Ordinance by Target Type

Any Radar:
	Until the fighters arrive, radar is your greatest threat.  Regardless of whether radars are your designated targets, you will probably want to kill them as you try to set up for your attack.  The HARM is quite effective, with its thirteen mile range and its ability to automaticly home in on any active radar source.  Unfortunatly, you can only carry two.  I have found that the best all around radar killer is the AGM-65 Maverick.  These little missiles will kill any non-shp radar emitter with one shot.  By giving up the HARM's radar-seeking capability and two mile range advantage, you gain ten more shots.  Most GCI intercept/C&C/Early Warning radars consist of a Barlock or Fan Song radar, a Height Finder radar, and a GCI ops building. Killing these types requires hitting the main radar or the GCI ops building next to it. Don't waste a shot on the Height Finder, as it accomplishes nothing.  If you draw a radar strike, take a load of Mavericks, fly in low, and look for other radars along the way home.  Knocking out the DEW radars and long range SAM radars in an area allows a much more leisurely attack on the next campaign trip.  If you keep them suppressed, every other mission will be that much easier.

SAM sites:
	CBU-87s allow you to attack the entire group, but require you to get close enough on your bomb run to be spotted and locked up, even under 500 feet.  I recommend Mavericks on the wing stations and CBU-87s on the conformal stations.  As you approach, pop the radar with a Maverick.  Then you can take a straight and level run with the cluster bombs.  You now have eleven missiles and two loads of cluster bombs for your other target and any targets of opportunity.  With the radar dead, you can even strafe the individual missiles.  Just remember to save some rounds for fighters!  If the fighters wait for a ground radar lock, you can run the entire mission at moderate speed, conserving fuel and allowing a thorough radar cleansing.  The one catch to SAM sites is that if you don't use cluster bombs, you will have to pick off the majority of the component units.

Hard Targets:
	Hard targets include: bunkers, bridges, hardened hangers, hardened ammo dumps, reactor cooling domes, large buildings,  oil platforms, and any other massive structure. For these targets you need a 2000 pound punch.  The fire-and-forget GBU-15 is the easiest to use.  GBU-10s work just as well, although they require continual laser guidance.  If you want to be far away when the fireworks start, use SLAMs. Very large buildings, like the palace in Baghdad will require two hits, one in each section.

Buildings and other soft structures:
	These include buildings, factories, refineries, control towers, hangers, communications towers, storage tanks, canal locks, and port facilities.  GBU-12s are probably your best bet.  The laser guided 500 pound bomb will wreck most single structures.  Complexes of structures, such as refineries or power plants will require a hit on at least two major parts for mission credit.  You can carry a minimum of six up to a maximum of fourteen of these beasts, so this is rarely a problem.  If the building is very large, you will have to use 2000 pound bombs.  Port facilities will require multiple hits, often making it worth using 500 pound slick or retarded bombs.

Scuds:
	If I have no serious air threats on the way home from a Desert Storm mission starting from a tanker track, I will engage any Scuds I can reach with remaining fuel and ordinance.  I usually strafe these undefended targets, using any leftover ordinance on other types of targets of opportunity.  I recommend against cluster bombs, as Scuds are usually too well dispersed.  If you have to use A-G ordinance, anything will work.  It boils down to how may shots you want to take.  Even in a campaign, there seems to be no end to the darn things.  I have never drawn a mission with Scuds as a Primary or Secondary target. If you look around a bit, you will also find Scuds in North Korea.

Triple-A sites:
	These can be major pucker-factor missions.  If the guns are out somewhere by themselves, use Mavericks or GBU-12s to pick them off.  Unfortunately, they are often in built up areas.  Unless you are extremely good at picking out the guns by eye or by using the targeting FLIR, you will not be able to use guided munitions from a distance.  In other words, you will have to fly over a city on a bombing run with CBU-87s.  This kind of run will require all your skill, either in performing a pop-up or a very low altitude screamer.  the key is, maneuver constantly and GET OUT OF TOWN FAST!  The triple-A is extremely heavy, and the gunners spot you before you can drop your bombs.  Whatever you do, do not get tangled up in a dogfight over a city.  The gunners will cut you to pieces.  

Troop concentrations:
	This catagory also includes terrorist camps and jungle HQs.  CBU-87s work best, although dumb iron will work to a much lesser degree.  Watch out for ground fire, it will be enthusiastic!  If possible hit from 6000 feet or more, SAMs and fighters permitting.

Truck depots and supply convoys:
	Again, CBU-87s work well, and Rockeyes almost as well.  There are usually enough targets to make it worth dropping two or three evenly spaced loads.  Dive bombing without descending below 7000 feet is easy and relatively safe.  Select the three loads on the conformal stations, nose over and line up along the target's axis of travel, pickle your CBUs short, on target, and long.   Alternately, Mavericks and GBU-12s let you pick the vehicles off one by one, outside of any triple-A coverage.  

Tank groups:
	Rockeye cluster bombs were designed as armored vehicle killers.  They are much more effective than the dual purpose CBU-87s.  Whichever type you use, watch out for ground fire, as every vehicle in and around the tank group will be shooting at you.  These groups often include heavy concentrations of triple-A and nearby mobile SAM launchers.  The safest method is to carry a load of Mavericks, which were specifically designed to kill armor, and a load of GBU-12s.  Keep your distance, using the radar to designate targets for the ordinance.  If you close to within three miles, back off.  Until you get good at tank spotting, you may find that you are not hitting the tanks, just everything else.  If you lack the finer points of tank busting with Mavericks or GBU-12s, carry the guided ordinance on the wing A-G stations, and Rockeyes on the conformal stations.  If you do not succeed with the missiles, make a high speed or high altitude run with the cluster bombs.

Ships:
	The standard anti-ship weapon is the Harpoon.  A fire and forget cruise missile with an active seeker and sixty five mile range, these things are the most effective ship killers in your arsenal.  The main limitations on their use are the range limitations of the HRMs generated by the F-15's radar and the fact that you can only carry two Harpoons.  If the ship is in port, you have to get close enough to generate a 1.3 or .67 HRM in order to sort the target out from other nearby ships.  I have a preferred alternative.  The 500 pound GBU-12 turns out to be a most useful weapon.  The GBU-12 is heavy enough to kill all but the largest ships, and you can carry so many of them!  If you have to get in close, why not kill every ship in and around the port?  Depending on fighter response, you could conceivably kill fourteen ships.  Four AMRAAMs could still allow you to hold the interceptors at bay while killing ships.  The 2000 pound GBUs work, but are overkill on all except freighters and the huge oil tankers.  These big ships require a 2000 pound punch.  Another good alternate ship killer is the GBU-15.  These monsters will kill anything that floats, and let you depart the area before the fireworks start.  Mavericks, cluster bombs, and strafing are generally ineffective on ships.  Do beware of the radar equipped missile boats!  Treat any warship as a triple-A and SAM site.  They are quite effective anti-aircraft platforms.  Caution!  It is exceedingly difficult to tell friend from foe.  Don't attack ships when "Fence Out" unless it illuminates you with a radar or shoots at you.  Even "Fence In", you may encounter friendlies closer to home.  Your best bet is to take targets of opportunity in the area of your mission targets, and anything which turns a radar on your aircraft.

Port facilities:
	These can be hit with any of the guided bombs.  I much prefer a load of BSU-49 retarded 500 pound bombs.  I make a low altitude run at high speed, and let the bombs find whatever targets they can.  This usually works quite well.  If both mission targets are port facilities, consider taking bombs on the conformal stations as well.  Use CDIP delivery, dropping the three conformal loads on Primary and the two wing loads on Secondary.  The trick is to use the radar to find an approach along the long axis of the facility. Drop your first load a moment early, the second directly on target, and the third (if you have one) a moment late.  This produces widespread destruction, possibly even bagging any docked ships.  Since ports usually are parts of a city, it is essential not to fly into the city proper, or the gunners will cut you up.  I once drew a mission against two port facilities close enough to show on the same 1.3 HRM.  I used the full load method, flying along the longest axis of the area. There was no time to designate the second target, but it is fairly easy to use one's eye to spot the actual structure based on study of the HRM image.  This little run bagged all kinds of targets, including docked ships.  The gunners got one piece of me, the front displays.  Not a bad trade. 

Runways:
	If you are assigned to hit a runway, you should use Durandals.  Come in low and fast, avoiding any local triple-A.  Watch out for a fighter that scrambles as you depart.  If you are going to use CDIP mode, make your approach from the north along the long axis of the strip.  The length of the runway will provide for a greater margin of error.  Whichever delivery method you use, coming in from the north makes it easier to deal with a fighter that manages to get off the ground.  He will either be an easy Sidewinder kill right in front of you, or he will be behind you low and slow trying to climb.

Notes on strafing:
	Although the F-15's M61-A1 20mm cannon was not designed for hitting ground targets, it can be used for strafing.  The ammo load is quite limited, so line up your shots carefully, and use aimed short bursts.  Generally, make your approach at about 2000 feet.  As you enter gun range, nose over into a shallow dive and pop your speed brake.  Try to maintain 200 to 250 knots.  Pop the target, tuck in the brake, punch the throttle and make a smooth pull-out.  Remember rule one:  avoid contact with the ground!  Scuds, large SAMs, oil storage tanks, propane storage tanks, and other fragile and flammable targets are the easiest.  You can also strafe vehicles of all types, although combat vehicles can hit you before you get into gun range.  You can hit radars as well, although they will definately spot you first.

			Happy Hunting!

			Peregrine
			(aka Walter M. Rauch)


