Set in 2025, you will fly an Azerbaijan JF-17 Thunder through the mountains of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region three years after the Armenian / Azerbaijan conflict in which Azerbaijan annexed the region and forced the displacement of several thousand Armenians. With their Russian allies distracted in Ukraine, Armenia at the time was not able to mount a viable defence. In the years that have followed, you and your wingman have performed routine, low-level, deterrence sorties through the valleys. Today,  Armenian and Russian backed militants will launch a surprise attack, forcing your wingman to eject over hostile territory. You'll be tasked with protecting the crash site while CSAR approaches and evacuates the pilot. Should you fail, and the pilot is captured by militants, Armenia will use it as diplomatic leverage to request independence for the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

For realism purposes, it is advised that you search for Armenian and Azerbaijan liveries.

Since 2018 Azerbaijan and Armenian forces have been fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region near the Iranian border, resulting in the eventual September 2022 conflict in which Azerbeijan took control of and annexed several Armenian provinces. The offensive was well-timed and went unnoticed; Russian forces were preoccupied with Ukraine which meant they could offer little in the way of support to their Armenian allies, while the western world remained isolationist in the wake of Covid. The conflict led to the evacuation of over 7,000 ethnic Armenians in one of the greatest human tragedies within the region in recent memory. A ceasefire was eventually brokered by Russia, but the borders remain disputed.

Three years later, in 2025, the ceasefire remains in place. Azerbaijan has taken order of JF-17s, while Armenia has been reinforced with Russian-supplied Flankers. Small-scale border infractions persist, and Armenian/Russian-supplied nationalists continue to be a thorn in Azerbaijan's side as the fight for independence.

## Useful Info ##
This mission is best played with Azerbaijan and Armenian liveries, both of which are available on the DCS user files.

There are radio cues within this mission and it's advised that your helmet sounds are turned up, and world sounds turned down a little.

You must be able to:
1. ACM
2. Interpet a CAS 9-line
3. Use laser or CCIP bombing

## Your Mission ##
It is February 2025. Your flight of JF17s, C/S Blacksmith, is conducting routine low-level flying operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region to demonstrate a persistant aerial threat for nationalist forces.

As you near the end of your mission, your flight leader is struck by small arms fire and is forced to eject over towns and villages still loyal to Armenia.

You will start recovery procedures by climbing to height and contacting your ground controller who will dispatch Search and Rescue (SAR) to your location. You'll be asked to orbit above the crash site to give the controller an idea of the location.

If Armenian-backed rebels reach the crash site before your SAR asset does, he'll be captured and will be used as diplomatic leverage to negotiate borders in Armenia's favour. It is essential that the SAR helicopter is able to get to the location safely. You'll be tasked with protecting the crash site.

## Intelligence ##
Armenia and Russia backed Rebels are rife in this area, often concealing military hardware in farm outhouses and warehouses. Exact equipment is unknown, but is likely that much of it is Soviet-era Russian-supplied hardware that is now obselete in the Ukraine war.

Armenia does have air assets. They have taken delivery of 6 SU-27s, though it is not believed that they have missiles yet as Russia is prioritising them for its own conflict in Ukraine.

## ROE ##
Hostile force against non-state actors (rebels) will be permitted, but force against Armenia armed forces is not. The ceasefire remains in place.