V.1.40 - 20250426 (massive DCS bug hardening)

This is a fully randomized COIN (COunter-INsurgency) mission which tasks you (and your friends) with defending towns from enemy convoys. Single- and Multi-Player randomized mission with optional Sandbox (endless) mode. There are no SAM sites nor enemy fast movers to defend against, but there are  hostile ground forces and helicopters on their way to attack the cities that are under your protection.


You are based at Hatay and are tasked with the protection of the surrounding cities Akincilar, Kirikhan, Kumlu, Reyhanli, and Antakaya. Intelligence has learned that a number of insurgent convoys are enroute, with the intent to capture these cities. When patrolling the region, be wary of irregular forces on the ground that will attack you on sight. Your priority are the convoys that are rushing towards your cities. Destroy them before they reach their objective

You get updates as soon as intelligence learns of the existence a convoy, and a summary of all known hostile convoys can always be requested via Communications. Enemy convoys consist of multiple vehicles, some armored. All convoys are protected by some form of air defense, so be careful. Some of the convoys also have helicopter escorts.

Every mission plays differently - enemies and the routes that they take are randomized. This mission can be played endlessly, with new randomized insurgents arriving continuously.

USING TROOP TRANSPORT
This mission supports deploying ground troops (infantry) with troop transport-capable helicopters

To use this feature, you must Occupy a troop transport capable helicopter (Mi-8, Huey, Hook, Mi-24, (Mission modders: Blackhawk supported)) and
- Spawn them (Optional. If there are ground troops near, just land close to them)
- To spawn ground troops, land your helicopter near the white smoke at the Hatay camp, and go to Communications-->Other-->Airlift Troops-->Request <Hatay Assault> troops for transport
- Move your helicopter near the troops that you want to pick up. You can order them into your helicopter by: Communications-->Other-->Airlift Troops-->Load <group name> ? Members
- Once the troops are on board (currently instantaneous), they are ready to drop whereever and whenever you want them to.

DEPLOYING TROOPS
- To deploy the troops that you are carrying, land the helicopter, and choose Communications-->Other-->Airlift Troops-->Deploy Team <group name>
- Once you have deployed a group, you can load it again by landing close to them, and going again to Communications-->Other-->Airlift Troops-->Load <group name> ? Members

Mission is single-player and multiplayer.

Notes
To switch to endless mode, go to Communications-->Other-->Mission Options --> Mission Goals and choose "Set mission to endless". This is a one-way switch, the mission must be restarted to return to standard goals.

To enable/disable automatic recon-markings on the map when enemy convoys are sighted ("Easy Mode"), go to Communications-->Other-->Mission Options--> RECON

To control eye candy ("stopGap" static planes), go to Communications-->Other-->Mission Options --> Eye Candy


Single-Player Notes
You can switch airframes at any time without restrictions. Mission can be completed successfully within some 120 minutes in the A-10A, faster in the Mudhen or Bug. It takes longer in the Black Shark, and becomes increasingly challenging in other helicopters (Single-player completion with just the Chinook is currently impossible).
The mission provides access to all player-controlled aircraft via DCS's new 'dynamic player' feature, but in order to access this you must start the mission in multiplayer, even if you intend to play it alone.

Multiplayer Notes
COIN Op increases the difficulty of the mission with every player that joins the game. Mission can be completed successfully in 100 minutes, depending on the mix of aircraft that you are using.

COIN Op uses stopGap for visual splendor. If you run this mission in multiplayer you must either disable Eye Candy, or install "stopGapGUI" on the server (only server) to work around a DCS synchronization issue

Multiplayer supports dynamic player slots

Acknowledgements
- Image credit: autoevolution
- Uses DML

BACKGROUND
On February 6, 2023, a massive earthquake hit the Turkey / Syria regions. The epicenter, located some 20 miles west-northwest of Gaziantep, brought unimaginable tragedy, destruction and devastation to some 15 million people who lived in this region. Some 60'000 lives perished, and far too many more were gravely injured.

Damaged roads, harsh winter climate and disrupted communication lines conspired to hamper the initial relief effort; the people in the region had to endure terrible conditions for days. Although slow at first, the world responded. In an outpouring of support, more than 140'000 people from over 90 countries gathered and joined hands to help the stricken and try to mitigate the damage wrought by nature. Together, the region started their long, arduous road to healing.

Years later, the earth shook again.

This time, the tremors weren’t nearly as bad, but they were enough to again disrupt communications. Worse, they served to instill fear and uncertainty into the people of a region that for millennia had too much of both. Unscrupulous and unconscionable local strong men interpreted the earthquakes as signs from their Gods to act aggressively. Moving swiftly, they managed to capture stores filled with light military equipment, including several combat-equipped helicopters. Within days, they used these inventories to assemble ragtag, yet dangerous, convoys that are now roving the countryside, intent on disrupting and destroying the remains of local government: the towns of Antakya, Akincilar, Kirikhan, Kumlu and Reayhanli. Intelligence indicates that there may be more behind this apparently local effort than meets the eye: evidently these irregular forces have access to combat-trained people with expertise to handle heavy weapons and even helicopters. This aspect of intelligence will have to be further developed.
The irregular’s efforts must not succeed.
Losing just one of the remaining centers of hope is estimated to be enough to trigger a cascading effect that will leave the entire region in the hands of quasi-religious warlords of unknown affiliation.

ORDERS
You are stationed at Hatay airfield, and ordered to seek out these convoys, and destroy them before they can reach any of the five remaining cities. Intelligence reports small groups or armed individuals roving the countryside, so be on the look-out for threats, and neutralize those, if possible, as well. Your rules of engagement are Weapons Free. All roads and airspace are closed, there are no friendlies in your area of operations, and you can assume any unknown vehicle or aircraft is hostile.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Initially, try to establish the locations of the convoys as they are reported by intelligence. First you can try and clear Hatay’s immediate surroundings of enemy scouts to allow you to move more freely. Once convoys get closer to their targets, it is imperative that you destroy all ground vehicles before they reach their destination. Be wary of Helicopter escorts as their combat abilities are unknown.
Be advised that the hostile ground forces have access to limited AAA capability, in rare cases advanced AAA capabilities, including shoulder-mounted missiles or vehicles capable of launching ground-to-air missiles.