##Testing complete## This mission was built for an immersive experience with friends, where rotary and fixed-wing have to work together. It is based on a real capture-or-kill mission in this area which sheltered many of the hardline Taliban in the latter stages of the conflict. It is playable as single-player, but is best enjoyed with at least 1 other friend flying rotary while another flies fixed-wing. Rotary will insert Special Forces. Fixed-Wing will provide CAS and soften anti-air targets.

Following the ANA and USMC assault on the Taliban compound in Kajaki Sofla (https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3339750/), intelligence was gathered about the whereabouts of Obj SAMSON. SAMSON (aka Mullah Abdul Salam) was a prominent Taliban commander, and responsible for many USMC deaths. Having narrowed him down to village in the hostile territory of Zamindiwar, you'll fly a joint US-British mission to isolate the village, locate SAMSON, and eliminate him.

I have tested this mission as extensively as I can, but please do keep commenting if you come across any issues.

## Useful Information before you start ##
This is a layered, multi-platform mission based on real events involving fixed wing and rotary assets best enjoyed with friends. It is possible as multiplayer - up to 4 - playing either the fixed wing mission (which involves softening the target area), or Chinook with Apache escort  (which involves inserting troops at the target area). It is also playable as 2-player co-op, or singe player.

There are multiple radio cues within this mission. It is advised that helmet sounds are turned up to ensure you can clearly hear.

If you play as rotary, your mission starts off having departed Camp Bastion with members of the ANA and British Special Forces. You will fly out to SP1 and maintain pace with a second pair of USMC CH-53 helicopters. You will insert troops at SP7 troops will spawn when you land) who'll hold the north of the objective. You are then to egress and RTB.

If you play as Fixed Wing jets, your mission starts off proceeding to SP1 Orbit Area 2 where you'll stay on station and await instructions. It is imperative that you do not bomb the target area too early as this will cause the target to hide, and the mission will fail.

To play this mission successfully, you will need to be able to do the following:
- Unaided navigation, including in-flight  inputting  of Steer Points.
- Night flying
- Takeoff and landing
- Visual target acquistion, possibly with TPOD or HMD.
- LGB bombing
- Fuel management
- CAS 9-line understanding

Pen and paper would be useful.

## Intro and Historical Background ##
This mission is based on real events and immediately follows the previous Operation Eastern Storm mission.

Following the raid on the Taliban compound in Kajaki Sofla yesterday, USMC have reliable intelligence that Objective SAMSON (aka Mullah Abdul Salam) - a capture or kill target - is hiding in the Zamindiwar region of Helmand, in a small village north of Kajaki. Salam is a prolific IED maker and commander, and was likely responsible for the ambush on the USMC Quick Reaction Force yesterday. He is the brother of Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir (head of the Taliban Military Arm, and since 2021 has become a Minister for Defence in Kabul), and eliminating Obj SAMSON will deal a blow to the Taliban's leadership.

A joint mission between British Special Forces, the ANA, and USMC has been planned to eliminate Objective SAMSON at dawn.

Zamindiwar is ungoverned space, completely under the control of The Taliban. Coalition troops, at no point, ever controlled Zamindiwar, and you can expect fierce fighting in the mountains there. It is also known that the Taliban retain much of their post-Soviet-invasion hardware in these mountains, including anti-air weapons. In 2007 a British Chinook was downed by a suspected MANPAD in the Zamindiwar region (Google "Afghanistan War Logs: US covered up fatal Taliban missile strike on Chinook). Intelligence about this area is weak, and it's not entirely clear what the capabilities of the Taliban are in this area.

## The Mission ##
A USMC pair of CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters will depart Camp Bastion with a team of USMC infantry who will attempt to control the roads to the south in and out of the target village.

Meanwhile a British Chinook and AH64 package - Callsign DODGE - will follow, and insert British and ANA Special Forces north of the village. It'll involve low-level flying through the mountains, passing steer points, to avoid being reported by Taliban spotters who'll warn Obj SAMSON to move location. SP7 is the landing zone. After this you will egress and RTB; a second pair of Chinooks will be inbound to support the troops.

Callsign FINGER - a US drone - is on station at Orbit Area 1 offering updates on movement on the ground. It will also request artillery if required based at FOB Zebrugge, near the Kajaki Dam.

At Kandahar, callsign PONTIAC will fly out and station itself on Orbit Area 2, and await instructions fr om FINGER. Once the rotary flights are in position, MISER will instruct you to continue with your mission by proceeding to SP2 wh ere you'll be handed over to FINGER for instructions on any anti-air assets posing a threat to the rotary flights at SP3. You'll stay on station for as long as you can, supporting ground forces, before egressing and RTB.


## A note on ROE ##
ROE: Although Operation Eastern Storm is intended to win over the local populance, this mission is a hard capture-or-kill mission. Winning over the people of Zamindiwar is not part of the operation's objectives, and force is permitted in the vicinity of Objective SAMSON.

## Mission Success ##
Successful completion of this mission is contingent on capture or destorying Objective SAMSON a prominent IED maker and Taliban planner.