This is the second mission of my upcoming campaign, and I appreciate any comments re: bugs/issues. It is advised that you play the first mission before this one in order to understand the campaign's structure.

In the last 48 hours Tehran has been responding to an Israeli aerial bombardment. With little help coming from Russia, and with few military or diplomatic options to resist Israeli aggression, Iran is desperate to coerce the international community to respond to its plight. To do this, it intends on raising oil prices by attacking oil interests in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the last mission, you failed to rescue The Blue Orion, an Italian-flagged oil tanker. Now seized by the Iranian Navy and anchored near the port of Bandar Abbas, you will escort a US Special Forces flight as they recapture the tanker, and rescue the crew from the Iranian shoreline. US Tomahawk Missiles will bombard enemy air defences ahead of you while you stay low level to avoid radar detection.

This is the second mission of my upcoming campaign and would appreciate comments on any bugs. It is advised that you play the first mission first in order to understand the campaign's structure!

You can skip this mission if you saved the Blue Orion in the last mission! But, if you still want the experience of trying to recapture the tanker and rescue its crew, feel free to do so!

Mission 3 is at https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3345412/

## Background ##
2 days after Taskforce Sentinel failed to protect the civilian tanker the Blue Orion, Iran and the US-led taskforce have been on a knife-edge while negotiations to release the crew and tanker have progressively worsened, and other oil interests have been attacked. Iran has been flying daily CAPs over the captured tanker, currently anchored not far from Havadarya Air Base. Meanwhile, these CAPs have been mirriored by US and Omani F-16s, supported by RAF E3s.

With little sign that Iran will back down, and with civilian shipping now bottlenecked in the Strait of Hormuz while they are escorted through the narrow channel, the US and Arab League have decided to take pre-emptive action to extract the civlian crew of the Blue Orion,  to recapture the tanker and return it to friendly waters, and to reduce Iran's naval capability by attacking its ports.

Understanding that this audacious raid on Iranian soil will almost certainly lead to Iranian retalliation, a US fleet will disable as many of the nearby Iranian Air Bases in order to slow down and discourage retallatory efforts.


## The Mission ##
Last night a sleeper cell of Iraqi Paramilitary Forces, kept hidden within Iran, conducted a raid near Rajaei Port to free the captured crew of the Blue Orion. With the clock against them, they are driving to the port for extraction by US and Iraqi forces.

A flight of US Blackhawks and Iraqi Mi-17 will masquerade as routine oil rig traffic, and fly below radar detection to the Iranian coast. A squad of US Navy Seals will recapture the Blue Orion, while the second half of the flight continues to Rajaei Port to the LZ. Overhead, friendly CAPs will distract Red Interceptors and keep their radars looking "high."


AH64 or Mi17 Mission:
You will escort the CSAR party.

As you conduct your mission, the nearby US fleet will launch Tomahawk Cruise Missiles against known air defence positions on the Iranian side of the Strait.

You will escort the flight to the LZ. Your primary objective is to protect the extraction and ensure the safe recovery of the Iraqi sleeper cell and civilian crew of the Blue Orion.

Your secondary objective is to deny any remainining air defences at Havadarya not destroyed in the naval bombardment.

F16 or F18 Mission:
You will mirror the Red CAPs, flying within 20 miles of the Iranian coastline. Your primary objective is to distract the red interceptors and keep their attention away from the helicopters below you.

You will not engage until the US Navy Seals have successfully recaptured the tanker, and when the USN Tomahawk Missiles have struck at nearby SAM sites. Engaging early will trigger Iran's Air Defence systems and put at risk the helicopters, as well as yourselves.

Magic 53, a RAF E3D Sentry, will trigger hostilities.

Hostilities will be marked by the code word "Salamander."

## ROE and Further Notes ##
You are cleared hot on all bandits after Magic 53 instructs.
Radio silence.

## Callsigns ##
Ugly: AH64 / UH60 CSAR
Blue Orion: A civilian tanker, Italian flagged
Magic 53: RAF E3D
Razor: F18 / F16