Operation Blistering Sands

Operation Blistering Sands

In one of the largest live fire Air Defense Exercise ever to be conducted in the Kingdom of Cochin, National Training Center Jaisalmer would be conducting the Operation Blistering Sands. Operation Blistering Sands would simulate a massive debilitating first strike on a target rich border region using conventional weapons particularly cruise missiles, Surface to Surface Missiles, railguns and the accompanying Air Superiority Attack by an enemy fighter force of 200 fighters supported by 4 AWACS. The 4 day exercise would see the combat validation of the 5 Tier CIWS system that is the backbone of Cochin's Anti Air Defense Network. For such a massive field exercise, the entire Block I stockpile of KUB cruise missiles would be expended along with the Block I stockpile of GG10 Short Range Ballistic Missiles, 1000 SHARM Anti Radiation Missiles along with the support of 5 Astra rail gun batteries.

The defender force would consist of the existing Anti Air Defense Network in the border region between the Kingdom and former Marscurian Pakistan which had not been dismantled for the purpose. A target rich environment would be stimulated with 4 divisional formations, 2 Forward Air Bases, 3 Auxiliary Air Bases, 3 Strategic Reserve Armories, 2 Power Generation Centers, 7 vital logistical checkpoints and three large population centers. The target rich environment would be completely of the simulated nature. The defender force would also have a battery of 50 GG10 Strategic Offense Program missiles for support, as per the Border Guard inventory doctrine. The 5 Tier CIWS system consists of 

Tier I : Surface to Air Missiles
Tier II: JWAL Point Defense Laser System
Tier III: MetalStorm Rocket System
Tier IV: MetalStorm CIWS Gun System
Tier V: 25mm CIWS Guns, STHAL Artillery Interdiction Device

The offense would be mounted by the X ACR of the NTC Jaisalmer would be operating from the NTC Jaisalmer Annexe Zone in the Sindh Province. The defenders would be the routine staff of AADN network in Rajasthan Province. Tactical surprise would be given to the aggressors.

Phase I

The first attack started with a massive volley fire of 500 KUB cruise missiles against the 24 principal targets. Due to the complete tactical surprise won by the aggressors, the Anti Air Defense Network could not activate its Tier I defenses in time from its existing DEFCON FOUR condition. The Tier II JWAL CIWS were powered up within 30 seconds and started to engage the missiles tracked by the ground and Aerostat borne radars of the AADN, neutralizing 25% of incoming missiles. By this time the Tier III, the MetalStorm Rocket Systems had started the volleyfire of the MS-RIM heatseeking rockets fired in MetalStorm's electrically triggered system. These heatseeking rockets successfully neutralized fully 35% of the missiles and by this time the Tier IV, MetalStorm Guns started firing volleys of rounds at the incoming rockets guided by their own millimeter wave tracking radars. After suffering 15% attrition from them another 5% of missiles were intercepted by the Tier V, 25mm Gatling cannons and the STHAL AIDs stationed around the target regions.

Fully 20% of missiles initially fired made their way through the CIWS network and 15% found successful hits on the targets, ie 75 KUB cruise missiles successfully impacted on targets.

Tier I - 0% (0/500 - 0%)
Tier II - 25% (125/500 - 25%)
Tier III - 35% (175/375 - 46.7%)
Tier IV - 15% (75/200 - 37.5%)
Tier V - 5% (25/125 - 20%)

Phase II
The second attack was through 200 GG10 SRBMs fired towards the radar stations and the principal targets. The ballistic vehicles were immediately detected by the Anti Air Defense Network radars and Strategic Air Defense Network satellites. The Defense network started engaging them with the secondary and tertiary batteries taking over as the primary batteries fired earlier are being combat reloaded. The interdiction percentages are as follows:

Tier I - 25% (50/200 - 25%)
Tier II - 20% (40/150 - 26.7%)
Tier III - 30% (60/110 - 54.5%)
Tier IV - 10% (20/50 - 40%)
Tier V - 10% (20/30 - 66.7%)

Five percent of the GG10s made their way through the CIWS network and of that 80% were successful in hitting their targets. Thus 8 GG10s caused massive damages at the principal targets and major radar stations. The backup radar towers were already switched to and thus there was no window of vulnerability.

Phase III
After the first two attacks, the third attack would now be an air attack mounted by four squadrons (50) of Jadayu Mk.2 armed with 300 SHARM - Anti Radiadtion Missiles against the AADN radar network in the region. Engaging the supersonic stealth fighters flying nap of the earth is the Tier I Surface to Air Missile batteries which gain 15% attrition. The Tier II JWAL PDLS are unable to engage the fast moving aircrafts however the Tier III, Tier IV and Tier V defenses have greater success ratio.

Tier I - 15% (7/50 - 15%)
Tier II - 0%
Tier III - 30% (90/255 - 35.3%)
Tier IV - 20% (60/165 - 36.4%)
Tier V - 25% (75/105 - 71.4%)

Of the 10% of SHARMs that successfully penetrated the CIWS network only 2% could successfully find their target due to active radar masking through dummy radars to change the radar pattern centroid for the SHARM target seekers.

Phase IV
By now with such interdiction of attacks by defendes the aggressors start firing their railgun batteries at the Air Defense Sites. The long range Rail Gun Artillery find themselves invincible to the Tiers I, II, III and IV of the AADN but 15% of the projectiles are intercepted by the STHAL Artillery Interdiction Devices of Stage V CIWS. Of the 85% of rounds 75% successfully found targets destroying further Radar sites and CIWS batteries. The backup towers were switched to instantaneously and through the tracking information from the Artillery Tracking Radars, the location of the 5 railgun batteries had been determined. A counter attack was launched towards these railguns using the GG10 SOP missiles, with 5 GG10s targetted per railgun battery for maximum impact with the varied ammunition packages. Two of the railgun batteries of the aggressor have been determined to be out of commission in this counter attack.

Tier I - 0%
Tier II - 0%
Tier III - 0%
Tier IV - 0%
Tier V - 15%

Phase V
As a precursor to a massive final attack the aggressors launch its largest missile volley, a whopping 2500 KUB cruise missile and 200 GG10 SRBMs are launched at the 24 principal targets and Secondary Air Defense Targets. These find them interdicted in this pattern by the AADN.

Tier I - 30% (810/2700 - 30%)
Tier II - 20% (540/1890 - 28.6%)
Tier III - 10% (270/1350 - 20%)
Tier IV - 15% (405/1080 - 37.5%)
Tier V - 20% (540/675 - 80%)

Of the 5% missiles which make their way through 3% find target successfully.

Phase VI
The last phase in the assault is a combined attack by the air, missile and railgun units. The four regiments of fighter aircrafts armed with 700 SHARM follow 1000 KUB missiles and 100 GG10 SRBMs. They would be followed by the remaining three railguns firing its own volleys at the targets. Against this final onslaught the success percentages were:

Tier I - 35% (665/1900 - 35%)
Tier II - 20% (380/1235 - 30.8%)
Tier III - 15% (285/855 - 33.4%)
Tier IV - 20% (380/570 - 66.7%)
Tier V - 5% (95/190 - 50%)

5% of the attacking munitions successfully impacted on the targets.

Overall interdiction efficiency for various Tiers of the Anti Air Defense Network.

Tier I - 1532/5350 - 28.6%
Tier II - 1085/3775 - 28.7%
Tier III - 880/2945 - 29.9%
Tier IV - 940/2065 - 45.5%
Tier V - 755/1125 - 67.1 +15%(PHIV) = 56.68%

With the Operation Blistering Sands successfully completed several valuable lessons had been learned and experience hard won about how to defend against a massive missile attack as a debilitating first strike against a region.