DT Variant - Lebanon 1983 - Scenario 1

19th September French Naval Aviation from the Clemenceau launched an air strike against the Druze Militia after ground forces came under heavy pressure. This was the first of the MNF Air operations over Lebanon.



The targets according to acig.org were near Dhour el-Choueir, Dahr El and a Dara.



The Main French raid force was

• 8 Super Etendards
• 8 Crusaders Escorts

Post Strike Recon conducted by

• Etendard IVP
• 2 Crusader Escorts

In DT/EV speak this converts to



Main Raid

Work needed on this but we are looking at somewhere between 2 and 4 flights of Etendard and the same for the Crusaders. I would initially suggest "normal" DT packaging which would mean something like:

• 2 {2 Bombing}Bombing Super Etendard
• 2 {2 SEAD} Armed Escort Super Etendard
• 2 {2 CAP} CAP Crusader
• 2{2 Armed Escort} Armed Escort Crusader

Post Strike

• 1 {1 Recon} Recon Etendard IVP
• 1 {2 CAP} CAP Crusader

Defenders

No mention of any fixed SAM emplacements. Plenty of Flak and SA-7 reported in the area which caused serious damaged to one of the CAP escorts of the Post Strike Recon mission.



The acig.org article says the targets were near Dhour el-Choueir, Dahr El and a Dara



In my personal opinion I think the targets are

• Dahr Al Baidar (30+km from Beirut)
• Ain Dara
• Dhour el-Choueir (Dhour el Shuywar) slightly to the North of the other two but reckoned to have been a front line position.