Background: Almost every battle that took place in the IndoPakistani war occured at or below 10,000n feet. Most intercepted strikes were low level raids intended to get as close as possible to enemy targets while staying below the enemy's radar coverage. The IAF, though, did attempt to gain air superiority over West Pakistan by sending in high altitude sweeps of MiG21 s, sometimes as deep as 150 miles into Pakistani territory, to draw the PAF fighters into a battle of attrition which India could easily afford. The Pakistani Air Force never took the bait and chose merely to track the MiGs on their radars. The IAF MiGs accomplished little more than to waste gas and contrail the skies. This scenario assumes otherwise as the PAF could have engaged the MiGs with Mirages or Starfighters which would have been in their own best element at 30,000 feet. Maps: A B Game Length: 20 game turns. Notes: 1. All aircraft begin unspotted but all are detected by enemy ground radar (GCI control). All are silver. 2. The PAF player may choose either four Mirage-IIIEP or four F-104A starfighters, or two of each. 3. MiG Loads: Stations 1,3= AA-2A Atoll IRMs, station 2= 600L FT (Note: no guns). F-104 Loads: Stations 1,5= AIM-9B IRMs, station 3= 600L FT, Conf.- 1/2, load= 5. Mirage Loads: Stations 1,5= AIM-9B IRMs, stations 2,4= 600L FT, station 3= Matra R.530 RHM, Conf.= DT, load= 9.5. 4. Optionals: Fuel: All start at 0.5 x internal plus FT fuel, bingo- 0.4 x internal. Crew Quality: Each side has one V, plus three Rs, roll for attributes and characteristics. Weather: Clear with contrails at 33. Back to Table of Contents -- Air Power # 20 Back to Air Power List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by J.D. Webster This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com