This was the next Jet Age (Check Your 6) game that we recently managed. Again, set in the context of the NWA Imaginafrica campaign. This was set further south from the last one, over the territory known as the Jeninesian Nose. In the campaign that ground is occupied by troops from Kalemnikta (KAL) after driving the ground forces of Jenkinesia (JEN) out of the land of Old Hembabwe, claimed and occupied by Kalemnikta but without recognition by the UN and at least half of the states of Imaginafrica. KAL currently relies on the support of the Soviet bloc and some influential parties in Portugal.
While ground forces fought their ongoing skirmish campaign, probing and seeking weaknesses in the other side's lines in the hope of breaking the deadlock that had developed, KAL Air Force MiGs prowled over the disputed ground. The CAP was going nicely until a pair of JEN F-86 Hunters appeared out of now-where...
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There were a few turns of cruising at TAL 5 speed 4. The pilots scanned the skies, but even though it was clear the opposition was well beyond visual range (16 hexes) and neither side wanted to test the reliability of their radars that day. The Hunters spotted the MiGs first and turned in towards them.
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The MiGs soon spotted the JEN Hunters before the latter could gain an advantage. Both groups kept formation as long as possible, climbing in order to have altitude to burn for energy while turning into each other. The Hunters, having more experienced pilots, were able to take advantage of that and slowly gained a better position.
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With altitude and speed equaled and the distance between them eliminated, the Hunters split up and the wingman attempted to draw some of the inexperienced KAL MiG pilots after him and set them up for the flight leader. The KAL flight leader could see the trap, but by his maths the loss of one aircraft each would still put him well ahead, and JEN could ill afford to lose a single Hunter at that point in the conflict.
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So the trap was set and both sides flew into it. The JEN wingman was a perfect target within IRM range and envelope, but so were two of the KAL MiGs for the JEN flight leader. The JEN Hunter released first. Both missiles fired correctly, the first homed in on the closest MiG and was a proximity hit, causing shrapnel damage but failing to damage critical systems. The second Sidewinder however was a direct hit, resulting in the destruction of the MiG from which the pilot narrowly escaped by ejecting.
The lead MiG was at almost the same moment firing both its IRMs, though this was a different outcome. On the missile fault test, both had immediate failures: the first failed to fire and just dropped to the earth, while the second fired, went vertical, and disappeared into the sky. The Hunter had escaped!
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At that point, both sides reached their RoE Limit and so broke for home. As this wasn't part of a Jet Age campaign we diced for the KAL pilot: he managed to be picked up at a later point and so would return to the fray.
This was the second game where the KAL had taken losses in their frontline MiG-19 squadrons. While they had several of these, they weren't inexhaustible and so a decision was been made to bring up the fast-jet reserves. Better pilots in MiG-21s would soon be making an appearance over the front.