77th VTFS

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The V-TFS Remembers... 22 Years Ago Today.

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Squadron Activity for 05AUG23 - Viper AAR Training & The Shakes

RafaleC_77th went up today with a longtime friend of the V-TFS from the Squadron's FA days, Centurian of the 369th VFW, for some air to air refueling in the venerable Viper. Both pilots experienced 'The Shakes' during their refueling cycles making for a more intense than usual training session.

Mudhen evaluations today.

GREETINGS SQUADMATES AND FRIENDS!!!,

All equipment has arrived safe and ready to support operations from Japan! We will continue to set up our new home over the next few days. (unpacking, adjusting the network, etc.) The internet connection here is amazing! We were able to update the DCS server which had 84GB of updates in less than 1.5 hours!! We will provide a return to flight time once we have tested all systems. Thank you to everyone for your patience during this transition.


Raptor_77th

***SERVER UPDATE***

KONICHIWA SQUADMATES AND FRIENDS!!,

Our server equipment is set to be delivered on June 2nd. We will get the fastest internet possible before this date in order to provide the best support for operations. Once the equipment arrives, we will set up the server and begin the massive roughly 3 months worth of downloads. After thorough operational tests, we will post our return to flight date. Thank you for your patience during this move.

ARIGATO

Raptor_77th and the rest of the deck.

Server Move Update:

KONICHIWA SQUADMATES AND FRIENDS!!

We have just received word that the 77th VTFS server has arrived in Japan. We are expected to have the location finalized and the server set up within the next 3-4 weeks. We will provide another update once we have a solid return to flight date after a thorough damage check and operational test. Thank you for your patience in this move and your continued support.

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Raptor_77th and the rest of the deck.

LiNk, Rafale and Kewell_77th went up for a drink over the weekend in the vipers.

Squadron Activity for 12FEB23 - The Black Sea Bout, Final Sortie on the Server in Italy.

The Black Sea Bout is the 3rd Mission in an ongoing planned series of decently challenging Cooperative missions designed by Raptor_77th under a Cooperative set of missions known internally to the Group as the 'V-TFS Wars'. The third mission entailed the Group's collective combat assets striking a belligerent nation's submarines at a well defended port. Taking part of in the day's sortie of was Raptor (F/A-18C), Kewell (F-14B, but in a Hornet earlier), Raf (not pictured, but was in an Su-25T, and later a Tomcat), and Link (F-22A, and later a Hornet).

The days successes included a number of air to air victories with the lion's share going to the F-22. Kewell managed to sink half of the subs present at port with the 'Bombcat' before the Group decided to finish flight ops for the day.

Ending this post, we want to Thank our friend for hosting the server & producing these magnificent missions and sandbox ranges & We wish our colleague, Raptor_77th, the best luck on his next assignment. -s-

Arrivederci bella Napoli! and そしてこんにちは東京 (Sosh*te kon'nichiwa Tōkyō)!

Greetings 77th VTFS and Fans!! The 77th DCS Server will once again have an extended down period after this Sunday for approximately 3-ish months as the server is being transported to Japan. We expect to conduct flight operations tomorrow around 6-7 ZULU/GMT time as well as Sunday. We are currently working to get our back up server online in Nevada so no interruption occurs. We welcome all to come fly and send off our Italian server with honors.

*The 77th servers new network speed in Japan is expected to be extremely faster and if it becomes self aware the 77th VTFS holds no liability.*

(Picture) The Best time had this year at Fairford!

From all of us here at the 77th V-TFS, we would like to Wish Family, Friends, and Everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

The 77th V-TFS extends a Very Happy Thanksgiving to Friends, Family, and to All.

24 Years today

1998 - 2022

The 77th V-TFS remembers

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The 77th VTFS stands by the side of our British wingmates in mourning the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The 77th VTFS was at RIAT2022 this year. Beer, laughs and fighting the urge to steal our favorite aircraft and settle which airframe is best once and for all was the theme of the weekend. Please enjoy.

Kewell_77th and Raptor_77th recently visited the Royal Airforce Museum in London. We have gathered some photos to share with you all. It was a great tour through history from the humble beginnings of aviation to the modern era.

Come have a beer with us at RIAT2022.

I think Link_77th had a disagreement with his WSO?

The 77th VTFS will be going up in our server shortly. Come up and get some flight hours in.

Squadron Activity on 25JUN22 - The Great TALD Experiment Pt 2

A week had passed since the Squadron began sorting out how to work with the AGM-141A Tactical Air Launched Decoy (TALD). More information was sought out on the Decoy and as odd as it sounds, it was overlooked that the Hornet had acquired the TALD capability for itself. Initially the test against layered and interlaced Air Defense Networks would have been carried out by a composite group of HARM equipped Hornets and TALD equipped Tomcats. The News of the Hornet's new TALD capability quickly changed things and so the SEAD package was changed to these new TALD wielding Hornets.

The initial sortie with the Combo HARM & TALD Hornet SEAD package went very successfully. Completely running the hostile Air Defense Network out of its immediate stores and enabled the HARM shooters to get 3 out of 4 emitting sources. The success against a SA-11 & SA-15 Air Defense network was not lost on the V-TFS & now another phase of what is called: 'Great TALD Experiment' is in the works - The Prosecution of an integrated Strategic Air Defense Network site (SA-10 and adjoining air defense assets).

Squadron Activity on 17JUN22 - The Great TALD Experiment Pt 1

The Squadron, back on the 17th of June, 2022, began its routine of SEAD / Strike training on the Ranges again. The strikes and SEAD effort went with little success because of robust Air Defense and Air Defense Layout, engineered by our very own Raptor_77th. The JSOW and Harm mixture from the V-TFS Flite were just not dense enough to saturate such an Air Defense network. And distracting them was not enough. Until the TALD was brought up as another means to deal with the AD Network. So the Squadron sent up a Tomcat with the Hornets next and got mixed results, but better than the initial SEAD sortie. It wouldn't be until a week later that the V-TFS would discover the Hornet had been granted the ability to use TALDs as well.

Squadron Activity for 26JUN22 - Seeing Mirages

The Squadron took to the skies over the Southern Andean Mountain Range in the MOTS (or JJ's) Mirage 2000. Taking off from Punta Arenas, the sortie lasted over 2 hours and had a round trip range of over 400nm. The objective of the day was surveying the available portions of the Andean mountain range to develop suitable low level flying routes.

Squadron Activity for 09APR22 - The Khersones Frogs

Back in January, or any other time before the Invasion of Ukraine, these liveries would not have the awkward nature they have now. But the history of the group has the V-TFS, at one point in time in its existence on DCS, based out of the Khersones Airbase in the Crimea. And there was a tail code / tail flash that went with it - KH. And this was in an era before the Hornets, before the Vipers, even before the era of the Su-33s in the V-TFS. We flew Fulcrums and Frogfoots. Really everyone did. Wasn't always easy in the Frogfoots.

So the Squadron has been doing some minor experimentation with some Mods on DCS. The usability of some of these mods are honestly hit and miss for us. But we have enjoyed them nonetheless. Here are afew screens from the F-22 mod from Grinnelli Designs that we have worked with.

77th Open-Beta Server Missions Update

The missions currently on rotation on our 77th V-TFS Server EU have been under going extensive refinement and upgrades over the past month. Loadout, spawn and broken trigger issues have mostly been fixed and are allowing for more stable and balanced battle zones. Secondly, our first server mission the Coastal range AKA "A drive in a park" file from 2010 has been found and upgraded to current DCS specs. Thank you to Kewell_77th for scouring through his filthy harddrive full of things that a ho**er would find offensive to find this gem. Most of the targets you will encounter were placed over 10 years ago and range provides a medium threat environment to train on multiple aircraft and weapons systems. However, don't be fooled, this range is feisty and will give you surprises. You may also notice that client AH-64's have been added. We have done this in preparation of the release of the Apache. Personally I feel it will be released this week, but we all know it will be in 2 weeks. Thank you for flying with the 77th VTFS.


RAPTOR_77TH

Squadron Mid-Month Report: Interdiction and SEAD Emphasis for the first Quarter.

The V-TFS is busily training up in its Anti-shipping role and SEAD mission to better answer the threat of modern Naval assets and contemporary Land based Air Defense systems.

Throughout most of January the Squadron has tested itself against modern defense platforms like Type 53 Frigates, HQ-7s, SA-6, 15, & 19 in the Marianas with varying success, but increasingly successful. As the month comes to a close we will post more about our results from this effort.

The V-TFS would like to wish Everyone a Very Happy New Years! Here is to 2022 and may all of yours and our efforts in the new year pay off!

Merry Christmas to all!

From all of us at the 77th V-TFS.

One of the members of the 77th VTFS recently visited Batumi, Georgia. DCS did a great job of the terrain in the area. It was surreal being in an actual location where we have flown in the sim.

VIRTUAL GLOBAL TOAST.

Negotiations for purchase of the USS FORRESTAL were completed a few weeks ago. The 77th's new ship will multiply our combat power and save us from spending exorbitant amounts to rent a USN CVN. All missions with carriers now have the USS FORRESTAL. We have also added in markers for range locations, threat axis, etc. Time of year and weather have been updated accordingly. See you in the skies and check six!