Operation Iron Noose

DATE: 07/01/2026

TIME (GMT): 19:00

ERA: Modern

MAP(S): Marianas

TYPE: COOP

GAME: DCS

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Kofeina

SLOTS: 11 / 16

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RATING: (3)

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Operation Update/Summary
One week after Operation Dragonfall, the tropical storm system has fully cleared the AO. The PLA Navy has withdrawn from the Marianas, and no hostile surface groups remain within striking distance. However, the enemy has shifted focus to fortifying key islands to maintain a defensive foothold.

Enemy ground forces still hold parts of Guam, but the garrison has been cut off from resupply. No cargo ships or airlift assets have successfully reached the island since Dragonfall. Ammunition, fuel, and spare parts are assessed to be critically low. In response, the PLA has reinforced Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, transforming them into layered air-defense strongpoints. Long-range SA-10 systems, supported by shorter-range SAMs and AAA, are now active across the island chain. These positions threaten freedom of maneuver for follow-on operations and must be dismantled systematically. Enemy air activity has increased following improved weather conditions. JF-17 and J-15 fighters are now operating in the AO, providing a more credible air threat than during previous missions.

Operation Iron Noose marks the beginning of a deliberate island-hopping campaign, aimed at collapsing the remaining PLA presence in the Marianas by isolating, suppressing, and eliminating each defended node in turn.

Mission Intent 
Exploit the enemy’s isolation on Guam and prevent consolidation of their island defense network by clearing Guam and Rota of remaining PLA forces and air-defense systems. Establish air and maritime dominance to enable follow-on operations against Tinian and Saipan.

Objectives
1) Eliminate Remaining PLA Forces on Guam
● Destroy isolated enemy ground units and logistics nodes
● Support friendly forces pushing to fully secure the island
2) Clear Rota Island
● Locate and destroy enemy forces on Rota
● Suppress and eliminate suspected SAM sites and radar installations

Enemy Forces
Air: J-11A, JF-17
Air defense: HQ-7, SA-10, SA-15, AAA.
Surface: Possible docked supply ships at Rota island
Ground assets: PLA Navy Marines, light tanks, IFVs.
Airfield:

Friendly Forces
Carrier Strike Group One
● CVN-70
● USS Princeton (Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser)
● DESRON 1:
○ USS Hopper (Arleigh Burke-class DDG)
○ USS Kidd (Arleigh Burke-class DDG)
○ USS Sterett (Arleigh Burke-class DDG)
○ USS William P. Lawrence (Arleigh Burke-class DDG)

Ground Forces
● U.S. garrison on Guam (USMC + USAF elements)
Aviation Support
● S-3B tanker TEXACO
● E-2D MAGIC (AEW / battle management)

Waypoints
1. Andersen AFB
2. Rota Island

Tanker Information
Texaco - TACAN 13X

Carrier Information
CVN-71::
– TACAN 11X
– ICLS 11
– Link 4 336MHz (ACLS enabled)