Manual

New game menu

At the launch you are presented with "new game" screen which features a couple of options. Those can't be changed after campaign is started.

• Player country - self explanatory. Russia is under-tested tho.
• Terrain - self explanatory
• SAMs - if unchecked no SAMs will be present on the campaign, resorting to anti-aircraft artillery only
• Multiplier - scale of the campaign. At default 1 strikegroups will vary from 4 to 8 units (CAP and CAS are separate), at 2 - 8-16, etc. This is not difficulty as your money income will be multiplied too. If you gun a private group consisting of more than 5-6 pilots you might want to raise this.

Settings menu

"Settings" menu is accessible from "Campaign overview" menu and provides following options:

• Player coalition skill - skill level of the friendly units
• Enemy coalition skill - skill level of the enemy units
• Takeoff for player group only - when starting a mission, only player group will be placed on parking spots, with other aircraft waiting for you to takeoff.
• Disable night missions - self explanatory

Campaign overview menu

At this screen you are presented with campaign map and list of operations at the current turn.

Map consists of half-circle base icons (base is considered "more important" if the circle is bigger; the drawn segment will grow smaller as you lower the "strength" of the base), their names, and amount of units available to them (AIRCRAFT/ARMOR/AA). "importance" of the base decide how much funding they will get (so there will be more and better units), and "strength" is base ability to assemble strike teams. "weakened" base will attack less and scramble less aircraft to counter your attacks. There are also a number of aircraft carriers from which you could start special "global" operations.

You can click on captured bases to bring up "Base menu".

List of operations displays list of operations that you can take part in. The operations are as follows:

• Capture - capture the base. The goal of an attacker is to lower defender presence by destroying their armor and aircraft. If they overrun the counts at the operation end base will be captured
• Intercept - intercept supply transport aircraft. Escort will also be present if there are available planes on the base. Operation will be considered successful if most of the targets are destroyed, lowering targets strength as a result
• Naval intercept - destroy supply transport ships. Lowers target strength
• Anti AA strike - destroy anti-aircraft units at the target base. Lowers target strength
• Destroy insurgents - destroy vehicles of insurgents in close proximity of the friendly base. Good fit for Ka-50. Will lower base strength if ignored
• Frontline CAS - help ground war by destroying a ground unit. Defender may or may not scramble interceptors to destroy the attacking CAS units. Operation will be considered successful if most of the targets are destroyed, lowering targets strength as a result
• Frontline troops transport - helicopter operation to transport infantry troops from the base to the front line. Lowers target strength

Most of the operations could be started by both player and enemy. Special "global" operations are launched from aircraft carriers and will lower the strength of every base with whom player is currently in war.

You can click on ">" button to the right of the operation to start it, this will lead to the "Operation start" menu.

"Pass turn" skips the turn providing new operation opportunities (you don't get budgeted this way). Enemy operations will be ignored and this will apply their negative events (ignoring enemy capture operation will result in loosing the base).

"Budget" displays current amount of money and money that will be awarded on next turn (when you participate in the operation, no matter the result. Although positive outcome will grant bonuses).

Base menu

In this menu all of the units that could be purchased are listed, with an options to buy new ones or sell existing. They are separated into following categories:

• Pinpoint Strike - armor that could be used for ground war in capture operations. You pretty much need those to match the enemy numbers and to actually capture something
• Transportation - helis used to transport troops. If you don't plan on partaking in transport operations you could ignore this
• CAS - self explanatory. Used in most operations where ground war is present. Ka-50 is also in the category, but is not advised to use in Capture operations due to it taking forever to arrive at the position
• CAP - self explanatory
• AirDefense - will be placed at the base you purchase them at.

You can buy units by clicking on "Buy" button, and this will take one turn to deliver (you can use "Pass turn" to speed this up), and sell by "Sell" button (instantaneous).

Operation start menu

Rough approximation of the enemy forces are present at the top of the menu.