Sorry. I do not know if it your editing or the game: The F4s are literally useless and cannot shoot even if their lives depend on it. Which it does.

There should be a need for Russian ships to also wait for an identifcation since your ships will be fired upon directly but you do not even see people. Even with a P3C up and radar on the objects are not even close.

Another idea might be an S2 Hawkeye as support or an AWACS in the back or... and that might be interesting: A ground coastal radar which then might be targeted by the enemy and blind you.

I know it is not you but the setting is not hard because of things - it is hard because you have an AI of dimwits in the planes and actually you are in the beginning depending on luck if your ships can defend anything. Your eyes in the sky need to get up and your F4s are srsly underequipped dealing with the upcoming threats.

Propositions:
Loadout might be AIM 7 M - the distance is better and you have some more chances otherwise it will be just a missile jab fest. The devs should look into the salvo thing of rockets since you are empty as a bar in the middle of the week in the morning after couple of seconds.