Zenga

update: I managed to deploy active Chapparal and Linebacker SAM Units in the field and they actively engage enemy planes/helicopters in range. Great! However, I still did not manage to deploy more sophisticated radar-guided SAM sites such as the Hawk or Patriot. I deploy them correctly as one unit group, consisting of all required units (in case of the Hawk: 1xSR, 1xTR and 3x Launcher). There definitely have been enemy planes within their effective range and there has been a direct, unmasked line-of-sight between the SAM site and the enemy, yet it does not fire any single missile. Instead, the enemy planes detect the potential threat (which in fact is none :huh:) and hence engages it right away successfully. Is there any major difference in deploying radar-guided SAMs in contrast to IR guided ones? When I don't create any triggers or advanced waypoint settings, are they supossed to be active from mission start on and autonomously engage any enemy plane within range? I'm sorry for all these questions, but the mission editor manual is not very specific when it comes to SAM deployment, it just speaks generally about ground units. Thanks in advance! Zenga

Hi all, I'm starting to play around with the Mission Editor now. I've made my way through the Mission Editor manual (downloaded from the "user files" section on the DCS page), but I still have some difficulties to get the desired result. What I actually want to do is simply add a Patriot site at my own airfield. I managed to place the required vehicles there, although I'm not completely sure which units are essential and which are not (there are so many different units with "Patriot" in its unit name). My biggest issue is that the units doesn't fire when there are enemy planes within the Patriots effective range. They appear to be inactive in a way. Even worse, the enemy AI (a Su-25 in this case) immediatly commenced a successfull attack on my newly created SAM site. The Patriots were so close to my own airfield, that the Su-25s also detected me an my wingman still on the apron starting up our aircrafts from "cold-and-dark" state. We both were destroyed by the Su-25 before my INS was fully aligned... Can someone assist how to deploy and activate a friendly Patriot unit? I don't want too complicated triggers, it should just be active from Mission start on and ROE should be "weapons free" so it engages each enemy plane within the Patriots range. In case deployment of a rather complex weapons systems such as the Patriot might be too complicated, I can also live with any other SAM site that has a range of up to 30NM and can engage enemy planes in low-to-medium altitude. Thx in advance! Zenga

Topol-M, I trust you have a lot of knowledge about CAS. But I don't hesitate to recommend the faboulous book "Joint Force Harrier". Just read it and you learn a lot about how the non-RADAR equipped Harrier does their job in Afghanistan. And you will learn, the author (Harrier pilot) never complains about not having a GMR and yes, there is bad weather in Afghanistan as well. That's what CAS is like today and - although I lack the crystal ball - I don't believe any A-10 will ever be put into a mission where it is has to fight against a large group of armor. These Cold War scenarios are long gone (perhaps that'll change when Uncle Sam will find some "100% sure" proofs for weapons of mass destruction in a state somewhere next to Iraq, just as they did there....:cry: but that's another story)