fargo007

Here ya go. There are a lot of helicopters there so you can either modify them to suit or delete them and just add your own. southatlantic-TROOPSINCONTACT.miz

I'm loving it so far, knowing it's in an initial release condition. There's so much potential here, but it's a great and needed departure from what we've got so far. Bravos to the team that worked so hard on this. Your work is very much appreciated.

I've actually already done it. I will neaten it up and post it here if someone doesn't beat me to it.

https://github.com/Fargo007/TROOPS-IN-CONTACT/releases/tag/Version10 I've added a couple features to this in version 10 that AH-64 drivers may find useful. Notably the friendly ground element lasing the enemy on demand for a configurable time period, and with configurable laser codes. If they are able to lase, they will. If they have no LoS, they will respond "Negative lase, unable.." They will also mark the target on demand with 4-5 burst of fiddy-cal. There's an example mission there which has it all ready to go, but this is really built to be a resource that is easily incorporated into your own mission.

Version 10 is released, and available on github. https://github.com/Fargo007/TROOPS-IN-CONTACT/releases/tag/Version10 CHANGES: Feature: Text message notification (if desired) of enemy flanking/bugout movements with direction of travel. Feature: A Friendly HMMWV MG unit will mark the target direction with tracer fire on demand with 4-5 bursts. Feature: Friendly unit will lase the first unit of the group on demand if he is within LoS of it. Laser codes are a configurable option. Bugfix: Tightened up some messages going to all clients instead of only the ones in the TIC grids.

This will be also included in V10. I'm adding an option to either announce it, or not to, leaving it to the mission designer's intent to include this as an element of surprise if desired.

Not at this time, since there's presently no reliable way in the DCS API to stagger radio transmissions by specific times.

It really isn't going to kill anything of consequence, so I figure that it sort of balances out. ETA - If you've got some source material on Mi-24 missions, ping me because I'd be interested to see that.

Working on v10 now. New features in this version will be the addition of target marking of the enemies on demand (radio menu) by the friendlies: By Tracer Fire: A friendly HMMWV with a .50 cal on it will put 3-4 bursts over top of where the enemy is so you can see the direction. This guy isn't shooting blanks and may actually hit and or destroy some of the enemy, so use with discretion. By Laser & IR pointer: The same HMMWV unit will determine whether or not it can see unit 1 of the enemy (LoS). If so, he will lase it using a configurable code, and configurable duration. If he is not Line-of-Sight with the enemy (as can occur due to terrain variations and the innate randomness of placement), he will respond "Negative lase, unable."

Yep, the math doesn't lie on the S-13's. Four of those would be way better. But as we have it now four S-24's are a better choice. Really surprised no UPKs also. The absolute worthless thing we have are those grenade pods. I really want to love them. I do.

There's a spot I find in the S-24 trajectory where they can be sent long, or they go short. It's hard to describe this, but if you cross that line either way, your rocket goes either way long, or way short.

We use S-24's quite often, and without any detailed planning with tables or data. And our first impact is usually not far off target. S-13's we use far less, as you only get two pods of them. S-13's and two bombs, with 4x ATGMs do make a nice loadout though. There's just no substitute for practice, and knowing intuitively how each weapon's ballistics apply to each situation. I see a lot more applicability in using data for bombing, as there's a tougher solution there to work out. With rockets, they are always going to point themselves into the wind, and will pretty much fly straight. And they are an area effects weapon at best so their margin of error increases with distance in a linear way. Before getting the Mi-24, I assumed that the S-24's would be longer range than the others, and was disappointed to find out they're really not. They do hit REALLY hard though!

Every scenario you're deploying rockets in is going to be so unique and likely so immediate, that there won't be any time to look up information like this, and then assure you are flying at the specific altitude, speed, and dive angle the table calls for. It's good to know the limits and parameters though. Much like when you spit out a piece of chewing gum and pretty much know where it's going to land, most often you're going to send your first rocket salvo based on your experience and gut feeling about the entire situation, and then adjust off the impacts. This is definitely a perishable skill, especially moving through rocket types with very different terminal ballistics and sight options. One of the coolest things about the Mi-24 is the wide variety of ordnance it carries, but this has an obligation of ongoing practice attached to it.

I did all testing with no wind so as not to have a variable, but I doubt it will be significant unless we're talking substantial wind. The bombs still land close enough with this short of a fall to create damage. I don't think there's any comparison in accuracy between pilot and CPG. For the pilot to release bombs, the target will be way out of view at the time of release, whereas for the operator, the target is visible in the sight before, during and after release, and there is no chance for lineup error. It's just much more precise. Give it a try! We actually have a mission today where the Mi-24's are dropping bombs.

This is based on level flight and level release attitude. Having the operator do it is far more accurate than the pilot.

The dope I came up with is based on level flight, sight angle, fixed speed. Bomb release being handled by the operator. Doing it from the back seat is always going to be "hamhock" or seat of the pants at best, since you have no way to aim. I worked up three different "standard" profiles that work reliably enough that I can put bombs close enough to either destroy or damage a transport truck on every run if I do my part. This was with the FAB 250kg bombs, but I expect the 500kg will be similar. I did not get the experience that bombing from above 300m AGL will yield practical accuracy so this was the absolute ceiling I decided to pursue. Above this and you're pretty much using a stopwatch. I chose 250kmh because it's quite fast, which as you point out is a factor in not getting blown up by your own bombs. The way this is done is to transfer flight & weapons control to the operator for the bombing run, and have the pilot monitor speed and altitude for consistency while the operator focuses on lineup and trim. nullYou also need to consider slope on the terrain and adjust accordingly. Another thing is this is based on actual release, not when you push the button. There is a small delay.

I wound up working out my own bombing tables based on sight angle, fixed altitudes and speeds. I started with the tables in the manual but found them not to be accurate so I tuned the angle for each until the impacts roughly matched the release point.

Glad you guys are getting some good work out of it! Sure, I can take a look at announcing either the flank or the bugout.

Of course it would, but the actual helicopter doesn't have this capability because it doesn't have this problem. I don't want ED to bend the functionality away from real life, and toward the vagaries of DCS.

Assuming you don't know how to write code, or understand lua syntax, start looking at tutorials on youtube of how to set up LDT, a log follower like glogg, lua tutorials, and begin looking at example MOOSE missions to build an understanding of how it works, and what it does. Also the MOOSE documentation will be of great help once you understand how it's laid out. You're not going to magically arrive at writing solid code without doing some learning. New journeys of discovery are hard, but you and your missions will be better for it. In the end, it's going to unlock amazing new potential that the ME just cannot touch.

LOL - This is a completely unrealistic scenario. If this is the sort of thing you are basing the need for these changes in the Mi-24 on, I have nothing else to add.

Do you have a circumstance in mind in DCS where this would be the absolute best choice of engagement techniques?

It's not that the East Germans didn't do it, it's that nobody does it.

You can show they wrote about it, but you have not shown that it has been used, ever. East Germany certainly wouldn't be who I would pick as an example to follow.