Paco

Just downloaded the mission and looked at the triggers.....nice job! I was doing some mission building and now I feel so inadequate. I'll play the mission later but it looks great.

To be more specific the JTAC will request a weapon and if the pilot has heartburn or a better idea, there is usually a quick conversation as to the best course of action. More than once I've had a pilot correct me or suggest a better fuzing option. It's all about commander's intent, that's why it's important to relay commander's intent to the aircrew during the situation update.....if there is time. Again, if it's a TIC with enemy danger, then conservations tend to be short, very short. Don't read too much into this, most situations are pretty clear cut and with SCL's there's not much guess work. Judgement and knowledge of tactics/weapons employment factor into weapon selection, as do the quality of enemy air defenses. We are used to wheeling up over the target and employing ordnance....do that in a North Korean force on force scenario and you'll be shot down. I knew this thread would digress....for now enjoy the game and know the cost of the bombs here came with the game purchase.

"do we really need smart bombs to kill these dumb bastards?"

To be technical....JTACs .ask for effects and the pilot selects the best weapon for said effects giving due consideration for collateral damage. Ultimately the supported Ground Commander is final say in a doctrinal CAS discussion, with the JTAC giving the "cleared hot" call.

test

Just curious, did you change the laser on the TGP as well? You might have changed the bombs to 1866, but the TGP must be set to emit and detect on the 1866 as well. You must change the code in three places per airplane. In real life you can't change the PRF code on the bomb, that's built in by the ordnance dudes prior to loading on the plane. For LGB's the fuzing is set there as well. Hope this helps.

Got the guns to fire on command, now just have to get them to stop.

Thanks, I'll try it.

Hey guys, me again. I'm trying to get a pair of Paladins to fire at a point with start and stop conditions which are tied to radio commands/flags. I've verified that the guns will fire when no start/stop conditions are in place so it's not a range issue. However, when I tie the start/stop conditions to flags in radio commands the guns just sit there. No training, no firing. Any ideas? What am I missing? I've rechecked flags, etc. Thanks,

Thanks guys, got it work. Also put in a switch waypoint function to abort an attack.

I've searched the forums. Is it possible to have a group of attack helicopters orbit a point until, I give them the radio command to attack? Any help would be appreciated.

Good question. Firstly IR pointers and laser designators operate on two different spectrums. While you can "see" the IR pointer through NVG's you cannot see a Laser Designator. When lasing at night from the JTAC perspective we use a C-spot which attaches to the top of the SOFLAM and allows us to sight in the laser. And yes....IR pointers work both ways, just like tracers and the enemy has them! So we take precautions with that. Hope that helps.

I found the original post, however the good and shorts answers are above. "JTACs have three lasers at their disposal and they do different things. SOFLAM/Laser Designator - This is for target marking and Terminal Guidance Operations (TGO). This laser cannot be viewed with NVG's, is a class IV laser (very bad for unprotected eyes). The JTAC will set a four digit laser code (PRF) which will match the LGB or LST on the plane. The SOFLAM has a laser ranging function available to the JTAC/operator. Laser Range Finder - JTACs use this to determine distance to a target and from that determine position of said target. The aircraft has zero interface with this Laser. This is a class I, eye safe laser. We typically use the MKVII LRF, but just recently got a new one. IR pointer - This LASER has zero to do with terminal guidance of a weapon and works in different spectrum. Imagine it's a Light Saber that works at night and can be seen only with NVG's. It is not eye safe, so watch where you point the thing. Operations with IR pointer and LASER have specfic procedures with distinct brevity codes associated with each. Types of Control. I'll save that for another post, if anyone cares. But realize that type of control is not determined by target marking or it's more of a tactical situation and risk assessment call."

I wrote a long answer to this, let me see if I can find it and repost.

Having the UHF radio in "BOTH" will allow the pilot to transmit and receive on the selected UHF freq and receive on the 243.0 which is Guard freq, also known as Air Force common. During an emergency, pilots will switch to Guard and transmit an ISPI format...Identification, Situation, Postion and Intentions. If his buddies are monitoring Guard on their radios they will hear the distress call and help. The reason for MAIN is to give the pilots the option to deselect that traffic on Guard and focus on the main freq of the radio. It's a useful function, just gotta remember to switch it back. The "BOTH" function has saved my butt more than once.

I've said that myself. It's a great time to be alive. /r,

Just to clear some things up. The Laser, IR pointer cofusion is common and we deal with this all the time. JTACs have three lasers at their disposal and they do different things. SOFLAM/Laser Designator - This is for target marking and Terminal Guidance Operations (TGO). This laser cannot be viewed with NVG's, is a class IV laser (very bad for unprotected eyes). The JTAC will set a four digit laser code (PRF) which will match the LGB or LST on the plane. The SOFLAM has a laser ranging function available to the JTAC/operator. Laser Range Finder - JTACs use this to determine distance to a target and from that determine position of said target. The aircraft has zero interface with this Laser. This is a class I, eye safe laser. We typically use the MKVII LRF, but just recently got a new one. IR pointer - This LASER has zero to do with terminal guidance of a weapon and works in different spectrum. Imagine it's a Light Saber that works at night and can be seen only with NVG's. It is not eye safe, so watch where you point the thing. Operations with IR pointer and LASER have specfic procedures with distinct brevity codes associated with each. Types of Control. I'll save that for another post, if anyone cares. But realize that type of control is not determined by target marking or it's more of a tactical situation and risk assessment call.

The refueling in this game/simulation takes practice and lots of of, but once you get it, it becomes rather routine. When I first started it would take me perhaps a dozen hook-ups to get gas. Now I generally come up to the tanker connect once, get my gas, then I'm on my way. I've even used the radio menu while on the boom. Here's what helped me: 1) zoom out just a tad from the default view 2) initially I was hooking up from a low position, try putting the "green apple" just above the HUD glass 3) speaking of "green apple" focus on keeping that extendable boom right at that green apple position while using peripheal vision to judge your station keeping Hope this helps. I use an X52 and trackIR.

Thanks for taking the time to present a great explanation! Appreciate it. /r,

Can someone explain to me what flags do? I've been trying and can't figure it out. Thanks in advance. /r,

Looking at buying a TM Warthog. Can any of you with a TM Warthog stick can you answer this question. Is there a switch that acts as a modifier. For example, I want to map the NVG on/off switch to the TM Warthog, can I do this without messing up all the already mapped functions. Same goes with rudder pedals, brakes, etc. Thanks in advance.

My TACVIEW doesn't have an A-10C option. Has it been updated in the last six months?

Tried to go to your website but my antivirus software blocked it.

Lots of people get this confused. Even military JTACs in training. IR pointers are used for target identification at night. A JTAC can "sparkle" a target to show the pilot where he wants the bombs, just make sure he hits the right end of the beam :-). It only works at night. In DCS as in real life, CAS is easier at night for the JTAC and the pilot. IR pointers can also be used to id friendlies and even "rope" the aircraft. The Laser is used mainly for TGO, that's terminal guidance operations. You can also use the Laser for Laser Spot Search (LSS) which is a marking function but that's not used very often. Can be used during the day. Why both? Why all these toys? Because targets in real life and in DCS are hard to find and we need all the toys we can to find and determine exactly where the bombs need to go. Hope that helps.

Why Nevada? I fine this thread interesting and I'd like to add my two cents. After flight simming for many years with Falcon and now DCS, and five actual combat deployments, for once I'd like to "fly" over an area where I can pronounce the names of the cities. Another interesting note. Several years back in preparation for my first Afghan deployment, I attended a course where about 60 of us ran a virtual air war based out of the island nation of "Pacifica". The nation of "Nevida" invaded the other nation on the island "Califon". You guessed it, the USAF took that section of the United States, made it an island on maps, etc and used that as an basis for the campaign. It was brilliant, we could use existing imagery, maps, etc. It also negated that the politically incorrect implication we were planning to invade a country had we used Ukraine for example. Anyway, looking forward to Nevada when it comes out. Any chance we could get Ft Irwin and the NTC area? /r,