Are Su-25T Wingmen able to use the LLTV pod?

[xaoslaad]

Are AI wingmen able to use the LLTV pod? I have been trying to play the Difficult CAS quick mission, which seems to have other issues (one wingman is set up to fly straight into a mountain on start, for example) and what I typically see is the aircraft with Phantasmagoria's attacking radar targets while the ones with LLTV's just orbit with a full compliment of weapons and no place to go. I literally have more targets to destroy than weapons on that one and there is just about no help coming from the AI units.

[xaoslaad]

I should add that just rolling back the time a few hours gives a massive change in experience. AI aircraft become useful. The tanks also start firing their missiles as well though, and I don't know that that is desired or possible at night, so it may be off balancing taking that approach.

[esb77]

You have to instruct both your wingmen and the reinforcement flight to attack.

 

The most effective way to do it would be to take control of the SEAD Su-25T yourself, and order the two ground attack units to orbit in friendly territory.

 

Take out the radar SAMs, then fly back behind friendly lines.

 

Jump back to your original plane, and go after all the Linebacker units, or at least the ones grouped with the leading Bluefor elements.

 

Then task both wingmen to engage mission, or to engage targets of opportunity. Or if you like to micro-manage, you can do engage my target.

 

That's how you'd get the most kills and fewest lost Su-25s. It also takes a long time and you may fail the mission.

 

 

The one with SEAD tasking doesn't have the LLTV pod on of course, but your starting plane and the other anti armor plane in your flight have it equipped. I haven't noticed any problems with wingmen not being able to see well enough to hit after I've given them appropriate taskings.

 

You can just do engage mission, or engage ground/air defenses from the start, but the AIs are typically not that bright (often their priority for SEAD is AAA first, then IR SAMS, then radar SAMS), and are of limited use before they get themselves shot down.

 

If you can clear out all of the SAMs quickly, they will do a fair job on the armor units on their own.

 

Another note, if you send them in too aggressively and they have to evade SAMs they usually jettison all of their weapons while defending, and will have to RTB.

Edited September 9, 2014 by esb77

[xaoslaad]

I know how to tell AI to engage targets of opportunity. They just don't. And this mission doesn't leave ample time to sit and coddle each wingman and help him find his targets. The 2 with Phantasmagorias are capable of taking out the hawks and others on their own.

 

What I am seeing is the AI refusing to engage when ordered to take out targets of orpportunity. Wingman 4, with the LLTV, negative, negative, negative, blah blah. I see the CAS flights and any wingmen still alive at the end flying around with racks of weapons. If you _really_ need a track to see it I can produce, but given that it's a quick mission it can't be that hard to reproduce it...

[kontiuka]

one wingman is set up to fly straight into a mountain on start

I usually tell my wingmen to go trail formation when flying through mountains. Helps avoid that silliness.

[xaoslaad]

No, he literally just flies straight into a mountain as soon as you unpause. It's not several seconds later, not 3 seconds later. Unpause looking towards him and watch him hit a mountain immediately. You have no hope of accessing the radio menu to save him. He's just starting too low.

 

Seriously. It's a quick mission, fly it, try it. See for yourself.

[number3]

No, he literally just flies straight into a mountain as soon as you unpause. It's not several seconds later, not 3 seconds later. Unpause looking towards him and watch him hit a mountain immediately. You have no hope of accessing the radio menu to save him. He's just starting too low.

 

Seriously. It's a quick mission, fly it, try it. See for yourself.

 

I haven't tried this out yet, but is is possible to save and edit the mission so that you can start the AI aircraft at a higher altitude?