Favorite loadout for the Su-25T

[Fri13]

Vikhr seems to be a popular choice. I don't really like them because they require the firing plane to keep it's trajectory until the impact, they have a short range and they are not very accurate. I prefer bombs, rockets and guns because they are fire&forget (well kind of) so you can make evasive manoeuvres right after having fired them.

How many vihkr do you fire in one pass ?

 

You can fire Vikhr from 11km range (or over) when at higher altitude, and those are very accurate. The accuracy drops if there is strong sidewind and the target is moving very fast sideways to you (like 55-65km/h) so it is then just better get little different angle of attack.

 

You can as well maneuver easily but just avoid over 30 degree rolls so you don't lose the lock (or at least Shkval should lose lock) and stay inside the Shkval gimbal limits.

 

I can fire 3-4 Vikhr (single fires) before being below 2km range from the targets with single pass just simply maneuvering and slowing down.

 

If there is heavier AA than Shilkas, Strela-1 or equivalent I try to keep Vikhr firing in 2-3 if I can't engage AA in either two first missiles as then I want to get back to get distance and return in a minute.

 

And you say that Vikhr has short range, but you prefer bombs, rockets and guns that requires even more closer distance or are incapable to hit a moving target? Tossing bombs for stationary target is easy even from altitude but stronger sidewinds etc and things get more difficult.

 

The real problem with Vikhr is that it has the fairly long minimal range to engage them, because the swirl flying path the missile might not be able get trajectory right to hit the target. So when coming to 1.5km range from target it starts being already too late to fire the last one if not nailing the launch direction.

[Fri13]

How do you guys make use of the Mercury LLTV pod ? I'useless in daylight, and at night you see nothing at all. I understand 'Low Light TV" but never have a chance to use it.

 

Isn't there still the same A-10C TGP code used for the Mercury? Meaning you see far more than you should and it is far more accurate than it should.

 

For me it little bit depends, sometimes I prefer the normal daylight mode and sometimes I like to "cheat" with the Mercury, even at nights.

[Goldham]

I generally use 29Ts for important stationary targets like Air defenses or Bunkers.

[pepin1234]

The most important rule for stay alive in combat is know what you have in the enemy front and keep in mind that always there are IR-Airdefenses so you must stop your inbound from 5 km (only for Su-25T, non A), all the entries you do must be with flare dispense every 3 seconds. Always take with you the phantasmagoria pod so you can target the enemy radars like Gepards or Roland. When you start a mission you better take a couple of Kh-25MPU just in case and after a recon you can change to full CAS payload for the next flight. If you find some Rolands or SHORAD defenses, hold down the shut until you get the very last approach-in distance (10km).

 

All the inbounds closer than 5 km will be extremely dangerous and in this situation you are ready to be downed or heavy damage.

 

Go ahead and take action with this in mind:thumbup:

Edited October 12, 2015 by pepin1234

[Bacab]

You can fire Vikhr from 11km range (or over) when at higher altitude, and those are very accurate. The accuracy drops if there is strong sidewind and the target is moving very fast sideways to you (like 55-65km/h) so it is then just better get little different angle of attack.

 

You can as well maneuver easily but just avoid over 30 degree rolls so you don't lose the lock (or at least Shkval should lose lock) and stay inside the Shkval gimbal limits.

 

I can fire 3-4 Vikhr (single fires) before being below 2km range from the targets with single pass just simply maneuvering and slowing down.

 

If there is heavier AA than Shilkas, Strela-1 or equivalent I try to keep Vikhr firing in 2-3 if I can't engage AA in either two first missiles as then I want to get back to get distance and return in a minute.

 

And you say that Vikhr has short range, but you prefer bombs, rockets and guns that requires even more closer distance or are incapable to hit a moving target? Tossing bombs for stationary target is easy even from altitude but stronger sidewinds etc and things get more difficult.

 

The real problem with Vikhr is that it has the fairly long minimal range to engage them, because the swirl flying path the missile might not be able get trajectory right to hit the target. So when coming to 1.5km range from target it starts being already too late to fire the last one if not nailing the launch direction.

 

It seems the whole time I was not using the Vikhr properly and those words were told based on what I thought was the proper way to use them. I thought they used the laser from the Shkval to guide themselves, laser that overheat in a matter of seconds and require quite a long time before cooling down.

 

Firing with the laser activated and waiting for it to cool down after so I could shoot again, I was able to fire only two missiles per pass.

 

And 11 km is indeed a short range. I agree bombs or gun do suffer from that drawback to a larger extend but that is not why I prefer them.

[Aluminum Donkey]

Vikhr seems to be a popular choice. I don't really like them because they require the firing plane to keep it's trajectory until the impact, they have a short range and they are not very accurate. I prefer bombs, rockets and guns because they are fire&forget (well kind of) so you can make evasive manoeuvres right after having fired them.

How many vihkr do you fire in one pass ?

 

??? Not sure why you're saying this... You can carry 16 Vikhr missiles, they are very accurate, you only have to maintain Shkval lock and not flight trajectory, and they have one of the longest ranges of any laser guided missile the Su-25T can carry.

 

Bombs & rockets require great accuracy in use because they're not guided, which means time spent aiming, which means being shot down. Both rockets & guns require very short range to the target, and guns aren't very effective against armored targets.

 

With a little practice with the Vikhrs you can crank off 2 or 3 rounds in a single pass. Bombs, rockets & guns? Only one kill per pass, maybe 2 if you're very good and very lucky (I'm talking about tank busting here).

 

Against soft targets like trucks, soldiers etc., just about anything will do the trick.

 

Peace and happy warfare

Ian

[Bacab]

??? Not sure why you're saying this... You can carry 16 Vikhr missiles, they are very accurate, you only have to maintain Shkval lock and not flight trajectory, and they have one of the longest ranges of any laser guided missile the Su-25T can carry.

 

Bombs & rockets require great accuracy in use because they're not guided, which means time spent aiming, which means being shot down. Both rockets & guns require very short range to the target, and guns aren't very effective against armored targets.

 

With a little practice with the Vikhrs you can crank off 2 or 3 rounds in a single pass. Bombs, rockets & guns? Only one kill per pass, maybe 2 if you're very good and very lucky (I'm talking about tank busting here).

 

Against soft targets like trucks, soldiers etc., just about anything will do the trick.

 

Peace and happy warfare

Ian

For an answer to why I said that you may look one post earlier :-)

[Flycat]

It seems during this Russian support Syria airstirke, most of loadouts are unguided bomb...

Some of them are FAB250, others are FAB500, there are 2 or 3 bomb on one rack, That's really horrible. Rus guys use less guided missile or bomb could save money, and for the terrorist or other armed organization with less air defense weapon, this way is enough for them. I saw the video from their channel on youtube, maybe they did't show more guided missile or bomb in the uploaded video.

[Dr_Arrow]

It seems during this Russian support Syria airstirke, most of loadouts are unguided bomb...

Some of them are FAB250, others are FAB500, there are 2 or 3 bomb on one rack, That's really horrible. Rus guys use less guided missile or bomb could save money, and for the terrorist or other armed organization with less air defense weapon, this way is enough for them. I saw the video from their channel on youtube, maybe they did't show more guided missile or bomb in the uploaded video.

 

In general, real life load-outs are much different than load-outs that most people use in the game. Standard conventional load-outs are much lighter, usually precisely selected just for the work needed to be done by a single aircraft. IRL no one expects one aircraft to annihilate the whole enemy battalion destroy air defenses and finish off the remains of enemy forces with cannon. A pair of Su-25s with pair of S-8 pods is enough to saturate target area. A pair of Su-25s/34s with 4xFAB-250 bombs is able to level out small installation. A single or two guided missiles are usually more than enough against one high value target like a command center. A single aircraft has a single task and is armed/briefed and prepared just for the task. If you need more hitting power you send more aircraft. No Rambo missions IRL with KH-25MPUs, 16xVikhrs, 2xS-25L and R-73 with gun would ever happen. You also need to take account that the high precision weapons are highly expensive for purchase, as well as maintenance and you wouldn't be authorized to drop a KAB-250 against an empty tent somewehere in the dessert. Just my two cents :)

[Aluminum Donkey]

In general, real life load-outs are much different than load-outs that most people use in the game. Standard conventional load-outs are much lighter, usually precisely selected just for the work needed to be done by a single aircraft. IRL no one expects one aircraft to annihilate the whole enemy battalion destroy air defenses and finish off the remains of enemy forces with cannon. A pair of Su-25s with pair of S-8 pods is enough to saturate target area. A pair of Su-25s/34s with 4xFAB-250 bombs is able to level out small installation. A single or two guided missiles are usually more than enough against one high value target like a command center. A single aircraft has a single task and is armed/briefed and prepared just for the task. If you need more hitting power you send more aircraft. No Rambo missions IRL with KH-25MPUs, 16xVikhrs, 2xS-25L and R-73 with gun would ever happen. You also need to take account that the high precision weapons are highly expensive for purchase, as well as maintenance and you wouldn't be authorized to drop a KAB-250 against an empty tent somewehere in the dessert. Just my two cents :)

 

That's right, you can pepper a large area with unguided bombs for less than the cost of a few guided munitions. The expensive stuff is for so-called 'surgical' strikes (intended to avoid collateral damage) or for smoking air defenses. That's why unguided weapons, albeit with well-developed targeting systems, are still in common use today.

 

Destroying terrorist camps? Don't bother being too picky, just rain unguided hell upon 'em ;) Hehehe

[Kilo]

In general, real life load-outs are much different than load-outs that most people use in the game. Standard conventional load-outs are much lighter, usually precisely selected just for the work needed to be done by a single aircraft. IRL no one expects one aircraft to annihilate the whole enemy battalion destroy air defenses and finish off the remains of enemy forces with cannon. A pair of Su-25s with pair of S-8 pods is enough to saturate target area. A pair of Su-25s/34s with 4xFAB-250 bombs is able to level out small installation. A single or two guided missiles are usually more than enough against one high value target like a command center. A single aircraft has a single task and is armed/briefed and prepared just for the task. If you need more hitting power you send more aircraft. No Rambo missions IRL with KH-25MPUs, 16xVikhrs, 2xS-25L and R-73 with gun would ever happen. You also need to take account that the high precision weapons are highly expensive for purchase, as well as maintenance and you wouldn't be authorized to drop a KAB-250 against an empty tent somewehere in the dessert. Just my two cents :)

 

I think that this kind of loadouts are used only for bombing undefended outposts/priority targets. If the area is defended with AAA/short range SAM, you'd add some missiles to your loadout. If your mission is to support (aircraft in the air for a longer period of time) an assault against a serious force/defend an objective from a serious force, the loadouts would be pretty much like the ones we use in DCS (ok, without mixing of SEAD weapons with anything else). My personal opinion :)

 

Anyway, what's the effect of KMGU submunitions dispensers against MBTs? I'm planning to try out a Sturmovik style attack against an armored column.