Quick question regarding tactics

[AstroEma]

Hi all,

 

have a question regarding tactics on Mission 3 for example.

Nevermind that 2 never takes off because of the F15s being stuck on the taxiway, but I'm interested in understadning the tactics you guys take/took when reaching the first target.

Flight Plan calls for an elevation of 6000ft more or less. We have to destroy the column on the road, and we have some AAA (SAMs etc) in close range.

Do you keep the A10 low and "fast" targeting the column and try to avoid those sams, or you climb up to 15000ft+ and destroy the column from high above?

Do you go for the Sams first?

 

What would the real world tactic be in this situation?

 

Cheers,

e.

[rajdary]

Just passed mission 3 today. I dont know about real world but my procedure was to climb to 12000 ft get mark points of artillery, looking first for any air defences ,then get close until agressors lock on me but managing to target, lock and fire a Maverick to the first artillery of the column (this makes the rest stop in that point hopefully) and then turn back as fast as possible, evading a few Sams (which are now in range but can easily be evaded because its their borderline range). Then just circle around FEBA east (safe territory) until F15 Caps get rid of those agressors that were chasing. Finally with no enemy agressors around finish of the rest of artillery with CBU's 105, then try second objectives , firing The remaining 3 mavs and cbu. Finally RTB.

[jcbak]

What would be the point of flying withing the AAA envelope when they can be taken out easily by staying above it. It's not as exciting.

[dramabeats]

I stop the column with a mav. Then I rain death in the form of bombs from 22000. The SA-19's can't reach that high

[Zilch]

What I've been doing is conducting some TGP recon of the area before my ingress. After a while, you'll be able to pick out the MBT's from the "other things," which are usually AAA or SAM's with their poky things up top.

 

Then, after checking in with JTAC, when I'm fairly sure I've locked up a SAM (stay more than 5 miles away!) I use the "CONTACT" radio option with the JTAC. Your pilot will say "Contact (vehicle type) at (coordinates.)" That way you get a positive ID on the target and know what to kill first...I usually hit the SAM first, AAA second, and then it's game time.

 

As far as the actual attack on the SAM, with the SA-19 they have a range of about 5 miles. Your Maverick has 7 miles, which gives you a 2-mile thick layer of the 3D onion peel in which to conduct your attack.

 

Set SAM as SPI outside of 7 miles, ingress, within 7 miles select MAV and then force correlate, and you have 2 miles to lock that seeker onto the SAM and call "Rifle" before breaking away ASAP and turning tail. You can slow down if you like to increase time within this 2 mile onion layer, but be aware that doing so obviously bleeds energy you may need for evasive turns.

 

Even if you edge within the 5 miles a bit and get a missile fired, by the time it reaches you, it's possible you're outside of the MEZ and it runs dry...flare, chop throttle, dive and evade as needed to shake the missile.

 

Also...watch out for those damn MiG-29's! A Blue Air CAP in the area is no guarantee that you're safe! I ended up having to plug two of them in one mission after they caused my flight to abort our attack...killed one, damaged the other, but they still "won" because the mission was a bust due to my control surfaces and computer being blown to kibble. Keep your head on a swivel and watch that RWR!

 

EDIT: Video linked! There may be many like it, but this one is mine. :)

 

Edited January 17, 2017 by Zilch