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CBU-87 lethality question


Terzi

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I dropped CBU-87 on light armor targets. Although the bomblets covered the area quite well there were almost no hits taken. After I dropped second one, one light armor target destroyed.

 

 

Is this really how ineffective this munition is? If yes, then I don't think that anyone in real life would use this weapon. Just useless. On contrast, the CBU-97 brings down the hell.

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I think a big part of it has to do with not being able to adjust the burst altitude atm. But then again, I have the same problem in the A-10C. Using CBU-87s in the Hawg is like shooting buckshot at a fly on the wall (from a reasonable distance away, of course). You'll hit alot of the wall around him, but probably won't hit the fly itself. The spread between the individual bomblets is just too large.

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Another problem that I know of with the CBU-87/103 for the A-10 is that the default RPM (Rotation speed of the canister) is set to 1500RPM. This leads to bomblets being spread over a much bigger area than if the RPM is set to 0. I have had situations where the bomblets literally spread out so that the target tank was in a 100% bomblet free circle within a section of the bomblet cloud.

 

I would assume that the same problem exists for the F-16 since I have not found a way to change the RPM for the bombs.

 

Then again, I have had solid drops on M-60 tanks, with low burst altitude and 0 RPM, with no effect at all on the tanks, so it might also just have shitty damage from the bomblets overall.

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I believe the low damage from the 87´s has been confirmed and WIP.

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I think there are two issues with how the CBU-87 is simulated currently

(Disregarding the Burst height and rotational speed)

 

 

The first is concerning bomblet count and bomblet damage.

 

 

IRL a CBU-87 carries 202 BLU-97/B bomblets.

 

While in game in order to reduce the impact on performance the number of bomblets are reduced (I think its around 50 or so) but with the damage per bomblet supposedly increased to simulate similar area of effect damage.

 

(though im unsure how this works since the BLU-97/B combined effects bomb is a shaped charge munition so in addition to its AOE fragmentation and incendiary effects it should also have a armor penetrating shaped charge penetrator, so while simply bumping up the damage might help with the AEO Frag damage it wont really help with the missing 150 or so shaped charge projectiles)

 

 

And this causes some issues in the game.

 

Since it seems the only way the bomblets cause significant damage to even lightly armored vehicles like ACPs is if a bomblet makes direct impact

 

(Probably representing the Shaped charge hitting / penetrating the target)

 

but since we only carry 1/4 as many Bomblets that are supposed to cover the same area the chance of a direct hit is much smaller.

 

So either the bomblet count needs to be increased or the bomblets have to cause more damage / splash damage to simulate the other bomblets

 

(Though that becomes tricky since they still need to find a way to represent those other shaped charge Anti-Armour projectiles)

 

and second in my experience the bomblets seem to be spinning in a strange fashion (and are not stabilized by the ballute like they should be)

 

which is causing them to spread out in a very random way leaving large gaps in the bomblet pattern. (Also unsure how the Spinning effects the accuracy of the shaped charge projectiles)

 

These two issues together make the CBU-87 a very hit or miss weapon.

Since you can drop a bomb perfectly on the target with the enemy vehicle in the middle of the pattern but due to a mix of the low damage per bomblet, low bomblet count and large gaps in the pattern can cause little or no damage dealt to the target or targets.

 

I really hope they fix the CBU-87 since at the moment sometimes feels more like a glorified Sparkler then the devestating weapon its supposed to be.

 

 

Because at the moment there is almost never a point to use the CBU-87 since most of the time i find even Mk-82s to be more effective / reliable

(Since atleast you know that if you place the bomb on the target you will get a result where was with the CBU-87 even if you do everything perfect it might still deal no damage).

 

 

which is a shame since for missions like DEAD etc (Where the CBU-87 should be highly effective) you really need a weapon that does reliable damage since

if it does not hurt the target the target will hurt you...

(Since atm in game it wont even kill Shilkas, Strelas or even Sam launchers reliably)

 

 

And Fixing the BLU-97/B submunitions would effect more then just the CBU-87 As they are also used by the AGM-154A JSOW.


Edited by mattebubben
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