AI Attack Helicopter Improvements

[NeedzWD40]

BLUF: Current DCS AI attack helicopter logic lacks the ability to properly leverage the AH-64's capabilities.

I'll preface this by saying that this could apply to the entirety of DCS' AI helicopter logic, but for now I'm going to focus on the peculiarities that will represent issues for leveraging the AH-64 as an AI unit.

For the longest time now, DCS' AI helicopter logic has basically been representative of either low threat or no threat battles. They will consistently fly at altitudes of 500 feet or higher above ground level to launch missiles, perform close range diving attacks with rockets, and over/undershoot with cannons. When threatened, their defensive action consists of diving while attempting to beam, often bouncing off the ground (and sometimes crashing entirely) while dodging threats. In other cases, they have an unparalleled ability to simply stand still while SAMs fly right by them, while simultaneously getting hammered by SACLOS weapons such as Rapier. Attacking from NOE at maximum weapon range is not in their vocabulary nor their syllabus. This is further hampered by their reaction to fast movers, which is to fly at altitude in a "come at me bro" fashion -- often catching one of the big theatre SAMs for their trouble.

This AH-64D's idea of taking on a dangerous target -- a SAM site -- is to fly high and attempt to launch missiles. The two ship made a bouncing, bobbing, and weaving pattern as they got closer to the target and missiles soared past them. Rather than remain on the deck behind cover and perform a bob-up attack, they wound around in circles until the site ran out of missiles. They were then promptly shot down by SHORAD as they got close to the site. This behavior is often repeated with other targets such as T-90s or BMP-3s, which pack quite a wallop with their ATGMs -- weapons which the AI doesn't react to (despite having a laser warning system). Rather than leveraging their considerable long stick in the HELLFIRE, they get within deadly envelopes of all sorts of threats, to the point that the mission designer must set the AI to invulnerable in order to ensure some resemblance of mission success.

In addition to this, AI weapon usage logic is quite simplified: Missiles > Rockets > Gun is the priority, the only exception being that cannon/guns will be used in air combat in conjunction with missiles, if available. Targets that would be better served by cannon fire are ignored as long as missiles or rockets are present on the airframe. Further, when getting close to targets (and getting the proverbial stuffing shot out of them), they will refuse to use the turreted gun or rockets to suppress threats, instead soaking up hits like an aerial target practice backstop. Rockets also represent another issue, as the AI will rarely utilize hover fire rockets nor break off attacks before coming into contact distance with targets. Oftentimes, they'll make a rocket run without shooting anything whatsoever, simply flying over the target while every 12.7mm in the theatre blasts away at them.

While the current suite of AI logic is fine for some situations, they will come up short 90% of the time, especially that involving force vs force scenarios. A better decision matrix involving the helicopter's capabilities will be required, ie knowing when to stand off, when to bob up; when to hover fire, when to running fire; when and where to use the cannon, and so on. Flying up to 500ft to launch weapons is inherently dangerous, not to mention their reaction to aerial threats which is to climb as high as possible to meet the threat -- effectively playing in the other guy's territory.

Because of these reasons, I hope that an overhaul of their logic is in the cards, so players can properly leverage AI flights as well as giving mission designers the tools to properly encompass a scenario.

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by NeedzWD40
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[LooseSeal]

Absolutely no doubt the current helicopter attacking AI is pretty damn woeful and not fit for purpose. But... it won't be updated by the time the AH-64 is released.

However, I'm almost certain stuff like this will (hopefully) be considered a necessity for the release of the dynamic campaign. Otherwise it simply won't work, and I hope ED realise that. I love using DCS Liberation, but I never buy attack helicopters in it anymore because they just ritually sacrifice themselves by flying over every Igla and Shilka they can find. It's almost as if they do it on purpose.