Helicopter Weapons Range

[Draken35]

vFG 476 Range Targets Package REQUIRED / Uses Caucasus map
https://www.476vfightergroup.com/showthread.php?5304-476th-Range-Targets-Package

 

The objective of this mission is to provide an environment where to practice the use of helicopter weapons. It was designed for my personal use in Single Player (but it should work in multi-player), with the AH-64 in mind, flying either from the back of front seat, and commanding George in the other seat.

It uses a (reusable and portable) script that provides useful feedback on several parameters (distance and position of the impact, targets “hit” by the weapon”, altitude, roll, pitch and yaw angles at the time of release …) . Most of these parameters are optional and can be configured using the settings menu option.
 

The Targets
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There are 5 main targets: a Circle A in the center, with a Truck and a Tank to each side, at the end of an 8 kilometers corridor (delimited by blue containers). On each side of the corridor, there are up to 16 bunkers, randomly spawned.

 

Mission flow
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Think of the script as a “range control”. Communications with “range control” will be done via the comms menu (“\”, “F10-Other”).

“Range control” has to be informed that ordnance is about to be deployed (using the “rolling in” menu option) in order to start tracking. Once the attack is completed, “range control” has to be asked to provide the results using the “Off - attack completed” menu option. There is an optional parameter in the script configuration that will generate an abort message if ordnance is dropped without the “rolling in” notification.

Additionally, “range control” can be asked to provide the coordinates for the targets and to designated them using white phosphorus, laser or an offset designation (range and bearing from a reference point).


The Range Menu
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- Range
- Reports
- Attack results
- List coordinates

- Designation
- Mark target (WP)
- Offset designation
- Laser/IR designation
- Cancel Laser designation
- Repeat last designation message

- Settings
- Display current settings
- Toggle non strafing hits (BDA) report
- Toggle display of Release data.
- Distance units
- Distance: set to meters
- Distance: set to feet
- Distance: set to yards
Altitude units
Altitude: set to meters
Altitude: set to feet
- Speed units
- Speed: set to kph
- Speed: set to knots
- Speed: set to mph
- Coordinates format
- Coord. format set to MGRS
- Coord. format set to DMS
- Coord. format set to DM.mm
- Rolling in
- Off - attack completed



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– Adding your own aircraft:
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Well, just add them to the mission! The name or type of the aircraft is not important. The “SKILL” however, is important. For user flyable aircraft, DCS accepts 2 different skills: “Player” and “Client”. The mission and script support both. “Client” has no limitations but “Player” does. If the mission contains a single aircraft and its skill is set to “Player”, the aircraft cannot be started in the air because the range control will not work (DCS bug or limitation). A single “Player” aircraft is supported only if it starts on the ground. In this case, the script will start working when the engines are started (if cold & dark) or after take off (if started as a hot aircraft).

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--Author notes:
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The default unit of measurements can be easily changed on the ME, using the “Override defaults trigger”.

When designing the script, I decided not to spend time (neither CPU or mine) doing validations, so, be warned: if you use an unsupported value, something will blow up.
 

The mission can be downloaded from this thread until the file is approved in the User Files section.

 

 

A couple of good videos by @sidekick65on my Target Impact Tracker Script (used by this mission):

 

Download from the User Files section

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Draken35

[Draken35]

The ways I use the mission are:

- As a pilot: I command George to engage the main targets with Hellfires while I fly the aircraft and use the gun defensibly to deal with the bunkers.

- As a pilot: use gun and rockets to engage the main targets

- as a CPG: engage the main targets while commanding George to get me in position 

Mostly, to learn "crew" coordination and "switchology"