What do each of the aircraft roles do in FC2? What's so special about them?

[Spades_Neil]

I asked this question with the old Lock On as well. :) It's useful to know when creating missions. However, we've got some new roles here... Rather than having to rummage through the GUI manual, I'll post this here for anyone curious about this. ^_^

Hope you find this useful!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing: By default, each new aircraft added to a mission is devoid of any specific task. Correspondingly, it will not have any weapons loaded except perhaps an internal cannon. Such an aircraft does not take part in any active actions against enemy forces and just follows its route. Under the threat of an enemy attack the aircraft will try to evade it or attack it if within close proximity.

AFAC: The Airborne Forward Air Controller (AFAC) Task will set the assigned aircraft to mark assigned targets with smoke rockets or illumination flares. For night missions, this can be a useful Task to assign an airplane to support a player flying a Close Air Support (CAS) mission.

Anti-ship Strike: This task consists of having the aircraft actively search for enemy surface ships in a given area and then attacking and destroying them with appropriate weapons. When assigning such a task, it is best to arm the aircraft with anti-ship guided missiles. Additionally, the aircraft will have to have a sensor onboard that can acquire naval targets at long range to target such weapons.

AWACS: (Airborne Warning and Control System). The AWACS aircraft flies according to a planned straight or circular route using looped waypoints, and it alerts allied aircraft, SAM sites, and ships when it detects enemy aircraft. Certain SAM systems can receive targeting data directly from the AWACS even when their own acquisition radar systems have been destroyed. Note that AWACS detection can be limited by range, very low target altitudes, and terrain masking.

CAP: (Combat Air Patrol) The CAP mission implies flying a large race-track pattern using looped waypoints around a defined route to defend an area from enemy aircraft incursion. This type of task does not involve spotting and destroying enemy ground targets or a significant deviation from the planned route to intercept aircraft. Be aware that a high altitude CAP will make life for low level interdiction easier for your aircraft. A combination of a high/low CAP sandwich is the most balanced deployment. The crucial factor while patrolling will be the fuel load limiting the distance and duration of the CAP. All AI aircraft will stop patrolling and return to base in a straight route as soon as their fuel falls to the guaranteed minimum required for the return flight (Bingo fuel state).

CAS: (Close Air Support). CAS involves actively searching for enemy ground targets on the battlefield and destroying them. Here absolute precision in delivering strikes is not of crucial importance. The Su-25, Su-25T and A-10A ground attack airplanes are best suited to CAS, though such planes as the Su-27, MiG-29, MiG-27, and F-16, F/A-18 can successfully handle this task. This is also the best-suited task for attack helicopters like the Ka-50 and Apache. This Task is also best used for attacking air defense systems. When attacking mobile ground units (even if they are stationary), CAS is the best Task to use (not Ground Attack). Use the Targeting tool to assign the area that the CAS aircraft will search for and attack valid targets.

Escort: This task is allocated to fighters and attack helicopters and involves escorting allied aircraft (transport aircraft, bombers, or attack aircraft) and defending them along the route from possible attacks of enemy aircraft and air defense systems. In doing so, the escorts should not engage in fights with the enemy if they do not pose a threat or are significantly off the course line.

Fighter Sweep: The fighter sweep mission is a combat task that involves penetrating enemy air space to attack enemy fighters or other types of aircraft. The main objective of a fighter sweep is winning air superiority and to ensure unimpeded use of the air space by friendly aircraft. Since the aircraft taking part in a fighter sweep may find themselves at a considerable distance from their airfields and take part in prolonged dogfights, their fuel load will be a crucial factor.

GAI: (Ground Alert Intercept). When taking part in a GAI mission, an aircraft is on alert duty on the runway with warmed-up engines. On receiving AWACS or other targeting data of in-bound enemy aircraft, the aircraft takes off and attempts an intercept. Multiple GAI aircraft will take-off one after another to intercept enemy aircraft. When planning this type of mission you don‟t need to create waypoints. All you have to do is set the takeoff point at an airfield and declare it as a GAI Task. Note that when planning a GAI mission, the aircraft on alert don‟t appear on the runway until the target data becomes available. For best results, place early warning radars such as the 1L13 and 55G6 at the airbase.

Ground Attack: This task is used to search for stationary enemy ground targets (plants, railroad stations, airfields, etc.) in a given area and then attacking and destroying them with general purpose bombs or rockets. This type of mission usually involves unguided bombs weighing from 250 to 1,500 kg. In addition, the aircraft can destroy targets with the aid of unguided rockets. When setting up such a Task, it is best to set the Targeting area over a general area that you wish attacked.

Intercept: This is a defensive Task whereby the aircraft must carry out an active search of incoming enemy aircraft and/or receive targeting data from ground based or airborne radar. This type of combat task is reserved for large scale defense and active patrolling and you should not use it while defending a small area or a local installation. While chasing the enemy, the interceptor may deviate far from its planned route and the area that is to be defended will be left undefended.

Pinpoint Strike: The Pinpoint strike mission involves active search for surface targets in a very small Targeting area and attacking and destroying them using precision-guided weapons. In addition to the above weapons, to deliver a pinpoint strike, the aircraft can carry a wide range of laser-guided bombs. When setting up such a task, you will want to set the Targeting area only over the specific target (small targeting circle). For example, if you Task an aircraft to destroy a bridge, set the targeting circle such that it only covers the bridge.

Transport: An aircraft assigned to a Transport Task does not take part in any active actions against enemy forces and just follows its route. Under the threat of an enemy attack the aircraft will try to evade it.

Reconnaissance: The aircraft will fly directly over the assigned Reconnaissance Task waypoint to best acquire intelligence.

Refueling: This task is reserved for aerial tankers. An aircraft assigned this mission will refuel any thirsty allied aircraft during its flight. The use of looped waypoints is recommended for this task.

Runway Attack: This is a specialized form of ground attack that will allow the aircraft to automatically align the axis of its attack along the length of the targeted runway. This is most useful when deploying runway denial weapons. To do so, set the Targeting area over the airfield to attack and select Airfields from the Target Categories.

SEAD: (Suppression Of Enemy Air Defenses). Similar to the CAS Task, this Task allows you to define a Targeting area and have the AI focus on air defense weapons in the area. From the Target Categories list, you must select Ground Vehicles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edited April 8, 2010 by Spades_Neil
Found it! :D

[104th_Crunch]

http://www.e-haf.org/incoming/Train_material/DOCS/Aircraft%20mission%20roles.doc

 

Also look in the GUI manual in the LOFC2 Docs folder. There are descriptions there.

[Spades_Neil]

http://www.e-haf.org/incoming/Train_material/DOCS/Aircraft%20mission%20roles.doc

 

Also look in the GUI manual in the LOFC2 Docs folder. There are descriptions there.

 

Interestingly enough, your document here lacks a couple things, like AFAC. But I am searching in the GUI manual right now. :thumbup:

 

EDIT: Found 'em just now.

[Grimes]

Selecting each role does two things.

1. It limits the aircraft selection to only aircraft capable of flying the mission. Transport role limited to only transport aircraft...

 

2. Slight changes to the AI behavior are applied. Not 100% what they are, but likely engagement zones or how they go about attacking targets may be effected. For instance, using ground attack the AI probably wont use their guns on any targets.

 

Each role is explained pretty well in the GUI manual. Perhaps a dev could explain the only one that I think isn't explained so well... and that is "Escort"

 

In FC1.0 you assigned an escort simply by making an extra flight. So you could have a tanker as flight 1, and a pair of F-16s as flight 2. They were activated at the same time and the F16s would protect the tanker. How exactly are escort missions defined in FC2? Is it simply by flight path? Or is the a way to assign group X to protect group Y at all costs? So far in my testing I've noticed that aircraft with Escort missions fly similar if not the same to CAP or fighter sweep.

[Spades_Neil]

Selecting each role does two things.

In FC1.0 you assigned an escort simply by making an extra flight. So you could have a tanker as flight 1, and a pair of F-16s as flight 2. They were activated at the same time and the F16s would protect the tanker. How exactly are escort missions defined in FC2? Is it simply by flight path? Or is the a way to assign group X to protect group Y at all costs? So far in my testing I've noticed that aircraft with Escort missions fly similar if not the same to CAP or fighter sweep.

 

Yea, I've found Escort to be somewhat useless, but only because I don't understand it any better. It looks to me like the same thing, indeed.