Rockets a little weak?

[Tangolima600]

Hey guys, tried searching for this topic but couldn't find one. I noticed the HE rockets are pretty weak, as if the blast radius is little to none against light vehicles or buildings. Anyone think so or is it just me?

[slug88]

First off, are you sure you're firing HE rockets? The default loadout when carrying S-8 rockets gives you the S-8KOM, which has a HEAT warhead designed for defeating armor. If you want a blast fragmentation warhead you need the S-8OFP2, which has to be custom selected by either yourself or the mission designer.

Edited May 25, 2010 by slug88

[JLZ]

... and you select it by going to 'Mission planer' (button between 'Cancel' and 'Fly') on screen just before you enter the mission.

 

There you can change payload for your flight group. About changing payload you can read in manual 'Ka-50 GUI manual' on page #107 'Payload mode'.

[Logan9773]

Personally, I'm pretty satisfied with the 80mm HEAT rockets. They seem to do their job. If you want more bang for your buck, load up with 120mm ones that have tandem warheads.

[Boberro]

I think KOM are quite effective if well used. One shot one kill (MSTA, Gvozdkas, BRDMs MLRS ect)

[Frederf]

For some reason I had unlimited ammo on after some testing so I find some isolated T-72s in a campaign mission and decide to test the S-8KOMs out. They are simply not effective in a realistic number of hits. What's the biggest bit of armor you can hit with these? T-55? BMP-2?

[slug88]

Never mind T-72's, I've taken out quite a few M1's with the S-8KOM. Have seen others do so in multiplayer on several occasions as well. You just need a couple of direct hits. Getting the top or flank armor helps as well I believe.

[isoul]

I do believe that S-8KOM are best suited for lighter armored targets rather than modern main battle tanks.

 

Personally I don't expect two rockets, being fired from 2km away, can effectively defeat a MBT's armor such the one on M-1 or T-80. Rockets are considered artillery and are quite inaccurate. To destroy a MBT with only 1 or even 2 direct hits is considered a "lucky hit" and rarely if ever happens to me.

 

For MBT I prefer Vikhrs, I 'll use S-8KOM if the MBT is my only or last target.

[funkee]

I agree with OP. Unguided missiles could be a bit stronger and more accurate. It's impossible to destroy even light armored target from more than 1 km. S-13's are ok, but only 10 are loaded. The S-8's are kinda useless (seem to work only against infantry).

[Logan9773]

I don't know what you guys are doing. I regularly destroy light armor targets with two rockets and a direct hit. They are 80mm shaped charge warheads, so they should cut through that armor like it was butter. And besides, all you really have to do is kill the crew, and damage the controls to an unusable state. Now tanks like the T72 on up have a number of defenses meant to defeat older missles like rockets, such as explosive layers of armor and composite armor ( steel mixed with ceramic and other compounds ) like that found on the M1. Older rockets will need at least two hits on the same spot to get through explosive armor and the M1, T90 etc. have better types of armor and shapes meant to defeat shaped charge rounds. If you'll read in the manual, you'll notice the Vihkr has a tandem HEAT warhead ( i.e. two warheads, one behind the other ) meant to defeat explosive armor and give tougher modern armors a one, two punch. I believe the 122 mm rocket pods also have tandem warheads on the rockets. Use these for big game hunting and taking out hardened bunkers.

Also, range should not really matter with a shaped charge. All that warhead has to do is touch the target at a good perpendicular angle to the skin, and explode. It has nothing to do with kinetic energy like on a depleted uranium round. When the shaped charge goes off, a stream of molten copper punches through the steel skin at around 1 million atm of pressure. Thats about 14 million pounds per square inch. Heat, pressure, spalling, and oxygen depletion kill the crew inside.

I remember when I was in JrROTC attached to a National Guard Tank Company, one of the crew members used to joke that at least his death would be quick. The last thing he would see is a blinding white light.

Edited May 28, 2010 by Logan9773

[Tangolima600]

Thanks for the suggestions. I printed out all the available weapons from the manual for quick reference for now on

[Frederf]

Perhaps my joystick is a bit sticky (ewww) but I can't seem to possibly hit a BMP-2 with even a 20-rocket burst at a range free from retrobution (2.0 km), let alone 2. The pattern spatters all around the target with no effect.

[sweinhart3]

Perhaps my joystick is a bit sticky (ewww) but I can't seem to possibly hit a BMP-2 with even a 20-rocket burst at a range free from retrobution (2.0 km), let alone 2. The pattern spatters all around the target with no effect.

 

You probably need a better joystick. I had my pots exchanged out for hall sensors and it made things much smoother. Additionally, I find it easier to employ rockets in Flight Director mode so I can make small corrective inputs without fighting the autopilot for directional input. Im no pro at rockets but that has helped me tremendously. I always have my rocket salvos set to medium. 2 rockets at a time can pretty much guarantee no hit but full bursts waste through them really fast. I also dont like to use them on targets like the BMP or M2 because they can launch their own missles by the time your in range and their gun is equally deadly.

[isoul]

Flight Director mode is very useful when deploying rockets. Burst size (salvo quantity) must be used wisely.

 

Short burst is better for hitting a vehicle in the open or when engaging large soft targets (such as non-hardened buildings).

 

Med Burst size is wanted when you are attacking targets with close proximity from one to the other (like truck convoys). Med burst size is useful when you want to hit something dangerous at range, perhaps a ZU-23, and you have to do it with rockets.

 

Long Burst? You have infantry hiding in forested area (like in the campaign mission #2 where you escort a convoy), you see the tracer rounds but can't see the enemy itself and you have your S-8OFP2 hanging from your little wings! Fire a long salvo... the best thing you can do! The rockets will scatter and probably kill most of the infantry in the trees.

[Eddie]

Perhaps my joystick is a bit sticky (ewww) but I can't seem to possibly hit a BMP-2 with even a 20-rocket burst at a range free from retrobution (2.0 km), let alone 2. The pattern spatters all around the target with no effect.

 

Don't try and move the pipper on to the target. Start your attack from distance, and align with the target early. As you fly closer the pipper will move closer and closer to the target, once the pipper is on the target, hit the pickle button. Small adjustments in elevation are best made by adjusting the collective slightly, is allows for finer control than you get by using the cyclic.

 

Of course, even with all this most rockets will miss the intended target, but this is to be expected. Rockets are not a precision weapon and shouldn't be used as such. While the S-8KOM might be able to take out a tank in theory it doesn't mean it's practicle to use them as and anti-tank weapon. Remember, just because you can, it doesn't mean you should. Rockets of any type really are just area effect weapons, don't expect 2 of them to be able to hit a point target from 2 km, it's just not going to happen.

 

The only way you can be sure of killing a heavily armoured point target is to get far closer than you should. So in practice, while it may be physically possible to kill and MBT with rockets, it's the right weapon for the job.

[Frederf]

I can hold the pipper on the target for the count of one before release. The rockets fly all around the target. Not to the left or right. 50% high, 50% low, 50% left, 50% right.

 

Apparently sniping tanks with 2 KOMs from 2km is the norm, says the player above me.

[Eddie]

I can hold the pipper on the target for the count of one before release. The rockets fly all around the target. Not to the left or right. 50% high, 50% low, 50% left, 50% right.

 

Apparently sniping tanks with 2 KOMs from 2km is the norm, says the player above me.

 

Sounds normal to me based on every bit of hud cam/sniper/litening pod footage I've ever seen.

 

It may well be possible to 'rocket snipe' armour in the sim, but it's not how rockets are used IRL. I've never tried myself as I'm a checklist and RL procedures addict.

 

All I'll say is that everytime I've engaged a target using rockets I have killed at least one vehicle. But I only ever use rockets on soft targets or structures, parhaps at a push I'll hit lightly armoured units such as BRDMs but never anything higher up the food chain.

[isoul]

...

All I'll say is that everytime I've engaged a target using rockets I have killed at least one vehicle. But I only ever use rockets on soft targets or structures, parhaps at a push I'll hit lightly armoured units such as BRDMs but never anything higher up the food chain.

 

That sounds reasonable. In a post of mine above, I mention that short burst can be used against single vehicles. By saying vehicles I meant lightly armored or unarmored ones. Personally I don't expect to destroy a tank with rockets at all.

 

Even in real life I don't know if someone could be sure that a rocket launched from a helicopter can hit a tank at a specific part of the armor with a desired angle to score a kill. Although I 've seen footage of helicopters launching rockets in pairs I doubt that the target ever is a tank. Most of the time single rockets are aimed against buildings or other soft targets.