Building an integrated SAM air defense system in a mission

[Bahger]

Well, I'm using Insurgent forces rather than Russian as the Red enemy in the mission I'm making and as I've now determined (at least, I think I have) that there are no EWR assets or networked radar-guided SAM systems listed in the ME as Insurgent objects -- very realistic, believable and true, I reckon -- I'm going to limit the SAM threat in my mission to individual truck-mounted SA-9s, which are nasty enough under 18,000 ft (and often fatal to the AI). And, of course, MANPADs, but I wanted a plausible radar threat to light up the player's RWR.

 

Also, it struck me that Hogs would never be front-and-center of any effort to degrade integrated, modern SAM systems anyway, nor would they be exposed to such defenses without other assets being dedicated to the SEAD/DEAD mission. From everything I've read, about A-10 ops over Kosovo for example, Hogs are not let off the leash to attack ground targets without F-16/Tornado SEAD cover where there is any significant SAM threat. (I'd be interested to know what 2nd-world OPFOR IADs look like, either in Kosovo, or Libya, for example.)

 

I'm very keen for my missions to be operationally realistic and for NATO/US forces to fight like they do IRL, which is to leverage their technology in a disciplined manner. I cannot imagine A-10s being deployed without SEAD support against anything more formidable than SA-9s but am very willing to be corrected by more knowledgeable members of this community...

Edited March 23, 2011 by Bahger

[GGTharos]

Google Libya IADS to get a good idea of 2nd world IADS.

 

For actual insurgents, something like an SA-9 would be their prized and only possession, everything else would be truck-mounted ZSU's and MANPADs. Depending on where these insurgents are coming from, they might just have MANPADs and move around in civvy-looking vehicles, making things hard for your players if you were to turn traffic on... ;)

[Speed]

The concepts are different, and with the phasing out of HAWK the US military certainly had a gap in medium altitude coverage, but NATO as a whole has had a whole bunch of SHORAD and MEDRAD. US always had a huge datalinked IADS system, and right now everything - and I mean everything - plugs into link16, making everything and everyone part of your IADS.

 

Russia had (and for the moment still has) the better part of mobile IADS meant to defend moving ground forces. NATO's offerings are there, but not as developed.

 

Enter the SLAMRAAM.

 

I thought that the US army cancelled their humvee based SLAMRAAMs since the enemies we are currently fighting do not have aircraft (yea. brilliant move there.)?

 

Looks like it:

http://richmedia.onset.freedom.com/nwfdn/lemv4s-7jsfgatestranscripts.pdf

 

Page 3. Looks like they are recommending terminating NLOS-LS too. That's just f***ing brilliant. Let's just rape future US military capability! It's not like it ever gets used much. Think how much money they could save if they didn't fund programs nearly to completion and then cancel them. I guess our soldiers in the future will just have to get by on their 1960's tech M4 rifles (yes, I know their have been improvements, but still...). So much for FCS.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Speed

[Snoopy]

I thought that the US army cancelled their humvee based SLAMRAAMs since the enemies we are currently fighting do not have aircraft (yea. brilliant move there.)?

 

Looks like it:

http://richmedia.onset.freedom.com/nwfdn/lemv4s-7jsfgatestranscripts.pdf

 

Page 3. Looks like they are recommending terminating NLOS-LS too. That's just f***ing brilliant. Lets just rape future US military capability! It's not like it ever gets used much. Think how much money they could save if they didn't fund programs nearly to completion and then cancel them.

 

I don't understand a lot of this...they are thinking current conflicts and not what could happen down the road (China, North Korea, etc)

[Bahger]

Depending on where these insurgents are coming from, they might just have MANPADs and move around in civvy-looking vehicles, making things hard for your players if you were to turn traffic on... ;)

Yes, I have often considered this but assumed that, whatever my civ traf setting -- which is high, I love using my TGP from 15,000 ft to see a bus escape my GBU-12 blast zone by 10ft -- the mission user's own setting would invalidate mine.

[automag928]

Maybe a dumb question, but how do i setup for ROE to change on a unit when the player enters a trigger zone?