Sam threats in order of degree of difficulty for a mission?

[mooshim]

Am making a training mission where aircraft meets increasingly difficult threats SAM threats to defeat.

 

Would really appreciate some guidance on which threats are easiest and most difficult to face for the hog.

 

Even a list of five would be helpful.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Will post when finished.

 

Moosh

[PlainSight]

Easiest to hardest:

 

Shilka

 

SA-13 strela

 

SA-8 osa

 

SA-19 tunguska

 

SA-15 tor

 

SA-11 buk - huge range, if you cannot sneak behind a hill, don't even try getting in range for a maverick

[STP Dragon]

Hi PlainSight,

 

As I know the SA-8 osa have a bigger range than the SA-19 tunguska.

[PlainSight]

Hi PlainSight,

 

As I know the SA-8 osa have a bigger range than the SA-19 tunguska.

 

Tunguska is one badass SAM, i wouldn't put it just after shilka ;)

[Aylward]

that list looks about right to me...with the last two being the only possible change.. I have been able to sneak up on BUK's more easily than TOR's.. So i'd put TOR at the bottom of the list myself. but that's just me. :-P

[PlainSight]

The spacing between threats is not equal. SAs 8, 15 and 19 are more or less the same threat, all dangerous, but maverick has slightly better range than they do. I don't know if tunguska is able to shoot it down in self defence on highest difficulty

 

SAs 6 and 11 are extra dangerous, you just cannot get in range like you can with previous units. Employ terrain masking, force it to launch and take it out before it can reload.

[Speed]

My list would be:

 

Zu-23

Zeus

SA-9 (very easy to evade)

SA-13

SA-19 (very easy to outrange with mavericks, easy to plink with impunity from high altitude)

SA-8 (easy to out range with mavericks, tough to plink from high altitude)

SA-15 (easy to out range with mavericks, very tough to plink from high altitude)

SA-6

SA-11

SA-10

 

Depending on the rest of the mission threats and the mission profile, SA-3 could be put alot of places in that list, somewhere between SA-9 and SA-6:

 

SA-3 (Medium range SAM, can kill you at any altitude you can fly a Hog to, but if you get under 200 feet you're immune)

Edited April 8, 2011 by Speed

[Aylward]

My list would be:

 

Zu-23

Zeus

SA-9 (very easy to evade)

SA-13

SA-19 (very easy to outrange with mavericks, easy to plink with impunity from high altitude)

SA-8 (easy to out range with mavericks, tough to plink from high altitude)

SA-15 (easy to out range with mavericks, very tough to plink from high altitude)

SA-6

SA-11

SA-10

 

Depending on the rest of the mission threats and the mission profile, SA-3 could be put alot of places in that list, somewhere between SA-9 and SA-6:

 

SA-3 (Medium range SAM, can kill you at any altitude you can fly a Hog to, but if you get under 200 feet you're immune)

 

what altitude or method would you ideally approach an SA-8 or SA-15 while trying to range with mavericks ?? These seem to swat me down no matter what I do so far.. Would love to hear how to tackle them successfully.. :helpsmilie:

[Speed]

what altitude or method would you ideally approach an SA-8 or SA-15 while trying to range with mavericks ?? These seem to swat me down no matter what I do so far.. Would love to hear how to tackle them successfully.. :helpsmilie:

 

Come in at angels 24 or so... use AGM-65Ds NEVER AGM-65Hs. You can usually lock them at like 8 miles or greater... sometimes out to nine miles. Never let yourself get inside something like seven or six and a half miles, I don't remember the exact range. The relavent point is that with AGM-65Ds, you should always be able to lock and fire before you get within SA-15 range. I think I locked an SA-15 in excess of 9 miles one day.

 

I used to be able to get above the SA-8 envelope at like angels 24, but they may have raised that altitude too. Note you need to pay attention to the altitude of the SAM system too. If it's at high altitude, it's going to be able to shoot up to a much higher altitude above sea level.

 

I think they made it matter what time of the year it was too, in general, you would have a better thermal contrast on a cold day than on a hot day... but that wouldn't always be true IRL, it would definately depend on what the target was doing. But I think on cold days in the sim you'll get better lock ranges with your AGM-65Ds.

Edited April 8, 2011 by Speed

[Zeke]

What other systems are in the area that you are trying to fight off the SA-8's? I've been practicing defeating different types of SAMs. If all you want to do is find the sucker and kill it, here is what I've been doing without ever getting shot down.

 

Once the SAM paints you move slowly to a 3/9 line of the system, just keep it there in the RWR, then slowly move into the SAM a little at a time (quicker if time is of the essence). Once he fires at you invert you jet and dive. Turn on JMR and pump chaff, find the missile and keep him on the 3/9 line and if he keeps tracking you (a lot of times they blow up well before they get to you or they go ballistic) if he keeps tracking your jet turn away to increase the distance if you keeps tracking at the last second pull up and into the missile.

 

I forget how many missiles the SA-8 has but once he fires those off go get him, he needs to reload. I usually kill them with Guns, feels GREAT! :)

 

Keep an sharp eye out to wear the missile came from so you can hunt him down afterward.

 

I've been thinking it would be fun to co-op this with the wingman finding and shooting up the SAM while the other guy draws his fire. Used to do that in the old Flanker days online.

 

Good luck, have fun!

[Topgun505]

I made a mission where you are to take out targets at an airfield. The airfield is guarded by a SA-6 (and other air defense units will start popping not long after the attack on the airfield begins). In order to survive the run in, the waypoints are set up to lead the A-10s through a river valley. You end up coming out of the valley and popping over a hill around 3.5 clicks away from the SA-6 (inside their supposed 4km minimum range). The theory is that you can use CBUs on a low level pass to take out the radar (and hopefully some or all of the launchers) and turn hard to stay inside the 4km min radius if you don't catch them all on the first pass.

 

I tested it last night. I popped up over the hill but only managed to catch one of the 3 launchers (I shoulda dropped both CBUs instead of just 1). I overflew them and was around 2km away and in the process of turning when the surviving 2 launchers both lobbed 1 missile each and cooked me.

 

Anyone else ever try to exploit the min range of larger SAMs? And, if so, did it work? Or are the min ranges not really implemented in DCS?

[Speed]

Oh yea, you can definately exploit the minimum range of medium and long-range SAMs. Last time I tried to do it though, the frickin SA-11 I was doing it too said to me, "Minimum range? What's that?" and launched and blew me away at one freaking mile :(

Edited April 9, 2011 by Speed