What is the best way to locate targets?

[cfarsr]

I've gone through all of the tutorials and while Im not an ace by any means, I can hit targets in the tutorial sections. So I have a couple questions:

 

1: Missions in general, how do you actually locate targets?

 

2: How do I get to line of site for TGP/MAV. I ask this because when I slave sensors to ..... the HUD/steerpoint (as in the tutorial) with the V key, sometimes the steerpoint is in the mid air and I have to slew down to a vast nothingness.

 

Thank you,

Chris

[TheHashWeasel]

JTAC is by far the best way. In fact I don't know if there are any other proper ways... Before I learned about JTAC I cheated by looking at the F10 map and then just eyeballing things. Though cheating is probably the wrong term since that was pretty damned hard compared to getting co-ords from JTAC.

 

This video was a big help to me:

http://youtu.be/mcJ8mlMF7qg

[cfarsr]

Thank you much for the vid. You confirmed my suspicions that the hunt is a lot harder than it might seem. At least with a tiny LCD screen to peer through.

 

It's disconcerting to hear constant radio chatter calling out targets from your wingman and not being able to find anything.

 

Does anyone else have suggestions?

[Purg]

Another 'cheat' is in the F10 map, if you click on an enemy vehicle (if they show up in F10) it'll have the co-ordinates in the bottom left (IIRC). You can then punch in the L/L into the CDU, create a mission steerpoint and slave your sensors to it - it won't put you dead on but it'll be in the general direction in that I'll find the targets most of the time using the TGP pretty quickly. There's also bullseye calls from allied AI aircraft that can be plugged into the offset page on the CDU.

 

There's a thread on Sim-HQ entitled 'How to enter co-ordinates into your CDU' which shows you how to enter UTM from JTAC or L/L from the F10 map.

[Evil.Bonsai]

Thank you much for the vid. You confirmed my suspicions that the hunt is a lot harder than it might seem. At least with a tiny LCD screen to peer through.

 

It's disconcerting to hear constant radio chatter calling out targets from your wingman and not being able to find anything.

 

Does anyone else have suggestions?

 

Learn how to use the CDU. If your wingman, or any other flight, are calling out targets, you can use those callouts by entering them into the CDU.

 

There are a few youtube vids, and once you do it a couple times, it gets pretty easy.

[baltic_dragon]

There are other ways than using the F10 map or JTAC. For instance, you can use your TAD to find the targets currently marked by not only your wingman, but also other flights. Not exactly on the subject, but very helpful video by Fish nevertheless:

 

 

Using this tactics, you can also order your wingman to attack something (armor, AAs etc.) and as soon as he spots them (he is super-human after all and he spots EVERYTHING) just find them on your TAD and slave your systems to that spot.

 

And there is always your old MK1 eyeball and marvelous possibilities that your targeting pod gives you - just try to remember the position of the enemy units from the briefing and scan the area you think they are hiding. After some practice you will be finding them in no time...

 

Hope that helps!

[WildBillKelsoe]

Locating targets 101

 

#1 visual scan of smoke trails for destroyed units and further investigation.

#2 TAD SPI sharing with AI with eavesdropping on targets currently being engaged by allied flights through the radio frequencies.

#3 bait yourself, or the wingman (flying low under 4000 feet), observe machine gun fire (but beware of catching fire that low).

#4 JTAC using MGRS coords.

#5 wingman SPI and takeover.

#6 TGP scan

#7 laser homing using LSS

#8 read brief and check ME map for targets, jot down in MDC positions

#9 map reference like lakes and settlements and use rule for bearing and distance from select ref point

#10 add waypoints over targets in ME (reconfigure flight plan)

#11 wingman calling-out-as-detected targets

 

Remarks for #3: only performed if area clear of air defences, including AAA emplacements. Last resort for sensor failure, never attempted by default.

 

My choice from above; 8 and 9 (for realism)

 

As for TGP staring 1000 feet above ground, change CDU elevation for current waypoint to 0 (or JTAC received elevation)

# Also accessible from UFC DTS elevation rocker, but make sure FP is not autochanging waypoints from CDU FPM page.

Edited July 24, 2012 by WildBillKelsoe

[cfarsr]

Good suggestions everyone. Thank you

[RichardG]

Targeting pod.

 

Standoff from battle area 15-20 miles, at high altitude and scan the area. You can see huge swaths of terrain. SPI and then MARK all the targets you find. Then go in and clean them up.

[Longbow116]

#1 visual scan of smoke trails for destroyed units and further investigation.

#2 TAD SPI sharing with AI with eavesdropping on targets currently being engaged by allied flights through the radio frequencies.

#3 bait yourself, or the wingman (flying low under 4000 feet), observe machine gun fire (but beware of catching fire that low).

#4 JTAC using MGRS coords.

#5 wingman SPI and takeover.

#6 TGP scan

#7 laser homing using LSS

#8 read brief and check ME map for targets, jot down in MDC positions

#9 map reference like lakes and settlements and use rule for bearing and distance from select ref point

#10 add waypoints over targets in ME (reconfigure flight plan)

#11 wingman calling-out-as-detected targets

 

Remarks for #3: only performed if area clear of air defences, including AAA emplacements. Last resort for sensor failure, never attempted by default.

 

My choice from above; 8 and 9 (for realism)

 

As for TGP staring 1000 feet above ground, change CDU elevation for current waypoint to 0 (or JTAC received elevation)

# Also accessible from UFC DTS elevation rocker, but make sure FP is not autochanging waypoints from CDU FPM page.

 

 

 

Hi Bill,

 

could you please explain method #7 step by step?

Thank you!

Longbow

[Stinky]

#12 eject, walk around to find targets :D

[WildBillKelsoe]

Hi Bill,

 

could you please explain method #7 step by step?

Thank you!

Longbow

 

LSS laser spot search homing is finding targets using 1688 LSS code. No contact to JTAC necessary. Just fly close to AO once took-off from airbase, engage LSS on the TGP MFCD page and pickup targets as available. Think of it as, a barebones search and destroy.

[Longbow116]

LSS laser spot search homing is finding targets using 1688 LSS code. No contact to JTAC necessary. Just fly close to AO once took-off from airbase, engage LSS on the TGP MFCD page and pickup targets as available. Think of it as, a barebones search and destroy.

 

 

 

Thank you Bill,

 

will give a try. :)

 

have a nice day!

[Mar044]

LSS is on the air to ground screen (the screen display that you view the targeting pod on, you will see on the right hand side of the screen LSS, if you press that it starts panning the pod around looking for energy from laser that is active, when it finds something a 1-3sec delay where the screen will say found will be displayed and a hostile tank will be locked, this works for air to air as it locked onto a frogfoot once.

 

make sure when you find a target you mark it so you dont lose the track.

[badger66]

Question : If you carry a TGP on each wing , you shouldnt have a blind spot at all ?

[Evil.Bonsai]

None at all. For even better results, mount a couple TGPs on the tail as well. Then you will see EVERYTHING.

 

:music_whistling:

[cichlidfan]

LSS laser spot search homing is finding targets using 1688 LSS code. No contact to JTAC necessary. Just fly close to AO once took-off from airbase, engage LSS on the TGP MFCD page and pickup targets as available. Think of it as, a barebones search and destroy.

 

If there is no JTAC then who is aiming the laser? It can't be the pilot since he doesn't know where the targets are. Also if you do not talk the person aiming the laser you do not know what laser code they are using.

 

You also will have a lot of trouble finding the laser if you don't know where to look in the first place.

[ShuRugal]

Question : If you carry a TGP on each wing , you shouldnt have a blind spot at all ?

 

 

this is actually a question that occurred to me this morning: If one were to mount two TGPs, is the A-10C smart enough to switch between them to prevent masking?

[cichlidfan]

this is actually a question that occurred to me this morning: If one were to mount two TGPs, is the A-10C smart enough to switch between them to prevent masking?

 

You are starting with the assumption that the A-10 can actually support two TGPs at the same time. Just because the wires are there on both wings does not mean that the systems will support two at once. I am betting it would not work becuase all of that extra code would have cost money that could have been better spent elsewhere.

[Dejjvid]

From an engineering perspective, implementing support for dual TGP's would be a PITA. Lots of things that need to be worked out in order to have a safe, and reliable system.