Best Tank Busting Bombs/Delivery?

[Katalepsis]

I can flesh this out for myself over time but then what would the Forums be for?! For the most part I use the MK-82 on CCRP to destroy enemy tanks [when I've run out of God-mode Mavericks, and of which I always carry 3x2=6] and with those MK-82 I have about a ~75% tank kill rate (the ~25% of the time I miss it's by mere inches and is usually just due to my impatience, and the fact I still only have about 10hrs total behind the stick). On average I release at ~2800ft at ~200 knots by the way (50% throttle with level wings).

 

My primary question is, what "non-Maverick" munitions are best overall for busting tanks? Of those, what versions to then use, guided or unguided? And if the former, then is GPS or laser recommended? Also, what core delivery method for unguided munitions is the most reliable, realistic, and consistent? I put those three terms in by the way because I know the salty sea dog mode is CCIP after some thread snooping before posting this, but personally I've somewhat mastered both and yet I favor CCRP.

 

In essence, I'm ready to finally ween myself off the MK-82 and start trying other bombs in my "kill everything" custom loadout (again, as hinted above I favor 3x2=6 munitions when possible, but mostly because my wingman dies nearly half the time for no reason despite how careful I am, and thus I'm left to "do everything" myself along w/the F10 "other" units that I semi-command. On that note, even after all AA is disabled, how can I also get my wingman to stop crashing for what legitimately seems like little to no reason? and/or getting shot down half the time while trying to bomb tanks? He's rated "excellent" in the Mission Planner but frankly, he's a pretty terrible pilot after the 30-40 campaign starter missions I keep replaying).

 

I want to get more information from my peers here on the GBU-12 mostly (since it is a 3x2=6 eligible munition) but also the other "bombs" offered by DCS for the A-10C (both in general and specifically regarding tank busting). Until this gets answered I'm going to keep replaying the two initial Campaign starter missions and test the various GBU variants and see what the Universe has to say for itself.

 

[edit]: I'm also reading Eddie's excellent 76th vFS Battle Book via PDF found during said thread snooping. This will presumably give me quality dynamics involved in mastering hot CCIP delivery of unguided munitions, and I'm looking forward to playing around in that sandbox as I build out a greater holistic understanding of all A-10C bombing munitions and subsequent delivery methods.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Katalepsis

[Jona33]

GBU's, CBU's. Mk's are bloody difficult to use against tanks as you need a direct hit against a small target. The gun's great as well. By the way if you've got 6 mavs eitehr take no bombs or take a couple of 500 pounders.

[maxmax]

Yeah, listen to jona. Gbu12s. Easy kill, also for moving targets. Or CBU 97&105. Depending on how big the "herd" of tanks is. CBUs are hard to use for moving groups thought.

[XtraChrisP]

I like the gbu-12s a lot as well. I find the best way to smoke a convoy is to kill the lead and trail elements with mavs then circle overhead dropping 12s at my leisure. As for the incompetent wingman issue, you may be outta luck until you start flying online...

[KLR Rico]

CBU-105's are like cheating when attacking tight groups if you learn to adjust the HOF and throw in some Kentucky windage.

 

My "Kill everything in sight" loadout is 6x mav-d's, 6 x gbu-12's, 2x cbu-105's, and a CBU-97. Need to drop the fuel to 60% or so to keep the weight somewhat under control...

 

That load out is OK for mass destruction but it leaves you a sitting duck in high threat areas and is kind of boring and impersonal... I have a lot more fun when I go light and get in the dirt with minimal fuel, 4 mavs, a couple 38's and drum of 30mm.

[Katalepsis]

Excellent information so far and I appreciate it comrades. I carry "tons" of munitions because as hinted, my wingman is pathetic and one of the worst AI pilots I've ever seen. Even after I make him loiter at a safe IP until all threats are neutralized he still manages to crash and eject or outright die, either by sheer magic (from no source) or more often by tank machine gun fire as he bombs our mutual objectives. Therefore, I'm usually left with the ever popular, "If you want something done right, do it yourself" taste in my mouth...and my recent loadouts reflect this increasingly sad fact.

[159th_Viper]

....."kill everything" custom loadout......

 

6 x 65D's, 6 x 97's and 6 x 12's, together with 30mm should be good for approx 40 MBT's, more than enough to satisfy your spree :D

[Katalepsis]

Love it :thumbup: had to drop fuel to 54% and dump the ALQ-131, AN/AAQ-28 Litening, and AIM-9M Sidewinders to get there of course, but I'm going to do an Elm/Razor support mission now to see if I can beat my personal best of 26 ground kills in one run :D

 

For the record, going forward, I play in 98% Sim Mode, don't want peeps thinking I'm running around doing all this in Game Mode...although I still use active pause in a pinch to work the DSMS from time to time, as well as to slew optical targeting since I have to manage with "just" a Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X and a G15 w/heavy custom keymapping.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Katalepsis

[HugePanic]

what about rearming???

 

i have just started the campaign, but it is usually not much more than 10minutes to fly home.

 

Take your time, this is not a game...

[Katalepsis]

I can't get the game to rearm me and keep trying, I was going to try to muscle through the problem and solve it myself but any thoughts are appreciated now that the topic has come up. I also have a problem with AI aircraft crashing into one another on the runway if the mission runs more than 35-40mins (once in awhile, not always). The AI is sometimes more "artificial" than "intelligent" and that's putting it kindly/mildly...

[HugePanic]

I can't get the game to rearm me.....

 

Never had a problem with that:

1. Land

2. Taxi to ramp (optional)

3. Switch to internal com

4. Request rearming

5. Load DSMS stores

[Yurgon]

Never had a problem with that:

1. Land

2. Taxi to ramp (optional)

3. Switch to internal com

4. Request rearming

5. Load DSMS stores

 

Or, somewhere after item 2 on that list, open canopy and ignore the comms switch. Your crew chief will hear your request even with engines running. :)

 

Concerning load-out: I prefer GBUs over CBUs because they don't seem to be affected by (or can correct against) wind.

 

JDAMs are great because with Mark Points and a bit of training, you should be able to drop two or more in a single pass. However, that doesn't work well with tanks as they'll start moving as soon as the first one gets hit. Single-drop JDAMs against fixed targets also offer complete Fire&Forget, in case you need to dodge some kind of AA.

 

That leaves the most important valid point for LGBs: Can hit moving targets. :)

 

I'm all for CCRP with both JDAMs and LGBs. Cruising at Angels 18 and pickling from level flight is just so much more relaxed than entering a steep dive. :)

[Katalepsis]

Excellent. So let me ask this seemingly rudimentary question, how exactly do I program and effectively deliver the following munitions and what are their best/primary uses? What release mode [i'm assuming I can keep using CCRP] and other relevant settings in DSMS should I utilize? For today's example I'm ready to destroy a command and control unit, but another mission once asked I destroy a bridge, so I need to build out my greater overall understanding of the in-game uses for each available munition (short of Mavericks which even my cat knows how to use):

 

GBU-12 (had laser switch set to "on" and targeting pod as SOI and it still missed with a clean pickle in CCRP so I assume I had to tweak the DSMS profile some beyond the default)?

GBU-10 (ready to finally try these out now)!

GBU-31 (ready to finally try these out now)!

CBU-87 (ready to finally try these out now)!

CBU-97 (ready to finally try these out now)!

 

Obviously for settings that cross munitions platforms just let me know that, in order to reduce the effort and volume necessary to answer. Again, my objective here is to ween myself off the MK munitions and move onto CBU and especially GBU (to be safe I've been arming both my onboard laser and TGP and slewing successfully onto intended targets and yet, something still smells rotten in Denmark once I get CCRP profiled and pickle cleanly away).

[Jona33]

GBU-12. You need to either set autolase to on in the profile menu or hold down the NWS steering button when the bomb is about 1/4 of the way there. This fires the laser.

GBU-10. The same. 2000lb version of GBU-12.

GBU-31. Set a SPI. CCRP the bomb. It does the rest. However on the CCRP reticle you press the pickle button when the range bar is between the two arrows.

GBU-38. 500lb version of the GBU 31.

CBU-87. Unguided cluster bomb. Loads of small bomblets cover a large area. Best used against soft targets.

CBU-97. Drop it the same way as a dumb bomb. It is a fantastic weapon. It splits apart. Parachutes slow containers down until they are near the ground. The containers then launch upwards, spin and dispense skeets which look for a hot target and fire an armour piercing charge at it. Absolutely awesome against tanks but need to be corrected for wind by aiming upwind a bit.

[acino]

Excellent. So let me ask this seemingly rudimentary question, how exactly do I program and effectively deliver the following munitions and what are their best/primary uses? What release mode [i'm assuming I can keep using CCRP] and other relevant settings in DSMS should I utilize? For today's example I'm ready to destroy a command and control unit, but another mission once asked I destroy a bridge, so I need to build out my greater overall understanding of the in-game uses for each available munition (short of Mavericks which even my cat knows how to use):

 

GBU-12 (had laser switch set to "on" and targeting pod as SOI and it still missed with a clean pickle in CCRP so I assume I had to tweak the DSMS profile some beyond the default)?

GBU-10 (ready to finally try these out now)!

GBU-31 (ready to finally try these out now)!

CBU-87 (ready to finally try these out now)!

CBU-97 (ready to finally try these out now)!

 

Obviously for settings that cross munitions platforms just let me know that, in order to reduce the effort and volume necessary to answer. Again, my objective here is to ween myself off the MK munitions and move onto CBU and especially GBU (to be safe I've been arming both my onboard laser and TGP and slewing successfully onto intended targets and yet, something still smells rotten in Denmark once I get CCRP profiled and pickle cleanly away).

 

 

GBU-10 and GBU-12 are in principle the same, one is bigger than the other one, but the deployment is the same. In the profile in DSMS page, you just set AUTO LS to ON, that means the TGP will automatically start lasing (marking) the target after release of the bombs. Next, you also need to set LS TIME (on the same page) to 10-15 seconds, so the bomb has enough time to navigate to the target but at the same time, does not waste all its energy at the begining of the fall. Then it's just a normal CCRP release.

[HugePanic]

Chech that there is no M in the HUD that indicates a masked laser....

[Katalepsis]

Very sexy information, I'm on it, greatly appreciated comrades!

 

[edit]: Let me add a final thought, how and why does the GBU-31 deviate from the GBU-12 and GBU-10 regarding profiling and release? Wikipedia likely has the answer so no worries, just curious. Specifically, the 31 seems like a simple matter of just setting an SPI and releasing in CCRP mode within the correct range pip parameters (whereas the 10/12 need auto-lase set to on and some LS TIME settings thrown in for good measure).

 

[edit]: I got it now, the GBU-31 is pure GPS which can slew to an SPI and then be fired essentially in "God/Easy" mode, and/or they can be outright programmed using JTAC or manual coordinates, whereas the GBU-10/12 are "merely" active laser guided. Aye?

Edited February 5, 2013 by Katalepsis

[acino]

GBU-31 is a JDAM, it's essentially GPS guided boomb, so not laser guided bomb. It's a fire and forget weapon.

 

Edit: I suck, I didn't read your 2nd edit. :)

[Hamblue]

The CBU's are my favorite after the MAV D's They also give you a nice show when they go off.

[acino]

The CBU's are my favorite after the MAV D's They also give you a nice show when they go off.

 

CBUs are insane. I love this fuzzy feeling inside when I drop one and destroy 10+ targets. :pilotfly:

[WildBillKelsoe]

I can flesh this out for myself over time but then what would the Forums be for?! For the most part I use the MK-82 on CCRP to destroy enemy tanks [when I've run out of God-mode Mavericks, and of which I always carry 3x2=6] and with those MK-82 I have about a ~75% tank kill rate (the ~25% of the time I miss it's by mere inches and is usually just due to my impatience, and the fact I still only have about 10hrs total behind the stick). On average I release at ~2800ft at ~200 knots by the way (50% throttle with level wings).

 

My primary question is, what "non-Maverick" munitions are best overall for busting tanks? Of those, what versions to then use, guided or unguided? And if the former, then is GPS or laser recommended? Also, what core delivery method for unguided munitions is the most reliable, realistic, and consistent? I put those three terms in by the way because I know the salty sea dog mode is CCIP after some thread snooping before posting this, but personally I've somewhat mastered both and yet I favor CCRP.

 

In essence, I'm ready to finally ween myself off the MK-82 and start trying other bombs in my "kill everything" custom loadout (again, as hinted above I favor 3x2=6 munitions when possible, but mostly because my wingman dies nearly half the time for no reason despite how careful I am, and thus I'm left to "do everything" myself along w/the F10 "other" units that I semi-command. On that note, even after all AA is disabled, how can I also get my wingman to stop crashing for what legitimately seems like little to no reason? and/or getting shot down half the time while trying to bomb tanks? He's rated "excellent" in the Mission Planner but frankly, he's a pretty terrible pilot after the 30-40 campaign starter missions I keep replaying).

 

I want to get more information from my peers here on the GBU-12 mostly (since it is a 3x2=6 eligible munition) but also the other "bombs" offered by DCS for the A-10C (both in general and specifically regarding tank busting). Until this gets answered I'm going to keep replaying the two initial Campaign starter missions and test the various GBU variants and see what the Universe has to say for itself.

 

[edit]: I'm also reading Eddie's excellent 76th vFS Battle Book via PDF found during said thread snooping. This will presumably give me quality dynamics involved in mastering hot CCIP delivery of unguided munitions, and I'm looking forward to playing around in that sandbox as I build out a greater holistic understanding of all A-10C bombing munitions and subsequent delivery methods.

 

 

A realistic loadout with A-10C is 2XMK-82, 2X Mk-84, 2XAGM-65K, 1150 RDS, TGP, 1XLAU-68-7*MK5WP (for marking), 2XAIM-9, for a realistic mission time of 15-30 mins, and a realistic fuel for a 20 mile target to home plate distance is 50% or maybe even less if there is a tanker on station.

 

Source: experience in sim and A-10's over Kosovo book.

 

To answer your good question, I use CCIP from base altitude of 16,000 and an airspeed of 180-230 KIAS and start a roll in from 4 miles with the target to my left hand at 50 degrees flush with cockpit canopy rivets. Never failed me. I also set TOF to 10 seconds and minimum altitude to 8,000 ft so I'm almost breaking off a potential and certain IR SAM launch. I don't EVER use ripple except on a static tank column. I did a tutorial for also windage here:

 

Edited August 12, 2013 by WildBillKelsoe

[Maverick-X]

Dropping Mk82's on tanks is fairly difficult, as you almost never are able to fly that low! On 2800 feet you simply are toast. Usually somewhere will be at last an Igla and it will rip you because you have almost no reactoion time for a missile less than 2 miles away coming at you with Ma2.5

 

Mk82s arent that bad, but if you consider dropping them from 10k Feet + with moderate to heavy winds, it is almost impossible to hit. GBU 12's are a very good solution for precision attacks on highly armored vehicles, even if they are moving. GBU 38's are very nice, too, as they are fire and forget weapons, and you can drop multiple in one run, but not on moving targets

 

Arming 6 Mav's is possible, but if you want to keep the realism, 4 is maximum as the inner ones would burn your tires. Using a TGP actually limits the real loadout to 3 Mav's, as the outer one on the TGP-Wing will roast your TGP on launch

[WildBillKelsoe]

Dropping Mk82's on tanks is fairly difficult

 

But its very gratifying when you hit something as big and expensive as a T-80/90 with them, specially the cost of a Mark 82 is a nickle compared to the full armed and built tank.

[GC1993]

On the topic of mavs gentleman, can someone advise why the D variant is heavily preferred over the H in game? I use the D primarily because everyone else seems to, but reading up on it the internet says the only difference is an enhanced ability in desert environments or something.

 

Could someone explain the advantages of the D, or if the D isn't the best light variant (I'll use the K for ships and things), which one is?

 

Thanks

[Mithrandir]

On the topic of mavs gentleman, can someone advise why the D variant is heavily preferred over the H in game? I use the D primarily because everyone else seems to, but reading up on it the internet says the only difference is an enhanced ability in desert environments or something.

 

Could someone explain the advantages of the D, or if the D isn't the best light variant (I'll use the K for ships and things), which one is?

 

Thanks

 

 

The D has a IR head. The H has a simple TV head. The Weapon itself is the same and wich one you may use is up to you, but if it´s dark you should use the D!

 

WILDBILL : Great Tutorial!