Air Support Scouts?

[Mikeman]

I've noticed that strike aircraft have very little chance of completing their missions, or of even staying alive, when their are more than a very small number of unsupressed enemy SAM teams within range. Air support in many scenarios is rather ineffective due to the large number of OPFOR SAMs that spill out of destroyed APCs.

Considering the above, it is tempting to use air support as suicide scouts. They will die, but enemy positions will be briefly exposed in the area of the "strike".
Would expensive aircraft (not to mention the highly trained pilot) intentionally be ordered to carry out low level airstrikes on "whatever you may find" in known SAM infested areas?
Even if true, how much useful intelligence can a pilot relay to command centers when he's concentrating on the 6 SAMS headed his way?
Does the game provide any "punishment" for the use of air support in a recon role? I'm thinking attrition points or reduced chances for additional air support if the plane is shot down. Better yet, would be to not have positions exposed until after it is determined that the pilot successfully aborted the mission. (He almost certainly will not hit his target)If he dies, what he sees dies with him.
I've decided not to use this tactic in my games until someone convinces me it would be employed by real world commanders. Any comments on this would be appreciated.

Mikeman out.

[MajorH]

>Does the game provide any "punishment"
>for the use of air support in a recon role?

Yes. Airstrikes sometimes do not return to the ready box even though they did not drop their bomb load.


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Best regards, Major H
majorh@mac.com

[schott]

I've used this tactic before, more often when I am on the defensive and want to know where the OPFOR is headed. It seems reasonable when you know that the SAMs have not "spilled out". Sending them to a SAM infested areas does not seem reasonable. Helicopter are juicy targest for SAMs. I have had a hard time judging where I can use my Apaches and not have them in danger from SAMs. It seems that nape of the earth should protect them from distant SAMs.

[Mikeman]

I've had choppers flying NOE get nailed by SAMS at over 3,000 meters. It's tough to keep helicopters alive.

If I don't know where OPFOR is and I haven't knocked out a bunch of APCs then I would use aircraft since most likely the stingers are loaded up and harmless. Of course, a smart OPFOR might unload them at different points along the advance route.

Mikeman out.

[MajorH]

>If I don't know where OPFOR is and I
>haven't knocked out a bunch of APCs
<then I would use aircraft since most
>likely the stingers are loaded up and
>harmless.

Not so harmless. SAMs embarked on APC's can still be fired. The acquisition chance is lower but they can be fired from the APC. The idea is that embarked SAM gunners often stand air watch in an open hatch.



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Best regards, Major H
majorh@mac.com

[Mikeman]

Thanks for the tip, Major!

You've saved many pilots lives with that one. I hadn't noticed that little fact yet.

Mikeman out.

[Brian Rock]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I've had choppers flying NOE get nailed by SAMS at over 3,000 meters. It's tough to keep helicopters alive.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you saying you are keeping the helos at NOE in clear terrain?

TacOps allow for minor variations in height at any given level, but not enough to hide a helo in.

Try hiding your helos behind hills, woods and towns and doing 15 sec "pop-up" attacks. I think you'll find it adds enormously to their survivabilty.

Oh, don't forget to move them to a new location after they do the pop-up attack. The OPFOR SAM shooters tend to notice where the attacks came from.