UA doesn't use Grads in 2017?

[ikalugin]

Such as? Rocket artillery and air delivered weapons? I mean, sure you could use TacTom or B1B for CAS, but it is the wrong way to use those weapons.

[Stagler]

As a UK battlegroup commander in a conventional shooting war against a near peer/peer opponent in 2017, alongside other NATO allies, It is likely that I would have the following capabilities at my finger tips. Just to demonstrate below are all GPS guided systems alone or some with mixed laser/GPS capability. No straight laser guided munitions.

 

Tube.

M120/M395 120mm

M109 or AS90/M982 155mm

 

All below are rocket launch systems with saturation and or precision options available depending on weapons fit.

M270/HIMARS ATACMS Block 4/M31

M270/UK GMLRS M270B1/M31

UK Exactor platform

 

And as you can imagine current air-to-ground gps precision munitions below can be dropped by almost any US platform - UK platforms will recieve this capability with F-35.

Spear Drop 2 (Brimstone upgrade package for current UK platforms)

GBU-15/AGM-130MCG kit

JDAM kit for various other munitions.

 

Is precisely hitting the target the with one munition the wrong way? Is limitation of collateral damage the wrong way? We certainly gave a shoeing to the Iraqi's in 2003 using B1 loaded out with plenty of GPS guided munitions and long loiter times - it is arguably more efficient than individual sorties by groups of smaller aircraft. Again this remains debatable, and I believe disagreeable between our two national centers of gravity Ikalugin.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Stagler

[ikalugin]

Ah, British, that may explain the tactical bias.

So tube artillery, MLRS platform, Spike derivative, tactical aviation. Did I leave something out? I see that you plan to use ATACMS as your direct support weapon, instead of using it where it is needed (ie hitting the enemy rear echelons as a part of recon/strike complex).

We prefer to have seeking AT subunitions (as PGMs) in our rocket artillery systems (Grad and Smerch), as those maximise the strong points of those systems - ability to deliver killing blow in a single salvo and then displace.

With GPS guided single shot salvo'ed rounds that ability is wasted by using it in peacameal fashion.

We could agree to disagree though.

[ikalugin]

Back on track though - Grad with new munitions would essentially be a "remove enemy armour from the map" (Grad divizion would saturate the hostile side of the map even on the max size maps I think) button, thus not good for the game play.

[Stagler]

Back on track though - Grad with new munitions would essentially be a "remove enemy armour from the map" (Grad divizion would saturate the hostile side of the map even on the max size maps I think) button, thus not good for the game play.

 

They were managable in CMSF. I would like to see them reprise a similar role as it wasnt too overpowered there, although the Syrian FO teams were painfully slow and terribly inefficient and inaccurate.

[ikalugin]

Did Syrians get SADARM equivalent in their Grads? Not on Grads anyway if I remember it right:http:

//rbase.new-factoria.ru/sites/default/files/gallery/s.gurov/12/04/28/spbe.jpg

Edited February 3, 2015 by ikalugin

[Stagler]

I believe Grads had Anti-tank capability in CMSF but it wasnt SADARM. It was airburst heat submunitions - 9M218 probably. It used to just saturate an area with airburst explosives.

 

AP Grad fire in CMSF was highly effective however if troops were in the open. I won a few battles playing CMA using them also.