When and how to use attack helicopters?

[Rokko]

Hi folks,

I've decided I'd give the Russian campaign in CMBS a go and am in Mission 1's setup phase. I have 4 attack helicopters ready to go, but I am pretty uncertain whether to use them right away or not. Is it better to have them go in first or to wait and rather use them mop up in face of probable presence of MANPADs or other anti-air assets? Though using them to mop seems like a waste and spotting MANPADS without stepping on them seems rather unlikely.

[General Jack Ripper]

If you hold all of your support back for fear of losing them, you'll never use them at all.

[A Canadian Cat]

Agreed. I have not had a lot of luck finding MANPADs some Anti Air weapons seem to find you but most are so far behind the main line of defense finding them before sending in the CAS just means you are never going to send in the CAS.

 

My strategy right now on the offense is to pick some locations that are likely to have defenders but are not likely to be the first ones I encounter.  I call the CAS on those locations right from the start.  If I have a lot I might also call some on an important rear objective.  My thinking is that a) you are not calling CAS danger close and after you break through the screen you will meet less opposition.  That is my theory anyway. It seems to be not a bad strategy.

 

On defense I have been picking likely avenues of approach and calling 5 or 10 minutes delays.  If nothing is coming along that avenue I can cancel it.  If something does it lets the first units through and then causes problems for any following units thereby letting you deal with less attackers at one time.  This is very much a theory without much practice yet so I'm not sure how well it will work.

[Rokko]

I guess using them with regard for casualties makes sense from a game view, since you don't really have to care about air casualties. But I doubt a real commander would send in a bunch of helicopters if he knew it was very likely 1/4 or 1/2 of them would not return to base, and in my experience manpads are pretty effective.

So what would a real life commander's choice be? My guess would be to not use them at all at the current time and wait for better opportunities where his air assets have better leverage.

[Jotte]

Thats the very seed for the wait and wait and wait and then you'll end up never using it.

[Bud Backer]

So what would a real life commander's choice be? My guess would be to not use them at all at the current time and wait for better opportunities where his air assets have better leverage.

Fixed that for you:

 My guess would be to not use them at all at the current time and wait for when they are needed

I think the real commander would want ideal conditions for their use - we all do because we don't want to send men to their deaths needlessly. However, we never get ideal conditions, and there will be times when the battle shows a need for a particular unit and then we have to evaluate is it suicide (sending trucks down a wooded enemy road really is crazy and gamey) or is it risky but necessary. 

By all means don't throw them away frivolously, but when the time comes that they will make a valuable contribution use them. 

Edited September 19, 2015 by Bud_B

[slysniper]

I like to send in just one on a mission early if I have multiple air units for support that has a juicy sweet target that I don't want to deal with from my other forces.

Consider him the scout, you will find out real quick when he arrives as to what might be anti air support sitting on the other side of the map in the enemy hands.

Pay close attention and now maybe you can counter strike them units with arty since they have given away their positions.

If nothing returns fire, now you can release your hounds and let them cause continued problems where ever you see fit.

 

But in general, I do save them other than the first unit for what I consider critical missions where I can use them to help support a combined attack where I really want the outcome to be decided in my favor. Combined arms baby, and in that type of situation, I am willing to lose them. Since the outcome will for sure affect the battle.

 

 

[jpratt88]

Hey Rokko,

IanL and I just finished up the battle First Class in a mirror game. Our tactics though the first part of the battle were pretty much the same for both sides. The one difference was in the use of our air assets. He hit me right away while I held back to look for his Air Defense assets to go after. I couldn't find the MANPADs. I had luck hitting his one Air Defense Vehicle. I lost both of my helicopters on the US side while none of my Russian Helos. He came out unscathed on both sides. Playing the Russians I used up all of my Ground to Air missiles and didn't hit any of his Helos. So don't be afraid to use them right off the bat because I have found that early hits from air support can be very disruptive to an opening attack or wait and look for troop concentrations etc., but I wouldnt let Air Defense assets dictate their use.

[Sublime]

There's a big difference in how I use Russian and US air assets.  Russian assets air much more vulnerable to being lost by losing your air controller - the only person who can call in air strikes.  Meanwhile almost all US HQ units can call in air support. Also US response times are much quicker so when playing US Im much more likely to hold back and use CAS as needed or on call, whilst as the Russians its almost ineviteable that Ill preplot a first turn strike with some if not all air assets, especially because almost all air assets can be called back for a round two on both sides.