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CAS - How useful is it in CMCW?


Rice

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One of the biggest things I'm wondering about CMCW is how much effective use can we bank on getting out of air assets? From Heli's to Strike Aircraft, I'm curious as to the amount of effectiveness they will have on the battle overall considering the effectiveness of the then modern SPAA. Anyone with knowledge on this care to shed some insight on how to effectively use aircraft, what kind of aircraft will make the most difference, and if our ground assets should be deployed / used differently to help void some of the effect of these aircraft?

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If your opponent is lazy or careless and obtains insufficient AA assets you can cause him a world of hurt. Once the AA missiles are expended and the AA guns out of ammo your aircraft own the battlefield. Of course the opposite is true too. You can expend a lot of points on aircraft that will get shot down 30 seconds into the scenario, or will miss the target in its one chance to drop its bombs.

There was a Beta tester a couple weeks ago complaining about the seeming difficulty of shooting down aircraft that are dropping cluster munitions. Maybe he was just having an unlucky day, or maybe the aircraft are performing their missions at higher altitude than a normal bombing or straffing run. Everybody's new at this particular title. I don't think I've tried out US air assets versus Soviet AA yet. How would an F4E Phantom II fare against a SA-9 Gaskin AA vehicle?

Edited by MikeyD
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18 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

Once the AA missiles are expended and the AA guns out of ammo your aircraft own the battlefield.

Is it possible for AA to reload in game? for example, the M-48 CHAPARRAL reload in-game, It comes with 4 missiles loaded but once those are expended, is that it?

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AA defense isn't foolproof but neither is air attack. I shuffled some units around and played through a scenario and found despite my air defenses the aircraft were still getting through. BUT despite air strikes putting on a spectacular fireworks display my armor was still able to press forward. 

AA sample 2.jpg

AA sample.jpg

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15 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

AA defense isn't foolproof but neither is air attack. 

This is what I've found too. Sometimes planes get shot down, and sometimes they make it through. In one scenario I had the misfortune of missing with 2 Redeye from different directions and a bomb (500lb - big boom, big crater) landed smack between 2 M113s and killed everyone on board both APCs. They were not quite as dispersed as they should be (obviously, right?).

It's definitely something you can't really count on. If you have a couple flights, there's at least some chance they won't even get through. But they might. For sure pay attention to setting up your AA assets somewhere with good views and protected (I know, conflicting, but it can be done). 

Dave

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I recall reading that NATO expected all of their A10 and Tornado pilots to be KIA by D+10 or so.  I might be fudging the numbers, but the attrition rate was going to be bad with all the Pact mobile SAMs attached at company and battalion level.  Regardless, Active Defense assumed intensive use of NATO CAS as an equalizer.  Either that or the nukes. 

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19 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

After playing a couple scenarios you'll be less enthused about engaging ground targets with your AA assets. Because nothing's worse than hearing the sound of overhead aircraft while you AA unit is reading 'empty'. :o

True, but I need a "demolish building immediately" fire solution.

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