How exactly do air assets work?

C

CorporalJohn

Guest
I'm seeing conflicting info in the manual and online. Do air assets work exactly like artillery? Or do they just work independent of observers, like the manual indicates? Super confused
 
Whilst the FO /HQ calling the asset needs LOS onto the target location or partial LOS onto the target area, once onboard/onmap air assets work independent of observers. They will basically spot and engage targets all by themselves. You may not even know what the are bombing/strafing.
 
Cheers! So does it make any difference what area I choose to call the aircraft to?
 
Well you obviously dont want to waste your air assets. So you'll want to

a/ send them to a location where there is a good likelihood of enemy units. Best if your ground forces have current LOS onto them ( or saw them recently, and you think they won't leave the area for 5 minutes or so)
b/ your air assets will be able to spot any ground targets

Point B is critical, keeping in mind:
1/ the bigger the area target, the longer it'll take your pilot to cover, and therefore slower to acquire LOS
2/ pilots cant spot infantry in buildings
3/ pilots will stuggle to spot units in woods/forest, particularly infantry, but also armour
4/ Your ground troops have spotted 3 tanks clustered around a village. What a juicy target! But are there AA assets also around that village they cant see, that will negate or destroy your sexy little fighter bomber?
5/ weather? Crap weather means crap (if any) LOS distance, therefore heavily reduced spotting abilities. Rain, fog, possibly haze (?) will all degrade pilot effectiveness.
 
Also the pilots might have trouble telling which vehicles are operational and which are already knocked out.
There's a decent change aircraft will engage wrecks if there are any in the target area.
 
Only CMRT has roving aircraft. All other CM titles have directed airstrikes (despite what the game & engine manuals say).
Aircraft come in up to six configurations: Strafe, Light, Light Rockets, Heavy, Rockets & Maximum.
There are three types of air missions: Light, Medium & Heavy. This refers to the ordnance to be used. Light = bullets Heavy = bombs.
Example: A Strafe configuration would always be light even if given a heavy mission since it only has light ordnance.
Example: A heavy configuration given a light mission would only strafe and not drop bombs.
Aircraft have two types of targets: Point and Area.
Aircraft target areas can be up to 700m except in CMSF & CMFI where they are 400m and CMRT where aircraft are roving.
In CMBS (but not CMSF) helicopter strike missions do not require LOS to targets. Any point on the map can be targeted anytime.
In CMFI & CMBN a Forward Observer is needed to call in air support.
I think this is a bug and reported it as such but in CMFB a mortar platoon HQ can call in an airstrike. So you don't need an FO in CMFB for airstrikes.
Plane and helicopter missions cannot be adjusted (UAVs can).
 
everything 'MOS---" says is true...:)

Bottom Line, (I ve tested this alot)... Air Support with a high level of Experience (Vet, Crack or Higher) will perform 'decent' in attacking enemy troops (plus if the spotter has Leadership)

TRPs - can make a BIG Difference (One of the best things to buy IMHO) ... you can have Reg and Reg....
'IMO... if you have a Spotter with Vet and up, and you have a Reg 'Aircraft' and up you should be fine,.....

ELSE... it is a crap shoot, some good , some bad...
 
Thanks all! So when I assign an area to an aircraft, it will then scan the area and look for its own targets until reassigned?
 
Vartuoosi said:
Also the pilots might have trouble telling which vehicles are operational and which are already knocked out.
There's a decent change aircraft will engage wrecks if there are any in the target area.
Click to expand...

That I didn't fully appreciate, but now it makes perfect sense, and explains what I've been seeing.
 
Can the aircraft identify your own soldiers as adversaries and shoot them up? This happened to me in The Road To Nijmegen campaign in CMBN. I ordered FO to call airstrike on an enemy position but the plane instead shot my infantry about 300 meters away.
 
Shoggot said:
Can the aircraft identify your own soldiers as adversaries and shoot them up? This happened to me in The Road To Nijmegen campaign in CMBN. I ordered FO to call airstrike on an enemy position but the plane instead shot my infantry about 300 meters away.
Click to expand...

I haven't experienced it first hand (having been mainly on the receiving end of air attacks), but anecdotal commentary from some of my opponents (such as @Hapless ) indicates that
Shoggot said:
aircraft can mis-identify your own soldiers as adversaries and shoot them up.
Click to expand...

Suggestions from such opponents was to ensure target areas are isolated/distant from one's own troops, to minimize the chances of such friendly fire. And that such friendly fire can occur on both infantry and tanks.?
 
Shoggot said:
Can the aircraft identify your own soldiers as adversaries and shoot them up? This happened to me in The Road To Nijmegen campaign in CMBN. I ordered FO to call airstrike on an enemy position but the plane instead shot my infantry about 300 meters away.
Click to expand...
Yes. Video proof - but my tanks got through completly unscathed. :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom