Why don't AI use RPG's on Helo's?

[ArmAriffic 10]

They use there rifles instead of RPG's on helo's, why?

[DaveP 66]

Same reason they don't in real life: It's like trying to hit a clay pigeon with an air rifle

[Mr. Charles 22]

Because they prefer using them on tanks? AFAIK this happens only in somalia

[hellfire257 3]

Its a shame the vanilla AI don't. They should do in some cases, but not all the time.

[ArmAriffic 10]

oh ok, its just I was hovering and he try'd to shoot me with his rifle and not the helo with his RPG

[HyperU2 11]

I took five RPG hits in a hovering blackhawk this morning, surprising durability. I guess with ACE they will.

[W0lle 1050]

Because they prefer using them on tanks? AFAIK this happens only in somalia

And in Hollywood! :D

[Gunter Severloh 4063]

WarMod for Armed Assault was notorious for AI using Rpgs againsted choppers seen here,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQn0t2pHbqc

chopper starts at 2:29

[HyperU2 11]

And in Hollywood! :D

And Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Star Four One 10]

Because they prefer using them on tanks? AFAIK this happens only in somalia

I don't know what your talking about, but any weapon they have that can bring down a tactical symbole like a helo - there going to use. RPG's were also the cause of a MH-47 hitting the deck in Afganistan and multiple other incidents.

To say this happens only in Somalia, is a great underestimate of knowledge.

S41

[tswords 10]

not so much in iraq nowadays. theyre much more interested on using it on one another rather than shooting it at someone whos DYING to shoot back.

[meade95 0]

Standard AI only uses RPGs when Helo is about to land (or landed) I believe. Very rarely, if ever while in the air.

Though, there was simple add-on made a while back that made them use RPGs. It was in a thread I started about this subject. just a small 30kb addon.

[Tonci87 163]

And ACE WINs again. In fact they can be really annoying with those RPGs..... I`m going to make a hot insertion scenario in the Editor right now^^

[Sgt. Exodus 10]

An AI insurgent fired an RPG at a Chinook on the BAF map once, though that's the only time I've seen it happen.

[Rindier 10]

Lol sounds like he exspects blackhawk down style RPG action

[HyperU2 11]

Seems a few folks think Blackhawk Down was just a movie.

[Daniel 0]

You have to decide the nature of the forces using the RPG. And Arma2 can't do that on its own.

Taliban forces have fired countless RPGs at coallition aircraft over the years, and have had hits on occasion. But it seems more often to be a suppressive tactic to deter pilots from enacting close air support.

Now that might be an acceptable tactic for the insurgent and militia forces in game. But do you then want the CDF and Takistan Army forces to be doing the same?

There's also the issue where RPG rounds almost always explode when fired at aircraft and almost always doing no damage. That could be an ACE problem, can't remember. Definitely needs fixing though, bit of a game breaker.

EDIT: Pretty baffled by some of the earlier posts in this thread. RPGs seem to be almost the AA weapon of choice in recent conflicts. Nothing Hollywood about it.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Daniel

[jakerod 254]

Couldn't you theoretically program the AI to only fire one at helicopters moving under a certain speed and under a certain altitude?

[NoRailgunner 0]

"Soldier use your AT launcher against that helicopter!

Do not target and fire at one those enemy armored vehicles at 300m in front of us! They are 300m away but who cares?!

Ignore them all - this choppa is more important!!!" :D

First of all the AI need to have better priorities between no threat, low threat, personal threat and high threat. Its kinda annoying to see them wasting AT ammo on low threats (UAZ/HMMWV/soldiers) instead of using them against higher threats (armored vehicles). Very often AI's are attacking low threats with AT instead of firing at tanks (which are in range, reported and in FOV of AI)...

[MissionCreep 12]

On On June 28, 2005 in Afghanistan, an MH-47 Chinook of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment "Night Stalkers" was ferrying a team of Navy SEALs responding to distress calls from another SEAL team during Operation Red Wings. As the team was rappelling onto the site, an RPG round was fired by insurgents into the chopper through the rear door ramp. It exploded inside, taking the chopper down and killing all 16 on board, including 8 SEALs. The incident is recounted in Marcus Luttrell's book.

Despite assertions about their inaccuracy and how unreliable they are, apparently some people can be pretty good with RPGs. I recall reading somewhere (I think it was the book 3 PAra about the British in Helmand), where one of the Afghan officers (already well-known for his abilites) showed off his skill with one by hitting a fleeing motorcyclist at some seemingly impossible distance.

Edited January 21, 2011 by MissionCreep

[maturin 12]

There's also the issue where RPG rounds almost always explode when fired at aircraft and almost always doing no damage. That could be an ACE problem, can't remember. Definitely needs fixing though, bit of a game breaker.

A simple config tweak is all that is needed to make AI target helos with RPGs. However, for some arcane reason this also gives the HEAT warheads proximity fuses like SAMs have. Thus they explode in mid-air even if they miss, doing tiny amounts of damage. Direct hits will always force an emergency landing.

[no use for a name 0]

I'd almost guarantee that the reason is because the AI don't know when is the best time to attack a chopper or conserve ammunition and use it for armor/ground units (which is what it was designed for). Yeah they could add it in the game, and then the AI would probably waste all of their RPG's at aircraft while the armor rolls in right after and no AI have any ammo left...Then people would FLOOD this forum with complaints about AI wasting ammunition (even tho the chances of hitting a moving aircraft with an unguided and inaccurate weapon are slim to none).

I think it would just add more problems in the game than it's worth; there's already plenty of other options for taking down aircraft

[ArmAriffic 10]

I was hovering moving at an incredible 1km/h and he did not even change to his RPG and Black Hawk Down is based on a true story of the war in Somalia, that even actually happed

[CameronMcDonald 146]

I was hovering moving at an incredible 1km/h and he did not even change to his RPG and Black Hawk Down is based on a true story of the war in Somalia, that even actually happed

The RPG is coded in vanilla ArmA to only attack ground-based vehicles (and infantry on occasion, which causes much humour). The reason is because you can either a) have AI who don't shoot RPGs at helicopters, or b) have AI who spew PG7s and PG18s at each and every flying entity they spot and then are useless when enemy armour rocks up.

The latter is far more game-breaking that the former.

[jakerod 254]

The RPG is coded in vanilla ArmA to only attack ground-based vehicles (and infantry on occasion, which causes much humour). The reason is because you can either a) have AI who don't shoot RPGs at helicopters, or b) have AI who spew PG7s and PG18s at each and every flying entity they spot and then are useless when enemy armour rocks up.

The latter is far more game-breaking that the former.

Perhaps you could make it so that they fire only one rocket at the aircraft and only if it is under a certain speed and height. That way they will still have some rockets left for tanks but in easy shot situations where the helicopter is sitting still and only 50m up they can take it out.