Calling in airstrikes

[pooroldspike 128]

I set up this basic simple test in the editor. There are no doubt other ways to do it and add various refinements etc, but this is aimed at newcomers-

1- Get on the radio to the circling A-10 by hitting 'F2', point at the target you want it to zap, then send the order with a left mouse click.

2- The A-10 will then position itself for the attack run and whammo, it lets fly with rockets and gunfire-

NOTE:- Sometimes the A-10 will abort its attack run if it loses sight of the enemy. That's more likely to happen if you order it to strike infantry because they have the habit of running into cover.

[Gunter Severloh 3948]

Good post spike.

Heres a couple more ways:

Editor Modules:

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Simple_Support_Module

allows you to do airstrikes as well without having to command AI.

Script by Draper:

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8337&highlight=AIR+SUPPORT

[jeza 5415]

nice spike , here's another script ive used for a few of my public missions and its very simple to implament:

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8077

[Gunter Severloh 3948]

Jeza does that script work in Arma2?, as the Arma1 version the planes that strike miss the target, they seem to drop either to early or to late, and every time.

[jeza 5415]

Your ARE correct to an extent, it does depend in the editor on how you set the fire direction, as well as you are correct to bring up issue's with it as it does spawn 4 harriers which drop all their LGB's however go away from the area but do not leave the map. But yes the script does work in arma2 as I've used it in my pub missions to effect. On the point of missing the target you get as many strikes as you want but as i said, fire-direction is very key in the editor to get it work.

Kind Regards Jeza

[pooroldspike 128]

I shall have to have a go at serious scripting one day, but at the moment I'm having great fun just playing at the basic level..:)

Incidentally in my test, I can't find any way to make the A-10 attack an empty object such as a building, oil tank or control tower etc, which is disappointing.

As the test showed, I had to point at a spotted enemy unit to order an airstrike.

[djczing 10]

Spike: I was just testing that on Isla Duala yesterday.

The key is having a better pointer.

I pointed the SOFLAM at buildings, old wrecks, and just plain runway, and the AI A-10 pilot hit em all.

Not sure if SOFLAM is ACE only or not, but I was running ACE.

I would imagine doing it by coordinates might work also.

[pooroldspike 128]

Okay I just called in an airstrike by map and radio only even though I was in a building and couldn't see the target which was miles away, how kewl is dat?

i posted half-a-dozen screenshots about it at the Few Good Men club (scroll down to their Armed Assault II Section)-

http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforum/forum.php

I wish I could post them here but some are over the 100kb limit, but this one scrapes in at 98kb.

Basically it's a 2-step process, first order the A-10 to fly to a spot on the map to look for enemies, then if it spots any, order it to clobber them-

Edited March 4, 2011 by PoorOldSpike

[djczing 10]

Yup. I do that with apaches when I call them in to support me (aka keep me and my squad from getting chopped).

Never tried that with aircraft.

Im gonna experiment with the laser and apache today...

[pooroldspike 128]

..I pointed the SOFLAM at buildings, old wrecks, and just plain runway, and the AI A-10 pilot hit em all.

Not sure if SOFLAM is ACE only or not, but I was running ACE..

I want a SOFLAM laser designator!

I've tried to find a guy with one in vanilla Comb Ops, but there's just the usual list to choose from (Rifleman/Grenadier/Machinegunner etc etc), and none of them seem to have a SOFLAM. I even picked a guy called 'Spotter', but he didn't seem to have one either.

And i placed a few ammo crates and rummaged through them looking for a SOFLAM but couldn't find one.

So it looks like there's no laser designator in vanilla (sniffle)

[-Snafu- 77]

There is a laser designator in vanilla because you use it in the 1st mission in the campaign. Force Recon should have it and you can also use the class name for the weapon and it batteries to add it to any other soldier. Click here and scroll down to equipment.

You should give the scripts a try, tough. Easy as pie to use.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Snafu

[djczing 10]

It should be in one of the ammo boxes -- I think in the weapons box.

You find the weapons boxes by choosing 'empty' rather than blufor/opfor in teh units dialog (iirc).

[pooroldspike 128]

Thanks guys I think i've cracked it, the breakthrough came when I placed a 'US Army Special Weapons' crate in the editor and found a laser designator in it. (previously I'd only looked in the 'US Special Weapons' crate, so obviously the word 'Army' makes all the difference)

You simply point the laser and click on what you want to clobber, then wait for the A-10 to pick it up and make its run and drop one of its 4x LGB's on whatever the designators pointing at such as buildings or a dam etc.

I'm still testing it out and there are some loose ends I need to tie up, but like I said at least I now know how to do that laser sh*t..:)

[jakerod 254]

*Deleted*

Edit: nvm

Edited March 5, 2011 by Jakerod

[rangerpl 13]

Thanks guys I think i've cracked it, the breakthrough came when I placed a 'US Army Special Weapons' crate in the editor and found a laser designator in it. (previously I'd only looked in the 'US Special Weapons' crate, so obviously the word 'Army' makes all the difference)

You simply point the laser and click on what you want to clobber, then wait for the A-10 to pick it up and make its run and drop one of its 4x LGB's on whatever the designators pointing at such as buildings or a dam etc.

I'm still testing it out and there are some loose ends I need to tie up, but like I said at least I now know how to do that laser sh*t..:)

Yeah, when you have combined ops, "USMC" refers to the USMC and "US" refers to the Army. The one exception to this is ammoboxes.

This is to keep A2 and OA content separate.

[Rail82 10]

Delta Forces Forward Air Commander has a laser designator.

It isn't as "nice" as the ACE provided one, but does the job just fine.