Tactics to counter rockets?

[reforger 30]

Hello,

after I was shot down in a multiplayer mission, although I deployed flares, I wondered if there are flight procedures to lower the chances to get hit. Is it good to fly a hard curve while deploying the flares or should I fly straight forward?

 

Best regards

reforger

[eduzumaki 12]

Well there's dslyecxi art of flight videos here you can find some good information https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQEd6zRLOafVn1SweJmdr-3ICqI885awY.
A good technic is to fly low and fast while using the terrain cover and deploy flares not too late.

[sodien 15]

Fast is a good start and low prevents you from getting spotted and locked. If you have to fly into a danger zone, the slower you need to go( eg. for a landin) the lower you need to be, of course this makes you more vulnerable to things that normally don't target you.

 

I would estimate that less than 20% of the AA launched at me hits when I fly solo, and that percentage is a lot lower when I have my co-pilot that I can work closely with.

 

There are my personal guidelines.

Always know where the highest concentration of enemies are.

If you need to get close, get low or high(300m+).

If you are going in for a landing in a hot area where missiles are likely, have one or more planned paths of high acceleration that lets you mask and doesn't result in you gaining altitude.

Never ever slow down below 70-ish% of march speed, this way if you notice incoming missiles you have a decent base speed to use for evading.

 

When locked:

If conditions are good you will notice a lock-on signal before the missile is launched. Pick up speed and prepare to react!

 

Incoming missile:

Your first task is, of course, to drop flares as you already know. I usually pop as many flares as I can afford(this depends on the missions rules for resupply but rarely do I deploy more than 3 bursts).

 

Next on your list is to get out of the space you previously occupied.

      If you are flying at a high speed, push your nose down and start a turn away from where the missile is coming from(if you have not managed to do so make a guess, turning towards the missile is better than not turning). Note that you do not want to make to sharp a turn as that will kill speed and make you an easy target for missile number 2.

      When you are flying at medium or low speeds but at a reasonable height for a landing or such, but have yet started to bleed to much speed, you want to make a sharp turn and dive as sharply as the terrain allows, to pick up speed and if the flares didn't work it will increase the chance to put something between you and the missile. As with high speed evasion, if you can, move away from the direction of the launcher.

      Should you find yourself in the final stages of landing, you need to make a extremely sharp turn and quick flare(as in stop the heli) and set down. Setting down is the fastest way to get safer if you have a good understanding of your LZ and have practiced "panic" landings.

 

 

As you get more comfortable with making snap calls in these situations your mortality rate will drop dramatically

 

 

In short: Before missile; altitude, speed and battlefield awareness. During missile; drop flares, displace your helicopter, escape.

[reforger 30]

Well there's dslyecxi art of flight videos here you can find some good information https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQEd6zRLOafVn1SweJmdr-3ICqI885awY.

A good technic is to fly low and fast while using the terrain cover and deploy flares not too late.

 

 

In short: Before missile; altitude, speed and battlefield awareness. During missile; drop flares, displace your helicopter, escape.

Thank you for your helpful suggestions. I will try your tactics and hopefully the next time I survive. :D

[darthplageuis 0]

Hello,

I just started playing Arma 3. I have Apex and Zeus, and during my time practicing flying a Helo I found my self being the pin cushion of a few missiles. Fortunately the first 5 missed, but not without damaging one of my engines, the sixth one hit true and blew me out of the sky. I have been scouring the keyboard controls for the button I need to push for flares, but I have yet to find it. Can any of you tell me how to deploy my flares for the NATO helos and for CSAT Helos?

[Tankbuster 1733]

At the risk of being pedantic, OP was probably shot down by a missle, not a rocket. Missiles are guided, rockets (usually) are not.  the tactics for evading are very different.

[ineptaphid 6413]

Hello,

I just started playing Arma 3. I have Apex and Zeus, and during my time practicing flying a Helo I found my self being the pin cushion of a few missiles. Fortunately the first 5 missed, but not without damaging one of my engines, the sixth one hit true and blew me out of the sky. I have been scouring the keyboard controls for the button I need to push for flares, but I have yet to find it. Can any of you tell me how to deploy my flares for the NATO helos and for CSAT Helos?

I believe the default key is "C". Look in the control options for "countermeasures"

[war_lord 934]

It should probably be said that flares are not the magic anti-missile field that many players seem to assume them to be. Situational awareness and knowing how to evade is still critical. 

[Theo1143 18]

It should probably be said that flares are not the magic anti-missile field that many players seem to assume them to be. Situational awareness and knowing how to evade is still critical. 

 

While this is definitely true, a well timed flare does half the work...

Just make sure you flare at the moment they shoot the rocket, not when it is close as many do.

But again flying without flares ain't a problem to as-long you use the terrain to you advantage...

[Kai Hussin 0]

In dcs we would always try to fly perpendicular to any known missile threats. Once fired we start deploying chaffs and flares, speed up and continue flying perpendicular to the missile's flight path and then turn in towards the missile at the last second. The goal is to make the missile perform a tighter turn as possible to track you. Then at the last second its almost impossible for it to adjust course when you sharply turn towards it. And don't fly away from missiles it make it easy for them to just follow and hit you!