MQ-9 won't fire its missiles

I'm playing combined arms on a mission I've created on the mission editor.

I created two GAZ trucks as targets, about ten miles apart; one is the target for an Apache D, an the other is a target for a Reaper.

I've loaded up both with AGM-114s. The Apache fires its missiles without incident, but the Reaper for some reason just doesn't want to fire on its target.

Is there some additional thing I need to do?

I have never gotten a Reaper to shoot its ordnance. I think it is not possible at this time.

WC

I have never gotten a Reaper to shoot its ordnance. I think it is not possible at this time.

 

WC

Oh really :( That's a bit disappointing. I also seem to have had problems getting the MLRS or Paladin to fire by themselves. I can get them to point their tubes in the right direction, but I have to jump into the platform and manually fire.

I'm feeling a bit confused atm, I've bought DCS FC 3 and Combined Arms, and it seems like it has a slightly unpolished feel to it (as beautiful as it looks, like the devs put it on the market before they'd fully fleshed it all out (for example, the presence of the pilot in some aircraft cockpits but not others).

In other ways, the aircraft sometimes seem to behave strangely in a way I don't encounter in, say, SF2. There are inconsistent outputs from the avionics system in the aircraft, navigation, and so on.

Anyway, it does look absolutely gorgeous on highest graphics settings and I've had some fun, but it also feels like it needs some work

I've been flying the A-10C since it came out, and also like Combined Arms, plus a little Huey sauce. Some day I'll get busy in the F-15C...

I do a lot of mission design, and use the arty a lot. I don't have problems getting the artillery to fire, either from a preset target in the mission or when directing them in a group from a Tactical Commander's slot. I do see issues when getting into the arty units -- see this post --

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=137307

I don't disagree with what you said, but will say things are improving!

Stop in to my Hollo Pointe server sometime,,, see if there are any slots in the current mission for the modules you have.

I have never gotten a Reaper to shoot its ordnance. I think it is not possible at this time.

The easiest way is to give it a CAS or Ground Attack task. By default AI with the AFAC tasking will only engage targets with smoke or illumination weapons. If you have an AFAC aircraft and set its ROE to Weapons Free it will engage just like any other CAS aircraft.

Well, thanks Grimes!

I'm planning on starting a new mission design and will try this out in the process. I will attempt a preset target for the Reaper and also try shooting with a Tactical Commander.

WC

Wow, the Reaper shot at the preset target,,, missed it though. I used Task = CAS so I could assign a Group as a target. But the Reaper was sposed to stay at 28,000' instead it went down to ~11,000.

I just got a strange Warthog activation request...

WC

The easiest way is to give it a CAS or Ground Attack task. By default AI with the AFAC tasking will only engage targets with smoke or illumination weapons. If you have an AFAC aircraft and set its ROE to Weapons Free it will engage just like any other CAS aircraft.

Ah brilliant, thanks for the tips! Apologies for my ignorance, what's an AFAC aircraft? Do you mean I have to find some other platform to illuminate the target? How do I go about that? (sorry, I'm rather new at this). And o you mean I have to give it a ground attack task in the mission editor?

I think I might also have prejudged it, I had no idea there were such a wide range of aircraft available (B-1Bs! woot). Having a lot of fun playing around pretending I'm bombing the Soviet Air Defence with B-52s and B-1s, or running up missions with Backfires flying into the carrier battle group.

I'd just add, it's really quite fun to set up a B-52 packed with Mk 84s on a bombing run on a Soviet PVO base. And the blast physics are quite good; on one flight, the mk84 got a near miss on the Mig 23 flight line but filled them with shrapnel and blasted off a few wings and tails

Ah brilliant, thanks for the tips! Apologies for my ignorance, what's an AFAC aircraft? Do you mean I have to find some other platform to illuminate the target? How do I go about that? (sorry, I'm rather new at this). And o you mean I have to give it a ground attack task in the mission editor?

 

I think I might also have prejudged it, I had no idea there were such a wide range of aircraft available (B-1Bs! woot). Having a lot of fun playing around pretending I'm bombing the Soviet Air Defence with B-52s and B-1s, or running up missions with Backfires flying into the carrier battle group.

Yes, the AFAC is the tasking (or whatever it's called in the ME) -- change that to CAS. Then, on a waypoint before the target you want to designate, add an Advanced Waypoint Action to fire on the group.

You might see your bombers veering off of the flightpath, heading for home and not doing what you want. If you run into that, set an Advanced Waypoint Action of reaction To Threat = Passive. You can always change it to a different action at a later waypoint.

WC

I have never gotten a Reaper to shoot its ordnance. I think it is not possible at this time.

I haven't been able to even load ordnance on either drone type, whats the trick?

Set its tasking to CAP.

WC

For MQ-9 Reaper Select new (bottom left of screen) for New Payload then call it something after selecting MQ-9 as CAS. RQ-1 Predator is a different story as CAS isnt in the LUA file. I've uploaded a lua file in Mods subforum that fixes this.

Thanks for the help! Now Im trying to figure out why they went and landed by themselves after about 5 min in orbit...

How high was the Reaper (Drone) Flying? I've only been able to lock on at 7500 ft to before they overshoot their targets (Both RQ-1 and MQ-9). Oh and only use the AGM-114K*2 not the 114K*4 on outer pylons (not inner) for max realism.

I had it at 6500ft with just one checkpoint and set it to orbit, it made one semi circle and then landed at the nearest airport, taxied to the fuel point and shut off then the weapons disappeared as well, The grey eagle i had at 5000 feet did the exact same thing as well. I would really like to be able to JTAC from the UAV, or better yet be able to take full control.