A-10 AI marking targets with smoke.

Here’s a variation on a theme. In all of my previous A-10 campaigns and missions I’ve made the targets easy to find using the TISL diamond in the HUD. Too easy perhaps? I’d be interested to know if players can still locate their goals when they are just marked be smoke. In this short mission I’ve assigned the targets to the OA-10 aircraft which will mark them with rockets. You have to follow the adapted nine-line brief below in order to locate the target.

I’ve had to make some concessions to make this work in game. In single-play you won’t have any radio contact with the FAC aircraft. Also, geographic references such as 45 16 56 N 34 34 44 E are of no help as you fly these missions so I have replaced them with a bearing/distance from a virtual TACAN (in this mission SP1 at Belbek Air Base). You should be able to locate the target with the track and distance from the IP without reference to the TACAN, but if you want to verify it just cycle through the steerpoints ` key (normally keyboard top-left) whilst in NAV mode and check the bearing/distance on the HSI.

Click the link below to download the mission zip file

http://www.the-eighth-art.com/A10MissionCASShevchenkovo.htm

Here’s a reminder of the items passed by the FAC in the nine-line brief:

• The IP (initial point), the point from which the run-in begins
  
• Heading from the IP to the target
  
• Distance from the IP to the target
  
• Elevation of the target (amsl)
  
• Target description
  
• Target coordinates (TACAN radial/DME, lat/longs, or grid)
  
• How the target may be marked (smoke, laser TISL code)
  
• Location of friendlies
  
• Egress direction

Print out the nine-line brief/s so that you have all the information to hand as you approach the IP.

In this sample mission British Armoured Infantry of the 3rd Battalion of the Rutlandshire Regiment have been pinned-down with their backs to the AlmaRiver. The Army Liaison Officer has a good view over the battlefield from his vantage point close to the forward line of troops. You have just arrived in the Area of Operations with your wingman and the FAC aircraft is about to mark your first target with smoke.

Forward Air Controller: OA-10 callsign Enfield 11

Your Flight: A-10 callsign Springfield 1

First CAS Request:

“Springfield 11, Enfield 11, IP Gerojskoe Bridge (SP2), 065 degrees for 3 miles, elevation 165 feet, 2 tanks at crossroads, TACAN 030/12, FAC will mark with smoke, friendlies 2 miles east at road junction , egress south-east to SP3. Be advised that target is at the edge of a 2S6 launcher engagement zone”

Second CAS Request:

“Springfield 11, Enfield 11, IP Otradnoe Bridge (SP4), 040 degrees for 4 miles, elevation 400 feet, several self-propelled guns at Prudovoe village, TACAN 035/16, FAC will mark with smoke, friendlies 2 miles south at road junction , egress south to SP5.

Third CAS Request:

“Springfield 11, Enfield 11, IP Verhnesadovoe village (SP6), 350 degrees for 10 miles, elevation 100 feet, tanks approaching Gerojskoe village, TACAN 025/11, FAC will mark with smoke, friendlies in village 1,000 metres south-west of target , egress south-west.

I worked through this mission a couple of times. The AI FAC aircraft expends all of his rockets on the first target so in the subsequent runs it is set to use any weapon on an object close to the targets. Thus you will see black smoke rather than white. The OA-10 also ignored his route so all the targets were marked in the space of two or three minutes – don’t take too long completing the CAS tasks otherwise the smoke will have cleared. It’s also worth flying the heading from the IP accurately to ensure that you are running-in on the correct smoke marker as the targets are fairly close together.

Good hunting!!

DPS.

wow nice mission !

i will pop this on http://www.lockonskins.co.uk for all to play !

you can upload all your missions for free there.

MWL, thanks for that. These smokey FAC/CAS missions are quite tricky - but they look great if you set the wind to 50 m/s (over 100mph) - and CCIP still works, although I'm not sure if it would IRL.