Air-to-ground: discuss!

So, I decided to have a practice at doing air-to-ground attacks with simple FAB-500 bombs in preparation for the next mission in the DLC campaign. I thought that the Flanker would be significantly inferior to, for example, the Su-25T at dropping dumb bombs accurately.

It appears that I was very wrong. I was surprised at how accurate it's possible to be with simple bombing, though I should point out that the engagements I did would have brought me well within the WEZ of any MANPAD or AA gun for miles around the target :megalol:

I think the Flanker is an under-used ground attack aircraft in missions. Of course it doesn't have all the capabilities that the Su-25T or A-10 does, but apparently it's capable of excellent accuracy!

Attached are a track and zipped ACMI file of my amateur attempt at ground pounding. My targets will be fairly obvious...

What have other peoples experiences been with doing A2G in the Flanker?

Yep dive bombing and rocket attacks with flanker can be very accurate. Also the high speed and agility helps with avoiding AAA.

Still, using the standoff weapons of A-10s, Su-25Ts or Ka-50s is much safer and a must against any SAM-defended targets.

Hey Darkfire,

Much like you, I have found the Su-27 incredibly effective for simple A-G engagements that don't require attacking SAM sites. Scream in at mach 6 and the ordnance is deployed before the bad guys knew what hit them.

My only wish (and this very much goes for the Su-25T) would be to be able to adjust the fuzing altitude of the Russian cluster bombs. They seem to work on a pure timer so to adjust the area of coverage requires adjustment of the release altitude... I think...

I'm loving using FAB-500's with my Flanker. I might create & upload a training mission for this.

Also, with the Flanker, you don't have much control over release quantity. It's either one bomb or all of them (of any given type, that is).

I haven't done a ton of A-G work in the flanker, but I swear I remember dropping bombs in pairs during the first bombing mission in The Ultimate Argument, and I think 4 of them were FAB-500s.

It would definitely not be the first time I was wrong about something of this nature though. ;)

I haven't done a ton of A-G work in the flanker, but I swear I remember dropping bombs in pairs during the first bombing mission in The Ultimate Argument, and I think 4 of them were FAB-500s.

 

It would definitely not be the first time I was wrong about something of this nature though. ;)

Six different bombs on six stations solves this. :)

Yea I must have had 500s, 250s and cluster bombs. Certainly no shortage of choice and no reason to let it stop you from dropping bombs on things really hard :)

Yes the Su-27 or Mig-29 are really capable to do some Ground Attack. They can support a ground attack. But if you are down, you are a expensive valuable hardware. That's why is recommended use the Su-25, this one is cheaper and really good in this job. Anyway in game is a lot of fun do it as well

the SU-27 is surprisingly capable of delivering ordinance precisely, even when employed against SHORAD. I have found that one very effective method (when over level terrain) is to run in at mach 1+, roughly 1km altitude, and use CCRP bombing. Doing this, the bomb is released from well outside the range of IR SAMs. I usually like to do a wide barrel roll after release, and have found this puts me in an excellent position to observe the impact, as well as keeping me out of SHORAD range.

Now, this only works over level ground, because the SU-27 CCRP is calculated based off your current radio altitude, so if the target is higher or lower than the terrain under you when you started holding release, your bomb will fall short or long respectively.

the SU-27 is surprisingly capable of delivering ordinance precisely, even when employed against SHORAD. I have found that one very effective method (when over level terrain) is to run in at mach 1+, roughly 1km altitude, and use CCRP bombing. Doing this, the bomb is released from well outside the range of IR SAMs. I usually like to do a wide barrel roll after release, and have found this puts me in an excellent position to observe the impact, as well as keeping me out of SHORAD range.

 

Now, this only works over level ground, because the SU-27 CCRP is calculated based off your current radio altitude, so if the target is higher or lower than the terrain under you when you started holding release, your bomb will fall short or long respectively.

I must admit that I was sceptical about this idea when I first read your post but having tried it out... Surprisingly effective! I tended to drop very slightly short but I'm sure that was due to slight radar altimeter variation as you described.

The only thing that concerns me with this technique is that to turn away doing Vmax at 1,000m with a turning circle small enough to avoid the WEZ of say an Igla or potential ZSU-23-4 seems to induce a G load in excess of 6. I don't remember off hand what the maximum G-load is supposed to be for a max-load Su-27, but I seem to remember it being either 6 or 7.5 possibly. When we get load-induced damage built in to the game engine I'd be a bit worried about tearing the rest of the weapons off their ejector racks. Still, this could be a nasty surprise for a defended air field for example.

If you have one to hand, would you mind posting a track or .acmi so I can learn exactly how you're doing it?

Cheers :thumbup:

If you have one to hand, would you mind posting a track or .acmi so I can learn exactly how you're doing it?

 

Cheers :thumbup:

+1, I would like see a track about this drooping bombs, sound like a good idea to avoid Shorads and Mannpads

Do you know any dedicated a2g squad using 25t:)

Yeah Su-27 is an excellent platform to deliver A2G ordinance - a little too good, in my opinion.

Releasing sets of 6x100kg or 6x250kg FABs (bomb racks) does some pretty good damage, also.

S-25 is a very valuable asset, it's precise and it busts bunkers

Su-27 is great but Su-33 is better. 2 pylons more than that 27 :lol:. I mostly carry 6 BV20A pods (120 rockets) 4 27ER's and 4 73's. It can clearly defends itself in multiplayer if it had to.