Should direct hits from CBU-87 take out BMP-2s?

Playing mission 5, inception, Stone Shield. I just dropped 3 CBU-87s on the column of BMPs, not a single kill. Saw all 3 deploy and ground impacts from bomblets.

Don't expect kill-shots on armored vehicles with the 87. The armor on the BMP-2 is almost an inch and a half thick, and the explosive charges on each bomblet is just over half a pound (despite being a shaped charge). The bomblets have no guidance and depending on your release parameter, may or may not score direct hits, which may or may not penetrate the armor in the right spot to kill it.

You're better off using the CBU-97.

Unless you get an actual hit, probably not. It's between Bazooka and RPG-7 in effect. There are only 202 bomblets for many many many square meter footprint. You can do math about how many square meters per bomblet and compare to size of target vehicle. Quickly you realize that low density pattern is bad luck.

It's best to drop at least 2 and keep HOF low 300-900' with low RPM for a tight pattern. You put 404 bomblets in a 150' circle and something is going to get hit.

I once tested the CBU-87 against a rather tightly packed area full of lightly armored vehicles, and a single CBU-87 scored maybe 2 or 3 kills on average.

A CBU-97 against the same group scored almost the maximum of 40 kills.

At least in DCS, the CBU-87 seems to work best against unarmored vehicles and infantry, and even then mediocre results would not be uncommon.

Don't except kill-shots on armored vehicles with the 87. The armor on the BMP-2 is almost an inch and a half thick, and the explosive charges on each bomblet is just over half a pound (despite being a shaped charge). The bomblets have no guidance and depending on your release parameter, may or may not score direct hits, which may or may not penetrate the armor in the right spot to kill it.

 

You're better off using the CBU-97.

Thanks, I wasn't thinking about how heavy the armor was. I can see if it's like throwing a grenade at an AAV, which I'm familiar with, it would be pretty ineffective. Just don't understand why they would load you up with 4 87's to take out a convoy of T-72's and BMP's then.

Just don't understand why they would load you up with 4 87's to take out a convoy of T-72's and BMP's then.

The CBU-87's CEM are designed to be effective against armored targets. But the bomblets would certainly need a direct hit. And since they have no guidance whatsoever, they're not very efficient at it.

I haven't played that campaign yet. Personally, the CBU-87 wouldn't be my first choice against the type of targets you described, but depending on the scenario, and depending on what's available in the inventory, it's certainly not the worst choice, either.

... The armor on the BMP-2 is almost an inch and a half thick, ...

Note that's the maximum armour thickness, not what's on the top which which is probably less that the 16mm sides.

Thanks, I wasn't thinking about how heavy the armor was. I can see if it's like throwing a grenade at an AAV, which I'm familiar with, it would be pretty ineffective. Just don't understand why they would load you up with 4 87's to take out a convoy of T-72's and BMP's then.

You change the load out to whatever you wish, at least you can on the other a10c campaigns..

You change the load out to whatever you wish, at least you can on the other a10c campaigns..

I thought about that, but you start hot on the runway. It just seems like that's what they want you to use. Anyway I finally finished last night, took every piece of iron I was carrying, literally popped the last BMP emptying out my gun. Pretty satisfying.