Jump to content

Realism A-10C Campaigns


GoosemanF7

Recommended Posts

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/why-the-us-army-could-care-less-about-the-10-warthog-16704

 

According to the linked article the air force would never use the A-10C in a way it is used in the Georgian war campaigns.

I know this is maybe not of interest to most gamers, but to me it explained why some of the missions (with Mig-29s and S-300s) seem so tough, when flying like an "actual pilot" (full realism etc.) and not on the limit like a maniac (unrealistic heavy loadout, labels etc.)

 

Dont get me wrong, i like a challenge and am playing the campaigns for the 10th time, but considering real life tactics of the A-10C it makes much more sense to keep the A-10s on the ground, when not having air superiority.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's pretty obvious stuff. These campaigns have been designed by normal folks with fun in mind, not by real life A-10 experts or die hard realsim enthusiasts. If you are looking for something super realistic then I would encourage you to make your own campaign. I would buy it!

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try the Operation Piercing Fury campaign, created by an former Marine Ranger79.

 

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/campaigns/operation_piercing_fury_campaign/

i9 9900k, 64 Go RAM, RTX 4090, Warthog HOTAS Throttle & Stick, Saitek Combat Rudder, MFD Cougar, Trackir 5 Pro, Multipurpose UFC and Oculus Rift S (when I want some VR),

http://www.twitch.tv/zarma4074 /  https://www.youtube.com/user/Zarma4074 

 

Copy-of-DCS-A-10C-User-Bar-CMR-ConvertImage.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, the campaigns that come with the module are not very realistic. They were also made a long time ago. I think since the release of the DCS A-10C, the community has learned a lot about the aircraft and the way it was used actual combat, and so our expectations have risen as well.

 

Piercing Fury and The Enemy Within are excellent campaigns with a much stronger focus on mission preparation and more realistic missions.

 

Then again, during the '91 Gulf War A-10s (and all other airframes) were sent into heavily defended airspace; they weren't just kept safely on the ground while the new stealth bombers took care of the heavy lifting. Hogs, Strike Eagles, Hornets, Tomcats, Apaches, Prowlers, Falcons, Growlers, Tornados, you name it - these pilots all had to risk their lives. That doesn't mean the Georgian War campaign is very realistic, but just like anyone else, A-10 pilots may be sent despite heavy defenses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to the linked article the air force would never use the A-10C in a way it is used in the Georgian war campaigns.

 

First...that article is pure hogwash...if you want a real testament about how real troops on the ground feel about the Warthog watch this movie:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17332/the-usaf-has-finally-released-a-glowing-film-about-the-a-10-it-tried-to-suppress

 

Second, I can build you a realistic CAS mission with a realistic load out of 3-4 different bombs, a couple of rocket pods and fuel load you can fly with. I can give you a tanker and a vul time...and you can bore holes in the sky for 4-5 hours hitting the tanker every hour While the people on the ground confer and decide if the people they are looking at are bad guys and more importantly if they can be bombed. Then getting approval for employing ordnance, then setting up to employ ordnance, before dropping 1 or 2 bombs and flying home.

 

That's real war.

 

Yes, most mission designers know all of the things you mention. No the A-10 wouldn't be attacking SA-10 sites in real life...but I usually don't DIE when I'm flying my A-10...the object is to have fun. Since SA-10s pose a challenge they get used.

 

Comparing what we do in DCS to "real War" is faulty at best

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Primary Computer

ASUS Z390-P, i7-9700K CPU @ 5.0Ghz, 32GB Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 @ 3200Mhz, ZOTAC GeForce 1070 Ti AMP Extreme, Samsung 970 EVO M.2 NVMe drives (1Tb & 500 Gb), Windows 10 Professional, Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS, Thrustmaster Warthog Stick, Thrustmaster Cougar Throttle, Cougar MFDs x3, Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals and TrackIR 5.

 

-={TAC}=-DCS Server

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3, i7-3770K CPU @ 3.90GHz, 32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR3 @ 1600Mhz, ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 970.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 'Georgian Oil War' campaign is more of a glorified series of training missions. It certainly isn't intended to be realistic in any way, shape or form. Just think of it as a big target range of sorts. I've never even completed it because it simply gets so, so repetitive.

 

I do hope they deal with this correctly when they eventually release the single-player dynamic campaign, though. It would be a tad silly for A-10 flyers to be thrust into a war where the enemy still has a sizeable fighter force and SAM capabilities. Maybe each module could have a different starting context for the campaign and different end goals?

- i7-7700k

- 32GB DDR4 2400Mhz

- GTX 1080 8GB

- Installed on SSD

- TM Warthog

 

DCS Modules - A-10C; M-2000C; AV8B; F/A-18C; Ka-50; FC-3; UH-1H; F-5E; Mi-8; F-14; Persian Gulf; NTTR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd take anything published in National Interest with a grain of salt from a realism standpoint. They seem to keep driving with this narrative that there is one plane that can do it all on the battlefield. Thankfully, the Air Force leadership recognizes that in an all-out war, nobody is going to be out there all by themselves trying to fill every possible role. Its all about using the right tool for the right job. One of my favorite things to do with the A-10C in DCS is try to develop tactics for attacking air defenses, and succeeding. Not a realistic mission at all for the A-10C, but like Sierra99 pointed out, I'm not going to die doing it. If I wanted to be a purist, I'd fly missions just like the one he talked about, where you fly for hours, hitting the tanker over and over, only to engage a single target when everybody is finally confident that we're not hitting something that's going to make somebody angry. I'd rather just have fun and challenge myself by playing that Rambo pilot that National Interest expects me to be. :D

EVGA Z690 Classified, Intel i9 12900KS Alder Lake processor, MSI MAG Core Liquid 360R V2 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler, G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series 64GB DDR5 6400 memory, EVGA RTX3090 FTW3 Ultra 24GB video card, Samsung 980PRO 1TB M2.2280 SSD for Windows 10 64-bit OS, Samsung 980PRO 2TB M2.2280 SSD for program files, LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray burner. HOTAS Warthog, Saitek Pedals, HP Reverb G2. Partridge and pear tree pending. :pilotfly:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the complex answer, but to clarify: i wasnt talking about realism of every single second of the mission - i am very aware of how tedious, meticulous and long a real A-10 mission can be.

 

I was talking about realistic tactics of planing to use the A-10.

Especially considering things like air superiority, because i would never allow

an A-10 to start as long as there are enemy fighter planes active or as long

as long range (more range than a AGM65) SAMs are still in the area of operation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want a "realistic" Hog campaign, you can try either Ranger79 or Baltic Dragon ones. Both are great, and you use the Hog as you are suppose to. You loiter around and help guys on the ground.

 

Of course it is a bit cinematic for the sake of gameplay, but imho it nails the sweet spot between gameplay, simulation and actual operations.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was talking about realistic tactics of planing to use the A-10.

Especially considering things like air superiority, because i would never allow

an A-10 to start as long as there are enemy fighter planes active or as long

as long range (more range than a AGM65) SAMs are still in the area of operation.

 

Well, I'd say NATO and the USAF disagree with that opinion.

 

Sure, since 9/11 A-10s have seen action in COIN scenarios with complete air superiority on their side, and with air defenses that consist of MANPADs and HMGs, where their primary job was to help the boots on the ground and their secondary job was not to get shot down and give the bad guys something to boast about.

 

But in case of a conflict against a much stronger opponent, I believe Hog pilots would be among the first to go to battle. If they've got CAS and SEAD cover, fine. If not, that's no excuse not to go out there and do their job.

 

Just take a look at the Fulda Gap scenario, and the predictions of the amount of missions any given A-10 pilot would fly before being shot down. Why would that be different today? Just because the US have a massive military inventory doesn't mean no one would have to put their lives in danger.

 

On a side note, a SAM with a range equivalent of a Mav is considered short range, or maybe medium range at best. Long range, we're talking up to hundreds of kilometers, just look at the stats of S300 and S400 (yup, that country should be covered by this battery... :music_whistling: :smartass: )

 

For more real life comparisons, check Operation Desert Storm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...