Apache AI's as wingmen ???

I'm looking forward to this Kiowa Warrior, it looks amazing!

It occurs to me though, that this helli was originally designed to be working in cooperation with the Apache and it's more modern Longbow variants.

Which causes me to ask: will we be able to assign AI's like Apaches to be our wingmen? So that we have comrades with 8 or 16 Hellfires each, to sneek up on convoys and armored formations?

I don't mean strictly AI that you set in the mission editor, that just act independently, and then get shot down because they were silly near a Shilka.... but AI wingmen to whom you can give orders, formation orders, orders to hold fire and then weapons free... cruise speed, or slow searching and when enemy detected go to a hover... come to a hover at this location, form up, RTB...

It might be quite a bit of work to do. And that may be up to ED rather than yourselves, as I'm not sure who is responsible for the AI programming... but I REALLY think this would dramatically increase the interest in this module product!!

Indeed!

One of the more important features for helicopter operations, actual interaction with fellow AI helicopters as their comander, independent of helicopter model. Much like in the excellent Jane's Longbow series from the '90ies.

With the Ka-50 we have some capabilities, using the datalink, but only between Ka-50ies.

I guess it's up to ED, and unfortunately unlikely to happen due to the focus on fixed wings (which doesn't have much use of this capability for what I understand).

A mission builder could easily set up a scenario where you are working with Apaches, but DCS currently limits having mixed aircraft types in flights. Polychop would need to do a lot to simulate the interaction between the two however, and that would probably mean they create an Apache AI unit from scratch. They have no plans towards that (that I am aware of anyway)

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That would be great to have. An ai pet apache following and taking commands.

Much like the jester ai for the f-14?

That would be great to have. An ai pet apache following and taking commands.

I found really interesting your proposal, but probably won't happen :joystick::joystick:

Ok so watch this video, to get a bit of an idea what I'm talking about. Yes, it's NOT helicopters. Yes, much of the focus of this vid is on the voice recognition software, and not really what I'mtalking about either.

BUT... during the flight he issues orders to his fellow AI wingmen, and they carry out his orders:

What I imagine is: assign 1 or 3 Apache or Cobra AI helis to your Kiowa, as AI wingmen. Give them a formation order, like arrowhead, or line abreast, or trailing. As you approach the frontlines, maybe you slow down to search for threats, while telling the AI to follow 1km behind you. When you stop to hover, the AI stops to hover. Lase a target, give command to AI to launch a hellfire from 1km behind you. As the AAA and SAM threats are eliminated, give the command to the AI to attack targets at the designated area, weapons free. So now your Apaches and Cobras fly past you and wipe out the armored column and it's logistics support. Now give the ceasefire and rejoin command and they come back to formation.

Something like that!

Why? Well, it seems that full modules for the Apache are a very long way off, and possibly never happen. Also, with a Kiowa that will keep us busy, but the tiny weapons load was not meant to take out the Soviet Army, The Kiowa Warrior was ALWAYS meant to work with Apaches and Cobras, so this is a natural and realistic proposal.

So instead of say 2 to 4 Hellfires, my proposal would allow you to have your three AI Apaches carry 48 more Hellfires with you to the killzone.

PC has said such a feature would be up to ED to implement. Since the Kiowa is about the only module that would take advantage of that for the foreseeable future, I doubt anyone from ED will notice. It’s too bad, since that would be a useful feature.