PG Ground Attack Hard (Instant Action)

Did anybody manage to complete this mission so far? I tried it several times with different strategies, but they all seemed to fail. Due to the ZPU and BMP, you can't really go close enough to use the guns. What I tried so far:

- High Level Attack from the south at 1200 AGL, 60 kts, trimmed out, tipping in at around 2.5-3km, one rocket, adjust, remaining rockets, trying to take out the F-16 on the North. Then break right and fly back NOE into the valley doing 30° direction changes every 2-3 seconds.

- same but going for the ZPU and BMP instead of the F-16s

- Sometimes I told the AI to go left to attract fire and to take out "Ground targets". He's not a big help though.

- NOE approach from the North, telling the AI to attack ground level (he will attract fire from the ZPU and BMP again). You can stay in cover due to a building quite long. Pitching up/climbing, Level out, rockets toward ZPU and northern F-16, break right, hide behind the airport

- For the Southern F-16, you can go into a hover and take 'em out with Flexi Gun from cover

However, even though my rockets seem to go "close" to the F-16 but most of the time they all "survive".

Interestingly, the most stupid tactics (NEVER fly over the target) seemed to work best so far. This means NOE approach from North and then flying over the airfield and taking out all the F-16 with the gun. I managed to take out all the 5 F-16 this way but I of course took quite some hits and the Huey crashed in the end. You'd anyway never do it this way in RL, but I became inpatient after many, many attempts ;-)

I think it would be easier with two humans/MP because you could go for a concurrent high level attack. You can't do that with the AI. With the AI, I'm also not yet sure if it's best to give him the command to attack ground attacks, bandids or "Mission and rejoin".

What are your experiences with this mission? Any good strategies that actually work?

Well, I somehow managed the mission. I was lucky though that I hit the ZSU on the Low-Level attack. Otherwise my strategy would not have worked. Furthermore, I had to sacrify the AI wingman (on the other hand, is it really my fault if he behaves stupid?).

I also did one of the DON'T DOs and overflew the target, but I knew that there was only the BMP left (aside the inurgents) and it was targeting toward the wingman. Still risky and for sure something you'd NOT do in RL. Anyway, it worked out.

Well, I created a (semi-cinematic) video which shows my tactics:

Be aware that this is a risky strategy. Chances that you are shot down on the climb of the NOE are given because you're very close to the targets.

Nice video! Is this in stock missions? Never saw it before.

Thank you. If you have the Persian Gulf map, then yes. Go to Instant Action, click on UH-1H and chose PG Ground Attack Hard.

I turn toward the ridgeline on the left. I climb to its level, then ride it downhill with the objective to be lined up with the parked targets/parallel to the runway. On the first pass, you must kill the BMP or its gun is going to blow you in half at some point. If you are good, you can get any other vehicles with mounted machine guns, too. After that, it is a mop up operation to kill anyone with rifles and damage/destroy the F-16 objectives. I don't leave until I have destroyed every vehicle/killed every man standing so that the mission report shows all enemy targets destroyed.

In theory, rockets would be the way to go on the first pass, but they cloud up my view and allow my primary target, the BMP to survive without my knowledge. So I come in guns blazing trying to focus fire on the BMP in the middle and the BRDM at the end of the target line. In VR, I have trouble distinguishing the BMP from the other vehicles and have died many times from engaging the wrong target. But if you are smooth and precise at flying/aiming guns and can identify and kill the BMP and BRDM on the first pass, you will take little or no damage and clean house.

Thanks for your input. I also tried that and like you said, rockets "would" be the way to go, but it seems so difficult to destroy the BMP with a high-level attack. Very often it seemed like my first salve hit the target but it obviously didn't destroy the BMP.

The problems with the guns is that you really have to go close (too close). In theory, you should break at least 1.5km before the target (heavy arms) or 1 km (small arms). Of course it's theory, but self-preservation really should be number one goal. Yeah, I know, I also overflew the target in my video....

Do you give the wingman commands to also attack AA? IMO an option is to give him the pincer right or left command before giving him the attack command. I'm pretty sure doing it with a human 2-ship would be interesting.

I'm using this kneeboard as a reference for my high-level attack (created/summarized out of 3 pages to make it fit on one kneeboard page).

Anyway, I may also try your strategy.

The gun is unrealistically effective against armor. I would hope 7.62 could hardly damage a BMP other than a few critical soft spots. But in the sim, I can put a lot of my rounds on a single spot fairly accurately and in this case before they get a bead on me. If I choose the right target(s) and remain calm, the BMP and BRDM are just burning hulks before I take any real damage. On a good pass, most everything else in line with my fire is dead, too, except for the F-16s and a few people running around with rifles. I kill everything that can shoot at me first, then make sure I meet the mission objective (i.e. severely damage/destroy the F-16s) and mop up any surviving vehicles. Despite using both guns simultaneously, I haven't ever run out of ammo without even resorting to rockets. I have my gunsight elevation mapped to my joystick middle button. I start with an elevation of zero and make corrections as needed to make the sight line up with the impact point of the gun shots. But the intensity of the tracers combined with the ricochet rounds virtually negates the need for a gunsight. But I also use the sight to note where the left/right guns are hitting relative to the target and make rotor pedal corrections to make sure at least one of the two streams is falling on the target.

I'm still wondering how this is working for you? You really have to get close to the targets because the range of the guns isn't that high. You really must take out the BMP pretty fast IMO, otherwise you're being hit.

Are you doing a high- or low-level attack? Do you level out and tip in?

Hi rge75,

As I told you, I don't have the PG map however I really like your video:

• Pro flying
  
• Good demonstration of combat techniques
  
• Diversity of view angles/types
  
• Nice copywriting with a touch of humor
  
• I like the big lettering in light brown, easy to read and consistent with the desert theme
  
• Great storytelling
  
• Cool and relevant tips
  

You're getting excellent at choppers & videos, no kidding man!

Don't tell him that please....! (even if it is true :)) His head is big enough as it is ....

Haha, Gizzy ;-)

Thanks, Simicro, it's always nice to get positive feedback. I simply tried to adapt (and share) the stuff we're currently practicing at the 229th D/Coy.

As for the videos, I only follow two simple rules

- no jump cuts

- cut at the beat

And yeah, the "free-pass" to sacrify your AI wingman probably added some humor to it ;-)

PS Only light brown wouldn't have been easy to read everywhere, but the shadow behind the fonts does the trick.