Elouda
Posts: 183
Joined: 2/16/2008
From: Helsinki, Finland
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quote:
ORIGINAL: GameBoy
I was also wondering what the easiest way to disable an airbase is. After some experimentation using the scenario editor I found that disabling the runway access points or destroying the runways works well. I found that destroying the ammo bunkers will stop planes from re-arming but it takes a lot of ammo to do it. Destroying the fuel dumps has no effect on the airbase operations. Destroying the hangars will destroy the planes but seems more work then destroying the runway or runway access points. Are there any other buildings you can destroy to shut down an airbase?
Ill reply to this one;
The simple answer is that it varies a lot. Depending on the airfield configutation, the runway or the access points may well be the best targets, but if its an open airfield with only tarmac parking instead of hangars/revetments, then a single strike has a chance of getting rid of a significant portion of the aircraft based there.
It is also dependant on what you have available for weapons - some of the high penetration cruise missiles or bombs are ideal for getting rid of ammo bunkers, whereas regular iron bombs or JDAMs are more suited for runway and parking area removal.
My general approach is to assess airfields based on 3 criteria;
1. Number of access points vs number of runways/taxiways
2. Type of aircraft parking - open vs protected (hangar) vs hardened (HAS or underground)
3. Concentration of ammo storage
The first often lets you filter out those airfields that are fairly easy to shut down - if for example there is 1 runway with 3 access points, the access points are the obvious and easier targets, and will completely neutralize the airfield. Largest airfields become progressively harder to do this to, as they can have 4-8 access points per runway, as well as several runways/runway-capable taxiways. In these cases, it may be more sensible to strike the runways instead, or look at other ways to disable the base.
The second criteria is important because it lets you approach neutralizing the airfield from a different direction, by getting rid of the actual airwing. A lot of large civilian airports have many access points and runways, but typically very unprotected parking spaces, so if faced with this kind of facility, then the logical target is the aircraft themselves, often arranged in fairly dense parking areas, and vulnerable to strikes. Military bases will often have revetments or hangars which will limit damage (particularly blast damage to the surroundings), and so it will be harder to eliminate the aircraft, though in some cases only fighters will be protected by hangars, with larger aircraft like AWACS/Tankers/etc. left in the open. The worst targets are those with underground aircraft storage, as these take either specialized munitions or a lot of bombardment to crack open.
Lastly, looking at how ammo is stored can provide a third approach to neutralizing a base. Most bases will have several ammo depots/bunkers, but some will only have one, and if this is only a surface depot then it presents a clear vulnerability. Even a single ammo bunker may be the easiest target in a hardened base, especially if you have the correct weapons. This last one is also of course dependent on if you are using the 'unlimited weapons at bases' realism option.
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General Game Questions - 
. What is probably happening is that some of the mines being swept are detonating on the surface, and our proximity blast code is a bit overzealous when it comes to nearby helicopters. We'll probably have to tone it down a bit. That said, there is indeed a small chance of being hit by blast/fragments. 
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