single vs group A/c

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single vs group A/c - 1/30/2022 6:58:27 AM

fulcrum28

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Joined: 2/28/2010
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Do you tend to control the aircrafts as single units or as groups? maybe ships are sometimes better controlled as groups for formations purposes, but does it have some advantages to control aircraft as groups? perhaps only for long range flights and approximation to target only?

Post #: 1

RE: single vs group A/c - 1/30/2022 10:58:17 AM

thewood1

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I almost never control single aircraft. I manipulate fromations a lot in ships and rarely touch individual ships unless in very narrow confines.

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(in reply to fulcrum28)

Post #: 2

RE: single vs group A/c - 1/30/2022 1:22:21 PM

SeaQueen

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From: Washington D.C.
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It depends. I spend a lot of time planning, and even the aircraft that I leave unplanned for dynamic tasking I have to apportion for, so I usually have no idea of how I plan to employ them. If for example, I wanted to have a 2 ship fly a rotating CAP then I'd have 2 aircraft fly as singles. That way I can arrange them so that the one aircraft is flying with his radar forward and the other isn't. On the other hand, if I wanted to do a 4 ship CAP then I'd have 4 aircraft fly as pairs. That way as one element went forward the other would be on the retrograde leg.

On the other hand, maybe I have a bunch of bombers that need to fly to a launch box somewhere and fire their cruise missiles? I might group them sets of 3 or 4 for the convenience of being able to launch their payloads quickly and easily. I think part of skilling up in the game is developing techniques for managing things by the effect you want them to have, rather than how the game nominally represents a given action. For example a novice player represents strike missions as ASuW (ground) patrols or explicit strike missions. An experienced player represents strike missions as that too, but might also use support, AAW Patrol or other missions, because maybe they the behavior of the AI there matches their intention better. In the above paragraph, an example of that is flying 2 ships as singles. In real life they'd be an element. In the game that's maybe implied by the way you employ them, but the software says they're 2 singles.

(in reply to fulcrum28)

Post #: 3

RE: single vs group A/c - 1/30/2022 1:32:41 PM

DWReese

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From: Miami, Florida
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SeaQueen,

Following up on what you just described as an air launch by some bombers (this obviously has nothing to do with the OP's question), would you ever consider following those launched missiles (assuming that they were launched a great distance) with an OECM plane? I was wondering if a Growler might consider following behind some missiles in an effort to mask them for as long as possible from the enemy. I'm not sure how effective it actually is, not am I even sure that distance from the IEXM is even factored into the game at all. Do you know? Is it better to have the OECM closer to the missiles, or is just having it along the same axis all that is needed?

(in reply to SeaQueen)

Post #: 4

RE: single vs group A/c - 1/30/2022 5:31:45 PM

Craigkn

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Joined: 1/27/2022
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quote:

ORIGINAL: DWReese

SeaQueen,

Following up on what you just described as an air launch by some bombers (this obviously has nothing to do with the OP's question), would you ever consider following those launched missiles (assuming that they were launched a great distance) with an OECM plane? I was wondering if a Growler might consider following behind some missiles in an effort to mask them for as long as possible from the enemy. I'm not sure how effective it actually is, not am I even sure that distance from the IEXM is even factored into the game at all. Do you know? Is it better to have the OECM closer to the missiles, or is just having it along the same axis all that is needed?

I am a rank novice, so if I am wrong I hope I will be corrected - but I have found that an EA-18G is essential to protect any ranged attack against a modern SAM site (S-400, as an example). A type of SEAD mission that I have used is six F-35A, each armed with 8 SDBII, and an EA-18G. The group flys as close as the F-35A's can get to the S-400 - about 30nm in my testing - and then launch their payloads, and return to base. The EA-18G remains on station until the SDB's close the distance to the target, then RTB. Attacking a fully operational S-400, a majority of the SDB's are still shot down, but if luck holds, enough bombs reach the target. If you remove the EA-18G, and have the F-35A's launch at close range, only one or two SDBs will make it through - and in many cases, zero reach the target, and you also expose the F-35A's to counterfire when their bomb doors open, then again as they turn to leave. The EW component reduces risk to your strike, and helps ensure the weapons reach the target.

< Message edited by Craigkn -- 1/30/2022 5:34:45 PM >

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 5

RE: single vs group A/c - 1/31/2022 5:38:25 AM

KnightHawk75

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Joined: 11/15/2018
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quote:

ORIGINAL: fulcrum28

Do you tend to control the aircrafts as single units or as groups? maybe ships are sometimes better controlled as groups for formations purposes, but does it have some advantages to control aircraft as groups? perhaps only for long range flights and approximation to target only?

It has advantages in settings as well, not having to set wra or other settings individually if you keep'em grouped.
Generally I tend to task and mico units individually, groups just for transport to staging areas, or where I want to take advantage of the inheritance of group settings.

(in reply to fulcrum28)

Post #: 6

RE: single vs group A/c - 1/31/2022 8:13:15 PM

AndrewJ

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Joined: 1/5/2014
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quote:

ORIGINAL: KnightHawk75
Generally I tend to task and mico units individually, groups just for transport to staging areas, or where I want to take advantage of the inheritance of group settings.

Similarly for me. Long transits get grouped, particularly when refuelling is involved and I want to avoid the hassle of dealing with multiple hookups. Strike aircraft with long-ranged standoff weapons (B-52s with ALCMs, Backfires with heavy ASMs, etc.) also tend to get grouped for convenience. But for most close-combat cases, I'm generally having too much fun "flying" the individual planes, so I almost always use them as individuals.

(in reply to KnightHawk75)

Post #: 7

RE: single vs group A/c - 2/1/2022 4:00:48 AM

boogabooga

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Joined: 7/18/2018
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One should point out that the time period matters. If you are in the modern era, then sure your F-35s or 4.5/5 generation whatevers are very powerful and it might make sense to fly them as singles. However, in the CWDB-or even a little beyond- individual aircraft are less likely to accomplish very much by themselves and it makes sense to fly them in flights of at least two to concentrate firepower and have a backup for whatever you are trying to do.

Of course, there might be exceptions for small or highly micro-managed scenarios.

(in reply to AndrewJ)

Post #: 8