Aermacchi MB-326K and why it shouldn't lose its weapons to place it at lower BR

Dev Server "Spearhead" General Discussion - Dev Server
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Hello! Yesterday when I was watching devstream I was disappointed a lot by 2 facts regarding MB-326K, but one of them seems to hopefully be neglected (it was shown as a premium, but it seems it’s eventually coming as a TT plane), although there is another issue with this plane: it loses stuff which actually makes it a K variant - a single seat dedicated attacker variant, it loses an access to AAMs and AGMs.

You can say that the plane would be in the better spot without such equipment, but you will say so if you don’t know about the existence of other earlier variants of this plane, as well as the MB-339 model, of which variants without guided weapons exist.

These are variants of 326 and 339, which are supposed to be placed around BRs which underarmed MB-326K takes now:

There is a manufacturer’s brochure showing R550 Magic I missiles and mentioning other features of the plane:

Spoiler

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There are also suggestions about 2 variants of MB-326K (early and late):

I understand when sometimes planes jet worse loadouts to keep them at lower BR, but in this case with other existing “missileless” variants of 326 I just don’t see the reason to implement it without significant amount of this weapons.
We already have other subsonic jets, some with even lower speeds which have full weapons choice and are placed at higher BR, like AMX, A-10, Su-25, upcoming HAWK, A-6 and etc.
The addition of cut MB-326K also put less armed Aermacchi variants under question, because it basically takes their place and I think, I am not the only player, who would like to see Aermacchi planes represented in the game with as wide variety as possible. Aermacchi jets are very important for the Italian TT, they are supposed to fill many empty areas and make research more interesting giving the player multiple domestic designs and not just other nations leased stuff.

So, after you’ve just read my post and maybe learn more about MB-326K, I suggest to leave your opinion here and vote if you agree that other less armed could be added around current BRs, while MB-326K should get its advanced weapons (R550 and AS.12) at higher BR or not:

Should MB-326K get its guided weapons in exchange for higher BR?

  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

PS maybe until we get earlier variants of 326 or other planes to fill 6.x-8.x area, 326K can remain underarmed as a placeholder, but once they appear K variant should definitely receive its R550 and AS.12.

6 Likes
2

I want it to be 7.0 for my ground and naval lineups.
It’s fine not having IR missiles.

I have other CAS platforms for higher BRs.

3

yes this

i want a version of this thing at 7.0ish, but a version with as12s would be great, though i dont think one with magic 1s would be very fun (unless it got CMs then maybe) as it would have to go very high in BR

4

Italy is in a sore spot for CAS at most BRs. I’d rather the MB went to help a more common lineup (at least for GRB) than 7.0. Ideally though, we wouldn’t have to choose one BR and we would get an early + late MB326

2 Likes
5

7.0 and 7.7 are common lineups for Italy.
Italy already has great CAS for 8.3 to top BR far better than MB326.

It has none as good as MB326 at 7.0.

6

As I said there are other two seat variants of 326 with bombs, rockets and gunpods, which could come to these brs, there is just no need to cut the best one. 326K can also receive ballistic computer as mentioned in Aermacchi publication.
As I said until earlier variants of 326 (B, E, G) or other planes like MB-339 (A, X), S.211 and G.82 come, MB-326K can work as a placeholder, but when these planes will come, there is no reason for keeping limits to K variant performance.
Although I find it important to tell this to developers right now, so we won’t need to wait for too long between the addition of less armed jets and the introduction of guided weapons for MB-326K.

3 Likes
7

Alvis there are two tanks at 7.0 sure theres a lot of 6.7s that you can drag up but surely then it would be better to get new 6.7 cas instead

Mind you i still think they should add this (or a different) one at 7.0 and another at a higher br with more stuff

8

No, it should not receive any missile, that would mean ruining it…
It doesn’t have the performance to do well in higher tiers and it’s flareless…

1 Like
9

The assigned BR is perfect. There’s no point in giving it magic AAM; the platform is unsuitable for higher BR.

2 Likes
10

You entirely omitted 7.7.

11

Yeah because 7.0 has limited taks 7.7 does not

12

All they have to do is rename it to “MB-326K (Early)”, problem solved

2 Likes
13

Unless it also gets flare dispensers, this plane should not get AAM and guided ordinance, the R550 is just too good of a missile for a plane without flares to have