at 11.3 (where most of our challenger 2s are), Britain quite literally has no counter to CAS like the SU-25s with their 10km+ AGMs. Our only option is the Stormer, an already heavily uptiered 10.3 AA that only has 7km range (ironically, much of the helis it faces can hit it from 10km so it’s mostly useless). That is to say nothing of how awkward it is to use.
For arguments sake, if you do go to 11.7, Britain’s ADATS is weaker with no backup autocannon, and now you will see 12.7 planes that just makes it all worse.
Britain has no counter to CAS around this BR bracket. If you want to avoid 12.7 plane spam and play all the 11.3 vehicles, Britain simply gets annihilated. We have no counter and thus there is entire lineups being rendered unusable as more and more people realize how overpowered long-range AGMs are.
I think the real issue is that spaa even at the end of the line struggle to deal with CAS, even the pantsir and tor struggle, just less than everyone else. We need an spaa focused update cause rn i domt bother pulling sams when a figjter is much better suited for dealing with 20km flying pests.
The Harrier Gr5 I think would make an ideal 11.3 Premium. The Gr7 should have remained with 9Ls and gone down to 11.3. Gr9 or ideally Gr9A could then have been added with 9Ms and better A2G loadout options for the 11.7/12.0. Tornado Gr4 adds some decent QoL upgrades even without Brimstones (A decent 11.7 I reckon) but with Brimstones would make a really strong 12.3/12.7 CAS. Jaguar Gr3A would also be a decent upgrade, likely 9Ls with HMD and much better engines over the Gr1A, that would likely be 11.0. Both the Tornado Gr4 and Jaguar Gr3A could also be equipped with ASRAAM, though theyd obviously be a lot higher, but would have decent teeth to defend themselves.
But the main missing aircraft is the BAE Hawk. It could fill a range of BRs depending on loadout. Im hoping for one about 11.0 with 9Ls and Skyflash. Would make an ideal little sub-sonic dogfighter that would help bridge the gap between the Sea Harrier FRS1 and the Phantom/Tornados. Would also have half decent multirole payload as well.
(and thats without even mentioning the Buffs the Phantom FGR2/FG1, Tornado Gr1 or Tornado F3 could and should get)
So there are certainly ways of bodging the TT to give us some alternatives at and around 11.0-11.3 and higher. Then when you add CW into the mix as well, there are plenty of options
I mean the one real way we could give Ground RB a way to go is give teams a decent SAM battery, so that CAS players have to think twice before they space bar their way to victory by spamming Kh-38s at some poor Battle tank who probably doesnt even know that the aircraft is there
Towed or multiple vehicle arrays are going to have to start being a thing for that to happen
But Air mains will always have a counter, so long as Gaijin consider the possibility of Anti Radiation Missiles.
I already wrote a pretty long post in another thread with many suggestions, so I shall simply link here here and you can be the judge instead of creating another text wall.
CAS can be balanced, but as you said it can’t be a button pressing minigame. We’re gonna have to have other factors involved aside from adding better SPAA because aircraft can easily out-range any SPAA system in existence, and I don’t see stationary systems being useful or playable.
Multi vehicle systems will be very awkward and I don’t think they’ll be… satisfactory, from a gameplay perspective. They also require setting up shop in one place more often than not.
Hey I’d be more than happy to run CAP at 11.3 GRB… if the spawns weren’t such that I basically am trying to setup a BVR shot in a Fishtank. Right now the maps are just too small for me to do the job effectively.
