Incredibly simple, Western nations are far behind their Eastern counterparts when it comes to reliable SPAA and CAS platforms which really just kills the enjoyment for top tier - there isn’t any skill spamming Kh-38s from another continent away.
The East have vehicles like the Pantsir, Tor-M1, SU-25SM3 and JH-7A whilst Western nations are usually stuck with far inferior SPAA and slightly inferior CAS platforms.
Having great SPAA for one side alone creates a large imbalance, one sides CAS will be able to dominate without contested skies whilst the others will have to worry about the crazy Pantsir and Tor-M1 and other aircraft/helicopters up in action.
The US has been stuck with the ADATS for a while now unlike the USSR with their endless flow of vehicles being added to fill in their SPAA gaps including the end of the line vehicles like the goofy Pantsir.
The best the East have to offer are the following:
Pantsir-S1
Strela
Tor-M1
SU-25SM3
KA-50/52
Mi-28N/NM
Z-19/E/Z-10
SU-25T/SU-39
The list of these vehicles have the ability to change course of the entire game alone with their presence, long range TV guided missiles, the ability to engage multiple targets with surface to air missiles, proximity beam riding guided missiles and more make these vehicles pretty unfun to fight against.
Western nations mainly need a new dominant or competitive SPAA to counter both the Pantsir and Tor-M1 for top tier to be more balanced, we need to end the era of 20 KA-50/52 rushers at the start of the game causing havoc wherever they go.
Thoughts? Leave them down in the replies and tell me if you agree or not
Because if the East got their new weaponry that’s long range they would completely out range the Eastern stuff and be unbalanced, and the way it is right now seems fine to me.
(I.e. Generational tech battles (east creating one thing, and then the west creating something of similar role to show might) took time, and lots of R&D, meaning if it’s still in use, it’s probably classified, or wouldn’t be able to be balanced)
USA CAS is the best in the game 2nd to none. Are they not Western to you?
As for SPAA, all 10 tech trees lack SPAA able to frag any top CAS when played correctly.
TOR-M1 is Crotale equivalent.
JH-7A is quite literally F-111F equivalent, which is inferior to other US CAS.
Su-25SM3 is AV-8B equivalent.
JH-7A is quite literally F-111F equivalent, which is inferior to other US CAS
I have the JH-7A and it requires absolutely no skill and that’s especially thanks to the long range TV guided missiles. I’m not here trying to say Russia and China should get vehicle nerfed or removed but all other tech trees should be brought to their level.
Su-25SM3 is AV-8B equivalent
Pure delusion, don’t make me laugh brother the SU-25SM3 is far superior to the AV-8B/GR.7.
Ka-50 hasn’t be “the meta” since heli PVP
The KA-50 is pretty good if you have more than three functional braincells, the Vikhr missiles are still goated as hell and when it comes to helicopter PvP (in ground realistic) it’s easily one of the best.
TOR-M1 is Crotale equivalent
I have the Tor-M1 and most of China in fact, the Tor-M1 far exceeds the Crotale and comparing it to anything but the Pantsir is absolutely ridiculous, the most manoeuvrable missiles in-game with datalink for 2 missiles is a absurdly good thing to have.
This is just flat out wrong, the F-16C is the best CAS in game
6x mavericks + 2x paveway III
Supersonic
Maneuverable
Good optics
capable of defending itself against CAP
now compare that to the Su-25SM3
4x KH38MT + 2x Kh25ML
Subsonic
Bad maneuverability
Bad optics shared by all su-25
5 2x mediocre IR missiles for defense
The F-16C is just a better plane the only good thing on the sm3 is the 38MT
The JH7A is objectively bad it only gets access to 2x Kh29T and some guided bombs whike every other plane that can carry CAS even the Mirage 2000 just gets better weapons
The Tor is a bad SPAA why would you even remotely consider it better than western SPAA
Are you actually getting filtered by a heli with only guns and rockets, literally just use a proxy shell or machine gun they’re barely a threat to anything but a light tank
This is just flat out wrong, the F-16C is the best CAS in game
The Kh-38 both laser and TV variants are the best air to ground missiles in-game, they far exceed anything the F-16C can carry but the F-16C isn’t too short from the SU-25SM3.
Being able to kill 2 to 6 targets the minute you spawn in whilst having MAWS and the best RWR on a fixed-wing aircraft makes it a absolute beast at CAS.
Bad optics shared by all su-25
The SU-25SM3 has a new FLIR fitted at the nose of the aircraft with generation 2+ thermals, it’s completely fine and is better than most thermal pods aircraft can carry (if you want to include drag and performance).
The JH7A is objectively bad it only gets access to 2x Kh29T
My experience in the JH-7A says otherwise, the Kh-29T is usually a free kill and being able to evade whilst firing missiles at bandits is a huge luxury only Eastern nations have (the AGM-65 is nothing compared to it).
The Tor is a bad SPAA why would you even remotely consider it better than western SPAA
I honestly prefer the Tor-M1 over the Pantsir in my opinion and this is due to how manoeuvrable the missiles are, it’s EASILY the 1st or 2nd best SPAA in-game without a doubt and saying otherwise is pure ignorance.
Are you actually getting filtered by a heli with only guns and rockets, literally just use a proxy shell or machine gun
Yeah load proximity and predict the helicopter rushers whilst compromising your effectiveness against actual tanks and/or waste time using your machine gun on the helicopters which allows enemy vehicles to get into better spots?
Helicopter rushers and especially the KA-50/52 literally are the bane of the game, they shape the entire course of the game due to their huge disruption at the start.
It doesn’t matter if they’re the best the maverick can also be fired outside of SPAA range and you get more of them on a better airframe
MAWS is borderline useless and i dont know why you’re bringing it up it literally gets set off by your own flares and chaff along with enemy flares and chaff you should always have it turned off
Targeting pods are vastly superior to nose optics as since you know there’s no need to fly face first into the enemy
Oh wow 2 free kills, you know the A10 at 10.3 gets 6x mavericks for 6 free kills
Its literally not i can literally just go low alt and the TOR becomes useless
Do you not have functional ears or something???
Everyone is going to laugh at you for saying this you know that right? Heli rushers haven’t been an issue since the Ka-50 got its br moved up
well i am not laughing wile its more rare than it used to be its still a thing they just fly low and then pitch up over the battlefield were most guns and cannons cant hit them and spam away the big rockets that are far superior to hydras and if that should fail they have a very good 30mm gun
then there is the Ukraine method stay out of range and just wholly fire rockets from afar with the ccip even out of hearing range at times
the ka52 has up to 20 rockets with 63mm of high explosive pen
basically a m109 firing he shells
It doesn’t matter if they’re the best the maverick can also be fired outside of SPAA range and you get more of them on a better airframe
The AGM-65 is a subsonic missile which can easily be intercepted unlike the supersonic Kh-38, the Kh-38 is also the only air to ground missile in-game with lofting and a large warhead.
MAWS is borderline useless and i dont know why you’re bringing it up it literally gets set off by your own flares
UV MAWS can be set off by flares yes but not your own, if someone is directly flaring in front of you then ignore the MAWS warning and other than that it gives a huge amount of visual awareness in ground RB.
Targeting pods are vastly superior to nose optics as since you know there’s no need to fly face first into the enemy
The gimbal limit of the FLIR on the SU-25SM3 is pretty impressive actually and this generally doesn’t matter as you should be running the TV variants of the Kh-38 anyways.
Oh wow 2 free kills, you know the A10 at 10.3 gets 6x mavericks for 6 free kills
Key word - the minute you spawn - no vehicle should be capable of firing multiple supersonic TV guided missiles the minute the spawn in without competent SPAA engaging them.
The A-10A Late is also absolute a** as in the 11.7 environment as well, don’t be silly.
Its literally not i can literally just go low alt and the TOR becomes useless
Quite literally applies to ALL SPAA in-game, flying low will help with evading missiles inbound from enemy SPAA and no SPAA in-game has a fix to this - flying behind a hill isn’t a fault for the SPAA.
Everyone is going to laugh at you for saying this you know that right? Heli rushers haven’t been an issue since the Ka-50 got its br moved up
You must main 1.0 or something as you’re completely out of touch from what 11.7+ has actually become now, it’s a absolute mess and 9/10 games I’m in there will be a KA-50/52 rusher lurking somewhere.
