F-18E should get AGM-154C

Dev Server "Line of Contact" General Discussion - Dev Server
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1

Before we start I wanted to focus a bit on the competitiveness of US top tier plane CAS which probably can be considered one of the worst in the game after this update.

I made a short tier list with each country best planes to show what i personally think the current meta is:

Spoiler

1#

  • F-16I (Israel F-16 which has x8 SPICE-250 + x2 1000/2000 - cost very little SP - all IR guided, much better damage than AGM-65, also has MAW)
  • Su-30SM2 (Still WIP - will get better engines and radar, has 6x KH-38MT + 1x GPS/TV bomb)
  • Su-30MKK (Same as Su-30SM, Japans new best CAS is Russian best CAS plane in the past)

2#

  • Rafale M (Just a Rafale with new radar, armed with 6x ASM-250)
  • F-15I (Another Israel upgrade over US - can carry 6x IR Spice-2000 with cheap SP spawn or 6x AGM-65D + 4x Spice, at least you’re not limited to only SDB)

3#

  • EF-2000 (Questionable CAS, but now has a new radar, very good anti heli and atleast its loadout of Brimstones and LJDAM’s is cheap on SP unlike AGM-65)

4#

  • F-16AM (Sweden F-16 - though it has 6x AGM-65D but it also carries 2x AGM-119 instead of GBU-24, also has MAW)
  • J-11B (Expensive spawn and only has 4x TV Kh-29 + 2 L-GPS bombs, at least missiles are fast and deadly)
  • F-15E (Expensive spawn, carries only 6x AGM-65D with underwhelming HEAT warhead + only GPS bombs
  • F-18E (Very unlikely that its a better than F-15E - has 6x AGM-65H that do some damage at least but the cheaper loadout is still very bad - 10x LJDAMS and its the worst plane platform among all listed above, very heavy and underpowered)

Now lets talk about AGM-154C - its basically a IR glide bomb, in game it will be pretty much like SPICE-1000. It should be cheap to spawn so US planes wont cost over 900 do be at least somewhat useful.
There is also a better option like GBU-53/B, its a HEAT glide bomb but very little info is available about it + F-15E can carry 28x of them so it has to be limited, definitely would like to see it on F-16 and F-18.

AGM-154C Platforms:

F-18's

Both F-18E and C can carry 4x in total, but F-18E still has 2 more free hardpoints

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AV-8B

Can carry at least 2x - up to 4x, would be a very nice addition
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Specifications:
Warhead - WDU-44/B + WDU-45/B:

  • Explosive mass(total): 193 lb (87.6 kg)
  • Warhead type: HEAT + SAP-HE

Guidance:

  • AGM-154C: IR + GNSS

Glide ratio: 12:1

1 Like
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Seems like a sensible addition. Combine with AGM-84 SLAMs and it would make the F-18 a worthwhile CAS alternative to the F-16s

3

The Norwegian F-16AM can not equip MAW pylons with AGM 65s if there was a nation with bad CAS it’s Sweden…

4

With any luck, Gripen E will resolve at least a chunk of that

5

Gripen C had the ability to carry a lot more ordinance but it doesn’t and is even missing the ability to put ordinance on the centerline pylon so we can only hope and as of now the gripen E is not on the public test server :(((

6

Yeah, we’ll see, if nothing else, it should get access to Brimstones and the ability to run ARH alongside A2G will be a big buff, but thats a matter for another thread

7

Like I said the gripen c could carry more ordinance such as brimstones and spice bombs and enhanced paveways but it doesn’t…

8

Can’t wait to receive no compatible ordnance that actually helps.

Most we’ll get is Brimstones, and that really won’t help. Spice would help, and Gripen is compatible, but we won’t get it.

9

Nah. AGM-65Bs, clearly top tier worthy weapons for Sweden :P

1 Like
10

I would say that’s a sick joke, but their track record doesn’t ensure that’s actually a joke

1 Like