I wanted to open this topic because there is a type of bomb used by the French but absent from the game, it is tactical or anti-runway bombs. The two bombs that I will present below would have an interest in the game, I will detail it in their respective parts
BAT-120
The BAT-120 is a small unguided bomb, 1.5m long and 36kg, it is attached under aircraft in clusters of 3, to 18 units. Upon impact, it releases several hundred pre-fragmented shards which can pierce 10mm of armor at a distance of 15m from the point of fall. This is specifically designed to fight against lightly armored targets (trucks, artillery, IFV)
According to the source (1), dropping 4 of these bombs makes it possible to treat an area of 100m by 40m. This bomb is operationally equipped on the Mirage 2000-C (18 units), Mirage III NG (8 units) and Jaguar (18 units → maybe 54), it could also be equipped on the A version of the Alphajet (source (2)). This bomb needs to be dropped at low altitude in order to have a significant impact: its aim is not precise, its release must therefore be done level at low altitude above the target
In the game :
- In air battle: this type of bomb would have a significant effect on the bases to be destroyed, the metal shards destroying the different elements of each base, moreover the BAT-120 would find use in the destruction of convoys of vehicles, a continuous drop would allow the majority of vehicles to be destroyed, in the case of aerial battles, I do not think that it is too powerful a weapon bringing an imbalance to the game, it requires precise dropping and only has a small impact on elements
- In tank battle: in tank battle this weapon could have a significant impact on the battlefield, in fact dropping a whole salvo of these bombs could be devastating, however certain points should be noted. Its use would require the plane to come considerably closer to the battlefield at low altitude making aiming more complicated, the need to drop this bomb at low altitude and close to the target would make the plane extremely vulnerable to DCA
BAP-100
The BAP-100 is a lightweight anti-track bomb, this one is 1.8m long for a total weight of 32.5kg. This is attached under the planes in the same way as the BAT-120. Once released, the bomb deploys fins on the rear part of its fuselage and releases a parachute which slows it down so that it is oriented towards the target runway. Once the fall angle is reached (45°), the bomb activates a solid fuel rocket motor to accelerate. The bomb penetrates the runway then explodes, creating a crater and rendering the runway unusable. This bomb has a military payload of 3.6 kg (source (3))
This bomb can be carried on all aircraft capable of carrying the BAT-120, however it was also exported to other countries and mounted on other aircraft: it can be found on Mig-23Bn and on F-4F Phantom II
This bomb requires certain mission parameters in order for its release to be optimal, the speed of the aircraft must be less than 450kts and the altitude must be around 250 feet (source (4)).
In the game :
- In an air battle : This bomb would not contribute much, its military load not allowing it to have a significant impact on the bases to be destroyed as well as on the vehicles. Its use would be similar to that of rockets in the game. However, we could imagine that a drop on an airfield could cause significant damage, which would lead to new objectives in simulator mode.
- In land battle : The usefulness of the bomb would be almost zero. The low military load of the bomb, its release having to be done with the parameters specified above and its aim which is complicated to predict would make the weapon of little use. However, we can imagine that a direct shot against a tank could damage it. The main effect of this bomb in tank battle would be the creation of craters on the map
