I forgot they existed until now - strike drone

Machinery of War Discussion Aircraft
1

I went to battle and played like normal, got a few kills, assists, almost a base cap - then died. When I went back to the vehicle selector, I wasn’t sure what to choose, maybe T90A maybe my new T72B3… But at the end of the selection I saw something I completely forgot existed, Orion. That strike drone.

It’s been so long.

Pre 2026 - early 2025, Orion wasn’t good in any way. Rarely you’d get a kill. But SOMETIMES it would be useful. Then came the Elde 98, IRIS-T… Orion was almost completely useless. Though, not everyone had a OP SPAA. I stoped using it, to me it was useless. Id see maybe one in every hundred player use one - most of the time they’d just to feed the enemy team with a free kill. Most of the time.

Then came the addition of free SPAA. Now everyone could control the air. Orion is officially dead. So is every other strike drone. It now sits there, never to be used.

I want to use it again, I want it to be useful. Maybe lower the SP needed to the SAME as the free Spaas, launch it closer to the battlefield, reduce it’s radar signature, just something to make it useful at top tier.

It’ll also encourage one spawn leavers to use another vehicle, to help their team one more time.

But hey, that might just be me.

1 Like
2

Orion is officially dead.

Good.

6 Likes
3

Why good? When I say Orion, I mean all strike drones.

2 Likes
4

Wait are we classifying the Elde as OP SPAA? Lol I want whatever universe you are in where the Elde wasn’t a worthless addition lol

5

Strike drones were a mistake and should’ve never been added. I’m glad they are becoming impossible to play.

6 Likes
6

For a drone with no RWS, countermeasures, no speed, high altitude, 8-10KM spawn distance (6KM launch range)… Yes.

7

Wack, normally they would fail to get the kill since they were the same BR as the SLM which had faster and longer range missiles lol

8

The first impression was just that bad. Strike drones were originally 500SP, spawned within range of the battlefield and well above radar search angles; an incredibly accessible revenge killing cheese mechanic.

Yeah, they’re pretty useless now and I also don’t know how you would even attempt to make them viable. You’d need heavier drones like the MQ-9 and Wing Loong 2 to even start to justify the 750SP, but I don’t know if Russia has an equivalent atm.

9

Strike drones have what, 8km effective range? Meaning even with old SPAAs they had to enter well into their range to launch.

Rest in piss.

Yes, because what every player needs is two free kills for 70sp if theres no active SPAA.

That was on release and it made the game unplayable

Question, why it should be useful in contested airspace?

These drones were added as a way to give a free CAS option to people who didnt grind any aircraft, doesnt mean they need to be any good.

10

They’ve been impossible to play for years now, it’s time to get over the fact you died to one many years ago

1 Like
11

While strike drones are dead, their spirit lives on as top tier helis, always remember to spawn one and punish the other team for not spawning AAs

12

Mfw none of my 16 missiles launched from top tier SAM hits LDIRCM heli hovering at 40m because game decided LDIRCM works through the fuselage and heli rotors do not give radar return.

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RIP get some SACLOS missiles next time

14

Russian got 10km.

15

Since no BLUFOR AA has guns for close range combat (such as city maps) (unlike Russia), im supposed to do what, have three different AAs in my lineup?

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because many of us have PTSD from when they were added at BRs where they where facing ZSU-23-4s and Gepards with their Hellfires

Or they could actually model rotor PD returns, they should be visable to PD radars at around ~10 to 12kms while hovering.
I mean WTF are you supposed to do about helis on Japan or Israel with NO SACLOS missiles in the whole TT?

17

I got two and a jet, you never know when you’ll need to get a heli

18

Use your fighters

19

So do i, but jets suffer the exact same issue - IRs dont work and neither does radar.

That leaves TV guided munitions (if your top tier plane has them), laser guided munitions (which hinge on the targeted heli being stupid) and guns (which hinge on thr targeted heli being stupid and not covered by friendly SAM).

To take third SAM into top tier battle just to deal with single kind of threat is insane request.

20

Which are also armed with IR and radar missiles and get auto spotted then they try to get within gun range giving the heli plenty of warning.
And again why should helis get completely fictional magic stealth rotors with no RCS?