Since we’re getting new and powerful SPAAs, can we expect some new stuff to Helicopters like FnF missiles because i pretty much doubt Hellfires and other similar missiles to survive more than 10 seconds and actually help the team.
6 Likes
The JAGM and hellfire L would fix the heli issues, as well as vikr FnF variants could be added.
7 Likes
For several years now, gaijin has refused to add the Longbow Hellfire under the pretext that the missile is too powerful and ground vehicles have no counterplay. There are two main arguments:
A: They can be launched from cover in the approximate direction of the enemy and lock onto the target themselves, without exposing the helicopter to any risk.
In response to this, I can remind you that some Fox 3 missiles, which have been in the game for a year, also have this feature, Mad Dog. A feature that the developers have not implemented for reasons unknown. Following Gaijin’s philosophy of “we will implement weapons as we see fit,” they could simply not allow the AGM-114L to be launched without first locking onto a target. In that case, the helicopter would have to peek out from behind cover and expose itself to potential “counterplay”.
B: The second argument against ATGMs with active radar homing seekers is the fact that the millimeter wave radar used in them “ignores smoke.” I can respond to this with two points:
1: Right now, in the vast majority of cases, the target is unaware that an FnF missile has been launched at it. The Spike and Pars currently in the game do not trigger laser warning systems, and as a result, if you don’t know that there is a helicopter in the air, and if you don’t know that this helicopter has fired a missile at you, it will hit you regardless of whether it can see through the smoke or not, because you haven’t released any smoke. Of course, this is my anecdotal experience, so the second option is:
2: Make the smoke spoof mmW missiles. Since the 1980s, tanks have been using multispectral smoke grenades, which block infrared radiation (which is why thermas can see through HHS but not through smoke grenades). The US Army tested smoke that blocks mmW back in 1989 and planned to produce it by 1996. (Approved for public release). In my opinion, giving all tanks smoke that blocks mmW would be less “unrealistic/ahistorical” than the existence of some vehicles that were never real.
20 Likes
The new spaa wont really bother me that much in my AHmk1. More food for my starstreaks to eat
The end of helicopters was in 2019.
4 Likes
There are no FnF Vikhr variants. The only FnF weapon that Russian helis could get is the LMUR.
2 Likes
beginning of the end maybe
all nations wouldn’t have access to SACLOS SAMs until 2021, but yeah other than bullying Sim; Helis have been irrelevant for a while now
1 Like
time for the UMPTAS?
yes because us and russia are only 2 nations <3
spikes and pars 3 exist…
1 Like
Yes. Yes it is(for American helis and other helis that do not have fnf)
No.
It is the beginning of using tactics.
What tactics you can use if you’re dead after seconds of spawning in with slow and old Hellfires.
How to follow terrain, peeking etc. The problem with most heli players is that they keep peeking the same spot.
Then add Longbow and its going let them peek and shoot and hide with zero threats, these new SPAAs can lock and launch behind tree cover and the missiles going to come from above.
at that point it’s just like playing whak-a-mole, in the end the helicopter is getting smacked.
We have the same situation right now on the live server whenever a Pantsir or ItO is on the enemy team. Unless those are distracted by something else they have you on their radar even before you can peek over cover using the sights (even with mast mounted sights). It’s sure that they see you before you see them. Fact.
The 95Ya6 travels at 1.300m/s (the VT-1 is verly close at 1.250m/s), whereas the Hellfire doesn’t even reach it’s advertised merely 475m/s. And let’s keep in mind one missils flies in a straight line and the other is lofting upward prolonging the time it takes to reach a target, so not exactly equal chances.
Currently the only way to use Hellfire-equipped helicopters effectively at top tier is to get something like a mountain between the helipad and the enemy spawn point, focusing on enemy tanks that are between the capture points and the own spawn. That’s the only viable tactic (which is very situational. it’s a 50/50 chance that you are on the team that gets pushed in the own spawn, or your team is pushing into the enemies). This is possible not on many maps. Vietnam works quite good, and Sweden, but only from one side… and that’s about it. Many maps have a pretty awefull helipad placement, many times in the flat open, visible from the enemy spawn. I had some cases where my RWR went off, even before the black screen faded after spawn (you could say that there are still another helipad and the airfield to spawn from, but in most cases that results in a minute long flight just to be shot down in the open where is nothing but trees… great experciance).If a map has a mountain (and that’s a big “if”), well there’s not many choices to peek from… left, or right… so much to “tactic”. Making such helicopters work is very much map dependent and also relies heavily on the capabilities of the own team. Games where an Apache shines are very rare and I know 'cause I have every Apache (US is the exception currently but same applies to the Zulu).
What about minor nations though? I feel like they will suffer a lot more. More deadly CAS sounds like the wrong move.
like half the nations in game, including a number of minor nations have an ah64d variant that could use AGM-114L
2 Likes
It would be pretty boring if top tier heli was just a bunch of apache clones.
it already is for a bunch of nations, you just dont see to many because ah64 is bad at top tier
3 Likes