Since gaijin likes to add vehicles with FNF atgms at much higher BR’s than their counterparts lacking them despite their lackluster performance in game, I think gaijin should add 2 versions of this, if they do add it (which I really hope they do sometime soon). One with the hellfire launcher replaced with an extra stinger pod like @JamesPond1200-psn says it can do placed at 10.0 so it can be most effective in its role as an SPAA, and another at 10.7 or 11.0 with the hellfires so you can use it as an all-rounder. They have already done this with the puma, and I think one of the variants of the CV90 as well, so its not like this is a radical new idea or anything like that.
Ideally it could be added as just a single vehicle, but in the modifications tab you could swap the hellfire launcher for more stingers, similar to the LAV-AD with its hydras, and in doing so it would raise/lower the BR, but I believe gaijin has already said they will not implement dynamic BRs based on modifications because it would be too complicated.
Yeah, and also I found this document from earlier this year that states the army plans to arm the Sargent Stout with the next generation short range interceptor missile designed to replace the stinger missile as part of its Increment 3 upgrade, and I think it would be neat to see that in game as well because its supposed to be more maneuverable, have up to double the range of the stinger, have a more lethal warhead, and it has a multi mode seeker as well. Although I find that unlikely to come to the game anytime soon, since the army has not yet even decided whether they will go with Lockheed Martin’s design or Raytheon’s design, and very little information exists about either one, aside from the requirements the army laid out for the missile.
I have at least managed to find a couple pictures of the NGSRI. Lockheed martin has a render of it on their website, and there is a picture of both the LHM and Raytheon missile in live-fire testing, but I cannot find any renders of the Raytheon missile so I don’t really even know what that one looks like.
Lockheed Martin NGSRI “QuadStar” live fire testing
You can tell it resembles the render closely, but there is not too much detail in the picture, especially because the sun is right behind the missile.
It would work like a spike, where it lofts up a bit before descending down onto the target. Although the hellfires in game do need their top attack profiles to be fixed like the heli launched spikes (supposedly, I dont have any helis with spikes to test) were. Right now, they function closer to their direct attack mode rather than their top attack mode. Although what I’m not sure about is if they would implement the MMW seeker. In the past they have denied adding those, but when they said that, they were explicitly talking about MMW guidance for air to ground munitions, they have never said anything about MMW guidance for munitions launched from ground vehicles AFAIK. In fact, the russian TT already has a missile carrier (the Khrizantema-S) with a radar to guide its missiles that even functions through smoke.
Would love to see this in game. Was looking at it about a month ago online. For in-game would say it would have to come right after LAV-AD or closer to 11.0+.
It would really depend on the variant they add.
If they add the one with 2 stinger pods only, it could go to 10.0 since it would be a sidegrade to the LAV-AD. Better SPAA capability because of the radar and proxy fuse ammo, but no anti tank ability because of the lack of the hydra pod and the gun designed for taking out air targets only. It would be more comparable to something like the Gepard 1a2, where compared to that, it gets an upgraded radar and gun, but keeps the same missiles, and its gun is worse at taking out ground targets.
If they add the variant with the longbow hellfires it could go to 10.7 because it has better anti air capability thanks to the MMHR and proxy fused gun ammo, and better anti tank capability thanks to the fire and forget missiles.
If they add the variant with the 2 stinger pods but carrying the NGSRI, it could also go to 10.7 because that could be considered a slight upgrade to the strela at 10.3. It would be unable to be kinetically dodged or be flared like the strela, and it would get a radar as an upgrade, but it would have less range.
Probably modeled with the dual -92 Stingers as the base, the hellfires and if they add the “9X” which could be slotted as progressed modifications similar to the Hydra rockets. Since increment 1 units roll out w dual -92 stinger pods, replace one w the hellfire or 9Xs. Placement in the rating 10.7 wouldn’t be a bad start and go from there. Initial placement in the rating will be “hit or miss” one way or another.
It would not be able to get the sidewinder 9x because the only one to carry it was the prototype made by Boeing, and they did not get the contract. That one also lacks a gun and radar. Also the increment 1 was initially rolled out with the single stinger pod and the longbow hellfire launcher, before the hellfire launcher was quickly replaced with another stinger pod thanks to wear and tear on the hellfires causing safety concerns. So there should be 2 variants of the increment 1 added to the game: one with 1x stinger pod and the hellfire launcher, and another with 2x stinger pods. And the increment 3 introduces the NGSRI stinger replacement missile as well as the XM 1223 Multi-Mode Proximity Airburst munition, so that should be added to the game as well.
The only way that this can be added as one vehicle with the ability to swap out the munitions like the LAV-AD is if they add dynamic BRs based on modifications, which I believe they have said in the past they won’t do because it would be too hard to balance.
I apologize, I rescind the 9x, (forgot where I saw it and couldn’t find it), later increments is looking to replace the -92s. Why do the ones they roll out always look so different from the prototypes. Below increment 1 or the first batch. It appears it has directional receivers covering the respective quadrants, a possible Rcv/Xmit Antenna possibly for target acquisition possibly center of the turret and on top a EO sight system.
If you are talking about the flat panel antenna in the bottom center of the turret under the gun, thats the IFF antenna
I find it unlikely that laser weapons will be coming to the game any time soon, if ever. And the increment 2, which is the one that replaced the 30mm+stinger turret with a 50kW laser, already rolled out and was shortly afterwards pulled back out of service due to issues with power generation for the laser and excess heat generation from the laser that was unable to be dealt with properly.
