Steel Beasts Pro PE - Training Mission #03



Up to this point we have been learning a bit about how to navigate, read the map, and make some simple routes on the map. Now we'll start learning a little bit about how to do what armor was meant to do - blow stuff up. For our basic introduction to shooting things, we'll hop into the M2A2 Bradley since many of the concepts we can learn here will translate well into other platforms.



The information in this AAR was gleaned from playing through the stock tutorial missions #1 through #10, so no download is provided.

Mission #1 and #2 are simple tutorials on using the Integrated Sight Unit to fire the 25mm chain gun on the Bradley. Options include the type of ammo to be used (Armor Piercing or High Explosive) and rate of fire (single shot, low rate/100 rounds per minute, and high rate/200 rounds per minute). In the early tutorials the targets are stationary, so there is no need to lead or track the targets. And fortunately, the targets aren't shooting back!





I wish I were an experienced mission editor because it would be nice to build a series of tutorials that were incremental in their use of the knowledge. While the included tutorials are short and to the point, there isn't quite the sense of "building block" knowledge as you undertake each one. For instance, it would, in my opinion, be better to learn to drive and navigate first, then in future missions at least require a short drive to the target range for instruction on the new skills to be learned. That would reinforce the previous lessons and add to the immersion.

Your choice of ammo type will depend on your target type. HE rounds are excellent for soft skinned targets (bunkers, infantry, trucks and unarmored vehicles) while AP rounds are obviously good for taking out armored targets. An important thing to remember is that if you chose a new type of ammo to fire that the last type you fired will still be the first round that will be fired next!. Since the different rounds have different ballistics, the barrel has to be elevated to a different angle based on the round type. Thus, the first round you fire once you've selected a new type of ammo will not land where the second round will since they are different types.

Targeting is done through the Integrated Sight Unit and when equipped with a functioning Laser Range Finder (LRF) all you do is put the center reticule on the target, lase, and shoot. The barrel will elevate to the proper angle as the ballistics are calculated based on the range.



You'll notice that the HE rounds require a greater barrel elevation resulting in a round that arcs more as it travels the distance to the target.



If the LRF is damaged or unavailable, it is possible to estimate the range to the target by using the center reticule and/or the choke scale at the bottom of the sight. I can already tell this is going to take a lot of practice to learn how to quickly and effectively do, but the basic concept is that by comparing the relative size of the reticule to the target you can roughly gauge the distance to objects if you know what the published size of that object is. Likewise, the choke scale can be used by placing the target into the "wedge" and using the scale to estimate range. I practiced doing this by manually attempting to calculate the range, then taking a range with the LRF to see how close I was. My attempts varied and I can see how in the heat of battle this could be a real challenge indeed. Like anything, practice and experience can only be gained by making mistakes, so practice, practice, practice!



Hitting moving targets can be even more of a challenge. Now you have geometry working against you in a few more ways. If you simply aim at the target the target will have moved from where you round eventually impacts, so you have to estimate where you think the target will be in the future in order to hit it. This is called "leading" the target and it takes a bit of practice. Each engagement is slightly different too, so again, experience and practice are the keys to success. Since it is likely that your target is not maintaining a constant distance from you, you not only have to adjust your lead, you also have to continually adjust for changing range conditions. Don't expect the enemy to make it easy for you - if my life depended on it, I'd be jinking and changing directions as often as I could.



Of course, you can't shoot a target if you can't see it. The Thermal Imaging System (TIS) is a critical tool for finding and engaging targets. Not only is the TIS invaluable for conditions of reduced visibility and darkness, but it also is the preferred method to identify camouflaged targets during clear daylight conditions since heat signatures cannot be disguised as easily as throwing a camouflage net over a target to break up the silhouette.





In the event that your primary sight (Integrated Sight Unit) is disabled, you can use the auxiliary sight to estimate range and engage targets. Once again, this manual process requires practice and experience to become comfortable with (I'm not yet!) but learning how in training will likely save your bacon in the event you need to use it on a real mission. The reticule is lined with stadia lines and two curved "funnels" that will give you a range to a BMP-sized target in profile. Placing the front and rear of the target so that they touch the funnel edges will give you the approximate correct elevation of the barrel, and the range to the target can be read off the side of the sight. The two funnels represent different aiming solutions for HE (dashed lines) or AP (solid lines) rounds.



Also included with the Bradley is the TOW missile launcher which is a fun weapon system to employ. Range of the TOW is 3750 meters, which gives you quite a standoff range. TOW missiles are capable of defeating even heavy armor, which evens up the odds a bit against foes such as main battle tanks that are slinging 100mm + rounds back at you! While the TOW system gives you a nice tool to engage heavy armor at long distance it has distinct drawbacks as well. While firing and guiding the TOW missile you must be stationary and stable, and you must remain that way throughout the flight of missile, which can last in excess of 20 seconds. During that period you are susceptible to enemy counter fire and you are a bit of a sitting duck. Also, you only carry two missiles in the launcher and reloading requires time and also requires the turret to be in a fixed position while the loader pops a hatch to manhandle new rounds into the launcher. It is probably best to pull back into a sheltered position during the vulnerable reloading period.

Firing and guiding the TOW is fantastic fun though. Smooth control inputs are necessary, particularly at long ranges since any ham-fisting simply uses up energy, lowers the velocity, reduces range, and increases your exposure time. It is important to note that you should simply place your target crosshairs on the target and let the missile fly itself to the target, don't try to anticipate or "fly the missile" because there is an inherent lag to the missile response time.





The results of a TOW missile hit can be impressive indeed!









The Commander's position in the tank can be accessed and used to manage the battle and utilize the AI gunner, or you can also manually assume control of the gun to engage targets of your choosing. The view from out of the Commander's hatch is good for scanning and gaining a grasp of the situation, but is fairly exposed.



From the Commander's position you can override the gunner, authorize the gunner to fire on targets HE has identified, or modify the targeting so that he fires on targets that YOU have identified. I'm still a bit sketchy on how all this works and it will take more practice before I'm comfortable with the relationship I have with my AI gunner (he needs to tell better jokes too). The view through the binoculars can be useful for identifying targets.





Finding and destroying your enemy isn't the only task you'll be concerned with. Obviously the enemy will be trying to find and destroy you - so a good defense is also necessary. The use of prepared fighting positions are important to extending your longevity on the battlefield. As part of a strategy to hold ground, bloody attackers, then retreat to new emplacements to attrite the enemy again, prepared positions are essential. Positions can be as simple as natural features, or they can be purposely prepared and built by engineers. I don't know if Steel Beasts offers the ability to attach a vehicle to build emplacements on the fly (I guess we'll get to that later), but the prepared positions offer effective locations from which to fight. In each prepared position you can position your vehicle to be either hull down or turret down. In the hull down position your turret remains exposed allowing you to engage targets while the bulk of your machine is shielded by the earth. In the turret down position the entire vehicle is hidden providing maximum protection, but limits your offensive action to just being able to observe. The Bradley CAN engage targets from the turret down position though since the missile launcher and optics reside at the top of the turret, so you get the best of both worlds with a turret down position using the Bradley.





I've rolled a bunch of concepts into one mission report here, but that is due to the short and focused nature of the default training missions. The M2A2 training missions #1 through #10 are quick, fun, and easy to complete in no time. They also give a glimpse of how much fun this sim is going to be and how much there is to learn and how interconnected all of the concepts are.

BeachAV8R

It is worth practising both battlesight and precision gunnery modes in the GPS (as you can use the TIS for night/obscured targets)

Precision gunnery is where you lase to obtain range, lay and fire expecting a high number of hits. As the modelled Bradley (M2A2 ODS) only has BC inputs for range you still need to input manual lead. Some of the other IFVs (including the later M2A3) have fully stabilised dual or triple axis FCS, and will allow the correct lead to be applied while steadily tracking the target centre - which makes range updates much easier, but may slow the initial FCS solution in a snap-shot.

Battlesight gunnery uses the current/default range setting, and an instant comparison to expected range. The gunner lays low or high according to the range being shorter or longer than the battlesight range, and fires (either single shots, correcting lay until the target is hit, or a walking burst of fire).

If the round strikes the target, then additional rounds are fired until the vehicle is disabled or it leaves sight (if you are backing-up for example).

If the round misses then the gunner relays so the target is in the position on the reticle that the last round impacted. It should only take 1-3 rounds to acquire the target lead and range, and then a killing burst of around 5 rounds can be fired - Normally this is much faster than a precision gunnery engagement, although it can take many more rounds and much longer if the target is not near the initial range or speed and the difference is poorly estimated.

In daylight, the auxillary sight is possibly better for Battlesight engagements, as it has range scales and lead lines explicitly marked which makes non-precision engagements easier to manage/predict. It lacks a wide view angle though which can delay target aquisition at short range.

You won't be able (yet) to create prepared vehicle emplacements during the action phase. It is however possible for the mission designer to create deployment zones with a number of emplacement objects which the player may then move and adjust during the planning phase to fit his battle plan.


Oh, and thanks again for a fresh view to old tutorials; maybe we can use it to refine our tutorial concept in future releases of SB Pro PE.

If you want, I've just completed and uploaded a battlesight gunnery and range estimation practice scenario for the M2A2. It's available here:M2A2 Battlesight and Range Estimation Practice scenario.

Here's the briefing:

...soooo.... when will we see a #4?

I believe it's FLAMING CLIFFS 2.0 for now.

Nonsense. Air power cannot take ground.

Read his new AARs and weep!

True that.

But, less dirt = more sexy.

I have evidence to the contrary, not safe for work though, and certainly in violation of this board's forum rules.