The target for this mission is a Command & Control unit.



The recon picture could be a little better, but at least I have a general idea.



I should have adjusted these mission waypoints in the mission editor (new feature for FC2), but I forgot and didn't consider the SA-11 site north of the city.



Heading out of base, I'm using the SimMod A-10C adapted for FC2. Also, I'm using a mod that allows for 6DOF in the cockpit, which does help a bit for things like looking over your shoulder toward the rear of the aircraft.





The SimMod A-10C is just a beautiful 3D model...



Heading toward the target site I can see smoke burning in the city, but it is very difficult to detect the armor and other threats within the city.



And, of course, as I stray too high hoping to get a better line of sight on the target, the pesky SA-11 site opens up on me from the north.



I get a good eyeball on the SA-11 site this time and can see from where the smoke trails emanated. Something to consider for sure. Diving for the deck causes the missiles to pull lead pursuit which drives them into the ground.



A scary moment after the SAM launch where my wingman and I almost collide on the rejoin...



I know the airfield just west of our target area is now labeled a friendly field, and it just so happens that my target area is off the extended centerline, so I take advantage of the easy visual reference point.



Peering through the HUD I try to spot my target area, but I'm so confused and lost that I'm a bit frustrated. (Note the mint green HUD color mod!)



As I draw closer my radar warning receiver goes off indicating a ZSU out in front of me. He is so buried in the trees that I can't even find him.



As I make the break turn back to the south to reassess the situation my wingman calls out a missile launch at 6 o'clock and sure enough a little missile of some sort (I didn't check the after action report) tracks up toward me as I dump flares.



Coming back around I'm not very sure that I'm on my target location, although I AM sure that the vehicles I'm targeting are enemy. Using the Maverick seeker I can spot the targets a little easier, but it is a chore.





I'm a bit wedged in. With the high airspace unavailable due to the SA-11 threat, and the low airspace bristling with vehicle mounted SAMs, AAA, and then through in the MANPADs to boot!



On one of my runs in I get a good look at a target on the targeting monitor and the image is distinctly that of a ZSU-23-4..



On the pull off I dodge another short range SAM, and as I ascend away from that threat the SA-11 reminds me of its presence too. I'm amazed the SA-11 missile didn't kill me because it passed within several meters of me, but did not explode.





I'm repeatedly frustrated by the lack of a clear target. I think I might have actually been looking in the wrong area, but there was a ton of activity in the city. After multiple attempts to find the right target and repeatedly getting beaten back by SAMs I finally spot one of the smoke trails coming up from an easily recognizable feature. The smoke leads back to near a cluster of four smokestacks and I can see a convoy of some sort with air-defense vehicles moving down the city street.





Each slashing run in is fraught with danger as SAMs arc up from all quadrants near the city. It is sheer luck that I haven't been hit yet. I long ago sent my wingman home because I knew he'd be fodder for the enemy defenses.



Coming in on the distinct cluster of four smokestacks I spy the convoy moving more in the open now and target the air defense vehicle in the #2 and #3 positions in the convoy.







I press in a bit too close though and get riddled by a AAA gun. My right engine is ablaze and my hydraulics are out making control very sluggish.



Unable to jink now because of the reduced maneuverability, yet another SAM reaches up and I'm helpless to avoid it.



Though my left engine is still running the impact blows part of my rudders off and I lose effective control of the aircraft. The plane shudders and starts skidding into the dead engine. I try to reduce power to reduce the asymmetric thrust, but I'm too low and with little hydraulic aid I have to admit the aircraft is lost.



As I grit my teeth in anger my chute descends into the wreckage of the aircraft..insult to injury!!



It burns...it buuuuurrrrnnnnsss!!!! Aaaaaghhh...!



Boy. I'm rightly pissed now. Now, technically I know I've failed the mission. But I've already put a lot of effort into it already. Since I sent my wingman home, I think "ok..I can just hop in his plane and continue the mission"..so I put the camera focus on his plane all comfy back at base and hit the ALT-J key thinking I'll be able to hop into it. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. I don't know if it doesn't work because of my realism settings or if it just doesn't work in FC2 (?). Now, I do have the option of "Crash Recover" or whatever that is called, so I do that and I'm put instantly into a new A-10 at my home base on the runway. This feels more like cheating to me than taking over my wingman's A-10, but whatever. I vow only to do it when I know I have wingman still available (in this case, only 1 wingman).



So I go roaring back into action and immediately take vengeance on the convoy that I was pursuing. Both air defense vehicles are already out of action, so I turn my attention to the troop carrier or whatever and lace it with cannon fire.





OK - maybe not a good idea to go to the cannon in rage. As I pull off the target two little bullet holes appear behind my canopy and I've lost my HUD and a flight computer or something. The plane is flying fine though, so I head back to base to repair.



On short final with the gear coming out...



I park on the ramp and wait a few minutes while the maintenance guys patch me up.



I take the opportunity to review my map and tactics. That damn SA-11 site has got to go. Without the ability to fly high, my Rockeyes and Mk-82s are completely useless, not to mention my ability to scan the area is greatly reduced.



Determined to solve this SA-11 problem once and for all, I head low-level for the area where I saw the smoke trails and use the terrain to mask my approach.



Sure enough, the SA-11 site sees me as I pop up and launches a volley of missiles at me. Unfortunately I can't get my Maverick slewed onto the SAM site and I only have a precious second to do it.



I lose the quick-draw contest as one of the SA-11 missiles slams into me, completely destroying both engines.



I eject and admit defeat for this mission. I'll have to take a look at it from another angle. Perhaps coming at the SA-11 site from the sea or something to give my Mavericks a good look at it. I don't know. The mission is a complete failure though, with the primary target untouched (the Command & Control vehicles) and the loss of two A-10s.

BeachAV8R

Do you find it hard to spot the enemy both visually and with the Maverick? Coming over from Falcon I'm either spoiled with my fancy radar or something...

That was a good read! And nice to know I'm not the only one struggling with finding the targets.

Panther, really glad you posted this. I have the same experience relative to Falcon. Not sure if practice will make it easier. But for now the vehicles are incredibly hard to locate for me, compared their visibility in Falcon. But these guys who fly it often seem to be able to make it work for them, and I assume they not using labels for the most part.

I find it very difficult to find targets both visually and with the Maverick. Part of my problem is not studying the mission map enough though and identifying landmarks. I've not used labels at all, so that shows why I've been somewhat challenged..or at least, requiring a LOT of time near the target to get it all sorted. I think it is great though..and a great challenge because let's face it, the enemy SHOULD be camouflaged very good and it shouldn't be easy to find them.

Target ID is pretty tough..by the time you are close enough you are also close enough to be shot at.

So don't despair..it is a tough sim..no doubt..

BeachAV8R

That would be nice. To tell you the truth though..I sure wouldn't mind having a LOFT capability like I could in Jane's F-15. That was an awesome standoff capability because you could designate the target from far away on the ground radar map, come screaming in at a couple hundred feet, and loft the bombs into the general area while making the exit maneuver. For a soft target like the SA-11 site, a few lofted bombs would do just the trick..!



By the way, I did finally get past this mission tonight. I post the AAR tomorrow. As well, Wags posted some great tips for me (and all of us) at the ED forums:

Yeah. IR camouflage is quite possible too (but probably not yet ubiquituous; still, future simulations should start implementing that as well to ratchet up the challenge even more). There is a reason why Blue on Blue still occurs despite all the mission planning and attempts of own ground troops to distinguish themselves visually from the enemy. Even with a relatively slow moving platform like the A-10 target discrimination is a challenge (and rightfully so, given that the simulated terrain in those screenshots has by far not the amount of thermal noise clutter that would make things even harder in real life).

Actually, I was just wondering about that... if this was a representation of the real situation why would anyone ever carry TV Mavericks if the IR Mavs are so much easier (and thus safer) to use. But I guess the TV Mavericks are more useful during daylight situations?

Also, why is there no zoom on the TV Mavericks?

Are TV Mavericks still in use?
I thought they were 1st generation, and out of production for at least twenty years. Then again, this may just reflect my ignorance.

(1) The short-range missiles are Strela-2s. They're either MANPADs or they are from Tunguska air defense vehicles. Given the screenshot of the MANPADs you posted, I think the former.

(2) You'll get slaughtered if you try a Maverick run on an SA-11 site in open ground. The specific purpose of SA-11 is to protect S-300 sites from close-in SEAD. You don't have time to set up and fire.

A-10s aren't the right tool for the job for an SA-11 site. You need F-16s armed with HARMs. If you haven't access to HARMs or Tornados with ALARMs (a better ARM, in my opinion), or better still, an Su-25T with Fantasmagoriya and Kh-25MPs, you will need to get in close, low, behind ground clutter. Pop-up and lay a spread of CEMs...well, this isn't Falcon...I mean, Rockeyes in CCIP mode. And then get back down fast. Better than cluster munitions are rockets for this application, you have a choice on the Russian side at least for MPSM type muntions for the 80 and 130mm rocket pods.

Miao, Cat