Thanks to Wags and 159th_Viper over at the ED Beta forum, I have seen the error in my ways and now have the S-300 SA-10 working ingame.

I really didn't understand how GROUPS worked in this Sim.

So I figured I would make a little mini-tutorial on how to set up a SAM site in the DCS A-10C mission editor, taking some screenshots while I do it ingame.

EDIT: For those you who would like my latest version of this mission it is HERE


Step One:

Open up the mission editor and select file NEW. Then select File SAVE AS, "YourMissionName".


Then zoom in on the Airfield to the SE of Sukhumi using your mouse wheel.



I chose that airfiled simply because I know from experience you can select that airfield view by pressing F11 nine(9) times when ingame.

OK now for the S300 battery.

Look on the left side of the screen and slect the little tank symbol. On the right side of the screen select country, name the group S300 and select type the SAM SA-10 CP unit.



Now on the unit line on the right side change the number of units to 12.



Great Nix, now I have 12 S300 CP's on the map. Fear not, Oh Great Wannabe Hog driver, we will rectify that situation next.

Ok. Now we have a group of 12 S300 CP's on the airfield. If you move the first one that was placed on the Map, the whole group moves so place the CP where you are gonna want to leave it.

Now select unit 2 of 12 and move him. You can move everything individually EXCEPT unit 1. Using the TYPE drop down on the right select the SAM SA-10 S-300PS LN SP85D. This is the SAM launcher itself. Do this six(6) times total. You have to set each units facing individually with the little direction dial also.

Now we need some fire control.

Select unit 8 of 12 and using the drop down menu make it a SR SN566M. I faced it just a tad to the SW.



Two more fire control units to go.




Well we still have two extra CP units. We need some close in support so lets make them Tunguska's!



The finished product



Remember the key to getting these mult-unit (seperate radar and fire control vehicles) to work is having them all in the same group, using the method I described so far.

Next step...let's try to kill it!

Now we need a couple of SEAD flights. Notice the threat circles in the editor now. Click the little aicraft symbol on the left of the map. I chose the F-16 Block 52 for my SEAD flights. I also only use 2 ship flights as they seem to work better for me. The editor automatically names the group for you. Just change the number of units to 2. Don't even THINK about flying an A-10 against that site without lots of help. I set the first WP right outside the threat circle, coming in from the SE, altitude 7000M, speed I left at 500 kph.



Now lets loadout this group. There's a little weapon sysmbol on the right side. Press that.



Now we have the loadout screen up. I created a new loadout of 4 HARM's, 2 sidewinders with a Lantirn and ECM pod. You have to do this for each plane in the group seperatley.



I also adjusted the fuel down and the Chaff up.

Now back to first F-16 groups waypoints. BTW you can right click anywhere on the map to deselect everything. Select the f-16 and click add WP above the advanced tab and click the map where shown. I adjusted the altitude down and the speed up....might come in handy. Then click the advanced tab. Under actions you will see SEAD a-ref. I guess this just means he will automatically perform SEAD tasks beacuase that is the flights main task. But I wanna be sure that they will attack that SAM site so I click add under actions and make them attack the S300 group.



Hmmm. I don't know the range of the AGM-88 HARM bit I want them shooting ASAP so I move the F-16's WP 2 back outside the inner threat circles, notice the dotted attack line. Now I make a couple of egress WP's at lower altitude and high speed.




Now repeat the whole process with a second 2 ship F-16 group approaching from the SW.



Completed SEAD flights WP's

Ok, now we have the S-300 site and a couple of SEAD flights on the map. Time to see if it's safe to add a player A-10 flight.

Start the mission you have made ingame. Then pause it immediately. Press F11 NINE (9) times till you see a runway with a little square lake next to it. Now using your mouse and mousewheel you need to get a view of the SAM site. I suggest North of the terminal buildings, zoomed out enough so you can see all the Battery's vehicles and launchers. You also cycle thru the F-16's using F2. When you return to F11 you will be in the same place view wise. Just don't press F11 two times in a row or you will start cycling thru airfields.

Time to watch your handy work. (me too) Back soon.

Well, the 16 HARM's took out the 2 Tunguskas. Here's them burning and 2 SA-10's lifting off after the last remaining F-16.



Well he's hit, time for a swim.



Final score 4 F-16's lost, the Battery lost it's close in defense Tunguska's but all it's launchers and fire control are intact and operational.




Time for some bait and maybe dedicated jammers.

edit:

Well no such thing as dedicated jammers...whoops. As for the bait, I think I got that figured out. F-15E's with AGM-154 cruise missiles! It seems that the SA-10's target and fire at JSOW's! That's the only way I've figured out to beat them...run them out of missiles. Pretty expensive bait though. So I added 2 more F-16's with HARM's and 3 pairs of F-15E's with AGM-154's targeted at the main fire control units. We'll see how that works out.

Of course, if I am using cruise JSOW's than I should really add a couple of Tor's on the Russian side......

The whole battery firing at seperate targets!



Firing at the AGM-154's JSOW's



I guess they just launch a bunch and detonate them in proximity hoping to knock them down. They only got 2 a/c and one JSOW that time. Time to add my A-10's to finish off the battery. That's 24 SA-10's launched!






Back soon.

Now it's time to finish the job...in person.

We need to add the players A-10C flight. Select the little a/c sysmbol and a 2 ship A-10C flight, just make sure you have player selected as the SKILL in one of them. That's your a/c. I started them out kinda high as they are pretty heavy in the loadout I chose. (CBU-97's, LOTS of rockets). Use what you are comnfortable with but add the ALQ-131 ECM/jammer for sure.




Now make your second WP and under the advanced tab set them to attack the S300 group.




Add a couple of egress and a landing WP and it's time to finish off that S-300 Site.




Gonna go fly it and see now.

Well those S-300 Radars on towers need some work on the damage models. Rockets and rounds go right thru them.







The launchers die though. But it takes ALOT of 30MM rounds to do it.





Next victim







BUT if there had been a couple of rounds left in one of those launchers, I would have never made it to the target.

I also didn't add any MANPADS yet.........

I know there isn't a manual out for the mission editor yet. For those of you, like me, who never played LockOn or BlackShark I hope this helps a little on using the editor.

EDIT: I have linked the completed mission in the first post. It now has 8 total SAM-10 Launchers, a couple of Tor's and some MANPAD troops. I increased the number of launchers when I found this pic floating around.



The MANPADS love me. Gonna increase my flare count I think.

Agh. Scary shtuff.

You evil, evil man...S300!

Very cool blow-by-blow..!

Is there a way to keep the F-16s from straying into the engagement envelope? They should be able to loft the HARMs from a high and fast position and turn away before they get into range. I used to do that in Falcon all the time, putting the radar on a beam right at the end of the threat circle and teasing it to keep it interested and keep the radar on so my missile could do its thing.

Yeah there prolly is, using a trigger or end task condition. I just haven't figured it out yet.

Try keeping the F-16 WP's out of the threat circle. As long as the flight path takes them within weapon parameters of their assigned target, they should engage. HARMS have huge range. aA least they did in Falcon.

Nixer: you are placing those poor F-16s well into engagement zone of S-300, the Search radar has a range of around 200km, Track Radar around 160 km and Launchers around 70km. You have to place IP point outside 70 km range to execute their attack well. You have placed those poor guys within 20 km range from the launcher, right into their NEZ. I think you have to zoom out your map, because you are placing SEAD according to the tunguska threat zones and not S-300 (at least I think).

I know, but for that one I was just trying to get the S-300's to run out of missiles.

I did something similar to this with Tornado IDS (whichever the Limey's use) backed by vipers armed with JSOWs.

Does anyone know how to get a BUFF or similar aircraft to fire off cruise missiles in a volley? As it stands, the BUFF will fire 1 CALCM, then fly around a bit, launch another one, etc. I want it to launch them all roughly the same time the Tornadoes fire their ALARMs, which would completely overwhelm the Russian defenses.