Can someone please walk me through how to put a JTAC unit in a mission? Is it different if the JTAC is a soldier on the ground, or on a humvee, or a predator? Can the JTAC be another A10 (AFAC)? How do I control which attack types (type 1-3) the JTAC will give out? How can I make the JTAC lase the target or otherwise mark with WP or colored smoke?

Thanks in advance!

Here's just one super-simple way to add a ground-unit FAC:

1) Put the bad guys you want to get FAC'd into one single group. (Tip: It helps to give them a group name you'll recognize from a list, like "fac1_badguys")
2) Add a friendly unit that has some sort of sensors. I use the M1043 HMMWV Armament vehicle for the US side. Be sure to place it far enough away that it won't get attacked by the bad guys but close enough to be within reasonable radio range. This may take some experimentation depending on the terrain.
3) On your FAC unit, add the following advanced waypoint actions:
a) Perform Command: Set Callsign
b) Perform Command: Set Frequency
c) Perform Task: FAC - Assign Group, group "fac1_badguys"

Now for the tricky parts:
The Type of FAC engagement depends on whether the FAC unit can directly see the enemy units and if the enemy units are in close proximity to friendly units.

From what I read from the JTAC handbook:
A Type 3 engagement occurs when the FAC cannot observe the enemy units.
A Type 2 engagement occurs when the FAC can observe the enemy units, and there are no friendlies close to the enemy.
A Type 1 occurs when the FAC can observe the enemy and there are friendlies close to the enemy.

I have a hard type getting specifically a 1 or 2, though, so there are probably other factors involved.

The FAC will only designate in Type 1 or 2 engagements. You can force the type of designator that the FAC will use via the Perform Task: FAC - Assign Group options.

I've never set up an aerial FAC, but assume it's similar. Pick a Predator, set the task to AFAC, then follow the above with a couple of minor differences: you'll need to give the Predator a route to follow, and you don't set its callsign.

[edit: Just made a mission with a US mortar (oops) and Predator as FACs on different freqs using the methods I outlined above. The mortar was 2.9nm from the enemy BDRMs and I got a Type 1 engagement with both units with WP designation. The Predator will use the callsign assigned to it when placed, which is why there's no callsign option in the Perform Command option]

Try this ,,,

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=64065

IR pointer will be replace laser on night mission.

Thanks guys, will give this a try.

I'm sick-and-tired of Type 3 JTACs, would like some variety.

Einstein, are you saying you can only assign one FAC/AFAC/JTAC to one group of targets? ie, not possible to have one FAC/AFAC/JTAC and have him spot for one group of arty, one group of tanks, and one group of infantry around a building?

Ice,

FACs prosecute one single enemy group at a time. If you do the assign group option, like I used in my example above, the FAC will have you engage any assigned target groups serially: i.e., you can add multiple "Perform Task: FAC - Assign Group" actions in the Mission Editor, but in game the FAC will execute them in order, moving to the next group only once the current assigned group is all dead.

There are other FAC options. For example, there is the Start Enroute Task: FAC where the unit will direct you to any enemy units it can detect, not just those pre-assigned. Keep in mind that unlike the "Perform Task: FAC - Assign Group" action, the FAC unit *must* be able to detect the enemy units for it to be able to direct you onto them.

Check out the Advanced Actions Mode for Aircraft Groups section of the GUI manual for the technical details on how the advanced task assignment system works.

Ah, thanks for that!

Now on to some testing...

JTAC will also prioritise threat level ie SAM threats before trucks etc,,

I used the the Taining mission with soft to AAA targets, setting up diff JTAC/FAC.