Helicopter and AAA

[imij607]

I like playing in the Vietnam era. I have one issue / question if you may. Why does the AI always seem to spot low flying helicopters at ridiculous distances and then have the ability to constantly whack them with low to-hit percentages?

[Mobhack]

If you are flying over buildings, trees and contours - then you will be popping up into the field of view of AAA systems since you will be flying at that terrain's elevation - plus a few metres.

Helicopters can get quite close in restricted terrain, if you use the correct "NOE" tactics - i.e. keeping to valleys, or fly down tree-free draws in woodlands etc.

Andy

[gila]

Choppers are not stealthy,everyone knows when one around,so you'll get alot small arms fire most of time they just fly back with no damage.
Vietnam era they will best suited for transport/and or rescue if possible, and also mopping up enemy retreating and routed units after AAA threats are silenced.

[Suhiir]

The AI will almost always buy AA units (to many IMHO).
And they will always fire on aircraft/helos by preference (duh).

So if you're using aircraft/helos in the game get use to huge volumes of fire being directed at them.
And even with lower hit percentages eventually they will be hit.

[Dion]

From my experience, helicopters are a waist of buy points because they always get shotup easy resulting in formation breakup and high casualty rates. The only good thing I can see from their use is quick transportation (if they ever make it to their distanation) in restricted terrain. I think it's safe to say their not as good as the movies make'm out to be.

[Mobhack]

Helicopters are best for moving troops in your own rear area, but not for intrusions into defended airspace (they don't do well against flak, and really don't like hot landing zones).

If you need to use them offensively then you must first suppress the enemy AAA (with HE or smoke if no radars) and if planning to drop into a defended LZ, plaster the place with artillery for several turns first. SEAD will take time, as will preparation of the LZ.

But transport helicopters aren't battlefield transports, just very fast trucks, unless you have total air supremacy (including suppression of all air defences). Or use them to go where the enemy isn't - which means that they might have some use on very large maps, but certainly less so on smaller or average sized ones.

Attack helicopters are a different matter - they are the pure expression of the WW2 US tank destroyer doctrine. But even there, they are best restricted to flying over your own lines and not going forwards into the enemy zone of control as and until you have dealt with all air defences.

My helicopters stay on my side of the map for probably the first half of the game. Scout helos might sniff about till I identify a SAM or AAA system and then hide with pride while the arty then deals with it and then have another sniff at the situation. Attack helos do over-watch from way deep inside my baseline.

Transports (if I bother) stay safely in reserve behind a hill till its time to do their thing on a well prepared objective (or just deal with his artillery park) near the end game, and only once I have an idea that I have fully depleted his AAA assets. But mainly if I should have transports, its to move my "fire brigade" ATGM teams about to block off unexpected armoured thrusts.

Use of helos requires caution and patience. They are extremely manoeuvrable but at the same time highly vulnerable assets.

cheers
Andy

[Imp]

Don't take this as gospel but helicopter operations are dangerous.
USA losses in Vietnam were in 4 figures & over 100 were lost in Afghanistan & Iraq.
US Apache squadrons contain as many scout helos as attack to help spot incoming fire & targets.
Troop landings are normally only conducted in areas a recon team have scouted, they don't go in blind. If its to hot for the recon team its to hot for the landing as you are supposed to debark in a safe location.

[DRG]

Helos require planning, timing and finesse . If you go "bull in a China shop" it will end badly