Scenario: Brigade Nord: Delaying Actions 2 (Delay at Overbygd)

[Suhiir]

The SU-27's aren't plotted to attack anything at the start of the scenario.
So even if the AI plotted an attack on turn 1 it's HIGHLY unlikely the NASAMs would be the target since it doesn't know they exist yet.

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

So even if the AI plotted an attack on turn 1 it's HIGHLY unlikely the NASAMs would be the target since it doesn't know they exist yet.

The SEAD aircraft will attack the NASAM due to the NASAM's radar signature; so, yes the AI will know of the NASAM. Further, if you assign an arbitrary hex to SEAD aircraft, they will attack opposing radar anywhere on the map.

If you don't give the AI controlled aircraft a target, they will not engage, at least they did not in this scenario.

It is routine that a SEAD element precede a strike package in order to suppress radar controlled SAM's. In our game, the designer may simply assign any hex to the SEAD aircraft and the AI will then attack the NASAM. Moreover, it is important to purchase the SEAD element first, then purchase strike, and COIN as the game will launch the aircraft in order of formation number; i.e. AB, then AC and AD following in order. However, without a target, AI controlled aircraft will not engage.

My suggestion is that the SU-27's should be assigned a Hex, any Hex if you prefer in pre-bombardment as I prefer to open with air strikes to suppress radar assets early in the scenario. Or a SEAD strike could be planned later in the game prior to turn 11 when the first strike aircraft appears, and again in turn 18 with the appearance of the Mig-29M. These are considerations of the designer. Again, without assigning targets the AI will not engage aircraft. Unfortunately, the strike aircraft were purchase before the SEAD in this scenario, so the strike aircraft will launch before any SEAD suppression.

As a note, after checking the bombardment screen, none of the aircraft are assigned targets in this scenario. I suggest that is why the AI controlled aircraft do not enter into the battle, well, at least not in my copy of the scenario.

Originally Posted by Grant1pa

...In the last two, the FAC gets there late and targeting was to arise from the unit level.

I am not confident, given Grant1pa intention as stated above, will occur without explicitly assigning targets for the Russian aircraft.

IMHO

[shahadi]

"As a note, after checking the bombardment screen, none of the aircraft are assigned targets in this scenario. I suggest that is why the AI controlled aircraft did not enter into the battle, well, at least not in my copy of the scenario."

But, ah, as long as the FAC remains a passenger it will not provide targeting?

So, I put a test without a FAC and no air strikes occurred. Also, the FAC riding in a vehilce resulted in zero air strikes. However, once, I added a FAC the AI targeted the NASAM and other targets as well. I was so pleased!

Challenging scenario

Thanks for Grant1pa for the post!

[Suhiir]

Well I had at 2x SU-27 and 1x SU-27M myself (at least, could be more but that many were damaged at the end of the scenario, others may have attacked enough to run out of ammo but were undamaged).

So I'd say they were a bit of a wildcard. And that's actually good because it makes the scenario a bit less predictable.

In my own scenario designing I've see AI aircraft totally ignore pre-plotted strikes set for like turn 15 and attack targets of opportunity on turn 5. The only way I've found to insure they attack no earlier then a given turn is to set them as reinforcements a turn or two before you want them to attack.