Tank Main Gun vs Helo's

[BigJim]

Can anyone shed some light on this situation in a real life setting??? I have NEVER seen nor heard of a tank taking down a helo with its main gun, yet in this game it is a regular occurrance????

[Mobhack]

BigJim said:
Can anyone shed some light on this situation in a real life setting??? I have NEVER seen nor heard of a tank taking down a helo with its main gun, yet in this game it is a regular occurrance????



Against a very slow moving or hovering helo, it is not a large problem. Helo low is 50 or so feet, and high is really only 200-500 feet or so.

Keep helos moving so they get too difficult to track wit the main gun - if you hover, you are just a target waiting to be bisected by a 2000+ foot per second shell http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif


Cheers
Andy

[JaM]

Israeli Merkava Mk4 and Mk3 BAZ are capable track even helicopters moving at high speed due to autotracker

[hveldenz]

I have noticed this too. In my experience with a US vs China/NK campaign in the 90's, it seems to be the more modern Chinese MBT (type 98s and Type 85-II/IIIs) that try that trick. I haven noticed an anomoly though (And I don't know how to get a save game for this event): An AH-64D fires at a MBT 30-40 hexes with a Hellfire from a standing hover - a hidden MBT fires its main gun (1-3% hit chance by the yellow bar - First MBT is scorched by the Hellfire at 99% hit and brews up - AH-64D still has same number of Shots, esp. another hellfire, for the turn! It is like an extra shot if you survive.

Seems like a coding quirk or bug.

I move all my helos 20 or so hexes before the turns end, and that seems to cut down on main gun fire. And with the AH-64D - I hang them back due to their 60 VIsion http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

[Double_Deuce]

BigJim said:
Can anyone shed some light on this situation in a real life setting??? I have NEVER seen nor heard of a tank taking down a helo with its main gun, yet in this game it is a regular occurrance????

In the US Army we trained to engage helo's BUT it was only to be done IF you or another tank in your unit were being engaged.

[MajorBrian]

One of my tanker friends used to talk about how the Snake Drivers (AH-1W)would get pissed when they were tracked by an M-1A1.

[WBWilder]

Interesting. I've often wondered about that possibility. I guess even Helos need to keep their distance. I would guess that even a near miss could be disastrous for a copter...or would it?

Wild Bill

[BigJim]

Thanks guys being an old fart like WB I never heard of such things happening but I guess in modern warfare things have gotten MUCH more complicated.

[Marek_Tucan]

BigJim said:
Thanks guys being an old fart like WB I never heard of such things happening but I guess in modern warfare things have gotten MUCH more complicated.



During the Yom Kippur war, a Syrian helo was taken out by a direct hit of L7 HESH round from Centurion...

AFAIK during WWII even a Shturmovik was downed with a Tiger's 88.

While these cases being rather exceptions and shows of good luck, but modern fire control makes the task much easier IMO.

[WBWilder]

Ah, you still haven't caught me, big Jim, (but you're getting closer!)

[Double_Deuce]

BigJim said:
Thanks guys being an old fart like WB I never heard of such things happening but I guess in modern warfare things have gotten MUCH more complicated.

The reasoning we used was that helo's had to pop up and stay hovering when firing wire guided ATGM's usually at one of your tanker buddies. This gave opportunity to pop them with a main gun round since it travelled much faster than an AT-3 Sagger. Even if you missed chances are he wouldn't hang out there in the same spot to guiding the missle knowing someone was taking aim at him. The new fire and forget type missiles out their nowadays probably make this less likely to happen since you would also show his helo buddies where you were at.

[scJazz]

hveldenz said:
I have noticed this too. In my experience with a US vs China/NK campaign in the 90's, it seems to be the more modern Chinese MBT (type 98s and Type 85-II/IIIs) that try that trick. I haven noticed an anomoly though (And I don't know how to get a save game for this event): An AH-64D fires at a MBT 30-40 hexes with a Hellfire from a standing hover - a hidden MBT fires its main gun (1-3% hit chance by the yellow bar - First MBT is scorched by the Hellfire at 99% hit and brews up - AH-64D still has same number of Shots, esp. another hellfire, for the turn! It is like an extra shot if you survive.

Seems like a coding quirk or bug.

I move all my helos 20 or so hexes before the turns end, and that seems to cut down on main gun fire. And with the AH-64D - I hang them back due to their 60 VIsion http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif



From my understanding this is a bug that was fixed in patch.

[BigJim]

Heh heh Bill I am 62 so you must be older than dirt LOL
The Helo's I was using had Hellfire missiles I thought that they were fire and forget but maybe not????

[geoff]

as far as it happening in real life, I can't myself think of any conflicts where attack helicopters have gone up against tanks in anything approaching an even contest, so the fact that there are few examples doesn't mean it can't happen!

ps great news on the patch. thanks.