DCS 2.5 Update Thread (2018)

Su-33 is gonna need tanker support because it can’t launch from a carrier deck with anything heavier than a feather.

So what you’re saying is, even more hilarity will ensue.

No, that’s only if we try to operate Su-25Ts from the decks!

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Depends how you fly it. While it’s true you need to lower its fuel percentage to well under 50% to take off with anything like a good payload of weapons, unless you want to go to swimming, the Flanker family has outrageous fuel capacity (only fighter I know of that doesn’t use external tanks in most scenarios). I can take off with a full load of AAMs and like 45% fuel without too much difficulty. Usually. :slight_smile:

With some good fuel management and no extended dogfights in burner I think the 33 is fine without tanking. I tend to be shot down by SAMs more often than I’ve run out of gas.
Now if they put the MiG-29K in like we had in Flanker 2.5, then I’d say tanking would be more important for Russian naval ops even with the centerline fuel tank.

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Actually, the key is to go to the end of the deck and takeoff straight on full blast. You can lift off with a sizeable load this way. Also helps to have a decent headwind!

Something is wrong with my download…I keep on trying to click on cockpit switches but…

The Mk-20 works quite well now when delivered properly. The Mk-20 contains Mk-118 anti-armor submunitions. Each submunition uses a shaped-charged warhead to defeat armor. It is not a high explosive or fragmentation submunition that would have an appreciable blast radius per submunition. Given this, a direct hit is required with a Mk-118 except for lightly protected targets.

Until we add hard-wired munition dispense altitudes to match the DDI settings, it is very important that you set the HT value to 1500. It’s also best to release at a dive angle between 25 and 30 degrees and at an altitude of around 2,500 ft AGL.

In this track, a single Mk-20s are dropped against groups of trucks, BTR-80s, BMP-2s, T-55 (drop angle was too low), and T-72B. For a burst altitude of 1,500 feet, the coverage footprint is correct when released under the proper release parameters.

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…yeah…its teaching myself to fly the proper parameters that is my issue :slightly_smiling_face: Great video. I learned a lot.

On a related subject:
Back in the 80s-90s the USN used Mk-20s against surface targets to ensure a"Mission Kill", usually just after the target had “absorbed” a Harpoon or Skipper.

The idea is simple: A bunch of bomblets punching holes through missile tubes, radar antennas, gun mounts, etc. The ship can no longer fight.

This is not quite as effective in DCS-2.5. This is a ship I hit with a CBU.

As you can see, the areas around the AK-630s are burned out. The two starboard missiles should be dead, the top port tube has a nice hole blown into it, and the main radar dome is completely blown away. The forward main gun seems unaffected as does the bridge.

The ship is still moving at 11 kts ,which is expected since you would need a deeper penetrating weapon to hit the engine spaces - I wasn’t looking for a Maneuvering Kill, just a mission kill and with the exception of the main mount, it looks like I got it.

Except I didn’t. The radar was still showing on my RWR and the AK-630 were apparently still active. :frowning_face:

I like DCS in that it isn’t easy to sink a ship or sub with anything other than anti-ship missiles. That’s fairly real.

However, sometimes, you are satisfied with a Mission Kill–if the ship cannot fight, then you can pretty much ignore it - hors de combat. I don’t know if the DCS ship damage model allows that.

Regardless…MK-20’s do some realistic damage to ships. :sunglasses:

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Are you nuts?! Put ourselves in MANPADS and AAA distance?!

Good info, though. In the current open beta, Rockeyes are still pretty effective when dropped at 80-90 degrees from 20kft. Can we expect that to change?

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Put on your manpants and jink a little. C’mon if our granddads could do it, so can we.

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Our granddads just took their beatings like men. I would too, but just the other day while playing the Hornet mini campaign, I took a hit from a SA-9. While I was frantically trying to get my APU to start because the missile killed both engines, I was hit by a second missile and lost my wing. Grandpa didn’t have to deal with Russian/Soviet SAMs, either!

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As with most things in life…that depends. Starting from above 10k AGL in a steep (60º-ish), Eastern MANPADs are going a hard time locking on and the geometry might be a bit tough. AAA is a worry but again, if you know where they are, you can make it a difficult shot for them. The danger zone is pulling out to 25º to 30º, dropping and then escaping.

Obviously for the demo video @NineLine is making repeated passes. In combat you are probably going to pickle everything, so no need to climb out which is when you really wold be vulnerable.

I’d make a hard break (away from any AAA that I knew of), put it to the deck and go to at least MIL power until I got clear of the threat zone.

However, I like your dropping from 20K ft better. :slightly_smiling_face:

From what I’ve been able to tell, in DCS most IR missiles outside of a select few are all aspect. Being fair, the Igla is a all-aspect missile, but the R60M is supposed to be limited all aspect and I’ve lost count of the times that those have nailed me right on the nose…

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Pussies! Real man from Soviet Workers’ Paradise will fly down gullet of kapitalist fascists and drop bombs right on doorstep. bombing from angels 20 is something only women do

(in a sim)

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Yeah…but you see this is a capitalist FA-18 and all the brave people’s soldiers are boldly sitting in glorious communist BMPs, on the receiving end of the imperialist, so-called “Rockeye” bomb…your are going to need a ■■■■-load of Order of Lenin medals for all those who valiantly got blown apart defending the worker’s paradise …just say’n.

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Da! When comrade fly superior great Soviet Worker’s plane made of the delta wood, glorious success to real man pilot who fly to teeth of capitalist for great many bomb rocket attack!

When comrade fly weak capitalist plane of the low bidder, must fly high like woman. Comrade make do with what he can to fly from capitalist boat.

I’m just wondering what it’ll be like when we get the AGM-154.

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That’s right, fly her like a B-17 :slight_smile:

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Almost surprised you didn’t post up a Bug damage picture!

Fun story on that last picture: https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/weve-been-hit-19621837/

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So I just had the opportunity to check the new SAMs. Wonderful models and excellent and useful additions to the game. Unfortunately no LOS guidance for Rapier though.

Testing Sa-2