How will Flight Attack Specific STPT and WPN Targets?
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There is a “datalink ground target” command on the comms menu. I haven’t ever used this … not sure how it’s different from “attack my target”?
Datalink ground target makes your wingman share HIS cursor to you.
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Thanks for the clarification sungad. This could be useful in not targeting the same target.
Let your wing man choose his first. -
Datalink ground target makes your wingman share HIS cursor to you.
Is this AI wing or human Wing?
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Thanks for the clarification sungad. This could be useful in not targeting the same target.
Let your wing man choose his first.Or for asking “Hey, do you see any targets?”
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Just $0.02, and only 2 cents. “Weapons Free” will send your hound dog wingman to go off on his very own. Usually to someplace nowhere near where you want to go. I NEVER use this option. “Attack targets”, I use 90% of the time. I have never seen them go after anything you have prioritized in your Target list that is saved to the DTC. Point Track a column, they will unleash hell on that one or one in close proximity. And “usually” will continue until ordinance is depleted. Point tract a factory. Steel on target. May not be the highest value asset. “Attack My Target”: They do just that. Give them time to set up their run, but usually they deliver the goods. Call “Rejoin” and set them up again. This is all based on the use of GP, Mavs, LGB. Stand off weapons have different effects from where I sit. e.g. SDBs, they like to send them all downrange a one particular unit or such. If the mission calls for stand off weapons, I’ll just load them up with something else for TOO.
Same experience. They seem only respond to attack this or that and for Spice it’s the same but you need to select a Wpn Tgt from the SMS Msl Step (which would be one of the Wpn Tgts assigned in DED).
I wonder - if I left them alone and issued resume mission, would they attack my DTC targets automatically? Or when the flight is near the steer point of DTC targets and I issue weapons free, would they attack those DTC targets? Yet to test but I doubt so. Although, isn’t that the point of DTC to share mission targets even with AI?
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When I use “Weapons Free”, it usually means, “We’re in a furball and I lost SA, shoot at everything you see”.
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Flight members auto-assign AG targets based on mission in much the same way as an all-AI flight would. If it’s like AA group sorting it’s assumed that #1 (often you) will take certain targets in the list. To get mission-based attacking it matters that it’s the assigned target for a mission. AI won’t AG hounddog on TOOs.
I did an OCA strike TE and just flying normally through the waypoints, passing IP, AI ask me “let me at 'em”. Then you give WF and they prosecute the mission target. Mission target is assigned by ATO. It has nothing to do with your DTC.
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I did some TE testing.
Setup:
- Strike mission on Objective Beirut South Sea Port at STPT 7, specifically to target “Dock Crane” as per Briefing/Flight Plan
- I assigned specific STPT targets 15,16,17,18 (structures belonging to Beirut SOUTH Sea Port in Recon screen, only 15 is 1 of 3 Dock Cranes)
- I also assigned specific WPN targets 1,2,3 just north at Beirut NORTH Sea Port (structures belonging to this port in Recon screen)
- Flight is 4-ship with 4xGBU38 + 2xSPICE
Enroute:
- Entered WPN targets 1,2 into DED (just to see what happens later)
- Gave Flight “Weapons Free” when Flight asked for “Permission to Engage”
- Left them alone
Results:
- Flight unleashed all GBUs and SPICE bombs on all 3 Dock Cranes and some “Crane Arches” (belonging to Beirut SOUTH Sea Port at STPT 7) and called out “weapons on target”
- They did not hit any of my DTC targets (STPTs 15,16,17,18 and WPNs 1,2) except for 15 which was a Dock Crane (a coincidental hit)
- Debrief shows they were out to destroy “Cranes”
Take Away:
- AI flight will only hit the ‘type of target’ mentioned in the Briefing (Dock Crane in this case) as a priority, and then possibly other targets belonging to the Objective
- AI are oblivious to your DTC targets
- Other targets you want taken out would require “Attack My Target” (AMT) or “Attack Targets” (ATs) command (see next post below by Frederf)
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The assign button only picks the high priority target (target type?) on that objective. They’ll still hit other things too. My OCA strike had runway as assigned priority target but they still hit SSR, control tower, etc. They did seem to prioritize runway segments though.
AMT and AMTS works in a slightly different way. AMT (AG) is “kill this thing and only this thing and you’re back to WH”. AMTS (AG) is “kill this thing and all the other valid targets in this group until you’re out of weapons or targets”. You can do a strike hitting specific things by AMTing your wingman against a target you point out and element a second target. #4 will just double up on the element target.
AMTS will actually assign each member a specific target from the list based on what you highlight but you don’t get exact control over it. If you highlight an AA bandit flight of four and AMTS then #2 attacks #2, #3 gets #3, #4 gets #4 leaving you (1) to get 1. If it’s 4 v 2 then 1 and 3 get assigned #1 and 2 and 4 get assigned #2.
For strike missions I like to just let AI auto-target if it’s not super critical. When they’re hounddog you can ask for DL target messages and sort of see what they’re going to hit (if the * would show in DBS2 that would be SO HELPFUL!). If in doubt of what good sorting I can allow element WF first and let them take first crack at the target list. Then me and #2 can be assigned the DTC-prepared high priority targets that remain.
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The assign button only picks the high priority target (target type?) on that objective. They’ll still hit other things too. My OCA strike had runway as assigned priority target but they still hit SSR, control tower, etc. They did seem to prioritize runway segments though.
AMT and AMTS works in a slightly different way. AMT (AG) is “kill this thing and only this thing and you’re back to WH”. AMTS (AG) is “kill this thing and all the other valid targets in this group until you’re out of weapons or targets”. You can do a strike hitting specific things by AMTing your wingman against a target you point out and element a second target. #4 will just double up on the element target.
AMTS will actually assign each member a specific target from the list based on what you highlight but you don’t get exact control over it. If you highlight an AA bandit flight of four and AMTS then #2 attacks #2, #3 gets #3, #4 gets #4 leaving you (1) to get 1. If it’s 4 v 2 then 1 and 3 get assigned #1 and 2 and 4 get assigned #2.
For strike missions I like to just let AI auto-target if it’s not super critical. When they’re hounddog you can ask for DL target messages and sort of see what they’re going to hit (if the * would show in DBS2 that would be SO HELPFUL!). If in doubt of what good sorting I can allow element WF first and let them take first crack at the target list. Then me and #2 can be assigned the DTC-prepared high priority targets that remain.
Thanks very much for the added resolution on “AMT” and “ATs”! Will update above post with these learning points. I have used mostly AMT and ATs. But was curious to know what the AI would go after on their own with regard to DTC targets.