CAS hookers

As I noticed everyone love to drool over CAS gunships dropping of the sky the hell on earth. I would like to post another topic about how to properly use the CAS birds, in this topic I will give basic stuff about choppers and how to make sure that the ground doesn't catch your fall!
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I'll start of saying: DURING MY EXPLANATION AND BASIC "BOOTCAMP" OF CHOPPERS, I DO NOT WISH TO OFFEND, INSULT OR TAUNT PLAYERS!

I did not mention the other factions Littlebirds, was hoping someone with knowledge more then me about them could explain a little bit of them Same Goes for Tiger!
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Now lets hit the show on the road.

CAS - known as Close Air support, is used for ground units to take out targets that is out of the "league" for the troops and armor, (Basically it would be stupid to call in CAS on one guy running in the open or just to see the fireworks as some of us love to do so). There is variety of helicopters that is armed with deadly weapons, therefor I will point out which is used for what and how to properly do so.

Starting of with...

Bell OH-58 Kiowa - (Kiwoa)
Is a High altitude fast recon helicopter which is in category of CAS due to it mounted weapons (50cal + Hydras OR Hydras only). FLIR camera that is placed above helicopters rotors are there for a reason that many players don't understand therefor underestimating the point of it. FLIR is on top of the chopper is for "Low altitude observation of enemy Activity" - basically means you have ability to hoover very low, preferably behind obstacle such as walls, buildings, trees and mountains, It gives the best advantage of covering your asset but leaves the opportunity for the enemy out flank it (that's why it is the point of the Co - pilot). Mounted weapons that is placed on Kiwoa is for one reason only, give friendly troops the ability to take out heavy fortified constructors and light attack vehicles.

Basic usage of asset:
Fly Kiwoa High, 100 - 200+/- m altitude. Engage Targets only that is lazed or requested by troops, or in your personal opinion (ie a unidentified and unspotted vehicle closing in on friendly troops or vehicle, take it out!). When you are RTB fly 50 m above ground (due to proper pop of flares to avoid incoming missiles) fly low, and fly fast!

Personal opinion:
I understand that people want to have fun with CAS, fly around kill stuff, but when the tricky part comes where is your ammo ? for example troops in need of CAS, or tracked tank or APC needs cover... Use your ammo wisely due to limited ammo on the battlefield (Yes you have a helipad, but it's 1 click away and 3 mikes rearm time!). This game is created for teamwork, and of course for fun, but far too many players underestimate the thought of how fun it is when tank crew screaming to you in happiness on how much you saved their ass out there When it comes to other LB's in MEC and PLA faction, it's simple. Do not use them where enemy heavy activity is centered, such as Kashan desert bunkers or Qwai bridges. From my personal opinion I use LB's on big maps ONLY to spot and laze targets for CAS, I don't know why players don't use them as that but it's very foolish of them, when a sniper has to travel 2 clicks to better spot while LB just hangs back in the air, behing trees or mountains!

CAS Huey
Is a Fast attacking helicopter armed with 14 hydras, ability to gain high altitude and drop like an arrow makes the speed of this chopper so effective to pull out of hot areas or making 7 sec drop in and drop out attack.

Basic Usage of Asset
Gain altitude of 200 - 400, do not dive from 500 or higher if you can't pull up, Huey will gain speed up to 800 km/h and you will not be able to pull up the nose in time. Crosshair is located on the middle of the screen and drop of rockets is about 2 - 5 inches below depending on altitude and speed. Make CAS strikes with a high speed and going forward, means try to avoid diving.

Personal Opinion
Engage Targets only if they are marked on map, lazed, or you have a Co pilot. To use a co pilot climb up on 500m altitude and let the spotter use FLIP camera.
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GUNSHIPS

AH-1 Cobra
Known as: To be the wasp
Faction: United States Marine Corps
This fast attacking helicopter is mounted with deadliest weapons in vehicle warfare. To be fast attacking chopper this chopper is a deadly toy, mounted with 2 CAA, 38 Hydras, 8 Hellfires and 750 30mm rounds. Ability to maneuver very fast and easily, high speed and able to hoover on over 1200m altitude. 2 good things about this chopper which makes it more awesome then any other in the game, is that it light attack chopper but still armed with deadly weapons and and it has maneuverability better then any other heavy gunship.

AH-64D Apache Longbow
Known as: Queen of Beauty.
Faction: United States Army, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and British Army
Is a Heavy armed accurate gunship, Used mainly for attacking heavy fortified bunkers, Forward operation base and heavy assets. Two seated with a pilot and manual usage of, 2 CAA and 38 hydras and Co pilot (Gunner) having a 6x FLIR Camera zoom and 8 Hellfires and 1000 rounds of hell at his disposal. Apache is one of the fastest gunships in the game if you know how to operate it. Very good ability of "Re-stall". Ability to maintain hoovering position and free movement during high altitude.

MI-28 Havoc
Known as: Killing machine.
Faction: Middle East Coalition and Russian Army.
Havoc is a very heavy, dangerous and deadly gunship more then any other gunship(Russians you know...). Armed with 2 CAA missiles, 32 Hydras, 15 Hellfires and 500 30mm rounds. Very effective of doing high altitude strikes (Hoovering high and hitting target without awareness from the enemy. Basically you wont hear what killed you until you are dead! Has ability to climb up at approximately 2000 m altitude, also has a negative side of being slow when making flyby on the ground. It's armed with heavy rockets, it's big and it's heavy, takes a lot of speed to move that scrap metal. With pilot sitting higher then the co pilot gives the pilot bigger angle of visual then other choppers.

Z10
Known as: Steamroller.
Faction: People Liberation Army (PLA)
Chinese gunship has a similar model of Apaches but still not effective as Apache in high altitude activities, means it has a limit of top altitude somewhere between 1300 - 1700+/- m altitude with lower effectiveness for each altitude. Armed with 2 CAA missiles, 40 Hydras, 8 Hellfires and 750mm rounds. Unfortunately looking almost as a AH-64 PLA's gunship has not the speed that Apache has, it moves a bit slower on low altitude then the Havoc does.
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ALL FACTS "DID" MATCH THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT OF MAKING THE GUNSHIPS, THO WAS CHANGED OR EDITED BEFORE RELEASING THE PATCH
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Basic usage of assets:
CAS has 3 priority objectives
1. Find and neutralize any threat to the asset and crew (Enemy Havoc/Z10 or mobile/stationary AA sites)
2. Eliminate any threat causing the ground units (Enemy Tanks/APC/IFV and/or infantry)
3. Destroy enemy strongholds preventing friendly units to advance/attack / CAS for Defensive purposes (Help friendlies to defend objective from attacking troops/vehicles).

Fly the Gunship high! 1700 - 2000+/- m altitude (if the objective to find enemy CAS). If enemy CAS is down which means you have 20 mikes "playtime" and friendlies spotted enemy stronghold or tank, drop altitude until the ground is visual for the gunner and he has all the angles he needs for CAS strike. Hit them where it hurts!

Accurate engagement as it called in military Airforce is not going for the kill, as some may heard a communication between pilots and ground units during target confirmation is to confirm if target is down.

For example:
Infantry Squad Leader 4
Charlie9kp1 enemy FOB + Mortar emplacement + 10 tangos (inf), Marked and Lazed - No AA's (Squad leader marking the hostiles with the coms and lazing for CAS).

CAS
Roger That Squad 4 (if you want, confirm the grids and intel quickly to make sure both of you is on same page) Charlie9kp1 enemy FOB + 10 tangos - Splash Over (Now when you use code name splash, remember to say "over" it means you got locked and engaged)

Sqd 4
When SL see the rocket hit the target, make sure to to reply to the CAS so everyone is having a fluent communication (hence why they say, Splash "over" and "out" in coms code it is very usual to say so when you are speaking to someone, very usual and I'm sure everyone knows it). Splash out, target down!

Now I know no one is bothered using this codes due to being lazy or some other reasons, but if you look for cool and badass movielike action, this is it!
BACK TO TOPIC: Now, Splash is what it says it self, splash, means missile radius hit is big. Therefor when you hit a target, many players goes for kills, which is sure it's a game why not, but if you want effectiveness on the battlefield and in combat, you hit not the tangos on the ground, but the mortar emplacement, fob, HMG's/TOW's and then tangos, but by the time you concentrate on tangos the "Splash" radius of your rockets will be so devastating it's most likely everyone is heavy wounded or hit. Therefor you have a 100% devastating result. You got the job done, you got the kills and you got your fireworks Ladies and gentle man

When engaging Enemy infantry (without lazertarget):
Make sure you identify the target, as it is unknown on FLIR - thermal (It is very hard to see who is blue and who is red down there, remember that!). Switch quickly between Thermal[ON] and Thermal[OFF], another way to identify easily enemy troops is to carefully observe their outfit, weapons, how they walk and what helmets that they have - This is essential things that makes enemy troops look more or less alike friendlies.

Spotting enemy vehicles are more easy if pilots give you a 5 sec visual of the target, means he turns the chopper or make a flyby so your FLIR camera can identify successfully the target. Now spotting a Tank or vehicle is simply to look at his wheels or tracks, if they are somehow not "connected" or look like they suppose to .. then you have your confirmation. Secondly see if it's swinging from side to side like vehicle wreckage usually do or look at the cannon turret. This is difficult during high speed or high altitude and zooming in makes your FLIR camera more unstable. But with great practice you will master it.

Engaging with Lasertarget and marker:
During engagement of Infantry that is being lazed at that time, drop a hellfire missile and spread some few rounds around the infantry. Infantries (if they know what they do) always spreading out in wide spacing when they are engaged, drop a Hellfire right on them and at the same time switching to 30mm cannon and shoot around the the infantry (don't go for the kill if you are looking for effective and successful strike, you'll get kills if you do it properly). Now, when infantry gets engaged by 30 mm cannon around their radius (shooting a circle around whole infantry squad) will make them bunch up because they will run where ever they think is safe, so if you shoot 380 degree they will run back, which is in each other. At the same time as you fire your cannon, the hellfire will be dropped right on their heads which will create a panicking and devastating splash, due to the smoke around the explosion, sound, and disorientation - After that is just to pick them off, one by one.

Lazed enemy Vehicles, if they are heavy, and lazer marker sticking on them fire at will with a LT missile, at the same time switch to LG missile and fire away another rocket right on Lazertarget/tank, since lazer target sticking on the tank, it will be easy for the gunner to coordinate in FLIR thermal camera, at the same time as you fire a LG you will be able to guide it in mid-air, which you have to do to adjust the rocket for perfect strike. So the result will be a LT missile hitting the tank right on it and a LG missile finish off anything there is left to chew up. (This strike is effective when you are engaging in fast speed, diving or in a very tricky angle) Hitting a lazed target from above does not require a LG missile.

As many CAS pilots knows that the ability of infantry to place a none accurate lazer target is high, The gunners job is to quickly identify the target, adapt to it position or movement and predict targets move and then engage. Make sure that you spot, identify if lazertarget is positive (sticking) and if not, adapt your crosshair (FLIR camera aim) and fire away - During this procedure you have to quickly switch between LT and LG missiles, or proceed with a strike with a LT and LG as I wrote in how to engage lazed enemy vehicles.
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Lazing or marking Targets.
This goes out to all ground personal, if you are able to laze targets, never hesitate to do so, you will gain a high result by devastating targets. If lazer don't stick, call it out to CAS, tell them Lazer is not accurate or if you laze a building and as usually it doesn't want to stick where you want, tell the CAS what to look for while engaging.

For example:
You lazing a building but you have 2 targets on the balcony left of your lazer on top floor and your lazer can't stick exactly there... "CAS, two targets left of lazer, top floor balcony - smoke 'em". That way gunner wont need to concentrate on lazer it self but everything around it. Makes whole lot easier.

Marking Target:
Use the map as SL to spot enemies, or give grids - Echo5kp3 SW corner of kp (Southwest corner of keypad, means that the pilot and gunner should mark with Squad markers the top bottom left corner to find the enemies). Inaccurate Strike!

Smoke:
Use signal smoke if CAS is flying low and available for a strafing. Throw the smoke towards enemy and report their position. This is a dangerous!

For example:
*throwing smoke towards enemy infantry* - Call in CAS - CAS, Squad 3 under heavy fire, targets marked with smoke, come in from North - targets South of smoke, distance 150 m, DANGER CLOSE.
This will help them alot, first of, they will engage enemy from north, which means they are south of the smoke, so gunner has not permission to fire any inch north of that smoke. Shoot into the smoke and beyond towards south, If pilot wish to put some hydras on them do not fire them until your crosshair is right on the signal smoke. put 3 - 7 hydras to minimize the waste of ammo and splash damage to nearby friendlies, Remember DANGER CLOSE (Infantry suit yourself if you forget to tell CAS danger close and you get hit or wounded!). This is a dangerous!

IG grenades:
This is a very effective CAS marking, even better then map marking and signal smoke. Put IG grenade right on enemy position or in the middle of them, that way it will be easier for you to survive friendly CAS and easier to spot/engage for the CAS.

For example:
This is sqd 8 need CAS on enemy inf targets will be marked, come in HOT! Throw the grenade right on them, this will confuse them, they will think is this and why do they throw this at us ? Make sure grenade is being throwed as you see friendly CAS coming in in high speed, put right on them Ig goes of and 1 sec after - BOOM. This tactic makes it so much better for CAS to engage targets due to heat signature of the grenade and everything around it, one Hellfire and they are dead. Tho MAKE SURE ! that you as infantry bunch up during the CAS strike (bunching up basically in infantry is bad) bunching up will increase the chances to survive due to CAS crew knowns friendlies are aware of CAS incoming and they will do anything to get in cover, compared to enemy infantry standing as question mark watching on the IG burning.
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I think that's what I have for now as basic guide through this and hopefully this will make you survive in the air a little bit. Give feedback, opinions, criticism and own experience I got as much as I could think of tho there is whole lot in my head that I don't have time to put in here and I think it's kind of boring to sit and read all this text

/CC out

Made me want to spam some hellfires.
Good guide 1+

OH-58 Kiowa's Are the Dog's Bollocks, Mastered That baby oi oi.
CAS Huey's I find are abit Twitchy...
Gunships arnt my thing...
LB's Are SH!T...
Never seen the other ones you mention?

Read about them ? I wrote all about them down there Took me 3 hours , try them out, see the bad side, good side - crashed 13 choppers just to check all possibilities

Every gunship I mentioned says what faction they belong to