Problems with air launched weapons.
 

I've got some doubts about cluster bombs. I mean, are they really so ineffective? For example, 2 of my F-16's dropped 4 AP Cluster bombs directly on enemy tank group, moving in flat, clear area (9 tanks stacked in three hexes) Results? One effective hit + two not penetrating. I've reloaded and tried again - and archived only one(ineffective)hit. Well, i'm no expert, but i think that cluster bombing should generate far more hits than it does now. Is there any way to do it?

Also, i find most aircraft fired misssiles not as accurate as they should be. (During desert storm,IIRC, Mavericks had about 80-90% hit rate. In game, if i'm lucky , its 30-50%.) Strange, considering that helo launched missiles are as accurate as they should be.

Am i the only one with that problem?

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

Consider that the figure you quote about ODS probably includes a LOT of large non-moving targets such as bunkers, roadworks, radars...

About cluster bombs, well, I admit I have seen my share of ineffective airstrikes, but I have also seen infantry companies wiped off by one MLRS salvo...
And MLRS CM rockets have just the same parameters as the AP cluster bombs.

A detailed relation of the effects of cluster bombs following HE pen and HEK would be fine to have, though I understand it could get quite cryptic. HE pen looks clear enough, but does the HEK stands for the ability to kill infantry? And what about the APK, which incidentally is 0 for most cluster weapons?

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

AP cluster are not effective against MBTs and other heavy tanks, but try it again BMPs, no one will survive... The most kill I have seen was a B-52 that killed with one of his 32 AP cluster bombs 6 BMPs...

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

Loktarr is right. Cluster bombs and MLRS are most effective against unarmored targets. IRL MLRS is used against artillery, especially towed tubes.

Plasma makes a good point about the Maverick, but I think it ought to be more accurate against AFVs. Perhaps 75%-80%

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

I agree, clusters work great against soft targets. But even against lightly armoured vehicles... i don't complain about lack of kills - (that i would understand), but about lack of hits. IE, dropping single AP bomb on tank group described in my first post should generate at least 3 - 4 hits (But i agree, that most of that hist should be " Not penetrating" against modern MBT's).

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

Give all aircraft armed with guided bombs or ATGM rangefinder rating 14-15, same as helicopters have.It will improve accuracy of them to 60-70% with more succesfull hits.

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

that's right, it's a problem I encountered but not every time...

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

I have seen the exact same thing. Missiles of all types have very low % hit chance. Cluster munitions have always been useless in MBT, the dreaded MLRS isn't so dreaded in this game. I for one won't waste money on them.

Have you ever seen movie clips of cluster munitions on THE MILITARY CHANNEL? Man those puppies lay waste to anything they come near!

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

In my experience the most useful form of fire support is 155mm artillery that also has cluster munitions. I once was playing as Swedish defenders against a Russian advance. I saw a delicious bottleneck in form of a bridge, so I mined my end of it and had infantry to make sure nothing got through.

The infantry units came under heavy fire from the T80s and T72s parked on the bridge a couple of hexes away from them, so I called an artillery strike using CM on them. I usually use my FO to direct artillery for faster delivery even if they don't have LOS, but this time I knew accuracy would count more. Besides, my friendly infantry that was under fire was too close, so I used it to direct fire instead.

The result was devastating! The first single hit took out 4 T80s and 1 T72 parked in the same hex in addition to 2 more T72s parked in adjacent hexes! The remaining rounds didn't have much else other than their crews to take out!

Then again of course, the conditions were ideal; My spotter had LOS on the target, and the tanks were stationary and bunched up in a single hex on the bridge with no cover available.

Re: Problems with air launched weapons.
 

I think this changed with some patch (either 2.00 or 2.51) that made the artillery considerably more effective. I've been having fun with the Finnish 155mm off-map arty with AP-ammunition. I once destroyed 3 T-80's and 3 BMP-2's during one single strike! And that was against a human opponent that has usually beaten me. You can imagine my reaction when I watched the replay;).