NLAW

[Zipuli]

Hey!

Liked the fact that NLAW is no longer an ATGM, but rather non-ATGM top-attack weapon, as it should! Also the toned down penetration works better than the über-overkill one we had previously.

But now the weapon accuracy is nowhere near the real deal. Previously as an ATGM it needed no ratings for fire control, range finder etc. But now as non-ATGM weapon, as the unit carrying the NLAW (team usually) has still no control nor range finder stats, it makes the weapon very inaccurate - in open terrain I get ~30% in defence, with enemy tanks moving quite slowly!

Now, the weapon itself, nor the team, has any LRF -equipment as they don't need it in real life, as the projectile fired is "sort of a missile" that has "no" ballistics (i.e. the range is irrelevant for the projectile to score a hit, and the height the projectile flies stays the same). So the computer in the launcher needs only information if the target moves, and this is done by tracking the launcher movemenet, which will give the lead, and "missile" will be fired in correct (predicted, if target speed and heading stay the same) spot. OK, that is how it works in real life...

BUT!

In game if a weapon class is NOT an ATGM, then it needs LRF -rating to be accurate, otherwise (especially the few first) rounds fired have dramatically less accuracy vs. if the unit (team etc.) is equiped with LRF. So the game seems to consider the shot fired as being "dumb", which means that it is handled the same way as any projectile that has a trajectory. Like the above description of the weapon principles tells, this is not the case in real life (i.e. if you don't know the range you may fire short of the target or over the target).

To test it I gave NLAW teams a LRF (22) and played NLAWs vs. tanks battles. Results were that vs. a fast moving target (moving some 19mph/more) I got ~65% hit chance from unsuppressed, stationary NLAW teams. Against slower moving vehicles the percentage was ~75-85. This was closer to the real thing accuracy wise, as the weapon is very accurate and missile fast, but of course a lot depends on the firer's training level and the target's movement. Still maybe a little less than one would think, considering that the projectile reaches max range in 2 seconds. This can be (poorly, but still...) compared with a tank (with decent FCS, that calculates lead) firing sabot round to some 2000-3000 meters depending on muzzle velocity.

So, in short I would say that the game has the weapon very much undermodelled, and the reasons may be (I wouldn't know I didn't program it):
-the game considers the missile "having a trajectory" similar to other non-ATGM weapons, which leads to the weapon inaccuracy, especially on first shot (from the team)... My test with the LRF -stat supports this hypothesis
-or if above is untrue, then the NLAW weapon stats (accuracy) are way off

Hope this made sence and helped. Currently I've used the LRF (22) to make the teams worth using, and it works OK, especially vs vehicles either stationary, or moving at slow speeds. With faster vehicles I still think it's a bit low %... I will try with better weapon accuracy stat too.

Zip

PS. Ah, and the weapon has no thermal sight itself, so vision 40 for NLAW team would mean that the team has a hand held thermal imager or the country in question has made thermal sights for the weapon. In case of Finland (the one I used in the tests), the weapon will have only II night sight produced locally, so vision 15 should be used.