is aircraft worth it?

[Wdll]

I usualy go heavy with helicopters and people who have played against me at least once know that and are always ready with heavy air defences. I still don't see a particular problem with using fixed wing craft. I play modern battles almost exclusively. I just always make sure I use heavy SEAD missions who even if they don't destroy/disable SAMs, they do manage to draw several missiles to them, with some UAVs as an additional force, most of the dangerous air defences are, in one way or the other, neutralised, and the Strike crafts are more or less unopposed to do their work.
Considering I play as Greece which doesn't have some of the planes of major powers, and still manage to use them, it leads me to believe that perhaps you guys are not following the right tactics, or just are very unlucky.

If for example I only sent strike aircraft without any preparation, I don't know how many of them would make it to a second run. I realise that perhaps buying an expensive SEAD element (or of course more than a couple) might be seen as waste of money, but unless you go with 20+ stike crafts in the same turn, I don't see fixed wing craft working that well against a good opponent.

Just work more on it, but don't expect miracles. They can't win a battle on their own.

And if anyone wants to try it, please check this thread http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=42821 (wink wink)

[Heimdallr]

I think, you could use aircraft for interdiction missions, too. Ideally bombers with tons of heavy bombs could slow down enemy advance when bombing main road along its direction.. crates on the road make the move slower. Of course, this could be done with arty as well, but not in such a nice row

Personally I don't often play against full AI(purchase, deploy) at least I make the purchase.

I agree, aircrafts are good for scenarios and for PBEM when respecting some purchasing rules.

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Hmmm, i think aircraft is worth if you use them the right way, obviously you need luck, but it doesn't play a major if your tactics are good,shell the enemy possible AA emplacements just before the strike IE, buy arty first, then aircraft, so that howitzers fire before aicraft expose, use SEAD, if the enemy has average AA, if good SAMs expected, get more SEAD,and some mortar to kill manpads

[Suhiir]

Originally Posted by iCaMpWiThAWP

Hmmm, i think aircraft is worth if you use them the right way, obviously you need luck, but it doesn't play a major if your tactics are good,shell the enemy possible AA emplacements just before the strike IE, buy arty first, then aircraft, so that howitzers fire before aicraft expose, use SEAD, if the enemy has average AA, if good SAMs expected, get more SEAD,and some mortar to kill manpads

Very good advice CaMpWiThAWP.
Always buy artillery before aircraft, so it fires to suppress air defenses just before a strike.
Also Buy SEAD aircraft first to help with last moment suppression.

Myself I tend to use aircraft mostly for on map counter battery missions, i.e. knocking out mortars and such. Usually takes 3 to 5 turns before you've spotted the positions via the smoke and if you use UAV's and the occasional helo pop-up to spot (and possibly run outta missiles) MANPADS I find it works fairly well. Around turn 10 in most games you're starting your initial assaults and not having enemy arty/mortars landing on you while you're doing so helps a lot.

Andy's (Mobhack) comments on real world aircraft effectiveness are spot on. At operational levels aircraft are invaluable, at tactical you're usually better served by artillery in-game (and often in real life).

And Marek_Tucan's quote about the 1st Gulf - "During the 30 days of air raids I have lost two tanks. Then, during 30 minutes of land combat, the rest." is correct if not quite complete ... it should read "During the 30 days of air raids I have lost two tanks. Then in 30 minutes of combat the with the Abrams tank, the rest." or something very close to that.