Airborne laser designator

Liquid_Cow · Post by **Liquid_Cow** » 2008-03-28 21:03

I'm on a laser roll today...

Thank you Thank you Thank you for finally being able to fight back the hardcoded demons of the BF2 engine and getting the laser designators working! I think this is a huge step forward in reality. Now for phase 2...

Light Observation Choppers (AKA LOaCH) such as OH-58 carry laser designators above their rotors, allowing them to designate targets from below the tree line.

The MH-6 Little Bird carries one under the chin

as does the OH-58's replacement the ARH-70

There is also a Huey varient used by the USMC for this role, the UH-1Y Venom

This allows the choppers to use Hellfire LGM's as well as designate for JDAM's, LGB's, and spot accurately for friendly units. I also beleive the AH-64 and AH-1 can laser a target as well, though they are usually not tasked to that mission since they carry their own ordinance.

Lets face it, right now the armed MH-6 is not very usefull in game (not so with the transport model which I love to use). Without some sort of observer using optics it has to get close to spot enemy, plus its too light to take any sort of abuse from ground fire. The pilot has his hands too full to be very effective at spotting, and the copilot cannot use his SOFLAM or binocs while in that seat. As a result, in my experience, most of the time it sits unused, or some noob uses it to learn how to fly then wait 10 minutes or so for it to respawn and crashes it again.

I'd really like to see this used as its intended, be able to skirt around the edges of the battle, spotting enemy, lazing targets, occationally using hellfires to whack an enemy tank. Perhaps it would be possible to graft the Appache's fire control system into the MH-6 w/o giving it the gun?

NerdyDodge · Post by **NerdyDodge** » 2008-03-28 21:15

I believe the MH-6 already has a laser designator in game. The co-pilot presses the f key to enter a FLIR view from which he can designate targets. I've never seen the MH-6 and A-10 working together on Kashan, but I imagine the combination of an airborne spotter/laser and the missiles of the A-10 would make it very effective.

HughJass · Post by **HughJass** » 2008-03-28 21:26

Yeah its already done man! go to co pilot and press f. It does not work well but I tired it before the patch.

Liquid_Cow · Post by **Liquid_Cow** » 2008-03-29 02:32

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle... I knew the pod we modeled in but last I knew it was not working... Thanks! Hopefully this thread will bring it to more people's attention.

Waaah_Wah · Post by **Waaah_Wah** » 2008-03-29 02:39

NickO wrote:Yeah its already in but I never use it.. The LB's are too weak to hover in the view of enemy assets.

Then hover 500 meters above them...

Eddie Baker · Post by **Eddie Baker** » 2008-03-29 03:41

Some (if not many) UH-1N Hueys are also equipped with the BRITEStar FLIR and designator system that will be standard equipment on the UH-1Y.

ERASERLASER · Post by **ERASERLASER** » 2008-03-29 15:03

the pilot has to hover very still for the co-pilot to laser an object well, I mainly use it to spot targets for the pilot

101 bassdrive · Post by **101 bassdrive** » 2008-03-29 23:31

Liquid_Cow wrote: Lets face it, right now the armed MH-6 is not very usefull in game (not so with the transport model which I love to use). Without some sort of observer using optics it has to get close to spot enemy, plus its too light to take any sort of abuse from ground fire. The pilot has his hands too full to be very effective at spotting, and the copilot cannot use his SOFLAM or binocs while in that seat. As a result, in my experience, most of the time it sits unused, or some noob uses it to learn how to fly then wait 10 minutes or so for it to respawn and crashes it again.

whuat??!
Ive gone 97:4 with the birdy on qwai. nowadays with the descent speed I cant really get along with I still averagely go 40:3 or so.

as all have pointed out.. its already ingame.
the problem with the scouthelo designation though is that it barely ever "sticks" to the target. instead you get a box which keeps traveling across the screen, reseting itself with every reorientation you do with the FLIR crosshair and therefore confuses the bomberpilot

??:
besides that the scouthelo FLIR suffers from the same restricted field of view as attack helos in general. its a real pity since it could be a really neat assett and fun task.
well, thats just the practical experience Ive gotten with it..

PsychoSquirrel_NZ · Post by **PsychoSquirrel_NZ** » 2008-03-30 05:08

when lasing, do you have to be in line of sight of the target until the weapon impacts? or can you lase the target, get the F out of the area, and let the a-10 go to work?

NerdyDodge · Post by **NerdyDodge** » 2008-03-30 13:45

You can flee, just put the cross over the target and right click to send the lase. It's better to watch to make sure it sticks to the target, since helicopter lases can be a little shaky in flight for some reason.

I think the littlebird would be a far more effective lasing platform on Kashan if the co-pilot could angle the view as far downward as is possible in an attack helicopter. To lase from any height in the littlebird, you have to be way back, which increases the chance of the enemy being able to get a shot on you.