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Artillery usage by Red AI


rump

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Hi,

I'm designing this simple scenario with an attacking red force and was wondering how to make them use artillery more often.

When I test the scenario they seldom use artillery, although I gave them maximum support (but no priority points).

Any tricks?

Regards,

Rump

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Well, there's two aspects.

First, classic WP doctrine calls for rolling barrages on known and suspected enemy positions that are being released as phase lines are being crossed. So you should simply create artillery strikes that are being activated as a certain number of units enter regions that correspond with the impact zones in some sort of supporting manner. So, that part clearly is the mission designer's responsibility.

Second, you need artillery observer units to roll along with your force. Unfortunately we only have the FIST-V at the moment so that they are relatively easy to make out. But you could also try and use helicopters in short-legged scouting routes with plenty of evasive routes should they come under fire. That way you will have a good observation platform that does more than just firing ATGMs in a more or less suicidal lemming rush.

The more observers you have that can call for artillery fire, the bigger your chances that artillery actually will be fired. Having many tubes ready is a necessary but not a sufficient condition.

Also, keep in mind that computers will only call for fire if they observe the target being stationary.

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But you may just as well throw in an extra BRDM2 or BTR80/BMP.

One of the main advantages of proper fire control vehicles is in enhanced ability to locate self and target, and increased responsiveness of fires.

'Another APC' doesn't give this advantage, while a dedicated 'Red' ACV would do so.

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That would be the ACRV in its various battery command/OP/Fire direction versions.

What the chassis is is somewhat irrelevant though, compared to the function of the vehicle.

The FIST-V and M113FO give higher responsiveness to their Artillery assets. It is also possible to tie artillery support to the FO assets.

MT-LB, BMP, BTR80, BRDM2 et al. do not offer any advantages at all, and there is no trivial but reliable method of tying artillery to FO assets. On a tactical scale this would appear to be even more important for WP tactics than for NATO, as doctrine assigns direct support 5 & 6" howitzers to even quite small foward detachments under the control of their own observers, but complicates support from general support elements assigned to the fire-plan.

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But you may just as well throw in an extra BRDM2 or BTR80/BMP.

One of the main advantages of proper fire control vehicles is in enhanced ability to locate self and target, and increased responsiveness of fires.

'Another APC' doesn't give this advantage, while a dedicated 'Red' ACV would do so.

Yes, you could do that too, I was saying to use an MTLB if the scenario designer wanted a vehicle to represent the ACRV, while still having a soviet type vehicle appearance, and a vehicle which can stand out from all the rest (instead of just using another BMP or BTR). Obviously a dedicated ACRV would be nice that functions like the FISTV - but an MTLB which is tied to the execution of rolling/preplanned barrages would suffice.

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