Aviation weapon systems

[95th Rifleman]

In another thread we discussed Libyan-style truck mounted Aircraft rocket systems and the viability of static groundand mobile use of Aircraft cannon.

What about missle systems? With paticular regard to Sidewinders.

My group, sooner or later, will find an RAF forward operations base consisting of a small RAF Regiment garrison, 4 Harriers (grounded due to lack of fuel and spares). I have anticipated and planned for creative use of the SNEB rocket pods and the 30mm Aden canon pods. However they will come across a bandit outift utilising a pair of armed Gazelle scout helicopters and I know damn well they will want to utilise the Harrier's sidewinders.

First, would it be possible andhow would it best be done? I want to get a feel for it before the players get their grubby hands on things so I can anticipate problems and solutions beforehand.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by 95th Rifleman

In another thread we discussed Libyan-style truck mounted Aircraft rocket systems and the viability of static groundand mobile use of Aircraft cannon.

What about missle systems? With paticular regard to Sidewinders.

My group, sooner or later, will find an RAF forward operations base consisting of a small RAF Regiment garrison, 4 Harriers (grounded due to lack of fuel and spares). I have anticipated and planned for creative use of the SNEB rocket pods and the 30mm Aden canon pods. However they will come across a bandit outift utilising a pair of armed Gazelle scout helicopters and I know damn well they will want to utilise the Harrier's sidewinders.

First, would it be possible andhow would it best be done? I want to get a feel for it before the players get their grubby hands on things so I can anticipate problems and solutions beforehand.

How long have the 'winders been sitting out? IIRC they have to have coolant put in before use (argon, I believe) so the seeker works. That aside...as long as you give them a high enough angle and the players have the "drop" on the enemy helos, it should be do-able. A Sidewinder is ultimately a Zuni rocket with steering fins and a seeker head that performs the steering.

[Medic]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 'winders will need some means to acquire the target and launch. The Harriers have those means built in, but if you wish to fire those missiles without the Harriers, you'd probably need some electronical engineering and parts stripped drom the planes to make it at all feasible. And it of course depends also on what model the missiles are (that being rear-, rear- and side-, or all-aspect).

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by Medic

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 'winders will need some means to acquire the target and launch. The Harriers have those means built in, but if you wish to fire those missiles without the Harriers, you'd probably need some electronical engineering and parts stripped drom the planes to make it at all feasible. And it of course depends also on what model the missiles are (that being rear-, rear- and side-, or all-aspect).

All very true; the "Sidewinder Growl" is audible through pretty primitive gear as long as you know what contacts to wire up on the bus (cough cough so I'm told cough) but there's a lot of steps to get to that point (uncageing the seeker head, etc.)

95th, maybe you could have the players do business with a unit using a M-730A2 as a prime mover, casually mentioning it had been a full blown Chaparral unit until events made an AD vehicle simply unnecessary and "all of that electronic junk" had been stripped and left back at "base"...or something like that, just a thought.

[Webstral]

It seems to me that the rocket pods and guns would be more useful in 2000. There would be more bang for buck in terms of energy expended when mounting a rocket pod on the back of a truck. The rockets probably would end up being used in a direct fire mode, but that’s no big deal. What a way to clear some bunkers!

[95th Rifleman]

Given the PCs engineering (or lack thereof) skills I reckon any attempts to make the sidewinders work are just not feasible with what they will have to use. That being said the 30mm Aden pods will be more than enough to take on a Gazelle.

Thanks for the imput guys, my knowledge of missle sustems is a bit lacking, didn't realise that you couldn't just rig an AAM like you can with a TOW.