Air Patrols

[friznit]

Air Ops Module

Progress

• Phase 1 - ATO CAP and DCA functionality
• Phase 2 - ATO SEAD, AA
• Phase 3 - ATO integration with C2ISTAR for ATO generated player tasks (DCA, SEAD, CAS, CSAR, OCA)
• Phase 4 - OPCOM requested Strike, Recce, AS, SEAD, OCA and CAS
• Phase 5 - LOGCOM interaction

Full Design Spec on GDocs

In Reality: a Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) may be appointed to command and control the airspace in joint military operations.

In Game: Like a secondary OPCOM that has control of the air space. It controls all attack helis, jets and UAVs, i.e. every combat capable air entity that is not a transport chopper.

Outcome: more use of air assets (by factions that have them) in realistic tactical roles on the battlefield.

Use Case: ALiVE AI Comd of factions configured with air groups uses them to conduct tasks in support of the ground troops. Air units are spawned at objectives by Placement Modules at mission start (existing functionality).

Place Air Ops module and sync to Mil/Civ/Custom Placement modules.

Available Air Tasking Orders (ATO):

1. Suppression of Enemy Air Defense
2. Offensive Counter Air
3. Combat Air Patrol
4. Close Air Support
5. Recce
6. Strike
7. Anti Shipping

• AirOps conducts some ATOs independently (SEAD, CAP, DCA)
• Air Ops prioritises force protection of air assets: SEAD > DCA > CAP > CAS >Strike
• OPCOM sends requests to AirOps for ATO when attacking objectives (Recce, CAS, Strike)
• OPCOM sends requests to AirOps for ATO in virtual battles (CAS)

For example: IF OPCOM gets in a battle AND IF Air Ops is present AND !(SEAD/DCA/CAP) THEN send nearest CAS unit to join OPCOM Battle

Example taskflows:
*Recce - OPCOM identifies next objective and requests recce helicopter to observe ahead of ground forces, then loiter until objective captured. If fired upon, withdraws to nearest friendly objective.
*Strike - OPCOM identifies high priority objective and requests armed helicopter or plane to conduct attack run then RTB to start location or loiter position.
*Close Air Support - OPCOM detects enemy forces within 1KM of friendly forces and requests armed heli/plane to that location. Search & Destroy for 5 mins then RTB to start location.
*Combat Air Patrol - ambient air. AirOps orders armed plane to search & destroy in 2km radius of friendly held Mil Placement HQ. Can be retasked CAS/Strike if weapons systems permit.

Actions on:
*RTB - heli/plane returns to start location, lands and (automatically?) rearm/repair/refuel, wait 15 mins then released for next OPCOM order (planes may need to be respawned due to BIS AI and taxiing)
*Start location held by OPFOR - return to nearest friendly held objective with HLS or Runway.
*No base available - loiter until based is available or aircraft crashes/is destroyed.
*Aircraft destroyed - replaced by LOGCOM (existing functionality).
*No suitable weapons for task - task rejected and unit RTB.

Enhancements
Potential future enhancements currently out of scope:
*Virtual/AI Tactical Air Control Party / Foward Air Controller (TACP/FAC) - ground based unit that requests Air Tasking Orders on behalf of OPCOM.
*Foward Arming & Refuel Point (FARP) - spawn FARP composition close to front line for rotary wing rearm/refuel.
Player FAC - player interface to ATO, similar to how Player Combat Logistics is a UI for Combat Logistics simulation. Possibility to replace Combat Support?

ATO Properties

• Common - ROE, altitude, speed, min weapon state, min fuel state
• SEAD - target search radius, duration
• OCA - intercept range, max limit of exploitation
• CAP - patrol area, intercept range, duration
• CAS - target search radius, duration
• Recce - duration
• Strike/Anti Ship - as per Common

Implementation
Init
Startup
Initial analysis
ATO requests [from JFACC]
OPCOM Support Requests
Airspace management
Radar detection
Event monitoring
Air Mission Framework (crew response, taxi, takeoff, execute, land)
Hangar/Helipad management
Runway deconfliction

[Vegas-zzz]

This would be an outstanding new feature to add! Giving the OPFOR air patrols around airfields, large towns, and military installations would be a complete game-changer! Adding more of an air threat would allow ALiVE to create a whole new battlefield in the air and change the way ground teams would have to approach the objectives!

It honestly wouldn't even have to be as in depth as described above in my opinion. Even spawning these patrols in and giving command to the AI commander would get the job done. The AI commander already does a good job when he has these assets inside FOBs and such.

[Vegas-zzz]

BUMP.

This feature would add an extra level of realism and right now, aircraft are barely utilized by ALiVE at all. This should be a thing!

[DavisBrown723]

Find us more devs!

[Will-Nichols]

Lovely idea here...would love to see this implemented.

[tupolov]

This should probably be implemented in a similar fashion to Mil_Logistics, in that LOGCOM periodically analyses the reinforcement state and requests reinforcements. Mil_ATO would monitor managed airspace and request air operations as necessary. Mil_Logistics also has a framework for requests, which could be used by OPCOM to request the above air operations.

Can be synced to an OPCOM (inherits side, faction supported, auto enables requests from OPCOM)

Suggested inputs:

Side, Faction, list of markers that represent airspace to be managed, list of air operations by priority.

Placement position is used to find the nearest main ATO "base". If captured then ATO is disabled.

Module should search for all heli pads and hangars (near runways) within markers to be used as places for aircraft to start and finish from. Each Airspace has a set of locations and aircraft that can be used for air operations.

Each runway and heli pad would need to be managed to ensure that aircraft only take off and land one at a time. Planes would need to be managed on landing, i.e. Once taxi'd moved to a hangar or storage position. Heli pads can't be used for landing if a heli is currently occupying it, which sounds obvious, but Arma has a tendency to land Heli's on top of each other.

mil_ATO would schedule CAPs for each managed airspace. If it identifies any enemy aircraft, it will redirect a CAP to intercept that aircraft. CAP is performed by planes only. If there is no CAP currently, then a plane is scrambled to intercept - this is essentially a DCA (Defensive Counter Air)?

If while on CAP an enemy anti-air unit is identified, then a SEAD mission is scheduled, either with the current aircraft (if capable) or using the nearest available capable unit.

OPCOM can request Recce, Strike or CAS as necessary. Requests are queued and prioritised based on rules on this ticket.

OPCOM can also identify targets for SEAD.

If aircraft are destroyed mil_ATO will rely on reinforcement by LOGCOM.

[friznit]

Terminology:

OCA - Offensive Counter Air is the correct term for suppression of enemy's military air power by destroying or disabling the aircraft on the ground, in the air, or by denying infrastructure and logistics. DCA normally refers to ground based air defence (GBAD).

ATO - is the mission or task given to aircraft by an Air Component Commander. Maybe call it Mil Air Ops (Chairman MAO...)

Possible workaround for wonky AI taxiing would be to despawn/respawn planes after landing. This would incidenteally cover rearm/repair/refuel.

This will need to be compatible with LHD (for helis) and no doubt Nimitz mod will be requested.

[tupolov]

You want all the things?

[friznit]

I WANT ALL THE THINGS.

No, not really. Just putting this here for the sake of context. Should rename DCA to OCA though.

[Will-Nichols]

Also with any Harriers or F-35's as well since those are used on the LHD's as well.

[apargo]

Any news on this? Is anybody working on this? it would be an awesome addition.

[SavageCDN]

AFAIK no this is still on the back burner... not enough devs to go around :)

[tupolov]

Aiming for basic module around about time JETS DLC lands, no promises though.

[aitortilla]

Sounds good.

[friznit]

@tupolov when manually placing a large number of aircraft, MACC runs out of spawn locations for the pilots and fails over to spawning them at 0,0. The poor pilot that gets called for ATO has to swim 15KM to get to his aircraft....

Suggest you only spawn pilots at HQ when they are needed, or if you want them to be killable, only spawn 2 or 3 crews at a time?

[tupolov]

It won't run out of spawn positions, something else happening here. We keep crew in buildings so that players can take them out.

[tupolov]

Got a repro mission?

[tupolov]

Very close to being feature complete on this, just need LOGCOM/resupply integration and code.