How do you actually use SEAD planes?

[shak59]

What are these for? how do you actually use them? Mine just get shot down right away without even firing at any thing. How are you supposed to use these?

[Commissar Kumelmute]

SEAD only can only target AA systems that use active radar (example KUB or I-Hawk), if the AA system in doesn't use radar (example Strela, Stinger), SEAD plane will not spot it and will not engage it. Additionally, more skilled players will usually see a SEAD plane approaching and will manually turn off weapons on their radar AA, so the plane doesn't engage them, and only reactivate them when SEAD plane is directly overhead, or just let their own fighters take care of it.

[Sabalias]

I've not played the game very much at all but from my experience in RD SEAD aircraft are only able to shoot at radar AA units and only if the radar is on. In reality they are able to detect the radar emissions and attack the source. All aircraft have the ability to spot ground targets but SEAD aircraft in RD can 'see' radar AA even if it's hidden (providing the target radar is on). There are a number of good tactics to counter SEAD aircraft including the distribution of IR (or other non-radar) AD units; and/or micro-managing the radar AD so that the unit is off when the SEAD aircraft is flying towards them and then turning it on when the aircraft has turned away.

[Zeno]

Originally posted by shak59:

What are these for? how do you actually use them? Mine just get shot down right away without even firing at any thing. How are you supposed to use these?

It is as Commissar Kumelmute has already explained.

I personally send my SEAD planes in first, then with some delay I send in my bomber units and last my fighter units, as they dispatch the fastest.

Done.

[shak59]

How can I stop my SEAD planes just getting shot down every time and not hitting anything? Also, can SEAD see through fog of war?

[Hyrikul]

Originally posted by shak59:

How can I stop my SEAD planes just getting shot down every time and not hitting anything? Also, can SEAD see through fog of war?

if you see that your SEAD plane starts to sink into the enemy lines without finding any radar to destroy, make it go back or retreat.

Personally I make them fly over the combat zone, above my troops, and I venture hardly further, if it does not detect anything I fold it before anti air without radar attacks it.

[Sabalias]

Originally posted by shak59:

How can I stop my SEAD planes just getting shot down every time and not hitting anything? Also, can SEAD see through fog of war?

There is no specific instruction I can give you other than trial and error - set up some dummy games against an AI with various AA units and see how SEAD perform. In the real world the SEAD units will 'spot' Radar AA long before visual range and also when hidden. They tend to be protected by their own ECM and a fighter CAP.

[Sabalias]

Originally posted by Hyrikul:

Originally posted by shak59:

How can I stop my SEAD planes just getting shot down every time and not hitting anything? Also, can SEAD see through fog of war?

if you see that your SEAD plane starts to sink into the enemy lines without finding any radar to destroy, make it go back or retreat.

Personally I make them fly over the combat zone, above my troops, and I venture hardly further, if it does not detect anything I fold it before anti air without radar attacks it.

Same here, keep SEAD safer by not extending too far into enemy territory and protect from enemy fighters by maintaining a CAP

[shak59]

What is a CAP?

[Sabalias]

Combat Air Patrol - Air Defence fighters. It's always a good idea to have AD fighters in the air when you have other types flying. That way your non-AD aircraft might be protected from enemy AD fighters (though there are no guarantees). Some aircraft types have their own air defence capability but they tend not to be as effective as dedicated Air Superiority fighters

[Zeno]

Originally posted by shak59:

How can I stop my SEAD planes just getting shot down every time and not hitting anything? Also, can SEAD see through fog of war?

- By evacuating it early enough.

- Yes. That's the whole point of it.

[soldier6661111]

Originally posted by shak59:

What is a CAP?

Combat Air Patrol. Bring AA fighters, SEAD and then attack planes/bombers for some extra security.

[Zeno]

Originally posted by soldier6661111:

Originally posted by shak59:

What is a CAP?

Combat Air Patrol. Bring AA fighters, SEAD and then attack planes/bombers for some extra security.

There is nothing such as actual patrols in this game as planes have a tremendously low survivability.

AA weapons dominate the sky in this game with 99%. Your are lucky if even your bombers make it back.

[soldier6661111]

Originally posted by Ibex92:

Originally posted by soldier6661111:

Combat Air Patrol. Bring AA fighters, SEAD and then attack planes/bombers for some extra security.

There is nothing such as actual patrols in this game as planes have a tremendously low survivability.

AA weapons dominate the sky in this game with 99%. Your are lucky if even your bombers make it back.

And?

[Sabalias]

Originally posted by Ibex92:

Originally posted by soldier6661111:

Combat Air Patrol. Bring AA fighters, SEAD and then attack planes/bombers for some extra security.

There is nothing such as actual patrols in this game as planes have a tremendously low survivability.

AA weapons dominate the sky in this game with 99%. Your are lucky if even your bombers make it back.

If it's anything like RD then you aren't wrong; the attrition suffered by my aircraft in an RD game is beyond a joke. That said I have found that the presence of a CAP just behind my own lines (out of reach of enemy SAMs) can work as intended.

[soldier6661111]

Originally posted by Sabalias:

Originally posted by Ibex92:

There is nothing such as actual patrols in this game as planes have a tremendously low survivability.

AA weapons dominate the sky in this game with 99%. Your are lucky if even your bombers make it back.

If it's anything like RD then you aren't wrong; the attrition suffered by my aircraft in an RD game is beyond a joke. That said I have found that the presence of a CAP just behind my own lines (out of reach of enemy SAMs) can work as intended.

This is what I meant.