BF2S Forums Which aircraft is the most likely to become the next USAF gunship?

Dilbert_X wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

Somalia - Took out some civilians.

Nope, it wasn't over there. They were denied the support because of fears it would escalate things. This was prior to the Blackhawk Down incident.

It was there later though.

Nah, after the Battle of Mogadishu, American forces were ordered to stand down and not engage the enemy unless in self defense. They never left the airport again and were withdrawn completely five months later.

Dilbert_X wrote:

I'd buy this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamov_Ka-50

It can circle-strafe and everything.

i remember flying that in Point of Existence on Battlefield: Vietnam, shit was so cash

Dilbert_X wrote:

I'd buy this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamov_Ka-50

It can circle-strafe and everything.

But, as RDX brought up, the AC-130 had range. The ka-150's and ka-152's and other heli's lack the range, endurance, and armour of the AC-130's. Attack helicopters would be fine for small attack missions though, like maybe a tank straying to close to an airbase, but nothing farther

rdx-fx wrote:

rdx-fx wrote:

Pretty F'ing sure they didn't have an AC-130 in the air when Operation Gothic Serpent went to shit.

If they had, Shugart and Gordon probably wouldn't have died trying to defend that crash site by themselves.

Thank "Free Willy" Clinton for that - his whole policy with the military seemed to be 'send enough so I can look like I'm doing something, but not so much that I have to actually make hard decisions and interrupt my blowjobs to give a speech on CNN explaining things'

Dilbert_X wrote:

Yes, we know, the brains trust running the military operations in Somalia wanted to use AC130s to level central Mogadishu - that would have helped a lot.

No, if we'd wanted central Mogadishu leveled, we would've called in a less precise platform like the B-52.

The 'military brain trust', as you put it, was there to try to ensure the supply of humanitarian aid to the population.
Y'know, food, medicine, clean water, power, doctors helping people ..  keeping petty dictators like Aidid from stealing everything for himself..

But I suppose you'd call that 'Ugly American Imperialism' anyways.

You ugly American imperialist. Stop doing humanitarian work and helping people and other mean imperialism things.. J/K I'm an ugly canadian salmon eater.

Do the russians use any fixed wing aircraft as gunships?

And on the subject of small gunships, the AU-23 Peacemeker made a really sweet light gunship. It only had miniguns, but it was quick and effective against lightly and unarmoured vehicles.

pace51 wrote:

Dilbert_X wrote:

I'd buy this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamov_Ka-50

It can circle-strafe and everything.

But, as RDX brought up, the AC-130 had range. The ka-150's and ka-152's and other heli's lack the range, endurance, and armour of the AC-130's. Attack helicopters would be fine for small attack missions though, like maybe a tank straying to close to an airbase, but nothing farther

modify ICBMs (with conventional warheads lol) to go circle the nearest mountain until we want them to blow shit up and we'll be all set... Shouldn't use up all their fuel circling a mountain within the couple hours it takes for things to develop.

Conventional ICBMs--one of the dumbest ideas ever!
Who thinks Russia, China, etc, are going to wait to see if the warhead is conventional or a nuke?  Nah, they'll get the wheels rolling on WWIII pretty quick!

pace51 wrote:

You forgot North Korea with their brand new hydrogen bomb. Why use ICBM's when you can drop a bomb out of a 30 year old soviet strategic bomber?

Not sure if serious...

Abort mission, land that ICBM.

Alright, back on topic. ICBM's would make bizarre gunships. Are there any light helicopter gunships with really good range?

pace51 wrote:

Alright, back on topic. ICBM's would make bizarre gunships. Are there any light helicopter gunships with really good range?

light =/= gunship

The two are mutually exclusive in practice.

Go go tracer fire!