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Thread: Two-Ship Medium Altitude Tactics: Wedge/Bombs

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    GOMER 2 Noodle's Avatar
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    Two-Ship Medium Altitude Tactics: Wedge/Bombs

    ALCON:

    In an effort to more effectively engage targets from medium-altitude as a cohesive two-ship element, Baxter and I briefed a combat sortie last night that utilized a variation of a tactic called the Wedge/Bombs attack. As its name implies, the Wedge/Bombs attack is a bomb attack employed from Wedge formation at medium altitude, usually as Shooter/Shooter.

    Shooter/Shooter refers to the format used to describe roles during the fighter-to-fighter brief, and can also be shortened to just "Shooters". 476th members, see your A-10 contract document for additional fighter-to-fighter standards.

    Wedge/Bombs allows the two-ship element to simultaneously attack a target with freefall munitions from separate directions while providing lateral flightpath deconfliction as well as sufficient timing deconfliction to allow the Wingman (WM) to avoid Flight Lead's (FL) weapon frag envelope. The split attack affords the WM better protection from Air Defenses (AD), by allowing him to approach undetected from off-axis.

    For the attack illustrated below, descriptive comms passed during the fighter-to-fighter brief would be "...WEDGE/BOMBS, IN EAST, OFF SOUTH, SORT WEST."





    To execute the attack, begin in Wedge formation. When FL calls "IN", the WM should check-turn at FL's roll-in point. Approaching FL's roll-in point, the WM clears FL's six, deconflicts flightpaths, scans for threats, and maneuvers to his own base position. When the WM observes FL executing his SEM, he rolls in and executes his own attack. After coming off the target, FL arcs the target, clearing the WM's six and scanning for threats. As the WM performs his SEM, FL reverses his turn toward the egress heading and the WM rejoins to Wedge.

    476th members: don't forget to comply with the priorities as prescribed in the appropriate egress contract.

    A variation of this attack can be flown with Suppressor/Shooter roles. In this case, the Suppressor employs the 30mm gun or 2.75" rockets from standoff range in order to suppress the target while the Shooter maneuvers to deliver LDGP or CBU from off-axis. On 476th DS missions, suppression is an effective tactic that will cause the AI to button-up/hunker-down.

    Fighter-to-Fighter comms for the modified attack would be "...WEDGE/GUNS/BOMBS, SUPPRESSOR/SHOOTER, IN EAST, OFF SOUTH, SORT WEST."

    Typical deliveries for the Suppressor include the 30/45 HAS, LRS, and 45 HATR. Typical deliveries for the Shooter include 30/45 DB and 30/45HADB.
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    Last edited by Noodle; 06Jan15 at 12:47.

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    Member JayPee's Avatar
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    Noodle, interesting read! Back when I was a kid I remember the same sort of drawings depicting Tornado's runway bombing runs in Iraq. The idea is easy to get a grasp on but I think exact timing and headings are paramount. I'll go and see if I can attempt the maneuver with someone.

    You mention the Shooter/Shooter format. Is there an overview of all (or the most used) formats with a description of their purpose, strengths/weaknesses, etc.? Or does that belong to the internal learning material?

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    GOMER 2 Noodle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JayPee View Post
    Noodle, interesting read! Back when I was a kid I remember the same sort of drawings depicting Tornado's runway bombing runs in Iraq. The idea is easy to get a grasp on but I think exact timing and headings are paramount. I'll go and see if I can attempt the maneuver with someone.
    I've always had a soft spot for the Tonka. I'm not sure what it is, but I love airplanes that have big honkin' flaps, slats, and spoilers...the Tornado, F-111, F-14, the A-6/EA-6B, hell even the 727. The Tornado even has thrust reversers...instant win in my book!

    But about the tactics, I'm not sure how coordinated and choreographed the Tornado attacks are - although I imagine that since they're low-level attacks, frag deconfliction is probably achieved primarily through precise timing - but for the A-10, things are much more fluid. There are no headings to give, because its an entirely visual process that is dependent upon the type of delivery being flown (30DB or 45HARB?), where the wingman was positioned within Wedge formation (forward/inner limit, or aft/outer limit?), and even the winds aloft.

    As such, it's as much art as it is science.

    You mention the Shooter/Shooter format. Is there an overview of all (or the most used) formats with a description of their purpose, strengths/weaknesses, etc.? Or does that belong to the internal learning material?
    We do have detailed descriptions of the roles but you're right, it's an internal thing at the moment. Even though I created that section of "the book", I wouldn't release it without first discussing it with the rest of the group staff. So for now I'll have to defer. Hope you understand.

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    Senior Member PFunk's Avatar
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    I'm not sure what the group policy is on relaying information out of internal documents but most of the stuff mentioned herein is standard in real life TTPs. I'm not sure how much is readily available to the pubic but I do know that there's a pretty comprehensive guide to real world F-16 tactics thats available that would include I imagine a great deal of identical language that would presumably be in the equivalent real life A-10 docs that aren't available. I can't from memory state whether the fighter fighter brief and all pertinent terms are mentioned but it would be universal between all USAF attack aircraft I imagine (someone who knows correct me if incorrect).

    As for this attack diagram, this is good shit. It gets me all tingly in the johnnies. This makes me want to do my warface. This is obscene, tactical porn at its finest.
    Last edited by PFunk; 07Jan15 at 23:03.

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    476 vFG Founder Snoopy's Avatar
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    I don't see any harm in explaining what the roles are.

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    PFunk, do you have a link for that specific document?

    Noodle, I think the Tornado (next to the 18C and 15E w/ CFT) is one of the coolest looking jets still around. But then I also love the looks of the UH-60 series...
    Last edited by JayPee; 08Jan15 at 14:05.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JayPee View Post
    PFunk, do you have a link for that specific document?
    http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/docs/16v5.pdf

    That should be the one. Its full of pretty pictures and diagrams and uses lots of terms that you should now be familiar with.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Snoopy View Post
    I don't see any harm in explaining what the roles are.
    Without directly quoting the passages from our OIs:

    Shooter: the guy who puts ordnance on the target.

    Cover: The guy who covers and provides mutual support to the other aircraft.

    Suppressor: The guy who either pre-emptively or reactively suppresses defenses that would or are engaging the other aircraft.

    Examples: Pre-emptive suppression would be doing a long range Gun strafe on a body of targets to get them to button up ahead of the other aircraft's attack. Reactive suppression would be engaging AAA which engages the shooter during his attack run. The former is only possible as far as I know with the suppression script running in a DCS mission.

    Decoy: The guy who confuses and distracts defenses or other relevant units to prevent them focusing or engaging the other aircraft. Probably a much more effective option against humans than nigh on perfect AI.


    How you mix and match the above is the essence of tactics and is largely not prescriptive.

    I hope that covers it without giving away too much.

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    Hey Noodle, Snooze and I decided to practice the Wedge/Bombs attack yesterday. I think in the end we did pretty good for our first try, but if you don't mind, could you give us some feedback? . Only if you have the time!

    Tacview is attached and video from my view (2) is here: http://www.twitch.tv/zero_mass/b/609344767 (available for two weeks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZeroMass View Post
    Hey Noodle, Snooze and I decided to practice the Wedge/Bombs attack yesterday. I think in the end we did pretty good for our first try, but if you don't mind, could you give us some feedback? . Only if you have the time!

    Tacview is attached and video from my view (2) is here: http://www.twitch.tv/zero_mass/b/609344767 (available for two weeks.
    Okay, so there were some notable things in the preflight and admin portions of the flight, but I'll limit my comments to the tactical portion of the flight, specifically the wedge/bombs deliveries. Also, if we were on TS in a debriefing room, before each smack in the head with my pointer, I'd give you a compliment to soften the blow. Since I'm just banging away on the keyboard, however, I'll skip the pleasantries and give it to you straight. :P

    First and foremost, overall, I'd say you guys demonstrated that with just a little bit of range time, you can effectively employ this tactic to ensure flight path deconfliction, generate offset attack headings while maintaining visual lookout, achieve tactical surprise, and egress the target while quickly regaining tactical formation and mutual support. That's a win as far as I'm concerned.

    However...

    It appears as though FL never actually flew the pattern he passed in the Fighter-to-Fighter (Wedge/Bombs, In North, Off East). Instead, the base leg of each run seemed to be either a continuous arcing turn, or a check turn to something other than a 90 degree base position. The result was that most of FL's attacks were well off the intended attack heading (180).

    An essential element to getting the geometry correct is for lead to adjust his crosswind and base legs of the box pattern to arrive at the proper base/roll-in position. The arcing base legs make it very difficult for the WM to fly Wedge formation; since he's on the outside of the turn, he's inevitably going to fall behind and stagnate near FL's six o'clock. With the WM so far aft, it's difficult for him to generate sufficient Heading Crossing Angle when he checks to FL's roll-in point. It looks like the attacks at 00:56, 1:06 and 1:14 of the ACMI file had pretty good geometry.

    Also, for the most part, the SEM and egress worked pretty well, except that those cross-turns were cringe-worthy. The WM should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS keep lead in sight so he can deconflict flightpaths per the contract. The WM went belly-up to the FL and flew an awesome lead-turn that works great for BFM, but not for tactical formation. The WM should fly outside and above FL's flightpath.

    Other than that, it's a good effort, and not bad at all for a first attempt.

    So to recap, FL should fly a straight path on a 270 heading to his roll-in point. WM then checks to FL's roll-in point, and drives to his own roll-in point. WM rolls-in when he sees FL SEM, or when FL calls "OFF". After that, you seem to have it figured out.
    Last edited by Noodle; 12Jan15 at 08:27.

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