Correct CCIP Usage When Rippleing

[Frodo]

Scenario:
I am on a South to North attack run. There are 4 vehicles oriented South to North. It is assumed that the target spacing is exactly right for my ordinance to hit each vehicle when RPL SGL 4 is programmed into the DSMS on 30DB.

Ordinance:
MK-82

Question:
To achieve a single bomb per target (south to north) in the ripple release should I put the CCIP point on the most southerly vehicle or in the center of the group of vehicles?

My thoughts:
I think the CCIP point should be held on the southerly vehicle and the computed release will take care of the rest. Thus the remaining 3 bombs will, due to the spacing, impact the other targets in the group. I would think that if you hold in the center of the target group the first bomb would impact at that location and the following impacts would extend to the north and cause 2 or more to impact long of the intended targets.

[Gunny]

Center of Target, due to how the Ripple calculates the impact spacing. The multiple weapons released if they are even will Bracket the target. If odd the odd weapon will hit the center of the Pipper.

Pg.373 DCS A-10C Flight Manual EN
Para 1.

1. Projected Bomb Impact Line (PBIL). The PBIL is displayed as a line directed outward from the center of the CCIP Reticle. The PBIL is a linear prediction of where the CCIP will track across the ground. It is based upon the assumption that the aircraft will maintain present airspeed, G-load, and bank angle. If the aircraft is maneuvered to track the target down the PBIL, the pipper can be guided directly to the target even at high bank angles. If a ripple release is selected, the bomb stick will fall along the PBIL and the displayed CCIP solution is for the center of the bomb stick length.

For ripple deliveries, the DRC indicates the release point, so that the middle bomb of a stick falls at the point of desired impact. If an even number of bombs is selected, the center bombs will bracket the target.

[Noodle]

Also, note that weapon impact spacing is set in order to provide a specific weapon effect on a single target. If a BMP-3 requires two Mk-82s within 35 feet to produce a desired weapon effect - lets say a mobility kill - then you must set the impact spacing to 70 feet or less and drop at least 2 bombs in order to have a chance at achieving an M-Kill. More likely, you'd set the spacing to 50 feet and ripple 6 bombs in order to increase Pk.

Real weapon effects values are classified, and wouldn't be applicable to DCS anyway. But to really know what the spacing should be for a given target using a given weapon, we should really find out what it takes to damage/destroy vehicles in DCS. Luckily, the job is made more simple by the fact that DCS offers no variation due to fuzing (airburst/impact/delay).