LockOnFiles: A-10C Wingman Basics - LockOnFiles

In testing my earlier A-10C mission, I usually would do all the work of destroying the targets. But whenever I sent off my wingman to a target I had specified, he went some place - almost at random. I had to dig into this if I wanted to get this right and do bigger missions.


Wingmen Basics

Lead Plane + Wingman is the basic set of military aircraft operations. The Lead provides guidance and direction to an attack while the wingman watches for any vulnerabilities that the duo might have and carrries out tasks requested of the Lead.



A step above that is the Flight of 4(Lead(#1), #2, #3, and #4) with 2 sets of wingmen:
In this case this flight is broken down into 2 sets or elements:
1st Element: Lead(#1) and Wingman #2
2nd Element: Wingmen #3 and #4

The 2nd Element can follow the Lead and act as extra wingman. Or even better, the 2nd Element can take on a separate task altogether. If the Flight of 4 are fighters, the 2nd Element (for example) can pich in on the left while the 1st Element

For the A-10C, you can use the 2nd Element on a different target, take out air defences, or to finish off the target the 1st element has already hit.

The Most Important Command

Rejoin Formation

The AI is much better than in previous Eagle Dynamics but you still need to track of your wingman. I prefer to use the Communication menu [ \ ] but the key combo [LWin + Y] will pull your wingman off of whatever

Engage With...

This is the key command for directing your wingman with you SPI - more on it below.



Designating Targets for your Wingman(or Flight or Element)

The TGP is used to set up SPI (pronounced "spee") that your wingmen can respond to.
After the TGP is warmed up and active, search for a target as per the mission - I usually have a waypoint to start with. I flip to the WhiteHOT FLIR and increase the GAIN. And when searching for targets, many people flip between WHOT and BlackHOT(BHOT) to get the best chance to discover targets.

I often use the TADS Screen to know where the TGP is pointing to - I set up a SPI by using the CHINA HAT Forward - LONG (hold it down for 2 seconds)
This makes a SPI that can be seen on the TADS screen

Making sure the TGP is the SOI, I then slew this around to get an exact fix on the target. If the target is moving, I flick TMS FORWARD (short) to toggle between AREA(fixed position) and POINT (moving target)

Broadcasting SPI

Now that I've got an SPI in my system on the Target, I need to let my wingmen know of it. I then hold down the DMS-LEFT LONG to Broadcast the SPI to my wingies.



Telling Buddy to 'Git'er Done'

That's when Engage With... is used.
I just get onto the Comms menu [\] and issue the commands
If the target is an Air Defense, I usually specify:

• F3 Engage With...
  
• Target Type - F4 Engage Air Defenses
  
• Weapon Type - F1 Missile... Mavericks have the longest standoff range
  
• Attack Heading - F1 Default... The most direct route from where the wingmen currently are

The wingman or element should respond with
Roger, Air Defense Target at your SPI with Missiles

They'll head to that area and starting from that point will search for targets of that type

Using these building blocks will get a lot of the jobs done and will give extra fire-power