Aircraft Options On LHDs

[DHX]

Is there any way to increase the loadout options on LHDs? Currently when strike labeled aircraft are pressed into AAW missions they aren't loaded out to AAW specs. For instance when you load out a strike AV-8B for AAW you get 2 Aim 9s instead of 4. If you load out the strike AV-8BII+ with an AAW load you don't get AIM-120s. The LHD+ doesn't even have AAW F-35s and if you press strike or ASUW models into AAW service you don't get AIM-120s.




I guess I can understand the point of not letting every available aircraft be loaded with ASUW loadouts for the sake of realism. I can't see how limiting the ability to carry a full compliment of AAW weapons is realistic.


While we're on the subject is there a way to be able to select internal and external weapons loads of shipboard F-35s?


If allowed to deploy a compliment of AAW F-35s the LHD+ would be pretty capable of handling about any air threats you threw against it. However being hamstrung by not being able to load out AIM-120s really limits their usefulness unless supported by a CVN.




I guess it also leads to loadout options on carriers and the reasoning behind not allowing more flexibility in loadouts. F-18s for instance. If you don't need all of them for AAW is there a reason why they shouldn't be allowed to be loaded out for ASUW or Strike?




Can anyone clear up the rules and reasoning behind the way things are set up and limited like they are?

Thanks - DHX

[Jittery]

DHX, you can go into the text file for the mission and exit the aircraft load outs in that.

The reasoning is that generally a aircraft carrier is not going to have say 36 (F/A-18's) with 2x Harpoons = 64 Harpoons for unlimited missions. Hence its spread around so that their is not a unrealistic ability to launch air strikes with all high tech high expense weaponry in unlimited numbers. (also makes you look after or preserve the high end platforms)

As to changin a strike aircraft to AAW then it only getting 2 x sidewinders. This i think (probably wrong?) is because they havee 8 hardpoints on a platform or plane and they asignt the hardpoints to different weapons for strike missions. When you change it to a AAW platform you only get the weapon points that have weapons capable of AAW and it drops the strike weapons. (i think this is the case, might need some clarification).

Hope this helped.

[steel_selachian]

I usually play with the text editor to change out my carrier loads for specific missions - perhaps the most ridiculous one was when I had the George Washington (CVN-73) loaded up with two dozen F-35C SUW and eight F/A-18E SUW on top of a dozen F/A-18E AAW, plus the usual four EA-18Gs and a quartet of F/A-18E TNK. The idea was to simulate an alpha strike on a large Russian battle group. In reality I kind of doubt that a Nimitz-class has 120 Harpoons aboard these days - I justified it (to myself, at least) by figuring that the scenario took place in the Sea of Japan with the US force laying siege to Vladivostok. It shouldn't be too hard for the carrier's AOE to break off for Yokosuka and load up with AGM-84s on a few days' notice. If I had the opportunity to load up for a mission against the Kuznetsov while it's escorted by a Kirov and a Slava I highly doubt I'd just throw eight SUW birds against her.

The other trick to pull with the editor is to change the types of aircraft for a nonstandard mission. As an experiment I used the USS Eisenhower to replicate the Kitty Hawk's use as a floating Special Forces base in Operation Enduring Freedom by loading her up with Blackhawks, Apaches, Little Birds, and Chinooks along with a detachment of MV-22s. Given that the mission was to subdue pirates operating in Somali waters, I figured a wing of Army and Air Force rotorheads was a better fit than four squadrons of fast-movers.