DCS: Attack Aircraft. Which is best & what to buy
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- (Join me on Facebook "DCS Pilots")
This video explains why I consider Harrier to be the most capable attack aircraft in DCS...and by a large margin.
If you are considering buying a module for DCS and prefer the attack role, hopefully this video might sway you to consider the Harrier as opposed to some of the other modules. If you are adamant that the A-10, Viper or Hornet is the most capable then maybe you don't fly the Harrier or maybe you havn't explored its full potential? Do comment on why you think that I am wrong...preferably without typing the noise of the GAU8 but do keep it light hearted :-)
Intro 0:00
CAS 1:41
SEAD 3:50
Battlefiled Air Interdiction 7:16
Air Interdiction 9:48
Deep Strike 12:43
Night Attack 13:14
Features 19:03
Air Combat 19:24
Other Tricks 20:59
Sensor Fuzed Weapons 21:36
SFW
Downsides 23:02
I have also uploaded some of my unedited practice attempts to attack a parked aircraft at a defended airbase at night on some of the other modules
A10: Misery trying to evade the SA15 and trying to find the target with only NVGs
• DCS: Offensive Counter...
Viper: I cheated and used HARM to take out the SA15s but to offset that I removed the lightning pod....not that I used that in the Harrier anyway
• DCS: Offensive Counter...
Live fire of a CBU 105
• Banned Weapons Of War ... - Ігри
Remember, this game isn’t about being the best in a server. You’re supposed to have fun flying your dream jet.
Very very true...and I did briefly mention that 21 mins in as I fly through the Hangar...I should have made more on that point as that's where i feel it shines with VTOL, FARPS and whilst I like the technicalities of firing say SLAM_ER and JSOWS on the Harrier...the Harriers weapons are simpler...but more involved from a piloting perspective (does that make sense?)......I should also have said that it was really aimed at single player rather than MP. Harrier is good on some MP servers.....but not on stuff like Growling Sidewinders Open conflict when your only situational awareness is AWACS calls and it's impossiblle to track 30 enemy fighters without Link 16....and thanks for the feedback
This was fun :-) ua-cam.com/video/eNXSR4V_Vdw/v-deo.html 10min 26
Very true indeed!
But moving mud in a sever can be fun.
Yes it’s not war thunder your just supposed to have fun, wether your good or bad, you have nothing to lose, you just get enjoyment
Best in the 72nd always makes me the best on any server. So no worries about that.
Still hoping for the GR7/9. Extra pylons for A2A, more sensors, Zeus ECM. MAWS. However 1 thing we really need is a prior FARP/hide system & proper grass runways to utilise its CaS to the full. Add to this the US radar equipped 8B & it’s definitely up there with the best. And I’m not at all biased because I worked on them for 15 years 😳😉
Fingers crossed for all that!!!
You are aware there is an invisible FARP for a couple years now? 😉
@@shagrat47 There is one used on the video
i have been just around the F14, F-16, A10CII, F-15E for more than 5 years, its time to go deeper into the Harrier, i have all the campaigns too, for years, but i always pick another plane, now im really studying this bird because i really love it, tx for the boost
I fully agree with you. The most entertaining plane in the dcs. It takes time and learning, but persistence will bring the expected results. After that, it doesn't seem difficult to operate the machine.
When I first flew it I thought WTF....but once you understand the basics it's actually far easier.
I’m convinced. I’ve been letting my Harrier gather moss whilst learning other modules as my quick fam with it made it seem very complex, and I felt I could get my fix with other planes more easily. But things like the IR hotspots, LJDAMs and FLIR HUD have convinced me that it’s worth the learning time as they’re not available elsewhere. I tend to focus on older planes and helis, from warbirds to the fishbed and F5 but this vid made the harrier look like so much fun.
Flir hotspots are fabulous and let you find targets without.....finding them :-)
Harrier is from 1978, late cold war and I think it would go well with my mirage f1.
Since I wrote this I’ve spent a lot more time in the Harrier. I’ve kinda changed my mind. It has the capabilities but the interface is just too opaque. Even with only a couple of weeks break, I find I’m tearing my hair out recalling a bunch of arcane, non intuitive procedures. And there’s no way to fake it, if you get one step wrong, it doesn’t tell you, it just refuses to work. I’m sure if it was all I ‘flew’ the quirks and discontinuous steps required to get any of the smart weapons out would become second nature and I’d relax into it. And I do love the V/STOL.
Instead I’ve been flogging the Viggen. Yes, it’s different to everything else and that computer seems weird at first but now I understand how it thinks, I can come back after a break and still have a good time without rifling through the chuck’s guide. This may change when I get around to learning the F-15E, however!
@@julianmorrisco I find the interface incredibly slick.....in tpod hotas mode. Outside of that it's certainly odd but I probably spend 99% of the time in tpod mode. What I would suggest is to map tpod zoom buttons to your hotas...but rather than the zoom keybinds mapping buttons 3 amd 4 on your preferred mfd is much better.
That was interesting. Never knew that Sidearms were more difficult to detect than Harms. Nicely done. Love the Harrier.
Yeah sidea is much smaller. HARM is much faster though so if fired withing c11 miles of an sa10 it will penetrate. A sidearm is 9 or so miles from memory
Well you've sold me :) Great vid, i'll definitely be studying your vids to see how to get the most out of the jet. Happy flying.
Thank you. Let me know how you get on... Dogfights arent really my thin but Im just learning that it's actually VERY capable....a video on that might be on it's way
Nice video, I also really like the Harrier, still have a lot to learn in DCS but the Harrier really clicked with me.
I really love the hotspot tracker, the analog weapons panel (can see the weapons settings, no matter what I selected on the MFD) and the laser JDAM.
For deep strike I also like the Tomcat, incredible speed and range with 2-4 1000 lbs GBUs and with the TCS a pretty capable manual bombing system.
You might also consider to try out the Jeff, it is simple and intuitive to use and has lots of cool toys, it just can't carry them all at once.
It's incredibly capable. IMO it's by far the best attack aricraft in DCS (hornet is better at long range deep strike with stand of weapons against known targets. Viper is the best for SEAD and finding/killing moving targets. A-10 is best for killing lots of UNDEFENDED tanks.... but overall none of them come close IMO. Its an awesome dogfighter too.
Hey Pukin Dog. Subbed your channel some time ago, but was looking at this video today. Its awesome, and has all the reasons why i love the Harrier. Was flying it quite a bit around 2 years ago but i think its high time i get back into it and re-learn it. Great content, thanks!
Thank you! There have been quite a lot of changes in the Harrier and I think 2 years is about when most of them were happening. It's certainly settled down in the last 18 months with a recent flutty of minor tweaks (I did 2 videos recently covering those)...but do feel free to reach out for any questions.
@@Pukin-Dog I will! Thanks. I think you channel is severly underrated, you give some great tutorials here, and its hard to find quality guides when YT is dominated with Hornet/Viper etc. material (no offense for those that like these beasts) The Hog made me discover my love for A2G, but it was the AV-8B that made me really stick to it. Last 2 years i was mostly flying helicopters and as you said, i have heared the Harrier had gone through a lot of improvments. Gonna take it nice and easy, take it for a few classic take offs and landings and start enjoying it again. Just to add, why I also prefer the Harrier over the Hog is the speed and capability to operate almost from everywhere (almost just like in a helo) also, im not the type that likes maverick style piloting. I leave that to Hornet, Viper etc. pilots :) Anyway, thanks again i will be sure to take a look at your channel for guides!
@@MrScar88 Thank you Thw harrier is more niche. I'd get q lot more subs if I did the Hornet....but I'd be forever saying...."this is terrible " lol
*Strike Eagle has entered the chat* very well thought out vid. Great insite, thanks!
Thank you! It will certainly be interesting to see how good the Strike Eagle is going to be...will it take the Harriers crown. I cannot wait to find out!!!
Glad to see someone giving a nod to the Harrier. It is undeservingly under-rated. I don't own the A10-C, but have flown it on a trial license. While it is an impressive DCS module, I just find it kinda boring to fly, and it has such a steep learning curve. The Harrier by comparison is fun to fly and only half the price, especially if you catch it on sale. It's smoother learning curve makes it a smart choice for new players looking to buy their first serious hi-fidelity module...as i did, and with no regrets. I own a few modules now including the F-16 and FA-18, but sometimes I just love zipping around in the harrier at low level through hilly terrain, just as I used to watch them as a kid growing up in the Scottish Borders.
The A-10 is a fantastic module with lots of detail.....but I agree - boring to fly. due to it's speed and it being somewhat one dimentional (CAS & BIA is all it really does). The Harrier is not only hugely fun but insanely capable (in DCS at least).
It is not enough to change the contrast on the display, you need to lower the brightness as well quite a lot. once you done that it is much easier to spot targets in the A-10
In some situations yes but here the brightness was already at the best setting and the point remains that it's hard to get a good image. Finding anything is difficult....ED seem to have made some changes in this area recently
Plus, you can switch BHOT/WHOT as you want.. sorry but on this point, I think A-10 wins the game, to be fair.. ;)
I love the Harrier but for almost the opposite reason. I like flying it as it would have loaded out in the 80s and 90s. In those loadouts there is no JDAMs, no Litening pod, minimal Maverick and Sidearm loadouts as logistically they would be scarce, this makes it an incredibly challenging but still very capable platform.
As do I!!!! I love using rockets (esp Zunis) and iron bombs.....though normally Mk20s as 82s are pargely ineffective in DCS.
@@Pukin-Dog yes sadly the concept of shrapnel, blast damage, and what is and what isn't AAA are lost on DCS, but that makes it all the more challenging.
Really interesting video, came across your video while checking on reviews to get a new module during this sale. Love your comparison shots, really highlights the difference. Thanks.
How do you think the Av-8B compares with the F-15E which is also from RAZBAM?
Hey - thanks for the comments. Compared to the F-15E. That comparison depends on which F-15E and what mission. The current F-15E is still someway behind the Harrier overall due to it's TPOD, however it will be getting a litening and ultimately a Sniper which will be a game changer as with the current pod you simply cannot identify targets form sufficient range. (pop onto the grayflag server and watch F-15s bomb civilian cars and already destroyed targets and you will see what I mean). Once it gets sniper it will be much more evenly matched and I'd expect the F-15 to be better in some areas as it can carry Amraams and fight it's way to targets, can also carry 2000lb munitions ad has GMT radar. However it won't be getting APKWS, nor any Anti Radar missiles and doesn't have FLIR hotspots. Additionally it's controls are very clumsy for tactical close range attacks where you spot a target and need to fire on it quickly. So for known planned targets with not SAM defences or AAA, I suspect the F-15 might come on top. However if for more tactical and low level attacks I doubt that it will match the Harrier - and the Harrier will definitely remain king of the Night due to FLIR Hotspots. In terms of fun....again I'm sticking wit the Harrier as you can find and hit targets so quickly and it's all up close and personal.....but the F-15E lets you do BVR as well.
Came back to this video to report a mission I created originally for the Viggen. Taking off from Pagan Airstrip in Marianas, which is a very short Grass airfield. And then fly about 300 miles to a SA-10 protected island. And also protected by 3 pairs of Tunguskas and Tors.
My idea was to fly and find the sites using the U/22A jammer for ELINT. It didn't work. The Viggen can take off from Pagan, not easily, and it can reach the target with a decent amount of fuel, but once there, pinpointing the target is admittedly an issue. You need to calculate the QFE for the target, for the dumb munitions to have their steering queues. Given, no matter how hard I try, the Viggen could not finish that mission. It does not work well without knowing the exact target location. (It can use it's radar but it's not precise enough for a BK-90 strike, like a TPOD.)
I accomplished it first try with the Harrier. Taking off effortlessly with 4 Sidearms, 2 rocket pods, destroyed the SA-10, came back home, landed vertically, rearmed with 6 JDAMs and 2 Bags, even over MTOW, took off again effortlessly and completely destroyed all 6 SHORADs after the SA-10 was neutralized. I also had a lot of fuel to spare and loiter over by doing repeated strafes with the gun. The Harrier truly dominated this one.
BUT when you do know the target location beforehand... Oh boy, the Viggen will rip you a new one! If you wanna talk "fly treetop level and strike fast" you can't beat the Swedes with their purpose built fast attack aircraft
I know Pagan airstrip very well....and thank you for the mission report. I don't fly the Viggen much in DCS....but I do love that aircraft. It was the first airfix model I had that I wanted to do properly - and paint.
@@Pukin-Dog Trial it, if you have Discord I can teach you the basics. You'll definitely love it!
Edit: Sorry, I misread that you didn't have the Viggen
LIked and subbed! Great video m8
Thank you
Good overview. I'll buy it when I finish the A10 campaigns.
Just got the AV-8B and really enjoying it. Very capable aircraft and a lot of fun to fly! Being able to land on a FARP or Road really add a lot of flexibility. I like all of the aircraft you mention for different reasons. Just with the Harrier had some different engine sounds from the external view. Love the sounds of the Hornet, A-10 and F-16, but not the Harrier so much, but whatever, still loads of enjoyment!
Yeah the Harriers sound isnt great....unlike the Hornet which sounds great. Once the Harrier clicks then I can pretty much guarantee that you will kill a LOT more ground targets than in anything else....and VTOL is kinda cool :-)
I am impressed with the amount of work you put into this video. Your bias towards the Harrier is definitely showing. I thought I was a Harrier fanatic🤣🤣
Funny thing though....I was never really Harrier fanatic. I have played Falcon for years. Got DCS with the Hornet and then the Viper and then the Tomcat and then Mustang......Harrier didn't really bother me but once I got into it I realised I could do everything I wanted (bar air to air stuff) far far better in it. In fact I am trying to do some advanced tutorials for the Hornet starting with IR Mavs and am finding that it's just hard to get even close to what I'd consider worthy of publishing :-(
@@Pukin-Dog I let the Harrier sit in the hangar for over a year. But once I started, I fell in love. It's one of the best modules in DCS.
I have no Idea why they "nerfed" the Harrier's payload. You can no longer take a full load of 3 bombs in the middle pylons + Sidearms/winders
Great video, you are perfectly right about the Harrier , I love it
Thank you Marc. The feedback is always welcome.
Just love the Harrier, a jet so versatile you just cannot match it. Really cool video
Hell yeah!!!!! Thank you for you comment. It's greatly appreciated.
I have to agree,
The one that I find strangest is the systems and MFDs in the hornet and harrier are clearly taken from the same base design and have the same layout.
But for some reason there's always 8 more buttons you need to press in the hornet to do the same task
That's very true... I also have an issue with the A-10 HOTAS. There are many functions which are just hard to do especially in high pressure environment..so much so that it's often easier to use non hotas controls. Creating markpoints/TOOs in the A10 is a one click affair (easier than the harrier) but its not a pressurised time. Switching between TOOs in the harrier is a one click affair whilst in the A10 you need to set SOI, then DMS then return to SOI....just when you are likely to need a single click.
I enjoyed the vid.
I liked the vid.
I subscribed.
;-)
Ok next sale I'll get the Harrier then .....
If/when you do then feel free to reach out. The first few flights will be a healthy dose of WTF....but it soon starts to click...and when it does its hugely effective.
You definitely should try JF-17.
A good one for a2g with some unique features.
Thank you for this video after all
Yeah - the JF-17 is one of the most underused and underrated aircraft in DCS which is a shame. It's got great weapons options arguably the best weapons options, maybe a "little" light on how much it can carry but that's not a big deal. It's main weakness though is it's TPOD which is a bit of a shocker* and absolutely critical in the general A2G role... in DCS at least. IRL I think lots of targets are pre-planned so there is less need to search for targets but in DCS pre-planned is kinda boring and less well used so the importance of finding targets is hugely important. *The hornet is able to visually ID a target at roughly twice the distance of the JF - and the Hornet is by far the worst of the A-10,Viper and Harrier. Indeed a Harrier can visually ID a manpad at 50 miles. The JF can barely ID a vehicle at 10 miles. It's a shame as the JFs Achilles heal is so crucial. The F-15E was not out at the time of this video and that shares the same issue - but will be addresses when teh F15E gets litening and sniper.
@@Pukin-Dog Indeed, that is true
great video, I love the Harrier it's a great module and one of the best in DCS imho
While I own the AV8B....and the F/A18C I just have to say, I spend the most amount of my flying time in the A-4E. Part of that is the time frame (would love to have a real 105G). Old Cold Warrior here, and the time frame is just one that appeals to me.
Good man. The A-4 is great isnt it. I don't fly it as much as I should as I have kinda dedicated myself to mastering the harrier for my channel. But I also love the old skool appeal. Navigating waypoints by bearing, time and landmarks is superb fun. And it's free - just incredible that people have the dedication. I just wish ED would fix the damage model to make HE damage from rockets and bombs more effective
@@Pukin-Dog I have almost 400 hours into the A4, and LOVE it. Now, if I could only master aerial refueling.....
@@RossOneEyed Does anyone MASTER it...I think some people manage it 🙂
PS there is a mod for a 105 - but it's non flyable (well if might be flyable with FC3 - but I dont have that).
@@Pukin-Dog Yes, but it really isn't "right" if you know what I mean. I could handle it if it was as good as some of the other mods, but the wings break every time I try to bomb something.
Thanks for this video! Convinced me to buy the harrier
Not only is it hugely capable - it's fun! one tip though is for the TPOD...You want it in TPOD Hotas mode most of the time....and if you have any questions then just ask
@@Pukin-Dogthanks! Loving flying it so far! Still learning the more complex systems but it’s just so unique and I already like it much more than my viper!
@@irrationalideas Great stuff. Once is clicks it's sooo much easier to employ weapons effectively....and the FLIR hotspots are amazing.Let me know how you get in with VTOL
Cette vidéo et comparaison est tout simplement magnifique, j'ai laissé tomber le Harrier depuis quelques temps mais cela me donne envie de le reprendre à fond. Merci pour ton travail.
You're welcome. It truly is amazing in DCS. Hugely capable....but most importantly - its fun! You might like this showcase video on the LJDAM ua-cam.com/video/nzD5jPwt30c/v-deo.html
@@Pukin-Dog I look today, great great work.....
@@prayong64 thank you
Awesome analysis...I have it in my hangar but learning my other jets first ..hornet which I’ve got down and now the viper...the harrier will probably be next
Good man. You will love it. It's great fun, challenging but very very capable.
I admire pilots who can retain what is learned after the third jet. I must certainly be aging... :D
I only fly the Harrier. Always wanted to be a Harrier pilot as a kid. There won't be a GR7 or 9 in DCS for a long time as I put in a freedom of information request for RazBam for the flight manuals from the MOD and they were rejected as some of the avionics are still classified. That said the one in DCS for me is close enough :)
That's a shame. I had heard rumours about GR7/9.....and that's probably what killed off the idea (for now). Such a great plane to fly in DCS. Capable and fun.
It's a pity. A Harrier with spamraams, apkws, and an HMD would be a literally perfect ground attack platform.
You've raised plenty of good points throughout the video, Dawg, and I like your presentation. Still, there's a few things I have to put out there:
The mention of lack of HMCS and L16 at the end feels a little handwavey, but the consequent lack of SA makes the module fairly hard to swallow for many players. Harrier may be a potent airframe, but it's not for new pilots. I'm not referring to the intricacies involving its air refueling procedures or the relatively clunky and outdated avionics, those can be overcome easily with learning, but general airmanship, which takes years to master. IRL, an avionics upgrade program was drafted and the Harrier could have been an A-10 in that aspect, but never came through with the impending airframe retirement.
The FLIR hotspots won't stay useful in a manner this foolproof forever. With the FLIR imaging refactor about, the hotspot recognition may be refactored in the near future, implementing the thresholds and filtering values currenly NYI. Stationary vehicles may not be easy to pick up. While there is still contrast as metallic objects have higher emissivity, if engines are off, the signature is expected to be smaller and may require lots of tweaking of the hotspot gates.
Saying you don't need a runway or a ship, but merely a hangar or a pad is true, but also very limiting. Even before the engines have been "nerfed" (read: brought inline with IRL specs), you had little GWT headspace to carry through a vertical regime. Nowadays, you can barely afford to even loiter in hover clean. It's a transition tool, and mostly for landing too.
Speaking of VSTOL methods, the CAS doctrine you described in your video is quite sound, and it's how Harrier was employed and how it gained its "on-time" reputation. If a player engages with DCS MP servers a lot, though, they may be in for a disappointment if they attempt to do this in MP servers. What passes for FOBs is often a FARP for RW, insuficcient for Harriers or Viggens. Most casual MP servers are tuned for the A-10: Massive, far away convoys of units without AA that require most of its payload to pull off reasonable attrition.
Harrier is by nature a merely transsonic aircraft, which is severely limiting in SEAD and (B)AI in situations with meaningful defences. It has no meaningful Anti-Ship capability, the absense of sea radar and Harpoons impedes it already, but the low speed makes that worse.
Which leads me to mention the AJS-37 Viggen, which you left out of the Attack Aircraft comparisons, most likely because it's a prior generation, which I understand, but do not take its capabilities lightly. It is challenging in its own right, and immensely capable, if not unsurpassed, in Deep Strike, AI, BAI, Anti-Ship, Naval recce and SIGINT, due to its loadout and a combination of massive power (supersonic flight at sea level), great range and radar w/ ground mapping.
Great comments.....and thank you.I will try to reply without sounding abrupt....apologies if it comes across that way: it's defintely not my intention .....
I should have made it clearer that this view was really aimed at single player missions....I rarely do MP so I didn't really consider it sufficiently. In MP with 2 dozen human players in su33s, vipers etc it's impossible to keep track of threats. I have mentioned that point and it's not fun in the Harrier especially when they also have AWACS. The lack of SA is a nightmare....but in single player missions it's not that much of an issue as you never have 24 fighters within 100 miles of you :-)
FLIR Hotposts....yeah - they might stop being useful but the review is of the DCS Harrier today (as a game and not in real life...I suspect the Harrier overperforms in DCS or the others underperform...especially HARM vs Sidearm). There is definitely an issue with hotspots which needs fixing as they even show up behind trees. I have a similar issue with CBU 105 which I am certain also overperforms.
Landing on a runway or a ship....that was more aimed at the fun side of it. You can't take off vertically with a large combat load...but it's great fun trying to land in odd places. The main part of the video was aimed at capabilities...but the latter part....landing on a ship and dogfighting were a bit of a sales pitch in a way for people who might want the harrier but might want the odd dogfight or just to challenge their flying skills....landing an F14 or F18 on a carrier is great fun a nd a big challenge. Same with landing on the helipad at teh Burj Al Arab
A-10 convoys....yup again MP missions tend to be aimed at A-10s with a big load...first that just not for me personally. I don't get the point of blowing stuff up without a challenge..be that SAM's, sneaking in under radar, avoiding CAPs....and that's why I think the Harrier is such a great module. Its able to attack pretty much anything...but you need to work at at.
IRL the Harrier is no SEAD aircraft...however in DCS if you need to take out something heavily defended I'd pick the Harrier...I have a specific video DCS: Sidearm and SEAD Part1 ua-cam.com/video/etasu_S7n3k/v-deo.html where I attack a site with an SA10, 5 SA15s, 5 SA19s and 5 manpads..... (a short version of jsut the attack is here ua-cam.com/video/AmUT4hphlNY/v-deo.html)....way beyond what 4 HARM can penetrate....Im not saying the Viper or Hornet could not take on the mission....but Im pretty certain the Harrier is more able (Im talking a single player aircraft and no other wingmen or packages).
BAI...referrring back to SEAD I would suggest that once again the Harrier is most able to get past or take out any defences (Sidearm is actualy better against SA15 and SA10 -shouldn't be I know) and still carry attack ordanance. The Viper and hornet can carry 4 harm and nothing else. Harrier can carry 4 sidearm and still have two pylons for bombs and missiles
Harpoon...yeah Harrier has no anti ship capability....and frustratingly the Hornet doesn't either....Like HARM they seem to get intercepted by everything....not sure if you have noticed but Harpoon seem to be completely broken at present (unless fixed in the last patch). They more often than not simply explode after launch...I also lumped Harpoon with SLAM-ER and JSOW in the deep stike section...a clear win for the Hornet!
Speed. I did a test with the hornet flat out with 8 bombs and it was 50 kts faster than the harrier with 10 bombs at sea level....so it's not really that slow. That difference grows at altitude and with afterburner of course....now you might like this video, it's all quite entertaining but check out 3mins 20 to 4min.
and finally the Viggen. My first plane crush as a kid...it was my favourite place for many many years. 2 reasons I didn't include it...1) as you say and older generation 2)....I don't own it. :-)
PS. 4 Sidearm can penetrate 2 SA15s or an SA10 with 2 TELs and the harrier can still carry 4 bombs, 14 rockets or 2 mavericks.
4 HARM can penetrate 1 SA15 or an SA10 with 1 TEL...but neither the hornet or viper can carry any other A-G weapons
Is this realistic? Probably not....but in DCS that's just it is at present..............once again thanks for the comment. Great that you spend time to watch AND make such a great reply. I hope I haven't bored you with my responses :-)
@@Pukin-Dog nah mate, it’s a lovely discussion, though you do seem to go on about Sidearms a lot :D I don’t blame you, they really are rather capable, even if very blunt with the lack of control and high signal threshold (needing to be so close to pick up emitters). As you pointed out, you can lob them or drop them off high, the only thing I don’t like about that is that you have to eyeball that a lot, even with a WP on top of the site.
Still, with Viggen flying M1.5 @ sea level, you don’t need ARMs :D I’ve had a Strela shoot 4 missiles from the left at me, they couldn’t catch up and I wasn’t even in burner. I only found out it happened looking at Tacview later! www.reddit.com/r/floggit/comments/nbptwa/average_sead_fan_vs_average_viggen_enjoyer/
@@Peliass100 That TAC view is hilarious. I did a video on how to make IR sams more dangerous by NOT firng form the front...I must update it to exclude Viggens as that's the only chance they have of hitting one lol
@@Pukin-Dog I would see M .85 loaded with the Viggen, so it's a similar ballpark, slightly slower, but ofc the Delta Wing isn't doing favours there. On the other hand, as you may know, Viggen's powerplant is basically an airliner with a 3 stage AB slapped on it, so when it's set to cruise, it can stay on this speed for hours, I heard range figures of up to 1000 km!
Meanwhile, Harrier doesn't have legs that long, but I have to admit its wing design fits it incredibly well, especially the anhedral slope which grants it an excellent alpha tolerance for the lift area it has. It is also capable of decent endurance if you shed speed to around .7, which is actually slightly higher than Viggen's economic airspeed.
Great video and I fully agree! Any chance you could share the skin that you've used here? It looks stunning!
Thank you. The skin is one I downloaded from DCS userfiles and modified with the Pukin Dog logo. I don't really want to share that however here is the base I used which is 801 sq www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3311967/
@@Pukin-Dog No probs, I understand. I saw the base skin but it's not as cool as yours :)
The AV8B is a great module; very capable and incredibly funny; especially in onboard operations.
I flew an MP mission last night with 4 Vipers, 4 Strike eagles and 2 Hornets along with an other hornet. The other aircraft managed 23 kills between them - mostly undefenced small ships and submarines. The two harriers managed 32 kills - mostly air defence assets....that's how good the Harrier is.
First mod I bought. Love that plane
It's superb. Hope you like the vids
You cant tell Viper and Hornet driver's anything. They have to be shown. Thanks for showing them. I am wondering how you feel the Community A4 Skyhawk would fair on this list. Keep up the great work.
That's very true...people get very precious....and I wasn't a harrier fan boy...I always loved the viper....10 years of falcon....and I suspect the harrier overperforms in some aspects of DCS...or the others underperform....but I am highlighting what it can in dc. As for the A4. I love it. It can't do the sale high intensity missions and I wish ED would make bombs more effective...but what great fun. I especially like navigating with compass stopwatch and landmarks
Great vid... my goto aircraft are the 16 and harrier. The one issue that I have had with the harrier, and I understand why the sea harrier had a radar, is finding small water craft, up to corvette size is not as easy as I would have thought with the harrier. The 16 and 18 are much better at finding those with it's ability to do gmt and sea. Any tips on using the harrier in the sim to make finding small water craft more effective? I have used the heat spots but I found them unreliable over water. Thanks.
Thank you. Harrier isn't designed for anti ship work and has no anti ship missiles, however would 35+ miles suffice? :-) Pop down to sea level. 100 ft or so (turn off your altitude warning lol). Set zoom to max but WIDE field of view and FLIR and scan the horizon. A small patrol boat can be seen from at least 35 miles as a dot on (actually in FLIR it appears above) the horizon and then you can go narrow FOV to identify it.
@@Pukin-Dog Thanks for the tip... will try doing that by creating a miz with a small boat.... knowing where it is is likely a good way to practice what to look for. Thanks again.
@@haedubabaganush Yeah I tried jsut that earlier. Let me know how you get on
You deserve more subs mate!
Thanks pal....its building....slowly but surely....not sure how long I will keep em coming...but we will see. This video has ruiffled feathers though...mainly by people who havnt actually watched it I suspect :-)
@@Pukin-Dog in what way? I can't see any comments other than mine?
@@chadvader974 Yours is the only comment on this page thus far....but I have got 11,000 views in total for the channel and 250 subscribers....way more than I ever anticipated.
@@Pukin-Dog I meant why do you think this video ruffled feathers
I wanted to get the Harrier, but given the current status of ED/RAZBAM situation, I am not sure. Is it worth it, if it the module is not supported by RAZBAM?
The Harrier is awesome as is....I doubt that it will cease to function. Its one of the ge modules that's functionally complete and the existing bugs are trivial....so trivial that don't actually know what they are. It's your call but I think it's a worthwhile purchase
try out the jf17 it is my favorite sead plane, 2x gb6 sfw ( really big jsow with smart sub munition that tracks heat) 4x ld10 (harm equivalent) or 2x ld10, 2x sd10 (amraam equivalent) and 2 pl5 (aim 9 l ish things)
I might be getting the jf in the next sale
@@Pukin-Dog honestly its a great jet, best of the viper mixed with the multi role of the f18 in a funny Pakistani package
@@nononsense67 I am trying to do some advanced tutorials on the Hornet....but it's awful at attacking more than a single target and the Viper is almost as bad which arent' conducive to great tutorials so it would be interesting to see how the JF does when I get it.
@@Pukin-Dog I mean the jeff can carry 32 laser guided rockets with a tpod some fox 2 and 2 gb6 sfw glide bomb, you can use the tpod to fire the glide bomb and laser rocket for target of oppurtunity or preplan the glide bombs. Ive managed hit the glide bombs from 40 miles out and then rush in with the rocket (which ive never had miss before). Some people really like the cm802akg tho, which replace the glide cluster bomb in exchange for a tv guided cruise missile that can go around a 80 miles.
I clicked on this video thinking "eh I don't need to watch that, but it could be fun" but turns out it's actually a bit of useful tips for flying the harrier, which I'm very green with xD
I have been intending doing another video along the same vein after starting to play on public MP server watching Hornets, Vipers, A-10 flying around looking for targets, often getting shot down or RTB's with lots of ordnance left whilst I swoop in kill a dozen seperate targets and fly home leaving a trail of destruction. It really is a different league in most cases. If you need any tips - then gimme a shout.
I love this. I must say, the Su-25 is my personal favorite. It's fast and tanky, and carries lots of stores. :)
Unfortunately it does not hover!
Now the AH-64? A whole different story.
Thank you. I should have mentioned on the vid why I didn't do the Su25....I can only do ones I own....and only wanted to cover high fideity modules....but yes I believe that it's very capable.
@@Pukin-Dog oh I was just playing around. It was a very good video!
@@therocinante3443 Thank you
The SU-25T is one hell of a beast! I suggest you give it a try. The main downside of it is that it REALLY handles like a frog
@@Pukin-Dog
F-18 can ripple jdams in pre planned mode, just quite a bit more work to assign targets to each store than the procedure for harrier. The harrier rules.
Hey buddy. You can riple in too mode as well but only 4 in a single pickle....and critically with the Harrier it auto arranges them by range.....and clearly tells you in the HUD if you are in range of each target.
Ho buddy. I posted a video on mavericks a couple of days ago if you're interested
Personally i like the harrier its arguably the best at using precise weapons to move a Frontline. However when it comes to deep strike behind the front i think the viggen is more suitable.
For deep strike the Harrier certainly has the weapons, however it's weakness is arguably it's speed - or lack of. It's actually as fast as a Viper when loaded with ordnance until a viper uses afterburner....but without afterburner a Harrier is definitely at risk of being intercepted.....and that's where the Viggen shines as it's fast.
@@Pukin-Dog agreed
I can't disagree with much in this video. I was initially reluctant to learn the Harrier because I found the whole VTOL thing just... weird and unnatural but after a free trial the attack capabilities were clear (and I learned to like the VTOL stuff eventually). I do miss the lack of A-A radar and I feel rather vulnerable without it in certain situations but for hunting ground targets - night or day - the Harrier is easily my favorite and probably the best attack aircraft in DCS.
The VTOL thing just clicks and landing on carriers and FARPs is great. As for attack its awesome. The A-10 does a couple of things slighty better. The Hornet is great for long range strikes but overall they dont come close. AA radar would be great....but link 16 is what I miss the most. You only need to say 10 miles away from any fighter to be perfectly safe and an SA page fed by datalink woulld provide that.
Interesting feature comparison! How would you rate the free SU25T, it is pretty feature poor compared to the US jets, but it does have lots of firepower: 6x ARMs + 2x laser rockets OR laser rockets/missiles to kill 20x moving MBTs and still carry 2x ARMs. The turn rate and TGP is such garbage though and it's JUST SO UGLY I don't fly it much...but it does have its merits and curious to know how it stacks up?
Unfortunatley I don't fly it so cannot compare it. I would say it's close to the A-10 than the Harrier though. Thanks for watching though!!!
@@Pukin-Dog I wish the Hog had ARMs so bad! The IR hotspots is such a great feature, too. The Harrier is so great, I only got it recently and should have long ago.
Btw have you covered how to find best endurance and range in any of your tutorials?
@@ColonelAkirNakesh Not yet....however there is a MFD page which tells you. If you go to Menu (OSB3), VREST (OSB8) and CRUS (OSB11) that tells you your idea spead and altitude. You can use the ODU and put in new altitudes (say 1000ft) and it will calculate your range at that altitude.
@@ColonelAkirNakesh IR Hostpots are incredibly useful. As useful if not more so than GMT in the Horent and Viper and the ability to carry Sidearm is a big help...definitely missing from the A10 which can just about take out an SA15 but nothing more. If we had the Harrier II/GR9 with radar and AMRAAM...wow - that would be something special.
I fly the harrier religiously. You know what would be great? Datalink and a fricking Radar!
Yeah. Especially datalink....but I wouldn't swap radar for FLIR hotspots....but with all those I wount fly anything esle....Sadly I have just fond out that some of the stuff on the GR7/9 is still classified and so it seems pretty unlikely that we will get them.
@@Pukin-Dog we may get the AV8B2+ harrier, since its just the one we have in game but with the dmt swapped with an apg-65 radar (f/a-18a radar)and all the fire control systems that came with it. It was what the marines used primarily, so theres hope
Edit: subbed btw ;)
@@Aedumz672 I do hope so!!!
Where to get that RAF camo from, please?😊
www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3303485/ - I added the puikin dog logo on top of this base
I like the Harrier and I think it is a brilliant "quick reaction force", but I don't remotely get the "some of these SAM" argument. If there is a sophisticated SAM threat, or an IADS, you are facing, there should be a dedicated SEAD flight to take care about that. Even a multi-role platform will usually be tasked and configured for either a strike/CAS mission OR a SEAD/CAP/Escort task, not multiple roles at once.
Considering CAS showed to be dependent on the ability to provide Time On Station for longer periods, the Harrier usually sacrifices weapons for Fuel Tanks and you require at least two flights of two to cover a CAS mission. Especially in DCS, this leads to people often attaching as much boom to the Harrier, as it can take and slugging it out until they need to leave. The Harrier really shines, when you have a flight of two or more, deliberately armed light, for a specific profile and keep a constant CAS overhead with Relieve In Place or fight combined with other platforms especially the A-10C to loiter while the Harriers reload.
As a buyer's guide, I would definitely check the AV-8B out, especially with the fly-before-you-buy option and the current sale going on.😎
Then decide what suites you best. There is no such thing, as the generic "best" plane, just the best choice for my personal preferences.😇
Hi Shagrat. I shouldn't have said "best", though I am glad I did as it's caused lots of conversations...I should have said "capable and interesting a Single Player module"...but it doesn't roll off the tongue :-) . In SP I can take on ANY IADS in the Harrier. Dont get me wrong IRL you would not choose a Harrier...but in DCS a single Harrier can take on any SAM threats more easily than the Viper, Horent or A-10 during the day and especially at night. The main two reasons are 1) HARM gets intercepted far more easily that Sidearm (I doudt that's true IRL) but even Sidearm isn't good enough to penetrate a strong IADS eg. multiple SA10's or SA15's...... 2) If ARMs cant get penetrate at medium to long range then you need to get in close and the Harrier excels here: in this video (skip to 27m) ua-cam.com/video/22n9kezJoIY/v-deo.html I attack a site with an SA-10, 5 SA15s ,5 SA19s and 5 manpads which is about as difficult that you would ever get and it would not matter if there were double that I'd still get through.....and would get through more easily with the harrier than a Viper, Hornet or A-10 as in the Harrier I am exposed for 20 seconds and take out all 4 of the SA10's key components with a single pickle. In the other aircraft you could take out one target just as easily...but to take out more than 1 you need to pickle, next markpoint, designate, pickle....and that would take at 1-2 seconds per bomb (Hornet is particularly slow..A-10 isn't so bad but the A-10 itself is too slow)......and if you watch to the end at 34:20 you wil see that those few extra seconds are critical. In the "best attack aircraft video" I have a clip attacking an A-50 defended by SAMs. At the end I have some links to similar attempts on the other aircraft and it's nigh on impossible to complete. In around 20+ attempts I managed it once which was a bit of a fluke (I just happened to fly right over the target).I hope that clarified my argument and the context.
and for CAS...it was a bit tongue in cheek based on the Harriers ability to use FARPS...."so we can stay on station for hours with a cup of Tea and a Portaloo" :-)....Most of all in DCS it's a great module.....and I might even do a dogfighting video based on recent successed :-)
Im currently learning it and besides unguided ammunition i’m too overwhelmed to get to use JDAMs and so on because many ytbers only talk but never show preparation and so on. grim e.g. just days like yea point the pod on the waypoint and bla bla pickle and i don’t even know how to set waypoints or anything about that. i don’t know why but the big ytber tutorials are just shit for me. would you mind doing a few quick turtorials? like for TGP, Nav and some guided ammunition?
If you look at my other videos they are tutorials...for mavericks, JDAM etc.. Not done NAV or TGP yet....and APKWS coming soon....though mine are typically aimed at more advanced useage they are ok for new players as well. Check out my Maverick part 1 video if you like
I agree about many of the tutes. I find I need to mostly work my own way through and then use vids as a top-up or to find out a few tricks. Good tutes are like gold, I can confirm that for me, PD’s tutes are some of the best. Along with Tactical Pascale. I hate to say it, but the official ED tutes are more like showcases really. They are not great for me when I’m coming at a module cold. GR are variable, some are good but enough errors creep in to send me down the wrong path at times, and this is frustrating.
@@julianmorrisco My videos tend not to focus on how to use say mavericks....but how to get the most from them.
@@Pukin-Dog will do, thank you!
the promised video:))
Yeah....its ruffled some feathers though 😀
the av8 harrier actually has sead and ground attack capability, much like the frogfoot/su-25t. The downside of it is that it lacks stores for it to slightly superior to the A-10 II.
In real life the Harrier isn't really suitable for SEAD/DEAD, however in DCS I would argue that it's the MOST capable in this role (for a single aircraft)......which I am sure would raise eyebrows....so let me explain why (gonna be a long one)
. Clearly HARM is far superior to Sidearm for destroying systems like SA2,3,6 etc. however these are easy to kill anyway and Sidearm can outrange them. It's "usually" easier to take out an SA-10 in a Viper than a Harrier but not always. Same with an SA-11 which might have more TELs than a Viper has HARM..........whilst a Viper usually has an advantage against these SAMs in DCS...that's only if they have a default set up where the SAM is emitting. If a SAM is not emitting - an dthat cold be IR SAMs like an SA9 or something like an SA11 which is part of IADS (or even AAA) then HARM is useless and it's here where the Harrier is FAR FAR better. A Viper will simply struggle to find them and won't have the weapons to destroy them if carrying HARM (remember I am talking about a single aircraft and not a package of several aircraft). That difficulty in finding targets is exsacerbated at night. The Harrier is far more capable of finding AAA, IR SAMs, and non emitting RADAR SAMs than a Viper, A-10 or anything else in DCS (except George and Jester but lets not go there). Funnily enough I went onto a public MP server last night which was a night mission and in the space of 50 minutes destroyed 22 targets including 3 SA13s, 2 manpads a shilka and 2 SA9s. The other 29 aircraft destroyed 15 targets in total. Of those 15, a pair of hornets took out 5 SA2s. the only other air defence asset destroyed was a single Shilka killed by an A-10. Clearly this was nighttime which makes life even more difficult for the Viper, A-10 etc....but even during the day they are no match at finding targets - unless they are moving.
Harrier is from 1978, late cold war and I think it would go well with my mirage f1.
I cannot recommend it enough...I was never even a Harrier fan until DCS.
Alt title: A love letter to the Harrier
I certainly love the DCS Harrier.....oddly though I was never a big fan of it before hand.
Ooh sooo realistic and the ONLY thing people with the Slightest Interest in aviation should "Operate"
Definitely
I'd pick to harrier. Capable of flying on the deck, hover and go at some speed whilst being agile. The more than proved themselves against Argentina who were thought to be far superior in the air to what we took along
Good man. In DCS is incredibly capable.
It seems like our payload options in the Harrier got massively reduced in the update :(
Id did. You can no longer use 3 bombs on the outer lylons along with a Sidewinder/arm. This is USMC policy as it was deemed too dangerous as the outer bomb could hit the missile. You can edit the LUA file to allow it as was...but it often fails IC
@@Pukin-Dog I noticed that some older missions still have those loadouts and you can copy them without editing any LUA files. That might avoid the IC problem... but I guess it sort of violates the spirit of the game lol.
@@hanswolfgangmercer I have quite a few home made missions which now don't meet the new requirements. The mission loads...but with the illegal pylons empty
Need the FA2 ASAP
Wuold be awesome with that upgrade
@@Pukin-Dog least i would be able to work easier as worked on them long enough lol
@@covak2002 You were an engineer on Harriers????
Can you fly around real world areas like Chicago or Star Wars Canyon etc.?
Not sure that Star Wars canyon is a real place :-).....but yes you can fly around real world areas. Currently 1500km x1500km around the marianas, 900x500 around Syria. 200,000 sq km around the persian gulf, Nevada (not sure of the size but probably 400,000 sq km....and also Normandy and the English Channel area. Here are some pics of the Persian gulf www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/terrains/persiangulf_terrain/
Didnt realise there was a star wars canyon in Nevada.....yes you can fly there apparrantly.
Regarding dedicated SEAD and DEAD, I don’t agree that the Harrier is the better option. In your tests, you fired your HARMs at low altitude, and their low speed made them easy targets for point defence.
The F-16 needs to be taken high and **fast** (35000 ft & Mach 1.5+). With just two HARMs and some trigger discipline, you’ll consistently knock out S-300s defended by Tors; your missiles will impact at speeds above 1200 knots.
When it comes to hunting for SAMs, the HTS can be combined with a targeting pod to find and designate RADARs for JDAMs or mavericks.
These weasel capabilities combine with strong air-to-air characteristics to make the F-16 a great jet for protecting you strikers from air and SAM threats.
Though it is pretty wicked that it can carry sidewinders AND bombs simultaneously - an impressive and unique self-escort option.
Since this video was done the HARM/SA-10 has been changed quite radically. At the time the SA-10 ALWAYS intercepted HARM missiles when fired form long range. A Viper with 4 HARM could never hit an SA10 from 30 miles unless it ran out of missiles. I think a minimum of 8 HARM were required to penetrate an SA-10 battery. That has now changed and HARM can penetrate an SA-10 from distance and ED have gone way too far in teh opposite direction as HARM rarely get intercepted at all now. So now the Viper is probably the best at SEAD where strikers are at high altitude (About 12kft i.e. IR SAM height). However SEAD is much more than firing HARM at Radar SAMs and in DCS HARM is ONLY effective against Radar SAMs that are emitting. Against IR SAMs the Harrier is streets ahead as it can find IR SAM's pretty well - and can even spot and identify a manpad at 50 miles (assuming you know roughly where to look e.g. an airfield. Against Radar guided SAMs which aren't constantly emitting and are part of an IADS then it really depends on many factors - notably how well set up the SAM site is. I have sites based on SA-3s which Vipers stand very little chance against (if you want to test then let me know), however for pretty standard SAM sites even with IADS scrips the Viper and Harm are the best combination. If I had a mission in which strikers were coming in at low altitude then I would pick a Harrier as it can find and kill any radar SAM pretty easily or also find IR SAMs well. The only time it struggles is when you have a mix of SAMs like SA-10, SA-15 and SA-19 covering all three tiers....but it's still very achievable. If it's a high altitude strike Id go with a Viper......but a Viper and Harrier pairing is a perfect combo.
still think the hornet is better in many aspects and better overall, if we had the AV-8B+, the one with a radar and amraams and i think L16? then the harrier would be much better
That's fair enough. The Hornet certainly has some advantages...notably stand off weapons and GMT radar. But it has some massive limitations, notably finding non moving targets as it's TPOD is poor. Also hitting targets of opportunity with bombs is difficult especially if moving as you cannot use the TPOD to track targets with the POD unless in CCRP mode...and if in CCRP mode the bombs will fall short (unless you release several with an interval....but it's a Target of Opportunity) so won't be able to set that up. Here is a vid I posted a few days ago which kinda shows why the Harrier is absolutely devastating at finding and destroying targets. ua-cam.com/video/qLhXyBpO8Ak/v-deo.html&lc=Ugwcf9g3HpvTaIa-uqx4AaABAg
You have looked at individual strengths which certainly makes the Harrier look good ... but taking a more holistic view the A10 is obviously superior. Plus BRRRRRRRT !!! I need only say now that it's time I learned to fly the Harrier properly 🙂
Thanks for the comment...but it's the holistic view where the Harrier I feel scores. The A-10 is good at CAS...but not so good for anything defended.....that said. I have jsut uploaded a vid which you might like looking at APKWS...giving the A-10 some ability to take on SAMs..even the SA15...and if you can take on an SA15 you can take on anything.
@@Pukin-Dog Plus the A10 can land vertically. I've done it loads of times, trick is to eject just before the wheels touch down. Thanks ... I'll check the vic.
@@paulatcliffe8905 Lol. I do plenty of that kind of vertical landing.
Tempting. I’ll wait for the next sale 😀
I'm sure you will love it
Hallo. Can you help me out with the Maverick cool down problem? I often have situation, when I forget to cool down the missile on ground, and in the air, procedure of cooling does not work. I can wait 15min and missiles won't be ready. Did you encounter such behaviour?
Hi. Cool down takes 3 minutes. Master Arm on. Select AG Mode and then select IRMV. Then if you go to the stores page it will show STBY and then in 180 seconds RDY. (Probably dont even need master arm on or ag mode).
@@Pukin-Dog yes, and that is often, what is not happening. On ground: no problem. In the air if I click a lot : it's not getting ready. So something is either interrupting or making it impossible to get ready.
@@DawidDettlaff What are you clicking? If you press IRMV a second time then the "STBY" message disappears and that resets the 3 minute cooldown. I have never had any issue tbh. What I would do is try to record it and file a bug report with the video (feel free to send it to me as well).
What about the Hornet with TALDs?
TALDs didnt exist when the video was made and I havent testing it's efficacy.....but assuming it does work it would make the Hornet even better at Deep Strike and some OCA missions where the Hornet flies high and deep into enemy territory, but probably wont improve the Hornet where it's currently not so good e.g. CAS and Interdiction where altitudes are lkely to be lower and theats are more likely to be IR and AAA based.
@@Pukin-Dog and sead? Could solve the HARM being huge problem.
@@eran100100 How do you mean?
@@Pukin-Dog You can equip up to 3 talds on each station i think, so you can technically fire 3-6 talds at the radar site and saturate it's target choice, and then fire 2-3 harms and the Sam's missiles will most likely go for the talds instead of the harms.
@@eran100100 Sorry I missed this. That is possible - you'd have to time it correctly so that the TALDs were engaged jsut prior to the HARM...but I suepect that TALDs werent avilable when I did the vid. I think they came in shortly afterwards.
The best attack aircraft is the JF 17. You can devastate a large area with the GB6 SFW and then you can pick off the remains with 40 guided rockets. It is probably the most underrated plane in the game. So ironic that the only module you don't have happens to be the best plane in the game. Nobody knows this.
It has SEAD abilities but the guided glide bombs are actually superior to the SEAD missiles at doing their job. It can also go toe to toe with F16s unlike the harrier.
I did consider the JF-17 and bought it specifically before doing this video and agree that it's underrated and underused, however I don't think it's the best attack aircraft in DCS. In terms of maximum bombload it can only carry 7 which is the less than all the others. It does however have good weapons with Laser JDAMs (but only 4). It has SFWs but only 2 and IMO the SFW isn't a great weapon as it's largely limited to static undefended targets. In regard to SEAD, glide bombs might be superior in real life but not in DCS as they get shot down very easily....however these aren't really the main reason that I don't think that the Jeff is top of the tree which is it's TPOD which is terrible. The Harrier has significantly better clarity of targets at 40 miles than the Jeff has at 10 miles and not being able to confirm targets absolutely limits the aircrafts capability. To ID any target puts you in range of any likely air defences.
@@Pukin-Dog I dont really want to type it all out but there is a very particular way of using glide bombs such that they are not shot down. Also because the GB6 opened at 1000 ft causes so much area damage and there are so many laser guided rockets, each one of them does the same job as a maverick but with much less fuss.
Theres more but it is more about the way you fly the plane. There is more on the pylons than you realize.
I have the A 10 and the F16 but I prefer the JF 17 for a reason.
@@ImJiom I agree that the Jeff is underrated. The A-10 is too slow and limited to CAS and so it's not a great all rounder. I don't particularly rate the F16 - it can carry SFWs but as I said before they are very limited in their operation and doesnt have APWKS. Overall it's probably the best at SEAD with HARM HTS and up to 6 Maverick but other than SEAD and eliminating close groups of non moving tanks it's not great. The Harrier however can carry 10 LJDAMs which are very good for any target inc SEAD (and still carry two other bombs), it also has APKWS laser rockets and rockeye which are superb (Id take rockeye over CBU 105s all day long as they can be used in any situation whereas the SFWs can only be used effectively in limited situations). The Harriers TPOD is in a different league to the JF and also has HUD FLIR and FLIR Hotspots. I might be persuaded that the Jeff is better than the A-10 and Viper......but overall I don't think it's even close to the Harrier (in DCS) in the daytime. At night the Harrier is even further ahead. The F-15E "might" be in with a shout when it's get the Litening or Sniper pod.
Jeff and Viggen walk together in the forgotten and underrated aisle
@@DemonLordGamingAC0 I could only do odules that I had at the time. I do have them both now and if I re-did the video I would include the Jeff - but probably not the Viggen as it's a little bit niche......and I am a fan of the Viggen IRL.
Im having fun with just Su25t 😂
A-10 Go BRRRRRRRRRRRT. Nothing else needs said.
No point firing when all the fighting is over though. Might as well walk :-)
@@Pukin-Dog Takin the piss as you'd say. Harrier does look great and I'm finally getting around to learning it. Your video was just the kick in the ass I needed to finally start. That and spending a lot of time on Grayflag.
@@Chaos8282 :-) Funnily enough. I have been getting back into the A-10. It is frustratingly slow....but has great systems and is probably the most detailed aircraft in DCS. I've never flown it in MP though....and I guess that's where it REALLY shines.
Harrier is best, because, harrier. All the other modules suffer from varying amounts of not-being-a-harrier.
Haha - very true
What an advertisement. Bravo.
Thank you.
Imho if you want to go low, Bush level and fast and drop stuff on AA sites viggen can do it better :P
Not sure you can go any lower in the viggen....but certainly faster.....that said 550kts isn't shabby. But where the Harrier scores is it's ability to get through pretty much any SAM and AAA defences in any weather. In the video I attack a radomly positioned AWACS at night. You can't see it on lightnig pods on the A-10, Viper or Hornet unless well inside the SAM umbrella. I could have used the harriers TPOD which could see the target 40 miles away (but that I felt was unfair) so unstead I used the FLIR hotspots to find the target at treetop height.....that's defintely a unique capability.....As for the Viggen....I had an airfix model as a kid aged 8. Not my first model but the first one that I loved so much that I actually got round to painting it! :-)
Hey bud....just came back accross this comment by chance....and I figured I had to show you an outro from a video I did immediately after this one.......I am wondering if subconsciously you planted the seed in my head...anyway it might make you smile. ua-cam.com/video/eNXSR4V_Vdw/v-deo.html
Talds ftw
Where is Helmet comparison to A-10 ? )) Ah Harrier does not have one. Probably he just don't need it because he is the best anyway)
A helmet mounted sight is nice to have - but it's not a game changer. HUD FLIR and especially FHIR Hotspots most certainly are game changers.....the TPOD on the Harrier is significantly better than the one in the A-10 as well allowing you to visually ID a manpad at up to 50 miles. The Helmet sight is good for targets which you have already found....but it's far more important to be able to find targets in the first place...and for that the A-10 cannot complete.
@@Pukin-Dog irl you have a jtac or coordinates of the target. no one send aircraft to search targets.... A10 helmet also compatible with NVG. You can easily make a markpoint for places aounrd. Especially usefull in CAS which a10 mostly used for. How the "360 HUD" can't be a game changer...
@@Pukin-Dog also a10 range is twice longer. And it has Missile Warning System. It spots stinger rocket smoke
@@dimatall I'm not talking about IRL...the video is about DCS. JTACs are only for CAS missions, not BAI, Strike, Interdiction, SEAD or any other misison type and this video is about ground attack of all types - not just CAS. Every time I play in MP I see A-10s loitering around looking for targets which I spotted and identified from miles away as they simply cant find them as easily. Having no anti radar missile is a huge liability as it's it's lack of speed. In MP servers A-10 probably get shot down more frequently than alll other planes....and by a big margin.
@@dimatall The Harrier can do 1100 miles whilst carrying 8 500lb bombs.....quite far enough - and get on station twice as fast....and for CAS youre operating range does not need to be even 200 miles as at 200 miles troops would be dead before help arrived. The A-10 is good-ish at CAS....and OK at CSAR in completely unhholstitle territory. It's not good at strike, SEAD, interdiction, SCAR or anything behind enemy lines....or where there is any sort of threat around...be that SAM or fighters....MWS does not spot smoke. They spot IR, UV or can use radar...in the A-10 I think it detects IR.
Are you a wiganer? Sounds just like it petal.
How DARE you!!!!!! I'm from Bolton! :-). Where are you from buddy?
F14 all day! Just got 13wins with 6 losses on 162nd pvp
13 wins and 6 losses in air combat? If so against what?
@@Pukin-Dog yes online pvp server air combat....a mix of F15, F18, Su27 and F 16's...it was good to a an old f14 at the top of the scoreboard
@@rcl99tlr65 This is a post about attack aircraft not air combat. In dogfights I am 10 kills vs 2 losses against an F-14 so as expected the F-14 is a bit of a one trick pony...it's good at BVR, not good at ground attack and not a good dogfighter.
@@Pukin-Dog It's not the plane, it's the pilot...haven't you seen top gun? Lol Yes it's good at BVR but Ive been very successful at close range as well...not guns so much but with the aim9...I'd love to challenge you in a dogfight if you're up for it
@@rcl99tlr65 Yup - Im up for a dogfight. I use Mobettameta's public dogfight server so up for a fly later today if you are? Im in the UK so tend to be on after 10pm local time.
The british bias is strong with this one
I can see why you think that...but to be honest I was always a Viper fan and never really much of a Harrier fan...and in real life I would image that the Viper and Hornet are much more capable.....but in DCS that's not the case. HARM in real life must be far far better than sidearm but that's not the case in game. So whether Harrier overperforms in game or the Hornet and Viper both underperform I don't know....but it's understanding rather than bias.
B.. but.. the AV8 is US Marines.
@@julianmorrisco AV8B is the US name for it. It's the same airframe as the British Harrier but I think just different weapons and systems.
No RADAR.
It's an attack aircraft...and for the attack role I wouldn't dream of swapping a radar for the FLIR Hud and Hotspots. If you are in a high threat environment you will be flying low and ground radar can't detect anything anyway......but tells everyone that you are there. The only time ground radar is useful is in a low threat environment in which you can loiter at 10,000 ft.
@@Pukin-Dog after issues in the Iraq war, A-10's were forced to fly high to avoid ground fire, but good thoughts anyway.
@@rwhunt99 Indeed....that's one of my key things with the A-10. It's designed to loiter a few thousand ft. Not at very low terrain following level like a tornados did in Iraq nor is it designed to operate at 15,000....you might as well use an F16, F15E or whatever and the A10s weapons are no use ast very low level.....the Harriers weapons and sensors (in game) are perfect for low level attacks.....though I suspect it does overperform in game vs in real life (or the others underperform). Thanks for the reply though. It's all appreciated
@@Pukin-Dog there's a lot of under performance, the easiest of which to spot is the "true ripple" Jdam attack. Every Jdam carrying craft from the upgraded F14b's to the F35 should have the same capability, of note the A10, F16, F18, and soon to be F15e. Everything the harrier lacks in terms of A/g, that being Ewar, radar imaging, Elint, Mws, and datalink, are all systems that are either non-existent or exist in such simplified forms in game the lack of these systems isn't noticeable. Even so, Razbam still hasnt "fully" built out the harrier, as many simple functions like editing waypoints arent even implemented yet.
@@TheRocketdrive Hi. I wasn't suggesting that missing radar and datalink were "missing from the RAZBAM implementation". They clearly should not be in there as the the real aircraft doesnt have them. Apologies if this came accross wrong.. As for my definition of a true ripple though I am not sure I agree (not that I can be certain). Each aircraft has a procedure and in the harrier it allows a single pickle with the Harrier giving the info to the weapon (via it's ODU panel)....in the other aircraft they still give the same info to the weapon but they typically involve pressing pickle then next markpoint then designate and then pickle...so the difference is the airframe integration to the weapon - not the weapon itself.......but the video wasn't aimed at real life as unless you have flown all these aircraft we simply don't know with 100% certaintly....the video was aimed at how it's done in DCS so I can only really comment on that aspect.....It's the same story with Mavericks. In the harrier it's a breeze to fire 4 IR mavericks very quickly and reliably and can fire 4 and still be 9 miles from target. I am doing a video right now for the Hornet and it's a nightmare just beacuse of how it's integration with the weapon works. The best I can do is to fire 4 and still be 4-5 miles out but often don't even manage to fire 4 in a single pass at all.
Bvr no harrier is not a dogfighter or a bvr plane no medium range no radar f-16 wins in a dogfight too pull up pop flares if needed go down on the harrier bam dead harrier
This is a video about attack aircraft - not air to air. and I do mention that it has zero BVR capability and limited dogfighting capability.....as for an F16 finding a harrier...in hilly terrain without AWACS it's incredibly difficult.
Never really bothered with PvP dogfights...but gave it a try this evening and smoked some Vipers, Eagles and Hornets (and an F5 for good measure). In fact every single time I saw a viper at the merge I got on it's tail.
Been using the Harrier on PvP dogfights and it can absolutely destroy Vipers. From the merge I am usually on the tail of them within15 seconds.
Just an update on the Harrier as a dogfighter. I am 43>35 vs a Hornet (actually 47:36 with 4 wins last night) and 37:12 agaisnt a Viper... but that's guns only. I can still get wins vs an AIM-9x armed viper though.
Agree.