Enemy Helicopters

Kirk · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 71 Location: Pennsylvania

Is there any way to sink an enemy surface ship before they get a chance to launch a helicopter with a torpedo? I know that Dangerous Waters is coming out with a option to be on the bridge to launch stingers but just wondering about Sub Command? Any reply would be grateful and thanks in advance for any ideas.

Molon Labe · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:51 pm Post subject:

Run a passive torpedo deep enough that it doesn't cavitate and you have a good chance the 'can will eat the torp without knowing it was there until it's too late to launch the helo.

A SSM salvo at close range will also do the trick, but they are vulnerable to SAMS and if the ship survives the helo will know where you are. If the ship is moving slowly, however, this may be your only choice, since he can pick up a torp on passive sonar.

I've hit the ship while the helo was on deck many a time using these methods. Always nice to have an air platform on your kill list.

TLAM Strike · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 6:26 pm Post subject:

Give the torp a celing of about 50 feet or more it will brake the ship's back and take out the helo in the process.

Molon Labe · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:48 pm Post subject:

Follow up. I just tested the Sovremennyy's ability to detect passive torps at different speeds.

0-15 kts, the Sov will detect the passive torp
16+, the Sov will die without knowing what hit him. Argh

I would expect similar performance from the other tin cans.

Even if the ship is patrolling cautiously, he should not detect the torp until it gets pretty close. Be sure of your range, and run it under the layer until it enables. If he does get a helo off, he won't know where you are.

EDIT: I've also played with Harpoon attacks; I managed to catch the helo and kill it on the deck when firing from 13 miles away. Closer than that and the helo won't make it out of the hangar, in fact, the doctrine for launching the helo might not even start until after the missle threat is over. Make sure the platform is killed or disabled or the helo will be launched shortly after the ASM hits.

MaHuJa · Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:05 pm Post subject:

How long does it take to launch a helo? If the torpedo run time is less than that.... as in going close. If you can get ahead of him, you can lie in wait. If he's using active sonar, minimize the "visible surface" by pointing your bow straight at him. You can get quite close to an enemy ship without being detected. Distances torpedoes run in at most a couple minutes.

Mostly however, I torpedo from afar, and don't care about their heloes. They tend to sweep the wrong places. And even if they did check the right place, that was long after I was gone.

DeepSixNiner · Joined: 14 Sep 2002 Posts: 401 Location: Victoria, Canada

That's the ticket!

CLEAR DATUM!

I also try to "steer" wire guided torpedos to the target, from a different angle, so that if the 'can detects it earlier than I wanted, at least the helo will head off in the wrong direction, giving me plenty of time to move to a better (or safer) position.

Cheers.