Gunship Academy

by Richard Sheffield

The Enemy Threat

A great deal of effort has gone into the modeling of the enemy weapons to be faced in the simulator. They need to be as lethal and as smart as the real thing or the whole process is meaningless. These systems must constantly attempt to sight and engage an Apache and, when all appropriate constraints are satisfied, to register an Apache kill. All types of Soviet weapons are used in the simulation: T-80 Tanks, BMPs, ZSU-23-4 antiaircraft guns, SAMs, and even Hind-D helicopters are modeled. The best information available regarding these weapons are used in the model, including the following:

• Ammunition type

• Maximum rate of fire

• Number of rounds fired at the Apache

• Apache range

• Muzzle velocity or missile time of flight

• Effects of poor visibility

• Time of day

• Effect of proper use of backdrop when unmasking

• Effect of Apache countermeasures; that is, jammers, flares, and chaff

The instructor can choose one of ten levels of difficulty. These levels change the enemy weapons' lethality to correspond to the crew's level of expertise. Once this level has been established, the computer will constantly evaluate the above factors in deciding whether a hit or near miss occurs. If a hit occurs, the crew will feel it and hear the impact, and the aircraft will react. Depending on the size and type of round, an appropriate damage level will result. The simulation will continue after a hit, forcing the crew to make important decisions, such as continuing the mission, returning to base, or making a forced landing.

The enemy threat has been superbly designed for this simulation and given a large amount of "intelligence." They'll fight to win and survive just as hard as the Apache crew.

Table of Contents
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