Interdiction

Interdiction is the act of attacking enemy units while they are making their way to the battlefield, or while they are simply well-ahead of any advancing friendly units. Interdiction is performed from the air, mostly by Jet aircraft dedicated to this role.

Interdiction targets enemies that are well outside the line-of-sight of friendly ground forces (approximately 2 kilometers out or more). The interdictor aircraft usually needs to spot its own targets, receiving no help from the units on the ground. Since Interdiction requires the attacking aircraft to fly well ahead of friendly support, it may be a very difficult (or entirely impossible) task to perform while enemy Anti-Aircraft assets are present in the vicinity.

In ArmA, Interdiction actions typically target Tanks and other types of heavy armor; These are obvious targets that a fast-flying Jet can easily detect, identify, and defeat with its available weapons. Large concentrations of Infantry can also be interdicted (using Bombs or Rockets), though ShackTac pilots often choose to leave enemy infantry for ground forces to handle.

Any Jet carrying air-to-ground munitions will likely spend most of its time running Interdiction, or switching between Interdiction and CAS as required. Attack Helicopters may also perform interdiction, though they often prioritize CAS. Longer-ranged weapons (especially guided ones) as well as a powerful on-board radar system both make Interdiction easier.

Interdictor Models
Most often, Interdictors will be high-speed Jets that can reach far beyond the front line within seconds to attack targets in advance of the ground force. Attack Helicopter instead creep up around the front line to a firing position from which it can interdict enemies along a given route.


 * The AH-6 Littlebird variant can, in some situations, perform Interdiction using FFAR rocket-pods or (much more rarely) DAGR ATGMs. The Littlebird the enjoys speed and maneuverability required to avoid some Anti-Aircraft fire, but is still very vulnerable over enemy airspace. The Littlebird will only go out on Interdiction runs when it is not tasked to perform CAS.
 * The AH-64 Apache and Soviet Attack Helicopters like the Mi-24, Mi-28 and Ka-52 can sneak up behind the terrain to surprise and interdict enemy assets with their various on-board weapons. However doing so exposes the helicopter to retaliation. These helicopters do perform CAS as well, and may be required to switch between CAS and Interdiction multiple times during a mission.
 * The A-10 Warthog and Su-25 Frogfoot are both capable of providing both CAS and Interdiction, much like Attack Helicopters do. However their added speed and survivability makes them somewhat more suitable for Interdiction than helicopters, and they more often carry powerful guided weapons to assist in this task.
 * Any fast-moving Jet like the Harrier, Su-27 and F/A-18 will likely be performing more Interdiction tasks than CAS. These aircraft fly too fast and high to provide accurate CAS without endangering friendly forces, while those same characteristics allows them to dart far ahead of friendlies and retreat without exposing themselves to Anti-Aircraft fire. Their high altitude flight, superior radar and optics, as well as an array of the most accurate, long-range guided weapons in the game, all make these planes excellent Interdictors.