Gunship

A Gunship is a Transport Helicopter or Plane model that has been converted into a weapons platform for attacking ground targets. While the aircraft may still be able to carry troops and/or cargo, its primary purpose is to attack. Alternatively, the term is sometimes used to describe Attack Helicopters ("Helicopter Gunships"), but that definition (and others) has fallen out of use and has probably never been used in ShackTac.

Most gunships are fitted with powerful door-mounted weapons like the Minigun that can rain down a lot of fire on the ground while the aircraft maintains an Orbit. Other models are fitted with FFARs or similar rockets.

Common Gunships in ShackTac include the Rocket Hip and Rocket Huey, which are both armed with rockets. The Spooky, though much rarer, is an example of a Plane-based Gunship. The Blackhawk may also count as a Gunship if it has door-mounted Miniguns, though it is rarely used that way.

Concept
During World War II, multiple nations made attempts to create an aircraft that was entirely dedicated to carrying multiple guns - primarily ones that could fire to different sides without changing the aircraft's heading - resulting in the first Gunships. The first models created were probably strategic bombers (like the B-17 and B-25) that carried no bombs, but instead had many more machine guns than the normal bomber models. These would fly within a bomber formation to defend it from intercepting aircraft.

Gunships have changed markedly since then, especially since the Vietnam war. Gunships were now designed to Orbit a specific position on the battlefield, while firing their side-mounted machine guns at any target on the ground. Gunships could carry a large amount of ammunition, providing sustained fire-support to ground troops while escorting them into enemy territory.

Simultaneously, the mass introduction of helicopters into combat resulted in the development of several transport helicopter variants that would carry heavier weapons instead of regular cargo - a stepping stone towards the creation of dedicated Attack Helicopters. Over time, these helicopters have become more common in air forces and paramilitary organizations that could not afford actual Attack Helicopters. Many of these Gunships carried rocket pods, which helicopters found relatively easy to fire accurately compared to fast-flying Planes.

The most modern Gunships are incredibly powerful, carrying very heavy weapons that can accurately destroy large numbers of enemy forces from a high orbital position. These have not yet been introduced in ShackTac, and may never be introduced due to their balance-breaking power.

Role
The Gunship is an alternative to an Attack Helicopter. In ShackTac, Gunships typically appear in the service of military or paramilitary forces that would not conceivably have access to Attack Helicopters. This includes INDFOR and PMC forces, as well as BLUFOR in low-tech scenarios (e.g. Vietnam). OPFOR operates the Rocket Hip very commonly (usually AI-controlled), while the Soviet Mi-24 Hind can be considered a type of Gunship as well.

A Gunship's behavior depends on whether it is equipped with side-mounted Machine Guns, or with rocket-pods like the FFAR.

Side-Mounted weapons allow the Gunship to attack ground targets while Orbiting above them. The Gunship will typically orbit over friendly forces, waiting for reports of enemy concentrations on the ground and then opening fire on them. The Gunship may alter its orbit to circle over enemy positions, but will rarely move far from friendlies. Additional Jets may be required to protect the Gunship from enemy aircraft, since they pose a great threat to it.

Gunships with rocket-pods behave much more like Attack Helicopters, typically performing Close Air Support in the vicinity of ground forces. These Gunships need to break orbit to attack targets, and may or may not Orbit over friendlies at all. They may even fly onwards to perform Interdiction ahead of friendlies. Nevertheless, they are not as effective as Attack Helicopters, and do not carry a wide variety of weapons; but Rockets can handle most types of targets fairly effectively.

In all cases, a Helicopter Gunship may retain its ability to carry passengers, and may therefore be required to pick up or drop off troops like a Transport Helicopter would. Once the passengers are offloaded, the aircraft resumes its attack duties immediately.

Models
The most common Gunship in ShackTac is the Rocket Hip - an Mi-8 (or Mi-17) Hip carrying multiple rocket pods under its wing stubs. This is typically an AI-controlled aircraft that will make passes over friendly positions, showering them with deadly explosive rockets. Players spotting an enemy Hip in the air will often immediately try to determine whether it is carrying rockets, and if so will urgently report this over the radio. Players on the ground will react by taking cover whenever the helicopter makes a pass overhead.

The Mi-24 Hind may also be considered a type of Gunship, though it has much more in common with true Attack Helicopters. Like the Rocket Hip, the Hind carries multiple rocket pods that are used for strafing ground targets. The Hind is also armed with an Autocannon can can be equally dangerous. Note that while Hinds are capable of transporting troops (this is why they may be counted in this category), they are rarely required to do so.

BLUFOR Gunships are much more rarely seen in ShackTac. The first model to appear in videos was probably the Spooky, a DC-47 prop-driven Transport Plane that is fitted with a Minigun in its side door. It carries plenty of ammunition for this fast-firing weapon, and can sustain fire over a very long period of time.

Another BLUFOR model that has made several appearances in ArmA 3 so far is the Rocket Huey. This is a Huey, a small Transport Helicopter, carrying two rocket pods under its wing stubs. With much-fewer available rockets than the Rocket Hips, the Huey cannot make repeated strafing runs with rockets on suspected enemy positions, instead having to use the rockets against more specific targets and visible concentrations of enemy infantry. This is aided by the Huey's high maneuverability compared to the other Gunships listed above.