Close Air Support

Close Air Support (CAS) is the act of attacking from the air a target that is directly threatening friendly ground units. CAS is performed by a variety of Helicopters and Jets, but is more suitable for smaller, lower-speed, agile aircraft carrying unguided or rapid-firing weapons.

CAS is the most common type of aerial attack in ShackTac videos. When a CAS aircraft is present, ground units will attempt to relay the position and type of significant enemy targets to the FAC, who relays this information to the attacking aircraft. The FAC may add suggestions on which weapons to use for the specific target, as well as possible ingress and egress routes. Barring specific instructions to the contrary, the pilot needs to prioritize targets based on perceived threat to the ground forces.

CAS can be directed against targets that are either comfortably far from friendly units or uncomfortably close. Most weapons, if used incorrectly, can potentially hurt friendlies during the attack. Therefore, both the FAC and Pilot must maintain high awareness of the disposition of friendly forces in relation to the enemy. Smoke and other signaling measures can be used to both mark the position of enemies and to indicate the position of friendlies.

Concept
Ever since the adoption of Aircraft into military service, they have been used to attack enemy units right on the front lines - a short distance from friendly units. Small, agile aircraft could strafe enemy positions with their guns, or drop small bombs over choice targets. Attacking on the front lines did not require exposing aircraft to significant Anti-Aircraft fire, and allowed aircraft to quickly retreat behind the defense of their own Anti-Aircraft umbrella.

As aviation and weapon technology improved, aircraft could safely attack units that were closer and closer to friendly troops. Newer weapons were more accurate, and advanced optics and guidance allowed insuring that munitions would strike only the intended target without endangering nearby troops. Better communications with ground forces allowed aircraft to coordinate with them closely, allowing quick identification and prioritization of targets. This has also led to the creation of aircraft uniquely designed for this specific role. The invention and evolution of Helicopters also made for stable platforms that did not even need to cross over into enemy airspace in order to carry out such attacks.

As a result, CAS has become an integral part of all modern military operations. In some militaries, such as the U.S. military forces, CAS aircraft have been integrated into the command structure, allowing even closer coordination with ground operations. Aircraft subordinated to a ground unit can function as a powerful fire-support unit with the added benefit of being perched right above the battlefield.

Role
A CAS aircraft's role to is to attack enemy units that are directly threatening friendly ground forces. This refers to any target that is either already engaging friendly units, is about to engage friendly units, or is otherwise within the line-of-sight of friendly units. CAS is distinguished from Interdiction, which targets enemy forces beyond ground units' area of engagement.

CAS aircraft typically fly over friendly forces, attack their target, and retreat immediately behind the lines to prepare for the next attack. While not attacking, CAS aircraft continue to observe the area immediately surrounding friendlies in order to detect additional targets and/or be prepared for the next strike request to come in on the radio.

Ground units will constantly transmit any relevant information about choice targets to attack, and keep the aircraft up to date on their own position. The more information a CAS aircraft has about the location of both enemies and friendlies, the more effective its attacks will be and the less danger they will pose to ground units. Similarly, the aircraft will notify ground units of any targets it has spotted, and request clarification about the position of friendlies.

The aircraft's specific weapons load-out determines which targets it can effectively engage. All CAS aircraft are, at the very least, equipped with anti-infantry weapons such as Miniguns, that can also be used to attack light vehicles. Most CAS aircraft also carry ample weapons to engage heavier vehicles (up to and including IFVs), such as FFAR rocket pods or even ATGMs. Aircraft typically prioritize heavier vehicles over other targets if possible, as they pose a greater threat to ground forces and are generally more difficult for Infantry to defeat. ShackTac CAS pilots often ignore enemy infantry (especially small groups of infantry) in order to leave something for the players on the ground to fight.

A CAS pilot must be aware of what munitions (and how many) it has remaining, and RTB to replenish these at an opportune moment when ground contacts die down. Returning to base leaves ground units exposed for a while, and can temporarily halt ground operations altogether until the aircraft returns to the battlespace.

Models
The following is a list of Aircraft models that are typically used for CAS operations in ShackTac. Some of these aircraft can also perform Interdiction (depending on their specific load-out for the mission), and some prefer Interdiction over CAS.


 * UH-60 Blackhawk and UH-1 Huey: These are two Transport Helicopters that sometimes carry door-mounted machine-guns (or Miniguns in the case of the Blackhawk), and can function as CAS Helicopters in a pinch. However they are not primarily designed for this role, and will not perform it at all if other attack aircraft are present.
 * Rocket Hip, AH-1Z Viper, Rocket Huey: These are Transport Helicopters refitted to carry offensive weaponry such as FFAR rocket pods. While they may be able to carry passengers, they'll mostly be used for CAS. They are typically used by low-tech forces (such as during the Vietnam era) that do not have access to any other type of CAS aircraft.
 * AH-6 Littlebird: The most common CAS aircraft in ShackTac, this light Attack Helicopter is specifically designed for CAS duties. It often carries a variety of weapons, up to and including the occasional manually-guided ATGM. The AH-6 is also extremely agile and difficult to hit.
 * AH-64 Apache, Mi-24 Hind, Mi-28 Havoc, Ka-52 Alligator, and others: These heavy Attack Helicopters are designed to perform both CAS and Interdiction, and can switch between the two roles seamlessly. They carry an Autocannon and either FFARs or ATGMs, allowing them to engage any type of target. Some models may also carry AAMs to protect friendly forces from Red Air.
 * A-10: A Jet designed primarily for ground attack. It flies low and slow, and can attack any ground targets with a powerful Autocannon, rockets, or ATGMs. Thanks to its slow speed, it can effectively perform CAS at some distance from ground forces (though typically not very close to them), though it somewhat prefers Interdiction.
 * Su-25 Frogfoot: The Soviet equivalent to the A-10, this is another slow-flying Jet designed for ground attack. While not equipped with the same deadly Autocannon as the A-10, the Su-25 is still a highly dangerous foe. It is more suitable for Interdiction, but can perform CAS as well.
 * Harrier, F/A-18, Su-27 and others: These are high-flying Jets that typically perform Interdiction well ahead of friendly forces. Nevertheless, their accurate ATGMs can be used to take out specific targets -- primarily Tanks -- even near friendly units. In an emergency they will perform CAS, though not often. If ATGMs are not available, such aircraft may avoid CAS duties altogether in order to avoid endangering friendlies.
 * Spooky: This Gunship is a Transport Plane that has been turned into a weapon platform by installing Miniguns in its side doors. It can Orbit slowly above friendly forces while engaging any soft targets it detects. This is a relatively low-tech alternative to proper CAS aircraft, and has several advantages and disadvantages compared to other models on this list.

Weapons
Weapons used in CAS operations belong to a limited number of categories. Each type of weapon is useful against specific targets. Additionally, the guidance and accuracy of a weapon determines how close the target can be to friendly forces before CAS aircraft will avoid attacking that target to prevent friendly fire.


 * Machine Gun: Aircraft with either a Medium Machine Gun or Heavy Machine Gun can attack Infantry on the ground, though the effectiveness of such weapons from the air is extremely limited. Aircraft carrying only a Machine Gun will likely only use it in self defense except in emergencies. The Hip carries such a weapon inside its rear bay.
 * Minigun: A multi-barreled rotary Medium Machine Gun firing 7.62mm Small Arms ammunition at a very high rate. Miniguns can be used to shower enemy Infantry and light vehicles with bullets, and can deal with both large groups and individual targets. However it can only be used effectively when the aircraft is flying very low, and thus makes it vulnerable to return-fire. Blackhawk and Spooky aircraft carry this weapon, mounted in the side doors. The AH-6 may also carry one or two of these as forward-firing weapons.
 * GAU-19: A multi-barreled rotary Heavy Machine Gun firing .50 cal ammunition at a relatively-high rate. While not particularly effective against Infantry, it is quite deadly to light vehicles and can cause some damage to medium vehicles as well. This weapon is typically only carried by the AH-6 Littlebird.
 * Autocannon: A rapid-firing weapon using 20mm shells or larger. These shells are tipped with small amounts of explosives, making them quite deadly to Infantry and enabling them to cause damage to light and even medium vehicles. It is too powerful to be used close to friendly forces. All Attack Helicopters carry an Autocannon, typically mounted on a swivel and fired by the Co-Pilot.
 * GAU-8: A unique Autocannon found only on the A-10, an aircraft designed around this weapon. It is a multi-barreled weapon with an extremely high rate of fire. Its shells are made of depleted uranium, allowing them to penetrate heavy armor up to and including Tanks.
 * FFAR: A 70mm rocket-pod that fired unguided rockets straight forward. While difficult to aim, the explosion of the rocket is substantial and can deal with clustered Infantry and cause severe damage to light and medium vehicles. A lucky hit can even cause damage to a Tank. The large explosion radius makes this weapon unusable near friendly forces.
 * Hellfire: This AGM is typically loaded on Attack Helicopters and Jets. It is laser-guided, and thus useful at both close and far ranges. A single hit can take out a Tank, though it is more useful against lighter vehicles like IFVs.
 * DAGR: A version of the Hellfire that can be mounted on AH-6 Littlebirds.
 * Maverick: A rare AGM that is guided by radar (though it can also have other guidance systems). It locks onto a target and does not require further attention from the pilot once fired. The Maverick is only installed on Jets, and only very rarely used against CAS targets.
 * Bombs: Large air-dropped explosives that detonate on impact. The explosive radius is large enough to eliminate large groups of infantry and heavier vehicles, but also makes it impossible to use this weapon anywhere near friendly forces. If used for CAS, it will only be used on targets very far from friendlies, and only by planes that can drop it accurately (such as the A-10).