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SAM
A Surface to Air Missile site (SAM) is, as the name would suggest, a ground based system dedicated to launching missiles at your aircraft. This page covers the various SAMs in DCS, their characteristics, typical deployments (as used by real-life militaries), and tactics for mission makers and pilots to be aware of.
SA-2 Guideline
The SA-2 is a Soviet Radar guided medium range (~20 nm) high altitude SAM system developed in 1957, but continues to see use to this day. The missiles are given remote commands from a ground operator, effectively making them Semi-Active Radar Homing.
Components
| Unit | Typical Qty | Function | Loss effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAM SR P-19 | 1 | A basic search radar. Provides intelligence to where aircraft are, but cannot provide missile guidance by itself. | Degradation of SAM threat range to visual. |
| SAM SA-2 TR SNR-75 Fan Song | 1 | Tracks single aircraft at a time, providing a missile firing solution. Cannot locate aircraft beyond visual range without a search radar. | SAM unable to fire or track, effectively disabled. |
| SAM SA-2 LN SM-90 | 6 | The actual missile launcher, fires remote-commanded missiles. | SAM unable to fire without missiles, effectively disabled. |
| Transport Ural-375 | 1 | Reloads SAM missiles every few minutes. | SAM no longer reloading, will run out of missiles (eventually). |
Strategy
Soviet doctrinal placements of units are in a flower pattern, with sensors/logistics units at the center and launchers arranged an a circle around them spaced no more than a few hundred feet apart. However, this is a very easy arrangement to spot from the air, so guerrilla forces throughout history have been known to use other arrangements for the sake of concealment.
One of the easier systems to evade, the tracking radar is easily fooled via notching and chaff bursts of at minimum 4 per second. Missiles have no guidance of their own: defeat the track radar to defeat the missile. It is also completely unable to track targets below about 4,000 ft AGL, leaving it vulnerable to low runs. As a result, sites should also include short range anti-air able to engage at low altitudes, such as AAA guns and MANPADS.
SA-18 Igla
The SA-18 is a Soviet Infrared guided short range SAM system.
Components
| Unit | Typical Qty | Function | Loss effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAM SA-18 Igla Comm | 1 | The guy with the binoculars, who will visually acquire targets and tell the launcher operator who to shoot. | Degradation of SAM threat range. |
| SAM SA-18 Igla MANPAD | 1 | The guy with the launcher, who is responsible for actually firing on targets. | SAM effectively disabled. |
Strategy
Can be found anywhere two guys with a tube can reasonably hide. As such, they are particularly dangerous, especially to planes who lack a Missile Approach Warning System (as seen on the A-10C or JF-17). Best avoided by staying out of range (4-5 miles, below 25,000 ft). If you must cross into its engagement circle, fly fast and drop flares at a rate of about 1 per second, and keep your head on a swivel.
While real life MANPAD teams are numerous and more than happy to surprise pilots, this is a bit of a "Fuck You" button that can make missions extremely unfun if not used judiciously. As a result, goon mission makers tend to embed these in known hostile positions to keep strike craft on their toes, or in locations to catch out people who have strayed from briefed courses/altitudes.