User Guide

A well-planned mission will time your waypoints and ToT such that breakneck, reckless
speed is not required. Controlling your speed is critical to battlefield survival. On average,
you should expect to fly at 60 knots or less through the majority of your flight. Slower
targets are more difficult for the enemy to detect—plus, it’s easier to slow the helicopter
and enter a hover (especially behind an obstacle) should you unexpectedly encounter
enemy forces.
Masking
On the modern battlefield, you can encounter a variety of weapons platforms with optical,
laser, thermal, and radar guidance systems. Despite the diversity, all of these systems
share one common weakness; they can’t hit what they can’t see. Hills, rocks, mountains,
ridges, and other mounds of dirt (as well as buildings) are extremely effective at blocking
all types of electromagnetic energy. Trees, especially heavy foliage, are also effective at
hiding objects, especially in the optical, laser, and thermal bandwidths.
Attack helicopters, whose very mission takes them into the heart of the battlefield, rely
heavily on such terrain features to hide them from enemy air defenses. This tactic of
hiding behind buildings, hills, and trees is called masking. Masking is a dual-edged
sword, however. While it prevents the enemy from shooting at you, it also prevents you
from shooting at them. Consequently, it is necessary to unmask, or move from behind
the obstacle and obtain a clear line of sight to the enemy, in order to fire your
weapons effectively.
Masked behind trees.
When you are transiting the battlefield, you should pay close attention to the terrain.
Watch for terrain features or structures that can hide your helicopter from the enemy.
When you’re ready to engage enemy forces, unmask slowly. You want to expose as little of
your helicopter as is absolutely necessary. If masked behind a building, consider sliding right
or left while maintaining the current altitude. Generally speaking, the higher you fly, the more
likely it becomes that you’ll be spotted. Sliding out from behind the building usually presents
less risk than rising above it. In the case of hills, cliffs, and other terrain features, sliding is
still preferable, but might not always be an option. If you’re hovering behind a long ridgeline,
your only option might be to slowly increase altitude until you’ve crested the ridge.
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