Protecting a base or sector with Intercept Mission

[Stevechase]

Would like to request a modification (or addition) to the air intercept mission. Currently air intercept allows you to designate a group of your ac to launch and attempt intercept of hostile, unfriendly, or neutral. Additionally you can designate specific targets that will trigger the intercept, but to do so means that you have the specific targets located on the map. The result is that once an enemy ac it detected anywhere on the map all of your ac that you put on intercept mission immediately launch to intercept the enemy ac no matter where they are. Of course as has been mentioned in other threads this is not optimal as your intercepting ac can be lured out into the wild blue with no chance of actually intercepting an ac that is detected several hundred miles away. I know that their are workarounds to this, but I feel a specific feature modification is needed to simplify.

Ideally you would want to designate intercept sectors where once that particular sector is violated by enemy ac then and only then is the air intercept mission triggered. Also once triggered only a portion of your ac that you designate for intercept will actually launch (like the 1/3 rule etc.)leaving a remaining reserve portion to be immediately ready to launch if the sector is violated again during the refueling and rearming of the first group. Each time one intercept group RTBs the air intercept is reset so that a new violation of the sector now triggers launch of the reserve ac. Could also incorporate the Prosecution Area function of the latest upgrade, so that once enemy ac leave that PA zone the interceptors RTB. Finally should also add another trigger option to the mission whereby you designate what types of enemy ac need to enter the intercept sector to trigger the mission ie fighter, bomber, strike, etc.

In summary
1)designate intercept sector with ref points
2)designate your ac (lets say 4 total, which means there will always be 2 on the ground ready to go)
3)designate type of enemy ac must be detected in the sector to trigger the intercept.
4)once first group of interceptors RTB then mission resets with the reserve now on ready.
This way in theory the sector always has intercept coverage.

[Pergite!]

Have you tried setting up AAW Patrol missions in sectored exclusion zones? That would accomplish what you are asking for, and is readily available.

[mikmykWS]

Hi

If you look in the mission options of an intercept mission you can set them to launch based on posture. Just change the mission triggers when contact is at minimum to unfriendly or hostile. You can then use exclusion zone to Mark any contact as hostile or unfriendly when the defined zone is violated.

Pergites suggestion would work as well.

Mike

[Stevechase]

Its a little hard to put into words what I am after but basically I want the intercept ac to protect a particular sector and only be airborn when the enemy violates airspace, I have other ac which use AAW patrol missions to cover other areas of the map (fairly large scenario) and I don't want my intercept ac to be going after detected enemy ac that will be taken care of by my AAW patrols. Following your example would get the ac to launch because after enemy ac crosses into the zone it gets designated to match my mission posture, resulting in my interceptors launching and prosecuting the mission. But would they not also launch to intercept ac that are detected with matching posture in other places on the map?

[Stevechase]

Is there any chance this could be added as a new feature.

[ExNusquam]

An option you have to do this would be to create an event where when a unit from X side enters an area, an intercept mission is activated. The intercept would then takeoff and intercept the nearest contact.

[Stevechase]

ORIGINAL: ExNusquam

An option you have to do this would be to create an event where when a unit from X side enters an area, an intercept mission is activated. The intercept would then takeoff and intercept the nearest contact.

Thanks for the reply. But this too does not work. First off keep in mind that this option must be available to and conducted by the player, not the scenario designer. This is important. But even if you set an event where unit from X side enters an area and an intercept mission is triggered, then you render stealth useless. Because if unit X side decides to use stealth ac then they will be auto detected when they enter the zone even if the other side has their sensors off or has none at all.