[mr.WHO]

Wasn't B-29 capable of flying higher than any Japanese fighter and most of german fighters of that time?

[Mars]

Yes. German fighters could get kills, but in the Pacific only big anti-aircraft guns could reliably take them down. I'm guessing these bombers are long range.

[QuakeIV]

Reliable is also probably the wrong term for anti-aircraft guns back then.

[Rheavatarin]

Reliable is also probably the wrong term for anti-aircraft guns back then.

I think that accurate is the word you are looking for. At the height B-29s flew (up to 10,000m) was within the effective range of several types of Japanese AA guns. Their tracking was never very effective though. Besides, most B-29 sorties during the war were low altitude (~1500m) night missions, firebombing Japanese cities. That was within the range of 20mm autocannon. But it is very difficult to target something moving at 500+ kph at 1500 meters when your radar sucks.

[CT27]

Think less Durga/Vadra, more B-29.

In role, not in shape.

Could you elaborate a little on that please...how are the Durga/Vadra different than the B-29 in role?

[General Battuta]

Imagine the Durga as a TU-22M and the Vajradhara as, uh, there isn't really a clear bomber analog: it's like an A10, almost a pocket warship, a weapons platform designed to hit harder than a modern cruiser (by sacrificing most of the survivability, operational independence, and cost effectiveness of a cruiser — no lone Vajradhara is going to get anything done).

The Tev fortress bomber concept is neither of those things.

[Mars]

Vaj is buntu though - original question was about Tev bomber tactics. Though I think you've said before they're going to pop-up attacks and drones.

[crizza]

Well, the TEVs have no need to design a bomber like the Buntu did. This bombers most likely were designed after the great war, to take down Demons and most likely the Lucifer, the latter in subspace.
A TEV fleet bomber would be something along the line of the Stheno... massive primary firepower, cavernous secondarys and turrets, to fend of fighters...
Scripting, plot armor or whatever, a Stheno with Balors/Maxim tears apart anything up front, making sure to smash her way towards the intended target.

[Scotty]

Think less Durga/Vadra, more B-29.

In role, not in shape.

Could you elaborate a little on that please...how are the Durga/Vadra different than the B-29 in role?

I mean to say that the GTVA bomber concept is closer to gunboat than gunship, in BP parlance.  Massive, covered in turrets, and with capabilities that fighters just plain don't have.

[CT27]

Think less Durga/Vadra, more B-29.

In role, not in shape.

Could you elaborate a little on that please...how are the Durga/Vadra different than the B-29 in role?

I mean to say that the GTVA bomber concept is closer to gunboat than gunship, in BP parlance.  Massive, covered in turrets, and with capabilities that fighters just plain don't have.

Sorry for not getting it again, but in BP terms as you put it...what's the difference between gunboat and gunship?  (A wiki article I saw recently said the two terms are virtually identical)

[Darius]

Gunship - a heavily armed aircraft with heavy ordnance as its defining feature. Examples: A-10 or attack helicopters.

Gunboat - small warship (usually littoral) with artillery.

[ZeroCooL]

Logistics it´s a big stuff..
imagine a karuna withot torpedos.
Easy prey.

-Things that the GTVA need to take from UEF in order to survive (or at least do more damage).

-Maxim (no ammo required) + Gauss cannon (Long range + Heavy damage).  =  A  good long range weapon withot Ammo.

-Slammer is an excellent addition. dat weapon can eat shivans bombers.

-Rapier is a must possible advancing to a next prometheus Tier.

-Reverse Thurst can be a feature in new fighters designs.

-Fleet net is a must.

-Tevs have ETAK., and the UEF have some Beam jamming., come on.. an effective jamming its possible.

-Flak burst can be partially take in mixed defense formations on ships ( i think a nightmare ).

-Paveway is a must to check in order to kill dat nasty BFRed cannons.


*************************************************************



P.S. ( Totally/Offtopic).
I´d like to see new shivan ships fighting an UEF/GTVA United.,  that could be great.



 

[Phantom Hoover]

Maxims are getting an ammo cap with the director's cut, actually. The Slammer is exceptionally good, but even a ridiculous overbuilt UEF gunship can only carry a handful; it might not scale well in the Nahemastorm scenarios the TEI anticipates.

[Mars]

UEF and Tev fighters are built with vastly different requirements in mind, so many of these things may not be compatible. Rapier might be a great gun, but perhaps its draw is too high for a fighter meant to travel multiple nodes solo, for example.

[SmashMonkey]

UEF and Tev fighters are built with vastly different requirements in mind, so many of these things may not be compatible. Rapier might be a great gun, but perhaps its draw is too high for a fighter meant to travel multiple nodes solo, for example.

Not to mention that UEF stuff likely has a shorter mean time before repair since their logistical footprint is limited to a single system.

[Aesaar]

The Balor and the Rapier are already very comparable weapons.  The Rapier does a bit more damage and has longer range, but the Balor draws less power, it's more easily mass produced, and it's already integrated into the fleet.  It also has an upgrade in the works.  The Rapier isn't enough of an improvement to justify the expense of adopting it.

[General Battuta]

I really can't overstate how good (and tactically important) the Balor's low power draw is.

[FrikgFeek]

Fighters equipped with Balors can perform above their specifications due to the ETS system. This isn't as apparent in the Sol theatre due to shorter engagements and lower number of opponents where you can get away with relying on your energy reserves.
In an engagement against the Shivans however, the Balor truly shines, nothing else can chew through endless wings of Shivan bombers so quickly without stopping to let your energy recharge.

[CT27]

The Balor and the Rapier are already very comparable weapons.  The Rapier does a bit more damage and has longer range, but the Balor draws less power, it's more easily mass produced, and it's already integrated into the fleet.  It also has an upgrade in the works.  The Rapier isn't enough of an improvement to justify the expense of adopting it.

What kind of upgrade is in the works for the Balor?

[Phantom Hoover]

a transposition and a 'g'