Arctic Assault
Arctic Assault is one of the Quick Play missions available to the AH-94. It involves spotting targets for allied rocket artillery and dealing with remaining hostiles in the area.
Like with the rest of the AH-94's Quick Play missions, this mission may also be played with other players in multiplayer. Two helicopters can be used in multiplayer, with each helicopter supporting their own pilot and gunner slots.
OBJECTIVES:
- Spot an enemy artillery group west of the FOB
- Destroy what remains after allied artillery makes its salvos
- Destroy a hostile tank group moving on your FOB
- Spot another artillery group to the north
- Destroy what remains after allied artillery makes its salvos
- Neutralize a hostile SAM grid to the northwest
- RTB
Walkthrough
Recommended Loadout
For this mission, it is recommended to equip a loadout containing weaponry for dealing with targets at range. The bulk of your targets in this mission will be stationary targets, so GBU-39ER bombs can work very well for dealing with them at range. Additionally, pilots should make good use of the AGM-145 missiles during this mission; these will help you deal with moving targets and other hostile air defenses from behind cover, which will be a valuable tactic during the mission. Finally, pilots can make very good use of the AN/APG-108 search radars during this mission to seek out ground targets in the area. Spotting targets with the radar and ducking back into cover is an excellent strategy to use for avoiding hostile air defenses and planning out attack runs.
Overview
You will start the mission at an allied FOB between your airbase and enemy territory. Your aircraft will be ready to fly the moment you spawn in, so get in the air as soon as you can. Once in the air, you can watch the allied rocket artillery make its initial salvos before moving to your first waypoint. You will notice an enemy bunker being assaulted by friendly Infantry in the area; fly past this landmark and ascend past the mountain ridge ahead of them. Once at the peak of the ridge, engage your aircraft's Hover Autopilot and move to the front seat of the aircraft. Open up the TADS on your TEDAC (center MFD), press the PWR button if the TADS isn't already active, and press the WPT button to center the camera on the enemy position. The moment the TADS snaps to an enemy target, the allied artillery group will send in two more volleys to hit the group. It is also recommended to keep the Objectives (OBJ) screen open on another MFD to keep track of how many enemies are remaining in the area. Once the two salvos hit the enemy artillery group, it will be your turn to clear out any remaining targets in the area. It is recommended to use the GBU-39ER bombs against these targets if possible, as you will want to save the bulk of your AGM-145s for later on in the mission. If you are unclear on where any remaining targets are, you can turn on your helicopter's ground radar to search for remaining targets. Make sure not to get too close to the artillery group, as their machine guns can be deceptively dangerous against your aircraft.
Once the first artillery group has been cleared out, you will be tasked with destroying a tank platoon that broke off from the artillery group shortly before the attack started. They will have moved south past the mountain ridge you crossed earlier. Activate your ground radar and move to intercept them before they can hit the allied artillery group. An IRAPC will be moving with the tank platoon to provide fire support for them; maintaining a safe distance, locate the IRAPC at the rear of the tank platoon and destroy it using an AGM-145 from afar. Once the IRAPC has been destroyed, destroy 2-3 more of the enemy tanks from afar using AGM-145s, and then move closer to destroy the rest of them with your aircraft's main cannon. Either of the cannons are equally capable of dealing with the enemy tanks, but make sure your helicopter is close enough to the tank platoon to avoid spread-related accuracy penalties.
Having destroyed the tank platoon, you will be tasked with helping the allied artillery group deal with the hostile emplacements at the next waypoint. This one will be more challenging than the first group due to the presence of stronger SAM-based air defenses at the waypoint. Moreover, a grid of MAD-4-based long range SAM launchers are located to the northwest of the second group, so you will need to stay low and make good use of terrain coverage to avoid getting locked onto. You can deal with those MAD-4s later on. For now, approach your next waypoint from the southeast and use your radar to seek out enemy targets. You can peek out from behind cover periodically to sweep for targets near the waypoint; just don't stay out of cover for too long, as the SAM defenses in the area could get a bead on you then. Like with the first objective, spotting a target will cue the allied artillery group to lay down two salvos on the enemy emplacement. Once they hit the encampment, you will be cleared to move in and take out the surviving enemy units. If the enemy SAM radar near the waypoint hasn't been destroyed, you will need to mark it with your TADS and fire an AGM-145 at it from behind terrain coverage.
After destroying the second enemy encampment, you will be tasked with performing SEAD work against a SAM grid to the northwest. Like before, you will need to make good use of your AGM-145s to destroy the hostile SAM radars in the area. Make good use of terrain coverage, designate targets using your ground radar and TADS, and destroy them using your remaining AGM-145s and your trusty main cannon. You will only need to destroy the SAM radars in the area; a pair of bombers will be approaching to mop up the remaining enemy forces. Once all of the MAD-4 Radars have been destroyed, the allied bombers will come in to deal with the remaining enemy units in the AO and you will be cleared to return to base.